February 22

For me it was Mac Donald which introduced me to the world of french fries and potato wedges. Before that I used to hate plain potato fry which mom used to make as a side for all our parathas and pooris. I was like who eats just fried potato, where are other vegetables with it! Obviously the tantrums would die soon as there was no effect of my protests on mom. But in simple words I didn't like when potatoes were served without anything added to it. Then came the Mac D and I started loving the same fried potatoes packaged in small red packets and priced 3 times higher! Well we always value a product by its capability of how fast to burn a hole in our pocket! 

While potatoes are deemed as the fried food world pioneers, I feel sweet potato wedges are more amazing. Sweet Potato Wedges make an easy and a very delicious finger food! Made with just a handful of ingredients, these sweet potatoes will definitely become a favorite!

Check Out the DIY Background I made for this shoot.

February 20

I am a hardcore fishiterian..if that's a word. There has been hardly any occurrence where I have tasted a fish and not liked it ( apart form squid!). In fact I love trying out new fish variants and preparations all the time.  

Recently there was a day when I purchased a fresh bunch of mint for the market to make Strawberry Ghol and still had more than half of the bunch remaining. Mom wasn't too excited about the idea of making mint chutney ( we are really not that great mint lovers, apart from having it incorporated into some summer drink), so it was up to me to utilize the remaining leaves. 

I had a lovely fillet of Basa languishing in my freezer for some time because I had forgotten about it after pushing it to the back of my freezer! Finally I stumbled upon it again while rummaging through my freezer for prawns. I really felt sorry for the beautiful fillet which was practically frozen to death by that time. But nonetheless I was definitely not going to throw it away. 

Now when you have a dated fish, you need to cook it with something which will instill a little life into the fish like strong masalas - usually an onion gravy is a surefire solution to this kind of problem. But it would be a sheer injustice to put a fillet in a normal onion based gravy when it can e made into something a little more interesting. That's when I thought lets do some experiment with the fresh mint. The flavor of mint definitely qualifies as strong, and which would help in bringing a good amount of flavors into the very frozen fish.

It was a working day and hence I didn't have much time in hand to cook a fancy fish preparation. Something quick and easy which would go with daal rice was what I was aiming at. Thus came into existence this quick fire tangy and sweet recipe. It tasted so unique and chatpata that I can recommend this as a starter as well (However I do suggest when you make this recipe, use a fresh fish to get the best taste).. This is somewhat similar to Fish Hariyali which is a well loved dish of the Northern India.

Check Out the DIY Background I made for this shoot.

Check Out the DIY Background I made for this shoot.

February  7

After a very few tepid winter months, we finally are getting some cold days that too when we are now into February already. Days still don't feel cold but nights and early morning are sort of nippy. It feels lovely to wrap your palms around a steaming cuppa of chai in the morning.

Saraswati Puja  or Basant Panchami is just around the corner. When I think of it, as a kid I do remember my mom forcing me to wear warm clothes on top of the saree or suit which I would have meticulously chosen for this day. My vehement protests would fall on deaf ears, and eventually I would end up walking down the street with a pretty saree and a not so matching sweater on top. We weren't allowed to take shawls, because they weren't warm enough for children unlike it was for adults! I could never fathom why back then. And the simple standard reply to all our doubts would be - " when you grow up and have a kid of your own then you will know (jokhon nije boro hobi ar nijer baccha hobe tokhon bujhbi). Which essentially meant, that to understand the rationale behind this we had to wait for like 10-15 years. It didn't sound too promising, hence giving up protest was the only option. And thus, it means, we did have cold days even during the time of Saraswati Pujas. So when the days feel chilly now, it shouldn't be much of a surprise. But still I am surprised, because staying away from Kolkata for a very long period sometimes makes these memories.  

Today I am going to talk about Bhorta. Bengalis pronounce it bhorta, but for the non-Bengali population, it’s called as bharta. Bhorta or Bharta as it is known across many Indian states is just a mishmash of vegetables, herbs, pulses, seafood, meats or eggs or even a combination of these. Baigan Bharta is possibly the most famous of Bhartas which is equally popular in both India and our neighboring country Bangladesh. 

