Nepali Bhutwa~ An Exquisite Mutton Dish From Nepal

What about celebrating the coming holidays with an absolutely awesome mutton dish? This is one of the best mutton dishes I have tasted in a long time. It’s flavourful, incredibly delectable, goes equally well with roti/parantha or even rice/pulao. I came across this interesting dish in one of the food groups that I am a member of. It requires an exotic herb called Timur, difficult to get hold of in the regular grocery stores, but if not available you can cook without it, the mutton will taste delish anyways.  Timur is a kind of pepper available in Nepal/China also known as Sichuan/Szechwan pepper used mostly in the Nepali, Tibetan or Chinese dishes.

 

Nepali Bhutwa

Tomato Khajur Aampaapad Chutney (Khejur Aamshottor Chutney)

During the winter months this is a must accompaniment with lunch at home specially in the weekends. Though much loved for its perfect combination of sweet and sour taste with an extra bit of tickle for your tongue because of the addition of dry red chilli, it’s pretty easy to make and gets ready in a jiffy. The zing attributed to the dish comes mainly from two ingredients dates/ khajur and aam paapad or aamshotto, the Bong name given to dried leather of mango pulp and sugar syrup. I always have a stock of aamshotto handy in my fridge for this chutney and for those depressing times to eat just like that. Often having just a slice of aamshotto uplifts my mood. So whenever I chance to go to C.R.Park I pick up quite a few of them.

 

Tomato Khajur Aampaapad Chutney

Stuffed Potato/ Aloo

This is a rather uncommon dish because you generally come across stuffed capsicum/simla mirch, stuffed lady finger/vindi/okra, stuffed chillies/ hari mirch, stuffed tomato, stuffed karela/bitter gourd and our oh-so-good Bong delicacy stuffed pointed gourd/potol/parwal famously called ‘Potoler Dolma’. But have you ever met with stuffed potato/aloo?. 

Stuffed Potatoes

Vegetable Croquettes/Chops

Vegetable Croquette or Bhegitabil chop as we Bongs lovingly call it is a recent request from a very dear friend. She wanted a very easy and simple recipe. So Reshmi the simplest way to make this delectable, all time favourite snack is here for you. Though I knew the main ingredients but always have this habit of calling up Maa to ensure them. I followed the process she told me over the phone. Beetroot, carrots and potatoes are the vegetables generally used for the stuffing, but you can add other veggies like beans, peas if you desire. These crispy, delish croquettes are a delightful nosh with a cup of tea in the winter evenings with the obvious accompaniment of Bong Adda….

Vegetable Croquettes

Rajasthani Jungli Laal Maas (Red Meat)

Hi Friends!!! How are you all doing? After a long time, finally managed to shake off the lethargy that bugged me for several months and return to blogging. Have cooked quite a few dishes in this stretch but most of the time either forgot to take pictures or was too indolent to write up a recipe and post. Here’s one of them that I cooked on the day of Kali pujo/Diwali which tasted absolutely brilliant. It’s an authentic Rajasthani dish…the popular Laal Maas or Red Meat.

Rajasthani Laal Maas

The Authentic Bengali Malpua

We shifted to our new house about twelve days back. This is my first post here since I managed to get the broadband connection yesterday only after much follow up. There are several other works piled up, setting up of a new house is so much trouble and labour. Carton full of clothes, books, other household items etc. are lying around but nothing can keep me off my passion, cooking and blogging for long.

Authentic Bong Malpua

Kolkatar Singara ~ Samosa Bong Style

The Bengali New Year or Poila Boishakh is just round the corner and this is a special recipe for the special occasion. Also it will complete one year of my blog. This is the first one in the series. ‘Kolkatar Singara’…. does this stir up any pleasant memory in your mind? Well, it does for me. A Bong at heart I can never erase these wonderful gastronomic experiences in Kolkata during my younger days there. Singara is a Bong name for samosas, a triangular Indian pastry with mainly savoury stuffing of spiced potatoes, peas etc., but the flavour is strictly Bengali. The stuffing, taste, texture everything is just out of the world, a class apart, incomparable with any samosas I have tasted after that.

