Hamaree rasoi

Shootme Photography: A day out in Kolkata

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 09:09:00 -0800

Rediscovering Kolkata with Shootme

‘Hire a local photographer to capture your travels’ This was probably the first time I came across

a service like this. I believe photographs are truly a novelty item, we try to keep every little

memory safe by capturing it in a click but we very rarely look beyond our phone cameras to do

so. It was only because I made a trip to Kolkata and encountered Shootme’s services that I

realized how mistaken I was.

I love traveling, and even more, I love dressing up and getting my photographs clicked.

Traveling to Kolkata for a few months, I knew I had to go visit the Victoria Memorial and capture

a dozen memories of that beautiful place. The only problem, I was all by myself. I wanted

photographs but I hate selfie sticks, or even worse, asking random strangers for photographs.

Enter Shootme, your best friend who takes your awesome pictures in any city that you want.

I stumbled upon Shootme’s Instagram and I was intrigued, so I booked a photographer from

Kolkata to join me on the morning I was going to Victoria Memorial. From the moment I went on

the website to book one to the day I received my photographs, the journey was so exciting.

But why a professional photographer?

I had this question too, we often think of a professional photographer to do maternity shoots or a

wedding shoot, who thinks of capturing travel memories. Well, after the shoot I can say, you

truly need to book the shoot to experience the whole thing.

After booking a shoot, I was connected to my photographer Sohham 48 hours before the shoot,

where I told him I wanted my photographs in front of the memorial. He guided me through the

timeline, the other places nearby the memorial we could go for a shoot as well. Moreover, he

also made sure I wouldn’t feel too awkward in front of the camera.

On the day of the shoot as well, all I had to do was put on my favorite dress and be myself and

the Shootme photographer made sure I was super comfortable with poses in front of the

camera. He even showed me around Maidan in hopes of finding the perfect location to capture

my dress in all her glory in front of the majestic beauty of the memorial. For me, having

somebody who could take my photographs without worrying about how they are going to turn

out was the highlight. I knew I was going to get some great keepsakes.

When I received the photographs within 7 days, I was ecstatic. Here was I, in front of the

memorial, with no awkward lighting or poses in the photographs. I loved it. The experience of

planning the shoot to being there in that moment was worth the money I believe.

Next time you travel, even if you’re traveling locally, head to Shootme’s website and find a

photographer.

When you see the photographs and hang them in your drawing room, you’ll not regret your

Bhat Bhaja : What Bengalis Do With Left Over Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 15 May 2020 04:13:00 -0700

Me : Ma, Khabar e ki ache? ( Mom, what's for lunch?) Was our common question soon after coming home from school and hastily dropping my bag.
Ma : Hath dhuey, jama change kore asho ( Wash your hands and change your clothes).
Your Bhaat Bhaja is ready. Bhaat Bhaja (Fried Leftover Rice) used to be our favourite food back then as it is even now.
It is a very simple and fulfilling dish that can be complete meal on its own.
Now, when I am donning the role of a mom, who has to think how to make healthy and tasty meals, this dish is my "go-to" preparation, which is not only liked by my son,but also saves me a lot of preparation time besides being nutritious.

Ingredients :
2 cups of Cooked Rice
1 Carrot (diced)
1 Cup of Peas
1 Cup of Cauliflower Florets
1 Small Onion (sliced)
1/4th Cup of Peanuts
1 Tsp of Black Pepper powder
1/2 Tsp Ginger, minced
1/4th Tsp of Sugar
Salt to Taste
2 Tsp of Ghee (OR) Oil

Method :

In a kadhai, heat ghee or oil and add minced ginger. Now, add peanuts and sliced onions in the kadhai and cook on low flame till the onions become translucent. Toss in all the vegetables, sprinkle some salt and pepper powder. Cook them on low flame till the vegetables are almost done. Time to add cooked rice and give it a nice stir. Fry everything together in low flame for 4-5 minutes. Add a ladle of water if required to keep the moisture in the rice. Do not stir it for long or else the rice grains will break. Add sugar, check the seasoning and serve hot.

Note :

You can add fried eggs to the dish.
The choice of vegetables in this dish is as per your liking. You may add Capsicum, Sweet Corn and French Beans.
I have seen many of my aunts to add garam masala at the end.

World On A Plate Chennai 2019 | Chicken Tikki On Philips Air Fryer

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 04:42:00 -0800

World On A Plate is India's first International Food Festival. One of the most exciting platforms featuring the most influential celebrity chefs from the culinary world. First time in Chennai, VR mall introduced globally acclaimed World On A Plate (popularly known as WOAP) on 10th November. Celebrity chef, model and restauranteur Sarah Todd, Vicky Ratnani and Saransh Goila kept the audience engaged with their MasterChef classes.
And the food enthusiasts of Chennai came from all corners to attend a one-day culinary festival. The day was dazzled by MasterChefs, stalwarts from the food industry, food brands, restaurants, food bloggers, food critics, journalists, and social influencers. The food pops by the city's famous restaurants and patisseries offered a wide range of cuisine for the foodies. I was elated to see Goila's Butter Chicken stall by famous Chef Saransh Goila. I had to try the most popular Mumbai based restaurant 'Goila Butter Chicken' and it was delicious. Philips Kitchen Appliances was the title sponsor for the World On A Plate
Weekender event. Chef Saransh used the star kitchen gadget which hogged the limelight in his Masterclass -'Philips Air Fryer'. He made Chakli in Philips Air Fryer to make it super healthy and crispy.

Inspired by him I made Chicken Tikki in Air Fryer and it came out excellent! Today's recipe is Chicken Tikki without deep frying but still excellent taste. These Chicken Tikkis can be best enjoyed with mint chutney and salad. Tikkis or Patties in India has many varieties like Aloo tikkis, Paneer tikkis, Oats tikkis and many more. So basically 'Tikki' means a small cutlet which are actually deep-fried spicy patties which are extremely popular in India. My earlier recipe which was made in Philips air fryer was Tandoori chicken.

Ingredients:
300 gms Chicken Keema (minced chicken)
1 big red onion, chopped
2 Green chilies, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped Cilantro
1 tsp finely chopped Ginger
2 tsp finely chopped Garlic
1 Egg
1/4 Besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Chaat masala
1/2 tsp Red chili powder (I used Kashmiri red chili powder as I add green chilies)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp + Oil for brushing over the tikkis

Method:
1. I wasn't happy with the keema texture as I wanted fine grains of meat, so I used a food processor to ground fine. With the keema mixture, I added an egg and blend in the food processor just to mix both thoroughly.

Added eggs

2. Take out the mixture in a wide plate and add chopped onions, green chilies, cilantro leaves, and all the dry spices along with besan and breadcrumbs.

3. Gently mix together everything with your fingertips. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4. Make lemon sized balls of the chicken mixture and shape into round flatten tiikis.

