Countdown to Christmas: The Definitive Stationery Guide for Christmas & the Winter Season

December 2, 2017

Yes, we know we’ve only just got passed Halloween and all that. But, that also means that the party season is upon us, as is Christmas. Whatever winter wonderland you may visit, or Christmas cocktail parties you may throw, you need to start planning now. Here at Ananya HQ we have inspiring invites, elegant stationery, festive fun and more. Read on for our definitively divine survival guide for the winter season…

Your first party invite for Christmas has dropped through the letter box. What next?

First of all, celebrate the fact that you’ve got great friends who take the time to send you a proper invite! Now, if they’re really on the ball, your host will have included an RSVP card with the invite. No? Don’t worry. Just send them an RSVP card of your own. A handwritten note to accept or decline will do just fine. It’s extra special when written on beautiful quality writing paper. Want to push the boat out a little? Invest in bespoke RSVP cards that you can use for any occasion.

You’re throwing a winter cocktail party for friends and colleagues:

For a perfect start to your celebrations, how about a bespoke cocktail party invite? Great Gatsby themes are always popular for cocktail parties.

Gatsby Glamour_cocktail_ananyacards.com stationery.jpg

Or, if you want something less ‘shiny’, how about a more restrained 30’s theme in cool tones of cream and black?

At Ananya HQ we love colour! Our favourite for something a little different is a rich deep red for ‘a night to remember’...

You’re a guest at a formal dinner party and want to be remembered for all the right reasons:

It’s easy these days to swap details over smartphones. But, how about investing in a personal card? We’re not talking your corporate business card here, but something altogether more elegant. Reminiscent of a more refined age, a simple embossed card says everything. With just your name and contact details, express your personality through font and colour.

You’re going to treat yourself to the perfect gift from you to you. What will it be?

Start a trend amongst friends to use ink rather than e-mail! Indulge in a fine set of monogrammed, personalised stationery. Choose from fine paper and simple envelopes. Or maybe opt for personal notecards and envelopes lined in your favourite colour.

Maybe you want to channel your inner artist?

Our Colour Me range of cards to 'colour in' is just perfect. Ranging from hello to thank you, they’re light-hearted and fun.

And what do we think at Ananya HQ are the colours for the Christmas season?

Whilst the classic elements of gold, silver and white remain, its natural elements that dominate this season, whether it's a winter wedding invitation or party invite. With earthy organic colours and textures, think deep green, sage and plum. Highlights come from accents of copper bound together with organic textures. Think of the warmth of wool, wood and velvet.

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Feeling inspired? Let’s create something special. Contact us today on +44 (0)20 7242 1877 or info@ananyacards.com to discuss your design ideas. Winter and Christmas never looked so good!

Until next time,

Vaishali x

Delicious Recipes to Savour At Ramadan by Asma Khan of Darjeeling Express

July 20, 2014

Asma Khan

During the holy month of Ramadan, fasting from dawn till sunset continues. Each evening the fast is broken at sunset with an ‘Iftar’, a meal shared with the family and often the community, with a sense of celebration.

We atAnanya, are delighted to share some delicious and easy to make recipes you may want to try during Ramadan, or in fact, at any time of the year. These recipes have been contributed by Asma Khan of Darjeeling Express. Asma, having mastered recipes that had been in her family for four generations, has been successfully running Supper Clubs from her home in Kensington. Her Supper Clubs create a unique dining experience of authentic Indian food with spices made fresh at home and mouthwatering dishes cooked with love!

PANEER MALAI KORMA (serves 6)

Ingredients:

500 gms of Paneer cut into rectangle pieces (1 inch by ½ inch)

2 Medium onions thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon crushed ginger

½ Tablespoon crushed garlic

½ Teaspoon ground coriander seeds

½ Teaspoon red chillie powder (adjust that to your taste!)

2 Tablespoon concentrated tomato puree

1/2 glass of hot water

1 Tin thick coconut milk

1 Tablespoon ground almonds

Salt

Sugar

Flaked Almonds for garnishing (optional)

Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Oil

Method

You can use any kind of pot to make it. I prefer a small wok or “karai". Fry the thinly sliced onions till they are caramelized. On medium high heat, add the garlic and ginger and stir in the oil for a minute. Then add the coriander powder and chilli powder, followed by the tomato puree and water. Wait till the oil comes to the top. Add the ground almonds with the salt and make sure the almonds do not form lumps. Then add the paneer and stir gently and lower the heat a bit so the paneer does not get burnt. After a few minutes add the coconut milk and a touch of sugar (adjust that to your taste!).

