South Indian Sambar

A bowl of Sambar  goes best with Idli, Medu Vada, Dosa, rice etc. This delicious slightly tangy South Indian lentil and vegetable stew recipe varies in different regions of South Indian households. Traditionally it's made with split pigeon peas also known as toor dal or arhor dal. Popular vegetable choice for Sambar is moringa drumstick, carrots, squash, shallots, eggplant, green beans etc. A special spice mix called sambar masala and tamarind pulp give the Sambar a unique South Indian sour flavor and finishing with 2nd time tempering adds wonderful aroma to Sambar.  Here is my version of the Sambar  recipe using opo squash, chopped onion, and green beans. 

New York Cheesecake

Father's day is just around the corner. Lets celebrate Father's Day with this elegant and super tasty New York Cheesecake topped with summer's best glazed mixed berries! It has heavy cream in the cream cheese batter for richer taste and bit dense texture. A slightly sweet sour cream is topped over hot baked cheesecake and baked again until sour cream topping is set. The secrets to the best New York Cheesecake that doesn’t crack are room temperature ingredients, using spring form pan, proper mixing technique, water bath method, chilling completely before removing form the pan and last but not least patience!

Chocolate Cake

A scrumptious  Chocolate Cake with chocolate ganache is so easy and quick to make for indulging sweet tooth. All you need is just a few ingredients you can find in your pantry. 

Thandai Cheesecake

Dol/Holi celebration in Spring, an ancient joyous Indian festival of colors also known as "Phagwa" falls on full moon day in Phalgun month(February or March).The celebration starts on Holi eve with a public holika bonfire in an open space where people gather, sing and dance which signifies "good over evil". Next day it is a  riot of colors where people are drenched in colored powder and water. They sing and dance; it's so much fun festival by letting go of past hurt feelings, renewing healthy relationships and sharing sweets with a common greeting "Happy Holi". In west Bengal it is called "Boshonto utshov or Doljatra. Each region has different rituals but  the spirit of celebration remains same. 

Dungeness Crab Chowder

A flavorful bowl of crab chowder with crusty bread and a leafy salad on the side is so heart warming on cold winter night. I love crab chowder with fresh dungeness crab that tastes absolutely out of this world! It is bit time consuming but well worth it. It's simple and great for family supper. I bought two fresh steamed dungeness crab from the Asian super market to skip the cooking part at home. I patiently de-shelled crabs for 45 minutes and I got almost 2 cups crab meat. It wasn't that complicated. The best part of home made chowders is more satisfaction with the quality than restaurant made and if you have a strong aversion to salt pork/bacon, this recipe is a keeper. 

Green Papaya, Chickpeas and Potato Curry

Green Papaya, Chickpea and Potato Curry(Pepe, Kabulichola, Alu diye Torkari) is another simple Bengali veg recipe without onion and garlic is savored with rice or Indian flat bread(roti). This plant based curry is hearty, low fat and full of nutrients. Chickpeas add good source of protein and fiber in this curry. Its delicious broth with coconut milk, tomato and aromatic spices gives this curry a wonderful texture, flavor, color and great taste. I use dried chickpeas instead of canned version for better texture and natural flavor. 

Shrimp and Green Papaya Curry/Stew

This simple curry is a delicious Bengali recipe with a lightly spiced stew type thin gravy to enjoy with plain steamed rice. The whole shrimp infuses loads of flavor to the dish. It was one of my favorites since childhood days cooked by Ma,a fabulous,comforting recipe with simple ingredients.  

Chocolate Cheesecake

This decadent cheesecake is full of chocolate flavor with  a chocolaty nutty crust and topped with chocolate ganache, fresh berries and sliced almonds. It's a more chocolaty dessert than cheesecake for chocolate lovers to compliment any special occasion. 

Bengali Spiced Roasted Spatchcock Chicken

This is another tasty roasted whole chicken and vegetables with Bengali curry spice. It always comes out amazingly juicy, succulent and lip smacking, a very hearty delicious meal on a busy day. When I crave for simple Murgir jhol/Bengali type chicken curry  but don't feel like going through all these process from cleaning, cutting and cooking, I simple bake chicken with potato and other vegetables. If you prefer to have grain free meal this is absolutely perfect. I like this chicken meal with a fresh leafy salad on the side. It's irresistible! Serve it as appetizer as well. 

