Monday, December 23, 2019

Chicken Roast for Christmas


Christmas is right here, the year is done, and I have been super lazy this month. The last few days has been crazy as it always does when the holidays are upon you and you have procrastinated.

But not my fault totally. The thing is my India trip this November, totally messed me. Though there was a lot of running around to do while I was there, I did not have to do any of the daily chores. I mean, no meal planning, no lunch or dinner to cook, no clothes to fold, even the cup of lebu-cha was brewed and brought to me. That kind of luxury goes to your head.

*At this point, if you are in India and reading my blog, you are probably rolling your eyes*

I get it. That is normal for you. Most of my friends and cousins back home, actually look upon me with pity if I happen to tell them that I actually have to cook the lunch that I pack for the school lunch boxes!! We live a hard life, I am telling you.

So anyway, all that life of pleasure totally ruined my system and I have calmly delegated almost all cooking to the husband man or to our favorite Sichuan restaurant.

If I had continued to live in India, I am telling you this blog would just go defunct. Thank God for small mercies!

Now, a couple of you had messaged me, asking to share a roast chicken recipe. I get it, it's Christmas and  a roast chicken is a delicious thing for a Christmas lunch. Also it's just the kind of dish you would like to make all through winter.  It is a one-pot, rather one-tray dish and you can stand near the oven and watch Netflix, all warm and toasty. Yes, I have my own weird reasons for cooking.

Whenever I make roast chicken, I do it with Cornish hens. We are not big meat eaters and two Cornish hens is perfect for our family of 4.  These are smaller hens which taste really delicious and easier to handle for klutz-es like me. Don't be ashamed of being a klutz. I am one and the world needs all kinds ๐Ÿค“.
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This roast chicken recipe that I follow is fairly simple.๐Ÿ— I don't have the exact measures but if you are in doubt about how much olive oil or butter, i would just say err on the higher side.

Recipe is for 1 small Cornish Hen

Wash the chicken thoroughly inside out and remove giblets if any. They will be in a small pack, for your ease, the store does that!
Oh! And don't forget to pat the chicken dry.


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Now I take half a lemon ๐Ÿ‹ and rub it around the inside cavity of the hen. I also rub it in any crevices and nooks and crannies. Lemon is like deodorant for the hen.
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Then I make a spice paste with following
๐Ÿ‚Olive Oil ~ 3-4 Tbsp
๐Ÿ‚Little butter ~ 2 Tbsp
๐Ÿ‚Garlic paste ~ 1 Tbsp
๐Ÿ‚Ginger paste ~ 1/2 Tbsp
๐Ÿ‚Tandoori masala or Garam Masala ~ 1 tsp
๐Ÿ‚Black pepper powder ~ 1 tsp (best if you powder whole black peppercorns)
๐Ÿ‚ Red Chili Powder ~ 1 tsp
๐Ÿ‚Salt
Mmm...so good.


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Rub this paste around the inside cavity of the hen. Then gently lift the outer skin and massage the spice paste on the outer side.Make sure the spices and butter reach all the crevices. I have never had a massage this good myself.
Rub the paste on all sides of the chicken as you want your whole chicken to be flavorful.

Liberally salt the inside and outside of the chicken.
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Let the chicken rest for one whole hour. It has done hard work.

Pre-heat oven to 425F



Now heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the hen on the outside. The skin should turn a pale golden.
๐ŸฅIt is NOT necessary to do this skillet step. Instead you can just brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil+butter.
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Now arrange the chicken on a roasting tray. Stuff the inside with whole sprigs of rosemary, plenty of cloves of garlic and lemon halves. You can add vegetables like small potatoes, carrots, onions to roast in the same tray.
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Roast for 70 mins to 90 mins at 425 F. You will know it is done when juice runs clear when cut between leg and thigh.
๐ŸฅBaste the chicken with the olive oil+butter+dripping-in-tray halfway through the cooking


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Serve with bread, salad and the roasted vegetables.
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Thursday, October 31, 2019

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate chips and Chai Streussel Topping

Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping, Chai spices

I had never thought this day would come. The day we would make Kumro r Cake or Pumpkin Bread. Well, I had tried making one last year too but it had turned into a kumro r shinni. No Godmother could save it.

This year I decided to be prudent.

Instead of shifting through the million search results that Google throws up, the moment you type "pumpkin bakes", I decided to go with a recipe in one of the very trusted and authentic blogs "Smitten Kitchen". I have been  a fan of Deb Perelman's very un-staged kinda photos and delicious blog from way back, though I have hardly made anything as I am not a dessert person. But if I have to bake anything and she has a recipe for it, I will take hers above anyone else's.

