I don’t need a festival like Diwali to enjoy my delicious stash of ‘chivda’ or ‘chiwda’. I make it throughout the year whenever my stocks are low, mainly to satisfy my untimely but guilt-free snack hunger pangs. Also, I enjoy savoury breakfasts a tad more than sweet ones and this Maharashtrian chiwda ticks all my […]
If there’s ever been a dessert that springs to mind when I hear someone say ‘melt-in-mouth’, then it’s besan ladoo. For me it’s rather evocative. The thought of it stirs emotions of holding the besan (gram flour) dough and moulding it, using the heat of your palms, until a neat round ball of ‘ladoo’ or […]
The one Diwali treat I can’t do without is chakli. This wonderfully crunchy savoury snack is my favourite; a must-have on my Diwali platter as it offsets the sweetness of the Indian ‘mithai’ that we all consume too many of at this time of year. Chakli (or ‘murukku’ as they call it in South India) […]
I love wild food, there is nothing more sustainable than food that you pick yourself. Whenever there is an abundance of fruit we naturally think about preserving. Chutneys, jams and pickles all spring to mind. So with the local hedgerows groaning under the weight of a bumper wild plum crop, I came up with this […]
Kadhi, needs no introduction to an Indian. It is often about as yellow as a dal but tastes nothing like it. It’s so versatile, that almost every corner of India has whipped up its own version of this dish. This unsung dish can be prepared in just 30 minutes so on hectic days when you’re […]
Celebrating the bounty of my recent (and perhaps the last of the year) harvest on World Vegetarian Day today. But simply eating vegetarian food and harvesting vegetables isn’t enough if you truly care about the planet. One also needs to learn to put the people of the planet first, by accepting their culture and its […]
Pea pulao is an aromatic rice dish with mild spices and green peas. It’s a gluten-free one-pot meal in itself. Indian festive thalis often feature some sort of rice dish; this pea pulao is one of them. There are so many ways you can make it – you can cook it in a pressure cooker […]
Modaks are traditionally made during Ganesh Chaturthi to celebrate Lord Ganesha’s birthday and it’s customary to spoil him with his favourite sweet, that’s modaks. While ‘ukadiche modaks’ are my personal favourite (as well as Ganesha’s), my daughter can’t appreciate the Ganpati festivities until she gets to eat this dainty dark chocolate and coconut variety. So, […]
I wrote this piece to participate in New Writing North’s – A writing Chance contest and it secured my place in the final thirty. I am very proud to have achieved that given how little writing experience I had. Here’s what I wrote: As the world came to a standstill in 2020, our lives evolved […]
Foraging food that grows wild in the local countryside is second nature to me. Whenever I collect ingredients from the local hedgerows and woodlands I feel so much more connected with nature and the seasons. I am truly blessed to live close to such a prolific source of tasty ingredients so I just have to […]
Burfi – India’s answer to western fudge. It’s sweet, it’s soft; melts in your mouth, and leaves you craving for more. Indian burfi is usually made with milk and sugar, laced with flavours of saffron, cardamom, fruits, and nuts. It’s basically a celebration of all things joyful. Now I usually make my coconut burfi with […]
The sun has shone brightly this week and the garden is starting to produce some lovely veggies. We’ve tried to do things a little different this year with our veg garden. Here’s the beautiful produce I harvested this afternoon. Firstly we got a bit better organised, last spring’s lockdown (in 2020) meant that it was […]
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Hi, I’m Rieethaa, a food photographer and recipe developer but most of all I just love cooking simple flavourful food that wakes up the sleepiest tastebuds, and I want to share some with you here. So come in and help me chop some onions, will you?
Are you the kind of person that always feels like there’s somebody watching you? Well if you are the paranoid type maybe this isn’t the dish for you!
On the other hand if you’re the kind of person that likes an audience while you eat then you are in for a tasty feast. Yes my black-eyed bean usal is always looking out for you!
Anyway enough ‘eye’ gags, it’s too easy to ‘see’ them coming… Let’s talk about the food instead. Here’s my Indian thali featuring the black-eyed bean ‘usal’ cooked in Maharashtrian style in InstantPot alongside palak-paneer (spinach and paneer dish) served with the in-season beetroot koshimbir, chapati & salad.
This usal is very easy to make, so long as you remember to soak the beans the night before (unlike me sometimes!). If you want to find out how to make it and why it’s worth the trouble to prepare it with dried beans rather than tinned, check out my latest blog. Link in bio.
Bookmark this: https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/chavlichi_usal_instantpot_recipe/
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Hello after a short hiatus. I have had way too much on my plate lately. I have also been reminiscing about the summer just passed. We outdid ourselves with our gardening adventures this year and now is about as good a time as any to document our horticultural journey so far. We changed our approach this year – 90% of our plants were started indoors from seed. We had snowfall in the midst of spring. We went away twice but nothing deterred these tenacious plants from growing and ultimately thriving. We used hemp pots as well as recycled and reusable plastic grow bags which was an experiment for us. We started making our own compost. We’ve been wanting to build a greenhouse for a while but chose not to this year. So instead my other half built a polytunnel for certain plants that don’t like British weather. Overall, we had a rather productive year in the garden and had loads of fun. We made beautiful memories watching Aarya grow alongside those plants, not to mention seeing her excitement for all things green. So replaying the journey highlights here. Watch it with a cuppa!
