Indian Cuisine

Food Files: From Portuguese introduction to British cultivation, story of tomatoes in Indian cuisine is a complex one

With their unfamiliar attributes, tomatoes, it seemed, had an ability to stump right from their initial days of inception in the Mughal kitchens as is evident from early mentions in Indo-Persian cookbooks such as the Nusḵẖa-i Niʿmat Ḵẖān, where it is referred to as the wilāyatī baigan or foreign eggplant.

Food Files: How Portuguese maritime endeavours post-1498 resulted in a culinary sea change for India

With previously unknown produce — such as pineapples, guavas, cashew nuts, chillies, tomatoes and potatoes — from the “New World” making its way to the shores of the “Old World”, “host” cuisines found themselves adapting new techniques to incorporate foreign fruit into their existing diets

Hing-ing on history: Amid news that India will grow Ferula Asafoetida on home soil, retracing the spice's story

Alexander's army came across the Ferula Asafoetida plant while crossing over the Hindu Kush mountains into India, and the Hindu Kush — Afghanistan and Iran — has been the cradle of this remarkable spice, known as 'hing' in Hindi.

How chef Floyd Cardoz shaped Indian cuisine, from his New York restaurant Tabla to Mumbai's The Bombay Canteen

What’s often overlooked is how Floyd Cardoz opened the doors for Indian cuisine to move beyond immigrant food and into the world of fine-dining. Chefs like Vikas Khanna and Srijith Gopinath have become increasingly visible in the US with both winning accolades, including from Michelin for their respective eateries. These doors have been opened thanks to Cardoz’s patience and ability to clearly explain the nuances that ground Indian food to the outside world.

US academic Tom Nichols calls Indian food 'terrible' on Twitter; Zomato responds: 'good time to launch the dislike button'

On 23 November, academic specialist on international affairs and professor at the US Naval War College and at the Harvard Extension School Tom Nichols created a storm on social media with a tweet saying, 'Indian food is terrible and we pretend it isn’t.'

In Nizamuddin Basti, a women's self-help group ushers a quiet revolution encompassing community and cuisine

Nizamuddin's Delhi is a romantic, thriving metropolis whose cuisine has historically been integral to Delhi’s food. Sharanya Deepak meets Zaika-e-Nizamuddin, an all-women catering outfit that serves the kebabs, biryani, haleem, and laddoos, that Nizamuddin is most famous for.

From Baisakhi to Vishu, these traditional foods mark the advent of New Year festivals across India

Baisakhi in Punjab, Poila Boishak in West Bengal, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Bihu in Assam, Ugadi in Karnataka, Vishu in Kerala, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and the Sindhi New Year Cheti Chand— are all an embodiment of the same celebratory spirit when people use fresh produce from the harvest and cook an assortment of dishes.

Make maach on a Mamata win – a guide to the Bengali kitchen

Sudeshna and Kalyan Banerjee highlight the absolute must-haves for a Bengal kitchen - from utensils to spices to the right kind of pestle to grind the spices. Now are you ready for some maach-bhaat?

Chef Ranveer Brar on his newly launched food app, culinary journey and importance of a balanced diet

Chef Ranveer Brar speaks to Firstpost about the conceptualisation and future of his latest food app, his style of cooking and word of advice to the emerging culinary explorers.

Traditional cookware is no flash in the pan

There is renewed focus on the virtues of cooking in soapstone vessels or kalchattis, bronze urlis or rustic earthen cookware