CHICKEN KOFTA CURRY

KOFTAS might have originated in the MiddleEast. In the present day, they are popular in Turkey, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Arabic nations. The origin of the word KOFTE is Persian word KUFTE meaning 'mashed'. In olden times, since people did not have meat grinders they minced meat to small pieces, then mashed them in large mortars[WIKI]. Usually made of ground meat, these days vegetarian versions are also made, especially in India where there are a lot of vegetarians. Fish being popular in South India and West Bengal, we also prepare fish kofta, though not a common practice.

I love preparing kofta, find the entire process of making kofta pleasureful. Weekends are fixed for such time consuming recipes. I usually do it with minced chicken / mutton, raw bananas, bottle gourd, with mixed vegetables. The gravy is usually tomato based or one made with cashew paste, cream. This recipe is the most common  chicken kofta balls in a rich tomato gravy.

A Sunday lunch with kofta curry, rice, salad is good enough. Actually the balls can be made on Saturday evening, the next can be deep fried, cooked in gravy. Koftas can be had with salads and your favourite wine to make Saturday evenings colourful. I allow them to soak in the gravy before having.

INGREDIENTS[for kofta] :

Minced Chicken : 300gm
Minced Garlic : 2 tbsp
Minced Ginger : 1 tbsp
Green Chilli[chopped] : 1tsp
Fresh Coriander Leaves[chopped] : 2 tbsp
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Cornflour : 2 tbsp
Oil : 2-3tbsp

INGREDIENTS[for gravy] :

Tomato : 2[big]
Garlic Paste : 1 tsp
Ginger Paste : 2 tsp
Onion : 2[medium]
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches
Bay Leaf : 1
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Sugar : 1/2 tsp[optional]
Red Chilli Powder[Kashmiri] : 1 tsp
Oil : 5-6 tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash minced chicken using strainer. Transfer onto a bowl. Add salt, turmeric powder, corn flour. Fold in well.

Wash, chop tomatoes, discard seeds. Peel, slice onions. Prepare pastes of onions, tomatoes separately. Get ginger, garlic pastes done.

Heat 2-3tbsp oil in wok. Add minced ginger, garlic, fry, add kofta mixture. Stir kofta mixture at medium to low heat. Cover cook 12-14 minutes.

Remove cover, add chopped coriander, cornflour. Stir for a minute or two. Take down, let it cool. Prepare balls. Heat oil in wok, fry them golden brown, take out.

Temper the remaining oil with bay leaf, cumin seeds. Add more oil if only required. Add onion paste. Fry until it turns light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Fry until raw smell goes away. Add tomato paste. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Add cumin, Kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander powders, salt, turmeric. Stir until the oil separates from spice mix. Add one coffee cup water. Cover, let boil for 3 minutes at medium to low heat. Add the garam masala powder, sugar. Cover cook for another 2-3 minutes. The gravy should be thicker. Switch off the gas stove.

Pour gravy over fried kofta balls. You may garnish with a tablespoon of cream at this stage, I did not.

RAW MANGO CHUTNEY

Chutneys are popular throughout South Asia . They are prepared with coconut, garlic, tomato, papaya, grape, pomegranate, mango, dates, raisins, etc. In India, every state or every region has its own version of chutney. For us Bengalis, it's eaten at the end of a full course meal before the dessert. Earlier it was compulsory to make chutneys each day at lunch, dinner to end meals. Our chutneys are generally sweet. A normal Bengali meal would start with a spinach preparation, pakoras, dal, vegetable, fish curry, end up with a chutney. A kheer dessert for dinner may me. 

These days life got fast, busy. With more women venturing out, these elaborate meals are vanishing, at least on weekdays. All chutneys, pakoras, desserts are made on weekends now. Health is a reason though. But yes I miss those good old days when a bite in the pakoras or picking up the chutney with one finger, placing it on my tongue, licking it would take me into seventh heaven.

Feminists please do not run after me, when it comes to my loved ones, I am a poor example of feminism. I have never seen our moms or their generation to complain about staying in kitchen for a longer period or doing other household chores. I believe kids at home demand mothers to be with them more than anything else, if of course situation permits. 

I don't understand finance, but know that a nanny can't substitute mom. Career may wait, the formative years of a child will never come back. How many cases of drug abuse and violence among the youth was there during our childhood? Drug Rehab Centres offer cure, not prevention. Well there can always be arguments, counter arguments which is healthy.