5. Pre-hear Philips Air fryer to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 minutes. And brush some oil on both sides of each tikki.

6. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the air fryer basket (this will ensure that your food won't stick) and arrange 4 tikkis at a time.

7. Bake the first batch of tikkis in air fryer for 18 minutes at 200 degrees and don't forget to flip it once in between after 10 minutes fo cooking. This step is done to make sure the food is cooked evenly from both sides.

8. Open the air fryer basket to check if the tikkis are golden in colour and crisp. Take out the first batch and follow the same with the remaining tikkis . Serve the tikkis with mint chutney and onion rings.

Were you at World On A plate in 2018 or 2019? How was your experience?

Kolkata Dhaba Style Dim Torka (Egg Dal Tadka Recipe)

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:22:00 -0700

Dim Torka or Edd Tadka Dal is perhaps the most saleable item in Bengal, the roadside Dhaba style Dal preparation is a hit with Rumali Roti. 'Torka-Ruti' had been our must-have dish whenever we step into our local Dhaba outlets without missing a blink. The dish was tweaked to please our palate which is majorly inspired by Punjabi Daal Tadka.

Many moons back when Yellow-Black taxis plied in West Bengal, mostly driven by Sardarjis this particular dish was a much sought-after item 'Dim Torka' along with Rumali roti or tandoori roti which was served at roadside Dhabas. That's how it became popular which can be gauged by the fact that almost all Dhabas have Dim Torka on their menu. Selling fast-selling hot! Tadka Dal is made with Whole Green Moong Dal or Green gram with scrambled eggs. It is generally served with Onion rings, green chilies and pickle.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Whole Green Moong Dal
1/4 cup Chana Dal ( Bengal gram dal)
2 Eggs
2 Onions, chopped
2 tbsp Ginger, chopped
2 tsp Garlic, chopped
2-3 Green chili paste
1 big red Tomato, chopped
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 tsp ground(powdered) Cloves
1 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp roasted coriander powder
1 tsp roasted Cumin powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
1 tsp Chaat masala powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
Water needed to boil the pulses
1/4 cup oil
Salt to taste

For seasoning:
A handful of chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp Kasoori methi
1 tbsp Butter

Method:
1. Wash the pulses/dal and soak them overnight. If you are pressed for time then soak the pulses in hot water and let it sit for 4-5 hours. Next pressure cook the dals with a little salt, 2 cups of water and cook until well done.
***In the meantime in a bowl take 2 tbsp water and mix together all the dry spices (roasted coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, red chili powder, ground cloves ).

2. After 3-4 whistles of cooker open the lid and check if the dals is cooked. Add milk and bring to simmer again; this step is one to get a creamy texture of dal. Turn off the flame and mash the dal little bit with the back of your spatula and keep it aside.

3. Heat oil in a cast oil skillet (or pan) and add onions, continue to cook until translucent, stirring continuously.

4. Add ginger, garlic and chili paste and fry until the raw smell goes away.

5. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until soft. When the masala starts leaving oil from the sides of pan add*** the water in which all powers were mixed.

6. Mix well for 2 minutes and cook until the oil separates. Add the cooked dal into the pan and give it a nice stir.

7. Check the consistency of the dal, if too thick add little hot water and check the seasoning.

8. Heat another pan, add some oil and add 2 beaten eggs. Stir them on medium flame with a spatula for 2 minutes. Don't cook them too long or else it will become rubbery.

9. Now add the scrambled eggs in the dal and sprinkle garam masala and chaat masala. Mix well and cook over medium flame dor 2-3 minutes.

10. Lastly, add butter, crushed methis leaves and chopped coriander leaves. Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.

11. Serve this hot with Rumali roti or naan.

Chingri Bhorta | Prawn Bharta

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 26 Sep 2019 10:40:00 -0700

Today I am here with a Bangladeshi bhorta preparation called Chingri Bhorta or Prawn Bhorta. I prefer using Mustard Oil in all my Bhorta preparations. It kinds of gives that extra kick.
This nation is known for its love for fish, Bangladesh has some wonderful vegetarian dishes as well as non-veg dishes. Bhorta is perhaps the simplest ultimate comfort food of Bangladesh.

Bhorta / Bharta can be made with vegetables, leafy vegetables, fish, dry fish or chicken. Basically, the star ingredient may be partially cooked or steamed and simply mashed by hand. The point to remember is no water is used, in fact, the flavor comes from the pungent lemon flavor which we add at the last, sharpness of chili, sweetness from onions brings out the earthy flavor of Bhorta.

Ingredients:

1 cup Prawns, deshelled and deveined
2 red Onion, large chunks
4-5 Dry red chilies (adjust to your taste palate)
9-10 Garlic cloves
1 inch Ginger, chopped
2 Green chilies, chopped
6-7 drops of Lemon juice
1/4 tsp Turmeric
2 tbsp Mustard oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Sprinkle some salt and turmeric over prawn and in the meanwhile heat mustard oil in a pan. Once the oil is nicely heated till smoking point, fry the dry red chilies until they turn dark brown. Remove from pan and save it for later use.

Add chopped garlic in the same oil and saute the minced garlic for few seconds only. Add ginger, green chilies, onion and add a little salt to it. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Keep aside the onion mixture and in the remaining oil fry the prawns on medium heat for 5 minutes. Prawns should be cooked properly, if required do a taste test. Let all cool down to reach room temperature and transfer the prawns, onion mixture and add some salt to a blender jar. Mix everything together till you get a smooth consistency. Transfer to a small bowl and add a few drops of lemon and add a small amount of mustard oil and crush the fried dry red chilies. Serve in your desired shape with rice.

Karachi Bakery Style Tutti Frutti Biscuits | Eggless Tutti Frutti Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 23:55:00 -0700

Fruit Biscuits from Karachi Bakery are our favorite tea time accompaniment. Any friend coming from Hyderabad and visiting our home in Haridwar back in childhood days, made sure to bring several boxes of these tutti-frutti biscuits which were an absolute delight. These Karachi Style biscuits crumble in your mouth as soon as you bite into them. Very light in texture this biscuit is full of butter flavour with chewy candied dried fruits in every bite. The delicious melt-in-mouth Karachi Biscuits are tea time favorites. In India there is no dearth of usage of candied dried papaya or popularly known as Tutti Frutti which are generously used for making cookies, sweet buns and cakes.

