Date and Walnut Cake

Merry Christmas to all... may peace and happiness fills your heart 🎅🏼

We all have some sweet and naughty stories to tell of our childhood..... This recipe takes me back to my teenage, almost 30 years back. I being a teenager, was learning to open up my wings... exploring new things. I was always found of cooking.. as my school always encouraged us for the extra curricular activities - we had cooking class in our school. I had got this recipe from one of my neighbour Aunty, since this recipe content rum... me and my friend became very excited about this recipe. We use to buy a quarter bottle rum... half went into the cake and the other half into our stomach... with Bryan Adams songs playing at the background....

and my mother screaming at another end.

Later there was a Savvy magazine contest about the dishes you can store for a longer period of time... I had posted this recipe to them and this recipe was selected...

This cake can be prepared for any occasions... 

This cake is moist and the taste is amazing. Please eat a day after you bake... this cake can be store for 2 months in the freezer. Wrap it in a foil and then in a sealed bag..

Ingredients

500 grams of Dates deseeded and chopped

200 grams of Walnuts chopped

50 grams of Black Raisins deseeded and chopped

50 grams of Truti Fruti

500 grams Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 to A cup of Rum

6 Eggs

4 tbsp Ghee

3 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat flour

3 tsp Soda Bicarbonate

3 cups of Water

Method

Soak the chopped walnuts in rum for a day or more. Boil 3 cups of water, switch off the flame. Add the dates, raisins, truti fruti, sugar, salt, ghee and the soda bicarbonate. Cover and keep it aside to cool. Beat the eggs. Add the eggs and the the flour gradually into the date mixture and beat it. Add the walnut soaked in rum and mix it again. Take 4 baking mould - 2 of 1/2 kg and 2 of 250 grams each. Grease the baking moulds. Pour the batter up to 1/2 the baking mould. Bake the cake at 180 degrees for an hour approximately in an pre heated oven. Check the cake by inserting a tooth pick after 50 minutes, as different oven has different temperature levels. Once done, remove the cake. Cool the cake and remove from the mould. Cool it further on a cooling rack. Enjoy the cake the next day... this cake can be stored in a freezer for 2 months. Wrap the cake in a foil paper and then keep it in a sealed bag.

Baked Chingri Begun

This is a side dish made with prawns and brinjal. Though the wet paste made with mustard seeds and other ingredients are commonly used in Bengali dishes to make Jhal, Paturi, Bhapa etc, and even brinjal is a common ingredient used along with fish to make curry, here I have tried out the recipe in a bit different way... 

This dish can be made with other small fishes. 

You can serve this dish with steamed rice.

Ingredients 

1 medium size Bharta Baigan / Brinjal 

10 to 12 medium size  Prawns cleaned and deveined
1 small Onion or 1/4 part of the Onion

4 to 5 Garlic Cloves 

4 to 6 Green Chillies as per the spiciness you require 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut  

1 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Poppy seeds

1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

2 tbsp + 1 tsp Mustard Oil 

2 tbsp Curd (Optional)

Method 

Take the brinjal, cut the brinjal from the center horizontally leaving the end tail part of the brinjal intact. Scoop out the inner part of the brinjal on both the sides. Keep it aside. Now chop the scooped flesh of the brinjal and keep it aside. Take a grinder, add the onion, green chillies, garlic, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, coconut, turmeric powder and salt. Add little water and 2 tbsp of curd (optional), make a smooth paste. Rub little salt on the inner and outer parts of the brinjal.  Take a bowl, add the prawn, chopped brinjal flesh, coriander leaves, 2 tbsp mustard oil and the paste. Mix all the ingredients together. Now stuff the prawn stuffing on one side of scooped brinjal. Cover it with the other side of the brinjal. Tie up the brinjal with a thread. Keep the stuffed brinjal in the refrigerator for an hour, Remove the brinjal from the fridge.  Place the brinjal into a baking tray, pour the remaining mustard oil, and apply the oil on the brinjal. To bake, you can either bake it in a preheated OTG at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the brinjal after 10 minutes to cook it evenly or to bake it on a gas stove, take a wok, place a pressure cooker stand into the wok, cover the the wok for 5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid, place the tray on the cooker stand. Cover the lid and bake for 10 minutes on medium low flame, after 10 minutes turn the side then continue to cook for another 20 minutes with the lid covered. Remove the baking tray from the wok. Remove the thread, place the brinjal on a serving plate and open one side of the brinjal. Pour in the liquid of the baked brinjal and prawns. Garnish with coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve the dish with hot steaming rice.