MATTAR PULAO (serves 6)

Takes 30 min approximately to cook plus 2 hours rice soaking time

Ingredients

300 gms Basmati rice

Medium/Small white onion (around 100 gms unpeeled)

3 Tablespoons oil

21 fl oz or 600 gms water (boiled)

2 Whole cardamom pods

2 Whole cloves

1 Inch cinnamon stick

1 Large bay leaf

100 gms Peas (frozen peas)

Heaped teaspoon salt

Method

Wash the rice in several changes of cold running water. Leave it to soak for 2 hours in a bowl with cold water. If time constraints do not allow you to soak the rice, even a brief amount of soaking will make a difference so do try to soak the rice.

Peel the onion and cut into half and slice into rings. The important thing is to try and make all the rings the same thickness so they all brown at the same time. Heat the oil on medium high heat in a thick bottomed pan with a lid. When the oil is hot, add the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf) and remove with a slotted spoon after a few seconds (good sign is when you hear the spices pop - time to remove them from the heat). After that fry the sliced onions till they are brown and caramalised and remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate. Spread the onions out on the plate so they can become crisp as they cool. Drain the rice and add it to the pan. After 1 min of coating the rice with the remainder of the spice and onion infused oil, add the measured hot water. Add the salt. Let the rice absorb the water (usually takes 4 to 5 min) with the pan open and the heat on medium high. Once it looks like most of the water has absorbed, reduce the heat to simmer or low and cover the pan with the lid. Wash the frozen peas in water till they are no longer frozen. After 5 minutes open the lid and add the peas and gently turn the rice around with a fork. Cover and leave for a few minutes before serving.

And now for the dessert!

EID SEVIYAN (Sheer Korma)

Seviyan is the classic Eid dessert and my memories of Eid in India where I grew up was of visiting friends and families and being offered this traditional dessert at every home. Every family had their own version of Seviyan - I prefer this version of Seviyan served warm - you can serve it at room temperature or chilled. It is delicious warm or cold!

Serves 6-8 (Cooking time 20 min- soaking time 1hr)

Ingredients

4 Whole almonds

4 Whole pistachio nuts

1 Tablespoon charoli seeds

1 Tablespoon Raisins or Fresh Coconut slivers (or both - I use both!)

6 Cups full fat milk

100 gms Seviyan or vermicelli

1 Cup sugar

2 Cloves

2 Cardamoms

40 gms Ghee or unsalted butter

Method

Soak the nuts (almonds, pistachio and charoli) in cold water for an hour. Take the skin off the almonds and pistachios and cut into slivers. The charoli goes into the sheer whole. If using the coconut, put them into small squares (thin even sized thin pieces of ½ inch squares) – not into slivers.

Boil the milk in a pan. In another pan flash fry the sevian in half the ghee or butter (the sevian have to be broken into very small pieces) with the cloves and cardamoms and add to the boiling milk. The sevian should cook very soon. Add the sugar and once the sugar has dissolved, take it off the flame. In a pan add the remaining ghee and fry the almonds, pistachio, charoli, coconut and raisins. Add the mixture to the sevian and serve the Sheer Korma warm.

Asma shares some thoughts and reminisces on her experience of Eid growing up.

"This is kind of our Christmas without a tree"- Eid according to my son, then aged 5 years and a bit.

Like a lot of festivals, Eid is mostly about celebrating with friends and family around a table - food is the heart of this celebration. When I was growing up in India, we always spent the day at my Maternal grandparents home in Calcutta. Eid breakfast was a grand affair as the day marked the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, the first breakfast after a month of fasting for many of the adults whose morning meal over the month of Ramadan had been the pre-dawn meal for Sehri. My favourite was warm Seviyan or Sheer Korma which was served to all the children in china cups. (The recipe for the Seviyan is given above).

The traditional Eid dishes of Biryani, Murgh Mussallam and Kababs was what was usually served at lunch. At night we would have something lighter after having feasted all day - my brother was not a meat eater and his favourite dish was Paneer Korma and Pulao (recipes above).

It has been more than 2 decades since I moved to England. I try to maintain my family tradition and cook a special meal for the family on Eid. When my children were very young and I struggled to find time to cook- I always made Seviyan on Eid....without it, the day would not be complete."

In addition to hosting Supper Clubs, Asma also caters for events. Please visit her website to learn more about Asma - why not attend one of her popular Supper Clubs?

Follow Asma on

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What are some of your favourite dishes for Iftar? Do you experiment with new recipes? We’d love you to share them with us.

Diwali: Festival of Lights or Festival of Feasts?

