Kolkata Ghugni Recipe / Kolkata Style Yellow Peas Curry Recipe ~ Just Recipes

At any and every street corner of Kolkata you will find these bright yellow peas curry in a huge deep plate, from which the Ghugni seller will scoop out a ladle full of Ghugni into a paper or leaf, shaped like a bowl and then garnish it with a whole lot of condiments and very skinny noodle shaped lentil fritters known as sev. Honestly what he serves is truly truly lip smacking delicious. But you can make Ghugni at home too for your parties. During Holi, just picking up a bowl of Gugni and digging into it gives a whole lot of satisfaction because Ghugni tastes just so delightful that you just cannot stop at one.

Shorshe Phulkopi / Cauliflower In Mustard Gravy / Sarson Wali Phool Gobi ~ Bengali Style Curry

Shorshe Phulkopi / Cauliflower In Mustard Gravy / Sarson Wali Phool Gobi was on my mind for the longest time, yet somehow I was not making this dish in my kitchen. However a visit to the Oh! Calcutta Restaurant, set the ball rolling. Savouring through the serpentine row of dishes in their Durga Pujo Buffet, I had the most delicious Cauliflower in Mustard Sauce Curry. It did not only set my taste buds on a journey of nostalgia but had everyone from my family heaping praises on the Shorshe Phulkopi on that day.

Khirer Chapa Mishti / Traditional Bengali Style Milk Fudge

I am a huge fan of tradition, rituals which define our festivals, celebrations and food which has been passed down from one generation to another. Although I am at the same time big into neo cuisine, fusion dishes, global cuisine, molecular gastronomy etc. a part of me is always on the lookout for recipes which have been lost in the tides of time, recipes which are slowly disappearing from our kitchen because of our busy lifestyle. This is solely my opinion, that, as we embrace the neo we should not let go of our years and years of culture and tradition. They are what defines us. As we cannot imagine a tree without roots, I feel we too would be rootless without our cultural heritage, which for me is unthinkable.

Dhaka Style Kacchi Chicken Biryani Recipe / A Distinct Type Of Chicken Biryani From Dhaka, Bangladesh

Life those days was overflowing with selfless, unadulterated, Shat pratishat shudh desi ghee (100% pure Desi Clarified Butter) type of Love. Two sets of grandparents, two dozen uncles and aunts from both sides and off course the most wonderful parents were showering their love on me and my sister and cousins my age or couple of years elder or younger. Life was all about going to school, studying, playing outdoors and on holidays reading my story books, reciting poems from my favourite Bengali and English poets, going for a ride on Baba's Lambretta Scooter. These Italian scooters were in Vogue those days. Scooters in general was romanticized and made a dream ride when the debonair Hollywood Legend Gregory Peck rode one in the movie "Roman Holiday". Baba being an ardent Gregory Peck fan, having watched all his movies would ditch his Ambassador car for his Lambretta scooter many a times. 

Sweet Pineapple Chutney Recipe

For Bengalis Chutney is always emotionally yours. Chutney not served or missed during the course of a grand meal, can result in a small heartbreak of the diner. Chutney is an integral part of a Bengali meal and without Chutney being served a Bengali feast remains incomplete. Whenever a meal for guests in a Bengali house is being planned Chutney, Papad, Mishti and Doi(Sweet Yogurt) are a must. Initially it was the tomato chutney which was omnipresent in all the platters and then came Mango, Dates, Mango Leather (Aam Shotto), Kamranga ( Star fruit), Chalta ( Elephant Apple), Pineapple etc. etc. until a brigade of Chutneys was formed and this kept on growing with each passing year. Ah!!! the taste of each of these relishes are still fresh on my taste buds even to this day.

Chironji Ki Dal Recipe / Gluten Free Curry Made With Chironji ~ Navratri Vrat Recipes

Rituals, age old traditions which we bring out from our rich cultural heritage treasure chest, are responsible for all the smiles, happiness and warmth around, when the festivities are in full swing. I have been a keen and inquisitive observer of these ceremonial practices from the time I was a little girl. Some of these customs fascinated me, some of them intrigued me and most of them made me ask the family elders innumerable questions. Yesterday was celebrated as Shashti, the day which heralds the beginning of Durga Puja and Bengalis follow some rituals on that day. These rituals are outlined in our scriptures and are abided accordingly. Kalp~Arambha is the ritual performed before the beginning of Durga Puja. Kalp~Arambha is the ritual of taking a pledge (sankalp) to follow each and very custom and ritual as is mentioned in the books without any deviation whatsoever. 

