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World Cuisine in an Indian Kitchen, KOLKATA (2026)

25/10/2025

Celebrating my 13th year on Facebook. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🙏🤗🎉

26/06/2018

Learn 12 International cuisines in 4 days. Two classes every month. To enroll call immediately or whatsapp Kuheli @ 9831920321

11/04/2018

ARGENTINE SOPAPILLAS

These puffed fried or baked pastry pillows are famous not only in Argentina, but all over, New Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile and even in Texas (USA). Some where they are Honey coated sweet triangles, served during breakfast. Some times they are stuffed savoury parcels, served during lunch or dinner. In Chile they are a savoury snack served mostly on rainy days. Today I am posting the recipe of a simple Sopapilla, which is generally served during breakfast, but I have seen my sons having them round the clock, drenching with honey and sprinkling some cinnamon powder. It really tastes yum. So if you have young children at home, do try this.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Standing Time : 20 minutes
Frying Time : 6 - 8 minutes
Difficulty : Very Easy
Serves : 4 - 6

Ingredients :

4 cups all-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
4 tablespoons Shortening (I generally use cold butter cubed, it tastes better)
1 1/2 cups Warm Water
Oil for frying

Method :

1) In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Mix loosely with finger tips till the flour looks like breadcrumbs.

2) Stir in water; mix until dough is smooth.

3) Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.

4) Roll out on floured board until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

5) Cut into 3 inch squares.

6) Heat oil in deep-fryer or a deep frying pan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

7) When the oil is sufficiently hot add few pieces at a time and fry until golden brown on both sides.

8) Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

9) Serve a bowl of honey with a spoon so that they can drench it honey before eating. You can even sprinkle some fresh Cinnamon powder for a earthy spicy flavour.

03/04/2018

HOT GERMAN POTATO SALAD

A potato salad is always a comfort food that can be had any time of the day and the carbs are a real pick me up, specially when the weekend is still a day later... Yes, This is the salad which has given me a lot of support ever since I first had it on the fist day of my life's first Convention Lunch. The boring long lectures, immediately changed into something very informative. Well jokes apart friends. This salad has saved my back and my prestige as a good cook as number of times. So I diced to share my good old friend with all my great friends out there.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Difficulty : Easy
Serves : 4 - 6

Ingredients :

6 Medium Potatoes, peeled
6 slices Bacon
6 Spicy German Sausage
3/4 cup chopped Onions
2 tablespoons all-purpose Flour
2 tablespoons White Sugar
2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 teaspoon Celery Seed
1/8 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
3/4 cup Water
1/3 cup Distilled White Vinegar

Method :

1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2) Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 30 minutes.

3) Drain, cool and slice thin.

4) Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside, reserving drippings.

5) Saute onions and sausage in bacon drippings until they are golden-brown.

6) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, celery seed, and pepper.

7) Add the mixture to the sauteed onions and cook and stir until bubbly, then remove from heat.

8) Stir in water and vinegar, then return to the stove and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

9) Boil and stir for one minute.

10) Carefully stir bacon and sliced potatoes into the vinegar/water mixture, stirring gently until potatoes are well mixed.

11) Serve them with a some crusty Garlic bread and top up with chopped chives. You can also reserve a piece of Crusty Bacon and add it on the top, whole or crumbled.

15/11/2017

KOFTELI BEZELYE - TURKISH SWEET PEAS WITH MEATBALLS

Turkish Cuisine is considered as one of the most exotic in the world. The varieties of dishes, usage of spices, the aroma and the taste of the dishes makes dining experience a memorable event. I always loved the Turkish cooking and admired their style of presentation. The Turkish chefs has an unique quality of presenting even a simple dish is a picturesque style which changes the whole dinner table from a simple affair to something special. This dish is easy to prepare and is very tasty. The Indian markets get their share of sweet peas flooding in, right this time, and they are just right for this wonderful dish. You can prepare this dish with the frozen peas too but fresh ones always taste better.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Resting Time : 30 minutes (or more in the fridge)
Baking Time : 30 - 40 minutes
Difficulty : Easy
Serves : 6

Ingredients :

1 kilo Sweet Peas
2 Tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon Tomato Paste
1 big Carrot, sliced round
1 big Potato, cut in cubes
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Hot Water

For the meatballs:

500 grams Ground Beef/Mutton/Lamb
1 Egg
1/3 cup Bread Crumbs
1 small Onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Method :

1) Mix the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Do not mix too much, it will turn the balls tougher. Mix it with a very light hand.