Bhortas (ভর্তা) are the simplest and ultimate comfort food in the Bangladeshi cuisine. Although they were invented among the Bengali Muslims, bhortas have become an indispensable part of national Bangladesh cuisine. It was mostly a rural or poor man's comfort food to begin with and the purpose was a no-waste meal out of things which were leftovers or excess. Thus bhorta became the default choice in the households, because it required minimum fuel, very little oil and no expensive spices.

They are served with rice or rotis (flatbreads). The standard elements in all kinds of bhortas are crunchy fresh onions or caramelized onions , green or red chillies and mustard oil.  To that, the other ingredients, may be boiled, roasted, steamed, even charred, are added to make a specific kind of Bhorta. As the saying goes- if you really want to relish a bhorta, never skimp on the mustard oil! Some of the most famous bhortas of Bangladesh include - aloo (potato), begun (brinjal), kacha aam ( raw mango), dal (pulses), chingri (prawn), lau er khosha ( bottle gourd skin), mach (fish) , murgir mangsh (chicken), tomato, ucche ( bitter gourd), shapla (water lily) and many many more. 

Just like bhorta, makhas are the comfort food of West Bengal. They are the quintessential, staple thing you would find on the menus in Bengali homes. It also gives us an excuse to be lazy at times and yet spin up something absolutely finger licking good. The makha involves a range of methods like mashing, muddling, mixing and macerating,  mainly by hand, to bring together a range of ingredients, flavours and textures and create a composite dish. Just like Bhortas, makhas are not usually served on special occasions or festivals. It was meant to be a homely food for day to day consumption. Now a days, you would find most Bangalis using the word Bhorta and makha reversibly. 

But slowly, the erstwhile rural food is now finding its way to the gourmet meal platter across the world because of its uniqueness in taste. Especially outside of Bengal and India, I have witnessed many fine dining Bengali restaurants serving an assortment of Bhortas  or makhas at the starting of the meal and non-bengalis enjoying it as much as we do. While doing some research about Bhortas, I came across an article which even talked about Avocado bhorta made by a lady from North Dakota. That itself talks about how adaptable this dish is and how far and wide it has now spread across the world. To quote cultural historian and writer Niaz Zaman from her cookbook Bosha Bhat To Biryani: The Legacy Of Bangladeshi Cuisine: 

"The liberation of Bangladesh led to a search for its indigenous cultural roots as well as its indigenous foods. Bhajis (simple sautéed vegetables) and bhortas had always been part of the Bengali diet…not something offered to guests or served at hotels. After liberation, however, Bengali foods were, so to say, rediscovered."

In addition to the standard ingredients that are added to the Bhorta, I love my bhortas with a hint of garlic and loads of fresh coconut. The character and taste it adds feels phenomenal to me. So the next time you have prawns and don't want to make an elaborate curry out of it, just bring together a few elements and spin up a droolicious bhorta to go with rice.

Now a days you would see me cooking many non-Indian dishes in my blog. But then after a while when I start writing about something from the Bengali cuisine, I feel this is the reason for which I had started this blog. To talk about my heritage recipes which might get lost in the folds of time and to keep them alive in these pages on the internet for someday someone to stumble upon and enjoy. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to talk about what is truly close to my heart and my legacy. 

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

February 12

Even though Momo is the national dish of Tibet, the words - momo, dumplings, dim sums, all remind me instantly of Darjeeling and the times spent there. Lovely childhood memories preserved in the folds of time.

My masi (aunt) used to stay in Darjeeling with her husband who was posted as a doctor there. They stayed in the quaint little houses nestled in the slope of the mountain surrounded by lush greenery and dotted by bright orange Cosmos flowers which kept swaying in the light breeze. My earliest memory of travelling to Darjeeling was at the age of five during one particular summer vacation, with a whole gamut of grandparents, aunts and cousins. My grandpa was an acclaimed doctor in the Railways and hence we all got the privilege of travelling in the first class coup. As a kid, that was first ever long journey for me. My family used to visit my grandparents in Kolkata and travel by the local trains which plied between Kharagpur and Howrah. It was pretty much like the sleeper class bogies where there was no air conditioning and we could crane out our neck form the windows to enjoy the sight and sounds of the acres and acres of farmland on the way. Thus being cooped inside the coup (pardon my pun) which had an air-conditioning actually sounded very exciting. Through the glass window the outside world didn't look so clear, but the action going on inside was enough for us kids to remain entertained. Food was one of the primary reason. Come to think of it, I was a foodie even before I came to know the existence of the word 'foodie'. Intense adda over rounds of garam chai and home made snacks kept the evening engaged. While the chicken curry, rice and dal with a spot of pickle and lemon wedges made us happy for the night. I didn't sleep much that night due to the excitement of the next phase of the journey. The next day as we approached New Jalpaiguri Station the weather changed, there was a clear nip in the air and our parents made sure we were well layered with warm clothes. 

