For an armed forces man serving out there on the front, doing a thankless job in inclement weather, away from any familial connection, food is the only comfort, the only succour.

Despite being from a cosmopolitan family, I realised that every day, I was unwittingly consuming our caste on my plate. In the game of kitchen politics, caste is a far more deeply riven divide, than the differences between North and South Indian food.

We love food. There’s no two ways about it. So how does the average twenty-something in India find the patience and money to buy avocados, chia seeds, quinoa, and coconut milk to replace their staples of breads and spreads?

Turn your plain old masala Maggi into crunchy spring rolls with this easy recipe.

Switching cities can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to finding everyday comfort food. But culinary experimentation and acidity are two sides of the same coin. How do you flip a favourable outcome?

Every Sunday, at the stroke of noon, a group of Indians gathers to validate its privilege through Instagram filters of eggs Benedict and mimosa. This breed of people can be classified as snobby Sunday brunch-goers.

As a true-blue South Indian I’m outraged at the thought of having a Masala Dosa Burger. If McDonald’s wanted to ruin something from the South, it should’ve gone for Sreesanth.

Indian restaurants and pubs have their own caste system. Firangs are the Brahmins of the restaurant world, and next in line are Silver Spoons – celebrities from the film industry. All the hospitality is reserved for them. At the bottom of the rung are single, young men, aka the Sad Stag Group.

A list of essentials that urban Indians need to survive First World problems and the Armageddon.

Tired of regular old chips, fries and wedges? Make these crispy potato stacks and see the humble potato in an all new sexy avatar.

Catch the tasty teaser for when Schezuan Met Chakli: The Love Story, coming to a kitchen near you this Diwali

Most middle-class Bengali families such as mine are moderately open-minded. You can make honest confessions to them about your vices and hope for a friendly ear, but never about your vegetarianism.

West Bengal, you made the battle for a GI tag for the rosogolla, an ego tussle didn’t you? Surely you could have left this one dish for Odisha.

Gujaratis inherit a penchant for "food terrorism". There were Gujarati kids at school who wouldn’t drink “jhoota” water in case it had been touched by a meat eater. And there was my grandmother who’d remind me that I was Jain every time I’d go for an evening snack.

Tender, young jowar called Ponkh in Gujarat or Hurda in Maharashtra is a hyper-seasonal ingredient available for just a few months a year. Here's how you can turn it into tasty upma.

The lives of the big-eyed, gentle-faced, and maach-guzzling Bengalis are marred by a potent shadow of the world’s most deadly dose of ABC – ambol (acidity), bodhojom (indigestion), and constipation. It’s no wonder then, that the easiest way to a Bengali’s appetite is through a strip of Digene.

Turn tender young jowar into these crisp, crunchy ponkh pakodas before winter fades and takes ponkh with it.

Ever wondered how to roast chicken with super crisp skin? The answer is simple, just use a brick.

If you love cheese as much as we do, you're going to fall head over heels for this purposely cheesy grilled cheese sandwich.

This Parsi New Year, ditch every other fried chicken for some authentic PFC: Parsi Fried Chicken. Made with love and peppered with advice by the quintessentially Parsi, Aunty Mahrukh. Jamva chalo ji. Navroz Mubarak.

I began to cook when I moved out of my house because I simply had to. I don’t know when I embraced the kitchen, but cooking gave me a sense of self.

Naye saal ke pehle hangover ki bajao, with this utterly, butter-ly delicious bhurji pav.

This decadently spiced Masala Mulled Wine is the perfect drink to accompany your Christmas dinner. Make it today and let it mature until Christmas Day.

Make the ultimate desi-Chinese fusion food, Wai Wai Chinese Bhel and send your tastebuds on a one way trip to flavourtown.

What is this food elitism that labels salad-eaters, vegetarians, and gluten-abandoners as perennially uncool? Is it because we can’t go Bourdain-like into the world and nonchalantly eat our way through it even as our digestive systems break down in front of us?

We seem to have become intolerant to the very foods that used to be household staples – butter, cheese, milk, and rotis! Has something truly changed, or as my mom would say, are we just trying new ways to push up our cool quotient?

Sometimes I lie awake at night thinking about my fondest beefy memories. During my chef days, I’ve tasted some fine A5 Wagyu and USDA Prime Grade 1. Those days are sadly behind us.

Ditch the cooking and toss up this spicy, tangy chaat with ponkh or tender jowar. Guaranteed to take away the back to work blues.

Get your NYE party started with these easy to make starters that are guaranteed to ensure you have a very Happy New Year.