DRY SPICED POTATO WITH MASALA POORI

Different kinds of breads accompanied by a vegetarian or non vegetarian dish is a hot favourite in our home. My men love breads over rice, even if I serve it in all of the three meals. Even the brother is like that! They would love rice only in fried form and pulao. If it is rice, a curry with their preferred fish & meat works! 

Usually I prepare different kinds of Indian breads for them! What I cannot manage; we enjoy at the restaurants. Actually, I have never tried anything other than the common Bengali breads at home. I am yet to try naan at home, may be soon. My men do not love much of gravy in their curries, so I have to think of the dry ones.

MASALA POORI IS SOMETHING WE CAN HAVE WITH ACHAR, SAUCES & TEA / COFFEE! OKAY THE DRY SPICED POTATO WAS GOOD TOO!

This combo meal of Dry Spiced Potato With Masala Poori suits best as a breakfast but it is welcome at any meal in my home. This was served hot for dinner a couple of days back accompanied by a non vegetarian dish. The dough for the masala poori was prepared with coarsely ground dry roasted spices. The dry spiced potato has been prepared with dried spice powders this time instead of pastes. Let us do this combo meal together.

INGREDIENTS : [for the masala poori]

Whole Wheat Flour : 11/2 coffee cup
Cumin Seed : 1tsp
Coriander Seed : 1tsp
Black Peppercorn : 1/2tsp

Dry Red Chilli : 2
Carom Seed : 1/2tsp
Salt : 1/4tsp
Water : As Required
Oil : 100 ml + 1tbsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the dry spiced potato]

Baby Potato : 250gm[half boiled]
Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Fennel Powder : 1/2tsp
Ginger Powder : 1/4tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 2pinch
Raisin : 6-7[optional]
Cashew : 5-6 halved[optional]
Sugar : 1/2tsp[optional]
Oil : 3 tbsp

METHOD :

Let us do the dry spiced potato first. 

Wash and boil the potatoes in enough water adding little water till half done. Let cool. Peel off the skin with finger tips.

Add little salt n turmeric to the potatoes. Heat oil in a wok and lightly fry. Keep aside on a tissue paper.

Temper oil with cumin seeds. Add the chopped onions. Fry till brown. Add the cashew nuts and raisins. Fry for 1/2 a minute.

Add the fried potatoes and all the powdered masalas and fold in well. Add a small cup of water. Let boil at low heat till the water dries up.

Its done. Transfer to a bowl.

Let us prepare the masala pooris. 

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chillies, carom seeds and the black peppercorns. Coarsely grind them.

Take the flour in a big bowl. Add salt and 1tbsp of oil. Rub with hand for a minute or two.

Add the ground spices and mix well. Add water little by little and keep kneading till a smooth yet firm dough is formed. Cover with a moist cloth for 1/2 an hour.

Remove the cover. Make small balls and roll out small roundels from each.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry each poori well; both sides.

MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY WITH KHOYA

I was planning for a new kind of vegetarian curry to go with luchi / poori. It was last Sunday, early morning our friends went off. I was sitting in the couch with a heavy heart, thinking when do we meet again. Yet I had to shrug off my lethargy and think of a yummy curry for breakfast because we were about to welcome one more guest. She is a sister like and we are meeting up after a couple of years. She is a spice lover just like me.... so I had to think of a spicy, red curry. I was not in the mood to spend much time in the kitchen yet wished to serve our guest something she would enjoy having. Ever since I have learnt to prepare khoya [solidified milk] at home following a you tube video, I use it in my cooking often, specially while preparing sweets. I do not have to run to the Indian store for khoya. This mixed vegetable curry was done with all Indian spices and the khoya was added towards the end. It turned out to be  rich and spicy. I came through a number of recipes of mixed vegetable curries using khoya and landed into my version of it. Let us do this easy yet yum Mixed Vegetable Curry with Khoya together.

INGREDIENTS : [for the kyoya]

Milk Powder : 1small cup
Whole Milk : 1/2small cup
Ghee[clarified butter] : 1/4small cup

INGREDIENTS : [for the curry]

Potato : 1big [peeled, halved and cut lengthwise]
Carrot : 2medium [peeled and cut lengthwise]
Green Capsicum : 1medium [cubed]
Green Pea : A Handful
Onion : 1medium [cubed]
Sweet Corn : A Handful
Tomato : 1 [medium, chopped]
Green Cardamom : 2
Cinnamon : 1two inch stick
Clove : 2-3
Bay leaf : 1
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp
Khoya : As much we get from the above measurement
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2-3tbsp

METHOD :

Peel, wash and cut the veggies as mentioned above and keep separately as they will be added at the different stages of curry making. Apply little salt to them.

