Wednesday 30 March 2016

SHAHI EGG CURRY


Its been long I have not blogged on an Egg dish. It is a regular affair at my home. My senior loves egg to the hilt. The day I prepare an egg curry, I add few extra spoons of rice to his plate without the fear of been scolded. My men are not fond of plain steamed rice and me.... a typical Bengali of East Bengal origin thinks how can one survive without rice. After been diagnosed with diabetes, rice is as much forbidden to me as was apple to Adam n Eve. At times, I get angry with the Lord as to why he had to gift diabetes to a person who is a diehard foodie. I still do not deprive myself of the white beauty, I eat 2-4 tablespoon everyday. The sight of rice gives me a pleasure. I love breads too but they cause me acidity at times, rice never do.... it never betrays me... When the stomach is upset... I take little rice on a bowl.... add a spoon of butter, salt and a green chilli. Having it works wonder on me.


This island is the perfect place for foodies. You are spoilt for choices when it comes to food. Almost with every dish there is a choice of rice or noodles. Thats where I have restrictions and settle with a soup or salad mostly. Coming to the Egg Curry, yesterday I wished to prepare something different from the regular affair. This made at home shahi spice paste I use in chicken / mutton / paneer also. It is mildly spiced, little sweet n flavourful. Shahi Egg Curry goes very well with both rice or  breads, perhaps better with breads. Let us prepare this yummy Shahi Egg Curry together in few easy steps....



INGREDIENTS :

Egg : 6-9
Onion : 2medium
Poppy Seed : 2tsp[if you are in Singapore or Dubai, use roasted white sesame seeds instead]
Cashew Nuts : 6-7
Melon Seed[charmagoj] : 1/2tsp
Raisin : 5-6
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Green Cardamom : 2-3
Cinnamon Stick : 2 two inch size
Cloves : 2-3
Bayleaf : 1
Salt : As required
Sugar : 1/2tsp[optional]
Plain Yogurt : 2tbsp
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Boil the eggs in enough water adding little salt. Once done, let cool and then peel off the shell. Rub little salt on the egg after making small cracks on both ends with a knife.

Peel, wash and roughly chop the onions. Grind them to a paste.

Wash and soak the poppy seeds in hot water for 1/2 an hour, strain the water. If using white sesame seed.... roast lightly and with the cashew nuts , raisins, melon seeds.

Grind together cashew nuts, poppyseed, melon seeds, raisins using water as much as is required for a paste.

Heat oil in a wok. Temper oil with bayleaf, cloves, cinnamon and green cardamoms.

Add the onion paste. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the ginger n garlic pastes and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the poppy seed paste now and saute for a minute. Beat the yogurt and add to the spice paste, add the chilli powder. Stir for 1/2 a minute.

Add a cup of water. As the gravy comes to a boil, add the boiled eggs. Add salt and sugar.

Let boil for 3-4 minutes. As the gravy thickens, switch off gas.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with chapati, paratha or rice! We also had some lamb curry and coconut peanut rice alongside.






Monday 28 March 2016

SWEET N SOUR PINEAPPLE PANEER



As the trend I see these days, the visiting guests at any home are more keen on a varied appetiser spread. With the unwinding chitchat at the weekend, we really need munch ons to accompany. So far as I am concerned, whenever I visit someone's home, I forget all about diet and indulge in eating from cheese to fritters. These days when guests come over, I try to keep the appetisers as healthy as possible keeping in consideration the taste factor. The taste and colour of food matters a lot to me. If the colour does not appeal me, half of my interest to have it is gone.

Last week I had some visiting guests at home. I wished to prepare vegetarian appetisers for them as the main course was predominantly non vegetarian one. To me paneer[Indian Cottage Cheese] is a very good vegetarian option. I love using it in different ways. When I prepare salad for myself, I use paneer instead of feta cheese. I love cheese but too scared to have them. That day I had some pineapple too at home. So the idea of Sweet N Sour Pineapple Paneer popped up. The pineapple and paneer combination did work well. Let us do the very quick and yummy Sweet and Sour Pineapple Paneer together.

INGREDIENTS :
Pineapple Cubes : 1big cup
Paneer Cubes : 2 big cups
Red Bell Pepper Cubes : 1/2 medium cup
Green Capsicum Cubes : 1/2 medium cup
Onion Cubes : 1/2 medium cup
Green Chilli : 4-5 slitted
Tomato Chilli Sauce : 1/4 medium cup
Cornflour : 1tsp
Minced Garlic : 1tsp
Minced Ginger : 1/2tsp
Lemon Juice : 3 tbsp
Sugar : 11/2 tsp
Salt : As required
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :
Wash the pineapple cubes and marinate with the sugar. Marinate the paneer cubes with salt and lemon juice for an hour. Rub the bell peppers with salt 10 minutes before cooking.

Heat oil in a wok. Temper with minced garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute and add the cubed onions.

As the onions turn translucent, add the bell pepper cubes. Stir at high heat for a minute or two.

