RCI Bengal: Round Up Stage II

The second and last RCI-Bengal Round up is the sweetest. This series has Chutney, Dessert, Snack, Drinks and Non-Recipe write ups.

Photo Courtesy: Flickr

As I said earlier for a history of Bengali Cuisine please refer to the article "Bengali Cuisine" from Wikipedia , I found the article very interesting and informative. For many of you who might not be aware of the history of Bengali cuisine, the various terms used and its delicate intricacies this article is a treasure. Even for those who are aware of the cuisne this article throws new light about the historical influences etc.

I would also like to mention that RCI-Bengal was an event where Bloggers cooked and sent their version of recipes of Bengali Food, as they saw it.Many of them might have adapted the original recipe to suit their taste, preference, local ingredients, whatever. So,this is not necessarily a compilation of authentic or original bengali cooking.

I thank everyone for making this event a success.



The Chutney

Anarosher Chaatni -- the only chutney entry, a beautiful pineapple chutney from Bee and Jai at Jugalbandi

Bengali style Raita -- a new dish from Mythreyee at Paajaka recipes

The Dessert

Kesar Badam Sandesh -- a delicious light creamy delicacy from West Bengal made with fresh home made paneer or chenna is from Medhaa at Cook With Love

Rasgulla -- the all time favorite sweet looks so scrumptious that you would love to pick it up right off her blog, from Dhivya at Dhivya's Cuisine

Sandesh -- the pristine white beauties made from paneer/chenna are from Cham at Spice-Club

Kala Jamun -- a gorgeous step-by-step demo of making kala jamuns which is known as Kalo Jaam in Bengali is from Dhivya at Culinary Bazaar

Choco Mava Peda -- delightful looking pedas from Nirmala at Amma's Special

Rasgulla -- sweet, juicy delights from SunshineMom at Tongue Ticklers

Cham Cham -- they look so professional and are so beautifully presented you would want to grab one off the screen, sweet delights from Sandhya at Sandhya's Kitchen

Rasagulla -- sweet, juicy, spongy rasagullas made for her Appa's Birthday and of course RCI from Kamala at Moms Recipes

Bengali Sandesh -- melt in your mouth sandesh from Priya at 365 Days of Pure Vegetarian

Bhapa Doi -- delectable bengali cheesecake flavoured with saffron and cardamom served with dollops of humor from Mallika at Quick indian Cooking

Rasmalai -- a fabulous tasting and definitely great looking dessert from Arundati at Escapades

Mishti doi -- a sweet yogurt, a bengali favorite served with sweeter memories from Sunita at Sunita's World

Jibe Goja /Fried pastry coated with syrup -- a simple yet household favorite from Rinku at Cooking in Westchester

Rasmalai -- a great looking dessert from Swapna at Swapna's Cuisine

Patishapta -- a very traditional Bengali dessert of thin crepes filled with a sweet coconut & kheer stuffing from Archana, mama of twins at Archana's Culinary Adventures

Mishti Doi -- a lovely dessert in a lovely pot from Renuka at Fusion

Rasgulla -Bengali Mithai -- one more dessert with a "eat me up" written all over it explained with detailed steps and tips from Mansi at Fun n Food


Kalakand -- decadent looking sweets from Mallugirl at Malabar Spices

Shrikhand -- this lovely dessert does not have any bengal connection that I know of, but then who am I to give verdict in the larger scheme of things so I am including this beautiful entry here from Jan at Food with a Pinch of Love (Jan had asked me if this dessert could be considered but I am welcoming all entries with open arms)

The Snack or JolKhabar

Jhaal Muri -- with a dash of mustard oil this tasty snack of puffed rice is from Meera at Enjoy Indian Food

Koraishutir Kochuri -- kachuri stuffed with a spicy sweet pea filling, one of the Bengal's winter breakfast or snack favorite is from Raaga at The Singing Chef

Oven baked Paneer Shingaras -- healthy and delicious samosas or shingaras from Siri at Siri's Corner

The Drink

Rasamadhuri Sherbet -- a pretty sherbet with an equally pretty name from Uma at Essence of Andhra

No Not a Recipe

Day 2: 16th March 2008 -- a travelogue on Kolkata with some beautiful Pics from Anjali at Swachchanda. She also shares an article on Haldiram's Food City in Kolkata here.

Traditional Bengali Curries - One Page Cookbook -- an entry from Ramki. This is entirely his version of Bengali Cuisine as he sees it. (But please can we not say "curry" for every dish. Also I am no authority on Bengali or any cuisine but I felt a lot was "Lost in Translation" in this writeup)

RCI Bengal : Round Up Stage 1

Phew….finally the round up is done. Never did I think that I would slog in the blog world and work late into night to meet deadlines which were not even there. Is this why I took up blogging as a hobby, I lament. No I took it to run away from pressure and deadlines of the real world.