This fat, old lady is again off track. I am taking too much liberty exercising my right to freedom of speech. Well I had never been articulate. Better start with the most famous, common Bengali recipe of chutney..... Sweet Green / Raw Mango Chutney, given their generally sweet tooth.

INGREDIENTS :

Green Mango[unripened] : 2
Sugar : 1/4 cup[adjust according to the amount of sweetness you prefer]
Salt : 4 pinches.
Turmeric Powder : 2 pinches
Black Mustard Seeds : 3 pinches
Dry Red Chilli : 3-4

Bayleaf : 1
Cumin Seeds :1 tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1 tsp
Oil[preferably Mustard] : 1 tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash mangoes, cut half. You may avoid peeling, keep the skin on instead. Discard seed. 

Cut horizontally, then vertically. That means each half would fetch four pieces. 

Wash them again taking in a bowl. Add salt, turmeric; mix well. Keep aside for 15- 20 minutes.

Meanwhile dry roast dry red chillies, cumin and coriander seeds. Coarsely grind them in a grinder. Keep aside.

Heat oil in wok. Temper with mustard seeds, 1 dry red chilli, bayleaf. Once they splutter, add marinated mango pieces. Stir, cover. Turn heat to low.

Give a stir every 2 minutes till the mango pieces are soft, about to melt. Add sugar, stir, cover. As sugar melts, add a small tea cup water. 

When raw mango chutney turns into a creamy consistency without melting the pieces totally, it's done.

Transfer onto a bowl, garnish with dry roasted ground spices. Later mix well before serving.

FISH CUTLET N FRIED CHICKEN WITH BUTTERED RICE

I sincerely wished to post a recipe on this occasion of Thanksgiving....But honestly, I am yet to learn how to make pumpkin pies and turkey meat and cranberry desserts. Back home, we did not know much about Thanksgiving or Halloween, why, how and when they are celebrated. It is after stepping into Singapore that I am getting to know about all these festivities and quite enjoying learning new things. I only knew pumpkin is used to make vegetables, that it can be used to make pies and cakes is really a new thing to know for me.....and I am loving it. Learning is always a thing of joy, and when it comes to cooking, I am game for it. Unable to cook a dish eaten on Thanksgiving, I thought let me prepare a dish today that I am comfortable in and at the same time would be accepted and loved by the Western World. A long weekend, families enjoying together and a recipe as easy and tasty as this should gel I believe. The recipe is global, I feel.
   This recipe may require a bit more time for the preparation part but the cooking part is that easy again. So time consumed is balanced by time saved. It requires very less ingredients which are easily available at home. Here for you Fish Cutlet n Fried Chicken with Buttered Rice with a generous serving of salad. So may I call it a balanced one dish meal?? Thats you to decide.

INGREDIENTS :[for fish cutlets]
White Fish Fillets : 250 gm
Potato : 2 [big]
Garlic[minced] : 1tbsp
Ginger[minced] : 1tsp
Green Chilli[chopped] : 2
Onion[sliced] : 2[medium]
Salt : As required
Bengali Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp[an equal amount of cinnamon,green cardamon and cloves powdered together]
Oil : 2 tbsp + 50ml to deep fry the cutlets
Bread Crumb : 100 gm
Egg : 1

INGREDIENTS :[for chicken fry]
Chicken[breast or leg] : 4 pieces
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 1 tbsp
Lemon : 1
Cornflour : 4 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As required
Oil : 50 ml[to deep fry]

INGREDIENTS :[for buttered rice]
Basmati Rice : 1 coffee mug
Green Peas : 3 tbsp
Cashew Nuts[roasted] : 6[halved]
Butter : 3tbsp
Salt : As required

PROCEDURE :
Let us prepare the rice first. Boil enough water in a heavy bottomed vessel. When the water starts boiling, put in the pre washed rice. When half cooked, drain the water from the rice. Keep aside.

Wash the chicken pieces. Marinate with lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, and little salt. Keep aside for at least 2 hours.

Wash the fish fillets, cut small. Mince ginger n garlic, chop green chillies and onions. Wash, boil and peel the potatoes. Mash them. Heat oil in a wok. Fry the minced ginger and garlic for 2 minutes and add the onions. As the onions brown, add the chopped green chillies, put in the fish pieces.

