Like I said in my previous post, my Maharashtrian cravings are back. As the weather gets warmer the fruit and veg in my garden becomes more and more abundant. The heat hasn’t put me off feeding my soul the food I grew up with in India. So I got busy patting bhakris with our farm grown sorghum and rustling up a red amaranth stir fry to introduce to my family. And given how much we all love aubergines, there was stuffed aubergine curry to whet our palates. The whole brown lentil & chana dal was simply there as backup, in case my rustic cooking style didn’t appease their soft delicate palates, but thank god, they loved every morsel of this thali.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ज्वारीची भाकरी / sorghum flatbread - recipe will be on the blog soon⁣ ⁣ लाल माठाची भाजी /  red amaranth stir fry - recipe will be on the blog⁣ ⁣ भरली वांगी / stuffed aubergines - recipe is in my story highlights ⁣ ⁣ मसूरची दाळ आणि भात / whole brown lentil dal & rice with ghee ⁣ ⁣ भोपळ्याच्या सालांचा ठेचा / bottle gourd peel ‘thecha’ - recipe is on the blog. My stash is nearly finished but we are so hooked on this spicy condiment that I’m going to have to knock up another batch. ⁣ ⁣ Visit zanzaneetkitchen.com for recipes. ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zerowastecooking #glutenfreeuk #amaranth #bhakri #thalifans #stuffedaubergine #recipeshare #veganthali #maharashtrianfood #beingmarathi #veganrecipes #glutenfreerecipe #ukfoodie #foodbloggeruk #maharashtrian #glutenfreethali #vegetarianismo #veganuk #veganofig #varanbhat #thecha #bottlegourd #chutney #sorghum #memarathi #britainsbesthomecooks_ #indianthali #heritagefood #recipeblog #zanzaneet @marathi_food_lover @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline

Thecha (ठेचा) is a spicy condiment in Maharashtra, traditionally prepared by pounding a few green chillies, garlic and peanuts in a pestle and mortar. The quintessential thecha gets a makeover whenever I have some leftover bottle gourd peel. ⁣ ⁣ Bottle gourd skin is grated, then thoroughly shallow fried with a ground (or rather pounded) mixture of coriander, green chillies and garlic until crisp and browned, before adding sesame and the mandatory roasted and ground peanut powder. And there you have it, a zero-waste dudhi bhoplyachya salancha thecha दुधी ​​भोपळ्याच्या सालांचा ठेचा ⁣ ⁣ Enjoy it with साधं वरण भात आणि तूप⁣ ⁣ The detailed recipe is on the blog : https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/bottle-gourd-peel-thecha/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zerowastecooking #recipereels #glutenfreeuk #thecha #britainsbesthomecooks_ #maharashtrianfood #condiment #bottlegourd #veganrecipeshare #beingmarathi #marathireels #veganrecipes #foodsustainability #veganuk #veganofig #glutenfreerecipe #ukfoodie #foodbloggeruk #maharashtrian #vegetarianismo #veganofig #chutney #memarathi #heritagefood #indianfoodbloggersnetwork #recipeblog #zanzaneet #sustainabilitymatters #laibhari #reelsmarathi @marathi_food_lover @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline

My yesterday’s thali featured a bottle gourd peel thecha that I promised to share the recipe for. This is part of my endeavours to minimise food waste, especially with something as exotic as bottle gourd is to a UK resident. I had to try this zero waste condiment and give the quintessential Maharashtrian thecha a makeover. ⁣ ⁣ Here’s my zero waste भोपळ्याच्या सालांचा ठेचा recipe - https://zanzaneetkitchen.com/bottle-gourd-peel-thecha/⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zerowastecooking #glutenfreeuk #thecha #condiment #bottlegourd #veganrecipeshare #glutenfreerecipe #chutney #maharashtrianfood #beingmarathi #veganrecipes #glutenfreerecipe #ukfoodie #foodbloggeruk #foodsustainability #veganuk #veganofig #memarathi #indianfoodblogger #britainsbesthomecooks_ #recipeblog #indianfoodbloggersnetwork #zanzaneet #laibhari #newblog #newrecipe #britishindian #ukbloggers #sustainabilitymatters #vegetarianismo⁣ @marathi_food_lover @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline

