I teach, feed and talk food. Besides conducting food workshops & speaking at events, I curate & host
25/10/2022
If there's one thing I indulged in shamelessly during my vacation, it was breakfast. There is nothing more tempting & because of that more dangerous than a breakfast buffet. And whether it was crispy with authentic lip-smacking at , at both & .haveli not to mention the spreads of charcuterie & cheese, I was a sucker for it all.
3 whole extra kilos later...I still have fond memories of waking up to those feasts and now have to contend with coffee toast and a sunny side up that I have to prepare myself or go hungry :-P
If anyone is paying attention, the way to my heart is breakfast.
01/07/2022
The weather is beautiful now with temperatures having dropped & the constant pitter patter of rain outside our windows creating a lull in the atmosphere.
But it's also (ughh) so I thought I'd share a simple recipe for or :
1) To build immunity
2) Soothe our senses
3) Help those of us recovering from the flu (me!) or from associated sniffles and coughs, to simply breathe better
Oh but first...DID YOU KNOW?
▪️ Cardamom belongs to the same botanical family as ginger and turmeric.
▪️ Cardamom is also one of the world's oldest spices – cultivated for more than 4000 years!
▪️ Cardamom contains antioxidants that work hard to protect our body's cells from all kinds of damage including inflammation
▪️ It even helps with digestion, stops nausea & can prevent stomach ulcers.
▪️ But my favourite part (as an ex-smoker who struggled with breathing issues & bad breath) is that it sweetens the breath, prevents cavities & when used in aromatherapy, cardamom helps the body to better use oxygen during exercise & can assist those who suffer from asthma!
Alright now let's get down to using this amazing spice:
So there are two versions of the same recipe, one in which you can add milk (dairy or plant-based) & the other can be enjoyed, black.
Chai With Milk:
1 cup water
1 cup milk
4-5 seeds from 1 pod of cardamom, crushed into powder
Sweetener of your choice
▪️ Boil all ingredients together in a deep pot on a gentle simmer for around 5-7 minutes till it turns a nice, nutty brown & smells good.
▪️ Turn up the heat & let the chai rise almost to the top of the pot, turn down the heat so it settles down. Do this a couple times carefully so it doesn't boil over, then turn off the heat & let it rest for 2 minutes before straining and drinking hot.
Chai Without Milk:
▪️ Same thing but don't add milk, duh! LOL
▪️ Simmer for only 5 minutes on low and let it rest for just one.
▪️ Skip raising & lowering the heat, it increases tannins that turn the tea, bitter.
Have a different recipe? Please share in the comments!
19/05/2022
Where do you fall on the spice scale?
Do you pile it on, keep a safe distance, or like me, sit somewhere in the middle?
I treat spice with the respect it deserves because aside from adding zest & flavour to our food, red chillies specifically can have healing benefits if ingested in moderation.
We talked about this and much more from multiple cultural perspectives, as well as varied culinary & gastronomical experiences in the first room in the club last Friday.
Listen to snippets of the chat in this video and hope to see you in the room tomorrow, at 10:30 am CT & 8 pm IST where we will discuss a warm but much sweeter spice, Cinnamon.
To join in, simply go to the link in my bio or DM me the words "Spice Advice Cinnamon".
Music courtesy: Yugen by
VO:
13/05/2022
I'll be making my debut on Friday at 8 pm IST and 10:30 am CET in the Food is Religion club on ClubHouse with a weekly room called .
The topic for this first room is Red Chilli Peppers 🌶 (link in bio)
Along with Chef Chris Martin of fame, I, Simona Terron aka will banter about, break down, and bloom those gorgeous Indian spices.
We will share their nutritional & medicinal benefits, easy recipes that you can try at home using them, and of course, we invite you to share your expertise & stories as well.
Join us every Friday, and let's add some flavour to our lives.
Thank you to Chef Mimi Lan - founder of the club for this beautiful video!
24/04/2022
of GOOD FLIPPIN' BURGERS in Bandra West, which I checked out last week, and ordered their unfortunately named but luckily the Bard was right, what's in a name!!!??
A soft bun that held its shape, a deliciously juicy patty and melty with a single layer of no-fuss fresh lettuce - this burger was good down to the very last bite. No here, no way.
