Rinku Bhattacharya's Blog, page 80

Pasta with Lemony Apples, Walnuts and Shrimp

Friday nights are officially about pasta or seafood (think mussels) and sometimes just a little bit of both. This dish came together with the odds and ends in the refrigerator – apples, walnuts, white wine and the shrimp and loads of black pepper! With notes of lemon, garlic and shrimp, this will remind of scampi, with ust a fresh breadth of fall.

The pictures are not the prettiest, possibly attributed to enough of the wine that I had drunk while cooking all of this fun stuff. Well, my fuzzy and somewhat addled thinking also had me a little reflective!

Along my reflective horizons was this article that caught my attention and feed by way of local kitchen’s facebook feed. I know, I know, what is that they say about getting your news from a facebook feed?

Well, something about this whole thing struck a chord, right along the lines of what I had been discussing at a talk at the Chappaqua Library, I do think we have gone through a pendulum shift with trying to reclaim dinner. I happen to love Jenny’s blog, for its perky style and interesting food options.

I actually do not often like her somewhat mechanical approach to meal planning, possibly that is the moderate in me, which now leaves us with the question, what if I hate making dinner?

Well, folks, here is the deal, maybe it’s the tiger mom in me, dinner does not have to be a fancy elaborate ritual, but I thing wholesome eating is a part of family routine. I did say wholesome as in NOT processed food, this does not however have to become a complicated ritual with menu boards or work plans, it can be a simple rice and dal meal, it can be something put together in a slow cooker. In fact, even as I write this, I have the slow cooker happily bubbling along. It is a part of my weekend routine.

This being said, cooking dinner is not going to raise your children by itself, there is a lot of happening there the schlepping, the running around, the robotics, the homework checking, well you get the drill. I am not asking you to reclaim family dinners (sorry, Jenny) I am telling you not to let it go! Believe me, my mother did not find cooking therapeutic, it was just a part of our life, not unlike going to school, or learning to read. As for the Dad’s not being a part of the meal equation, well, they need to be a part of the parenting equation and there are many more things to parenting than the meal dynamic.

Possibly, the same sense of unblemished acceptance that puts for you a rather uncomplicated meal, that is surprisingly seasonal, made from the offerings of the refrigerator. On a random note, I need to mention that I finally put the lovely almonds sent to me by California Walnuts to good use.

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Pasta with Lemony Apples, Walnuts and Shrimp

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A sweet and savory pasta, tossed with shrimp, apples and walnuts.

Ingredients

8 oz pasta (I have used penne here)
Salt for boiling and to taste
11/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium sized apple, cored, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled with the tail on
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3/4 cup water or stock
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat the water with a little salt and olive oil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and Set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, add the garlic and cook until golden. Stir in the apple and cook for 4 minutes until the mixture is fragrant and golden.
Add in the walnuts and cook for a few more minutes.Stir in the shrimp the lemon zest and mix well.
Add in the wine, lemon juice and sugar and simmer the sauce for about 7 minutes.
Toss with the pasta, and add in the parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Serve with loads of freshly ground black pepper.Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.6http://www.spicechronicles.com/pasta-lemony-apples-walnuts-shrimp/

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10 Apple Recipes with touches of Spice

Two things that I wanted to do for the longest time was to do a series of one-stop round-ups and pick up and put together meal planning menus, all in good masala style. Well, I am still not up to the menus, but the rounds-up are coming along and they have been so much fun! Today it is time for apples!

On a crisp, even if somewhat grey day, we started with an inspiring news of a young woman, winning the Nobel price, if that in itself was not she shared it with a fellow Indian, Kalyan Satiyarthi. Malala certainly showed us the value of quietly fighting for one’s rights, and in a small way brought home the point for my sheltered suburban children. Yes, chances are words like the Taliban, rights to education and the violence of the east might have taken a while to come into their young lives, but, Malala brought in an awareness of these issues in a positive and powerful way. And in case you might have seen it all, we had a rather tongue-tied celebrity, swooning over the president, ah! the effects of a conscious uncoupling…

We are right into the center of Columbus Day, and smack into Fall. Nothing says fall in Hudson Valley like apples. Actually, nothing says New York like apples and there are so many of them, my favorite varieties being a Granny Smith, Macoun and Honey Crisp varieties. We have a few recipes that will come their way but for today, here are a few spiced apple recipes.

