Veg Pulao....The Bong Way!!!!

Hello all, wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year ahead. I hope you all are enjoying this Holiday season and ready to say a "Bye Bye" to the year 2015. Undoubtedly, this festive mood fills my heart with ecstasy. Everything becomes bright colored and sparkling like stars. You can see decorations and fairy lights all around. Even if you don't celebrate this festive season it's very hard not to get enticed from these lights and decorations. 

When it comes to this time of the year, I am sure you are no far from baking; that's the way of celebrating this season at least. The aroma of freshly baked cookies and cakes embarks holidays. I have baked some Vanilla Cupcakes and a simple vanilla cake with lots of dry fruits and tutti-frutti but couldn't click any pics; may be next time.

If you're looking for some holiday special recipes of cakes, cookies and desserts, please check out these links:

• Eggless Mango Mousse
• Cardamom Flavored Cookies
• Strawberry Swiss Roll
• Strawberry Shortcake Shooters
• Strawberry Mousse Cake
• Palmiers
• Skinny Mango Cheesecake
• Créme Caramel
• Raspberry Pannacotta
• Carrot Fudge
• Vanilla Cupcake

As I was already having so many holiday special recipes so I decided to post Bengali style Veg Pulao which I paired with a very simple Chicken curry. Local markets are usually flooded with lots of winter special veggies, so making a Veg Pulao is no big deal; adding few dry fruits give extra punch to it.

So, let's begin with the recipe:

Bengali Style Aaloor Dom.........Dum Aaloo

Hello, my fellow foodies. Hope you are doing good and enjoying the cool breezy winter season. It's a mid December, but in Kolkata we don't feel the winter as such. Wrapping a light stole in the evening can protect you from the cold. 

In Portland, USA, we used to get almost 10 months of winter and I used to get fed up with that kind of weather as you have to clothe yourself in jackets and scarfs etc. You can't dress up in your pretty skirts and dresses :( So, in that way I'm happy as I can wear my skirts, tees even in the mid December.....Lolzzzzz

Winter brings many more things with it. You can enjoy so many delicacies like:

• Gajar Ka Halwa (Recipe here)
• Vegetable Croquettes (Recipe here)
• Motor er Kachuri (Peas Kachori)
• Gurer Payesh (Palm Jaggery Rice Pudding)
• Gurer Mishti (Palm Jaggery Sweets) and many more......

From the above list I have already posted few items on the blog and many more are in my bucket. Hope to post their recipes soon. AMEN!!!

Anyway, there is one more item which my family and I enjoy a lot and that is Aaloo r Dom or Dum Aaloo. I have already posted the recipe of Achari Aaloo (Recipe here) which is one of my favorites. This is a more of Bengali style Aalor Dom which you can enjoy with Luchi (Puri) on a cozy Sunday morning.

I like to twist each recipe a bit to give the recipe my personal touch so I did with this recipe too. So, let's go through the recipe to learn more about it and hope you'll like it.

Tandoori Masala

Hello friends, hope you all are doing good and enjoying the warm and cozy feeling of winter which has just begun in India. I personally enjoy this season a lot as it offers foggy mornings, breeze of cold air over the face, warmth of woolen clothes, fragrance of hot cup of tea with my favorite cookies and a lot of similar things.

Earlier this month, on a laid back Sunday, I made Tandoori Chicken with Chicken Biryani (which is a weekly affair at our home) that time a thought struck to my mind that I haven't shared the recipe of Tandoori Chicken. But when I realized it was too late and the whole plate of Tandoori Chicken was devoured. 

I always make Chicken Tandoori with homemade Tandoori Masala and it is always a hit in my family. So, today I'm sharing the recipe of homemade Tandoori Masala and believe me if you taste this recipe you will forget to buy store bought Masala.

Nimki

Hello fellow foodies, hope you all are doing good and trying to lose the extra calories gained during this festive season; yes, that's a big issue which we foodies have to deal with. Whenever we eat something unhealthy yet delicious (trying to keep the unhealthy factor aside) the only thing spins in our mind is how much calories we gained from it.

