Delicacies from a Dhaka-ite

Karahi chicken white

2020-08-21T03:38:00.001-04:00

Hola!

I'm doing this challenge for myself to only eat and cook with what I have in the house till September.

Check out my Instagram for the whole shabang. www.instagram.com/delicaciesfromadhakaite

But in that effort, I had to finish up my sour cream.

Chicken white karahi.

This is a Pakistani dish, mum learnt from one of the channels. I made my improvised version with sour cream, my attempt of utilizing what's in the fridge.

It was a warm soupy feel, (without being soupy) and is kind of a curry version of stroganoff/picatta dish.

Check highlights on my Instagram page for step by step recipe!

But basic jist of my version is you brown the chicken in oil and ginger. Then add onion paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin and green chillies and sauté for a while. Add back the chicken, mix and then add a spoon of yogurt and 2.5 spoons of sour cream. Mix, add water and salt, simmer.

Garnish with coriander (cos I use coriander on toppa errthing.)

Ps the original recipe uses cream not sour cream, but this version is equally yum.

#karahi #chickencurry #whatsinmyfridge #pandemiccooking #chickenwhitekarahi #dhakaeats #dhakablogger #foodislife

Bliss for Breakfast

2020-08-11T18:20:00.001-04:00

My heart bursts just remembering this. My favourite breakfast ever. Also my favourite place in the world. Before I start crying about the home I miss, please check this out

An egg sandwich and a sticky bun.

Neither were my top dishes till I found this place, down the road from my apartment.

But just look at that egg, it's squared, with rocket leaves, tomato a brilliant mustard-mayo and bacon(optional)

And the most sticky Cinnamon bun, freshly baked at dawn. If you are ever in Boston/Cambridge just don't even hesitate.

Everything else on the menu is also amazing, though I haven't tried that much.

I can't wait to be back someday soon. Miss u Boston.

Salmon for brunch

2020-08-07T16:18:00.001-04:00

#singaporefood This has to be one of the best breakfasts of my life.

WILD HONEY AT MADARIN GALLERY :

Smoked salmon, hollandaise sauce, grilled asparagus, avocado on brioche.

Pear that with Mimosa. 😋

Also this the restaurant situated in an art Gallery is Beautiful. I rarely eat at more expensive places in Singapore, because, come on! The local street food is the Bomb. But I made an exception for this place, and oomph was it worth it. It's on the steep side 27 SD for this, but on this particular day, it was worth the solo brunch in all its ambience and taste.

Aah covid. Be over soon.

#singaoporeeats #salmon #brunch #mimosa #favouritebrunch

5 years Later

2020-07-27T15:50:00.002-04:00

Dearest all, it has taken me 5 years and a rollercoaster ride to come back to this blog. I might elaborate someday, or maybe not.

But im happy I'm here.Starting off small.

After a big eat birthday weekend I had a light salad with super easy ingredients adding up to 385 calories.

So...

Chicken breast marinated in yogurt and ginger, then boiled.

Cut up some cabbage, Arugula, take some canned corn, add the chicken while its just off the stove.

Top with chia seeds and a few drops of caesar dressing.

Enjoy with this song by me 😉https://youtu.be/TYVQ-e81KyA

More snaps, shares and fun stuff on my new instagram for this blog www.instagram.com/delicaciesfromadhakaite

Love you all. Thanks for wishing me back.

Chicken ChickPea Salad - Video Recipe

2015-07-21T08:44:00.003-04:00

Yay! We are back with another video recipe, and to continue my salad series, here is Chicken ChickPea Salad.

Vegetarian friends, as I mention in the video- just replace chicken with eggplant/tofu or don't, the chickpea may be enough

Ingredients

1 large cucumber
1 Can or 1.5 cups of Chickpeas
2 cups of chicken breast (cooked- can be boiled, grilled or baked)
1 stalk of green onion
2 tbsp of crunchy chanachur pieces
1 tbsp of pesto (you can use more if you want)

Procedure

Peal and cut the cucumber in half and slice into half moons
Boil and drain the raw chickpeas or pour in the canned ones
Layer the chicken
Cut spring onion into bite-size pieces
Sprinkle Chanachur
Add the pesto and mix

And you are done! The Fabricators also seem to like it heehee

I love this salad because it is super filling and is the perfect 5 minute recipe for left over chicken. I actually made this for Sehri one day and it was perfect.

If you guys want to make your own pesto you can use this recipe I have: (the title photo of my Page is now using the images)

http://dhakadelicacy.blogspot.com/2014/08/pesto-recipe-parsley-mint.html

Also, I added the chanachur element for my "bengali" effect but you can also use croutons if you wish- or eliminate it completely if you are watching your calories. In fact, if you want to lower the calorie content I'd say use olive oil and lemon as the dressing instead of the pesto.

Okay- hope you guys like this one, please don't forget to share. And anyone wanting to know what the song in the background is: It's my first ever song of my first album, and this is the first music video I ever made :D

Bengali Greek Salad- Video Recipe

2015-07-06T13:30:00.000-04:00

The day has come. Thanks to EVERY single one of you readers, especially those on the Facebook page who have so incredibly encouraged me to do this, I am launching my Video Recipe Series on "Healthy Living in Dhaka!"

I have to give a small tribute, to this art- the art of cooking. Since my father passed away, sometimes more than music, the blog, the cooking, the planning has all been a great help, a great stress reliever. Sometimes I have to spend the whole day doing the tons of duties that I've inherited, and then I remember that I'll go home and make my own sehri, and it has cheered me up.