I took her recipe of pumpkin bread but then I wanted a coffee cake like streusel topping. A spiced streusel topping in keeping with the season. So I made a streusel topping with some "chai masala" and it was so very good. Mmmm...good. Also please note, I had no idea that topping was called "steusel topping" until two weeks back!






Then LilSis, took over the recipe and became the chief baker in charge. She  also wanted chocolate chips. Now, if the chief-baker wants chocolate chips in her pumpkin bread, she will add it no matter what the recipe says.

LS's interest in baking reminds me of a story when she was 3 or 4 years old.

One day driving her back from her pre-school I had asked
"LS, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Bekaar," she had said confidently.

Assuming it was "baker" and have had seen her not interested in any baking so far, I was a little surprised.

"So what things do you want to bake? Bread, Cookies, cupcakes?" I wanted to get into the details.

LS had rolled her eyes and said, "Not that English Baker, I want to be the Bangla bekar*, the one who does nothing!!!"

* In Bengali, "the word "bekaar", means someone or something who is of no good.

That said, for this pumpkin bread mostly LilSis did the job, I helped. We baked 1 big loaf and 3 mini loaves of Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips and Chai Streusel Topping. You could do two 9x5 loaf pans with this measure. We shared some of our cake with friends and everyone loved it.


Halloween at our home is bit toned down this year. The High School junior has given up on Halloween and doesn't want to go trick or treating any more. The new middle schooler has a very basic costume, which her sister helped put together. She is going to be a blue M&M! But Halloween Day forecast shows rain all day so I don't know what we will do.

This Pumpkin Bread is our proshaad for Kumro Pujo aka Halloween this year.



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Thursday, October 17, 2019

Portuguese-Style Fish Stew -- on hump day

Portuguese-Style Fish Stew, Weeknight Dinners, Fish Curry Recipes
Portuguese-Style Fish 
There was a recent @nytimes article which asked 18 families around the world what they were having for a typical weeknight dinner. Almost all the families in that article were eating a dinner cooked at home!! Other than India and Peru (where there was a cook), in all other countries, the dinner was cooked by members of the family. I really found it very interesting as did Li'l Sis. i love to learn about other cultures and seeing what a family is eating gives me a peek into their world.
Yesterday on my FB page I asked a similar question -- Are you cooking dinner tonight?
82% of readers said, they were cooking dinner at home.
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Though a small sample size, it gives me so much hope.๐Ÿ’•
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Inspired by the families around the world, I decided to cook something different last night and settled on a Portuguese style fish stew. I had Tilapia loins that were waiting in the sink, already defrosted. The Fish stew required just the basic ingredients and little effort. Right up alley on a Wednesday.

I followed a couple of recipes, one of which was from Washington post. Interestingly this tomato based stew has a Portugese + New England influence from the Portuguese immigrants. To it I added some of my own Bengali influence with Bhaja Moshla and lots of green chilies and coriander leaves.๐Ÿคฃ

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I cooked in a cast iron skillet and finished it in the oven, this reduced my active cooking time to about 20 mins. I loved this part about the dish, that it was so quick.

The dish came out really very good and I am adding it to my favorite weeknight fish curries recipes.



Portuguese-Style Fish Stew

Inspired by Washington Post -- Portugese Style Fish-Stew

What You Need

Tilapia Loins -- 4 Tilapia filet, each about 4oz, from Costco. Cut each into 3 pieces. Pat dry and then dust with salt-pepper.

You can also use fish like Cod or Bassa

Onion -- 1 medium or half of a large one. Chopped
Garlic -- 6 fat cloves minced
Tomato -- 2 large tomatoes chopped OR 1/2 Cup of canned organic no-salt added crushed tomato
Green Chili -- 4 slit and 2 chopped

Cumin powder (I used Bhaja Moshla) -- 1/2 tsp
Thyme -- a pinch of dried Thyme
Rosemary -- a pinch of dried rosemary
Red Chili Powder -- 1/2 tsp
Salt -- to taste

Optional
You can add some vegetables to this dish like I added diced carrots
Andouille sausage -- 2 cooked sausages chopped
White Wine -- a splash

Start Cooking

Preheat Oven to 350 F.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil a cast iron skillet.

Add the garlic and green chilies.

Once the garlic starts sizzling add the onion. Saute until onion is soft. 2-3 minutes.

Next goes in the tomatoes and carrots. Saute and then cover and cook for 10 minutes at medium heat. Tomatoes should not have any more raw smell.