Ingredients:
1 cup All purpose flour
4 tbsp Custard powder
1/2 cup Butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Tutti Frutti / Dried Candid Fruit
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
1 tsp Pineapple essence
1-2 tbsp Milk (Only to be used if the dough isn't smooth)
Pinch of Salt

Method:
In a bowl mix together all dry ingredients - flour, salt, cardamom powder and custard powder. Keep aside. Take a hand beater and beat butter and sugar till creamy, smooth and pale in color. Don't overbeat to incorporate more air into it. Now add essence and cardamom powder. Mix well. Add in the tutti frutti and flour mix. With a mixing spatula combine everything together until it comes out a smooth round dough. Not if you find the dough little dry or see many cracks then add 1 or 2 tbsp milk gradually to knead a smooth dough.
Pre-heat the Oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and make it into thick logs. Wrap the logs with a cling film and refrigerate for minimum 2 hours.
Take out the dough logs and cut into your desired shape cookies (I shaped them in a square). Lay the cookies on the baking sheet and place them at least 2 inches apart. Bake them for 12-15 minutes. Remove from Oven and transfer to the wire rack to cool completely. Do not get fooled by the look of soft cookies, as they cool down they will be crispy. Store Karachi Style Biscuits in an airtight container and later enjoy with Chai !

Notes:

You can replace pineapple essence with rose essence.
Adding milk is totally optional as it makes the dough smooth so if your dough isn't smooth enough then add milk little by little.
Do not get tempted to bake the biscuits for more than mentioned time as otherwise it will become hard and loose it's light cream colour.

Kancha Posto Bata | Raw Poppy Seeds Paste

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 04:19:00 -0800

Sometimes the simplest food gets overshadowed by the reputed much acclaimed dishes. Todays Poppy Seeds Paste is one such dish which because of it's simplicity doesn't get much attention. But trust me or ask any Bong and we swear by this traditional Bengali dish. Very popular in Bengali, Kancha Posto Bata is essentially famous at Ghoti's (originally from West Bengal) household, infact to some extent they are obsessed with Poppy seeds! Well I simply love this traditional dish with plain rice.
Also read : Aloo Jhinge Posto, Posto Bora, Pur Diye Kakrol Bhaja

Ingredients :
1/4 cup Poppy seeds
2-3 Green chilies, finely chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
Mustard oil 2 tbsp
Salt as needed
A few fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method:

Soak poppy seeds in warm water for 20 minutes. Later transfer it to a sieve and wash it properly under tap water to remove any residue. Now for grinding I rely on 'Sheel-Nora' or grinding stone that can be found in Bengali kitchens, as it takes very less water to make a paste and you can stop grinding when you get your kind of texture. Grind the poppy seeds with very little water along with salt. Keep grinding till the paste becomes velvety smooth. Do the test by pressing a little amount of paste between your thumb and index finger, if it feels grainy then continue grinding. Scrape the paste neatly from the Shee-Nora / Silbatta to a bowl. Add mustard oil, chopped onions, green chilies and coriander leaves. Mix well and serve with steamed hot rice.

Bhapa Shorshe Ilish | Steamed Hilsa In Mustard Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Sun, 23 Sep 2018 04:12:00 -0700

Bhapa Shorshe Ilish Recipe-
Ilish Bhape or Bhapa Shorshe Ilish is the quintessential Bong fish preparation. Come Mansoon and Bengalis will start making a bee line in the fish market to fetch out the best ilish from the fresh catch. Hilsa or Ilish undoubtedly stands tall above all other fish varieties and the heavier it is, the tastier it is. Fish is the staple diet of Bengalis and we make plenty of dishes with Ilish.

The excess demand in and around the world has made Ilish /hilsa staring at the danger of extinction so we should save our pride so that our next generation too can enjoy the heavenly dishes from Ilish.
'Bhapa' in Bengla means 'steamed', the procedure is quite simple actually, all you need is an air tight steel tiffin box in which after adding all the ingredients with the Hero of the dish (be it Fish or Vegetable), the food is cooked in its own steam. And 'Shorse' means mustard sauce, now black mustard seeds is more pungent than yellow variety so if you want more pungent smell and flavour you can take 2 tbsp black mustard seeds instead of 1 tbsp in the given recipe. This Bhapa Shorshe Ilish preparation is best enjoyed with steamed rice. So let's get started!
Do check my Ilish Pulao recipe and Ilish Paturi recipe too.

Ingredients:
4-5 pieces of Hilsa / Ilish
1 tsp Black mustard seeds
1 tsp Yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp curd (*Beat the curd thoroughly)
2 tbsp grated fresh Coconut
4-5 Green chilies (slitted)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
2 tbsp Mustard oil

Method:
First step is to season the fish pieces with a little bit of salt and turmeric. Keep aside.
Soak mustard seeds in water for 2 hours. In Bengali households we have Shil-Noda (Sil-Batta) which is used for grinding and making paste of different spices. We can achieve the same result with a mixi- grinder. Grind mustard seeds with a pinch of salt and 2 green chilies. Here I would point out the importance of adding salt while making the paste of mustard seeds, it reduces the bitterness to great extent. So don't skip adding salt and green chillies while grinding mustard seeds. Now add the grated coconut into the jar and make a smooth paste.

Take a steel tiffin box and add beaten curd, slit green chillies, kashmiri red chilli powder, sugar, place the fish pieces and add the above paste. Coat the fish uniformly with the paste, add salt and a generous dose of mustard oil. Close the lid of the steel box.

Take a thick bottom pan / kadhai and pour little water and place a separator. Carefully place the tiffin box in a way that water should not enter inside the tiffin box (check again that only half portion of the tiffin box is immersed into the water). Cook for 10 minutes on medium flame. Once done, take out the tiffin box out of the pan and open the lid. Serve hot with piping hot steamed rice and enjoy your meal.

Samba Broken Wheat Halwa |Navratri Recipe | Dalia Ka Halwa

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 4 Sep 2018 04:23:00 -0700

Wheat Halwa | Dalia Ka Halwa | Sweet Dalia | Gehun Ka Halwa is a very healthy and sweet dessert to make.This Dalia Sheera or cracked Wheat Halwa recipe is super healthy and healthy breakfast recipe for kids or toddlers. Broken Wheat Halwa is also offered as Prasad to the deity during festivals. To make it healthy and tastier, I have used Nolen Gur here (you can use jaggery if not available). The taste is heavenly if I may say so. One of the key point is to roast the wheat in ghee which gives the halwa nice brown colour and intense aroma. I love adding dried black currants in my wheat halwa as these are power house of nutrients, excellent source of antioxidants, fiber and iron.

Few other Halwa recipes on my blog - Gajar Ka Halwa , Bread Halwa , Semolina Halwa or Sooji Ka Halwa

Ingredients:
1 cup Broken Wheat (I use fine grain variety)
1 cup Nolen Gur or you can use Palm Jaggery (diluted with 1cup of water)
2 cups of Water
1 inch Cinnamon
2 tbsp chopped Cashew
1 tbsp Dried Black Currants
7-8 Pistachios , roughly chopped
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
2 tbsp Ghee +1 tsp ghee for frying the dry fruits

Method:
First we need to melt the jaggery or nolen gur with a cup of water. Heat and bring to boil, keep stirring till jaggery dissolves completely. Turn off the flame and keep aside. Once the mixture is at room temperature, filter the nolen gur -water or jaggery water using a strainer and keep aside.

