My childhood in Kolkata and setting up homes with S in different cities like Kolkata, Colombo, Frankfurt and Dubai – have shaped our cookings and moulded our taste-buds. Post-holidays, we are on our own food trips at home, experimenting our newly acquired expertise on the local cuisine fused with our regular cooking, thus inventing new dishes which are mostly eagerly anticipated by family and friends. Since we come from Bengal in India, there a lot of experiments on Bengali cuisine – both traditional as well as fusion. And a whole lot of Filipino food (yes, that too!), courtesy my Lady Friday who hails from Bicol, a region in Philippines known for it’s spicy cuisine. However, Desserts and Sweets take the cake! This is one topic, that is probably the most important food discussion in our family and amongst friends. After-all, Bongs (an ubér-cool term for Bengalis) are genetically predisposed to be inclined to sweets!
Following are the characteristics of all recipes doling out of our little hands, big hearth -
♥ Easy to cook
♥ Regular canned products off the shelf may be used (However, we advocate using fresh products)
♥ Goes well both as a regular or party dish
♥ Children can easily help in making the dish (My two little sous-chéfs are aged 8 and 3 years!)
♥ And lastly, guaranteed to be tasty!
Dubai is my adopted home currently, while Kolkata holds a lot of nostalgia, hence the two diaries may overlap.
5 Dubai posts - My pick!
♦ Things To Do In Dubai | Like A Tourist In My Own City
♦ The Diary Of A Dubai Resident | As Home Turns Into An Inn!
♦ Locavorism, Friday Market | Tok Palong/Sour Spinach Chutney
♦ Semaiya Kheer/Vermicelli Pudding, Eid in Dubai | Eid Mubarak!
♦ Lafayette Gourmet’s Festive Menu | Christmas Is In The Air!
10 Kolkata/Bengali posts – My pick!
♦ Traditional Bengali Cuisine | In ‘Slight’ Details – An etymological explanation of our food-fetish
♦ Dilipda’s Phuchkas in Vivekananda Park | World Famous In Kolkata!
♦ Pickles | Mother (-in-law) Of All Pickles!
♦ Momos in Tiretti Bazar | The Last Chinese Remnants!
♦ Khichuri As Harbinger of Hope & Kolkata Soaked In Rains
♦ Firni or Ferni, Ramadan or Ramzan, Mallick Bazar or Karama | It’s The Same Festive Sentiment!
♦ Terraces and Beyond – Kolkata
♦ Shiraz Golden Restaurant, Dubai | From Lucknow To Kolkata And To Dubai!
♦ Rôshogolla (রসগোল্লা) | Bengali’s Own Sweet
♦ The Magistrate’s House, No. 1 Thackeray Road, Alipore – Kolkata
Media Mentions
♦ Featured In Ahlan! Gourmet, February 2013 | My Ode To Phulko Luchi!
♦ BBC GoodFood ME, August 2012 | ‘Meet the Blogger’
♦ UAE National Day… Aam Pana | My Dubai My City – A video
♦ On Dubai One & Noor Dubai TV | Making Rasgulla Macapuno – A video
For more on this, click here.
Chef/Celebrity Talk
♦ Sanjeev Kapoor | Talking To The Chef Extraordinaire
♦ Asha Bhosle | Cooking With Her, Listening To Her & Sharing Her Recipe!
♦ Chef Abhijit Saha | Is There Heart And Soul In Molecular Gastronomy?
♦ Chef Sanjay Bahl | Flavours And Flavours And Flavours of Patiala!
♦ Violet Oon | The Singaporean Food Guru & Her Recipe Of Chilli Crab!
♦ Joymalyo Bannerjee/Chef Joy | Bohemian Restaurant In Kolkata Where Food Really Does Cabaret On Senses!
♦ Taste of Dubai 2013 | I Saw Them Cook And I Ate What They Cooked
♦ Talking To Celebrity Chef Joe Barza | Helio Lounge and Feteer Meshaltet In Video
Click here for Printable Recipes →
Desserts
♦ Firni or Ferni, Ramadan or Ramzan, Mallick Bazar or Karama? – Indian
♦ Gulab Jamun Rabri – Indian
♦ Gajorer Payesh/Carrot Pudding… Happy Diwali! – Traditional Bengali
♦ Icecream Rasgulla with Blueberry Sauce – Bengali Fusion
♦ Kulfis | Celebrating The Colours Of Holi! – Indian
♦ Mango Vanilla Ice-cream as Fooderati Arabia turns 2!
♦ Narkel Naru/Coconut Jaggery Truffles – Traditional Bengali
♦ Notun Gurer Payesh/Rice Pudding & Remembering My Dida – Traditional Bengali
♦ Purple Haze Yoghurt with Purple M&Ms – Bengali Fusion
♦ Rôshogolla/Rasgulla on TV | Shubho Bijoya to all! – Traditional Bengali
♦ Rasgulla Macapuno – When a Filipina Turns Bong! - Bengali Fusion (with Filipino Cuisine)
♦ Semaiya Kheer/Vermicelli Pudding, Eid in Dubai… Eid Mubarak! – Traditional Bengali/Indian
♦ Shondesh/Sandesh Pudding… Guest Post For Cook Like A Bong! – Bengali Fusion
Drinks/Beverages
♦ Frozen Aam Pana/Green Mango Pulp Drink – Traditional Bengali
♦ UAE National Day… Aam Pana | My Dubai My City - Traditional Bengali
Salads
♦ Cumin Beetroot Cold Salad – A Summer Salad
♦ Fattoush Recipe | Cooking Class in Six Sense @ZighyBay – Lebanese/Arabic
Chutneys, Dips & Pickles
♦ Anjeer Ki Chutney or Fig Chutney | Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Recipe - North Indian
♦ Hot Garlic Pickle… The Pickled Diary – Episode 1 – Indian
♦ Kaancha Aamer Chutney/Green Mango Chutney! – Traditional Bengali
♦ Tok Palonger Chutney/Sour Spinach Chutney- Traditional Bengali/Bangladeshi
Snacks
♦ Cuppa-Corn Yellow Sweet Moments – Kids’ Snack
♦ Phuchkas in Vivekananda Park – Indian Street-food
Vegetarian Side-Dish
♦ Bori Tarkari/ Beans Curry & Maithili Art - Nepali/Indian
♦ Crusted Paneer Potato with Kiwi Sauce – Recipe created for Zespri
♦ Mashed Potato Bengali Style/ Aloo Bhaaté – Bengali Fusion
♦ Yoghurt Aubergine with Pomegranate – Bengali Fusion (with Arabic Cuisine)
Rice/Noodles/Pasta/Bread
♦ Khichuri As Harbinger of Hope & Kolkata Soaked In Rains – Traditional Bengali
♦ Luchi Featured In Ahlan! Gourmet | My Ode To Phulko Luchi! – Traditional Bengali
♦ Pancit/Noodle – Palabok, Bihon, Canton – Filipino
Soups & Dal/Lentils
♦ Daal Maharani Befitting the Queen (And Also Us) - Nepali/Indian
♦ Mango Lentil Soup/ Aam Dal – The Summer Combat – Traditional Bengali
♦ Mutton Chick Peas Curry – Indian Cuisine
Egg/Poultry
♦ Asha Bhosle’s Chicken Keema along with her interview – Traditional North Indian
♦ Easter Egg Curry Cooked by the Easter Bunnies – Traditional Bengali/Bengali Fusion
Fish/Seafood
♦ Seafood Bikol Express & The Romanticism Of The Mayon Volcano – Filipino
♦ Shorshe Bata Maach – Mustard Salmon In This Case | Shubho Noboborsho! – Traditional Bengali
♦ Singaporean Chilli Crab | Violet Oon’s Recipe - Singaporean
♦ Spicy Prawn Harra |Cooking class by the Beach at Desert Islands Resorts By Anantaraa – Lebanese/Arabic
Meat
♦ Beef Tripe Stew with White Beans Sauce & Pap – Traditional South African
♦ Mutton Chick Peas Curry – Indian Cuisine
♦ Mutton Kassa With Red Wine And Red Grapes – Bengali Fusion
♦ Sikarni Raan/Marinated Lamb Shank - Grilled; Nepali
♦ Pan-fried Liver with Colconnan Mash – Traditional South African
♦ Zatar Lamb & Crushed Lemon Potato with Chef Ron Pietruszka – Grilled; Arabic
A tale of two cities – Dubai and Kolkata
Dubai
Food Reviews (in alphabetical order):
♦ Al Fanar Restaurant & Café | My First Authentic Emirati Food Experience! – Dubai Festival City
♦ Arabian Pilgrimage Food Tour With Frying Pan Adventures – Walking tour in Deira
