From the Degchi kitchen

curry leaveskadipatta

Curry Leaves: Fresh, Frozen or Dried? How to Use Them

Kadipatta is a dish's top note and the first thing to fade. Here is how many leaves our recipes use, when to add them, and how to keep a bunch from going limp.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 5 min read

tamarindimli

Tamarind Block vs Paste vs Concentrate: Which to Buy

Three jars, one word on the label, very different strength. Here is how to tell tamarind block, paste and concentrate apart and how to swap them in imli recipes.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 5 min read

musurir dalbengali dal

Musurir Dal: Bengali Red Lentil Dal With Panch Phoron

Bengali red lentil dal is thinner, lighter and quicker than most Pakistani daal. The tempering carries the flavour, so it pays to get that right.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 4 min read

puri not puffingpuri recipe

Why Won't My Puris Puff? Flat and Oily Puri Fixes

A good puri balloons in seconds. A bad one sinks and drinks oil. Dough firmness, oil heat and rolling thickness are the three things to check.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 4 min read

upma lumpyupma recipe

Why Is My Upma Lumpy or Sticky? Rava and Water Fixes

Upma is five ingredients and about 20 minutes, yet it turns into paste in many kitchens. Roasting, water and how you stir decide everything.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 4 min read

sarson da saagmustard greens recipe

Sarson da Saag Watery or Bitter? How to Fix It

Punjabi mustard greens go wrong in three ways: too loose, too sharp, too smooth. The fixes are all in the ratio, the boil and how you mash.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 4 min read

dal makhani not creamydal makhani recipe

Why Is My Dal Makhani Not Creamy? Grainy or Thin Fixes

Grainy, thin or pale dal makhani is almost always about time and mashing, not cream. Here is what the pot should look like at each stage.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 4 min read

dosa sticking to tawadosa tearing

Why Does My Dosa Stick or Tear on the Tawa?

The first dosa always fights back. Usually it is pan heat or batter thickness, rarely the recipe itself. Here is how to read what the pan is telling you.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 5 min read

thareed recipeGulf stew

Thareed at Home: Bread Stew That Soaks Without Turning Pasty

Thareed is a meat and vegetable stew poured over torn thin bread. The two things that decide it are broth flavour and how long the bread sits. Here is the timeline.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 5 min read

aseeda recipeGulf breakfast

Aseeda: Smooth Gulf Flour Porridge Without Lumps

Aseeda is flour, water, salt and a well of ghee and sweetness. It takes 15 minutes. Lumps, thin texture and a scorched pot are the three things that go wrong, and each has a fix.

Usama Alam · 14 November 2026 · 5 min read