Pork ar Tomato r Acchar

Pickle making is my passion, I love to develop new pickle recipes,  specially when it comes to non veg pickles adding up with vegetables...This is a Bengali style meat and tomato pickle. You can use any meat, here I have used pork. 

For the Masala

Ingredients 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Coriander seeds 

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

25 Garlic Cloves 

2 to 3 small piece of Ginger 

10 to 15 Green Chillies depending upon the spiciness you require

Method 

Take a grinder, add the dry ingredients and coarsely grind into a powder. Keep it aside. 

Now grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies into a coarse paste without adding any water, keep it aside. 

Pork and Tomato Acchar 

Ingredients 

250 grams Pork meat + 125 pork fat cut into small pieces 

375 grams Ripe Tomato chopped into small cubes 

Dry Masala powder 

Wet Masala

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1 1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Panch Phoran 

1/2 cup Vinegar 

1/4 cup + 1/4 cup Mustard oil

Method 

Take a strainer, add the pork pieces along with the pork fat in the strainer, sprinkle and apply salt on the pork, keep it aside for an hour or two for draining out the extra water. Pour 1/4 cup mustard oil in a heavy bottom pan. Let it heat up, add the pork pieces and fry the pork until golden in colour on a low medium flame. Remove and keep it aside. In the same pan, add the panch phoran, sauté for few seconds. Add the wet paste. Add the remaining mustard oil. Sauté and cook the paste on a low flame until the oil separates from the masala. Now add the tomato pieces. Sauté and cook the tomatoes until the tomatoes have become pulpy and the oil has separated from the tomatoes. Add the pork, continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add the dry masala, salt, sugar, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the flame and add 1/4 cup of vinegar, stir and then add the remaining vinegar and stir, let the pickle cool down completely. Store the pickle in a dry glass container. This pickle can be preserved for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. 

Saoji Chicken Curry

Halba Kosti Tribes from Madhaya Pradesh, who are weavers by professions came to Vidharba region of Maharastra Nagpur and  settled there. They settled in large numbers and took up job at Empress Mill. They introduced Saoji Cuisine, their cuisine is fiery hot and spicy that needs an acquired taste.  It’s the unique spice blend that makes the difference, it’s is slow cooked and linseed oil is used in the authentic recipe. Each house adds their twist to the spices.  The recipes are closed guarded secret to each family. In 70s the first Saoji joint was opened in Nagpur, there after now many restaurants have opened selling Saoji Cuisine. They are mainly non vegetarian having mutton, chicken, fish. The cuisine is now known to the world by word of mouth. 

For Saoji Masala 

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Coriander seeds 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Shahi Jeera 

8 Dry Red Patna Chillies  

8 to 10 Black pepper corns

1 inch Cinnamon stick 

1 Black Cardamom 

4 Green Cardamom 

4 Cloves 

1/2 Nutmeg 

1 Star Anise 

1 tsp Dagad Phool / Stone Flower 

1/4 piece Nutmeg 2 Bay leaves 

1 tsp Poppy Seeds or White Sesame Seeds

1 tsp Rice

2 tbsp Dry Grated Coconut / Dessicated coconut 

1/2 tbsp Chana Dal   / Split Chickpeas 

3 Bay leaves 

Method 

Take a pan,  on a low heat stir and roast Coriander seeds, Split Chickpeas, Rice, Cumin seeds,  poppyseeds or sesame seeds, cinnamon, cloves, black and green cardamom, nutmeg, star anise, pepper, bay leaves, stone flower, whole red chillies and dry grated coconut . Roast until you get an aroma out of the spices. Cool the spices down and then grind the spices into a powder. 

To make the Saoji Chicken 

Ingredients 

1 kg County Chicken / Gavti Murgi / Komdi cut into pieces 

2 Onions sliced 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1 tsp Ginger paste

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

2 Bay leaves 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Spicy Chilli powder 

3 tbsp of the Saoji Masala 

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup Oil 

Method 

Take a pan, add a tbsp oil, fry the onion until brown, cool it down and make a paste with little water. Take the saoji masala, add little water and make a paste.. 

Take a pot, add oil, add bay leaves, add ginger and garlic paste, sauté for few seconds. Add the fried onion paste, sauté for a minute, add few chopped coriander leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder, Saoji masala paste,  chicken and salt. Stir and cook the ingredients on a low flame. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Open the lid, now add a cup of water. Stir, cover  and let it cook for another 15 minutes. Open the lid, add 2 cups  of  water, close the lid and cook until the chicken has cooked. Garnish with chopped coriander.  Serve the chicken with Roti, bhakri or rice. 

