Monda Pitha

Traditional sweet dish, Monda Pitha by Rumi

Coconut Laddus (Lokkhi Pujo)

Delicious coconut laddus (sweet dish) on occasion of Laxmi Puja, by Rumi

ILISH UTSAV – Steamed Poppyseed Hilsa Fish

An incredibly healthy and unique Bengali fish dish from Rumi

Mango Shahi Tukda

A delectable mango recipe by Rumi

Mango Shahi Tukda

Rumi

Mother’s Day Colour Medley

A mother’s day delectable spread from Rumi, medley of colourful dishes arranged impeccably

Egg Pulao, Raw Banana Kofta & Ripe Mangoes

Rumi

Poila Baisakh Chat Madness

Here’s a video of Rumi the master-chef celebrating Poila Baisakh or Bengali New year with hand-made and home-made chats. Enjoy and share with friends.

Poila Baisakh

Rumi

Kaadha – Immunity Booster

With the deadly Corona virus pandemic rampaging across the world and with no cure or vaccine in sight, the only way is to hope that our body’s immune system is strong enough to fight it back. Indian traditional home medicine has a range of recipes for boosting our immune system with ordinary ingredients/spices, that can be easily mixed and made at home. Kaadha is one of them. There are multiple variations of it, made across India. Here are two. The first one is from the YogiChef (Didi Anuprabha) who drinks this potent concoction in remote and beautiful New Zealand, to stay fit and flu-free all year around, especially during winter. The 2nd one is from Pratyush who learnt from the YogiChef and made some modifications to the process and added in some more ingredients. The former is a quick and easy method and the latter is a bit drawn out. Both are strong immunity boosters that should give you a fighting chance of defeating this pesky virus if and when it comes. Drink it 3-4 times per week, while self-isolating and even when you have no symptoms. But please do consult a doctor if you actually catch the virus.

YOGICHEF’s Version

Hello Everyone. Hope you all are doing well at home and taking care of yourself and others in this virus crisis. I know everyone must be drinking something to boost your immunity . I thought to share what I drink here… 🙂

Ingredients (for 2 cups)

Essential: Water (2-1/2 cups), Ginger – small piece (about the size of a thumb), Black Pepper powder (1/2 teaspoon), Turmeric powder (1/2 teaspoon, if you have raw turmeric, then crush a little piece), Honey (1 teaspoon, optional if you have diabetes)

Optional: Tulsi Leaves (Holy basil – 5-6 leaves), Cumin seeds (1/2 teaspoon)

How to make

Keep a saucepan/pan on the stove. Put water. Crush the ginger and put into in the water. Boil it for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add turmeric, cumin seeds, tulsi leaves, black pepper powder, mix it and boil it for a few more minutes. Switch off the gas. Keep it to cool down for 3 to 4 minutes. Then strain and your Kaadha is ready to drink. It’s always good not to drink too hot. If you want you can add little honey on top to  taste.  I’ll suggest to drink at least 3-4 days a week to boost your immune system.

That is my kaadha, most of the time I drink in Dunedin in winter. The only difference is I put molasses or honey to sweeten. But sometimes it is good to drink without sweet 🙂 Stay at home and take care

PRATYUSH’s Version

Ingredients (for 2 cups)

Essential: Water (2-1/2 cups), Ginger – small piece (about the size of a thumb), Black Pepper whole (1 teaspoon), Turmeric powder (1/4 teaspoon, if you have raw turmeric, then crush a little piece), Honey (1-2 teaspoons, optional if you have diabetes)

Optional: Cinnamon (1-2 long pieces), Bay Leaf (1), Cloves (3-4 pieces), Tulsi leaf (Holy basil – 5/6 leaves), Star Anise (1)

How to make

Put chopped ginger, Whole black pepper, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, Tulsi leaves & Star Anise into the water in a pan. Keep it as such for at least 12 hrs (or 24 hrs) so that all the essential medicinal elements from the spices slowly and thoroughly seep out into the water.

