And the winner is ....

Hello Friends,

I am sure many of you know that I was doing a giveaway of this wonderful book.

After a long delay, I am so happy to announce the winner. I had 7 people showing interest and following rules:

1. Hamaree Rasoi
2. PJ
3. Sara from Sara's Tasty Buds
4. Vijayalakshmi Dharamaraj
5. Priya Vaasu
6. Ritika Arora
7. Priya SrinivasaN

Drum rolls please. And, the winner is... 

PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds

CONGRATULATIONS PJ !!! I will be passing your information to the author Rinku Bhattacharya, and she will be contact with you to send the book.

Enjoy and hope to see some yummy recipes from this book translated into your blog posts :)

Take care till next post,
Priya

Do you know this spice blend?

Hello Friends,

How many of you recognize this spice blend?

Take care and keep guessing :)

Coconut and Cardamom Fudge - Narkol and Khirer Borfi AND A GIVEAWAY !!!

Hello Friends,

After a long time, an attempt to re-initiate the flow of my posts on my blog. I cannot believe it has been such a long time. But, I really appreciate all my readers' continuous encouragements and wishes to see me back int he blog world.

Recently, I had the fortune to connect with Rinku Bhattacharya one of our bloggers and an author of the book , The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles.

I had a wonderful opportunity to receive the book as part of a giveaway and review it. I am sure all of you already must be familiar with my Bengali connections (I was born in West Bengal) and my love for Bengali food. Here was an opportunity to review a Bengali Cook book which I simply could not turn away from. 

I have to tell you that the book was more than what I expected. To tell you the truth, when you normally think of a cook book, you think of all those complicated, not usually made at home recipes, but this is just so different. I have to tell you sincerely that most of the recipes are so close to my heart and my cooking style. They are the ones that I can just make any day without thinking twice. You need some basic spices and you are ready to cook off recipes from it.

The best part of the book is that it is divided based on the spices that are used in the Bengali cuisine, which makes it unique. So, you can actually choose a spice and explore it to your heart's content. And, last but not the least, it has those yummy Bengali sweets (the ones made with milk or milk products), so having such a sweet tooth, I had to pick a dessert.

Here is my try of making a famous Bengali Mithai (sweet) from this book.

Coconut and Cardamom Fudge - Narkol and Khirer Borfi

  

Ingredients

Khoya (Milk Solids) - 1.5 cups (12 oz or 341 gms)

Fresh (or Frozen) Shredded Coconut - 1 cup (8 oz)

Sugar - 1 cup

Green Cardamom - 1/2 tsp (crushed)

Sliced Almonds - as you may like to sprinkle on top or even to mix with the fudge

Preparation

• If you are using frozen Khoya (khoa) instead of fresh one, just nuke (microwave) it for about 1 min. and then add it to a non-stick pan. You can use normal pan too, non-stick is just better as it won't get stuck to the bottom.
• Let it become softer in consistency (make sure your gas is in the lowest settings of heat)
• Once soft, add coconut (if frozen, soften it in microwave) and sugar.
• Mix well and cook on medium heat till it becomes soft and kind of starts leaving the sides and forms a ball shape (kind of sort of)
• Grease a pan with enough ghee (clarified butter) and pour the hot mixture in it to any size and height you may prefer your fudge to be in.
• Let it come to room tempertaure, before cutting it into shapes
• Wait even more for it to completely cool down, before digging into it :)
• I felt @ one point, that I could even make them into balls instead of cutting them like barfis
• Now, what do I tell of the taste. My husband called it a variety of Mawa Mishri / Milk Cake (for people who are familiar with these names).

Serving

Mine came out just melt in the mouth. I cut it way too soon (couldn't wait) and I will recommend waiting little more before cutting into it to get nice, firm pieces.

You can buy this book online almost from any big online store. But, here is the best part. Do you want to get a copy of this book and start enjoying Bengali Cuisine? If so, without further delay, go to my Blog's Facebook Group, join and MUST leave me a comment on this post. You only have till end of December 9th to participate. I will do a random choice and you never know, you may win the book :)

THE CONTEST IS ONLY OPEN TO US AND CANADA RESIDENTS.

Take care till next post !!!

Long Awaiting Roundup of MLLA # 47

Hello Everyone after ages,

I have to start my post by my sincerest apologies to everyone, but especially Susan, the creator of MLLA event. She was so sweet to allow me to host this event for the 2nd time. But, I was in some kind of zone and did not even look @ my blog for last 5 months. Susan, hope you forgive me and will still be kind enough to let me host this in some future month. And, my dear readers, I hope you too will forgive me and still participate in all my future events and encourage me on my posts regularly as you used to a few months ago.

I don't even know where to begin. It seems as if I was in what I have heard my other fellow bloggers call sometime a "mental block" or a "blogger's block". But, believe it was more than that. It has been about 6 or so months, that I have not even tried cooking anything special @ home. I don't know why, but I just don't feel like it. It is not that I am depressed or unhappy in my life. Thankfully, by HIS grace, all is well. But, my interest in cooking seems to have taken a toll and I sincerely hope that with fast approaching Holiday season and in new year, I will get back on track and try to be more creative and be involved. And, I hope and pray that all my wonderful and kind readers will encourage me come out of this "block".

