April 4, 2012

Pineapple Passion Chiller with Curried Chickpeas Salad — Guest Post for Flavour Fiesta


This week is a flurry of excitements, beautiful inspirations, new beginnings, a delicious toast to celebrate friendship, and a peek behind the screen.

My very first guest post, featuring two recipes to enjoy outdoors during the warmer spring days, is published at this utterly beautiful and inspiring space, Flavour Fiesta (FF). Also fun was to share the moment, answering a few questions with the gorgeous author, Divya.

Divya Yadava is the talent behind Flavour Fiesta. Food engineer by education, now living in Toronto, she began her career as a business analyst. Soon she quit her job to follow her heart and pursue her true passion. Result? Flavour Fiesta and her stunning e-magazines, promoting healthy eating habits for a happier and healthier life.

I’ve always been a very visual person, and when I first discovered FF, I was utterly impressed. I love Divya’s simple but beautiful styling, gorgeous sunlight photographs, friendly, inviting voice. While I can never resist the beauty of her space, it is her magazines I've quite fallen in love with, I confess. Her latest spring magazine is simply stunning, don’t miss it!

I couldn’t be happier when we finally connected, and she asked me to write a guest post for her incredible blog. 

I aimed for something beautiful and healthy, something that would fit into her charming space without askew.

It’s the time of the year that inspires us to put on our strappy sandals and crisp white dresses, make merry in the blooming outdoor gardens, and dash off to the seaside, dreamily slipping by the hours in the lull of golden sand and crashing waves—bliss. And most of all, it’s the time for lovely get-togethers with a few close friends, enjoying a tasty bite, as glasses are filled and refilled, to share the moment, before this beautiful season slips through our fingers.

I’m excited to share two of my simple, but favorite recipes, influenced by my Indian roots. Curried chickpeas salad is a delicious twist on one of the most popular North Indian dishes, chana masala. And the cold beverage is a delightful thirst quencher with tropical ingredients like pineapple and passion fruit, commonly found in the backyard gardens of our homes in Kerala.

passion fruit ice
The salad is an awesome mix of nutritious, delicious, and satisfying; it’s quick and simple too. And there’s so much to love about the drink—sunny yellow color, tropical flavors, heady scent—everything screams sunshine and beauty. Bonus? It’s vegan, gluten-free and dairy free too—sure-fire winner!

Serve them on their own, or together, for a small gathering, goes down well for any occasion.

Hungry for more? Check out the recipes, pictures and interview at Flavour Fiesta, and don't forget to soak in the beauty of Divya's utterly gorgeous and inspiring site!

53 comments:

  1. I love the imagery that you created. I am sold. beautiful pics and great recipe. Congrats on the guest post. I love Divya's work and I think her e mag is top notch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Anu, you words mean a lot to me, xo. And yes, Divya's magazine is a killer!

      Delete
  2. So refreshing and cool drink !!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Iam totally impressed with ur pictures.cant take off my eyes from it.loving it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you Savitha! Long time, hope you are doing wonderfully!

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Aw, you are a sweetheart! Thank you Krithi!

      Delete
  5. Bella y exquisita bebida refrescante y su ensalada muy saludable,maravilloasa imágenes,felicitaciones,abrazos hugs,hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, what pictures dear, falling in love with them..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations on your guest post with Flavour Fiesta, Oh yeah! I just love her site and when I saw her magazine, I was speechless, it was so amazing. Your recipes and photographs will fit perfectly in her site, they are gorgeous as usual :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right, Divya and Flavor Fiesta is amazing! And thanks for the kind words Ayeesha!

      Delete
  8. Thanks for introducing the beautiful Flavour Fiesta ........absolutely gorgeous. The pineapple passion chiller looks so colorful and refreshing. Luv the chick peas too ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Flavour Fiesta is a beautiful space with great content, you'll fall in love! And yea, these are two of my favorite recipes :)

      Delete
  9. awesome flavor fiesta....yummy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Heading over to DIvya's space right away... Photos are so bright and colorful!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yummy..Nashira you are awesome... love it..