Chicken Chaap

The Nawabs moved to Murshidabad from Dhaka in 18th century, they introduced Awadhi cuisine to Bengal. This cuisine became a part of Bengali Muslim Culture. They introduced many dish, the Biriyani and Chicken Chaap became a combination which is sold in many of the old Muslim restaurants in Kolkata. 

Chicken Chaap
My memories take me back to my childhood where every summer my visit to Kolkata and visiting Nizam or Shiraj or Royal Indian Hotel for the chicken Chaap, Rezala and Biriyani with my cousin was a must.
The chicken full leg marinated and fried in ghee is a rich affair. There are lots of ingredients that goes into the marination.
I followed the recipe from you tube channel Uttar Bangla shared by Royal Indian Hotel which I found relatively easy to make with less ingredients.

Ingredients 

2 Chicken Full Leg pieces, make few slits on the chicken. 

1 1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Garlic paste 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1 tsp Red Chilli powder 

2 tbsp Sattu 

4 tbsp Curd

1 tsp Kewra water

2 drops Meeta Athar 

2 pinches of Saffron soaked in 3 tbsp of water

1/2 cup Ghee

Method 

Take a bowl, add curd, saffron water, ginger, garlic, salt, chilli powder, garam masala powder, sattu, kewra water and meetha athar. Mix all the ingredients very well. Add the chicken legs, apply the marination to the chicken. Keep the chicken for 2 hours. Take a heavy bottom pan, add the ghee. Once the ghee melts, add the marinated  chicken. Fry the chicken pieces on both the side on a low flame until almost tender turning the chicken pieces occasionally. Add in the marination and 1/4 cup of water. Cook the chicken in the marination, turning the sides occasionally until the chicken is tender and the masalas have cooked well. Serve the chicken chaap with Biriyani, Pulao or Porotha. 

Beetroot er Sandesh

May this Bijoya Dashami light up for you, the hopes of happiness, peace and prosperity !

Bijoya Dashami marks the end of Durga Puja. It is  celebrated differently across India. It’s the celebration of good over evil. In Bengal it is celebrated after the MA Durga idol is immersed. Young seeks blessings from the elders and share sweets. Men embrace (Kola - Kuli) each other, to wish Subho Bijoya. 

Beetrooter Sandesh 

This is a healthy sweet dish to be shared during Bijoya with your loved ones. 

Ingredients 

1 small Beetroot boiled and puréed 

1 cup Chana / Cottage cheese mashed 

2 to 3 tbsp Date Jaggery 

Ghee to apply on the sandesh mould

Method 

Take a pan, add the beetroot puree, on a low flame stir and cook the purée for a minute. Add the chana and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture has dried up a bit. Add the jaggery and continue to cook until it forms into a lump, and yet it is soft. Switch off the flame. Take the sandesh out on a plate. Let it cool down. Mix the sandesh dough well. Take the mould, apply ghee.  Take a small portion of the sandesh and shape up the sandesh with help of the mould. Remove the sandesh from the mould and serve. 

Goan Fish Cutlet

These fish cutlets are delicious and can be served with evening tea as snacks or appetiser. These fish cutlets takes me back to Bandra where I had lived for many years. I had few good friends who stayed near my building. One of the friend had a Maharastrian cook. Very frequently, we use to visit my friend’s place for the afternoon adda and cha. This was one the dish that was commonly made and served with tea at my friend’s place, or some time we use to get these cutlets from a local Goan Food Outlet near Bandra Market. 

Now only memories remains of our good old days. 

Ingredients 

2 big Mackerels washed, cleaned and boiled with salt and turmeric. Deboned and shredded

1 Medium size Onion chopped finely 

4 to 5 Garlic Cloves chopped 

2 to 3 Green Chillies Chopped

1 small piece of Ginger chopped 

1 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Vinegar or Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1 tsp Goan Garam Masala powder 

1 Egg

2 Bread pieces soaked in water and squeezed 

1/2 cup Fine Semolina 

1/2 cup Oil for Shallow Fry

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add the shredded fish, Onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves, bread, salt, vinegar or lime juice and garam masala powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the egg and mix the ingredients together until it binds well. Take the semolina in a plate. Take a lemon size ball and flatten it. Coat the semolina on all the sides of the  cutlets. Take oil in a pan. Let the oil heat. Fry the cutlets on low medium heat until golden brown on both the sides. Remove the fish cutlets on a paper towel. Serve the hot fish cutlets with tomato sauce. 