But what do I see, there are tough task masters here too and even without the fear of the pink slip dangling over my head I am bowing down to them. Why am I up late into the night, browsing recipes, reading bloggers who have sent me entries and whom I have not yet chanced upon, jumping from their RCI posts to others which catch my fancy, categorizing hoards of recipes, why oh why then ?

And I realize it's for the love all of them have shown in cooking for an event, for their enthusiasm in trying out something new which might not be to their liking, for their courage in buying unknown spices and giving them a place in their comfortable kitchen, for their effort in digging out authentic recipes and reliving memories.

Thank you all my dear friends for all the enthusiasm and the cooking. Thanks to Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine for strating the event RCI (regional Cuisine of india) and letting me host RCI-Bengal. Thanks to Vani and Rajitha for telling me, I could ping them if I needed help with the round up.

Photo Courtesy : flickr

Wiki says, "Bengali cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh". The style of food preparation varies across various regions of Bengal, from the hills in the North to the Plains by the Ganges, from the east Bengal Kitchen to the one in West Bengal.

For a history of Bengali Cuisine please refer to the article "Bengali Cuisine" from Wikipedia , I found the article very interesting and informative. For many of you who might not be aware of the history of Bengali cuisine, the various terms used and its delicate intricacies this article is a treasure. Even for those who are aware of the cuisne this article throws new light about the historical influences etc.

Edited To Add: In lieu of some of the comments etc. I would like to mention that RCI-Bengal was an event where Bloggers cooked and sent their version of recipes of Bengali Food, as they saw it.
Many of them might have adapted the original recipe to suit their taste, preference, local ingredients, whatever. So,this is not necessarily a compilation of authentic or original bengali cooking.



Now without further ado I will let you jump onto the recipes.
This is Part I of the round up with recipes in the following categories Rice, Veggie Side Dish, Dal, Complete Meal, Seafood, Meat and Eggs.
Part II will have Chutney, Dessert, Snacks, Drink and Non-Recipe write ups

Within each category the recipes are ordered in accordance to their arrival order at my Inbox. If I have missed anyone or any details of your recipes, please leave a note.


Read more...

RCI-Bengal Round Up -- Part I

The Rice

Bengali Royal Rice (Pushpanna) -- a flavorful Rice Dish from Anu Sriram at Chandrabhaga

Khichudi -- not just rice but a nourishing and tasty mix of rice, dal and veggies, a complete meal if you prefer it that way from SunshineMom at Tongue Ticklers

Bengali Prawn Pulao -- a pulao with rice, moong dal and prawns from DG at DG's blog

Ghee Bhat (Rice with Clarified Butter) -- rice flavored with cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon and ghee from Priyanka at AsanKhana

Bengali Ghee Rice -- one more rice flavored with ghee and spices from Nags at For The Cook In Me

Khichuri -- with a recipe straight from a Bengali friend this comforting medley of rice, lentils and vegetables is from Nupur at One Hot Stove

Khichuri -- a new take on the authentic Khichuri with a very different spice mix from Trupti at Recipe Center

The Veggie Side Dishes

Aloo Posto -- a simple yet bengali household favorite from Gaurav at Gastronome By Choice


Veg Chop Inspired Sabji -- inspired by the delicious Vegetable chop this novel sabji follows the same recipe that goes in making the stuffing for the chop, from Gauri at Guj Food Guide


Alur Dom -- her grandmom made a mean alur dom which was spicy and red hot, recreated for us by Mandira at Ahaar

Paneer and potatoes with panch phoron -- flavored with ground panch-phoron powder this unique new dish is from Linda at Out of The Garden

Begun Bhaja -- a Bengali hot favorite flavored with spices from Trupti at Recipe Central


Saak er Ghonto with Bori -- a very authentic recipe of greens with other veggies and boris made at home from MS at Food Travails


BandhaKopir Ghonto -- another authentic veggie dish of cabbage, potatoes and peas along with a vivid write up from Vineela of Vineela's Cuisine


Dhokaar dalna -- with another recipe from her Bong friend, this delicious & very traditional Bengali dish described as pieces of fried chana dal burfis in a delicious gravy, is from Nupur at One Hot Stove

Dum Aloo -- spicy aloo dum from Divya Vikram at Dil Se


Shukto -- a non-traditional adapted version of Shukto with her own distinct touch of coconut milk from Bhagyashree at Taste Buds.

