Yes, a curry paste from scratch, but hear us out. This curry is delicious, but not if you shortcut things. It’s our take on a Nonya curry; the Nonyas (also called the Peranakans) are communities descended from Chinese immigrants who settled in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, intermarried with locals, and blended their heritage with Malay influences. Their food is a true fusion cuisine…

Right. It’s roll-your-sleeves-up time. This dish has a few (very easy) components, so set yourself some time to create an Indian-inspired feast that will fully knock socks off. Fans of rice, spice, lamb and spuds will be in heaven...

We’ve yet to meet a dhal we disliked and, as the Subcontinent is filled with variations on the theme of spicy, soupy lentils, we’re far from done with this pulse-based dish. Dahl is dependably easy, filling and delicious, and a dish you can generally whip up using affordable pantry staples. It’s quick too…

Looking for a budget-busting mid-week dinner? Then grab a packet of dried chickpeas, raid the neighbour’s lemon tree, buy a can of coconut cream and some curry leaves, then rummage in your pantry for the rest of what’s required here. If you want to add some meatiness to this already hearty soup, you could add chicken…

There’s something lovely about slow-cooker cooking. It makes meat juicy and really concentrates flavours. It’s pretty much impossible to overcook meat using a slow-cooker and unless you leave the lid off yours and go walkabout for a few days, nothing ever burns in one either…

When you crave a curry, nothing else will do. But, you know. Making a ‘proper’ curry, whether Indian or South East Asian, involves loads of ingredients and making a paste from scratch. (Except a Japanese curry, where you just throw a few of those curry roux thingos…

In a world filled with ready-made pastes, jars of pre-mulched garlic and citrus juices in squeezy bottles (do not use these! They’re pasteurised, contain preservatives, and taste like rubbish), sometimes it’s nice to grab a whole pile of aromatic fresh stuff and chop…

American food. Yeah? Nah? Or yeah-nah? Because when it comes to food, Americans do eat a lot of shit. If anecdotal evidence is to be believed, many of them don’t properly cook. (We’re not talking about the Alice Waters, Rick Baylesses, Nancy Silvertons or David Changs of the world…

Dahl. Basically mooshy, spicy, slightly soupy lentils, best served over fluffy basmati rice with tons of accompaniments. It’s soothing. Economical. Incredibly easy to make Just grab a bag of chana dahl (split chickpeas by any other name), rinse it off, boil it up, spice it up, then guzzle it up…