These days I'm trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle by making few changes in my daily routine. Trying to walk rather than taking a rickshaw wherever I can, eating less oily food and avoiding fried and junk. If you're following a particular diet in the weekdays than try to give yourself a treat on weekends and eat the things that you like though in limited  quantities. 
 

I believe if you make these kind of little changes in your daily routine you can lose at least few calories in a long run. You can't lose kgs of weight in a week or a month, it's important that you set achievable target otherwise you will be disheartened.  

Anyway, let me cut all this for now and jump straight into today's post. As I mentioned in my previous post that I had visited my parent's place this Diwali to celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali, I posted few pictures of the celebration that you can have a look here. I made few snacks and desserts at my parents place.

I also posted recipe of Gulab Jamun (the link to the recipe is here). This time I'm posting the recipe of Nimki which is a very popular Bengali snack and goes well with hot cup of tea. So, let's begin with the recipe:

Gulab Jamun....and some Diwali Celebrations

 Lately, I was so busy with my personal life that I had to give my blogging life a break for a while. I chose to enjoy this break with my friends and family. We celebrated so many festivals starting from Durga Puja, Lakhmi Puja, Halloween, Diwali, Kali Puja etc. Moreover, Thanksgiving is around the corner too. I was in a festive mood and did lot many things that I had planned for this festive season.

Last week India celebrated the festival of lights: "DIWALI". On this occasion we visited my parent's place in Nagpur to celebrate Diwali and Kali Puja. Yes, we have a small committee of Bengalis there who enthusiastically wait for this time of the year and celebrate Kali Puja for 3 days.

This time I prepared Gulab Jamuns to celebrate the occasion and managed to take few pics before they all were vanished. I have already posted the recipe for Langcha (Click Here for recipe). Both the recipes are almost similar except their shape and size. I'm glad to share few pics of Kali Puja and Diwali decor at my Mom's place. Hope you'll like it.

So, let's get started:

Rasmalai.....Bijoyar Mishti Mukh

Durga Pujo.....whenever we Bengalis hear this word the image of Maa Durga-the goddess of power and strength comes to our mind. According to mythological stories Maa Durga was created by the most powerful Gods: Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh in order to defeat the demon Mahishasur.

Durga Puja is the most popular and glamorous festival of Kolkata. It's not only a festival for us but it's a blessing for us. You can judge our madness for this festival by the fact that as soon as we get the new calendar the first thing we see is when is the Durga Puja? 

The city of joy-Kolkata get's decked up like a newly wedded bride. The whole city gets embellished with lights. You can find fairy lights on every nooks and corners of the streets, buildings and even on trees. Thousands and thousands of pandals and idols are prepared months before the celebration. Idols are mainly prepared in Kumortoli. 

This carnival of madness is the celebration of love, color, light, enthusiasm and most importantly Food. We Bengali's can't imagine any festival without impeccable food. 

People start their shopping months before the festival and make different plans what to wear, when to wear, how to deck up on different days of Puja, where to go for Pandal hopping, what to eat, where to eat and the list goes on and on and on.......

This year I got a chance to be a part of this carnival. Though I enjoyed the festivities in Nagpur, Maharashtra (I grew up there) but missed all the fun and frolic of Kolkata. We went for shopping, did lot of Pandal hopping with friends and family, enjoyed Bhog in our complex Puja, tasted different varieties of food starting from street side to fine dining restaurants and finally bid a tearful adieu to the goddess at my Uncle's residence Puja.

Due to this reason I took a break from the blogging world and enjoyed the largest and biggest festival of Bengali's. During the 5 days of Durga Pujo I prepared different varieties of food and for the climax i.e Dashmi I prepared a special dessert for my family: Rasmalai. 

