Food
Healthy Winter Soup Ideas and Recipes to Help You Get Through the Cold Weather
A bowl of soup can be the finest way to beat the winter blues. When the weather is cold outside, the heart yearns for some delicious pot of hot soup which should ideally be made within a short time. Now because of the varieties available in this sector, it is very important to choose the ones that are healthy and also take minimum effort to make. This gives everyone access to making their own winter soups in their home while keeping the scrumptiousness intact.
7 Best Healthy, Delicious, Easy Soup Recipes to Try at Home
Keeping these in mind, here are 7 easy, time-saving and healthy soup recipes to try at home.
Tomato Soup
How to make Tomato soup at home
With a steaming bowl of homemade tomato soup, one may relax and unwind. This recipe is simple, healthy, and tasty, plus it uses fresh tomatoes. Prepare this by cooking the onion, carrots, and celery in the butter for 10-15 minutes, or until they are completely soft. Cook for a minute after adding the herbs, then add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes, remove the herbs, add 4 tablespoons of fresh cream, and blitz until fully smooth with a stick blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
Read: 10 Ways to Tell If Your Food is Spoiled
Cream of mushroom soup
Recipes and ingredients of cream of mushroom soup
One can have this cream of mushroom soup on its own, with a crusty roll, or use it as a base for other delectable creams of mushroom soup-based recipes. To make this, heat butter in a large skillet over a medium-high flame and cook mushrooms and onion until soft. Combine flour, salt, pepper, and 1 can of chicken broth in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
Office Breakfast Ideas: Quick, healthy, delicious breakfast recipes for busy mornings
Despite the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, far too many people start their day with a coffee or a doughnut. Breakfast is easy to overlook when people are rushing to get out of the house to reach work on time. The issue boils down to a matter of convenience. Here we have put together this helpful list of healthy breakfast ideas for work that will take the rush out of the mornings.
7 Easy, healthy & yummy office breakfast items that you can take to work
Boiled eggs
For people who like to keep it simple and easy in the mornings, boiled eggs is a great option. Eggs are one of the world's healthiest and most nutrient-dense foods. Protein, vital vitamins, and minerals are abundant in them. Egg protein aids in the development and repair of muscular tissue.
People can boil their eggs at home and bring them to work, or if their company has an egg boiler, they can cook them there. They can choose between soft-boiled and hard-boiled eggs. If someone wants a little something else to go with the boiled eggs, the options, in this case, are numerous. From oatmeal to avocado toast, boiled eggs can be paired with almost anything.
Read 7 Healthy Warm Drinks to Stay Warm This Winter
Bread & nut butter
For folks who want to eat healthy, whole-grain bread with nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter is one of the greatest breakfast options. Nut butter is high in protein and healthy fats, while whole-grain bread is high in fiber and critical minerals like zinc and magnesium.
7 Healthy Warm Drinks to Stay Warm This Winter
Everyone enjoys drinking hot beverages in the winter. Aside from tea and coffee, there are a slew of other healthy options. Drinking a warm beverage can be a terrific way to unwind, as long as one stays away from drinks that are high in sugar and fat. They may help relieve inflammation in the body, which may alleviate some of the symptoms, according to some research. Mucus is also broken up by the warmth. Read on to learn about some of these healthier alternatives.
Homemade Healthy Hot Beverages to Beat the Cold in this Winter
This winter, keep warm, improve your immune system, and stay healthy with these 7 tasty hot drinks.
1. Turmeric milk
Golden milk is another name for turmeric milk. This beverage is chock-full of health advantages. Turmeric is high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and antiviral compounds. Turmeric milk is good for diabetics, heart health, bones, and skin, among other things. It also benefits cognitive function, decreases triglycerides, improves digestive health, aids metabolism regulation, and enhances the immune system.
Read Winter Achar Recipes: Tantalising Sweet, Sour, Spicy Pickles
To prepare this delicious drink, in a blender, combine all of the ingredients: unsweetened almond milk, light coconut milk (from a can), raw honey, ground turmeric, ground ginger, cinnamon, black peppercorn, vanilla essence, and nutmeg (about 1 minute). Heat the liquid mixture on the stovetop over low-medium heat until it reaches the proper temperature. Be careful not to boil as this may destroy the nutrients.
2. Hot lemon water
The citrus family includes lemon. It is high in vitamin C, which helps to improve immunity and skin health. According to studies, it can also assist to lower the risk of heart diseases. During the winter, one can sip on a cup of healthy hot lemon water. It will also aid in the elimination of toxins from the body. Many people prefer to start their day with a glass of hot lemon water.
