Apple Bundt Cake

 

Apple Bundt Cake

Inverted

A Slice

On very rare occasions like today, we're celebrating with an Apple Bundt Cake! Using brown sugar instead of white gives it a GBD (golden brown and delicious) goodness. I followed an online recipe but adapted it to my preferences. White sugar was replaced with brown sugar, the diced apples were dusted with cinnamon and sugar and Granny Smith apples were replaced with Gala apples. A Bundt cake is so much fancier than a plain sheet cake and it felt good to have an excuse to use my Bundt pan.

Ghoogni or Channa Masala - Curried Chickpeas

Ghoogni

Ghoogni served with light and puffy luchis are a favorite snack among Bengali households. A mild hint of sour taste from tamarind pulp in a thick onion and tomato gravy makes it perfect for an accompaniment to luchis. I generally have it with tortillas because they are readily available and less work than making luchis. 

Soaking dried chickpeas overnight can be substituted with a can of already cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans in the Western hemisphere. I find that russet potatoes are a good addition. Remember that Bengalis love their potatoes and we add them to any and everything!

Stir-Fried Kale Medley with Red Radishes

Stir-Fried Kale Medley with Red Radishes

Kale Medley

The box of kale medley is triple-washed so it can be used straight away without washing. The mixture of young greens are tender and full of flavour. Dried red chilies are deseeded by splitting in half and shaking out the seeds. This reduces the spiciness. Watch them closely while they're sizzling so they don't burn which could reduce you and your audience into a coughing frenzy.

Greens are an essential part of the Indian table. In Bengal they are prepared in a variety of ways of which this stir-fry is the simplest. More exotic forms include meat, poultry, fish heads or homemade cheese (chana/paneer). The general rule is that if you can eat the fruit off the vine, the leaves are also edible.

However, I have first-hand knowledge of how dangerous it is to take this too literally. A member of my extended family watched his wife make a strawberry-rhubarb pie and noticed she was discarding the lovely greens, she had no idea why. He asked her to chop them up and prepare them the same way she would stir-fry spinach. The 'spinach' was relished at dinner that night. Not much later they both developed severe stomach aches and diarrhea which sent them to the emergency room of the closest hospital. After receiving treatment and armed with drugs, they returned home totally famished. They raided the fridge and ate more rhubarb greens before taking to their beds. Lo and behold, they took ill again and headed to the emergency room once more. This time they were grilled by the doctor of all that they had eaten in the last 24 hours. He and his staff were horrified to hear about the rhubarb greens which are extremely poisonous to human beings. Yes, the stalks can be eaten, but never the greens!

This side dish goes perfectly with hot rice or any type of Indian bread.

Grilled Eggplant - Begun Bhaja

George Foreman Grill-ed Eggplant

A favourite side dish on the Bengali table, Begun Bhaja (Eggplant Fried) gets a new twist and healthy makeover with the use of a George Foreman Grill (GFG).

The eggplant slices are cut, making sure they are of even thickness, and smeared with olive oil, salt and turmeric powder. 

They are then grilled for 2 minutes on each side and voila! you have Begun Bhaja for lunch!

Begun Bhaja is generally made by tossing them with salt and turmeric, pan-frying on the stovetop and draining on paper towels. Grilling them requires very little oil and the eggplant slices could even be sprayed with something like Pam spray. In fact, spraying the GF Grill with Pam makes it easier to clean. 

Contrary to common belief, the GFG is really easy to clean by wetting a paper towel, placing it on the grill, closing the cover and turning the grill on for a few minute. The steam that is released cleans the debris and a quick swipe removes the rest.