Light Catfish curry with potato,cauliflower and dry white lentil dumplings

Bengali poeple can't live without macerjhol bhat (rice n light fish curry). While growing up macerjhol bhat was staple before and after school.Ma would finish cooking by 8:00 o'clock in the morning because papa used to catch train at 9:00 for office. We always had good hot lunch before going to school. Those were good old days!

চিতল মাছের পেটির কালিয়া (Chitol fish kalia)

                                                

                                                          For the first time I have ever cooked     

This recipe is one of the master pieces from Bengali cuisine.Few years back, I saw this fish in a Vietnamese market in So Cal, but wasn't sure if it was really Chitol fish.Yesterday, I went to oriental supermarket for vegetables and stopped by in the seafood department as usual. That store carries varieties of Bengali type fish. Chitol fish is called Featherback there.I never knew how this gorgeous fish looked like. Couple of years ago I asked my Ma how to recognize this fish.She explained at her best about its look. Keeping that in mind, I had stepped forward to buy this silvery white Chitol fish without any hesitation.

Indian Cumin Lemonade/ জলজিরা

                                                               

My very first post, Indian Cumin Lemonade or Jaljeera is a popular Indian cooling beverage to quench the thirst during hot summer days. "Jal" means water and "jeera" means  cumin. It is made with freshly roasted cumin seeds powder mixed with mint,cilantro,lemon juice,mango powder, black salt,sugar etc. then poured over crushed ice.  

About Me

Hello and welcome to my blog.This is a wonderful experience of initiating and organizing the process of food blogging. My friends and family are always delighted by my food presentation at parties and potlucks.With their encouragement and love, I am here to express my culinary experience and simple photography. Hope I will be able to keep up with it.

I am a mom of two.What a merry challenge to balance my extremely busy life between my kids various activities, the household chores, blogging and many more.

Cooking has been always my passion since childhood. I am a self taught cook. My mother had passed her recipes to me and my sister. that are imprinted in the cookbook of memory.

I grew up in a small town of West Bengal located in the north eastern part of India. My parents were immigrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) the land of rivers and paddy fields. My mother cooked her native style Bangaal food most of the time. I will share my Bangaal recipes that I take pride and joy in preparing. My culinary journey is not limit to Bengali/Indian cooking .I have explored some delicious recipes across the globe over the years.

After moving to USA I learned more from various cooking shows.Public libraries are always great source to fuel my interest.I am still learning a lot world cuisines and it never ends.

Cooking is an art and very spiritual practice to me. I try to make everything from scratch with locally grown, seasonal and organic produces.

Thank you for stopping by  my virtual kitchen.Hope you will enjoy while walking through my blog.All the recipes are adapted from Ma, sister, friends, relatives,various cooking shows and cookbooks. Feel free to share your views.This is a great way to connect with viewers. If you like any recipe or picture please ask for my permission to use it. It takes so much time to compose posts.All pictures are clicked by me(otherwise noted),so give me credit and add the link to this blog. Happy cooking, baking and eating.

Cheers!

Rama

“To be a good cook you have to have a love of the good, a love of hard work, and a love of creating.”
~Julia child