https://degchi.matrixinn.net/ Notes on cooking, pantry habits and recipes from the Degchi team. en https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/besan-gram-flour-storage-why-it-turns-bitter-and-how-to-test-it/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/besan-gram-flour-storage-why-it-turns-bitter-and-how-to-test-it/ Sun, 15 Nov 2026 01:10:00 +0000 Your pakoray batter looks perfect and tastes faintly like old paint. Besan is a high-protein, oil-bearing flour, and it goes off quietly. A smell test and the right jar fix it. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/sahlab-at-home-thick-warm-milk-drink-without-lumps/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/sahlab-at-home-thick-warm-milk-drink-without-lumps/ Sun, 15 Nov 2026 01:00:00 +0000 Sahlab should coat a spoon and slide off slowly, closer to a drinkable pudding than a hot milk. The usual failure is lumps or a skin, and both are avoidable. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/mango-lassi-at-home-fresh-frozen-or-tinned-pulp/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/mango-lassi-at-home-fresh-frozen-or-tinned-pulp/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 23:40:00 +0000 Mango lassi is easy until the mango is sour, stringy or out of season. Here is how to adjust for each kind of mango, with amounts that match our recipe page. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/south-indian-filter-coffee-at-home-decoction-ratio-and-froth/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/south-indian-filter-coffee-at-home-decoction-ratio-and-froth/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 23:30:00 +0000 The glass arrives with a foam cap and tastes of roasted coffee and hot milk, not of bitterness. The work is in a slow decoction and a few pours between two steel vessels. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/baingan-bharta-smoky-without-a-gas-flame-electric-stove-or-oven/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/baingan-bharta-smoky-without-a-gas-flame-electric-stove-or-oven/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 23:20:00 +0000 The smoke is the whole point of baingan bharta, and it comes from charring the skin. How to get close with an electric hob, a broiler or a barbecue. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/vegetable-kurma-south-indian-coconut-gravy-for-idli-and-parotta/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/vegetable-kurma-south-indian-coconut-gravy-for-idli-and-parotta/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 23:10:00 +0000 A mild coconut and cashew gravy for idli, parotta or rice. The paste, the par-boil and the one timing mistake that turns the vegetables to mush. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/chingri-malai-curry-frozen-shrimp-coconut-milk-without-splitting/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/chingri-malai-curry-frozen-shrimp-coconut-milk-without-splitting/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 23:00:00 +0000 Bengali prawn curry in coconut milk, adapted for frozen supermarket shrimp. What to buy, how to thaw, and the gentle heat that keeps the gravy smooth. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/curd-rice-vs-lemon-rice-south-indian-lunchbox-rice/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/curd-rice-vs-lemon-rice-south-indian-lunchbox-rice/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 21:30:00 +0000 One dish wants rice mushy and warm, the other wants it cool and loose. Get that wrong and curd rice turns sour or lemon rice turns to paste. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/medu-vada-oily-flat-or-no-hole-fixes/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/medu-vada-oily-flat-or-no-hole-fixes/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 21:20:00 +0000 Medu vada fails in three ways: it soaks up oil, it spreads flat, or it will not keep its hole. Each one traces back to the batter. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/payesh-vs-kheer-bengali-rice-pudding-and-nolen-gur/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/payesh-vs-kheer-bengali-rice-pudding-and-nolen-gur/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 21:10:00 +0000 Both are rice cooked in milk, yet payesh is a different pudding. The rice, the bay leaf, the order of sugar and the jaggery rule that stops curdling. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/chicken-tikka-masala-from-leftover-tikka-25-minute-sauce/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/chicken-tikka-masala-from-leftover-tikka-25-minute-sauce/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 21:00:00 +0000 "Leftover tikka makes a better masala than raw chicken does, because the char is already built in. The sauce takes about 25 minutes." https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/skewers-for-seekh-and-tikka-flat-round-wooden-metal/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/skewers-for-seekh-and-tikka-flat-round-wooden-metal/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 19:40:00 +0000 "Round skewers make seekh kabab spin and wooden ones burn. A short buying and using guide for the most underrated kebab tool." https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/tandoori-chicken-red-colour-without-artificial-food-colour/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/tandoori-chicken-red-colour-without-artificial-food-colour/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 19:30:00 +0000 "Restaurant tandoori is bright red because of dye. Home tandoori can be a deep rusty orange from spices, if you set expectations and use the right chilli." https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/kebab-rolls-at-home-paratha-wrap-without-soggy-bottoms/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/kebab-rolls-at-home-paratha-wrap-without-soggy-bottoms/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 