Phulkopir Raita

It has been almost a month now that I took a break from blogging. It would have made me feel really important if I could have given a reason like, "Oh I had been really busy of late..." or something equally fancy but lies only takes one that far...so behind my absence in the cyber space was something as petty as sheer laziness. I had the intent but the action wasn't forthcoming. What forced my comeback? The constant egging by the husband and the inspiration that the vegetable vendors' cart exudes in this season.

Though vegetables prices are sky rocketing these days, how can one ignore the freshness of the greens and the cartloads of cauliflowers by the side of the road. The cauliflowers, aka phulkopi, as it is called in bengali, is undoubtedly the star vegetable of the winters. I remember the yummy phulkopir singara (samosas with cauliflowers and potato stuffings) that my mother used to make during winters. Or the phulkopir dalna (cauliflower curry), which makes me feel so inadequate as a cook in comparison to my mother that I mostly avoid cooking it. Don't get me wrong, it is not about mother-daughter competition but I can never match the taste of her phulkopir dalna, so prefer not to tamper or tinker with better memories.

The abundance of cauliflower in the markets inspired me to experiment with new ideas and cook up something new. At the same time I wanted to try something simple yet unique, so the much inspired phulkopir raita. Afterall, it had to be my comeback recipe after a months hibernation! It can be served with rice or any Indian bread and is wonderfully refreshing and light on the palate.

What all is required

Cauliflower: about 500gms, cut into medium sized florets

Curd: 300 gms

Green chillies: 2, slit

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves: 8 - 10

Onion: 1 large, chopped finely

Garlic: 3-4 cloves, chopped finely

Tomatoes: 2 large, chopped finely

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Cumin: 1/2 tsp, dry roasted and ground

Salt and sugar to taste

Mustard oil: 2 tbsp

How to make it:

Boil the cauliflower with the turmeric and salt. Drain and set aside.

Beat the curd smooth with salt and sugar.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the green chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves, splutter.

Add the finely sliced onion and garlic, saute till the onions are glossy. Add the chopped tomatoes, and saute till the tomatoes are soft.

Add the cauliflowers and mix well till the spices coat the florets. Adjust salt, put on a lid and cook for about 5 minutes.

Remove from fire, cool and add to the beaten curd. Sprinkle the freshly ground cumin powder.

Cooking to cure boredom

The only thing that describes me this week is ‘plain bored’. I am bored with the same old routine at work, I am bored with the curtains in my bedroom, the upholstery, the colour of the walls, the books that I am reading, the conversations surrounding me – the long and short of the story is that I am bored with each and every thing around me. Since, the boredom is in midst of the festival season with much happening around, it has more to do with my mind than externalities. So, the best option is to divert the mind towards more interesting and creative avenues. For me nothing is more relaxing and therapeutic than cooking.

Also, it was my in-laws’ wedding anniversary; the occasion demanded that something special had to be churned out of the kitchen. The husband had already planned to order out chicken dum handi biriyani from this small joint in R. K. Puram called Al Kauser. These guys make the most amazing dum biriyani and kakori kebabs. So I decided to make my ‘Easy Shammi Kebabs’ to go with the biriyani. These kebabs are hassle free, very fragrant, and absolute crowd pleasers. All in all, perfect as starters or with biriyani to get adulations with much sweat…
What all is required:
Minced mutton/lamb: 250 gms
Split Bengal gram (chana daal): 100 gms
Onion: 2 big (roughly sliced)
Ginger: 1 inch piece (coarsely chopped)
Garlic cloves: 6 (coarsely chopped)
Garam masala: 2 black cardamom, 6 green cardamoms, 6 cloves, 1 inch piece cinnamon, 1 leaf mace, 6-8 black peppercorns
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Bay leaf: 1
Tumeric: ½ tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Egg: 1
Green chilies: 2 finely sliced
Fresh mint leaves: 1 handful (coarsely chopped)
Cashew nuts: 12 (coarsely chopped)
Refined oil 1 tbsp + enough to fry
Kewra essence: a few drops
How to make it:

Soak the Bengal gram in water for about an hour. Drain.

Mix half the mint leaves and the chopped cashew nuts, set aside.

Pressure cook the minced meat, soaked Bengal gram, onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, bay leaf, tumeric, salt red chilli and coriander powders with a little water.

Cool the cooked meat, remove the bay leaf and make a fine paste in the grinder.

