Bengali Food - Ancient Cuisine of 2 Styles of Cooking and a Fish Stew Recipe of Hot Spice and Flavor

Bengali food is an ancient cuisine dating back to early Buddhism. It is made up of the cooking of West Bengal, which is part of India, and East Bengal, which is part of Bangladesh. In early Buddhist and Bengali writings of the 10th and 11th century, there is mention of the abundance of produce that could be derived from good agriculture.

Although rice is a staple food throughout Bengal, there are two distinct styles of Bengali cooking. In East Bengali food, there is great emphasis on fish and dal (a spicy bean stew that is a mainstay of the area). The food of West Bengal is distinguished by the liberal use of poppy seeds.

Much of the distinctive taste of Bengali food comes from the mustard plant and mustard oil. Mustard is used in three ways: The oil is used to fry foods, the greens are used as a cooked vegetable, and the seeds are crushed to make a hot spice.

Fish and prawns are very common in both cuisines. West Bengalis usually get their fish farm-raised from estuaries, while East Bengalis get the majority of their fish from the big rivers of the region.

This fish stew recipe uses ingredients and cooking techniques common to both West and East Bengal, and is very popular in both cuisines. Many Bengali cooks will add a couple of vegetables to the dish, such as eggplant and potatoes that are diced small. Some ingredients have been changed to accommodate Western availability.

Spicy Bengali Fish Stew

Ingredients:

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1 1/4 pounds cod, sea bass, or halibut steaks, cut into 2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons mustard oil (can be found in Indian or Bengali markets) or vegetable oil

4 medium onions, finely chopped

4 large garlic cloves, crushed

4 fresh green chiles (jalapenos or finger-like chiles), seeded and finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamon

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeds squeezed out, and grated through the largest holes of a grater.

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup whole plain yogurt

Directions:

On a plate, mix together the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the turmeric, and the paprika. Dredge the fish steaks on both sides of the mixture.

In a large skillet, heat the mustard oil (or vegetable oil) over medium-high heat. Brown the fish on both sides, turning once, for about 3 minutes total. Remove and set aside.

Add the onions and garlic to the skillet. Cook until soft, or about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chiles, cumin, mustard seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, then add the tomatoes, cilantro, and water. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the sauce is thick, or about 15 minutes.

Add the yogurt and salt to taste and stir to blend. Return the fish to the skillet and simmer, covered, until the fish flakes, or about 10 minutes. Be careful that the broth never gets too hot, as the yogurt will separate. Serve immediately, over rice if desired.

Chicken Recipes in Indian Cuisine

Chicken forms a vital part of the Indian non vegetarian cuisine. Chicken has proteins, carbohydrates and calcium, making it great nourishment for your body. Right from the north of India to the south, there are various ways of cooking chicken. You can try delicious chicken kebabs, curries, biryanis, even cutlets and other chicken recipes.

In north India, especially in Punjab and the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, chicken is a chief component. The Murg Tandoori (Indian Barbequed Chicken) is a mouth watering preparation made in just about 15 minutes of time. The chicken is marinated in yogurt and seasoned with Tandoori Masala.

Another famous chicken recipe is the chicken Makhani or the butter chicken. This recipe is famous all over the world. The recipe has a thick flavor of spices, butter and chicken making it extremely sumptuous.

The Chicken Biryani Awadhi is a delicacy from Luck now. This recipe dates back to the Mogul era. Rice and meat are cooked separately and then layered, earning it the name "pakka" Biryani.

Down south also, there are some famous chicken recipes that one cannot afford to ignore. The Hyderabadi Biryani is savored in all parts of India and forms an integral part of the Indian cuisine. It is colorful and made of rich spices. The Telengana cuisine and the Mughlai cuisine blended in the Nizam's kitchens to form the Hyderabadi Biryani.

Other chicken recipe from the south includes the Chicken Chettinad which is a popular delicacy in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. And since the south is known for its spicy flavor, Chicken Chettinad is considered as a fiery recipe best served with Paratha.

Besides the curries and the biryanis, you can also try chicken kebabs. It serves as an appetizer. You can make it with vegetables.They're colorful and vibrant, and can be a great way to get kids and fussy eaters eating vegetables and chicken.

From a pool of amazing and exotic Indian chicken recipes, you can choose your pick. To cook any of these recipes, all you need to do is go on the net and get their recipe. There is enough to try for every week!

Sicilian Cooking - One of the Masterpieces of Italian Cuisine

Introduction
Sicilians have perfected the art of food presentation, where even the simplest dish becomes a work of art. Sicilian vegetable dishes are usually elaborate preparations, often with many ingredients added to the main vegetable to create complex flavours.

