Anti-car policy and a story of The Woman with Two Kids
Mumbai’s local trains are a constant source of entertainment and inspiration. When I first decided to get back to work and take the train instead…
Being a Work-from-home mother
Being a work-from-home-mum has its disadvantages. You tend to switch on the laptop shortly after you’ve brushed, hoping to check your email before the rest…
Bhadang
MK loves munchies—with chivdas and bhadangs topping the list. No matter how large a batch of chivda you make, it gets over in no time….
Coffee and Orangette cake | Black and White Wednesday No.2
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to the Mumbai launch of Café Coffee Day’s new premium coffee, Mysore Royal. I have…
Crab and Pineapple Curry
{Scroll down for the giveaway!} This year is going to be about stepping out of my comfort zone. In the kitchen and otherwise. I think…
Crisp Koli Masala Prawns
A few months ago, when I first met an old blogger friend, Anjali Koli for the first time, she showered me with treats–some homemade peanut…
Discovery
As on any other day, she got up at the sound of her phone’s shriek alarm. 6:45. But unlike other days, instead of jumping out…
Dosas: South Indian Rice and Lentil Crepes
There are some things I absolutely must, always have in my fridge–cilantro, coconut, yogurt, lemons, and dosa batter. If even one of these is absent,…
Freedom or Recharge?
As the car drove out and onto the flyover, she let out a small sigh. She was far away from home now—far enough, anyway. Away…
Patole: Rice and coconut dumplings in turmeric leaf
Aai’s picture, courtesy: Nirmala Purushotam My maternal gran has been one of the biggest influences to my culinary obsession. As a kid, I would…
Potato and Pea Samosas with Sweet Fennel and Chili Dipping Sauce
It was in the dark space under the main staircase. The chapel was right next to it but who cared about god other than during…
Prawns Curry: Prawns in Coconut Milk
Mrs. B gets hysterical every time the fisherwoman passes by. “I’m coming!” she’ll yell five storeys below and dishes are instantly abandoned in the sink,…
Quesadilla
When I got home yesterday, hungry and tired, I wanted to sink my teeth in something substantial and satisfying. I had asked Mrs. B to…
Recipe video: How to make Grilled Chicken
It’s October, and the air conditioners and fans are working overtime here in Mumbai. With the change in weather, there have been a few changes…
Recipe video:How to make Nut chikki/Brittle
Lonavla. That tiny spot on Maharashtra’s map that looks like a piece of broken chikki. The entire town is perennially wafting with the aroma of…
Roasted corn on the cob
If you’re from Bombay, you’re probably also up right now, wondering what happened to the city. Wondering why, out of the blue, our beloved city…
Saffron and Cardamom Lemonade
On Ranade Road in Dadar, there once sat a man who sold lemonade. Limbu Sarbat, actually—the Maharashtrian version of lemonade. On a crowded corner of…
Signal girl
She stands at the busiest signal in the suburb. Her hair is a hay-like brown from undernourishment and her skin is tanned from standing in…
Surmai curry: Kingfish in spicy coconut curry
I’d been trying to clear out my fridge for the past three days with a good success rate in preparation for the Amritsar-Dharamshala trip. (Yes,…
Tagine-inspired Chicken with Root Vegetables and Saffron Couscous
When the first real showers of the Mumbai monsoon finally strike, I go into one-dish-meal mode. I cannot, cannot, cannot bring myself to make or…
Top 10 Monsoon Recipes on My Jhola
As I watch the rain crashing down from my little suburban window and sip on lemongrass tea (freshly picked lemongrass from a rain washed window),…
Translated Loksatta Article: Beyond 2 Minutes and a Pad Thai Recipe
The original, Marathi version of this article appeared in Loksatta on September 1, 2012 and can be read here. In the swanky, heavily air conditioned…
Translated Loksatta article: Iced Kaleidpscopes and a Recipe for Alphonso Mango Sorbet
This article appeared in Chaturanga, the magazine section of Loksatta on June 2, 2012. View the original article here. Iced Kaleidoscopes If you grew up…
Translated Loksatta article: The Perfect Birthday Cake
The original, Marathi version of this article appeared in Loksatta on Saturday, August 4, 2012. Click here to read the Marathi version. We never bought…
Trikaya Farm visit
On the drive back home from the Trikaya farm in Talegaon, I felt deprived. Of fruit and vegetables. Not that I live in a desert….
Undhiyu
One Sunday winter morning, year after year, my grandfather would leave his Cooperage apartment and catch a cab to a dusty by-lane in Girgaum, the…
When she didn’t come
When I was just married and for several years after that, I had a daily visitor. A friend. A confidante. I looked forward to the…