Alu-Phulkopir Singara

Sattu (Toasted Bengal Gram Flour) Poori and Mughalsarai Station's Alu Subzi (Potato Curry)

India is a treasure cove of several lip smacking regional delicacies. Different regions have their own ingredients, style of cooking and delicacies. Those on an Indian culinary tour must not miss these rustic tastes or their gastronomic journey would be incomplete. One such food is Sattu Poori which is a jewel from Bihar. Sattu is toasted Bengal gram flour which is healthy, delicious and filling, a staple of Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh region. With this I served the famous Mughalsarai Platform’s Alu Subzi, a heavenly potato curry often served with pooris at the Mughalsarai station platform. Mughalsarai is a major junction in Eastern UP and the platform food is very popular among those frequently making train journeys through this station. This Alu Subzi is so simple and tasty, you will be amazed at the rustic flavour of this dish with such few ingredients. Both of these delicacies made an incredible matching and we had a dinner to remember. However you can savor this magical alu subzi with plain pooris or paranthas too.

 

Sattu Poori

Restaurant Style Shahi Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

Shahi Paneer (Cottage Cheese) is one of the best and most glamorous North Indian paneer dishes. Though this dish needs no introduction just writing a few lines for those who are not familiar with it.  Essentially Punjabi, Shahi Paneer has become popular owing to its super delectable taste and magnificent color and texture. This dish has a thick, smooth gravy of tomatoes, cashew nuts, fresh cream and different condiments. The beautiful mix of flavors makes this dish unique, the tomatoes give the tanginess the cashew and cream give the richness to the gravy and justify the name ‘Shahi’ given to it. It is a must-feature in any north Indian thali in a restaurant and goes brilliantly with any Indian bread, but you can try it out with jeera rice or pulao too.

Shahi Paneer

Green Egg Curry

Sonny’s exam is over and I’m relieved. Waiting for the results and making some dishes on his request. This is one of them, Green Egg Curry. It is a delicious egg curry with coriander and green chili paste. Tastes quite different from the regular egg curry and we loved the flavour of coriander and green chilies with eggs. This should be served with steamed rice for the most awesome experience. You can make this curry with potatoes too if you want.

Green Egg Curry

Spicy Prawn Curry (Chingrir Jhal)

All the seafood lovers out there this is one prawn dish I’m sure that you would love to try!! This dish is always a winner, makes a match made in heaven with plain steamed rice. Texture, color, flavour you name it, this is superlative in each. So quick and easy, it’s a foolproof recipe and ready within half an hour together with the preparation time. So what are you waiting for? Rush to your kitchen if you have some prawns in your freezer, make this delectable spicy prawn curry and enjoy the bliss of having awesome food with every morsel.

 

Spicy Prawn Curry

Sukha Chatpata Aloo (Spicy Dry Potatoes Sans Onion And Garlic)

What do you do when you have nothing in the refrigerator to treat a surprise guest at your place? Yes, if you have only a few potatoes lying somewhere in the kitchen, you can serve a delightful meal with hot pooris and sukha chatpata aloo. I thought this post would be all the more apt with the Navaratras on because this delicious spicy potato is sans onion and garlic. It requires minimum time and fewer ingredients, everything that is readily available in the kitchen and is totally hassle free.

Sukha Chatpata Aloo

Rava Kesari (Golden Semolina)

Rava Kesari is a delicious South-Indian sweet dish mainly in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka made usually on religious festivals or auspicious occasions. This is the simplest of desserts that can be made and one of the regulars in my kitchen. The addition of saffron or kesar, the most expensive spice in the world makes the dish breathtakingly beautiful and gorgeous. Naturally it conquered the hearts of Indians from other parts of the country as well, gained fame and is now loved all over India. Though the golden semolina is thought to be most befitting as an offering to the Almighty, you can treat this vegetarian dessert to your guests too any time because it’s so easy to make and is ready in a jiffy.   

 

Rava Kesari

Hyderabadi Mutton

Hyderabad, the land of the Nizams has the flavour of Royal Gharana in its cuisine. All the exquisite flavours thus incorporated into the various dishes originating from this part of India mirror the glamour of the Nawabs. This dish is no exception either. The mutton is most beautifully cooked with the choicest of spices resulting in an outstanding flavour and incomparable texture. Obviously you don’t have to go by my words only, you just have to try it out yourselves. This region adopts ‘Dum’ cooking in most of the dishes including Biryani. ‘Dum’ means steam, the food is cooked in its steam. Here I have pressure cooked the mutton instead of slowly simmering it following Sanjeev Kapoor’s way of cooking this dish.

