On a windy evening in West Los Angeles, a small group of mostly strangers gathered inside a trendy loft apartment. The 15 or so folks were an interesting cross section of humanity — from a winery ...

The words tadka, bagar or chownk all refer to tempering in Indian cooking. Tempering is heating ghee or oil and adding spices. The idea is to infuse the aroma and flavors of the spices into the oil.

The prospect of cooking Indian can easily overwhelm, considering the array of unfamiliar ingredients, techniques and seasoning combinations. How many other culinary styles, for instance, commonly call ...

Last year I explored some family recipes from northern India where I was raised. Spring’s approaching, and I thought it would be a good time to “go back to basics” with a series of articles devoted to ...

Before any spice touches your tongue or the kitchen fills with aroma, it’s the cooking method that makes all the difference. Indian food isn’t just about the ingredients—it’s also about how you use ...

At the age of five, Julie Sahni began attending a school run by Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement, in the North Indian city of Kanpur. Classes there trained her to be a perfect housewife. Born in ...