Bengali Style Beetroot Chutney Recipe / Beetroot Relish In Bengali Style Recipe

Whenever my eyes gaze through the bountiful colours around, which the Creator keeps filling in, on this huge canvas called nature, I wonder what magic and love the Creator combines to be able to paint each and every bit of this vast landscape with exotic colours. I remember watching this Disney movie called Tinker-bell where fluorescent pattern winged fairies are responsible for all the enchantment we see around. Whatever be the reason of their nemesis the hues of nature cannot be matched ever with the manmade artificial colours. The colours of the pink dragonfruit or the minty green from the spear mint leaves, the tangerine hued Oranges, the Gold dusted turmeric, the amber kissed saffron or the ruby red painted beetroot, nothing oh nothing can bring the smile upto my eyes than a hand with tinted fingers, splashed with gorgeousness from these brilliant shades.

Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani Recipe / Calcutta Chicken Biryani Recipe

Kolkata ~ the city of Joy, for me, apart from being the city where my family and extended family have lived for decades, is the city where food and sports are woven into the very fabric of the life of the people. A city which breathes football and cricket, a city where food is a passion and a way to express the rich cultural heritage of this vibrant city. Today let's take a virtual tour through the essence of the most famous and popular dish from here, Calcutta Biryani or Kolkata Style Chicken Biryani.

Kolkata Biryani Masala Recipe / Calcutta Style Biryani Spice Powder Recipe

KOLKATA BIRYANI MASALA holds the complete essence of the much loved Kolkata or Calcutta Style of Biryani. Without this indigenous spice mix you will not be able to achieve that flavour or aroma which is quintessential of Kolkata Biryani. By using the Kolkata Biryani Spice Powder you will get similar results with your Kolkata Biryani in terms of taste and fragrance as that of Kolkata residents, no matter in which country of the world you live. All you have to do is diligently note down the ingredients, which luckily, nowadays are available in an Indian store near you or online, dry roast, hand pound and voila have your own bottle of Kolkata Biryani Masala Powder.

Churmur Recipe / Kolkata Street Food Churmur Chaat Recipe / Indian Street Food

Churmur or Churmur Chaat is a tasty street side snack from Kolkata, India. It has boiled potato as its base and the tongue tapping build up of this snack is done by adding veggies, condiments, fritters, flavoured liquids etc. resulting in a flavour bomb which is sure to delight your senses. There are different ways of making this and every street food vendor selling Churmur has his own touches added to this. What's wonderful about this snack is that you do not have to visit Kolkata to experience that immense flavour burst. You can make it in your home by following my easy step-wise pictorial recipe, given right below. But one thing I must tell you, whenever you visit the City Of Joy, Kolkata do surely stop by at a roadside Phuchka Cart and try Churmur from there.

Bhapa Aloo Recipe / Steamed Potatoes In Mustard Coconut Sauce Recipe ~ Just Recipes

Bhapa is the Bengali word used for steamed. Bhapa Mach or Steamed Fish is a Bengali delicacy which finds its way to many a Bengali Feast Menu. Everytime we had a lunch or dinner gathering at my home, Ma or Thakuma (paternal grandmother) would inevitably dish out these lovely looking green parcels with a large fish fillet doused in a pungent yet aromatic concoction of mustard and coconut sauce infused with mustard oil and green chilli paste. This would not only be polished off the plate in no time but often there would be a demand for more servings of these flavour laden green parcels. Unfortunately my vegetarian friends would always miss out on this ubiquitous Bengali meal offering and would only have to do with the explanation of how these parcels came into being.

Murshidabad Postor Halwa Recipe / Khus Khus Halva Recipe / Poppy Seeds Halva Recipe ~ Rejoicing Two Fulfilling Years Of Blogging

Two years of a fulfilling journey into the culinary world of everything extraordinairé and I am all the more charged up to unravel further and further. This unending enthusiasm of mine to delve extensively into this fascinating world of food seems to be on an upscale even more now. As I sit back, retrospecting, the realisation dawns on me that so much has changed since this voyage began exactly two years from today. I have in my own little way learnt so many facets and things related to food which I would have never known had it not been for this Blog. My Blog propels me to constantly be on the quest for new cuisines, ingredients which I have never heard of before, connects me to the glorious past of countries through their food and also gives me the confidence to try recipes in my kitchen which I perhaps would not have done otherwise. Truly, this culinary adventure of mine has become so fascinating with each passing year.

Bengali Vegetarian Thali ~ A Splash of Unassuming Nuances And Striking Flavours

Bengali Cuisine has the nuances which have been imbibed from a very long and rich history with strong influences from the Mughal style of cooking, the British Babus, whose khansamas (male cook) modified the existent Bengali cuisine to suit their palates. Not only that, the style of cooking dishes, also varied as one passed through the length and breath of Bengal itself. Then there are also many dishes from Bangladesh which was earlier a part of Bengal, India. 

