Fat to Fit- Khandvi in the Week 2 Plan!

A week has past since I came back from my holiday in Goa. Holidays for me is a time to let go. I didn’t think calories or flab, and enjoyed every moment on sand as if it were my last moment on this beautiful earth. I didn’t have a worry. Went inside the lagoon fearlessly while I knew, I couldn’t swim. But now I am back, and after a week of carefully moderated meals and a bit of exercise thrown in, I am a kg lighter, and back to my goal of losing another 3 to 4 kgs in the next 6 weeks. Now would be the time for all of you to join in, if you want to begin on this journey with me.

Last week, I had shared a simple balanced meal plan. That plan was for all, everyone who wants to be healthy and is roughly 5 feet 2 inches tall. Today, I am leaping into deeper water, writing out a meal plan that I would base on my health goals, metabolism and my nutrition essentials. I understand if such a personalized meal plan is being published, then obviously my personal goals and parameters are to be spelled out first. So, its more of a personal rant which would follow in the next paragraph, which I would suggest you to read before u start on this plan along with me. Make sure that you customize the plan accordingly to suit your nutritional intake.

I am a healthy woman who can be described verbatim as being ‘petite.’ I have a BMI rate of 24.1, which though falls in normal category, still I would want to lower it furthermore. My health goal is not to just lose weight, but to achieve a higher metabolic rate. My second health goal is to defeat my chronic condition of Low Blood pressure, which for times more than my liking, cripples me to be on house arrest. There are no medication for the same, and so rest and protein rich food is the only way out of this condition. So undoubtedly, my aim at forming any meal plans for self is to ensure that I have enough protein in my diet and enough physical exercise to digest the difficult protein off my body. My biggest problem area in my body has to be my face, which just fluffs up in a kgs. gain, and comes down only when I loose around 3 kgs. The second problem area is my back, which accumulates a lot of fat, as if overnight I have grown 2 bulges which makes me look as if I am stooping even when I am standing upright. Sigh…

Honest confessions to internet is not easy, but well if I started on this journey, I better continue on it till end. So, coming back to my plan; this week I plan to keep it simple yet doable. I don’t want to include any high-profile superfood in my diet. Simple homemade Indian food and bonus recipe at the end for you to get it right.

Meal Plan for week 2-

7 am- Early morning starts with a glass of plain warm water followed by a glass of coriander and lime water. All I need to do is boil coriander for 10 mins strain, add lime and drink. I mostly do the boiling in the night and let it cool overnight, in the fridge.

7.15 am – 3 soaked almonds and a cup of black coffee without sugar.

Breakfast- 1 egg with 1 slice of whole wheat toast or 1 serving of khandvi which is made of all protein rich ingredients. For breakfast, you can include the tadka too.

11.30 am would be the best time to have a bowl of papaya and if hungry, then some pcs of apples too.

Lunch- it is the most favorite meal of mine so I will have it like a queen. A lean protein like egg/chicken or fish with a bowl of cut carrots and cucumbers, followed by a phulka and cooked vegetable.  (full Indian thali)

5 pm – would be the right time to work on my metabolism, so a cup of curd and flax meal would be perfect.

7.30 pm can start with some protein filled food- like sprout salad or khandvi without tadka and a cup of earl grey tea.

9 pm- would be the last meal of the day wherein keep it protein and cucumbers only. Like humus and salad or grilled chicken and vegetables.

And by 11 pm, sleep!

I would need to exercise in the day, mostly I will either skip for 500 times or brisk walk for 45 minutes. After diligently following this meal plan and responsibly cheating during the weekend, I would report back my findings here next week. For the last week, the cheating included a spoonful of rice for Saturday dinner, along with 2 glasses of wine.

Next week, I will talk about why I am keeping so many meals planned for the night, while I eat scarcely during the day. If the principal I am testing, works; then my friends you are in for a great trick which would help you loose weight easily, without achieving a plateau. Also, I am working on another article trying to point out mistakes that people commit during the night which leads them to reach a plateau in their weight loss goals. Now to the recipe that everyone must be waiting for- Khandvi!!

