Choley (Chick Pea & Potato Dish)

A chick pea dish leaning more towards where my husband is from - Pakistan. Unlike Sana Bazi (a traditionally dry Bengali Ramadan dish) this dish has more of a sauce and is equally tasty!

This dish is great during Ramadan during Ifthar time (breaking of the fast) or served on Eid to guests.

Not fasting or celebrating Eid? No problem - this dish can be appreciated as a hearty winter warmer meal!

Sana Bazi

A traditional Bengali Ramadan dish - family Ifthar meals (when breaking our fast) wouldn't be the same without this! It's usually cooked with cubes of boiled potato but I was gunning for a low carb version.

If you have a tin of chick peas knocking around in the cupboard, why not try this?

Cumin & Saffron Rice

If you want to jazz up your rice a little, try this simple recipe out!

Carrot & Parsnip Pakoras

An onion bhaji with a twist!
Serve this great starter at your dinner party!

Roasted Salad

Fancy a change from your usual cold salad? Dad taught me how to prepare this – it tastes great with Sardine Bazi (or any shallow fried fish dish) as well as meat curries.  Some like it hot – I certainly do!

Kabuli Chana Chawal (Chana Dal Pilau Rice)

As a Bangladeshi, I have been used to my rice being accompanied by a gravy laden curry.  The first time my sister-in-law prepared this and brought it to the table with nothing but Hara Chutney (green chutney) and Raita (yoghurt dish), I thought she’d forgotten the curry in the kitchen.  When my in-laws began to tuck in, I realised that this was it – this was the entire meal!  I quietly filled my plate and began eating.  My mind started to think about what I would eat later as this possibly couldn’t satisfy me.

I couldn’t have been more wrong!

This is great when you want a simple dish – no fuss – no fanfare – just a great tasting meal.

Credit to my sister-in-law, Faiza, who taught me how to cook this....

Chana Chaat (Spicy Chick Pea Salad)

A quick and simple yet delicious dish traditionally eaten during Ramadan or Eid.  In parts of Pakistan, it’s also a dish offered to guests all year round - accompanied by Dahi Barey (dumpling & yoghurt dish), finger foods such as Samosas and a sweet dish to finish. 

What’s also great about this dish is that it’s low in carbs which is often difficult to find in traditional south asian dishes.  So load up your plates and enjoy!

Dalir Bora (Crispy Lentil Dumplings)

Growing up, these have been traditionally cooked in our household and enjoyed during the month of Ramadan at Ifthar time (breaking of the fast).  Maybe it’s the specialness of the holy month or maybe because we’ve been starving all day that these taste so delicious – because whenever we’ve cooked them outside of Ramadan they’ve never tasted as good!

You may also notice that this recipe is almost the same as Fiyaizis I posted some months ago.  Fiyaizis are much crispier in texture (due to lentils being only half blended) and they’re served in Bangladesh.  Dalir Boras are much softer in comparison and I’ve only ever had them in our home and relative’s houses in Birmingham (UK) where I grew up!

Quinoa

I've struggled all my life to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight.  It doesn't help that I'm Bangladeshi - our staple diet consists of rice & curry twice a day! I used to manage about a week without rice & curry followed by a 'crash-and-burn' few days of eating plate upon plate of mum's cooking!

But that was all before quinoa came into my life! Since then, I've substituted rice with a plate of quinoa, which means that I don't feel left out during those important family get-togethers. And very few 'crash-and-burn' episodes! I've managed to keep my weight fairly stable for almost four years and have to say - quinoa and exercise have played a major part in that success.

There's plenty of information out there about quinoa, as well as delicious recipes for you to try.  For now, here are the basics on how to cook plain quinoa.

Fiyaizi (Crunchy Lentil Dumplings)

My Nan’s favourite!

Fiyaizis, along with Sana Bazi (black chick pea stir fry), are served fresh on the streets of Bangladesh.  They’re available all year round, but especially popular during the month of Ramadhan.  My family travelled to the city of Sylhet many times whilst I was growing up and so I got to eat a lot of them!

I still remember the delightful aroma escaping the bag which my Hufa (uncle) carried into the house on his way back from the mosque after sunset prayers.  He would start calling to everyone in the house from the porch but the spicy smell would have already summoned most of us!  Hufa would unwrap the softened newspaper parcels and invite us to tuck in.  Hands would dive in and out as fiyaizis were devoured by the houseful of extended family during our stay.  If she happened to be visiting, a parcel especially for my Nan would be passed along to her.

Fiyaizi Recipe

Suto Aloo Bazi (Baby Potatoes Dish)

This is my mum's recipe - a Great Winter Warmer! Tastes even better if you use home grown/organic potatoes.  Add chopped chillies if you like a little heat!