Elish Maacher Bhuna---Hilsha cooked the Bengali way!

This crispy, crunchy fish dish tweaked with a few spices and fresh ingredients is a dish often prepared and really liked by people from Bangladesh. Its one of the easiest Bangladeshi recipes for Elish or Hilsha and goes perfectly with a helping of steamed white rice and a serving of daal. It takes me back to the day when I was a kid and really not in the mood to eat, but was lured into trying some by my ever-so-patient mom. Since then, it has reminded me of home in Bangladesh and my family through the eyes of the child that I was; back when life was so simple!

Basa Fish Curry with Sim er Bichi

Seem or sim is a vegetable that is widely known in the Asias. They are a close relative of the snow peas. In fact, they look very much like snow peas but are just thicker, darker and longer. The flavor also is similar but instead of the sweetness that snow peas have, seem have a sharp yet mellow flavor. Sim er bichi can be bought at any bangali grocery store. If not available though, it can be substituted with lima beans and the taste wouldn't change drastically.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry---Aloo Kopir Dalna

This simple and homely recipe is known for its comforting feel and aroma. I think this is the first dish I have ever cooked. When I was 12 or so, there was a day that my mother was really sick and there was nothing to eat, so I looked in the fridge, found these ingredients and with a little bit of assistance, cooked it, to everyone's amazement! So that is your proof of how simple it is. If a 12-year-old can make it, no doubt you can too!

Egg and Potato Curry--Deem Aloo Jhol

Growing up in a Bengali household meant lots of rice, fish and vegetables. My mom would cook a lot of different kinds of vegetables, fish, meat and lentils and I wasn't always fond of her concoctions. As I grew up and my tastes have matured, I began to absolutely LOVE anything that was cooked by her and miss it now that I live with my husband and cook my own meals.