Add all the ingredients for khoya and microwave for 3 minutes stirring at an interval of 30 seconds. Khoya is ready.

Heat the oil in a wok and lightly fry the carrots, take off. Temper the oil with green cardamoms, cloves, bayleaf  and cinnamon sticks.

Add the ginger paste and fry for a minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes. Add the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Stir for 1/2 a minute.

Add the potato pieces, stir and cover cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the fried carrot pieces and fold in well. Add a big cup of water. Cover cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Remove the cover and add the cubed capsicum and onions, corns & green peas. Fold in well and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the khoya and garam masala powder. Fold in well. Let cook for a minute.

Switch off the gas stove and transfer to a bowl. Serve hot with handmade breads.

ALOO CHAAT / POTATO SALAD

The mention of chaat brings water to my mouth. As mentioned a number of times, my food habits have undergone a change. Chaat was never in my favourite list of food earlier. I preferred rolls, fried stuffs, meats over anything. Be it my age or the unavailability of the things I loved in the place I live, my food preference has changed. Yet, I do enjoy what I eat, if not I cannot even have a spoon of it. The doctor prescribed me to have a lot of salad. A foodie like me cannot have it all the time. Hence, I keep looking for alternatives, which will be nutritious and tasty at the same time. Potato.... though full of carb can be had by those who are prescribed to have a low carb diet. My doctor asked me to boil the potato and discard the water before having it. Even if we are using it in curries, we need to do the same for health reasons. Aloo Chaat or Potato Salad is something I find filling and tasty at the same time. Aloo Chaat is an Indian Potato Salad wherein we boil the potatoes, add few other things to it and toss it with few spices. Let us prepare this quick and easy Aloo Chaat / Potato Salad together. Bengali "aloo kabli" with a little difference is just out of the world, we would make a separate post about it.

INGREDIENTS :

 Potato : 2

Onion : 1 

Cucumber : 1 small sized
Black Gram : 1/4small cup
Sweet Corn : 2tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 3-4 pinches
Green Chilli : 1
Chilli Flakes : 1tsp
Salt : As required
Coriander Leaves : 1sprig [I did not use]
Lemon Juice : 2-3 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash and soak the Bengal Grams for 2 hrs in hot water and boil in enough water adding salt. Once cool, drain the water. Also boil the sweet corns for few minutes.

Peel, wash and cut the potatoes half. Boil them in enough water adding salt as required. Cut into small cubes.

Peel, chop the onion and green chilli, wash. Discard the two ends, chop and wash the cucumber.

Take the potatoes, Bengal gram, sweet corn, chopped cucumber, onion and green chillies in a bowl. Add the salt, chilli flakes, mix together well.

Add the  lemon juice and mix again.

Garnish with coriander leaves if you may.

CHOLE PANEER

Choley Paneer.... if you are on a low carbohydrate diet, a bowl of this is just perfect for you. Ever since I was caught with diabetes and started on a restricted diet, I look for a bowl full of fulfilling meals that would not easily add to my existing amount of body fat. As a Bengali, my love for rice and luchi / porota / luchi is perhaps by default, hence a restriction on them always leaves me in a "hungry kya?" state. I try to cook for myself something that fills my big tummy and is nutritious too. This choley / garbanzo beans / chick peas are a good source of protein and keep us off those hunger pangs for a long time. 

Though until few years back dried yellow / green peas / matar were more common in a Bengali home than chick peas / garbanzo beans / kabuli chana, it is now common among us. Tagore's Kabuliwala had been more famous to us than kabuli chana. Tears still roll down thinking of the classic piece or the movie seen a number of times. Chobi Biswas was / is unbeatable in that role.

I was thinking of preparing a curry with my two favourite things.... chickpeas and paneer. Hence, I made a hearty curry with chickpea and Indian Cottage Cheese, which we call Choley Paneer. There must be a number of recipes on this but I did it my own way. You can make your own paneer at home but I used the store bought one this time. We usually have it with Indian breads, I had a bowl full of just like that. Let us do this Choley Paneer together.