2) Wet hands and take pieces smaller than walnut and make little meatballs using your palms. Arrange on a greased plate.

3) Cover and keep them in fridge prior to use. They should be in the fridge for at least half an hour.

4) Meanwhile, take potatoes, sweet peas and carrots in a heat proof dish. Sprinkle with salt and mix.

5) Dissolve tomato paste in hot water.

6) Pre-heat oven to 400 degree F (200 degree Centigrade)

7) Take the meatballs out of the fridge and place over the vegetables.

8) Pour the hot water with tomato paste over and add the tomatoes evenly as well.

9) Bake in preheated 400 F (200 C) oven for about 30-40 minutes or until meatballs and potatoes are cooked.

10) Serve warm with pilaf. You can sprinkle chopped coriander from top before serving.

27/10/2017

SAICA, THE CURRY FROM BOLIVIA

I learnt this dish from my colleague in UNICEF, who was posted in Bolivia for some years. She always served this dish, when ever she invited us for dinner. I found it simple to cook and nutritious, with a combination of meat and veggies and a dash of carbs too. This can be a dish absolutely suitable for the guys n gals who are staying alone and have to cook for themselves.

Ingredients :

For Saice (the Curry):

500 grams of ground Turkey or Big Chicken
200 grams of diced Tomatoes
1 large Green Pepper(Camsicum) chopped finely
1.5 medium Onion,chopped
4 Tablespoon Oil
12 baby Carrots chopped and boiled
3/4 cup cooked Lima beans (you can soak overnight and boil, or even use it out of a can)
3/4 cup cooked Peas
3 cloves Garlic1 tablesppon of Paprika powder2 teaspoons ground Cumin 2 Chicken cubes dissolved in 1 cup hot water/ or Meat Stock
1 Red Chili pepper chopped very finely ( without seeds)
Salt to taste

For Sarza: (the Topping):

1/2 medium onion sliced thin
1 medium tomato chopped
1 Red Chili Finely chopped Discard seeds if you don't want your dish to be too hot)

For Serving :

6 -8 boiled Potatoes, peeled
Cooked Rice

Method :

1) Heat Oil in a pan over medium heat, once the oil is hot add meat, broen on all sides to lock the juices in.

2) Now add Onions, tomatoes, Capsicum, mix well and fry for about 15 minutes, till they are almost cooked.
3) Now add Garlic, cumin, salt and paprika. Mix well and fry all together for another 5 minutes.

4) Now add the stock and the pre cooked veggies (carrots, Lima beans and peas). Mix well. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

5) Check seasonings and adjust if required.

6) for Sarza, mix all ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

7) To serve, Pour Saica over the hot rice, spoon sarza on top and serve with hot boiled potatoes. That is how Bolivians enjoy their favourite dish Saica.

22/10/2017

KADAIFI DOLMASI - TURKISH NUT STUFFED VERMICELLI BALLS

This Kadaifi or Nut Stuffed Vermicelli Balls are next hot favourite sweets after Baklava. This recipe might seem bit tough to prepare, but once you get used to making the balls you would enjoy the taste of this wonderful sweet and surprise your family and friends. I first tasted this sweet at a Turkish sweet shop in New York and then, back in India went to a Turkish Chef for one of the well known star hotel to learn this wonderful sweet. Believe me, it is worth the effort. So go ahead and prepare it for your family.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes
Baking Time : 15 - 20 minutes
Standing Time : 3 - 5 hours
Difficulty : Medium
Serves : 6 - 8

Ingredients :

450 grams Kadaifi (or fine Vermicelli Noodles)
150 grams Butter
1 cup Walnuts/Pecans, in chunks

For the Syrup:

2 1/2 - 3 cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
3 cups Water

Method :

1) Heat a pot over medium high flame and mix sugar and water in a pot.

2) Bring it to boil and keep the syrup boiling for about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and let it cool.

