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 […]
Autumn is the time for warm soups. Hearty, comfort food. Ready for dunking crusty white bread or sprinkling with croutons. The perfect antidote to the rainy day blues. Having said that, we are having one of the warmest autumns on record. So there is still basil growing in my garden in mid-November. So how do […]
The nights are getting longer, the skies are getting greyer and though it’s rather late this year autumn is upon us. When it gets gloomy outside and we all start to feel a bit chilly there’s nothing more comforting than a nice bowl of warm soup. But you need something substantial to keep the shivers […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 you are lucky enough to be hosting friends at home for a Christmas party (or any other party come to that) you’ll need to think of something for your guests to munch on. A lot of traditional Indian food doesn’t lend itself to the party buffet. Take the pav bhaji, for example, it’s quite […]
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 […]
Kadhi, needs no introduction to an Indian. It is often about as yellow as a dal but tastes nothing like it. It’s so versatile, that almost every corner of India has whipped up its own version of this dish. This unsung dish can be prepared in just 30 minutes so on hectic days when you’re […]
Pea pulao is an aromatic rice dish with mild spices and green peas. It’s a gluten-free one-pot meal in itself. Indian festive thalis often feature some sort of rice dish; this pea pulao is one of them. There are so many ways you can make it – you can cook it in a pressure cooker […]
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, […]
Foraging food that grows wild in the local countryside is second nature to me. Whenever I collect ingredients from the local hedgerows and woodlands I feel so much more connected with nature and the seasons. I am truly blessed to live close to such a prolific source of tasty ingredients so I just have to […]
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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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