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
Dal Makhani is the black dal that Punjabi restaurants are judged by — whole urad and a little rajma simmered for hours with tomato, butter and cream until the gravy turns dark, glossy and almost smoky. Time is the main ingredient here: a rushed makhani is just black dal, while a slow one becomes velvet. … Read more
Rajma Masala and steamed rice — rajma chawal — is comfort food of the highest order in North India: soft red kidney beans in a tangy tomato-onion gravy, mellowed with a little cream. The beans must be cooked until they almost melt; that creaminess, plus a properly browned onion-tomato base, is the whole dish. This … Read more
Punjabi Chole is the curry of weekend mornings and wedding buffets — plump chickpeas in a deep, dark, tangy gravy that clings to every bite. The colour and depth come from slow-cooked onions and tomatoes, a proper chole masala, and one quiet trick: boiling the chickpeas with a tea bag or dried amla so they … Read more
A great samosa is a small engineering project: a crisp, blistered, flaky crust that shatters, wrapped around a tangy, well-spiced potato and pea filling. The shops get two things right — a stiff dough rubbed well with fat (the moyen), and slow frying that starts in barely-hot oil. This recipe follows both rules, so your … Read more