Virgin Watermelon Sangria

As Summer in India at its peak, I was in a search of some cool ways to celebrate it. Being a food blogger what's better than celebrating it with a "Food"! I decided to post some chilling, cooling and at the same time drooling recipes to beat the summer heat. You may find couple of recipes in my blog as below mentioned, I am planning to add more very soon.

• Aam Panna
• Mango Ice-cream

This time I decided to do something different as always I do with my food. Well, at times I do end up with a complete flop show but most of the time it's a big hit amongst my family members.

As we all know Summers are synonyms to Watermelons. So, this time I decided to make Watermelon Sangria. The name Sangria is said to have its origin in Spain and Portugal. It is made up of chopped fruits, wine and small amount of sweetener. There was a little problem, I didn't want to add wine to it thus making my Watermelon Sangria completely virgin. 

After trying different combinations I came up with this recipe and trust me it not only looks great but tastes fantastic too. You just can't go wrong with the classic combination of Watermelon-Mint-Lime. Infact mint and lime is compatible with lots of different fruits. So, without any further ado let's jump straight into the recipe:

Aam Panna...Let's Beat the Heat In A Bong's Way

  

Indian Summers are back again and just a glassful of water is not enough to quench your thirst. Whether hungry or not I always find myself opening the refrigerator and looking for some cold and refreshing drinks. If you're a regular follower of my blog then you might be knowing that I always prefer homemade food and cold drinks are no different. 

I always find homemade fruit juices and drinks healthier and hygienic than the store bought or the ones that are readily available at the local juice stalls. In summers I always keep 2-3 different varieties of homemade fruit juices in my refrigerator. They not only refresh me but have great health benefits too.

Aam-Panna is a very popular summer drink which rejuvenates you immediately. It is prepared from raw green mangoes and it's sweet and tangy flavor is enjoyed by all. It not only helps in fighting the summer heat but also helps in digestion. A glass full of this chilled cooler makes you feel relaxed and gives you an instant energy. 

This is my take on Aam Panna. We Bengalis make this classic drink in a different way and have a different name too: "Aam Pora Shorbot". Try this nourishing cooler this summer and believe me your family will thank you for this refreshing drink.

Gajorer Patishapta/ Carrot Crepes

This post was lying in my drafts folder for quite a long time. I made these Crepes or Patishapta on the occasion of Poush Parbon or Makar Sankranti and thought of posting this during that time but before clicking the pics those "Patishaptas" were in our tummy. So, I thought of making them again and this time before they get their exact place I wanted to give them a space in my blog.

I thought Poila Boishak or Bengali New Year will be appropriate to post this recipe. For those who don't know what's a Poila Boishak is then let me throw some light on it: The 1st day of the Bengali New Year is marked as Poila Boishak. It is celebrated in the mid of April on 14th or 15th. On this occasion every Bengali wears new clothes and exchange gifts and sweets with their friends and family. 

The love of Bengalis for sweets is world famous. We can have sweets in breakfast, lunch and can even finish our dinner with it. So, I decided to celebrate this Poila Boishak in a sweet way and there's nothing better than trying a traditional dish. But, I wanted to give this traditional dish a twist. 

Patishaptas are usually prepared in two steps:

• Preparing the filling with coconut, khoa (solidified milk) and sugar
• Preparing the batter with all purpose flour, semolina and sugar

Thin crepes are then made by pouring this batter on non-stick frying pan and then placing the filling in it. You can enjoy this crepes as it is or serve them with Rabri. 

This time I decided to do a fusion of this traditional Bengali dish with a very popular North Indian dish i.e Gajar Ka Halwa. So, let's begin with or recipe:

Chilli Chicken

Chinese Cuisine is extremely popular all over the world but at the same time its taste varies across the geographic regions and India is no different. One reason could be that Chinese restaurants try to modify their dish according to the local place and available ingredients but keeping the basic essence same.

In India too we have our own variety of Chinese cuisine known as Indo-Chinese. The recipe which I'm sharing today is called "Chilli Chicken". You may not find this recipe in the menu card of any authentic Chinese restaurant but Indian restaurants offering Chinese food in or outside India is incomplete without this recipe. Chinese restaurants do have a similar kind of dish known as "Kung-Pao Chicken" which looks somewhat like Chilli Chicken but taste wise it's very different.

We both like Chinese and Thai cuisine a lot that's the reason we would love to have noodles, soup etc for dinner once a week. Yesterday was that day when I made Chilli Chicken and paired it with Egg Chowmein and Tomato Soup. A lazy, rainy night is perfect for Chinese food as it takes very less time for preparation and cooking; making happy "me" and so is my family :) 

We like the dry version of Chilli Chicken from it's gravy counterpart so here I'm posting the recipe of the same. So, let's begin with the recipe: