• Bengali Food,  Recipes

    Moong Daaler Payesh or Yellow Lentil Pudding | Autumnal Sunshine Of The Eternal Mind!

    Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ∼ George Eliot Images of Durga Pujo (the annual autumn festival for Bengalis worldwide when Goddess Durga descends upon earth and photobombs peoples’ selfies!) have started to flood across Facebook and its drilled in my head thousand times over which new dress or saree that my Bengali friends would be wearing on each of the days of the Pujo. That translates into 5 days of Pujo, 5×2 *belas* or times (mornings and afternoons) that they would be changing/wearing new clothes (that makes 10 new dresses…

  • Video

    Grandma’s Recipe Contest | Digging Out Recipes From Family Heirloom

    Cooking is like love; it should be entered with abandon or not at all. ∼  Julia Child With abandon – that’s what makes the thought of Grandmas and their cooking so so special. Last afternoon I had the honour of judging the 7th Grandma’s Recipe Contest that was recently held in Mumtaz Mahal at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa. A few months back I had been the judge in the Biryani Muqabla organised at the same venue. I have always supported events which inspire me and I am amazed to see how home chefs come out of the comfort zones of their own kitchens and compete in such public…

  • Bengali Food,  Recipes

    Payesh or Rice Pudding For My Birthday | Power of Gratitude Messages

    It is just 3 days past my birthday – and belated birthday wishes are still pouring in on Facebook. And I ain’t any celebrity. Social media makes you feel like one though – of course, if you choose it that way and keep your birth date visible in the settings. I chose to – because, face it… which other day would friends (as in all who are in the Facebook Friend list – close friends, good friends, foodie friends, family, school friends, college friends, ex-colleagues and casual acquaintances included) from all corners of the world, and from all walks of life, write to you. The first wishes started pouring in from…

  • Dubai,  Recipes

    Kolkata Biryani | Cooking The Royal Dish In Lafayette Gourmet

    Biryani. And that too, Kolkata Biryani. Two words that are enough to make my life complete. And I think that I pulled up a great act in holding my Kolkatan head high, cooking a pot full of Biryani in front of a live audience. I didn’t burn the place down as I spoke over the microphone, amidst ridiculous hand movements, trying to churn out somewhat cooked and unburnt Biryani. The audience split up into two groups – my food blogger friends and my Bengali friends. The former made me feel like a star, clicking pictures like Paparazzi and tweeting LIVE and posting some brilliant pictures on Instagram. The latter group,…

  • Recipes

    Emirati Dates Ice Cream | Recipe From Asateer, The Palm Atlantis

    Emirati Dates Ice Cream Category – Dessert; Cuisine type – Arabic/Emirati Courtesy: Asateer, Atlantis, The Palm Dates hold a very special position in Middle East cuisine. This special recipe has been shared by Chef Ali El Bourji, the Executive Oriental Chef of Asateer. For the printable recipes → Serves 6 persons Ingredients Fresh Dates – 400gm, deseeded and roughly chopped Pouring Cream – 600mlVanilla Pods – 3gm. halvedMilk – 300mlEgg Yolks – 200gmInvert Sugar – 40gmDextrose – 150gm Method of Preparation • Mix and blend the milk, dextrose and dates with hand, until smooth • Put into the pasteurizer and bring the temperature to 40° Celsius • Mix and whisk…

  • Recipes

    Arabic Meatballs or Dawood Basha and Vermicelli Rice| Recipe From AL Nafoorah, Emirates Towers

    Dawood Basha or Arabic Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Category – Side Dish; Cuisine type – Middle Eastern Courtesy: Chef Ali of Al Nafoorah, Jumeirah Emirates Towers For the last few days, I have been sharing recipes on everything – Starters, Salad, Main course, Dessert. But today’s recipe comes as a double bonanza as the dish Dawood Basha can only be complemented by another dish – the Vermicelli Rice and I thought that giving out the recipe for just the first one will not make it complete. So, here’s Chef Ali’s recipe of the very traditional Arabic dishes. For the printable recipes → Serves 6 people Ingredients Minced Meat – 800gm…

  • Recipes

    Shaabiyat Kacha | Recipe From Address Marina

    Shaabiyat Kacha Category – Dessert; Cuisine type – Middle Eastern Courtesy: Chef Ammoury of The Address Marina For the last few days, I have been sharing recipes on everything – Starters, Salad, Main course… but Dessert. To resist from writing on dessert, that too from this sweet loving Bengali foodie, is like asking a child not to kick the football after he’s been given a new football! So, here’s recipe that Chef Ammoury shares for my blog readers, on Shaabiyat Kacha, a very traditional Lebanese dessert. These are nothing but puff pastry with Cream Rose Water filling and drizzled in Sugar syrup. Deliciously crispy, you’ll find these sweet puff pastries…