Happy Ganesh Chaturthi and a happy welcome to the ‘Vighnaharta’ – the harbinger of troubles; the ‘Vinayaka’ – the god of wisdom. This pot-bellied-single-tusked God of new beginnings is perhaps the most recognisable of Hindu deities as well as one of the most loved. Today marks the start of a 10-day festival when people install […]
Happiness is all about the simple joys of life and one of my little joys is this carrot halwa. I can’t get through the winter without it. Unlike many ingredients I grew up with, I have no problem finding vivid red Indian carrots in the UK. Lucky me, because when it comes to puds I […]
Whether it’s the Hindu festival of colours (called Holi), or a farming festival of oxen (called Bail Pola), a Maharashtrian puran poli is not to be missed. It’s traditional to make this Marathi delicacy for festivals like Holi, Diwali, Bail Pola, Ganesh Chaturthi and Gudi Padwa. I feel obliged to roll some of these sweet […]
We Indians, never pass up the opportunity to make jaggery-based sweet treats in the cooler months. And the festival of Makar Sankranti gives all the more reason to make these ‘til-gulachi vadi’, as we call them in Marathi or ‘sesame-peanut flapjack’ as my English husband once described them as he popped one in his mouth […]
If there’s ever been a dessert that springs to mind when I hear someone say ‘melt-in-mouth’, then it’s besan laddoo. 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 ‘laddoo’ or […]
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, […]
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 […]
I have already posted the traditional recipe for Maharashtrian aamras here. I often make aamras in the modern way using a blender instead of hand squeezing the pulp as my mother does. It’s the quick and easy way to make aamras. What is the express way of making aamras? The modern way uses a good […]
Summer in India is incomplete without mangoes. The season is very short so when mangoes are flooding the market people love to eat them straight from the box. But they also prepare a rich variety of mango-based delicacies to make the most of this annual bounty. Aamras is one such traditional sweet delicacy popular in […]
Festivals or not, vermicelli kheer is a must-have dessert in most Indian households. It is popular and has many names – sevai kheer or semiya kheer or in Maharashtra, the state of India I grew up in, it is often called shevayanchi kheer (शेवायांची’ खीर’). If you have an Indian store nearby, you may buy […]
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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?
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