Most biryanis use chunks of meat, whether they be goat or chicken. This is a common variation where ground mutton is substituted. The biryani is nuanced with flavour, mild and aromatic, in true Nawabi style, rather than bold. The spices are well-balanced and rounded, and the "korma" of the ground mutton is delicate and aromatic. The shah jeera adds a nuanced flavour profile; it beautifully structures the base flavours. This is a simple dish with a regal backdrop, one that sur

I love a good laksa. I had my first laksa about 30 years ago, but in Singapore. I was travelling for work, and my team took me out to laksa for dinner. I have had a love affair with the dish ever since. I went back home to Chicago and bought Sri Owen’s cookbook, just for the laksa recipe. It was a dish that I loved so much that I decided to learn how to cook it. I would grind the pastes, gently fry them, and make the soup. My family, at that time, knew when laksa was being ma

Let's start with some history of this dish. It arrived via Yunnanese Chinese Muslim traders, the Chin Haw, through Myanmar and Laos. They settled in Northern Thailand, specifically in the Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai regions. As it travelled through Myanmar, it picked up strong Burmese characteristics, particularly from the dish Ohn No Khao Swe, which translates to "coconut milk noodles". The name Khao soi means "cut noodles", and the origins of this name are still disputed. One