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• Curry leaves

  Curry leaves undoubtedly belong to the most common ingredients in many dishes of South Asia. They are the essential ingredients especially for Indian and Sri Lanka cuisine.

• Aloo masala - Potato curry

  Another curry, which definitely belongs to Indian classics. You can get it in India whole day, including breakfast. If you have some boiled potatoes leftovers, aloo masala is an option number one ;)

• Aloo roast - Potato roast

  Another from the range of Kerala specials from South India. I have learnt this recipe from a lady, who except all the other delicacies made the best curries in whole South India I had a chance to try!

• Baby jackfruit curry - Polos

  Jackfruit is a fascinating fruit. Not only because of its size, but it is used completely different way in each stage of its ripeness. If it is of a size about 15-20 cm, it is called baby jack (or green jackfruit). It is used as a vegetable and has a sour taste. The curry made of it is called polos and is a bit sour too, but very nicely sour.

• Banana curry

  When I got a bowl of banana curry in front of me in India, I was not sure what to think. It didn't look very appealing and banana curry sounded pretty strange to me. But! The smell was amazing! So I gave it a go and believe me, it was something! Such a balanced combination of spices. You could have felt each of them separately and all together it made a perfect harmony. And when I got the secret recipe, I nearly started dancing around the table :)

• Bandakka curry - Ladies fingers curry

  This curry is exceptional firstly as it is nearly not spicy at all and secondly, okra is a slimy vegetable, which some people love, some don't. If you belong to the ones, who love it, you will love this curry too. As Ladies fingers curry is nearly not spicy at all, it is usually combined with more spicy curries like for instance Jackfruit curry.

• Beef biryani

  This beef biryani I have learnt in one muslim village in Kerala, India. When you moved out of the village for just a few kilometers, cows were sacred there because of hinduism.

• Beetroot pachadi

  Gently spiced beetroot salad, which belongs to Kerala specials, state of South India. It can be served both, warm and cold. And it is vegetarian dish as majority in India.

• Beetroot thoran

  Special, typical for South Indian state, Kerala. It is a vegetarian / vegan recipe, where sweetness of beetroot is balanced with chilies, ginger and garlic.

• Coconut curry

  Most of Sri Lankan recipes consists of coconut. The more when talking about this recipe. It is a delicate sauce pleasantly seasoned, which is used especially for string hoppers (rice noodles) or kottu roti (chopped bread).

• Devilish peppers

  Before I left to Sri Lanka, my friend Lucka, who loves very spicy food asked me for bringing her some very spicy recipe. Have look at the list of ingredients, and I believe you agree, that I would hardly find a recipe fitting her taste better :) If you do not belong to fans of a spicy food, better skip this recipe

• Dhal

  The essential dish in Sri Lanka. Locals eat it two, sometimes even three times a day. As most of recipes in Sri Lanka are vegetarian and vegan, lentils are very important source of proteins. Most of dhal recipes I have known seemed too complicated. So this is probably one of the most easy recipes, I was taught by my Sri Lanka family and it is so delicious too.

• Dhal - Lentils Kerala style

  The most frequented dish, which you will find in hundreds of variants allover India. This recipe is from Kerala, South India, where fresh coconut is a very common ingredient. Dhal is not an exception.

• Dhal fry - Red lentils Northern India style

  I love dhal. Probably all variations I have ever tried. (Not only) in every state of India it is done different way. They use ingredients, which appear naturally in the region. In the South they would hardly do without curry leaves and a coconut milk. In the North it is the very opposite way. And this is where the recipe I learnt from two cool local guys in a hostel is coming from.

• Egg curry

  Egg curry was my very first dish in India. I recall the picture with all the details. The food was delicious, 10 locals where looking at me like at a sacred picture, they were nodding their heads from side to side, smiling and the room was filled with the amazing smell of masala tea.

• Green bean curry

  Curry, that belongs to the most common ones in Sri Lanka. Of course it can`t compete with dhal curry regarding frequency. It is very fast and easy recipe again, you just put everything at once into a pot and cook.

• Chammanthi - Coconut red chutney

  Another special from Indian Kerala. Very simple and fast recipe. This red coconut chutney is usually served with rice cakes like dosa, appam or idly. Meanwhile mom from a fishing village family was preparing this chutney, kids couldn`t wait and got their appam with sugar instead. I was more patient and it paid off.