Add the sausages and saute for a minute. You can add a splash of  white wine at this point.

Next add all the dry spices
Bhaja Moshla
Thyme
Rosemary
Red Chili Powder
Salt to taste

Add the fish pieces, moving them around gently so that both sides are coated with the sauce and they are touching the bottom of the pan

Add round sliced lime, some more green chilies if you like it hot.

Now put the skillet in the pre-heated oven. Cook for 15 minutes. At the end of this, fish should be flaky and cooked.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with salad and brown rice.

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Tuesday, October 01, 2019

Dugga Dugga -- 2



"Ma, o Ma", a pretty young girl, with beautiful doe eyes, and shiny black hair stands in front of the bathroom vanity mirror with a worried look on her face. She is intently studying the labels on two identical jars, each containing some gooey black and green stuff that looks like face cream.
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"Ma," the girl repeats again anxiously. "What do you think is better for my face? Dead sea mud and volcanic ash or Ashwagandha* and Ghritakumari?"
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In absence of any reply, the girl hesitantly assures herself, "Ghritakumari* sounds so beautiful. I think this will be better for my complexion. After all, it is made in India. There is no other way to go with this product than fair and more fair."
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She then carefully applies the greenish gooey, substance on her face, making sure that every inch of her face and neck is coated with the product.
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"Ma, can we meet Ghritakumari, when we go to India this time? I think am her fan. I want to follow her. Is she on Insta? Does she do Tik-Tok?," Lokkhi makes a pouty face and takes a selfie.



The mother, bent double over her phone, her eyebrows furrowed, her ten hands flying across ten different apps, does not even look up.
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"Didi, grow up. Think beyond your piggy bank and face mask. There is a whole Universe out there to explore before global warming destroys our Kailash," a fair and bespectacled young girl, marches in with a tall glass of emerald green juice, the color of the juice only a shade lighter that the green mask on Lokkhi's face.

She does not drink the juice however, holding it aloft like a statue instead, and keeps checking her phone every few seconds.
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"Why do you keep checking your phone? Is your boyfriend going to call you?" Lokkhi suppresses a giggle beneath her masked face.
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"Not BF idiot, IF" the fair girl murmurs, letting go off a very audible sigh.
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"IF?" Lokkhi squeaks.

The Mother keeps tapping, her bifocals hanging off  the tip of her nose, beads of perspiration shining like drops of pearls right atop her upper lips.
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"Intermittent Fasting re baba. Instead of only taking selfies, you should start reading your FB and WhatsApp forwards, Didi. IF is the range in US and India. Everyone is doing the 16:8".

"16:8 ?" Lokkhi squeaks again, just when the phone in Saro's hand starts beeping urgently.

"It's time, it's time. I did it, I fasted for 16 hours, " Saro jumps up, gulps her juice hungrily and quickly snaps into a squat position.
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"Dhurr no weight loss with IF. What everyone needs to do is Keto instead. Good food. Lots of fat. Eat as much mutton kosha you want. And still have a figure like me," Kartik walks in with a smirk, pushes Lokkhi aside and flexes his muscles in front of the mirror.

Well, he deserves to be narcissistic.He does indeed look good -- tight muscles, gelled hair, trim mustache. Looks like that Keto or whatever he keeps doing works. Now, only if he tried a little and stopped looking at the mirror so much, he could have a job, even get some role in Bollywood.

While the two of them argue about IF and Keto and Lokkhi keeps taking selfies of her green face, their pleasantly obese, fat bellied brother strolls in with a Krispy Kreme donut-laddoo in hand. He doesn't look into the mirror and focusing on his donut says,  "If I do Keto, can I eat as much mutton kosha as I like? With Luchi or Mishti Pulao?"

Kartik shakes his head in disbelief and looks disdainfully at Ganesh's protruding belly. Ganesh ignores him and takes a bigger bite of his cream filled donut laddoo.

Tension brews in  #12 Kailash Drive. It's always tense and chaotic around here. You couldn't expect anything else with four adult kids living at home.

**************


"Gonshaaa," the Mother's shrill voice pierces through all the arguments, "Eta ki sottiy? Is this true?" For a Goddess, she has a real shrill voice -- years of shouting at he worthless husband, her four kids and that Mahishasur has permanently raised her voice to a high pitch.

"What is true Ma?"

"That now back in my home, that "Bhuter Raaja dilo Bor" is a reality? Only instead of clap, you have to tap your phone and food arrives like magic?"

