My yesterday’s thali featured a bottle gourd peel thecha that I promised to share the recipe for. This is part of my endeavours to minimise food waste, especially with something as exotic as bottle gourd is to a UK resident. I had to try this zero waste condiment and give the quintessential Maharashtrian thecha a makeover. ⁣ ⁣ Here’s my zero waste भोपळ्याच्या सालांचा ठेचा recipe - https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/bottle-gourd-peel-thecha/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zerowastecooking #glutenfreeuk #thecha #condiment #bottlegourd #veganrecipeshare #glutenfreerecipe #chutney #maharashtrianfood #beingmarathi #veganrecipes #glutenfreerecipe #ukfoodie #foodbloggeruk #foodsustainability #veganuk #veganofig #memarathi #indianfoodblogger #britainsbesthomecooks_ #recipeblog #indianfoodbloggersnetwork #zanzaneet #laibhari #newblog #newrecipe #britishindian #ukbloggers #sustainabilitymatters #vegetarianismo⁣ @marathi_food_lover @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline

I don’t have a formal Instant Pot recipe for sambar as I usually just wing it. But here’s a rough recipe for my basic version. It’s a lifesaver on hectic days. ⁣ ⁣ * 1 cup toor dal (pigeon pea lentil)⁣ * hot water for soaking the lentils ⁣ * 3 cups hot water for cooking⁣ * ½ cup tamarind water (prepared by soaking 2-3 tamarind pods)⁣ * ½ tsp turmeric powder⁣ * 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder⁣ * 2 tbsp sambar powder (homemade or shop bought)⁣ * 1 tsp mustard seeds⁣ * ½ tsp cumin seeds⁣ * ½ tsp asafoetida⁣ * 10 curry leaves⁣ * 3 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee⁣ * 1 medium sized onion (sliced)⁣ * 5-6 garlic cloves⁣ * ½ a bottle gourd (cut into large chunks)⁣ * 1 long drumstick (cut into small-ish pieces)⁣ * 2 medium potatoes (cut into large pieces)⁣ * 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)⁣ * Salt to taste⁣ * Coriander to garnish⁣ ⁣ 1. Soak the lentils in hot water for 10-15 minutes and prepare the tamarind water as shown in the video.⁣ 2. In an Instant Pot in Sauté mode on High, prepare a tempering by heating the oil, then splutter the mustard, cumin, curry leaves & asafoetida. Chuck in the garlic followed by the onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent.⁣ 3. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and sambar powder followed by the tomatoes and tamarind water. Mix.⁣ 4. Chuck in the bottle gourd, potatoes, drumsticks & stir in the hot water. Season with salt. Cook in Pressure Cooker mode on High for 4-5 minutes. Let pressure dissipate naturally. Garnish with coriander.⁣ ⁣ For the idli batter⁣ ⁣ * 4 cups parboiled rice⁣ * 1 cup urad dal⁣ * 2 tsp fenugreek seeds⁣ * water⁣ * Salt⁣ ⁣ 1. Rinse the rice and lentils together twice. Add the fenugreek. Add just enough water to cover the entire mixture. Leave to soak for 4-5 hours.⁣ 2. Grind the mixture to make a smooth batter. The consistency shouldn’t be too runny.⁣ 3. Leave the batter to ferment overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours.⁣ 4. Add salt and the batter is ready to make idlis.⁣ Grease the idli mould.⁣ 5. Add 2 cups of hot water in IP in Sauté mode High.⁣ 6. Insert the idli mould. Switch to Steam mode on High for 12 minutes. Use a separate timer as the IP timer won’t work here.⁣ 7. Cover the lid & steam in the venting position.⁣

The season of plenty is upon us and we are being well and truly spoilt for choice when it comes to fresh produce. It’s always a joy to visit my local farm shop to find an array of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables but this weekend when I dropped by there, my eyes popped out with excitement, like a child in a candy shop.⁣ ⁣ Read all about why my eyes popped like saucers this weekend in my newsletter here. Also, consider subscribing while you’re there.⁣ ⁣ https://rb.gy/ot2evp⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zanzaneet #substack #newsletter #broadbeans #asparagusrecipes #vegetariano #vegetarianparmesan #vegetarianismo #supportlocalbrand #glutenfreevegetarian ⁣ #glutenfreerecipes #springrisotto #eatseasonal #eatlocalgrown #recipeshare #ukvegetarian #recipeinspiration #ukfoodblogger #heresmyfood #italiancuisine #recipeblog #plasticfreeshopping #vegetarianrecipes⁣ #mystory #southasianblogger #britishindian #ukfoodies #foodsustainability #foodwriter #indianblogger @walkwithindia @foodwinewomen @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @fbciofficial @toifood @punetimes @veggie_pune @punemint @thepunemirror @sakalmedia @sakaltimes