Take a thick bottomed pan with a tbsp of ghee, add cinnamon and roast broken wheat until it leaves nice aroma (2-3 minutes roughly) . Add 2 cups of water and stir well with dalia. Cover with a lid and cook till the dalia is half cooked. Also you will see the grains after cooking time have become little bigger in size. Now add filtered nolen gur-water / jaggery water to the dalia and add cardamom powder to it. Stir well. Cook it further until the water is absorbed in daila (6-7 minutes) . Keep stirring in between and add the remaining ghee little by little.
In a tadka pan ghee fry the dry fruits and add to the halwa. By now the halwa will form a whole mass and won't stick to the pan. Turn off the flame and delicious wheat halwa is ready to serve.

Notes:

You may replace sugar with jaggery here but then the color of halwa will not be dark as seen in the picture.
You may have to add more water depending on the variety of the dalia. I use small grain dalia which relatively absorbs less water than coarse grain dalia.
The thin brown wheat variety gives a darker and smooth texture.
If you are pressed for time then pressure cooker saves time while making this halwa. Pressure cook the broken wheat with double amount of water and cook until 2 whistles. Rest of the procedure is same.

Hope you make this simple yet healthy sweet halwa for the coming Navratri and hope you like it as much as we do.
If you have any queries or you have made this recipe, would love to hear it your feedback. Do write to me at hamareerasoi.deepa@gmail.com to share the picture of the dish that you tried.
We are on instagram too - follow me here / @hamareerasoi

Taal Shash er Shorbot |Ice Apple Smoothie | Nungu Milkshake

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 6 Jun 2018 04:22:00 -0700

Taal Shash / Ice Apple / Nungu Smoothie: Taal Shash (in Bangla) or jelly like sweet sap kernel of the Palmyra are hot favorites. Loaded cartful of these summer coolants are found being sold at every nook and corner of our city. Though I fondly remember having it from the trees at my grandma's backyard, Kolkata. It has many names Toddy Palm Fruit / Sugar Palm/ Tala Saja in Odiya/ Taati Munjalu in Andhra, Tadgole in Marathi, Taale Ningu in Kannada, Taal Shash in Bengal, With the abundance of Taal Shash in Chennai, we are fortunate enough to have it so often either as a fruit or as refreshing drink. Today's recipe is a very simple drink made with Ice Apple, milk, sugar and few pistachios. Palm fruit has tons of health benefits hence it is widely consumed during summers.

Ingredients:
4 Palm Kernels
2 cups cold Milk
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Rose water
Pinch of Roasted Cumin Powder
2-3 Sprigs of mint leaves
Few ice cubes
Chopped pistachios

Method:
Peel the brownish skin from the palm kernels and cut into small pieces. Add milk, taal shash, rose water, sugar and few ice cubes in a blender and blend till you get a smooth consistency. Adjust the sugar quantity according to your taste. Pour the liquid in tall glasses and garnish with a small pinch of roasted cumin powder. You may add pudina on top and serve chilled.

Notes:

While buying Taal shash / Nungu, ask for tender and soft ones.
You may add small chunks of ice apple while serving the drink for extra bites in between.

Pomelo Juice | বাতাবি লেবু রস

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 9 May 2018 22:34:00 -0700

How To Make Pomelo Juice: Pomelo is the biggest fruit in the citrus family. Perfect combination of sweet orange and mild grapefruit, Pomelo is rich in Vitamin B and C. It has a very thick green rind while the edible pulp inside is white, red and pink, depending on the variety. Being the largest citrus fruit, Pomelo is big in appearance and inside the juice sacs of the segments are bigger. In WestBengal 'Pomelo' is called Batabilebu or Jambura and we make delicious chaat (Jambura Makha) with fresh pink arils of the fruit with black salt, mustard oil, pepper, sugar and chopped green chilies. Ummm nom nom...Jambura makha is a delicacy among Bengalis that's why the mere mention here has bring back flood of memories.

The health benefits of Pomelo are innumerable. Excellent for Urinary Tract Infection, boosts immune system, aids in weight loss, anti -aging, treats cold and cough and maintains normal blood pressure levels. So if you have not tried this amazing source of Vitamin C, go for it right away! After all how could you ignore the benefits and astounding health boosts Pomelo offers?

Ingredients:
1 big Pomelo (Batabi Lebu)
4 tsp Honey or you can use sugar
1/2 cold water
Ice cubes as required
A pinch of black salt

Method:
Cut the pomelo into 4 equal sections and remove the thick rind to avoid the bitterness. While it takes little time to peel the membrane from around the segments but it is worth it. Remove the fairly large seeds. Put everything in the blender and TaDa!
Enjoy the traditional refreshing drink in a healthy way!

Rice Fiesta From McDonald With A Taste Of Chennai

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Sat, 17 Mar 2018 04:26:00 -0700

"Think Global, Act Local", I thought of this well known proverb when I was asked to taste and share my opinion about two newly introduced meal from McDonald's. This is called as Rice Fiesta which was introduced in Chennai on 25th January to attract to the traditional population who would love to visit McDonalds for it's youthful buzz and at the same time seek out traditional taste in the restaurant.

Now turning my attention towards two distinctly different looking bowls of Rice Fiesta. First about the Cheese and Veggies Rice. Once you open the lid you are greeted with a layer of thick cheese sprinkled with a generous amount of vegetables like peas,carrot, American corn and Zucchini along with herbs. Just below this layer there is steamed basmati rice. There is also an instruction on the bowl that asks you to mix all the contents to enjoy the full taste of the Cheese and veggies Rice bowl. If anyone likes cheese and is of the less spicy type he or she would love the taste of it.

The next variety is more spicy thanks to the addition of hot tomato gravy mixed with peas, carrot, chickpeas and kidney beans. This Beans and Gravy Rice should attract the patrons who like to have gravy rice tastes same as their home kitchen. It was little spicy for my tastebud though.

Both the above meals could be converted to non veg ones by having chunks of crispy and spicy chicken added with them.