Add the paneer cubes, pineapple cubes and slitted green chillies. Stir very carefully for a minute.

Add the chilli tomato sauce and stir to mix well.

Dilute the cornflour in 1/2 small cup water and pour on top of the mix. Fold in well and switch of gas after a minute.

Enjoy with noodles or as an appetiser..... both ways it works well.


Saturday 26 March 2016

DRY SPICED FISH N INDIAN HERBED RICE


Another lazy fair from my kitchen. Such dishes which do not have a tradition associated with them does not give me much pleasure doing and then blogging on them. Then again I think, the pleasure is elsewhere... my men love such fairs.... that should be satisfying enough for me. Looking at their happy faces , I decide I should blog on it too, there might be many who look for quick solutions for busy weeknights. Though I love cooking, I must admit I am aging and somedays I do wish to spend minimum time in the kitchen. At large I would always love to keep my kitchen a traditional one stirring up traditional recipes and compiling them.

Such combo meals I stir up when there is no food stored in the refrigerator, my pantry is almost empty, it is 7pm and I am unable to decide what to cook. At a Bengali home a fish and rice meal is always a hit. My junior is not fond of fish curries, me too do not get interest to cook up a curry if it is not a fresh water one. So this dry spiced fish was cooked up in a jiffy. I love using coconut in my cooking whenever possible and spicing up my dishes with Indian spices is a must.The idea of cooking a herbed rice dish flavoured with Indian fresh herbs was on line for long because coriander leaves, curry leaves and kasoori methi[dried fenugreek leaves] are always in my store. Believe me, their combined flavour was really worth it. So this combo meal of DRY SPICED FISH N INDIAN HERBED RICE was a hit at my home, which I hope you will like too. Let us cook it together.

INGREDIENTS :[for dry spiced fish]
Fish Fillets[any] : 8[I used Salmon]
Shredded Coconut : 2tbsp
Curry Leaves : 6-7
Onion[cubed] : 1[medium]
Green Chilli : 3-4[slitted]
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2tsp
Lemon Juice : 3-4tbsp
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Fenugreek Seeds : 2pinches
Refined Flour : 1tsp
Oil : 4-5tbsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the Indian herbed rice]
Rice : 1big cup[long grained]
Coriander Leaves : 2tbsp[chopped]
Curry Leaves : 8-10
Kasoori Methi[dried fenugreek leaves] : 1tsp
Shredded Coconut : 2-3 tbsp
Black Mustard Seeds : 1/4tsp
Red Chilli : 2-3[halved]
Turmeric Powder : 2-3pinches
Salt : As required
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Oil : 3-4 tbsp

METHOD :
Wash the fish pieces nicely and rub with half of the turmeric, red chilli, cumin, coriander powders, salt and lemon juice. Keep aside for an hour.

Cook the rice in enough water till 60-70 % done. Drain the water and spread over a newspaper.

Heat oil in a wide wok. Temper with halved red chillies, mustard seeds, dried fenugreek leaves and curry leaves. Add the shredded coconut and stir till its little brown. Add the rice, fold in well.

Add salt, turmeric powder, chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice. Stir at high heat carefully for a minute. Our Indian herbed rice is done.

For the dry spiced fish, heat oil in a frying pan. Discard the fish marinade, dust them with refined flour and lightly fry in batches.

Temper same oil with fenugreek seeds. As they give a nice aroma, take them out of the oil.

Add curry leaves to the oil, saute. Add the onions and green chillies, saute for 1-2 minutes till golden brown.

Add the shredded coconut and fry till light brown. Add all the powdered spices and salt. Add 1/4 small cup water. Gently add the fried fish pieces. Fold in well. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with a salad of your choice.





Wednesday 23 March 2016

KHOYA BADAM KHEER




I really wished to say Happy Holi / Subho Dol Purnima to everyone on a sweeter note. With a series of sweet on making for the past few days, the refrigerator is full of it and the poor lady's sugar level  is rising higher. For the past few days I was thinking what to prepare for the D-Day that will be essentially Indian and also be loved by my Ladoo Gopal. Those who have interest in Hindu Mythology, know by now that Ladoo Gopal loves malai, kheer kind of stuffs. While I am writing this piece, I was  looking at few years back and smiling. My junior when younger was very much jealous or unhappy with mumma's undue attention towards Ladoo Gopal. When we were not around, he used to throw away his flute. We had to replace it for a couple of times. Many a old memories keep visiting on such special occasions ..... how my junior used to go out with his paternal grandparents to play Holi, how my friends of my present abode in Kolkata pestered me to come down quickly to enjoy with Bhang, Pooris and Jalebi. Going back even further, my little brother played too much of Holi... from morning till afternoon. We had to really work hard to take them off from his skin. His sister would watch him play from the terrace of the rented house they lived.

I was a bit tired yesterday and finally decided to prepare a dessert that will be easy, yet yum. I thought this KHOYA BADAM KHEER will be perfect for the occasion. Khoya Badam Kheer is a mixed nut and milk dessert. At times I find it very difficult to do proper translation of a dish. So, I try to explain the recipe as clearly as possible. Let us prepare this easy to make KHOYA BADAM KHEER together this Holi.



