During the four-day harvest festival of Pongal, celebrated by Tamil Hindu community of south India, Sakkarai pongal or sweet pongal is made. Flavoured with cardamom, this creamy pudding is made with rice, coconut milk, and split yellow mung beans, as well as cashews and raisins. Adapted from a recipe by Mrs. KM Mathew. Yields 6 […]
Vegetarian
Hummus
The trick to making hummus that’s as smooth as silk is removing the skins from the chickpeas. Admittedly, while I find it mindless, it can take a while to do. Luckily, Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem provided the answer: a little bicarb (baking soda), some friction (from stirring), and hot water are all you need […]
Onion Bhajis
At their best, onion bhajis (or pakoras or vadai) are crispy and light; at their worst, they are stodgy and greasy. The trick lies in the batter. Too thick, the globby mix makes fritters difficult to cook through without burning. Too thin, the batter runs off the onions, and they separate into strands in the […]