Instant Vegetable Idli with Oats and Semolina

This is a very quick and healthy breakfast or snacks recipe that can be served for the children in their lunch boxes too. 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup Rice Flour 

1 cup Fine Semolina 

1 cup Oats

Half medium size Carrot Grated 

Half medium size Beet root Grated 

1/2 cup Curd 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Eno 

1 cup or more Water

Method 

Take a bowl, add rice flour, oats, semolina, salt, grated vegetables and curd. Mix all the ingredients, gradually add water and mix the ingredients until it’s a thick dropping consistency. Keep the batter for 15 minutes, add the eno and mix it gently once more. Pour in the batter in the  greased idli mould. Steam the idlis for 20 minutes until they are cooked. Remove the idli mould from the steamer and wait for 5 minutes till the idlis have cooled a bit. Remove the idlis from the mould and serve the healthy idlis with a chutney of your choice. 

Home style Chicken Biryani made in Pressure Cooker

This is one of the way I make Chicken Biryani at home. A quick easy way to enjoy, when you crave for home cooked Chicken Biryani. This is a Bengali style Chicken Biryani.

Chicken Marination 

Ingredients 

750 grams Chicken pieces cleaned and washed 

1 small Onion paste 

3 to 4 Green Chilli paste

8 medium size Garlic Cloves paste

1 small piece of Ginger paste 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala powder

( 3 Green Cardamom, 3 Cloves and 1 medium size Cinnamon stick ground into powder)

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Red Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup Curd

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Mix onion, garlic, ginger and chilli paste together. Take a bowl, added a curd, ground paste, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and mustard oil. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the chicken pieces and marinate the chicken for minimum one hour. 

To cook the Rice 

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup of Basmati Rice washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes 

4 cups of Water

Salt to taste 

6 Pepper Corn

3 Cloves 

3 Green Cardamom 

1 small stick Cinnamon 

2 Bay leaves 

Method 

Take a pot, add water, salt, whole Garam masala and bay leaves. Let the water boil. Add the soaked rice. Let the the rice cook till it’s 50 percent done. Strain the water and leave the rice in the strainer. 

To make the Chicken Dum Biryani 

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken 

Half cooked Rice 

2 big size Potatoes cut into big chunks 

1 medium size Onion sliced 

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

2 tbsp Biriyani Masala 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk

2 Pinch of Saffron 

1 tsp Kewra water

2 to 3 Drops of Mitha Attar

1/2 cup Mustard Oil

3 tbsp Melted Ghee 

Method 

Add the saffron into the milk and keep it aside. Take a pressure cooker, add oil. Let the oil heat. Rub salt on the potato chunks. Add the potatoes into the oil, add turmeric powder. Fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. Add the onion and stir fry on low flame until golden brown in colour. Remove half the fried onion and keep it aside. In the same oil, add the marinated chicken. Stir occasionally and cook the chicken for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the Biriyani masala. Stir and cook for another minute. Add 1 cup of water. Let the chicken simmer for 5 minutes. Switch of the flame. Add the rice and spread the rice well. Drizzle the saffron milk on the rice. Drizzle the ghee. Sprinkle the fried onion and coriander leaves. Drizzle the kewra water and mitha attar. Put the cooker lid on. On a very low flame, let the Biriyani cook on Dum for 15 minutes , switch off the flame just before the first whistle. Let the pressure release. Open the lid and serve the Chicken Dum Biryani with mint Raita or any raita of your choice. 

Papoder Jhal Kasundi Diye

Papoder Jhal was one of the popular dish in our house, made by my mother on a vegetarian day. It was one of my father’s favourite dish. Another dish loved was Papoder Dalna. It’s a simple and a quick ghoroa ranna (simple home cooked dish). Urid dal Papad is used to make this dish. My Ma used mustard seed paste ground with green chillies instead of Kasundi. I have used home made Aam Kasundi, it can be made with store bought Kasundi. This dish is eaten with hot steaming rice during lunch.

