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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

KORAISHUTIR KOCHURI /GREEN PEAS STUFFED BENGALI STYLE KACHORI ~ SHUBHO BIJOYA

The annually awaited DURGA PUJO reaches its crescendo and bids goodbye to all the celebrations which are stacked away again until next year. With the Idol of Goddess Durga being immersed in the water, no matter how hard one tries, the heart does become a bit heavy. It brings in the feeling of parting and then waiting for one whole year until the festival returns. Though I have gone through this ritual of festivities which does come to an end on BIJOYA DASHAMI upteen number of times , since my childhood the melancholy beats in my heart still ring out loud and clear every single year, even now.

9 WHOLE LENTILS MIX WITH CHICKEN MINCE CURRY - HAPPY BEATS SERIES

Sitting in the warmth of my home, seeing my family all together, smiling happily, talking away endlessly is my biggest treasure, my hugest wealth and the greatest earning of my entire life. I know almost all of you will echo this feeling of mine. I thank Almighty and pray for this one thing every single day. I have however learnt that I as a family member have to contribute much more to keep my family happy both in body and mind. The incident of summer 2014 where I almost lost a family member to a massive heart attack has taught me that I have to ensure my family's GOOD HEALTH  foremost along with all the other responsibilities that I am entrusted with. 

PUNJABI DAL TADKA - PUNJAB NATIONAL HOTEL's PERENIALLY IN DEMAND 60 YEAR OLD RECIPE

Located in the Northern part of Kolkata, traversing past the famous "THANTHANIA KALIBARI"/temple of Goddess Kali & just as you cross BINA CINEMA/MovieHall is the 60 year old famed restaurant known for its Punjabi Cuisine PUNJAB NATIONAL HOTEL ( this information & recipe courtesy UTTAR BANGLA - KHANA KHANDANI). This restaurant still nurtures its heirloom recipes and makes use of pure clarified butter in its cooking wherever the recipe demands without compromising with other substitutes as this is their claim to producing delectable dishes hugely popular and continue being popular year after year. Their loyal clientele would surely harp about this and return every time to devour a few of their insanely delicious dishes.Although the menu now comprises of many new dishes which have been introduced by the younger generation with fancy names keeping in mind the present times and the changing taste of their clientele, the dishes which has given the restaurant its identity are still very much an integral part of the menu. Surprisingly the traditional dishes still continue to be hugely popular and though people like to order the newly introduced dishes, they will not leave without eating the heirloom dishes. 

Dal Tadka / Odisha Egg Tadka ~ My Rendition Inspired By The Dhabas Of Odisha India

Dal(lentil) with varied tempering is an integral part of every Indian home food. There are so many variants of dal that is used to form a part of any or all the main meals in India. Today I will share my take on Dal Tadka, the way it is cooked in many Dhabas (roadside eateries) in a state called Odisha located in the Eastern part of India.