A kaleidoscope for the senses

The sun and soil both contribute to the excellence of Sicilian food and wine through the vivid colours and tastes it gives to the fresh local vegetables such as tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, zucchini, olives, oranges and capers. Sicilian food melds an incredible variety of styles and historic ingredients while remaining uniquely Italian and ultimately fantastic.

Aubergines, tomatoes and Mozzarella are the classic ingredients of any classic Sicilian sauce for pasta, and roasting the tomatoes and aubergines to get them slightly charred adds an extra flavour dimension.

Here is a Sicilian recipe using aubergines and Mozzarella.

Siciliano di pasta con melanzane e pomodore torrefatto - Sicilian Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Aubergines

Ingredients
8 oz (225 g) spaghetti
12 large tomatoes (roughly 2 lb/900 g)
1 large aubergine, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
about 4 tablespoons olive oil
12 large basil leaves, torn in half, plus a few extra for garnish
5 oz (150 g) Mozzarella, cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

Directions
o Put the aubergine cubes in a sieve and sprinkle them with salt and leave to stand for at least half an hour, weighed down with something heavy to squeeze out the excess juice.
o While waiting, pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leaving for 1 minute, then as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.
o Cut each tomato in half and place on one of the baking trays (cut side up), season with salt and pepper(prefera\bley freshly milled black).
o Sprinkle over the chopped garlic, distributing evenly, and follow with a few drops of olive oil in each tomato.
o Top each tomato half with half a basil leaf, turning each leaf over to give it a good coating of oil.
o Place the baking tray in the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are slightly blackened.
o While this is happening, drain the aubergines and squeeze out as much juice as possible, then dry them with a clean cloth and place them in the other baking tray.
o Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over them and place them on the top shelf of the oven, above the tomatoes, giving them half an hour.
o In the last 15 minutes of the cooking time, cook the pasta.
o When the tomatoes and aubergines are ready, scrape them, along with all their cooking juices, into a pan and place it over a low heat, then add the cubed Mozzarella and stir gently.
o Drain the pasta, pile it into a warm bowl, spoon the tomato and aubergine mixture over the top and sprinkle over a few basil leaves

Recipes Of Romanian Cuisine - A Balm For Your Senses

Romanians have a particular way of cooking, and their food is absolutely delicious if you get it in the right place and it is cooked the right way. Romanian restaurants can be found nowadays all over the world and they serve the best traditional Romanian food made by Romanian cooks after special recipes of Romanian cuisine.

Before big important holidays like Christmas and Easter or others, Romanians have a fasting period, which means no animal products are allowed on the table. That means that for some well-determined days they can purify their body, as fasting periods are not for eating fat, not for eating eggs nor other type of animal products. Sometimes, on particular Sundays of the fasting periods, which are determined and written down in the orthodox calendar, Romanians are allowed to eat fish.

What the fasting period does is prepare the body for the fat and delicious food, which is cooked in every house for the holidays. Women and men start cooking the food days before the holiday, especially before Christmas, when the pork is the basic element for the traditional food. There are all sorts of products made of pork, traditional sausages and others. No part of the pig remains untransformed. The condiments used in preparing the meat are the usual ones, salt, pepper, garlic etc. but the Romanian cooking recipes are special.

If you visit a Romanian restaurant, you can enjoy all the delights of the traditional Romanian food. Ask the waiter to recommend you something or just try the famous stuffed cabbage with "polenta" and sour cream. The noodle traditional soups and "ciorba" (broth) are famous all over the world.

Also, if you happen to have Romanian friends, ask them to tell you about all the beautiful customs that make the holidays brighter. About all the Christmas carols and the New Year poems that are said on the first day of the new year by groups of men and boys, who go from house to house to give joy and happiness as well as a lot of positive energy and thoughts to the hosts.

If you are trying to excite your senses, do not avoid trying out the Romanian food. Recipes for Romanian food can be found online too; all you have to do is use a search engine the right way and start cooking. It is not hard at all and the results will be absolutely to your satisfaction. Dare to taste the Romanian products and if you ever have the chance, visit that beautiful country.

Not only the food, but also the attitude of the Romanians is one to enjoy - they are very hospitable and generally have a positive attitude towards life itself. The surroundings, especially in the mountains and the sights are amazing and you can find nice restaurants all over the country. Plenty of food to enjoy, and it is delicious. You will have to be careful though because you might gain weight very fast.

No matter if you try it at home, or at your friend's house or anywhere else in the world, Romanian food is great and very tasty. Find Romanian cooking recipes and make them a part of your life as well as a part of your family's lives. Your family will enjoy and surely appreciate it!