As far as my opinion goes both the rice bowls are something new for Chennai which is predominately a rice eating city. So kudos to McDonalds team to cater to this vast majority of the people. The taste of both the bowls are good and even children who are mostly burger eaters could also add these bowls in their menu so that they could enjoy the International taste of burgers along with traditional rice meals.
Pinch on Pocket: Affordably priced at Rs.119 (veg), Rs.139(non-veg)

Mint Chutney For Tandoori & Kebabs | How To Make Pudina Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 05:34:00 -0800

Pudina Dahi Chutney or Mint Yogurt Dip for Kebabs is something which is hard to miss if you are visiting any Indian restaurant. Any Tandoori item is served with this Pudina Dahi Chutney, be it Paneer Tikka /Chicken Roast/ Fish Tikka to name a few. Talking about this Pudina Chutney think of all the goodness it has in form of mint, yogurt, lemon and coriander leaves a burst of flavours in your mouth. Mint and coriander when gets added with yogurt gives a splendid flavourful dip. The abundance of Mint or Pudina in the market at anytime of the year makes it a very popular dip. Mint also has a very strong and refreshing aroma not to mention how good it is for digestion. Moving onto today's Mint Yogurt dip which I have served with Tandoori Prawn. I have another version of Pudina chutney but with Coconut, you may can check the recipe here

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh Mint leaves
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
1/2 cup Yogurt
4-5 Garlic cloves
1 tbsp Lemon juice
2-3 Green chilies (adjust according to your spice level)
1/2 tsp roasted Cumin seeds
Salt as per taste

Method:
Cut off the roots of coriander, pudina and rinse all the greens. Blend all the above ingredients except yogurt and salt. Grind for 30 seconds and open the lid to stir well. Add the yogurt and salt to get nice consistency of chutney. Generally it doesn't need water as yogurt fills the need so add water accordingly. Grind until all blends well into a smooth paste. Shift the chutney into an air tight container. Keep in the refrigerator and serve chilled. Serve this as an appetizing accompaniment with Tandoor dishes.

Notes:

Don't skip lemon juice in this chutney if you want to retain the green color of it.
Don't forget to discard the stalks of mint while cleaning.
Adjust chilli as per your spice level.

Kesar Pulao Recipe| How To Make Kesar Pulao | Saffron Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 5 Feb 2018 01:18:00 -0800

Saffron Rice

Saffron Rice Recipe or Kesar Rice Recipe is made in many parts of the world because of it's simplicity yet aromatic nature. Kesar or Saffron imparts a yellowish tinge and adds a wonderful flavour. Easy to make, Saffron Rice can be made in very little time. I had made it in my Rice Cooker as I wanted to serve it warm to my guests. Rice cooker lets the food warm in the container after cooking is done. This recipe was made on gas stove. You can also find more Rice recipes like Ilish Pulao, Mumbai Style Tawa Pulao, Bengali Special Mishti Pulao, Paneer Pulao, Corn Veg Pulao or Peas Pulao Without Onion- Garlic

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain Basmati Rice
1/4 tsp Saffron (Kesar) soaked in 1 cup of warm milk
2 tbsp pure Ghee
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp mixed Dry Fruits chopped (Almonds, Pista, Cashews)
1 inch Cinnamon
1 strand of Mace
4 Cloves
Salt to taste

Method:
Take saffron in a small bowl and crush the saffron threads with a back of spoon or in ceramic mortar mash the threads so that a thick paste if formed. Now soak the saffron paste in 1 cup of warm water and keep aside.

Wash the basmati rice thoroughly with water and drain out excess water. Let it soak for 20 minutes.
Heat a heavy pan with well fitting lid on medium heat. Add ghee and throw in mace, cloves and cinnamon, stir for a minute. Now in the same pan add rice and salt, mix it well till rice is nicely coated with spices. Add saffron soaked milk, cover the pan and cook it for 10 minutes or until the rice is done. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over rice and fluff with fork. Serve this with your choice of gravy.

Ilish Pulao | ইলিশ পোলাও | Ilish Maacher Pulao (Hilsa Fish Pilaf)

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 01:17:00 -0700

Ilish Pulao Recipe - Bengali Style Hilsa Fish Pilaf is an extremely fragrant and delicious flavoured rice. Ilish is the King of all fishes for us and every part of Ilish (except fins /scales and innards) is eaten with gusto and relish. As fish is the staple diet in Bengali households, Ilish or Hilsa is the king. A very important step once you select the perfect Ilish from the Fish Monger is, after he removes the entrails and roe from the fish and discard. Wash the fish in water thoroughly. DO NOT WASH AGAIN.

Ilish or Hilsa is the National Fish of Bangladesh we being the neighboring country enjoy it with equal zest. Ilish when simply fried in mustard oil become the side dish along with steamed rice. We love Ilish Paturi , Ilish Macher Jhal as much as Ilish er Matha Diye Lau er Torkari (Head of Hilsa Fish cooked with bottle gourd). So Ilish Pulao becomes a delicacy as it brings out the best of Hilsa when cooked with minimum spices to make a pilaf. Serve piping hot Hilsa Fish Pilaf with Raita for lunch.
If you like this recipe and have a look at the below recipes too-

This recipe is a part of Virtual Diwali Potluck Party, where some blogger friends from different parts of world are joining us for Diwali special traditional recipes. Look out for our collective Diwali Potluck recipes on Instagram with #diwalipotluck handle. Dear readers wishing you all a very Happy, Prosperous and Safe Diwali.

Ingredients:
4-5 Ilish pieces or Hilsa fish
1/2 cup Yogurt, whisk it well
1/2 cup crispy Barista (crushed into roughly powder)
1 tsp Ginger paste
5-6 Green chilies, slit
1/2 tsp Salt
4 tbsp Mustard oil
2 tbsp Ghee

For Rice:

2 cups Basmati rice
1/2 Onion for barista
2-3 Green cardamom
4-5 Cloves
2 Bay leaf (tej patta)
2 inch Cinnamon stick
Pinch of yellow food color (optional)
1 tbsp Ghee /Oil
Salt to taste (roughly 2 tbsp)

Method:
Wash the rice and soak it for 20 minutes. We need to make the fish gravy now, for that marinate the Hilsa pieces with salt, green chilies, ginger paste, crushed crispy barista and yogurt. Take a flat plate and apply the marinade on the pieces thoroughly and close with a lid. Leave it for 1/2 an hour.

Heat mustard oil in a deep pan add the marinated fish along with yogurt paste. Cook it in lower medium heat for 10 minutes. Be careful not to break the soft Hilsa fish while cooking. By now the oil should separate from the sides of the pan. Carefully remove the fish pieces and the gravy separately from the pan.
Drain water from the soaked rice and heat water (1:3 ratio of rice to water respectively) in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add green cardamoms, cloves, tej patta, cinnamon stick, a tbsp of ghee/oil along with salt into the vessel. Add rice once the first boil comes and stir well. We need to cook rice only 70% so keep an eye on the state of rice as Basmati rice takes very little time to cook. Turn off the heat and drain off any excess water from half cooked rice.
Best way to make layered biryani is using it either a Handi or open wide vessel with lid.Take some gravy of fish curry and spread it at bottom layer (by doing that you can ensure the rice doesn't get brunt when slow cooking. Now place half of the rice and spread it over gravy, sprinkle some barista, a tsp of ghee and place all the fish pieces and gravy. Finally put the remaining rice on top and repeat the addition of barista, ghee and some yellow food color (optional).

Cover the pan with lid and cook on low flame for 10 minutes.Turn off the flame and wait for few more minutes so the the pilaf absorbs the characteristic fragrant. Be careful while serving as the Ilish should remain intact.