  1. Apple Relish with Ginger and Cranberries: A refreshing and flavorful chutney with toasted mustard seeds and ginger with some dried cranberries for color and tartness.

2. Pork and Apple Burgers with Mustard: Pairing pork with apples, never goes out of fashion, so here is a recipe that as light, lively and flavorful.

3. Apple and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup: Apple season also happens to be the begining of soup season, so here is a light and fresh tasting soup that meshes the perennial favorite combination of squash and apple.

4. Applesauce with Dates and Star Anise: One of my favorite ways to use apples, this is a versatile recipe for applesauce, fresh and gently spiced.

5. Braised Chicken with Apples and Sage: Another classic combination, pairing chicken, apples and sage has my name on it in fall in winter.

6. Apple and Chicken Stew with Cabbage: A cool and classic stew, from Martha, I love the addition of cabbage in this recipe.

7. 50 Ways with Apples: Well, technically this is a round-up but some of these recipes are more interesting than the others, and I like the bruschetta and apple cake recipe in this list.

8. Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Apples: Need I say more.

9. Chicken Apple Meatballs with Sage: Savory Sweet Meatballs, baked and delicious.

10. Chai Spiced Apple Cake: One of my favorite recipes, yes, it is from the Spices and Seasons cookbook.

 

 

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Harissa and Spice Talk

I have been meaning to write about Harissa for a while. In some ways, given my obsession with cumin and cilantro, let’s face it, Harissa was made for me. Harissa is a Tunisian spice sauce that is almost a catch all for a lot of their dishes, as with all catch all spices there are variations to the basic theme, some like it very spicy so they add more cayenne pepper, others mint, and yet others both cilantro and mint, yes, herb obsessed people like me.

There are so many moving parts sitting around in the recipe archives, lots of loose things waiting to be sorted in an effort to merge what are now two folders – Cooking in Westchester and Spice Chronicles. So, all of a month into a new virtual space, how do I feel, actually while I am still trying to sort out links and update them I think Spice Chronicles makes a lot more sense, it fits in to the grander scheme of things.

 

Since, it is a while since I did post a spice blend or mixture, I will take the time to answer some of the questions that get on spices. After all, with the weather getting cooler, it is indeed the season for sugar and spice. In no particular order, here are three questions that I get asked so frequently.

How long can I keep my spices?

A good rule of thumb that I like to stick to is 18 months for whole spices, 6 months for ground spices.

How do you store your spices?

In an air tight container in a cool dry place, while I love the masaladani or the Indian spice container, it is more practical to store longer term spices in clear or plastic jars.

Are there some essential spices we can get started with?

I think that this does have a personal element, however, I recommend the essential 7 that I have discussed in the Spices and Seasons book, namely cumin, coriander, cilantro, ginger, garlic, turmeric and cayenne pepper.

Now, back to Harissa, it is essentially a red chili paste most prominent in Tunisian and Moroccan cuisines. It is the Sriracha, Tandoori Masala and Garam Masala of spices all meshed into one happy family. My version is almost fruity in its flavor notes and generously uses all the greens of cilantro and mint. I particularly enjoy using it for grilling fish or chicken.

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Harissa and Spice Talk

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

A recipe for the classic Tunisian Spice paste called Harissa.

Ingredients

¼ cup dried red cayenne peppers
20 mild red chilies such as the Byadgi or Ancho Chilies
11/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped mint (optional)

Instructions

Soak the chilies with ½ cup warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve the water.
In the meantime, toast the cumin and coriander seeds. Grind to a powder in a coffee grinder.
Place the chilies, ground spices, garlic, salt and olive oil with a little water in a blender and grind to a paste.
Add in the chopped cilantro and the mint and pulse a few times. Use some more water if needed.
Store the mixture in the refrigerator and use as needed.
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Apple, Ginger and Mint Relish with Cranberries

This Apple, Mint and Cranberry Relish was inspired by this original and is as easy and flavorful as the picture perfect fall weather that we have been enjoying.