Now, coming to the main reason of this post, which is to do a round-up of all the wonderful entries that I received for MLLA # 47, which I hosted in the month of April 2012. This event simply never stops to amaze me. It has been over 4 years since it started and we still get so many new entries every month. Kudos to everyone who participates and more over, three cheers for Susan for all the effort and thought she puts into creating a new logo every month and with prizes, drawings, etc. Susan, you rock !!!

Thanks once again to all the fellow bloggers, who sent their delicious entries for this event. Below is the roundup. Please do let me know if i missed any entry and I will update it right away.

Lisa Turner from Lisa's Kitchen sent Vietnamese Pancakes with Vegetables, Herbs and a Fragrant Dipping Sauce (Bánh Xèo)

Janet M from The Taste Space sent Turkish Red Pepper, Chickpea and Cilantro Soup (Nohut Corbasi)

Simona Carini from Briciole sent minestra di cicerchie / cicerchia soup and fava bean and garlic scape spread

Pallavi Puri from Cook-Eat-Burp sent Handvo, Quick Rajma Curry and Spinach and Lentils

Nandita from Paaka Shaale sent Jaisalmeri kaala chana

Shobha Keshwani from Food Mazaa sent Hummus,  Falafel,  Roasted bell Pepper Hummus, Falafel Sandwich / Pita pockets, Bean and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry/Salad, Mixed Vegetables and Rajma Sabzi, Peanut Sauce, Azuki Bean Curry and Kaali Dal (Dal Makhani)

Pushpa Kumar from Taste as you Cook sent Yummy Munchies with Jaggery

Sowjanya from Ruchika Cooks sent Gazebo dal and Ghoals in palak gravy

Mints! from Vadani Kaval Gheta sent Alu Vadi (Taro Patties)

Rupali from RecipeGrabBag sent Chavli Farasbean Bhaji (Blackeye peas and french beans curry)

Kalinda from Wheat-Free Meat-Free sent Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Sag from Passionate chef sent Masala vada

Claire McCulloch from Chez Cayenne sent Baked Samosas with Chickpeas

Preethi from Follow Foodie sent Cauliflower Chickpeas Masala and Chick peas stir fry

Harini from Tamalapaku sent Chana Dal Dosa

Swetha Reddy from Our Cherished World sent Rajma / Red Kidney Bean Masala

Srishti Nangia from Prolific Cooking sent Moong Dal, Oat and Amaranth Pan Cakes

Roshni from Roshni's Kitchen sent Nadan Soy Chunk Curry - Chicken Style

Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes sent Bulgur and Chickpea Salad with Parsley Dressing

Nithu Bala from Nithu's Kitchen sent Kondakadalai Thengapaal Kuzhambu and Sprouted Horsegram and Sprouted Channa Fritters

Victoria Challancin from Flavors of the Sun sent Warm Chickpea Salad

Denny from Oh Taste n See sent Quinoa Idly, Roasted Red Pepper and chickpea soup and Collard Greens Poriyal

Valerie from City|Life|Eats sent Cilantro Scallion Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Rajani from My Kitchen Trials sent Peanut Chundal Susan from The Well Seasoned Cook sent Pigeon Peas in Coconut Milk with Mashed Plantain.

Here is last but not the least entry from me - Til Moongfali ki Chutney (Sesame Seeds and Peanuts Chutney)

Now, the best part of all, the Prizes.

1. The Complete Book of Pasta - Cook's Illustrated. This prize is offered by Susan without influence at her expense, and she will also absorb worldwide shipping charges.  F.T.C. Notice: Susan does not receive any compensation from Amazon. 
2. Hurst Bean Box - A case of six bags of the winner's choice of Hurst Bean products, suitable for every diet, sponsored by Hurst Bean. (Due to shipping restrictions, this prize can only be awarded if the winner is a U.S. resident.) F.T.C. Notice: In May 2010, Susan, at her request, received two Hurst Bean complimentary products which are not available for purchase in her local markets. Susan does not generally accept free products from Hurst Bean nor is she financially compensated by them.
3. Drawing Structure - If the winner is a U.S. resident, she/he will be the recipient of both Prizes 1 and 2 above.  In the event that an international winner is drawn, a second drawing will be conducted from the U.S. pool of entrants to ensure that the Hurst Prize is awarded every month.  In these instances, the international winner will receive the book, and the U.S. winner will receive the Hurst Prize. 

So, DRUM ROLLS please :)

Claire McCulloch from Chez Cayenne is the proud winner of both the prizes. Congratulations Claire. Susan will contact you soon.

That's all for now and hope to come back soon with new posts.
Priya

View openings to host Veggie/Fruit A Month Event

Hello Blogger Friends,

I have a few openings to guest host Veggie/Fruit A Month event in the year 2013. If anyone is available and interested, please send me an email @ priya.mitharwal@gmail.com.