Ingredients

1 cup gram flour or besan

1 cup curd

1 chilly grated

1 inch ginger grated

A pinch of hing or asafoetida

Salt to taste

Haldi or turmeric for the bright colour

Water as needed

For tadka which is optional-

2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 slit green chillies

And a big pinch of fresh curry leaves

Grated Carrots are extremely optional, a more traditional ingredient would be coconut grated. But I am using carrots today as it is healthy and looks veraciously red and decadent

This is a recipe that needs to be seen. But in my experience, I have seen many YouTube videos that do not cover the finer details of this recipe. I am doing something I have never done before. Instead of making video recipes, I am actually pasting links of people who have posted the recipe in their respective vlog channels, with footnotes of things that either they missed, or could be introduced in the method which would alter the results quite a bit.

Today, I take on 2 master chefs- Tarla Dalal the legend in herself and Kunal Kapoor, the Master chef judge. They both have millions of admirers online, including me. And I always love to see their take on recipes before I start off in the kitchen. I will start today with K kitchen- the video is here

Chef Kunal does what chefs do the best, beautify the dish so so much that it becomes too pretty to eat.

• 1.       .43 seconds – I suggest we actually mix the besan with curd first and then add water. In fact I suggest we add the water just last and about 1.5 cups does a better job, than 2 cups of water.
• 2.       Add hing in the batter, trust me on this.
• 3.       1.19 sec- never should you pour the batter in a hot kadahai. It forms lumps immediately. Pour first and then put it on flame always.
• 4.       4.19 sec- instead of coconut, I suggest using carrots for a healthier lighter, yet a pretty coloured dish. You can leave it plain too, as I mostly do anyways.
• 5.       I loved the fact that he never asked you to grease the thali. You don’t need to grease it at all. If it is cooked well, it rolls out beautifully. And greasing can actually prevent you from spreading evenly.

The legend that was Tarla Dalal (video), she made it as a home cook would- that is without a care in the world that she could go wrong. After all she must have made this recipe so many times before. Her batter was a bit lumpy, but much drier than chef Kapoor’s and I feel it is advisable to keep the batter thicker like so. 

Another important step that she mentions is testing the batter before spreading it fully on the plate. Do make it a point to do so, as it is the most important step to get it right, without fail.

Both these people are great in the recipe. And both their styles are much different to each other. Hopefully with my pointers, you too would be able to make khandvi like a pro. If you do, please do not forget to let me see a picture of it soon! Cheers!!

P.S. - Khandvi is a protein rich food which is low on fat, and could be your ideal post work out snack. That's why, enjoy a good plate of khandvi this week. Next week, there will be more bonus recipes which you never thought could be this healthy!

Facebook live with Veggie Smileys!!

So from now on wards, every week Zouqh is going live on Facebook with a new recipe. If you haven’t already liked our page, then don’t forget to do so right away!! We did our very first live video on Sunday. It was a moderate success, but there is always a scope of improvement. Comment like and share if you have a suggestion. I am always eager to hear your thoughts!!

This week, we made my toddler’s favourite snack- smileys. For any mother the above plate is blasphemous and she would cringe at the thought of giving this to her toddler to eat for Sunday lunch. But believe it or not, I did give this to my toddler on Sunday, and yet we were a happy duo. He was happy because he loves to have tasty finger food. I was happy because each and every component was made at home, and provided a balance nutrition to my child. The fish fingers were marinated and coated in a bread crumb mixture at home, and then stored in freezer bags. Sometimes I deep fry them, and sometimes I bake them. In any case it provides a healthy protein in my fussy toddler’s plate.

The smileys in question had carrots, green leaves and potatoes together. It was extremely tasty and my toddler finished all of these on Sunday. I saw he enjoyed feeding himself at intervals. I kept these neatly stacked in a see through glass jar. He would play, and come to grab one from the jar, eat as a snack, and back to his cars to play. It’s a sheer joy to see him feed himself, and it’s a nice feeling to be away from the chore of mandatorily sitting to feed him a meal. I let him enjoy his day, his way. And that let us both enjoy the holiday a bit better!!

