30 August

I have always been a huge fan of baked or roasted vegetables and seafood. Roasting is such a healthy and delicious way to prepare your vegetables. The dry heat of the oven caramelizes the natural sugars in vegetables, which brings about an amazing depth of flavor. The result is a sweet, nutty, toasty flavor. And moreover they are easy to make. It practically cooks on its own! And that's why they are the perfect things for a weeknight dinner when you don't need to spend too much time in the kitchen.

These aubergines will be melt in the mouth soft with a crispy caramelized texture somewhat similar to the Bengali Begun Bhaja but a little more healthy counterpart. For the seasoning sauce you can practically use anything you love. I have made this using the Buldak sauce left over from some Korean ramen packet. But if you don't have Buldak sauce available, then just go for the traditional Chinese sauce mix with honey, soya sauce and garlic and it still tastes amazing like hell! I had this roasted aubergine with steamed rice and moong daal the same way we Bengalis consume Begun bhaja. But if you want you can have them with any side of your choice. It pairs up well with pretty much any sides.

Tips for making good roasted vegetables:

1. Slice veggies evenly to ensure even cooking
2. Don't skimp on the Oil - Oil helps the vegetables cook more evenly and crisp. It also adds a rich flavor that makes roasted vegetables irresistible.
3. Don't over crowd the baking sheet  - allow everything to sit in a single layer. Crowding will make the vegetables steam instead of roast, and that’s the opposite of what we want.
4. Season well - Be very generous with the seasoning, that's what is going to add all the beautiful taste and flavor
5. Perfect Temperature - 200 degree Celsius / 400 degrees Fahrenheit is the perfect temperature for most roasted vegetables. It allows for a crispy, perfectly browned exterior and a fork tender interior. It does vary based on the water content in the vegetable. Vegetables with more water content needs higher temperature. But when in doubt, go for 200C/400F.
6. Prefer cooking without Parchment paper - While parchment paper helps in easy cleaning of the sheet pan, but it prevents even roasting. So it is always recommended to use the sheet pan without the parchment paper

Score the Aubergine and apply the sauce generously

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.