Mix well and keep on stirring till the fish pieces breaks. Now add the mashed potatoes. Add the garam masala powder. Mix well and fry further for another 2-3 minutes till all water dries up. Transfer into a plate. Let cool.

Once cool, shape into round balls and flatten with your palms. Break and beat an egg. Put the fish cutlets into bread crumbs, then dip into the egg mix and again into the bread crumbs. Deep fry in batches. Excess oil can be used later.

Make a batter with cornflour, red chilli powder, salt and water. Dip the chicken pieces in the batter and deep fry in oil. Excess oil can be used later.

In a clean wok, put the butter. Once hot ,put the peas, fry for 2 minutes, add the cashews. After one minute, add the rice. Add salt,  Mix well for 3-4 minutes and transfer into a plate. Be careful, the rice should not break in the process.

Your meal is ready to be served with your choice of salad!!

SUKHA CHICKEN

Spicy, hot, little tangy, sleek, tender; I meant the pictures. I am too innocent. Anyway, my job here is to describe and discuss the above picture and I should concentrate on that. I think Chicken has an universal approach, at almost every home, throughout the world. A very handy and healthy thing, it is so easy and such a pleasure to cook, given it takes least time to prepare and loved by my men. Whatever way you cook it, its tasty! I think its easy level of cooking makes it popular with all, from working women to bachelors. And you do not have to give much effort in the process. Extremely popular at my home, its almost an everyday affair. With Google in hand, I am absolutely relaxed and confident I won't get bored following the same recipe and force them eating it.

The chapati lovers at home loves it dry at times. So, last week I had some boneless pieces, was thinking what should be the quickest way to prepare them, I was just not in the mood to go for an elaborate process. This recipe has no originality. You will see I used curry leaves alongside Punjabi garam masala, garnished with spring onion; later thought I may be promoting Harmony actually through this dish. You need very less ingredients to prepare this and the outcome is surely to make you happy.

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken[boneless] : 500 gm
Tomato : 2 big
Curry Leaves : 8-10
Onion : 2 big
Green Chilli Paste : 2 tsp
Garlic Paste : 3 tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tbsp
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp
Salt : As required
Bay Leaf : 1
Oil : 4 tbsp
Lemon Juice : 4 tbsp
Spring Onions to garnish.

METHOD :

Wash and marinate the chicken pieces with lemon juice, salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder for about 2 hours. Wash, cut,deseed and roughly chop the tomatoes. Slice the onions thinly and wash. Get your ginger-garlic paste ready.

Heat oil in a wok. Temper with a bay leaf. Add the sliced onions. As they turn golden brown, add the curry leaves, stir 1 or 2 times. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute till the raw smell goes away and you get the nice aroma of fried ginger-garlic.

At this stage, add the tomato pieces and the salt required. Saute till the tomato boils and blends with the spice paste well. Add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder. Fry till the oil separates from the spices.

Add the Chicken along with the marination. Mix well with the spices. Stir at hight heat for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to lowest and cover. Stir every 3 minutes. No need to add water. It will be cooked in the water released.

When the chicken pieces are almost tender, add the Punjabi garam masala. Stir well and cook further covered till all the water is absorbed. Its a dry dish. The cooking may take 40-45 minutes.

Once done transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with spring onions. Its a dry dish, to be served with naan / kulcha / chapati / paratha / plain rice / pulao.

MASALA CRAB

These decapods are extremely tasty to have and a favourite with me and my senior. Crabs are popular in Singapore, found in all shapes and sizes. Of the two most popular dishes of crabs here, Chilli Crab and Black Pepper Crab, we prefer the Black Pepper Crab. Sitting by the sea, watching streamline of ships standing and gorging on black pepper crab is a thing of pleasure. The smell of freshly ground black pepper along with butter adds to the beautiful, cosy ambience. You get crabs all over Singapore, but I personally feel the ones we get at the East Coast Park restaurants are just awesome, unmatched....perhaps the fresh seaside breeze, the beautiful sight of the bright garlanded ships, the moonlit night....all are the add ons....few hours at peace.... away from the hustle n bustle of the busy city life.