INGREDIENTS :

Chick Pea : 250gm
Paneer : 100gm
Tomato : 1big [chopped]
Onion : 1big [sliced]
Garlic Paste : 1 tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 2tsp

Dry Mango Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 2pinches
Bayleaf : 1
Coriander Leaves : 2 tbsp [chopped]
Green Chilli : 2-3 [slitted]

Lemon Juice : 1 tbsp
Oil : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash and soak the chick peas in hot water for 5-6 hours. Pressure cook up to 2-3 whistles adding a little od salt. Let cool.

Marinate the paneer cubes with a little of salt.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with the cumin seeds, bayleaf. 

Add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown. Add the garlic & ginger paste and fry for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir fry until they melt.

Add the coriander, cumin, chilli and turmeric powders, slitted green chillies and stir well. Add the boiled chick peas and fold in well.

Add a big cup of water and cover cook at low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove the cover, add the paneer, fold in well.

Add the garam masala powder, dry mango powder and the chopped coriander leaves. Fold in well and let cook for a minute.

It is done. Transfer to a serving bowl, add the lemon juice & give a stir.

Serve with breads or have it just like that.

MACH PULAO / FISH PULAO

Fish is an absolute love for us Bengalis but Fish Pulao is not that much of an authentic Bengali dish. This is a modification I would rather say. Pulao in a Bengali home, in our family always meant sweet pulao. A plate full of pulao, a green chilli and a fish dry curry or dum aloo.... a combination much loved among us. We have visiting friends from India right now, I am unable to concentrate on writing recipes, more so because they are getting angry with me being engaged in all these activities. I thought today is the beginning of weekend, let me share something that can be done over the weekend. I prepared this Mach Pulao / Fish Pulao for our friends the day before yesterday. I had some Bengal Carp / Rohu / Rui mach / fish steaks in the refrigerator with which I made this pulao and served with yogurt and salad. They loved it and I was happy. Let us do this fish pulao or Mach Pulao together.

INGREDIENTS :[for cooking the fish]

Fish Steak : 3-4
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Plain Yogurt : 2-3 tbsp

Ginger Paste : 1 tsp

Onion Paste : 2 tbsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3-4 tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the pulao]

The Prepared Fish pieces
Small Grained Fragrant Rice : 1 standard cup
Cashew Nuts : 8-10[halved]
Raisin : 10-12
Salt : As Required
Bayleaf : 2-3
Cinnamon Stick : 2-3 two inch
Green Cardamom : 4-5
Clove : 2-3

Star Anise : 1-2
Oil : 1 tbsp
Ghee : 3-4 tbsp [clarified butter]

METHOD :

Wash the rice 3-4 times and spread it on a big plate or newspaper.

Wash the fish steaks.  Marinate them for 10-12 minutes with salt & turmeric.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the fish steaks. Take out. Add the onion & ginger paste, fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cumin powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, turmeric, plain yogurt  and fold in well.

Add a cup of water and bring to boil. Add the fried fish pieces, cook in low flame until the gravy thickens, take down.

Take the dried rice grains in a bowl, mix together with 2-3 pinches of turmeric, salt, sugar, 1 tbsp of ghee.

In a clean wok, heat oil and ghee together. Temper with green cardamom, cinnamon, clove and bay leaves.

Add the raisins and cashew nuts, stir and take out.

Add the  rice mix, fry for sometime. Add water double the amount of rice, stir and cover cook at low heat until most of the water has dried.

Add the thickened fish curry, the fried cashew nuts and raisins. Do not stir. Cover cook at minimal heat for  3-4 minutes and switch off the gas stove. Remove the cover only after 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy your fish pulao hot.

MUSHROOM N SOYA KHEEMA CURRY

Just back from a refreshing weekend tour, everything seems more of beautiful. Back to the routine again with the son going to the school, hubby to the office, me at home talking with no one listening as usual. I am happy to be in the known ambience again. I am too much of a typically homelyBengali, how much of a grand place we stay in while travelling or eat at the best places, once back home I have to have typical Bengali meals. We have visiting friends from India right now. After spending a lovely weekend at Melaka, we had a fulfilling meal with rice, dal, egg curry and salad yesterday night. Today too I will be cooking a Bengali meal. I am happy to be back to the grind again. 

This was a vegetarian dish I prepared a couple of weeks back with  soy granules and button mushroom. I named it Mushroom n Soya Kheema Curry which was made as a vegetarian side dish. This type of curries I prepare on days when my pantry runs out of vegetables or when I wish to prepare a quick meal without much hassles. The true Bong in me has finally adapted to the taste of mushrooms, more so considering it's benefits. 

