Sid Khullar - Chef at Large

We had a dinner guest last evening and like all such occasions, there were a few left overs. Rather than leave the stuff in the fridge till it starts evolving into a different life form, I thought I’d use some of it for breakfast.
Boiled and mashed some potatoes, added a dash of mustard, paprika and [...]

I’ve been meaning to change the way we eat for quite a while, but for some reason or the other, didn’t really get around to it. But now, things are going to change and thats that. I’m tired of being overweight. Hence the new health regime at home now.
The kitchen is now off limits to [...]

We had these crunchy, spicy pakodas for lunch yesterday.
While not usually lunch material, they provided a nice change as pakodas are normally snack food in India. One of the most common times they’re made is when it’s raining outside. Most houses will then deep fry this delicious snack and the whole family consumes copious quantities [...]

Right, so all I’m writing about is Zainab’s food - I know.
I’ve tried cooking here and nearly always wind up with disastrous results. The problem is that when you’re not in your own kitchen, you almost never have the ‘right’ implements or spices and there are so many stuffed in various nooks and crannies of [...]

An expert at rustling up healthy and delicious food, this is another one of Zainab’s creations.
Onion, garlic and bell peppers lightly fried, tossed with boiled noodles and kidney beans, then seasoned with soy sauce and served hot.
Simple isn’t it? It tasted good too!
- Sid

We were at Swagatas house recently and found her making this for her daughter, niece and nephew.
Swagata is a Bharatanatayam dancer, choreographer, writer and more (see some photos here) a good friend who is also instructing my daughter in the art.
Semolina or suji halwa is quite easy to make and tastes delicious when hot. First [...]

We were shopping yesterday and I saw this place that I’d never visited - Nazeems. Thinking I’d pop in for a quick snack, I headed over. Located in a corner of sector 18, NOIDA, Nazeems claims to have been serving the public since Adam. Inside, it has a college canteen kind of decor and the [...]

I used to read a lot of Wilbur Smith in the past. In fact, I think I’ve read all of his books twice or more. If you ask me, I think his books are the ‘Mills and Boon’ equivalent for men. Anyway, there was mention of a dish called ‘Koeksisters’ in a few of his [...]

Wok and Talk is a part of the Spoon Food Court, in the Great India Place, NOIDA. Just like any other food court, you can take in the many aromas wafting around the place, the hubbub of many people talking at once and the occasional loud crash of a strike at the bowling alley ahead.
The [...]

Meeting with some long lost friends, their parents, their children and so on, we landed up at Fortune Cookie on Friday night.
It’s a nice place really - the owner is an ex-shippie who has ransacked his house and placed all his collected oriental artifacts in the restaurant. Decorated with an overpowering shade of red, The [...]