"Ahh, are you talking of Swiggy Ma? Or Uber eats?" Gonsha smiles benevolently at his Mother.

He loved them. Not mothers. The apps. They were the only reason he could survive all those la-re-lappa songs and intense arguments over Ganapati Visarjan for those 10 days in September. Biryani for dinner, Idli with gun powder for breakfast, Vada Pav or Khao Suey for lunch, and even his favorite Krispy Kreme donut-laddoo for midnight snack...it was pure magic.

"Sottiy tahole? Mandap e delivery korbe?**" Mother's face lights up with a 1000 watt smile. Finally there was something to look forward to after all that standing around in that weird pose for five whole days. She wasn't getting any younger and all that standing with a bent knee was taking its toll.

"No more of that Khichuri, labra everyday! Uff such a blessing." Dugga murmurs to herself.

Now she could have her favorite chilli chicken from Tyangra while posing at that ludicrously expensive pandal in Sreebhumi. She could order Beguni and Muri from Baagbazaar, waiting at Maddox square pujo pandal where no one seems to have heard of North Calcutta. The possibilities seemed endless. She should not forget the pack of Gelusil and Joan er Arok though, her digestion is not as good as it was ten years back

"And Gonsha, what is this? All these food bloggers are taking our recipes and posting them on Facebook, why re? Our Oshur doesn't even cook that well, why are they going crazy?" Dugga peers closer into the phone screen.

"Ei, don't complain about my cooking, free te ranna tar abar oto kotha," Oshur groans from the dining room.

"Plagiarism? Ke koreche? Let me get a internet lawyer. did they use our photos?" Saro jumps in and snatches the phone from her Mom.

"Thakurbari'r mangsho , Thakurbari'r Chholar' Dal, Thakurbari'r aloor chop, Thakurbari'r maggi..." she murmurs scrolling down the list.

"Thakurbari'r Maggi? That is my recipe. Mine. Totally mine" Lokkhi shrieks. "OMG, I am famous. They are copying my recipe".

"Uff Ma, you are too much. This is not us, not Durga Thakur. This is Robi Thakur, Rabindranath Tagore", Saro shakes her head in disbelief. How did she land up in this family of idiots? How?

"Ohh Robi? He rote such good songs, aha. He cooked too? I always knew he was multi talented," Dugga smiles fondly thinking of her favorite bard.

"Achcha Gonsha make me a list of what food to order in the Mandap. There are so many reviews of where to eat for Pujo that I am getting confused now. We have only five days and I am getting older, can't eat that much anymore," Dugga hands over the phone to Ganesh and finally sits back, relaxed and smiling..

"Dada, I kintu want phuchka with jhaal-mishti-tok water," says Lokkhi sliding up to Ganesh.

"I want momos Dada, and Hakka Noodles, but ask them to deliver before 5:30. I have IF", Saro picks up her books and stands behind Ganesh's shoulder.

Kartik shuffles his feet and meekly says, " Dada oi Shiraz er Biriyani ar Rezala, 2 plates, we can share. Biryani is allowed in my Keto."

"Ami vegan. For me, Dosa with coconut chutney only," groans Mahishashur from the kitchen.

Shib finally stirs up from the recliner and says, "Duto shingara, bonde ar ek cup cha".


*Ghritakumari -- Aloe Vera
*Ashwagandha -- Indian ginseng
**Sottiy taholeMandap e delivery korbe? -- So it's true! They'll deliver at the Puja pandal.





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Sunday, September 22, 2019

Bati Charchari 2 -- with cauliflower stalks et al, pumpkin and eggplant

Bengali Bati Charchari
Our Lunch plate today

B
engali Cuisine has so many different varieties of vegetarian dishes that it is hard to keep a count. Charchari, Ghonto, Chechki, Jhol, Jhaal, the permutations and combinations are endless.

Even within each of these genres -- there are hundred different varieties.

Charchari is a dish which is usually made with multiple of vegetables. However there are exceptions and individual charcharis also rule the genre, like "Aloo Charchari" with only potatoes or "Dharosh Charchari" with only okra. But most charcharis involve a  myriad of vegetables with a lot of sauteing and thus generous amount of oil. I had read somewhere the name "charchari" came phonetically from the "char char" or charring sound that happened while sauteing vigorously in an iron kadhai.

The Bati Charchari is a little different from usual charcharis as it does not involve any tempering or  sauteing at all. In fact the bati charchari that I have grown up with was made with only potatoes, chopped in long  thin slices, cooked in a steel container with mustard oil drizzled oil from the top.

