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.

Murg Makhani/ Butter Chicken

Murg Makhani or Butter Chicken is one of our favorite dishes when it comes to Chicken preparations and we always find ourselves ordering this dish whenever we go out for dinner in a restaurant. We both are huge fan of Makhani recipes whether it's:

• Paneer Butter Masala
• Daal Makhani
• Malai Kofta

we just love all of them, actually you can never go wrong with these dishes. 

The origin of this recipe is from a restaurant named "Moti Mahal" in Delhi where the leftover Tandoori Chicken pieces is cooked in a rich, buttery, creamy tomato based curry.

I'm so much addicted to this Makhani gravy that these days the above mentioned dishes are getting place on my dinning table very frequently. Moreover, if you have this Makhani gravy handy then you can come out with so many options either veg or non-veg which is very helpful when all of sudden some guests arrives at your place.

Let's start cooking:

Chingri Malaikari/ Shrimp Malaikari.......A Signature Bong Delicacy

Fish and rice is every bengali's comfort food. Ilish, Chingri, Rui, Katla, Koi, Tangra, Pabda, Bhetki and the list goes on and on and on.........We love every variety of fish but amongst all Ilish (Hilsa) and Chingri (Shrimp/Prawn) are our all time favorites.

Since I had been raised outside Bengal we were not privileged to relish some of the very common varieties of fish. We use to get only Rui, Katla, Koi and sometimes Chingri. But whatever variety we would find my Mom always came out with finger licking delicacies. 

Chingri Macher Malaikari is one of the signature dishes of Bengali Cuisine. Every Bong family prepares this delicacy on special occasions. I had seen my Mom preparing this scrumptious delicacy with lot of patience and hard work, she used to delicately clean and devein the shrimp first, then grate the coconut and extract the coconut milk out of it...OMG!!!! Thanks to the supermarkets as we can easily find both the things readily available on the shelves and making this succulent recipe with the blink of an eye.

I have made this Malaikari using head on Shrimps as they add another dimension to this dish. If you want you can use headless Shrimps too. Coconut milk is the key ingredient of this dish. I have used grated coconut along with coconut milk you can use canned coconut milk or make it at home by scraping and soaking the coconut in hot water and then make a fine paste (add a little bit of milk if required). Strain it, your coconut milk is ready to use.

Let's start with the recipe:

Soya Chunks Fried Rice

I just love one pot meals as they are fuss free and requires minimal time for cooking. They just serve the best meals for those lazy lunches and dinners when you really want to take a day off from your kitchen. Yesterday was somewhat similar when I didn't want to enter my kitchen . 

We were out of town for a day to attend our friend's reception. I was very much tired and didn't want to make a 3 course meal for our lunch. As I was gazing through my pantry, a pack of Soya chunks caught my attention and suddenly this recipe struck into my mind. I call it 'Soya Chunks Fried Rice'.

This recipe is very close to my heart as this is my Mom's recipe. She would pack this fried rice in my lunchbox when I was a kid. With no surprise she would know that I will finish all my lunch with no leftovers at all; other days I used to make excuses. This one was my one of the favorites since my childhood. I know every Mom is familiar of those excuses from their kiddos.

As we all know Soyabean chunks has lots of nutritional values and they are well known as a meat substitute. Its extremely rich in protein. So, here's a recipe which is not only nutritious but also easy to make. You can add veggies of your choice (bell peppers, french beans, corns, carrots etc). But I like it this way.

So, let's start with the recipe: