culinary heritage - The Locavore

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Desserts and Mithai

Patishapta

Ishani Banerjee

Every year, the arrival of the harvest festival brings the sweet aroma of Patishapta, a traditional Bengali dessert, to Ishani Banerjee's home.The recipe for this simple delicacy, passed down over generations, represents rich, nuanced familial ties and maternal love.

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Snacks and Appetisers

Jolada Kadabu (Jowar Dumplings with Wild Edible Greens)

Dr. Shridevi Gothe and Suresh Hinduja

A healthy snack that can even double as a meal, the Jolada Kadabu is cherished in several Kannadiga households. It brings together the goodness of jowar with the unique flavours of wild greens.

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Main Course

Chutagi, A Hearty Ladakhi Stew

Dechen Chuskit

Dechen Chuskit shares her recipe for chutagi, a brothy dish from Ladakh featuring round wheat dumplings and meat, which she learnt from her parents.

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Patla Macher Jhol

InSeason Fish

This Bengali recipe from sustainable seafood initiative InSeason Fish highlights the bold, meaty flavours of the tonguesole fish—abundantly available in December along both coasts of India.

17 min

Culture

The Dispute Over Guava Jelly: What Indian Women’s Cookbooks Tell Us About Their Lives

Sohel Sarkar

With women's education in India taking off only in the 1860s, it isn't surprising that cookbooks were authored by men until then, in tones ranging from disciplinary to mansplaining. When women began to write these themselves, they did so on their own terms.

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Main Course

Ariputtu

Sarala Thomas Palivathukkal

Puttu, a widely popular dish consumed across Kerala is said to have been a Portuguese import according to Sarala Thomas Palivathukkal. While modern conveniences may have changed the preparation style over the years, puttu-making is still a tradition in many Syrian-Christian households.

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Pickles and Chutneys

Chemeen Pada

Annie Burleigh

The ‘pada’ is a popular Portuguese pickling tradition born out of long voyages. The acidity from vinegar is combined with the spiciness of paprika to create a delicious pickle.

9 min

Books on Food

Ingredients, Cooking Techniques, Utensils: How Trade Routes Influenced Kerala’s Food As We Know It

Tanya Abraham

Among the many ingredients introduced by the Portuguese upon their arrival in India in the 15th century, vinegar was a prime influencer of Kerala cooking, writes Tanya Abraham in Eating With History, a book tracing the influence of ancient trade and colonisation on the cuisines of Kerala.

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Desserts and Mithai

Didu’r Payesh

Anindita Ghose

Preparing payesh is a celebration of love, patience, and tradition, with each spoonful telling a story of familial bonds and shared meals.

0 min

Desserts and Mithai

Matroni

Tsarina Vacha

Made using cashewnuts and rose syrup, the Matroni often features on a consoada— a rare Christmas tradition of sweet and savoury snacks innate to Portuguese-Indian households in Kochi.

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