Coconut Hot Chocolate

December is the best festive month of the year and the festivities begin during the Thanksgiving holiday followed by Christmas and New Year's Day. It's the time of the year we try to forget our worries for a while. The Santa Clause, The Christmas tree, the Christmas carols, the twinkling lights, the presents, the get together, the shopping spree, the festive food and drinks put us in a joyful and positive mood. I always tend to get a little carried away. It's so wonderful to listen to Christmas songs all day through Christmas Day on our favorite radio station especially while waking up and falling asleep at night.

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Ho ho ho! It's almost time for Santa's visit on Christmas eve and he will fulfill good little kids' Christmas wishes. My 9 year old has been writing a letter to Santa since kindergarten days. Writing a letter to Santa is a wonderful Christmas spirit along with holiday decor, carols, stories, movies, red-green-golden twinkling lights and last but not least baked goodies. We will leave out some cookies and milk or eggnog for Santa and carrots for his reindeers as usual.

Christmas Fruit Bread Wreath

Our kitchen smells so Christmassy because I have been baking some sweet and savory goodies lately. I am very happy to post some of them. Christmas wreath bread is another amazing show stopper at Christmas table. I used my Italian Sweet Easter bread dough recipe filled with some dried fruits and turned it into a wreath. It is so simple to create an edible wreath. Fillings can be any sweet stuff but dried fruits really smells Christmassy. This bread is best when served fresh from the oven. But you can bake it ahead, warm it up before serving. Feel free to add a couple of tablespoons orange flavored liqueur like Triple Sec or Cointreau if you have it on hand. Soak dried fruits in orange flavored liqueur for 1 hour if using.

Christmas Fruit Cheesecake Tart

We love Christmas to the core and I especially get a little carried away from decorating to baking/cooking. Christmas is all about sharing/caring. Christmas bakes make excellent edible gifts for friends, neighbors, colleagues and teachers. I have already made a Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie Christmas Tree and shared with my daughter's friends. It's fun to shape Christmas tree with chocolate or jam drizzle.Today I have made an amazing festive tart with a smooth and creamy filling along with dried fruits bursting with orange flavor and topped with strawberry jam drizzle to decorate little Christmas trees. It's a wonderful show stopper for Christmas table and the perfect way to indulge Christmas lunch or dinner with family and friends.It tastes absolutely divine.

Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie Christmas Tree

Are you ready for Christmas? We are in the festive mood right after putting up our Christmas tree and enjoying holiday activities. I bake so many special treats around the Christmas holidays. Brownie is one of the easiest treats to satisfy kids' and adults' sweet tooth. I love the orange and dark chocolate combination the most because they mingle together very well. It's a simple recipe for chocolate lovers and the fun part is to decorate with festive touch.

Pumpkin Custard Pie

It's almost time to plan for Thanksgiving holiday meal and it won't be completed without a sweet note of American pumpkin dessert, be it pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, tart etc. As a pumpkin fan I am always keen to try something new with freshly made big batch of pumpkin puree. Pumpkin Custard Pie is an alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving dessert that I tested long time back. A silky smooth pie with fresh roasted pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice incorporated into the custard batter creates a flavorful festive delight.

Pumpkin Spice Star Bread

It’s fall and baking season begins in the kitchen with the finest ingredients. It's the time of the year I love to bake quite a few items with pumpkin. I have already made pumpkin spice and pumpkin puree from scratch that I would use in some baked recipes and drinks. 

Spider Web Chocolate Cheesecake Tart

Chocolate graham tart crust filled with egg less chocolate cream cheese filling topped with dark chocolate ganache is a quick yet satisfying dessert for all. It's a no bake recipe. I often make Cheesecake Tart with different toppings. This is the first time I have made Chocolate Cheesecake Tart. Since it is Halloween spirit I have made white chocolate spider web on top of ganache. Making web may seem tricky but it is super easy.

Halloween Gingerbread House

Halloween is just a few days away. We are done decorating our porch. Halloween Gingerbread House was on my bucket list since couple of years years. I promised to my 4th grader to make Halloween Gingerbread House from scratch this year no matter how hectic my work schedule was. I Just finished assembling this cookie house couple of days back. It doesn't look too spooky but enough Halloweeny! I had used my  Snowflake Cookies recipe and got some Halloween themed candies from supermarket to decorate. I painted the house with coco water for dark color. We made two houses and some cookies but completely finished one house only because we ran out of candies. The house is totally edible but it sits on the kitchen counter top as a decorative piece.

