Vati dal khaman is the quieter, older cousin of the instant khaman dhokla in the shop window — and Gujarati homes will tell you it is the real thing. Instead of a box of besan stirred up in minutes, this one begins with chana dal soaked for hours and ground in a stone grinder’s bowl … Read more
Thattai are the flat, crackling discs that Tamil homes fry up by the dozen when a festival is near — rice flour pressed thin, fried until it blisters and turns the colour of light caramel, and seasoned with cumin, sesame and curry leaves so every bite is savoury right through. The name itself comes from … Read more
Crispy corn is the starter that Indian restaurants made famous and home cooks quietly adopted — sweet corn kernels boiled, dusted in flour and fried until each one wears a thin, crackling shell, then tossed hot with chilli, chaat masala and lemon. The pleasure is in the contrast: shattering crust, juicy burst, tangy spice, all … Read more
This sweet corn salad is really a chaat in salad’s clothing — warm, butter-tossed corn folded with crunchy onion, tomato and cucumber, a squeeze of lemon and a good shake of chaat masala. It takes fifteen minutes, most of it waiting for the corn to boil, and it sits just as happily next to a … Read more
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