October 22, 2013

The Diwali celebrations which stretch over five days are a real gastronomic treat. Traditionally, women of the household got together and started preparing and cooking several days ahead of Diwali, making both sweets (known as ‘mithai’) and a variety of savoury snacks. It is a custom for friends and family to go to each other’s homes with wishes of happiness and prosperity, where they will be offered the sweets and snacks that the women have devoted so much time in preparing.

For the Diwali meal itself, the dishes prepared traditionally vary from region to region, with many variations and adaptations by the younger, more adventurous generations. We are dipping into the collection of recipes of Anjali Pathak of the renowned and much loved Patak’s to offer you a delectable recipe to try for Diwali.

As George Bernard Shaw said: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” Enjoy!

Herby paneer with warm green salad

Serves: 4 people

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

For the paneer:
1 x 227g block of paneer (available in the chiller cabinet of most supermarkets)
small handful of fresh mint
good handful of fresh coriander
1 red chilli, seeds removed if you prefer, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 egg, beaten
50g breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the warm green bean salad:
250g peas, thawed of frozen
250 g green beans, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
good pinch of smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
juice of ½ lemon
75g spinach, washed and drained
sea salt & black pepper, to taste

Methods

1. Whiz together in a food processor the mint, coriander, red chilli, olive oil and pine nuts. Add a good pinch of salt.

2. Cut the paneer in half through the middle lengthways so you have two long flat pieces.

3. Add some of the herby filling onto one half and place another half on top.

4. Cut the paneer into 4 long pieces.

5. Dip into the beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs.

6. Continue with the rest of the paneer. Place on a plate, cover with cling film and chill for at least an hour (if you have time).

7. Fry the paneer in the vegetable oil until golden brown, draining on absorbent paper.

8. In the meantime make the warm green bean salad.

9. Blanche the peas and green beans for 5 minutes in a pan of salted boiling water.

10. Drain and refresh by plunging them into ice water to keep the vibrant green colour. Drain and set aside.

11. Heat half the olive oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds, smoked paprika and garlic slices and a good pinch of black pepper.

12. Once the cumin seeds start to sizzle add the peas and green beans and warm through for a few minutes.

13. Remove from the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice.

14. Add a good pinch of sea salt and toss together with the spinach leaves and the remaining olive oil.

15. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required.

16. Serve the Herby paneer with the warm green bean salad.

Thank you to Anjali Pathak for sharing her recipe with us. For more of Anjali's delicious recipes, please check out her website.

In addition to cooking for guests, Diwali is one of the most important times to send gifts and greeting cards to your relatives as well as business associates as a way of building and maintaining relationships. Ananya’s colourful selection of Diwali cards is full of the vibrancy and joyous spirit of the festival of lights – a perfect accompaniment to your gift and the ideal way to stay in touch.

Happy Diwali!

Shanah Tovah! Warm Wishes for a Good and Sweet New Year

August 24, 2013

As Rosh Hashanah and the beginning of a new year approaches in the Jewish faith, we thought we would offer you a couple of easy recipes to try that include some of the symbolic fruits often eaten at this time – the pomegranate, apples and honey. The pomegranate is regarded as the symbol of righteousness because it is said to have 613 seeds representing the 613 Mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah. The pomegranate also represents fruitfulness because of its many seeds, as well as knowledge, wisdom and learning. The apples and honey are harbingers of a good, sweet and holy year. Shanah Tovah and a sweet New Year to you! Refreshing and simple to prepare, they are great dishes no matter what your faith.

Recipe: Pomegranate Guacamole

Ingredients

2 large ripe avocados
1/2 large onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 fresh chilies, serranos, seeded
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
1 freshly squeezed lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Directions

1 Finely chop the onion, garlic, chilies serranos, and coriander leaves.

2 Place in bowl and add lime juice and salt, set aside.

3 Peel and pit the avocados and place in a bowl. Mash with fork slowly adding the tablespoon of pomegranate juice.

4 Add onion and garlic mixture and fold together to make a course pulp. Gently fold in pomegranate seeds.

Serves 6

Source: Recipe and image thanks to www.joyofkosher.com

Recipe: Apples and Honey Tart - an elegant yet easy finish to a Rosh Hashanah meal

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry (1/2 of a 17 oz box)
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
3 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch of salt
cinnamon for sprinkling
2 tablespoons Honey

Directions

1 Place frozen puff pastry on the counter and let thaw until it is soft enough to unfold without it cracking, approximately 40 minutes.

