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I got introduced to quinoa a couple of years back and have never looked back since then. I have never met a more versatile ingredient. The seeds have taken a permanent place in my pantry and now I know why they have been considered “sacred” by the Incas. Over the [...]
This is another popular Indian recipe. Minced meat is cooked in a spiced and fragrant sauce along with the fresh green peas. Summer holidays are here! I have been waiting for what seems like months for this time of no rush, no alarm clocks, packing lunch boxes and all the other schedules. [...]
Margarita, Beer and Crawfish – by the pool We had a marvelous weekend! We spent a splendid Saturday evening enjoying a traditional Louisiana Crawfish Boil hosted by our friends. My friend grew up in Lousiana and we have been hearing all about it for the past few [...]
Sweet tart unripe mango blends with the fresh mint and the earthy garlic in this salsa. It also speaks everything about the summer time.Summer in indeed upon us, but a very pleasant one so far. The overcast sky, cool drizzles and soft rays of the sun have made it the most [...]
This is a very traditional Bengali recipe – simmered lentils with little bites of coconut, a hint of sweet and redolent of spices. And there is no other way to have a bowlful but with Luchi or Kochuri/Kachori. But that is only with us – the Bengalis. The rest of the world [...]
Mushroom love. With garlic, and balsamic and goat cheese. This one is bubbling with flavors and good as a side or an appetizer. Being the only mushroom lover in the family, I try out new recipes with it when no one is home. And then I have [...]
Yet another Chicken Curry. This time the usual one, but redolent with the aroma of fennel. The tiny fennel seeds waved the wands and transformed an everyday chicken curry to something quite fascinating. As I write this post, the air in my home is still laden with the fragrance. [...]
The bunched spears of asparagus splendidly speak of spring. They are at their best now – tender, fresh and slim. This is a relatively new vegetable for me. I did not “naturally” grow up with it. However, over the [...]
While the term “chutney” is observed upon as a condiment by the rest of the world, it plays a quite different role in Bengali cuisine. Chutney is an essential part of the multi-course Bengali meal. It is not a condiment, and it is not to be paired with meat or cheese. The [...]
Hyacinth beans transports me back to my childhood – of a huge family garden that adorned the front of our home and of the beautiful deep purple pink flowers. They sparked up one corner of our lush green patch. The home that belonged to all of us, where we lived as a “joint [...]
This is insanely good! If you love the aroma of fried garlic and the charred chili peppers you are going to get under the influence of the flavors pretty soon. Forever. The heat, spice and the strong aromas blend in perfectly with the mild noodles. I was making [...]
These little globes of joy are filled with nostalgia and memories that makes every little bite blissful. Narkel Naru in real life is not filled with anything. They are kind of sticky and sweet and brown (when made with gur). They are also a pleasure to sink your teeth in. The smell [...]
Just because spring is here! Calling in everything new and fresh… I need to glorify some days just because they are. Bright, cloudless skies, sun kissed blossoms and the sweet smell of spring – all of them together hatched an awakening inside me. [...]
Coconut is loved, honored and revered in India. I grew up in a land where coconut trees are in abundance. Last time when I visited home, the tall towering trees with green long swaying leaves I viewed from the airplane window immediately started an untold story in my heart; memories flooded back, [...]
This warm and fragrant pot of legume was our weeknight meal; quite flavorful, and also easy to make. Legume is one of the principal foods of the Indian subcontinent. Some kind of it is included in almost every meal. It also belongs to our list of comfort food. One side [...]
Shorshe Murgi is a chicken curry with bold Bengali flavors. Aroma of hot green chili peppers, freshly ground mustard and mustard oil intensely speak of Bengali cuisine and this chicken curry has all of them simmering in the post. Our Spring break is over. It flew by pretty quick [...]
Wasabi reminds me of the so familiar freshly ground mustard paste. Mustard was ground in a aromatic paste with fresh green chili peppers in the Sil Nora, the traditional stone slab that adorned almost every Indian kitchen in India. Some still use that beautiful piece of etched and pocked slab [...]
While the wind howled and screeched outside one day, whistling into our home through the fireplace and window panes, we stayed home munching on these crispy, golden Vadas. The winter is in no hurry to leave. I am still wrapping my coat around me and trying to snuggle [...]
One big bag of home grown oranges waited by our front door. I opened up the bag and squealed in delight. We are blessed to have a wonderful friend who showers us with fresh homegrown fruits and vegetables. When we got back home, there was a message to [...]
Indo-Chinese. A cuisine that makes me go weak in my knees. Visions of oodles of noodles getting tossed with vegetables in the huge woks in make shift stoves on the street sides makes my tummy rumble. I can see a winding string of hungry people lined around the stall. Handwritten menu on [...]
Of all the infinite ways that Dal is cooked in India, this happens to be just another one; hearty and laden with the warm, distinct aroma of garlic. Quite popular, mostly in the northern regions of India, the flavors here are deep and rich. Lehsnui means flavored with garlic and [...]
When you are in mood for noshing, consider slathering this nutty and lemony spread over a good, rustic bread. Rye bread, sourdough bread – any kind will do. This is my favorite way to snack. I do not watch Super Bowl. I do not understand the game [...]
It was gratifying to soak up a wine infused sauce with a loaf of crusty bread. As I have stretched my adventure with fish a tiny bit longer, I have started enjoying salmon. Being born in a state where fish is synonymous to life, one would expect that I [...]
The flavors of fresh fenugreek leaves/methi are quite unusual; a bit pungent, slightly bitter in taste, but they will add some Oooomp! to a dish right away. During the summer months last year, I had both eggplants and fresh Methi in abundance. Methi/fresh Fenugreek is very easy to grow. [...]
A fun side dish, with a fabulous, spicy kick and cooked with only three ingredients in less than fifteen minutes. I wish all recipes were this way. Sriracha. There is nothing we do not love about Sriracha. We were introduced to this truly versatile sauce more than a decade back [...]
Piping hot semolina with tender medley of vegetables and some spicy chutney is the way to break that fast on a cold and frosty morning. The simple sustains. We cook this so many times that we do not think before we cook, or pay attention. It gets done like a routine while [...]
Happy New Year dear friends!! I hope all of you have had a good start and wishing you that you have a calm and peaceful year ahead. So we have stepped into another year – crisp, fresh and new and my prayers are that we can all make the best of [...]
Spicy, tangy and with unique taste and flavors, this is lip smacking good, and comes with immense possibilities of much more than just a side dish. Will that lure you to making this for yourself ? At least once? I have to say that the Bengalis are obsessed [...]
Holiday season is upon us, and that means indulgence is beckoning. Time to succumb. One word for it – Dessert! Creamy, and loaded with tiny bites of dates, cranberries and almonds, this fudge is my ticket to the train. This is one of those desserts which come together easily [...]
This recipe is built on the basics spices that make the north Indian pickles. The eggplants are not pickled; they are cooked in a very distinctly aromatic sauce – bold, and finger licking good. I had posted the Achari Murgh quite some time back and a many of you tried it [...]
The holiday season has arrived. Again; a season which compels one to bake, indulge and play with the warm aroma of the spices. We use spices every day. That is right. So how is today so different? Dark, rich desserts, empowered with some heat of the spices is the essence of the winter, of the [...]
This recipe is a celebration of autumn, of festivities and traditions. Since I am always sailing the ship of nostalgia, trying to look back and finding some fine line that connects me to the past, the Ratatouille always reminds me of one comforting recipe of home. Chorchori or even [...]
The light crunch and the nutty but delicate flavor of the toasted pine nuts enhances this simply sauteed chard. Just a little sprinkle of the nuts is all that it needs to tie together the taste of the earthy greens with the hint of smoky cumin and charred pepper. Sauteed greens [...]
Here is a quick stir fried dish; a week-night kind of recipe. The dish gently reminds me of our favorite Chilli Chicken, the king of the Indo-Chinese cuisine. However it is a little less elaborate, lacking the subtle crunchy coating of the chicken and also the fresh flavors of the abundant green [...]
