This is an unassuming but gorgeous dal and one of my favorite lentil dishes of all time. A gentle and soothing marriage of soft lentils and earthy cumin and chiles, tempered by butter, it’s old-fashioned home cooking at its best: nourishing, cheap to make, and...
Jim Pizer is more Indian than a lot of Indians I know. While growing up he was in and out of his Indian friends’ houses in Birmingham, eating their mums’ home cooking, and was so disappointed with the state of Indian food in restaurants in the UK that he decided to...
In England, we usually treat mustard as a condiment—highly dangerous and to be eaten in small quantities. But in Bengal they make wonderful dishes using mustard in large amounts, as the lead flavor. In this recipe, the mustard and yogurt come together to make a...
I’ll never forget my mum’s head-turning squeal when she saw a bag of Desiree potatoes marked “grown in Lincolnshire” in the aisle of a London supermarket. She’s evangelical about their butteriness, and proud of the fact they’re grown near our family home, so this...
In Gujarat, cabbages and potatoes are near deities. In Lincolnshire, where they are the main crops, the same is true. I feel as though my bones, and the bones of my ancestors, are partly made up of these two vegetables. When you want something simple, not much beats a...
Ben Benton is one of the greatest chefs I know. This is his recipe, and although he is not Keralan, he has a tremendous ability to get under the skin of the cuisine. He taught me that by grilling the cut sides of cabbage a whole new side of its personality is...
You don’t have to use baby vegetables for this dish. I use them because they’re sweet and beautiful, but you could use larger roots and cut them down to size. Serves 4 2¼ pounds mix of baby carrots, parsnips, turnips, and potatoes canola oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin...
These are a step forward from the deep-fried favorites: they are healthier, more pleasant to cook, and just as tasty. I like to serve these with a fresh cilantro or mango chutney, or beet raita (see here). Makes 24 ½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped1...
VEGAN /// MAKES 6 GENEROUS SERVINGS Because there are fresh fava beans in this beautiful, light spring couscous, I only use 1 cup of dried beans. The harissa is optional because I don’t like to overpower the sweetness of the spring vegetables. Use it if you want the...
VEGAN /// MAKES 6 GENEROUS SERVINGS If you want a spicier couscous, use more harissa. I prefer to make a mildly seasoned stew and let guests add more harissa to taste. I use chickpeas most often for my couscous stews. 1½ cups dried chickpeas, white beans, or other...
