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Mallika Basu

@mallikabasu.bsky.social
113 followers 42 following 64 posts

Recipes with spice and flavour, musings on food, people and planet from a food writer, presenter, adviser. Planet-friendlier features in Good Food Mag Substack: In Good Taste 2 x Cookbooks youtube.com/mallikabasu

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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
In pleasing climate action news, a rarity, Immediate Media Company hosted a thought provoking and packed out Climate Action Day recently for their teams with practical sessions, tips and intel. They have an audience of some 21m so this is good stuff. If you ever get to hear Clover Hogan, do
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
Really enjoyed this podcast on social and gender inequity in food conversations from Table. We need to cook and eat more “real”food. Who do we think is going to shoulder this burden? open.spotify.com/episode/1PTM...
open.spotify.com
TikTok masculinity and the Tradwife (with Feminist Food Journal)
Feed: a food systems podcast · Episode
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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 04/04/2025
Can we launch a class-action lawsuit against recipes that say "30 minutes preparation time!", then leave you - two hours later - a broken-down ruin, standing in the burning rubble of the kitchen, practically wearing the contents of the fridge?
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
I’ve been plotting with the adult learning team at @britishlibrary.bsky.social and went in yesterday to check in with my partner in crime there Katy Jackson for some four years now (also known as “client” in polite circles). A glorious day for it and I can’t wait to tell you more
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
Eid Mubarak! Felt like an apt day to celebrate the contribution of Mughals to the Indian Subcontinent yesterday at the V&A Great Mughals exhibition with mum and sis. Worth a visit! Did you know the word moguls was inspired by them? (That’s an atashpan used to live cook meats at royal banquets btw)
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MiMi Aye @meemalee.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
My book is called ‘MANDALAY: Recipes & Tales from a Burmese Kitchen’ because Mandalay is where my heart lies. My father and my brothers were all born in Mandalay, and my parents met at Mandalay Medical School. My tastes, my food, my vocabulary are that of a Mandalay-thu (မန္တလေးသူ - ‘Mandalayan’).
Four copies of my book Mandalay spread out in a fanA B&W photo from my book of my grandmother flanked by her two older sisters. They are dressed in long-sleeved silk blouses and embroidered sarongs known as htamein and they have flowers in their hair. The caption reads:

Three sisters: from left to right, my great-aunt and famous writer and dissident 'Ludu' Daw Amar; my paternal grandmother Daw Tin Tin; and my great-aunt and cheroot tycoon 'Naga' Daw Oo. Their fourth sister (the baby, Daw Kyin) and two brothers are not pictured. 

My grandmother originally had a paper, printing ink and stationery supplies shop called the Burmese Paper Mart and, as a senior member of the Upper Burma Chamber of Commerce, she was part of the welcome party for China's Prime Minister Zhou Enlai on one of his visits to Burma. 