Who doesn’t like kadhi chawal? This spiced buttermilk and chickpea flour based concoction complements rice perfectly. ⁣ ⁣ But for my paternal grandmother in her later days after she had lost all her teeth, the only way to enjoy kadhi was with finely crumbled millet flatbread or bhakri. To her debilitated bones (and jaw), the fine crumbs of bhakri swimming in the runny sweet-spicy-sour kadhi offered a warm succour after a tiring day of doing nothing. She could only do so much around the house with her crippled back. But her fragile bones had enough strength to crumble the flatbread between her palms over and over, until it was as fine as breadcrumbs for her to chew without teeth. Bhakri was always served, what she called the ‘kuskarun’ way, regardless of what the ‘kalvan’ (a runny curry) was. Despite the ravages of time, those frail palms had just enough strength to use a wooden hand whisk (called ‘ravi’). She would sit down on a hessian mat on the floor and churn that lovely ‘loni’ (butter) to make ‘toop’ (ghee). The residual buttermilk would go in an earthen pot to make kadhi, soon enough, so as to not let it go too sour. When her daughter-in-laws would consult about meal plans for ⁣the next day, the usual reply from her would be along the lines - ‘tya gadhgyatla taak kadh an kar kadhi cha kalvan’ / ‘get the buttermilk out from that claypot and make a (curry of) kadhi’⁣ ⁣ The full low-down on this Maharashtrian kadhi and pea pulav is over on the blog for those wanting to reminisce about the food their grandma enjoyed. ⁣ ⁣ Kadhi recipe : https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/maharashtrian-kadhi/⁣ ⁣ Pea pulav rice recipe: https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/pea-pulao-matar-pulav/⁣

Here’s to the end of another bountiful but all too short wild garlic season. The glades of emerald green leaves with their pretty white flowers are starting to disappear so grab them while you can. So if you can still find some and fancy something spicy to make with it why not try this wild garlic dal? It’s very much an Indian dal but the addition of wild garlic gives it a subtle English twist.⁣ ⁣ And if you find you are too late for wild garlic this year, don’t despair, there’s always something new out in the countryside.⁣ ⁣ As promised, sharing the recipe for my wild garlic dal in Instant Pot. A more detailed version of this recipe is now available to view on my Youtube channel here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N5XFM7OgFo⁣ ⁣ The recipe is also documented on my blog here : https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/wild-garlic-dal/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zanzaneet #wildgarlicdal #wildgarlic #tadkadal #dal #recipevideo #wildgarlicflowers #wildherbs #newrecipe #eatseasonal #ukblogger ⁣ #ukvegans #foodblogger #veganrecipeshare #glutenfreerecipe #britishindian #sustainabilityblogger #igtvvideos #vegansofig #glutenfreevegan #newblogposts #foodsustainability #dalsofinstagram #dalbhat #waranbhat #recipevideo #daltadka #veganonabudget #sustainablerecipes #ukfoodies @indianfoodbloggers @ndtvindia @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood @marathiduniyaa @maharashtratourismofficial @maharashtra_ig @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @maharashtratourismofficial @beingmarathi @punemint

I’m going through a bit of a phase at the moment of craving dhokla for breakfast. And why not? This is one Indian snack that isn’t deep-fried, so it’s easy on the waistline as well as being full of the energy and protein needed to start your day.⁣ ⁣ The first time my husband laid eyes on some soft light cubes of dhokla, his food brain told his tummy to expect something sweet. But of course this is a savoury ‘cake’ so his taste buds got a bit of a shock when he started munching. After he got over the surprise he rather liked them and has grown very fond of the soft texture and subtle spicing from mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilli. So much so that I have to keep an eye on him around my breakfast stash!⁣ ⁣ Curiously enough there is a trend in India now for commercially made dhokla to be sweetened with a sugar syrup as well as adding the spices. Maybe a hint of sweetness is ok but I’m not in favour of this modern trend, keep dhokla savoury I say!⁣ ⁣ I don’t claim to be a dhokla aficionado so I’m not posting a recipe here. Much as I love eating them, I don’t really have anything to add to the recipes that countless others have posted.⁣ ⁣ However, I tried something a little different with this batch by steaming them in my Instant pot using an idli mould (as well as preparing a secret batch more traditionally in a flat tray. They taste good to me either way). Hopefully they’ll be sufficiently disguised to stop my husband pinching too many. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #dhokla #dhoklalove #khaman #khamandhokla #glutenfreeveganfood #veganuk #veganofig #glutenfreefood #glutenfreefoodporn #glutenfreeuk #gujjufood #gujratifood #britishindian #healthyvegan #healthyveganfood #vegansnack #glutenfreebreakfast #myfoodstory #vegansnackideas #easyhealthymeals #ukblogger #gujraticuisine #southasianfood #bloggersofinstagram #ukfoodies #celiaclife #laibhari #modernindiancuisine #regionalatbest #britiansbesthomecooks_ @marathiduniyaa @maharashtratourismofficial @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @marathifc @foodtalkindia @foodnetwork @foodandwine @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @fbciofficial @toifood