My Maharashtrian food cravings are back and here’s what our humble meal looks like today. Nothing fancy but it features some of the summer condiments I’ve prepared recently. Indian lemon pickle, fermented pearl millet papad (kharodya papad), bottle gourd thetcha and sun dried jalapeños (sandgi mirchi) make this thali complete for me. ⁣ ⁣ Who needs a subzi on the side when you have such a delicious assortment of preserved summer delicacies to feed your soul anytime you miss home? Not me normally, but today I had to cook up a rustic cluster bean stir fry only to fully echo my cravings. A thirst-quenching cool mattha (buttermilk) is all I needed to finish off..⁣ ⁣ - Pearl millet papad (बाजरीच्या पापड्या) - recipe will be shared in stories ⁣ - Maharshtrian lemon pickle लिंबाचे लोणचे- recipe will be on the blog⁣ - bottle gourd thecha - recipe will be up on the blog tomorrow ⁣ - sandgi mirchi - will be one the blog in due course⁣ - ग्वारीच्या शेंगा (cluster bean stir fry)- will be on the blog soon⁣ - sadhae bhat toop (untempered dal and rice)⁣ - mattha मट्ठा (Maharashtrian buttermilk)⁣ ⁣ For more recipes visit zanzaneetkitchen.com⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zerowastecooking #glutenfreeuk #thalifans #maharashtrianfood #beingmarathi #veganrecipes #glutenfreerecipe #ukfoodie #foodbloggeruk #maharashtrian #glutenfreethali #vegetarianismo #veganuk #veganofig #varanbhat #kharodya #papad #sandgimirchi #thecha #bottlegourd #chutney #dalrice #dal #mattha #memarathi #britainsbesthomecooks_ #indianthali #heritagefood #recipeblog #zanzaneet @marathi_food_lover @maharashtratourismofficial @marathiduniyaa @being_marathi_official @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @ndtv_food @punetimesonline

I don’t have a formal Instant Pot recipe for sambar as I usually just wing it. But here’s a rough recipe for my basic version. It’s a lifesaver on hectic days. ⁣ ⁣ * 1 cup toor dal (pigeon pea lentil)⁣ * hot water for soaking the lentils ⁣ * 3 cups hot water for cooking⁣ * ½ cup tamarind water (prepared by soaking 2-3 tamarind pods)⁣ * ½ tsp turmeric powder⁣ * 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder⁣ * 2 tbsp sambar powder (homemade or shop bought)⁣ * 1 tsp mustard seeds⁣ * ½ tsp cumin seeds⁣ * ½ tsp asafoetida⁣ * 10 curry leaves⁣ * 3 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee⁣ * 1 medium sized onion (sliced)⁣ * 5-6 garlic cloves⁣ * ½ a bottle gourd (cut into large chunks)⁣ * 1 long drumstick (cut into small-ish pieces)⁣ * 2 medium potatoes (cut into large pieces)⁣ * 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)⁣ * Salt to taste⁣ * Coriander to garnish⁣ ⁣ 1. Soak the lentils in hot water for 10-15 minutes and prepare the tamarind water as shown in the video.⁣ 2. In an Instant Pot in Sauté mode on High, prepare a tempering by heating the oil, then splutter the mustard, cumin, curry leaves & asafoetida. Chuck in the garlic followed by the onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent.⁣ 3. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and sambar powder followed by the tomatoes and tamarind water. Mix.⁣ 4. Chuck in the bottle gourd, potatoes, drumsticks & stir in the hot water. Season with salt. Cook in Pressure Cooker mode on High for 4-5 minutes. Let pressure dissipate naturally. Garnish with coriander.⁣ ⁣ For the idli batter⁣ ⁣ * 4 cups parboiled rice⁣ * 1 cup urad dal⁣ * 2 tsp fenugreek seeds⁣ * water⁣ * Salt⁣ ⁣ 1. Rinse the rice and lentils together twice. Add the fenugreek. Add just enough water to cover the entire mixture. Leave to soak for 4-5 hours.⁣ 2. Grind the mixture to make a smooth batter. The consistency shouldn’t be too runny.⁣ 3. Leave the batter to ferment overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours.⁣ 4. Add salt and the batter is ready to make idlis.⁣ Grease the idli mould.⁣ 5. Add 2 cups of hot water in IP in Sauté mode High.⁣ 6. Insert the idli mould. Switch to Steam mode on High for 12 minutes. Use a separate timer as the IP timer won’t work here.⁣ 7. Cover the lid & steam in the venting position.⁣

Here’s one for all the Fathers out there. I’m not one for flamboyant gestures to mark Father’s Day or Mother’s Day. For me it’s a day to just take a little time to reflect on the happy memories you’ve made together. I think of the lifetime of memories I’ve made with my Dad and watch my daughter making her own with her Daddy. In this sense a camera is like a time-travel machine. Transporting us back to points in our lives that we will always cherish. Happy Father’s Day!⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #dadoftheyear #happyfathersday #fathersday #daddysdaughter #daddysday #dadtime #fatherdaughterlove #makingmemories❤️ #mixedheritage #mixedraceculture #thatbrowngirl #daddykibeti #britishindian #fatherlove #marathimulgi❤️ #myfamily❤️ #gratefuleveryday #aarya #ofloveanddreams #zanzaneet #dadswholift #dadswithdaughters #dadsday #capturingmoments #photocollages #capcutedit #capcutvideo #daddybear #daddyhood #daddyvibes @saveourtees @boden_clothing