Ingredients
6 Pieces of Urid dal Papad cut into halves
1 medium size Tomato cut into wedges
2 to 3 Green Chillies slit
1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds / Kallonji
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Aam Kasundi or 2 tbsp Mustard paste
1/2 cup Mustard Oil for frying the Papad

Method
Take oil in a wok. Let it heat up. Reduce the flame and fry the papads and keep it aside. Leave 2 tbsp of oil in the wok and remove rest of the oil. Add the nigella seeds. Let it crackle. Add the tomato and the green chillies. Sauté for few seconds. Add the turmeric powder and salt. Continue to sauté for a minute more. Add the Aam Kasundi, stir and sauté for 1 minute or the tomato becomes little soft. Add 3/4 cup of water. Let the curry simmer for a minute. Add the fried papads, continue to simmer for another minute. Switch off the flame. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve the dish with hot steaming rice.

Maacher Tel - Potkar Chorchori

When we buy a whole big fish or a part of a big fish, generally people discard the inner parts of the fish, like liver, intestine and fats, but we Bengalis use these for cooking. We use these inner organs of the fish to make a mishmash dish by adding potatoes, brinjal and onions to it or we make Maacher Teler bora. This dish is not a known dish nor available in any Bengali restaurants.
Only a person who has eaten this dish can tell how delicious it is. This goes well with steaming hot rice.
Here I have used the fats, intestine and liver from a big Katla Fish. After cooking, eat the dish the next day, it taste even better.

Ingredients
150 grams of the Fish Fats, Liver and Intestine washed,  cleaned and cut into pieces
2 medium size Potatoes cut into small cubes
2 medium size Onions sliced
1 Brinjal around 200 grams cut into cubes
2 to 3 Green Chillies slit
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
4 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method
Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt into the fish fat, liver and intestine. Mix all the ingredients well. Take a wok, add the mustard oil, once the oil is hot, add the fish fat, liver and intestine into the oil. Fry it until brown in colour. Be very careful while frying these fish organs as the oil tends to splatter and you can get burn. Remove the fish fat, liver and intestine and keep it aside. In the same oil add the onions and the green chillies. Stir and fry the onions for a minute. Add in the potatoes and brinjal. Stir and continue to cook on a low flame for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger paste. Stir and continue to cook for another minute. Add the salt, turmeric, cumin powder and chilli powder. Stir and cover the wok. On a low flame let it cook, stirring the ingredients occasionally. Once the potatoes are cook, add the fried fish fat, liver and intestine. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. It taste best when eaten the next day. Serve it with hot steaming rice.

Kosha Mangsho

This is a very popular traditional Bengali dish cooked on special festivals and occasions... 

The mutton has to be well marinated, it’s ideally marinated overnight in the refrigerator, but minimum 4 to 5 hours of marination is a must.

The mutton is sautéed and slow cooked for an hour or two. It’s is called Koshano in Bengali and hence it’s called Khosha Mangsho / Bhuna hua Mutton. The gravy is rich and dark brown in colour. 

Normally no water is added for cooking this dish, but incase the gravy dries up while cooking then add little water as required.  This dish is served with roti, luchi or porotha.

For Marinating the Mutton 

Ingredients 

1 kg Mutton pieces 

2 Onion and 4 Green Chillies ground into paste

1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic paste

Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

2 tsp Red Chilli powder 

1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala powder

1 cup Curd

1/4 cup Mustard oil

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients well and let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator or at least marinate the mutton for 4 to 5 hours minimum.

For the Kosha Mangsho 

Ingredients 

Marinated Mutton 

2 to 3 Medium size Onion sliced 

1 tsp Ginger and Garlic paste

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Sugar 

1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala 

4 Green Cardomom 

4 Cloves 

2 small stick Cinnamon 

6 to 8 Pepper corn

2 to 3 Bay leaves 

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

2 tbsp Ghee

Method

Take a pot, add 1/2 cup mustard oil and let it heat. Reduce the flame, add cardomom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaves. Let the whole garam masala crackle. Add the sliced onions. Sauté and let the onions cook until light golden brown in colour. Add the salt to taste and sugar. Stir for a minute. Add ginger - garlic paste, sauté it for a minute.  Add the marinated mutton pieces. Stir and cook on low flame for 15 minutes. Cover the pot, continue to cook on low heat for an hour, stirring the mutton occasionally. Open the lid, stir the mutton. Once the mutton is tender, add 2 tbsp mustard oil, ghee and 1/4 cup of water. Stir and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle the powdered garam masala on top of the mutton. Cover and let the mutton stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve the kosha Mangsho hot with roti, porotha or luchi. 

Soya Ball Spaghetti

According to the net source, Spaghetti and meat ball was innovative in the 20th century by the Italian immigrants of New York. It’s an Italian-American dish. 