I want to start out by wishing anyone who reads this blog or passes by this vicinity Shubho Bijoya, a greeting that ironically I had not thought much about this greeting, but essentially it is felicitating the victory of Shakti (symbolized by Goddess Durga) over Evil, symbolized by the demon Mahishasura.

Attending the Stamford Durga Puja yesterday, and an Arrantegram today, allowed me to clear up my schedule of the usual shuttling around, not even a book event, just me, and the kids.

Yesterday’s rainy weather was also a lot of fun indoors other than the fact it put a bit of a damper, on the picture taking. The kids love the concept of cheese oothapams, a baseline recipe that you will find in the Spices and Seasons cookbook. Today, I was left over with the batter but no side chutney. Anything on the world of tiffin creations only work when there are condiments to complement them. This chutney that happily came together with the honey crisp apple in my  refrigerator. A lone remnant of last week’s loot, this was perfect for the 15 minute creation that happily came together in my kitchen. The kids were happy with all their finery and Aadi was finally old enough to be mesmerized and fascinated by the myth and legend of Durga Puja.

I think holidays are also a time of reflection and peace, earlier this month, my tranquility was abruptly shattered by various events, I am glad to things back to normal and also grateful to have the blessings of a happy and peaceful season. Back to this delicate relish, while it is certainly perfect with the mini paniyarans that I served them with, chances are you will enjoy it on your Thanksgiving table as well.

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Apple, Ginger and Mint Relish with Cranberries

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

A sweet tart seasonal relish with Apples, Ginger and Cranberries.

Ingredients

1 large red apple
3/4 teaspoon oil
3/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
11/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
11/2 teaspoons dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Instructions

Core the apple and grate the apple, with the skin still on. As I am asking you to leave the skin on you are best served using organic apples.
Heat the oil and add in the mustard seeds and wait for the seeds to pop. Add in the grated ginger and stir well.
Add in the grated apples and stir for a minute and mix in the mint and salt.
Turn off the heat and stir in the cranberries and the lime juice. Let the flavors rest before serving.Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.6http://www.spicechronicles.com/apple-ginger-mint-relish-cranberries/

 

 

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10 Winter Squash and Pumpkin Dishes off the Beaten Path

Without any warning, the calendar has moved onto October. Almost in cue, we have streams of orange, pumpkins, squashes and carrots in gay abandon, almost as if there is nothing else on the horizon.

Lovely as it is to roast a pumpkin to slow golden perfection, add butter and a touch of sugar to coax out the sweetness, there is an earthy side to these autumn glories. So, perusing through the universe my cookbooks, site and a few others this Thursday’s round up is about 10 recipes off the beaten path.

So first off, is my first ever recipe with Delicata Squash, it is Delicate Squash roasted with Lime and Cumin Butter, this recipe is less about coaxing, more about an assertive bold pairing.

2. Kumro Chokka – Pumpkin with Chickpeas, a classic Bengali Recipe from the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles

3. Here is a Gingered Squash Soup from Soma’s Blog. Have to try this beauty, asap.

4. A beautiful Bharta or a mashed squash recipe with Indian Spices.

5. This Spaghetti Squash recipe with lime and almonds is actually quite popular in my house, I often vary it using pecans.

6. A Butternut Squash Curry that guarantees a five a day in one hit, what more can you ask for?

7. Well if you are Bong like me, you will have something that pairs your autumn veggies with Shrimp and true to form here is my recipe for, Butternut Squash with Shrimp.

8. Kabocha Squash, I love its deep and beautiful notes, here is a pairing with Spinach and Coconut tempered with notes of fresh fenugreek. Interestingly enough, I find this deep and sweet squash closest to the flavors of my childhood.

9. Well, here is another mashed Squash recipe, this one in the Bengali ilk pairing the squash with Bitter Melon as I often say, it is always about balance.

