asian

Rainbow Bowl

It’s not possible, or agreeable, to delve into any interaction, virtual or (ah, if only) physical, without inquiring about the mental health of the other person. These times are trying for all, albeit in different ways, but trying nonetheless. I am extremely grateful for all the luxuries that we have, that all our loved ones are in good health, and that we have access to nature’s bounty. With that in mind, making simple cold summer food with what’s in the kitchen is a no-brainer. The key is having a dynamite dressing to tie in the vegetables, and add a carb or card replacement (like I did, with my black bean noodles)

Eating plant based and eating fresh are something that will always be a sustainable and sensible option for your body, to boost your immunity and to provide you with the nutrition and strength you need, to fight against these trying times, medically and emotionally.  Read more…

Vegetable and Sweet Potato Dim Sum/Wontons

With COVID-19 taking over the mind space of a lot of us, the social distancing protocol, especially for us in a densely infested metropolis like Bombay, has become paramount to our physical health (I will need hours of emotional assistance after spending all my waking hours in the confines of our home, at the mercy of my infant and toddler). Devising (and getting them to voluntarily participate in) games, activities, and constructive play has always been something I’ve very happily passed on to the experts. But Sitara and I do love to bake together, and she’s now partaking in the cooking as well. Right before #flattenthecurve went mainstream, we enjoyed a yum cha feast, and ever since then the concept of dim sum (or maybe she just likes the way it sounds?!) has fascinated her and one confinement day, we decided to make dim sums using whatever was on hand, i.e. Read more…

Pomelo Salad [VG] [GF]

Pomelo isn’t the regular, run of the mill kind of fruit you’d just find, lying around your house. But if you do find it, you know, just lying around the house, be sure to make this salad with it! My Pomelo Salad uses humble ingredients like coriander, mint. peanuts, shredded coconut, onion, chilli, sugar, soy sauce and peanuts to give that amazing mouthful of sweet, savoury, nutty, sour, spicy and crunchiness, all in each and every bite!  Pomelo salad is a staple Thai salad, which can also be replaced with grapefruit or even raw papaya. 

I’ve buried my nose in Samin Nosrat’s book, Salt Fat Acid Heat, which explores how to cook, rather than what to cook using a recipe. Of course, the book does have recipes, but the fundamental idea that sets this book apart from a “cookbook” is that the book makes you understand the rules elements of cooking – how to use acid, how to cook with fat, how to season your food with layers of salt, how to apply (or not apply) heat. AND, the one essential unwritten rule that would take you the furthest when you pick up an apron is this: TASTE, TASTE, TASTE.  Read more…

Wok Charred Udon Noodles with Baby Pak Choy + Hakka Eggplant (+ the pitfalls of being a new mom)

Being a mom is hard work. I sometimes look back and think about how my own mum managed us 2 kids (my big brother and me, who are exactly 2 years apart) while I’m learning to juggle my time with one kid and one business and one blog! Also, ever since Doll started to eat solids, initially a lot of my cooking tended to revolve around her food, and the balance time revolved around feeding her that very food! (all you moms of infants and toddler out there would totally understand what I mean!) So now I have made a concerted effort to try something new every few days, and hopefully report back here with some interesting little discoveries and stories and recipes!

Starting that trend is this wok charred udon noodle with baby pak choy and hakka aubergine/ eggplant from Read more…

One Bowl Meal: Khao Suey

This Burmese one bowl meal is the answer to all those woes – what to make for a meal when you are tight on time, but still want a lovely not the run of the mill meal to look forward to! I usually have my pantry stocked with staples such as noodles, coconut milk tins or tetrapacks, and most Indian kitchens would have the array of spices always on hand – turmeric, coriander seeds, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, etc. The curry uses basic vegetables – peas, cauliflower, carrots and green beans. Feel free to replace then per your taste, or omit them completely (which is SS’s suggestions for next time around).

The original recipe I used didn’t include sugar, ginger, chilli or lemongrass, but i found that adding all of these made the curry a lot more balanced and added a great depth of flavour.  Read more…

Scallion & Sprouted Mung Bean Sauté with Peanuts

SS and I just celebrated 5 years of being together, in Hong Kong. I mention this because while exploring Soho one sleepy Sunday, we stumbled upon a store called Pantry Magic, which transported me back to any good European or American kitchenware stores (picture a Williams Sonoma meets Divertimenti) – from where I took home the pictured gorgeous wok, perfect for cooking up Asian fare at home, without taking up too much space in my already congested pantry cupboard! Now, one Sunday after that purchase was made, I decided to use my Clean Foods cookbook (for much needed detox after last night’s revelry and general HK indulgences!) and repeat this Scallion & Sprouted Mung Bean Sauté with Peanuts which I previously made with some pak choi, but this time left it out.

 Read more…

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