♦ At Asha’s with Asha Bhosle | Cooking With Her, Listening To Her & Sharing Her Recipe! – Pyramids at Wafi
♦ Asado Wine Club | An Evening of Wine Tasting – The Palace Hotel, Old Town*
♦ Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa | Twitterati Lunch – The luxury Eco Resort in the desert
♦ Baisakhi Celebration in Patiala and Options By Sanjeev Kapoor | Celebrating Festivals in Dubai
♦ Bikers Cafe | Emirati Breakfast Followed by Emirati Desserts (Only A Bengali Desires For Desserts In An Over-filled Tummy!)
♦ Bo House Cafe In JBR Walk | Christmas Carols & A Gust Of Wind – Casual Dining on JBR Walk
♦ Bu Qtair Fish Restaurant | Capturing A Hidden Gem In Jumeirah. A Video Too! – Jumeirah 3
♦ Chimes – Singaporean Chilli Crabs | And A Special Blog Giveaway For Valentine’s Day! – Al Barsha
♦ Costa Coffee | Back To Dubai, Back to Costa – A nostalgic recount of favourite coffee haunt
♦ Ezi Dzi and a Nowruz Buffet | Celebrating Festivals in Dubai – Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT)
♦ Helio Lounge and Feteer Meshaltet In Video | Talking To Celebrity Chef Joe Barza – Dubai Marina
♦ Lafayette Gourmet, Galeries Lafayetter | Festive Menu Tasting – Christmas Is In The Air! – Dubai Mall*
♦ OPTIONS By Sanjeev Kapoor | Romantic Giveaway & Bengali Food Festival – Dubai World Trade Centre
♦ OPTIONS By Sanjeev Kapoor, Mövenpick Deira | Official Opening & Romantic Dinner Invites for 2 couples!
♦ Patiala | Talking to Chef Sanjay Bahl About Flavours And More Flavours! – Souk Al Bahar
♦ Shiraz Golden Restaurant | Searching for Shiraz from Lucknow to Kolkata to Dubai – Exploring Awadhi/Lucknowy Khana in Bur Dubai
♦ Shiraz and Poila Baisakh | Celebrating Festivals in Dubai – Bengali New years Celebrations
♦ Sukhothai – Songkran Dinner | Celebrating Festivals in Dubai – Episode 2 – Le Meridien Hotel, Airport
♦ Tantuni | A Taste Of Turkish Street Food and Another Blog Giveaway! – Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT)
♦ Taste Of Dubai Menu Tasting At Asado | Part 2 Of My Gluttonous Double Munching! – The Palace Downtown*
♦ Taste Of Dubai Menu Tasting At Thiptara | Part 1 Of My Gluttonous Double Munching! – The Palace Downtown*
♦ Taste of Dubai 2013 | I Saw Them Cook And I Ate What They Cooked – Media City Amphitheatre
♦ The Change Initiative | Frozen Aam Pana/Green Mango Pulp – Dubai’s first sustainable store + a Recipe
♦ The Label Project | Wines Tasted Blindly! – Invite to a Global Wine initiative from Jacob’s Creek
♦ Thiptara and a Chef’s table | And A Romantic Dinner Invite From The Palace Downtown! – Downtown
♦ Treat 2012 | Cooking Zatar Lamb, Crushed Lemon Potato with Chef Ron Pietruszka – Burjuman World Food Fest + a Recipe
♦ TRIBES | Celebrating South African Heritage Day! – Mall of Emirates*
♦ Westin – Songkran Splash| Celebrating Festivals in Dubai – Jumeirah Beach Road
Sustainable/Organic Dubai
♦ Frozen Aam Pana/Green Mango Pulp | The Change Initiative Inspiration! – Media Brunch in Dubai’s first sustainable store + a Recipe
♦ Down To Earth Organic Store In Dubai | Mutton Chick Peas Curry – An event + a Recipe*
♦ Al Maha Desert Resort | Twitterati Lunch – The luxury Eco Resort in the desert
♦ Locavorism in UAE, Friday Market in Fujairah | Tok Palong/Sour Spinach Chutney – Touching upon the current hot food trend in UAE – local produce & sustainability + a Recipe
Other Dubai Posts:
♦ The 7 Tastiest Fast Feasts Of Dubai | Introducing Chowzter to Dubai
♦ Sanjeev Kapoor | Talking To The Chef Extraordinaire
♦ Meena Bazaar At Night | Introducing DubaiUnblogged… Dubai In Instagram
♦ Violet Oon | The Singaporean Food Guru & Her Recipe Of Chilli Crab!
