Bengali cooking is not for the weak hearted.....

/there is an absence of punctuation in this post because of an error on my laptop. Just for you to know/ Hence the forward slash instead of brackets..

In a couple of weeks time my best friend Yasmin, her husband and 5 year old daughter are coming over from London to visit us. Theyll be staying for a week and I am just thrilled since it will be their first time here. Yasmin and I have been friends for more than 15 years. Shes kind, affectionate, generous and since getting married has become abit of an expert when it comes to Bengali cooking.
If I havent mentioned it already, my parents are from Bangledesh and moved to England in the late seventies. I grew up eating traditional food, and when I mean traditional, I really do mean traditional. For instance,all the main meals were eaten with the right hand, there were lots of rice and a medley of vegetarian, fish and meat dishes. Nothing was ever microwaved,or bought readymade. Everything was cooked from scratch. My mum grew coriander, green beans, courgettes, tomatoes and gigantic water gourds. She had her own organic compost heap in the back garden, so nothing ever went to waste. I didnt even get to sniff a Mcdonalds burger until my late teens and popping into the local newsagents for a Mars bar was a big nono for as long as me and my younger sister were within earshot of my mum.
So with a new baby on the way and my best friend coming to visit, I want to take advantage of her by getting her to teach me how to cook Bengali style. Its the one thing I really regret. Ignoring my mum completely whilst she spent years slaving away in the kitchen for her family. I could have learned a thing or two.
If youre interested in Bengali cooking, heres what you absolutely must have. Without these, you may as well be cooking shepards pie.

Bengali cooking essentials. With these you can make basic curries.

1.Cumin powder
2.Turmeric powder
3.Garam Masala powder
4.Chilli Powder
5.White onions
6.Ginger
7.Garlic
8.Cinammon sticks
9.Bay leaves
10.Cardamoms
11.Cloves
12.Anise seeds

Heres a list of things if you really want to make people say oooooh whats that

1. Asafoetida powder. Really pungent stuff. But once cooked it takes on the aroma of caramelized onions and garlic.
2.Corn starch. Handy for making pakoras
3.Rice flour. Like the above plus I think you can use it in certain desserts which I personally have no clue about.
4 Tamarind water
5.Whole cumin seeds.
6.Bengali five spice
7.Mustard oil. A must for salad dressings
8.Clarified butter. Wonderful for making parathas.

Your best bet is to get these ingredients from speciality stores. The kind you often find in the dodgier parts of town. Next to pawn shops and mini cab stands. But it is well worth the visit. In addition you can probably get to sample exotic fruit and vegetables. If you love mangoes and lychees, these shops usually have the most wonderfully aromatic and tastiest on offer.

Why does the American lady in this video clip shout when shes talking. Are they deaf. Besides making me laugh, this is a good clip to show you just how many things you can cook. And take a look at the cutting device the lady uses. I cant rememember the name of it but it involves one having to crouch down in front of it by sitting on a really small stool. Not great for your back but great for getting your veg chopped up nice and neatly.



Pregnancy update> I am now 13 weeks into what seems like a very long wait. My current craving is coconut and cheese sandwiches, and grilled chicken makes me want to heave. I am in the process of crocheting a blanket for my little grapefruit. Yeah! Back to the crocheting again...kinda missed it after all this time. Will post pictures in due time.

Happy cooking!