As told, Crabs are decapods along with lobsters, crayfish and shrimps. Crabs form an order within the decapods, called the Brachyura. Their short body is covered by thick exoskeleton. Found all over the world, they mostly live in sea water, there are some who live in fresh, and some live on the land. About 7,000 species are known. [WIKI]

Back home, crab is eaten, though not as popular as in Singapore. There is a particular season when we get it. At a quiet corner of the wet market, would sit a small time business making lady or man with few other rustic stuffs. There it is quite cheaper as compared to the prawns and other fish as it is not considered a delicacy there. They are found in small and medium sizes. This crab curry is a simple one, the way we do it at home.

INGREDIENTS :

Crab[medium sized] : 4
Cumin Powder : 2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Ginger Paste : 2 tbsp
Green Chilli : 2-3 [slitted]
Bay Leaf : 1
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches
Salt : As per taste
Oil : 4 tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Break each crab into smaller pieces, tear and halve the claws. We discard the hard coverage at this home. Wash with cold water thoroughly. Now soak in hot water  for half an hour.

After half an hour, drain the water. Add salt and turmeric to the crab, rub well. Keep aside for 15 minutes. 

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the crab pieces in batches till golden brown. Keep aside.

In the same oil, add a bay leaf and the cumin seeds. As the cumin seeds splutter,  add the ginger paste and fry for 2 minutes or fry till the raw smell goes.

Add some turmeric powder & salt as required. Saute for 2-3 minutes and add all the spice powders. Fold in well till the oil separates from the spice mix. Add  1 small cup water. Cover. Lower the heat.

After 3-4 minutes, remove the cover and add the crab pieces. Stir well and cover. Cook at low heat for another 3 minutes. Switch off the gas stove, it should be done.

Transfer into a serving bowl. It goes best with steamed rice!

CHOCOLATE SANDESH

Sweet lovers never get bored of sweets, desserts! Though not someone with a sweet tooth, I / We enjoy few varieties of sweets. There are many varieties available, we need a lifetime to taste them all. With few ingredients you can actually prepare yum sweets. Though Bengal is famous for sweets, the other been fish, it was not in my priority list till may be I was caught with diabetes. For the past 4 years I am craving sweets, homemade or otherwise. 

I think the story is same in most homes. Be it Durga Puja, Diwali or Eid, celebrations with sweets is necessary. Yes, I am facing post festive effects of gorging on sweets. Like me, many others, I bet. Does it stop us from loving it? No way, it's in our Bengali genes to buy sweets regular. Though it's true....'A sweet a day, brings us closer to doctor anyway'.

As I believe, balance in life is important. Why do we need to leave sweets altogether for a healthy life? We will have it but in moderation. Taste bud satisfied, health restored. Having a sweet once a week will not kill us. We should not leave the world with the regret that we wanted to eat this or do this, we did not. That is kind of torture on our soul. Do whatever you wish to but staying within limits. We need not deprive ourselves from the simple pleasures of life, there will not be a second one.

Yes, all this while I was / am trying to promote, establish the simple philosophy of living your life to your heart's content maintaining balance, whenever required. Well everyone knows it, I just jotted down. I prefer homemade sweets. They are easy to make using ingredients available at home. Just a little patience is required. Whenever there is abundance of chocolate at home, I plan a dessert or sweet with it. The festive season was round the corner, so whats better than Chocolate Sandesh, I thought. You can see few ingredients have been used to prepare this.

INGREDIENTS :

Paneer : 300 gm

Milk : 1/2 cup
Chocolate Bar : 1 or 2 [I used Meiji Bar]
Sugar : 5-6 tbsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2 tsp

Rice Flour : 1 tbsp
Chopped Pistachios to garnish

PROCEDURE :

To melt chocolate, break chocolate bar, take in a microwavable bowl. Add 2 tbsp water. Microwave at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes stirring every 30 seconds. You may continue until the chocolate melts. Mix well.

Chop Pistachios. Blend paneer taken in blender. Use boiled milk at regular temperature.

 In wok, add paneer, milk, sugar. Switch on gas stove. Stir at minimal heat continuously for 15-16 minutes. Add chocolate, stir cook for 10-12 minutes. Keep stirring till the water almost dries up. Add the rice flour, green cardamom powder, stir cook for 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Once a bit cool, still warm, mash it for 3-4 minutes. Keep fan on. After 4-5 minutes, mash again. Apply ghee on your palms. Shape sandesh / sweets as you wish. Garnish with chopped pistachios.

