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Dhungaar-e-Keema or Smoked Lamb Mince #comfortfood #Indiancuisine
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.” Ruth Reichl Dhungaar-e-Keema or Smoked Indian Lamb Mince is a quintessential recipe from the Indian subcontinent, one that is as simple as it is flavourful. The recipe is quite basic, the underlining key words characteristically ‘andaaz‘ and ‘bhuno‘, terms very familiar to how we cook in this region. Andaaz referring to eyeballing ingredients, and bhuno, ‘the quintessential stirring and roasting’ that gives Indian cuisine its essential character. Be it kebabs, kormas, bhuna gosht or then keema like this, the spice mixes are generally region specific. This Dhungaar-e-Keema or Smoked Lamb Mince is minimally adapted from an old one from…
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The Masala Dabba #4 & Chettinad Chicken Curry. Chilies, as hot as hot can be!
“Chili, spice of red Thursday, which is the day of reckoning. Day which invites us to pick up the sack of our existence and shake it inside out. Day of suicide, day of murder.” Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Mistress of Spices Time for The Masala Dabba #4 & Chettinad Chicken Curry. Both very delayed yet finally here. This time I’m lagging behind royally. Chilies was the pick for the month of April, and we’re well into May now June. I can’t say I didn’t try because I began writing this in May, but life happened! One month ran into another, time racing at an alarming pace. It was just yesterday,…
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C is for Chettinad, Chidambaram Vilas & Chettinadu Cuisine. Off the beaten track to Karaikudi, South India
Karaikudi, South India. We managed much more than we could ever imagine. 2 days can never be enough for a place as beautifully, and as historically and culturally rich like this. There's so much to explore, so many heritage sites in the region, ongoing ASI excavations, forts, temples, artisans, kitchens. Also so many more doors and windows, small things that fascinate me. Come share my journey deep into South India.
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The Masala Dabba #3. As we journey on, the colours pop for Spring and Holi
The spices we cover for The Masala Dabba #3 are cardamom, whole pepper and turmeric. I think I love the spice journey best. We enter month #3 of our collaborative spice journey with exploring or rather ‘shooting’ spices. March is synonymous with Spring, new beginnings and a whole lot of colour. This March also had holi, the festival of colour, which inspired me to shoot several times through the month.
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O Banaras, the holy city
Our iconic trip to Banaras was memorable, action packed and absolute fun all the way {warning long post}. I was going to do a smallish post, but a load of folk on FB asked me for a more informative one, so here goes. In any case, Banaras can never be a small post. I can see myself going there again soon. The city grows on you!
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Savoury Granola – gluten free, healthy, addictive
Savoury granola is delicious, addictive, crisp & crunchy good! Good for breakfast, as a snack, over salads etc. This quick healthy bake is also great as a part of a trail mix, or an Indian bhel puri fusion mix. Toss it up with chopped tomatoes, peppers and onions, some fresh herbs, maybe throw in some sweet corn and enjoy!
