Nolen gur er Sondesh...

As you all know how much I love winter, given I do not have to shovel a snow covered path to get into my car. The pleasurable winter in Kolkata is most welcoming, not only does it give us a break from the humid heat we experience most of the year, but it also offers an array of different vegetables, fruits and specialties like nolen gur or date palm jaggery. If you haven’t tasted nolen gur or khejur gur or date palm jaggery then you are missing something in your life. The complex layered taste of this jaggery is difficult to express in words. It has a caramel, burnt taste with subtle sweetness.

Brownies...

Who doesn’t love some chocolate over-loaded brownies? There may be hundreds of reasons for loving brownies and for me it’s the way their packed with chocolate and how easy to make they are. The cracked uneven surface and the rustic look makes it more tempting. Brownies are not a simple piece of chocolate. Brownie can be of different types, fudgey, gooey, cakey, sticky, with addition of fruits or nuts depending on your choice. You can use the same recipe to make muffins, brownie cookies (brookies) And it can be a versatile dessert too, serve a slice of brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or bribe your picky eater with a piece of brownie along with his or her glass of milk. So here I'm sharing the recipe for the timeless classic that works as a happiness booster.

Grilled tomatoes...

 

So we are in a new year, leaving 2020 behind, looking forward to going back to normal life. Many have labeled 2020 as the worst year of all, but was it really? Personally it was as shocking as it could be. Losing my mother just 5 days before her birthday and that too all of a sudden. It was devastating for us. But life goes on and we all find a way to survive. I picked up my camera, started taking photos and I decided to blog again. I don’t want to label the past year as the most dreadful or horrible but I take it as a learning of my lifetime. Happiness does not come from getting everything you want in life. Happiness is a choice, nothing will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. The pain, the emptiness will be always there but doing what I love most is something that makes me happy and a better person, and there is no bigger happiness than seeing the seeds that you’ve sown grow into lush green plants and find its stems pouring with bright orange cherry tomatoes. 

Steamed Bao...

I enjoy different types of bread. Whether it's a fluffy soft, buttery bread or a crusty sourdough or may be a hot chapati, I relish them all. I try to recreate different types of bread from around the world in my kitchen. If you are familiar with my blog, you know how much I love baking and that I am fond of making bread. So here is another one on the list, Bao. Bao is a yeast-leavened steamed bread stuffed with meat or vegetables from Chinese cuisine. Bao can be of different types, like closed round dumplings or open buns. And for your better understanding this post includes a video of how to make bao.

Savoury star shaped bread...

I personally like savouries over sweets. But any festival calls for loads of sugary stuff and Christmas is no different. Cakes, cookies, pies, sweet breads everything is delicious but too much of sweetness is not something I prefer. So today I prepared a savoury bread and keeping the festive mood of the Christmas I have chosen a star shaped bread. So here is my Christmas savoury star shaped bread filled with roasted red bell pepper and tomato sauce and lots of cheese.

Rum raisin cake..

 

Are you feeling the festive vibe? I was really not in the mood for Christmas. For me Christmas is more than a religious festival, it's about having fun with your family and friends, cherishing the beautiful winter days and enjoying the decked up City of Joy. It's also about decorating the house, arranging parties, going out, buying gifts, planning to surprise my daughter and baking loads of delicious cakes and breads for my friends and family. Unfortunately with all these restrictions due to Covid19 the usual excitement is missing and I was feeling less enthusiastic. But when I saw all those images of Christmas cakes and cookies on my Instagram feed, I felt the happy festive vibe and decided to bake a cake, a boozy flavourful Rum Raisin cake with orange glaze.

Roasted Green Tomato Salsa...

 

I always prefer dishes that can be done quickly yet taste delicious, especially for snacking. Who likes to spend hours preparing for an evening snack? I always keep few things handy to satisfy the little hunger pangs of my family members and it helps a lot when you have a teenager at home. Frankly speaking during this pandemic when the man and kids are at home and craving for snacks every now and then quick simple healthy snacks are bliss. Here is one such make ahead snack idea, roasted green tomato salsa.

Simui-er Payesh...

An easy quick dessert that can be made in a jiffy is always my favorite. Simui-er payesh is one such dessert. A simple sweet dish that is very common in every Indian household. My Sejo-jethima (aunt) used to make the best simui-er payesh. I was and I'm still not fond of sweets. But the simui-er payesh prepared by my aunt was my favorite. She used to serve the payesh in a small bowl along with some perfectly puffed luchi or crispy triangle shaped parathas and a spicy curry. I remember how I used to dip the roti or paratha or luchi into some freshly made simui-er payesh by her. I miss her cooking so much.

Kumror bhorta...

The recipes I share mostly come from seeing my grandmother, mother, and aunts cooking while growing up. Knowingly or unknowingly we absorb the techniques and processes of preparing everyday food watching our elders and with time recreate the familiar taste that we had grown up with. This process of learning never ends. We learn as an adult too. After my marriage I learnt a lot from my mother-in-law, who's an excellent cook. Then there are friends and neighbors, with whom we share food and recipes. Along with cookery shows, magazines, luring us with tempting food photos and recipes. And not to forget about the vast ocean of information available to us now-a-days , the internet. Where we can learn almost anything, if interested and willing to, be it cooking or film making. Being foodies we simply soak up everything about good food. 

Spicy stir fried prawn...

 

Who doesn't love a quick recipe? I always prefer a quick delicious dish for a weeknight dinner. And I choose fish or seafood for that, as the cooking time is much less compared to other proteins. Last week I tried this quick, easy, ready in a jiffy spicy stir fried prawns to go with some steamed rice. The spicy prawns were perfect to go with both stir fried noodles and plain rice.

