STRAWBERRY HALWA

The story behind the making of this Strawberry Halwa goes as this..... we had a visiting guest a couple of weeks back who got us a big bag full of fruits completely forgetting that we are a family of three or say four. My men are not that much of a fruit lover. To be precise, they love few specific kinds of fruits like mango, grapes, apple, pear. Our guest who is like a brother and his darling wife got us a box full of strawberries. For two days the box rested in the refrigerator and the Uncle Podger in me totally forgot about it. 

I usually offer any fruit brought home to my God Family before consuming it. On the third day when I took out the box, I found that few of the strawberries already has spoiled. Strawberries even after refrigerating spoil quickly. I was sad because I do not like wastage and strawberries are a quite an expensive thing. I was wondering what can I do quickly with the rest of them.

The senior of my men still loves to have strawberry with cream but the junior will not have a bite of anything sour. I do have them at times with a bowl of yogurt. To be frank, our taste buds are not adapted to having strawberry as a fruit. It is not commonly found at the place of our origin. With the rest of the strawberries I wished to prepare something that every member in the family can enjoy, also close family friends were to come that day. The idea of Strawberry Halwa popped up because I have seen a couple of such recipes with it and other fruits too. I landed up at this no fancy, simple, homemade Strawberry Halwa. Let us prepare this Strawberry Halwa..... a sweet made of strawberry paste, sugar and semolina together.

INGREDIENTS :

Semolina : 50 gm
Strawberry : 10-12
Sugar : 1 small tea cup
Green Cardamom : 2-3
Bayleaf : 1
Oil : 4tbsp [Alternatively you can use Ghee]
Your choice of roasted dry fruits to garnish [Optional]

METHOD :

Wash and chop the strawberries, break and mash roughly with your right palm. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Slightly tear open the green cardamoms and add to the wok along with the bayleaf.

Add the semolina, keep on stirring for 5-8 minutes. When you will see the semolina turning light brown and nicely roasted, transfer it to a bowl.

Clean the wok and put on the gas oven. Add the strawberry paste and stir for a minute. Add the sugar and 2 big coffee mugs of water. Stir well.

When the mixture comes to a boil, add the roasted semolina. Fold in well.

Let it cook for 3-4 minutes at low heat. If required add a little more of water. Mix well and stir cook for 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the halwa to a serving bowl. Garnish with your choice of roasted & chopped dry fruits.

DAHI PANEER

On a busy or lazy weekday night if we are not in a mood to go into an elaborate process of preparing a vegetarian dish; washing, cutting and again wash, saute for quite sometime to bring the right taste.... what comes to our rescue? In our family it is Paneer. A simple curry with paneer accompanied by a meat curry and dal is immensely enjoyed with roti / paratha by my men. My senior is not so much of a paneer lover but he would have it if there is a bowl of meat curry. So, often I keep aside my knife and chopping board... prepare a paneer curry absolutely relaxed with my headphones on.... and get a priceless reward.... of illuminated faces....This paneer dish is made in a yogurt based curry using minimal spices. What I liked about the Dahi Paneer / Yogurt Paneer curry is i'ts creamy texture for using cashew nut paste and its tangy sweet taste. Be with piping hot rice or Indian breads, it tastes good. Let us prepare this Dahi Paneer or Yogurt Paneer together.

INGREDIENTS :

Paneer Cubes : 200-300 gm
Ginger Paste : 1tsp

Garlic Paste : 1 tsp
Plain Yogurt : 100-150 gm

Gram Flour : 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon Stick : 1 small sized stick

Green Cardamom : 2-3

Clove : 3-4
Bayleaf : 1
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 tsp
Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1 tsp [optional]
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Apply little salt to the paneer cubes and mix well. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Mix together the ginger & garlic pastes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt.

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

Add the paste mix and stir cook for 2 minutes.

Beat together the gram flour, sugar , plain yogurt & add to the wok. Keep stirring till the oil separates from the spice mix.

 Add a cup of water. Stir, bring it to a boil and let it boil for 3-4 minutes.

Add the paneer cubes. Let boil at low heat for 2 -3 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

SEABASS / BARRAMUNDI / BHETKI DRY CURRY

This  fish loving Bengali has not blogged about a fish dish for quite sometime. As told before, we do not always get the fish varieties we grew up eating at this place. To be precise, we do get them all at all time, but frozen. Hence, I do not find any reason to compromise on taste or health. This is a place where a variety of sea fish are available, fresh. Even after few years of stay, I failed to adapt to their taste. To change with time, place, environment is a necessity and I am poor at that. Perhaps, I am unfit for the world itself. The ability of acceptance is a quality if one has it, I have no regrets either for not having that much. 

Certain fish varieties Bengal eats are available here fresh, like this Sea-bass, Grey Mullet, Rawas / Gurjali. Unfortunately, my family never ate these varieties, hence I do not enjoy. My in-law's side used to eat royally even in their limited capacity. Here we get fresh Bengal Carp too but the variety & taste is not similar to that of West Bengal's. Even West Bengal imports it's daily supply of the Rui-Katla from Andhra Pradesh. I still remember the real taste of the Bengal Carp varieties from my childhood. Neither can I go and stay in India's Bengali neighbour to have my choice of food, I have a fascination for the first world countries.

