Zee Zest

1 week ago | zeezest.com | Anannya Chatterjee

Tall, impeccably turned out, and always a touch more philosophical than you expect from a man with a knife roll, Chef Ranveer Brar has become something of a modern culinary mystic. A spice-slicked polymath who moves with equal ease between the heat of the kitchen and the cold lights of the studio. It would be lazy to call him simply a chef, because the word no longer fits. ‘Chef’ in the Brar lexicon is part cook, part entrepreneur, part therapist, part showman.

1 week ago | zeezest.com | Anannya Chatterjee

Our grandmothers knew a thing or two about thriving in the harsh Indian summer, long before electrolyte sachets and designer smoothies became the norm. Their hydration strategies were simple, seasonal and incredibly smart. Relying on natural collers like buttermilk, tender coconut water, and one truly underrated hero: Ragi Ambli. Made from finger millet and buttermilk, Ragi Ambli is a powerhouse of probiotics, minerals and gut-friendly nutrients that help cool the body from within.

2 weeks ago | zeezest.com | Priya Pathiyan

'Your Majesty, please help Veeraswamy stay where it has been for 99 years' is the title of a petition by Camellia and Namita Panjabi, and Ranjit Mathrani (the latter's husband), co-owners of the legendary restaurant on London's prestigious Regent Street. It hopes to convince King Charles and the Crown Commissioners to renew the lease of Veeraswamy, which is currently under threat.

3 weeks ago | zeezest.com | Anannya Chatterjee

You will not find Pad Thai here. No Thai Green Curry either. At TOA 66, Mumbai's first all-vegetarian Thai restaurant, co-founder Ishaa Jogani has made it her mission to unlearn everything you think you know about Thai food. So, when a diner innocently asked if the tofu could be subbed with paneer, the response was stern: Absolutely not! That's how this place rolls. Here, tofu stays tofu, and the flavours don't pander. Thai food comes with a reputation for being a meat lover's dream.

3 weeks ago | zeezest.com | Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay

Even before the crack of dawn, much before the forest stirs awake and the sun cast its first rays on the foliage of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, Kajal Khati Nikode is already on her feet. Her home near the Mohurli gate buzzes with quiet urgency. Water boils for tea. Tiffins are packed - one each for her 10-year-old daughter, her husband, and herself. She moves with practiced efficiency, her mind already anticipating the day’s safari.