Stir Fried Sugar Snap Peas

I recently had this amazing sugar snap pea stir-fry at friend’s house. Sugar snap pea is great on its own with yogurt dressing, full of protein and fiber. But this stir fry became a pretty regular thing with different spices since then. This is the easiest and almost requires no spices. It is a quick and easy side dish for busy weeknight dinners. I just sometimes enjoy having it as whole meal. It’s delicious, filling and satisfying.

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.

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. 

Blueberry Swirl Vanilla ice Cream

Fresh sweet blueberries are a great snack to munch on and there are so many recipes adding blueberries, be it jam, pie, cake, bread, cheesecake, lemonade, shake, salad, ice cream and many more. Ice cream is always a refreshing treat on scorching summer days. This is so very easy no churn ice cream with just a few ingredients. This ice cream has a very creamy texture without adding eggs. Unlike strawberries, blueberries are so sweet that I had to cut down on sugar to make the jam. Here is my simple recipe to follow.  

Chirer Polao/Bengali Style Flattened Rice Pilaf

An easy, tasty and very satisfying Chirer Polao deliciously brings together different veggies, peanuts, slightly aromatic warming spices and a touch of sweet note from raisins and sugar. It takes only half an hour to make with simple pantry ingredients. Flatten rice pilaf is called poha in other parts of India as a very popular breakfast and it is sold by street food vendors. They make it very savory with less veggies.  

Radhaballavi

It’s been eight years documenting various recipes I learned and tried over the years on my blogging journey. It’s fun but loads of work to post after managing my family. Today I bring you a heavenly delicious Bengali style fried stuffed bread Radhaballavi which is  served at Bengali wedding ceremonies and as a special treat for breakfast, lunch or dinner in many Bengali households.

Two Simple Potato Curries

Once upon a time we ate carbohydrate rich food for breakfast or lunch or dinner almost everyday without thinking twice about calorie. We never knew calorie counting back then. We were very active all the time, went to school by walking, played well in the alley or open space, visited friend’s house by walking and we did so many fun outdoor activities. So whatever we consumed easily got  burned out. Life style has changed now. Watching carbohydrate is very important these days for us. I am not saying giving up any of our favorite food but enjoying once in a blue moon. I don’t make just potato curries very often. They are so special that I we can enjoy with roti just for one meal then no carbohydrate for other meals during the day. It balances out pretty good and it satisfies our craving without feeling guilty.

Water Spinach Mishmash/Kalmishaker Ghonto

Veggies are my all time favorites. I never get board of eating veggie dishes. Bengali or other Indian regional cuisines make immense variety of seasonal veggie dishes so many different ways with different spices, be it stir-fry with minimal spices, cooked in mildly spiced gravy or dry type. This water spinach curry with mixed vegetables gently spiced with ginger is slightly time consuming but it is worth the effort to have variety of vegetables all together in one dish. It can be served with steamed rice or roti. I learned it from one of my friend's mom who is originally from Dhaka in erstwhile East Bengal, now Bangladesh.  

Avial/Aviyal

Being a foodie I love to prepare different regional cuisines of India often. Recently I tried Avial/Aviyal for the first time, a signature Keralite mixed veggie medley and it turned out delicious. I think this is the easiest curry I had ever made. No sauteing required. It's just boiled veggies, then spiced coconut mixture mixed with yogurt and tempered whole spices in coconut oil stirred in the curry. Nothing can't be more easier that this one! 

Stir Fried Moringa Leaves

Moringa or drumstick tree is native to the Indian subcontinent, a super food with lots of health benefits and nutrients. Recently moringa got its popularity all over the world. Moringa powder is sold in health food stores but cooking fresh moringa is a delicacy. Fresh moringa leaves and flowers have a subtle flavor and slightly bitter taste and it can be used in so many tasty Bengali recipes.

Gondhoraj Pulao/Kaffir Lime Pilaf

Gondhoraj Pulao made with the most alluring flavor of Gobindo bhog rice (specially grown in West Bengal) and the distinctively fragrant Thai kaffir lime juice(close cousin of the gondhoraaj lebu), zest and leaves as a side dish that wonderfully pairs with any Bengali veg or non veg main dishes. It is super easy, quick to make and tastes amazingly refreshing! Use lots of kaffir lime leaves until the flavor really comes through. 