2 Unfold pastry and cut in half. Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Place the two puff pastry rectangles onto a baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray or lined with parchment paper.

3 Place apples, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Allow to sit for a few minutes, until the juices start to come out of the apples.

4 Arrange apple slices on the pastry rectangles in a straight line, overlapping as you go. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

5 Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle with honey, using 1 tablespoon for each tart. Transfer to a serving tray and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8

Source: Recipe and image thanks to www.joyofkosher.com

At Ananya, like the meaning behind the symbolism of the pomegranate, honey and apple, we too are constantly learning and increasing our knowledge and appreciation of other cultures. Whilst the pomegranate and honey were valued symbolically in ancient times, they are very much relevant in today’s world for their health promoting benefits. And an apple a day, as we have been told, keeps the doctor away! Giving new life to ancient traditions and making them appealing, meaningful and contemporary, is at the heart of Ananya’s vision. Our lovely Rosh Hashanah greeting cards capture the essence of this ancient tradition and bring it into today’s world.

Have you bought your Rosh Hashanah cards yet?

Why your stationery says more about you than e mail or texting ever could ...

May 24, 2012

You go to pick up your post and lying amongst the boring brown envelopes, junk mail and unwanted circulars you’re thrilled to spot a beautiful envelope, with your address handwritten in ink - set off by a colourful stamp.

What a pleasure to receive!

If you’re like me, you’ll open such an invitation immediately with great anticipation (and possibly start planning what you’re going to wear!)

Okay, so receiving an exciting e mail from overseas or the text you’ve been waiting for can be a thrill. That electronic ‘ting’ that tells you somebody who's been in your thoughts has been thinking about you too.

But actually putting pen to paper and writing a proper letter on elegant notepaper shows that an individual has really taken the time and effort to think things through – and not made a spur of the moment communication.

Now I’ve received invitations to significant birthdays by e mail and even wedding invitations by e mail but I always find them a bit of a let down. With a little planning, forethought and not a vast investment it’s not difficult to announce an occasion in the proper style. Don’t you think? It sets the scene and tells your guests what they can expect.

A greeting card or invitation from Ananya is always beautiful to receive. Browse through the wedding stationery and you’ll be bowled over by the rich colours – turquoises, pinks, golds (although softer pastels also feature). If you’re looking for something bespoke, you’ll enjoy talking to our designers and creating something that is unique to you and your big day. And of course getting married is the perfect time to think about commissioning a monogram for you both as a couple.

You’ll also find inspirational and attractive stationery for other occasions – whether it’s Chinese New Year, Diwali, Eid, Passover, or a memorable thank you card.

In the next few blogs we’ll be covering the etiquette of using stationery, with tips on writing a thank you letter when you can’t think of anything to say; replying to a formal wedding invitation; how to commission your own personal stationery. We’ll also be chatting about other fun stuff – watch this space and enjoy!

If there’s anything you’d like us to write about or were wondering about then please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Pretty In Paisley

May 2, 2011

The paisley pattern, known as mankolam in India, or mango pattern, stands out as one of the most easily recognisable motifs in the world. It was created in the 1500s in Persia (now known as Iran) and used to decorate royal regalia. The intricate tear shaped pattern made its way to Europe thanks to the East India Trading Company as they imported products from India. The design gained its English name from the town of Paisley, Scotland, where, in the 1800s, weavers became the primary producers of paisley patterned shawls. In the 1960s and 70s paisley made a comeback as it represented the Bohemian culture of the time. John Lennon even had his Rolls Royce custom painted in a paisley pattern!

Once again, paisley has come roaring back into fashion, with many of the major fashion designers showcasing an array of paisley themed pieces in their autumn/winter collections, such as in the Etro ready to wear collection. Paisley is set to continue through spring and summer, with many designers gaining their inspiration from the 70s, creating whimsical, bohemian inspired pieces. Anna Sui’s spring collection included multicoloured paisley patterned dresses and leggings, while Emilio Pucci has mixed paisley prints with beautiful psychedelic colours and chiffon materials to create light, floaty dresses perfect for the summer.

Paisley really is a very versatile design, so it is no surprise that it has lent brilliantly to many of the bespoke wedding stationery we create at ananya. We have found that the paisley motif is not only an elegant and vintage design but that it is also rich in spiritual significance. In Indian culture, the paisley signifies the time of harvest and prosperity. In Oriental traditions, the two paisleys represent the yin-yang symbol, a sign of equilibrium and balance. The flow of the two polar energies, Yin (Female) and Yang (Male), seek balance in the natural flow of the universe, constantly replacing each other and eventually, becoming each other. The paisley thus makes a wonderful motif to symbolise the union of two individuals in a marriage!

