Month: January 2026

Introduction: The Rs. 15 That Feeds a City

If you want to understand Mumbai, do not go to Marine Drive at sunset. Go to any railway station at 8am and watch a thousand office-goers eat vada pav while standing, while running, while somehow managing to also check their phones and argue with someone on the other end of the line.

Vada pav is not just food. It is infrastructure. It is what keeps this city moving.

My first memory of vada pav is from Dadar station — age seven, holding my father’s hand, being handed a vada pav wrapped in old newspaper. The garlic chutney stained the paper orange. The vada was crisp on the outside and pillowy inside. The pav was slightly sweet. Together, they were perfect.

Every Mumbaikar has their vada pav origin story. Here is the recipe that comes closest to that memory.

Ingredients (Makes 8 vada pavs)

For the batata vada (potato filling): — 4 large potatoes, boiled and mashed (about 600g after mashing) — 2 tbsp oil — 1 tsp mustard seeds — 1/2 tsp turmeric — 8–10 curry leaves — 3 green chillies, finely chopped (adjust to heat preference) — 1-inch ginger, grated — 4 garlic cloves, grated — 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped — Salt to taste — about 1.5 tsp — Juice of half a lemon

For the batter: — 1 cup besan (chickpea flour) — 1/2 tsp turmeric — 1/2 tsp red chilli powder — Pinch of baking soda — Salt to taste — Water to make a thick batter — roughly 3/4 cup

For dry garlic chutney (the heart of vada pav): — 10–12 dry red chillies (Byadagi variety for less heat with good colour) — 1 full head of garlic (about 15 cloves), peeled — 3 tbsp dried coconut (kopra), grated — 1 tsp cumin seeds — Salt to taste

Green chutney: — 1 cup fresh coriander — 10 mint leaves — 2 green chillies — 1/2 inch ginger — 1 tbsp lemon juice — Salt to taste — 2 tbsp water to blend

Also needed: — 8 pav buns (ladi pav — the Mumbai kind, slightly sweet and soft) — Oil for deep frying

Method

Step 1 — Make the dry garlic chutney first (it keeps for 2 weeks): Dry roast the red chillies until slightly darker — 1 to 2 minutes. Remove. In the same pan, dry roast the coconut until golden. Let everything cool. In a mixer, blend chillies, garlic, roasted coconut, and cumin to a coarse powder. Do not add water. This must stay dry. Add salt. Taste. Store in an airtight jar.

Step 2 — Make the potato filling: Heat oil. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter. Add curry leaves — they will crackle loudly, step back slightly. Add ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Cook 1 minute. Add turmeric. Add mashed potato. Mix everything well on low heat. Add lemon juice, coriander, and salt. Mix. Taste. It should be savoury, slightly tangy, with heat. Let it cool completely before shaping.

Step 3 — Shape the vadas: Divide potato mixture into 8 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball — the size of a large lemon. Set aside on a plate.

Step 4 — Make the batter: Mix besan, turmeric, chilli powder, baking soda, and salt. Add water slowly, whisking to avoid lumps. Batter should coat the back of a spoon thickly. If it drips off instantly, it is too thin — add more besan.

Step 5 — Fry: Heat oil in a deep pan to 180°C. Test with a drop of batter — it should rise immediately. Dip each potato ball into the batter, coating evenly. Lower into oil carefully. Fry 3 to 4 at a time. Turn occasionally. Fry until deep golden — 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Step 6 — Assemble: Slice pav almost through but not completely. Press open. Spread green chutney on one side. Add a generous layer of dry garlic chutney on both sides. Place one hot vada inside. Press gently. Eat immediately.

What Can Go Wrong

Batter falls off during frying: Either the batter is too thin or the oil is not hot enough. Test always before the first batch.

Vada is oily inside: Oil was not hot enough. The batter soaked oil instead of crisping instantly.

Filling is bland: You did not season properly. The potato must taste well-seasoned before frying because the batter adds nothing to the interior flavour.

