Welcome to my blog

Here you will find Indian recipes from my East Indian community and popular Indian recipes from all over India.

Welcome

Hi, I’m Veena

Hi, I am Veena, originally from Mumbai (mumbaikar), India, now living in Israel.

I started this blog to journal my favorite Indian recipes. Born East Indian I of course, share plenty of ‘East-Indian’ culture, Goan, and Anglo-Indian recipes. But I also share other popular Indian treats that are mostly inspired by my overseas friends as they ask me for my versions of these recipes.

Living abroad, I love creating fusion versions of our popular Indian recipes. So, if you are wondering how to make a classic Indian dish with substitutes overseas, there is a possibility you will find it here. I also love to make healthier versions of our Indian food, such as air fryer pani puri instead of deep-fried pani puri. Sounds funs?

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Veena Azmanov - East Indian Food

Growing up, back home food was always authentically East-Indian. Mom loved to try other foods once in a while but we always came back to our own eventually. Dad passed away when I was two and mom left to work abroad for a few years. We were put in the boarding school in Goa for five years where I get my love of Goan food.

Later, I left home to live and work in Singapore for a while where I traveled a lot and mom’s home cooking became hard to come by and I started cooking East-Indian food. I’d call home and ask mom for recipes. That’s when I actually learned the names of these East-Indian dishes that mom cooked -chicken khudi, gavar fugath, or pork sorpotel.

In 2005, I married my husband Ziv. He’s not Indian, but Jewish and we live here in Israel. He loved Indian food but not so much East-Indian food because it was always spicy for him. So while I made lots of non-Indian food, the Indian food I made was classic chicken tandoori, chicken tikka kinda dishes.

Of course, I missed my own East-Indian food so often I’d made a little for myself. In the beginning I’d eat it alone because it was spicy but over the years my two little monkey’s Aadi and Rhea have learned to appreciate East-Indian food. That’s when I started using bottle masala regularly again and am thrilled that my kids love what I call home food.

My mom was an amazing cook and she gave me my love for food and my talent for cooking. I miss calling her to ask her for recipes and I wish I had written those that she gave me back then. That’s when I realized, I had to keep these recipes so that my kids and my future generation will have them. I don’t know if my kids will love East-Indian food so much as to cook it themself but I do want that if they desire they should have access to my recipes.

That was the inspiration to starting this blog. So I can keep my recipes, East-Indian recipes for my kids and out future generation. Of course, knowledge is more appreciated when it’s shared. Right? That’s why this blog is open to anyone that would love to try East-Indian or Goan food.

I’ve been cooking and baking all my life. I’m also a professional cake decorator and baker. I share cooking, baking, desserts, and cake decorating on two other successful blogs as well.
My name brand blog is Veena Azmanov where I share my own recipes. My second blog is Cake Decorating Tutorials where I share lots of cake decorating tutorials from everyone.

I do hope you enjoy my recipes. If you are an East Indian please do leave a comment and let me know where you are located and what is your favorite dish

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Fun Facts About Me

I’d rather be

at the beach

Listening to

desi music

grateful for

my family

Favorite place

beach

my weekends

family & movies

best snuggle buddies

my kids

My Favorite Recipe

My Favorite Cake

My Favorite Spice

Drained fugias in a bowl.

About East Indian

‘East Indian food is so so good” I’m sure you’ve heard this a number of times just like I have. ‘Bottle masala is our miracle masala’ another popular dialogue by the creed. But there’s much more to them than just good food.

East Indians are fun loving people who take celebrations to the next level. They were known to celebrate weddings for 8 long days and also cook a spread of delicious food for festivals and special days. From pickles to dessert, they have it all

A special thanks to Crompton Texeira (my godfather) who provided me with the information and understanding of my East Indian culture as explained below)

East Indians are a roman catholic community which are originally from Mumbai that was earlier called Bombay. If we get back to history, this community was baptised by the Jesvits, Franciscans and Portuguese. Then, when the portuguese handed Bombay to the British, the British named the community East Indians. Why East Indians? The British owned a company called the East Indian company since India is on the East of the globe. At that time, we were considered priviledged converts and were given government jobs, lands to build our churches, lands for farming, etc by the British. The East Indians are called original inhabitants as they had everything they required in Bombay itself. From lands that cultivated all kinds of grains and vegetables to farms with pigs, hens, cows, ducks, goats, etc. All that they needed and owned was all around Bombay.

This creed has a rich culture and are known not just for their rich cuisine but also for their folk songs, folk dance, grand weddings, traditional outfits like lugra and more.

To know more about the East Indian traditions you must visit Mobai bhavan museum in Manori, an initiative by the East Indian community to make people aware of their culture, food and other traditions.