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Eating Mexican food felt comforting, flavorful on the palate and filling on the stomach and you find a lot of culinary similarities between Indian and Mexican cuisines. Especially in the use of chillis, tortillas bearing a close resemblance to our roti, salsas to our chutneys, rich sauces to our curries and beans to our staple dal. As learnt from my chef friend the other food similarities are the regular use of coriander/parsley, garlic, onions, tomatoes, mango, lemon, plantain, coconut, corn and rice....

I think when Inaaya grows up and would want to try a coffee viral, this might just be the coffee she wants to start with. So, I am documenting this recipe for my little one, who will one day grow up loving coffee, because who doesn’t! What is Dalgona Coffee? At the beginning of the pandemic, when the first stay-at-home orders were in place, Dalgona Coffee went viral on TikTok....

If you’ve never prepared homemade coconut shrimp, let me teach you how. This is shrimp coated in a coconut breadcrumb topping and quickly fried to perfection. Tell Me About Easy Coconut Shrimp Flavor: This coconut shrimp recipe is unlike many others I’ve tried in the past. I use extra coconut because its sweet flavor perfectly balances the slightly salty shrimp. What a combo! Cool and refreshing sweet chili sauce is a dipping favorite....

Definitely more homely looking than the Ratatouille recipe served up on the movie, but oh my, it’s very very tasty! That ratatouille in itself is a tasty meal, but I still haven’t got out of the mind-set of thinking of veg as a side dish. I’m training myself slowly. So I decided to go for some lovely salty feta to add a bit of tang. Cold feta just wouldn’t have been right, so I gave it a breadcrumb coating and shallow fried it until it was golden and crispy on the outside, and just slightly soft on the inside....

Tell Me About This Strawberry Bacon Salad Texture: While we love the strawberries and pops of creaminess from the cheese, this salad is all about crunch courtesy of the romaine lettuce, bacon, and pecans. Flavor: We’re amazed by the amount of flavor packed into a salad that calls for just 5 ingredients: sweet, savory, sharp, and nutty. The honey balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect finishing touch, bringing all these wonderful flavors together....

Every year during apple season, I make an apple halva. But why I’ve never tried to freeze halva before is beyond me and I’m glad, that I finally did! Did I mention that this dessert has a little bit of booze in it? This halva started off with a batch of ripe Fuji apples. I like these apples because they are great to bake with, they’re sweet but not too tart like the Granny Smith kind....

Do you ever think about cooking dinner in terms of ROI (return on investment) – or is that just me?? Well if you do, this one totally hits the spot! Lets have a look at this a little further: Meals that don’t have a good ROI: Take ages to prepare yet and either don’t taste great, or don’t taste any better than a shop bought version (homemade puff pastry would fall into this category for me) Take ages to prepare, and the kids moan and push half of it to the side of their plate (grrr) Ingredients cost a lot of money, and it tastes ok (or worse) Lots of bowls, pans and dishes used to prepare the meal, and it tastes ok (or worse) – there’s a lot to be said for tasty one-pan meals...

Today, I’m sharing Kian Kho Liam’s recipe for one of the easiest versions of General Tso’s chicken from his book, Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees:Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking. It’s a book I know I’m going to hold on to forever. Kian is an instructor who teaches Chinese cooking in New York, and in this book, he shares all the knowledge and information you need to know on cooking delicious homemade Chinese food in your kitchen....

5 from 1 review 8 cups/1.9 L water fine sea salt 2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 1 Tbsp tomato paste 2 tsp tamarind paste 4.5 oz/130 g fresh baby spinach or mustard greens 1 bunch fresh cilantro, tender stems and leaves 1 bunch fresh tarragon, tender stems and leaves 6 scallions, trimmed, both green and white parts 1 fresh green chilli such as serrano, jalapeno, or bird’s eye 4 garlic cloves 1/4 cup/60 ml fresh lime juice 1/4 cup/60 ml neutral vegetable oil such as grapeseed 1 Tbsp black or brown mustard seeds 12 to 15 fresh curry leaves...