10. Lastly, I love pasta and here is a pairing of Pumpkin with Sausage and Pasta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dinner event with Broken Bow Brewery

  One of the things that I had promised myself, when I contemplated going around with the book, was to have fun and do new things with food. So, I am super excited to brew up this event with our very own local Broken Bow Brewery

.This event is a fun evening, actually possibly the first Indian food pop-up event in the area, and is about meshing Indian food with beer. The evening will consist of five courses paired with five unique craft local beers and will include a discussion on food and beer pairing.

To RSVP and attend, please call Broken Bow at (914) 268-0900

Since a picture says a 1,000 words, here is what the event looks like in animation!

 

(914) 268-0900

 

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Alu Tikki (Potato Patties) with Green Beans

You say pancake, I say tikki? Well, most people, OK most people with young children are fond of flat sort of fry-able things, yes, I kind of just made that word up, but I like the sound of fry-able, don’t you?

I have seen so many variations, take these zucchini pancakes here or these broccoli variations here all designed to form an attractive package that will make your cherub eat them fuss free. Well, the same concept on the Indian table is called a tikki, I am pretty notorious for my sinfully good potato version and then all the variations that I make depending on what we have around. A tikki is a flat potato based patty that is fried until crusty and it doubles up as a mean veggie patty.

We have been swimming in green beans, see my feature for the Poughkeepsie journal, all good and green, so what better than to add them to my favorite tikki. Well, adding peas to tikkis or for that matter spinach has been tested and tried before, and so why not green beans. After all, what’s good for the vada, is always good for the tikki, ok not always but certainly can be. It took a little playing around to get the right texture, the first time I chopped the beans finely but added them totally uncooked, this did not quite work, the next time I blanched them just a little and chopped them finely and they worked perfectly, adding enough crunch for character, but not contrasting too much with the softness of the potatoes.

I always feel that the simple russet is the best suited for the tikki, as it needs very little binding to get it to work, in fact, for my potato version I use no binding, when adding some veggies a little bit of flour or cornstarch is needed. In general, with all the focus on staying gluten-free I prefer cornstarch as it works fine in terms of crispness without interfering or adding extra gluten. With mint still around, I have added a nice dose of minced mint along with some cilantro to create a fun and healthful snack that is great for your festive table or as a perfect after school snack.

And with this recipe I fulfill my promise for submitting recipes for the Indus Ladies kids event.

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Alu Tikki (Potato Patties) with Green Beans

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: Makes about 8 tikkis

A classic potato cake, made with fresh green beans.

Ingredients

4 medium sized russet potatoes (about 1 pound)
¾ pound of green beans, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon amchur or dried mango powder
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Oil for frying

Instructions

Cut the potatoes into half and place in a pan and boil until tender, this will take about 12-15 minutes.
Cook the beans for about 3 to 4 minutes, until blanched and cool and chop finely.
Peel the potatoes and mash well and mix in the beans, salt, amchur, flour and the red cayenne pepper and mix well.
Mix in the mint and cilantro.
Shape the mixture into small 3 to 4 inch patties about 1/4 inch in diameter. Place on a plate and chill for about 20 minutes.
Heat the oil and fry the patties for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden and serve with a condiment or chutney of your choice.Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin2.6http://www.spicechronicles.com/alu-tikki-potato-patties-green-beans/

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Kolkata Style Chickpea Rolls

I have to confess, I posted this recipe with a lot of soul searching, well, I realize it does not say about my soul if I need to go searching for it, while posting a roll recipe, specifically one for Kolkata Style Chickpea Rolls. It was however a case of messing with nostalgia.

As I know it ,the unparalleled Kolkata style is mostly about kababs wrapped in a portable paratha, however, yesterday as we were running around I needed to do something by way of portable food, and since I had a decent amount of these chickpeas left over inspiration struck and the Kolkata Style Chickpea Roll was born.

The soul searching component was about making peace with the fact that I was posting this hybrid version of a much loved traditional recipe. However, this creation was really too good, not to share with you!