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your pictures are amazing. I love your pineapple passion chiller - I'm so thirsty! Teh curried chickpeas salad looks delicious too, Nashira! I enjoyed reading your answers to the interview. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sweet of you to say so, Nami! I really enjoyed working on this post with Divya :)

      Delete
  13. Beautiful pics , the chick peas salad is tempting me

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love a delish & healthy recipe! And as always, your photo is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Jeez is this heaven on earth??!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Excellent clicks, pineapple passion chiller n chickpeas salad looks so delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Omg, mindblowing chiller, wat an exotic combo..Seriously loving that salad..

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks so much Nashi for writing a lovely guest post for my site! I had a blast working with ya!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Just read your interview with Divya. It was very enjoyable. Love, love your plating, presentation and photographs. The chickpeas salad would be a major hit at my place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your lovely encouragement, you are so sweet! Please do try the chickpeas, it's one of my family favorites :)

      Delete
  20. yum yum, wat a super tempting salad recipe.
    nice pics dear.
    maha

    ReplyDelete
  21. love the blend of colors in this post and those pineapple are cut so cute .. like puzzle blocks!

    ReplyDelete
  22. A refeshing drink and mouthwatering dish! Wonderful.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  23. i love the channa salad, and that colour u got on the chiller, amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  24. wow what pictures. I ma dumb. This is amazing. Thanks for the lovely post.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Nash!

    Sorry I was a bit away the past days from the web. I had tried to comment a few times here on your earlier post but blogger has been playing wierd recently or my internet connection (lets blame reliance).

    Anyway...

    Love the idea of pineapple and passion fruit chiller and what u did with the pineapple chunks is a huge eye catcher. The curried Chickpeas salad is another killer dish, which I ll make one of these days. Its so hot here! I need light foods.

    Wish you a happy Easter nashira! =)

    ReplyDelete
  26. I love how you used the vibrant colors..Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Just came over from Divya's where I was happy to see you featured! It's nice to learn more about you.

    ReplyDelete
  28. These look very very delicious and the clicks are a feast to the eyes. I loved the different shapes of pineapples.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Both looks lovely! Awesome clicks as always!

    ReplyDelete
  30. that chiller looks and sounds awesome! if you havent already, I would love to read your write up a how to on how to capture these backlit beautiful pictures! :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. This chiller seems to be awesome for summer! I'm thirsty just looking at it

    ReplyDelete
  32. http://www.popphoto.com/photos/2012/01/my-project-culinary-matchmaker

    Look this up. This site itself is very good for those seriously interested in photography. Hmmmm I guess it's time you pushed hubb for an SLR hehe!

    ReplyDelete
  33. WOW! I am impressed!! Your pictures are taken so beautifully and love the chiller. So good for our hot weather here :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Everything looks absolutely beautiful! I love it :)

    ReplyDelete
  35. delicious looking drink and salad

    ReplyDelete
  36. Gorgeous photos, Nash!! My stomach is growling. Oh so loudly.

    Off to check out the post at lovely Divya's blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Everything looks so beautiful...springy & summery. Would love to try passion fruit sometime..never had it!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Mhh, really guest post worthy! I just wish the weather and temperatures would allow me to eat outside comfortably without a big jacket. :(

    Beautiful bright photography!

    ReplyDelete
  39. AnonymousJune 04, 2013

    If some one desires to be upԁated with latest technologies afterward he muѕt be pаy
    a visit thіs site and be up to date ԁaily.


    Rеνiеw my web blog; nummerupplysningen.se

    ReplyDelete

A million thank you's for stopping by, taking the time to connect, and coming back to visit again. I genuinely appreciate each of your kind thoughts, lovely words, love and support. Happy, happy to hear from you, and hope to see you again!

♥ Nashi