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 […]
January in Maharashtra is closely tied to Makar Sankranti, a harvest festival that celebrates winter crops. It’s a time when millet and sesame naturally find their way into everyday cooking, shaping dishes that are practical, nourishing, and seasonal. Tilachi bhakri — a sesame-studded pearl millet flatbread — is one such winter staple. While bhakris are […]
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) […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Puran poli and katachi amti go hand in hand and quite rightly so, given the process of making the former. You could say that this amti is a by-product of the puran poli making process scoring well on its zero-waste credentials. But more than that, it’s the dish that completes the puran poli. What is […]
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 […]
There’s always a place for salad in a Maharashtrian thali. A typical accompaniment in a wedding thali served alongside a myriad of chutneys and pickles, is this ‘khamang’ kakdi koshimbir or cucumber salad. It’s like a cucumber raita, only better. A well-balanced thali will usually include this cool cucumber koshimbir to offset the spicier dishes. […]
A green curry for a green pulse – the mung bean (pronounced ‘moo-ng’ bean). Boasting an impressive nutritional profile, mung beans (or moong beans) are abundant in protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Leaving the nutrients aside, most people in India consume them regularly for their unique nutty flavour. Whether you’re looking to make dosas or […]
Thecha is the quintessential condiment of my home state, Maharashtra. It takes its name from the verb ‘thechne’ meaning ‘to pound’ and the basic recipe simply entails pounding green chilli and garlic. In Maharashtrian cuisine, this term is applied to a wide range of savoury semi-dry ‘chutneys’ that are prepared by pounding ingredients together, either […]
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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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