

Sweet and Spicy Mango Curry (Mambazha Pulissery)
A veritable pot of gold, with the added benefit of being able to eat it AND taste a little bit of heaven? Yes. In my tummy, thanks. This is my ABSOLUTE favourite dish. If I had to choose a favourite fruit, it would be mangoes (with jackfruit being a close second). And to whomever had the presence of mind to turn it into a curry... I salute you and eat to your good health! Mambazha Pulissery The perfect accompaniment to a steaming bowl of rice or just relished on its own. Mam


Mini Steamed Rice Cakes (Vattayappam in idli mould)
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... in Hong Kong. So, instead of just dreaming of one I've decided to cook up one! Enter steamed rice cakes. <3 Our "White Christmas" with Vattayappams Va-tta-yap-pum. For that "tta" roll your tongue and say the letter "T". So let's break it down a little. "Vattam" means "round" in Malayalam and "appams" are steamed rice pancakes made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. Together, they make "Vattayappam"! Round steamed rice pancakes. F


5 Spice Masala Chai
Time for a chai break! When we're back in Kerala, everything tends to work like clock work. Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner are at certain times of the day. Tea at my maternal grandparents' place is at 3pm, right after a post-lunch power snooze. Tea at my paternal grandparents' place is a little more relaxed, it's at around 3-5pm, depending on when everyone's back from their afternoon activities. The tea itself (or "chaaya" as we call it in Malayalam, my mother tongue) is us


His & Hers Gift Wish List
We love giving and receiving gifts! Since it's the season to give and share, we've put together a gift wishlist to give you some inspiration. This is our top 5 Gift Wishlist for both the gents and the ladies, in no particular order. We hope to help you bring a smile on the face of your loved ones on this (or any other) special occasion. Disclaimer: some of the links below are affiliate links and if you buy through these links we'll get a commission. The commission will be at


Toasted Coconut Eggplant Curry (Vazhuthananga Theeyal)
Eggplants. It's a love-hate relationship. For me, what it comes down to is its preparation. It's all in the flavours. Because eggplant takes on flavours beautifully. Hands down, the best way it's made is grilled and smothered in spices. Honestly, who doesn't like a bit of a crunch and an explosion of flavour with each bite? So, now that I've got you salivating, that isn't the preparation I went for today. Sorry, guys. I love my spices and I really, really wanted to perfect my


Yam Stir Fry (Chena Mezhukkupuratti)
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... and time for yams! Clearly in it for the food... We had a yam situation and I had to find a decent yam preparation so I harked back to the good ol' stir fry. This time I didn't want the added texture of toasted coconuts, a la carrot and beans thoran, so I decided to go the way of mezhukkupuratti. Mezhukkupuratti Pronunciation: meh-ruh-guh-peh-ruh-thi Yes, the name contains a lot of consonants, but I promise, the dish itself is a


Instant Mini Banana Cakes - Kerala Style (Unniyappam)
How best to start the month of festivities? With honey-glazed mini banana cakes!! To ease myself into the holiday month, I figured I'd start with a semi-healthy cake (I mean adding bananas to cakes make it semi-healthy, right?). I'm sure dousing it in honey and palm sugar/ jaggery helps my argument further... When it's just been made, still piping hot and drizzled in sweetness, one stops having health concerns - one relishes the crispy outer layer, pillow-soft centre, closes