CHICKEN KOFTA CURRY

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

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

   A Sunday lunch with kofta curry, rice and salad is so indulging. Actually the balls can be made on Saturday evening, deep fried. While some can be saved for next day's gravy, the rest can be had with salads and your favourite wine to make Saturday evenings colourful. I however do not fry the kofta balls. I cook the mixture very well, prepare balls and then pour the cooked gravy on them. I allow them to soak in the gravy before having.

INGREDIENTS[for the 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 the 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 : 3-4 tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the minced chicken with help of a strainer. Transfer onto a bowl. Add salt, turmeric powder and corn flour. Mix well.

Wash and chop the tomatoes discarding the seeds. Peel and slice the onions. Make a paste of both onions and tomatoes separately. Get the ginger and garlic pastes done.

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

Open cover, add the chopped coriander and cornflour. Stir for another minute or so. Take down and let cool. Prepare balls and arrange them in a bowl.

Temper with a bay leaf and cumin seeds. Add the the onion paste. Fry till it turns light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell goes away. Add the tomato paste. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.

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

Pour the gravy over the kofta balls. You can use a tablespoon of cream at this stage, I did not.

RAW MANGO CHUTNEY

Chutneys are popular throughout South Asia . They are made with so many things, starting from  coconut, garlic, tomato to various fruits like papaya, grape, pomegranate, mango, dates, raisins and so on. In India, every state or every region has its own way of preparing chutneys. For us its eaten at the end of a full course meal before the dessert. Earlier it was compulsory to make chutneys  every day for lunch and dinner to complete a meal. A normal Bengali meal would start with a spinach preparation, pakoras and dal, a vegetable, a fish curry and to end up with a chutney. A kheer dessert for dinner may me. These days life got very fast. With more women venturing out, these elaborate meals are vanishing, at least on weekdays. All chutneys and pakoras and desserts are made on the 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 and placing it on your tongue and 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 very bad 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 still believe small kids at home demand mothers to be with them more than anything else, if of course situation permits. I do not understand finance much, but know it for sure a nanny, however efficient is can never be a substitute for a 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 offers cure but not prevention. Well there can always be arguments and counter arguments which is healthy.


    This fat, old lady is again off the track. I am taking too much liberty on exercising my right to freedom of speech. Well I had never being articulate. Better start with the most famous and common recipe of chutney in Bengal..... Sweet Green 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 : 2
Cumin Seeds :1 tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1 tsp
Oil[preferably Mustard] : 1 tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the mangoes very well. Peel and cut half. You may avoid peeling and keep the skin on if you wish. Discard the seed. Cut horizontally and then vertically. That means each half will fetch four pieces. Wash them again taking in a bowl. Add salt and turmeric and mix well. Keep aside for 20 minutes or so.

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

Heat oil in a wok. Temper with mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the marinated mango pieces. Stir and cover. Turn heat to low.

Give a stir every 2 minutes till the mango pieces are soft and about to melt. Add the sugar, stir and cover. As the sugar melts, add 1 small tea cup water. When the chutney turns into a creamy consistency without melting the pieces totally, its done.

Transfer onto a bowl and garnish with the 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

Sweets are something you never get bored of. There are so many varieties available, we need a lifetime to taste them all. With very less ingredients you can actually prepare yum laden 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 or so I am crazily in to sweets, homemade or otherwise. I think the story is same in most of the homes. Be it Durga Puja, Diwali or Eid, we have too much of it. Yes, I am facing all post festive effects of having too much sweets. Like me, many others, I bet. Does it stop us from loving it? No way, its in our genes to grab it and have it. Though its true....'A sweet a day, brings us closer to the doctor anyway'.

    As I believe, balance in life is very important. Why do we need to leave sweets altogether for a healthy life? We will have it but in moderation. Taste bud satisfied and 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 and we did not. That is a sort 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 and am trying to promote and establish the simple philosophy of living your life to your heart's content maintaining balance and drawing a line wherever  and whenever required. Well everybody knows it, I just jotted down. I prefer homemade sweets. They are easy to make using all 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 just see so little ingredients have been used to prepare this.

INGREDIENTS :
Milk : 2 lt.
Chocolate : 2[175gm bar]
Sugar : 2tbsp
Condensed Milk : 50 ml
Lemon Juice : 1/4 small cup
Ice Cubes : 1 coffee mug
Chopped Pistachios to garnish

PROCEDURE :
Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Switch on your gas and put the milk for boil. Get the juice of the lemon. Once the milk comes to boil, pour in the lemon juice. As soon as the milk starts curdling, switch of the gas and put in the ice cubes to avoid extreme curdling which may cause the paneer to get hard.

With help of a clean white cloth strain the water. Hang the cloth with paneer for about 1 hour. The water should go but the paneer should remain moist.Take out the paneer and place in a large bowl.

Now let us melt the chocolate. I do it in a very easy method. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put in a microwavable bowl. Add 2 tbsp water. Microwave at low speed for 5-6 minutes stirring every 30 seconds. You may continue till the chocolate melts. Mix well.

Mash the paneer for 10-15 minutes. Heat a wok, add the paneer. Stir at low heat for 8 minutes. Add the sugar and condensed milk. Keep stirring till the water almost dries up.

Add the chocolate. Stir well till it gets oily and sticky.  At this stage you can add chopped almonds if you wish to. Switch off gas.

Transfer the mixture into a round serving plate. Let cool a bit.

Now mash it for 3-4 minutes before shaping into sandesh.

Take out small portions and shape as you wish. We get about 18-20 medium sized sandesh from the amount mentioned.

 Serve while still little warm, it is enjoyed the best.... fresh.