Today's Bati Charchari which I am calling Bati Charchari 2 is a variation of the typical charchari. It has mustard paste and a tempering of Paanchphoron , Hing and Green Chili. I love the flavor of Hing in my vegetarian dishes and often add them to charcharis. Instead of Mustard paste, I have used Kashundi from a bottle because my Mother sent me  a large stock of Kashundi recently.

The star of this dish was of course the cauliflower stalks which were tender and tasted delicious. I was delighted to see again a cauliflower with such lovely stalks and used the stalks and green in this dish as well as in a dal. Yep, I am officially that age when I get excited by cauliflower stalks.
Instead of going "Oooh, Farhan Akhtar", I am like "Oooh, such lovely green, firm, kopi'r daanta (cauli stalks)"๐Ÿฅฐ. My heart races seeing such stuff.
Here is a video to give you an idea about making this dish.




Bati Charchari 2 -- with cauliflower stalks et al, pumpkin and eggplant

Chop in equal proportions all of the following vegetables.

Cauliflower
Cauliflower stalks and leaves
Pumpkin
Eggplant
Potato(optional)

*I have chopped everything in cubes but you can chop them longitudinally

Heat Mustard Oil for cooking

Temper the hot oil with
1 tsp Paanchphoron
3-4 Green Chili
a pinch of Hing

Now add the vegetables, one after the another.
So add pumpkin, quick saute, then add cauliflower stalks.
Next, goes in cauliflower florets, saute for a minute.
Next eggplant

Sprinkle some Turmeric powder and saute everything for a couple of minutes.

Add
1 Cup of water
1 tsp of Mustard paste (OR 1 tsp Kashundi mixed with some water)
Salt to taste

Mix well.

Cover and cook at low medium until vegetables are tender.

Finish off with a tsp of kashundi and few green chilies for best taste





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Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Tumi'r Chicken Malai Kabab



Today is Bishawakarma Pujo.

And guess what ? I do not have a single food memory of this festival.

Tomato? Potato? Khichuri? Biriyani? Potol Posto? Neem Begun? Bishwakarma ki kheten๐Ÿค”

Nothing. Zilch. Nada. My brain throws up a 404 Error at "Bishwakarma Pujo Food". Ki blasphemy!!

There are several for Durga Pujo, a couple for Lokkhi Pujo, a nice number for Saraswati Pujo, even one for Ma Mongol Chondi'r Pujo.

But Biswakarma? Nothing. My mother never made anything special for this guy. Neither did my Thama, paternal grandmother.

Even Dida, my maternal grandmother, who usually was the one with all the rituals and related food, did observe something called "Arandhan", on the day before Bishwakarma Pujo but that was for another goddess Ma Manasa.

Actually I don't remember my Mother making anything special on Ganesh Pujo or Karthik Pujo either.

Do you see the trend here ? I guess these Bengali females were more feminist than any. They made special dishes only for the Goddesses!

But I believe in equal opportunity. If Durga, Lokkhi can have their bhog er khichuri and narkel naru then Baba Biswakarma can have my Kababs.

So what if the women in my family never cooked anything for him! I have other resources.

These tender, soft, juicy malai kababs are my friend's sister's recipe. She lives in UK and she shared this recipe with me almost 4 years back. I have made it umpteen times since then and everytime I make it I remember her saying that she uses "Crรจme fraรฎche" for this dish, for that is what they get in Europe and not just some blah "sour cream".

There are many recipes of Chicken Kabbas out there but I always, always stick to Tumi'r recipes. And every freaking time I make these kababs with hung yogurt, some cream cheese, a little sour cream -- I say to myself I should have used "Crรจme fraรฎche"!!!

That is how recipes are for me, they are always about who told you about it, whom you learned from, where you heard about it, whose home you tasted it, who gave you those small to  and what you remember it by.



Chicken tenderloins cut in kabab sized cubes -- 1.5 lb

Marinade Ingredients

Thick Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt strained of whey) -- 1/2 cup
Sour Cream -- 1/4th Cup (I usually don't have sour cream at home so skip this)
Cream Cheese -- 3-4 Tbsp
Olive Oil -- 2 tsp

Spices for marinade

Garlic Paste -- 1 Tbsp
Tandoori Masala -- 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder -- 1 tsp
Chat Masala -- a sprinkle
Dried Mint -- 1/2 tsp
Green Chili -- 2 minced
Lemon Juice -- from 1/2 lemon
Salt -- to taste

Marinate the Chicken pieces with all the ingredients listed under "Marinade Ingredients"

Then add all ingredients under "Spices for marinade"

Toss the chicken pieces well making sure all pieces are well coated. Now refrigerate for 1 hr to overnight.