The season of plenty is upon us and we are being well and truly spoilt for choice when it comes to fresh produce. It’s always a joy to visit my local farm shop to find an array of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables but this weekend when I dropped by there, my eyes popped out with excitement, like a child in a candy shop.⁣ ⁣ Read all about why my eyes popped like saucers this weekend in my newsletter here. Also, consider subscribing while you’re there.⁣ ⁣ https://rb.gy/ot2evp⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #zanzaneet #substack #newsletter #broadbeans #asparagusrecipes #vegetariano #vegetarianparmesan #vegetarianismo #supportlocalbrand #glutenfreevegetarian ⁣ #glutenfreerecipes #springrisotto #eatseasonal #eatlocalgrown #recipeshare #ukvegetarian #recipeinspiration #ukfoodblogger #heresmyfood #italiancuisine #recipeblog #plasticfreeshopping #vegetarianrecipes⁣ #mystory #southasianblogger #britishindian #ukfoodies #foodsustainability #foodwriter #indianblogger @walkwithindia @foodwinewomen @ndtv_food @foxlife_india @fbciofficial @toifood @punetimes @veggie_pune @punemint @thepunemirror @sakalmedia @sakaltimes

And as if by magic I was transported to a beautiful mini-break in the countryside. If I could pick a superpower I reckon being able to do this in real life would be the one for me. If only it were so easy!⁣ ⁣ I had forgotten how refreshing a short break can be. It’s been a while. We managed a couple of little getaways last year after 18 months at home during the pandemic so we are luckier than many. But this was our first trip since last summer, so I guess you could say I was getting itchy feet. All it took was a short drive (for want of those elusive superpowers). The change of scenery, quality time with family, some good food and a little sunshine to reset my perspectives. Batteries recharged, I’m ready for whatever tomorrow brings again now.⁣ ⁣ What superpower would you pick?⁣ ⁣ I am hoping to share more details of our short getaway in Somerset on the blog.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #ofloveanddreams #zanzaneet #countryescape #shortgetaway #familybreak #gratefulthankfulblessed #somersetlife #thenewtinsomerset #statelyhomes #britishcountryside #staylocal #lowcarbonfootprint #escapetothecountry #ukbreaks #luxuryholiday #luxurytravel #motherdaughterlove #5yearsold #daughtersarethebest #somersetbreaks #beautifulbritain #sustainablefashionblogger #sustainablefashion #ootdwatch #whatshewore #luxurybreak #bepresentinthemoment #livinginthemoment #britishindian #thegirls @baukjen @thenewtinsomerset @monsoonuk

When the British asparagus season is on and I have a little cooked rice leftover from the night before, this Maharashtrian phodnicha bhat with asparagus becomes my breakfast of choice. ⁣ ⁣ Phondnicha bhat / Maharashtrian stir fried rice / फोडणीचा भात⁣ ⁣ Ingredients:⁣ 200g cooked rice, leftover will do nicely⁣ 4-5 asparagus spears⁣ 30g red peanuts⁣ 1 shallot chopped⁣ 1 tomato chopped⁣ 1 tsp mustard seeds⁣ 3-4 curry leaves⁣ 1-2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder⁣ ½ tsp turmeric⁣ 1 tsp sugar⁣ ½ tsp salt or to taste⁣ 2 tbsp sunflower oil⁣ ⁣ 1. Add the chilli, turmeric, salt and sugar to the rice and mix well.⁣ 2. Shallow fry the asparagus in a pan for no more than a minute. You can cover it with a lid for 20-30 seconds to cook evenly and then toss. Keep aside on kitchen paper.⁣ 3. In the same pan, splutter the mustard in the oil used for frying asparagus. Then shallow fry the peanuts over a low flame until golden. Add the curry leaves.⁣ 4. Stir in the chopped shallots and cook covered for 20 seconds. Then, add the tomatoes.⁣ 5. Toss in the seasoned rice from step 1 and stir gently. Cook covered for a couple of minutes on low to medium.⁣ 6. Tip in the cooked asparagus at the end.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ Here are a few more asparagus recipes on my blog:⁣ ⁣ https://zanzaneetkitchen.com//?s=Asparagus⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #phodnichabhaat #maharashtrian #stirfriedrice #recipeshare #veganrecipevideos #glutenfreerecipe #healthybreakfastideas #zerowastecooking #lowwastelifestyle #veganuk #ukvegetarian #veganofig #healthybreakfastideas #glutenfreeuk #ricedish #asparagusrecipes #zanzaneet #pyo #marathirecipe #laibhari #ukfoodblogger #ukfoodie #recipeideas #marathi_status_ #indianfoodbloggers #lowwasterecipes #marathitadka #beingmarathi #sustainabilityblogger #britainsbesthomecooks_ @marathiduniyaa @ndtv_food @maharashtratourismofficial @maharashtra_foods_sanskruti @marathifc @foodtalkindia @foxlife_india @toifood