For many of you who won't know My dad passed away 3 weeks back. About my dad, there's much to know about him including the fact that he loved loved loved food. He loved to cook, in addition to these duties I have inherited some kitchen equipment and lots of recipes books. And he really loved salads. So to start off in his memory, I present "The Bengali Greek Salad."

I coin the term Bengali because in the video I have stated you can substitute the Feta Cheese with Poneer. In the photo series though, I have only feta- sorry it was a boo boo on my part.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

Poneer (1/6 of a circle) OR Feta cheese (half a packet)
Onions 1/3 cup (or more if you like more)
Tomatoes (regular or grape) 3/4 cup
Olives 3/4 cup
Cucumber - 2 small or 1 large
Lettuce 3 small stalks
1 green capsicum

For the dressing

2 small cloves of garlic
Lemon juice 3 tbsp
olive oil 7-9 tbsp (you choose
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar/ red wine vinegar
Italian Herbs (fresh of Jar) 1 tsp

Procedure:

Chop up the lettuce and make a bed of it in a large bowl

Peel the cucumber, and slice in the middle and cut into small pieces

Slice tomatoes and capsicum and add.

Add sliced onions (you may wish to marinate in balsamic vinegar to get a less harsh taste)

Slice olives and add (or buy presliced ones if you are lazy like me)

Cut Poneer/Feta into large cubes and add.

To make the dressing:

Cut up garlic into tiny tiny pieces

Add lemon juice and oil

Add a dash of vinegar and the herbs and whisk.

The mixture should become a bit creamy.

Add the dressing to the salad and mix. Et Voila- a yummy #happyandhealthy salad. I am currently eating this at Iftaar. It's also Big enough for 2 people if you add another course!

Have to give out a shout out to The Fabricators - amazing work with the video, thank you so much. We had a blast making this. Also to Shihab Khan for the Photo of me, and, Aurna for volunteering <3 p="">

This whole video process has been so exciting and fun, has really helped me in my healing <3 p="">

Hopefully there will be more videos and recipes. Please keep reading, watching, listening.

The song featured on the video is "Besame Mucho" a cover by myself and Zak Dylan Wass from our EP "Finding Fall"- You can buy it on itunes/amazon/googleplay etc. Or just click here and buy from my site. http://armeenmusa.bandcamp.com/track/besame-mucho
Finding Fall by Armeen Musa and Zak Dylan Wass

Prawn salad for Sehri

2015-06-23T17:00:00.001-04:00

Dealing with my fathers death has been hard and strange. We all deal with grief so differently. For me the easiest time was when I was by the sea.

Oh well I shall post more on coxs bazar another day. But being back in Dhaka I have worked hard to get back to my healthy eating and living.

Ramadan is a great discipline that really helps with that. This is what I ate for sehri.

A prawn salad with what I had left in the fridge.

Ingredients-

Lettuce

Prawns lights fired in salt and chilli poneer (3 big pieces)

Kidney beans 1/3

Corn 1/3 cup

Cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup

Feta cheese

AND TOSS:

Okay I will now drink some water and hope for a great fast.

Btw if you have some times don't forget to check out my music on iTunes/YouTube/facebook

Www.armeenmusa.com

Support my journey of soul searching- music and love! Good night lovely ones.

Shaak Chingry (prawn and greens) Recipe

2015-06-23T08:22:00.001-04:00

Today is my 2nd day fasting and thankfully came home early enough to prepare my own iftaar.

Of course my first iftaar yesterday was all the fried stuff accompanied with biryani! The worrying thing is that, that is "normal" - fasting is much harder when eating such oily things everyday!

Anyway- I will hopefully be doing more recipes this month to inspire myself and you guys to eat healthy especially during this beautiful month of cleanse.

Today I tried something inLOVE BUT HAVE never made myself. Shaak Chingry!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Kolmi Shaak (use any greens you like)
1/4 kg Chingry (Prawn)
4 green chillis
Pinch of holud (turmeric)
1 onion
Salt as preferred

Directions

Chop onions and sautee In a bit of olive oil.
Chop up the prawns and add to the onions.
Cut 2 of the green chillies and add to the mix
Add a pinch of turmeric and some salt and let the prawns cook
Once the prawns are done add the greens and rest 2 chillis and stir.
Turn off the heat and the greens cook in the warmth of the pan (usually a minute or 2.)

Serve with some rice or roti as you please. I am having Brown Basmati for my Iftaar :D

Hope you guys like this recipe. Please dont forget to Like my page on Facebook.: https://www.facebook.com/dhakadelicacy?fref=ts

And check out my music, buy my album, support me as a freelance musician. OKAY THANKS. :P

www.armeenmusa.com

Egg Salad and Honey Mustard Dressing

2015-06-10T06:50:00.001-04:00

I am on a ROLL people!

3salads in 3 days.

Today's salad is based on Egg.

I took out cheese today- to keep the focus. However I did make my own honey mustard dressing!!

Anyway first things first. This is a salad for two, I had company today. Yay!

