Soumitra Chatterjee sings a song

After  long years, nearly at the age of 80 , Soumitra Chatterjee sings a melodious as well as witty song based on the food habit of the Bengalis. Please watch the video.

Chicken in honey sauce- The elegant way to dine!!




The sweet n sour chicken will definitely tantalize your taste buds.

Chicken in honey sauce – a unique charismatic fusion of the two sensuous taste, sweet and sour. Experts say that this exclusive fusion dish is usually served in Chinese cuisine but even American restaurants take the pride to serve this to the esteemed guests. People go crazy over the desired taste of crunchy, juicy chicken chops layered in a juice of honey. Let’s see the method of preparation of this luscious wonder.

Ingredients (for 3-4 persons):

(The batter)

Boneless chicken (400gms.),

Egg white (from 1 egg) ,

Egg (the entire content),

Corn starch (4 teaspoons),

White flour (1/4^th cup),

Water (1/4^th cup),

Soya sauce ( 1 teaspoon)

Salt (1 teaspoon)

(The dip)

Honey (3 tablespoons),

Rice vinegar (3 teaspoons),

Garlic crunch (½   tablespoon),

Ginger crunch ( 1 teaspoon),

Toasted sesame seeds (for garnishing),

Oil for frying.

 

Stage 1 :preparing the batter

Stage 2: Deep fry the chicken pieces

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

Procedure:

1. Cut the boneless chicken pieces into cubical shapes.
2. Prepare the batter with egg, egg white, corn starch, white flour, water, soya sauce and salt. Allow it to stand for 15 minutes.
3. Dip the chicken pieces into the batter for 1-2 minutes and deep fry in oil. Remove the fried chicken, keep separately after soaking the extra oil in a tissue paper.
4. Take about 2 teaspoon of oil and sauté the garlic and ginger crunch for some time. Add the honey and vinegar making the dip.
5. Mix the fried chicken with the prepared dip.
6. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy your evening with honey chicken and rice. A peg of wine will definitely make the evening truly spellbound and romantic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegetable creme soup- a healthy start to your day!

The creme soup of fresh vegetables- truly yummy and healthy!

When you are in the verge of loosing those extra pounds, you might wonder what to have as a right diet food? Well, it should be a right balance of all the necessary macronutrients, yet should contain the least amount of carbohydrate and fats. Looks like it’s the most wanted recipe that any diet conscious friend of mine might be looking forward to.

Ingredients: (for preparation of 3-4 persons)

Beet root (2 medium sized de-skinned and cut into medium pieces),

Carrot (1 ½ medium sized de- skinned and cut into medium pieces),

Green peas (a little quantity),

Tomatoes (2 medium sized grated),

Onion (1 medium sized one grated),

Butter (salted, 1 scoop),

Garlic paste (2 teaspoon),

Salt according to taste,

Dried thyme (a pinch),

Black pepper powder (½ teaspoon).

 

Preparation:

1. Boil the beetroot and carrot in 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker.
2. After 20 minutes you may remove it, let it cool down and out the content in a blender thereby obtaining an even vegetable puree.
3. Grate onion and tomatoes and keep separately.
4. Melt butter in a stock pan; add garlic paste, onion and tomato into it. Add the dried thyme to it. Cook nicely till it becomes an even mixture.
5. Add the vegetable puree in it. Add salt according to taste.
6. Remove in a soup bowl and top it with black pepper.

Enjoy the delicacy. You may have it with bread or even as a diet food. It will be a wonderful treat in winter evenings.

 

 

Pazzzzta in white sauce- Truly yummilicious !!

Yummilicioius Pasta in white sauce
 

Pasta is a food item of Italian origin which is made from unleavened dough and durum wheat flour. By virtue of its taste and quality, pasta is a very popular food across the world. For children who ponder about fussing with food, mummies can make a smart solution to turn a day’s boring lunch menu with pasta. Just watch your child finish the whole bothering you a little to wash the plate. Smart mummies will even combine paste with vegetables of their choice so that the little ones do not miss out the necessary nutrition.

Ingredients: (for preparation of 2-3 persons)

Pasta (a standard packet of 150 gms. weight),

Salt (1 teaspoon),

Broccoli (½ part of a medium piece),

Tomato (2 medium sized ones chopped),

Onion (2 medium sized ones chopped),

Bell pepper (1 medium sized chopped),

Olive oil (2 tablespoons),

Cheddar cheese (grated 1 ½ tablespoon),

White flour (2 tablespoons),

Salted butter (2 tablespoons filled),

Milk (1 cup),

Water (3/4^th cup),

Dried thyme (½ teaspoon),

Pasta sauce (2 tables spoons, optional).