I have posted the videos on my YouTube channel as well as on my FB page. Please feel free to like comment and share! Cheers!!

Ingredients

2 medium carrot and 2 medium potatoes boiled and smashed to bits

Salt to taste

1 cup Cornflour, to make a dough

Pepper to taste

Flavourings fresh or dried herbs to taste- I used chopped leaves of parsley, onion and garlic from my garden.

1 tbsp of oil

Tools required

A rolling pin to evenly roll out the dough

A chopstick with a round bottom to make eyes of the smileys

A round cookie cutter, or a jar lid.

A table spoon to make the smile.

Mayonnaise 101 - the What, How & Why

Clean & Delicious Part 5 - Why you should never buy mayonnaise from markets. 

What do you mean by eating clean? ‘Clean’ and ‘calories’ are 2 different words with different meanings. Eating clean doesn’t mean cutting calories out of your daily food intake. Eating clean is trying to put in as much of raw nutrients in your meals, as you could afford to. Obviously a home grown salad with a hung curd dressing is an epitome of eating clean. But I am being ‘me’ in accepting that I can’t eat salad regularly as a meal. I love my roti and daliya far too much to let go completely. Even rice for that matter. I need it just once or twice a week, but I do need it.. So as I look at it- eating clean is an ambition that everyone needs to put forth for themselves, understanding their bodies and mind correctly.

I will take me as a case study; and write about the changes I have done in my life to achieve the clean eating goal. I am not saying that I am any expert in this field. But friends in general have always marvelled at the fact that you make ‘healthy’ so easy to understand that you should educate others on the same. I am just following that line of thought, hoping someone else gets benefitted from my blogging. After all, what use is knowledge if you can’t pass it on to others?

   

Rule 1- understand your body.

The first important task is to understand your own body. It’s a bit of a difficult process, but can be easily achieved by some thorough observation. How often do u get unwell? What is the most common problem? Ask a few of these relevant questions, and think about the answers. My biggest health problem has undoubtedly being BP related. Contrary to all my family members who have a problem of high Blood Pressure, I have extreme low BP, which at times effects my body a bit too much and leaves me weak and energy less. My shift from a seas side of Mumbai to the barren lands of Gurgaon hasn’t helped the situation at all. As my atmospheric salt levels have dropped, my body faces a salt imbalance which triggers such low blood pressure very often. So salt, sugar and caffeine are extremely important for my consumption. That’s why I cook with sugar, though low in quantity, but I don’t treat it as an enemy at all.

Rule 2 – making an accurate lifestyle assessment.

Understand your weaknesses. And make it a part of your lifestyle. These 2 statements are the most important things to remember. Don’t try to cut out something from your diet, it doesn’t help at all. Alternatively, try and find a balance with that ingredient in your diet. Negotiate with your taste buds. And keep that negotiation alive. If you like to indulge in sweets, then don’t restrain. Eat it right in the morning as your breakfast. And have nothing along with it. Find the balance where your body in itself rejects that ingredient of your choice. And trust me, it does take practice, but it isn’t impossible at all.

Rule 3 – restrict grocery shopping.

I am a spendthrift in a supermarket. Come with me to one of these places and you will see me going nuts at the jarred sauces, condiments, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats etc etc etc. I love to splurge every week on grocery. And with the advent of the more recent mobile apps, grocery shopping/browsing is the perfect time pass. I think mostly I was browsing the Big Basket app on my mobile, when the team called me to write about my experience on the site. Obviously I have been using the app for more than a few years, and I love it. The convenience of getting my grocery delivered at doorstep with trained professionals handling and portioning it, I ask what is there not to like? But while shopping for groceries, you as a consumer need to be careful. Read the ingredient list of any of those jarred or packaged products you are buying. A bottle of mayonnaise should contain just three pasteurized ingredients, as opposed to so many on the list below. All the words that sound a bit unknown to you, are bad for you. And going clean, would be to eliminate these chemical stabilizers and preservatives from your diet wholly and fully. I have done it. Even with a family and a start up to look after. I think you can too…

 

So empowered with the insights I got from my strawberry Jam ‘making and using’ recipes, I bring to you another breakfast staple of our homes, Mayonnaise. I am making the actual mayo from scratch. I did it 2 ways, one in a tiny food processor and the other in a bowl with a simple balloon whisk. Both results were remarkably similar but intrinsically different from that jarred stuff we buy from the markets. I have tweaked a classic recipe to suit my requirements better. When the French made mayonnaise, that time they didn’t know of any viral problems affecting poultry. Today we do, so completely uncooked and raw could pose some problems. So in my home I pasteurised the egg yolks, by using oil which was heated to the right temperature, and eggs that were bought really the day I made this sauce.

Ingredients

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup Extra Virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

3 egg yolks

A few drops of vinegar

A heaped tbsp. of mustard sauce, I added the Indian variety- ‘Kashundi’

Method

For the YouTube tutorial- Click Here

In a small food processor, or a clean steel whisking bowl, add in the yolks, mustard sauce, and a pinch of salt, sugar and pepper. Blend it well to combine.

Add the vegetable oil to a small saucepan and heat it till the first little fumes permeate out of the surface of the oil. It should be just over the body temperature, but not so much that you can’t stick your finger into it without burning yourself. Pull it off the heat just then and there.

Once off the heat, whisk in the cool EVO to temper the oil and slightly cool it too.

Now slowly drip in the oil on your yolk mix, and whisk vigorously. You need to whisk nice and strong, without letting the hot oil sit on the yolk for over a second. If you do, then you may end up with scrambled eggs- tasty but not mayonnaise. So try to do this in a mixer which would help in emulsification better.

After the first 3 drips of hot oil, now pour in a tsp of white distilled vinegar and whizz away. You will see the emulsification happening instantly. Now you can pour in a bit more oil, without any fear of cooking at all.

Keep a few tasting spoons handy as you would mostly be required to taste as you go. Adjust salt sugar and vinegar upon your taste and keep whizzing till you get a gloopy mayonnaise.

This is my version of a classic French sauce. I made the French visit Kolkata and back. Kashundi is such a refreshing taste in this mayonnaise and adds lots of flavour. If you do another spin on this recipe, let me know in a comment below.

More than a recipe, it’s the technique which is important. We pasteurised our fresh egg yolks to eliminate possibility of any unwanted guests in our finished product. In the process, we actually make sure of giving our bodies the vegetable fat in a form which can be easily digested, rather than trying to digest a genetically modified oil in raw. Though I am not saying it is a healthy or clean habit to consume vegetable oil, but traditionally mayonnaise is made with vegetable oil only. Olive oil may become a bit too strong in flavour. And if you notice, it is 1/3 cup oil to 1 yolk ratio. It’s the emulsification which renders a creamy after product called mayonnaise. Try it once with EVO oil or coconut oil if you may and let me know how that turned out to you. If nothing, then just add a crushed garlic in to your olive oil mayonnaise and it should work as a flavour profile.

This can be refrigerated till 2 weeks in a clean glass jar. So make a batch as and when you need it by simply adding a few ingredients in a blender and whisking it all up together. The vinegar will help retain the freshness for a fortnight.

All of these items can be ordered fresh from Big Basket app. They deliver almost everywhere in India. If you are still not a big basketeer, then become one ASAP.

Cheers!!

This post is brought to you in association with Big Basket. The recipe and picture are IP of the author herself. 

Sambhar in a Chutney!!

Clean and Delicious Part 4 -  healthy breakfast which is clean, delicious and savoury to our Indian liking!!