When you are ready to drink, bring the concoction above to boil, in the pan. Separately, in the cups, put 1-2 pinch of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of honey (raw honey better than pasteurised) in each cup. Pour the boiling concoction (through a strainer) into the cups and then stir thoroughly. Allow to cool to lukewarm temperature and then drink up.

Sometimes I make 4-6 cups and just drink 1 cup a day and let the concoction sit, as it draws out even more of the medicinal ingredients every day.

Honey has known anti-bacterial properties. It might not be effective against a virus but some hospitals are reporting that many covid patients are dying of bacterial infections that sneak in while the body is fighting on another front (the virus)

Disclaimer: The above recipes for boosting the immune system, are not cures/treatment for any disease. They are meant as a general supplement for well being of the body. Do not exceed any of the ingredients and stick to the measurements mentioned above. In case of actually catching the virus, please consult a doctor and follow all advised steps of your local government health officials

Rocking Bread Rolls

Ingredients

Bread –  10 slices (White bread)

Potatoes –  3/4 medium size

Mixed veggies – 500 gms ( Here I have taken frozen mixed veggies of carrots, peas, beans, beet)

Oil to fry

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Roasted Cumin powder -1  tsp

Asafoetida (Hing) – one pinch

Cumin – 1 tsp

Fresh green chili

Salt

Water

How to make

Boil the potatoes. Peel and mash with a potato masher. Keep aside.

Take a pan, put little oil and when it is hot, put some cumin, green chili and hing

Wash and put the mixed veggies. Add salt, stir it and cover for few minutes. After 2/3 minutes add turmeric powder, coriander powder and roasted cumin powder. Now add the mashed potatoes, stir it and cover it for a couple of minutes more. When it is ready switch off the gas, put aside and let it cool down. Make 10 balls out of it. . Our stuffing is ready…

Keep a pan on the gas with oil to deep fry the bread rolls.

Now cut the sides of the slices of bread with a knife nicely. Keep a bowl of normal water. Dip a bread in the water slowly and press nicely with both palms to take out the extra water from it. Don’t soak for longer. Now bring one ball which you have kept ready earlier and put it on the bread and close it nicely with your palm.

You can give an oval shape or round shape whichever you like. Like this, ready all the bread rolls with the potato and veggie stuffing.

Now oil should be ready to fry. Put the bread rolls into the oil, one by one. Deep fry until golden brown, in medium heat. If you want more crunchy you can fry a little more.

Now your bread roll is ready to eat. Serve piping hot bread rolls with coriander chutney, tamarind chutney or tomato sauce to make your bread rolls more tasty…      

YogiChef

Rumi’s ‘Giggling’ Cream Cracker Truffles

Ingredients

10-12 cream crackers, butter, peanut butter, cashews, chocolate/chocolate sauce

How to make

1. Take 10-12 cream crackers and blend in a grinder

         

2. Add butter & peanut butter to the ground crackers

3. Make balls stuffed with cashew

4. Freeze the balls for 15-20 minutes

5. Melt chocolate with butter

6. Coat truffles with chocolate sauce

 

7. Freeze them again for 20 minutes

8. Garnish and serve (if anyone wants to add sugar, can add brown sugar)

  

Rumi

Rumi’s Royal Falooda

Ingredients

Falooda mix or home made simoyee (vermicelli), custard, variety of syrups and frozen fruit crushes (strawberry/blueberry), tutee fruity, dry fruits, fresh fruits as per choice, ice-cream, crushed chocolate, sabzza/soaked basil seeds

How to make

Take a glass/tumbler, coat the inside with the syrups and put the syrups into it. Pour fruits, then layer with falooda, then custard, then sabzza, fruits, tuttee fruity, dry fruits, in that order…repeat the layers. Top the glass with ice-cream, crushed chocolate, strawberry/blueberry crush, grated chocolate.

Serve chilled.

Rumi