Have a look at the lavish spread by my blogger friends who were part of Virtual Diwali Potluck-

1.Rasmalai by Kankana Saxsena
2 Mini Gulab Jamun by Rumela Roy
3. Malai Ladoo by Prerna Singh
4. Prawn Pulao by Chandrima Sarkar
5. Mutton Pantheras by Maumita Paul
6. Balushahi by Himanshu Taneja
7. Karachi Halwa by Soma Sengupta
8. Lilva Kachori by Binjal Pandya
9. Mysore Pak by Radhika Penagonda
10. Pal Kozhukatai by Vijitha Shyam

Airfried Tandoori Chicken In The Philips Airfryer | Product Review

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 10:34:00 -0700

"How to use Philips Airfryer to pamper yourself with an oil free Tandoori Chicken?" If you have been following me on Instagram you must be aware of my fondness for fried food items. I love Bhajis / Vadas / Potato fries, though in controlled portions. So when I get my hands on Philips Airfryer I was thanking God for giving me an early Diwali gift ! Every year during Diwali I get tempted to buy a new kitchen appliance and this year I'm proud owner of Philips Airfryer. The wonderful fryer has given me the freedom to indulge in all kinds of guilt free snacks. After using it I genuinely found Philips Airfryer to be a healthy alternative tool to avoid deep fried cooking.

For those of us who are used to cooking/heating food in Microwave, I would like to share a few unique points that sets apart Philips Airfryer from Microwaves. Firstly, the airfryer uses very hot air circulated around the food whereas the microwave emits electromagnetic waves using magnetron to heat up the molecules of the food. So instead of relying on radiation the airfryer uses the hot air to bring out the oil from within the food from it's innermost core. This eliminates the need to add any kind of oil whereas in microwave ovens while cooking you need to add oil even if it's a little . So if you are longing for crispy and dry foods like fried fish, chicken, potatoes, paneer, vegetables, mini pizzas,fritters etc. without having that guilty feeling of having oil with it, look no further. The answer for you to indulge in your favourite fried food sans oil has arrived in form of Philips Airfryer. So they have definitely made things better for foodies and non foodies across the world. Touche.

Ingredients:
3 Chicken leg quarters
1/2 Hung curd
2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Tandoori Chicken Masala powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp Onion powder
1 tsp Garam Masala powder

Method:
Make incisions on the chicken pieces as this helps the marinade to go all the way inside the chicken. Put all the above ingredients in a big mixing bowl and rub the marinade thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for overnight. Once I placed two pieces of marinated chicken in the basket and turned on the timer, the arifryer began to heat up from inside and I could well hear the sound of air getting evenly circulated.

After 20 minutes, I opened the basket and turned over the pieces and cooked it for another 10 minutes just to be doubly sure that the chicken pieces do not get stuck with each other. I didn't apply any oil with brush over chicken pieces but was pleasantly surprised with the juicy, perfectly cooked chicken.

The reddish look was achieved by Kashmiri red chili powder and it had the tinge of barbecue spots here and there. Well you have got to try it yourself to believe how delicious and easy it is to make OIL FREE recipes in Philips Airfryer!

Macher Chop (Bengali Style) | Fish Croquette

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 09:06:00 -0700

Macher Chop Recipe is my today's post, 'Maach' or 'Mach' means fish. Macher Chop is a favorite Bengali snack made with fish. Evening snacks play a vital role in Bengali households and 'Tele-bhaja' takes the lead which literally means deep fried fritters. Kolkata offers many such chops like Beetroot Chops, Keema or Aloo'r Chop to name a few. The vegetarian version of chop is supposed to be slightly on the sweeter side. But in all variations the outer shell has to be very crispy. The stuffing here is made with fish, cooked tossed with spices then dipped in egg mix and finally in breadcrumbs. It is served with Kashundi (Bengali Style Mustard Sauce), onions and black salt.

Ingredients:
5-6 Rui/ Katla fish or you can use any other boneless fish
2 Onions, finely chopped
3 Potatoes, boiled
4 Green chilies, chopped
1 tsp chopped Ginger
5 Garlic pods, chopped finely
1 tsp Bengali Garam masala
1 tsp roasted Cumin powder
1 tsp Chilly powder
2 Eggs
1 cup Breadcrumbs + 1 tbsp Onion powder
Black salt to sprinkle on top of croquette
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method:
There are two ways either you can boil fish or marinate with salt and fry then de-bone it. I always boil fish pieces with some salt and cook till they are tender. Drain, discard the water and allow it to cool. Remove the bones from the fish and mash it with fingers.

Peel off the skin of potatoes and keep aside. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add onion, green chilies, ginger, garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add minced fish and mix well. Add all the spices, mashed potato and fry till the mixture becomes dry. Allow the mixture to cool. Take a portion of mixture and make a ball and flatten into oval shape. Lightly beat the eggs with pinch of salt and transfer to a big bowl. Keep the plate ready with breadcrumbs near it. Dip each fish chop into egg batter and then rolled into breadcrumbs. Repeat this step twice to get the crispy crust outside. Keep all the cops in a flat tray and place it in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Heat oil in a deep pan or wok. Carefully slide 3-4 croquettes at a time and fry until golden brown in colour.
Use a kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Sprinkle some black salt over the chops. Serve these cutlets with ketchup or Kashundi and onion rings.

Tropical Overnight Oats in Jar | Healthy No Cook Breakfasts

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 1 Aug 2017 06:49:00 -0700

I am totally smitten and in love with Overnight Oats. And today's Tropical Overnight Oats Jar is something which suits my taste-buds. I mean what's there not to love this quick fix? It has season's king fruit - Mango, the toasted Coconut Flakes adds that extra zing along with papaya, pomegranate, banana which are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and very good for skin. You could use regular coconut flakes or shredded coconut in this Overnight Jar, for the extra crunchiness I have roasted coconut flakes. It's literally heaven inside a jar ! The best part is you can make it the night before and have this quick and fuss free breakfast on the go next day.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Old fashioned oats {NOT THE QUICK OATS}
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp Honey
1/4 cup Papaya, chopped into bite-size chunks
1/4 cup Pomegranate
1/4 cup Mango, diced
2 tsp Honey
1 tbsp unsweetened toasted Coconut flakes1 tbsp Chia seeds

Method:
Add chia, oats, honey, greek yogurt and coconut flakes in a bowl and mix together well . Place a fruit layer first in a mason jar. Pour the above oats mixture in the jar and on top garnish all the remaining fruits. Close the lid and refrigerate overnight. Take the jar out from the fridge next morning and enjoy every spoonful.

Mango Chia Overnight Oats | Healthy Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 05:32:00 -0700

Recipe of Mango Chia Overnight Oats :- Overnight Oats is like music to my ears. The popularity of these easy to make Overnight Oats are un-matachable, reason being many like incredibly easy fix for breakfast, simple to prepare the night before, power packed energy jar in no time to count a few. So if you have been trying to cut down time to prepare healthy breakfast, Overnight Oats is your answer. And the options are unlimited ! I now make 3 bottles at a one go for a quick rush free morning breakfast. Be creative and you can add any variety of your favorite toppings.