Shorshe Dharosh Recipe | Sarson Wali Bhindi Recipe | Okra in Mustard Gravy Recipe

Shorshe Dharosh or Okra in Mustard Gravy has been my most desired way of cooking and eating okra. I have an immense liking for the Mustard Gravy which is infused with the pungent and strong smelling mustard paste cooked in mustard oil flavoured with nigella seeds, Bengal's indispensable whole spice Kalo Jeera. Another jewel of a dish from my paternal grandmother's treasure trunk of recipes. With this dish I continue my series on Bengali Vegetarian dishes.

Plastic Chutney Recipe | Kachche Papite Ki Chutney Recipe | Bengali Style Raw Papaya Chutney Recipe

Continuing the series on Bengali Vegetarian dishes, I bring to you, dear readers, a tongue tapping side dish called Plastic Chutney. This chutney is made with raw papaya and has a very unique texture . I don't know why this Chutney came to be called Plastic Chutney. I assume it must have been to do with the thinly sliced papaya slices, used in this Chutney and their close resemblance to small pieces of plastic sheets. Even my Ma and aunts think the same. I am yet to come across either a folk lore or any history associated with this nomenclature. If any of you my valued readers know how this chutney came to be called Plastic Chutney please leave me a comment on this post and I will happily include the trivia. 

Posto Narkel Bora Recipe | Khus Khus Aur Nariyal Ke Vade Recipe | Poppy Seeds, Coconut Fritters Recipe

Unlike the common belief that Bengali Cuisine is mostly about non-vegetarian dishes, there is a huge repertoire of Vegetarian dishes too. Many of my friends have asked me about these vegetarian dishes which abound Bengali cuisine and so I deceided to do this post and a series of posts after this one, to take you all, my dear readers into this treasure trove of Bengali Vegetarian fare. There are Blogger friends who are documenting and sharing vegetarian recipes and one such Blogger whom I immensely admire is Soma Saha Ray. Do check out her Blog Curry And Spice by clicking on the title of her Blog here. You will get many vegetarian Bengali dishes there right out of her kitchen and also those dishes which her Mother, Mother-in-law and grandmothers have passed on to her. 

CHANAR /COTTAGE CHEESE KORMA ~ SHUBHO MAHALAYA

PAINTERS IN KUMARTULI, THE PORTER'S QUARTER KOLKATA DRAWING THE THIRD EYE ON THE IDOL OF GODDESS DURGA ON THE DAY OF MAHALAYA(IMAGE SOURCE)

SHIULI FLOWERS/NIGHT FLOWERING JASMINE FLOWERS SYNONYMOUS OF DURGA PUJA

As Indians we celebrate many beautiful festivals which span through different months giving us sweet reasons to adorn new attires, gorge into dishes which leave our taste buds doused in their flavours long after they have completed their journey into our gut and bask in festivities galore. Each festival brings in its own unique attributes, has its own legend and is our pathway to transcend on that blessed journey into our rich culture and heritage.Growing up in India I can't be  more thankful to the fact that I have had the opportunity to seep into the multitudes of diverse traditions which is the base of this gorgeous country. Each festival was celebrated with equal pomp and joy.

CHUM CHUM BENGALI SWEET ~ PINK FOR OCTOBER SERIES

Solitude is something many of us busy bees, seek almost every single day. Wishes for a day when there would be not a single life's mundane and regular whispers around, only sounds of nature, chirping of birds, gushing of the wind, water flowing like a maidens black tresses and such similar sounds, music to the ear. To find my own piece of solitude in this fast paced life, I would pick up this poem Solitary Reaper by William Wordsworth and oft go through it on my way back from work, in the realms of my car trying to bring in some calm and solitude amidst the ever raging traffic outside. As the flowery words would engulf me in their dreamy confines, I would drift away trying to be in the same place as the "Highland Lass" of his poem, the same verdant where "Alone she cuts and binds the grain, And sings a melancholy strain". 

DOODH PULI/SEMOLINA AND COCONUT DUMPLINGS IN THICK MILK - MY PRIZED SOUVENIR OF MOONDROPS

Yum

Childhood, pristine, overloaded with innocence, bereft of malice, couldn't we all remain like that all our life? But sadly no, we change, our thoughts too and the pure heart of a child transforms, giving way to something very different, something unknown to childhood. But that's the way things here are meant to be. Reflecting back, as a child the things which assumed immense significance are now totally mundane.

CHICKEN REZALA - CHICKEN MARRIED WITH THE CREAMIEST GRAVY EVER

CHICKEN REZALA

This dish was made in my family whenever there was a celebration or festivity. This super delicious Chicken is cooked in a white gravy with Curd and a paste of cashew nuts seeds as the main ingredients. A magical spice mix is added to the chicken while marinating which brings out such gorgeous aromatics that I start salivating while the chicken cooks.