Add the egg, green chilies, half the mint leaves, kewra essence and 1 tbsp oil to the minced meat and mix well, remove any lumps or whole spices.

Form medium sized balls, stuff each with a little mint and cashew mixture, shape into patties.

Shallow fry the kebabs in hot oil. Makes about 12 kebabs and can be served with mint chutney.
For vegetarians, who might feel left out, substitute the minced meat with equal quantity of raw jackfruit and substitute the egg with about 2 tbsp of corn flour or lightly roasted besan (gramflour).

Shubho Bijoya

Durga puja is over, four days of festivity, pandal hopping and eating oil soaked but yummy junk food late in the evening has finally given way to the mundane home-ofiice-home routine. I have always felt that the build up to the Puja is much more fun than the Puja itself. The shopping, exchange of gifts, seeing the pandals being erected brings builds an excitement that leads to the final four days, which always whizzes past. But the whinning isn't entirely justified, afterall we have all had loads of fun in the past few days. The fun of pushing the crowd to catch a glimpse of the idol, or pushing an even larger crowd to watch the cutural performances at the make shift stages, the smell and rustle of new clothes, watching kids brave shoe bites and walking in new shoes, the camaradrie of the women in applying sindur on one another in Dashami and sharing sweets...all these form a happy collage of memories that will last us all another year.

Amongst all these, cooking and the kitchen had taken a back seat, to the extent of fading from the mind, until it made a royal comeback on Bijoya Dashami. An elaborate lunch on Dashami is quite a challenge - on one hand, I had forgotten the existence of the kitchen in last few days, and then it had to be juggled with the 'pratima boron' at the pandal. So, I decided on simple but special recipes for the occassion that takes about a couple of minutes of preparation time each and are gauranteed to please the family.

Bhapa Doi:

What all is required

400gms pack of simple yogurt or greek yogurt, 1/2 a tin of condensed milk, 1/2 cup of sugar, a pinch of cardamom powder

How to make it

Mix all the ingrediants till smooth.

Pour into a simple baking dish or an earthern dish (I love using this for the earthy flavour it lends to the bhapa doi)

Cover with aluminium foil and steam in a pressure cooker or bain-marie on slow heat for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

This makes a delicious dessert and can be served with fresh fruits.

Indian Chicken with Thai twist

Durga Puja is just round the corner and it is shopping time for all Bongs. Though most of my shopping has been done, there are always these last moment tidbits that remains. Upon that I had already cancelled my appointment for a manicure and pedicure last week and since I am traveling the next weekend I had to get it done this week. So the entire Sunday was dedicated to ‘me’ time – getting up late in the morning, a long relaxing bath, a lazy brunch, pampering myself at the salon and then some shopping.

The time at the salon was really worth the dent that it made in my wallet! The orchid manicure and pedicure, with essential flower extracts (??!!) left my hands and feet soft, silky and thoroughly pampered. The next stop was shopping for some small gifts for friends, a nice silk shirt for the husband, a saree for my mother and a funky watch for me. On the way out, I also picked up a skirt for myself, only because it would go so well with my new watch;-) After coming out of the shopping mall I realized that the sun had retired while I was putting finishing touches to my shopping.

The tragic part of the story begun about an hour after I reached home and had settled down to the bliss of a lazy evening. At around 8:30 in the evening I woke up to the fact that it was too late for my cook to turn up and she had ditched me for the evening! It was too late, I was too lazy and I did not want to get into heavy duty cooking with my fresh French manicure…so the next best option was to figure out something quick but befitting a Sunday dinner. So, I added the twist of the very Thai Kaffir lime leaves to the otherwise Indian chicken ajwaini tikka recipe and substituted boneless chicken pieces with chicken leg and breast pieces. Thus, was born my Grilled lemony ajwain chicken.

What all are required:

Chicken: 4 pieces (legs with thighs or breasts – on the bone)
Curd: ½ cup
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Ajwain (carom seeds): 1 ½ tsp

Cheese slice: 1 (optional)
Fresh Green Chilies: 2
Coriander powder: 1 small tsp
Turmeric powder: 1 small tsp
Salt to taste
Kaffir lime leaves: 4-5
Juice of half a lemon
Vegetable oil: 2 tbsp

How to do it:

Wash, pat dry and score the chicken pieces with a knife.

Put all the other ingredients in the grinder and make a smooth paste. The paste will be liquid due to the curd and the oil.