Dry chutney is too hot: Use Byadagi chillies instead of regular red chillies. They give colour without punishing heat.

Pav is wrong: Supermarket bread rolls are not the same as ladi pav. Find an Iyengar Bakery or equivalent in your city. The sweetness and softness of real pav is non-negotiable.

The Mumbai Way

At the station stalls, the vada pav wala does something most home cooks forget — he butters the pav lightly before pressing it around the vada. That small amount of butter is what makes the difference between a good vada pav and a great one.

Also: eat it standing. Something about eating vada pav while seated at a dining table makes it taste 30% less authentic. Mumbai food is meant to be eaten in motion.

Introduction: Every Family Has One Correct Dal

There is a quiet but extremely serious debate that happens in Indian families. It is never spoken aloud directly. It exists in the raised eyebrow when you taste someone else’s dal. It exists in the polite “achha hai” — it’s fine — which means it is absolutely not fine. The debate is this: whose dal is best?

In our family, the answer was my father’s mother. Her dal tadka had a specific quality that no one could quite replicate — a depth that came from long cooking, a smoke from the ghee and whole spices, and a texture that was neither thick nor thin but exactly right.

She is gone now. But I have spent years reverse-engineering her dal, and this recipe is as close as I have come. I will also explain the science of what each step does, because understanding why makes you a better cook.

Which Dal? And Why

Dal tadka is traditionally made with arhar dal (toor dal / split pigeon peas). Some cooks mix it with chana dal for a slightly earthier flavour and better texture contrast. For this recipe, we use a 3:1 ratio of arhar to chana dal — this is the ratio my grandmother used and it is worth following.

Arhar dal cooks soft and creates the creamy base. Chana dal holds its shape slightly, giving the finished dal texture so it does not taste like baby food.

Ingredients (Serves 4–5)

For the dal: — 3/4 cup arhar dal (toor dal) — 1/4 cup chana dal — 3.5 cups water for cooking — 1/2 tsp turmeric — 1 tsp salt

For the base masala: — 2 tbsp ghee — 1 tbsp oil — 1 medium onion, finely chopped — 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped — 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste — 2 green chillies, slit — 1/2 tsp turmeric — 1 tsp coriander powder — 1/2 tsp cumin powder — 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust) — Salt to taste

For the tadka (tempering): — 2 tbsp ghee (do not substitute with oil — this step requires ghee) — 1 tsp cumin seeds — 4–5 garlic cloves, sliced thin — 2 dry red chillies — 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder — Pinch of asafoetida (hing)

Garnish: — Fresh coriander, chopped — Juice of half a lemon

Method

Step 1 — Wash and soak the dal: Rinse both dals together until water runs clear — usually 4 to 5 washes. Soak for 30 minutes minimum. Soaking reduces cooking time and makes the dal easier to digest. Do not skip.

Step 2 — Cook the dal: In a pressure cooker: Add soaked dal, water, turmeric, and salt. Cook on high until first whistle, then reduce flame and cook 3 more minutes. Let pressure release naturally. The dal should be completely soft — test by pressing between fingers. It should dissolve.

Without pressure cooker: Cook in a covered heavy pot on low-medium heat for 45 to 60 minutes, adding water as needed.

Step 3 — Build the masala: Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai. Add onions. Cook on medium heat until light golden — 10 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and green chillies. Add all powdered spices. Cook until tomatoes are completely broken down and oil separates — 12 to 15 minutes. Do not rush this.

Step 4 — Combine: Add the cooked dal to the masala. Stir well. Add water to adjust consistency — dal tadka should be pourable but not watery. Simmer together for 10 minutes. Adjust salt.

Step 5 — The tadka (this is where magic happens): In a small separate pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee until shimmering hot. Add cumin seeds — they should sputter within 2 seconds of touching the ghee. If they do not, the ghee is not hot enough. Add sliced garlic. Watch it turn golden — this takes only 20 to 30 seconds. Add dry red chillies. Add hing. Add Kashmiri chilli powder. Immediately pour this entire tadka over the dal. Cover the dal for 30 seconds to trap the smoke. Then open and stir.