3) Melt butter and drizzle all over the Kadaifi or Vermicelli Noodles. Using your hands,try to mix the butter with kadaifi evenly. If the kadaifi pieces are too long, break them into smaller pieces with your hands.

4) After tossing the Kadaifi or Vermicelli Noodles, take a small coffee cup and fill half of it with kadaifi and make a hole in the middle.

5) Place about 1 teaspoon walnuts/pecans inside and fill the rest of the cup with more kadaifi.

6) Gently press on top of the cup.

7) Grease an oven tray and flip the cup upside down on the tray. Make sure to press on top of the kadaifi before flipping, otherwise the shape will not come out well. Use the same procedure for all the kadaifi left.

Note : You can also shape them in Cylinders, as I have done, But they need a little practise. So I suggest using cup for shaping Kadaifi. Later you can shape them as you want.

8) Pre heat oven to 350 degree F (180 degree C).

9) Bake it at 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven until they get light brown.

10) Take it out of the oven and immediately pour the cold syrup over the hot stuffed kadaifi.

11) Let it absorb the syrup for at least 3-5 hours.

12) serve warm or at room temperature.

20/10/2017

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE CURRY

The vegetable curry is a staple meal in every part of the world and each country has it's own signature Vegetable Curry. The Vegetables used in the curry are almost same everywhere, it's the spices and herbs that makes all the difference. The flavours of a curry reflect the food and cultural heritage of that country. This Vegetable Curry is no exception. It is mostly spiked up with orange juice, you can also use ginger juice to give it an unique flavour.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 35 minutes
Difficulty : Easy
Serves : 4

Ingredients :

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium Eggplant/Brinjal, cubed
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Carrots, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
1 Zucchini, sliced
300 grams Spinach
6 tablespoons Olive Oil (use ordinary Olive Oil, no need for Extra Virgin)
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground Turmeric (or use 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric Powder)
1 tablespoon Curry Powder (use any ordinary packaged Curry powder)
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3/4 tablespoon Sea Salt
3/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper/ Kashmiri Mirch
400 grams Garbanzo beans/Chick Peas, soaked overnight, boiled and drained
1/4 cup blanched Almonds
2 tablespoons Raisins
1 cup Orange Juice

Method :

1 ) In a large pot place sweet potato, eggplant, peppers, carrots, onion, and three tablespoons oil.

2) Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.

3) In a medium saucepan place 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, turmeric, curry powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes.

4) Pour garlic and spice mixture into the large pot with vegetables in it.

5) Add the garbanzo beans/Chick peas, almonds, zucchini, raisins, and orange juice.

6) Simmer 20 minutes, covered.

7) Add spinach to pot and cook for 5 more minutes.

8) Check the seasonings and adjust if required. Serve hot along with long grained cooked rice. You can also sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves on the curry before serving.
　

16/10/2017

Chicken Afridata

This easy Philippino recipe of chicken needs very few ingredients but tastes wonderful. It takes very little time so it can be easily cooked on a busy week night and served with plain boiled rice.

INGREDIENTS :

¼ cup oil

2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into cubes

½ small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ½-inch thick strips

½ small green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into ½-inch thick strips

1 (about 3 pounds) whole chicken, cut into serving parts

1 small onion, peeled and sliced thinly

2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

5 large tomatoes

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 cup water

½ cup frozen sweet peas, thawed

salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS :

In a pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add potatoes and carrots and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned.

Add bell peppers and cook for about 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Add chicken and cook, turning on sides once or twice, until lightly browned but not cooked through.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Remove oil except about 2 tablespoons.

Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until aromatic.

Add tomatoes and cook, mashing regularly with back spoon until softened and release juices.

Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chicken and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Add more water in ½ cup increments, if necessary.

Add potatoes and carrots and continue to cook for about 7 to 10 minutes or until tender and sauce is thickened and reduced.

Add bell peppers and sweet peas.

Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until green peas are heated through and bell peppers are tender yet crisp.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

01/10/2017

PAKISTANI CHICKEN REZALA

Pakistani food is very much similar to that of Indian, but in few cuisines the style of cooking and ingredients differ. Like the Rezala in India mostly has a thin gravy, consisting mostly the oil in which it is cooked. But the Pakistani version has a thicker gravy and richer in taste. I always prefer to cook the Pakistani version because the full bodied sauce makes it more yummy. So why not cook Chicken Rezala for the Sunday family dinner and enjoy it with hot and fresh naan (Roasted flat breads).

