Blog
Insights, guides, and stories from the UK curry industry
Achaari Cooking: Building Curries on the Spices of the Pickle Jar
Achaari curries borrow the bold, tangy spice blend of the Indian pickle jar, nigella, fennel, fenugreek and mustard, to build dishes that taste sharp, oily and gloriously punchy.
Marination Science: Why Yoghurt, Papaya and Time Tenderise Meat
The secret to melt-in-the-mouth tikka and kebabs is not just spice, it is chemistry. Here is how yoghurt, papaya and acids actually tenderise meat, and how to avoid the mushy trap of over-marinating.
Laccha Paratha: Building the Flaky Layered Whorls
How the pleat-and-coil method, ghee between every layer, and a sharp crush on the tawa turn plain dough into the shatteringly flaky, ring-patterned laccha paratha. A practical guide for the home cook who wants restaurant-grade strands.
Luchi: Bengal's Pillowy White Flour Puris for Feast Days
Luchi is the soft, pale, balloon-puffed maida bread at the heart of Bengali feasts, fried to puff without browning and served with kosha mangsho and cholar dal. Here is how to get the pillow without the colour, and why it belongs to Puja mornings.
Sheermal: The Saffron Milk Flatbread of Awadhi Tables
Sheermal is the faintly sweet, saffron-and-milk-enriched flatbread of Lucknow and Hyderabad, baked rather than fried and built to soak up nihari and korma. Here is the dough, the saffron-milk glaze and the regal pairings.
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.