Today is Bhai Bij – the fifth and final day of the festival of Diwali and it celebrates the special bond between brothers and sisters. Traditionally sisters invite their brothers for a jamvanu (special meal) and blessings and gifts are exchanged. For those who don’t have a brother, like myself, we do a little prayer...Read More

Happy New Year! Or as we say ‘Sal Mubarak’ or ‘Nutan Varshna Abhinandan’ meaning best wishes for the new year. Traditionally we visit family, particularly our elders to pay our respects. We have mithai (my favourites include googra, burfi, biscuits…. Mmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!) and nastho (delicious savoury snacks such...Read More

Today is the day of Diwali so happy Diwali everybody!! It is a day of happiness and celebration and lots and lots of food. Today celebrates the return of Rama and Sita to Ayodhya after defeating the ten-headed demon and you can read the full story of Diwali here. Traditionally, we have a big family...Read More

Today is Kali Chaudas and I’ve always thought of it a bit like an Indian version of Halloween. We light up the divos to ward off evil and as a reminder that good always triumphs over evil in the same way that light always triumphs over darkness. There’s a lot of superstitions that people follow...Read More

Diwali, known as the festival of lights, is one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar. It’s a happy time of family, fun and feasts and I absolutely love it. Our festival lasts five days and celebrates the story of Rama and Sita which you can read here. Today is the first day of...Read More

We always have a pot of this chutney in our fridge – it’s so easy to make and really packs a punch. As with all of my recipes, feel free to vary the amount of chilli based on how much heat you can handle! Ingredients: 3 green finger chillies 1 clove of garlic (optional) 1”...Read More

With Diwali just around the corner, I wanted to share with you the story of Diwali, as told to me by my Nanima. The story is written in the Ramayana and is about Rama, the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, and his wife Sita, the reincarnation of the goddess Lakshmi. Rama grew up in Ayodhya as...Read More

This is an easy way to make some tasty biryani to accompany any shak (curry), and all in one-pot so less washing up! I’ve used mushrooms and peas in this one but you can use any vegetables that you fancy here. Ingredients: 1 tbsp thel (sunflower oil) 1 heaped tsp jeeru (cumin) 1 small piece...Read More

This is a super easy chilli paneer recipe that’s made without deep frying so you can enjoy it guilt-free! It’s a firm favourite with my friends and a great one to make when you’ve got people over because it requires so little effort. If I’m organised enough (which rarely happens) then I marinate the paneer...Read More

Moong Bhath is a dish that my Mum always makes for me whenever I’m unwell and it never fails to make me feel better. We make ours with yoghurt so that it’s goes nice and creamy but it’s easy enough to make a vegan version by leaving it out. Ingredients: 1 cup moong beans, rinsed...Read More