That was the first time I stepped into this pretty little hill station some two and a half decades ago. Though my memory might not register everything that I experienced in that visit but still there are fragments of beautiful memories here and there within the mind. Like the bright red overalls I had, like that awe I had felt when I had seen the red panda for the first time in the magnificent zoo of Darjeeling or like the time when I first tasted the local delicacy - piping hot chicken momo!

The first morning we ventured out to walk to the Mall Road with the entire family in tow. Breakfast would be momos and chicken soup, my masi had told us. We kids had more energy to scale the steep slope of the Chowk Bazar area, while the elders caught up on their breath. The soft morning sun was beating down on us, while the aroma of fresh spices and something delicious cooking from various nooks and corners of the Mall area enticed us like the Pied Piper. And soon enough we saw the momo shops.

Among the town's tangled alleyways, we saw scores of tiny little shacks selling momos from stacked steamers. Ancient looking Nepali woman with countless age lines and a warm smile on the face wo-manned the shops. Their helper kept rolling out the dough while the lady herself piped in spoonful of minced chicken or vegetables into the momo pockets and put them inside the steamer to steam. The next 10-15 minute wait seem like an eon as we started to get impatient and hungry once the aroma of the momos had hit our nostril.

The soft supple almost transparent momos encasing the very flavorful succulent chicken mince filling is just an out of world thing. No matter what, no matter how, the worlds best gourmet restaurants would pale in comparison to the momos sold by these native women early morning.  Dipping those delicate momos into rich hot sauce and taking a generous bite, as the hot filling tumbles into your mouth - you gasp both at the heat and at the burst of flavor, that overpowers you momentarily. Yes, you need to be in Darjeeling to experience it in person! 

Being a Bengali staying in Bengal it almost becomes a yearly affair to head to the hills when the weather gets warm on the plains. But slowly over the years I experienced Darjeeling loosing its quaint charm to the influx of tourists. It no longer had those deserted early morning alleys nor would the mall road become deserted much before 9 PM. It kind of met the same fate as most of the hill stations in the country - overcrowding. But still, there is an ouch of rustic charm of the bygone era when you hang out in the alleyways of Darjelling  Still you are occasionally arrested by the the unseasonal chill and flock of wispy clouds catching you unawares.  The fabled Glenary's is still considered as the mecca of oriental cuisine for all foodie travel enthusiasts. The purple twilight and the golden orange mornings still beckon you with whole heart to be there and feel one with the nature. And most importantly, even after 2 and a half decade when I had visited Darjeeling and had momos in one of those winding alleyways, I felt everything was just as it was years ago.

The Darjeeling momo experience is a benchmark for me when it comes to any kind of dumpling. Unless the dumpling has a thin wrapper, generous amount of filling and melts into the mouth its not really something I will have again. While its very easy to find momos in the streets of Kolkata, here in Pune you wont find really good momos all around. For an example there is a specialized momo restaurant near my office area having a very high rating in Zomato. But when I tried it, they had thick dumpling wrappers with not so good filling and the sauce is best not mentioned.

This makes me very self critical of the momos I myself make as well. First criteria, I need them to be paper thin! I know there is a risk of tearing them, but then who doesn't take a little risk in their life to have something delicious? Food and adventure goes hand in hand for me.

I adapted this from Mei's recipe and it turned out lovely. A few tweaks here and there for practical reasons and these beauties were on the plate. They look just super perfect for the Valentines weekend up ahead. It might look difficult to make, but it is not, once you get a hang of the process. The only thing you need is patience. The more patience you have the more perfect roses you will have. 

Make these for your loved ones and count your blessings to have these kindred souls in your life to make you feel loved. 

Happy Valentine's Day in advance to one and all!