Rasmalai are creamy cheese dumplings dipped in cardamom and saffron infused creamy milk. Firstly, cheese dumplings are prepared the same way you prepare Rasgulla (for the recipe of Rasgulla Click Here). Once they had soaked enough sugar syrup, press to release the syrup. Secondly, Rabri is prepared and flavored with cardamom powder and saffron (for the recipe of Rabri Click Here). Finally, the dumplings are dipped in this Rabri and garnished with chopped almonds and pistachios. 

So, let's begin with the recipe of Rasmalai:

Burrito Bowl

As of now you all know that we are big time foodie. Here, I would like to thank my husband bcoz of whom I was able to discover this aspect of my life that I love cooking. It was boz of him that I am able to taste different national and international cuisines. Some are totally rotten tomatoes and some are so delectable that we love to taste them again and again.

Chipotle is one of such restaurants in America where we used to have our brunch on the weekends (when we were in the USA). Chipotle is a very famous Mexican Grill renowned for their Burritos and Tacos. It was my personal favorite from health and nutrition factor. 

Burrito is nothing but a Mexican dish consisting of a flour tortilla rolled round with savoury filling typically of minced meat, veggies, beans etc. But today I'm going to share the recipe of Burrito Bowl. The best part of this dish is that it's completely customizable. You can add or delete any of the item you don't like bcoz there's number of goodies which goes round it.

It includes lemon-cilantro rice, pinto/black beans, corn salsa, roasted bell peppers and onions, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, sour cream. In restaurant too I never added the last three ingredients to my rice bowl (guacamole, cheese, sour cream) so here too I'm not using it in my recipe but if you like you can definitely add it to your bowl.

So, go ahead and make this healthy, nutritious and delectable recipe and enjoy it with your friends & family. So, let's get started:

Fried Modak.......Ganesh Puja Special

The festive season has started in India and there's celebration in the air. It started with Raksha Bandhan and now it's time for Ganeshutsav. According to mythological stories Lord Ganesha is worshiped before everyone and it was on this day that Lord Shiva had pronounced his son superior to all the gods and godesses except Lord Shiva himself, Goddess Parvati, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.  

India is celebrating Ganesh Puja this week in full swing and only few days left for the festivities to culminate. But if you want to get the best feeling of this festival you must visit state of Maharashtra as it is celebrated in most of the households and every nooks and corners of the state.

For my Non-Indian readers I would like to throw some light on this festival. Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrated in the honour of Lord Ganesha. The festivities last for 10 days. The idol is worshiped for 10 days and then immersed in water with a hope that Lord Ganesha will shower his blessings on them and their families for all year long.

Keeping all the traditions and cultures apart there's one more thing associated with Lord Ganesha and i.e. he is considered to be a great foodie. During this festival various offerings are made to Lord Ganesha as Prasadam (Holy food) but amongst all Modak is his favorite. He is also known as "Modakapriya".

Modak is a sweet dumpling and very popular in Western and Southern India. As India is a very diversified country, here every region and religion has its own recipe. The one I'm sharing today is from Maharashtra. As I had spent most of my childhood in Maharashtra so this festival and festivities is very close to my heart.

With no further delay, let me share the recipe of Modak with you:

Steamed Shrimp Curry/ Bhapa Chingri

Shrimp/Prawns/Chingri whatever you call it, they are our (Bengali's) all time favorites. We can use it in each and every vegetable, you just name it and with the blink of eye we are ready with the dish. Moreover there are number of recipes that can be made out of it. Such is the love of Bengali's for "Chingri".

One of the most popular recipe cooked with Shrimp is Chingri Malaikari (recipe here) which is a signature bong delicacy. 

The recipe which I'm sharing today is a quintessential recipe of Bengali Cuisine i.e Bhapa Chingri or Steamed Shrimp in Mustard and Coconut Gravy. I still remembered my Mom cooking this delectable recipe in a pressure cooker and as soon as it's done I use to run to the kitchen and open the cooker to get the whiff of this flavorful dish.

