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.

Samvat Ke Chawal Ki Kheer / Samo Ke Chawal Ki Kheer / Barnyard Millet Sweet Pudding ~ Gluten Free Recipes

The Sun here in My Dubai decided to take an off day today. Everybody needs a break so the Sun also took one, started playing hide and seek with the pristine white fluffs dotting the sleepy sky. The sky is just as sleepy as me, just like me peeping through half closed eyes. Why days like these bring those holiday like thoughts dancing into my brain, I never understand. Why my entire being refuses to budge from the feather soft quilt as a tug of war ensues in my half awake mind. To get out or not to get out of bed. Ultimately inspire of the ensuing tug of war I will get out of bed as is inevitable from the past experiences and as always "to get out of be" will emerge as the winner.

Gil E Firdaus / Hyderabadi Sweet Dish ~ Happy Diwali

On the auspicious day of DIWALI it is my heart's desire that good health, wealth, wisdom, prosperity tiptoes into the abode of my friends, family, co~bloggers, every single person who has visited my Blog till date, all those who are reading this post right now and everyone who has touched my life in some way or the other.

HAPPY DIWALI DEAR READERS 

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.

Diwali Sweets Collection 2018 / Diwali Sweets Recipes 2018 ~ Celebrate Diwali With Us

Celebrate the Festival of Lights Diwali / Deepavali with this fantastic collection of sweets / desserts from right below. You will find the name of the dish written above the picture of each dish. All you have to do is, click on the name of the dish & you will be directed to the page where you have the detailed recipe of the dish. I decided to compile all the dishes in a single post so that you can refer to this post alone & not spend time searching the individual posts from my blog while planning your Diwali Sweets menu. Also I have left a very brief introduction of each dish below the picture of the dish so that you can choose the dish based upon your Diwali party theme or your ideas woven around your Diwali festivities.You will find here a combination of traditional sweets & some very unique dessert recipes. This post is a brilliant resource to propel your Diwali celebrations to the ultimate heights of deliciousness, happiness & festive fervour.

10 Must Eat Food In New York City As A Tourist ~ Part I

This is the first part of my list of 10 Must eat food in New York City. I have always seen this, food is the only thing that gives you an instant insight into the cultural background of a place. You know someone even without getting into a conversation. I find it as interesting to learn how a certain dish made its way into the very fabric of a community as much as I love to visit places which have stood tall bearing testimony to years of work which shaped a country. The vibrant mix of cultures in New York City results in numerous dishes which is not possible for any tourist to sample in a small amount of time. I was here for four days, yet I missed many of the must eat New York City Special Food. So this is actually a list which is mandatory in the long list of Must have. I arrived at this list after long hours of research through the internet, reading local newspapers and magazines and chatting with fellow culinary bloggers based here. You are most welcome to add your list in the comments below. Also my choice was based on my dietary preferences so please feel free to add on to this list.

Black Sesame Seeds Ice~Cream (Rose Scented) ~ Happy Halloween

The door bell buzzes and buzzes again and again. That's not usual who could it be. I literally rush down the stairs and just manage to prevent a trip over while missing a stair. As is common in these occasions, the heart pounds and thumps as if there is no tomorrow. Oh dear, I almost feel my heart in my throat. I open the door to a dozen giggly kids who in unison shout out "Happy Halloween", trying their best to make spooky faces at me. I did forget it is Halloween and unlike the times when I was growing up, kids these days, no matter in which part of the world they are celebrate Halloween. I look adorably at their sweet faces, some smeared with charcoal paste, some having scary eyes as an after effect of smudged kohl and some have made good use of their Mum's lipstick to give the impression of blood. Those fangs which the dear little boy dressed as a vampire is wearing is overtly cute. It's such a happy feeling to see these little darlings, trying to look scary. I send them off after filling their jack o lantern printed buckets or small hollow crafted pumpkins with chocolates and toffees.

Diwali Mini Vegetarian Thali ~ Wish You All A Dazzling And Prosperous Diwali

Dear Readers How are you all celebrating Diwali this year? For me Diwali starts and ends with food. I will be preparing a vegetarian Lunch Thali. Also there will be sweets galore and a very special sweet called Zauq E Shahi which means Royal taste and is mini Gulab Jamuns served in Rabri. In the evening when a thousand Diyas (Earthen lamp with a wick dipped in oil) will illuminate my home I will join my hands in prayer and just like every Diwali, this Diwali too, I will pray for Light over Darkness, Hope over Despair, Good over Evil and Love over Hatred. Along with all this I shall repeat something in my mind which I had promised myself to do many years ago. I will once again uphold my promise of embracing every aspect of the Globe while being rooted to my Rich Indian Culture and tradition. That's what my food too shall always reflect. Global with an Indian Soul.

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.

Jaozi Halwa Recipe / Nutmeg Halva Recipe / Jaiphal Halwa Recipe

I am heralding the third anniversary celebrations of my Blog with a very Royal, laced in history and immensely loved sweet Jaozi Halwa. Preparing this sweet confection to mark the celebrations was a befitting ode to my labour of love, my reservoir of food passion and my journal of culinary stories. My Blog holds an extra special place in my life and I have nurtured it with fervour and fueled it with the love and encouragement from my dearest readers, my co food enthusiasts and zealous gastronomic friends.

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. 

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.