INGREDIENTS:

2 boiled eggs (I always keep 5/6 boiled eggs ready- such a great snack)

1 green pepper (and I added some left over red and yellow I had)

1/3 cup beans (I would have used 1/2 but I was out)

1/2 cup corn

A bunch of lettuce

1 small tomato

1/2 avocado

Having said that- egg goes with a lot of things. These ingredients are kind of incidental because of what I had leftover. But I recommend always having a crunch in your salad- (pepper- celery- carrot- nuts) something creamy (avocado or egg) . Textures make a big deal you know?

Now for the dressing. I was up till 7am watching Pioneer Woman make dressings. Damn so good! I didn't have the exact ingredients. But I did a make shift honey mustard

A few tbsp of olive oil

A few drops Apple cider vinegar

A few drop of Balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp of honey infused mustard

1 tsp of honey

It came out pretty okay!

I poured the whole thing on the salad and tossed

Okay Hokies. That's me signing off. Btw I'm thinking about the VLOG AS I MENTIONED ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE.

Oops sorry for the caps, don't know what happened there! Anyway don't forget to support my music, listen to my songs, love them as your own.

Www.armeenmusa.bandcamp.com

Feta avocado Salad

2015-06-09T08:17:00.001-04:00

Here is today's salad! I used most of the ingredients from yesterday's one but added tomato and feta cheese and took our beans and hhalloumi.

I could have used chicken instead of cheese. But I'm a cheese lover, plus eating vegetarian is some thing I'm starting to incorporate in my life ❤️

Feta cheese

Avocado half

1/3 cup corn

1/2 cup tomatoes

1/3 peppers

Dressing - olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Don't forget to add me on faceook "delicacies from a Dhakaite" and check out my music? Maybe?

Www.facebook.com/armeenm

Salad - Multipep Haloomi

2015-06-08T07:22:00.000-04:00

Okay here goes. My new Salad posts. I have been posting FB photos of my salads for months, but you fussy readers want more. (I mean what's more? Ingredient, mix and eat, but oh no, you must know every little detail mustn't you?)

Anyway today was a weird day. I slept super late and woke up at noon and had to rush to a meeting- (On that note I am doing this fantastic new project woooo can't wait) but by the time I got back it was 4pm and I was starving. I was kicking myself for not eating breakfast and I could feel the inclination to have some bhaat and just get it over with.

Many of you may know if you follow my Facebook page, I have an eating problem when it comes to rice so am doing my best to control it. Last night I had binged on rice (thats why I slept late, was feeling overly stuffed) so I really didn't want to cave. I even did for a moment, my mom said she was sending, but then said it would be in the evening. (Will handle that as it comes)

So I took charge, thankfully I dont stock up on junk or bingy food, my fridge is just full of veggies and goodies. Also it is Meatless Monday! so I wanted to have a post. OKAY I WILL STOP TALKING NOW.

Today's Salad I call "MultiPep Haloomi" because it features Multicoloured Peppers and Haloomi Cheese as well as others.

Ingredients:

Haloomi Cheese sliced 4 pieces (roughly 100 Grams)
Red, Yellow and Green Pepper thinly sliced
1/3 cup of or sweetcord
1/3 cup of mixed beans
1/2 of a green avocado

I didnt have cucumber or lettuce (usually my staples) but the peppers were the perfect crunch, and I enjoyed mixing it up a bit.

After taking a pretty snap, I went on to add some extra virgin oil and balsamic vinegar for my dressing (less than 1 tbsp each) But you can do lemon and olive oil and salt or any other dressing you have.

Okay till next time! I promise I'll keep doing more salads.

Brunch at @Commonwealth Cambridge

2015-06-07T13:39:00.000-04:00

First sorry folks for not posting anything in April or May, have no felt very inspired since I was in Cox's Bazar and posting a away. My camera is currently gathering dust. But I promise I will be back soon.

Kendall Square near MIT is a pretty posh part of Cambridge/Greater Boston. Modern architecture was always a pleasant sight for my biking days, aah how I miss. Somedays I don't think about my days in Boston, because it hurts to miss it so much. Anyway- all for you big foodies, I sacrifice.

You guys probably know by now I'm not a brunch person, but my friends certainly are. And I always end up having brunch when Jeff is in town. But I'm glad, it pushes me to explore a different kind of restaurant that I usually wont.

So this is Commonwealth Cambridge.

It was a beautiful day. I biked and took some photos <3 p="">

Oh yes and the rowers were there <3 a="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswD96__kwJi-7ng0o8su9Zn1dJs9tCleya_VDaovJSE7kcOVLMfq2CShs0uBmavnUhqCDtE62dt2a0l0F0UGLYGliH5fD6FpG-Ey3CnP1SdkYdqnqfi23g1sfgiJbcLgK3A6z8jQ_sJim/s1600/IMG_7022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">

Our table

The different kinds of Brunch Items....

Regular steak hash bcaon and eggs kind of thing, not my style really but seemed to be okay

This was my order- a Mexican infused brunch item and I liked it. (you know me I like to eat lunch/dinner food for breakfast)

But the best part....wait for it! This lovely lady, chef who works here is friends with my friend Taj, so we got to have the best bread in town <3 america="" and="" butter="" homemade="" honey.="" i="" miss="" much="" omg.="" p="" so="" with="" you="">

We ended with some doughnuts, not my fav item here. But THAT BREAD THOUGH.

Someone take me back like right now. #BostonImissYou

Thanks Taj, Ezzy and Jeff for this outing.

Okay foodies- till the next episode.

Bhoomi - Kathmandu

2015-03-27T11:17:00.001-04:00

Since I am a foodie, I am always searching for good eats. This also means I suffer from a lot of bad meals, mainly abroad when I am not familiar with the people in town.