• Channa masala - Chick pea masala

  I cannot imagine India without this dish. This is simply one of the most common dishes you can get across India, usually for breakfast already with various kinds of rotis and then all day long with rice and other kinds of Indian dishes.

• Chicken curry

  I was walking on the train trails, passing a beautiful house made of ground, in front of which kids and dogs were playing. Kids were all smiles and calling at me "hello, what is your name?". So we started chatting, whole family joined us and they were so nice and as a bonus I got invitation for a Sunday lunch. One of the dishes was chicken curry. Most of curries in Sri Lanka are vegetarian. If it is with meat, the most common is the chicken one. And it was amazing!

• Chicken curry

  It was a nice change to have a bit of a meat in India. Very interesting part was buying the chicken already. It was as fresh as it gets. Traditionally there are no fridges in India`s meat shops. There are live chicken instead running around and got "ready" only when a customer comes and buy one or two.

• Indian pachadi - Pineapple with yoghurt

  Combination of pineapple, garlic, chilies and curry leaves? Before my trip to India, I would say "no, thank you". One is learning whole his life. As when I tried this pachadi recipe in Kerala, India, I couldn`t get enough. Every ingredient is very important in this vegetarian recipe and creates a perfect combination of flavours.

• Keow Wan Gai - Chicken green curry

  Thai green curry definitely belongs to my favourites. It is actually not green only because of the green curry paste, but because of the ingredients used as well. The cherry on top are the fresh Thai basil leaves. They bring this delicacy even to a higher level.

• Kottu roti

  Another recipe from Sri Lankan street food range. Roti again, but chopped this time, as this is the meaning of the word kottu in Sinhala. So the result is something between pasta and risotto, as everything is chopped very fine. Preparation of this dish is accompanied by the very typical metal rhythmic sounds, each restaurant in Sri Lanka has its own.

• Mashed tapioca Kerala style (cassava)

  The most frequent side dish in India are for sure all kinds of flat breads or rice. At some parts of India, you can get something like mashed potatoes. But it is not potatoes but tapioca. Flavoured by various kinds of spices depending on the region. The main ingredients for Kerala style recipe are coconut and curry leaves. This recipe I have learnt in one fishing village and we ate it in style, on the roof.

• Meen curry - Fish curry Kerala style

  I really enjoyed this fish curry. Yes, it was quite spicy, but the taste was balanced nicely with the coconut sauce. I had this great dish with an amazing muslim family. We were eating on roof of their house in Kerala in south of India. Super nice picnic ;)

• Mixed rice

  This kind of dish is in Sri Lankan villages considered as a dish served at special occasions. And the fact it was decorated with dates, rosins, prawns and eggs was even more special. As in Sri Lanka, they do appreciate guests, and luckily it was me, as I was invited for a Sunday dinner by a very nice family. So one of the courses was this very nice dish. It is something like fried rice. But the rice was not fried, just mixed aside from fire with other fried ingredients.

• Onion pakoda - Onion fritters

  Amazing street food. The best pakodas / pakoras I have had in India were onion fritters sold just by a rail crossing on the way to my favorite surf spot. And as they are quite a lot of trains in India and you are waiting usually pretty long, I always passed the time by this place.

• Oyster mushroom curry

  Another amazing Sri Lankan recipe, meat substitute. Oyster mushroom curry full of proteins. A bit spicy as most of Sri Lankan dishes. But really delicious.

• Plamuk pat phet - Squid stir fry red curry

  If you are passing by some Thai restaurant and a scent coming from a wok makes you caugh, very probably some red curry is being prepared. Yes, it is super spicy. Of course you can use less chilies than Thais, as they use 5 of them into one portion easily ;)

• Potato sambal (salad)

  Would you like to refresh your traditional portfolio of potato salads and you do not mind spicy food? Try Sri Lankan style potato salad. You can serve it warm, cold, as a side dish or main vegetarian dish too.

• Pumpkin curry

  One of the first curries I learned from grannies in a little house by train tracks in Sri Lanka. I wish I made more shots of the amazing kitchen for the video. But as at the time I just started filming, so you will find them in the newer video recipes and this one is mainly about the recipe :)