Arrange the chicken on a baking dish and pour the spice paste.

Put into the oven at about 300 degree C and bake for 10 minutes.

Turn the temperature down to about 200 degree and bake till the chicken is no longer pink inside and juices run clear when pierced (about 15-20 minutes).

Baste the chicken occasionally during the cooking time.

I had served it with rotis but I think it will go equally well with parathas, naan or just a simple fresh tomato, cucumber and onion salad.
This is one of the most simple and hassles free but delicious chicken recipe that I have ever made. For the next time I plan to try the same spice mix for grilling fish…hmmm

Aalu Posto and childhood memories

Tonight auntiji, my cook walked in late and I realized that I wait for her more eagerly than I have ever waited for any of my boyfriends or the husband. Upon that she declared that she is running a fever and I did not have the heart to ask her to go through any elaborate ritual of cooking. After declaring my rush of generosity to auntiji and asking her to make some rice and bottle gourd curry, it dawned upon me that I had a standing request from my mother-in-law to prepare ‘Aalu Posto’ (potatoes cooked in poppy seed paste) for her friend whom she was going to see the next morning. So the task fell upon me and I accepted it with the air of self-importance that delicate dishes like this should be left to able hands like mine ;-), after all the delicate allure of tender cooked potatoes wrapped in mildly flavoured poppy seed paste can be matched by very few dishes!!!

Aalu posto is mostly eaten in summers in Bengali households as poppy seeds are said to have cooling effect on the body. Summers being hot and humid, this mildly spiced dish is ideal for a vegetarian meal accompanied by Kalai daal (skinned Urad daal) and steamed rice. Though I admit that I can eat aalu posto any time of the year, with or without any other accompaniment.

My mother makes great aalu posto and it was mostly cooked on Sundays or other holidays as it was considered a special treat by all of us. On the days that she used to cook it, as children my sister and I used to wait for small portions of it that my mother used to give us as before-lunch snacks. We used to eat the smallest morsels possible at a time in an effort to make it last as long as possible. Though, the milder but humid Guwahati summers have long been replaced by longer, and harsher Delhi summers, and mother, the cook has been replaced by daughter, the cook; the protagonist in the story – the aalu posto still retains all its charm, glamour and glory.

What all are required:
5-6 medium sized Potato (peeled and cut lengthwise),
4 tbsp Poppy seeds (khus khus),
2 tbsp Mustard oil,
½ tsp Onion seeds (kalonji/kalo jeere),
a pinch each of turmeric and red chilli powder,
1 tsp ginger paste,
Salt to taste,
½ tsp Sugar,
2 Green chilli (slit),
1 tsp Pure ghee (optional)

How to do it:

Soak poppy seeds in one-cup warm water for fifteen to twenty minutes. Drain and grind to a smooth paste.

Heat mustard oil in a pan till it just reaches medium heat. Add onion seeds and slit green chills, stir-fry briefly.

Add potato pieces, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and cook on medium heat for five minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the ginger paste, stir, cover the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add poppy seeds paste. Stir and add half a cup of water. Cover and cook on low heat till the potatoes are almost done. Remove the lid, sugar Continue to cook for a minute more or till potatoes are completely cooked. Stir in pure ghee and serve hot.

Trivia: Poppy seeds, popularly known as khus-khus in some countries of Asian continent, are obtained from Poppy flowers. Apart from being good at adding flavor to a number of food items like breads, rolls, cookies, cakes and sauces, poppy seeds are also store houses for opium, which is considered as a useful ingredient for preparing various herbal medicines as well as narcotic drugs. According to the Ayurveda, poppy seeds have a cooling effect on the body, and protect from heart diseases, asthma, cough, insomnia, diarrhea, abdominal pains, swelling and joint pains.

A friend and the crab curry

I have received complains that I am showing differential treatment towards vegetarians. I take the blame but at the same time I cannot help but feel happy that there are people who are reading my posts and sending me feedback on it. Since, friend had taken the pain to complain, I decided to reciprocate by mitigating their complain. The problem in this case was two - I would have to use old photographs and decide on whether I cook up a story to go with the photographs or do I just post a recipe!!! So, I decided to proceed on a blank slate and see what it leads to...

I had taken these photographs some time back while cooking crabs in a coconut based sauce. This is a sweet-pungent sauce that lends itself ideal to any kind of seafood. I was cooking for a friend who is a seafood enthusiast and enjoys Bengali food, so the combination was ideal for him. I also had a selfish motive; since Abhijit doesn’t eat crabs, anybody who likes crab is a good occasion for me to give in to my indulgence.

