OUR VEGETARIAN BLOG
EGGPLANT FESENJAN
The first time I met my husband was in his kitchen. He was standing amid a mountain of empty pomegranate shells and the kitchen looked like a crime scene, with red juice splattered up the walls. He wanted to impress me with this fesenjan, a dish that was often found…
BABY EGGPLANTS STUFFED WITH PEANUT + COCONUT
Two years ago I went to Kanora in Gujarat to visit the birthplace of my grandfather. I asked around for the old Lakhani house. A village elder pointed it out. I knocked on the door tentatively and was welcomed in by the new owners. The smell coming from the kitchen…
ASPARAGUS + PEAS IN A BENGALI MUSTARD SAUCE
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…
SPINACH, TOMATO, + CHICKPEA CURRY
When I think of this dish, and how the words “chana saag” are now familiar to so many people, it makes me thankful for all the Bangladeshis who first came to England from Kolkata at the end of the British Raj. Many of them jumped into the restaurant trade, keen to…
RAINBOW CHARD SAAG ALOO
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…
STOLEN MUSTARD GREENS
Many a time when I was growing up, my mum would tell my dad to stop the car alongside a mustard field in Lincolnshire while she ran in, gleefully bounced around, and stole some leaves for dinner. In her defense, back then no one but Indians really ate these leaves, so…
FENUGREEK LEAVES, PEAS, + CREAM
Indian supermarkets can look pretty intimidating to the uninitiated—packed full of odd fruits and weird brands. On my list of recommended things to buy would be fenugreek. It’s a bitter leaf with a strong taste that transforms into something discrete and magical when…
SAVOY CABBAGE, BLACK KALE, + POTATO SUBJI
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…
GRILLED SWEETHEART CABBAGE + COCONUT THORAN
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…
SHREDDED BRUSSELS SPROUT THORAN
A thoran is a sort of quick Keralan stir-fry. Here it involves cooking shredded sprouts hard and fast, then tossing them with some sweet onions and the lively flavors of curry leaves, chile, lemon, and coconut. This is Kerala, via wintry England, on a plate. This dish…
KERALAN VEGETABLE ISTOO
Take a journey to Kerala using vegetables from a local farmers’ market. If you like your curries to be gentle and flavorful but light and packed full of vitality, this is the one for you. You can use any assortment of vegetables for this dish, but just remember to…
HARA BARA KEBABS WITH BURNT LIME RAITA
One of my favorite places in Mumbai is Chor Bazaar, or Thieves Market. It used to be where the vagabonds and villains in the city would offload their stolen loot. These days you can find ancient tiffin boxes and all sorts of knick-knacks there, and right in the midst…