INGREDIENTS :
Milk : 1lt
Khoya[solidified milk] : 100gm
Almond : 6-8
Cashew Nut : 10
Pistachio : 6-8
Raisin : 8-10
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp
Fennel Powder : 4-5 pinches[optional]
Sugar : 1/2small cup + 1tbsp
Condensed Milk : 100 ml

METHOD :
Lightly roast the almonds, cashews and pistachios and transfer to a grinder. Add raisin, fennel powder, green cardamom powder and 1tbsp sugar too to it. Grind to a coarse powder.

Break the khoya[solidified milk] and crumble it with your palm.

Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel. Put for boil. Keep stirring. After 10 minutes, add the sugar and condensed milk.

As the milk gets thicker, say after 5-8 minutes, add the coarsely  ground nuts. Let boil for 2-3 minutes.

At this stage, add the crumbled khoya, stir well and boil for another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl, bring to room temperature. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

Please note, the reason why I use both sugar and condensed milk in a sweet dish is that given my taste bud, i felt sugar not only adds sweetness but enhances the taste of a sweet dish. Condensed milk  alone cannot do that. It is my view off course.





Monday 21 March 2016

SWEET POTATO MALPUA



With Holi around, I kept curries aside and wished to share with you all some homemade sweets and shakes.... essentially Indian. In our family, we do not play Holi, but I keep some special prayer for my Laddu Gopal [younger avatar of Lord Krishna]. It is a very auspicious and fun filled day for us, the whole of India gets more colourful. Lord Krishna started playing Holi with his lady love Radha and the rest of India follow the tradition till date. 

Holi is also about celebrating spring. The beautiful colours of nature during this period is brought alive ..... we play with colours with our loved ones. My wish to visit two places during Holi is yet to be fulfilled.... Vrindavan and Shantiniketan. The former celebrates Krishna's love for Radha and the later colours of spring.

WHAT IS SWEET POTATO MALPUA OR RANGA ALOOR MALPOA?

It is a little tweaked version of the popular Indian pancake, eggless. Many homes dunk it in sugar syrup before serving, my family does not! This variant of doing it with sweet potatoes is not common. We usually prepare a lot of sweets with sweet potatoes. I thought let me try malpua with sweet potatoes, hence this. The sweet potato malpua I prepared are perfect for your dessert cravings, just indulge guilt free, we are not having it everyday. Let us enjoy doing together SWEET POTATO MALPUA.




INGREDIENTS : [for the malpua]
Sweet Potato : 3medium
Refined Flour : 1small cup
Semolina : 1small cup
Rice Flour : 1/4small cup
Sugar : 1/4small cup
Milk : 1big cup[boiled to a medium thickened consistency]
Water : 1medium cup
Fennel Seeds : 2tbsp
Black Peppercorns : 1tbsp {optional]
Oil : 100-150ml + 1tsp



METHOD :

Peel, wash and boil the sweet potatoes. Once cool, mash them nicely.

In a big bowl soak the semolina in the water for an hour. Add the mashed sweet potato, refined flour, rice flour, 1tsp oil and the milk. Mix very well. There should not be any lump present.

Add the sugar, black peppercorns and fennel seeds. Keep in rest for an hour, let the sugar to melt. The consistency of the batter should not be running, neither be a paste. A dropping consistency rather. It looks as below.



Heat oil in a wok. Bring it to the smoking point and then lessen it to minimum, after a minute we will fry the first malpua; we will use a round ladle to pour the batter. The heat has to be adjusted from time to time. Look at the picture below.




Take out and place onto tissue papers for sometime before serving. It tastes wow, both fresh and stale! After frying, you can further add it to a sugar syrup, we do not!






Friday 18 March 2016

KOLKATA R SHADA MISHTI DOI / HOMEMADE SWEETENED YOGURT



As you all know by now, I cannot stay away from my Kolkata chapter for long. A kind of guilt feeling works, since my prime wish was to show case cuisine of my region , get them acquainted with people who do not have any idea of what Bengali Cuisine is. Bengali Cuisine is not only about Fish Curry and Roshogolla, there is lot more to it. From fritters to desserts, we have wide choices for you to offer. Just and just because of lack of proper marketing techniques, our cuisine may not be in the top chart of the world cuisine. Otherwise, we offer a wide range of dishes of both variety.... vegetarian and non vegetarian.... I feel we need a couple of Anjan Chaterjee[restauranteur and owner of a chain of Bengali restaurants].

Going back and perhaps till date a Bengali meal would not complete without Mishti Doi[Sweet yogurt] & Roshogolla. Treating the guests with Doi, Roshogolla, Pantua[gulabjamun] and Shingara[Samosa] was the norm, an essential part of our food culture. I remember whenever there were sudden guests at home, mom would prepare luchi[indian bread] and dum aloo and send me to the neighbouring sweet shop to get mishti doi and roshogolla. Till date, that generation Bengalis will not get chicken roll for the guests. Plain yogurt mom would prepare at home.

