From the Degchi kitchen

malai botimalai boti recipe

Malai Boti: Creamy Marinade, Juicy Chicken

Malai boti should be pale, soft and just cooked, nothing like a charred tikka. Marinade timing, grill heat and the cream mistake that makes it split.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

chapli kababchapli kabab recipe

Chapli Kabab: Crispy Edges, No Breaking

A chapli kabab is wide, thin and a bit ragged on purpose. These are the reasons it cracks or goes soft, and the settings that give a lacy brown edge.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

bhuna goshthow to bhunno masala

Bhuna Gosht: How to Bhunno Without Burning

Bhunna means frying a masala until it gives up its water and the oil rises. Here is how to do it with mutton, what each stage looks like and how to rescue a pot that catches.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

karahi materialstainless steel karahi

Steel vs Cast-Iron vs Non-Stick Karahi for Tomato Gravy

A karahi cooks on high heat with acidic tomatoes and no added water. That is hard on some materials. Here is how steel, cast iron and non-stick compare for it.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

best knife for indian cookingchopping onions

Best Knife and Board for Desi Prep: Onions, Ginger, Greens

Desi cooking is a lot of onions, ginger and leafy greens. A medium chef's knife, a small paring knife and two boards cover almost every recipe in our library.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

spice grinder vs mortarginger garlic paste blender

Masala Grinder vs Mortar vs Blender: Which to Use

Three tools, three jobs. A blender makes paste, a small grinder makes dry powder and a mortar handles small jobs and coarse crushing. Here is how to match them to your recipes.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

air fryer parathaair fryer samosa

Air Fryer Paratha, Samosa and Kebabs: What Works

An air fryer is a small, fast convection oven. That is great for kebabs and frozen samosas, fair for stuffed paratha and a poor fit for anything wet or layered.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

rice cooker vs potbasmati rice cooker

Rice Cooker vs Pot for Basmati, Daal and Khichdi

A rice cooker gives you hands-off rice, but our recipes use three different water methods. Here is which ones translate to a cooker and which still belong on the stove.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

heavy bottom pot for biryanidum cooking

Heavy-Bottom Pot for Dum: Why Thin Pots Scorch

Burnt rice at the bottom and raw rice on top usually means the pot, not the cook. Here is what a heavy base changes in dum cooking, and what to do if yours is thin.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 5 min read

pressure cooker size3 litre pressure cooker

Pressure Cooker Size: 2L, 3L or 5L for Your Family?

A 3 litre cooker is not a 3 litre pot. Here is how much food each size really holds, what the fill line does to lentils, and how to choose between whistle and weight valves.

Usama Alam · 10 November 2026 · 6 min read