⁣ A couple of days ago I cooked this feast on ‘Awidhwa Navmi’ in memory of my eldest sister whom we lost 27 years ago. Awidhava Navmi is an auspicious Hindu ritual observed on the 9th day of Pitru Paksha (the fortnight devoted to ancestors). Sparing you the sombre feelings with some rather loud music. ⁣ ⁣ Here’s the menu starting top left anti-clockwise:⁣ ⁣ * Homemade mango pickle - recipe is on my feed⁣ ⁣ * Cucumber ‘koshimbir’ - a variation of the recipe is on the blog⁣ ⁣ * Fermented pearl millet papad ‘बाजरीच्या खारोडय़ा’ - recipe is on the feed & in stories⁣ ⁣ * Potato papad⁣ ⁣ * Ajwain leaf pakora ओव्याच्या पनांची भजी - recipe is on the blog⁣ ⁣ * Whole wheat ‘chapati’⁣ ⁣ * Smoked aubergine mash वांग्याचं भरीत - recipe is on the blog⁣ ⁣ * Bitter-gourd stir fry कारल्याच्या कचर्‍या⁣ ⁣ * Maharashtrian kadhi - recipe is on the blog⁣ ⁣ * Basundi - sweet evaporated milk⁣ ⁣ * Pea pulao or matar pulao - recipe is on the blog⁣ ⁣ For recipes visit zanzaneetkitchen.com ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zanzaneet #foodbloggeruk #recipeshare #pitrupaksha #navmi #thali #vegetarianthali #kadhi #ricepilaf #pulaorecipe #thalifans #maharashtrian #matarpulao #veganofig #vegetarianismo #ontheblog #ukfoodblogger #basundi #ajwainpakora #ovyachibhaji #bainganbharta #britishindian #koshimbir #recipeblog #ukfoodies #marathijevan #maharashtra_igers #beingmarathi #marathisanskruti #britainsbesthomecooks_ ⁣ @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline @timesofindia⁣ @maharashtra_ig @maharashtra_desha @incredible_maharashtrian⁣ @sakaltimes @exploringthemaharashtra⁣

This girl celebrated her 6th Birthday a couple of days ago and I am only just recovering from an exhausting weekend of fun and frolics. A little late to announce but is it ever too late to mark the milestones of your all too fast growing daughter? Nahhh!! We did a small birthday party with everything put together by yours truly to keep it simple and sustainable. A lot of the party props were reused to minimise waste, where applicable and feasible. Happily the party food, boxes and bags were all biodegradable. All decorations were either re-used or fully biodegradable - except a few of the balloons, only because I didn’t have the heart to say “No” to my only child on her special day. The party bags were fully recyclable with almost no plastic. It wasn’t perfect but I am just pleased that with a few small changes I was able to throw a party with a fraction of the normal waste and plastic. Details will follow in my stories and highlights.⁣ ⁣ P.S- Thank you ever so much for all the kind birthday wishes you showered on her over the weekend. I feel truly grateful and blessed to be a part of this wonderful community of like-minded people.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zanzaneet #happybirthday #aarya #happy6 #happy6thbirthday #sustainablekidsfashion #mixedheritagekids #ootdkids #organiccotton #rachelriley #birthdaydress #cupcake #britishindian #ukindians #sustainabilityblogger #kidsbirthdayparty #schoolbirthdayparty #birthdaygirl👑 #mixedheritage #itsmybirthday🎉 ⁣ #thisgirl⁣ #shes6 #kidsfashion #ethicallymade #sustainablefashion #mydaughter❤️ #lowwasteparty #kidsphotography #6yearold #latergram

हिंदी दिवस की आप सब को शुभकामनाएँ।⁣ हिंदी सिर्फ़ हमारी भाषा नहीं, हमारी पहचान भी है।⁣ ⁣ I am celebrating Hindi Divas as it means a lot to me. I grew up speaking this language and though Marathi has always been my mother tongue, I always found myself feeling most comfortable interacting with my multi-cultural Indian friends in Hindi. I respect Marathi but I will not discourage my daughter from learning Hindi first. As a proud Hindi speaker, I want my daughter to benefit from its richness and simplicity of learning, not to mention get by whenever she visits India on her own. And that’s pretty much the reasoning for my writing a Hindi-english bilingual children’s book. A long monologue will follow some day but I will take no trolls on whether Hindi should or shouldn’t be the national language of India. As much as I respect my mother tongue, I take great pride in being proficient enough to be able to write a book in Hindi. So I repeatedly say this to my daughter (and husband) ‘Toh Hindi mein baat karo’⁣ ⁣ You can order my Hindi-English kids’ bilingual book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aarya-Learns-Hindi-Book-1/dp/B0B2TY6NR2⁣ ⁣ ⁣ P.S: There is no one national language of India. However, the Indian constitution mentions that ‘The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script’.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #hindidivas #aaryalearnshindi #bilingualkids #worldhindiday #learninghindi #kidshindi #hindibhasha #indianchildrensbook #southasianauthor #bilingualbook #mixedheritagekids #trilingual #ukindians #britishindian #hindi #hindibolo #hindibook #hindiseekho #hindiseenglish #officialindianlanguage #hindidigital #kidslanguage #foreignlanguage #learningthroughplay #hindiclasses #desikids #hindiclassesforkids #indianamerican #indianaustralian #diasporaindians