Read Delicious Winter Pithas in Bangladesh: Where Savory, and Innovation Meets Tradition
Winter Achar Recipes: Tantalising Sweet, Sour, Spicy Pickles
Winter is all about delectable seasonal foods. Achar is a winter favorite that brings back memories for everyone. Many people have fond childhood recollections of lounging in the winter sun with their grandmothers and grandfathers while they tended to their many boxes of pickles. Within minutes, the aroma of these tantric achar jars had filled the entire home. Everyone adores this winter special achar so much that the prospect of a zingy and tart radish, ginger, and carrot pickle makes them swoon. Now that winter has arrived, it would be fun to put together a list of grandma-approved winter achar to use in the winter recipes.
7 Delicious Winter Pickles to Try at Home
Here is a list of 7 such achar recipes to spice up this winter.
Ginger Achar
This is a simple ginger pickle that can be made in small amounts or in large batches to keep for longer. This achar can be made in less than 15 minutes with just four important ingredients: ginger, lemon, green chilies, and salt. Grate one full ginger root and place it in a mixing dish. Mix in a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon, and some chopped green chilies. Refrigerate it once the color turns pink and serve it with any meal.
Read Delicious Winter Pithas in Bangladesh: Where Savory, and Innovation Meets Tradition
Lemon Achar
This zesty pickle pairs beautifully with rice and roti. In this recipe, the inclusion of roasted and ground mustard enhances the flavor even more. Lemons should be washed and dried before being sliced into small pieces as shown. Put them in a clean basin or container. Include the juices as well. Season with salt. Dry roast fenugreek and red chilies one at a time in a pan. Place in a blender and process until finely powdered.
Delicious Winter Pithas in Bangladesh: Where Savory, and Innovation Meets Tradition
Bangalis are known for their love of pithas or traditional homemade cakes which are a specialty during the winter season. Winter is incomplete without the aroma of the pithas attracting everyone’s attention. With the varieties of pithas prepared during this time, from steamed to fried, from white to golden, from crispy to juicy, everyone can get their hands on something they really like. Apart from the winter season, these pithas can also be found on special occasions like weddings, Eid celebrations, Puja celebrations etc.
Traditional Mouth-watering Winter Pitha in Bangladesh
With the forthcoming winter approaching fast, let us look at 8 such delicious winter delicacies that have always made people crave for them.
Patishapta
Patishaptas are long and thin rectangular crepe rolls that ooze out delicious puree made out of shredded coconut or molasses that have been caramelized. The thin crepes can be made with refined rice flour and semolina. The warm, gooey and sweet stuffing of these pithas are the highlights as they immediately satisfy the heart and the appetite. The filling is often replaced by kheer or kheersha which is basically the wet pudding that Bangalis love to have as dessert.
Read Lactose Intolerance: 10 Food Substitutes for Common Dairy Products
Patishapta is a versatile pitha as it can be cooked in different ways. Some people also like to have it as a savory dish by adding vegetables and meat as the puree inside the crepe. These pithas are suitable for breakfasts as they do not require much time to prepare and are also suited for occasions as they bring out the festivity in everyone.
Bhapa pitha
Bhapa pitha is a classic Bangladeshi winter pitha. Most households prepare this delicious goodness in their homes. But if someone is feeling too lazy to cook these, they can also get them on the roadside stalls and carts during winter.
Lactose Intolerance: 10 Food Substitutes for Common Dairy Products
Many people suffer from bloating, gas, cramps, nausea and diarrhea as soon as they have dairy products. Their digestive systems cannot break down the natural sugar in milk, which is called lactose, properly. Hence, a strict lactose intolerance friendly diet becomes mandatory for them. But it is not always easy to find the alternatives because most of the food that is consumed by everyone has some sort of a dairy product in it. Today, let’s look at some substitutes for milk- based products in order to combat the symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Non-dairy Alternatives of Milk
Almond milk
Almond milk is a favorite alternative for most lactose intolerant people as it tastes good and is also packed with vitamin D. Compared to other non-dairy alternatives, almond milk is a comfortable transition for people from normal milk as it does not have a strong flavor.
It is easily available in the supermarkets and is quite cheap to buy. One can also make almond milk at home as it is quite easy to make too. The optimal amount an adult should take daily is about 1 cup which contains 1 gram of protein, 2.5 grams of fat and about 39 calories.
