Rasgulla is light, spongy balls of fresh chhena cooked in sugar syrup. It is a favourite across India, and both Bengal and Odisha are famous for their own versions. It looks tricky, but there are only two things to ….
Pista barfi is a festive mithai with a pretty green colour and the rich taste of pistachios. In sweet shops it is one of the costlier barfis, but at home it is easy to make with just a handful ….
A curry leaf plant (kadi patta, Murraya koenigii) is worth having for the smell alone. A few fresh leaves in hot oil give tadka a flavour that dried leaves can’t match. For anyone who cooks South Indian food, kadi ….
One cold night can end a garden that grew all summer. Frost damages plant cells, and tender plants such as tomato, chilli, okra and curry leaf turn black and limp by morning. Many gardeners learn about frost the hard ….
Palak is a quick, healthy leafy green and one of the best crops to grow in a pot. You can start picking baby leaves in about a month, and a single container gives you spinach for dal, paratha and ….
Fresh methi leaves are one of the best things in a winter kitchen, in parathas, in dal and in sabji. They are also one of the easiest greens to grow at home, because the seeds are already in your ….
Kala jamun is the dark cousin of gulab jamun. It is fried till deep brown, which gives it a slightly caramel taste and a firmer outside, and then soaked in syrup. It is a favourite at weddings and festival ….
Coriander, also called dhania or cilantro, goes into almost every Indian dish, and store-bought bunches wilt in a couple of days. Growing it at home gives you fresh leaves whenever you need them. If you cook Indian food, you ….
Picking coriander, mint or green chilli from your own pot just before cooking is a small joy, and you don’t need a big yard for it. A sunny balcony, a window or a few pots on the steps is ….
Mysore pak is a famous sweet from Karnataka, said to have been created in the palace kitchen of Mysore. It is made from only besan (gram flour), sugar and a lot of ghee, but it turns out rich, melt-in-mouth ….