Please book your spot :)

Take care,
Priya

Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday (Volume 93)

Hello friends,

This is the 93rd volume of Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday Event. You can find recipes for all other volumes here, where we all with link the blog posts where we posted a recipe that we had Bookmarked from another blog or book or magazine or simply from a TV show written on a blank paper. It would be great to know when you bookmarked it (date), if you would like to share it, not mandatory.

Remember, you will have to post that recipe on Tuesday,  10th July 2012 and no archived or past recipes are allowed to be entered in this event. You can make that recipe any date or time, but it has to be posted on Tuesday. Hope that it is clear :)


OK, so here are the rules,

• You will have to prepare a recipe that you bookmarked previously from a blog, or any recipe source, it can even be from a book or magazine which you had cut, or taken notes from or folded the paper of, to remind you to make it sometime. In short, any kind of bookmarked recipe is allowed. 
• For every recipe you make, please post the recipe source (a link if it is a website or picture of the book/magazine, if it is from the print media) along with picture (s). You are NOT ALLOWED to copy/paste the recipe. Please write it in your own words and don't forget to link it to the original blog or website. If you took it from a magazine, we will appreciate a scanned picture of the recipe mentioning the book name specifically than you copy pasting the recipe. We have seen quite a few of copyright issues in last few months in blog world, and this is keeping that in mind. If you tweaked the recipe in any way to suit your needs, please ONLY mention the tweaks.
• This is a pure vegetarian blog, so, I will only allow vegetarian bookmarked recipes here (eggs are allowed ONLY in baking).
• You can prepare the recipe anytime, just blog about it ONLY on a Tuesday :)
• No Archived entries please.
• Your dish can be from any course, no restrictions on that.
• You can link more than one bookmarked recipe (with picture).
• We will add a "Mr. Linky" to every Tuesday's post, so that you can link your post directly to my post and that way everyone can see those recipes right away and do not have to wait for my roundup. No need to send me an email with your posts.
• If you are a non-blogger, please feel free to send me an email @ priya.mitharwal@gmail.com with your recipe and a picture and of course the recipe source.
• Please link your posts which have tried bookmarked recipes with the following logo. This is mandatory.
• Once you have posted your recipe on your blog, simply link it using "Mr. Linky" below. Linking will open only after 12 am on 10th July 2012 (India Time) and will stay open till end of the day (US Pacific Time).

I would like to specially mention here that this beautiful logo was designed by dear Aipi. Thanks sweety for this wonderful creation :)


Hoping to see lots of recipes as we know all of us have bookmarked recipe, blogger or non-blogger. If you are a non-blogger, please feel free to send us the recipe with pic and the source of your bookmark.

That's all for now. Take care till next post.

Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday (Volume 92)

Hello friends,

This is the 92nd volume of Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday Event. You can find recipes for all other volumes here, where we all with link the blog posts where we posted a recipe that we had Bookmarked from another blog or book or magazine or simply from a TV show written on a blank paper. It would be great to know when you bookmarked it (date), if you would like to share it, not mandatory.

Remember, you will have to post that recipe on Tuesday,  3rd July 2012 and no archived or past recipes are allowed to be entered in this event. You can make that recipe any date or time, but it has to be posted on Tuesday. Hope that it is clear :)


OK, so here are the rules,

• You will have to prepare a recipe that you bookmarked previously from a blog, or any recipe source, it can even be from a book or magazine which you had cut, or taken notes from or folded the paper of, to remind you to make it sometime. In short, any kind of bookmarked recipe is allowed. 
• For every recipe you make, please post the recipe source (a link if it is a website or picture of the book/magazine, if it is from the print media) along with picture (s). You are NOT ALLOWED to copy/paste the recipe. Please write it in your own words and don't forget to link it to the original blog or website. If you took it from a magazine, we will appreciate a scanned picture of the recipe mentioning the book name specifically than you copy pasting the recipe. We have seen quite a few of copyright issues in last few months in blog world, and this is keeping that in mind. If you tweaked the recipe in any way to suit your needs, please ONLY mention the tweaks.
• This is a pure vegetarian blog, so, I will only allow vegetarian bookmarked recipes here (eggs are allowed ONLY in baking).
• You can prepare the recipe anytime, just blog about it ONLY on a Tuesday :)
• No Archived entries please.
• Your dish can be from any course, no restrictions on that.
• You can link more than one bookmarked recipe (with picture).
• We will add a "Mr. Linky" to every Tuesday's post, so that you can link your post directly to my post and that way everyone can see those recipes right away and do not have to wait for my roundup. No need to send me an email with your posts.
• If you are a non-blogger, please feel free to send me an email @ priya.mitharwal@gmail.com with your recipe and a picture and of course the recipe source.
• Please link your posts which have tried bookmarked recipes with the following logo. This is mandatory.
• Once you have posted your recipe on your blog, simply link it using "Mr. Linky" below. Linking will open only after 12 am on 3rd July 2012 (India Time) and will stay open till end of the day (US Pacific Time).

I would like to specially mention here that this beautiful logo was designed by dear Aipi. Thanks sweety for this wonderful creation :)


Hoping to see lots of recipes as we know all of us have bookmarked recipe, blogger or non-blogger. If you are a non-blogger, please feel free to send us the recipe with pic and the source of your bookmark.

That's all for now. Take care till next post.