Read 10 Ways to Tell If Your Food is Spoiled
Soy milk
Another popular option for alternating milk is with soy milk. Soy milk is filled with essential nutrients like calcium and potassium. It contains about 80 calories, 7 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat.
Soy milk is also beneficial for people who are looking to stay fit by losing weight and cutting down on calories. However, because of the strange flavor it has, transitioning completely to soy milk from dairy milk might take some time.
Read 10 Delicious Bangladeshi Dishes With No Onion and No Garlic
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is the go to option for people who like to drink sweetened milk. Because of its naturally sweet flavor, it requires no artificially added sugar. This is also a really efficient transition for people who want to lose some weight as it has half the fat of cow’s milk.
A cup of coconut milk contains about 5 grams of fat, less than a gram of protein and around 74 calories. It is known to reduce the cholesterol levels in people as well. Many people like drinking their coffee with this milk as it naturally has a very creamy consistency.
Read Togur: The Molasses Made from Watermelon Juice in Bangladesh
Rice Milk
Rice milk is made from fortified brown rice and so is a good alternative to normal milk. It can be easily made at home and is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. Its texture is watery and is naturally sweet in taste.
A cup of rice milk contains about 120 calories, 1 gram of protein and 2.5 grams of fat.
Non-dairy Sustitutes of Ice cream
Coconut Ice cream
If ice cream is part of someone’s diet that they cannot just live without, then transferring to coconut ice cream might be a good idea as there is no risk of lactose intolerance. To make coconut ice cream, coconut milk is used as the substitute for milk. It adds the flavor and is also a plant- based milk devoid of the symptoms caused by dairy.
Read Trans Fats: Facts You Need to Know
10 Ways to Tell If Your Food is Spoiled
Buying food items for the house and then consuming them before they get spoiled is a challenge. While this might sound effortless, keeping up to date with the expiration dates of all the variety of perishable and semi-perishable food requires regular and careful observation. Eating spoiled food may lead to food poisoning and cause worse health conditions such as abdominal cramps, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, mild fever, weakness, loss of appetite, etc. So, it is imperative to know the signs that tell if food have spoiled.
Ways to identify spoiled and rotten food items
Here are 10 ways one can identify if their food has gone bad.
Rancid odor
One of the most effective ways to determine whether a food item is rotten or not is by the smell it spreads. Normally, each food has its own distinctive fragrance. But once the date expires, a bad, pungent odor is released which is quite prominent.
This effective sniff test can help people to identify rotten food. Some food may require taking a whiff from a close distance while other foods which have gone well past their expiry dates will disseminate an odor that is guaranteed to alert the people around.
Read 10 Delicious Bangladeshi Dishes With No Onion and No Garlic
Textural changes
Most foods change texturally when they go bad. Their consistencies can change into mushy, squishy, shrunken, wrinkly, concave, or soft. Such variations can be discerned by touching them with bare hands.
A good example of this can be fruits and vegetables as most of them soften up with time, forming a squished up wrinkly texture. So a good rule of the book to remember is that fruits and vegetables are supposed to feel firm in order to hold their shape. If it is falling apart, then there is something wrong with it.
Read Togur: The Molasses Made from Watermelon Juice in Bangladesh
Visible molds
Molds are greenish or blackish spores that appear on perishable food items once they have started rotting. One of the best examples of the rapid growth of molds is observed on stale bread. Bread usually comes with an expiration date of 3-4 days after its production.
10 Delicious Bangladeshi Dishes With No Onion and No Garlic
When it comes to any cuisine, anywhere around the world, cooking a dish without garlic or onion is quite rare. Garlic and onion are both integral components of Bangladeshi cuisine as well since most of the recipes demand the satisfying crunch of onions and the powerfully pungent taste of garlic. But owing to the diversity of Bangladeshi recipes, there are several scrumptious dishes that require no garlic and no onion and yet manage to leave a gastronomical mark on the taste buds.
Onion & Garlic Free Yummy Bengali Dishes to Try at Home
Here are 10 such delicious Bangladeshi dishes that can be cooked without any onion and garlic.
Aloor Dom
Aloor Dom is a tasty Bengali dish where baby potatoes are slow cooked in such a way that the result is a rich buttery bowl of soft and textured potatoes. To cook this bowl of delicious goodness, some baby potatoes are diced and fried with salt until they turn golden.
Read:Easy Durga Puja Vegetarian Recipes to Try at Home
Setting the potatoes aside, in another wok, fry some bay leaf, red chili and cumin seeds. Adding ginger paste and poppy seed paste, it is required to fry everything together for 5 seconds until kaju paste and beaten curd are added to the mixture of ingredients.