Add lemon juice and fresh coriander. Serve immediately with rice or roti.

What the Tadka Actually Does (The Science)

The tadka is not just flavour — it is chemistry. When whole spices hit hot ghee, the fat extracts the fat-soluble flavour compounds from the spices far more efficiently than water-based cooking can. The high temperature also triggers Maillard reactions in the garlic, creating hundreds of new flavour compounds in seconds. The hing blooms in the fat, releasing its sulphur compounds that add umami depth.

This is why the tadka must be done last and poured hot. A cool tadka added to hot dal does not have the same effect.

What Can Go Wrong

Dal is too thin: Simmer uncovered on low heat for longer. Or mash some of the dal against the sides of the pot — the starch will thicken it naturally.

Dal is gluey and thick: Add hot water, a little at a time. Never cold water — it makes dal grainy.

Tadka burned the garlic: It happened in a second, did it not? Start again. Burnt garlic ruins everything. The moment you see golden edges, add the next ingredient.

Dal tastes flat: The base masala needed more time. Undercooked masala means dull dal. Also check salt and lemon — both sharpen flavour dramatically.

No depth: You skipped the ghee in the tadka or used oil. Ghee is non-negotiable for this step.

Introduction: India’s Most Misunderstood Drink

Every Indian home makes chai differently. This is a fact that is not understood by anyone who has only ever ordered “masala chai” at a café, received a teabag in hot water with a sachet of masala powder, and thought: this must be what Indians drink.

What Indians drink is something made on the stove, in a small saucepan, with real milk — full-fat, not skimmed — and whole spices that have been cracked or crushed before going in. It is simmered, not steeped. It is poured from height to create froth. It is drunk from small glasses, not large mugs.

My grandmother’s chai was the benchmark. She made it four times a day — morning, mid-morning, afternoon, early evening. Same recipe each time, same two cups, same small saucepan that she had been using since before I was born. The inside of that saucepan was permanently stained the colour of strong tea and she considered this a mark of character.

Here is the recipe, with the ratio she finally agreed to measure out when I asked her to.

Understanding the Ratio — This Is Everything

The single most important thing in masala chai is the ratio of water to milk. Most people use too much water. The result is thin, pale chai that tastes like spiced dishwater. The correct ratio for strong, creamy chai is:

1 part water : 1 part milk for very strong, creamy chai (restaurant style)

2 parts water : 1 part milk for strong home-style chai

3 parts water : 1 part milk for lighter chai

For this recipe we use 2:1. This gives a chai that is strong enough to have character but not so thick it coats your teeth.

Ingredients (Makes 2 cups)

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup full-fat milk — not skimmed, not toned; full-fat only
• 2 tsp CTC tea leaves (Assam or Darjeeling CTC — not dust, not teabags)
• 5 tsp sugar — adjust to taste; some prefer 2, some prefer 1

For the masala (this makes enough for 8 to 10 cups — store the rest):

• 8 green cardamoms
• 1 small stick cinnamon (about 1 inch)
• 4 cloves
• 8 black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp dried ginger powder (sonth) — or 1 tsp freshly grated ginger per cup
• Pinch of nutmeg

For the masala: Crack the cardamoms open. Do not powder them finely — crack them roughly so the seeds are exposed but not dust. Lightly crush the cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns. Mix all together. This is your chai masala. Store in a small airtight jar. Use 1/4 tsp per cup of chai.

Method — The Correct Process

Step 1 — Start with water and spices, not milk:

Pour 1 cup water into a small saucepan. Add 1/4 tsp of your chai masala. If using fresh ginger instead of powder, add 3 to 4 thin slices of ginger now. Place on medium-high flame. Bring to a full boil. Let it boil for 1 full minute — this is where the spices release their oils into the water. Do not rush this step. A spice that has only simmered briefly gives you flavour without depth.