You can’t eat orange peel by itself but it certainly gives a cake some zing. Like this eggless semolina cake, the orange rind adds a touch of candied zest. Unarguably, it makes a lovely celebratory cake. Recently, we treated ourselves to this no waste cake as my husband and I marked 11 years of togetherness. ⁣ ⁣ It combines two of my favourite cake recipes (both of which you’ll find on the blog). The base is a simple semolina bundt cake that can be made with various kinds of fruit. In this case, I used clementines for that sweet citrus tang, taking inspiration from the clementine drizzle cake on the blog.⁣ ⁣ Here’s the link to both the cake recipes: https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/category/cakes-bakes/⁣ ⁣ Eggless Orange Semolina Bundt Cake⁣ ⁣ 125g semolina⁣ 65g plain flour⁣ 125g golden caster sugar⁣ 250ml milk⁣ 125ml softened butter⁣ 125ml full-fat Greek yoghurt⁣ Rind of two clementines⁣ 1 tsp baking powder⁣ 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda⁣ 1 tbsp vanilla extract⁣ 1/4 tsp salt⁣ 1 tsp icing sugar for dusting⁣ ⁣ Method⁣ 1. Roast the semolina in a dry pan over a high flame for 3 minutes.⁣ 2. Put the semolina in a bowl & add the milk. Leave to soak for 10 minutes.⁣ 3. Prepare the clementine rind by first peeling the skin & laying it on a flat surface inside up. Use a sharp knife to remove the bitter pale coloured inner part of the skin leaving only the rind. Chop the rind into slithers 1mm wide and 2-3cm long.⁣ 4. Boil 100ml water with 3 tbsp of sugar & add the prepared & chopped rind. Boil for 5 minutes then set aside.⁣ 5. Preheat oven to 180C.⁣ 6. Put the sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl & whisk until smooth.⁣ 7. Add the yoghurt and again whisk until smooth.⁣ 8. Add the soaked semolina, plain flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, vanilla extract and salt. Mix gently with a spoon.⁣ 9. Add most of the clementine rind, retaining a few slithers for decoration.⁣ 10. Add the cake mixture to a buttered bundt cake tin.⁣ 11. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 180C. You are looking for a dark golden brown colour when the cake is ready.⁣ 12. Remove the cake and allow to cool. Garnish with the extra clementine rind & icing sugar.⁣

Festivals or not, vermicelli kheer is a must-have dessert in most Indian households. But the homemade ‘shevaya’ from the region of India I grew up in, has a distinctive flavour. Wheat or semolina dough is passed through a device called a ‘sorya’ in Marathi. The fine extruded threads are collected on the back of wicker baskets to sun dry. It’s a common summer time activity in many households even today. This vermicelli kheer tastes delicious cooked with sweet Indian spices and jaggery. ⁣ ⁣ The full recipe is on my blog. Just search ‘vermicelli kheer’ or ‘Shevaya’ on the website. The link is here: ⁣ ⁣ https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/shevayachi-kheer-vermicelli-kheer/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #kheer #zanzaneet #vegetarianrecipes #vermicelli #vermicellikheer #recipeshare #kheerrecipe #vegetariandessert #vegetarian #indianfestive #madefromscratch #britainsbesthomecooks_ #indianfoodbloggers #foodbloggeruk #recipeshare ⁣#kheerrecipe #maharashtriankheer #shevayachikheer #shevaya #marathicuisine #britishindianfood #bappamorya #ganpatiprasad #ganeshchaturthi #ganpati_bappa_morya #foodsustainability #marathirecipevideos #recipevideo #ukvegetarian #ukfoodie @ndtvindia @ndtv @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodbloggers

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. Last year when the local hedgerows were groaning under the weight of a bumper wild plum crop, I came up with this chutney recipe combining the best of wild English ingredients with some Indian spices to see me through the long winter months ahead.⁣ ⁣ This plum chutney:⁣ * Is made from foraged wild-plums; so it’s local, seasonal and sustainable.⁣ * Tastes tangy and spicy with a hint of sweetness.⁣ * Has the goodness of Indian whole spices that help build immunity and warm the body during cooler months.⁣ * Contains no vinegar or preservatives.⁣ * Keeps well in the fridge for at least 4-6 weeks.⁣ * Has a smooth, viscous texture ideal for spreading on bread etc.⁣ * Takes less than 30 minutes to make.⁣ ⁣ Detailed recipe is on the blog for those who want to stash a jar of summer sunshine for the cooler months ahead:⁣ ⁣ https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/wild-plum-chutney/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zanzaneet #recipealert #chutneyrecipe #plum #foragedfood #foodsustainability #chutney #onthetable #ontheblog #bullaces #damson #veganuk #veganrecipes #glutenfreefood #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreeveganfood #vegano #veganonabudget #britainsbesthomecooks_ #indianfoodbloggers #foodbloggeruk #recipeshare #foodphotographyandstyling #recipecreator #foodstylists #glutenfreeuk #farmtotable #veganofig #foragedandfound #countryfood @ndtvindia @ndtv @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @foodtalkindia @foodartblog @indianfoodbloggers @fbciofficial @indianfoodtales @indianfoodieez @toifood @hautescuisines @lifeandthyme

Sorry (but not sorry!) for spamming you with another non-foodie reel but I simply can’t handle the cuteness of this alone. With each passing year I am becoming  acutely aware of just how precious these moments are for I know she might not be here to celebrate the festival with me every year. The best part is that she takes as much joy in celebrating Ganpati festival as much as eating modaks. Dressing up in her traditional outfits is always a thrill, her feet are never still when there is dancing to be done and her vocal chords never rest when there are songs to sing. So no coaching was needed to get these shots, just the natural exuberance of youth. ⁣ ⁣ And for those who are concerned about whether she’d ever speak Marathi, here’s right back at you. She can at least sing this song and that may not be much but it just proves how quickly she picks up any language. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #chocolatemodak #festivewear #indiangirls #marathikida #momlifebestlife #mixedheritage #bilingualkids #indianwear #ukfoodblogger #mixedheritagekids #britishindian #marathimulgi😘 #ukmaharashtrians #marathigirl #serialoutfitrepeater #marathistatus #beingmarathi #memarathi #ganeshchaturthi2022 #bappamoraya #traditionalmaharashtrian #modernindian #outfitrepeater #marathiculture #festivevibes #indianootd #reuserecyclereduce #sustainabilityblogger #ukindians ⁣#ofloveanddreams @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline @timesofindia⁣ @maharashtra_ig @maharashtra_desha @incredible_maharashtrian⁣ @sakaltimes @exploringthemaharashtra

Ganesh Chaturthi is a time of love. A time to celebrate and spoil our beloved sweet-toothed Ganesha with his favourite things. Delicately shaped modaks from my kitchen and hibiscus from our garden, miraculously blooming at just the right moment despite the ongoing drought here.⁣ ⁣ Ganesha is not the only modak fan around here. Despite not having such a sweet-tooth herself my daughter shares his love of modaks. Especially the chocolate ones! So this festival is always eagerly anticipated in our house, a joyous time and chance for me to express my love in edible form!⁣ ⁣ P.S Off the usual food track, this post is for me to savour these precious moments with my daughter who is growing up faster than I’d ever imagined. Regular foodie service will resume when I’m over the festive fever.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Recipe for these modaks is here : https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/chocolate-modak-with-coconut-filling/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #chocolatemodak #motherdaughterlove #festivewear #indiangirls #momlifebestlife #mixedheritage #indianwear #ukfoodblogger #britishindian #ukmaharashtrians #marathigirl #serialoutfitrepeater #marathistatus #beingmarathi #memarathi #ganeshchaturthi2022 #sareenotsorry #bappamoraya #traditionalmaharashtrian #modernindian #outfitrepeater #marathiculture #paithani #sareeindia #festivevibes #indianootd #reuserecyclereduce #sustainabilityblogger #uksarees #ukindians ⁣ @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline @timesofindia⁣ @maharashtra_ig @maharashtra_desha @incredible_maharashtrian⁣ @sakaltimes @exploringthemaharashtra

My Ganesh Chaturthi look 2020 vs 2022. What’s different? Proudly showcasing my repeat saree outfit this Ganesh Chaturthi.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #beforeafterreel #beforeafter #newhaircut✂️ #indiangirl #indianwear #ukfoodblogger #foodblogger #britishindian #ukmaharashtrians #marathigirl #serialoutfitrepeater #marathistatus #beingmarathi #memarathi #ganeshchaturthi2022 #sareefashion #sareenotsorry #bappamoraya #traditionalmaharashtrian #modernindian #outfitrepeater #marathiculture #paithani #sareeindia #festivevibes #indianootd #reuserecyclereduce #sustainabilityblogger #uksarees #ukindians ⁣ @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline @timesofindia⁣ @maharashtra_ig @maharashtra_desha @incredible_maharashtrian⁣ @sakaltimes @exploringthemaharashtra