Back home, people may doubt my Bangaliana. To counter that, I say if I do not get what I love, I have to look for alternatives. Trust me, this vegetarian curry with mushroom and mince soy tasted yum and goes well with our very own Indian / South Asian breads. We had it with parathas. Let us prepare this MUSHROOM N SOYA KHEEMA CURRY together.

INGREDIENTS :

Button Mushroom : 250gm
Soya Granules : 150gm
Tomato : 1medium[chopped]
Onion : 1big[sliced]
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder : 1tsp[just for colour]
Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 2pinches
Bayleaf : 1
Oil : 2tbsp

METHOD :

Wash and cut half each mushroom and rub a little of salt on them. Wash again and soak the soya granules in hot water adding little salt for half an hour. Take out and squeeze the water.

Heat the oil in a wok and temper with the cumin seeds and bayleaf. Add the onion and saute till light brown.

Add the ginger paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute till it melts. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, both chilli powders, salt and turmeric. Fry for a minute.

Add the soy granules. Stir well for a minute and add a big cup of water. Let boil for 3-4 minutes at low heat.

Add the mushrooms discarding the soaked water. Stir and let boil for 2-3 minutes at low heat.

Add the garam masala powder, stir and switch off. Transfer to a bowl.

Serve with any kind of Indian bread.

PANGAS / BASA MAACH ER ALOO TOMATO JHOL

It's been long I did not post a fish curry recipe, a Bengali's identity. I do cook fish curries here, do not get the satisfaction. We do not get here fresh or regular the type of fish we grew up eating. I am unable to prepare here the variety of curries associated with them. It is the summer time now, back home the markets would be flooded with roe filled fresh water fish whose curry I immensely love. The thought of them makes me salivate. 

This summer, we perhaps are not going home, so will not be able to have 'dim bhora macher jhol', that is egg filled [roe] fish curry. Here too we get a variety of fish, fish roe, just that I still could not adapt myself to the taste. It is perhaps a mental block. I try to prepare authentic fish curries with the limited ones we get here, a Bengali cannot go without fish for long. Macher Aloo Tomato Jhol or a Fish Curry with Potato and 

Tomato is a regular kind of fish curry among us which we do with "rui, katla, aar, boyal" varieties; Bengal Carp or Long Whiskered Cat Fish. We get fresh Pangasius / Basa here and did this curry with it. To me it tastes near to "aar ba bowl maach", and is fleshy, with minimal amount of bones. Back home, at times mom omitted the tomato and used pointed gourd or ridge gourd instead. Fish curry with vegetables is common among us. This fish curry with potato and tomato is done with the normal spices we use with a tempering of either cumin seeds or the fenugreek seeds; I used both. Let us do this PANGAS / BASA  MAACHER ALOO TOMATO JHOL together.

INGREDIENTS :

Fish : 6-8 fresh pangasius / basa steaks / pangas maach
Tomato : 1medium
Potato : 1big
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Cumin Seed : 2pinch
Fenugreek Seed : 2pinch
Salt : As Required
Oil : 4-5tbsp[authentically mustard]

METHOD :

Wash the fish steaks thoroughly and rub with some salt and turmeric. Keep aside for 15 minutes.

Peel the potato and cut into lengthwise pieces, apply a little of salt and turmeric.

Wash & cube the tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a wok and lightly fry the potatoes. Take out and keep in a bowl.

Fry the fish pieces till light brown on both sides. Take out and keep aside.

Temper the oil with cumin & fenugreek seeds.

Add the ginger paste and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt. Stir for a minute, add 2 coffee mugs of water.

As the gravy comes to a boil, add the potatoes. Let cook at low heat for 2 minutes.

Add the fish & tomato pieces carefully. Let cook for 3-4 minutes.

It is enjoyed with steamed rice only.

LEMONY PANEER CURRY

Having lemon as an accompaniment with the two major meals had been an integral part of the Bengali culture. Whether it was / is lentil curry or fish curry, squeezing some lemon juice atop and eating it with rice was / is heavenly. I remember the days I used to spend with my grandparents during the vacations. Getting to eat what our grand mom cooked, sitting on her lap and listening to the stories of her motherland, they had to leave behind was a pleasure. Here too the grandfather grew a lot of trees. Besides other trees, there were lemon trees and in the evenings, the flowers of it released a beautiful and refreshing fragrance. 

