Spring has magically breathed life into the earth and little green shoots and leaves are sprouting all over my garden. Brown is giving way to green and buds are bursting open to reveal their jewel-hued personalities. It seems that life is everywhere in its most vibrant and vigorous avatar. These days I delight in exploring the corners of my garden, looking for new life, and each time I spot a…
If you had to give freshness a colour (or colours), what would they be? I’m guessing green would be the most natural choice and white too because it’s clean and light. In the mood for a light-as-air meal that wouldn’t induce a food coma, I came up with this noodle soup, with only green or white ingredients. The thin soup and rice noodles sit like feathery down in your tummy,…
This is one of those dishes that just happen. It began with half a head of cauliflower and half a head of broccoli. Thought I’d roast them and make a pasta salad. Then remembered that I had some lovely, tangy sundried tomatoes, which would lift the relatively blander flavours of the…
Warm, one-bowl meals are my go-to dinners in winter. Love curling up with a steaming bowl in front of the TV on chilly evening with the wind stirring the pot outdoors. Why spend time in the kitchen, cold, when you can rustle up a quick and delicious meal? Before I go on, I must confess that the Thai red curry paste is from a bottle – but no apologies because…
A special prawn and rice dish for Sundays, holidays and even dinner parties. Ever since I picked up Pratibha Karan’s Biryani, my husband and son have been waiting for a biryani to pop out of the pages onto their plate. Their patience has been wearing thin and after months of broken promises, I decided to roll up my sleeves and grant them their wish.…
Why does lettuce always end up being the sidekick, like Robin? Something that you throw in to make up the numbers or fill empty spaces. While I have serious doubts regarding Robin’s capabilities of playing the lead, I have no such reservations about lettuce. A head of fresh, crisp iceberg can absolutely be the hero of a dish. I cast it in a starring role when I made Asian-style spinach,…
In winter I’m a sunshine seeker, searching for sunlit spots in my garden where I can read or eat my lunch. Those few minutes that I spend in the yellow orb’s golden glow are truly precious in these cold winter months and I greedily grab my share. But when the sun goes down or on cloudy windy days, I turn to food for a toasty cuddle. This homey chicken soup…
Comfort in a bowl – that’s the reason I make this one-bowl stir fry. My boys enjoy it every time, no matter how frequently they have to eat it and I use whatever seafood I have, calamari, any firm white fish or a combination of seafood. I think if you don’t care too much for seafood, boneless chunks of chicken thigh or cooked duck or just about anything would work…