Today's post is Mango Chia Overnight Oats recipe. The choice is endless with dry fruits, chopped nuts, flower seeds, maple syrup and so on. All the below recipes are made with Old fashioned Oats also called regular old oats. Don't try to settle down with the steel -cut oats as they when soaked with milk overnight turned out chewy. The thumb rule is to add fruits, nuts, crunchy toppings at the last minute so that the chopped fruits, nuts remains fresh. Where as previous night you can add the seeds, spices along with yogurt and milk with old fashioned oats. After my workout session a glass of chilled Banana Oats Smoothie , Mango Lassi or Kiwi- Cucumber Juice along with few walnuts becomes my mid-time snack. I only use Quaker's old fashioned oats as the taste is really good.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Old fashioned oats {NOT THE QUICK OATS}
3/4 cup Almond milk
1 tbsp Honey
1/2 cup diced Mango
1 tsp Chia seeds
1 tsp Honey

Method:
In a bowl mix together chia, oats seeds, honey and milk and pour in a mason jar. Keep in mind that next day we will be filling the diced mangoes on top of this overnight soaked oats, so make sure to leave 2 inches of room at the top of mason jar. Close the lid and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning just pop it out from the refrigerator, add diced mangoes. Top with desired optional toppings.

Summer Special Falsa or Phalsa Juice | How To Make Falsey Juice

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 23:26:00 -0700

Botanical name of Falsey / Phalsa is Grewia Asiatica, a tiny looking purple fruit which is available during peak summer months (May- June). This delicate fruit, Phalsa, is a native of India and other sub-continent. During summers in North when heat wave is at it's peak, Falsey's consumption gives cooling effect. In most homes Falsa is eaten raw with a sprinkle of black pepper and salt. I still remember during our way back from school to home, a street vendor would be there at a corner selling huge batch of Falsey placed on a small wet jute, to keep it cool and from drying. It came with a special kind of Chat Masala which was a must to have with Falsa. And within few hours the huge batch of Falsa would be sold out in no time. Falsey is sweet with a hint of tanginess and is so refreshing that it vanishes as soon as it hits the market during summer.

The health benefits are plenty ! Rich in Potassium, Calcium, Vitamin C, low on Sodium and many more health benefits. It is the nature of Falsey that it's shelf life is short so it can not be transported to other cities, hence only in Northern region the small time street vendors are often seen selling Phalsa. Sadly they are rarely sighted these days selling these beautiful purple gems. Lack of knowledge of conservation and it's benefits could also be another reason of it's disappearance.

If you are looking for similar summer juices then click on the below recipes:-

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Falsey / Phalsa
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp Chat Masala powder or Black Salt
1/2 cup Chilled water + 1 cup for making sugar syrup
1/2 cup crushed Ice

Method:
Wash the fruit thoroughly in water and leave it for 15 minutes. Mix sugar and water to make sugar syrup. Boil water for 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Soak the cleaned falsa in sugar syrup and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add chilled water and pass it through a strainer, rub the pulp through the strainer to get rid of seeds. Pour into glasses over ice and serve them with mint leaves (optional). Generally the fruit seller give a special masala with it which is khatta-meetha. I love adding it to the juice as it brings out the best taste.

Quaker Feed A Child - Flags Off Feeding Drive in Chennai with Chef Vikas Khanna

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 08:08:00 -0700

I was invited by Quaker India, to be a part of Quaker Feed A Child campaign in Chennai this week. Quaker Feed A Child is an initiative that aims to bring a fistful of nutrition to lakhs of underprivileged children. To mark the launch, Quaker India along with celebrity Chef and Nutrition Brand Ambassador of PepsiCo Vikas Khanna was present for the cause. Popular actresses Shriya Saran and Meenakshi Dixit also wholeheartedly joined to share a meal with the children to mark the occasion.

Completely ignoring the scorching heat children came over happily wearing green caps and welcomed New York based Michelin starred celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, noted actresses Shirya Saran and Meenakshi Dikshit.
Deepika Warrier, Vice President - Nutrition Category PepsiCo India, says "According to recent reports nearly 3,000 children die daily in India due to poor diet related cases and hunger."
To combat this problem Quaker Feed A Child has committed to serve 200,000 under privileged children in India through various initiatives like Cook With Smile, Dine With Smile, Million Dollar through Smile Foundation.

Giving back to the society was the essence of the event, actress Shriya Saran recalls how her trips to a blind school in Delhi in her school days had a marking impression that later she opened a spa for visually challenged people in Mumbai. She said "I pledge my support to the Quaker Feed A Child initiative and applaud Quaker India and Smile Foundation for their efforts to bring smiles to the faces of hundreds of children in Tamilnadu."

In the same line PepsiCo's Nutrition Ambassador , Vikas Khanna said "The problem of hunger and malnutrition in India cannot be solved in a day and certainly can't be achievable by one person or entity, so if each of us makes small effort to help even one child, then only we can take a big leap towards ensuring no child sleeps without food."

Echoing the same sentiments actress Meenakshi Dixit said "Even after getting success in my film career, I was not getting inner peace. So when Smile Foundation approached me for supporting this initiative by Quaker, I grabbed the opportunity. I whole heartedly pledge my support to Quaker Feed A Child and urge everyone to feed one child everyday."

Later all the kids got a cap signed by none other than the handsome, humble chef -Vikas with a smile. And when the children enjoyed a fulfilling meal, this was the biggest take away.

I was feeling privileged to be a part of this wonderful event. Also meeting maestro Vikas Khanna was itself a dream come true. Leaving you with some memorable pictures of Quaker Feed A Child event.

Jhuri Aloo Bhaja Bengali Style | Julienne Potato Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 05:04:00 -0700

Jhir-Jhirey-Aloo-Bhaja is a traditional Bengali recipe where finely grated potato sticks are fried till crispy and crunchy. A favorite for all ages as the simplicity of the recipe appeals to all. Jhuri Aloo Bhaja as the name suggests is crispy fried potato julienne, one of a staple side dish at any Bengali home, best accompaniment for Dal-Rice. If you are looking for many such Bhaja / Bhajis that are regular at Bengali's kitchen do check out

Jhir-Jhirey Aloo Bhaja is a very simple recipe which are super addictive when tossed with few curry leaves and fried peanuts. Very little seasoning is needed as Chat masala, salt and red chili powder does the trick. These munchies are great for tea time snack also.

Ingredients:
3 large Potatoes
handful of Peanuts (optional)
2 sprigs of Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 Chat masala
1/4 tsp Red chili powder
A pinch of black salt
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut potatoes razor thin sticks with a sharp knife or you can use Mandoline (*see the video for reference below).