Homemade is Clean and Delicious to the infinity and back. And India has a host of cuisines which gets classified under clean and delicious easily. The king of it is the south Indian veg cuisine with its scientifically baffling ingredients, which makes me proud to be an Indian. Idlies are nothing but fermented dough steamed to perfection. It is served with a sambhar which is lovingly simmered with all sorts of vegetables (necessary fibres and nutrients), strong whole spices (essential anti-oxidants and nutrients) and lentils (plant protein). The white coconut chutney adds the essential fats in the form of cold-pressed raw coconut oil that extracts itself and emulsifies with coconut fibres, thanks to the steady friction of a stone mortar and pestle. We actually give very less credit to our ancestors. They were nothing short of geniuses to have made this cuisine so easily available to the world.

My week started with this little packet coming in. It contained a lot of new age healthy choices to pick from. I checked the ingredient list too, and found it was pretty clean with no preservatives and/or stabilizers. Citric acid and sodium bi carbonate are simple everyday ingredients that we use in our day to day life anyways. So I was eager to try their range the very next day. And I loved what I ate. Undoubtedly they had everything that they promised to provide. I dunked my idly in a sambhar flavoured chutney which was easy to put together on a busy workday morning, and yet gave the satisfaction of a proper South Indian breakfast. The ingredients are simple and are always available in my pantry. And this recipe literally takes less than 10 minutes to put together. So, there is no more reasons available to anyone for not having a proper breakfast in the morning.

Ingredients

3 large tomatoes, pureed

1 medium onion, pureed

2-3 cloves of garlic, pureed

½ inch of peeled ginger, grated

1 heaped tsp or more of Home-made or store bought Sambhar masala. I used homemade.

Salt, sugar, turmeric and red chilly powder to taste

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds or rai

1 sprig of curry leaves, washed and dried

Method

In a pan, add a tbsp. of oil, and fry the onion and garlic paste till the raw smell disappears. Add in the tomato puree and ginger and let it simmer till the oil separates out of the mix. I do this step while making and drinking my morning coffee, the mix sizzles while I get ready for the busy work day morning.

Now once the oil separates out of the wet masala mix, add in the sambhar powder and turmeric powder. Stir vigorously to combine. Let the masala penetrate the vegetables well.

Once the chutney starts smelling aromatic, taste. If its homemade sambhar masala, you would know about the seasoning, but if its store bought, chances are that salt is already present in the spice mix. So taste well before seasoning to your liking. I like to balance the salt, sugar and red chilly well. At times I even add a dash of white vinegar at this stage, but it really depends on how sour my tomatoes are to begin with.

Once you are happy about the seasoning, get ready to temper the chutney.

 

In a small tadka pan, heat a tbsp. of oil. Pour in ½ tsp of mustard seeds till it splutters and fills the oil with its earthy fragrance. Now let it off the heat and drop in the curry leaves to fry off in the residual heat. As the spluttering sound stops, pour in the hot aromatic oil onto the chutney, mix well and let steep covered for 5 minutes, before serving.

An easy, delicious chutney is ready to be enjoyed with fresh hot steamed idly, or crisp dosa. I have also applied it on a toast and had it with an poached egg. It was beyond beautiful!!

 

Cheers!!

This post is brought to you in association with Gits Food. The recipe and picture are IP of the author herself. 

Depression Vs One Pot Penne, Indianized!!

So now that Indians have agreed on being the most depressed and the most addicted to chocolate, it is time to change that. Change because I feel a chocolate with its dark colour and addictive quality gets me more depressed, and oppressed, and stressed; and all pressed at the same time, every time (hee hee, yes I can’t stop saying this sentence again and again!). I hear you when you say cocoa has power to solve anything and everything, but this wonderfully vibrant pot of pasta have powers bordering supernatural which can cure even a broken heart. And I say so with a lot of conviction because a friend indeed with a broken heart was mended with this very pasta dish. Infact that was the birth of this recipe, a birth I cherish the most after my toddler’s. So this had be the star of the anti-depressant series that we are working on.

