Bengali sweets will always have a special place in my heart and this Vanilla Rasmalai is my favourite kind. Much like the Gujarati enthusiasm for savoury snacks, the culture for sweet-making in West Bengal is vast. Sweets symbolise good luck and bring joy to festivals and special occasions. Rasmalai is a popular one. Here’s my …
Let’s make Village-Style Gujarati Khichdi (Buttery Rice & Lentils). This is a nourishing Indian one-pot dish with basmati rice, lentils, turmeric, ghee and black pepper. The clattering of pots, pans and spoons in my kitchen is a sound that fills me with comfort and joy. It’s the first dish I crave after a long trip …
Indian-Inspired Rocky Road! When special occasions are fast approaching and I’ve run out of time to whip up something sweet, it’s quick and simple Rocky Road to the rescue! What’s in this Indian-Inspired Rocky Road? Truffle-like chocolate studded with pistachios, almonds, dried mango, crystallised ginger, Turkish delight, mini marshmallows and spiced shortbread biscuits. Dried rose …
My Makai Paka & Maraghwe Bhajiya is a Swahili-style dish of corn cooked in coconut milk with crispy, spicy kidney bean fritters on top. Makai Paka is the corn stew and Maraghwe Bhajiya are the bean fritters. Maraghwe Bhajiya soak up some of the coconut milk like dumplings, yet still have a crispy, cragginess I …
Quick & Fluffy Vitumbua are Tanzanian Coconut Doughnuts that will melt in your mouth. They also just so happen to be vegan. As I flick through my little collection of East African cookbooks, I feel the same comfort and joy as I do when I cosy up with my favourite Indian ones. Both are full …
Let’s make Restaurant-Style Matar Paneer. Matar Paneer is a warmly spiced Indian curry made with paneer and green peas. The soft and creamy cubes of Indian cottage cheese pairs so well with simple fresh garden peas, making this vegetarian curry a pillar of Desi restaurant and home-style cooking. What is Matar Paneer? Matar Paneer is …
I had five new recipes lined up, ready to photograph and post but last week when I shared a photo of my dad’s signature Channa Bateta, I was inundated with requests on Facebook and Instagram for the recipe. This made me super nostalgic, thinking back to the days when I’d come home from school and …
The pregnancy cravings are real, people. Indian savoury snacks are my weakness. They include, but aren’t limited to: Dhokra, samosas, khichi, muthiya, idli, chakri, upma and bhajia. Simple things I’ve never made too often at home, but in the last 5 months I’ve taken the time to satisfy my cravings with the proper home-cooked versions. …
My favourite Sunday afternoon snacks consist of anything that goes with with a cup of masala chai. Whether it’s something deep fried and delicious like samosa or kachori, or a pile of fluffy steamed dhokra, I’m a sucker for savoury snacks. These East African-style Mogo Chips are a childhood favourite. It’s the kind of food …