Blueberry Shrikand

Shrikand, that glorious thick yoghurt dessert with fruit and honey pureed into the yoghurt, transforming it into a silken, more-ish dish loved by many in India..

You might like to browse our Yoghurt dishes here and here, and our Desserts here and here. Or be inspired by our Summer collection here and here.

Rosamatta Rice, the Red Rice of Kerala | Puzhukkalari | Chambaavari

Rosa Matta rice is a secret from Kerala, India. A wonderfully healthy, unpolished rice with a unique pinkish colour and a wonderful nutty taste.

No matter where you go in Kerala this rice is always an option, even in Punjabi restaurants! 🙂 I believe it is a relatively cheap rice*** at least in comparison to other rices exported from India, but it is served everywhere, from corner local cafe to top hotels. It is so well suited to dishes from Kerala, flavoured beautifully with coconut.

You might like to browse our Kerala dishes, or all of our Indian recipes. Explore our Indian Essentials, a set of helpful information for cooking Indian dishes.

How to Make Creme Fraiche | Katte Malai

It i easy to make  Creme Fraiche regularly at those times when more desserts are eaten – winter for baked dishes, summer for fresh fruit. It is a wonderful alternative to either cream (adding a little amount of sourness) and sour cream. Wikipedia says:

How to Make Thick Thick Yoghurt | Labneh | Strained Yogurt | Greek Yogurt | Yogurt Cheese

The joy of thick yoghurt. As thick as thick cream, superb as a topping, spread or base for a dip or a dessert, it is a necessary ingredient in the kitchen. Easy to make, it leaves whey which can be used in oats, breads, juices and soups.

Eat labneh straight from the bowl! Or with fruit and a drizzle of honey. Over jam on crunchy breakfast toast. Or roll it into balls for a savoury labneh.

We have other recipes for Labneh. Try Garlicky Labneh, Blueberry Shrikhand, and A Dozen Ways to use Labneh.

We have many recipes that use yoghurt and you can browse them here. Have a look at our dips too. Or get inspired by our easy Mid Autumn recipes.

Yogi Chai

Yogi Chai is a tea best made with mindfulness and care. Although it takes some time, a pot or thermos full can be made to sip during the day. And the base ingredients can be refrigerated and used again for tomorrow’s brew.

Chai tea is not only delicious, but also detoxifying, good for those who have been under stress.

Are you looking for more Chai recipes? Try Chai Masala for Relief of Colds, Peppery Chai, Heavenly Gentle Chai and Illaichi Chai.

What about trying Cardamom Spiced Coffee? Or for a herbal tea, try Ginger and Tulsi Tea.

All of our Chai recipes are here for you to browse. Or you might like to browse our Herbal Tea recipes. Or find inspiration in our easy Late Autumn dishes.

Roasted Rosemary Pears

Holidaying at home is a little luxury for me. I can look at the yellow of the silver birch leaves across the road. Get the freshest of flowers each morning. Gaze at the clouds enveloping the hills. Listen to music. Read. Oh, it is so good to be home.

So, after glazing apples and draining yoghurt, both for a tomorrow’s menu, the weather is perfect for baking some pears with a little rosemary powder – ground by hand with a little chilli and dried capsicum and a minor pinch of salt. If you have not have this at hand :-), use fresh rosemary, some sea salt and add chilli if you dare. I have made this dish with pears and plums, so it is quite versatile.

Pomodori Gratinati | Tomatoes Gratineed with Cheese

In Autumn tomatoes come into their own. Not only are the tomatoes a little juicer, a little sweeter away from that hot sun, but the weather is a little cooler and so cooking tomatoes becomes an option again – baked, grilled, fried, sauteed, sauced, pureed – you name the cooking method and tomatoes will have it covered.

Gratineed tomatoes are filled with cheese, herbs and breadcrumbs and oven baked for slightly retro but awesome lunches or as a side dish to a main meal. They can be cooked in covered BBQs as well.

You might like to browse other Baked Tomatoes here. All of our Tomato recipes are here and here, or Italian recipes here. and here. Or find inspiration in our easy Autumn recipes here and here.

