Bengali Five Spice Chronicles – Wintery Round Up
Right after Thanksgiving begins the shopping frenzy, when we think of all things gift giving. Whether it is Christmas, Hanukah or just the time of the year where you look to notice some people on your list. If you are like me, chances are you are thinking of traveling to visit your family, far away! Well, that and I am waiting for my new I-phone, which has been ordered but is wait listed. Here is a collection of recipes from the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles. Something I am calling my Wintery Round Up.
Christmas in India
Yes, Christmas is when we get to wind down and take off for India. It allows me to refresh my thoughts and hearts. All through sights, sounds and an assortment of food memories. There is something magical about Christmas in India. Then again India is always magical, even though New York is now home.
Time for Food and Fun
This is also the time for cooking, parties, and noshing. Here are a few ways to get the comfort flavors of Bengal. Onto your table, after all, what is a party without some novelty. If you have my book and need some inspiration. Or if you are looking for something different (hint, time to buy the book). Here is my wintery mix perfect for the months of December and January.
Travel Without Leaving Home
In fact, if you are looking for some ways to travel, without leaving home, possibly just through reading and cooking. May I suggest that you consider getting yourself or someone on your list, The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles. It will offer you a collection of recipes (over 200 of them to be specific). And a very personal narrative of the culture and culinary heritage of Eastern India.
At under $25 what do you have to lose?
Go Regional
BTW, this book is also a great stocking stuffer or a grab bag gift. And, let’s face it, if you are really looking for the real deal when it comes to Indian food, you do need to go regional!
Sure, all things Bengali pretty much start with my book.
If you wish you can meander to other parts of India as well, as far as I can tell there is Punjab, Gujarat and South India as well.
Fifteen Recipes for a Round Up
In the spirit of celebrating winter, here is a round of 15 recipes, from the Bengali Five Spice Chronicles, which is perfect for winter indulgence and simple, soulful Indian cooking all year round. Don’t take my word for it, ask the spice scribe and she will vouch for me.
1. Simple and Indulgent Starters
- Bengali Onion Rings: This ever popular snack is perfect right off the skillet. It is how we keep warm in the monsoons, and certainly will help you “beat the chills” on a cold evening after shopping. Serve them to your guests and they are sure to be delighted! Did I tell you that they were both gluten-free and vegan?
- Vegetable Chop: Few things beat the glory of the amazingly crisp and delicious croquette we Bengalis call chop. My book has a few interesting versions, but my favorite variety is the mixed vegetable version on page 243. Nicely enriched with roots such as beetroots and carrots, studded with crunchy peanuts, how can you go wrong?
Winter Vegetables
Winter tables might seem a little sparse, with roots and winter squashes, however, if you know what you are doing with them there is a lot of fun to be had. In the words of Dr. Seuss, “It’s fun to have fun, you have to know how!”
Bengali Mashed Potatoes Rock
- Bengali Spiced Mashed Potatoes (the picture shows my version with addictive lentil fritters). This simple home-style recipe puts the spark in our favorite root vegetable, you will find the recipe on pg 99).
The good news is that if you like it, there are variations for squash and taro as well. This is ultimate comfort food, served simply with rice and lentils.
More Winter Vegetables
4.Turnips and Green Peas in a Coconut Sauce: If you think turnips are boring, this delicate dish with diced turnips and peas simmered in coconut milk will make you think again. This dish on page 139 is quick and easy to put together. It is simple, festive and indulgent and healthy, what more can you ask for?
5. Winter Squash and Swiss Chard: The Bengali table is brimming with greens and pumpkins, here is a traditional recipe that works beautifully with various varieties of Winter Squash and of course bright and soft red chard. This dish on page 142, is usually served as part of the evening meal.
And then Came Cabbage
6. Cabbage with Potatoes and Green Peas: Way too many people complain about the boring lack luster nature of cabbage. Well, anything stewed overly long without the right companions will appear somewhat bland and lifeless, don’t you think? To cure the cabbage of its boring lifeless, try my recipe for cabbage with green peas and potatoes, one of the staples from my mother. Simple, unpretentious and comforting.
7. Winter Squash or Pumpkin with Chickpeas – When in season there can never be enough, so here is another squash recipe (featured on page 137) as they say, for the road. The Kumro chokka, is actually often a part of a festive vegetarian meal and as featured here is served with puffy fried breads called luchi.
Lentils, Lentils, Lentils
8. Red Lentils with Tomato and Cilantro: A cornerstone of the Indian table, lentils are that simple and comforting fare that is perfect for warming up. With a selection of almost 20 recipes, it was hard to nail down one. Finally, I picked my son’s favorite recipe, which is also one of my all-time childhood favorites. These red lentils with cilantro are perfect as a soup or with steamed rice as a complete meal.
Fish and Seafood
Not unlike the Mediterranean diet, the Bengali table is proliferated with Fish and some seafood like shrimp.
9. Fish Curry with Mustard and Tomatoes: Here is a beautiful full-flavored recipe that works well with mackerel, a reasonable substitute for the Hilsa, and almost as rich in essential Omega 3 fatty acids. But, honestly who cares about all that if the dish tastes good. This recipe works wonderfully with carp or rainbow trout as well.
10. Shrimp Korma: A weeknight salvation! This dish has a lighter touch than other korma recipes as is typical in a lot of Bengali cooking. A richer version such as this chicken korma from Spices and Seasons, might be what you are used to, but when time is off essence why mess with simplicity. The shrimp used in this version also works much better with this lighter style delicate yogurt based sauce.
Meat and Poultry
The two meat dishes that I have selected here are chicken, leaving the lamb and goat dishes for a later day. It never is about just meat on the Bengali table, so selecting dishes that are high on flavor and lower on time will help you balance things and eat right.
11. Slow Cooked Chicken with Cumin and Yogurt: This recipe developed for my dear father was one of my first recipes to ever appear in print. The really interesting thing about the recipe is to see how much depth of flavor can be achieved from one prominent spice, which in this case is cumin.
12. Chicken with Fenugreek and Black Pepper: Nothing warms the cockles better than the cockles more than a few robust spices, like fenugreek and black pepper. BTW, if you are a fan of polenta like me, this dish should be something you experiment with serving it with some. My recipe found on (page 190)
One-Dish Meals
- Kichuri -Now, wintery months call for one dish meals, and when it comes to those, nothing beats the lovely soothing kichuri.
14. Cranberry and Apricot Chutney: Before I run over to dessert, here is a chutney recipe for you. This one is a variation as the original on page 221, uses dates instead of the apricots.
Dessert:
15. Almond Tapioca Pudding: A wonderful and soothing dessert, that is best enjoyed warm, this rather rustic tapioca and almond pudding will soothe and delight you all through the year, and certainly more in winter.