Hyderabadi Mutton

Jhaalmuri/Masalamuri ~ Street Food Of Kolkata

This is one nostalgic and very special write up for me as it’s about street food of Kolkata and is quintessentially Bengali. My love for the city I was born in has increased over the past decade considerably enough as I stay away and miss all the vibe, festivities, warmth, adda, Book Fair and of course the food that the city is about. My vehement desire for the incredible ‘biryani’, ‘champ’, chinese, ‘fuchka’, ‘jhalmuri’, rolls, ‘chop’(croquettes), cutlet, ‘kochuri’, ‘fulkopir singara’(cauliflower samosa), ‘sandesh’, ‘roshogolla’, and so much more…(the list is endless), finds an escape through my writing. That’s all I have, I pen down my love for the city whenever I get time and recreate the Kolkata delicacies in my kitchen which gives some solace whatsoever now and then.

Jhaalmuri

Manpasand Chicken Korma

What do you call a dish that’s lovable to all? Yes, ‘ManPasand’. ‘Korma’ or ‘Kurma’ is a very popular dish you can find in the menu of almost every restaurant in North India. This dish which finds its roots in the Mughal cuisine means braised chicken in assorted ingredients. To be more specific the dish took birth in central Asia from the Turkish word ‘kavurma’ meaning ‘cooked meat’. Like most of the North Indian dishes this too got introduced to the Indian palate via the Mughal kitchen. It was a ‘Shahi’ dish for the Mughals meaning something special which did not feature in the day to day cooking. It was imperative that the dish had a satin smooth richness of nut paste, cream, yogurt, coconut and an accompaniment of Pilaf or pulao for a special dawat/meal.

Manpasand Chicken Korma

Restaurant Style Yellow Dal Fry

Dal (Lentils) is the most common dish in the Indian kitchen. Cooking the same old dal  everyday becomes somewhat a boring affair. So why not infuse something to make it not only interesting to cook but to eat as well?  Restaurant style yellow dal fry is that dish which will give you the flavour you are looking for in your mundane dal. Gives both the taste and texture, the dal cooked in this way will be loved by your family and make this bright yellow dal as a side dish while hosting a party as well to liven up your party table.

Restaurant Style Yellow Dal Fry

Crunchy Cabbage ~ A Microwave Recipe

Today my post is dedicated to all the working moms who in spite of putting in nine to ten hours a day in office cooks for her family just because she cares. She knows that home cooked food is best for her child even though her heart is crying out for ordering something from outside, to skip cooking for the day, arrange for something to eat quickly and go off to bed, she is just too exhausted at the end of the day. This post goes out to that twenty-first century smart working woman who manages her job inside and outside with equal proficiency.

Crunchy Cabbage

Railway Mutton Curry

This is my hundredth blogpost and contains a very special recipe ‘The Railway Mutton Curry’. The recipe is special in the sense that it’s not the typical Bengali mutton curry we generally make on Sundays. Moreover, this mutton curry brings to mind the train journeys of childhood, the immense fun, awesome food, the call of the hawkers, making new friends on each journey, beautifully green countryside strewn with paddy fields, quivering ponds and mud huts,  you may say, as a whole the journeys were celebrations in themselves.

Railway Mutton Curry

Pao Bhaji~Street Food (Mumbai)

Mumbai is a city garlanded with innumerable, iridescent food stalls, an ever bustling city always on the move where street food has thrived over decades and has become so famous that now Mumbai can’t be thought of without its street food. Among the array of vendors or hawkers that line up the streets of Mumbai the ones selling pao bhaji or vada pao are where the vehicle are brought to a halt for a quick nosh. I never fail to miss these whenever I make a trip to the city. Hygiene can’t be an issue whenever you are on tour especially if you have street food on your mind. So closing my eyes to it I gorge on the steaming plate of mashed, curried vegetables served with a generous scoop of Amul butter on top and pao buns or soft fluffy rolls smeared with butter at the side. Yes today I’m talking about the Mumbai Pao Bhaji….

Pao Bhaji

Restaurant Style Kadai Paneer

Kadai Paneer (cottage cheese) is a north Indian delicacy and a very popular one, amongst the most ordered dishes in restaurants. Living for over a decade in north India, I have tasted this several times in various eatouts and I’m sure most of you have and love this tasty dish as I do. I tried this recipe at home on the request of my son. And believe me it truly tasted as the one from any renowned Punjabi outlet if not better. Everyone was super happy with the dinner.

