Lau-er-tarkari Ilish Macher Matha Diye/Lauki Curried with Hilsa Fish Head

Lau/Lauki/Bottle Gourd, is a Simpleton among vegetables. The look is good – the skin is smooth with a light green colour and the inside is white. As I compare the Lau/Lauki, a mesmerizing thought of a Nursery Rhyme of my kiddy days flash across my mind. And then come the words that had long been forgotten… go and reverberate says my mind as I look at my lau/lauki…

And remembering I say it in a lyrical tone…

Simple Simon met a Pieman,

Going to the fair,

Says Simple Simon to the Pieman,

Let me taste your ware… and I carry on…

All these thoughts because I’ve named my Lau/lauki as Simpleton, otherwise I would’nt have repeated those lines here…are you bored? No ‘Cooking ab bhi baki hai mere dost’, so just stay on…

Ha ha ha, jokes apart I’m back to my recipe.

Watermelon Juice – Refreshing, Colourful and Delicious

Watermelon the sought-after fruit in summer because of its great taste and water content which is satisfying. The look of it good…the outer part with that green and wide white stripes and cut it open and it’s all so pink, nay, with that dark shade of the sweet pink colour.

Mango Shake/ Refreshing Mango Drink

There are two words in the title of this story or should I say something FRUITY and JUICY in this spread of writing that I’m presenting. This is no doubt it’s a Fruity Affair and a Juicy Drink. All this because of the King of Fruits the Mango and the taste of it blended to give out its taste and flavour.

Let me say something why this thought of putting this up came to my mind. All started when my Mangowallah, yes my Mango Man…don’t take me wrong here for saying “The Mango Man”…no he’s not

Eid Mubarak and Chaler Payesh/Rice Pudding/Kheer with flavours of Green Cardamom and Bay Leaves

Eid Mubarak to all my friends here, and, special mention for them who are celebrating this festival. And now I want to go back over to my childhood days. In our neighbourhood there were many Muslim families. And on this special festive occasion they would sent us so many goodies. It would come in a big thal/plate with so many assortments. There would be dry fruits and most important was the Special Sevaiyans. The thal would be covered with a big jharan/towel and handed over to my mother. In return the thal would not go back empty. Ma would fill a bowl with her special Semai Payesh or Chaler payesh which she made specially to go back to the neighbours home when they took back the plate.

Vegetable Cutlet – Tea-time snack with a Healthy Twist

Love for Jolkhabar/snacks make me yearn not only to eat but also increases my agility and ability to try and make some at home. The road-side food stall snacks give the inviting look at a glance and also create the desire to taste some. Gluttony sucks in when I see samosas or vadas or aloo-chop or vegetable chops or cutlets, mutton chop or fish chop — God don’t want to name more — being fried in roadside food stalls. Why does such food attract people towards it? …tasty tasty they are… and leaving behind hygiene and quality, this food stuff can simply invite to have a taste of it. That’s when we get trapped and compromise with our taste buds and leave aside everything else and just go and grab it.

Mothers are particular these days about the food for their children. They don’t like to compromise with the health hazards of unhygienic food the children may eat. So health and hygiene conscious mothers make the best use of their capability and cook tasty and attractive dishes at home…children are happy so are Mothers.

Cooking at home gives the advantage of making it tasty and healthy, for people are very health conscious these days. Good quality cooking oil and other ingredients are carefully chosen and bought. The super markets make buying easier at the same time gives the privilege to see and learn about products which we are unaware of.

By now you must be saying, “Enough of your sermons and now come back to your Cutlet recipe which I believe you are going to share”.

Stopping my rant here and having read your mind I’m back to what I want to share.

Bhapa Ilish/Steamed Hilsa in Mustard Sauce

The month of Shrabon/Shravan, and imagine Ilish mach (Hilsa fish) found in abundance in the fish market. Little do the hilsa eaters mind the soaring price of this much wanted fish of the Bangali poribars (Bengali families). As I work with my fish in the kitchen, my mind swell with words so closely related with this month and the fish. And here come the words —