Now to talk about the recipe a bit, you will notice that it is quite an Indianized version of our Italian favourite pasta. If we have our own version of spicy Indo-Chinese cuisine, then we rather have a delicious version of Indo-Italian cuisine too. And this my friends, is my ode to the great new cuisine I am giving birth to. The idea is simple; the fusion is made to ensure we use ingredients that are easily available to us in our own kitchens. And obviously, the Indianized version appeals better to our palette. Its fast, it’s easy and its perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks and/or dinner. I have kept the recipe completely veg, but if you want a non veg version, just thrown in some bacon or sausages in it.  

A cup more liquid than this!

Ingredients

500 gms Durum/whole wheat pasta

2 small onions sliced

2 medium capsicum

3 big cloves of garlic peeled and chopped

A big pinch of roasted red pepper flakes

A bigger pinch of dried oregano

A handful of coriander leaves chopped

A handful of olives, chopped

3 big tomatoes, puréed

A splash of red wine vinegar

A splash of apple cider vinegar

A splash of balsamic vinegar

A splash of basic tomato ketchup

A splash of extra virgin olive oil

Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

And enough water to submerge the pasta in.

For the Process as to how to make it, Click here- http://www.smartindianwomen.com

More from the series-

• Depression Vs Sandwiched French Toast!!
• Depression Vs Strawberry Oats Bars!!

Social Media & Antara!!

Social media is the only thing that is constant these days. And its a wonderful platform to meet and connect with individuals of similar interest. Now that I am busy writing this series upon depression, these social mediums suddenly gained more importance in my eye than ever. Its actually a great way to meet and interact with new people, controlling all the information that you would like to give or take. Blogging helps too, but Microblogging through your twitter Instagram and Facebook profiles are far easier and better. So, if you havent already, do subscribe onto my profiles to get many foodie updates. Feeling doubtful? Then check what all happened up there while you were not following me (and doubting me.. Sob* Sob*)...

To start with, lets start with this picture where I finished a whole handi of delectable biryani with the serving spoon.... Really I was that hungry!!!

And then the biggest #breakfaststories over a plate of Mushroom and cheese omlette and a potato hash tikki. 

And then the cheesy quesadilla or 

This spicy pickle of Bhut Jhalokia, which very sadly is missing out of my kitchen and I am desperately trying to find another one.... 

So you get the point right? There is a lot happening up there. Do LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW me on -

Twitter- AntaraZandC

Instagram- AntaraZandC

Facebook- Zouqh, the Taste of Being.

The weekend has finally set in. And a new house means a series of house warming sessions with friends and family alike. What better time than to write this article? Its a #TrueStory, that just naturally needed to come out in the article below. Read, Share and Subscribe to my site for more such fun reads. Cheers!! 

For the Starters, My Love!

Posted on June 5, 2015 by admin

Life in a big city is very simple!! Workdays, weekends and booze.. Be it the sophisticated bubbly or the very collegian old monk with coke; preferences may be a lot but need, boils down to one.. To be merry!!! Friday night, office-over, a handy preferred poison, someone by your arms and a kitchen to rummage through… But boozing without snacks is a crime. And thou shalt never commit that!!

So I will dedicate this article to all those who want to learn how easy it is to be NOT a criminal. Order for your favourite flavour of chips and whip up a yummy hung curd dip to start with. How??? There you go:

Get that tub of yoghurt out from your refrigerator and put it in a clean kitchen towel to drip off the excess water.

While the curd hangs on your sink (hung curd); chop finely some olives, capsicum and carrots. You may even process it in a food processor, if you posses one that is!! (Coughs out loud.. I don’t!! Donation, anyone??)

Now whisk the hung curd in a bowl with some sugar and rock salt, as to your taste. Now add the tiny veggies and for that really cool tinge, add a hint of the solution in which the olives were kept.

Season well with pepper, oregano, and viola!! 7 minutes flat and a gourmet hung curd dip ready. So why wait; quickly gulp down your first peg… Cheers!!!