♦ Giving Back! The charity initiatives in the city that I’ve been part of
♦ Celebrating Dubai Christmas | Dining In, Dining Out, Cooking or Mall Hopping!
♦ Things To Do In Dubai | Like A Tourist In My Own City (mentioned earlier)
♦ The Diary Of A Dubai Resident | As Home Turns Into An Inn! (also mentioned earlier)
♦ Mums Who Share @JBR - A charity initiative
♦ Deep Sea Fishing & Fish Barbeque | Persian Gulf off Dubai Coast
♦ The Magic of Christmas!
Blog Giveaway
♦ Chef’s table at Thiptara | And A Romantic Dinner Invite From The Palace Downtown!
♦ Singaporean Chilli Crab At Chimes | And A Special Blog Giveaway For Valentine’s Day!
♦ Tantuni Rolls – A Taste Of Turkish Street Food | And Another Blog Giveaway!
♦ OPTIONS By Sanjeev Kapoor, Deira Opens | Romantic Dinner Invites for 2 couples!
♦ Best of 2012 | Season’s Greetings and 3 Cookbooks Giveaway
♦ Romantic Giveaway from OPTIONS by Sanjeev Kapoor
Other UAE posts:
♦ Chef Abhijit Saha | Is There Heart And Soul In Molecular Gastronomy?
♦ Desert Islands Resorts By Anantara, Abu Dhabi | Cooking Spicy Prawn Harra By The Beach – Lucury Eco-Resort
♦ The Million Street, in the middle of nowhere | Rub Al-Khali Desert, Abu Dhabi
♦ Couch Camping and Bonfires in the Balcony | Hatta Mountains, Fujairah
Kolkata
Food Reviews and Food Talk:
♦ Bohemian Restaurant In Kolkata | Where Food Really Does Cabaret On Senses! – A contemporary Bengali restaurant
♦ Firni or Ferni, Ramadan or Ramzan, Mallick Bazar or Karama? – Ransacking the Mallick Bazar area in search of Halim & Firni
♦ Momos in Tiretti Bazar | The Last Chinese Remnants in Kolkata! – A Chinese street Bazaar near Poddar Court
♦ Mother (-in-law) of all Pickles – My Nostalgia on Pickles | History of Pickles
♦ Phuchkas in Vivekananda Park - Kolkata Street-food
♦ Searching for Shiraz | Lucknow to Kolkata to Dubai – The kind of Awadhi/Lucknowy Cuisine that a Bengali craves
Other Kolkata Posts:
♦ Auto, my ultimate road crush
♦ Living by the water with sunset as prop |Kolkata & the Ganges
♦ Terraces and Beyond – Kolkata
♦ The unlikely twins – Oberammergau & Kolkata
♦ The Magistrate’s House, No 1 Thackeray Road, Alipore
Special Random Posts
♦ Ma
♦ International Women’s Day | May The Woman Be Celebrated Every Day, Everywhere!
♦ Giving Back!