Step 2 — Add tea leaves:

Add 2 tsp CTC tea leaves to the boiling spiced water. Stir once. The water will turn dark immediately. Let it boil for 30 seconds on medium flame. The tea is releasing tannins — this is what gives chai its body.

Step 3 — Add milk:

Pour in 1/2 cup full-fat milk. Add sugar now — 1.5 tsp or to taste. Stir. The chai will turn the characteristic amber-brown colour. Increase flame slightly to medium-high. Watch carefully from this point — milk chai boils over very fast and with very little warning.

Step 4 — The simmer and the rise:

Let the chai come to a boil. The moment it rises to the top of the pan, reduce flame immediately. Let it settle. Raise flame again. Let it rise again. Reduce. This “raising” process — done 2 to 3 times — is what develops the flavour and creates the slight creaminess. Do not skip it. This is the step that separates real chai from boiled milk with tea.

Step 5 — Strain and pour:

Place a fine-mesh strainer over your glass or cup. Pour the chai through the strainer from some height — 15 to 20 centimetres above the glass. This pouring from height aerates the chai and creates the characteristic froth on top. That froth is not decoration — it is the sign of properly made chai and it adds texture to every sip.

The CTC Tea Question — Why It Matters

CTC stands for Crush, Tear, Curl — the process by which the tea leaf is processed into the small, hard pellets that Indian chai is made from. CTC tea brews quickly, strongly, and with a robustness that handles milk and spices without becoming muddy.

Premium loose-leaf teas — the kind used for English tea — are too delicate for this process. They brew beautifully in water alone but become flat and tannic when boiled with milk and spices.

The best widely available CTC teas for masala chai: Wagh Bakri, Tata Gold, Taj Mahal, or any Assam-origin CTC from a local grocery. Avoid supermarket teabags — they contain tea dust which makes bitter chai.

What Goes Wrong — And Why

Chai is too thin and pale: Too much water, not enough tea leaves, milk added too early, or the spice simmer was skipped. Fix the ratio and boil the spiced water first.

Chai is bitter: Tea leaves boiled too long, or too many tea leaves, or both. 2 tsp per 2 cups is the correct amount. Do not guess upward.

Chai boiled over and made a mess: You looked away during step 4. Milk chai boils over in 3 to 5 seconds once it starts rising. Never leave the stove during this step. Ever.

No flavour from the spices: The spices were not cracked or crushed before going in. Whole uncracked cardamom gives almost no flavour. You must crack the shell and expose the seeds.

Chai tastes like the café version: You used a teabag or tea powder instead of CTC leaves, or you did not do the raising process. Or both.

Variations Worth Knowing

Adrak wali chai (ginger chai): Use 1 tsp freshly grated ginger instead of dried ginger powder. Add at the beginning with the water. Ginger chai is the standard remedy for Mumbai monsoon mornings and any day when you feel a cold coming.

Elaichi chai (cardamom only): Some households use only cardamom in their chai, nothing else. Crack 2 green cardamoms per cup and add at the start. The result is clean, fragrant, and slightly sweet without sugar.

Cutting chai: The Mumbai street version — smaller in volume, stronger in concentration, poured into a small glass that you hold with your fingertips because it is too hot to hold properly. Use the same recipe but make it in smaller quantities and use equal parts water and milk.

How to Drink Chai — Things Nobody Writes Down

Chai is drunk from small glasses or kulhads (clay cups), not large mugs. A large mug of chai cools unevenly — the top third becomes lukewarm while the bottom stays hot. In a small glass you drink it while it is uniformly the right temperature.

Chai with something to eat alongside is the correct context. Parle-G biscuits dipped into chai is a combination that has comforted approximately one billion people. Marie biscuits. Khari biscuit. Rusk that you dip and pull out just before it falls apart. Any of these is appropriate.

Chai made for a guest is always slightly sweeter and slightly stronger than the chai you make for yourself. This is not written down anywhere but every Indian person knows it.