When you are ready to cook, put the pieces on a skewer. put the skewers on a grill rack with a dripping tray below. Into the oven at 375 F for 20 mins.

Then take out and turn the skewers. Drizzle a little bit more of olive oil and put to broil for 6-8 minutes

Serve it right away with salad or roti.

School Lunch ideas: You can also cool and freeze in portions and add these to noodles or fried rice or even make a chicken tikka gravy with these kababs

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Friday, August 09, 2019

Bengali Rice Congee or Phenaa Bhaat



Bengali rice Conge or Phenaa Bhaat

Phenaa Bhaat in all Bengali Homes == Bengali Rice Congee in a restaurant.

Few days back, I was talking to Pritha Di( the famous Pritha Sen) about typical Bengali breakfasts served in Bengali middle class homes until a few years back.

" Don't tell me about Luchi, Parotta, Kochuri. Tell me something else, " I said.

That is when memory of this ubiquitous dish, ever present in our childhood mornings, came back.

For the first ten years of my life, I remember rushing through the morning, sleepy eyed and grumpy to catch the school bus somewhere around 8 AM. What I cannot fathom is, how I managed to eat a hot breakfast of soft cooked rice, mashed potatoes and boiled eggs with a pat of melting Amul Butter, that early!! My daughters can barely finish a bowl of cereal in that time.

But it wasn't me alone. Millions of Bengali kids fortified themselves with a similar breakfast and probably still do. It is a healthy, one pot meal. easy for the mothers to cook and definitely good for the kids who swallow the soft morsels hurriedly in the morning.



In PrithaDi's home it was known as "Jau Bhaat". In mine "Phenaa Bhaat" and if the starch was drained then "Seddho bhaat" or "Bhaate Bhaat".

In those days, we had no idea that other Asian kids, strewn around China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Myanmar are probably eating a similar gruel called Congee as their breakfast.

The key to the Bengali "Phenaa Bhaat" is the rice. It has to be a short grained rice and if a fragrant one, all the more better. So the natural choice is Gobindobhog rice. In its absence you can use Kalijeera or any other local short grained rice. The rice is to be cooked with lots of water and vegetables to a starchy gruel like texture. The vegetables vary with season and shouldn't overpower the dish. During summer it is usually potatoes, and then you pick couple of choices from okra, pumpkin, radish and green papaya. In the winter, there is carrots, sweet peas, cauliflower and of course potatoes.



Once cooked, the vegetables can be mashed separately and served with the dish. Some of the vegetables like pumpkin, potatoes and papaya can just be roughly mashed into the rice itself. My mother used to also serve fried fish with the seddho bhaat when she was pressed for time. All of this would be topped with Ghee or a pat of golden Amul butter.

I like it when the dish has a silky and smooth texture and served with eggs. I also like to dress it up with some green chili and ginger slices fried in mustard oil.



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Sunday, August 04, 2019

3 Ingredient Oreo Cookies Ice cream



Summer temperatures have been high around here and that can only mean ice cream and more ice cream.

This "No Ice cream Maker" recipe is so easy that any kid could do it and that's what Little Sis did. Well she is not that little any more. Almost eleven.

But what I am saying is, this recipes is so easy that any kid in elementary school who can follow some instructions should be able to make this ice cream.



Honestly taking a photo of this ice cream was more difficult than making it. Since the oreos had been crumbled and the rest devoured by the girls, we couldn't find any Oreo cookie to style the ice cream photo. That is when Big Sis suggested to put a tiny piece of brownie (she had just made a batch for her friend) on the ice cream. That is what you see there and Li'l Sis said it was a good addition to the ice cream actually. Sugar on Sugar.

But then that's what our short lived summers are for.

3 Ingredient Oreo Cookies Ice cream

What you Need



Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream -- 1 Cup

Condensed Milk -- 1/2 Cup or 4oz (a little less than this is okay)



Oreo Cookies -- 10-15 Oreo Cookies crumbled (Either crumble them with a rolling pin or use a mixer)
Note: We had Thins so used about 15

How I Did It

Beat heavy cream/whipping cream at high speed setting until soft peaks form. Speed setting 6 for 6 minutes. This was our KitchenAid setting.
You could use a hand mixer or even beat with a whisk but the latter would take longer time.

Add Condensed Milk to the heavy cream and stir to mix.

Add the crumbled Oreos. Mix well.




Pour this heavenly mixture in an air-tight glass container. Cover with lid. Put in freezer.