Later on, she started a printing press called Daw Tin Tin & Sons Press which printed my Pwa Oo's Naga brand cheroot labels and supplied materials for my Pwa Amar's publications, including her newspaper The Ludu Daily.A photo of a Mandalay Medical School reunion held for my parents back in 1989. The women are sitting in the front row along with three of my cousins, my aunt and me - I’m wearing a white and pink dress. My brothers are in the photo standing further back.
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
“Climate breakdown is the mutant offspring of European scientific racism and colonialism, conceived in the suffering millions of Africans, Asians and Indigenous Americans endured at the altar of capital accumulation.” This is now going on my reading list: www.theguardian.com/news/2025/ma...
theguardian.com
Dark Laboratory: groundbreaking book argues climate crisis was sparked by colonisation
Tao Leigh Goffe argues climate breakdown is the mutant offspring of European scientific racism and colonialism
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Nicola Miller @nicmiller.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
And one of the kedgerees mentioned is by Bury's own Bay Tree Cafe!
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
Describe your perfect weekend brunch in one pic. Mine is kedgeree. I wrote a deep dive on it for the latest issue of National Geographic with my perfect recipe and best places to eat it in the UK too! Home made curry powder makes all the difference
Kedgeree
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
There is a soil exhibition on at Somerset House and it’s worth a visit. Lots of absorbing digital installations, photography, video and sculptural work
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
This piece has blown my mind. What do Italians here make of Grandi, please? www.bbc.co.uk/travel/artic...
bbc.co.uk
Is there no such thing as Italian cuisine?
Italian cuisine may be one of the most recognised and loved in the world. But now, a food historian is arguing that the Italian food as we know it is barely a few decades old.
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
In recovery mode from cooking this lunch for my outlaws (former in laws). Citrus, honey roast chicken with Zaa’tar, roast potatoes, oat and buckwheat apple crumble and a random salad with an equally random dressing pulled together last minute because a I ran out of time! Roll on Monday
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
I’ve written free to access in depth pieces about cultural appropriation, racism in food TV, the disconnect between food and farming etc on my Substack. I wrote one about air fryers and it’s become my most successful in 3 years 🤷🏽‍♀️. If you fancy a read, it’s here: open.substack.com/pub/mallikab...
open.substack.com
The honest truth about airfryers
And fresh new beginnings
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
I really needed to see this today
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
My 1st planet friendlier feature for Good Food Magazine was on beans and pulses and it’s now online, if you fancy a read: www.bbcgoodfood.com/sustainabili...
bbcgoodfood.com
6 reasons to eat more beans and pulses
Mallika Basu explains why you should get over your ‘beans hesitancy’ to improve your diet, navigate the cost-of-living crisis and fight climate change
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
This just arrived! Vegetable-forward recipes from Eastern Europe by Alissa Timoshkina. It’s beautiful and I love how the contents page and vegetables are so accessible.
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
If you fancy another longer read with your cuppa I wrote about how to banish bean hesitancy and shared my (controversial) opinion that meal planning doesn’t work: open.substack.com/pub/mallikab...
open.substack.com
Banish bean hesitancy...
...And embrace meal thinking
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Great read to kick Monday off
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
I buy myself flowers every V Day, alone for the sixth year. Don’t bother this year because last year’s dried flower arrangement is still going strong. Better to be alone than badly accompanied methinks. Hope none of my ex’s are on here!
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Is anyone avoiding eating salmon? I’ve seen the Wildfish report this week and wondering if I should write a post about what’s going on with Scottish Salmon and why so many food writers are avoiding it entirely. Would welcome your thoughts!
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
If anyone needs a cheery meal also designed to clear any germs, bugs and sinus I went to Sambal Shiok and it is still excellent. The mango pudding was a refreshing end to the meal. I first met Mandy nine years ago when she did a pop up in Soho! Not sure where that time went
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Just emerging from a long lunch with the family. I cooked Raan, roast leg of lamb, fenugreek and spinach dal, biryani style rice and Ren Behan’s Polish stonefruit bake with apples. Tired but happy, and full!
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Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Just saw someone saying “please share so I can have more followers so I can finally stop posting on Twitter where I have a lot of followers” May I suggest two simple steps to achieve this, 1. Stop posting there and delete your account there 2. Post here
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
Really liked this. So much doom, gloom and futility, but African Philosophy highlights complementarity: “Complementarity holds that the relationships that unite individual things can extend to prove the value of every contribution, no matter its size”
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
If you haven’t listened to this yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
My latest recipe share is a whole chicken poached in fresh turmeric, ginger, star anise, black peppercorn, the ends and whites of spring onions, served with cavolo nero, buckwheat soba, black sesame seeds, spring onion greens, soy sauce and chilli oil. A family fave, method: youtu.be/iEp9Hex6k3c?...