I remember, during the summers, the grandma while cooking lentil curry would ask me to get some lemon leaves from the garden. She would add them to the boiling dal just two to three minutes before it was done. The flavour of it helped sooth our summer meals. This summer I am using them in my cooking too. Besides, whenever I am out of my home, I carry lemon leaves with me, its  smell helps if you have nausea/motion sickness.

Paneer Curry is a regular affair in our home as a vegetarian sides. We need to bring in a little variety in them. Not equipped with much of innovative ideas, I draw inspiration from around, past and present. This Lemony Paneer was an idea drawn from our grand mom's  use of lemon / lime leaves in dishes during the summers. Done with regular spices used in a Bengali household, the twist was only in using a bit of lemon juice and lemon / lime leaves. During the summers, when we feel like not having curries, this really helps. Let us do the Lemony Paneer Curry together.

INGREDIENTS :

Paneer : 250gm
Tomato : 1small
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Lemon/Lime Leaves : 2-3
Cumin Seed : 1pinch
Bayleaf : 1
Sugar : 1/2tsp[optional]
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Apply little salt to the paneer pieces and keep aside for 15 minute.

Wash and chop the tomatoes. Keep everything else ready on the cooking table. Wash the lemon leaves.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with the cumin seeds and bayleaf.

Add the ginger paste. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and keep stirring till it melts.

 Add the salt, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and stir for a minute.

Add one big cup of water and let boil for 3-4 minutes at low heat. Add the sugar and lemon juice, stir.

Add the paneer pieces and cook further for 2 minutes. Add the lemon / lime leaves and cook for a minute.

Serve hot with rice or handmade  bread.

ROSE KULFI

"Easy to make and good to eat"..... I am more into this kind of food / cooking these days. The hot weather does not allow us to be in the kitchen for a longer period. The senior at home is eating much less than usual, I am wondering who do I cook for. There is a major disparity in my cooking preferences and their eating preferences. What I love to cook, they do not prefer to eat. I love to eat and cook typical Bengali dishes, while they do not. I do cook what my son and the man love to eat but do not always blog about them, there are better people around who are doing it. I have made my cooking simpler these days... to two to three dishes per day as both my senior and junior prefers it that way. Besides, I need to prepare 'tukitaki' which means snackers for my junior who loves to have them from time to time.

Besides other stuffs, my teen boy loves coolers... ice cream, kulfi, iced teas. I try my hands on homemade kulfi and ice creams these days often. They take less time to prepare, hassle free to make and most important is my men love to have them. This is a Rose flavoured kulfi. This Rose Kulfi is made with few things always available at home, only the concentrated rose syrup is store bought. 

My friends say an authentic kulfi needs to be done with a combination evaporated milk, condensed milk and milk, I do not always use them or have them at home. I rather boil the milk to a thicker consistency. I used few dried rose petals for a natural rose flavour and few chopped mint leaves which is optional. Actually, I am growing mint at home and is recently loving to add it to my cooking. Rose comes to my home as a part of offerings to God, we can always save a few and dry them naturally. Let us prepare the Rose Kulfi together and make our kids happy.

INGREDIENTS :

Full Cream Milk : 1litre
Sugar : 3 tbsp
Rose Syrup [concentrated] : 4 tbsp [or as per your requirement]
Cashew Nut : 5-6
Raisin : 4-5
Dried Rose Petals : 6-8
Mint Leaves : 4 [finely chopped, can be skipped]
Green Cardamom Powder : 4-5 pinches [optional]

METHOD :

Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and put for boil. Boil until it reduces to more then half stirring every 3-4 minutes.

Add the sugar and boil further for 3-4 minutes. Add the green cardamom powder and stir.

Switch off the gas and let cool. Soak the cashew nuts, raisins and dried rose petals in a little of warm milk for 15 minutes and grind them to a paste.

When the milk gets cold, add the rose syrup, chopped mint leaves and the nut paste to it. Stir well.

Pour the mixture onto the moulds. Freeze for 6-8 hours before serving.

EGG CURRY....... A COASTAL INDIAN TOUCH

I was exploring through Google for a spicy egg curry recipe, this time some coastal Indian curries caught my fancy. Not necessarily they were egg curries, I came through some really hot and spicy fish, meat and even paneer curries. I loved so much the blend of spices. I instantly knew, it would be aromatic. My men, specially my senior cannot take too much of hot and spicy things. So I had to tone down a bit the spice factors. It would neither be bland as our Indian taste buds are not suited to it, in general. I could not attach the name of a specific place /  to this curry because I did not have in hand all the spices required. Hence, I prepared a spice paste with some basic ingredients used in the coastal regions of India. The name..... Egg Curry.... A Coastal Indian Touch suit's right? I was extremely satisfied with the result, the egg curry was aromatic, spicy as much you want it to be, a little tangy with the use of tamarind. Let us prepare together An Egg Curry with a Coastal Indian Touch to enjoy with rice or bread.