A morning tour of the fish market had yielded two fresh medium-sized crabs (about a kilo), which I first put into the freezer for about 30 minutes (the cold puts the crabs into a comatose stage), then put into a pot of boiling salted water for about 30 minutes and then cleans the crab after cooling. The fun part of cooking crab in my house is that though Abhijit does not eat crabs, he finds the ritual of cleaning and cooking crabs very interesting. So much so that this time around he completely forgot to click photographs while the crab was being cleaned!!!

While I was making a paste of about 2 tbsp of mustard, 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut, 2 green chili and ½ tsp of salt, my illustrious friend calls up to inform me that he just might not be able to make it for lunch. My first instinct was to throw live crabs, claws crackling, at his face…but telecommunications hasn’t made such advances…so I settled for a discussion instead. Thankfully the crabs and I triumphed. With renewed vigor, I heated about a tbsp of mustard oil in the wok; added 2 each of green cardamom and cloves, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, one bay leaf and 1 finely sliced large onion, sautéed till translucent and then added the crab pieces, ½ tsp of turmeric powder and red chili powder and cooked it for about 5 minutes.

Abhijit by this time had lost all interest in the crab and retreated back into watching television. So, in the loneliness of the kitchen I added the mustard and coconut paste that I had prepared to the crab, about ½ a cup of water, 1 large coarsely chopped tomato and simmered the sauce for about 5-8 minutes. Once the sauce is thick and the tomatoes pulpy, I poured in about ¾ cup of thick coconut milk (the tetra-pack variety) and a sprinkling of garam masala powder and salt to taste. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes and the crab is ready. The coconut milk lends sweetness to the sauce and the mustard it’s pungency.

As a footnote I must tell you that the crab curry was very well appreciated by my friend but life is strange and the friend could never come back for any more lunches or dinners to my house…now don’t let that stop you from cooking, eating and serving this delicacy because the crab held good…just that my friend didn’t!

Raw Banana Peels...eeeks?? no yummy!!!

Well, I am back…now I really don’t think that anybody’s been waiting eagerly for me but what’s the harm in massaging my own ego. I have realized that I must be on the way to earn the title of the laziest blogger in the world…just scroll down and look at the dates of my last post. Let me try to put a stop-cork on that probable dubious distinction. To make up for the loss of the days I have decided to post one of the most unusual recipe up my sleeve – ‘Kachkolar Khosar Ghonto’; translated into English it reads – dry curry made from raw banana peels…eeeeks!!!! No, correctly made it is ‘delicious’.

When I made it tonight for dinner, it wasn’t inspiration. It was that my cook walked in before time, which meant I hadn’t thought about the dinner menu. So, it was “lets’ cook from whatever is available in the refrigerator”. A raid of the crisper yielded four raw bananas. I told my dear auntiji to wash, chop and boil these with a little turmeric powder as the first step towards turning these into koftas. As auntie was thoroughly amused with the idea of koftas made from raw bananas, it dawned on me that she had never heard of any such thing. Wonderful! First an impromptu menu and then my cook is clueless about the recipes on it. Nevertheless auntie and I decided to fight it out – in solidarity!

Going back to the raw bananas, these were boiled and peeled and from here on the bananas and the peels parted ways…destiny… and both started separate journeys to the dinner plate. At this point auntie and I decided to opt for division of labour, so the koftas were auntie’s responsibility (albeit under my instructions) and the banana peels mine.

Now the most difficult part to be negotiated is to chop the banana peels and two medium potatoes really finely, all the while dishing out instructions to auntie about the koftas. Then I put everything else needed for the recipe together on a plate – ½ tsp of whole cumin, a small bay leaf, one dry red chili, a green chili, about 2 tbsp of grated coconut, a mixture of 1 tsp of cumin powder, ½ tsp of turmeric, red chili and garam masala powder each. For the benefit of all those who think that I am always this methodical while cooking; let me make an honest confession that it was for the photograph. Next, dump all the spice powders, a tbsp of sugar and salt to taste into the heap of the chopped banana peels and mash it – this, trust me can be very therapeutic – just think of all the people whom you would like to mash to a pulp and voila!!!