POTOLER NIRAMISH DORMA [PANEER STUFFED POINTED GOURD]

Pointed Gourd is the English for Potol / Parwal. Potoler Dorma is stuffed Pointed Gourd. Though I have prepared a vegetarian version with paneer stuffing, the most popular version among the Bengalis perhaps is with shrimps / prawn stuffing. Since my vegetarian friends have started believing I do not love them anymore, I had to win back their confidence. As a teen I hated vegetables, but these days love them. I feel like may be I had too much of non-veg throughout my life and my tastebuds are seeking change. 

My apathy towards vegetables made our mom sweat planning vegetarian recipes for her foodie daughter. Any veggie recipe at home had to be tasty, otherwise there was threatening of meal boycotts on an all vegetarian day. Remembering those days, a wave of guilt hits my mind I question myself, why did they pamper me? The answer may be hidden in the question why do I pamper mine so much?

I remember, one day in a week was an all vegetarian day at our home...... and that day was a black day for me. Back home from school / college, I would run to few of my friends' home to taste fish and chicken. That greed is of course the reason for my round shape, all my dreams of becoming a model remained unfulfilled, ha..ha...ha. Jokes apart, I think till date no one has seen a model with 5 feet height, why cut off my tongue?? Every Thursday was a veggie day at home, my husband being a childhood buddy, I used to visit their home, straight into his mother's kitchen. An innocent question like mashi / aunty what did you cook today? She would fetch me a big piece of fish with curry n rice. No question of strictness  as she was aunty then, yet to be mom-in-law.

I think before I cross all limits, I should go with the recipe. Truly, I wished to prepare a vegetarian version of Potoler Dorma for my vegetarian friends. The more popular non-vegetarian version shall come up some other day. The inclusion of paneer as stuffing in this particular recipe was not common in our family, I see the trend in the present day.

INGREDIENTS :

Potol [pointed gourd] : 8
Paneer [cottage cheese/chena] : 200 gm
Posto [poppy seed] : 1tbsp [use roasted sesame seed instead if you stay in Singapore or Dubai]
Tomato : 1 big
Onion : 1 big
Green Chilli : 2
Ginger Paste : 2tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As required
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches
Bay Leaf : 1
Green Cardamom : 3
Cloves : 2
Cinnamon : 1inch stick one
Oil : 4 tbsp
Sugar : 1tsp

Ghee / Clarified Butter : 1 tsp


METHOD :

Wash, cut the two ends of the potols. Peel the skins keeping little gaps. With the edge of a knife take out the seeds of the potols. Let not tear them while doing it. This way you can see vacuums created inside them. Apply salt, turmeric powder, keep aside covered.

Wash posto in a strainer. With help of blender, make smooth paste of posto, seeds of potol, green chilli. Crumble the paneer with your hand. Slice the onion.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok. Temper with cumin seeds. Add sliced onions. As they turn golden brown, add  the paste. Keep stirring till it separates from oil. Add the crumbled paneer. Add little salt and turmeric.. Stir well for 3 to 4 minutes or until  most of water dries up. Switch off gas stove. Your filling is ready. Transfer to a bowl, let cool.

Fry pointed gourds in oil till they turn golden brown. Transfer to plate, let cool. Once the filling cools, stuff holes of the fried pointed gourds with the filling using back of a spoon.

Cut, deseed the tomato.Temper oil [at this stage we can add little more oil if required] with bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom, cumin seeds, cloves. As they release nice aroma, add the ginger paste. As the raw smell goes away, add the tomato pieces. Saute well. 

As tomato pieces melt, add cumin+coriander powder, chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder. Stir well till the oil separates from the gravy. Add a small tea cup water. Let the gravy boil for 4 minutes.

Add fried stuffed potols. Cook covered for another 2-3 minutes. Add sugar, ghee. Stir, switch off gas stove. The gravy would be thick. Serve it with steamed rice, goes good with roti!!

LUCHI O MUTTON

This platter is authentically Bengali. We perhaps are the only Indian to prepare POORI with refined flour and call it LUCHI; a refined flour puffed bread. It's our religion to have it on a regular basis, mostly over the weekends.The name itself is associated with many incidents and memories. Patented by Bengal, luchi is just perfect for all occasions since when I don't know. But yes, it is a big hit in the present day busy scenario too. If you are preparing it for breakfast,  it goes with "begun bhaja, aloor dom and jilipi", if served at dinner, then obviously with chicken / mutton curry and "payesh"; rice pudding. My friends from the western world please do not get scared, we have a wide range of antacids to offer. Grab it and have it! Its a must!