How to Make Roasted Garlic Oil

We use a lot of oils in our kitchen. Walnut, grapeseed, sesame, mustard, olive, chilli. You name it, we use it. Recently we added Garlic oil to our repertoire.

There is some concern about garlic and oil. Make sure you do your research and make a decision based on the data and what is right for you. In any case, keep everything well refrigerated and use quickly.

You might like to browse Garlic recipes here and here, and Oil recipes here. and here. Or find inspiration in our Summer recipes here and here.

Ginger Garlic Lentil Soup

This recipe is a bit famous in our household, a recipe that we have used over the years (since 1997), and laugh about the garlickiness of it. But don’t skimp on the garlic. It is worth every clove. Just make sure your partner eats some too.

Browse our collection of Soup Recipes here and here or the Red Lentil recipes here. Find some inspiration in our Autumn collection here and here.

Baked Chickpeas

Baked chickpeas are a delicious, easy and healthy snack You can eat these chickpeas just as they are, or throw them into salads on top of pasta with vegetable sauces. Eat them sitting out on your lovely table in the sunshine. Take them in your backpack on long walks. In your bento box for an office lunch. They are a great pre-dinner munchie. Or a late night TV snack.

Creamy Pearl Hummus Salad | Deconstructed Hummus Salad | Chickpea and Tahini Salad

Hummus is ubiquitous now. In much of the Western world good hummus is usually available in stores and Middle Eastern restaurants. The base flavours of hummus have a natural affinity for each other, and are a classic combination.

More unusual is using the very same ingredients, but stopping short of blending them into a paste. The same flavours are there, it is as beautiful as hummus, and it makes a salad that will have you coming back for more.

You might also like to try Chickpea, Almond and Sesame Spread, Chickpeas with Ginger Root Salad, Chana Chat with Chat Masala, or Cheat’s Hummus. Try other Chickpea Salads. All the Chickpea recipes are here and here. You might like to browse our Salad recipes here and here, or find inspiration with our Autumn collection here and here.

Travel | The best coffee in the world | South India

Making coffee in South India is an art. This is the story of my first taste of South India’s coffee. Since I wrote this story, I have drunk coffee all over South India. It is a very special drink and I recall with fondness many of my regular coffee places and the people that made my coffee each day. Love you guys.

Crabapple and Pomegranate Jelly with Rosebuds

I have access to a lovely tree of green crabapples and in late Autumn, with its final lot of green fruits clinging doggedly to the tree, many more lie below nestled in the autumn leaves. It took me back to more rustic times, to days of jam making in my Grandmother’s kitchen, to stirring jam in large preserving pans with huge wooden sticks.

Are you after Pomegranate recipes? Why not make your own Pomegranate Molasses and Pomegranate Honey. Or try Green Olive, Walnut, Pistachio and Pomegranate Salad, Semi Dried Tomatoes with Pomegranate Molasses, and Tomato and Pomegranate Salad.

You might also be interested in our Jam recipes, and Apple recipes. Be inspired by our Mid Autumn recipes.

Velouté d’asperges | Cream of Asparagus Soup

Some years it can just be a soupy Winter, you can feel it even before Winter begins.

A gentle gentle soup today. Not one for people who like punch in their food. This one is like cream velvet. Gentle. Reflective. Inner. Wonderful. Although it is Late Autumn, we still have good quality asparagus in the shops. It is a soup that can be eaten hot or cold.

Did you know that the use of asparagus was introduced into the grande cuisine of France under the Italian influence during the Renaissance? It was part of a progressive change in eating habits in France that gave more emphasis to vegetables, long considered the food of peasants.

You might like to browse other Asparagus recipes here and here, and our Soup recipes here and here. Be inspired by our Spring collection here and here.

Porridge | Indian Style

I love porridge on cold cold mornings, with a preference for slow cooked porridge, made with organic oats. The difference between instant and organic porridge is like the difference between instant coffee and esspresso.

It is not quite cold enough yet for every day porridge breakfasts, but I was inspired today to bring out the oats for the first time this year. So in anticipation of those cold mornings just over the horizon, and for my readers in regions where the calendar says spring but the weather has not read the calendar yet, porridge is the theme of today.