It's Ramadan and the Blog Died

ডিম-বেগুন

Egged Aubergine

Seheri tonight/tomorrow morning. Whatever.

As usual, all the things happen at once. It's Ramadan, so I haven't really been highly functional. 18 hours of fasting, full time work and social commitments kind of leave me drained. Even so, I've been meaning to put up some Ramadan related Bangladeshi recipes. Then, the blog decided to break, and the dynamic view version of it stopped working. 

I've been tinkering with things since to try and fix it, but I'm probably going to permanently swap to the traditional view to avoid any further issues. Expect perhaps a few more changes in the coming weeks. Also, no Ramadan recipe yet either since there was a dying aubergine in my fridge. This egg and aubergine recipe, which could possibly be classified as twist on scrambled eggs, was something that I was quite a fan of growing up. Shocking, because I didn't really like egg or aubergine individually at that time. This is usually served for breakfast with bread, and would make a great addition to any brunch menu. I've boiled the aubergine below to save time, but I have a few more suggestions on what to do with it in the additional info section. 

Review: Rustico

Travelling for Work

Rustico - tucked away just off the main high street in Aberdeen

I've been fortunate enough to have travelled quite a bit for work since I started this new job. I've found myself in many different cities in the UK and beyond, living in hotels and looking for nice restaurants to eat at. Unfortunately, I've mostly looked in vain, and restaurants that have made a lasting impression are few and far in between. Rustico, however, is an exception. This fantastic Italian in Aberdeen is one of the best I have ever been to, although I will admit to not being an expert on this particular cuisine.

Discovering the Oven

Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary Roast Chicken

Roast chicken with vegetables and gravy. No potatoes though,
I've never been any good at potatoes.

The oven doesn't feature in the the usual Bangladeshi kitchen. We have our tandoori ovens of course, but those are completely different beasts. They're usually only found in restaurants or road side food huts. The average urban Bangladeshi household uses a simple gas stove, and if you travel to more rural areas you may even encounter cooking pits.

A bare earth cooking pit at my paternal grandma's
in Salop, Bangladesh

The oven, therefore, was quite new to us when we first moved to Hong Kong; and I don't recall mom actually using it while we were there. It wasn't until we later moved to Paris that the oven really took off in our kitchen and even then our use of it was limited to pizza and cake. This is why when I first moved into my flat in Birmingham the oven in the kitchen was so full of potential - it represented a whole new subset of foods that I could learn to cook. 

Review: Bank Bar and Restaurant

Conspiracy Theories Abound

Bank on a beautiful summer's day

Summer was attempting a comeback yesterday in Birmingham, so my cousin and I decided to make the most of it by having lunch outdoors. If you've seen my wishlist, you'll know I've wanted to do a Birmingham-Michelin for a while. Unfortunately, yesterday was not meant to be that day as it seems they coordinate opening times, all choosing to be shut on Sundays.

Disheartened, I had to look for alternatives as I contemplated this conspiracy against me. My mind went initially to the Opus Cafe at the Ikon gallery, but their brunch menu was too lightweight for what we needed. Considering options in the area, I thought of Bank and the positive reviews I had read during my university years of poverty and procrastination.

Some More for the Party Menu

গাজরের হালুয়া 

Carrot Halua

Toffee infused carrot halua 

The word halua applies to a whole group of desserts, similar to how the word cake works in English. Just like you can have different types of cake, you can have different types of halua. In Bangladesh, halua is commonly made from lentils, bread, carrots etc., amongst other things. I'm a fan of most variations, but the carrot halua holds a special place in my heart for its quirkiness - after all, this is dessert made from a vegetable. The idea of carrot halua didn't initially appeal to me, but once I tried it I was hooked. 

The recipe below is a short and simple, substituting condensed milk for the traditional whole milk. This makes it easier to follow than a lot of other recipes but beware - it's hugely unhealthy and full of sugar. However, it works great served in small portions, making it an ideal bite-size party dish. It's usually served with a crushed pistachio or raisin garnish back home, and in British restaurants I've had it warm served with vanilla ice cream.