Take out after 8-10 hours. Ice cream will be set by then.

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Sunday, July 28, 2019

Saffron Rose and Honey Ice cream -- No Ice Cream Maker needed

Saffron Honey Rose Icecream


Last year for Spring break we were on vacation.This year, it's summer and I have not finalized our vacation plans yet.๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ

So, of course I am wallowing in my own sorrow and perusing pictures of the past. And that is when I remembered this Gelateria in a small town called GELATERIA DONDOLI IN San Gimignano, Italy. #throwbacktoholidays



Dumping us off at this quaint medieval town in Tuscany, the pretty Italian tour guide had ended her historic spiel about the town with "And don't forget to have gelato at the Gelateria Dondoli which has the best gelato in the world. it is the winner of the Gelato world cup( that's a thing?)"

Tossing her auburn curls she wagged a finger and warned "When you enter the piazza, there is one more store with a sign "World's Best Gelateria"-- but don't go there, it is fake๐Ÿ˜ฑ. The only real World champion is Dondoli and you will see it."๐Ÿ˜Ž

Armed with this knowledge we strode into the beautiful piazza surrounded by medieval stone houses in gothic architecture, towers and beautiful church. But of course I paid little attention to this as my focus was on Gelato. True to the guide's words there were couple of gelaterias all proclaiming themselves to be winners of "Gelato World Championship". Modest crowds hung at each and I pitied the tourists who did not have my knowledge and thus would never taste the world's best gelato.

Unfortunately there were plenty prepped like us by the guide and there was a serpentine queue in front Gelateria Dondoli. To taste a World Champion gelato, you do need to put in some hard work after all.

Since the girls only wanted gelato while we wanted to see the town too, we went on a quick round of the small town while the girls waited patiently in queue.

By the time we were back, our turn had come but the hardest part was still not over. The hardest part being, choosing a flavor in the deluge of the flavors that Dondoli offered. The unique thing about the gelato here was they had a range flavored with spices and herbs like rosemary, lavender, saffron and more aromatics. We were very excited to see a flavor dedicated to Michelle Obama and I of course took that one. It had saffron and was delicately sweetened with honey.

I don't remember if it was the best as I loved almost every gelato around every corner I have had equally but I do remember the girls getting very excited that there was a photo of Priyanka Chopra as well as Michelle Obama in that tiny gelateria.

I am not yet sure if Sergio Dondoli makes the best gelatos but he indeed is a genius in creating unique flavors.



Inspired by Dondoli's Michelle flavor, and remembering his gelato, I made a Saffron and Honey flavored ice cream today.  

Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of  "crocus saffron". It is the stigma and styles of these flowers. Known as Zafran it is grown mostly in Mediterranean regions.   I love Zafran or Saffron but since it is expensive, I always use it sparingly. For this ice cream I used half of a 1 gram pack.

Of course mine was not a gelato but generously flavored with fragrant saffron and hints of rose water, the ice cream did taste delicious. I added honey and reduced the amount of condensed milk for sweetness. This gave the ice cream a subtle sweetness which I really liked.

And it was my favorite 3 ingredient ice cream that requires no ice cream maker. I had learned this ice cream recipe from my neighbor and use it as a base to add different flavors. The Nolen Gur er Icecream too is based on the same recipe.


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Thursday, July 04, 2019

Best Mutton Biryani Recipe -- from Sanhita

Mutton Biryani, Kolkata Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani | Kolkata Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani is a famous dish where fargrant rice is cooked with pieces of mutton. The Kolkata Style Biryani is famous for it subtle taste and use of potatoes along with the meat.In this Mutton Biryani recipe, I have used readymade Biryani masala, making the process simpler.


Kolkata Chicken Biryani with homemade Biryani Masala

If you have been following me for a while you know about my Biryani woes. How I am never able to get that perfect Biryani rice

This year I was on a quest to a perfect my Biryani and the journey started with Neha Murad's Mom's Kolkata Biryani. It is a beautiful recipe and worked perfectly well and everything was good until it came to the rice part, when I faltered. It was always the rice which I either overcooked or it had extra moisture or something. I never got the "jhor jhore" Biryani rice where every grain is separate and independent.

Now two of my friends make excellent Biryani -- Moumita and Sanhita. Their Biryani is literally to die for and beats any restaurant Biryani that we get. I realized that the only way to salvage my Biryani was to shadow these experts in their kitchen and correct my errors.