2019, my second day after landing in Pune in India and I wake up jet-lagged to this simple lunch my Mum cooks for us. ⁣ ⁣ ‘Rieethaa..ye jevayla. Tujha taat vadhlay!’ (Rieethaa, your plate is ready, come & eat!). ⁣ ⁣ ‘Kalach thecha kela mi, tula avadto na? Ani shengadanyachi chutney ghe thodi side la…’ (I made ‘thecha’ for you, you like it right? And have some peanut chutney on the side) ⁣ ⁣ ‘Toop taku ka varana var?’ (Shall I drizzle some ghee on your dal?) I say ‘Nako nako, vazan vadhel don divsat’ (No, no, I’ll put on weight in two days.) ⁣ ⁣ To which she retorts ‘Ghe ga, tula kuthe gharchya mhashicha toop milte tithe roz roz’ (Take it, where do you get the homemade ghee made from buffalo milk there?) ⁣ ⁣ ‘Don divas aliye tar zara changla jevan kar ithe.’ (You have come for two days, so eat well here.)⁣ ⁣ The usual food conversation at my home in Pune where my Mum can’t stop stressing about feeding me her food. She prepares all the savoury condiments, treats & snacks I like in anticipation of my arrival. Sadly, even there, my day is usually so packed with activities and chores that I barely notice all the love and work she puts into feeding me. Her meals are often very simple and some of them I can even cook here in the UK, but they never taste as good as those she makes. That bhendi chi bhaji (okra stir fry) is my Mum’s best. She completely adapted her original way of cooking it after I started complaining about it being sticky and not as crispy as I liked. I digress, the bhindi story is a post in itself. But the bottomline is that mums are special. Their selfless, unconditional love is incomparable. We argue, we cry and we make up in the end. It’s relentless. But that doesn’t dim our love for each other one bit. In fact the very fabric of the love we share has been woven from such tiffs and make-ups. We are both quite strong and opinionated on most matters & my Mum shares a fair bit of blame in shaping me this way. But we always value the honesty of our often disparate views. ⁣ ⁣ So here I am revering my Mum through this Maharashtrian thali that she cooked. It’s not Mother’s Day in the UK today but it is in India where she is. Happy Mother’s Day, Mum!

During the British asparagus season from late April to June, I enjoy eating the spears raw as their sweet crunch and aroma is so appealing especially when they’re fresh from the farm. Add to that some shavings of fennel and you have the makings of a delicious spring salad. ⁣ ⁣ I have shared the recipe for this salad here : ⁣ ⁣ https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/purple-asparagus-and-fennel-salad/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #asparagusrecipes #zanzaneet #asparagus #fennelsalad #eatseasonal #eatlocal #vegansalad #asparagussalad #saladdressing #farmfresh #crunchysalad #glutenfreerecipes #ukvegan #veganofig #eatsustainably #ukfoodies #ukfoodblogger #indianfoodbloggersnetwork #foodbloggeruk #sustainabilitymatters #foodsustainability #springsalad #shoplocaluk #britainsbesthomecooks_ #veganrecipes #southasianblogger #farmtotable #veganonabudget #sustainablerecipes #newrecipe⁣ @indianfoodbloggers @ndtvindia @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood @vegetariantimesmag

The wild garlic in our local patch is now blooming with pretty white flowers. This means the season is coming to an end; it won’t be long before the leaves that are carpeting this corner of the woods die back and give way to summer plants. ⁣ ⁣ My humble tadka dal has never lacked flavour but the addition of wild garlic gives this Indian staple a new twist. Its subtly pungent flavour permeates the dal and perfectly complements the rich spicy lentils.  If you want to give it a try, you better start foraging pretty soon, the season only lasts a few weeks. Be sure to check out the recipe on my blog and let me know what you think.⁣ ⁣ Bookmark this: https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/wild-garlic-dal/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zanzaneet #wildgarlicdal #wildgarlic #tadkadal #dal #masoordal #wildgarlicflowers #wildherbs #newrecipe #eatseasonal #ukblogger ⁣ #ukvegans #foodblogger #veganrecipeshare #glutenfreerecipe #vegetarianrecipe #sustainabilityblogger #farmtotable #vegansofig #glutenfreevegan #newblogposts #foodsustainability #dalsofinstagram #dalbhat #waranbhat #marathitadka #daltadka #veganonabudget #sustainablerecipes #ukfoodies @indianfoodbloggers @ndtvindia @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood @marathiduniyaa @maharashtratourismofficial @maharashtra_ig @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @maharashtratourismofficial @beingmarathi @punemint