Now for the second peg of the night, you can’t possibly be eating the same thing. The alcohol in your system will guide you to your fridge and search for another delectable snacks. And as usual, I have a solution.

Stack up on a stock of salted crackers. Now rummage thru your fridge and take out yesterday’s left-over veggies (anything without bitter gourd and eggplants is welcome).

Put it through a slotted bowl and wash away all spices. Now chop one small onion and in a little oil fry it till light brown. In goes the veggies and mash everything well with your ladle. Now season it with your favourite dried or fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Once its dry and looks quite like a delicious mash, take it off the heat and spoon a tsp of the mash on the crackers to make your signature bruschettas, made in seconds..

For the third peg; screw it!! At this point even frozen bread is an awesome snack!!!Cheers!!This article of mine, along with many more were covered in an E-magazine called Smart Indian Woman.  

Attention! Attention! Attention!

Its been a long time since I took to my screen. Had been really busy in setting up a new home in a new city. It is a tedious thing to set up everything from scratch. And all I have been doing is that, personally and professionally. So, in that regards, here I am announcing a few things I have been working on these past few months.

I have started writing for 2 new publications. Both of these e-magazines are wonderful reads and I would love for you to go through it on a daily basis.

Smart Indian Women- http://www.smartindianwomen.com/

And

Squapl- http://www.squapl.com


Along with that, I have also dabbled onto restaurant consulting, about which you would keep reading. Soon we will start a journey to find the perfect blend of tea to go with my ever so popular Multi-Grain Poha Cookies, recipe of which has been bought over by a reputed tea dealer in Delhi. And then we will go on a hunt to find the best street food in Kolkata. There are many such interesting projects lined up, and I intend to make all of you a part of it as well. I will keep documenting all that happens to me here, and I hope to keep receiving encouragements/suggestions from you. 

Cheers!!

Poila Boishak Special

Come Wednesday, and the full Bengal would be in a festive spirit. It’s Poila Boishak- the Bengali New Year, right in the middle of a week. But Kolkata doesn’t care. It becomes just like getting 2 weekends in a week…

I urge all who read this to try at least one thing bong this Wednesday. I have compiled a list of easy recipes, that’s taken from the heart and soul of my kitchen. I make these recipes very often, and that’s why they are completely full/foolproof.

Pinwheel Kachori!

To start with, try this yum inspired Matarshuti Kachori (Pea filled flat-breads), my way. I have given it a spin by making it in pinwheels and baking it to crispy perfection, instead of the traditional frying. This serves as a wonderful appetizer, any day of the week.

Recipe

Kumro Chokka

For main course, go the veg way by making Kumro Chokka (a dry version of pumpkin curry). This pairs well with rice, Roti, and / or paratha

 Recipe

Paneer Gravy-ed and Sumac-ed Cous-cous!!

Or take the paneer route by making my famous Paneer Dalna (paneer curry) with no onion or garlic. Simple yet clean flavours.

 Recipe

Daab Chingri!!!

If fish is in your mind, then try these super easy recipe of Daab Chingri (Prawns cooked in a tender coconut). If you can’t source these tender coconuts then do the same recipe in a glass dish and stick it in a steamer or a microwave. I prefer to steam my fishes, which to me tastes much better. 

Recipe

Relishing Hilsa..

Ilish, or hilsa need no introduction. The flavour just transcends it into a hero of the dinner at a go.

Recipe

                              Hansher Dim Kosha- Duck Eggs Fry

But if its eggs that you like, then Dim Kosha is the way forward. You can use duck eggs or simple hen eggs, but the curry never fails me.

Recipe

                  Coco-nutty Goodness!!! 

For a quick dessert fix, try my easy peasy Pithe Payesh inspired Coconutty Goodness. Pithe Payesh is a bong homemade dessert where a porridge is made with milk, but no rice. In this recipe I have used semolina and coconut. This is easy to put together and can be made a day in advance for a party as well.

Recipe

After such a big Bong dose of yummy food ideas, I am sure you are inspired enough to throw a full-fledged bong party soon. Cheers!!