In West Bengal, there are two kinds of Mishti Doi[sweetened yogurt]... one is less sweet white one, i.e. the Kolkata r Shada Mishti Doi and another is the more famous Kolkata r Lal Doi. However, I have always loved the less sweet one and so much wished to blog on it. No qualms in admitting, this is my 4th attempt of doing it and when I was about to quit, I could finally get the taste of success. Life is perhaps so, you succeed when you are at the verge of losing hope. I believe if we do no wrong, God / The Universal Power is the saviour.

They say earthern pots are best for preparing yogurt. Never mind if you do not have, use glass or steel bowls. I got this Matir Khuri[earthern pots] from my last visit to Kolkata to try my hands on Kolkata r Shada Mishti Doi.

This Kolkata r Shada Mishti Doi is done simply in few easy steps. Let us see how we do it.

INGREDIENTS :
Full Cream Milk : 500 ml
Plain Yogurt : 3-4 tbsp
Sugar : 1/2 medium cup
Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp[optional, I did not use]

METHOD :
Take the milk in a heavy bottomed container and put on the oven. Let it boil for 8-10 minutes. We will not let it turn reddish.

Add the sugar and boil for another 5 minutes. Now add the cardamom powder if you are using it, stir and pour in the bowl. Let it turn to lukewarm state.

This setting of temperature is very important for setting yogurt. Once the milk is luke warm, beat the plain yogurt and add to the lukewarm milk. Gently stir.

Cover with a plate or lid. Cover the bowl again with a deep bottomed vessel. Now wrap a heavy towel all over.

After this we will not touch or move it till the yogurt is set. Keep it in a warm place, preferably inside a microwave for 10-12 hours. However it took me 14 hours to get the right consistency.

Enjoy the home made dessert bliss from my region.



Thursday 17 March 2016

ALOO POTOLER DALNA / POTATO & POINTED GOURD CURRY

             



Its start of summer back home. The markets will be flooded with young pointed gourds / parwal / potol. We usually prepare different kinds of curries with it.... dry gravy or light curry, stuffed, when guests come. When it starts to get little old / ripe, we love to have it fried accompanied by daal / lentil curry and rice. For us it a heavenly dish. Oh, not to forget to squeeze some lemon juice on top of the dal rice. Only few places of India are fond of this veggie, right? Many among the Bengalis too do not like it. However, our families have it way too much during the summers. I too buy it whenever in site. Of all the kinds with it, I love it in this humble curry with potato & regular Bengali curries.

As thought, I will compile as much Bengali authentic dishes here as possible. A Bengali summer dish is called ALOO POTOL ER DALNA. Today, the mood I am set in, I wished to share with this simple, everyday curry from my family; perhaps done the same way in most of the Bengali families; without onion & garlic.






INGREDIENTS : 

Pointed Gourd : 8
Potato 2 medium sized
Tomato : 1 medium sized
Ginger Paste : 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As required
Sugar : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seed : 3 pinches
Bayleaf : 1
Cinnamon Powder : 3 pinches
Green Cardamom Powder : 2 pinches
Ghee : 1 tsp
Oil : 4 tbsp[mustard]


METHOD :

Peel the potatoes and the pointed gourds, the latter keep gap and peel. Cut the pointed gourd half, the potatoes into four pieces.

 Wash them and apply salt and turmeric. Heat oil in a wok, fry both in batches. Keep aside.

Temper oil with cumin seeds, bayleaf . Add the ginger paste and add the washed & chopped tomato. Saute for 3-4 minutes, add the cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder. Saute for 1 minute.

Add the potato pieces first. Coat very well with the spice mix. Add 1 cup water and cover cook for 3 minutes.

Uncover and add the pointed gourds. Stir and cover cook for 4 minutes.

Uncover and add the cinnamon and green cardamom powder, sugar and ghee. Stir well and cook for another 1 minute. Done.

It is to be served with steaming hot rice. On that day, we also had "palong shaak er ghonto & radhuni phoron tomato dal" alongside!





BADHAKOPI CHINGRIR GHONTO / CABBAGE WITH PRAWNS


       

Bengal's love for fish gets them using it in various vegetables regular.The heads of the fish or small sized prawns we fry and use in lentil curries, mixed vegetables and so on. Earlier when cabbage was available only in the winter, every Bengali home made good use of it. In our home, mom prepared both vegetarian and non vegetarian version of this veggie. Cabbage is Bandhakopi in Bengali. All of us would agree, this is an easy to do veggie. I find it pretty comfortable to prepare it, just shred and do the way you wish to. Badhakopir Ghonto is a common dish among us Bengalis. We do both the vegetarian and non vegetarian version of it. The vegetarian version we do with green peas, tomato and potatoes that tastes awesome with plain rice, Khichdi and chapati or paratha. The non vegetarian versions are done with fish head or smaller prawns. Cabbage with prawns is an absolute favourite for us, we call it Bandhakopi Chingrir Ghonto. It goes with steamed rice, well one can have with chapati too. I followed the family's recipe. Always use small prawns for this, I didn't get it this week.. Let us do Badhakopi Chingrir Ghonto together and enjoy with piping hot steamed rice.We can keep lentil curry and fries or a vegetable dish on the side.