This happened to me on my last Nepal trip. I was desperately searching for a good mutton curry, but Nagarkot had no mutton available, later in Kathmandu went to Bhoomi for the same reason. But was kind of disappointed.

But that doesn't mean I didnt take some nice photos. Hehe

The inside was SUPER dark- like almost night, but outside it was beautiful!

So we started with this Nepali pizza kind of food, its this bread with stuff on it.

It sucked. But was pretty to photograph :P

Next we tried our luck with the thali. Yes It looks gorgeous but in reality was not very yummy.

To be honest I could not really anything at this place- but I liked the outdoor restaurant as well as the food decor.

All in all I give the food 1 star.

Okay Hello, this is me in the cold :D

On a positive note: here is Song of the day: Yeh Jo Des - covered by us The Berklee Indian Ensemble

Our follow up to the Jiya Jale video- this one features AR Rahman himself. This song, being about India and all- still would remind me of my Desh and was essential to my decision moving back to Bangladesh. I love you songs and music, you always guide me.

#Happyandhealthy - quinoa salad

2015-03-26T23:57:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! As you know ive started my new #happyandhealthy section on my facebook page- with some daily tips and struggles. But I'm hoping to bring that more to my blog with some healthy recipes.

This is going to targeted towards those of us trying to eat healthy in Bangladesh, so will make try to use some local products as soon as I've figured out recipes!

I try to have a salad lunch 2-3 times a week, I feel refreshed and light. But sometimes what happens is that I get super hungry very quickly. Thus recipe:

ingredients :

Lettuce 2cups

Chick peas 1/2 cup

Cheddar 150 gms

Cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup

Quinoa 1/3 cups

And for the dressing-

Extra virgin olive oil 1tbsp

Balsamic vinegar 1tbsp

I cut the cheddar into cubes and tomatoes in half and tossed everything together. (I had some left over quinoa that's kind of why)

Super duper Yum!

To find these ingredients : you can try any large superstore- but specifically Dhali for quinoa.

Song of the day!!

I had the honour of singing at a collaboration with Clinton Cerejo at Berklee <3 br="">Check it out- this is my most favourite song by him

Nepali Thali at its best- Thakali Kitchen (Jackson Heights- NYC)

2015-03-26T14:22:00.000-04:00

I've been to Nepal three times in my life. My top Nepalese meal was at our hosts' house when I went in the 90's. I was really young but I remember I could not get enough!

But the 2nd best Nepalese meal I've had was in New York City. Seriously. As a grown up I've been to Nepal too but have not had the best experience food-wise. For NYC visitors and residents- THIS IS A MUST.

Mustang Thakali Kitchen

www.thakalikitchen.com/

74-14 37th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372, United States
(718) 898-5088

One of my best friends is Nepali- the gorgeous Puja Pandey and she was raving about this place when I went to say my goodbyes. (Oh man, I'm tearing up as I say this.)

Puja and Rousseau are my family, and it was very emotional for me to say bye to NYC before my move to Dhaka, so much so that I ended up missing my bus and staying an extra day- just like I used to during our big party weekends. Thanksgivings, gigs, formation of our company (www.melabel.net) - heartbreaks- falling in love - S D and Rock n Roll- New York City has given me all it's angles leaving me wanting more and more. Boston is my true love, but NYC is my feisty affair that keeps me coming back.

Anyway- after years of knowing Pandey and asking her to feed me Nepali curries, we went to this BRILLIANT restaurant. (this is going on my NYC top 10 list- that I will eventually make someday I promise! ) Without any patronizing but with a lot of love, I really love Nepal and its' people. More and more I am trying to let go of my "despite our different countries" "even though we are from blah and blah" that makes me applaud myself or others for having normal warm interactions with people. But they do exists and my interactions with Puja has made it easier to realize how futile these boundaries are. On top of that we truly do have a lot in common, our love for bhaat daal, our similar dialects- and also our differences in culture, religion and mannerism.

I have really enjoyed momos- in fact in Boston my friends Shumi, Vivek and I have driven out of Boston to satisfy my momo cravings one day- but I was in for a treat at Thakali!

Those of you who know me know this- Curry and Rice and I AM SORTED. And this was just super.

We ordered two Thalia for the 3 of us. This was the fish thali. Both came with assorted vegetables, very similar to Bengali Bhai. Major difference is their daal. What I liked about this restaurant is their choice of chinese greens in the thi mix.

But what stood out for me was their shutki bhorta version- a tiny little taste of this new flavour in my palette. I was going wild, I love new yummy explorations!

And last but not least my favourite Nepali dish- Mutton Curry! They have this lovely way of preparing, not overlooking it like Bengali rezala- slight smell of the meat remaining ( I realise everyone doesn't love that) and lots of gravy (oh jhol why do I love you so?)

I almost didn't let Rousseau and Puka have any hehehe. Yes New Yorkers if you haven't had this- go TODAY. Everyone else - put it on your Nyc list!

