Sharmila Cooks for Kids, Chennai (2026)

Hi, I’m Sharmila Ribeiro, an agricultural economist and mother of three growing boys. A few years ago, my youngest son was barely eating any vegetables and no fruit, so I started to prepare vegetables and fruits in new and interesting ways. I also decided to dejunk my household and cook most food from scratch. I’ve spent the last few years evolving a range of delicious, easy-to-cook Indian and int

ernational recipes that changed the way my family ate. The health benefits were tremendous! I hope my book Everyday Love and this website helps you in your journey of cooking healthy delicious meals for your loved ones too.

19/12/2025

Chutney - A compendium of Stories and Recipes.
I'm so exited to share with you this absolutely gorgeous book by Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal and Shekar Ghildiyal.

This book is fantastic celebration of the diversity and incredible variety that is Indian cuisine, but through showcasing just one dish 'Chutney'. Just the organising of this book - to break down chutneys by ingredient, by process, and by state was a mind blowingly complex task and Rushina and team have done a superb of production and self publishing too (something I can complete relate too). I'm so pleased to have contributed to it by writing the section on Goan chutneys (page 222).

Many of the initial chapters are written by Rushina, who is a passionate and brilliant food writer. She has an amazing way with words and is a story teller too, making it an easy and enjoyable read. She's also an illustrator so her works evoke visuals and the sensorial nature of food.

It's an immense 524 pages to treasure and makes a fabulous gift this Christmas or anytime. I'm sharing the link in the comments. Go get your copy while stocks last ❤️🙏

11/12/2025

Fruit Trifle-Old fashioned goodness that's ideal for holiday season entertaining 🌲🍒🌲
I recently had a dinner party at short notice and I wanted to make a dessert using largely what I had at hand (my fridge and freezer)... and i can honestly say it was a mere trifle to pull it off 😄

A classic British trifle pudding is an old fashioned dessert that is delightful for all ages and not too rich either. The easiest is to use sponge cake as a base (bakery bought is easiest) but you can also use Xmas plum cake (I had saved one in the freezer) or chocolate cake. It's a very flexible recipe. It doesn't take much time at all and yummy delicious is the best way to describe how it tastes 😋

Also, jelly is the fun part (those childhood memories) but you don't have to use it - you can make more custard and have 2 layers of cake. Or add a layer of whipped cream on top. So many possibilities.

Here's the method and ingredients I used (Serves 6)
1. Butter a 8" round or square glass dish that's 2 inches deep
2. Base layer is sponge cake or plum cake or a combination of both. Soak the cake in orange juice or canned fruit syrup. I added 2 ladles of rum!!
3. Dried fruit and nuts - sprinkle some raisins/kismis and chopped almonds/walnuts/cashews
4. Add a layer of Fresh or canned fruit - I've use apple, sweet lime but orange segments work best as does pineapple or canned fruit cocktail (deseed the cherries)
5. Layer of Orange or mango jelly - sets in 1 hour (1 packet of jelly is good for this recipe)
6. Final thick layer of Custard using 2 cups (500ml) of milk. I made real custard with eggs and milk but I've made eggless versions using custard powder too. I usually use less sugar than the recipe calls for.
7. Garnish or decorate with almonds and cherries plus mint for that pop of festive green.
8. Chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours before serving.

Sharing photos of several trifle puddings I've made over the past 6 months. In fact it's the only dessert I've made recently 😂. They all started with the intention of using up some cake!! ✨

29/01/2025

Brain food salad. Using leaves of Indian pennywort or Centella Asiatica aka Brahmi, vallarai Keerai or Gotu Kola (in Sri Lanka) from I made a pretty salad after ages, with ingredients I had at hand. Brahmi is known to purify the blood, treat diabetes, good for memory and in treating Alzheimer’s, asthma, cure anxiety and skin diseases. Truly a super food 😍

Over the years of eating local and seasonal and organic, I’ve learned that you don’t need to access or afford fancy salad greens like lettuce or arugula to make a good, tasty salad. You just need to use local ingredients and balance the flavours. I balanced the slight bitterness of the Brahmi leaves/ vallarai Keerai with naturally sweet ingredients
- roasted organic beetroot (also from ) marinated in balsamic vinegar and red chilli flakes
- Nagpur orange segments
- Capers for sharpness
- Pomegranate for sweet and crunch
- Pickled onions (I make these regularly and keep a jar in my fridge)
- Pecans or walnuts
- Salad Dressing of lime, olive oil, salt, pepper, honey, mustard
So there was a balance of flavours - bitter, sweet, salt, acidic and good fats - and loads of nutritious ingredients providing textures of soft and crunchy. It was delicious and exceeded expectations 😋.

A few years ago I discovered that in Burma they make a delightful salad with peanuts out of it, so also in Nagaland. That post is way down in my feed but DM if you want that recipe, too.

How do you use Brahmi or Vallarai Keerai in your home? Do share.

16/10/2024

Rainy day and any day SALAD on a plate (aka plated salad 😂), inspired by and . I used whatever ingredients I had at hand (which were some pretty good ones luckily) but the salad dressing was a first time experiment with some unusual ingredients. Was very pleased with the outcome. Do try it and let me know. Stay safe, friends in Chennai and all over

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Chennai
600###

Website

https://www.sharmilacooksforkids.com/

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