INGREDIENTS :

Cabbage : 1 standard sized
Small Prawns : 250 gm
Tomato : 1 standard sized
Green Chilli : 2-3
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As required
Sugar : 1 tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 3 pinches
Green Cardamom Powder : 2 pinches
Cumin Seeds : 3 pinches
Bayleaf : 1
Dry Red Chilli : 1
Oil : 4 tbsp

METHOD :

 Clean, de-vein and wash the prawns, apply salt and turmeric.

Throw the outer leaves of the cabbage and wash well. Shred thin and discard the hard mid-section.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the prawns lightly, take out & keep aside.

Temper the oil with the bay leaf, cumin seeds and the halved dry red chilli. Add the shredded cabbage. Add salt and turmeric powder. Stir and cover. Let cook for 8-10 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the washed & sliced tomato, the slitted green chillies. Stir and cover cook for another 10 minutes.

Remove the cover to add the fried prawns. Stir and cover cook for 3-5 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the sugar, green cardamom, cinnamon powder, cloves powder. Stir for 2-3 minutes.

It is done. We have it with steamed rice.




SHOJNE DATAR CHOCCHORI


Our elders used to say that starting to eat drumsticks with the onset of spring was a necessity to keep off  measles and similar kind of diseases. Starting from end February, until April, we used to eat drumsticks in various ways, in lentil curries, mixed vegetables. Our mother used to prepare vegetarian dishes and fritters with drumstick flowers. In those days, when Kolkata was not congested with condominiums, we had a drumstick tree at every nook and corner of our neighbourhood. These trees do not need much care, they grow just like that. I vividly remember that our school was situated in a protected zone, there we had a number of these trees. I used to look at the freshest green drumsticks hanging and how much I wished to get them for mani but were not supposed to touch even. The market ones were not flawless green. When our son got admitted in  school back in Kolkata, it was situated in a 14 acres of landed area in the  outskirts of Kolkata, I was overjoyed to see so many greens around. The villagers would get me drumsticks and other vegetables just for free. While our kids were at school, we moms would go for walks in the nearby villages or chit chat. I miss those days.

We call this dish SHOJNE DATAR CHOCCHORI. Chocchori which is usually a dry or semi dry preparation. We prepare it with  a mustard and green chilli paste. We cut the drumstick and potatoes lengthwise and cook it with the mustard paste with some tempering. Let us prepare this humble vegetarian dish.... SHOJNE DATAR CHOCCHORI together.





INGREDIENTS :

Drumsticks : 3-4
Potato : 1 big
Black Mustard : 1tsp
Green Chilli : 3-4
Salt : As required
Turmeric : 1tsp
Whole Red Chilli : 2
Nigella Seeds : 3 pinches
Oil : 2 tbsp [ mustard preferably ]

METHOD :

Cut the drumsticks lengthwise. Peel off the skin lightly, the flesh should be intact.

Peel and cut the potatoes lengthwise too. Wash and apply salt n turmeric.

Prepare a paste with mustard seeds, green chilli with little salt. This prevent the paste from turning bitter.

Heat oil in a wok, temper with nigella seeds and slitted dry red chillies.

Add the drumsticks and potato pieces. Stir well and cover. Let cook for 3-4 minutes.

Uncover and add the mustard paste. Stir well and cover.

Let cook for another 5-7 minutes at medium to low heat. Uncover, if the water dries up, its done.

It is to be had with plain white rice. On the sides you can see "tomato-dhonepata diye mushurir dal o laal shaak bhaja."





MAACHER TOK / SOUR FISH CURRY


  

Mach er Tok.... a summer time bliss for many among our community and perhaps in some other states of India too. The way of doing it may be different. In West Bengal, summers are really hot. It happens that we even refuse to enjoy fish curries. It is then mom used to prepare toker dal[tangy lentil curry] and Mach er Tok[Sour fish curry] for us. Tangy curries are considered to be body coolants and helps beat the heat in summer.

I believe, the state of Assam's sour curries also have influence on our family's sour curries; fish or otherwise! The maternal grandfather lived there for few years as an employee of State Bank of India! The paternal grandpa left Comilla, went & settled in Assam! My maternal grandmother learnt a lot of steamed cake recipes from her Assamese neighbours! What I like about Assam is their pattern of the homes; quaint, bungalows with green space! They are usually with cleanliness freak, that is good enough for me to praise! My uncles think they cannot come & stay in West Bengal for long! 

Different families have different ways of preparing Macher Tok. My mother used to prepare it this way. I exactly followed my mother's way of doing Macher Tok. The tamarind paste can be replaced with raw mango pieces. We usually alternate with tamarind, raw mango, elephant apple, hogg plum. This Macher Tok[sour fish curry] recipe is done with tamarind paste. Let us do it together.



