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. 

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.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is my go to family favorite chicken pot pie recipe, not fancy yet very delicious and flavorful. I use  seasoned slightly grilled chicken thighs and sautéed veggie filling in a creamy sauce without making it too rich, then topped with homemade buttery pie crust baked until golden brown. It’s better than store bought because it’s not loaded with salt, fat, additives and carbs. It needs just basic pantry ingredients.

Boror Tenga/Red Lentil Fritters in Tangy Curry Gravy

Boror Tenga or Tenga Bora is a traditional Assamese lentil fritter in tangy gravy. Boror or bora literally translate fritter and tenga means tangy or sour. This is very similar to Bengali counter part Borar Tok. However Boror tenga is made red lentil and Bengali version uses yellow split peas. The souring agent can be used either thekara also known in English dried garcinia, tomato or lime/lemon juice. This dish is a popular summer dish to serve with plain rice.

Chicken Pish-Pash

Chicken Pishpash, a very rustic Anglo-Indian one pot dish originated during British era cooked with rice, chicken or mutton, vegetables and sometimes lentil in pheynabhat (soupy rice)/congee style for little kids and ailing people. Later it became more of a comfort food and delicious medley which is easy to make for a crowd served with a dollop of butter and boiled or fried egg on top.

Assamese Black Sesame Chicken Curry(Til Diya Kukura Mangxo)

Assamese Black Sesame Chicken Curry is a very traditional dish that I learned from a Bengali friend I met through a social media platform. Black sesame is widely used in many recipes from sweet to savory dishes in northeast India. The star ingredient is toasted black sesame seeds resulting in a nutty, smokey flavorful chicken curry. Each household has their own method of making to suit their taste buds. This is mildly spiced and I prepare with onion,garlic, ginger and lemon juice.  

Orange Chicken Curry

This chicken curry with tangy sweet orange juice is an excellent dish for family and guests. Chicken is marinated in freshly squeezed orange juice then cooked in a mildly spiced basic curry spices. Orange zest makes a big difference to flavor the dish. I like adding cilantro at the end for its bursting warm spicy complex flavor but it’s optional. For a nice presentation place orange slices on top. 

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. 

Nimona/Green Peas Curry

Nimona is one of the delicious recipes to make in a jiffy with a very basic pantry ingredients. It’s a staple winter dish of UP, India, made of green peas.

Green peas are available all year round in USA. So whenever craving for Nimona kicks in, Nimona is prepared to savor with plain rice , roti, paratha or grilled chicken. Here is my take on. 

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. 

Spaghetti & Mini Chicken Meatball in Creamy Vodka Sauce

Spaghetti alla vodka or pasta alla vodka is an Italian American pasta dish is widely popular all over the world and adding meatballs in the sauce takes it to the next level. The mini chicken meatballs with mildly spiced aromatic vodka sauce is slowly cooked to perfection and it is great with any kind of pasta product.

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 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.

Apple Cake

It's apple season and fall means apple desserts. Last night, I made this moist and buttery cake with finely chopped apples, topped with sliced apples, a perfect fall cake to complement with a cup of coffee in the morning or as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. House smells so good and it's hard not to have seconds.

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. 

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.