Honestly, I amdoubly thrilled about these, because I have a bona-fide vegetarian version of the roll, always satisfies by conscience when I am eating something carnivorous. I have also realized that this certainly makes for an ultimate portable food, when you are transporting a couple of monsters children around. No more soggy sandwiches!

One of my accomplishments for this year is to get the dad into a volunteer mission, folks once I get past October, we should be in good shape as I should have Sundays free for the next couple of months. It is all connected, since the daughter is into FLL, and they needed a programming coach,  I seized the moment and volunteered the dad. The good news is that anything he does, he does this with dedication, so, we just might have an assortment of dedicated Sundays out of the house.

I am not sure what I can do with all of this me time, cook up a storm, just watch a few girlie flicks with a nice cup of ginger tea. Do a couple of classes as they say, the possibilities are just endless… We live in interesting times, I cannot imagine what might possess a rag to run such an evil headline, jeez, over the grandchild of an ex-president. Although, chances are the Clinton baby will be trending somewhere along baby Prince George who seems to be a little under the wraps these days.

Now back to the rolls, these rolls needed a few minimal things to get the ball rolling, it is up to you if you if you want to add the egg coating on not, it makes for a more filling roll, however, without the egg you get a purely veggie (in fact, vegan actually) version. If you want a chicken version, before I can get to it, here is a great post giving you the run down on this street snack and a recipe for a chicken version.

A few words of housekeeping, it is very important to use the vinegar soaked onions, or if you wish you can stir fry them, DO NOT use raw onions. They are not used in any variation of these rolls in the Kolkata vicinity. So, if you are looking for a portable version of Indian food, here is your recipe. Just a note, if you, wish you can use commercially made parathas for this recipe. I actually liked the way this particular version turned out, and, it might end up being a keeper.

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Kolkata Style Chickpea Rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

An easy and portable snack or lunch that gets you a nourishing meal on the go! These chickpea rolls will be your new favorite snack.

Ingredients

For the garnishes
1 medium sized red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Green Chilies to Taste (this depends on the heat level of your kids)
For the paratha flatbreads
1 cup of all-purpose white flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of oil or vegetable shortening
¾ cup cold water to mix
Extra flour for rolling
Oil for frying
For the filling
2 eggs beaten with salt (optional)
1 serving about ¾ cup of chickpea filling from this recipe[http://www.spicechronicles.com/sundal...]
Parchment Paper for rolling

Instructions

Mix in the red onion with the cider vinegar and set aside.
Sift the flours with the salt and rub in the oil or vegetable shortening. Gradually add in the cold water and mix in until the dough is nice and pliable, but not too soft. Give it a nice knead until springy. Cover for about 15 minutes and organize your work place in the meantime.
The organization is important to get this working and done in a systematic manner.
Place the oil, beaten egg and dough near the stove and frying pan. Cut 6 pieces of parchment paper, about 6- inches in size and stack neatly. Keep a clean cutting board and keep the chickpea mixture and garnishes.
Proceed in the following manner - break the dough into 6 lemon-sized balls. Place the flat pan on heat, roll out one of the circles and place on the fire and roll the second one out. Turn the flatbread and then smear with a little oil, turn and spread with some of the egg filling if using, let the egg set, turn and add a little more oil to cook the egg.
Place on the board, add some of the chickpea filling in the center, add a few vinegar onions and cilantro and green chilies if using, carefully fold the edges into a roll. Cover with the parchment paper and wrap tightly.
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There is a fun kids lunchbox event going on at Indus ladies and I am sending this recipe as a contribution.

 

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Sundal Inspired Chickpeas – Tempered Stir Fried Chickpeas

Tempered Chickpeas with Coconut

Sundal is a surprisingly simple and extremely flavorful way of cooking your legumes. It is extremely popular around the nine festival evenings of Navaratri, in South India. A time of the year, when the homes are decorated and pyramid shaped display of figures called golu. At heart this is a feel good toy festival, with an emphasis on women and children. People visit various homes and every house is usually kept stocked with simple snack fare with Sundals reigning supreme. You return with the equivalent of goody bags often containing the auspicious kum-kum.