Bhapa Chingri is cooked in mustard paste with coconut milk and a generous amount of mustard oil and slit chillies. Some recipe calls for poppy seed paste but I like it this way. This recipe is very similar to another very popular recipe i.e Ilish Bhapa (recipe here). Just replace the Ilish/Hilsa fish with Chingri/Shrimp.

Traditionally this recipe is prepared using a pressure cooker. All the ingredients are mixed together and placed in a steel container with airtight lid. This container is then placed in the pressure cooker and steamed for 8-10 mins. But, I have used microwave method for preparing this recipe. 

So, without any further ado let's start with the recipe:

Goan Fish Curry

We both love Pomfret just like anything. Whether it's a Pomfret Fry, Tandoori Pomfret or Pomfret Curry they all are finger licking good. 

The recipe which I'm going to share today is a very popular dish called as "Goan Fish Curry". In Goa Pomfrets are commonly known as Pamplet. There are several curries which can be made by this delectable fish but this recipe is very common in Northern parts of Goa.

This fish curry is bit spicy so it's commonly served with steaming hot rice. So, let's start with the recipe:

Chilli Fritters/ Rajasthani Mirchi Vada

Last Sunday when I went for my weekly grocery shopping I stumbled upon a basket full of Peppers. These were the big chillies which are usually used to make chilli pickles here in India. I couldn't resist myself buying those beauties.

When I bought those I made up my mind that I'll make chilli pickle out of those peppers, as a result I bought all the ingredients required to make the pickle but all of a sudden my husband requested me to make Fritters with them. So, with all the confusion and my mind dwelling between Fritters and Pickle those peppers were lying in my vegetable basket for a week.

Finally the confusion ended and the battle has been won by Fritters. Finally yesterday I decided to make these fritters in our Tea Time Snacks with a tangy tomato and cilantro chutney.

These fritters are very common in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The chillies are stuffed with spicy potato filling which is seasoned with few spices. Usually these chillies are less hotter than the usual ones which are used for cooking but if you want then you can remove the seeds from them and then fill the stuffing inside.

So, without wasting any time let's check out the recipe and serve it to your family at the tea table. Here's the recipe:

Parsley Chicken

Last Sunday when I went for my weekly grocery shopping at our local market I was quite surprised to see one vendor was selling fresh PARSLEY. Before that I used to buy dried parsley leaves from a super market. 

In India it's very hard to find fresh herbs like Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Dill etc; we get the dried version though. So, the recipes which call for fresh herbs have to be replaced by the dried herbs. When I glanced over the fresh Parsley the first thing which came to my mind was I need to buy them today. Buying these fresh herbs here in India is pretty expensive :(

The recipe which I'm sharing today is PARSLEY CHICKEN. This recipe was one of my favorites when I was in the USA. The mild flavors of freshly chopped Parsley takes the recipe to the next level. So, without any further ado let's jump straight into the recipe:

Phirni

As we all know tomorrow Indians all over the world will celebrate Raksha Bandhan; the festival which celebrates the bonding of love, affection and trust between brother and sister. A promise made by a brother to protect his sister in each and every circumstances.

Celebrating any festival by treating your family by making some special dishes have its own fun. I have already posted some very easy desserts which you can try this Rakhi. Have a look here:

• Shahi Tukda
• Malpua
• Rasgulla
• Langcha
• Coconut Ladoo
• Gajorer Patishapta/ Carrot Crepes
• Carrot Barfi/ Carrot Fudge

Today's recipe is Phirni or Firni. It's a kind of rice pudding which is very popular in North Indian and Mughlai cuisine. This pudding is also prepared during the holy month of Ramzan and to celebrate festivals like Holi, Diwali etc.....

It's a very easy and quick dessert which needs very few ingredients. It's very similar to Rice Kheer but the difference lies in the kind of rice being used. Phirni is prepared from ground rice while the later is prepared from whole rice. Traditionally, Phirni is served in earthen clay pots and garnished with dry fruits and edible silver leaf.

