This year went by at a lightning speed. There were some good news and some bad ones, lot of uncertainties and several times, we even questioned our luck. The weekends always felt brief, the festive seasons flew by and believe it or not, it was only a few days back when I realized that we reached at the end of the year. It was one of the busiest years! It was also the year when we got to spend more time with our family than we ever did....
Dhone pata are cilantro leaves and fritters are called bora. Coming from my Bengali roots, deep-fried fritters should flow in my veins! Bengalis love anything deep-fried, be it for breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner. If you ever visit a Bengali family for an everyday meal, you are assured to find at least one variety of fritters on the menu. It’s classically served with steamed rice and daal or steamed rice and ghee (clarified butter)....
What is Egg Tadka or Egg Torka Egg Tadka or Torka is a wholesome meal that you can even enjoy vegetarian by skipping the egg. It is a very famous street food in Kolkata. This dhaba style rich lentil-based dish is hearty and comforting! The variety of lentils/beans that are added in Egg Tadka/Torka Green Mung Beans are a must which is sometime mixed with split Black Gram (Urad Daal) or Chana Daal....
The recipe should have simultaneously appeared here long time back but my tiny brain totally forgot about it! The other day, I was clearing some unwanted files from the laptop, these photos caught my attention and that’s when I remembered. The green chickpeas that I used were dried and required to be soaked overnight. Once that is done, it takes hardly any time to prepare the salad. I prefer to make it in advance and letting it rest for a while as it helps the flavors to blend nicely with the raw vegetables....
What is Lau Er Khosha Bhaja? Lau refers to bottle gourd, khosha refers to the peel and bhaja refers to stur fry in this case. For the past several years since I left home, I have used bottle guard so many times in several different dishes. But I never used those peels. In the process of learning to cook, I forgot some of these simple dishes that I grew up eating....
When you talk of Indian Restaurants, there are a few dishes that will always pop in your mind – Paneer Tikka Masala, Paneer Makhni, Paneer Butter Masala and also the same dishes, but with chicken. What makes these dishes so alluring and lip smacking? It’s the aromatic tomato sauce/gravy. If you get that right, you can make these dishes effortlessly at home. Here is a detailed recipe of Makhni Sauce that I had shared earlier....
Last weekend, we saw these gorgeous scallops in our local market, they were shinning white. There was no way I could have ignored it and immediately bought a pound. I had no clue what I was making with it but few ideas were constantly running through my mind. I bored Arvind a lot with my ideas and to shut me up, he finally added some of his own and we came up with this simple dish, which was sweet, spicy and delicious....
What is Turkish Eggs? Turkish Eggs, also known as Cilbir is a tasty Turkish breakfast. It is flavorful thick yogurt topped with poached eggs and then drizzled with butter concoction. It is always paired with crusty bread. While I love the authentic version, this Indian twist Turkish egg is my absolute favorite. I love the texture of sizzling mustard seeds and crispy curry leaves with the smooth creamy yogurt. The charred tomatoes are optional but it sure does add a pop of color....
What is Aloo Peyajkoli Bhaja ? Literary translating to Potato Scallion Stir fry, this side dish is a childhood fav! The sweetness of scallion with the creamy, comforting potatoes, is such a full proof flavor combo. The dish is so simple and easy! Typically, this dish is prepared with Chives, which is a winter specialty back in India. My Mom would make this dish with Chives, which we refer to as Peyajkoli....
The weather has been playing a game with us. With all the unpredictable rain and cold winds, spring didn’t feel like spring at all. The weather man from the news channel would always warn us for more rain and I would look up at the sky hoping to see the clouds go away. For the last few weeks, it started to get a little warm and I was loving it....
Chainsoo Dal traces its origins to the mountainous regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in northern India, where it has been a staple for generations. I learned about this dish only few months back from social media. It instantly caught my attention, not because it looked utterly delicious, but it sounded very interesting. So I gave it a go and from that day I made it multiple number of times, and it’s become our absolute fav comfort food with rice....
What is Chicken Tikka Masala? There is something about the richness and aroma of the Chicken tikka masala with those tender boneless grilled chicken that makes it a favorite. With naan or rice, it’s a meal that everyone remembers and craves for more. How to make BEST Chicken Tikka Masala ? I can quite proudly say that is the best Chicken Tikka Masala recipe, and you must try. Tender juicy grilled chicken bitesCreamy aromatic tomato based gravy...
I used to tell my Mom that being a house wife is going to be pretty simple and it may be boring at times. But, I was so so wrong! It’s like a full time job.. How many of you are with me on this ? But, I am loving every second of this job.. It’s one job where I am my own Boss 😉 Wonder what hubby will say once he reads this 😛...
Fish is one of my favorite non-vegetarian dish. I like them fried, smoked, grilled, in curry, without curry, you got the message! 😀 So, why did I jump from warm weather to cocktail to fish ? Because, today I am sharing with you a spicy fish fry which goes perfectly with cocktails or even without cocktails! This dish is not entirely my idea. My very good friend Deepa shared her fish fry recipe with me and I gave my own twist to it....
Salted Caramel I love everything Salted Caramel, be it on popcorn, drizzled on a cake or ice cream. A little drizzle of this golden liquid can transform the taste of any dessert to a whole new level. There are endless ways to use salted caramel and once you get the hang of making it at home, you will never shift back to the store-bought version. Just make sure you read these keynotes if you are trying to make Salted Caramel for the first time!...
Indian Curry Paste The base of a typical Indian curry is a mix of onion, ginger, garlic and tomato with several different spices. Of course, depending on the type of dish that you are making, you could add other flavoring components while preparing the curry. The preparation of Indian curry does require some amount of time and unless you are used to making Indian curries on a regular basis, you might find it daunting....
My little one, Avyan, loves Indian sweets more than cakes or doughnuts. His current favorite is Jalebi and Kaju Katli. Kaju Barfi/Kaju Katli is a classic Indian sweet. It never gets old and people never get bored of it. It is either prepared or bought in boatload for any Indian festive occasion or special occurrence. What key ingredients are needed for Kaju Katli? CashewSugarGhee (Clarified Butter) Flavor choice: Cardamom PowderSaffron ThreadRose Water...
Traditionally, this eggless popsicle or creamsicle need hours of simmering whole milk turning it into a thick cream. It is sometimes sweetened with sugar and sometimes with jaggery. This slow cooking brings out a rich sweet flavor. But these days, we don’t have that much time. We look for shortcut methods without cutting down on the flavor. There are various different ways to do that and this version that I am sharing is equally fuss free and quick....
Pune’s famous Mango Mastani If you are in Pune, then you must try the Pune’s famous Mango Mastani! You prepare Mango Mastani with fresh mango and vanilla ice cream. It is flavored with cardamom, assorted nuts and then topped with another scoop of ice cream. It is such a delicious, rich and luscious drink that you cannot stop at just one glass. Ingredients for Mango Mastani It’s a simple and quick Mango Drink that requires just 5 simple ingredients:...
My husband loves white button mushroom and I try to incorporate it in different ways in our daily menu. This Mushroom Masala sabzi is not super rich. It’s rather light but packed with all the earthy aroma of spices. The mushroom cooks really fast, which makes this dish perfect for busy days. You can also use assorted varieties of mushroom instead of just button mushrooms. Ingredients you need for this Mushroom Masala White Button Mushroom - You can use different variety of mushroom too instead of just white button mushroom....