I have also documented our gardening journey on the blog (Link in bio) :
#zanzaneet #mykitchengarden #mygarden #mygardenthismonth #gardeninglife #gardeningtips #gardeningisfun #organicgardening #fromseed #polytunnel #polytunnellife #igtvvideos #thesummer #sustainabilitymatters #sustainabilitytips #sustainabilityeducation #gardeningforkids #homegrownveggies #organicveggies #learningtogarden #growwhatyoueat #foodsustainability #eatseasonally #growwhatyoulove #slowandseasonal #gardeningforbeginners #rookiegardener #gardeningformentalhealth #gardenharvest #countryliving @gardenerswoldmag @themontydon @bbcgoodfood @bbcearth @organic
I don’t need a festival like Diwali to enjoy my delicious stash of ‘chivda’. I make it throughout the year whenever my stocks are low, mainly to satisfy my untimely and guilt-free snack hunger pangs.
But this mint flavoured flattened rice ‘pudina chivda’ became my personal favourite this Diwali just gone. Each mouthful packs a multitude of different flavours that all work wonderfully together. There is spiciness from chilli and garlic but then there are also subtle sweet and sour notes from tangy chaat masala and black salt along with sugar.
You’ll have to check the recipe to see for yourself. It’s published #ontheblog just now (link in bio)
Bookmark this: https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/pudina-poha-chiwda/
#zanzaneet #chivda #vegansnacks #veganuk #healthybreakfast #britainsbesthomecooks_ #guiltfreesnack #breakfastideas #pohe #savouryfood #savoury #diwalisnacks #diwalispecial #glutenfreesnacks #maharashtrianfood #veganofig #diwali2021 #veganrecipes #glutenfreefood #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreeveganfood #foodphotographyandstyling #vegetarianrecipes #recipecreator #indianfoodbloggers #foodbloggeruk #instamarathi #faral #ukfoodblogger @ndtvindia @ndtv @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodbloggers @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood
I don’t normally wake up to a smoothie bowl, instead I’ve been indulging in my Diwali savoury snacks for breakfast lately, which though not sweet, are deep-fried. My husband on the other hand enjoys his healthy breakfast of fruit and rolled oats. So this morning I was cajoled into trying this açaí smoothie bowl; just as well as I had received a fully biodegradable parcel from @growildacai to try their sustainable and handpicked wild açaí berry wellness. They give back a small percentage of their revenue to fund community projects in Brazil where these berries grow.
I had never tasted an açaí smoothie bowl before. The berries are puréed (due to their short shelf life) and have a unique earthy flavour which is a cross between blackberries and unsweetened chocolate.
How did I make this açaí smoothie bowl?
I simply chucked two bananas into a blender with 4 açaí purée packets from @growildacai and a couple of tablespoons of agave nectar. Whizzed it all up and topped with the fruit of my choice – banana, dragon fruit, blueberries and a nourishing spoonful of hemp seeds, golden berries, mulberries, goji berries and cacao nibs.
As for the wellness quotient of such smoothie bowls, the Internet is full of it. Thanks to their high antioxidant content, açaí berries have many potential health benefits such as weight loss, detoxification, maintaining good brain health as well as preventing cancer.
#zanzaneet #acai #acaibowl #smoothiebowl #veganuk #smoothierecipes #gifted #smoothiebowls #wildberry #superfood #superfoodsmoothie #fruitsmoothie #veganbreakfast #glutenfreebreakfasts #glutenfreeveganfood #veganrecipes #veganofig #vegano #veganosbrasil #wildberries #breakfastideas #foodphotographyandstyling #vegetarianrecipes #healthybreakfast #healthybreakfastclub #healthybowl #nutritional #ukfoodblogger #brekkietime #sustainablebusiness
A little late to say Happy Diwali but here we are wishing you and yours a Diwali full of joy, happiness, prosperity and good health. It’s been a long week for us with a number of distractions but I am so glad we managed to do everything we planned to do as well as celebrating Diwali. Hope you had a lovely Diwali celebration with your loved ones too. I am forever grateful for the light, joy and wisdom you shower upon me daily with your wonderful content.
As I mentioned in my Halloween post and stories, we’ve been breaking the festive fashion trend for over a year now. So, proudly wearing the same outfits as last year because the planet could really do without us adding to the mountain of barely used garments dumped into landfill. Here’s to normalising repeat-wear in the interest of becoming more sustainable, minimal and most importantly conscious when it comes to consumerism.
In this picture, I am wearing the blouse from last year’s Diwali, matched with the skirt I already had, to twin with Aarya’s outfit. Aarya and Steve are wearing outfits from last year Tagging this picture under #letsgogreencontest, not because it’s plastic-free but because the most sustainable outfit is the one I already own.
#zanzaneet #familyportrait #diwalioutfit #familyportraitures #familyphotography #indiantraditionalwear #festiveoutfit #traditionalwear #rewear #rewearthat #rewearandshare #festivewear #mixedheritage #britishindian #festiveready #sustainablefashion #sustainableootd #myfamily #gratefulheart #5yearsold #sustainableblogger #diwalispecial #happydiwali #ukfoodblogger #festivephotography #diwalitime #diwalivibes #whataday #kidsootd
Happy Diwali everyone 🪔 I hope you get to taste one or two nice sweets today, whether or not you normally have a sweet tooth, Diwali is a time to indulge a little.
Out of the vast number of sweets available, this besan ladoo or besancha ladu is my favourite. Perhaps it’s because the act of making them at home, being so tactile, really does trigger all kinds of special emotions for me. Memories of Diwali in India come flooding back as I mould these sweet morsels between the palms of my hands.
This is my Mum’s recipe and this year I’m sharing it with my daughter <swipe>
I have just published the recipe for this gluten-free and vegetarian sweet treat #ontheblog (Link in bio)
Bookmark this : https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/besan-ladoo-besancha-ladu-besan-laddoo/
#zanzaneet #britainsbesthomecooks_ #besan #laddoo #ladu #laddu #ladoo #glutenfreefood #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreedessert #faral #diwalisnacks #diwalispecial #happydiwali #diwaliparty #ukfoodblogger #diwalisweets #diwali2021 #festivephotography #diwalitime #mithai #instamarathi #diwalivibes #foodphotographyandstyling #vegetarianrecipes #virtualdiwaliparty2021 #recipecreator #indianfoodbloggers #diwalipreperations @ndtvindia @ndtv @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodbloggers @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood
Diwali is a time to eat well and enjoy some special treats. Here is my traditional festive selection, consisting of chakli, karanji, ladu, chivda and lehsuni sev, all prepared at home in the crazy chaos that I call my family life and embrace wholeheartedly. Happy ‘choti’ Diwali top you all. May the light shine bright for you tonight 🪔
The recipes for all the Indian delicacies mentioned above are (and will be) on the link in bio – https://zanzaneetkitchen.com
#zanzaneet #britainsbesthomecooks_ #chakli #chivda #ladoo #sev #karanji #gujiya #faral #glutenfreerecipes #diwalisnacks #diwalispecial #happydiwali #diwaliparty #ukfoodblogger #diwalisweets #diwali2021 #festivephotography #diwalitime #mithai #glutenfreeveganfood #diwalivibes #maharashtrianfood #foodphotographyandstyling #veganfood #virtualdiwaliparty2021 #recipecreator #indianfoodbloggers #foodbloggeruk #veganuk @beingmarathi @ndtvindia @ndtv @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodbloggers @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood
I always associate karanji with Diwali time. As in most Maharashtrian households my Mum would prepare these delicate little sweet pastry parcels a few days before the festival.
Karanji are simple rounds of pastry folding over to encase a filling made from toasted dried coconut, poppy seeds, nuts and aromatic spices. They are deep fried to give the pastry a lovely light crisp texture and the filling is a treat worthy of any celebration.
For me it’s the perfect start to Diwali week. The recipe is in my story highlights under ‘Karanji’. Or simply tap on the post in my bio link.
Here’s the link : https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODQ3MDAwNzYxNDcwMDI3?story_media_id=2445364987910642231&utm_medium=copy_link
#zanzaneet #britainsbesthomecooks_ #karanji #gujiya #faral #diwali #diwalisnacks #diwalispecial #bokehphotography #bokeh #bokehlicious #happydiwali #diwaliparty #ukfoodblogge #diwalisweets #diwali2021 festivephotography #diwalitime #diwalisnacks #mithai #instamarathi #diwalivibes #maharashtrianfood #foodphotographyandstyling #vegetarianrecipes #virtualdiwaliparty2021 #recipecreator #indianfoodbloggers #foodbloggeruk #diwalipreperations @beingmarathi @ndtvindia @ndtv @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodbloggers @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood
The one Diwali treat I can’t do without is chakli. This wonderfully crunchy savoury snack is my favourite; a must-have on my Diwali platter as it offsets the sweetness of the Indian ‘mithai’ that we all consume too many of at this time of year.
But being short of time this year, I decided to have a go at making this instant chakli which is not only crunchy but also tastes pretty much like the traditional ‘bhajani’ flour one without the effort and planning needed to roast and mill the flour.
I’ve written up the detailed recipe for this no-bhajani ‘kurkurit’ and ‘gargarit’ instant chakli on my blog (Link in bio). Please give it a try and let me know what you think!
Bookmark this: https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/instant-chakli-recipe/
#zanzaneet #chakli #vegansnacks #veganuk #bokeh #ontheblog #britainsbesthomecooks_ #murukku #chakri #diwali #diwalisnacks #diwalispecial #virtualdiwaliparty2021 #savouryfood #diwalifood #glutenfreesnacks #maharashtrianfood #veganofig #diwali2021 #veganrecipes #glutenfreefood #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreeveganfood #foodphotographyandstyling #vegetarianrecipes #recipecreator #indianfoodbloggers #foodbloggeruk #diwalipreperations #faral @beingmarathi @ndtvindia @ndtv @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodbloggers @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood
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