Roshogolla/Rasgulla needs to no introduction. I am sure most Indians are familiar with these lyrical, spongy balls of homemade cheese, simmered in and drunk with light sugar syrup. The story of the eastern regions of India is quite incomplete without this quintessential dessert and anyone can tune in to the “Ro-sho-gol-la“ quite melodiously. How many of yo
My beautiful cousin sister is no more with us. For some strange reason God decided to take her away yesterday. Having no siblings of my own, she had always been my big sister, from tucking me to bed when we were together to sharing giggles and goofs and every moment of our life [...]
We Indians love food that beat with rhythm on our taste buds. Achar or pickle plays a crucial role in Indian cuisine. All Indian achar are invigorating; sharp, uplifting and stimulates the senses with a burst of flavor. They come in varieties, filled with inexplicable aromatic blend of flavors and are truly therapeutic. I miss [...]
Gobi Makhani or Gobi Butter Masala is another of the popular “Makhani or Butter Masala” recipes. Any “Makhani” dish speaks eloquently of the magnificence of the Indian cuisine. They all have a stately aura around them. In today’s recipe, the cauliflower florets are cooked in a fragrant and silky sauce draped with cream. There are some recipes I [...]
The chilled soup is perfect for entertaining, incredibly refreshing and quite simple to make. I have a feeling that we have left the gnarling sun and the summer heat behind us. The shrivelled up grass has finally started to look green and when they are bathed in the morning sun, they are [...]
What I have today is a recipe inspired by the memory of my aunt – a skillet roasted chicken, stuffed with fried onions and made rich with lovely caramelized hue and flavors. There is nostalgia, fun times and also a bucket full of somberness all nestled together. All these feelings are each a component [...]
Are you familiar with Ivy gourds? I know it is quite common in India and probably in a lot of other Asian countries and it goes by many names. I was quite young when my first encounter happened with this vegetable. It was one of those trips to the [...]
The sound of Bhapa Chingri breathes music in the hearts of Bengalis. This is a quintessential dish, made with mix of mustard, and poppy seed paste, slender hot chili peppers, a generous drizzle of mustard oil and for me there is also a bit of nostalgia. Steaming is an honored way to cook [...]
A tiny bite of our trip to Colorado during the summer was in Aspen. We immediately fell in love with this quaint, charming little town. A place with soaring heights and Food & Wine, Aspens – rows and rows of elegant trees. Other than [...]
Here we are at the tail end of summer and preparing ourselves to gradually make the transition to cooler weather and different lines of colors on the shelves. This is an Apple Pie, spiced a little differently than the classic warm flavors of fall. Before I start writing any more, I [...]
No summer is complete without the fruity frozen pops. Today we have a refreshing twist to the classic Peaches and Cream. Besides making the fun summer treats for the kids, they make memories; memories of summer vacations, of afternoons that are too hot to go out and play. Going [...]
The Egg Drop Soup happens to be one of basic and most comforting of all soups. There is something innately satisfying in that bowl of silky broth and it soothes the body and spirit. The soup is light enough to open up your appetite for a bigger meal ahead. At the same time, so much more [...]
I have my home and my hands perfumed with basil. I have savored every moment of growing it, nurturing, harvesting and cooking with it. There is nothing more satisfying than having pasta tossed with the inexplicably fragrant and sweet fresh basil pesto. Little bites of pine nuts, slightly charred tomatoes and the [...]
Would you like a tall glass of sweet, muddled berries, all fresh, minty and carbonated, on a summer afternoon? If you want yours spiked, we have that too. The calendar might say it is the last few days of summer and the dark and the cold is creeping [...]
I am sure all of you are having your share of the summer, well at least in some parts of the world. I have a recipe for you which would be right for any hot and sweltering day. Raita (rayta) is an Indian salad/side dish made with creamy yogurt and any [...]
Biting into hot steamy Momos, with a lipsmacking, spicy chutney, in the lap of the majestic mountains are the stuffs dreams are made of. Momos are dumplings native to Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Himalayan states of India. My love affair with the Momos began when I was already having an affair with Darjeeling and the regal [...]
