Yesterday, I finally got the chance to see Slumdog Millionaire. I just had to know what the fuzz was about. I was curious to know how the Slumdog grand-”slammed” all those awards for Best Film.
After watching the last full show with my mom, we both left the cinema having the same sentiments. It was moving and heart-rending. My impression of India went beyond the overcrowded trains, the way I’ve always viewed it on the Amazing Race. Growing up in a third-world country, the film made me realise how India is far from different to the Philippines’ pitiful state. Actually, throughout …read more

Welcome to Chicken Tuesdays! Hope you like this Indian recipe I recently tried:
Ingredients:
750g chicken thigh fillets
1/4 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsps lemon juice
3 tsps ground coriander
3 tsps ground cumin
3 tsps garam masala
1/3 cup yoghurt
1 tsp salt
Procedure:
1. Cut the chicken into 3 cm cubes. Soak 12 wooden skewers in water.
2. Place the onion, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and spices in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the yoghurt and salt and process briefly to combine.
3. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers. Place the skewers in a large baking dish; coat the …read more

You cannot be Filipino and not love sinigang. For that reason alone, rasam would be tops on a Filipino’s list of favorite Indian foods. Rasam is what I make in the cold season, when I don’t have fish or meat in the freezer and yet I’m longing for something hot and sour, to sip and savor. My favorite rasam comes from Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran. I have varied the ingredients from time to time based on what I had, or other rasam recipes I’ve found on the ‘net. And now I have a …read more

A comprehensive list , from JasPari. And a few selections from the list:
Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, which was recently sold to the Norwegian company Orkla.
Koshy’s, from Deepak Gulati
Halli Mane
Another list from Satish, including non-Indian establishments
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One of the things on my “must-do-sometime” list is making paneer. Especially after finding out what Afghanis have for breakfast, I can’t wait to try. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon Anthony’s post on how to make it — sounds really easy, don’t you think! I just need to find out what kind of milk to use, but I’ve got lime juice and cheesecloth ready and waiting!

If you ever find yourself in Durban, the largest city in KwaZulu-Natal (and third largest in the country), you are in for a treat. Over 170 stalls, including Indian, Chinese and Taiwanese food, can be found at “the Vic”, or Victoria Street Market, located in a building that looks like a Maharajah’s palace, complete with purple minarets. There’s a fish market downstairs and as with many open markets the prices go down right before closing. Indian and African produce are available, along with handcrafts and prepared food. Durban has a huge Indian population — the …read more

Two weeks ago, we played a little guessing game.

Here they are in all their roasted and nutty glory. My kids love this as a snack. Because it’s good for them, I let them have all they want. The only thing is even after handfuls of this stuff, they’re still asking for more. Know what it is?
Fresh chickpeas! (a.k.a. garbanzo beans, or the Italian ceci (che-chi) You can find these easily at Indian grocers and some Asian stores. Better yet, try to grow your own!
To roast fresh chickpeas, preheat your oven to …read more

This is a simple pickle/salad that should be prepared immediately prior to serving. I am not sure about terminology as the first time my friend prepared this she called it “pachidi”, so I’ve always called it such, but cookbooks and websites seem to use pachadi and pachidi interchangeably. Pachidi is the Indian word for pickles but there are similar Malaysian and Indonesian pachidis as well. If anyone can provide clarification on this, I’d appreciate it!