Skip to main content

Lemon Basil


Lemon basil plant looks little similar to Holy basil plant. Lemon basil has small green leaves, green stem and white flowers. But the leaves of lemon basil are thinner and delicate compared to Holy basil. This basil has a real citrus like smell and taste. Lemon basil primarily found in northeastern Africa and southern Asia. This basil is mostly used in Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai cuisines.

Lemon basil is not a common cooking ingredient of Assamese cuisine . Only a few Tai community of Assam  use this herb in their cuisines . The Tai Khamyang community of Assam called this basil "Ling paat" (লিং পাত). The Tai Khamyang people use this basil in currys but it taste better with mashed grilled fish (পূৰা মাছৰ পিটিকা) and mashed grilled chillis (পূৰা জলকীয়া পিটিকা). Mashed grilled chillis is a speciality of Tai Khamyang community which they serve with every lunch or dinner. ( I'll share this recipe later). As this basil has a fresh lemon flavor, it emits a strong lemony taste in your mouth.

 Lemon basil is very delicate. You cannot preserve it for longer periods . It turns black. So keep it in plastic bags in your refrigerator. It is better to use fresh lemon basil leaves in cooking at the end of the cooking to get a better aroma. 
Labels:
Reactions:

Comments

  1. Kalpanaa MApril 1, 2018 at 8:13 PM

    I would love to grow a lemon basil plant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rumi Mahanta DuttaApril 1, 2018 at 9:46 PM

      Yes you can grow it from its seeds. It's seeds are similar to Holy basil.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Assamese Anguli Pitha Recipe

Anguli pitha is a finger shaped recipe made from rice flour.  The Assamese word 'anguli' means fingers and 'pitha' is a type of rice cake. It's an Assamese style recipe that can be served as breakfast(jolpan) or as a snack with the evening cup of tea.

The recipe anguli pitha requires little time to prepare.  As today is Sunday, a holiday, I decided to prepare this recipe for breakfast. It's a very simple and less spicy recipe. This recipe that I am going to share is a salty one but there is one sweeter version of this anguli pitha recipe, which I will share some other day. The type of rice that I am using is called 'lahi chawl' in Assamese which I received from my maternal uncle who is a farmer and he grows rice on his own paddy field. You can use any other type of rice also.  You can also use ready-made rice flour available in the market.  But I preferred to make it myself and therefore I soaked 1 cup of rice on Saturday night to prepare anguli pitha.

…
2 comments
Read more

Fish Egg Bhurji | Scrambled Fish Egg and Bamboo shoots

My blog has completed 3 years of its blogging journey this August, but the blog still needs to grow and I have still need to learn many things. This is the first post of the 4th year of my blogging journey and it is about a simple recipe of scrambled fish egg or fish egg bhurji . I made this recipe little special by adding "khorisa"- grated and fermented bamboo shoots. 

Fish usually lay eggs during monsoon season. Therefore there is a ban on fishing during monsoon in local rivers and ponds in Assam so that the local fishes do not get extinguished. The exported fish and fish from the fisheries are available in the market and fish roe or fish eggs are also widely available during the season. It is usually served as fritters, or as deep fried or shallow fried. Making scrambled fish eggs is very easy and it tastes very yummy.

Monsoon is also the season for bamboo shoots. During this season the raw bamboo shoots are widely available and therefore we preserve it in bottles for ferme…
Post a Comment
Read more

Cheese Corn Toast Recipe

Cheese Corn Toast is a simple breakfast recipe that can be prepared within just 5 minutes. This cheese corn toast is my daughter's favorite.  I made this last Saturday.  If you are a follower of me on Instagram , I'm sure you have seen this pic.  With the similar idea I made Roti Pizza (Indian flat bread pizza) last Sunday.


As my daughter doesn't like onion and capsicum, I haven't added these two veggies on the toast. But if you like, you can add. I'm using ready to eat sweet corn here to save time. It's a no oven recipe.  I made it in a flat pan (Tawa). 
Cheese Corn Toast Recipe 
📎Course : Breakfast
📎Cuisine : World 🔪Preparation Time : 5 minutes ♨Cooking Time :  minutes 🕞Total : 5 minutes
🍴Servings : 2

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices of bread 1/2 cup sweet corn 1/2 cup grated cheese 1+1  tbsp butter Pinch of black pepper Pinch of salt METHOD: Take out sweet corn from the refrigerator and in a saucepan take the sweet corn and add 1 cup of water.  Put it on the gas top on hi…
Post a Comment
Read more

Fish and False Roselle leaves Curry

The false roselle or Hibiscus acetosella is a similar plant like roselle. The difference is that the leaves of false roselle are red in colour and roselle leaves are green in colour. The false roselle leaves has also sour taste just like the roselle leaves.  So like fish and roselle leaves curry  we can also make fish and false roselle leaves curry. 

Fish and False Roselle leaves Curry 
📎Course : Main Course  📎Cuisine : Assamese 🔪Preparation Time : 5 minutes ♨Cooking Time : 20 🕞Total : 25 minutes
🍴Servings : 3

INGREDIENTS: 3 pieces of fish (any) 1 bunch of false roselle leaves 3 big pieces of taro 2 tbsp red lentil 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds1/2 + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 green chillies chopped 2 tbsp oil Salt to taste METHOD: Wash the fish pieces under running water. Rub fish pieces with 1/2 tsp of turmeric and salt. In a pan heat oil. Fry fish pieces and keep aside. Don't throw the remaining oil. In the meantime rinse red lentils. Break off the false roselle leaves on its base. Wash a…
2 comments
Read more

Simple Pizza base Recipe made on Tawa (অভেন ব্যৱহাৰ নকৰাকৈ বনোৱা পিজ্জা বেচ)

Pizza base is a flat shaped bread. You can buy pizza base from the store but making pizza base at home is not that tough one. I made simple pizza base today on tawa. I'm thinking of making pizza in the evening using these pizza bases, the recipe of which I'll share later.  Today I'm going to share simple pizza base recipe made without using oven.

Simple Pizza base Recipe made on Tawa ( অসমীয়াত ৰেচিপি তলত পাব)

📎Course : Main Course  📎Cuisine : World  🔪Preparation Time : 15 minutes ♨Cooking Time : 20 minutes  🕞Total : 35 minutes
🍴Servings : 4

INGREDIENTS:


2 cups maida (all purpose flour) ( 2 কাপ মইদা)1 teaspoon yeast ( 1 চাহ চামুচ ইষ্ট)1/2 teaspoon salt (1/2 চাহ চামুচ নিমখ)1 teaspoon sugar (1 চাহ চামুচ চেনি)2 tablespoons semolina (2 চামুচ চেমলিনা)1 tablespoon olive oil / vegetable oil (1 চামুচ তেল)1 cup lukewarm water (or as required) (1 কাপ কুহুমীয়া গৰম পানী)
METHOD:
In a bowl take maida, yeast, salt, sugar, semolina and oil. Mix well. Add lukewarm water and make a soft dough. …
1 comment
Read more

Paneer Tikka (Grilled Cottage Cheese)

Paneer Tikka is an Indian dish made from cottage cheese cubes marinated in different Indian spices and grilled in a tandoor, microwave or tawa. We can also add pieces of onion, capsicum and tomato in this recipe. You can serve paneer tikka as a starter.

This is probably my last blog post of 2019. Only couple of hours left for 2020 while I'm typing this recipe. The whole day I was very busy. From evening onwards I prepared many dishes as a part of year ending celebration. I made only vegetarian food today. Today is tuesday and in India  tuesday is considered as a holy day and therefor many Indians eat vegetarian food on tuesdays. We too eat vegetarian food on tuesdays but we have a different reason for it.  As my father-in-law died on tuesday,  we don't eat non-vegetarian food on tuesdays.

As a part of year ending celebration, I prepared panipuri in the evening followed by mixed chat. 





 Then I prepared paneer tikka for starter for the dinner.  For the main course I cooked tawa r…
Post a Comment
Read more

Banana Flower Fritters

Banana flower or banana blossom (কলডিল) is one of the most healthiest vegetable with lots of health benefits.
Banana flower is also known as banana heart or koldil in Assamese. Banana flower is loaded with calcium, iron, protein, fiber, vitamin E and many more healthy substances. Banana flower is good for anaemia and doctors also prescribed to eat banana flowers to anaemic patients. We can make soup and curry of banana flower.   Here is a simple recipe you can try at home. 

Banana Flower Fritters :

📎Cuisine : Indian 🔪Preparation Time : 10 minutes ♨Cooking Time : 15 minutes  🕞Total : 25 minutes




INGREDIENTS:
 1 cup banana florets  1/2 cup chickpea flour  1 tbsp rice flour  1/4 tbsp cumin powder   1/4 tbsp coriander powder   1/4 tbsp red chilli powder  salt to taste  oil to fry

METHOD:


Remove the outer pink coloured layer.  Take out some banana florets which are edible. Now take out the middle stems from each florets and soak those banana florets on salty water.For batter take a bowl. Add chick…
Post a Comment
Read more

Fish and Roselle leaves curry

Fish and Roselle leaves curry is an easy and tasty Assamese style sour fish curry recipe (মাছৰ টেঙা). Roselle leaves (Tenga mora / টেঙা মৰা ) contains many vitamins and minerals and high dietary fiber. In Assam it's widely available during summer.  Eating sour fish curry in lunch or dinner is a good idea during summer to beat the hot and humid weather in Assam. You can prepare this fish curry by using only roselle leaves.  But I have added red lentils to make the curry thicker. We don't use spices in making sour fish curries.  But if you like to make it spicy, add spices according to your taste.


Fish and Roselle leaves curry 
📎Course : Main Course  📎Cuisine : Indian(Assamese) 🔪Preparation Time : 5 minutes ♨Cooking Time : 20 🕞Total : 25 minutes
🍴Servings : 2

INGREDIENTS: 2 pieces of fish (any) 1 bunch roselle leaves 2 tbsp red lentil 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds1/2 + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 green chillies chopped 2 tbsp oil Salt to taste METHOD: Here you can use any fish.  I'm usi…
Post a Comment
Read more

Assamese Doi Chira Jolpan Recipe

Assamese Jolpan recipes are generally breakfast recipes which requires no cooking and can be prepared in no time.  These jolpan recipes are not only served as breakfast but can also be served to guests specially in the time of Bihu festivities. Jolpan recipes usually consists of various forms of rice like rice flakes (chira), puffed rice(muri/hurung/akhoi), handoh(roasted and grounded rice),  Soft rice(kumol saul) etc.  These rice varieties are served with curd/yougurt(doi), and jaggery(gur) to make jolpan .

Use either cow curd or buffalo curd. You can also use curd prepared in bamboo hollow. But serve Assamese jolpan only on bell metal(kahor) bowl because it is a tradition.

Recipe of Doi Chira:



 Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Total: 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups rice flakes
• 1 cup curd/yougurt
• 1/2 cup jeggery
• 1/2 cup cream(optional)

Serve: 2

METHOD:
Soak rice flakes in warm water for 2-3 minutes.  Squeeze and drain the remaining water.
Take two bell  metal …
Post a Comment
Read more

How to make KHAR of Assamese Cuisine

Khar is an alkali prepared from sun dried skin of some varieties of banana. It is prepared by filtering the water from the burn ashes of the skin of the banana. Therefore it is also called kolkhar (kol means banana). It is preserved in bottles and can be used for months. It sounds bizarre but Assamese people are using khar as a cooking ingredient since time immemorial when salt was not discovered. It is believed that khar cleanses the stomach.

 A traditional Assamese meal begin with khar recipe.  A khar recipe can be prepared with raw papaya, bottle gourd, dry Jasmin flower,  doron bon xaak, fish head etc. In a khar recipe khar is the key ingredient.  One or two tablespoons is enough to prepare khar recipe.  Khar can also be consumed as raw by just adding chopped garlic,  few drops of mustard oil and salt.

• Doron Bon Khar
• Papaya Khar

Khar 
Recipe of making khar from banana peels :
Ingredients :

• Dry peels of 2 banana
• 2 cups of water.

Method :

Khar is generally prepared from bheem ko…
Post a Comment
Read more