If there was ever a festival that celebrates the seasonality of produce, it’s Makar Sankranti – the first Hindu festival of the year that’s celebrated across India under various names. And this ‘bhogichi bhaji’ is just a beautiful way to commemorate this festival through food. The day before Makar Sankranti is Bhogi and it’s the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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) […]
I love wild food, there is nothing more sustainable than food that you pick yourself. Whenever there is an abundance of fruit we naturally think about preserving. Chutneys, jams and pickles all spring to mind. So with the local hedgerows groaning under the weight of a bumper wild plum crop, I came up with this […]
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 […]
Whether you call it ‘Aam ka chunda’ in Hindi or raw mango jam in English, this spicy preserve is sure to tantalise your tastebuds. ‘Chunda’ is essentially a sweet, sour and mildly spiced raw mango preserve from Gujarat. Its name is derived from the word ‘chhundo’ meaning ‘crushed’ in Gujarati. In Maharashtra, the state I […]
My winter meal of choice is this ‘hulgyachi rassedar usal’ also called ‘kulith usal’ (हुलगे / कुळीथची उसळ). It is a delicious runny curry of sprouted horse gram, very popular in rural Maharashtra. Horse gram or ‘kulith’ is an excellent source of protein in a vegan diet. Why is horse gram so popular amongst […]
From the moment they come out of the oven I just can’t stop munching these little crispy bhindi snacks. There’s no need to feel guilty about scoffing these little treats though. They are low in fat being oven-roasted rather than fried, with a very light gluten-free batter made from besan (gram flour), light spices and amchoor powder (green […]
Indian gooseberries or amla are regarded as highly beneficial to health in traditional medicine and are widely grown in India. I wanted to have a go at making this amla pickle aka ‘amle ki launji’, a spicy tangy delicacy of northern India, ever since I spotted some fresh ones at our local Asian grocer. This recipe […]
Quinoa is a seed that is a staple diet in parts of South America. In recent years it has become popular in other parts of the world having been touted as a so-called superfood and is supposed to have various health benefits. That is all fine with me, but I like it because it tastes […]
Made with fresh dill, garlic and green chillies, a simple and healthy Maharashtrian farmer’s meal
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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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