INGREDIENTS :

Any Firm White Fish : 500 gm [ we use Rohu or Katla, i.e. Bengal Carp smaller sized, even baby sized ]
Radhuni / Ajmod Paste [wild celery seeds] : 1/2 tsp [alternatively 1 tsp fresh Thai celery paste] [WIKI says radhuni is dried fruit of Trachyspermum Roxburghianum, a flowering plant; smells like parsley, tastes like celery. Honestly, until I had a blog, I did not require to know what radhuni is called outside my family; some called it wild celery seed, I took it, now WIKI says it is this]
Tamarind Paste : 1 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Green Chilli : 2
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As required
Kalonji Seeds[ nigella] : A Pinch
Rdhuni / Ajmod : 1/4 tsp
Oil[preferably mustard] : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

We usually use smaller sized, in fact no fat, live fish for this curry! This one was big as compared to what is required in this one!

Soak the tamarind in 1/2 small cup of water.

Prepare a paste with the wild celery seeds or with the Thai celery leaves if seeds are not available.

Wash the fish pieces and marinate with turmeric, salt, red chilli powder, ajmod paste[alternatively celery leaves paste].

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with kalonji & ajmod seeds. Add the marinated fish along with the marinade.

Cover cook each side for 3-4 minutes.Uncover, Add one cup water and cover cook for another 3-4 minutes at medium to low heat.

 Strain the tamarind juice and pour into the gravy. Add the slitted green chillies.

Let boil for another 2 minutes. Switch off. Transfer to a serving bowl.

It is to be had with hot rice, specially during the summer we have it. You can replace the tamarind with raw mango.





Wednesday 16 March 2016

DUM KA MURG / SLOW COOKED ONE POT CHICKEN




Eureka.... was the word I murmured when I came across one pot slow cooked chicken recipes. As said earlier, not so much of an innovative person, I look for ideas, thanks to Google search, my saviour. With a teen at home, we are in constant need of a variety of recipes. If someone has to prepare chicken thrice a week on demand, she has to look out for variety. The messy cook is such a poor planner. None of her blogger friends seems to be so poor in planning, how beautifully they plan around a theme, work and research on them and finally come up with a beautiful something. This lady is a lazy cook.... plans a recipe in the morning, cooks in the evening and blogs on it next morning. She thinks almost a life spent this way, let it be.... striving for better is perhaps not a lazy escapist's cuppa.

It was a Saturday, the senior has a habit of starting with a movie when I am busy. That day it was one of my interest too. Hence I was looking for a hassle free chicken recipe. It was then I came across a number of Hyderabad Dum Ka Murg recipes. Chicken marinated in aromatic Indian herbs and spices and slow cooked in a pot. Given my nature, I was again running out of some spices exclusively used in this cuisine. The alluring temptation of a hassle free Dum ka Murg recipe could not stop me. So I went ahead with my version of DUM KA MURG, purposefully skipping the word Hyderabadi. Whatever we do we need to be honest, there is no other way to it. My homely DUM KA MURG was no bad either, it was so aromatic, and since it was slow cooked all the juices was so well incorporated. Doing so I could watch the movie uninterrupted. I have decided whenever there will be guests at home, I will take up this hassle free DUM KA MURG recipe. Let us see how we do it.

INGREDIENTS :
Chicken : 1kg[medium cut]
Tomato : 2medium[chopped]
Plain Yogurt : 1/2medium cup[beaten]
Onion Paste : 2tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Cinnamon Stick : 2 one inch stick
Cardamom [green] : 2-3
Cloves : 3-4
Bayleaf : 2
Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Coriander Leaves[chopped] : 2tbsp
Mint Leaves[chopped] : 1tbsp
Green Chilli : 3-5[slitted]
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Oil : 3tbsp
Wholewheat Dough to seal the cooking container.


METHOD :
Clean and wash the chicken pieces very well. Take them in a big bowl.

Add all the ingredients to it. Mix well rubbing thoroughly with your palm for 3-4 minutes.

Cover and marinate for 1 hour. After marination, they look as below.



Now grease a deep bottomed vessel with few drops of oil. Transfer the marinated chicken with all the marinade to it.

Cover and seal the sides with the dough and place on fire. It looks as below.



Slow cook at low fire for about 45-50 minutes. Lot of water will be released and it will be cooked in its own juices.

At the end we get an extremely aromatic chicken curry... tangy and spicy.




Monday 14 March 2016

EGGLESS WHOLEWHEAT BUNDT CAKE



Let me not start with those cliched words of how poor a baker I am and I still try my hands on it. Let me be positive and say I am learning each day to do better and the whole experience is an enriching one. Not only that, but as a person I have become bit more positive, looking at things in a newer perspective. Thanks to a chanting practice I am doing on a friend's recommendation, life seems happier. So, every week I do some kind of baking, with a growing teen at home we need to keep a variety of food in store, the mamma thing prefers  homemade ones.