19:20:00 +0000 "A kebab roll falls apart for three reasons: wet filling, thin bread, and no wrap. Fix all three and a Tuesday leftover becomes street food." https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/katakat-at-home-tawa-timing-liver-and-the-chopping-sound/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/katakat-at-home-tawa-timing-liver-and-the-chopping-sound/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 19:10:00 +0000 "The clanging spatulas are half the appeal. Here is how to get katakat right on a home tawa without turning the liver to rubber." https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/rezala-vs-korma-vs-qorma-chicken-gravies-compared/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/rezala-vs-korma-vs-qorma-chicken-gravies-compared/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 19:00:00 +0000 "Three pale-to-golden chicken gravies, three different onion methods. Here is how rezala, korma and qorma differ and which to cook for your guests." https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/best-before-vs-use-by-desi-pantry-staples-what-the-dates-mean/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/best-before-vs-use-by-desi-pantry-staples-what-the-dates-mean/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 17:00:00 +0000 A date on a packet of daal does not mean the same as a date on chicken. Here is how best before and use by differ, and what to check on desi pantry staples. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/methi-seeds-vs-fresh-methi-vs-kasuri-methi-which-for-what/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/methi-seeds-vs-fresh-methi-vs-kasuri-methi-which-for-what/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 15:10:00 +0000 Same plant, three very different ingredients. Here is what methi seeds, fresh leaves and dried kasuri methi do in a pot, and how to avoid the bitter mistake. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/mustard-seeds-rai-why-they-pop-and-when-to-add-them/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/mustard-seeds-rai-why-they-pop-and-when-to-add-them/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 15:00:00 +0000 Mustard seeds that will not pop, or pop and turn bitter, wreck a tadka before it starts. Here is the heat, timing and amounts that work for South Indian dishes. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/can-you-reuse-frying-oil-pakora-fish-samosa/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/can-you-reuse-frying-oil-pakora-fish-samosa/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 13:10:00 +0000 A pan of oil is expensive, and tipping it after one batch of pakoray feels wasteful. Here is how to reuse frying oil safely and when to let go. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/curry-leaves-fresh-frozen-or-dried-kadipatta-how-to-use/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/curry-leaves-fresh-frozen-or-dried-kadipatta-how-to-use/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 13:00:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/tamarind-imli-block-vs-paste-vs-concentrate-which-to-buy/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/tamarind-imli-block-vs-paste-vs-concentrate-which-to-buy/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 11:30:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/musurir-dal-bengali-red-lentil-dal-panch-phoron-tadka/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/musurir-dal-bengali-red-lentil-dal-panch-phoron-tadka/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 11:20:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/puri-not-puffing-flat-or-oily-puris-fixes/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/puri-not-puffing-flat-or-oily-puris-fixes/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 11:10:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/upma-lumpy-sticky-or-bland-rava-water-ratio-fixes/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/upma-lumpy-sticky-or-bland-rava-water-ratio-fixes/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 11:00:00 +0000 Upma is five ingredients and about 20 minutes, yet it turns into paste in many kitchens. Roasting, water and how you stir decide everything. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/sarson-da-saag-watery-bitter-or-too-smooth-fixes/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/sarson-da-saag-watery-bitter-or-too-smooth-fixes/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 09:40:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/dal-makhani-not-creamy-grainy-or-thin-fixes/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/dal-makhani-not-creamy-grainy-or-thin-fixes/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 09:30:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/why-does-my-dosa-stick-or-tear-on-the-tawa-fixes/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/why-does-my-dosa-stick-or-tear-on-the-tawa-fixes/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 09:20:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/thareed-gulf-bread-stew-how-to-keep-bread-from-turning-to-paste/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/thareed-gulf-bread-stew-how-to-keep-bread-from-turning-to-paste/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 09:10:00 +0000 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. https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/aseeda-gulf-flour-porridge-no-lumps-ghee-date-syrup/ https://degchi.matrixinn.net/blog/aseeda-gulf-flour-porridge-no-lumps-ghee-date-syrup/ Sat, 14 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 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.