For a group of women in Sri Lanka, a humble breakfast porridge called ‘kenda’ holds the key to a better fortune
Anthony Bourdain: It’s not bad to be the idiot abroad, if you’ve got an open mind
LiveMint · Nov 04, 2017
Anthony Bourdain discusses Sri Lanka, spicy crab curry and the highs and lows of a life with no fixed address.
The Man Behind India’s Favorite Snack Foods
Saveur · October 27, 2017
Three years ago, I packed my suitcases to move to Colombo, Sri Lanka as an Indian expatriate. In addition to the glossy silk saris and the gold jewelry I had been given for my wedding, I packed several small, sealed packets that carried their own significant emotional heft. I had tucked away small batches of milagai podi—“gunpowder,” a searing South Indian blend of roasted and powdered lentils and spices known as to mix with rice or sprinkle over buttered bread, along with plastic bottles of ghee and a few kilograms of fine coffee powder. Like Indian migrants through the ages, I had a contingency plan for homesickness—and it included condiments and ready-to-eat meals by Maiyas.
The Perfect Day in Colombo
Parts Unknown · October 26, 2017
When I first moved to Colombo from Mumbai, India, now more than three years ago, I was immediately struck by how horizontal the city seemed to be. Having lived most of my life in the populous and vertiginous commercial capital of India, Colombo’s squat skyline, composed of spacious houses and vast, open spaces draped in a thick cloak of greenery, took me somewhat by surprise. Unused to the idea of a city that laid out its charm so plainly, I assumed that it would be easy to get to know the “real” Colombo. With time and experience, I have come to the humbling realization that despite its diminutive size, Colombo is several cities contained in one.
Your guide to Sri Lankan cuisine
Parts Unknown · October 25, 2017
It was a humid July afternoon in Colombo, only a couple of weeks after I arrived in the city as a bewildered expatriate from Mumbai. Still finding my sea legs and longing for home, I found comfort unexpectedly in a bowl of brick-red curry. Spicy enough to make my eyes water, the curry piqued my curiosity. It was laden with chunks of a fruit that tasted like a cross between green mango and pineapple, with thorny pits thrown into the mix as well. After an afternoon of feverish Googling, I learned that the fruit was the hog plum, locally known as ambarella. Armed with this newly acquired nugget of knowledge, I felt like I had finally found a toehold in a cuisine—and culture—quite different from my own.
Hungry in Ho Chi Minh City
Livemint · September 30, 2017
I don’t have an aptitude for maps. When I arrive in a new city, my mental compass still in transit, the lines and squiggles on a map give me cold comfort. Unlike those who fearlessly conquer unfamiliar roads, wielding their maps like a weapon, I generally straggle along, searching for a signpost that can set my bearings straight. Usually, that signpost is a street cart. There is no surer consolation than the yeasty aroma of just baked bread, or the smoke rising from meat barbecuing on a rickety roadside stand. No matter how disoriented I am, hitting upon a street stall is usually all it takes to push the reset button.
In love with chocolate
LiveMint · July 28, 2017
A small chocolate revolution is afoot in Vietnam, with artisanal chocolatiers like Marou emerging as champions of the local cacao bean
Common man’s cup of tea
LiveMint · April 28, 2017
Savoury Japanese ‘genmaicha’ tastes like liquid popcorn
Fuchsia Dunlop: It’s bad luck that Chinese cuisine is labelled cheap
LiveMint · March 17, 2017
Award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop on the nuances of stir-fries, duck’s tongue, and why one of the world’s most popular cuisines is also the most misunderstood
Eat your art out in Fort Kochi
LiveMint · March 10, 2017
Heading to Kochi before the Kochi-Muziris Biennale wraps up? Here’s where to get your meals between the art intake