POHA / ATUKULU / AVAL RASMALAI / BEATEN RICE DESSERT

This dessert is my ode to my MUM-In_law. In fact I owe everything I make during the festival of Ugadi to her. She makes porridge with beaten rice which is delicious to the hilt. I wanted to give it my touch with a beaten Rice Rasmalai. All I can say, if you try making this dessert, it cooks up in a jiffy and the end dish is completely a party for your taste buds.

Kashmiri Phirni Recipe ~ Diwali Sweet / Happy Diwali

In her finery she bent down while placing the oil filled earthen curved palm shaped lamps with a cotton wick running right through their center. As she moved from one place to another with a tray filled with Diyas or earthen lamps, her anklets made the sweetest tinkling sound. I simply could not take my eyes off her as she struck a match stick & started to light the Diyas. In the flame of the lit Diyas her face was covered with a golden hue, her gold ornaments dazzled & she looked just like a divine creature who had transcended on earth to grace the special day. It was Diwali eve & the lady in question was Netra Pandita Aunty, who lived in the garden encircled bungalow down the road. I was a starry eyed teenager those days who was completely blown away by her grace, poise & beauty. As I followed her with my eyes she glided across the room like a princess who wore shoes made of flowers. She returned a few minutes later with garlands of orange & yellow marigold flowers & started tying them up in different places of the room. By the time she finished her decorations that room looked sun kissed with the abundance of Diyas & marigolds.

Zauq E Shahi Recipe / Mini Gulab Jamun In Rabri / Fried Khoya ( Milk Solid ) Balls In Very Thick Milk

Zauk E Shahi translates to Royal Taste. This dessert from the Awadhi Cuisine treasure trove combines the very popular Gulab Jamun with the quintessential Rabri. While trying to trace the history of the Gulab Jamun, I came across this very interesting story of it's nemesis. I am not sure whether this is a folklore or there is some truth in it. Nonetheless since I was fascinated with the story, I had to share it with you my wonderful readers. 

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.

Baked Malai Sandesh Recipe / Baked Sweet Cottage Cheese In Thickened Milk ~ Shubho Mahalaya

I wake up with a jolt and a pounding heart and strain my eyes to look through the dark room. Collecting my self and my thoughts I wonder what woke me up so early. I pick up my mobile and see the time. It's 3 a.m. in Dubai. My eyes fall on the missed call and I scroll down to see that Ma had called. In a flash everything comes back and my eyes light up with a broad smile. I take a deep breath and try to imagine the intoxicating aroma of the pristine white Shiuli Phool (Night Flowering Jasmine). Then I tip toe out of the room, walk downstairs and open the door. As I step out neither can I feel the nip in the air, nor can I see the dancing kash phool (Kans grass native to India) in the far horizon. It's still far from being cold and in the light of my house I can see only Palm trees. Sigh!! I am in Dubai and not in Kolkata, where my heart is. Today is Mahalaya, a very special day for Bengalis. I sit in my garden and call Ma. All she says is "Shon" (listen) and then the most familiar voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra buzzes into my ears, as my eyes swell up with tears.

Raspberry Bhapa Doi Recipe / Raspberry Steamed Yogurt (Bengali Style)

Stories are a powerful tool to weave dreams, reality, imagination, sometimes unreal, fictitious things through a web of beautiful words and then enclose them inside illustrated pages of intrigue with the potentially of picking you up gently and placing you down on those wings which then fly you into a world created by the storyteller. I may have been a year and a half old, barely capable of lifting my little self and perching myself up on the bed surrounded by fluffy pillows on all sides to break my fall in case I happened to get a wee bit adventurous. Baba would place in front of me colorful story books whose three dimensional pages would stand up before my twinkling eyes, wide with anticipation. I am told that I would sit for hours looking at them, amidst adorable sounds of cooing, gurgling, babbling, just too happy to be amongst those imaginary characters popping out of my story books.

