Today, I’m bringing a simple but interesting preparation of Bengali steamed fish (Bhapa Ilish) to go along with plain boiled rice. The bengali diet includes a lot of fish and the use of mustard oil, seeds and paste. I am not a bengali to claim that fish is staple at our home or I liberally use mustard but I do try to eat fish once or twice a week , cooked in different ways. I made this dish for a group of friends who are bold enough to try something new at my home. There are two ways of preparing bengali style steamed fish, in a steamer or in oven. I like the oven method better because it is cooked and served in the same dish, reducing the amount of time needed for cleaning afterwards.
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Reader’s Request: Aloo Samosa-glutenfree of course!
Samosas are flaky, crispy and triangular shaped pastry shells that cocoon seasoned potatoes, peas, lentil or meat. They are the most recognizable finger foods in Indian cuisine. They are deep fried which makes them so addictive and if you are like me you might eat 2-3 in one go and still have a hankering for more.
Daal Saag / Lentil Stew with Garbanzo Leaves
Gosh! It seems too early to be really posting a winter dish but my garbanzo/ chickpea plants are getting dry and woody and I wanted to use the tender leaves before I uproot them. Every spring I make a small kitchen garden with selective plants. Since most of them do not survive after the frost its a new effort every year. There is not a lot of space for my kitchen garden but I choose vegetables that taste better when fresh and quick to grow. I plant tomatoes, few herbs, salad leaves, chillies, couple of veggies, and then I also make an effort to try one or two new plant every year. This year I experimented with chickpeas. I sowed few black chickpeas in early April and got beautiful plants. Unripe chickpeas or green garbanzo are often picked out of the pod and eaten raw as a snack or can be enjoyed in so many different ways. The tender leaves are used raw in salads, cooked in soup or a lentil stew that we call it, daal saag.
Punjabi Dum Aloo
My mother in law loves potatoes. Love, as in addiction. Pretty much everything she cooks or has cooked all these years had potatoes in it. Now that they are going back to spend winters in India, I thought I should cook a farewell potato dish – Dum Aloo, for their 7 months stay with us. Dum Aloo specifically belongs to Kashmiri cuisine. It’s delicious taste made it popular all over India, hence you will find several variations of it using slightly different ingredients. No matter what you use, how you cook every dum aloo recipe is finger licking good. The recipe I have for you is of punjabi dum aloo with yogurt gravy which is enriched with charmagaz (melon seeds) and freshly ground spices.
Healthy Green Garbanzo Bean ‘Chaat’
Chaat is a combination of legumes, vegetables, fried dough and even fruits with herbs and spices, served cold or at room temperature. The recipe I am sharing with you today is an all year, all occasion kind of green garbanzo bean chaat, that works as a great salad, too. It’s just so easy, so delicious and it makes me feel so good.
Daal Makhani in Slow Cooker
Slow-cooked, creamy daal makhani with urad daal and kidney beans. A Punjabi staple, it’s simple to make yet far from ordinary.
Chettinad Chicken Masala
Chettinad chicken is a popular dish from Chettinad region of southern Tamilnadu state in India. It is famous for its spicy, bold and aromatic cuisine. My recipe for Chettinad chicken is spicy but will not burn your mouth.
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