Restaurant Style Kadai Paneer

Milk Pulao With Prawns (Chingri Maacher Dudh Polao)

This is another exotic rice dish I found blog worthy. It is stunning enough to adorn a party table as well as a quiet private lunch with your family. The brilliance in aroma, taste and texture was quite amazing, difficult to put in words until you have tasted it. This is the season of fresh prawns as you know it. All of them will vanish from the market in a month or two with the rise in temperature. So I’m trying to make the most of the hay time cooking the prawn dishes I have on my mind. Those who are allergic to prawns or looking for a vegetarian option can cook it with the seasonal veggies like cauliflower, carrots, peas etc. Will give that recipe another time.

Milk Pulao With Prawns

Dum Aloo Amritsari

Dum Aloo Amritsari is a dish I learnt from one of my neighbours in Amritsar during my two years stay there. A lovely dish, sits pretty on the table as a side dish either with pulao or any Indian bread. Superb in taste and color this dish is essentially Punjabi with a thick gravy of tomatoes and needless to say is slightly on the oily side. So don’t count your calories in this carb platter, there is no harm in indulging in the richness of taste once in a while.

Dum Aloo Amritsari

Chicken Kosha (Spicy Bhuna Chicken)

How about an awesome chicken dish today after two consecutive postings of vegetarian dishes? Chicken Kosha is a Bong culinary treasure that has caught up with the rest of the world as has its mutton counterpart. It’s a favorite any day especially if you have luchi/puris or paranthas (Indian Flat Breads) on your mind as the choice of bread. Delectable is the least you can say about this dish! It is rich in color, texture and flavor, even a great dish to enchant the entire spread if you are hosting a lunch or dinner.

Chicken Kosha

Steamed Paneer/Cottage Cheese

Until now I had tried mustard with fish and prawns preparations only. Was thinking of using this flavour with paneer for a long time. We are accustomed to have paneer with roti/parantha/ naan/ pulao. But how about a paneer dish which can be savoured with steamed rice also. When you are tied with some other works and either thinking of ordering from outside or a lunch or dinner that cooks fast, this dish serves you just right. Cooks in a jiffy, the total preparation time is hardly ten minutes.

Steamed Paneer

Chatpata Baigan (Spicy Eggplants/Brinjals/Aubergines)

Cooking vegetarian dishes particularly with a variety each day is something I find very difficult. No dish can be repeated immediately the day after because my son would raise his eyebrows and ask, “Maa, didn’t you make the same dish yesterday?” I try to innovate my veg dishes continuously to avoid facing this question.

Chatpata Baigan

Doi Golda (Lobsters In Rich Creamy Yogurt Sauce)

Sunday is the day of making a special dish for lunch. Sonny awaits with expectations of something new, different and delicious. He suggested a few days back, “Maa  why don’t you make a special prawn dish this Sunday?” I pondered, yes has been a while I made a prawn dish. Went to the market in the morning to try my luck in getting some fresh large prawns for lunch. Had come across an awesome prawn recipe quite a few days back and was dying to give it a try. But the fish market disappointed me. Couldn’t find any large prawn, only some stale small ones lying with one vendor. Suddenly something caught my eye. At one corner was a boy about fifteen years of age, selling some minnows along with some fresh medium sized fresh water lobsters or Indian scampi heaped at one side. Walked up to him and after a good bargain bagged a kilo of those lobsters. Though my recipe needed tiger prawns, I couldn’t resist buying them to see how things turn out.

Doi Golda

Vegetable Biryani

You generally associate a plate of aromatic, scrumptious Biryani with either chicken or mutton. I also did the same until I made it!! This was the first time I was trying Vegetable Biryani, and believe you me it was super delectable! Somewhat different from the usual chicken or mutton Biryani that you always have, but the difference is very satisfying. You need to have some fresh veggies at hand and some aromatic Basmati rice to give birth to this simply lovable dish.