Say Hello to Sanhita

My friend Sanhita kindly volunteered to teach me her excellent Biryani a couple of days back. Her approach to the dish was very simple, which caught my interest. She did not ask for any fancy ingredients and her style of Biriyani making seemed pretty simple with delicious results.

So I packed up 5lbs of goat meat, long grained Basmati rice, and arrived at her home on a hot summer afternoon to learn tricks of the trade.

Since none of us had time, we went with store bought Shan Bombay Biryani Masala. Next time I will be making Neha's mom's masala.

I am uploading 2 videos to show how the mutton was made and the rice was layered. The mutton is made with almost no water. After "koshaoing" or "bhuna-ing" for an hour, the mutton was transferred to a pressure cooker where it finished cooking. Point to be noted -- the oil from the mutton was not used in the Biryani.

 Cooking Mutton for Biryani

The rice grains were cooked al-dente and cold water was run through them to stop further cooking. The rice was then spread out in a tray and left to dry.

Layering Biryani


We made a very simple but utterly delicious Biryani. We did not waste our time in making the Birista(fried onions) to layer etc. The taste was subtle and clean, with the meat, spices, kewra and saffron flavoring each grain of rice.

Looks like my Biryani quest has finally come to an end with this delicious stop.

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Saturday, June 08, 2019

Grilled Chicken with Sate Oil



I have been obsessed with this grilled chicken recipe and had to share it here. It is perfect for the summer. A little marination and a whole lot of flavor.

Usually I marinate my chicken with Indian spices for grilling. However that was getting kind of boring. The other marinades that the husband-man uses is bit bland for my taste and the chicken is not as juicy as I want to be. psst... he doesn't agree though.

Until...yes until last week...when this recipe changed my life and grilled chicken's.

The recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine, an annual subscription gifted by my lovely friend. I took two recipes of Chef Tom Cunanan and then made them my own.

First, I was blown away by the Sate Oil. This is very similar to the Chili Garlic oil that you get at Chinese or Thai restaurants.



Next was grilled Chicken where the chicken was marinated in a brine and that contained guess what ? SPRITE. Yes, sprite. The sweet-lemony and fizzy sprite did do wonders to the chicken. The aromatics (yes the author kept saying aromatics for ginger, garlic etc and I loved it) in the brine add a lot of flavor to the meat. The meat was also very juicy and did not become at all dry after grilling.

The original recipe of the grilled chicken called Chicken Inalsa, involved Acchiote Oil but I did not have it.

So, I grilled the chicken as per the recipes and then basted it with previously made Sate Oil. The best thing ever. That oil is amazing. Be liberal with Sate Oil if you wish to kick up the flavors. Serve grilled chicken with a simple salad, add it to pasta, or in a sandwich. It is delicious.


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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Grilled Lamb Chops with Indian Spices


When my kids were younger, I used to have this dream -- that they are now older, responsible teenagers and hence doing everything on their own, leaving me with huge expanse of plump, golden afternoons of nothingness. I used to crave for those afternoons of nothingness. I used to fantasize about all things I could do then like -- exercise,new recipes every other day, social media updates by the minute, blog every hour, write a new book every week...

Future seemed glorious.

I was like that kid who wanted to be an adult until she becomes an adult and has to pay mortgage!

Now that my kids are older, those afternoons seem to have vanished. I do not have afternoons. And if I have any, they are gone so fast that I miss them. My afternoons seem to sprint faster than Usain Bolt and vanish in the blink of an eye.

My younger one thinks I could have got hold of those afternoons to do some conditioning and get fit abs like her. My older one thinks I should use those afternoons to do anything but check her Physics hw.

I do neither and honestly I have no idea what I am doing really other than wasting my time browsing what-to-watch-on-Netflix. I keep saying I will get more time once the kids are in college, but those are all excuses. Clearly I am ignoring all these well-meaning quotes about "Living in the now". Or maybe I am actually "living-in-the-now" by doing nothing.



So anyway, instead of wasting my time describing afternoons, let me share the recipe of these delicious grilled lamb chops or more like grilled rack of lamb. With fresh garlic, ginger and Indian spices it is a very, very flavorful recipe. I learned it from my friend Deepsikha and just like her I make this dish completely in the oven. No browning in skillet or anything. You can use the same recipe for lamb chops too, only cooking time may vary.

Technically this is not grilling as I am doing it in the oven but I will take convenience and taste over jargon any day. So you can call it what you may but a morsel of that lamb in your mouth and you will agree it is delicious. Period.

I am sure you will love it as much as we do. For a summer dinner, I served it with a salad and a cool Tzatziki which Big Sis made.



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