Author Archives: dustandcolor

This is a edited version of a class essay I submitted at Le Cordon Bleu, Lima for my diploma in Peruvian gastronomy. The paper focused on – 1. the production and types of native potatoes in Huancavelica, Junin and La Libertad, the three of which combined have about 900 varieties of native potatoes. 2. theContinue reading “The Peruvian Potato”

To the Peruvians, the Causa is a symbol of pride and patriotism. The dish, mostly served cold as an appetizer, is steeped in history and has multiple theories of origin. For such a complex pedigree, the dish is made of just two main ingredients – yellow potatoes (papa amarilla) and yellow peppers (aji amarillo). AmongContinue reading “The Causa”

In continued experiments to create dairy free food for my daughter, without compromising good taste, I tried making an almond milk based chicken curry. Though my daughter is four year old she is pretty sophisticated in her tastes. And keeping in line with child behavior of having no filter she will mercilessly declare that aContinue reading “Almond Chicken Curry”

Guatemala, compared to other countries especially its northern neighbor, might never be considered as a mecca for street food. But if one knows the country well, there is no shortage of delectable food sold in markets, street corners and tiny restaurants across the country. To me corn tortillas, fried chicken and fries hold the topContinue reading “Street vendors of Guatemala”

Biryani is personal. Any person who has the ability to cook meat and rice and put it together can claim the knowhow to put together a biryani. There is a plethora of cookbooks, videos on how to cook a perfect biryani, regional variants, and squabbles as to who has the best biryani. After all, theContinue reading “White Chicken Biryani”

The 83-year old Tsukiji Fish Market at Tokyo’s Chuo Ward held its last tuna auction viewing on September 13, 2018 before it commences its operation at the new location at Toyosu in Koto Ward on October 11. I had the opportunity to spend three early mornings at the one of the world’s largest fish market inContinue reading “Tsukiji Fish Market”

Okra is an eternal fixture in the household. It is sliced, diced, quartered, sautéed, cooked with lentils, added to potatoes and other vegetables. But never deep fried. Little bit of okra mucilage (the slimy stuff) was not a big issue for us till our four-year old came into the picture. Though she is pretty openContinue reading “Roasted Okra”

Beef Choclo Soup – Hearty soup with Choclo corn and beef neck bone stock

Made from scratch stock with beef neck bones.

Delicate curry with fresh okra, coconut milk and spices.

We are the in weekend-refrigerator cleaning mode and I had a big box of mushrooms that we had bought from Costco. When not in the mood to make anything elaborate I always fall back on my trusted wok. It’s quick, minimum oil, and no water Cooking with a wok means one important thing…. getting allContinue reading “Garlic Stir-fried Mushrooms”

I could not find a better way to call it, hence – Pad Thai Frittata. Yesterday after a grueling long day pushing paper work we had Thai food for dinner. My wife ordered pork Pad Thai and we had some leftovers. This morning while foraging the refrigerator to make some breakfast I came across theContinue reading “Pad Thai Frittata”

The nature of our visit to India did not give us the opportunity to spend time in Kerala. But when my Dad told me that my grandmother was not doing well, we took time off and made a 24-hr Kerala visit to see her. We flew in mid-afternoon from Bombay and left the next dayContinue reading “The Kitchen Garden”

I grew up in India, Tanzania, and little of the Middle East at a time and generation before the advent of canned foods. Foods sealed in a tin were pretty much limited to milk powder, juice concentrates or something non-consequential. Everything else was fresh. Even when I moved to Delhi and lived there close toContinue reading “Chana Masala”

I had not met my closest friends in Washington DC since Christmas. Caught in the mundane aspects of life, time went by. Then my wife and I went to India for couple of weeks in February-March. Once we got back I invited my friends over for dinner this weekend, and considering the great weather weContinue reading “Grilled Prawns and Saffron-mashed Potatoes”

Chutneys and condiments vie with fish as the main dishes of a meal at our (my parent’s) house. At any given point there would be at least two or three pickles, Inji curry (puliinji), chutneys made from coconut, mint, dried shrimp, onions etc. A typical meal consists of rice, a piece or two of friedContinue reading “Mom’s Cooking – Condiments”

My mother has been cooking pretty much her whole life, and is the biggest influence in my cooking. Her mastery over spices and heat (temperature) is exemplary.  Over the years I have kind of understood and incorporated her sense of spices into my own cooking, but much to my chagrin I still struggle to getContinue reading “Mom’s Cooking – Fish”

I am not even sure why I am calling this dish “Mutton Dopiaza”. I don’t know anything about the dish – its origin or what it really stands for. I am depending on the tidbits of information that I got after spending an hour on the internet.  From what I read “Do Pyaza” or “Dopiaza”Continue reading “Mutton Dopiaza”

Its been two years since I have posted anything on my blog. To be frank I didn’t even realize it. It’s not that I have not cooked anything in the last 24 months. I did try some salads, grilled stuff, my version of shrimps and grits, simplified versions of Kerala dishes – fed lot ofContinue reading “Chapati and Beans Thoran”

When I returned from India, I brought some unsalted roasted cashew nuts. Last week when I fried some of those and added to a chicken dish my friend liked it a lot. So I started looking for cashew chicken recipes, but came across a variety of versions. I was not sure what was what, andContinue reading “Cashewnut Chicken Curry”