There are many variations of Phirni; Mango Phirni, Rose Phirni, Almond Phirni, Pistachio Phirni, Kesar Phirni and the list goes on but today I'm posting the recipe of a very basic Phirni. So let's get started:

Shahi Tukda/ Bread Pudding

We all know Rakhi or Raksha Bandhan is just around the corner. It's an Indian festival which celebrates the loving relationship between every brother-sister. This festival has many historical stories related to it; Rajput queens used to send raksha (safety) threads to the neighbouring rulers with a promise to protect her in each and every circumstances.

Rakhi is a sacred thread tied on the wrist of brothers by their sisters which is embellished with love and affection. It is observed on Rakhi Poornima (full moon day) in the month of Shravana. This thread is considered very strong as it binds the inseparable love between a brother and a sister. 

This year I decided to make Shahi Tukda for my family to celebrate this festival. It's a royal treat for you and your family anytime. It's origin can be found in the Mughal era. Mughlai dishes are bit on the laborious side but this dish is very easy to make and you can do the preparations earlier and assemble it when you want to serve. 

I'm a big foodie for sure and I love to have something sweet after I finish my lunch but at the same time I'm calorie conscious too. So, I love to make such kind of rich desserts on special occasions and gobble it down. I have just toasted the bread slices in little bit of butter but if you want you can deep fry them in butter or ghee (clarified butter).

So, make this dessert this Raksha Bandhan and enjoy it with your family.

Buffalo Style Chicken Wings......And Our Love For Buffalo Wild Wings

If anybody asks me what I miss most about USA then my one and only answer will be BUFFALO WILD WINGS!!!! It's an American casual dining restaurant cum Sports Bar which specializes in Chicken Wings and their 16 finger licking sauces.

You get fried Chicken Wings coated with their wide variety of sauces along with 6 different dippings to choose from. You can enjoy them with carrots and celery on the side. As I said they are specialized in Chicken Wings but you also check out their Burgers, Sandwiches, Quesadillas, Fries etc.... 

I have many memories linked with that restaurant: we celebrated our first weekend dining there, our first New Year and so many similar events. We were so much fond of that restaurant that we ate there than any other restaurant in Portland. 

They have their line in America, Canada, Mexico and Philippines. Unfortunately we don't have B-Dubs (that's a nick name given to Buffalo Wild Wings) in India. As I always rave that being a foodie is a blessing and a curse too. I crave for Buffalo style Chicken Wings so much in India that it enforced me to look for a recipe of it. Finally after many trials and errors I can say that I'm able to somewhat recreate that taste.

If you're living in USA then you can get their sauces readily available in their restaurants. You just have to make the wings and coat them with the sauces. Otherwise follow the recipe to enjoy Buffalo Style Wings at the comfort of your home.

I had grilled the wings in the microwave by just brushing them with little bit of oil. It's much healthier option than frying the wings. If you want you can deep fry them too. So let's start with the recipe:

Ilish Bhapa/ Hilsa in Coconut and Mustard Gravy

 We Bengalis go mad over this fish, we call it Ilish a.k.a Hilsa.....nobody else in the world can understand Bengali's love for Ilish or Hilsa. This fish can also be called as the King of all fishes because of its look, taste and texture.

There are lot of recipes we can make from Hilsa but there are some signature Bengali dishes which are: 

• Ilish Bhapa (Hilsa in Coconut and Mustard Gravy)
• Sorshe Ilish (Hilsa in Spicy Mustard Gravy)
• Doi Ilish (Hilsa in Yogurt and Mustard Gravy)

Among all, I love Ilish Bhapa. It's a very simple recipe and the fish retains its flavors because very few ingredients are used to cook this delactable dish. Just mustard seeds paste, grated coconut, salt, turmeric and you're done!

I have seen my Mom making this finger licking recipe using the traditional way where fish steaks are coated with all the ingredients and then steamed it in a pressure cooker and our home used to get filled with its fragnance. 

When I was in USA I tried to make this recipe in Microwave and trust me there's no difference in the taste at all. Since then I use the microwave method to make this recipe. Today I'm going to share this delicious recipe using the same method. So let's get started.