At heart the Sundal is a simple tempered stir-fry with legumes. The essential being fresh coconut, simple and colorful and extremely handy, and this can be adapted for any legume of your choice. For best visual effects, you might try a rajma or red kidney bean version, or a black lentil variation. Nutty toasted mustard seeds, fragrant curry leaves round out the flavors of this versatile stir-fry.

This variation is a little more complex and has my adaptation using garden tomatoes and finely chopped bell peppers, which are still going strong, a simpler variation with chickpeas can be found at this interesting NYT post. Thursday, was a surprise holiday for me and the kids idea of fun was to visit around lunchtime with the husband giving me a rare block of few hours. I stocked up for the weekend, with a lot of food which actually was quite a life saver. The weekend evolved from slow, faster to a frenetic crescendo on Sunday, so I was relieved to have this hand for the afternoon. I shall share with you shortly how I made two meals with these humble chickpeas.

The addition of the veggies, gave this dish a moister and deeper consistency, done in about 15 minutes seriously giving a more complex dish such as dish a run for your money. With a nod to the original, I offer you my Sundal Inspired Chickpeas.

 

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Sundal Inspired Chickpeas – Tempered Stir Fried Chickpeas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A South Indian style tempered chickpea dish, Sundal makes a great tasting nutritious snack.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
¼ teaspoon asafetida
¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon red chili powder
8 to 10 curry leaves
1 tomato, chopped
1 small bell pepper, finely diced
11/2 cups of cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
Chopped cilantro to garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil and add in the asafetida and the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop.
Add in the turmeric and red chili powder and curry leaves and stir well. Mix in the tomato and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Stir in the bell pepper and cook for a minute.
Mix in the chickpeas and the salt and stir well to coat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes
Stir in the shredded coconut and the chopped cilantro and serve as a wholesome snack.
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Twenty Five Bengali Recipes for A Virtual Feast

You would think that all this virtual access has made the world smaller, and it has. Except, sometimes you can virtually feel things and then want more… Like I would love to be home in Kolkata, lapping up all the festive fervor. Well, since that is not happening, I have been cooking a lot of traditional favorites. To recreate the spirit and juggle up the taste buds here are a selection of recipes that I have collected from the virtual for your viewing and cooking pleasure (and mine too!).

My memories of puja mornings, began with fasting and a frantic rush to arrange the offerings to make sure that we made it in time for Anjali or the floral offerings given to the goddess. This varied based on how the stars were alined (no pun intended). Well, the rewards were sweet, breakfast or brunch was never the usual eggs, which anyway was banned for these few days in the mornings. Instead there was an entire plethora of fun offerings,

1. Luchi and chorchori: Luchi is a delightful, puffy airy bread that is deep fried, but a well made luchi is not a greasy affair, in fact, I would wager that it uses less oil than other fried flat breads. Here is a good recipe for luchi and three varieties of chorchori. In this instance, the chorchoris are usually made with just potatoes and peas,

a. Sada Alur Chorchori (Plain potato medley with green peas)

b. Alu Kopir Chechki (Potato and Cauliflower Medley)

2. Shingara: Well, then there are Shingaras, or a Bengali samosa. These are smaller than anything else you see and made with a shatteringly crisp and flaky crust. In our homemade variations, mom added the tiniest of cauliflower bits and small freshly crushed peanuts. This recipe is about as good as it gets to recreating this good stuff.

3. Nimki: Since we are on breakfast, I do need to make a clarification here, nimkis come in two varieties, there are the large ones such as this one, which are usually not saved they are enjoyed hot and make a great brunch or teatime snack and then we have the smaller tiny diamonds which are usually stored and offered to guests any time of the year to balance the sweets on the plate. Here is a beautiful post from Soma’s blog on the smaller variety.

4.Cholar Dal: Depending on your persuasion, the morning potato medley might actually forsaken for the classic cholar dal or our yellow split lentils with coconut chips complete with just a touch of sweetness. Here is an earthy version that my uncle makes, from my cookbook made by Kristina, and, if you really want to true blue version you can certainly try the one on page 80 of the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.

5. Jeelipi: Well, mornings also have their own dose of sweetness, festivals or otherwise. The jeelipi or jelabi, is a morning sweet treat. One of my favorite activities to do anytime I visit is to run to the market and watch these amazing sweet treats being made. They are made fresh in small batches and last only a hour or so at the peak of the morning. Here is an interesting version, that uses the traditional rice and dal mixture.

Well, moving onto the afternoon meal, this one often consists of the offerings or Bhog given to the goddess and is relatively simple, allowing room for all the evening indulgence. In a nutshell, a lot of India’s religious festivals can be summed into feasting and fasting.

6. Khichuri: Now there are many variations of this ageless rice and lentil medley, I have offered you my favorite version of this Bengali Risotto.

7. Beguni: There are many versions of batter fried vegetables, that accompany the kichuri, but the eggplant version reigns supreme, here is a beautiful story that goes with this timeless recipe.

8. Begun Bhaja: Well, some people like it without the coating, and I am one of them, once your try this succulent and rich tasting fried eggplant, you will not want any other.

9. Payesh: Often the afternoon meal is accompanied by rice pudding Bengali style, replete with palm jaggery and raisins. I often fake it with maple syrup and brown sugar, I know, I know it really is not the same.

The evenings snacks and street food, are a lifetime just onto themselves. There is little that I can say to describe it, as for the food, here we go!

10. Fish Fry: Once you try this spicy breaded creation, you will not be the same. Yes, I do have a version in my book and here is a great recipe that I recommend from non other than Sandeepa’s blog.

11. Macher Chop: There are croquettes of various dispositions, once of my favorites being the fish or macher chop, here is the recipe that I make fairly often.

12. Moghlai Porota: This is a meat stuffed flatbread that is then coated with egg and fried, served with this very interesting simple salad. I am not sure how Mughal it is, however, I would eat it any time of the day. This recipe has it done with egg, and it is the closest  that I could find.

13. Alu Kabli – Literally translated this is potato and chickpeas, it is really a spicy potato salad done Bengali style style, here is a classic version and then there is my sweet potato variation.

14. Phuchka – It is impossible, just impossible for me to think of street food in Kolkata without thinking of Phucka, even now, despite all warnings I wait till the last day of vacation and finish the trip with these.

15. Chicken Roll: After work after a long day, this is one of my favorite stops, and no, they are not kathi rolls, these are just rolls to me. That is what we call them.

16. Fish Dompokt – Although, for some reason I tend to think more of meat and veggies this time of the year, here is a festive fish dish that will definitely warm your cockles.This has caught my attention and you will see a version coming up soon.

17. Chicken Champ - Essentially a rich tasting chicken dish, where whole legs are used, here is a version that I liked.

18. Alur Dom – You cannot leave home without it, here is my newly posted version, that I am all excited about.

19. Kasha Mangsho – Slow cooked pot roasted mutton. Here is a version from the Calcutta Cookbook on Malika’s blog.

20. Chutney – Let us get a little modern with these, and use the ones on my site, so here is my plum and rhubarb chutney and then there is the blueberry one that I had made earlier in summer.

21. Sandesh – Classic mini Bengali Cheesecake balls, here is my recipe that many I know have approved so why mess with perfection?

22. Malpoa – Bengali Cheese Pancakes in Syrup – Here is my version with pineapples, I love playing with this recipe what can I say?

23. Chanar Jilipi – When made well, this dessert is quite amazing, here is a beautiful version, that will make you run to the kitchen to try it.

24. Bhapa Sandesh – This used to be something, that my great aunt made, I make it, but for some reason my mom does not very often, again it is quite simple and more forgiving than your stove top variety.

25. Ranga Alur Pantua - Well, if you are like me, you will think of one last dessert, and these sweet potato gulab jamuns do it for me.

Whatever you are celebrating, here is a great list of good food, here is a good piece of Bengali cooking, written by my favorite Indian food author and virtual friend, Zoe.

 

 

 

 

The post Twenty Five Bengali Recipes for A Virtual Feast appeared first on Spice Chronicles.