Indian

Puran poli thali
Indian, Indian desserts, Maharashtrian, Recipes, Regional, Vegetarian

Puran poli / पुरणपोळी / Maharashtrian sweet lentil flatbreads

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 […]

Masale bhat
Indian, Maharashtrian, Recipes, Regional, Vegetarian

Masale Bhat

The world is blessed with so many different ways to cook rice. Where would we be without this humble grain? So many souls are sustained by it. But for such a mundane ingredient it’s amazing how it forms the basis for something unique to the region that I grew up in, the wonderful masale bhat. […]

Gluten-free, Indian, Maharashtrian, Recipes, Regional, Vegan

Sabudana Vada / Sago Patties / Sago Balls / Tapioca Patties

It’s that time of year again when I binge on delicious and fairly healthy vegan fasting treats under the guise of celebrating ‘Mahashivratri’, a Hindu festival honouring Lord Shiva. I say ‘under the guise’ because this festival is anything but fasting for me and many Indians like me. It is believed that Shiva performed his […]

Gluten-free, Indian, Indian desserts, Maharashtrian, Recipes, Regional, Vegetarian

Tilgulachi Vadi / Sesame Peanut Flapjacks

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 […]

Gluten-free, Indian, Maharashtrian, My Signature Dishes, Recipes, Regional, Vegan

Black-Eyed Bean Curry / Chawli Chi Usal

Black-eyed beans (also called black-eyed peas or ‘chawli’, ‘chavli’ or ‘lobia’ in India) are a much-underrated legume. Known as ‘usal’ (pronounced ‘oo-sal’) in the region of India I come from, this dish gives me some mean cravings in autumn when the weather starts to get a bit chilly and damp in the UK. These pale […]

Pudina Chivda
Gluten-free, Indian, Maharashtrian, My Signature Dishes, Recipes, Regional, Vegan

Pudina Poha Chiwda / Pudinyacha Chivda / Mint Flavoured Flattened Rice Snack / पातळ पोह्यांचा चिवडा

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 […]

Gluten-free, Indian, Indian desserts, Maharashtrian, Recipes, Regional, Vegetarian

Besan Ladoo / Besancha ladu / Besan laddoo / Sweet Gram Flour Balls

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 […]

Chocolate modak recipe
Gluten-free, Indian, Indian desserts, Maharashtrian, Recipes, Vegetarian

Chocolate Modak With Coconut Filling

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, […]