Ordered an accompaniment of potato wedges, which came with a tiny box of the delightfully fluffy 'Toum' garlic sauce that tasted way better than ketchup.
All washed down with a can of normally forbidden (for me) cola, I was seriously happy and one satisfied customer.
All 3 items came up to less than 600 bucks. Yes, not exactly affordable but considering pork burgers are not exactly easy to find in this city and rarely THIS good, I'd say I would be willing to give it another go when I want to treat myself again.
Great customer service, I have to add, although the staff were chatting way too loudly and could be heard even above the already loud music probably on account of there being no customers (except me!) in the outlet that Tuesday evening.
Music courtesy: Shave by Fugue
Musician: Marco Lazovic
15/04/2022
The answer to this insane heat.
or
If you don't know how to make this tropical summer lifesaver, you're welcome.
INGREDIENTS:
Cooked rice, leftover or freshly made, 2 cups
Yoghurt/curd, thick, 1 cup
Curry leaves, 1 handful (the bigger the hand, the better)
Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
Lentils (tur/chana dal), 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder, 1/4 tsp
1 tbsp sesame/coconut oil
Salt to taste
METHOD:
Mix rice and yoghurt. Chill in the fridge for an hour or freezer for 10 minutes.
Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves, lentils & asafoetida.
Pour on chilled rice yoghurt mix, season with salt and blend well with a spoon or using your fingers.
Eat either with spoon or fingers.
Enjoy!
And yes accompany it with whatever decadent fried awesomeness you can find in your pantry and some pickled goodness.
My plate contains or and (the last one made by my friend from )
14/04/2022
My dual roots (Malayali & East Indian) intermingled today during dinner.
I made (previously always enjoyed only in restaurants or bought frozen) with - an dish I grew up eating.
There was no fanfare or celebration. Just a quiet acknowledging of the duality of my heritage and its inherent complexities and treasures.
And when it comes to food, the blending of the two communities' identities was delicious, harmonious and a reminder that no matter where we come from, we can all exist in love and peace.
11/04/2022
has been trending on the internet for a while now and while I love me some , I struggle with the spice levels 🤒🌶🌶🌶
So I made me a very lightly-spiced version and spooned it over some with plain old 🥢 with the sprinkled over the stir fried ginger 🧄 garlic mixed with the scallion chilli oil.
Simple, delicious and quick! Now who doesn't love that 😍
Tag me if you make this dish and post it!
27/03/2022
Dining out in Goa can be a delight if you refrain from the well trodden path.
▪️Look for where locals go.
▪️Scour the spots that are owner run.
▪️Seek the authentic over the gimmicky.
▪️And when you have found the holy grails of tastebud paradise, share those secrets openly.
🔹️If we don't support small businesses, we will have no one to blame when our options will feature only chains & junk food giants.
I'm slipping into a food coma after dinner in one such amazing place; will wake up and edit this post to add a list of all these spots where I ate these dishes.
[To be followed by a post on all the things I've cooked in Goa on this holiday 👩🍳]
14/03/2022
for my mum on
Thin crust recipe:
1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
2 cups flour (maida)
1 pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Method:
◼️ Dissolve the sugar in 3/4 cup warm water, add yeast and mix well. Let it rest for a few minutes till it foams.
◼️ Add it to the flour and mix well. Work the dough nicely to activate the gluten.
◼️ Smear with the oil and cover to let proof for 2 hours.
◼️ Punch out the air and knead again on a flour dusted surface. Cut into 4 quarters. Each quarter should give you an 8-inch thin crust pizza base.
◼️ Roll out and toss before placing on a baking tray (parchment paper makes clean up easier)
◼️ Cover with marinara and add your favourite toppings. Sprinkle your grated or diced mozzarella cheese and bake at 180 C for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
I do take orders so DM for enquiries.
Music courtesy: Marathon by Sapajou
03/01/2022
If you want a recipe that will drive away coughs and colds, boost your immunity & also be flexible enough to suit , , , those on a or even those eating - this is a super dish!
Ingredients:
Choose any hard vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, radishes, turnips, peas, sweet or spicy peppers (or both), zucchini or pumpkin, get creative!
