Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is another favorite Italian dish. Pan seared chicken fillets in a creamy mushroom wine sauce is simple and quick for week night meal yet very elegant for get together. I tasted this chicken dish with angel hair pasta most probably in a family owned Italian restaurant many moons back and that was out of this world. As a foodie I love to recreate lovely dishes I enjoyed in restaurants. 

Chicken Piccata

I love to explore food across the globe and I try to serve new food we like to my family as often as possible. I learned to make Chicken Piccata, an Italian favorite dish many years back that can be ready in 30 minutes for busy weekdays because everything is on hand.

Masor Tenga

Masor Tenga, a signature fish curry from Assamese cuisine specially on hot summer days is truly a soul food. Tenga means sour thin fish curry using tomato, lime juice or other souring agents. This fish curry is the simplest soupy delight I have ever made that doesn't require any spices at all except for tempering, yet very fragrant, richly appealing and heavenly tasty with plain rice. 

Macher Tok/Sour Fish Curry

Macher Tok belongs to West Bengal cuisine that our family never made. This is similar to Assamese counterpart Masor Tenga. We grew up eating simple traditional food that belonged to my parent's native land Noyakhali, in erstwhile East Bengal, now Bangladesh. There is a slight difference between two Bengal's food culture and each side has its own unique ways preparing the food. Tamarind in this recipe is very exotic and drool worthy. Every household makes it differently. This is my close friend's family recipe and I prepare exactly that way. 

Chicken Chaap

This royal dish is very popular accompanied by Biriyani in some iconic restaurants in Kolkata. During my growing up years I never got to go to those restaurants as we were living in the suburb. Chicken Chaap only reminds me some people's wedding ceremony and still remembering that amazing taste of the royal specialty served with special paratha(flat bread).

Ilish Polao

Hilsha fish is most Bengali's favorite fish  that doesn't require lots of spices. Hilsha's own aroma makes mouthwatering dishes that Bengalis love to savor again and again despite its thousands of tiny bones. Hilsha is easily available in West Bengal and Bangladesh during monsoon season. So we grew up having Hilsha frequently at that time, from thin soupy type stew to rich gravy dishes. All of them were amazingly delicious. But we never had Ilish Polao back home then.  

Ilish Kumro/Hilsha and Pumkin Stew

During the rainy season Hilsa is at its finest test and it is made in different varieties from simple thin runny stew type to thick gravy type with minimal spices. This is another variation at my maternal aunt's in-laws house who were from Faridpur in erstwhile East Bengal, now Bangladesh. I heard that other district of Bangladesh also make it similarly. When I tasted for the first time, I liked it so much that has since become a family favorite. Hilsha's alluring flavor is nicely balanced with slight pungent mustard paste and sweet pumpkin. Trust me this thin soupy Hilsha tastes out of this world!