Okay lovers- here is my song of the day- a beautiful one by the ever so talented friend of mine Joyita- a completion of Shonar Bangla ❤️

500,000 hits and Luna Cafe

2015-01-24T16:01:00.000-05:00

OH MY GOSH. You foodies have blown up my views to 500,000! I came to post the first post of 2015 to thi surprise. Thank you thank you thank you. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoy posting. Before I forget please don't forget to support my music by purchasing here : www.armeenmusa.bandcamp.com

Anyway- Here is a post from the end of summer in 2014. I have moved to Dhaka and not a day goes by that I dont miss my home in Boston. Yes! I am in a very different kind of bliss here, surrounded by family and attention and love. But I miss my wandering freedoms, my solitude and Oh I miss the Foooood! Yes I know , I left Boston, because they did not have Bangladeshi food (or reasons as such) but after 2 months of eating it everyday, a small part of me misses the variety and the quality of Boston eats!

To cross of my to-do list I went to Cafe Luna to have the lobster eggs benedict. To work up an appetite I biked to Harvard and then to Central Square in Cambridge.

It was right before the Rowing Festival weekend, the last summer day in fact!

Lucky for me the Hubway stop is literally outside the little square of shops where Luna is located. Oh man even writing this - I can't believe I wont be able to take a 5 minute bike ride whenever I want :(

Oh well I was lucky to have it when I did. Anyway, back to the brunch- I ordered the lobster eggs benedict- its was $18 and the most expensive thing on the menu- but it was what I had come to eat.

While I waited with a drink at the bar (which I didnt drink because it was not yummy) (I sat there- tables were crowded) I took in the vibe of the little place, slight dark vibe with the blaring sun outside. The bartender and I talked some about our blogs, I actually gave her this page address, so HI to you! (if you ever read it!)

She did some pretty nice coffee art and we chatted for a bit. I rarely talk to people on my alone time meals- but this was nice <3 br="">

And then it came: The masterpiece I was waiting for. I even got some extra hollandaise sauce :P :P (what a cheek I am becoming!)

It was a beauty to look at. c'est nais pas?

I love the little fruit bowl that I took away with me in a plastic cup (Man, I'm such a demanding customer!)

Okay I'll admit, the more I ate it, the more I realised that my interest towards brunch food is not very high. The food was good no doubt, hollandaise perfect, crab fresh, but Brunch really not my thing- unelss its at FLOUR. (my favourite Boston Restaurant)

But I loved the vibe of the place, hell I love every place in Boston. I miss you my home.

Leaving you with a photo of looking out a wonderful band I've stumbled upon

Happy and Healthy Portions- (Steak)

2014-09-27T14:10:00.002-04:00

Wow. Being a foodie and losing weight is Hard. Especially if you are trying to lose weight before your music video shoot but are also leaving your beloved city (Boston) for good (for now at least) and thus feel the need to eat everything.

With so many emotional ups and downs that comes with graduating, moving, packing- I have been feeling lethargic and carb loading a bit. But the great thing about my mind and body is that- I never stay down too long. I was getting sick of feeling guilty and realised that I cannot focus on how many pounds I lost- I have to enjoy my last few weeks here and I can't do that if I'm feeling unhealthy.

So earlier this week I went shopping and got some veggies and meat- and made my little portion meals again- have been feeling better- so much so I started biking again!

Here is my little steak meals: Makes 5

Ingredients:

Beef steak - I cooked around 16oz (2 large steaks cut in strips)
Rice 2 cups-(I used a medley of brown and white basmati)
3 medium zucchini
Small onion
Radishes (as many as you like)
Shredded carrots (I bought a pack of it)
Corn, beans, peppers frozen pack (1 medium pack)
Onion 1 small
turmeric 1/2 tsp
curryleaves
olive oil (or as you like)
garlic paste

Things I did:

I started off my putting the rice in the cooker and heated up the beans/corn combo in a pan with some garlic paste.

Then I cut my zucchini- i put some in the oven with some garlic salt and the rest I sauteed in a zuccini curry (with curry leaves and turmeric) - THAT recipe shall be posted another day.

I cut some radishes- but midway I forgot about them- so only a couple of them have radishes.

I made 2 versions with some grilled zucchini and radishes and some with sauteed zucchini

Per plate:

1/3 cup of rice - 71 calories
1/3 cup of corn/beans - 47 calories
1/3 cup shredded carrots - 15
around 3oz of beef - 164
1/2 cup of zuccini - 41
sprinkled radishes (5 ish calories)

Total 336 Calories- Its quite filling and low cal and YUMMMM.

Here is my song for the day: my awesome bandmate Ava Sophia released her debut single

She's amazing so CHECK HER OUT! (also on itunes etc)

Pesto Recipe (Parsley & Mint)

2014-08-21T18:18:00.001-04:00

My dear friends Shumi and Vivek bought me this superb processor for my birthday. (haha my friends know me so well!) I have been having a blast using it- mainly for spices. But I wanted to use it to make a dish, explore this cool toy!

Miranda's Heart www.mirandashearth.com is the awesome initiative that joins people from all over Boston once a month for music, food and art! If you guys have seen the video of my latest single "Graceland" you have seen one of the events which featured my music and thus became the premise of the video.

Each month the feature is on something special, and August was Food! The theme was "First time Recipe" - ie we all made something for the first time! It was Amazing- everyone's dishes were to DIE FOR. (That will be my next post- today is just mine) So I made Mint and Parsley Pesto for the lot with some Pita Bread.

The reason I used these ingredients is because I had them hehe.

So I had 2 bunches of Parsley, 1 mint, walnuts ( I hear pine nuts are the in thing for pesto but I didnt have any!) and garlic, olive oil.