At this point my mother-in-law walked in and shared a little chit-chat with auntie about the strange things that I churn up in the kitchen. The tone was refreshingly appreciative though, so all of you who are trying to make a connection between the therapeutic bit and the mother-in-law – cool your heels – this post will have no family melodrama. On this note back to the banana peels. I heated a tbsp of mustard oil in a pan; added the cumin seeds, the whole chilies and the bay leaf, waited until the cumin seeds crackled and added the potatoes, a pinch of turmeric powder and a little sprinkle of salt, a good stir, covered the pan and resumed my instructions about the koftas. Just as the koftas were being patted into bite-size patties, my potatoes were sweating into being nicely cooked. So I added the mashed and spiced banana peels, folded everything together and covered the pan to give the peels and the potatoes few moments of togetherness to bond into a team. Few minutes and I uncovered the pan to reveal a very well bonded, aromatic and well cooked team of the two. Auntie, who was very skeptical till this point, sniffed the air and smiled her appreciation. I added and mixed the grated coconut to the pan and off it went from the fire into the serving bowl enroute the dinner table.

Did the family like it? Well, the mother-in-law said that it was worth finishing a plate-full of rice with. Now coming from mother-in-laws one knows how hard-earned and rare such adulations are! Do not let your expectations swell, didn’t I say that this is no place for family melodramas – not yet, not now – shhh…

Back with the Shukto...

Well, I am back after a break of about two weeks to dwell on the collective intellect that is called bengali food. The two weeks break though has neither any excuses nor any done any wonders to my writing abilities. Infact, I am tempted to shell out this peice of advice that do not take a break so early in your blogging journey - I feel a little clueless about what I am writing.

One good thing in these two weeks was that I had occassions to invite friends over for lunches and dinners and cook bengali food for them. This is not a new phenomenon in my life but this time around I made sure that I took photographs during the cooking process and the cooked food.

Now these were people who are self proclaimed enthusiasts of bengali cuisine, but I have to add (at the cost of being a little mean) that haven't seen bong food beyond Sorshe Maach. I have nothing against Sorshe Maach but at times I wonder if the popularity of this dish overshadows the countless other subtle and differently flavoured dishes that enrich bengali cuisine! So this was the time to introduce my friends to the other possibilities that bong food has to offer. Thus, the menu was planned and the assualt strategised - it helped that saturday lunch at out home is 'ode to bong food time'. The menu on offer was elaborate but I will tackle one at a time: starting with the 'Shukto'.

Now, shukto is a novelty for those who have been introduced to the marvels of it. It is basically a vegetable stew, midly favoured with paanch phoron and mustard paste. It does wonder to the palate as a starting course, especially in summers. It was not an easy task to introduce the delicate vegetarian dish to my shamelessly carnivorous friends without evoking disrespect or mistrust but the challenge gave me a high.

So about 2 cups of vegetables - raw bananas, potatoes, brinjals, pumpkin, parvals, zucchini, green beans (one can add bitter gourd if they are not opposed to it as my husband is) were cut into long thick pieces, washed and prepared for the impending delicacy. About a tbsp of mustard oil was heated in the wok and 1/2 a tsp of paanch phoron, 1 bay leaf and 2 dry red chillies was spluttered in the oil, followed by the vegies, a little salt and tumeric, a good toss and the wok was covered for the vegies to sauted. At this point the hubby walked in sneezing and scolded me for forgetting to put on the exhaust fan in the kitchen. Through a meek sorry I knew that the masala was potent and working.

Next, off went the lid, about 1 tsp of ginger paste, 1/2 tsp of cumin powder and 1/4 tsp of red chilli powder was added, a second good toss and my vegies were glistening preetily in the pan. While the vegies cooked themselves, the husband walked back in and made a pretense of searching for cookies and tried to figure out what was cooking. The word shukto had a pleasing effect on him but I was more interested in my half cokked vegies that demanded a cup of milk, 1/2 cup of water and about 2 tsp of mustard paste to be added to them. On with the lid for about 5 minutes and the obidient vegies were cooked. I adjusted the seasoning, added a tsp of sugar, a generous sprinkling of dry roasted paanch phoron powder and a tbsp of ghee to this marvelous stew and it was ready to seduce the palate hand in glove with steamed rice.

The aroma and taste of the spices and the vegies filled the house and converted many a palate that afternoon. For the umpteenth time, the humble veggy stood its ground against the mighty lure of flesh and gave a perfect start to the meal.