♦ I Do Have A Story To Tell!
♦ UNESCO World Heritage Sites That I’ve Visited | Tracking My Foot Prints
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Germany
♦ The unlikely twins – Oberammergau & Kolkata
♦ Rainbows, Violins and the Disney Castle | Bavaria
♦ Lorelei, my ship has passed you by | Romantic Rhine Valley
Italy
♦ Smuggled into Godfather’s Sicily
Nepal
Reviews:
♦ Yak & Yeti – Kathmandu, Nepal & Daal Maharani Befitting the Queen (And Also Us) – Hotel Review + Recipe
♦ Yak & Yeti Hotel, Kathmandu, Nepal & Sikarni Raan/Marinated Lamb Shank – Hotel Review + Recipe
♦ Machan Paradise View in Chitwan, Nepal – Gift Wrapped & Preserved For Each Tourist! – Eco-Resort
Other Nepal Posts:
♦ Giving Back | Firefly Children Orphanage
♦ Flying over Mt Everest
♦ Where The Buddha Only Sees | Kathmandu
♦ The Abandoned Women Amidst Many Prayers | Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu
♦ Bori Tarkari/ Beans Curry & Maithili Art | Chitwan
♦Innocence In Their Eyes, Joy In Their Faces, Tharu Village Walk | Chitwan
Oman
Reviews:
♦ Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman | Appealing To More Senses Than Six!
♦ Sense On The Edge @ZighyBay | Slow Life, Sustainable Menu & Fattoush Recipe
Singapore
♦ Eating Out Is A National Pastime | Singapore
♦ Singapore At Night
Spain
♦ In The Land of Paella | Valencia
Srilanka
Reviews:
♦ Heritance Tea Factory Hotel | Nuwara Eliya, Srilanka – Luxury Eco-Resort
♦ Rafters Retreat | Kitulgala, Srilanka – Eco Resort
Other Srilanka Posts:
♦ Red Tuk-Tuks & Triumphant Rides | Colombo
♦ Living by the water with sunset as prop | Colombo & the Indian Ocean
Switzerland
♦ RIP Yash Chopra | Romancing in dreams & in the Alps
Thailand
Reviews:
♦ Ruen Mai Restaurant In Krabi | A Tantalising First Experience Of Thai Food {In Thailand, That is!}
♦ Baan Ma-Yhing Restaurant In The Fishermen’s Village | Recipe of Thai Red Curry As We Cook ‘fresh catch’ Baramundi!
♦ Kotung Restaurant in Krabi Town | A Taste of Thai Chinese
Other Thailand Posts:
♦ Koh Klang in Krabi, Thailand | A Photo Essay of An Island Life
♦ Island Hopping And Then Hong Island… Here I Witnessed God!
♦ Kayaking, Caves, Krabi Sightseeing… And Finally A Thai Spa!
Other Bengali Food Banters originating from our food experiences in restaurants, streets, chit-chats over food conversations or from inside the kitchens – either mine or Mum’s or other close Mums… and a few exceptional Dads’ as well!
♦ Traditional Bengali Food | In ‘Slight’ Details – An etymological explanation of our food-fetish
♦ Bengali Sweets That Came By Parcel! – Gujia, Jibe Goja, Abaar Khabo & Jolbhora
♦ Mango Lentil Soup/ Aam Dal – The Summer Combat – The story of Epar Bangla & Opar Bangla
♦ Mashed Potato Bengali Style/ Aloo Bhaaté
♦ Mother (-in-law) of all Pickles – My Nostalgia on Pickles | History of Pickles
♦ Rôshogolla (রসগোল্লা) – Bengali’s Own Sweet - An essay on the most famous Bengali Sweet
The following banters are in no particular order -
♦ A bit on Nepali Cuisine
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*Events organised for Fooderati Arabia (FiA). FiA is a group of bloggers living in the United Arab Emirates, united by one subject matter – FOOD. Eating out, eating in, cooking, baking, preparing, shopping, growing, picking or photographing food, you’ll find it all somewhere on one of our pages. Do read about the other amazing food bloggers in UAE!
