Navarathri Day 8—Herby Italian-inspired white bean ‘sundal’ stew

I have been meaning to make an Italian-inspired bean dish for some time and Navarathri seemed the right moment. Italian bean dishes remind me of sundal since they emphasise the flavour of the beans. I have come across two main types of recipes, ones in which beans are sautéed with garlic, herbs and olive and…

Navarathri Day 4—North Indian red kidney bean Rajma ‘sundal’

When I used to live in New Delhi many years ago, I had a neighbour called Shankari who first introduced me to the North Indian red kidney bean curry called ‘Rajma’. She explained to me the nuance behind frying the tomato spice mixture in oil — how the mixture would first absorb the oil and…

Creamy vegan korma (dairy-free)

Recipes often have a story. Some are happy but others are sad. This korma is in memory of a lady who didn’t live for herself. She was our neighbour for a few years in Trivandrum, India many years ago, and my only memories of her are those of her slaving away for her husband and…