FOODGASM

Chef's Kiss

Lore Behind the Dish

Cheese Badi Hai Mast Mast

Indian Spices

Kuch Meetha Ho Jaaye

To soak food, usually meat or veggies, in a flavorful mixture of spices, herbs, and liquids before cooking, so it absorbs all that deliciousness inside and out. Think of it as giving your food a spa treatment with flavor!

Marinate

Was first cooked in Moti Mahal (Old Delhi) by chef Simon Mahil Chahal. The story goes something like this: after the restaurant shut down late at night, the restaurant was visited by a VIP guest who asked for ‘some chicken dish’ to be prepared for him.

The chef looked into his supplies and discovered that he only had half of a Tandoori chicken to cook with. So, hastily, he improvised and tossed it with liberal amounts of butter, tomato, and garam masalas and prepared an unknown dish. What he didn’t know was that the dish he had made was for the ruler of Mareelun, who, unsurprisingly, loved it.

Butter Chicken

A semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared using the pasta-filata (stretched-curd) method. Mostly made from buffalo's milk, but some varieties use cow's milk too.

Originated in: Southern Italy

Mozarella

It’s not flashy, it’s not spicy, and honestly, most people take it out before eating! But without this humble leaf, your biryani, pulao, or curry would lose that signature royal aroma.

Comes from the Indian cassia tree. You’ll usually find one or two of these lounging in the oil at the start of a tadka. It’s more about fragrance than flavor, think of it as the “perfume” of Indian cooking.

Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)

An Italian dessert made of ladyfinger pastries dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, sugar, and mascarpone, and topped with cocoa powder.

Tiramisu

To quickly cook food in a small amount of oil or butter over high heat, just toss, flip, and sizzle!

Sauté

If legend is to be believed, various traders travelled to India using ancient trade routes from Central Asia.

Since heavy food could not be carried around, they started cooking small, crisp mince-filled triangles that were easy to make at the campfire during night halts, and were also convenient to be packed into saddlebags as snacks for the next day’s journey.

Eventually, it found its way to India through spice route travellers. However, since most Indians were vegetarians, they replaced the mince filling with vegetables or potatoes.

Samosa

A natural cheese that is relatively hard, off-white (or orange), and sometimes sharp-tasting. It originates from the village of _____ in Somerset, South West England.

U.S. President Andrew Jackson once held an open house party at the White House at which he served a 1,400 lb (640 kg) block of ______.

Cheddar

Comes from the dried flower buds of a tropical evergreen tree. It’s known for its strong, warm aroma and is often used in biryanis, chai, and garam masala.

It’s also used in dental care for its natural pain-relieving oil.

Clove

A dessert made with a soft fresh cheese, eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies, graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake. Known for its rich, creamy flavor and smooth texture, it may be baked or unbaked and is usually served chilled.

Originated in: Greece

Cheesecake

That final touch: a sprinkle of herbs, a dash of color, to make your dish Insta-worthy.

Garnish

As the theory goes, the Mongols were out on a long trip, riding horses that were carrying milk in Mushkis (bags made of raw hide). However, the heat of deserts and the rennet in the leather turned the milk into _____. They tasted the resultant product and found it to be rather delicious.

It was brought to India in subsequent years by the Mughals and was mixed with various Indian spices and vegetables, which eventually became a staple as we can all attest to today.

Paneer

A white cheese made from sheep milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it is formed into large blocks and aged in brine. Its flavor is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp.

Originated in: Greece

Feta

This sweet, woody spice comes from the bark of a tree.

It’s the star of both apple pie and masala chai. Its sticks are rolled up like tiny scrolls!

Cinnamon

A French pastry made from laminated dough, similar to a croissant, with one or two pieces of dark chocolate baked inside. It is known for its flaky, buttery layers.

Pain au Chocolat

First sear it, then let it nap in flavorful liquid till it’s melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Braise

The word ______ originates from the Persian word X which means ‘fried before cooking’. Legend has it that Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631), Shah Jahan’s queen, once visited army barracks and thought that the soldiers were under-nourished.

Therefore, she asked the chef to prepare a special dish, which provided balanced nutrition. After a few rejections, she finally settled on _____, considering it the ‘complete meal’ which could be eaten as a single serving.

Biriyani

A creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese originating from _____, South Holland (Netherlands). The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar cheeses produced in the traditional Dutch manner.

Gouda

These little green seeds taste sweet and fresh you’ve probably munched on them after an Indian meal without even realizing they’re a spice!

They’re often served in bowls at restaurants as a mouth freshener.

Fennel Seeds

A pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with a flavored icing. The dough is typically piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow inside.

Eclair

Slowly cook sugar (or onions!) until it turns golden and sweet, pure edible magic.

Caramelize

As various food history documentations claim, this dish is credited to Ashok Vaidya, a snack vendor who ran a street stall just outside Dadar station.

Since Dadar was an important station, it was constantly spilling over with hordes of commuters. In a moment of culinary innovation, Vaidya reportedly came up with this recipe in 1971 to satiate the hunger of the hustling crowd in desperate need of a snack that could be consumed on-the-go. In a way, it was like his own version of fast food.

Vada Pav

A soft cow's-milk cheese named after _____, the French region from which it originated. It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge.

It shares its name with an Academy Winning actress who starred in Room (2015) and Captain Marvel (2019).

Brie

This earthy spice gives Indian dishes that warm, toasty aroma you can smell from a mile away! It’s tiny, brown, and gets roasted before hitting the pan.

It’s in almost every Indian curry.

Cumin (Jeera)

A traditional Arab dessert made with kadayif (spun pastry dough) layered with cheese and soaked in a sweet, sugar-based syrup called attar. Often served on special occasions, holidays and celebrating the month of Ramadan.

Kunafa (Knafeh)