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.

Palak Paneer Dum Biryani Recipe / Cottage Cheese In Silky Spinach Gravy Layered In Between Basmati Rice Cooked On Dum ~ Go Green With My Recipes

Palak Paneer Biryani / Soft Pillowy Pristine Cubes of Cottage Cheese cooked in a creamy silky Spinach Gravy, then layered between whole spices perfumed basmati rice and another layer of saffron infused rice, cooked sealed in an earthen pot on Dum (in it's own steam). Continuing my series with the hashtag #GoGreenWithMyRecipes 

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.

Dal Bukhara Recipe ~ The Iconic Black Gram Lentil Curry Of Bukhara Restaurant At ITC Maurya New Delhi

Whenever I enter my kitchen to make an iconic dish, I am extremely nervous, jittery & anxious through the preparation, execution & finally when the dish is ready. I might have cooked that dish many a time, but that feeling of immense responsibility weighing down on my shoulders for I just cannot be careless about a dish whose fame has transcended beyond boundaries, spreading to every nook & corner of the globe. A dish which people consider a must do on their list of to do things when they visit the capital of India, New Delhi. The dish I am talking about is Dal Bukhara a Black Gram Lentil Curry Dish whose popularity cannot be fathomed.

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.

Banarasi Vegetable Biryani ~ My Biryani Trail

I sat holding the hands of my Bua (paternal aunt) tightly, on the steps of the ghats of Banaras, looking into her eyes filled with love for me. I didn't want to let go of her hands let alone her entire being. I continued to take in every bit of her, from her smile, to her words to her scent, to her touch, in desperation, trying to cling on to them for eternity. I was only 12 but I could feel the pain in my young heart, pain of accepting that this might me the very last time I would ever see her. Bua was suffering from terminal cancer & we all had made that one last long train journey to Derhadun to meet her, spend time with her and say our final goodbyes.

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.

Navratri Special Meethi & Teekhi Chutney / Hot & Sweet Chutney / Coriander Green Chilli Peanut Spicy Chutney / Date Tamarind Sweet Chutney

Sharad Navratri has commenced this year. Different parts of India celebrate the festival in different ways. In the Northern part of India many devotees of the Goddess keep a day long fast. After prayers, veneration and offerings to the deity at sunset the fast is broken. Only certain types and categories of food are allowed to be eaten during this fast. Also determining  the exact ingredients which will make the dishes differs from family to family. For example some families do not eat Chutneys for these 9 days. However those who do ensure firstly that the Chutney is vegetarian, gluten free and comprises only the ingredients allowed during this fast.

Pyaaz Ka Salan Recipe / Restaurant Style Biryani Side Dish / Gravy / Onion Salan

Pyaaz Ka Salan or Fried Onions in a Thick Rich Gravy is an ode to the Culinary Gem Mirchi Ka Salan. The recipe of Pyaaz Ka Salan is a little different to that of the Mirchi Ka Salan which has a thick brown gravy, resplendent with Bhavnagri Mirch (Chillies from Bhavnagar, Gujrat), which are long, fat green chillies with the right balance of heat and finely hand pounded chironji and almonds. The Mirchi Ka Salan dates back to the times when Emperor Akbar ruled the Indian Sub~Continent. The popular theory is that this dish did not originate in the royal kitchen but most probably in the kitchen of a Wealthy Jagirdar when he threw a Regal feast for the Emperor.

Himachali Chana Aloo Madra Recipe / Traditional Garbanzo Beans In Yogurt Curry From Himachal Pradesh

Himachali Chana Aloo Madra the decadent, rich dish from one of the most beautiful States in India is a complete treat for the senses. Himachal Pradesh which means abode or land of snow in Sanskrit is true to its name. Nature has showered it's bounty on this state. Situated in the northern most part of India and home to some of the most famous hill stations, just like the splendour around, the people who live here are synonymous with charm, grace and kindness loaded hearts. The cuisine of this region is spicy and makes use of a lot of yogurt, cardamom powder and is generally slow cooked to bring forth the huge array of flavours.

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.

Quick Mushroom Corn Green Curry Recipe / Oilfree Vegan Green Curry ~ Go Green

Ever since the festive season commenced, indulgence was served generally on all platters. Not that festivities have ended yet, but with so much of goodies having gone in, the tummy did scream for some rejuvenation. Every year whenever a little detox does the the internal system of our body good, we turn a "Go Green" page in my family. After the elaborate festive fares, quick fixes, takes over the kitchen menu. But please do not think that I will be posting anything mundane or boring here. Even these quick dishes have an element of fun and adventure in them.

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. 

Chettinad Cauliflower Chukka Recipe / Spicy Dry Cauliflower Curry From Chettinad

I am an ardent lover of Chettinad Cuisine. For those of you who are not familiar, Chettinad Cuisine is the food that the Nattukotai Chettiar community from the Chettinad Region in the south Indian State of Tamil Nadu, cook in their home. This beautiful hamlet is not only known for its rich cultural heritage, ornate magnificent homes with large kitchens, but most importantly the Spice trade which thrived between the Chettiar community with countries like Burma, Java, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Mauritius in ancient times. No wonder their food is resplendent with taste and aroma infused by the use of these perfumed spices.

Beetroot Paneer Curry Recipe / Lightly Grilled Cottage Cheese In Creamy Beetroot Curry

Whenever I am working with Beetroot I keep staring at that gorgeous colour that splashes out and kisses my fingers with love. Indeed as Red symbolizes the colour of love, I feel that there is a heart connection we have with the beetroot. For me it is the vegetable of love. Speaking about the heart connection, Beetroot loves your heart and your heart , the most important organ in your body remains healthy if you allow the love of Beetroot to spread over it. How? Without going into the technicalities, I would like to put down here, that Beetroot has high concentration of dietary Nitrate which our body processes into Nitric Oxide. Nitric Oxide in turn is known to help our blood vessels relax. As our blood vessels relax, there is a reduction in our blood pressure. Reduced Blood Pressure means Reduced Chances of Heart Diseases and Stroke. 

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.

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.