Athela Marcha (Instant Chilli Pickle) is a Gujarati-style Indian chilli pickle. Fresh green and red chillies, carrot strips and raw mango make for an amazing condiment. This instant chilli pickle will forever be “Gujarati wedding pickle” in my eyes. The mustard seed-flecked chillies and carrots always have a place at the dinner table. How to …
Chubby green bullet chillies feature in my home-style recipe for Bharela Marcha (Stuffed Bullet Chillies). I stuff the chillies with mixed masalas, jaggery and besan (chickpea flour). Each one is like a hot little flavour bomb. This recipe is inspired by and based upon my mother’s Gujarati Bharela Marcha. What are Bharela Marcha? In Gujarati …
This Chilli-Garlic & Lime Mogo is a delicious starter prepared with fresh cassava and lots of aromatic flavours. It’s vegetarian, gluten free, nut free and soy free. Only 10 ingredients, too! Mogo (or muhogo as it’s called in Swahili) is a staple carb in Africa, as well as in parts of South America where it …
I was introduced to Indo-Chinese food in the late 90s when “fusion cooking” wasn’t a dirty phrase and British curry houses were no longer the only “Indian” option when eating out in the UK. Korma? What was that? Balti, Bhuna and Phall? I’d never heard of them. Growing up in a Gujarati household meant that …
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 …
One of my favourite weeknight dinners is stir-fried tofu with colourful veggies, noodles and heaps of chilli. This is a twist on Chilli Paneer – that Indian vegetarian restaurant favourite that has found its way onto wedding menus and dinner tables at home. As much as I love paneer, I find it a little too …
I’ve always strived to be a great cook like my grandfathers. My parents tell me their Gujarati and East African classics like Mombasa-Style Daal Kachori, Jalebi Paratha, gathia were inspiring. Their tips and tricks are recalled in the conversations of our extended family with a joy that I cannot even describe. I wish they’d have …
It’s the simple pleasures in life I’ve always appreciated the most; chapattis with mango pickle, paratha dipped in raita and from time to time, maybe peanut butter and banana sandwiches (let’s keep that one between us). From sitting on a Mombasa beach nibbling on maize, smothered with lemon and red chilli powder, to scoffing cassava …