I don’t really do breakfast in bed. It normally takes me a couple of hours in the morning before I’m ready to eat, and then there’s the matter of the crumbs. Nothing worse than climbing into bed after a long day, only to find one of the kids has snuggled in your blankets to eat their toast/croissants/crisps without your knowledge. Nope. If someone’s making this for breakfast (hint Chris..), I’ll have it downstairs please, with a lovely cup of coffee....

There are times when I want to spend more time on the cake and little time on the frosting. There are times when I crave a buttercream frosting and other times when I crave something a little less delicate like a mascarpone based one. Here is one of my favorite ways to use mascarpone and this is a good frosting that works with cakes that aren’t too heavy (if your cakes in the layers are heavy, they will squeeze the frosting out so instead use less frosting in the sandwich but add a little more on top) ....

I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and a few more success tips. Today’s muffin batter comes together in just 5–10 minutes with simple kitchen tools including a couple bowls, a whisk, and a muffin pan. If you’re looking for grater recommendations, I love this box grater because it’s easy to use and has held up well with regular use. If you want to make muffins with apple chunks, try apple cinnamon bread or these equally healthful apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups instead....

There were two articles recently in the Washington Post that echoed some of my thoughts I have about Indian food. One discussed why people find Indian food to be delicious while the other touched on the low popularity of Indian food in the US. Two interesting yet contrasting topics well worth the read if you have a few minutes to spare. In my opinion, I think Indian food has reached an interesting stage in the food scene, traditional and well-known dishes remain popular but there still remains plenty of room to grow....

In a bowl, whisk 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, large pinch of cinnamon pwd, few drops of lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 tbsp honey OR pineapple OR orange juice and a tbsp of toasted sesame seeds. Add 1 chopped apple, 1 peeled and chopped cucumber, grated small carrot, small bowl of pomegranate and washed and torn lettuce. Toss well till combined with dressing. Serve chilled. You can add any fruit or nuts/raisins....

My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right. Though most people buy Caesar salad dressing in a bottle, homemade is incredibly easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. There are many variations, but this rich and creamy version is the one my whole family loves. It’s not too garlicky and not too fishy – it’s just right....

Have you ever had a fluffernutter sandwich? Eaten marshmallows straight out of the bag? Roast campfire s’mores just to eat the gooey toasted marshmallow? Enjoyed marshmallow fluff right out of the jar? If any of these describe you, continue on. PS: A fluffernutter sandwich is peanut butter and marshmallow creme on bread. Don’t knock it ’til you try it, trust me. This is Meringue, But Tastes Like Homemade Fluff Today we’re making homemade fluff aka marshmallow creme....

This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast. I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and a video tutorial, as well as more detailed instructions and success tips. After making countless batches of these cinnamon rolls since I published the recipe many years ago, plus answering readers’ comments and questions, I thought it would be beneficial to update the post with more helpful information and success tips....

I’m bringing you popsicles for breakfast. Not your regular fruity popsicle – this is creamy Greek yoghurt, strawberry sauce, oats, and the best bit – the ooey gooey honey centre. Sounds a bit bizarre I know, but the reaction from my kids when they eat these is even better than when they get treated to Nutella. Yesssss! NUTELLA – I win. I’ve been experimenting with it ever since, and I just discovered that honey doesn’t freeze!...

A well-made omelette is the mark of a good cook. If you haven’t mastered this simple dish, it’s time to get cracking. My very first practical exam in culinary school was making an omelette, and it just about gave me a panic attack. We had to line up single file at the stove, and each of us had exactly 3 minutes to crack, beat, and season the eggs; pour them into a sizzling-hot skillet; shake the pan constantly to keep the eggs from sticking while simultaneously whisking the eggs with a fork so they cooked evenly; add the filling; and, finally, roll the eggs into a perfect cylinder....

Why You’ll Love Making Bacon In The Oven Fast. Ready in under 20 minutes with minimal hands-on time. Easy. No flipping required—just set it and forget it. Consistent. Achieve evenly cooked bacon without the risk of burning. Less Mess. Baking it means no stovetop splatters to clean up. With the convenience of baking, you’ll have perfectly cooked bacon to elevate your breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, or any dish that craves a bacon boost....