Transfer the thinly grated potato sticks on a sieve and run under tap water. Now take a bowl full of chilled water, rinse the potato in cold water to remove the surface starch.

Change the water again with chilled water and dip the grated potato sticks for half an hour. Heat oil in a deep fried pan. Fry peanuts in hot oil and keep aside. Now fry the curry leaves, drain and keep aside. Squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands and keep aside in plate. And divide the razor thin potato sticks into 5-6 batches as we can not crowd the pan /kadhai or else you will end up a huge lump of potato sticks. Add a pinch of turmeric and mix with a fork Do not add salt at this stage.

Fry one batch at a time and keep stirring as it will ensure even cooking. Fry till they turn crispy, sprinkle salt. Drain on an absorbent tissue. Repeat till all the batches are done. Sprinkle red chili powder, chat masala, fried peanuts and curry leaves. Crispy and super crunchy Jhuri Aloo Bhaja is ready to serve.

PepsiCo expands Nutrition Portfolio | Quaker Nutri Foods & Tropicana Essentials

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 07:12:00 -0700

What comes in your mind when you think of having something quick for breakfast cereals category? Perhaps Oats or Conrflaxes, right? World's renowned oats brand from Pepsico has launched Quaker Nutri Food ready to cook packet of goodness and Tropicana Essentials has introduced Tropicana Essentials Fruit & Veggies on 22nd of March 2017 at Chennai. When we talk about Quaker, it is a known fact that it is 130 years old and world leader in the oatmeal segment.

Commenting about the expansion, Deepika Warrier, Vice President, Nutrition Category - PepsiCo India said -" With the launch of Quaker Nutri Foods and Tropicana Essentials, we are moving one step ahead to become every consumer's journey towards a healthier lifestyle. She also said that they had got into global mapping of breakfast patterns to understand the micro and macro nutrients."

Quaker Nutri Foods
Keeping South Indian consumers taste bud in mind and of course the rushed lifestyles of office goers, there is a need for healthy options. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the main key growth market for them. So PepsiCo India is certain that income should not be the barrier to have a proper balanced meal. The new range includes Quaker Nutri Upma and Quaker Nutri Khichdi, Quaker Nutri Idli and Quaker Nutri Dosa, with the goodness of up to 40% -56% Quaker oats to make mornings healthy. Within a week I found the newly launched packets in various departmental stores, More, Spencer to name a few. Since the target is economic class, the prices are INR.40 for 40 gms to start with. All the new varieties will be available in 40g and 150g packs across all stores.
I personally tried Quakers Nutri Dosa and Quaker Nutri Umpa, both tasted good.

Tropicana Essentials
Those who are not familiar with Tropicana, it's world's number one packaged juice brand! On 22nd March 2017, the Tropicana essentials has introduced 'Fruit & Veggies, with Vitamin A and Vitamin C present in fruits and vegetables to the people of Tamil Nadu. So now whole family can enjoy the delicious range of functional juices that have been created skillfully to combat the deficiencies in Indian urban diets and lifestyle. WHO recommends consuming 5 servings of fruits and veggies in a day, a study by ICRIER found that Indians consume only 3.5 servings. So the picture is younger generation and students were found to consume much less what is being prescribed. Every packet of 200 ml pack of Tropicana Essentials- Fruit & Veggie delivers the goodness of juice of one serve of fruit and veggies each. April 2017 will see the launch of another juice product in the Tropicana essentials category.

Royal Oreo Brownie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:44:00 -0700

Friends, am I so thrilled to share with you one of the most delicious and chewy dessert of all times. Does the name tempts you that is Royal Oreo Brownie! What not to love about it? I call it Royal because it's got Oreo when mixed with brownie batter is a sure winner. I did a guest post on Lubna's blog during last Christmas when she was hosting Christmas special baked goodies. You could check my post at Yummy Food by Lubna Karim. I guarantee you that the taste of this brownie drowned with coffee would truly make this phrase come alive that “ Way to heart is through the stomach”. Not to mention the emotions of the movie would ensure that you finish up this meal in no time. So please try this exercise and I guarantee that both of you would have a time of your lives.
Do check out my earlier brownie recipe which is my most searched recipe on my blog 'Nutty Dark Chocolate Brownie'

Ingredients:
1 cup plain Flour plus extra for dusting
140 gms Caster Sugar
3 tbsp Cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 cup melted Butter (unsalted)
100 gms Dark Chocolate, grated or finally chopped
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp Vanilla extract
150 pack of Oreo cookies, broken into pieces
Marshmallows (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 Degree Celsius, grease a 9 inch square baking tin and line with baking paper with extra hanging over the sides. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and make a well in the center.

Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, remove form heat and add grated chocolate. Leave to stand for few a minutes or until the chocolate melts and then stir together. Whisk the eggs one at a time and pour it in the well of dry ingredients. Combine well and then add broken Oreo cookies again stir until fully combined. Evenly spread batter in the pan and bake for 40 minutes. Just before 5 minutes of finishing time I did add some marshmallows but you can totally omit this step. Let the brownies cool in the pan for an hour or two. Pull the brownies out with the extended baking paper, cut them into squares and serve.

Nutella Swirled Moist Banana Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 04:32:00 -0800

Make Nutella Swirled Banana bread whenever you have over ripe bananas sitting at home. The moist bread tastes delicious as the addition of nutella adds more flavour. Don't believe me? Then simple make and watch it go vanish in no time. This Nutella Swirled Mosit Banana bread is great method to turn over ripe bananas into a hero ! Do try this moist and tender loaf, bursting with banana flavour and irresistible nutella.

You can also check out my Eggless Whole Wheat Banana Bread or even Banana Walnut Bread. Both the recipes have been appreciated by my readers who have tried it on their own.
I remember that whenever I watched British sitcoms, during tea time such type of cakes were surely served and that ensured that the conversation went on along with the munching of cakes and sipping tea. Another advantage is that all the ingredients are easily available at home and no need to go to high end stores to purchase them.

Ingredients:
3 Ripe Bananas, mashed
1 cup Nutella
1 1/4 cups Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Butter (unsalted) {Room temperature}
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
Pinch of Salt

Method
Pre-heat oven to 180 Degree Celsius and lightly grease and flour a 9 * 5 inch loaf pan. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

In a bowl peel and mash the bananas using a fork and keep aside. In a mixing bowl melt the butter in a microwave for few seconds and let it cool slightly. Add sugar into it and beat until light in color. Add one egg at a time and beat with sugar batter. Fold in the mashed bananas until just combined.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix till they are uniformly blended {Do Not Over beat}. Heat the nutella in a microwave for about 10-20 seconds to soften it. Drizzle 1/2 of nutella over the banana batter. Pour batter even into the pan and pour remaining nutella and make a thick swirl with a skewer throughout the loaf.

Place the baking pan on a baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the pan to cool for 20 minutes and then transfer it to a wire rack.