Recipes
Articles about recipes in the UK curry industry
Bhatura: The Fermented Fried Bread Behind Chole Bhature
Bhatura is the giant, balloon-puffed, tangy fried bread that completes Punjab's beloved chole bhature. The secret is a fermented, yoghurt-laced dough, and here is how to build that signature tang and dramatic puff at home.
Sella vs Basmati: Choosing the Right Rice for Your Biryani
Parboiled sella rice holds its shape under the heat of dum, while aged basmati delivers fragrance and slender grains. This guide breaks down ageing, soaking and par-boiling targets so you pick the right rice for the biryani you want.
Idli and Uttapam: Fermentation, Batter Ratios and Soft Steam
How a single fermented rice-and-lentil batter becomes pillowy steamed idli or thick, savoury uttapam, and how to coax a lively ferment out of a chilly British kitchen.
Mishti Doi: Bengal's Caramel-Kissed Sweet Set Yoghurt
A look at mishti doi, the burnt-sugar set yoghurt that closes every Bengali feast, and how caramelised jaggery and porous earthen pots create its signature flavour and texture.
Rasmalai and Rasgulla: The Bengali Chhena Sweets, Step by Step
A step-by-step guide to the two great Bengali chhena sweets, from splitting milk for fresh cheese to the spongy knead, and the syrup versus saffron-cream finishes that set rasgulla and rasmalai apart.
Payesh and Kheer: The Rice Pudding of Birthdays and Festivals
An exploration of payesh and kheer, the slow-cooked rice pudding at the heart of Bengali celebrations, from fragrant Gobindobhog rice and date-palm jaggery to the naming-day customs that surround it.
Thandai and Falooda: The Cooling Drinks of Indian Summers and Festivals
A guide to two beloved cooling drinks, the almond-fennel-rose thandai of Holi and the layered rose, vermicelli and basil-seed falooda, with practical advice for building both at home.
Smoked Hilsa and the Bengali Monsoon: Ilish Bhapa Steamed in Banana Leaf
Ilish bhapa is the gentle steamed cousin of shorshe ilish, hilsa cooked sealed in banana leaf with mustard, green chilli and mustard oil. This is why the monsoon hilsa season is a Bengali obsession and how to cook it well.
Kasundi: Bengal's Fermented Mustard Sauce and Why It Stings the Right Way
Kasundi is Bengal's pungent fermented mustard condiment, sun-cured and sharp enough to clear your sinuses, the perfect foil for fish fry and steamed vegetables. Here is its tradition, its bite, and how UK Bengali kitchens source or make it.
Aloo Posto: The Poppy Seed Paste Dish at the Heart of Bengali Home Cooking
Aloo posto is the quietly beloved Bengali dish of potatoes simmered in a ground poppy-seed paste, gentle, cooling and deeply comforting. Here is its place in Bengali kitchens, why posto suits the summer, and how it is made.
Chingri Bhapa to Doi Maach: How Bengalis Cook with Mustard, Coconut and Yoghurt
Bengali fish and prawn cookery rests on three sauce bases: pungent mustard, rich coconut and tangy yoghurt. This technique-led guide explains when each is used, the dishes they build, and how to balance them.
Sylheti Akhni: The One-Pot Aromatic Rice That Travelled to Britain's Curry Houses
Akhni is the everyday one-pot aromatic rice of Sylhet, the region that gave Britain most of its curry houses. Here is what makes its spice profile distinct from biryani and how it crossed the world into UK home kitchens.