Today, I very much wished to blog on this Eggless Wholewheat Bundt Cake that I prepared yesterday evening. Doing so, I have poured all my heart into it. When we do something with love, it cannot go wrong. I so much wished to weave a beautiful story surrounding this Eggless Wholewheat Bundt Cake but life has taught me...... some stories remain best unspoken. Let certain things be treasured as memories and we move forward with new hopes, aspirations. I prepared this bundt cake with wholewheat for two reasons.... I was running out of enough amount of refined flour. Secondly, I wanted to see how a whole wheat cake turns out. I decorated them with white chocolate coins and strawberries as I had them in store.

I wished to share with everyone today itself how simply we can do it. I tried to provide stepwise pictures for it. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :
Whole Wheat Flour : 2 big cups
Baking Powder : 2tsp
Cocoa Powder : 3-4 tbsp
Sugar : 1/2 cup
Condensed Milk : 100-150 ml
Full Cream Milk : 1/3 cup
Vinegar : 2tsp
Butter : 1/2cup[softened at room temperature]
Oil : 1/2 cup
Vanilla Essence : 1-2tsp

METHOD :
Preheat oven to 180*C.

Take the wheat flour, baking powder and cocoa powder in a large bowl and mix together well.

In another one, take the butter and sugar and beat well till both are well incorporated.

Now add the milk and beat well. Add the condensed milk. Beat well. Add the vinegar and beat well again. The mix look as below.



Now little by little add the flour mix and keep beating. It will look as below.



After all the flour has been poured in, we will beat further for 5 minutes. The mix will look as below.



Now we will grease the cake tin with few drops of oil. Pour in the cake batter onto the mould. It looks as below.



Bake at 180*C for 40-42 minutes in convection mode. At this stage you need to adjust time according to your oven.

Let us enjoy it with tea or with a scoop of ice cream.



Saturday 12 March 2016

MALAI KULFI



Summer is already in full swing in this part of the world. There is no rain too in the past few days. The tropical heat calls for keeping the body hydrated and indulge in all kinds of cooling desserts. My junior is very fond of coolers. I do not allow him soft drinks much, instead there is always a supply of iced lemon tea, peach tea, cold coffee tetra packs. Mamma loves watching him moving around, opening the refrigerator and sipping them. It is weekend, the mamma thing usually prepares some desserts and sweets for the family. I think I am yet to master the art of making a super creamy, no churn ice cream. They remain a bit icy which worries me. Besides, I do not keep heavy cream always at home. Once open, they need to be used up quickly. Anyway, both men calls her fatso, if she keeps on adding cream on food.... imagine what is going to happen.

Considering all these factors, she sticks to ice lollies and kulfi for the weekend cool fiesta. So this week it is a simply made Malai Kulfi, trust me that only with two to three ingredients. She can take the liberty to say that her Malai Kulfi did taste rich and creamy, just as kulfi should. The owner of the simple kitchen loves simplicity. Any kind of show offs irritates her. That makes her a loner but how much she loves her own company, reading, music, cooking, her blog and having a trusted, qualitative few surrounding her. Coming back to the point, this  Malai Kulfi was made within an hour, leaving the freezing time. Let us do together, the creamy, rich Malai Kulfi.

INGREDIENTS :
Full Cream Milk : 1lt
Condensed Milk : 150 ml
Sugar : 2tbsp
Cardamom Powder : 1/4 tsp
Almond : 4-5
Pistachios : 4-5
Cashews : 6-7
Stick Ice cream moulds[I preferred doing the Malai Kulfi in them this time]

METHOD :
Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Let it boil. Once it comes to full boil, we need to monitor it to  avoid burning. So keep stirring at short intervals.

Dry roast the nuts a bit and crush into smaller pieces. I use a rolling pin to do it.

Once the milk is reduced about 40%, add the sugar. Stir and let boil for another 5 minutes. Stir in between.

Add the condensed milk and boil for 3-4 minutes stirring continuously. Add the cardamom powder and boil for a minute.

Switch off . Let cool and add the crushed nuts. Pour into the moulds. Tightly close the caps.

Put into the freezer for 8-10 hours. Our malai kulfi is ready to serve.



Thursday 10 March 2016

BHETKI MAACHER JHAL / SEABASS OR BARRAMUNDI IN MUSTARD SAUCE





Maacher jhal, jhol, kalia, kosha, paturi; everything you will get in a Bengali kitchen. Maacher jhol is a light curry, maacher jhal refers to a curry using mustard paste, kalia is a really spicy treat using lots of spices and onion and kosha is a dry curry using very less water, paturi is fish steaks or fillets steamed wrapped in banana leaves. Well, I have not really done any research on it but delivered what I grew up hearing or having.