Finally, the potatoes and some water are put in the mixture which is then simmered for 10 minutes. Once the gravy thickens, take it off from the stove and finish off with some garam masala.
Labra
Labra is a Bengali mixed vegetable dish which is cooked with a variety of seasonal vegetables and without using any garlic or onion. In order to prepare labra, some spices like dry chili, bay leaf, fennel seeds and cumin seeds are first fried. Now a thick paste should be made by taking some ginger paste, mustard oil, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, sugar and salt.
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Then heat some oil on a pan with bay leaf, panch phoron and red chili, add the potatoes first, followed by all the vegetables after 3-4 minutes. Once the vegetables are mixed, add the spice paste and then mix thoroughly again. Now the vegetables need to be cooked for 15- 20 minutes in low flame till they soften up. Serve the labra with the fried spices from before.
Doi Phulkopi
Doi fulkopi is a fragrant Bengali dish that promises to fill the house with a beautiful aroma alerting every one of the tasty dishes being cooked. It is the perfect meal for bringing warmth to cold wintry days. This dish can be made by first marinating small slices of cauliflower with yogurt, ginger paste, salt, garam masala and red chili powder.
Spluttering panch phoron and bay leaves in hot oil, some sliced ginger sautéed in the same oil in another pan. The marinated cauliflower is then added to the oil and cooked till the cauliflower turns golden. Finally, take off the cauliflower from the stove and add the needed amount of garam masala to achieve the desired taste.
Read:Togur: The Molasses Made from Watermelon Juice in Bangladesh
Moong Dal Fry
This nutritious dish is rich in protein and fiber. To prepare Moong Dal Fry, firstly some dal is cooked in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water until they turn mushy. In a pan, some mustard seeds are made to crackle in hot oil after which asafetida, green chili and ginger paste are sautéed in it.
Some chopped tomatoes are mixed with it and cooked until they get pulpy. Now some cumin powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder are mixed before putting in the dal. Putting some water to attain the desired consistency is a good idea at this point. To level up this dal, a tarka can be made with ghee and red chili powder on a hot pan and poured on top of the dal.
Aam Dal
Aam Dal is a refreshing lentil soup which tastes salty, sour and a bit sweet at the same time. This staple dal curry is cooked in a similar way to the aforementioned dal recipe, but after cracking the mustard seeds in hot oil, some cut up green mango slices are added and cooked for 2- 3 minutes.
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Next, some ginger paste, turmeric powder and salt are added to the slices. To soak up the spices and cook the mango, the pan needs to be covered for 4- 5 minutes. Now the cooked dal is poured into the mixture along with some green chili and water to reach the desired texture. 1 cup of water and a little bit of sugar are added at this point to let it simmer. The end result will be some mouthwatering dal to go with rice.
Paneer Dalna
This dish is made with cottage cheese chunks known as paneer and some cut up potatoes. Some oil is taken in a bowl and ingredients like turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and salt are added to make a thick paste. In a pan some oil is heated and potato chunks are fried and then strained off. Same process is repeated for the paneer chunks.
Now tempering the oil with dry red chili, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and cumin seed, ginger paste is added and cooked. Next, some chopped tomatoes are cooked till softened up. Pour in the spice mix and some water and bring it to boil. The potatoes are added then cooked for 8- 10 minutes after which the paneer is also added. The dish is finished off with some ghee and garam masala powder.
Read:Yummy sweets for Durga Puja: Traditional Bengali desserts to try in the great religious festival
Doi Potol
This no garlic no onion dish can be made by frying some peeled pointed gourd with turmeric powder and salt until they turn a nice golden brown. Next, some panch phoron is sizzled in hot oil and ginger paste is mixed with it.
A slurry is to be made with dry spices like cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chili powder added to a little water. At this point, some yogurt is mixed in low heat and the fried pointed gourds are added to the pan. It is then covered and simmered. Finally, some garam masala and ghee make the dish ready to astound everyone with its flavors.
Niramish Ghugni
Ghugni is a dish with bold flavors made with a mash of boiled yellow peas, potatoes and all sorts of spices. To prepare this dish, one needs to soak some yellow peas overnight. The next day,these are boiled and cooked with some ginger and chili paste.
Read Panta Bhat: The Amazing Health Benefits of Water Rice
The potatoes are added on a pan and cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder are added to the pan and finally the whole mixture is simmered in a low heat with the boiled yellow peas to produce some delectable Niramish Ghugni.
