South Indian Brahmins are known for their enormous affinity for yogurt. In India, people refer to yogurt as “curd”. No meal, and I mean literally no meal – breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack, is complete without a bowl of homemade curd. Yogurt in India is usually home-made with live culture. Every night, before the housewife [...]

As an Air Force brat, I have traveled the length and breadth of India during my formative years. Every two years we would pack our bags and move yet again. During one of those trips, I came across a sight that remains seared in my mind. Our train had stopped at a station in Rajasthan [...]

Growing up in India meant growing up eating Indian food. And eating Indian food meant nearly every dish was garnished with chopped cilantro leaves. I have lived in many cities and towns in India. The most ubiquitous factor in an Indian family’s life is their “sabziwallah” and “keerai-kari”. “Sabziwallah” simply means “vegetable man”. He would [...]

As a child living in India, I had only heard about but never tasted the French Toast. In my imagination, it seemed like a very fancy breakfast dish, somehow akin to the French souffles. It brought to mind romantic images of the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame. For a very long time, I remember, I [...]

I love vegetables and so have never had a doctor advising me to eat more veggies. One of my favorite vegetables is the ubiquitous cabbage, so hated by many. I can guess why so many people hate the cabbage;  I can even empathize with them; I think it comes back to my pet peeve – [...]