The Tarka Guide
How to keep biryani rice separate
Rinse and soak the rice to remove surface starch, then stop boiling it at about 70% cooked so it finishes on dum instead of turning starchy.
Read the guideTHE TARKA GUIDE
Cook with better cues
Techniques explained through sight, sound, texture and timing.
The Tarka Guide
Why your karahi tastes watery
A watery karahi almost always means the tomato-onion masala was not reduced enough before the meat went in, or water was added later to stop it sticking.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How to properly brown onions
Slow, medium-heat cooking over 20–30 minutes browns onions evenly; high heat only colours the surface while the inside stays raw.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
Pakistani whole spices explained
Whole spices are bloomed in hot oil to release aroma at the start of cooking; ground spices go in later, since heat burns them quickly.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How much rice do you need per person?
Plan for 75–100g of raw basmati per adult for a main rice dish like biryani, or 50–75g for a plain rice side alongside a curry.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
Understanding bhuna, dum and tarka
Bhuna builds a masala base by frying it down, dum is a sealed low-heat steaming step, and tarka is a finishing pour of spiced oil.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
Cooking Pakistani food outside Pakistan
What to substitute, where to buy South Asian ingredients in the UK, US and Gulf, and how to adapt Pakistani recipes to the cuts of meat available where you live.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How to use a pressure cooker for Pakistani cooking
What a pressure cooker is genuinely good for in a Pakistani kitchen, what it ruins, and how to convert a stovetop recipe safely.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How to marinate chicken for grilling
Why an overnight yoghurt marinade works, what acid and salt actually do to the meat, and how to keep it tender instead of mushy.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How to balance spice in a curry
Heat, sourness, salt, fat and sweetness are five dials. Turning the wrong one is why a curry tastes flat even when it is not hot.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How to thicken a gravy
Reducing, starch, dairy and nut pastes, and how to pick the right one for a karahi, a dal or a biryani.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How to make chutneys and salans
The four chutneys that turn a plate into chaat, how to balance a sour one, and why a salan keeps for weeks when a chutney does not.
Read the guide
The Tarka Guide
How to store and reheat Pakistani food
What keeps, what does not, and how to bring back a karahi, a biryani and a tandoori roti without drying them out.
Read the guide