Ghugni/Curried Whole Peas

Maha Dashomi marks the end of Sharod Utshav or Durga pooja and Bijoya starts after immersion of idols. Neighbors and friends stop by each other's house and they are offered an array of home made sweets and savory items. Ghugni/Curried whole Peas is one of the lip-smacking savory Bijoya staples I craved while growing up. My Ma always made Ghugni along with Kucho Mishti Nimki, Gurer Naaru, Chinir Naaru, Tokti, Kucho Nimki for family and guests till Kali Pooja/Diwali. 

Kucho Mishti Nimki/Fried Sweet Cracker

Every year around this time on Autumn, Ma Durga visits her parents house on earth with her four children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik. Bengali people welcome Ma Durga by celebrating as Durga Puja festival for 5 days with loads of scrumptious sweet and savory food.

Narkeler Tokti/Coconut Fugde

Wish you all A Happy Pooja from our family to yours. Bengali's biggest festival Durga pooja is just a few days away that usually falls on Autumn during the month of either late September or early to mid October. Goddess Durga symbolizes divine forces(positive energy) against the negative forces of evil. 

Lauer Ghonto Bori O Mungdal Diye/Bottle Gourd Curry with Mung Beans and Sun Dried Lentil Dumpling

Bottle gourd or opo squash is a very popular vegetable in Indian cuisine and prepared in different ways in different region, from light curry to very rich gravy based curry. Ghonto is one of the simple curries Bengali serves as everyday meal in lunch or dinner with steamed rice. Ghonto literary means thoroughly mixed together or sticking together but doesn't become too mushy. In Bengali's kitchen bottle gourd is used for simple curry or ghonto and sometimes it is prepared with fish head and shrimp.

Steel Cut Mango Porridge/Oatmeal

We start our day with hearty porridge on weekdays topped with sliced banana, nuts and seeds mostly. In summer months we enjoy porridge with a tropical twist. A fiber rich porridge with mango, nuts, seeds, sometimes coconut milk instead of dairy milk and drizzled with little maple syrup or coconut nectar is so comforting in the morning. Steel cut oats is less processed with nutty flavor and its chewy texture keeps us full longer. It's gluten free, no refined sugar and easy to make it vegan. I usually make a big batch to eat regularly, then refrigerate unused portions and reheat in the microwave stirring a little water or milk to loosen it up.

Trout Macher Jhol Phoolkopi o Bori Diye/Trout Fish Stew with Califlower and Sundried Lentil Dumpling

Bengali's staple food fish curry comes in many varieties, light/thin gravy which is Bengali's everyday food, medium thick gravy for any celebration or once in awhile/when guests come over and dry type etc. But everyday fish curry is always light, flavorful, and easy to make with simple pantry ingredients and of course good source of lean protein.

Bengali Kalai Daler Bori/Bengali Sun Dried White Lentil Dumplings

Perfectly piped sun kissed Bori/White Lentil Dumplings look so beautiful but seems difficult to make. In fact it's darn easy! It can be infused with different seasonings but I chose to keep it simple for using in vegetarian and fish curries where it gets seasoned during cooking process. 

Bhaja Mung Dal Sabji Diye/Dry Roasted Yellow Mung and Mixed Vegetable Stew

Fresh fruits and vegetables are at the peak in the summer months, so lots of colorful fruits and veggies are served in our daily family meals. This lightly spiced stew is so simple to make that reminds my childhood every time I make it. My ma used to make this stew in winter months when vegetables are produced in great abundance. The earthiness of dry roasted mung beans, sauteed mixed vegetables combined with freshly grated ginger, turmeric powder and chili powder, tempered spices that brings bright color and wonderful aroma to the dish. I serve this stew with brown rice packed with lot of nutrients and fiber. Frozen vegetables can be used but fresh vegetables make this stew more flavorful and delicious. As a Bong we use little sugar in all vegetarian dishes to enhance the taste. But it can be left out. This wholesome meal is excellent for busy weekday. It can be ready within 30-40 minutes. 

Aam Sandesh/Mango Cheese Fudge

The king of fruit "Mango" is summer's gift in India and the most delicious fruit everyone looks forward to. Different state has its own variety and exceptionally flavorful. The bright yellow orange juicy mango brings back sweet memories. We snack on mango any time of the day and it's so versatile to be used in many sweet to savory dishes. When it comes to sweet dish there is a wide variety of desserts using fresh mango.

Bengali Cheesecake

Hi there, my blogging journey began three years back and I was quite skeptical whether I could keep it up or not. I am always busy cooking/baking which is quite labor intensive, not to mention other household chores, shopping, cleaning, taking care of my kids activity, connecting relatives and friends through real life and social media and what not. So here I am today with my 84th post. No matter how busy and tired I am, I enjoy blogging and it has become a wonderful time pass for me. As a home chef I develop recipes with healthy alternatives and enjoy documenting them through photographs. I am blessed to have continuous support and encouragement from family members, friends and readers. I met so many wonderful people through my cooking and blogging. Today I bring you "Bengali Cheesecake" in celebration of my blog's 3rd anniversary. 

