A good meal made from scratch is deeply satisfying — the fragrance of freshly ground spices and hot steam rising from the pot, even more so. Whether you prefer comforting curries or a nutritious one-pot meal, cooking your own food is a great stress buster. These Instagram food bloggers in India will show you how you can get started and have fun with it.
1. NANDITA IYER @SAFFRONTRAIL
A trained nutritionist, Nandita turned to blogging to promote healthy eating. Many awards and a cookbook later, Nandita continues to pursue her passion for making fresh veggie meals from scratch on her popular blog, the Saffron Trail.
RECIPE TO TRY: VEGGIE OATS FOR DINNER
Oats are quite versatile and can move from a breakfast to a dinner meal with much ease. Nandita toasts the oats to ensure they don’t turn slimy and combines them with any veggies she can find in her fridge. As a bonus, you can add pan-fried cubes of paneer or a fried egg for an extra dash of protein that will keep you full for the night. Find the full recipe here.
2. TASNEEM RAJKOTWALA @THOUGHTSOVERCHAI
An accountant turned blogger, Tasneem’s recipes have a huge cultural influence of the Bohra cuisine. She also draws inspiration from the cities she has lived in — Mumbai, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Dubai — to turn regular meals into irresistible treats.
RECIPE TO TRY: SLOW COOKED MUTTON LIVER WITH SPINACH
Her mutton liver recipe packs quite a punch of flavours and is loaded with folic acid and iron. It is slow cooked in a rich onion gravy and sprinkled with fresh baby spinach on top. Find the full recipe here.
3. KANKANA SAXENA @PLAYFULCOOKING
Kankana believes in making fuss-free, easy and quick meals. She uses only fresh seasonal produce and avoids processed and packaged ingredients. You will find a lot of wholesome Indian vegetarian recipes on her blog.
RECIPE TO TRY: CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
It’s easy to overcook a boneless chicken. Kankana grills her chicken separately to perfection before tossing it in tomato sauce. The list of ingredients that go into this recipe may look really long but the overall process promises to be quite easy. Find the full recipe here.
4. MEENA AGARWAL @HOOKEDONHEAT
As a freelance food writer, recipe developer and cooking instructor based in Canada, Meena’s recipes focus on simple cooking basics. You won’t find any complex dishes here with ingredients you may have never heard of.
RECIPE TO TRY: RED CHILLI CHICKEN
This Malaysian recipe brings the heat! Made with fresh ground red chillies (or ready made chilli paste if you are short on time), it only takes 20 minutes to cook and five minutes to lick the plate clean! Find the full recipe here.
5. BHAVNA @JUSTAGIRLFROMMUMBAI
This self-trained cook and food photographer currently living in Sydney doles out simple recipes daily that don’t take more than half an hour to make.
RECIPE TO TRY: INDIAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER SOUP
A bowl of soup can be a full meal when it’s thickened with vegetables and grains of your choice. This thick and chunky soup recipe will instantly satiate you with its wholesome flavours. Find full recipe here.
6. HIMANSHU TANEJA @THEWHITERAMEKINS
Himanshu is a professional food photographer based in Delhi. He is a self-proclaimed weekend cook who picks up recipes from cookbooks, blogs and newspaper articles.
RECIPE TO TRY: KADHI CHAWAL
His mother’s kadhi chawal recipe is the ultimate comfort food to try over the weekend. Find the full recipe here.
7. ASHA SHIV @FOODFASHIONPARTY
This versatile home cook makes everything from gorgeous desserts, boozy cocktail snacks to street style quick meals.
RECIPE TO TRY: SPICED THREE BEAN PATTY
Made with chickpea flour, grated carrots, cauliflower and mixed beans, this veggie patty will tempt you to go meatless. Find full recipe here.
8. NEHA MATHUR @WHISKAFFAIR
This account is worth a follow just for its breathtaking photography. Bangalore based blogger Neha Mathur combines her love for cooking, travel and clicking photos on her blog, The Whisk Affair.
RECIPE TO TRY: SHRIMP CHOWMEIN
Whenever you are tempted to order takeaway, make this one-pot meal instead that will be ready in 20 minutes. Neha’s shrimp chowmein has a no pain, no fuss dish made with egg noodles and lots of veggies. Find the full recipe here.
9. SHWETA ARORA @SHWETAINTHEKITCHEN
This home chef doesn’t distinguish geographical boundaries when it comes to cuisine. While one day you will find a great hummus recipe on her blog, Shweta In The Kitchen, on the other days you will come across recipes for pasta, noodles, stir fry and lots of sweets.
RECIPE TO TRY: SWEET AND SOUR ASIAN DIP WITH WANTON CHIPS
This dip has crunch from veggies, heat from sriracha and freshness from coriander and spring onions. It comes together in no time and is perfect for large gatherings and parties. Full recipe here.
10. HINA BISHT @FUNFOODANDFROLIC
This financial analyst gave up her career to become a full-time food blogger based in Gurgaon. Fun, Food and Frolic is her blog where she pens down easy to cook, mouth-watering recipes from her growing up years.
RECIPE TO TRY: DHABA STYLE MATAR PANEER
Who says a dhaba style dish cannot be made without any artificial colours or flavours? Try Hina’s delicious matar paneer recipe and find out. Full recipe here.