INGREDIENTS : [for the spice mix]

Onion : 1small [chopped]
Egg : 6 [hard boiled]
Shredded Coconut : 2tbsp
Desiccated Coconut : 1tsp
Coriander Seed : 1/2tsp
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2-3
Black Pepper Corn : 6-8
Cinnamon Stick : 1one inch length
Green Cardamom : 2
Cloves : 2-3
Star Anise : 1/2 of one
Oil : 1tsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the curry]

Onion : 1medium sized [sliced]
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Coconut Milk : 1/4 cup
Tamarind : 1tsp soaked in water
Curry Leaf : 5-6
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Heat 1tsp oil in a wok. Add the shredded and desiccated coconut and toast until light brown. Add the rest of the ingredients mentioned for the spice mix. Stir for 2 minutes at low heat. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Add to the blender and blend nicely. Transfer to a bowl.

Remove the shell of the boiled eggs, make slits on the body  and rub with a little of salt.

Heat 3tbsp oil in a wok. Add the curry leaves, stir and take out. Add the sliced onion and fry until brown. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric powder and salt, stir.

Now add the spice mix, fold in well and stir for 3-4 minutes. We get a nice aroma. Add a small cup of water.

As the curry comes to a boil, add the boiled eggs. Let cook for 3-4 minutes covered at low heat.

Remove the cover, add the coconut milk, strained tamarind water, fried curry leaves. Stir well and let cook for 2 more minutes. It is done.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with either rice or bread.

EGGLESS YOGURT CAKE

An Eggless Yogurt Cake.... dedicated to HER.... she is beautiful, poised, innocent yet diligent, soft natured but firm on her decisions, fiercely independent,,, economically and otherwise ..... she is the woman  of the 21st century. This couple were okay with the idea of having a daughter, instead we were gifted with a prince of the Monkey Kingdom. Had I have a girl child, I definitely would have loved to see her as this.... an economically independent, confident human being with values. I am not that much of a feminist. I have seen, experienced that women get wild to  women more instead of being a support . 

Each one of us needs to be a humanist first, it is how we behave with others that makes us what we are. I have been violated, mentally and physically from both the genders. What is required is to handle it firmly without being abusive in return, that we fail to learn. For that proper personality development is required. Hence sincerely wish this generation kids  be able to handle any kind of abuse firmly. I do not understand why we have to be abusive when being decent does not cost a penny.

I like preparing eggless cakes considering many in our country are vegetarian. This time I had a lot of yogurt in the refrigerator. I planned for an Eggless Yogurt Cake. Since I am a learner baker since my teens, I do explore through Google for the right measurements. You can always prepare a topping of your own., nicely decorate your cake. However, in this home, we enjoy frill-free cake, I am myself a simple self. The son and I do enjoy certain variety of cream cakes, those I get from the local bakeries. Come let us prepare together an easy to make Eggless Yogurt Cake.

                      

INGREDIENTS :

Refined Flour : 1 coffee mug
Sugar : 1/2 small tea cup
Plain Yogurt : 1 small tea cup

Warm Milk : 1/2 small tea cup
Baking Soda : 1/4 tsp
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Oil : 1/2 small tea cup
Cinnamon Powder : 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg Powder : 1/2 tsp

METHOD :

I preheated my convection mode microwave oven to 160*C [That is my machine's setting, you can set it at 180*C].

Take the refined flour, cinnamon & nutmeg powders, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and mix thoroughly with no lumps remaining. You can pass them through a strainer.

In another bowl, take the yogurt and beat well. Add the sugar, beat further till the sugar melts. Add the oil and beat till everything are incorporated well.

Add the flour mix little by little and mix well. Beat the entire thing and pour into a cake tin. I used greased aluminium foil this time. 

As per the rules of a convection mode microwave oven, I had placed the low height wired tool inside the oven, then kept the cake tin with batter atop it.

I have baked it at 160*C for 35 minutes. 

Once done, enjoy it warm with tea / coffee, serve your kids with their favourite warm or chilled flavoured beverages.