The Dal


Chollar Dal -- the delicious chana dal garnished with cocnut pieces and cooked the authentic Bengali way is from HomeCooked at HomeCooked


Bengali Dal -- one more tasty take on dal with bengal gram from EasyCrafts at Simple Indian Food


West Bengali Mung Bean and Tomato Soup -- a mung bean and tomato dal with a perfect balance of flavours and fragrances from Lisa at Lisa's Kitchen

Vegetable Dal With Panch Phoron -- a unique & tasty dal flavored with Paanch Phoron from Zlamushka at Zlamushka's Kitchen

Tetor Dal -- a Dal with bitter gourd and yet not bitter from the ever creative Pooja at My Creative Ideas & An attempt to spread love by cooking

Bengali Red Dal -- a gorgeous dal from Maninas at Maninas: Food Matters

Cholar dal -- one more glamorous chana dal from Bhawana at Tastes of India


The Complete Meals



A Delicious Bengali Spread -- ... and this includes delicious Alu-Potoler Dalna (Potato Parwal gravy), Maacher Sorse Jhol (Fish in Mustard gravy), Ghee Bhat (sweetish Bengali rice Pulao), Porota (Flatbread), Lankar Achar (Green chillies pickle)and Patishapta (sweet flour crepe with sweet aromatic coconut filling and topped with Saffron cream). All this from none other than Asha at Foodies Hope


Saffron Rice and Bengali Egg Curry -- a spicy Egg Curry served with Saffron Rice from Namratha at Finger Licking Food

Phulko Luchi ar Aloor Dom with Misti Doi -- puffed up luchis served with spicy alur dom and sweet mishti doi from Srivalli at Cooking 4 all Seasons


Musuri Dal and Alu Posto with Bittergourd Bhaja -- a very comforting and everyday meal in a Bengali Home from Srivalli at Cooking 4 all Seasons


Narkol Bhath and Palang Saag Curry -- rice flavored with coconut and her own spinach creation with Paanch Phoron is from Vani at Mysoorean


Piaj koli, alu piaj tomatar tarkari and Masoor Dal -- a very delightful and homely bengali meal of Masoor Dal with a sabzi of scallions, potatoes and tomato from Nandita at Saffron Trail

Rui aaloo phulkopi,Moog dal served with Rice and Nikhuti Payesh -- Rui aloo phulkopi(carp fish cooked with cauliflower potao and peas),Moog Dal(split green gram cooked and tempered with cumin,bayleaf and red chillies) and Nikhuti Payesh(Cottage cheese Oblongs deep fried and served dipped in flavoured condensed milk) along with some beautiful write up from Saswati at Potpourri


The Egg

Egg Malai Curry -- a very novel & fusion Bengali recipe in the lines of prawn malai curry from Sra at When My Soup Came Alive


The SeaFood


Topshe Macher Bhaja (Fish Fry) -- a favorite in a wedding feast, this delicious batter dipped fry is from Jayashree at Spice and Curry

Doi Maach -- another fish delicacy from Dee and Chai at Two Sisters and Their Culinary Journey


Sorso Bhaate Maach(Fish in Mustard Gravy) -- a delicious fish dish in mustard, poppy seeds and coconut paste from My Comfort Food at My Comfort Food Network


Narkel Chingri -- a very tasty shrimp dish in coconut and mustard paste from Meera at Enjoy Indian Food


Fiery Hot Crab Curry -- this absolutely mouth watering and indeed fiery crab curry made for her family is from Arundhati at Bong Working Mom


Chitol muithas -- a very intricate and immensely delicious recipe made with a fresh water fish called Chitol from Mallika aka Eve's Lungs of The Wok of Life


Doi Maach -- delicious looking yogurt based fish curry from Mallika at Quick Indian Cooking

Maach Charchari -- a dry fish dish with potatoes and eggplants from Sandeepa of Bong Mom's CookBook

Alu-Kopi diye Macher Jhol -- a simple and light fish curry with potatoes and cauliflowers from Sandeepa of Bong Mom's CookBook


The Meat

Country Captain and Khichuri -- an Anglo-Indian chicken dish which originated in Calcutta and has stayed there is served with nourishing Khichuri by Maya at Konkan World

Mutton Rezzala -- a delicious and decadent meat dish from SJ of A Pinch of Spice

Murg Kalia -- a fiery looking chicken dish which she claims is easy-breezy from Sig at Live To Eat

CLICK: Che Guava

Hot summer afternoon
Shutters down tight, the fan whirring trying to stir the hot air around
The house silent, everyone is taking a siesta
The young girl, slowly creeps out into the backyard, her anklets making that faint tinkle
She looks up shading her eyes, the hot afternoon sun catching her jhumkas
She looks at the green above, hitches up her skirt and deftly climbs the tree
The green guavas wait for her touch
She plucks the ones that are smooth, green and not ripe yet, caresses them and takes a bite.
The sweetness fills her mouth but no she wants something more
She brings out rock salt and red chilli powder wrapped in a paper from her skirt’s waistband, dips the guavas in it and takes another bite.
Ahhhhhhh, this is bliss, the sweetness balanced with the sharp, hot and salty

Guavas my entry for CLICK : Au Naturel hosted at Jugalbandi to celebrate abundance and elegance in the produce aisle

As we celebrate nature's abundance let us be thankful for the food we bring to the table for the family in the face of the rising grain prices and food shortages. Learn to honor, respect and celebrate food.