Rukmini Iyer’s recipe for cauliflower and butter bean malai curry
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EN: Present simple tense with a third-person singular subject: When the subject is a single person or thing (like 'Food writer Rukmini Iyer'), add '-s' or '-es' to the base verb (e.g., 'shares').
Chef Marco shares his secret pasta recipe every week.
EN: The Guardian is a major British daily newspaper known internationally for its lifestyle and food sections, where famous chefs and food writers frequently publish columns and recipes.
EN: We use 'a little' with uncountable nouns (like cream, water, sugar) to mean 'a small amount'.
Add a little salt to the soup.
EN: Butter beans (also known as lima beans) are large, creamy-textured white beans widely used in British and Mediterranean vegetarian dishes to add richness and protein without meat.
EN: Use 'for + duration of time' to show how long an action continues.
Bake the cake for 30 minutes.
EN: In modern British and Western vegetarian cooking, roasting vegetables (especially cauliflower) with spices is a very common technique to develop deep, caramelized flavors before adding them to curries or stews.
EN: Use the pattern 'add A to B' to say you are putting one ingredient or thing into another.
Add the sugar to the tea and stir.
EN: Use 'who' after people to add extra information about them. For example, 'People who like...' means 'The group of people that likes...'.
Students who study hard get good grades.
EN: In cooking, 'hot' often refers to spicy food rather than temperature. In British English, 'chilli' is commonly spelled with a double 'l', whereas in American English it is usually spelled 'chili'.
EN: The phrase 'to taste' is commonly used in cooking instructions. It means adding an ingredient in an amount that suits your personal preference.
Add black pepper to taste before serving.
EN: In English recipe writing, 'season to taste' or 'add [ingredient] to taste' is standard phrasing. It reflects a cooking philosophy that encourages the cook to trust their own palate rather than strictly adhering to exact measurements.
EN: When two actions share the same singular subject (here, 'The recipe'), both verbs must take singular forms in the simple present tense ('takes' and 'feeds'), connected by 'and'.
This soup takes 20 minutes and serves three people.
EN: In English recipes, 'feeds [number]' or 'serves [number]' is the standard way to specify the portion size or yield of a dish.
EN: Use 'be good for + noun/gerund' to say that something is suitable, healthy, or helpful for a specific purpose.
Walking every day is good for your health.
EN: 'Meal planning' (or meal prep) is a popular lifestyle practice in the UK and North America, where people cook larger portions in advance to save time and reduce food waste during busy weekdays.
EN: Use 'can' + base verb to express possibility or giving options. The pattern 'put [something] into [somewhere]' shows moving an item into a container or dish.
You can put the vegetables into the soup.
EN: In British and Western home cooking, repurposing leftover curries or stews into savoury pies or tortilla wraps is a very popular way to save money and reduce food waste.
EN: The phrase 'work for' means to be suitable, appropriate, or effective for a particular person, thing, or purpose.
This simple trick also works for beginners.
EN: 'Matar paneer' is a classic North Indian vegetarian dish made with peas ('matar') and Indian cottage cheese ('paneer') cooked in a spiced tomato and onion sauce.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
in an amount that suits someone's personal preference
the practice of planning meals in advance for days or a week
to be suitable, effective, or satisfactory for a particular purpose or person