Until next time...Namaste and enjoy ananya life!

The Lucky Lotus

March 2, 2011

The lotus is the national flower of India, and is regarded as being the most beautiful and sacred flower in Indian culture. It symbolises divinity, fertility, purity, wealth, knowledge and enlightenment as well as honour and good fortune. It therefore comes as no surprise that lotus flowers can be found everywhere, from clothing to bed linen. The flower is a simple, but beautiful and powerful motif, which can be used on any type of material for any purpose. Many designers have been using the motif in their work, including Ed Hardy, who has a range of clothing with bold tattoo styled lotus prints. Nike has also designed a pair of their “Nike Dunk” trainers with pretty pink lotus flowers.

Bags incorporating the lotus flower are easy to find, such as Amy Butler’s lotus flower clutch, which uses an elegant yellow lotus pattern.

Lotus flowers can appear in your home, and light up any room, with Graham and Green’s striking lotus flower ball chandelier, and there are many places where you can find quilts and cushion covers with lotus patterns.

However, it is in jewellery where lotus flowers are at their most prolific. Accessorize has created a pretty turquoise ring while Swarowski recently made a collection of lotus inspired brooches, earrings and pendants. Luxury diamond jewellery company DeBeers have also made their own range of lotus designs, calling it “Enchanted Lotus”. It includes hoop earrings and a bracelet as well as a diamond wedding band, all of which integrate the lotus with a heart shape in a unique design.

Finding the lotus is easy, so why not embrace India’s most famous and auspicious symbol, whether as part of your home, or your look. At ananya we use the lotus flower as our logo because of its symbolic nature and due to its importance in Asian culture. We have also created beautiful stationery using the lotus design, which can be used for any sort of wedding – whether you are having an English or Indian wedding, or it’s taking place in summer or winter. Our lotus designs are stylish, elegant and versatile, and are suitable for any occasion, big or small.

Until next time...Namaste and enjoy ananya life!

The Peacock Revolution

January 9, 2011

The majestic peacock is the national bird of India. They are regarded as some of the most beautiful birds in the world, with their fabulous iridescent green-blue plumage and distinctive tail feathers. In India they are emblems of beauty, grace, pride and mysticism and throughout history they have appeared in Hindu myths and folklore in various illustrations with gods and goddesses. It is probably their tails which peacocks are best known for, which are made up of a mixture of large and small feathers with beautiful eye-like designs. The male peacocks lift their tails into a fan and preen their feathers to attract females in an ostentatious display of pride and beauty. It is therefore no wonder that the peacock has become a major design motif, as its plumage and colours create a perfect muse for designers. The peacock seems to be everywhere at the moment, with both high end designers and high street shops using it as inspiration for fashion, as well as for household goods, such as bed linen and china, and even iPod covers and other accessories. Peacocks have been spotted on the red carpet; with Eva Longoria wearing a short peacock feather covered dress at Cannes, and actress and Marchesa founder Georgina Chapman wore her own black dress with a gold peacock gilded design at the Oscars last year.

Last year, designer Matthew Williamson created a collection for H&M which was entirely inspired by peacocks. His own Escape spring 2010 line also featured some bohemian peacock undertones. In China, a wedding dress made of 2009 peacock feathers costing $1.5m was unveiled at a wedding expo. Meanwhile, on the high street, many shops such as Top Shop and New Look have dresses, skirts and t-shirts featuring peacock feathers and the birds themselves.

Peacocks can be seen on bags, such as a fabulous crystal clutch by Swarovski, and other accessories, such as hair pieces. However, it is in jewellery where the designers have gone peacock crazy. In Accessorize there is a whole range of necklaces and earrings (as well as bags) inspired by peacocks, such as earrings with peacock bodies and cascading teardrop charms. Many high street stores are selling earrings and brooches using real peacock feathers, while Spanish jewellery designers Carrera y Carrera have a whole collection of beautiful peacock inspired jewellery using diamonds and coloured stones. MAC Cosmetics is launching the ‘Peacocky’ Collection for Spring 2011, a makeup collection that draws colours and inspiration from the exotic bird.

At ananya, we have joined the peacock revolution by creating a range of stationery with modern looking peacock designs. Peacocks are set to become the hottest wedding trend of 2011 due to the intricacy and richness of their plumage and we believe our new line of wedding stationery reflects this. If, however, peacocks aren't your thing, ananya has a diverse range of different types of stationery.

Until next time...Namaste and enjoy ananya life!