Aam, kola ar chire makha- a delicious summer day snack in the Bengali Household

Early memories of Summer Holidays and visit to Kolkatta (my home-town by birth) are so finely etched in the mind. Time with cousins, lots of pampering and the delicious treat of chire makha every evening before we set out to play.

The mangoes we ate were the little ones from the local market and they were the sweetest smelling ones. The tasty treat was paired with the small yellow bananas and chire (also known as poha OR flattened rice) along with a lavish dash of milk. Frankly, the Mom's were happy and sorted with one such portion going down the kids...the calories were enough to keep one going on like they were loaded with the 'Everyday' battery!!!

I have a 6 year old now and summer is when we follow the same old tradition. Thankfully, this kid has taken to the taste as well! :) The only difference for this one is that he also gobbles slices of mangoes while he has his bowl full of delightful chire makha! :)

Here is a step by step guide to make your portion of chire makha:

Ingredients:
Mango: 1 medium alphonso OR 2 small sweet deshi variety
Banana: 2 elaichi (small ones) bananas
Chire (flattened rice/poha): 1 bowl, rinsed well in drinking water and kept aside for a few minutes.
Milk: 1 cup

Method:
1. Squeeze the mango pulp on the soaked chire (poha/flattened rice).
2. Now mash the bananas and add it to the mango and chire.
3. Pour the milk. Mix all the ingredients together.
4. Serve with cubes of mangoes.

If you wish to, you can substitute milk with curd. This is for the lactose intolerant few. :)

Happy summer holidays!

Pumpkin in a bush. Oh! so often on a village walk...

Strolling along the mud path of the villages of India, encountering numerous pumpkin wines effortlessly climbing various types of supports is more than often; a blind spot.

To me they make exciting subjects for a shoot. Also, I have a vested interest. Almost in all my walks I get lucky, I get to carry the tasty fruit back home! :D

Sharing a few shots from some of my recent escapades with you lovely people.

Did you know: 
Pumpkin flowers make very tasty fritter! A Bengali household delicacy, here is the recipe just for you:

Ingredients

Pumpkin Blossom (Kumro Phool) 8 nos.

Besan (Bengal Gram) 1/2 cup

Maida (All purpose flour) 2 tbsp.

Green chillies, 2 nos., finely chopped

Poppy seeds (Posto) 1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp.

Asafoetida (Hing), a pinch (optional)

Baking soda, a pinch

Salt as per taste

Water to make the batter

Oil for deep frying

Preparation

Make a smooth thick batter with besan, maida, green chillies, posto, turmeric powder, asafoetida, baking soda and salt.

Heat oil in a wok. Dip each blossom in the batter and put into the hot oil. Fry each side for about 2 minutes or until they are crisp and golden brown in colour.

With a slotted spoon, remove the fritters from the oil and place on a paper towel so that the excess oil gets soaked.

Serve hot with a good brew of tea.

Rose wine and crystals!

There is something about Rose-wine and crystals that attract me beyond words.

I can work on the decor aesthetics for hours to get that perfect lure in place before we pour the wine into the crystal ware.

It is quiet a romantic set-up and for someone who loves this wine, it just cant get any better!!!

:) Here are some of my shots in getting the decor just right before I slug on the light and berry flavored liquid from my most precious collection of crystal!

Cheers!!! :)

Weekend Family Time: A family that cooks together stays together!

More than often by the time I am into Wednesday evening I begin to plan for the impending weekend; a time I long for with my nearest ones! The mundane Monday to Thursday schedule is made easier when I start thinking of the beautiful upcoming Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

I love to cook. Something I get to do only on special occasions but lately I am making it a point to be in the kitchen throughout the weekend. With a growing up lad and a 1/2 day Saturday work Husband it makes me feel really good when I see them lap up the dishes cooked specially for them! For that matter, who doesn't!!!

So the planning begins with a good research on World Cuisines. With 1/2 the house being vegetarian it is always not that easy to zero in on the composition of the table spread! :) To me a break from Indian food is a boon and I am getting to feel that with the other 2 members of the house as well.

Salads, soups, one pot dishes and variety of breads is a good combination so far. In case you want to, do look up my Pinterest Food Segment. Once this is zeroed in comes the fun part of actually preparing the food. I love the time I spend in the kitchen cutting, chopping, mixing, tasting and dishing out the produce! Voila, in almost negligible time a sumptuous meal is all set and ready to be served. It feels effortless since I do what I like doing best and my favorite 2 (when at home while I cook) hover around crackling, chatting, fixing me a drink and DJ-ing while I make the magic happen!

PS: Last weekend the success was in my Red Rice Soup and Stir Fried Greens spread with a variety of breads along with a sizable portion of fresh cut water melon.
Click here for the recipe. I used red rice instead of wild rice and cooked it in a clay-pot. Substituted Chicken to more veggies! :)
I cooked the soup over slow flame for almost 3 hours. Used a whole lot of mushrooms, carrots, spring onions, squash and broad beans. You could choose to add veggies like asparagus, bamboo shoots, etc. incase you want a variety that is less used!

Next up comes the planning for the aesthetics around food presentation. Typically the doting Husband and Son duo set up the table for us. In-fact the better part is that since we have begun using weekend time as a "family time" many of our unused cutlery are getting their due usage. I love the way the table decor ends up so very often. My son adds a special touch to it by adding a handwritten menu card along with a table number on it! Who says your home cant feel like a specialty restaurant!!! :) lil joys of life!

Finally, with hot steaming food, an inviting table and some awesome people around we have the fun and frolic of our weekend going strong.

Life in a busy metro like mine feels 'worth it' after all!

Happy weekend folks!

Sensuous2Spiritual

The Bee's Knees: My variation this Friday evening!

Been quiet a drag of a week for me with my little one recuperating form a seriously bad tummy infection. Didn't realize the fatigue it has caused until earlier this evening. In such situations the best I like doing is to chill with a small drink and sit with the family while we cool off watching some movies.

So I walk into the kitchen with a clear mission. Whip up a drink that I haven't had ever! Armed with my iPad I look through my Pinterest Board: Poison. Next I spot 1 sole orange staring into my face. So them I walk to the Bar Unit and discover this old bottle of Bombay Sapphire, a Gin that never leaves the attic! Thanks to my experimental mood I decided to make the impossible happen. I decided to make a drink that we will remember for a while to come.

Voila, it is a zero in on 'The Bee's Knee' with a Mandarin twist!

Read the original recipe by Jennifer Rose Smith. In my case I did a slight bit of improvisation. Here's how!

Ingredients:
2 large yellow lemons
1 ounce honey (given that we are a recuperating household!)
2 ounces Bombay Saphire Gin
1 cup ice
1/2 an orange

Instructions:
First, you’ll create a simple syrup with the honey. Combine equal parts honey and boiling water. Stir well. Jar and refrigerate the syrup. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine one ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice, one ounce of your honey simple syrup, and two ounces of gin, juice of the 1/2 orange squeezed into the shaker. Shake well and strain into a glass of fresh ice. Garnish with one orange wedge (optional).

Signing off the Chinese New Year celebrations with my orange laced Bombay Sapphire cocktail. :)

Happy weekend folks!