If you read any of my food stories, you will know I look at well used ingredients in different ways. I change the preparation and remain open to the interpretation. In case of staples like garlic, chillies, turmeric, cilantro are used frequently, if not daily, in my kitchen. What I love is when I transform them in new and exciting ways.
Tag Archives: dressing
Salmon and Guava Stacked Salad with Horseradish Raita and Tamarind Dressing
This salad embodies me on a plate. It takes childhood experiences and intersects them with South Asian flavours and ingredients. Each bite is a redefinition of the journey towards home.
Born and raised in Kamloops, the Adams River salmon run was a huge part of the field trip experience of my elementary school years. I admit at the time, I was dismissive of nature. My naive approach to life didn’t really understand the connection to nature. Something so far removed from now, when I am constantly humbled and fascinated by it. The cyclical nature of the salmon run hits a nerve; the no end and no beginning is poetic.
Avocado & Daikon Salad with Raai Strawberry Dressing
Let’s take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? Today’s memory is gardening. It was prompted by the view from my bedroom window. This year’s garden is on its last legs. It happens every year – the sunlight grows a little less warm, leaves and vines become wilted and turn brownish.
This change in the seasons reminds me of how the whole process started. It jogs memories from the past and how early spring meant getting up extremely early (too early for a little kid to be up) and planting. Dad was the gardener in the family. My mom assisted here and there, but Dad was the one diligent about remembering to water and weed.
Fiery Bengali Mustard
Just wrap your head around the title of this recipe for a moment. Homemade mustard with fiery Bengali spices. Oh-em-gee.
For me it’s important to make new variations of condiments, dips, and spreads. Over the years, I have noticed specialty mustards, packaged beautifully and available for purchase at foodie stores. The price is usually staggering and the ingredients have words I can’t pronounce.
Dabbling in homemade mustard making has the benefits of controlling sodium levels, avoiding additives, getting a healthy dose of spice (I like my heat), and the surprising ease of doing it yourself.
Arrival of Autumn’s Jewels – Pomegranate & Asian Pear Salad with Chaat Masala Dressing
Despite the usual hustle bustle – surrounding raising four children, my parents took offbeat pauses to appreciate life with food. It was their way of displaying love. Because of this, every autumn, my siblings and I anticipated the arrival of pomegranates.
Pomegranates were not in vogue. They were unfamiliar, evoking another world, ancient and far away, especially in the small town where we lived. Their exotic appeal made them expensive. That didn’t stop my parents from buying one or two. Generously, they would decline eating any, stating they had many growing up in India and that it was our turn. So sweet.