I never did leave an opportunity to have luchi in my life except for one day. That was on my marriage day. We are supposed to be fasting on the D-day. How angry I got watching all the relatives and family sitting together and grabbing one after another. The hungry me was watching and waiting for a bite, may be at an unearthly hour of the night when all rituals would be over. Oh God, my man would have called it quits if he knew I was thinking more of luchi than him on that day. Anyway, the family served me another favourite on the day; "mishti doi o chirey"!

Jokes apart, these days I eat less of them given my health condition. But I don't regret not having  them much as I had them once to my heart's content. These days, I love doing it for my loved ones. I also get to hear that some long lost associates enjoy "luchi bites". Welcome home, I wish to treat more and more people with food! What you see in the pictures is a platter of "luchi, mutton, chayote curry, a basic salad".

INGREDIENTS : [for the luchi fried puffed bread]

Refined Flour : 2 coffee cups[shall make about 20 luchi]
Salt : As required
Water : As required
Oil : 150 gm[to deep fry, the left over to be used later for other recipes]


INGREDIENTS : [for the mutton curry]

Mutton : 1 kg
Plain Yogurt : 200 gm[alternatively 2 big tomatoes]
Ginger Paste : 2 tsp
Garlic Paste : 2 tbsp
Coriander Powder : 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 2 tbsp[adjust according to your requirement]
Onion : 2 big[sliced]
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp
Bay leaf : 1
BengalI Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 tsp [a powder made of green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon]
Oil[preferably Mustard] : 4+2tbsp

Method :

Let us cook the mutton curry!

The mutton has to be marinated, refrigerated for about 10 hours before you cook. Wash the mutton well taken in a bowl. Marinate with little  salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, beaten yogurt, 2 tbsp mustard oil. If you are using tomato instead of yogurt, marinate mutton with 3 tbsp vinegar or juice of 2 lemons. Tightly cover, refrigerate overnight. Take out an hour before cooking.

Heat oil in a pan.Temper with bay leaf, add the sliced onions. As they turn brown, add the ginger & garlic paste. Keep stirring until the raw smell goes away. Add the  coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt. Stir well until the oil separates from the spices. Add the mutton with all of the marination. Cook covered stirring every 3-4 minutes at low heat until all of the water dries up. It will take about an hour.

Now pour a warm coffee mug of water to the mutton. Stir and cover cook for another half an hour. Add the garam masala powder. Stir well and switch off the gas stove.

Now let's start making luchi. Take the refined flour, oil, salt in a wide mouthed bowl, rub for 2 minutes. Add water little at a time, prepare a firm yet soft dough. Cover with a wet cloth for 1/2 an hour.

Remove cover, knead once more for a while, make small balls out of it.With help of the rolling pin and base, roll out small round shaped luchi adding little oil on the balls.

Heat oil in a deep, round wok. The luchi should soak deep into the oil.  Once the oil reaches the smoking point, lower the heat to medium . Fry the puffed breads one by one.

Please note; to get oil free & perfectly puffed luchi, heating of the oil properly is necessary.... it will be neither too hot nor  towards cold. You have to keep on adjusting the heat throughout the process otherwise they soak in lot of oil. It is to be served hot always.

CHICKEN MOMO

This is another variation of dumpling. You can stuff it with anything from vegetables to all kinds of meat. It is a type of dumpling native to Tibet, Nepal. Over the years, it has become popular in India, specially in the North Eastern regions. Its quite similar to the Japanese gyoza or Chinese baozi. It is extremely healthy and filling except that of the use of refined flour. It is generally served with specially made chilli sauce and clear soup. My momo tastes good but I cannot get that thin wrap ever, apologies! Unless, we are having it at good restaurants, I prefer them homemade!

My men being too much in love with roti-parantha and meat, I hardly do it although it is a hassle free recipe. My love for momo dates back to 90's when in college. Momo was a new concept in Kolkata then. A dear friend who stepped into Kolkata from Nagaland said, "a momo joint has opened up at Elgin Road, try....you definitely would like it". I being born foodie, agreed. I, my friend, her elder sister, two other male friends had a nice stroll at the Kolkata Zoo, then ventured into a small eatery to taste those white dumplings filled with meat, accompanied by a simple bowl of soup that tasted heavenly. Later I took our mother number of times there as she loved them. The two girls were Pampa & Shampa di! I do not remember the two boys, they were friendlier to Pampa!