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Fall is pumpkin season and so many pumpkin inspired savory and sweet dishes are great treats to celebrate the spirit of the season with family and friends. No big Thanksgiving celebration this year though and it's important staying home, being healthy during this pandemic situation. So we are trying our best to enjoy holiday spirits with family this time!

Besan Barfi and Laddo/Chickpea Flour Fudge

Dipabali/Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated which signifies the victory good over evil. Some households worship Ma Laxmi for peace, prosperity and happiness for this auspicious celebration. On this joyous occasion of Diwali I am sharing one of the most popular Indian desserts "Besan Barfi/Laddo", made of husked black chickpea flour, ghee, sugar, cardamom and nuts. 

Spiced Fig Jam

If life gives you figs, make fig jam to accompany with so many wonderful ways; spread on crackers, pita chips, toast, and bagels, even on roti and last but not least on cheese. Figs and Fig Jam are aesthetically appealing and they are great to incorporate with cake, cheesecake or tart filling and toppings. Ripe figs are naturally sweet; so spicing it up a little with crystallized ginger and chili takes to a different level. Fig Jam is perfect for fall and winter season. It's not too sweet; it’s delicious! 

Sabur Khichuri/Tapioca Pearl Mishmash

Sabur Khichuri is another comforting meal in Bengali households especially during Durga Pooja. People who observe fasting for any Hindu ritual, consume grain free pure vegetarian Satvik food afterwards. Bengali Sabur Khichuri is very different than Sabudana Khichdi from other states of India which is dry type. This one uses roasted mung bean along with veggies like cauliflower, potato, carrot, peas, green beans and peas etc.This no onion and no garlic recipe. The aroma of the roasted mung bean and the sauteed veggies with spices takes me down to memory lane. It tastes divine as is. You can always add fried eggplant, Papad and sweet chutney with it! Try this Sabur Khichuri. This is absolute one dish wonder whether fasting or not. 

Sabudana Khichdi/ Sago/Tapioca Pearl Pilaf

Sabudana khichdi is an easy and very popular Indian savory dish made with soaked sago/tapioca pearl, roasted peanuts and slightly spiced sauteed potato, served for breakfast, tea time snack and during Hindu rituals who observe fasting in the state of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and some other states. Sago or tapioca pearl is an acquired taste that is nicely balanced its chewy texture with crunchy peanuts and stir fried spiced potato mixture. This recipe makes 3-4 servings and it is satvik vegan, meaning no ghee, onion and garlic are used. 

Stir Fried Bitter Gourd & Pumpkin

Bitter gourd is an acquired taste that is complemented the way we cook in Bengali cuisine by using lentil, mixed vegetable(Shukto/Bitter Sweet Mixed vegetable Medly) and other ingredients. Bitter gourd is an excellent palate cleanser and any bitter gourd item is served in the beginning of any meal so that next delicious items can be savored wonderfully.

Bengali Fried Rice/Ghee Bhat

Aromatic Basmati cooked rice is stir fried with ghee, some veggies, cashew nuts, raisins and some dry spices is great side dish with lentil, vegetable, paneer, chicken or meat curries. We Bengali call this pretty, colorful and fragrant rice "Ghee Bhat/Fried Rice" ; it's so very tasty and simple to put together that can easily satisfy the crowd. The flavor is so excellent that makes the whole house smelling heavenly! This rice dish is often served at special occasions like bridal shower, wedding, rice eating, and so many more  ceremonies, festivals or simple family get together. 

Mushur Dal & Chola-Mator Daler Bora/Red Lentil Fritters & Husked Black Chickpeas-Yellow Split Peas Fritters

Lentil fritters and Lentil Curry with plain steamed rice is a soulful combo in Bengali households. They are so tasty and they only require minimum pantry ingredients, yet full of crispy-crunchy deliciousness. There are lots of variations but these two types of fritters are very popular for most Bengali households. They can be served as starter with tea and puffed rice too.