Tag Archives: Sanjana Modha

Indian Cooking Step-by-Step: Classic Vegetable Biryani

Posted on October 19, 2011 by Food Network UK| 5 Comments

Classic Vegetable Biryani

There is a word in Indian cooking that used to send a chill down my spine every time it was uttered – biryani.

I was never suspicious of the biryani because it’s difficult to cook, but because it’s typically served as a main course. As a little girl, rice had always been a side dish for me – something to go with the daal or to soak up a sauce.

It didn’t matter if the rice was bland because there were other dishes on the table to perk it up. But when I discovered the world of biryani, there was a shift in balance – the rice had become the star of the show and everything it was cooked with had to taste good. If it didn’t, the whole dinner went to pot.

But now I’m a fully-fledged member of the biryani lovers club, I’m here to offer a lesson in how easy preparing it can really be, provided you know the basics.

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Posted in Cooking with…, Recipes, Savoury

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Indian Cooking Step-by-Step: Aloo Paratha

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Food Network UK| 4 Comments

Aloo Paratha – spicy potato-stuffed flatbreads from Northern India

I fell in love with paratha at the age of four, when I was the proud owner of various miniature kitchen utensils that looked like they’d been manufactured in toy town. I’d use my hot pink chapatti board and rolling pin to make baby paratha, which my mum would cook and my pa would wolf down with gusto, whilst telling me I was a great chef.

And that was all it took – I had discovered my love of Indian breads. Forget your typical puff of glitter – for this strange little Indian Barbie, childhood was all about that magical cloud of chapatti flour.

Last week, I spilt the (mung) beans and admitted that I’m a terrible teacher, but when it comes to cooking Indian food, I become a chatterbox, sharing more kitchen secrets than your average Indian aunty-ji (ji being a respectful form of address for elders, even if they tend to jabber on at times).

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Posted in Cooking with…, Other, Recipes, Savoury, What’s Hot

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Indian Cooking Step-by-Step: Khaman

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Food Network UK| 12 Comments

Khaman: Steamed savoury cakes from Gujarat, India

I’m not too proud to admit that I’m a terrible teacher, but when it comes to cooking Indian food, I can’t help but put my two pence in. I become a wannabe Gujarati (hailing from the state of Gujarat in western India) Mary Poppins who’s full of the old-school tips I picked up watching various female family members squabble over how much ginger to put in the daal.

Over the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing my most beloved classic Indian creations from various regions and hopefully peppering in a few helpful hints along the way.

During our edible tour of India we’ll learn about its most-loved spices, classic dishes and how to cook them with ease. Reaching for the nearest takeaway menu to get your spice fix will be a hazy memory – provided you’re in the mood for a bit of flavour experimentation.

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I Rose to the Challenge: Chocolate Flower Cupcakes

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Food Network UK| 2 Comments

Get the recipe for my Chocolate and Rose Cupcakes

As you’ve probably already sussed out, adding a pinch of the exotic to recipes is in my nature, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take on this month’s challenge to create a cupcake recipe using chocolate and my favourite dessert addition – flowers.

From Orange Blossom Kataifi Rolls to Rose and Pistachio Baklava and Hibiscus Jam, cooking with floral flavours can be risky business. However, if paired with the right flavours and used in the right quantities, you’ll have a dish that can only be explained by heaven itself.

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Posted in Cooking with…, Other, Sweet

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Getting Fancy with Fondant

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Food Network UK| 3 Comments


I may not be very good at it, but decorating cakes has always been something I’ve loved to do. Being assigned to photograph our day of filming with Abby Moule, owner of The Exquisite Cake Company, was definitely an exciting learning curve.

Arriving on set just after 10am, I was intrigued (in my hurry) to see the venue which was nothing like I had expected. We were to film in a derelict pub, complete with its original bar and bursting at the seams with vintage furniture. In the corner was a beautiful kitchen setting decorated with pristine shelves stacked with old school sweet jars, all surrounded by beautiful frosted glass.

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Posted in Sweet, Where We’ve Been

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