So I put the Garlic, nuts and leaves in the processed. (Please note : I used 5 cloves of garlic but you should use 2 as mentioned in the recipe below, cos it was too much aaah)

After a few seconds of Pulsing I added the olive oil and parmesan and then zhhuuuuuu (that's me trying to be a food processor)

So while thats pulsing listen to this song we covered in Radio Shadhin this January- Aah my life is incredible :D

After spooning the side parts down a few times and pulsing- here is the Finished blend.

Add a tiny sprig of Mint and VOILA!

Recipe:

1 cup packed mint leaves, plus mint sprigs for garnish
2 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Procedure:

In a food processor, combine the parsley, mint, garlic and nuts and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour in the olive oil and add the grated Parmesan; process to a puree. Season the pesto generously with salt and pepper.

It's so quick and simple I love it!!

Seriously I've been using it with EVERYTHING. In my quinoa bowls, with bread, my friend Sandra was over from NYC and we had this with Pita bread as our late night snack and hangout session.

Till next time lovers <3 div="">

Crabmeat Sushi Recipe

2014-08-20T02:27:00.001-04:00

I write this in woe. It's a coincidence or not, that I was actually at a sushi restaurant in Harvard square having an incredible meal with my friend Zoya when she suddenly got a message on her phone that Robin Williams had passed away.

Robin Williams, I hadn't thought of him for a while, after being a devout fan in my childhood. Have been weeping a few days, his suicide made no sense for awhile. But my friend JB and I talked about it, and here's what it is: he had an illness and it killed him, like many other people's illnesses do.

PS, if you my friends are suffering from depression please remember it really is a disease - seek help <3 p="">
Okay okay, I know what you really want see are my recipe pictures. So here it is- home made crab meat sushi.

So I started off with decorating the ingredients so I could take some pictures for you hungry bunnies!

(Crabmeat, Scallions, Sprouts, Avocado, White Rice)

Step 1: Cut up the crabmeat (100 gm) and mix with 1 tsp of Spicy spoon

Step 2: place white rice the in the middle of your nori sheet and layer avocado, crabmeat and sprouts

Step 3: pack ingredients, dab your fingers in water to wet the sides of the NOri sheet and roll it tightly

And cut in half or as many pieces as you like (I do half becuase its quick to eat and I'm lazy)

Song insert for the week: My first single Bhromor was recorded 10 years ago when I was in high school! I'm getting old- now I'm a double graduate

So for Lunch I had two sheets and this was my calories count:

Crabmeat 4oz - 100 calories
Avocado half0 80 calories
Spicy mayo 1sp - 20calories
2 Nori sheets - 10 calories
Green sprouts- 30 calories
White rice 1/4th cup- 60
Soya sauce 2 tbsp (to dip in ) - 20 calories

Total : 320 calories . That's pretty decent for lunch. If I'm having this for dinner I'd have 3 sheets worth to be honest. I just try not to add too much rice. :)

Okay peeps, home made pesto coming up NEXT. Love you

Teriyaki Sauce and some Meal planning

2014-08-10T23:43:00.000-04:00

And I continue my newfound series of recipes, with this: Teriyaki..

The Teriyaki sauce has a sweet and soy favour I love! And thanks to one of my tuttees and the internet I combined a few recipes to make my own:

So first I made the sauce: (full recipe at the end) - with 1/2 cup mirin, 1/3 cup soya sauce and 1/4 cup rice wine and 1 tbsp suger. (You can lower you mirin and eliminate wine- its just an extra bounce and only use sugar)

boiled this on medium heat for 20 minutes or so

at one point it will be a glaze like sauce that I store in this cute cup!

I should actually get a new pan for the chicken, but I was lazy so I put the chicken breasts in with a tiny bit of olive oil.

stir stir stir

Once it is about done I added a bit more of the sauce I made and let it sit.

Then I chopped up some green onion - I LOVE the flavour it gives!

Now I'm getting a bowl ready with 1/3 cup carrots, 1/3 cup green onions and 1/3 cup corn

Added 1/3 cup quinoa too

So before we conclude here is my song excerpt of the post: I composed for a film Shongram (my first film Yay) And this is a Nazrul Geeti that was arranged for this film by Adil Hadi and myself and sung by no other than Nazrul Geeti amazes Nashid Kamal (my mom, I truly think she sounds her best, and the non traditional arrangment brought out her voice)

Can't wait for Dhaka when I will collaborate a lot more with her! (PS buy it here http://www.amazon.com/Rashmonchey-Dol/dp/B00K61KYZY)

Okay back to healthy heating stuff:

I was making this meal to pack some lunches for the week. I feel like I do better when I have my portions pre planned, when I go to eat hungry I just eat mindlessly. So here's to a healthy new week for me. I am trying to lose 15-20 pounds before my album launch. Fingers Crossed!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup sake/ rice wine
1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce
3/4 tablespoon sugar
4 chicken breasts 4oz each
Olive oil
1 green onion

Procedure:

Boil soya sauce, mirin, sugar and rice wine for 20 minutes and then store away
use 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry chicken till brown
stir in the sauce on low heat and let boil

Serve with vegetables, quinoa, rice = whatever you chose.

For me, I calorie counted my bowl and here is what it was:

Quinoa 2/3 cup - 150
Corn steamed -40
Carrots raw - 15
Chicken 4oz - 175
Green onion - 3

total: 383 calories (give or take)

That's a pretty decent meal. I decided not to cut carbs completely because it's unrealistic, I am sick of losing and gaining so many times. This time its not the diet but the portions Im fixating on.