For all carnivores who hesitate to buy the statement, I will have to get my converted friends to write a testimonial for the 'Shukto'...

Of Bengalis and Mustards...

I am one blog old and have already had some useful and strong sense drilled into my head by my friends whom I invited to read it. I should say that the strongest one came again from Sincy in form of a one liner “Why just history of Bengali food?” At this point I feel compelled to defend my self – being a Bengali I cannot let go that famous pride of ‘Amra Bangali” (We the Bengalis) that most of us bask in. Hence, the feeling megalomania sets in once in a while that assures us that everything from Rabindra sangeet to History of Bengali food (to think of it, I hated history in school!!!) is worth enlightening the whole world about. But a few raps on the head and the megalomania fades to give way to better senses…

Now getting into Bengali food from History of it I think the most common question that my friends pose in context of bengali food is regarding mustard seed and paste. It is impossible to think of bengali food without thinking of mustard, especially the famous Shorshe Mach (Fish in mustard sauce). The dish itself has quite a few varieties and each is a delicacy in itself. Coming back to mustard, there are three types of mustard seeds–

White mustard: these seeds provide the mildest flavor.

Brown mustard: these seeds are more pungent than white

Black mustard: black seeds have a very strong and distinctive flavor

Mustard is used in many forms and in a whole lot of recipes. The whole Mustard seeds are used for tempering, to add flavor to the oil. The Mustard paste is very popular in mostly Bengali or east Indian cooking. Mustard Oil is also an important part of Bengali Cooking and traditional Bengali Cooking mostly used Mustard Oil as the cooking medium. There is also a spicy, tangy variety of table mustard called 'Kasundi' that is used as a sauce.

For the sorshe mach, I use a mixture of black and yellow mustard, they kind of balance each other out. About equal parts of each. Grind mustard to a paste with green chillis and salt, this prevents the mustard paste from turning bitter. Though my mother swears by the traditional Shil-nora (mortar and pestle), I am quite happy with my humble mixer and grinder. The problem is that one cannot grind small quantities of mustard in that mean machine. The easier option is to grind about a cup of mustard, with one tbsp of salt and about 6 green chilles, use the amount required and store the rest in an air tight container in the freezer. The paste stays put for about two-three weeks.

Now that we have the mustard paste out of the way, may be I can gather courage to proceed to some recipes using this paste...

History of Bengali Cuisine

Though I have been a well known food junkie and a neighbourhood culinary expert for a lot of my friends, the idea of starting a food blog was given to me by my friend Sincy, so the first post is for her.

A distinct culinary tradition emerged in Bengal based on the availability of local ingredients. The abundance of rice and vegetables became the corner stones of the diet. Mangoes, bananas, coconuts, and cane sugar grew in abundance; fish, milk, and meat were plentiful; yogurt and spices such as ginger and black mustard would season the dishes.

Even though fish and meat were generally popular, there was a predisposition to vegitarianism, based on religious principles, that has continued to the present. Strict vegetarians also omit onion and garlic from their diet, preferring to substitute a garlicky-flavored spice called asafoetida. The taboo against the consumption of fish and meat became even stronger with the flowering of religions such as Jainism and Buddhism. But with the decline of Buddhism in the ensuing centuries, fish and meat returned to the menu.

Rice, the staple of Bengalis since ancient times, has remained untouched by the currents of religious change and its preparation has held to a continuing high standard. One crop a year was sufficient to sustain the people, providing ample leisure time for the Bengalis to pursue cultural ideals: folklore, music, and the culinary arts.

The 16th-century Mongol kings left their mark on the cooking of Northern India, which to this day is known as moghlai cooking. With the introduction of Islam, Bengali Moslems adopted dishes such as kababs, koftas and biriyani from their Moghul conquerors. But the major portion of Bengali Hindu cuisine retained its original characteristics except that the use of onion and garlic became more popular.

The European traders introduced food from the New World - potatoes, chillies, and tomatoes. Bengalis incorporated them into their diet, combining them with a variety of native ingredients creating new dishes. Then as now, Bengali cooking is mostly confined to the home. Dishes are carefully prepared according to recipes handed down through generations. Modern Bengalis have become culinary innovators. They search for, and experiment with, foreign culinary ideas, incorporating such new food items as noodles, soy bean and custard into an increasingly cosmopolitan bill of fare. But in their hearts, they still delight in such traditional dishes as maacher jhol and rosogolla.