Thu, 29 Oct · 2026Simmering now · Palak blanched, kadai on low
Wander by section
Curries, tiffin, sweets, and
the whole quiet catalogue.
Tap a circle to open →
A vegetarian
kitchen, kept
like a diary.
Recipes written slowly — in English and தமிழ் — by Lavanya Suresh. Dal, rice, the proper tempering, and an air-fryer when it helps.
Leftover Kara Bath Cutlets 🌟
காரபாத் கட்லெட்
Tender jackfruitஇளநீர் பலா— Apr · primeDrumstickமுருங்கைக்காய்— peak weekMango · rawமாங்காய்— in markets nowCurry leaf · first flushகருவேப்பிலை— fragrantSmall onionsசின்ன வெங்காயம்— sweet, tightCoconut · fresh gratedதேங்காய்— alwaysTamarind · new seasonபுளி— tart & darkGreen chilliபச்சை மிளகாய்— thin-skinnedTender jackfruitஇளநீர் பலா— Apr · primeDrumstickமுருங்கைக்காய்— peak weekMango · rawமாங்காய்— in markets nowCurry leaf · first flushகருவேப்பிலை— fragrantSmall onionsசின்ன வெங்காயம்— sweet, tightCoconut · fresh gratedதேங்காய்— alwaysTamarind · new seasonபுளி— tart & darkGreen chilliபச்சை மிளகாய்— thin-skinned
On the menu · this week
Five things worth cooking
before the week is out.
Journeys
Detours beyond
the kitchen.
Food seen from a train window, a borrowed kitchen, a picnic basket — stories the daily cooking couldn’t hold.
All journeys →
This week in the kitchen
A meal plan, loose enough
to break on Friday.
What’s cooking through the week — tap any day to open the recipe.
Today29
Veg pulao, raita
புலாவ்
today40m
Fri30
Medu vada, sambar
மெது வடை
plan45m
Sat31
Sooji halwa + filter
ரவா கேசரி
plan25m
Sun01
Family lunch
ஞாயிறு உணவு
plan90m
Mon02
Dal rice
பருப்பு சாதம்
recipe →25m
Tue03
Rava upma
ரவா உப்மா
plan20m
Wed04
Palak paneer
பாலக் பன்னீர்
plan35m
From the pantry
The six things the
kadai will not work without.
Slow-clarified butter; nutty, golden, fragrant.
- How to use
- A spoon over hot rice + dal. Tempering for ven pongal. The last finish on rasam.
- Where to find it
- Indian grocer; or make at home from cultured butter — much cheaper.
- Season
- Year-round.
Tiny round seeds — always black or brown in South Indian cooking.
- How to use
- Splutter in hot oil with a closed lid (they jump). The first thing into nearly every tempering — the pop releases their nuttiness without bitterness.
- Where to find it
- Any Indian grocer; supermarket spice rack. Look for whole seeds, not powdered.
- Season
- Stocked year-round.
Aromatic dark-green leaves on a thin stem — not a substitute for bay.
- How to use
- Add fresh to hot oil last in the tempering — listen for the crackle. Never use dried; the flavour is gone.
- Where to find it
- Indian grocer (refrigerated) or grow a plant on a sunny balcony.
- Season
- Best in the spring first flush; available all year in stores.
Pungent yellow powder, sometimes a hard resin. A tiny pinch transforms.
- How to use
- Goes in immediately after the urad in tempering. In dal, sambar, rasam, anywhere that needs depth and digestibility.
- Where to find it
- Indian grocer. Look for a small tin — a little lasts months.
- Season
- Year-round.
Dark, sticky, sour fruit pulp — comes seedless in blocks or as ready paste.
- How to use
- Soak in warm water 10 min, squeeze, strain. The base of rasam, sambar, puli kuzhambu, and most Tamil sour curries.
- Where to find it
- Indian grocer. The new-season harvest (Jan–Mar) is darker and more complex than the rest of the year.
- Season
- Best in the new-season window after winter; usable all year.
Unrefined cane (or palm) sugar — caramel-coloured blocks or coarse crystals.
- How to use
- Crumble; melt with a splash of water before adding to anything liquid. Balances tamarind in puli kuzhambu and adai.
- Where to find it
- Indian grocer. Palm jaggery is darker and more complex than cane.
- Season
- Year-round; the new-season harvest in winter is most fragrant.