Garlic Prawns with Veggies - Recipe

2014-08-09T18:03:00.003-04:00

It's not secret i LOVE food. After music, food is my biggest passion. But that comes with its' issues. I've had weight issues my whole life- I've done karate', swimming, yoga, gymming and nowadays biking to keep my health in check, but it's hard.

The only time I've lost substantial weight was when I lost my appetite due to shock and soon after gained the weight and the appetite back. But that did show me that the key tool to weight loss is the food. It's just math- eat within a certain calorie limit and you shall be fine. The trouble is my carb intake, I have a hard time limiting it when it comes to rice. So I decided to find yummy recipes that I can eat and enjoy in lower portions.

Each person will have a trigger food that is hard to lower- thankfully my only weakness is rice - other carbs I am okay to eat less. So here goes , my series of recipes for a my weight loss and maintain journey!

I had bought a bunch of prawn the other day that I yummily made curry out off and ate with 2 plats of bhaat (yes had a bad week last week)- but with the leftover I made this new dish. I used an online recipe but lowered the oil intake.

GARLIC PRAWNS WITH VEGGIES

First I cleaned the prawns.

Then I heated about 3 tablespoons of oil with some garlic and chilli flakes (I was generous with the chilli and garlic - but thats really up to you) And once it was a hot I turned up the heat and added the Prawns.

It was kind of on a whim that I added the veggies, but I had some frozen vegetables in the freezer and just threw them in

Towards the end I added some rice wine but it's really not a must, I just had it lying around (because I made Teriyaki sauce, coming in the next post.)

And et Voila: added some salad greens Done!

Doesn't it look YUM? ( it so was!)

So here is the recipe- makes about 2 servings (depending on how hungry you are)

Ingredients:

Olive oil - 3-4 Tablespoons (you can also use cooking spray)
Prawns 1/2 pound (about 12-14 prawns)
Frozen or fresh vegetables - 2 cups
Chilli - 3/4th teaspoon (or more)
Garlic cloves -3
Rice wine - 1 TBS

Procedure:

Heat Oil with garlic and chilli
Sautee in Prawns in high heat for 4-5 minutes
Add in vegetables and cook on low heat
Add rice wine and simmer

Service with whatever you like :D

The calorie count for my meal- total 500 calories

Olive Oil - 120
Prawn-6 - 132
Frozen vegetables 3/4th cup- 60
Salad dressing (aah I shouldnt have) - 60

Hope you guys will like the new recipes I am going to be posting. Please don't forget to click on my music and maybe buy them if you like? Will need all the support I can now that I'm about to be an independent musician next week (I graduate in 6 days!)

www.armeenmusa.bandcamp.com Or iTunes, Amazon etc etc!

(Bangladesh friends you can buy my music on shurjorajjo.com)

Graceland, America , Sushi. (Osaka, Coolidge Corner)

2014-08-08T02:22:00.003-04:00

It's no secret I love living in the US. Maybe because of music school, maybe because of the sunshine, the diversity- I have fallen in love with being here (well Boston to be precise, I'm pretty sure there are parts of America I wouldn't want to live in.)

One of the interesting things foodwise in this country is American sushi. It has mayo, eel sauce, jalapenos and what not! Chefs go crazy creative with american sushi rolls, I love it!

*Nusha are you reading this*

It was restaurant week and here I was studying for an exam- so what better combo- a nice restaurant to study in! (Osaka in Coolidge Corner, one of my favourite areas!)

My vegetarian friend had veggie sushi, I had never had had sushi with someone who didn't eat fish, so I was amazed to see how lovely it could be. Vegetables are so beautiful and colourful naturally- the more I try to be healthy, the more I realise that.

I of course had the sashimi (my favourite) and then the most sauced up pretty looking Americanised yumm sushi roll.

One a personal note: I was editing these photos photos it seemed perfect to fall at the same time as the release of my latest song Graceland.

The song reflects an immigrant story at first sight, but really the story of everyone- who is looking for somewhere to be free. For most of my life I thought it was finally leaving Dhaka that I found my Graceland… Even though I never wanted to leave initially, I had a tough time there, I felt judged, I felt like an outsider, in the "high society" areas but especially in the music industry.

I found myself and my freedom once I started living and learning in this beautiful Berklee community but also the beauty of my anonymity in Boston. All of this is true- but as a person, a soul my Graceland is music and I no longer want to feel that animosity towards Dhaka or anyone there or anything ever really. So here goes- my online friends, you are the first to know- I'm moving back to Dhaka. I have many reasons to go, before you ask, but the first one is that my heart told me to- and I've always followed my heart
Here is the video of Graceland- please love, share and send me feed back!

L

Graceland is the first single from Armeen's upcoming album "Simultaneously" - Buy it here : http://armeenmusa.bandcamp.com
http://amzn.com/B00MF936SM
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/graceland-single/id906276567

Written by Armeen Musa

GRACELAND

a hundred thousand miles she goes
to find herself a brand new home
she leaves behind the riches she knows,
to her graceland she arrives.

the dirty stares of the crowds
the petty things people said out loud
she leaves behind those horrid sounds
to her graceland she arrives

she holds her little brothers hand
as she walks on to this foreign land
she'll make it here and thats her plan
to her graceland she arrives

She's working at starbucks 6 to 3
she'd never had to make her own cup of tea
But now she finally feels free
to her graceland she arrives

Caspian - Dhaka Persian

2014-08-05T11:57:00.001-04:00

I was mildly surprised to find out last year that the old Greek restaurant had been replaced! Not that I frequented it much, but it was nice to know Dhaka had a Greek place.