Three Bean Salad

This colorful, tangy sweet(but not so sweet though)hearty salad is so tasty to munch on any time of the day. It's a simple vegan, gluten free side dish that perfectly pairs with any meal and easy to make at home using simple pantry ingredients. Store unused portions in the refrigerator up to a week.   

Chotpoti/Chickpea Salad

The good old days when I made new friends after moving in an apartments complex and we just clicked. Then we used to meet almost everyday, went for shopping together, had breakfast, lunch, late afternoon snack together, enjoyed evening stroll with unlimited chitchat. Yes, I am taking a nostalgic walk back to memory lane as I think about this lip smacking snack that I learned from my sweet Bangladeshi friend Silva. It's a very healthy snack studded with cucumber, tomato, red onion, cilantro and spicy black salt lemon dressing. 

Cranberry Orange Rolls

A month long Christmas spirit comes with loads of activities, putting up and decorating Christmas tree with festive color ornaments, shopping, warping presents, playing secret Santa game, listening-singing carols, watching Christmas movies, reading stories, strolling through the neighborhood to see Christmas lights. It's truly Christmas spirit everywhere we go. It never mattered whether we belong to this faith or not. Our Christmas spirit is very high, the biggest festival in our family! It's the season to be jolly to share, care and receive. 

Croquembouche

Croquembouche(krow kham boosh), a beautiful vanilla custard filled cream puffs also known as choux pastry in France stuck together with caramel in a cone shaped tower with spun sugar wrapped around it. This dessert is served during French weddings and other festive occasions. 

Cranberry Orange Jam

It's a delicious winter jam with amazing festive color and requires only three ingredients. Freshly squeezed orange juice and zest add a wonderful flavor to this jam. This jam is perfectly balanced between sweetness and tartness. Orange flavor comes trough without overpowering the jam. It's a versatile jam; enjoy it on toasted bread, bagel, flatbread and cracker. It's a perfect filling for pie, bread roll, jelly roll, cheesecake etc. It also makes a lovely glaze on chicken and turkey with the addition of red chili pepper. Last but not least, this makes great holiday gift!!

Eggnog Cheesecake

This scrumptious yet easy to make cheesecake with a nut crust is another show-stopping dessert for holiday gathering. If you enjoy eggnog you will fall in love as well with this luscious cheesecake blended with eggnog. I baked this one in a water bath. It was perfectly smooth looking, no cracks at all and topped with nutmeg infused whipped cream cheese! Celebrate holiday season with this unique Christmas flavor. 

Orange Cranberry Cake

I have been baking this festive cake for many years during Christmas. This is a moist and delicious cake bursting with orange flavor, studded with dried cranberries, drizzled with light orange glaze and confectioner's sugar. Serve this cake as dessert with a scoop of orange ice cream or just sip a cup of morning coffee with a slice of this cake. Adding orange liquor to this cake will surely put you in the holiday spirit. Simply leave the liquor out if you don't want to add. 

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Pie is an integral part of holiday dessert in America and so is cheesecake with seasonal festive flavors. I love to combine cheesecake with pie ingredients; they always turn out darn tasty. If I ever have to choose between pie and cheesecake, I will definitely go for cheesecake. I have shared Pumpkin Cheese Tart, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Custard Pie and Pumpkine Pie. They all are amazingly delicious. 

Chingri Kumror Dalna / Shrimp and Pumpkin Stew

Pumpkins are in abundance in fall and I make both sweet and savory dishes. I grew up eating pumpkin as a savory food widely used in variety of vegetarian dishes through out India. Sometimes shrimp is added in vegetarian dishes as lean protein in Bengali cuisine. Its wonderful aroma adds depth and richness to any vegetarian dish. My Ma used to make this Chingri Kumror Dalna often with minimal spices and it's a keeper. 

Malai Sandesh

The Autumn festivals also known as Sharodutsov in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Tripura begins with Durgapooja celebration the victory good over evil followed by Laskmi pooja, the goddess of wealth. After two weeks, festival ends on new moon day with celebration of  Kalipooja which symbolizes epitome of "shakti" the power and Dipaboli, the festival of lights. 

Easy Spider Web cake

This tangy sweet orange cake with whipped cream cheese frosting and a spooky spider web on top using dark chocolate ganache is a delicious Halloween treat. It's so simple to make on short time to satisfy both kids and adult's sweet tooth. All you need is very basic cake ingredients. No fancy decoration is needed.