What is Potol Bhaja? Potol is Pointed Gourd and a very famous summer vegetable in Kolkata. It is sometime the star of the dish and sometimes plays a side role, with a few other veggies. It is called Parwal in Hindi Out here in the US, I don’t find Potol that frequently. Also, these are never as big as the ones I ate growing up back in India. But something is better than nothing, right!...
I couldn’t have showed up on Valentine’s Day without some chocolaty pleasure. The combination of chocolate and raspberry, it’s absolutely divine in my opinion. I have paired these two several times before and it’s always a tasty indulgence. This time, I made the brownies especially for my little fella and his classmates. They have the Valentine’s Day celebration in school. I wish I could attend too! Can you imagine, how much cuteness overload it will get with all the little kids singing, “Happy Valentines Day”!...
I also feel extremely blessed to make few such friends here in California, friends I can count on for life. Vijitha, author of the blog Spices and Aroma, is one such friend. I call her Vijji (yeah with a double ‘j’), that’s just me! We like to tease each other, pull each other’s leg, crack silly jokes and when we meet, we yap non-stop for hours with subjects that swing from food to blogging to shopping to life and back to food....
As the name says, it is fresh cranberries that are coated with sugar. The steps are super simple, and anyone can make it. All you need is sugar, water and fresh cranberries What flavors works well with Sugared Cranberries I like to add orange for the refreshing flavor. But fresh rosemary or thyme is amazing too, and it adds a subtle floral note. A grown-up version would be to add a little bit of chili powder for that subtle heat....
Birthday Cake is a big deal in our house and for several years now, we have been baking each other’s cake. For a long time, I didn’t bake white chocolate cake. This year I had to try it once again and I’m super glad to find a recipe which I am going to bake on repeat. My husband is a big fan of white chocolate and so on special occasions like his birthday I try to incorporate white chocolate in dessert or cake....
You get the crisps for the butter breadcrumbs mixture and the softness of the persimmon. It’s a mouthful delicious treat that barely takes any effort at all. One of my friends has a gorgeous persimmon tree in the backyard and she gave me a basketful of gorgeous persimmon. I had shared this recipe of Baked Persimmon Crisp way back in 2012 around the same time, when another friend of mine had shared a bagful from her backyard....
What is Bharwa Shimla Mirch? Bharwa means stuffed and Shimla Mirch are bell peppers! Bharwa Shimla Mirch has various versions. You can fill it with grains, beans, meat, sauces but the most common filling used in Indian cuisine is spiced potato mash. Sometimes, grated paneer is also added to pack it with protein. This stuffed bell pepper is a great dish to use your creativity and make it as per your taste buds....
These tiny chocolate delights are loved by everybody. It makes a perfect addition to your holiday treat spread or add in your Christmas gift box. Chocolate truffles last for long when kept in the refrigerator, so make a bit batch and enjoy any time. Chocolate Truffles Homemade Chocolate Truffles are an indulgent chocolate treat that you can make your own way by adding the flavors you like. It may sound fancy, but it’s really so simple to make and technically will call for just 2 KEY INGREDIENTS....
My son enjoys Idli only with Idli podi, which is why I make it at home, since the store bought ones are usually a little too spicy. This spice powder/podi can be used in dosa, uttapam and different kind of savory pancake. It tastes good even with rice and ghee. I even sprinkle on Pesarattu. It is very easy to make and takes only 10 minutes to prepare. Try this easy instant rava idli and make sure to make some pipping hot mixed vegetable sambar....
Although Chivda is prepared with roasted poha, it doesn’t have any strict recipe rule. You can add all sorts of assorted crunchy bites to make it as per your liking. It is one of the most popular Diwali Party Food. Ingredient Notes: Poha (Flattened Rice) – Use the thin or medium thin textured poha. Avoid using the thick variety. Rice Krispies or Puffed rice – Both rice krispies and puffed rice works excellent in this snack mix....
After a while, it started to smell perfumy and buttery. Sigh! I peeked as the pies puffed up a little and the top turned into golden brown. Gorgeous!! Waiting for it to cool down, was not easy either. Finally I lifted the first mini pie and almost screamed with happiness. It came out neat and the Kitchen Aid mini pie pan added a beautiful design at the bottom. Next time, I have to work towards adding some design on the top of the crust too!...
In our house, when bread gets old, we often prepare a quick stir-fried dish with chunks of bread, onion, tomato and few warm spices. We call it bread kachumbar, a dish I am yet to share out here. Panzanella Salad is something that I tried for the first time and I am seriously hooked. It’s easy to make and I absolute loved the entire flavor blend that went in....
What is Savory Yogurt Bowl I love any kind of yogurt based dish, especially during peak summer days. Jammy eggs with tomatoes on thick Greek yogurt is one of my go-to busy or lazy day meal. Here is the link to the recipe of Turkish Eggs with my little twist, if you want to try - Turkish Eggs with Mustard and Curry Leaves Currently, our refrigerator is crowded with zucchini from our garden and lots of pretty orange and red cherry tomatoes, also from our garden....
Every time I shared a story in Instagram about soya chunks, I received quite a few messages asking about soya chunks and requesting to share a recipe. So, here is a very easy dish that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. If you are using the curry paste, it further reduces the preparation time. In case you missed my curry paste recipe, here is a link. This curry paste is such a time saver, especially on busy days....
What is Chanar Sondesh / Chenar Sondesh? Chena or Chana (as we call it in Bengali) is fresh, unripened cheese. You will prepare it by curdling milk with something acidic, like lemon juice or white vinegar. It is used widely in India to prepare different varieties of sweets. Chanar Sondesh is a variety of individual sized sweet fudge prepared with fresh Chena or Chana in different shapes and form. It’s very popular on Kolkata....
Chocolate Hazelnut Friands with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting by Sonali Hello there! I’m Sonali from Sugar et al. This is the first time I am guest posting for someone in the 5 years I have blogged so you can imagine how I excited I am to be here. I’ve admired Kankana’s stunning and drool-worthy photography for as long as I can remember in foodie world. So when she asked me, I was like ‘Hell yes, I will!...
Custard Yogurt Toast This Custard Yogurt Toast has been trending in TikTok for a few months now, and after my first bite, I realized why it had become a favorite breakfast toast. It takes 10 minutes to prepare the toast. I make it in Air Fryer, but it can be done in oven too. And it doesn’t taste egg-y at all, as I know some may wonder about that! The Custard Yogurt Toast is not super sweet, but it is mildly sweet from the addition of maple syrup....
Most of these days, I make my usual spicy egg curry but occasionally, I like to take an altered path. Dim Shorshe, dim meaning egg and shorshe meaning mustard seeds is a creamy mustard egg curry that comes from Bengali cuisine, where both yellow mustard and poppy seeds are quite favored. The spicy pungent taste from yellow mustard with creamy poppy seeds makes a lovely blend and it goes quite well not just with seafood or veggies but also eggs....
I still remember those simple days when potato chips were just potato chips. Well, now it’s all about the flavor. Garam Masala is a common Indian spice blend. These days, it’s quite easily available in any store. You could also make it at home. However, if you are looking for a substitute, you could use allspice. Although the flavor won’t match exactly, it is closest that I could think of!...
What is Garlic Confit? Confit (pronounced “kon-FEE”) is referred to any dish that is slow cooked in low heat for long time either in oil or sugar water. It is derived from the French word confire which means to preserve. Slow cooking in low heat cooks the garlic to golden soft nuggets that gets nutty aroma and spread easily like butter. It is so flavorful and even if you don’t enjoy the flavor of raw garlic, you might actually love the flavor of Garlic Confit....