Vegetable Biryani

Mutton Stew

There was a time, during my childhood days in Kolkata when the panacea to all illness seemed a hot steaming bowl of mutton or chicken stew. “Oh my God you are running a temperature!! Caught a cold didn’t you? Have Crocin now. Will make you mutton stew today….” my Maa used to say. At other times Baba used to ask, “What happened? You are looking pale!! Not feeling well?…Take rest…Will bring some chicken from the market and Maa will make you chicken stew…don’t have anything else…you’ll be okay in no time.” I waited eagerly for that deliciously wonderful stew cooked by Maa. So lovely were those days of being nestled in the warmth of love and care of parents…..and the sheer magic of home remedies!!

Mutton Stew

Masala Egg Kosha

It was Republic Day, a National Holiday, drizzling since the night before, a cold and overcast day in the National Capital. Nobody were out of their houses unless absolutely necessary. Nothing much to do except listening to the patriotic songs being played on the loudspeakers and watching the parade on tv. This kind of weather always prompts something ‘eggilicious’ in my mind, a dish that’s not too elaborate, a bit spicy to infuse a zing to the palate and pep up the gloominess around.

Masala Egg Kosha

Begun Poraa (Bong Style Baingan/Eggplant Bharta)

Today I’ll share with you the easiest recipe of all in this ‘GO GREEN’ series, perhaps easier than tossing up a salad or stuffs like that for yourself in which at least you have got to chop the veggies or fruits that go into your salad. But this one is the fastest  because you just roast the eggplants well on all the sides, peel the burnt skin , mash it and eat, and yes the tangy flavour of raw mustard oil and freshly chopped coriander fill up your senses and being paired with hot fulkas conjure up a brilliant meal for you.

Begun Poraa

This is ‘Bong style Baigan Bharta’ that I’m talking of and my mother’s recipe too. ‘Begun Poraa’ is the Bengali term for it ('Poraa' means burnt in Bengali) as the main element should be the burnt smell and those of you who haven’t tasted Baigan Bharta in this way must make it today to see for yourself.

This is how I made it in just two simple steps and with minimum ingredients…..

Chana Dal Palak (Split Yellow Chickpeas With Spinach) In the Microwave

In the pursuit of my 'Go Green' drive specially in the season of the abundance of fresh greens available Chana dal palak is one dish which is a must try. Chana dal palak (split yellow chickpeas with spinach) cooks fast and perfect in the microwave. That’s the reason I always prefer micro to pressure cooker cooking for this particular dish. Try this and see how easily it cooks with all the flavors mingled just right…

Chana Dal Palak

Nimona

This is another winter speciality, a vegetarian dish taught by my mother. We use green peas in a number ways in our dishes. This dish makes use of green peas paste to culminate into a brilliant preparation called ‘Nimona’. We Bongs call it ‘Namuna’, though the process may vary from UP or more precisely Lucknowi style ‘Nimona’ but the taste is as awesome in whichever way you choose to make it.

Nimona

Healthy And Tasty Stir Fried Hariyali Kebab Masala

This is a quick fix meal when you are feeling out of sorts or simply in no mood to cook at all. It’s a delish dish ready in less than 15 minutes without much labour. Just put in the ingredients stir fry and its ready!!!!

Hariyali Kebab Masala

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora In The Microwave

One of the most popular dishes of North India is Kadhi Chawal, a soul food of the Punjabis, and a frequent dish in their kitchen. I often make this delicious dish but this time made use of the microwave and it cooked so fast!! Absolutely hassle free and had amazing flavours too, try out this simple, easy and failproof recipe in your microwave.

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

Alton Brown's Free Range Fruit Cake

This is an adaptation of Alton Brown’s Free Range Fruit Cake for the Christmas and New Year. I came to know about this brilliant recipe from Bong Mom’s CookBook and instantly fell in love with it. Couldn’t wait much further and baked this new year rum fruit cake for my family straight away after acquiring the ingredients and it turned out as awesome as the recipe promised it to be. Thank you Sandeepa and those of you who haven’t tried it yet make it today…..

Fruit Cake

Kolhapuri Mutton/ Tambada Rassa ~ a Maharashtrian delicacy

Happy New Year to all my readers!!

Kolhapur, situated in the southernmost district of Maharashtra is an ancient city on the banks of the river Panchaganga and is also known as Dakshin Kashi. It was the main centre of power in the Shilahara dynasty and one of the important cities of the Maratha Empire, just to give you a brief brush up of Indian history.

Kolhapuri Mutton