Chanar Torkari
Chanar Torkari is a variation of chanar dalna where some more pastes like coconut paste and cashew nut paste are added to the dish to bring out its unique flavor. Chanas are cottage cheese nuggets that are shaped out of curdled milk.
These chanas are then cooked in whipped yogurt with a mixture of coconut paste, cashew nut paste, peas and other ingredients like turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and salt to add more flavors to the dish. This dish requires no onion or garlic.
Read:Trans Fats: Facts You Need to Know
Lau Shak Chorchori
Chorchori refers to a concoction of a variety of vegetables that are cooked dry to bring forth the crunchy texture of the vegetables. To make this dish, the tender bottle gourd leaves are cooked in a pressure cooker with some salt.
The next step is to squeeze out the excess water. Now heat some mustard oil in a pan and some ground cloves, red chilies and poppy seeds paste are added to it. At this point, turmeric powder is added and the spices are sautéed. Finally the leaves are added and cooked in a low flame to result in a green textured palatable Lau Shaker Chorchori.
These are some of the well- known Bengali dishes that are really easy to cook and require absolutely no garlic or onion.
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Bottom Line
So far we have mentioned 10 easy to prepare Bengali curries that do not require any garlic or onion. All of these cuisines are healthy and delicious. However, the taste, flavor and scent of these dishes may vary depending on cooking process, portion of ingredients, skill of cooking, etc. Bon appetit!
Easy Durga Puja Vegetarian Recipes to Try at Home
The festival of Durga Puja brings family and friends together in a harmonious union of joy, laughter, and happiness. One of the major festivities of Durga Puja is relishing the scrumptious vegetarian food. The love that Bengalis hold for food gets translated impeccably during this time through the myriads of colorful dishes they bring to the table. With the ongoing Durga Puja, let’s take a look at 10 popular Bengali dishes which are delicious, vegetarian, and absolutely easy to prepare.
Top 10 Delicious Vegetarian Recipes for Durga Puja
Aloo Posto
A creamy Aloo Posto is one of those staple dishes that is hard to miss during Durga Puja. A combination of some simple ingredients like diced potatoes, poppy seeds, mustard oil, turmeric powder, and some green chilies yields a mouth-watering dish that leaves a mark on the taste buds.
To cook this savory dish, grind some poppy seeds after soaking it for 2 hours, fry the diced potatoes with green chilies in some mustard oil, add some turmeric powder and water and then bring it to a simmer by closing the lid. It is really as easy and tasty as it sounds.
Read Togur: The Molasses Made from Watermelon Juice in Bangladesh
Bengali Khichuri
The magical blend of rice, dal, and vegetables has been a favorite of Bengalis for years and Durga Puja feels incomplete without it. The traditional Bengali Khichuri has a soft and mushy texture that melts almost immediately in the mouth.
Create this dish by roasting some moong dal on a pan, cool and wash it with some rice, sauté some bay leaves, cardamom, cumin seeds, clove, ginger paste, turmeric paste, onion, and tomato, add the rice and daal with the sautéed items and then boil it with water. When the khichuri is bubbling, cook it for a good 30- 35 minutes in low heat. Adding the desired vegetables at the end will result in a steaming blend of unforgettable khichuri.
Read Yummy sweets for Durga Puja: Traditional Bengali desserts to try in the great religious festival
Mochar Chop
This gastronomical delicacy is a must-have on all occasions for Bengalis. This hassle-free dish is easy to make and takes about 15 minutes to prepare. Mocha refers to banana flowers which is the main ingredient for this dish.
The process is as simple as blending the stir-fried mocha with some potatoes, molding them in small round shapes, dipping them in bread crumbs, and then deep-frying it in hot oil. The end result should be some unforgettable crunchy flavorful croquettes.
Read Trans Fats: Facts You Need to Know
Ghugni
Ghugni is a wonderful blast of flavors in the mouth with its mash of boiled yellow peas, potatoes, and all sorts of spices. To prepare this, soak some yellow peas overnight, boil it the next day, cook some ginger and chili paste, garlic paste, and potatoes on a pan, add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder to the pan, and finally let the whole mixture simmer in low heat with the boiled yellow peas to produce some delectable Ghugni to spice up the Durga Puja feast.
