Gastronomy
How an Ekadashi Dinner Is Composed
An Ekadashi dinner can be composed as a sequence of simple components rather than one elaborate dish, with the focus on culinary structure rather than fasting advice.
Notes onclarity, practice, meaning, change
Short pieces on the distinctions that change how a thing is seen — written by the people doing the work.
Gastronomy
Tempering Spices: A Practical Order for Tarka, Chaunk and Seasoning
A practical guide to tempering spices in hot oil: preparation, ingredient order, timing, and the difference between a finishing tarka and a seasoning that starts a dish.
Gastronomy
How to Make Jaggery Syrup for Drinks, Pancakes and Sweets
Make jaggery syrup with equal parts jaggery and water, then cook it to single-string, double-string, or paste-like consistency for different culinary uses.
Gastronomy
How a Large Kitchen Cooks at Scale
A large kitchen is not simply a home kitchen multiplied. At scale, planning, staffing, backup capacity, and recipe handling become part of the cooking system.
Gastronomy
A Modular Salad Dressing Formula: Oil, Acid, Salt, Emulsifier and Herbs
Build salad dressings from a practical five-part framework: oil, acid, salt, emulsifier, and herbs or spices, with texture controlled by whisking or blending.
Gastronomy
Kanji and Kali: Two Grain Textures in South Indian Cooking
Understand the practical distinction between kanji and kali: liquid gruels versus thicker grain pastes, with common grains, accompaniments, and texture cues.
Gastronomy
Raw Mango Dressing
A tart-sweet dressing of raw mango pulp blended with honey, rose water, salt and pepper, with olive oil streamed in while the blender runs.
Gastronomy
Classic Lemon Juice and Olive Oil Dressing
A basic vinaigrette: lemon juice whisked with salt and pepper, then olive oil added in a thin stream until the dressing looks slightly creamy.
Gastronomy
Asian Vinaigrette Dressing
A sesame-oil vinaigrette with toasted sesame seeds, orange and lemon or lime juice, honey, ginger, soy sauce and black pepper, whisked into an emulsion.
Gastronomy
Sweet Salad Dressing
An orange, lemon and honey vinaigrette seasoned with salt and pepper, with olive oil whisked in until slightly creamy.
Gastronomy
Butter Fruit (Avocado) Pista Pudding
Ripe avocado blended with honey, sweet lime juice and rose water into a creamy pudding, with chopped pistachios folded in and scattered on top.
Gastronomy
Papaya Dressing
A fruit dressing of papaya and guava blended smooth with honey, lime, salt and pepper, with olive oil streamed in while the blender runs.
Gastronomy
Jackfruit Dressing
A creamy dressing of paneer, avocado and olive oil combined with jackfruit, chikoo, grapes, raw mango and pomegranate.
Gastronomy
Banana Halwa
Kerala bananas cooked and puréed, then simmered in filtered jaggery syrup until thick, and finished with cardamom and ghee.
Gastronomy
Ash Gourd Halwa
Grated ash gourd, squeezed of its juice, is cooked in ghee with sugar and cardamom until it leaves the pan, then finished with fried cashews.
Gastronomy
Coconut Mango Crisp
Ripe mango tossed with ginger, lemon and jaggery, covered with an oat, almond and coconut crumble and baked; serve alone or with Elaichi Creme.
Gastronomy
Sooji Halwa
Sooji Halwa roasts semolina in ghee, then cooks it with cardamom sugar syrup and finishes with fried cashews and raisins.
Gastronomy
Elaichi Creme
A no-cook cardamom cream made by blending soaked cashews with lemon juice, jaggery syrup, coconut oil and crushed cardamom; vanilla is optional.
Gastronomy
Banana Pancakes
Eggless pancakes made with maida, atta or a multigrain flour mix, a flaxseed binder and jaggery syrup, with banana slices added on the griddle.
Gastronomy
Date Roll
Cashew-stuffed dates wrapped in a buttery vanilla dough made with maida, butter and powdered sugar, then baked.
Gastronomy
Spiced Orange Compote
Orange segments and sultanas steeped in a warm jaggery syrup spiced with cloves, ginger, bay leaf and star anise, then chilled for at least an hour.
Gastronomy
Praline Cashews (Vanilla Chikki)
Roasted cashews stirred into jaggery caramelized in ghee with vanilla and a pinch of salt, then poured onto a greased tray to set as chikki.
Gastronomy
Granola
Oven-baked granola of oats, nuts, fresh grated coconut and dates coated in cinnamon, oil and honey, slow-toasted at a low oven heat for about 1½ hours.
Gastronomy
Drumstick Leaf Chutney
Drumstick leaves sautéed until soft and ground with roasted dals, cumin, red chilli, tamarind, coconut and salt into a chutney.