Doi Ilish/Hilsha in Yogurt Sauce

I started this blogging journey eleven years ago. Life got super busy that I couldn’t post as much as I wanted for past few years;  especially 2023, I just vanished from blogging. But my passion for cooking never faded away. However I never stopped posting on my Instagram whatever I cooked. I came back slowly to blog and excited to share recipes. I got connected with people through my blogging journey. I completely missed my blog's 11th birthday last week. So, better late than never and today, I am sharing an amazing Hilsha recipe that passed down to my mother from a close family friend. It became one of our family favorites. It’s so drool worthy and definitely a keeper. 

Chicken Rezala

Rezala is a rich meat dish yet subtle gravy with aromatic spices, yogurt, milk/ cream and nuts created during Mughal era in Kolkata. This is very similar to korma. But its thin delicate gravy makes Rezala so unique. It is so delicious having rezala with naan and paratha. It pairs greatly with Polau as well. 

Traditionally mutton is used for rezala; but Chicken Rezala became its popularity as a lighter option over the years. Original recipe is very rich with ghee laden sauce. I tweaked it to make with less oil and ghee, yet it tastes incredible. 

Mishti Doi, a fermented sweet yogurt is pure delicacy of the sate of West Bengal, Odisa and Bangladesh. Any auspicious occasion requires Mishti Doi. It is made of thickened milk, yogurt culture and sugar, set in an earthen pot, wrapped in a heavy blanket then left in warm place to ferment overnight. Traditionally Mishti Doi gets its light brown color by caramelized sugar. It doesn't need any flavoring or toppings. 

Whole Spinach Curry with Mixed Vegetables/Shish paloker Ghonto

 

Shish Palonger Ghonto is another winter staple cooked with plenty of different vegetables like pumpkin, eggplant, cauliflower, radish, sweet potato and lentil dumplings. Shish palong means whole big spinach with hard stems only available in winter months in India. This is available in Asian groceries call Taiwanese spinach.

Raddish Mismash/Mulor Ghonto

Mulor Ghonto is a winter dish and very understated dish. Ghonto may literally means mash; but it is more about coated nicely everything together. Winter is an abundance of fresh produce of different colors from leafy greens to all types of vegetables and comparatively inexpensive. Therefore,so many ghonto dishes are made in  Bengali households. It requires minimal spices and enjoyed with rice or roti.

Fish Oil Fritters/Macher Teler Bora

Bengali staple food is fish and rice along with a wide variety of vegetable dishes. When it comes to cooking fish nothing gets wasted in Bengali households. Delicious dishes are made using fish head to tail including innards. Macher teler bora or fish oil fritter is one of the delicacies in West Bengal, India. I grew up eating pretty often when big fish like whole carp was bought. Fish innards include organ, intestines and fat. Most innards are edible except for the gallbladder which is full of greenish yellowish bile that tastes awfully bitter if it is broken. My mother used only liver, lungs and fats. She never used intestines that taste very chewy, yet edible.

Grass Carp in Creamy Cashew and Raisins Gravy

I tasted this top notch white fish curry in a Bengali ceremony many moons back. This is not a traditional fish curry that I had while growing up. It is inspired by Indian royal cuisines from the Mughal kitchens where luxurious ingredients like nuts, exotic spices and dry fruits are used. It is rich, creamy and mildly spiced with just a hint of sweetness from the raisins. Fish is smothered in heavy cream based gravy along with onion, ginger, garlic and aromatic spices. To make it bit lighter I swap heavy cream with cashew cream mixed with milk and yogurt. It's a great fish curry for any get together or ceremony. 

Cauliflower and Rice Pilaf(Chaal Phoolkopi)

When cauliflower in its peak in winter months in India, so many wide variety of culinary delights with cauliflower are prepared and enjoyed. Traditionally most vegetables are grown in winter and they are generally affordable. Cauliflower and Rice Pilaf/Chaal Phoolkopi is an age old vegetarian Bengali dish with aromatic gobindobhog rice that makes a delectable dish enjoyed by both vegetarian and non vegetarian eaters. This used to be a must while growing up in India.

Kalai Dal Chingri Diye/White Lentil with Shrimp

Kalai dal(not sure what it is called in english) or urad dal is an integral part of Bengali cuisine for the people who have their roots in West Bengal. Kalier dal and potato curry with poppy seeds paste are their best vegetarian comfort food with plain rice. My parents migrated from Bangladesh erstwhile East Bengal. This dal is not that popular for them at all. My ma prepared this with shrimp always, never its vegetarian version. This preparation is very  common for Bangal people(who migrated from Bangladesh).

Mochar Ghonto/Banana Blossom Curry

Bengalis would always crave for simple delicacies no matter where they go. And when they settle down in a foreign country they try to find ingredients to recreate all the recipes they grew up with, made by mothers, grandmothers and aunts. Like all immigrants, Bengalis do love to keep their traditional cuisine alive. They wouldn’t even mind to drive a long drive to get certain things they look for. We are the lucky ones to have plenty of Asian and Indian groceries close by to find the most Indian vegetables, spices, fish and seafood. It feels  home in a foreign country. 

