Gulab Jamun Cake......Let's celebrate New Year with some Fusion Food

Hello All, finally I'm back after an ultra long break and managed to get some time and jot down a recipe which is very close to my heart. I'm very fond of fusion dishes and I always find myself experimental with this type of cuisine. Fusion Cuisine doesn't fall under any particular cuisine style and has played a part in innovations of many contemporary restaurant cuisines since 1970's. 

It's really very innovative and at the same time challenging to fuse elements of different culinary traditions into one style of cooking. I usually try to experiment with some traditional dishes and give it a new look and feel. 

This time I tried to experiment with a basic Vanilla cake and Gulab Jamuns. When it comes to cakes you can have zillion of creative ideas. I did it with Gulab Jamuns this time. Yes, a Gulab Jamun Cake....it sounds so Royal, isn't it?

You can make this scrumptious cake with store bought cake and gulab jamuns but I like to do everything from scratch so I made a basic Vanilla cake, mini gulab jamuns, buttercream frosting and finally assembled them.

So, let's get started:

Maggi Biryani

Hello Fellas............ I hope this post finds you in your best state. These days I'm loving to do some experimental cooking in my kitchen and as you all know the outcome of any experiment can be a hit or a miss. But, the zeal of knowing the end result always keeps me motivated to try something new each day.

I'm very fond of fusion dishes and I always find myself experimental with this type of cuisine. Fusion Cuisine doesn't fall under any particular cuisine style and has played a part in the innovations of many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970's. 

It's really very innovative and at the same time challenging to fuse elements of different culinary traditions into one style of cooking. I usually try to experiment with some traditional dishes and give them a new look and feel. I have shared many Fusion Dishes in my blog, if you're someone who loves to try this type of cuisine then I would highly encourage you check them out (click here).

This time I have tried to fuse two of the most lovable dishes of every Indian citizen and i.e. Maggi and Biryani. We all love them, isn't it? then how about combining both of them and trust me the end result is lip-smackingly good. If you're a lover of both of these dishes then you have to try this out.

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

Chilli Idli

            

India is a very diversified country and its diversity can not be seen in art, culture, language but also in food too. The diversity in food can be seen in its look, taste and even in the way it is cooked. One dish can be different in its look, taste and the process of cooking in different parts of our country. That's how diversified our country is and we Indians are definitely proud of it.

Have you ever tried Fusion Dishes? Fusion Cuisine doesn't fall under any particular cuisine style and has played a part in innovations of many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s. It's really very innovative and at the same time challenging to fuse elements of different culinary traditions into one style of cooking. I usually try to experiment with some traditional dishes and give them a new look and feel. 

Today in this post I'm going to blend together two different cuisines which are way apart from one another, one is South Indian cuisine and the other one is Chinese Cuisine/ Ind0-Chinese Cuisine to be very specific. If you love these cuisines then you'll definitely love this recipe.

If you're wondering how to cook Idlis which are soft and fluffy then I have got your back. I have already posted the recipe of Idlis which you can read here (click here). So, let's begin with the recipe:

Kashmili Pulao....A Fusion of Kashmiri and Bengali Cuisine

You might be wondering there's a typo in my recipe name but no there isn't and today's recipe name is "Kashmili Pulao". In India we have lot of diversity in art, culture, literature, religion and this so the food.

Indian food is also diversified not only by taste and look but also how it is cooked. In India each new wave of civilization have brought their own culinary practices. Like Indian culture our food is also influenced by various civilizations and each one of them has their equal contribution in making Indian food at its best and renowned.

India has 29 states and each state has its own culinary practices. Today I'm going to present a very interesting fusion of Kashmiri and Bengali Cuisine. Kashmir aka "Heaven on Earth" forms the crown of India on the other hand Bengal aka "Cultural Capital of India" is located in the eastern part. Kashmiri Cuisine has a strong reflection of flavors from Central Asia. The staple diet of every Kashmiri includes rice which can be found abundantly in the beautiful valley and their main course revolves around  it. Whereas people living in the eastern part of India particularly West Bengal loves to eat fish and rice.

Today I decided to combine two very popular dishes: Kashmiri Yakhni Pulao (a very popular dish of Kashmiri cuisine prepared with rice and meat stock) and Bengali Mishti Pulao (a flavorful, sweet and aromatic rice dish).

I adopted the recipe of Bengali Mishti Pulao from my Mother-In-Law who is one of the finest cooks I know. She can do number of variations in a simple pulao and each time it tastes different. This is my take on her recipe but with a twist.

Idli Burger

Hello Fellas................ I hope everyone is doing fine and staying healthy. In my earlier posts, I have mentioned a series where I'll be sharing some Kids Friendly recipes which are very easy to prepare, and at the same time, kids will love them too. If you have missed those posts then click the recipes name below to get redirected to the recipes:

• Chocolate Truffles
• Fruit Custard
• Veg Pizza
• Veg Spring Rolls
• Chicken Nuggets
• Egg Tawa Burger
• Potato Lollipops

Today's recipe is Idli Burger: one of my son's favorite. Idli is a very common breakfast in most of the Indian households. It's a very healthy and hassle-free breakfast item if you do the prep work beforehand. On the other hand, we all (especially our kids) love Burger, isn't it? Then how about combining both the items? As you all know I'm a huge fan of fusion dishes and love to do experimental cooking. Sometimes the outcome is a huge disaster and sometimes it's a huge success; basically, it is two sides of the same coin. 

So, in this recipe, I have tried to replace the buns in the burger with Rava Idlis. If you want you can go for traditional idlis too. Rava Idlis come handy if you are in a hurry. Just combine the ingredients of Rava Idli, steam them and you're done. If you want the recipe for Rava Idli you can click here (here). So, without any further ado let's begin with the recipe:

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:

Nargisi Kofta Curry

Mughlai Cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in the Indian subcontinent. It's origin can be found back in Mughal empire where exotic dishes were prepared in the royal kitchens. Many of the dishes in Indian cuisine are influenced by their imperial cooking style.

Mughlai food is known for its richness. It is famous for the generous use of ground spices, nuts and dry fruits which make the dish quite spicy and give it a very unique aroma. The rich flavors and the exotic aroma are so tempting that can make any food loving person carve for more. 

The name of the dishes in this cuisine are so alluring that they invite you to try them out at least once. Whether its Biryani, Kofta, Korma, Shorba, Nihari, Haleem or Kebabs we love them all and usually end up licking our fingers. A huge thanks to the Mughal dynasty who introduced us to the special ingredients and techniques used in this form of cooking. 

We both are huge fans of Mughlai Cuisine and that's the reason our Sunday's are incomplete without Biryani and Shorba. I have already posted few recipes from this cuisine; you may check them out:

• Chicken BIryani
• Chicken Shami Kebab
• Kashmili Pulao (A fusion of Kashmiri and Bengali cuisine)

Today I'm again posting a delicacy from this cuisine which is Nargisi Kofta Curry. The term "Nargisi" is derived from the word "Nargis" which refers to "Narcissus"; a winter flower which has a yellow center with white petals around it just like a boiled egg. These koftas are hard boiled eggs coated with minced meat and then cooked in a gravy. When you cut the kofta it resembles the Nargis flower. There are two parts in making this recipe firstly making the koftas and then the sauce. The sauce can be a simple tomato based gravy or a Makhni sauce which enhances the flavors of these koftas. I prefer tomato based gravy over Makhni gravy to keep flavors intact yet adding a subtle richness to the gravy.

So let's start preparing this exotic dish: