‘Kalyan’s Bengali Kitchen’…First of my YouTube cooking videos on The India Food Network

So the cooking videos I have been talking about have been uploaded on YouTube now.

The first three. The Bengali ones.

Was quite thrilled when I saw this tweet from Anagha of Ping while in the car this evening.

 3h Anagha Rajadhyaksha ‏@anagha85 

@Finelychopped We are LIVE!!! http://youtube.com/indiafoodnetwork …. Also@infoodnetwork yayyyyyy!!! subscribe/follow/like 🙂

Saw the three videos on the iPhone while stuck on the Bandra bridge.

Felt very excited at first. Then very nervous.

We started with the ‘Bengali Kitchen’ and then shot for the ‘Working Guy’s Kitchen’.

These were shot over weekends at home in our kitchen.

Once I saw the links I realised that I could be in contentious territory. Few communities are as particular about their food as we Bengalis are. I am sure that the moment these videos go up I would be open to being Finely Chopped and some Didi-like withdrawal of support might happen. I am suddenly feeling for MMS.

The thing is that when people read the blog then they get to know me as someone who is not a trained chef, who hasn’t learnt Bengali cooking at home, who is someone who goes by his instincts, doesn’t follow recipes and whose cooking is influenced by diverse memories and experiences.

The YouTube videos are without any context and I can envisage rallies or michhils down the Red Road in protest.

So before I put them up here are some of the clarifications…yes I make kosha mangsho in a pressure cooker and not slow cooked in a dekchi. It has worked well in many parties though.

We tried doing the first video, kosha, in Bangla but that didn’t work.

Yes, I add turmeric in my alu posto and cumin too. The verdict is out on turmeric. I like cumin (jeere) as a spice even if it is not kosher. I tasted a posto dish made by someone who adds neither and must say that it was one of the best posto dishes that I have had.

Re the malai curry, I did give a spiel on ,malai’ coming from Malay but we finally edited that out.

Gosh, am I quaking or not?!

Well the videos are on the India Food Network on YouTube put together by Ping. The channel has content from a host of home cooks and chefs who are trying to demystify cooking at home through easy videos.

My first channel  on the site is called ‘Kalyan’s Bengali Kitchen’

Here are the first 3 videos:

1. Kosha mangsho: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDDDjgc75oU&feature=plcp

2. Chingri Malai Curry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y500C9u3lvI&feature=plcp

3. Alu posto (my version of it): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww5t1shGoJQ&feature=plcp

Do watch and subscribe. That’s the only way we can sustain this endeavour.

Would love your feedback.

Er, don’t chop too finely.