But yes, this meal was quite enjoyable. Huckleberry friend and I went here for our second date- so I remember clearly- even though this was a while back.

A Little disclaimer- I was trying out my friend's camera- so the pictures are a bit random.

So we started with appetisers of Humus and Eggplant with Yogurt. Yes to both- freshly made humus and the eggplant was just delicate and creamy like I love

For entree we had the mixed kabab plate. This was Beef, Chicken and Lamb kabab with 3 kinds of rice.
Now if you know anything about me from my posts, you'll know I love rice, and flavoured rice is NO exception!

The Beef

The Lamb

The Chicken

]

The Tomato Sauce

Overall: I liked the lamb and the eggplant appetizer, the rice was a bit dry but I guess thats normal.

Price: Yes, this is on the pricy side- I would day Taka 1500 plus per person if you order your own dish and drink.
Review: To be honest- its very average Persian cooking, ie it's not spectacular. If you can afford it, I would say try it and see if it works for you. But I've found a place in Uttara when visiting my friend Bassbaba (way to namedrop haha) near Bhoot restaurant, and that was much for reasonable and the food was better. I don't think I'll be back here, unless I'm in the area and am expensing it for work or something.

BTW I have a new song out: so listen to it okay? http://armeenmusa.bandcamp.com/album/graceland Graceland by Armeen Musa

Rebecca's Themed Dinner

2014-07-04T22:39:00.000-04:00

A Lovely artist I meet at Miranda's Hearth , Rebecca D'Antonio is jewellery maker and fellow food lover! I bought this gorgeous necklace from her as I couldnt resist her gorgeous collection: (the pearl necklace with the clock)

(Check out her profile on the Hearth website) http://mirandashearth.com/rebecca-dantonio/

Rebecca also loves to have themed dinners where she makes everything herself (almost) and I was lucky enough to be invited to one of her yummy dinners last month.

This was also my first bike trek to Sommerville and boy was I glad I biked there, because I instantly ate all the calories I had burnt on my way.

Upon entry I was greeted by this gorgeous spread:

Crab salad on cracker:

Steamed asparagus wrapped with prosciutto and provolone cheese

Stuffed Mushrooms

Cherry tomatoes and cheese:

And after feasting my eyes, I grabbed a plate of the goodies:

And THEN there was my favourite of the night: Home made eggplant parmigiani ( must get this recipe) - It was to DIE for.!!!

And on top of all that there was Pasta "on order"- I got the Alfredo with Spinach Linguini (from Daves Pasta)

(there was also gelato etc for desert that I could not eat as i was STUFFED)

Thank you so much to Rebecca and her 2 gorgeous cats for having me over- I truly appreciated it!

And to end the post with a song: One of my friends and kickstarter contributors pledged this song for his beloved: we are having so much fun making these videos !!

World Cup and Burritos

2014-06-18T17:10:00.001-04:00

I'm not a sports person and that's the truth. Only when Bangladesh In my 4 years of Boston, it was only in my 3rd year I really knew what the superbowl was only because I was in transit and it was showing Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Superbowl performance and it drew my attention.

However- I am Bangali and that means I am inherently bound to be super excited when the Football World Cup comes around every 4 years. I watch much of the games ( a little screen open during work) and suddenly google the hell out of the players and join in on the online banter.

This is the first time I'm in the US during the cup and so I thought it befitting to watch the game at a proper sports bar.

Phoenix Landing in Central Square Cambridge was known to be one of the top spots. I was greeted by a long queue and a flautist playing various patriotic songs for the US at the door.

And What a beginning to a game, USA scored a goal in the first minute. however the dark pub with its overcrowded audience was too loud for my sensitive ears to handle- plus I was hungry and didnt want to wait forever for a table. So me and my football enthusiast (Bangali of course) friend Shumi went hunting for a better place to watch in peace. We stopped by the Middle East for a few minutes before coming to the conclusion the dingy layout and slow service was annoying us. Thanks to yelp, (yes yes yes, still using yelp) we read the a small Mexican place was also showing the games down the street. AND FINALLY we found bliss.

This little Mexican place had two small screens, a few tables and plenty of space to breath.

Beantown Taqueria - Mexican Soul Food www.beantowntaqueria.com/

So we sat with our orders to have a grand time.

Shumi ordered a fish sandwhich and I ordered a burrito bowl (bhaat for the Bangal) and it was delicious.

The end of the match was so incredible, Ghana scoring and USA retaliating in a split second. But the funnest part was watching the game in Spanish! The commentators' regular tone of voice is as excited as a regular one's super excitement at a goal or something. AND when there's a goal, forget about it- the sheer intonations and movement of the voices were to be admired. I have actually started watching all the games in Spanish for this reason. Brilliant voice work!!

I thought it was very sweet when the immigrant staff like myself watched the game in hope, waiting for US to score- and his joy when his newfound home country won was priceless. You have to hand it to America , even the Bangali in me feels like this place is my home.

Okay homies, one more thing, my campaign to raise money for my first ever English album is one, so PLEASE check it out/share/contribute/send me feedback. Anything is appreciated!!