Summer Berries and Cream Tart

This red, white and blueberry tart is made with summer's bounty berries and perfect for 4th of July, other patriotic holidays or any summer days. It's a no bake festive dessert on a mildly sweet gluten free tart crust and filled with fluffy sweet cream cheese, almond flour, whipped cream and fresh blueberry and raspberry glazed with strawberry jam.

Cherry Clafoutis

It's cherry harvesting time and farmers' market, super markets or small grocery stores are overflowing with  summer's bounty of fresh cherries, variety of berries and stone fruits. As cherry season is short we simply enjoy a bowl of sweet cherries, I bake tart "Cheesecake Tart With Cherry Topping" or pie and make cherry lemonade to cool down in the summer heat. This week I made a mildly sweet dessert, Cherry Clafoutis(pronounced "clafootee") which is a dense custard from Limousine region of France.

Minty Lime/Lemonade

No matter how much I am trying not to complain about hot weather I just can't help it. The temperature is soaring high at 109 degrees Fahrenheit/43 degrees Celsius today and there is only way to cool off in the hottest weather to drink ice cold water, lemonades and juice all day long as much as possible.

Cheesecake Tart With Cherry Topping

It's a fun activity to pluck off sweet cherries from the tree. We went to a local U pick Cherry Orchard last Sunday. The farm grows Bing and Rainier cherries, and a wide variety of berries. Berries were not quite ready though. So we just had a bucket full of cherries and I knew I would make some special treat for Father's Day. So here it is, Cheesecake Tart With Cherry Topping. It's an easy to make egg less, low calorie quick tart topped with just sweet enough cherry sauce.

Orange Crumb Cake

Sweeten Mother's Day with this citrus infused crumb cake. This recipe is so easy for kids too, just need adult supervision. I am sure all moms will appreciate in the morning of this special day with a cup of tea or coffee. I have added some dried fruit pieces in the crumb mixture but it's totally optional.

Kamola Rasmalai/Orange Cheese Dumpling in Orange Cream

Rasmalai, a flat Rashogolla/Sweet Cheese Dumpling dunked in a thick milky sauce, flavored with cardamom and saffron and garnished with pistachios. Kamola Rasmalai is a citrusy twist to Rashomlai and prepared with Kamola Bhog or orange flavored Rashogolla and soaked in the orange juice infused thickened milk. 

Instant Organic Ghee

Authentic Ghee or clarified butter is always made of raw milk from cows, originated in India thousand years ago. This quintessential fat is very important in Indian cooking to enhance rich taste and flavor. Ghee is served as condiment as well. My mother used to make traditional ghee from clotted cream collected every time by boiling whole milk. Then churned to produce butter that is melted over low heat until golden in color and milk solids at the bottom.

Lamb Saagwala/Lamb Curry with Spinach Pesto

This exotic  meat dish was originated in North India. Meat is pressure cooked for a while then simmered in a spicy fragrant gravy with onion, garlic-ginger paste, yogurt and dry aromatic spices until tender. Recipe is almost same like Lamb Curry with the addition of spinach and kashurimethi(dry fenugreek leaves) at the end of the cooking process. It's a smart way to feed greens to kids!! My teen has named it "Curried Lamb with Spinach Pesto".

Kamola Bhog/ Orange Cheese Dumpling

Kamolabhog, an orange flavored soft Rashogolla(cheese dumpling) is one of the delicacies of West Bengal. Method is same as Rashogolla with the addition of orange juice and orange color. If you know how to make perfect Rashogolla then making Kamolabhog is as easy as you can imagine. 

Phoollkopi Aloor Tarkari/Cauliflower Curry with Potato n Peas

Cauliflower is available all year round so curry is served anytime we crave. Usually cauliflower florets are deep fried before adding in the gravy because of its bland taste. But my ma never deep fried cauliflower florets. She would slowly roast covering the pan and stirring in between until lightly brown. I follow the same method for our family meal and even for parties. It turns out always delish! Make it very or medium spicy as you desire. I use slightly slit green chili that doesn't make it hot but gives a nice spicy flavor to the curry. 

Kumoror Chokka/Diced Pumpkin and Potato Curry

 

Diced pumpkin and potato curry with whole Bengal gram and flavorful spices is a very simple pure vegetarian curry of Bengali cuisine. A delicious side dish using just a few basic pantry ingredients that takes 30 minutes or less to make. It's orange buttery flesh is high in fiber, improves eyesight and a good source of vitamins and minerals. Pumpkin is one of the main elements of lot of Bengali vegetarian dishes. 

