Khavanu, peevanu ne majha ni life jeevanu
“Khavanu, peevanu ne majha ni life jeevanu (eat, drink and live a happy life)”. This is an age-old adage the Parsi ....
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Cuisine
It’s tough to imagine India without its mouthwatering cuisines. The section takes readers through the diverse range of delicacies from all corners of the country and the trends that are raging in Indian kitchens.
Scarlet strands
Touted to be one of the most expensive spices in the world, saffron (Crocus sativus), popularly known as kesar, is the golden-hued stigma of the purple crocus flower. Each crocus bears up to four flowers, each with three stigmas.....
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A Plateful of Traditions
Christmas is one time of the year the Christian community looks forward to the most. It is the day when families gather to celebrate the birth of Christ, attend midnight masses and gorge o....
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Pure sweetness
Come winter and gur or jaggery comes into focus in Indian kitchens, finding its way into numerous recipes. Be it gur ki roti (jaggery-filled flatbread), gur ka halwa (semolina dessert cooked with jaggery), khatti meethi phaliyan (a Gujarati specialty....
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The Bhojpuri feast
Masala tel chodhne tak bhunjna. (Sauté the spices till of your pan).” This was my mother- in-law’s advice on my first day in a traditional kitchen in Patna, capital of the state of Bihar. I still remember m....
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The Cooling Meal
An ice-cream or an iced drink is what most will turn to during summer to beat the heat. But are these food items ahealthy solution in lowering our body temperature? Their initial cooling effect is quickly replaced by heat that the metabolic functions....
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Spice up your Immunity
According to ancient Indian texts, aushadham ucchyathe sarvam, which means food is the absolute cure and healer. Traditionally, in Indian cuisine, vegetables and spices are used in a dish according to their nutritional benefits and their ability to s....
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A plateful of Tradition
When I was about 10 years old, I was asked by a classmate what religion I belonged to. I responded by saying I am a Bohri Muslim. My classmate probed further and asked what that meant and I had nothing more to add. When I returne....
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Tribal Flavours
The menu of the day was dal, rice and tungrymbai. While the first two, staples at almost all Indian homes, were familiar, it was the third that roused my curiosity. I was on the outskirts ....
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Letters from Kitchens of the Yore
In India, a famous Indian saying goes, “Kos-kos par badle paani, chaar kos par baani (the taste of water changes every kos or the ancient unit of measuring distance and so does dialect). What should be a....
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