Pista Gulkand Laddu Recipe / Dairy Free, No Cook, Pistachio & Rose Petals Sweet Preserve Bites / Vegan Pistachio & Rose Petals Preserve Sweets Recipe

I have been in a race with the Sun for many years now. That I rarely win the race is another thing. The Sun manages to beat me on most days, cause by the time I am waking up and stretching my lazy bones, he is outside my window winking at me and teasing me that while he has been up and shining, I am still struggling to wiggle myself out of those feather soft sheets. That feeling of just a few minutes more and then I will be "as fresh as a daisy", has neither ceased nor diminished from my school going days till now. Back then I used to think that feeling like this was exclusively for children, as I would always find an ear to ear smiling Mother with no traces of any "I want to sleep a little more" on her face, nudging me up awake every morning. I would think then that in mothers maybe that state of mind is non-existent, but nothing like that happened with me after I donned the role of a mother. I still struggle, every single day to tear my head away from those clouds of softness, waiting keenly for the weekends, when I thankfully don't have to race with the Sun.

Pesarapappu Timmanam Recipe / Andhra Style Moong Dal Phirni Recipe / Husked Split Mung Beans And Coconut Pudding Recipe

Eons ago when a lady looking like an Indian Goddess from my childhood mythological books, resplendent in a fuchsia coloured Kanjeevaram saree, with her tresses adorning jasmine flowers stringed together, had taken my hand and welcomed me into an abode which she had for years nurtured with love, care, discipline, traditions and deep rooted values, little did I realise that one day she would become my biggest strength and I would emulate her in all aspects of my life. As a coy demure bride, seeped in apprehensions, with a fluttering heart, I had held her hand as she led me one step at a time into her world, a world which she had created brick by brick through rain and sunshine, filled it with smiles, a world where love was genuine, selfless, a world which would become my refuge of comfort and solace for my entire life.

Atukula Payasam Recipe / Ugadi Recipes / Poha Kheer Recipe / Flattened Rice Pudding Recipe ~ Ugadi Special

UGADI SHUBHAKANKSHALU, HAPPY UGADI, HAPPY GUDI PADWA ~

Dear friends and my valuable readers, wishing all of you who are celebrating the advent of New Beginnings today, loads of Success, Smiles, Good Health And Life's Finest, always for you. This is my final post in the Ugadi Special celebrations series for 2016. As we dawn our fineries and head out to pray and wish others, I am enveloped with gratitude and hope. Truly thankful for all the blessings, love and support I have received from all quarters. Very Hopeful that the New Year will bring with it loads of peace and shower my life and that of my loved ones and every person who has touched my life in some way or the other, with Good And Happy things. Both me and Mum-in-law have been up at the crack of dawn, to give final touches to all the things which will be included in today's celebrations and prayers. Also, we have got most of the food ready, so that right after the completion of rituals, we can head to the scrumptious spread of my mum-in-law's fares and some of mine too.

Raw Mango Halwa Recipe / Ugadi Recipes / Kachche Aam Ka Halwa Recipe ~ Ugadi Special

Ugadi or the Telugu New Year is on the 8th of April and the hustle bustle in my home is quite palpable. I am so glad that little D is learning about the diverse cultures that she belongs to with her parents hailing from different parts of India. Little D gets to enjoy and celebrate so many different festivals and she is lucky that her grand~mum enriches her with all the legends behind the various celebrations and rituals. I can see that her tiny fingers still have faint traces of the colours of Holi, which she joyfully celebrated only a few days back and here she is again getting ready to revel in the festive spirit of Ugadi. This weekend she will go shopping for new dresses, ornaments and many other things with her grandparents as we all will get ready to welcome the New Year with great pomp and joy.

Shahi Tukra & Moong Dal Halwa Canapés Recipe / Holi Recipes ~ Holi Hai !!

Happy Holi to all my dear friends and precious readers. Whether you are celebrating the festival of colours or not, I will wish you joy and smiles on this day and everyday of your life. We are having a Holi Party tonight after all the fun and frolic with colours throughout the day today. Before all the fun begins and I am sprayed with colours all over, I decided to finish all the dishes for tonight's Holi Dinner party. So I woke up this morning even before the sun and finished all the preparations and most of the cooking for the party. I just left the Appetizers ready to be just grilled and served. Since this is a party of very close friends and family only and not a very big gathering, I decided to cook everything myself and not hire a professional chef or maharaj, which I would have done for a larger gathering.

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. 