Pick a protein of your choice (vegetarians can pick paneer, vegans can go for tofu or mushrooms, and the rest can pick from seafood, chicken, or any kind of meat really)
1 can of thick coconut milk
Ginger juice extracted from 2 inches of grated ginger
Method:
Pan sear your protein to seal in the juices and flavour, then boil it in water with your favourite spices & whatever herbs you have (add big chunks of ginger!) and the vegetable trimmings to get a beautiful broth.
I pan-seared a whole spring chicken with just sea salt, pepper, olive oil and butter before pressure cooking it!
Stir fry all your veg individually using a 50-50 combo of vegetable oil & water in a spray bottle (neat trick, no? Uses very less & your veg stay light & crunchy not limp & greasy)
Now combine stir fried veg, broth, protein and let it come to a gentle boil. Check seasoning & adjust to taste, add in your coconut milk and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Garnish with coriander and serve hot on its own or with rice, bread, noodles or like me, on top of broken up idlis (South Indian rice cakes), and ENJOY.
Small request: Please tag me if you make this gorgeous dish. You can adapt it to suit whatever diet you follow and to use whatever veg you have lying around. Isn't that just awesome?
Sexy salads, that's my jam. Don't gimme limp dead crap & tell me to suck it up and eat it because it's supposed to be "healthy" 🤪
Salads need to be exciting for me to want to put that in my body, I mean look at all the competition! Junk food appeals to all our senses & for healthy food to win that race, it needs oomph. That doesn't mean "complicated"...
My grilled chicken salad has the crunch & colour of capsicum, red & yellow bell peppers, the freshness of iceberg lettuce, and the juicy goodness of strips of chicken breasts that have been brined to marinate, seared & sealed on the grill and then poached in its juices & the run off marinade.
Sweet apples, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds finish the picture with their nutritional & flavour bounty, but the crowning glory is the dressing (packed separately) whose umami lifts the whole dish up, without smothering it unlike most creamy dressings.
Think I'm blowing smoke up your salad bowl? 😄 Try it once and tell me I'm wrong.
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The love of food is what drives us and we breathe, speak, dream of it all the time! A passion for all things gastronomy related, The Heart Chef is spearheaded by a food geek who loves all things related to food chemistry, artistry and of course, fun with flavours. If it tastes good, feels good and looks good, we LOVE it.
A lot of heart goes into what we do and we are here to share our knowledge, experience and skills with anyone who loves food as much as we do. We offer various workshops on baking, cooking, raw food, juicing and smoothie-making. We encourage those opting for a vegan diet or trying to go vegetarian.
But we don't microfocus on 'healthy' or practice any food shaming. You simply have to attend one of our mixology workshops to know that we love a good cocktail as much as the next gourmand, or come to one of our barbeque nights to enjoy learning and indulging in our mouth-watering, grilled delicacies. We even showcase food styling and how to make dishes look good for the ones eating them as well as the ones drooling over them on a screen.
Join us at our spacious yet cosy kitchen-studio in north Mumbai, conveniently located close to the highway and not too far from Mira Road or Dahisar station. Bring the kids (we have workshops just for them as well), your friends, your neighbours, your in laws, anyone you want, and of course, an open mind. Can't wait to hang out with you over a shared passion for all the delicious things life has to offer.
And we just launched THC HeartBytes, our subscription food-related podcast that comes to you via WhatsApp, making it the first of its kind in Mumbai and probably in all of India. If you wish to subscribe, simply save this number 8355909603 to your phone’s contact list. WhatsApp the message ‘START THC’ to it. It’s that simple! You will now receive three episodes a week, one each on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.
Sundays are about Taking it Easy Like Sunday Morning with easy recipes for decadent food (hey; it’s a Sunday right?) as well as healthy eating that’s good for the mind, body and soul, and also helpful hacks to save time when you’re cooking during the week. Wednesdays are for Weird Wacky and Wonderful food trivia where I share info on unusual facts about everyday ingredients and then tell you how to use that to your benefit. And Fridays will find me talking to some Fab Food Folks who are doing exciting things in the Food & Beverage space in India and internationally.
One of my main agendas on this podcast is to promote amazing women in the food world, to show support and to encourage and celebrate their invaluable contributions to the food and beverage industry. If you know some radical ladies who are making a mark and have impressed you, PLEASE share their contact info and a small note on why you think they are so incredible. Email me at [email protected] and I’ll be sure to take it forward.
