Latest news with #SwatiSnacks
NDTV
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Japanese Ambassador Tries Delicious Gujarati Food, Reveals His Favourite Dish
Gujarati cuisine is among the most loved regional cuisines in India, known for its vibrant flavours, variety and comforting dishes. From traditional thalis to iconic snacks, the state's culinary offerings are as diverse as they are delicious. With a perfect balance of spice and sweetness, the food often appeals to a wide range of tastes. And now, it seems to have a new fan. During his recent visit to Gujarat, Japan's Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Keiichi Ono, shared photos of himself enjoying authentic Gujarati dishes on X (formerly Twitter), and it certainly made our mouths water. The first photo shows him sharing panki with another person. For the uninitiated, panki is a traditional Gujarati dish made with a seasoned rice flour batter, steamed between banana leaves. The next image features a plate filled with mouth-watering Gujarati dishes such as dhokla, dahi puri, patra and handvo. In the following photo, we see beautifully plated khandvi - but interestingly, there's also sushi on the plate. The last photo captures him taking a bite of the khandvi with chopsticks. Sharing the post, he wrote, "Gujarat has so many saras (wonderful) local delicacies, including Khandvi, Dhokla, Patra, Dahi Puri and Handvo...! My favourite is Panki, what about you?" Take a look: Gujarat has so many saras✨ local delicacies, including Khandvi, Dhokla, Patra, Dahi Puri and Handvo…! My favourite is Panki, what about you? — ONO Keiichi, Ambassador of Japan (@JapanAmbIndia) July 12, 2025 The internet was quick to react to Ono's post, with many users leaving enthusiastic comments. People were impressed by his eagerness to try Gujarati dishes, and some even suggested places where he could enjoy the best of these delicacies. One person wrote, "Mr Ambassador is having a great time. I am happy to see him relishing Indian delicacies." Another commented, "I'm so happy to see you enjoying Gujarati cuisine. Hope you inspire more Japanese people to visit Gujarat and try vegetarian delicacies." Mr Ambassador 🇯🇵 is having a great time 😀. I am happy to see him relishing indian delicacies. — ClassicMonk (@aaravj2406) July 12, 2025 I am so happy to see you enjoying Gujarati cuisines. Hope you inspire more Japanese people to visit Gujarat and try vegetarian delicacies. — CA Parag Tanna (@tannaparag) July 12, 2025 "Swati Snacks is a great place for Gujarati snacks," someone suggested. "The Japanese are such brilliant people," read a fourth comment. A fifth user wrote, "Every time I see your post, it makes me realise how much you embrace the culture of my country. Total credit goes to the vibrant cultural discipline and punctuality that your country has given you." Swati snacks is a great place for gujarati snacks. — Neuromancer (@Ashesh1792) July 12, 2025 The Japanese are such brilliant people 🫶🏻 — Kavish Krishnakumar (@phenom_XT) July 12, 2025 Everytime i see your post ., it make me realise that how much you embrace different culture of my country and total credit goes to much more vibrant cultural disciplined and punctuality that your country has given you . — M S Gill (@MANPREE48026734) July 12, 2025 "Just seeing the photos makes my mouth water. I hope you're enjoying the hospitality of Gujaratis," added a sixth user. A seventh person wrote, "Khandvi with chopsticks - adorable." Just seeing the photos makes my mouth water 😋 I hope you are enjoying the hospitality of Gujarati's — JIX5A (@JIX5A) July 12, 2025 Khandvi with chopstick :) adorable ! — 🔴#IndiaFirst 🇮🇳 (@savitha_rao) July 12, 2025 So, are you also craving Gujarati dishes like Ambassador Keiichi Ono now?
Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Around Town: How Asha Jhaveri took Swati Snacks to new heights, and prepared it for a future without her
Last month, Asha Jhaveri — the woman at the helm of Mumbai's famed destination for 'home-like' chaats and Gujarati specialities, Swati Snacks — breathed her last after a prolonged illness. 'She initially had cancer, then heart conditions and all kinds of other complications that came with it, but Asha was a fairly unique person,' said her brother Anand Zaveri over a Zoom call from Ahmedabad. 'She was suffering from everything, and yet she went about life like an 18-year-old.' He added that the family had received an outpouring of condolence messages, both in person and over text. Swati Snacks began as a humble eatery in Tardeo in December 1962. Started by Minakshi Jhaveri. It offered just five items: pani puri, dahi batata puri, sev puri, ragda patties, and hand-churned sitaphal ice cream, all priced at four annas each. 'Our parents had separated, and we were living with our mother,' shared Anand. 'It was important for her to earn money for the family. We had Veeralal, a maharaj (cook) who worked at our house. He made very interesting chaat items — things people weren't making at home — and our friends and relatives loved them. My mother was quite outgoing, and someone suggested, 'Why don't you start a little restaurant?'.' And she did, with Rs 35,000 that her mother lent her, she purchased a 250-sq ft shop. The space was so small that all the preparation happened at home. At 4 pm, a taxi would arrive to carry the food to the eatery. 'It was a very un-business-like business. A lot of restaurants say 'homemade food,' but ours really was.' When Minakshi Jhaveri passed away suddenly in 1979 due to a severe diabetes attack, Asha had to step in. 'Neither of us knew anything about food or how to run a business, but there was no choice. Asha had to show up at the restaurant the very next day. It was our cook, Veeralal, who gave her the confidence. He told her, 'Don't worry, I will support you.'' Over the years, Asha expanded the menu to include Gujarati specials, including panki, a wafer-thin pancake made with fermented rice flour, cooked between banana leaves. Though met with initial resistance, it soon became a hit. Today, over 500 pankis are sold at the Tardeo outlet alone every Sunday. The menu also offers pizza, dosa and uttapam to cater to all generations. 'We have three-four generations coming to our restaurant, we want them all to have something,' added Anand. The restaurant also grew in size, acquiring the neighbouring unit, expanding to 1,400 sq ft and doubling seating capacity to 80. It became a go-to for those wanting Mumbai street food in a hygienic setting, including Michelin-starred chefs visiting India. Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani wrote in Asha's book A Culinary Journey of Hope and Joy that three generations of his family 'cannot live without eating a meal from Swati at least once a week'. Over the past two decades, the brand was further polished — a sleek stainless steel makeover, signature bright yellow plates, and new locations: Law Garden (2003) and Ambli (2019) in Ahmedabad, managed by Anand and his son Shaan, and another 2,000-sq-ft outlet at Nariman Point in Mumbai. 'At some point, Asha said, 'I need to start another restaurant (in Mumbai),'' recalled Anand. 'When I asked why, she said, 'How can you have so many people waiting an hour to get a seat? We have to do this.' It wasn't a typical business expansion. It came from a sense of duty to the customer.' When it comes to the future of Swati Snacks, Anand shared that Asha had set the things in motion a little over two decades ago. 'She foresaw all of this over two decades ago,' Anand said. In the early 2000s, she began training Anand's sons and later, his grandchildren. 'We've had 25 years of training under her. We know what she wanted. We've run two restaurants ourselves. We've got the grounding and now it's just about extending that to Bombay. Some of us will be more visible. Some will work behind the scenes. Fortunately, we have a large family to take it forward.' Swati Snacks will also remain family-owned, shared Shaan. The next phase includes two new eateries in Ahmedabad — one in GIFT City later this year and another in 2026. 'There's often an expectation that successful businesses must expand. But for us, this is a family business. Our goal is to keep it that way. We'll grow only as much as the family can manage,' Shaan added. The women-led legacy, too, will continue. Asha's grand-niece Niva, 26, who has shadowed her for two years, is ready to take charge. A business management graduate, Niva is focused on optimising production, reducing waste, and building a sustainable future. She will shuttle between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. 'I want to grow the business in a way that stays true to its roots — home-style food in a safe, hygienic environment,' she said, over a phone call from London, adding, 'And hopefully, take it international in the next five years.' In Mumbai, two more women, Roshni Patel and Heli Patel, have recently joined as operations leads. 'We don't come from business backgrounds,' they admitted. 'But Ashaben told us, if you know how to run a home and raise children, you can run Swati Snacks.' Six decades later, that ethos remains unchanged.
First Post
17-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Asha Jhaveri of Mumbai's Swati Snacks no more. A look at the iconic eatery
Mukesh Ambani has admitted that the eatery is one of his favourite spots for Gujarati food in the city. According to the autobiography of Jhaveri present at the restaurant, the industrialist wrote, 'We are three generations of the Ambani family who cannot live without ordering from Swati Snacks every week.'