Pampa heads a NGO in Bangalore now; while preparing those momos how I wished to sit with her, have them together over series of unending chitchats. May be someday, sooner or later. Momos can be had fried too but I prefer them steamed. It goes with a simple veg soup & spicy sauce; I kept a salad on the side.

About the easier method of boiling dumpling instead of steaming is what some in this island do; told Priyam Saharia of fork_n_fable, an Instagram coworker!

INGREDIENTS :

Refined Flour : 2 cups
Minced Chicken : 250 gm
Minced Garlic : 1tbsp
Minced Ginger : 1 tsp
Chopped Spring Onion : 1 tbsp
Soy Sauce : 2 tbsp
Salt : As per requirement
Black Pepper Powder : 1tsp

METHOD :

Wash the chicken mince. Add minced garlic, ginger, chopped spring onion, coriander, salt, soy sauce, black pepper powder. Mix well, keep aside.

Take refined flour in bowl. Add salt, oil. Mix well. Add water little at a time, keep kneading to get a soft dough.

With help of rolling pin, base roll out small round shaped pooris. They have to be thin, I cannot get that level of thinness. Place one spoon full of minced chicken filling in the middle. Fold, close the ends. Then fold again, close the ends!

Place a deep bottomed vessel half filled with water on gas top. Cover, let water come to boil. 

Once the water comes to boil, add dumplings, cover. Let steam for 10-15 minutes. Keep adding cold water 2-3 times in between as you see dumplings coming up! I have learnt natives of this island do it; an Instagram food enthusiast told me that, she is PRIYAM SAHARIA of fork_n_fable!

It tastes best done with minced pork. Pork fat enhances taste. I do not let pork, beef in my home!

DALIA UPMA

Dalia is broken wheat made from whole raw wheat kernels crushed or cut into small pieces. There is extensive use of this food ingredient which makes a popular dietary supplement in many cultures, I know about my country. It carries a great deal of nutrition and fibre since it includes the fibre and nutrient rich outer bran and germ of the wheat. Use of dalia / broken wheat in diet helps keep our heart fit. It is used in  many ways in our food, it's made into khichdi, upma, kheer, soups along with assorted vegetables. I sourced this information from the WIKI [consult a doctor always] because as a Bengali, we did not eat Dalia  in our growing up years! Dalia got introduced in our family way later! In the present day, any grocery in Kolkata would sell it!

Dalia Upma with vegetables is a popular breakfast dish among the Indians. I prepare it often as it is a good source of iron, magnesium and phosphorous[consult a doctor], WIKI says. It is said to be more nutritious than rice as it contains more of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Besides, whenever this lady gets lazy, do not feel like rolling chapatis and puris, she tries her hands on upma, idli, dhokla. I enjoy a bowlful for my lunches!

In this dish, you are at the liberty to use a wide variety of veggies. I use whatever is available in my pantry on that particular day. Roasted peanuts, dry red chillies, curry leaves are compulsory in it's preparation. Using ghee as the cooking medium for this dish gives the best flavour but I wished to keep it vegan!

INGREDIENTS :

Dalia :100gm
Roasted Peanuts :1tbsp
Mustard Seeds : 1/4 tsp
Bengal Gram Dal : 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal : 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Curry Leaves : 7-8
Chopped Carrot : 1/2 Small Tea Cup
Green Peas : 1tbsp
Roasted Peanut : 2 tsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp
Chopped Onion : 1tbsp
Oil : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

Take the required amount of dalia in a bowl. Wash the vegetables & curry leaves. Heat oil in wok, temper it with the Bengal gram dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves.

As they splutter, add the onion pieces, saute for 2 minutes.

As they turn translucent, add carrots, add salt as required. Saute for 3 minutes. Once they are half done, add green peas, sweet corn & peanuts. Stir cook for sometime!

Now add dalia. Keep stirring for about 5 minutes until they are roasted well and you get a nutty smell.

As the dalia turns light brown, it is time to add water. Add water little at a time, about 1/2 a coffee mug!

The entire process is to undergo at low heat. You can see the dalia boiled, grew bigger after 6-7 minutes. Adjust salt, stir, switch off the gas stove. Transfer dalia upma to a plate, serve, have garnishing with shredded coconut!