Bhetki / Seabass / Barramundi may belong to the same species but not really identical as they say. At our home bhetki or barramundi was not so much in demand. Bengalis from East Bengal prefer different varieties of catfish, carps, hilsa, smaller variety of fish. Bhetki fillets were brought occasionally at our home when the mother made fish fries. It was not a regular affair because bhetki fillets were usually extracted from big ones and they were expensive at all times. We as kids were not deprived of anything we loved, but in moderation. In comparison, are our kids learning to value money?? This issue bothers me a lot but our son is very decent in this issue to the present date.

Fish curry is not a complex thing to do. If you love it, it cannot be a failure. Since we get very fresh and moderately sized seabass / bhetki / barramundi here, I get it quite often. Though not in my favourite list earlier, I am gradually developing a taste for it. Mustard paste is an integral part of Bengali cooking; I love it's association with green chillies, even with shredded coconut and keep using the combination in various dishes. Let us prepare Bhetki Macher Jhal / Barramundi / Seabass in mustard paste.

We also had some Kolmi Shaak Bhaja / Kangkong Fry, Roasted Moong Dal with fresh Coriander and a veggie dish with okra+egg plant+potato on that day.




INGREDIENTS :
Seabass/Bhetki/Barramundi : 4-5 [I used smaller sized]
Mustard Seed[black] : 1tbsp
Garlic Paste : 1/2tsp[optional]
Green Chilli : 5-6[adjust as per your tolerance to heat]
Nigella Seeds[kalijeera] : 3pinches
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As required
Ice Cube : 2-3
Lemon Juice : 1-2tbsp
Oil[authentically Mustard] : 5-6tbsp

METHOD :


Wash the fish pieces thoroughly. Marinate the fish with lemon juice, salt and turmeric powder for 15-20 minutes.

Prepare a paste with washed black mustard seeds, green chillies in a blender adding little salt and water, the ice cubes. Pour into a bowl, add the garlic paste and rest of the turmeric if required.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the fish pieces until light brown, on both sides. Take out.

Temper the remaining oil with the nigella seeds. As you get the aroma, add the spice paste, lower the heat and saute for a minute. Add 1 big cup water. 

Let the curry comes to boil and boil for 3-4 minutes. Add the lightly fried fish pieces gently discarding the marinade. Cover cook for 2 minutes. Open cover, turn over the fish pieces. Let cook covered for another minute. Its done. 

Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with slitted green chillies. Enjoy with steamed rice, fresh and hot.

Please note, always add salt & ice cubes while preparing this paste to avoid it turning bitter. You can substitute the black mustard with the yellow one to mellow down the heat.







Tuesday 8 March 2016

ALOO PANEER CURRY/ALOO PANEER ER DALNA



Paneer is a rescuer in our family in an all vegetarian day. The junior loves it so much so that I find it a safe alternative to his much loved  chicken. The senior though not fond of it, does not refuse to have it either. Actually, food does  not feature at the top of his priority list. He is a food connoisseur though, mainly loves Japanese and Middle Eastern Cuisine. Otherwise, a nicely made fresh water fish curry and rice is what he adores. 

How much the lady of the house wished that her man be a little more demanding, take little interest in the food world. Perhaps, he too thinks the same way, if the wife would have spared five minutes watching CNBC. A kind of peace treaty was made mutually, senior been a strong believer of a no rule policy at home. If one is glued into CNBC, the other happily fries fritters to enjoy together. I am not the twosome-awesome kind ever since our prince was born, also the man is more of a good father than a romantic husband! Ain't parenthood be like that?

This Aloo Paneer Curry or Aloo Paneer er Dalna was prepared by mom just this way once paneer was introduced to Kolkata, in the late 80's or early 90's. Though she fries paneer always, I do not. Paneer is not authentically a Bengali thing. Till date some of our friends would say before a get together, S please do not cook paneer. However, paneer was very much accepted in our household. Bengalees  usually use homemade paneer[chena] for their curries. This Aloo Paneer Curry/Aloo Paneer er Dalna is prepared without onion or garlic in our family. Let us do it.


INGREDIENTS :

Paneer[Indian Cottage Cheese] : 250gm
Potato : 1big sized
Tomato : 1medium sized
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1-2tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 2-3 pinches
Bayleaf : 1
Sugar : 1/2tsp[optional]
Oil : 3-4tbsp
Butter : 1 tbsp

METHOD :

Cut the paneer into cubes and marinate with a bit of salt.

Peel, wash and cube the potatoes. Rub with little salt and turmeric powder.

Heat the oil in a wok. Lightly fry the potatoes and keep aside.

Temper the oil with cumin seeds and a bayleaf.

Add the ginger paste and fry for 2 minutes.

Wash the tomato, roughly chop and add to the wok. Saute till it melts and separates from oil.

Add the cumin powder, turmeric powder, little salt and chilli powder. Saute for a minute.

Add the fried potato pieces, stir for 3-4 minutes. Add a cup of water.

Let boil for 3-4 minutes at low heat.

Now add the paneer pieces.

Let boil for 2 minutes. Add the sugar.

Transfer to a bowl after 1/2 a minute, garnish with the butter.

Serve fresh & hot with roti or steamed rice.