OUR VEGETARIAN BLOG
HARSHA AUNTY’S GREEN CHILE + MUSTARD PICKLE
Adding pungent mustard to hot chiles doesn’t sound as though it should work, but the combination is sublime. A couple of days’ fermenting with some lemon juice and salt really rounds the edges off the chiles and creates a champion worthy of a daily spot on the kitchen…
MRS. SURA’S LEMON + RED CHILE PICKLE
A tongue-tickler of a pickle: it’s fresh, bright, zesty, and hot. The ajwain seeds add a distinct flavor, not dissimilar to thyme. I am partial to using this pickle to liven up sandwiches and simple subjis with its salty and sour heat. It takes a couple of days to…
ADITYA’S EGGPLANT + TAMARIND CHUTNEY
I’ve been searching for the perfect eggplant chutney for years, and I think I’ve finally found it. Aditya is a good friend of mine who I worked with at Gymkhana, one of London’s best Indian restaurants. Following a few months of persuasion, he finally gave me his…
BANANA AND CARDAMOM BUNS
These buns are a healthier take on the addictive deep-fried Mangalorean banana puris that locals line up for at breakfast time. They’re not as sweet as you’d imagine, but perfectly sweet enough. Makes 8 2 cups all-purpose flour¾ teaspoon dried yeastsalt2½ tablespoons…
WEEKEND DOSA
These crispy fermented rice and lentil pancakes are more than just pancakes, they are one of India’s most celebrated national treasures. They’ve got a lot going for them: crunchy, nicely tangy, and very versatile. The only downside is that they take about 48 hours to…
DAILY DOSA WITH COCONUT POTATOES
In Mysore there is a little shoebox of a restaurant called Mylari Dosa that serves just two things: dosa and chutney. It doesn’t sound like much, but this one is the master. After having gone back there a dozen times, I’ve tried as best as possible to replicate what I…
ELEPHANT EAR GARLIC NAAN
Despite being old enough to know better, I still shriek with delight in Indian restaurants when the waiter lowers the family-sized naan bread onto the table like a spacecraft landing. I particularly enjoy suddenly jostling into place as everyone tries to get the most…
MALABAR PARATHA
The Malabar paratha is South India’s poster bread. Beautifully coiled, and flecked with charred golden spots, it manages to be flaky, crispy, soft, and fluffy all at once: perfect for peeling away layer by layer and dunking into a rich, creamy sauce. Make sure to…
CORN ROTI
This is a gift from Punjab to you and me and everyone we know. Use it wisely, preferably as the Punjabis do, with a steaming bowl of mustard leaf saag and a spoonful of freshly churned butter. I’ve broken with tradition by cutting these rotis with a large cookie…
JOURNEY BREAD
Gujaratis are naturally suspicious of food cooked outside of the home, and will usually carry a stash of these when they travel, alongside a small but lethal tub of garlic and chile chutney. Unlike the daily chapati, which was designed to be a backdrop to more…
CAULIFLOWER CHEESE + CHILE STUFFED ROTI
I love a stuffed paratha as much as the next Indian, but when life feels too short to make them, I prefer to make these, much quicker stuffed rotis. I tend to stuff them with whatever can be foraged from the fridge, which is how I found this strange and wonderful…
SQUASHED TOMATO UTTAPAM
This dish is dedicated to making your snack times brilliant: uttapam is a cross between a pancake and a crumpet, to which you can add any vegetables. I am partial to squashed tomatoes, sweet caramelized onions, and the odd chile, and I am also not averse to Cheddar…