POTOLER NIRAMISH DORMA [PANEER STUFFED POINTED GOURD]

Pointed Gourd.....as we call it in common English. 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 a stuffing of shrimps. 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 preferring them. I feel like may be I had too much of non-veg throughout my life and my tastebuds are seeking change. As I said I hated vegetables so much that my mom had to really sweat out 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 and I question myself, why did they pamper me so much? 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 off course the reason for my round shape and 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, so why cut off my tongue?? I am not so silly to cut of my tongue and do "mashima-pishima" roles. Every Thursday was a veggie day at home, and 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 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-veg version shall come up some other day. The inclusion of paneer as a stuffing in this particular recipe is also not common, I just felt like. So went ahead with it.

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
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches
Bay Leaf : 1
Green Cardamom : 3
Cloves : 2
Cinnamon : 1inch stick one
Oil : 4 tbsp
Sugar : 1tsp
Ghee [clarified butter] : 1tsp

METHOD :
Wash and cut the two ends of the potols. Peel the skins keeping little gaps. Now with the edge of a knife bring out the seeds of the potols. Be careful not to break them while doing so. This way you can see vacuums created inside them. Apply little salt and turmeric powder and keep aside covered.

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

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok. Temper with cumin seeds. Add the 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 till  most of the water dries up. Switch off. Your filling is ready. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Fry the pointed gourds in the same oil till they turn golden brown. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

Once the filling is cold, stuff the holes of the fried potols with the filling with help of the back of a teaspoon spoon.

Cut and deseed the tomato.Temper oil [at this stage we can add little more oil if required] with bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom, cumin seeds and cloves. As they release a nice aroma, add the ginger paste. As the raw smell goes, add the tomato pieces. Saute well. As the tomato pieces melt, add the cumin powder, chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder. Stir well till the oil separates from the gravy. Add 1 small tea cup water. Let the gravy boil for 4 minutes.

Add the  fried stuffed potols. Cook covered for another 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar and ghee. Stir and switch off. The gravy will be thick. To be served only with steamed rice!!

LUCHI O MUTTON

The platter is authentically and religiously Bengali. Authentically because we perhaps are the only Indian to prepare POORI with refined flour and call it LUCHI; a refined flour puffed bread. And its our religion to have it on a regular basis.The name itself is associated with so 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, then it is accompanied by "begun bhaja, aloor dom and jilipi". If it is 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 my God, my husband would have call 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, now a 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 prepare the dough first. Take the flour in a wide mouthed vessel. Add the salt and 2 tbsp oil. Mix well for two minutes. Add water little by little and keep rubbing until a soft n smooth dough is formed. Cover with a wet piece of cloth and keep aside.

The mutton has to be marinated and 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 and 2 tbsp mustard oil very well. If you are using tomato instead of yogurt, marinate the mutton with 3 tbsp vinegar or juice of 2 lemon. Tightly cover and refrigerate overnight. Take out 1 hour before cooking.

Heat oil in a pan.Temper with the bay leaf and put in the sliced onions. As they turn brown, add the ginger n garlic paste. Keep stirring till the raw smell goes. Add the  coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt. Stir well till the oil separates from the spices. Add the mutton with all the marination. Cook covered stirring every 3-4 minutes at low heat till all the water dries up. It will take about 1 hour.

Now pour in 1 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.

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

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

Heat oil in a well rounded 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 or  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 just another variation of dumplings. You can stuff it with anything from vegetables to all kinds of meats. It is a type of dumpling native to Tibet and 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 a specially made chilli sauce or a clear soup. My momo tastes good but I cannot get the thin wrap ever, apologies! Unless, we are having it in good restaurants, I prefer them homemade!

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

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

About the easier method of boiling the dumpling instead of steaming is what some islanders do; told Priyam 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
Soya Sauce : 2 tbsp
Salt : As per requirement
Black Pepper Powder : 1tsp

METHOD :

Wash the minced chicken. Add the minced garlic n ginger, chopped spring onion, coriander, salt, soya sauce and black pepper powder to it. Mix well all together and keep aside.

Take the flour in a big bowl. Add little salt and the oil. Mix well. Now add water little by little and keep on rubbing with your palm until it turns into a soft dough.

With help of rolling pin and a base roll out small round shaped puris. They have to be thin but I cannot get that. Put one spoon full of minced chicken filling in the middle. Fold & close the ends. Then fold again & close the ends!

Put a deep bottom vessel half filled with water on the oven. Cover and let the water come to boil. 

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

Please note, they taste best when done with minced pork. The fat released from the pork enhances its taste. But I do not allow pork & beef inside my home, a prejudice!

DALIA UPMA

Dalia is actually broken wheat which is made from whole raw wheat kernels crushed or cut into small pieces. There are a large number of uses for this food ingredient which makes a popular dietary supplement in many cultures. 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 in diet helps keep our heart fit. Dalia is used in so many ways in our food, its made into khichdi, upma, kheer, soups along with assorted vegetables. I sourced this information from the WIKI 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, today. I prepare it more often as it is a good source of iron, magnesium and phosphorous, WIKI says. It is said to be more nutritious than rice as it contains more fibre, vitamins and minerals. Besides, whenever this lady gets lazy and 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 and 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 & the curry leaves. Heat the oil in a wok, temper it with the Bengal gram dal, urad dal, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

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

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

Now add the dalia. Keep on 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 by little, about 1/2 a coffee mug!

The whole process is to undergo at low heat. You can see the dalia boiled and grown slight big after 6-7 minutes. Adjust the salt, stir n switch off. Transfer it to a plate, serve & have garnished with some shredded coconut!