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 40 minutes
Difficulty : Easy
Serves : 4

Ingredients :
1 kg Chicken Cut into 10 / 12 pieces
1 medium Onion, 1/2 of it thinly sliced
4 Green Chili, (2 sliced)
2-3 Garlic cloves
1/2 inch Ginger root (to yield 1/2 tsp in paste)
4 tbsp Ghee/ Clarified Butter
1 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
1-2 Star Anise
1 Whole Black Cardamom
1 inch Cinnamon Bark
1/2 cup full creamed Milk
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
2 tbsp Sugar (or to taste, the dish is meant to be on the sweet side)
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Salt to taste

Method :
1. Prepare the chicken by washing and patting them dry with a paper towel, before chopping them into pieces.

2. In a blender, blend 2 chilies, garlic, ginger and half of the unsliced onion into a puree.

3. In a sealable container, marinate the chicken pieces with the blended paste, garam masala powder, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper, for about 1/2 -1 hour. The longer you marinate the tender the meat gets, I did for about an hour.

4. In a bowl, beat the yogurt with the sugar and set aside.

5. In a heavy base non-stick pan, heat the ghee/ clarified butter till it melts. But be careful to see that it does not burn.

6. In batches, saute the chicken pieces until cooked through. Make sure your heat is not too high as it will brown up the chicken. Remove and let it rest on a plate.

7. Add the whole spices for one minute and then add sliced half of the onion to the pan, and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Saute till translucent.

8. Add the yogurt mixture and simmer on medium heat for 4-5 min.

9. Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the milk. When adding the milk, make sure to remove your pan from heat, and then once stirred in properly, return it on the heat. This will stop the milk from cuddling.

9. Add the remaining 2 chilies.

10. Simmer the chicken on low-medium heat for about 25-30 min or until the milk evaporates and the ghee separates to create a thick shiny white gravy.

11. Check the seasonings and adjust if required.

12. Serve hot with Dry Fruits Pilaf or Naan.

29/09/2017

SOFT PRETZELS

Pretzels, known as Brezel in German, comes in both sweet and savoury versions. They are also both soft and hard. These are most popular in southern Germany and adjoining area and also in some parts of US. Today I chose to post this recipe of Soft and buttery sweet Pretzel, just for the fact that Southern Germany is celebrating it's Oktoberfest, and I love celebrations. So why not celebrate in German way ? And what what can be better than some thing sweet ? So friends, roll up your sleeves and warm up your ovens, here comes Soft Sweet Pretzels for your Saturday night dinner.

Preparation Time : 30 minutes
Resting Time : 1 Hour
Baking Time : 8 minutes per tray
Difficulty : Easy
Serves : 6 - 8

Ingredients :

4 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast

1 teaspoon White Sugar (for activating Yeast)

1 1/4 cups Warm Water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

5 cups All-purpose Flour

1/2 cup White Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (use any Vegetable oil)

1/2 cup Baking Soda

4 cups Hot Water

Melted Butter for coating

Powdered Sugar or Granulated White Sugar for Dusting

Method :

1) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2) In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt.

3) Make a well in the centre; add the oil and yeast mixture.

4) Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water.

5) Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes.

6) Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil.

7) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

8) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

9) In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water and set aside.

10) When the dough is fully risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces.

11) Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape.

12) Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet.

13) Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

14) Once they are done, take out the Pretzels, Put on a wire rack and brush with melted butter and immediately sprinkle sugar of your choice. (If you are not too health conscious, you can even dip the Pretzel in melter butter and coat with sugar by dusting sugar all over.

15) Your Soft Sweet Pretzels are ready to serve. You can serve them hot, oven fresh or even at room temperature.

World Cuisine in an Indian Kitchen

25/10/2025

26/06/2018

11/04/2018

03/04/2018

15/11/2017

27/10/2017

22/10/2017

20/10/2017

16/10/2017

01/10/2017

29/09/2017

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