Sweet and Savory on Kitchen3N

Fruit Chaat

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

I remember having fruit chaat for the first time at my cousin Lima Apa’s house. I was flabbergasted at how bright and flavorful a simple yogurt dressing made otherwise pretty boring fruit (green apples, red grapes). Since then, I use the dressing as a way to eat more fruits during the winter months. When the mangos are tart and the berries are lackluster. A quick toss, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly the fruit disappears!

Sweet and Smoky Butternut Squash

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been eating bad lately. Like oreos bad. Like soup from a can bad. Now keep in mind, I’m not exactly a health nut. I don’t do juice cleanses or quinoa. Kale rarely makes an appearance at our dinner table (I prefer swiss chard). But, I tell myself I’m eating ok as long as I get plenty of veggies, minimize the processed foods and eat only sweets I bake myself. Butter and oil are ok, in my book, since I don’t eat fried foods on the regular. But something happened after Thanksgiving. Burnout, perhaps? Winter weather? I guess I’ve been entertaining and cooking a lot recently. So combine that with two kids, NYC’s first snow storm, homeschooling stuff and going back to work (part time), and less frequent help from grandma. Yes - that spells burnout. So much so that I’ve been neglecting this poor butternut squash for like a week and a half. It really was a testament to this vegetable’s shelf life. But, today was the day. Both kids napped (simultaneously)! The sun came out! I had a wrap for lunch while this was in the oven! Hallelujah.

Cranberry Relish (Achar)

Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

I’m not a pickle/relish/chutney person. My husband is not a turkey-with-all-the-fixin’s kind of guy. So this is how I strive to compromise. You see, I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. It will be pretty small, just my family and his. But there are a few characters in this production who absolutely do not enjoy anything outside the rice and curry/biryani paradigm. So, my spread will look something like this: roast turkey (brined in buttermilk, stuffed with orange, garlic, thyme and sage flavorings), my mother in law’s khichuri, mashed potatoes, salad, either a green bean casserole or sweet potato dish, and this relish. I love cranberry sauce, but in order to make it more palatable for my husband, his brother, and my dad, I thought I’d prepare it according to the traditional Bengali method for achar (non vinegar based relish). It’s sweet, spicy, and tart all at the same time. Obviously cranberries aren’t available in Bangladesh, but they remind me of this other berry like fruit that they do use for achar. The result was pretty good!Mustard oil is not so common in American grocery stores, but if you’ve made the trip to an Asian grocery to get any of the other ingredients required in this (dried red peppers, pach forom), you’ll definitely find the mustard oil. The second it hits the heat, a wonderful aroma fills the whole house. If you can’t find it - don’t fret. Make it with vegetable or olive oil. The result will be a much more mellow relish. Then come all the other aromatics: pach forom, garlic, and red pepper. The seeds will start to pop once they get heated through…time to quickly add the other ingredients!When working with the red peppers, simply snap them in two with your fingers and dump all the seeds out onto the cutting board. Then, when you add them to the hot oil, stand back and prepare for a pepper onslaught on your sinuses! Make sure your vent is going and windows are open, otherwise you’ll find yourself and the rest of your family members in a coughing fit. At this point, I know what you’re thinking: this is really, really weird. And I’ll admit - it’s not for everybody. But if occasionally you find yourself longing for the sweet and spicy relishes of your childhood, this will definitely hit the spot! We would normally serve this with rice or luchi, but I’m sure it would be great on toast. You can make this with pach forom (which I’ve discussed before here) or with anise or fennel seed (which I actually prefer, since the black seeds in pach forom are a bit strong for me). Hope you try this if you’re looking to spice up the usual cranberry sauce! I would love to hear about your Thanksgiving traditions!