Indian Express
17-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Swati Snacks' Asha Jhaveri, known for pioneering Indian chaat, passes away at 79
The force behind Mumbai's iconic Swati Snacks, Asha 'Ashaben' Jhaveri, passed away on Saturday, June 14. She was 79. 'Asha Jhaveri passed away peacefully on June 14, 2025. We are deeply saddened by the loss and will miss her very much,' read an official post on Swati Snacks' Instagram page on Monday evening. The post, signed by Anand Zaveri and the family, further informed that 'as per her wish, there will be no besana or prayer meeting.' Founded in the early 1960s by her mother, Minakshi Jhaveri, Swati Snacks began as a modest chaat stall in Tardeo, serving sev puri, bhel puri, ragda pattice, and pani puri. When Minakshi passed away in 1979, Asha stepped in to run the family business. Though she had no formal culinary training, her determination, intuition, and an unparalleled eye for detail transformed Swati Snacks from a four-table counter into one of the city's most iconic and enduring food institutions. Today, it is widely known for its signature dishes such as banana leaf-steamed panki, fada ni khichdi, and satpadi roti, alongside Mumbai favourites like pav bhaji, vada pav, sev puri, and dahi batata puri. A post shared by Swati Snacks (@swatisnacks) Those who worked closely with her often spoke of her hands-on approach, from inspecting ingredients daily to modernising the kitchen and ensuring that every dish remained true to its roots. What also set Swati Snacks apart was its ability to appeal to a wide spectrum of diners — from college students to billionaires. Just two years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook and actor Madhuri Dixit were photographed enjoying a vada pav at the restaurant. Mukesh Ambani has mentioned that his family places weekly orders, a tradition carried on across three generations. The legendary painter M.F. Husain was known to visit every Sunday for sev puri, while tabla maestro Zakir Hussain favoured the dahi batata puri. Over the years, Swati became a must-visit stop for Michelin-starred chefs visiting Mumbai, whether for work or leisure. In 2021, Asha Jhaveri published a memoir titled Swati Snacks: A Culinary Journey of Hope and Joy, reflecting on her life and her relationship with food. That same year, Swati Snacks was included in Asia's 50 Best Restaurants' 'Essence of Asia' collection. 'Asha Jhaveri of the iconic Swati Snacks lives on in our hearts and in the dishes she created. We had a personal rapport and through her medical suffering, she continued to smile and, in spite of multiple awards, remained down to earth,' wrote Rashmi Uday Singh, veteran food critic and author, on Instagram. Ashaben leaves behind not just a restaurant, but a legacy and a story of determination, and flavour.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Asha Jhaveri, the quiet visionary behind Swati Snacks, passes away at 79
In a city that's always rushing, Swati Snacks was a place that made you slow down. With its silver thalis, clean flavours and timeless favourites, it became more than just an eatery. And behind it all was Asha Jhaveri, a quiet force who let her food speak for her. On June 14, Mumbai lost her at the age of 79 after a long illness. Her passing feels personal to many who grew up with the comfort and care her food offered. What set Asha Jhaveri apart wasn't fame or fancy menus. It was her simple, honest way of doing things. When she took over from her mother in the late 70s, she didn't try to change everything. She focused on improving what was already there. She brought order to the kitchen, made quiet changes that mattered, and kept the warm, home-style feel that made Swati Snacks special. If you've ever had their soft panki, crisp khichu or that perfectly spiced dahi batata puri, you've tasted her vision. Every dish felt just right, comforting but never dull, traditional but still new. That mix was her strength. She made vegetarian food inviting and full of variety, and quietly gave lesser-known Gujarati dishes the space they deserved. What also stood out was the environment she built. Staff were treated like family. Customers returned for the warmth just as much as the food. Her attention to detail, her calm leadership, and her refusal to cut corners earned her the respect of peers and patrons alike. Over time, Swati Snacks became a part of Mumbai's memory, the place you went after college, on Sunday mornings, or when out-of-town guests asked for 'something local.' It wasn't just popular among regular folks. Celebrities quietly adored it too. But it was never about glamour. Asha Jhaveri's legacy lies in something deeper: showing that food rooted in tradition, made with care and served with integrity will always stand the test of time. She rarely gave interviews, never chased the limelight. But she changed Mumbai's food culture in a way few others have, with quiet strength, steady grace and a lasting impact. Swati Snacks will carry on, but it will always carry her imprint. Rest well, Ashaben. You fed a city's soul. Thumb image credit: Handout Image credit: Bombay Today One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
