When cooked ‘in an artistical manner, and mixed in due proportions, (spices) form a savoury and nourishing repast, tempting to the organs of scent and taste.’ So claimed R. Riddell in his recipe book in 1849 to promote his newfound love for Indian spices. Indeed, the spices of India triggered our world to migrate, to discover, and to revolutionize. What started out as simple dishes made with a few spices like pepper, ginger, garlic and turmeric some 3000 years ago, has now evolved into a complex array of dishes with spices that were carefully assimilated from all over the world.
Indian cooking is varied and complex. I grew up in a very traditional vegetarian household that indulged in simple and yet very tasty dishes. Over the years, my taste wandered and was cultivated by various street and bazaar foods that I really loved. I developed a discerning taste, so much so that when I crave for my favorite comfort foods, I not only long for that dish but also for a specific taste. In an attempt to reproduce these flavors, I started to develop my own recipes.
When I came to the US as a student, I was a reluctant cook, and was unable to tame even the mildest of spices. But as a trained scientist, I was always willing to experiment and try new gadgets and techniques to come up with efficient cooking methods that would still retain the original flavors that I craved.
This project started out as a simple documentation exercise to share my favorite recipes with my family and friends. Most of these recipes use the Instant Pot, an electric pressure cooker. What I like about this cooker is that it is a high-tech pressure (closed) cooking system that makes the infusion of the spices very easy and efficient.
On this website, I share my favorite recipes. I test all of my recipes before publishing them. They are very efficient with clear hands-on step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. I guarantee you that if you follow these recipes, you will get an authentic taste.
These recipes are all vegetarian, and with very little modification they can be made vegan and/or gluten free. For each recipe, I give clear instructions as to how to do this.
Thank you very much for stopping by, and I welcome you to try out my recipes. If you try one, please let me know how it turned out by leaving your comments here. Thanks again, and bon appétit!
“A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.” –Thomas Keller