Salman Ramzan 
Corn pakora are the monsoon evening snack that disappears faster than you can fry it — sweet corn crushed just enough to burst, folded into a spiced besan batter and fried into rough, golden fritters that stay crisp at the edges and juicy in the middle. A little cornflour or rice flour is the home … Read more
Ukadiche modak are Maharashtra’s beloved steamed rice-flour dumplings, made first and foremost as an offering to Lord Ganesh during Ganesh Chaturthi — twenty-one of them, traditionally, for Bappa. Inside the soft, white, pleated shell sits a warm filling of coconut and jaggery scented with cardamom. They look intricate, but the method is forgiving once the … Read more
Shukto is the gentle, bittersweet opening note of a Bengali meal — a medley of vegetables simmered in a thin, milky gravy with bitter gourd leading the way. It sounds like a contradiction, a curry that is proud of its bitterness, but that is exactly the point: the karela’s edge is softened by milk, mustard … Read more
Maa ki dal — mother’s dal — is the plain, dark, slow-simmered black urad that Punjabi homes run on. No cream rivers, no restaurant gloss: just whole urad softened overnight, simmered low with tomato, ginger and garlic until the grains give way and the pot turns thick and earthy. It is the dal that dal … Read more
Sarson ka saag is Punjab’s winter on a plate — mustard greens slow-cooked with bathua and spinach until they melt into a deep green mash, finished with a white butter dollop and served with makki ki roti. It is not a quick dish and it is not supposed to be: the long, patient cooking is … Read more
Khaman dhokla is the soft yellow sponge of Gujarati snack shops — a steamed besan cake so light it springs back when you press it, soaked in a sweet-sour tempering that runs into every pore. It looks like something that must ferment for hours, but this version is instant: the batter goes straight into the … Read more
Kanda poha is Mumbai’s answer to a busy morning — flattened rice softened in seconds, tossed with sweet onions, turmeric and crunchy peanuts, finished with lemon and coriander. Kanda means onion, and there is plenty of it, because poha without a generous onion base is just poha. It is the breakfast that feeds a house … Read more
Medu vada is the doughnut of the South Indian tiffin room — shatteringly crisp outside, cloud-soft inside, with a hole in the middle that exists for one reason: so the sambar can reach every bite. The secret is not in the ingredients, which are few, but in the batter: ground thick with almost no water, … Read more
Sambar is the pot that ties a South Indian meal together — toor dal simmered with vegetables, tamarind and a spice blend that is somehow tangy, warm and comforting all at once. Every home has its own version: some days it is drumsticks and shallots, other days pumpkin and brinjal, whatever the market gave. Serve … Read more
Shahi means royal, and this paneer curry earns the name — a smooth tomato gravy enriched with cashews and cream, gently spiced so the sweetness of the tomato and the richness of the paneer stay in front. It is milder and silkier than paneer butter masala, the one to make when you want a curry … Read more