Shorshe Salmon/ Wild Salmon in a Mustard Gravy

Salmon, simmered in a spicy mustard gravy served with steamed rice is renowned in the Bengali households in USA. There is nothing fancy or elaborate preps in this curry. You just need 30 minutes or less to make this hearty fish curry. Make it as hot as you like but without adding too much heat it will taste great too. The raw fish smeared with turmeric and salt can be added directly in the simmering gravy or can be lightly fried to get rid of raw smell. I prefer wild salmon but any variety is fine. I fry very lightly but never cook it through. Then I add them in the slow simmering gravy for 8-10 minutes and result is awesome, tender and juicy salmon nicely coated with mustard sauce. Make sure not to overcook salmon or else it will dry out. 

Bong Style Stir Fried Asparagus with Potato

It's Spring and asparagus at its peak now packed with nutrients and fiber. There are so many dishes can be made with asparagus besides roasting, grilling or steaming. I never heard of this vegetable in India but it's versatile. So I cook asparagus in Indian style often. Stir fried Asparagus with Potato is a quick side dish and perfect for busy week days that goes well with steamed rice and lentil Stew.

Lemony Asparagus Quinoa

Spring is here and more locally grown fresh fruits and veggies are available in our supermarket and farmers' market. I am trying to use as much as seasonal produce in our daily meal. Asparagus is one of the best produces in Spring, packed with nutrients and fiber. I have been cooking asparagus in so many different ways. Today I bring you Lemony Asparagus Quinoa with a south Indian twist to Lemon Rice.

Organic Green Smoothie

 

It seems cold winter is loosening its grip. New leaves begin to sprout and colorful blossoms appear on dogwoods, plums, ornamental cherries, apples, Pomegranate trees etc. in our home town.  

Irish Soda Bread

It's St. Patrick's Day and Irish soda bread can be found in any supermarket's bakery aisle across America. Traditional Irish soda bread is savory which consists four basic ingredients, flour, salt, buttermilk and baking soda. All ingredients are well combined, gently shaped like a round dough, then cut a cross on top with a sharp knife to bless the bread and baked in a cast iron pot called "Bastible pot(dutch oven)" with the lid on over open fire. Soda bread rises due to the reaction of acidity of buttermilk and baking soda. It is best served warm and slathered in salted Irish butter with soups and stews. Irish soda bread is staple food till today in Ireland.

Lamb Curry

Lamb curry is very salivating for meat lovers served with plain rice, pulao or roti. This simple lamb curry is a very popular dish from North India cooked in a medium thick gravy with onion, ginger, garlic and other fragrant dry spices. 

Strawberry and Chocolate Pie

It's Women's Day tomorrow and I am sharing this beautiful Strawberry and Chocolate Pie recipe to celebrate. Chocolate and strawberry mingle together to create a gorgeous treat. I love nicely decorated pie and I am always on the look out for new pie design. I came up with the idea with rose topping inspired by "Golap Pitha" of Bangladesh. Golap Pitha means Rose Pie which is deep fried rose shaped sweetened flower dough. 

Nalen Gurer Sandesh( Cheese fudge with Date Palm Jaggery)

Nalen Gurer Sandesh is another Bengali Winter Ambrosia prepared with freshly made chana(curdled milk) and flavorful date palm jaggery. 

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Citrus infused velvety Chocolate Cupcakes with whipped cream frosting are to die for. These not so sweet moist and flavorful treats are loved by all. I have added little chocolate hearts and Chocolate Covered Strawberries to fancy them up since it is Valentin's day.  

Nalengurer Roshbora

Roshbora/White lentil fritters soaked in date palm jaggery syrup is a popular winter dessert in Bengali household, not sold in stores. Only four ingredients needed and very simple to make. Sugar syrup can be used but date palm jaggery really makes these fritters heavenly delicious. 

DOLO

Dolo, a very popular pitha in winter of Nadia district, West Bengal which is quite similar to Dudhpuli( rice flour dumpling dunked in the thickened milk). My aunt learned from her mother-in-law. My cousin sent me the recipe almost two years back. Finally I made this simply delicious sweet following exact method she provided. All ingredients are easily available.

Noyakhli r Dudhpooli

Pitha-Pulis( Crepe and Dumpling) are Bengali delicacy consisting of rice or wheat flour, semolina, milk, jaggery, sugar and coconut. Bengali households prepare seasonal sweets during all winter months, specially to celebrate Makar sankranti on the last day of Bengali month Poush known as Poush parbon/ harvest festival in India and Bangladesh. More about Poush/Makar Sankranti read Sadhguru's article here.