I am going to make red pepper soup! The declaration cut through my reverie like a knife as I dreamily strolled through the aromatic, vibrant farmer’s market stalls on a crisp October morning. What a great idea! I thought to myself as I wondered if someone in the skies was giving me a not-so-subtle hint….
Category: Food
Chicken Pulao
The delicious smell slowly wafting up to my room is an enduring memory of Sunday lunches growing up. It was a tradition carried over by my mother from her parent’s homes when she was growing up. Actually, I believe my paternal grandparents had the same tradition. Our family loved Sunday pulao and had many ways…
I made Ratatouille!
I have been obsessed with ratatouille since I saw the movie by the same name in 2007. Loved everything about it, the animation, the music, the city and the sentimentality of a rat who outwits a food critic with a simple dish that reminds him of his mother. I must have seen the movie half…
Scrumptious Chicken and Spinach Saag
Many winters ago, I had gone for a vacation with some friends. Zain had stayed behind. Along with him, what I missed very much was cooking in my kitchen. I daydream about cooking on my trips away, is that normal? To figure out ingredients, smells and taste of dishes I enjoy and think of how…
Roasted Radishes in Salted Butter
I love radishes! So much that they are the inspiration for my blog (mooli = radish in Urdu). In addition to being delicious, radishes are full of fiber and antioxidant vitamin C, along with other vitamins and nutrients, including compounds called glucosinolates, which are being studied by researchers for their role in reduction of the…
Kale in a Smashed Tomato Sauce
A rustic, versatile side dish packed with flavor! Kale simmered in a smashed tomato sauce. Ingredients: 1 bunch kale, stalks removed and chopped 3 plum tomatoes, whole 1 tsp. garlic 1 tsp. mustard seeds 1/4 tsp. ground clove * 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom * 1/2 tsp. paprika salt and black pepper to taste Olive oil…
Penne with Arugula and Parmesan
it is such a dreary day. There has been bad news in the family and I have no motivation to eat, much less cook. The gray weather outside is not bringing any cheer either. The world just seems so bleak. What a year we have had! So much can be said about that but back…
Turmeric Ginger Pickle
Times are strange. We are all home. Sheltering ourselves from what seems like the malignant outside. Covid-19 has put to bed the city that took pride in never sleeping. There is a pause everywhere, like we are holding our breath, waiting for the next thing to unfold. A morbid fascination to turn on the news….
Chili Hot Chocolate
The streets of NYC are hushed, blanketed, pristine and personal. Outside, the snow is chaotic, pelting the face as you step onto a sidewalk that has no end. No traffic, only the sound of the wind, snow plows and shovels. People walking in the middle of the road, an easy camaraderie. Inside, a pot of steaming, spiced chocolate on…
Meaty Beet Curry
Chukandar Gosht We lived in Muscat in early childhood. The summers were bone-dry and scorching. To escape, we would travel to the equally scorching but more smoldering heat of Karachi where my aunt and grandmother lived. Their house was an updated version of a traditional South Asian home. The rooms wrapped around a courtyard that…
Kebab Roll
Juicy, crunchy, layered goodness.
Simple Lentils
Each year, on my return from wintertime in Karachi, along with memories of time spent with loved ones, there are other sights and sensations that resonate deeper. Two are the most memorable. First, drifting off to a nap after a simple, home-cooked meal with the sounds of the city around me, chirping, cawing, faint sounds of…
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