Mung bean with Jack fruit Seeds

This Mung bean and jack fruit seeds stew spiced with fresh ginger paste and other basic spices is a very delicious vegan and vegetarian friendly dish can be enjoyed with plain rice and simple shallow fried eggplant, fried potato or any veggie fritters. 

Bangladeshi Chicken Korma

Bangladeshi Chicken Korma is whitish to soft cream color and cooked without tomatoes, red chili powder and turmeric. It's rich, creamy mildly spiced and full flavored. It needs a bit of preparation like marinating chicken for at least half an hour and slow cooking to make sure spices don’t turn brown too much. Cashew, almond and cream are an essential ingredients for any korma. I use for this particular korma skinless peanuts and whole milk. For the best tasting korma bone in chicken a great choice. It stays juicy and tender. All ingredients are pretty much basic pantry ingredients resulting in a delicious dish. This is best served with paratha or basmati rice. This dish is inspired by my lovely Bangladeshi friend. 

Spicy Tomatoey Pomfret Curry

It's been a long time I haven't post. Ten years ago I posted for the first time. Then I continued for several years with various recipes from different cuisines that I made for my family and friends. My love for cooking doesn't need introduction anymore. I have met wonderful people through my cooking and blogging journey.  I took a break for almost a year and half. Now I am back again with a delicious recipe of silver pomfret, braised in a spicy onion, ginger, garlic and tomato gravy. This is a superb fish curry served over plain rice. It looks very fiery but it's doesn't have to be that spicy. Spice level is adjusted according to the heat tolerance. That fiery color comes from tomato, paprika and turmeric. 

Lemony Chicken & Vegetable Soup

We are in fall winter season and  a bowl of hot soup for cold nights are surely comforting and hearty to savor. This lemon infused chicken & veggie broth is amazingly delicious. I love to add wild rice that has a chewy texture and it can be served as is or with toasted breads. 

Spicy Egg Curry

I have been making this North Indian flavored simple egg curry for years. It's a nice variation from nut and cream based gravy and it tastes surprisingly delicious! One friend once asked what type of nut I used because of its rich korma type taste. But there is no korma ingredients in this egg curry, just everyday pantry staples, yet the finished product looks as pretty as korma because of its color and texture using simple blend of spices. So I am pretty hooked to this recipe whenever I need to whip up something korma type to serve with white rice, toasty naan or paratha. 

Spicy Kerala Fish Curry

This slowly braised spicy exotic Kerala fish curry in spicy tangy gravy yet soothed by little bit of coconut milk has a depth of flavor and it is one of the regional fish curries of India that matches our taste buds. This fish curry requires an tropical dry fruit known as Kudampuli or Malabar tamarind(scientific name,Garcinia cambogia, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia) that has smoky flavor and sour taste, available at Indian groceries. But tamarind is a great substitute for kudampuli in case not found.

Italian Wedding Soup

We all love soup, rain or shine. A bowl of soup with lots of veggies and choice of protein and grain is so satisfying and comforting. I didn't grow up having soup at all; but once I learned to make different soups this Italian weeding soup has been in the soup rotation for years. 

Meen Molee

Each state of India has its own signature dishes and unique flavor profile. As a foodie I love to try the variety of dishes of India that I never tasted while growing up. I have been making Meen Moilee for years, one of the signature fish curries from the state of Kerala. The gravy is mildly spiced yellowish coconut curry with delicious flavor of tempered mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies yet Kerala cuisine is well known for spiciness. It is believed that this curry originated during Portuguese colonial era centuries back. Meen means fish in Malayalam and little analysis revels that Molee is given after the lady by the name "Molly" who added coconut milk to the fish curry to neutralize the spiciness to suit foreigner's palate. 

Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse, a classic French fish stew from Marseilles of Mediterranean Provence region is one of our hot favorites since the day one I made it. We are very much seafood lover and whenever we crave for a hearty stew, Bouillabaisse doesn't get much more delicious. I don't know much about French cuisine. I adapted some of French and other cuisines by watching cooking shows on tv, borrowed cook book from library and so many of them I tried for first time was a hit. Bouillabaisse was one of them. It's pretty easy but little time consuming to make from scratch. Weekend happen to be a great day to prepare fish stock with fresh fish bones, shrimp shells. I make a big batch to savor for a couple of days to use it different recipes. It's so worth it. 

Bengali Style Chicken Stew

A very comforting and hearty stew with chicken and veggies using minimum spices was created for Britishers served with buttered toast during British rule in Kolkata, India. Later, Bengali tweaked it adding some aromatics and spices to suit their liking. However, this is not a spice laden stew and it still has an English touch and mostly served with buttered or plain toast. This delicious hearty stew with bone in chicken, fresh veggies need very basic pantry ingredients that comes together in an hour or less. It's a great way to serve protein and veggies together as an one dish meal to the family all year round. This Bengali style Chicken Stew must not be confused with Bengali Chicken Curry which is made with just potatoes and all most same spices but yellowish in color and medium thick spicy gravy.