 

Procedure:

1.      Boil the pasta in water for about 5-7 minutes, drain it and allow it to dry.

2.      Heat olive oil in a skillet; cook the vegetables (onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, and broccoli) till it becomes soft. Add ½ teaspoon of dried thyme and salt to it.

3.      Add the pre boiled pasta to it and mix nicely. You may add pasta sauce for the ultimate taste.

4.      Mean while it’s time to prepare the white sauce. Melt butter in a pan, add white flour to it. Roast it but make sure that the white flour should not turn brownish. Add milk to it and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed. Add the desired amount of water.

5.      Shift the white sauce to a microwave safe bowl. Add the paste to it. Top it with shredded cheese.

6.      Shift it to a microwave for 7 minutes.

Remove and sprinkle black pepper over it before serving to your guests/family persons. I am sure that you will love the style of pasta and admit “Pazzzta is yummilicious”.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Mombasa- the hub of business and culture of Kenya!



Mombasa , the best white sand beach in Kenya

 Mombasa is the second biggest city of Kenya and the oldest trade route that connects India and African hinterlands. My journey started from Nakuru and it took almost 10 hours by road to reach Mombasa. It was a hectic one but I was truly excited to have a detailed view of the changing topography across the width of the country. Mombasa is connected to Nairobi by air, road ways. The national highway is too good and provided with distant petrol pumps and eateries, rest houses whatever needed for a traveler’s refreshment.


We halted at the Hindu temple at Makindu, which is a holy shrine where the devotees stop to bow down to the Sikh God, have lunch and again start for journey. While I reached the port city of Mombasa it was almost dawn. The view of the Port Reiz was truly wonderful, especially when the sodium vapor lit city dazzled at midnight. We crossed the Niyali Bridge to reach our hotel where the best of hospitality services was waiting for us. Mombasa is a very popular destination for the European people and the hotel rooms seem to have cent percent occupancy during the peak hours. There are series of hotels near the beach which will cost you almost (350- 500) $ per day to get a full day package for a family of 3-4 members including entertainment. In fact the best of the hotels are always competing to give the best marketing package and hospitality to the esteemed guest. It’s the right place to get yourself pampered……….sun, sand and seclusion.




Sun, sand , seclusion ........and hospitality!


Beach activities are truly awesome. In fact you may have series of entertaining activities on the water and beach. People play beach volley ball, camel riding while some like to have a stroll on the white sand and pen down some awesome experiences. If you are a lover of sun then you may sun bathe the whole day enjoying the sun to play on your tanned skin. Water activities like swimming, water skiing, yachting, speed boat drive are truly popular. One has the full right to bargain with the agents before enjoying these awesome experiences. The most interesting is the coral island situated on the Indian Ocean. This place gets submerged under the sea during high tide. The best time to plan a visit is during the low tide when you can take a stroll among the coral reefs. Mombasa has the best of the views of fishing area. Perhaps it has the best of the colorful fishing. It’s a great experience to feed the fishes. If you are good at swimming then scuba diving can be a very interesting activity. 2 – 3 hours of ride in the speed boat along with scuba diving facility will cost you almost 2000KSH. The white sand and the blue ocean will pamper your senses and it’s the worst part to say goodbye to the ocean after a full day activity.

Coral reef island, Mombasa.



Sea Urchin





Glass bottom speed boats





Visitors enjoying scuba diving


We stepped for a city tour the next day. We saw prominent sites like the lighthouse, Fort Jesus, old port, age old parts of the city which showed Arabic influence as depicted clearly on the structures of the building. Some buildings were as old as 500 years which speaks of the proud history of Mombasa. We had a view of the old port which is as old as a century. We had tasted the traditional Arabic bread at one of the oldest eatery in old Mombasa. Port was one of the oldest ones of the world and spice trading being one of the oldest professions. I felt like experiencing history while standing at the harbor. We had a view of the railway line connecting Kenya and Uganda. The dominance of Muslim culture is quite prominent in Mombasa and there are many non Kiswahili speaking people at large who had come and settled down at Kenya for ages.

Fort Jesus

Portuguese soldier resting in his grave.

We had a view of the Fort Jesus which has a historic site. The guide told us about the history and explained the Portuguese and Arabic influence on the country. How the country was invaded by both the races and how the language Kiswahili came into being was explained in a nice way to us. Fort Jesus bears glimpses of the archeology, painting, architecture and engineering which are evident from the reminiscences. The government of Kenya has put up the best of the efforts to conserve the proud history of the country inside fort Jesus.

