Monthalman মন্থালমান Moong Dal Sweet From Nineteenth Century Bengali Cookbook

Monthalman মন্থালমান is a dessert made from Moong Dal (Split Husked Green Gram). This sweet is a different take in terms of technique on our good old Moong Dal Barfi. The recipe is from late 19th Century Bengal (Undivided Bengal) which saw the publication of India's very first Recipe Book PAKRAJESWAR IN 1831 followed by the second edition of the same book being published under the patronage of the then King of Burdwan in 1854.

Paramanna / Payesh / Bengali Rice Pudding

Paramanna / Payesh is a Bengali Style Rice Pudding which is definitely cooked to mark any auspicious occasion, festivities, birthdays etc. Apart from the first grain that ever touched my tongue was from a bowl of Payesh on my Mukhe Bhaat first rice eating ceremony my memories of Payesh being cooked is mainly vivid during Kojagori Lokhi Puja.

Shudha Sindhu Recipe / Bengali Dessert Made With Almond Dumplings Simmered In Milk ~ Maha Shostir Subhecha / Durga Puja Maha Bhoj

Shudha Sindhu ~ Badam Bata(Almond Paste), Khoya / Khoa(Milk Solids), Gobindo Bhog Chaler Guro(Speciality Rice Grown in Bengal, India Powder) Dumplings are simmered in Full Cream Milk which has been reduced to half it's original quantity, is thick and creamy, finally finished off with a lavish shower of the finest saffron.

Bengali Style Cauliflower Roast Recipe / Durga Puja Special Phulkopir Roast Recipe / Bhajohori Manna Pujo Special Phulkopir Roast Recipe

Subho Mahalaya to all celebrating the advent of Goddess Durga. May she bless all with peace, good health and success in every sphere. For Bengalis all over the world, Mahalaya marks the commencement of the Durga Pujo festivities. 

Doi Begun Recipe / Bengali Style Aubergines / Egg Plants In Yogurt Sauce ~ My Bong Konnection

Doi Begun (pronounced Do~ee Bay~goon) is the Bengali way of expressing the love affair between Begun or Aubergines or Egg Plants with Doi or Yogurt. This dish has seen multitudes of festivities in both the Chowdhury (My Paternal Side of the family) and Dutta Gupta (My Maternal Side of the family) families. Having journeyed through generations, the Doi Begun has etched a mark of decadency in my family's refined culinary appetite. Creating Doi Begun therefore for me is a true pleasure, a sort of food nirvana. Not only do my fingers dance through the Bhaja Moshla , the sapphire kissed turmeric powder and the crimson tinted red chilli powder to the music from the foot tapping mustard in the nearby frying pan, but also my mind traverses to those many meals where amidst laughter and chatter the Doi Begun was served to the family.

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.

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.

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.

Cauliflower Burfi Recipe / Kabishambardhana Barfi Recipe / Cauliflower Fudge Recipe

Hello Beautiful People. A sizeable portion of my lovely readers worldwide must be immersed in the preparations of celebrating Diwali ~ The Festival Of Lights. The number of sweets that has swept over Social Media has already kick-started the festivities a week back. Going through the numerous sweet and savoury recipes I was thinking to myself, thanks to Social Media we get to see Recipes from every nook and corner of India and try them in our home kitchen without having to travel to that part right away. Wonderful isn't it? 

Nolen Gurer Payesh Recipe / Patali Gurer Payesh / Rice Pudding Made With Date Palm Jaggery Recipe ~ Rejoicing My Culturally Rich Roots

I have always loved rituals, customs, traditions that we follow as a part of celebrating our festivals in India. It's these little little things that make the whole event so exciting and enjoyable. I have inevitably looked forward to festivals so that I could be a part of these wonderful customs that they observe. I am sure many of you, beautiful people, will echo my thoughts. No matter which part of the globe you belong to, you must also be having your own sets of rituals and age old traditions. In my numerous travels I have repeatedly found that people all over the world, while celebrating festivals follow each and every ceremony religiously, which has been passed on through generations, till date, with equal fervour and joy. 

Cholar Dal Recipe / Bengali Style Chana Dal Recipe / Split Bengal Gram Lentil Curry (Bengali Style) Recipe ~ Just Recipes

Cholar Dal is an extremely popular Lentil Curry which is served with many a Bengali Meal. It is a very simple lightly spiced lentil curry made using split bengal gram. In Bengal Cholar Dal is served along with Luchi / Puffed Deep Fried small round breads or other popular Bengali Breads like KOCHURI / RADHABALLABHI for breakfast or at the start of a meal during lunch. Cholar Dal is also served with steamed white rice along with JHURI ALOO BHAJA (very finely grated deep fried crisp potatoes) or other BHAJAS (deep fried fritters or deep fried fish etc.). It is quick, delicious and filling. You can simply have it with any breads with a salad on the side for a hearty quick fix meal any time of the day. 

Bhaja Moshla Recipe / Bengali Dry Roasted Spice Powder Recipe ~ Just Recipes

Bhaja Moshla is the Bengali word for Dry Roasted Ground whole spices that are used in many a dish from Bengal. Unlike the Southern part of India, where there are a number of different combinations of dry roasted ground spices, either used in cooking or eaten as an accompaniment with food, Bengal has only a few, Bhaja Moshla being one very important mix among them. Now there are a number of variations of Bhaja Moshla as you can find out, by either searching online or offline, by taking to your Bengali friends or reading Bengali cook books.