• All purpose Flour - 2 cups + for dusting
• Pink Food Color/ Beetroot Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Boiling Water - 1 cup
• Salt - a pinch

For Chicken Filling:

• Chicken Mince - 200 gm
• Whole Spring Onion - 1/2 cup, chopped
• Chilli - 2, chopped
• Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped
• Soya Sauce - 2 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Sesame Oil / Refined oil - 1/2 tsp

For Garnish:

• Roasted sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Microgreens (optional) - handful

For Dumpling Dipping Sauce:

• Light Soya Sauce - 3 tbsp
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Sesame Oil - 2 tsp
• Chili flakes - 1 tsp
• Minced garlic - 2
• Sesame Seeds - 1/8th tsp

Equipment:

• Mixing Bowl
• Large non stick pan 
• Knife
• Airtight containers

Procedure: 

1.  Prepare the filling : In a mixing bowl, take the minced chicken, chopped ginger, spring onions, chilis, soya sauce, salt and oil. Combine them and rest it for 30 minutes in the refrigerator or till the time you are ready to add the filling into the dumpling.

Making the chicken filling

2. Prepare the dumpling dough : Divide the dough, water and salt into half - one for white one for pink. Add half the flour, salt and water into a mixing bowl and knead until you have a smooth dough. Set aside in a air tight container. 

White Dough

Now to the other half of the dough, salt and water, add red beet powder/pink food coloring into the other half of the dough and continue kneading until combined. Rest both the dough in air tight container for 20-30 minutes.

Pink Dough

3. Rolling the dough: Roll out the pink and the white dough into two big rectangle shapes (should be same size) and using a knife or a cutter cut thin strips. White one should be about 1 inch wide and pink one 1/2 inch wide.

Now line up the strips as shown - 1 white strip in the middle of 2 pink strips. Line the length of the white dough with water on both sides. Place the pink strips a little on top of the white dough, the water will help to hold the pink strips in place. Now gently roll the combined strips with your rolling pin to seal the layers and spread out the dough. 

Tip 1: Instead of rolling out the entire half of the dough, take out small portions of it and let the remaining be in the airtight container to prevent them from drying. Then roll out those doughs into very thin thickness rectangles. If the dumplings are thin they will cook easily and not taste doughy. I personally prefer dumplings or momos with thin wrapper.

Tip 2: You need to work quickly as the dough will start to dry out. 

Note : Keep a floured large plate ready where you can move all the cut stripes and keep it covered with a damp cloth. Only take out when needed. This will prevent them from drying out.

Rolling the Dough

4. Making the petals - Cut circles with the help of a cookie cutter or any round shape object like a small glass. Now flatten these circle out by rolling again to make it thin like a dumpling wrapper.

Tip:  After you cut out the circles, the remaining dough which is there is a mixture of pink and white. Don't discard it. Bring it all together and knead it again. It will have a mixed color of  pink and white. Now roll out. 

Cutting the Petals

5. Assembling the Rose : Arrange 4 dumpling wrappers in a line overlapping each other (refer to picture). At the joint of two wrappers apply some water to hold the next wrapper in place. 

Now spoon in a small amount of filling in the center of these wrappers in a straight line encompassing all the 4 wrappers. Wet the edges of the wrapper and now fold them in half carefully. Press the edges to seal them. 

Filling the Dumpling Wrappers

Starting at the end roll them up tightly and it will start looking like a rose bud. Take care the wrappers don't tear. To seal the final edge of the roll, add a little water and seal it. 

Now with the help of your finger tips flatten and spread out the top of the petals a little so that they start resembling like real rose petals.

Repeat for all the remaining wrappers. This will yield about 12 rose dumplings.

Making the Rose

Shaping the Petals

6. Cooking the Dumplings: Take some oil in a large frying pan and heat it on medium heat. Now place the dumplings flat side down and fry for about 2 minutes. A slight golden crust will form at the bottom. 

Add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan while the dumplings are still sitting. And immediately cover the pan with a lid. The steam will cook the dumplings for about 8 minutes or until all the water is evaporated. 

Lift off the lid and let the dumplings cook for another minute, taking care not to burn the down side. Now take the dumplings out carefully ( they are very delicate at this point) and put it in a serving dish. 

Cooking the Dumplings

7. Preparing the Dumpling Sauce: Combine everything together until well combined.

 

Sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds, add some microgreens. Serve along with Dumpling Dipping Sauce.