Homemade curd...

 

Having homemade curd (dahi or doi) with our meal is a common practice. I  set curd every alternate day, it's a routine in my household. I have seen my grandmother, mother, aunts doing it and I do it too. Use of curd in Indian cuisine stretches back to the ancient Vedic times. Our cuisine may be diverse but when it comes to curd or yogurt every single cuisine uses it, be it in making the gravy for the curry or a dessert or as a dip or serving at the end of the meal. The naturally fermented curd is so very healthy and good for the gut, so I insist that my family members have their share of this probiotic goodness everyday.

Idli..

What's for breakfast? This is the first thing that comes to my mind when I open my eyes in the morning. Still not completely awake, wanting to spend a little more time curled up, my routine-following brain whispers to me telling me to leave the comfort of my bed while the lazy side of me wants to relax a little bit more to enjoy the warmth of the bed . Then finally the alarm beeps and I have no option but to get up. And again it strikes me, what's for breakfast?

Sugar free date walnut cake

Hi, I'm back after a hiatus. I took quite a long break from blogging and social media. During this time I have cooked a lot new dishes, dug deep into bread making and even managed to raise my first batch of sourdough starter, yet somehow I lacked the energy and enthusiasm to share it on social media. But during this worldwide Covid-scare and lockdown restrictions I felt an urge to connect with others and share my thoughts.

Pan seared fish with spicy coriander pesto...

We all need quick easy recipes for weekdays meal. Specially in hot and humid country like ours, spending long hours preparing and elaborate cooking is really stressful. Here is one such easy recipe that can be a instant hit. I had some bhetki or betki fish in the freezer and was not sure what to prepare with that. 

Uchche chochori...

It feels great to come back and write a new post. I've promised myself to post at least once a week, though not sure whether I'll be able to keep that promise to myself.. The reason behind the hiatus is my health, I was not well. Since the year 2018 started I was visiting the doctors and hospitals, went through an operation. Right now I'm feeling much better but still under regular check ups. I think not posting or not clicking and taking this long break is not solely because of my health. It's more of a mental state that put a barricade around me. I was so dispirited and needed time to look inside myself to understand what I want. The most important thing I realized during this time, we all get only a single chance to enjoy this beautiful life and we must not give up on things that we like to do and love to do. One must keep doing it, without any expectation or reward. I took up the camera and started clicking again and felt free. My blog has been always my creative outlet for me, so I will continue to do that. Thanks to all my readers and followers who encouraged and supported throughout.

Batabi lebu makha...

Batabi lebu known as pomelo in English is a citrus fruit with a thick green outer covering. The pulp inside may be yellowish white or pink in color, when ripe tastes sweet. But some may taste sour and bitter. This vitamin C rich citrus fruit is loaded with goodness. It's good for our skin, hair, as well the high potassium content is good for the heart too. This anti-oxidant rich fruit is great for fighting urinary tract infection. One can eat the pulp of the fruit directly or fresh juice can be prepared.

Peyajkoli diye tyngra mach er jhal..

Exploring the affair of fish and Bengali would be nothing less than an epic. The varieties of fishes we eat is almost endless. And the way they are prepared also varies from one household to the other.  If you don't eat fish and rice everyday then there is a big question about your true 'Bong' blood. Fortunately or unfortunately I do fall in that category, and my other family members curiously ask me if I don't eat fish and rice for lunch and dinner then what other alternatives do I have? No it's not that I hate fish or don't like them, it's just I like to consume all other kind of proteins to keep a balance. And who wants to eat the same fish curry and rice everyday, at least not me. The commonest of common fish one cook in a Bengali kitchen is either Rohu or Katla, typically made into a simple jhol (curry) or sorse bata jhal (semi gravy with mustard paste). It surprises me how one can eat the same curry everyday without complaining. I try to eat fish at least thrice a week and that too of different varieties. As winter is offering us its bounty of vegetables, I love to combine the fishes with the goodness of the veggies too.

Whole mung bean curry..

Dal or lentil along with rice and roti is an usual affair in every Indian kitchen. A wide variety of lentils are consumed and preparations vary from region to region. My family is no exception, almost everyday or the other I prepare dal. To make sure it doesn't get boring I use all the different varieties of lentils I know and also try to prepare them in different ways to bring variations in the menu. I already have different recipes involving lentils on my blog, here is another one to add to the list. This time, I have made a whole mung bean curry.

Pineapple chutney...

A Bengali meal is incomplete without a chutney. A formal Bengali meal starts with a bitter preparation and ends with a sweet and sour chutney, with different dishes like dal, sukto, vegetable curries, fish or meat preparations, served in between. Serving chutney along with papor (a deep fried wafer made from either lentil or sago) signals the final part of the meal, where different sweets are served, ending the meal with a sweet note. One can enjoy this kind of grand meal during the ceremonial occasions. We do not follow this elaborate meal structure for our daily routine, but it's a common practice to have little chutney even after a simple meal of rice and fish curry.

Kankrol er pur..

Kankrol or kantola is a common summer vegetable in India. This spiny green vegetable is aptly translates to teasel gourd for their spiny appearance. Though not as widely used as other vegetables, teasel gourd is full of health benefit and tastes good too. The egg shaped vegetable is mildly bitter in taste and prepared in different ways, from crispy fried to stir fried dry curries. As a kid we used to call it the sweeter version of bitter gourd, as the spiny outer part resembles bitter gourd but tastes much less bitter. Ma makes a simple kankrol bhaja (fried teasel gourd) with it. She cuts the teasel gourd into thin roundels and fries them till crispy, I still love to have my Kankrol bhaja that way along with steamed rice and dal.