I have replaced the meat and used Soya Chunks. 

Boiled Spaghetti 

Ingredients 

Half Packet of Spaghetti 

Salt to taste

Method 

Cook the spaghetti in a pot of boiling salt water as per the instructions given on the packet. Drain the spaghetti and keep it aside. 

To make the Soya Balls 

Ingredients 

20 - 25 Soya Chunks boiled and water squeezed out

2 Bread pieces 

2 Garlic Cloves 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tsp Dried Parsley

Oil to fry the Soya balls

Method

Add all the above ingredients into a grinder and grinder all the ingredients together into a fine paste. Roll out small lemon size balls.  Keep the soya balls for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.  Fry the soya balls until golden brown in colour. Remove the soya balls and keep the soya balls on a paper towel. 

To make the Sauce 

Ingredients 

2 big size Tomatoes blanched, peel the skin and chopped . 

2 Tomato puréed 

2 medium size Onion chopped 

2 tbsp chopped Garlic Cloves 

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Black Pepper powder 

1 tsp Dried Basil 

1 Bay Leaf 

Fried Soya Balls

Boiled Spaghetti 

Grated Parmesan Cheese for garnish 

2 tbsp Olive Oil

Method 

Take a sauce pan, add the oil, let the oil heat up. Add the garlic, onion and bay leaf. Sauté the onion and garlic till translucent. Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, sugar and salt. Stir for few seconds, add 1/2 cup water and cover the pan. Let it simmer for 20 minutes on a low flame. Remove the lid, stir,  add the pepper powder and dried basil. Stir it once more and let it simmer for another 10 minutes on a low flame. Switch off the flame and add the soya balls, stir the sauce once.

To serve the Soya Ball Spaghetti

Take a plate, add the boiled Spaghetti. Pour in the Sauce on the Spaghetti. Sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese and serve hot. 

    

Review - Ishaara

Ishaara is a newly launched modern Indian family restaurant at Palladium Mall Lower Parel started by Prashant Issar and Anuj Shah. As you enter the restaurant, the cheerful staff welcomes you with a beautiful smile on their faces and leads you to your table. The name of the restaurant says it all ‘Ishaara’. It’s a restaurant with a difference. Most of the service staff here communicates in sign languages with the customers. The restaurant hires differently able people and trains them in restaurant hospitality and provides them jobs at this restaurant. Though they have speech and impairment problems, they are people with great performance, wonderful gesture, always passionate and happy. Over all it’s was fun and a new level of experience interacting with the staff.
The teak furnitures and the lovely interiors makes the place looks very pleasant and lively. It’s an environmentally friendly place as you see lots of plants around. This place uplifts your mood.

The restaurant serves experimental, traditional Indian comforting and delicious food from across the regions with a contemporary look.

Chef’s Tasting Menu - Non Vegetarian 

This Tasting review was arranged by the The Nomad Foodie... 

To being with, we were served some Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian starters.

Sweet Potato Brûlée - The Sweet Potato were roasted and served with yogurt - the Chaat style which enhanced the flavours of the dish.

Chole Keema Samosa - This combination dish was to die for. It’s was amazing. The chole was well cooked with flavours of the Khada masala.

Tandoori Broccoli - The broccoli was well cooked and it was well accompanied with Creme Fraiche.

Dungar Chicken Tikka - The chicken was soft and it went well with the garlic yogurt and the sesame and curry patta powder chutney.

Sago Tikki - The sago tikki was stuffed with red cabbage. It was delicious, but the previous dishes over powered this dish.

The starters were followed by the main course.

Calicut King Fish Curry - The fish curry was delicious and a bowl of steamed rice is the perfect combination with the fish. 

Goan Green Chicken Curry - The chicken was well cooked and delicious.

Dal Havile - Out of the world. It was well cooked and the texture was creamy. The flavours of the masala was well blended in the dal. You can see the ghee on the dal that enhanced the taste more. 

Kashmiri Tehari - The dish was flavourful and delicious.

The main dishes were accompanied with Naan and Rogani Roti.

After all the good food, it has to be dessert..

Lemon and Pistachio Tart - The dessert was absolutely refreshing and delicious.

Gajar Halwa Crumbs was served complimentary. It was delicious and less sweet.

The best part is that you can parcel the leftovers. So zero wastage on food.
To enjoy some good things in life, you must visit this restaurant to experience the pleasant ambience and delicious food.

The Nomad Foodie Group

The Nomad foodie group left the venue satisfied and happy.

Enjoy the video of Ishaara