Zafar's recipes
Asian-style masala shrimp with peaches
As I walked through the grocery stores and markets in Japan, I saw these beautiful peaches, huge and super expensive. So, of course, I...
My mother's Hyderabadi biryani (Dum ka biryani)
Biryani has a long history in Hyderabad. Some dishes were made of rice with spices before the Mughals arrived. The oldest traces are to...
Hyderabadi fried mutton (Tala hua gosht)
This has been a favourite recipe at home for decades. Although it takes a bit of time to make, it is a simple recipe. I remember having...
Tomato carpaccio with smoked salt and fennel pollen
Summer is all about tomatoes - bright, colourful, and juicy. Tomatoes come in hundreds of varieties and sizes. Here, I focused on the...
Hyderabadi eggplant curry (Bagara baingan)
Bagara baingan, or eggplant curry, is an iconic dish in Hyderabad. Its history can be traced back to a dish served in Tashkent and...
Hyderabadi pasande
Pasande is a very traditional Hyderabadi dish, one that is being forgotten. Mutton Pasanda dates back to the 16th century and became a...
Arunachali champa shake
I recently took a trip to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, where this shake was on the breakfast table. On the first sip, I wanted the...
Wagyu with a garlic-soy sauce
Everyone loves a Wagyu steak, and it is prized all over the world. I was quite ignorant of this meat, other than enjoying it in...
Assamese black rice pudding (Chak hao amubi kheer)
The Northeast of India has numerous varieties of rice that are endogenous to the region. These rice varieties are crucial to the...
Creamy watercress soup with toasted walnut butter and tamarillo chutney prawns
Watercress is now available in India. It is part of the nasturtium family and has a mild peppery flavour that is delicious. It is most...
Hyderabadi mutton with tomatoes (Tamatar gosht)
A good friend, Nilesh, found out I was cataloguing my mother’s recipes and reminded me of this dish from about 20 years ago that he had...
Sprouted lentil cheela
A cheela, also called chilla, is a lentil pancake found across India. These pancakes are made out of lentils only rather than rice. The...
Arunachali millet pancakes
At the luxurious Timilo Resort in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, I was greeted with these delicious pancakes for breakfast. They are part of...
Hyderabadi tomato chutney (Tamatar ki chutney)
Chutneys play an important role in Hyderabadi cuisine and all over India. They are the pop on the table and complete every meal. This is...
Tuna sashimi with uni and shiso leaf
I am a big fan of sashimi, but I recently travelled to Japan and the freshness of the seafood there is phenomenal. I had the opportunity...
Hyderabadi sour dal with drumsticks (Khatti dal with drumsticks ke saath)
Khatti translates to "sour", and this is the predominant flavour of this dish. The sourness comes from tamarind, a souring agent commonly...
Hyderabadi lentils with purslane (Bhagare Katli)
Purslane, known locally in Hyderabad as kulfa, is a favourite. It is a seasonal crop and floods the market during the summer months when...
Farfalle with cherry tomatoes and basil
Farfalle, also known as bow-tie pasta, originated in Northern Italy in the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia regions in the 1500s. T he word...
Podi prawns on mini idlis
I had visited my sister-in-law a few years ago, and she had brought these little bites out in the evening while I enjoyed a beer. And I...
My mother's Haleem
Haleem originated in old Persia as a dish called Harees. This dish and its variations are still eaten today in many parts of the Middle...