Shirin Mehrotra

From condiments to cheeky cultural references, chillies permeate every aspect of life in South Asia. Here’s a quick summary of how this foreign ingredient became synonymous with the subcontinent.

History and geography have shaped the city's street food, which shows influences from Afghanistan to Bangladesh

The ubiquitous, cooling drink known for its permanent spot on the Iftar spread is also indelibly linked with the history of partition.

Vegetarians find it too meaty and meat-eaters find it too bland — yet a strange twist of history made this plant-based protein a feature of Indian cuisine.

As an undergrad, I had to travel from my hometown in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP) to my hostel in Rajasthan, a trip that required me to take an overnight train journey followed by a few hours ride in a state transport bus. My mother would pack two meals for me, one for the night in the train and one for the morning after. The second meal often consisted of parathas with a filling of sattu—flour made with roasted Bengal gram.

A lesser known one-pot meal from the Western Ghats celebrates the winter harvest of the region.

Delhi is known to be a melting pot of cuisines from different states and regions in India; no other Metro can match up to the North Eastern fare available here and my recent exploration has led me to discover a sizable number of restaurants serving food from Kerala. While these food experiences were earlier limited to dining out, there has been a surge of home chefs and delivery kitchens serving food from their respective homelands. A lot of it can be credited to the pandemic and subsequent l...

'Khoya', dry fruits and tender 'jowar' brighten up food stalls in the streets of Gujarat, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh

In a country as expansive as India, nearly every season imaginable exists. There are the snow-clad peaks of the Himalayas, the rainforests of Kerala, the massive deserts of Rajasthan, and an expansive ocean coastline.

The best way to understand the food is by looking at the varied climates.

Far removed from the chaos of Dashashwamedh Ghat, a bungalow in the ancient city upholds the city’s literary past.

Shirin Mehrotra finds that the beloved UP Tehri appears in many forms, with avatars that stretch across the Deccan plateau, to the mountains of Kashmir, and cross the border to Pakistan, each with its own fascinating origin story.

Experience the expanse of the white desert in Rann of Ekal, away from the hordes of tourists flooding Dhordo.

Seafood, Byadgi chillies and community-specific foods define Mangaluru’s culinary culture

These soothing recipes come from hearths and homes across India.

When traveling in most regions of India, you’ll find local restaurants serving thali — a platter offering the choicest dishes specific to that region. But thali is much more than just a part of the country’s dining out culture. While not representative of how all people eat in India, it’s an integral part of festivals, celebrations, and everyday eating.