Club house of Mombasa

It was a Sunday evening and we had good ‘Mugo chips’ and ‘sweet coconut water’ near the seaside. Modern Mombasa is the epitome of business, culture and a learning centre. The presence of golf course, clubs , shopping complex , multiplex bears the fact that Mombasa was the epitome of business n development in the past and present as well. Many businessmen from around the world want to invest in Mombasa till day as it’s a hub for profitable business. It was nice watching the cosmopolitan crowd enjoying the sweet sea breeze on the weekend. We returned to the hotel, enjoyed the mouth watering dinner. The hotel management arranged for a special entertainment after 9: 30 pm when Masai dance was performed by a group of artists, almost everybody danced on the tunes.

Masai dance at hotel premises

The next day we set to visit Malindi which is a town of historic importance situated about 120 kms from the city of Mombasa. I took us about 1.5 hrs to reach Malindi. Malindi is basically a place which has experienced the dominance of foreign power in Kenya. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese traveler had signed a contract with the Malindi authorities in 1498 and had hired a guide for a voyage to India. The coral pillar build by him stands the test of time. Malindi was established as a port and a stop that served as the resting spot between India and Kenya. The town even bears resemblances of Chinese visit during the 14th century which is evident from the paintings. There are many traditional buildings situated here which speaks of various invasions in pre historic times and the foreign invasions which influenced the culture of Kenya. Kenya was treated as the gateway to Africa and other Western countries from centuries back. It was a nice experience to feel as if I was standing amid history experiencing the rich culture of Kenyan heritage and why it’s called ‘the gateway to Africa’.

Water skiing activity...truly fun!

Whenever opportunity strikes I will surely visit Mombasa for its hospitality, rich culture and the friendly nature of the people staying there.







 

Chicken n butternut soup- A healthy start to a wonderful day!



Goodness of chicken and veggies.

This recipe 'Chicken n butternut soup' is dedicated towards all my health conscious friends. Soup is a healthy way to life. Combining the goodness of vegetables and chicken, cooked with the minimum amount of olive oil, it’s not only a healthy but a tasty treat as well. Butternut combines the goodness of vitamins and other essential minerals which is widely available in USA and eastern Canada. When you are in a mood to enjoy a light meal, I guarantee that this sort of soup dish will definitely satisfy your appetite and your heart to a large extent.


Ingredients: (for 3-5 persons)

Boneless chicken (350 gms.),

Butternut (a medium sized one peeled and diced into medium pieces),

Garlic (2 cloves),

Extra virgin olive oil (2 ½ tablespoons),

Baby corn (100 gms. chopped into thin circular pieces),

Spring onion (white part only),

Tomato (1 ½ pieces grated),

Chopped basil leaves,

Ground black pepper powder (½ teaspoon),

1 scoop of butter,

Salt according to taste.



Procedure: Boil the boneless chicken in a stock pan for 30 minutes. Separate the stock and keep the chicken pieces separate. Simultaneously heat the butternut in a container till it becomes soft. Heat olive oil in a stock pan. Add crushed garlic cloves to it. Add the pre boiled chicken pieces, spring onions, tomato, and baby corn to it. Cook for 5 minutes till the vegetable becomes soft. Add the pre boiled butternut to it. Add the chicken stock. Cook the entire content for 7-8 minutes, allow simmering in medium heat. The butternut should be mashed and the soup should get a thickened texture. You may add salt according to taste, chopped basil and black pepper for the ultimate flavor.

Ladle the soup in a bowl. You may add a dollop of butter on the top. The topping along with chopped basil leaves and black pepper will simply look awesome. Enjoy this awesome delight with bread/breadsticks.

Avocado and coconut- for a glowing skin !

If you want to have a glowing skin, you should be aware of your food habits as well. More of fresh green vegetables, fruits and stuffs like avocado, coconut will prove good for your skin in stipulated amount. But apart from consuming avocado and coconut directly, you can make a palatable curry to enjoy during your meals. Let’s see the method of preparing a curry with avocado and coconut milk.

Ingredients: (for 4-6 persons)

Avocado (2 medium sized ones cut into pieces),

Coconut milk (100 cc.),

Carrot (2 medium sized ones cut into smaller pieces),

Onions (1 medium sized one diced into pieces),

Tomato (1 medium sized one grated),

Turmeric powder (½ teaspoon),

Red chili powder (½ teaspoon),

Ginger paste (1 teaspoon),

Coriander powder (1 teaspoon),

Salt as per taste.


Procedure: Heat oil in a container. Add ginger paste to it and cook for 2 minutes. Add onions, tomatoes to it. Cook well till they become soft. Add the diced carrots, avocado to it. Add the spices (turmeric, coriander, red chili) to it. Cook well and then add 1 cup water to it so that it becomes absolutely soft. Add the coconut milk. Add salt for the ultimate taste. Cook for 5 minutes in covered condition.

Coconut and avocado is good for health and this is a tasty treat.