These Photos Will Restore Your Love for Ghar Ka Khana

No other dish is as comforting as ‘Ghar ka Khana’. We can safely say that the various dishes which are served in lavish restaurants have no match with what our mother serves us in home.

Hostelites, people living away from their families are the ones who know the real value of a home-cooked meal.

Bhavna, a Mumbaikar now based in Sydney Australia, has started a photo series on Instagram in which she clicks pictures of simple home cooked food in such a way that it’ll leave you drooling. The pictures on her account have already gone viral.

A project manager by profession, Bhavna loves food and she has her own food blog called ‘Just A Girl From Amchi Mumbai’.

Here are some of the pictures from Bhavna’s photo series which will crave you for ‘Ghar Ka Khana’:

1. Moong Paratha with some hot piping Chai

So it was just another morning which started even before the crack of dawn with back to back meetings. Before I knew it my stomach had meekly started protesting about the lack of breakfast. And before it could groan loudly a plate of Leftover Moong beans stuffed Parathas with a big mug of Chai and some pickle magically appeared by my bedside. Looking at the crispy paratha I raised my eyebrow questionably at the beaming face of my mother who pretended to feign ignorance at the amount of Ghee she would have added to make them delicious. So I resigned myself to my fate and just dug in savouring one slow bite at a time. Because whatever said and done when your mother makes breakfast for you, you eat it. Recipes for a few crispy Parathas on my blog for those whose stomachs are groaning today.

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on May 23, 2016 at 8:45pm PDT

2. Want to have some Poha for breakfast?

Every year during the Summer holidays the cousins in Delhi got a crash course on what we ate in Mumbai. My mother would carry packets of “Pohe” (Flat beaten rice) to make for breakfast much to the bewilderment of the cousins. Who would wonder why the hell did we “Bombaywallas” eat this Rice like thing in the morning when there were better things like Parathas (stuffed flatbread) & Chole Bhature (chickpeas served with deep fried bread) to be had. It did not help that my mother was not the best Pohe maker in the world. And true to form, just like my mom my Pohe making skills left a lot to be desired as well. The first time I experimented with them in my mum’s kitchen, my brother puckered up his nose and said in the loudest voice “Chee kitne gande bane hain, main nahin khaonga” (yuck, they are so badly made, I won’t eat them). To give him credit, they were that bad. While I tried a few more times, I just could never get them to come out well. So I finally gave up. But when you live in Maharashtra, it is not easy to forget Pohe. Like a long lost love they keep coming back in your culinary life because everywhere you go you see them. Your neighbors make them; your friends make them; the local restaurants in your vicinity serve Pohe on their menu, and even your mother the worst pohe maker in the world keeps making them and gets better at it. So over a period I have learned to do a passable job with them. Decent enough that I can serve them to someone without being blamed for food poisoning. After looking at this picture I just hope no one puckers up their nose anymore. Recipe for passable Pohe on the blog.

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on May 14, 2016 at 10:45pm PDT

3. Dal Chawal never looked this good!

And this happened. . .

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on Apr 8, 2016 at 5:21am PDT

4. Oh! The bliss of Masala Baigan

So the happy dance that I did today outside the vegetable shop after seeing Baby Eggplants lead to this delicious concoction of “Bharli Vangi.” A delicacy from Maharashtra, the Eggplant, is stuffed with a dry mixture of Coconut, Peanuts, and Sesame seeds and then cooked in a pan with a tempering of Onions & spices till they become this delicious mushy treat that served in a lot of Marathi homes. The Eggplants cooked on a gentle heat do the bidding of the Coconut masala but still manage to hold their own without completely falling apart. The heady aroma that emanates from the masala is intoxicating and synonymous with Marathi homes and is something that I have craved for a very long time. Eaten with Chapatis (flatbread), they make a treat that I craved for a very long time. Clearly the food gods heard my prayers and blessed me with the Eggplants. 2016 is already looking better. Don’t you agree? The recipe is now on my blog for Eggplant lovers like me.

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on Jan 2, 2016 at 2:42am PST

5. Try some Sabudana Vadas as Upwas special

And this is what all the deep frying business has led to. Crispy and crunchy Sabudana (Tapioca) Vadas. My consolation for eating these goodies in the morning is the fact that Sabudana is a great energy booster and improves bone health and muscle growth. Not that my Punjabi muscles need anymore growing then they have already grown, thank you very much, but it still feels good to chomp down on these piping hot Vadas knowing that the effort I took in getting these ready will offer some nourishment to my sleep deprived body. Ofcourse the spicy Coconut, Mint and Coriander chutney and the cup of chai helped as well. Zzzzzz is Monday over yet? Recipe for the Sabudana Vadas on my blog for those who zzz 🙂

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on Jan 10, 2016 at 9:37pm PST

6. Or some Sabudana Khichadi!

Cold, wet, rainy Saturday mornings with Sabudana (Sago) khichdi topped with lots of Peanuts and a hot cup of chai somewhere in the reach of your arms. I wish the day never ends. Sigh!!! Recipe for sigh inducing breakfasts and garam garam (hot) chai on the blog for those who wish for Saturday to stay.

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on Apr 22, 2016 at 7:24pm PDT

7. For all non-veg and mango lovers

Lunch today was made up of chicken curry with Rotis and as you can see not made by me because they were not burnt and my speciality is Jali hui (Rotis), a delicious Methi (fenugreek) sabzi made with Onions and Urad dal and chilled Aamras (Mango juice). A lot of yummy has happened in my tummy, what has happened in yours? ?

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on Oct 31, 2015 at 5:13am PDT

8. And some Gajar Halwa for dessert

Evenings in Sydney have lately become breezy and a little cold. And I find myself making the yearly decision to release the warm winter clothes from the confines of the suitcases they are packed in and give them some much needed respite before they do the same to us. The funny thing during winters is that not just your clothes need to warm your body but the food you eat also needs to warm your insides. The need to cling to the bowl of soup or eat a deliciously sweet, warm Halwa (fudge) becomes intense as the temperature keeps dropping. Now we all know I am not the kind of girl who will cling to a bowl of Soup. Also making a good Halwa can be a tiring task because let’s face it, you don’t just make a tiny amount; you make a lot of Halwa that can last for days. So when I got invited to breakfast at a friend’s place, I felt that making “Gajar ka Halwa” (Carrot Fudge) would be an excellent way to say hello to the friends I had not met for a while. And even though we don’t get the blushing pink Carrots that made the sweetest Halwa, I couldn’t find a reason not to use the Orange ones. The Halwa lush with Ghee, Raisins, Almonds and edible Silver made for an excellent addition to the breakfast table which was already bending under the weight of happy conversations, hot cups of chai and piping hot Sabudana Wadas. Recipe for the Halwa, Sabudana wadas and Chai on my blog for those looking for a reason to find comfort.

A photo posted by Justagirlfrommumbai (@justagirlfrommumbai) on Apr 15, 2016 at 10:40pm PDT

You can view many more images like this on Bhavna’s Instagram page, here.

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