Peach and Cardamom Bakewell Tarts Like Beyoncé, who transforms into her alter-ego, the confident ‘Sasha Fierce’ on stage, I had to take on a new persona before I embarked upon making my first pastry for the latest Food Network UK recipe challenge using seasonal peaches. But a three-octave vocal range and bootylicious behind wasn’t going …

  I will make chutney from any fruits I can get my hands on. Fact.   Whether it’s ripe, unripe, something I love or something I’m not too keen on, turning it in to chutney is guaranteed to make it better.   There’s something about seasonal peaches bubbling away in their own syrupy goodness that …

Paan Ice Cream One of my most magical childhood memories is sitting in the back seat of my parents’ red VW Golf during the mid-nineties, slowly peeling back the red-stained paper from a little bundle of ‘Special Meetha Paan’: Areca nuts, fennel seeds, shredded coconut and rose paste, smothered in a ‘secret’ syrup, then tightly …

Chilli and Sesame Vermicelli     Love noodles? So do I. This quick and easy recipe for spicy vegetable noodles is something I recently made for breakfast. You know I love a hearty breakfast. I needed something warming and flavourful and the chilli heat from these stir-fried noodles really hit the spot.   Vermicelli is …

   I’ve always been one to get excited when a great big parcel gets delivered to the house. Itching to get my paws on the contents, I rip at packages, chipping nail varnish and not batting an eyelid over it – very strange behaviour. Recently, the lovely people over at Pataks sent me some sample …

  There’s nothing I like better than a little mug of sweet cardamom tea to unwind after an action-packed day. Today the term ‘chai’ has become a generic term for posh frothy mugs of under-spiced and over-priced drinks available in coffee shops across the globe. This makes me sad.   The recipe for chai is …

  The world of Indian breads is vast and varied. From rotli to naan, paratha and poori, they can be toasted, baked or fried. Adding herbs and spices is common and I love experiment with different flavours. My favourite kind of poori has got to be infused with turmeric and red chilli and is also …

Told you I’d be back. Albeit late, but hey, I’m still here. And I’ve come armed with hundreds of little Red Velvet and Lemon Cupcakes topped with handmade sugarpaste Indian elephants and glitter-caked peacock feathers.  Bespoke handmade sugarpaste Indian elephants (want these? Email me) Two very lovely people got married in my hometown last Sunday …

Spicy Spinach Lasagne Guess what I did this weekend? I made my first wedding cake! 300 cupcakes consisting of both Red Velvet and Lemon. Finished with a swirl of vanilla buttercream and the cutest handmade Indian elephants and peacock feathers. The display was crowned with a vanilla buttercream cake and a giant peacock feather. Thankfully, …