Vegan

The carom pakoras are kept in a bowl alongside some ketchup
Gluten-free, Indian, Recipes, Snack, Vegan

Indian Borage Leaf Pakoras / Carom Leaf Pakora / Ajwain Patta Pakoda / ओव्याच्या पानांची भजी

Indian borage leaf, also commonly called carom leaf or ‘ajwain ke patte’ is no novelty to Indians. Like many, I grew up watching my Mum tend this herb in her garden and when the Monsoons hit Indian shores, she’d make these pakoras as our evening snack. I decided to have a go at growing this […]

A bottle gourd peel thecha is shown in a shallow pan laid on a dark brown wooden board with bottle gourds seen in the background
Gluten-free, Maharashtrian, My Signature Dishes, Pickles & chutney, Recipes, Vegan

Bottle gourd peel thecha / Bhoplyachya salancha thecha / भोपळ्याच्या सालांचा ठेचा 

Bottle gourd, also known as dudhi in India, is a very versatile vegetable. Although it’s classed as exotic produce in the UK, it has become a common find in Indian grocery stores across the UK. A long pale green bottle gourd with delicate white flesh inside dotted with soft edible seeds is rather delicious (and […]

Raw mango chutney
Maharashtrian, Pickles & chutney, Recipes, Regional, Vegan

Kairichi Chutney / Raw Mango Chutney / कैरीची चटणी

Chutneys and pickles are, in my opinion, a much-neglected aspect of Indian cooking. That is especially true in so-called Indian restaurants in the UK where you might find a bland mango chutney served with ‘poppadoms’ as a kind of appetiser, or perhaps a bowl of runny mint chutney. The truth is that Indian condiments have […]

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, Maharashtrian, Recipes, Regional, Vegan

Khamang Kakdi Koshimbir / Maharashtrian Cucumber Salad

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. […]