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Natasha Foote @natashafoote.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Thank you to everyone that’s got in touch with me for this! If anyone else has thoughts, do let me know :)
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Saturday was a friend’s BIG Birthday lunch at Cafe Cecilia in Hackney. Everything was beautiful, and it’s such a gorgeous space. Highly recommend if you haven’t been
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Been a busy weekend of enjoying being spoilt by friends. My friend treated me to late Birthday lunch at Hoppers, and it is still excellent. She insisted we order the podi dosa, which has gunpowder set in the batter as it crisps. So good!
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
This will be an interesting read: open.substack.com/pub/eatwitha...
open.substack.com
The Lost Crops of Africa
A series on crops that have defined African agricultural ingenuity.
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Camille Perrin @perrincam.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
This insightful piece is now in front of paywall. A must read 👇
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Dr Dave Beck @drdavebeck.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
🧵1/7 I have been researching #FoodPoverty for over 10 years. The recent report from the @foodfoundation.bsky.social highlights that healthy food costs double the price of unhealthy foods - some thoughts...: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Healthy food costs more than double less healthy options, analysis says
Low-income families are being priced out of being able to afford to eat healthily, a charity warns.
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Lunch at an event to discuss how we attract more young people from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds organised by the @nfudc.bsky.social where I was keynote speaker. I should have picked the veggie kebab, but can we make salad bowls standard practice instead of stodgy sarnies please?
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
On my way to Birmingham and the first thing that struck me is how much friendlier people get the further you move away from London! I was feeling all grumpy and suspicious but we really need to lighten up 🤪😅
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Thrilled to share that I’m now writing Planet Friendlier features in Good Food, Britain’s biggest selling food magazine. The Managing Ed Lulu Grimes once told me that regular food writing columns are as rare as hen’s teeth so I hope you’ll excuse the exuberance in my kitchen! #foodsky #food #planet
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Colin Dickey @colindickey.com · 25/01/2025
If you’re in an institution doing any kind of DEI work, the most important thing to do right now is simply call it something else. Change it to “Community Outreach” & then keep on doing the same important work. When they outlaw Community Outreach rebrand it as “Strategic Partnerships,” rinse/repeat.
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Nicola Miller @nicmiller.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
My latest column has a recipe for a light and fluffy lemon chiffon pie. The story that accompanies it is anything but. www.suffolknews.co.uk/whats-on/whe...
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
This I want to read, must grab a copy! I don't use these dabbas as I had 52 spices at last count and my spice storage shelves are a weird rectangle pull out nonsense designed before I started a spice brand and went a bit masala mad...
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
I think I may have found the best Awadhi Biryani in London. And you know I wouldn’t say this lightly! The restaurant is called BKC, or Biryani Kebab Chai. The kebabs, chaat and chai were excellent too. Definitely order the fish fingers which turned out to be Amritsari fish!
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
How kind, thank you 😊🙏🏽
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
I’ve watched Veganuary receive some criticism with plant-based brands pulling back from it, so I wrote a piece dissecting what’s going on and keeping my fingers crossed I don’t get trolled (much). If you fancy a read, it’s here: open.substack.com/pub/mallikab... #foodsky #food
open.substack.com
Why Veganuary fell off the menu
And what meat lovers can do now
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Just worked out how to mute words on here and have immediately muted Musk, Trump and Starmer. Royal Family probably next. Any other recommendations?
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
I’m a big fan of Keshia’s work and I’ve been waiting for this to land! She ran a successful supper club with a historian on Caribbean food. Can’t wait to get stuck in! #booksky #cookbooks #whatscooking 🍜🍽️💙📚
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Just did a career talk for a room full of sixth formers at an East London school about food, drink and hospitality. They were just so brilliantly engaged and exhausted me with their excellent questions. In all the doom and gloom about, young people give me so much hope!
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Nicola Miller @nicmiller.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
If you need to stay on FB, do this
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Pretty!
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Came back from a little break to my winter warming, plant powered recipes in Waitrose Weekend. A really lovely feeling and I hope you’ll enjoy cooking them as much I did writing and eating! Recipes here: www.weekend-online.com/issue729/%2328
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Mallika Basu @mallikabasu.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Back on here after leaving Twitter for good. Wondering if UK will follow the US lead on the TikTok front?
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