Bengali

If you are readding this-How have you  been? I am well, thank you. If you are wondering It’s been a while I have written something on my blog. I try my best to be regular on my Instagram and Facebook page. I do update on …

Vegan January –Veganuary!  The concept has become very popular among many of my friends specially those who are already vegetarians. I will be honest- I struggle to give up fish. Do I not believe eating or being or becoming vegetarian as good concept? I do …

Peace and happiness. These two words! They seem like my lifelong pursuit! No, they have not eluded me. I have just never learnt their meaning the way I do now. I guess age is not just a chronology after all. Age is the experience, the …

Durga Puja has already started in various places in UK. Last Sunday I had a food stall in one of the pujas in Basingstoke. This was my fifth year with them. Somehow over the years I have formed a bond with them which comes alive …

I come and go, isn’t it. Life has not been easy. Well, it is not meant to be easy. But there are times when one needs to let it be-let life shape itself. Sooner or later it settles down and gives us the space we …

My Kolkata visits will almost always have a visit to the temple. No, I am not particularly religious, but my mother is. So is my brother. I rely on them to pray for me. I am sorted from that point of view. However, I do …

I love my fish. And I love my ‘koi Mach’ (Climbing Perch) -atleast my parents like to think that. It is only apt that when I am starting to write my blog again after ‘trillion’ years I start with fish I feel I need to …

It’s pouring in London-perfect time for a cup of masala cha and Singara. Mon ta besh Cha cha korche (Oh I don’t even feel like translating it : I feel tea tea in my mind?!!!! Ha ha. Feel like having tea??!!!!! Well you get the …

Lebu Lonka Murgi or Chicken curry cooked with lime juice and chilli paste is the recipe for today. But before I talk about the recipe, I really needed something out of my chest. It’s been bothering me for some time now.  My three and half …

Cooking Dhakai  kachchi/Kaachi Biryani is a matter of love. It is the true child born out of labour.  The effort of making the biryani pays off when friends and family seating across the dining table cannot stop taking about it. I am extremely passionate about …

  ‘Nolen Gur’ —-the sound of the name is enough to make all Bengalis sentimental. The Date palm jaggery is an intrinsic part of Bengali life and is synonymous to winter in Bengal. Sandesh or the way Bengali’s call it Sondesh- its history dates back …

  I am looking at my laptop screen thinking what is it that I really want to write? All that comes out of me is a long breath. Where do I start?   It’s been three long years since I looked at my blog. And …

Kala Kand is a pan Indian sweet with various versions depending on the state you are eating it. Largely, it is made with milk, cottage cheese, sugar and is usually decorated with Pistachio nuts. Many also make the sweet using milk solid instead of milk. …

I am going through a phase when cooking seems like a real hard work. Well, I did do some cooking in the weekend but the whole idea of clicking snaps and writing recipe seems too much. I just want to eat and sleep and go …

Maushumi, a friend of mine astounded me with her Doi Begun (aubergine with Yoghurt). She grew up in Orissa and shared with us the amazing recipe that belongs to the state. When I saw the picture of her dish, I knew it was something that …

To me, when I think about ‘food’ like a main dish and its color, mostly I think about yellow, red, green, maroon, white as the normal color for food. Any other colors such as blue, pink, purple etc are colors for cake icing or ice …

Ingredients 1.    1-small sized chicken, cut into pieces 2.    2-Onions chopped properly 3.    1-teapsoon garlic paste 4.    1-teaspoon ginger paste 5.    1-teaspoon cumin powder 6.    ½-teaspoon red chili powder or paprika powder 7.    ½-cup yogurt 8.    ½-cup milk 9.    2-green chili, slit length wise 10. …

Ingredients: 8-pieces Aar Mach. Washed and clean ¼-teaspoon kaloo jeera 1-teaspoon red chili powder 1-teaspoon turmeric 1-teaspoon cumin powder 1-teaspoon ginger paste 2-green chili, slit length wise 1-bay leaf Salt to taste 3-tablespoon oil to fry the fish 2-tablespoon to cook Little coriander leaf, sliced …

My mallu friend A’s amma says that this dish is from Kerala. I believe her, as I am no expert on the Kerala cuisine. However, my mother says same dish minus the curry leaves is cooked in many parts of coastal Bangladesh as well as …

Ingredients 300g-Pineapples cut into small pieces ½- teaspoon Panch Phoron ½-teaspoon turmeric 1/4-chili powder 1-dry red chili ½-ginger paste ½-cup sugar 500ml-coconut milk Salt to taste 1-teaspoon oil  Method: 1.    Heat oil in pan 2.    Add panch phoron and dry red chili on the hot …

Sunday lunch special is not a thing of my house. We always had special food- there was always something new on the menu. We always had elaborated meals. Even now, when we are all away from home, my mother would cook a five-course meal. It …

Ingredients:  300g mutton shoulder pieces 2-large onions cut into fine slices 4-cloves of garlic, paste 2-inch ginger, paste 1-teaspoon turmeric 1-teaspoon red chili powder 1-teaspoon cumin seed powder 1-teaspoon coriander seed powder 6-small potatoes, cleaned and skinned 1- Bay leaf 4/5-cardemom 2- Inch cinnamon Salt …

Ingredients 6-pieces of Ilish / Hilsa 3-green chili, slit length wise 2-teaspoon mustard seed (I used black) or use 2 –teaspoon mustard seed powder (read instruction of soaking on the pack before using) 1-teaspoon turmeric powder 1-teaspoon red chili powder (I used Kashmiri chili, as …

Ingredients 5-ripe and sweet tomatoes cut into small pieces ½-teaspoon panch phoron 1-green chili ½-teaspoon grated/paste ginger ¼-teaspoon turmeric powder 5-tablespoon sugar (or as per taste of sweetness) Pinch of Bhaja masala (dry roasted masala dust. See my spice section for details) Salt to taste …