This adai (South Indian unfermented savoury rice and lentil crepe) is a favourite of mine – more than the traditional one. I personally have seen only my mother make it – this is her exact recipe. Do write in with comments. 2 cups idli rice – soak for three to…
My mother is famous for her mysore paak (crispy dessert made of chickpea (gram) flour, ghee and sugar) – for her cooking in general, but her sweets and savouries are considered unparalleled. So good were they that professional cooks have stood in awe as she has explained how to get…
Stopping to think for a moment before passing comment is a real sign of maturity. As is NOT jumping to conclusions or passing judgment. But this is easier said than done. Most of us do it all the time, often without even realising it. As I grow older, I am…
On my walk today, I saw a neatly dressed woman ahead – with a store purchase tag dangling from the back. I should tell her, I thought. Then, I paused. Should I? Would she think I had nothing better to do than look at her? I recollected how I had…
We often hear negative stories of local products and services and of abysmal customer service. However, there are many occasions when things go right. And when they are put right when they do go wrong. Booking train tickets in India is so easy now – just a few clicks on…
As school leaving examinations approach in India, tensions and anxieties run high – not just for the children but also for parents and everyone residing under the same roof. Even if we keep telling ourselves that there is life beyond this examination and regardless of what happens, life goes on…
One’s dressing style has such an impact on how one is perceived or treated by the vast majority. I was reminded of this yesterday as I went to a chic ice cream joint (the owner took the much acclaimed Ice Cream Making course at my alma mater, and erstwhile home, of…
Badam halwa is easily one of my most favourite sweets. Blanched almonds, pureed with milk to a smooth but not completely smooth paste, are cooked in sugar syrup with ghee. Another of my mother’s pièces de résistance, I use her method but with lesser sugar and a softer consistency as…
Be it on pasta, pizza or crusty bread, aromatic pesto is always tantalizing. Very simple to make, the following proportions can be altered to taste. 3 packed cups fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry5 garlic cloves, crushed and roughly chopped1/4 cup pine nuts (if unavailable, increase walnuts)1/4 cup walnuts3/4…
A garbled conundrum of traffic signals leading commuters to at least five streets, always packed with vehicles, many defying description – this is the major Valluvar Kottam intersection in my city of Madras. For the past few weeks, the traffic signals there have been completely non functional and there were…