Read Dark Chocolate: Health Benefits, Nutrition, Side Effects
Chanar Korma
Chanar Korma, a variation of chanar dalna, is yet another favorite of Bengalis for Durga Puja. Chanas are purely vegetarian as they are cottage cheese nuggets made out of curdled milk. These chanas are cooked in whipped yogurt with a mixture of coconut paste, cashew nut paste, peas, and some spices to add more flavors to the dish. This dish requires no onion or garlic and itself becomes a great side dish with plain polao, khichuri, or puri.
Beguni
A well- known easy to cook recipe for Durga Puja is deep-fried slices of battered eggplants which is referred to as Beguni. It takes about 12 minutes to prepare and is a go-to snack for most families during this festival season. This dish requires some long and thin slices of brinjal, coated with a batter of gram flour, red chili powder, salt, and sesame seeds, and then deep-fried in a pan of hot oil until it is light and crispy.
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Dal Puri
Dal Puri is deep-fried bread mixed with lentils. It is a largely popular dish for Durga Puja as it offers a fantastic color, taste, and a combo of flavors in each bite taken. Dal Puris can be made by slightly cooking the lentils with red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, garlic, green chili, and onion and grinding everything into a paste, kneading and rolling some dough and stuffing it with the paste, and then finally deep frying the puris until they serve a crisp golden texture.
Read Panta Bhat: The Amazing Health Benefits of Water Rice
Shorshe Begun
What are Bengalis without their love for eggplants dipped in some tangy mustard paste? This signature Bengali dish known as Shorshe Begun is cooked with some sliced eggplants which are marinated in flavorful spices and then shallow fried for some time.
After frying, it is then dipped in mustard paste and cooked with tomatoes and cilantros until the fragrance of the mustard becomes too hard to miss. This curry is preferred in most households as it takes a very short time to prepare and the concoction of flavors goes really well with rice, bread and puris.
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Vegetable Chorchori
This iconic dry vegetable curry is known for its mixed flavors and unparalleled consistency which fills the heart with warmth and content. This char flavored dish can be made with a variety of vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, pumpkin, long beans, eggplants, radish, ridge gourd, etc.
To cook this dry curry, all the chopped vegetables are first sauteed with turmeric and mustard paste. Once the vegetables have been cooked in a low simmer, in another wok, splutter panch phoron, asafoetida, and slit green chilies. Adding the vegetables to the spices, mix them well together. The vegetables are cooked in a high flame till all the moisture has evaporated and they look dry.
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Finally, they are ready to be served with some garnish such as coriander. The aroma coming out of the dish itself is enough to instill a sense of celebration among everyone.
Sweet Tomato Chutney
This tangy and sweet delicacy is a must-try for Durga Puja as it complements most of the other dishes mentioned above. It is really easy to make and goes with a lot of dishes because it enhances the taste with its tanginess. This condiment is cooked with chopped tomatoes, jaggery, cashew, raisins, and panch phoron. The redness of this chutney is a treat to the eyes as it is to the appetite.
Bottom Line
So far, we have discussed 10 yummy vegetarian recipes. The ingredients and cooking process can be customized depending on personal preferences. These Bengali vegetarian dishes are bound to add to the celebrations of Durga Puja with their comforting explosion of flavors and colors.
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Togur: The Molasses Made from Watermelon Juice in Bangladesh
Molasses is one of the sweetest foods in Bangladesh. And, Water Melon is one of the most popular fruits grown in Bangladesh. The juice of this succulent fruit refreshes the mind and body on summer days. But the idea of molasses made with watermelon juice is absolutely unprecedented. Mrityunjay, a watermelon farmer from Chhotobond village in Dumuria Upazila of Khulna startled the country with this wonderful innovation. He named the newly invented molasses (locally termed as ‘Gur’) 'Togur,' as it is made from watermelon (locally termed as ‘Tormuj’) juice. Let's find out some information about this new type of molasses.
How the idea of Togur came about
Mrityunjay has been cultivating watermelons since 2019. Besides good yield, he has also been able to make some profits in this period. During the cultivation season, he got some watermelons which are quite small in size. These watermelons, called 'Kats', are almost unsaleable and are left in the field. Most of the time, when they get wet in the rain, they rot and spread a bad smell. Some Kats, however, can be used as food for domestic animals and fish.
Read Yummy sweets for Durga Puja: Traditional Bengali desserts to try in the great religious festival
Suddenly one day it came to Mrityunjaya’s mind that if molasses can be made out of date and palm juice, it is possible for watermelon juice as well! Immediately, he went to the Upazila Agriculture Office to consult. Then along with his wife Mitali, he tried to make molasses with a few Kat watermelons. After making it, he was surprised at the sweet taste of Togur which looks like date molasses.