Chironji Makhane Kheer With Mixed Nuts Chikki / Chiraunji Fox Nuts Milk Pudding With Nutty Caramel Discs ~ Celebrating Lohri

HAPPY LOHRI to all my readers,dear friends and everyone celebrating the festivities of Lohri. Today Lohri is being celebrated in India especially in Punjab with pomp and show. LOHRI is an Indian Festival celebrated to mark the end of winter, when people can come out of their homes and celebrate the harvesting of the Rabi (winter) crops and give in to relaxing and enjoying the traditional folk songs and dances, with sweets and festivities around a huge throbbing Bonfire.

Beetroot Tofu Barfi / Fudge, Diwali Sweet, Vegan And Gluten Free ~ Let There Be Light

I have always tried to fill my Blog with happy posts. But this time, when I sat to pen down, it was with a heavy heart. The ruthless killings of humans both in India and many different parts of the World made me ponder, why oh why can't we stop all this once and for all. Life is such a precious gift and no one should cut a life short, no matter what the reason is. No reason for cutting short a life can be strong enough before life itself. A little more reasoning, love for people, increased tolerance can go a thousand miles in creating a world of peace and happiness. On this week, preceding Diwali, the Festival of Lights, my heart and soul in unison prays for universal peace. I pray that no mother should lose a son or daughter to intolerance anymore. I pray that the diyas / lamps of Diwali lights up not only our homes but are hearts and minds as well.

VEGAN LEMON MUFFINS WITH COCONUT CRANBERRY CREAM ~ PINK FOR OCTOBER SERIES

Whenever I feel the spirit of my home needs to be uplifted, nothing works better than flushing the house with the delicious aromas of baking. It's true, I have seen a smile on the faces of my loved ones as the chocolaty, honey laced sometimes citrusy, sometimes spicy notes envelope the house and along with it the senses of its inmates. I always tell my friends that baking is therapy for the entire family. Baking peps my family up in an eager anticipation, what to expect popping out of the oven. The fragrant notes result many a times in, guess the flavour game and it's so much fun. These enchanting nuances about food makes me realise that food is much much more than merely a way of sustaining our body for survival. The more I discover different facets of food, the more fascinated I am and more eager to discover this magical world of endless possibilities. 

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". 

Apricot / Khubani Laddoos ( Vegan Sugar Free Gluten Free) ~ Happy Ganesh Puja

As the 10 day long festivities of GANESH Chaturthi continues in India, far away in my humble home in Dubai we too usher in the celebrations. I make it a point to celebrate almost all the INDIAN festivals which I grew up rejoicing either at my home or a friend's house or the community puja centre, no matter how tied up I am with work. Most INDIAN families who live far away from their homeland, in my conversations with them, I have learnt that just like me they make it a point to celebrate these festivals either at home or in the community collective celebrations. Most of my friends or aquantainces have echoed my thought, that it's these festivals which help us remain connected to our roots and bring forth our rich culture and traditions to our children.

Pineapple Laddoo ( Dairy Free Gluten Free) ~ Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

In India GANESH CHATURTHI heralds the commencement of a series of festivals which continue till the calendar changes the numbers on the year. With the hues in the weather changing to cooler mornings and days, the air is perfumed with the joy and happiness that these festivals bring with them. From nature to people and everyone around the whole environment is painted with the bright and happy colours of the festivities. From decorating the home and hearth with flowers, rangoli, to shopping for new clothes, to loads of sweets and delicious fares engulfing the kitchen with its delicious aroma, the jubilation is quite palpable in all INDIAN homes, who celebrate these rituals.

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.

TRI COLOUR PARFAIT - CELEBRATING A STEP TOWARDS A HEALTHIER & PEACEFUL INDIA ON THE 69TH INDEPENDENCE DAY

Yum

The fervour, the spirit, the pride is soaring higher than ever and I am truly blessed to have  been born in this land of the greats. Wherever in the world I go I wear my INDIAN heart, culture, tradition and values with the highest honour. It's been a celebration of life each day in this vibrant, colourful, incredible country. Today as India celebrates its 69th year of Independence I rejoice all the laurels , all the developments this country has garnered in these years. I acknowledge the joy of being free nurtured by my country where the essence of being free is the top priority.