In our childhood, we lived in a locality which had one of the biggest fish and vegetable market. I remember the mother at times prepared fish curry with the freshest fresh water varieties using minimal spices and oil. They tasted heavenly. I so much miss those. Seabass / Barramundi / Bhetki is what we get back home too, I am not too fond of it. Though a dear friend says Seabass and Bhetki belong to the same family but are not the same. Since we get them quite fresh here, I often buy and cook them in different ways. The recipe of Seabass I am going to share today is a no fancy one, yet it is an aromatic and tasty fish curry. Let us prepare this Seabass / Barramundi / Bhetki Dry Curry together. We can use smaller sized sea bass too or steaks from bigger sized.

INGREDIENTS :

Sea Bass : 6-8 pieces
Onion Paste : 2tbsp
Ginger Paste : 2 tsp
Garlic Paste : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Nigella Seed [kalonji] : 1/4tsp [alternatively cumin seed]
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Salt : As required
Coriander Leaves : 1tbsp chopped to garnish [optional]
Oil : 4-5 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash the fish pieces thoroughly, marinate with the lemon juice. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour.

Now through away the marinade. Apply little salt and turmeric to the fish pieces and rub well. Keep aside for 15 minutes before frying.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the fish pieces in batches till light brown on both sides. Transfer on to tissue papers to get rid of any excess oil.

Temper the same oil with nigella seeds. Add the onion and garlic pastes and fry till brown. Add the ginger paste and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the salt, remaining turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder. Stir well for 1/2 a minute.

Add a medium cup of water to the wok and stir. As the gravy comes to a boil, add the fried fish pieces.

Let cook for 3-4 minutes. Switch off the gas as the gravy thickens.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy with piping hot steamed rice!

JALAPENO N CABBAGE PARATHA

Homemade Indian breads are a hot favourite at my home. Any day my men would prefer breads over plain steamed rice. Our family hails from the eastern part of undivided Bengal. May be so I have a natural inclination towards rice, I used to have rice thrice a day, while going to the school, back from the school and for dinner. Indian breads like paratha and poori were meant  for our lunch boxes and for an elaborate weekend breakfast. My extreme love for carbohydrates culminated into my body. Mine had been a sports loving family except me! Our daddy was too concerned and worried about it, he got a yoga instructor for me, would never let me stay on bed beyond 5.30 am, took me out for cycling. I could not learn cycling, he got sick running holding the cycle! 

I never took physical fitness / health seriously. Today I can feel how important it is to keep fit for the good of our self and for the family. Less of carb and more of protein and veggie works wonder. I am still far from my target because the foodie in me can never sacrifice her cravings for tasty food. If I make parathas, I will make a small one for myself. Same with poori, rice varieties, sweet..... I do not or cannot deprive myself from the simple joys of life. For a foodie, good food is a religion.

My men are by no means salad kind of a person, end of the day they love their share of bread, meat, pizza, burger. Hence, I need to act accordingly. I prepare paratha or poori with or without a stuffing. At times, in a hurry I would make a dough with all the stuffing mix, roll into parathas and fry them. My men love them with a meat curry, I would serve myself with a bowl of raita or dip. On the stipulated day, I had some jalapeño and cabbage in the pantry, an idea of preparing some Jalapeño and Cabbage Paratha popped up. Let us prepare this easy to make, no stuffing Jalapeño and Cabbage Paratha together. We had it with an egg-soy bean-potato curry last night.

INGREDIENTS :

Whole Wheat Flour : 1 coffee mug
Refined Flour : 1 1/2 coffee mug
Cabbage [shredded] : A medium sized bowlful
Jalapeno Pepper [chopped] : A small bowlful
Onion [sliced] : 2 tbsp
Salt : 1/4tsp
Oil : 1 tbsp +A little to brush both sides of each flatbread

METHOD :

Take the two flours in a wide mouthed big bowl, add salt and one tbsp oil to it. Mix well.

Mince the red & green jalapeño, cabbage, add to the flours. Also add 1 tbsp of oil to the bowl, mix & rub well, keep aside for 15-20 minutes!

Do not add water to prepare the dough! Water would release from the vegetables. After 15-20 minutes; knead to a dough.

Divide the dough into same sized balls! Dust each ball with enough flour! Roll into round size parathas. 

In my case, the dough got a bit sticky and I needed a round shaped cap to get them round.

Heat a griddle / tawa! Roast each side properly, then brush each side with oil. Cook well & take out on a plate!

Serve fresh and hot with your choice of curry, dip, chutney or sauce.

CHANA DAL VADA / CHOLAR DALER BORA / LENTIL FRITTERS

Any kind of fries / fritters / pakoras are a favourite at  this home as an evening snacks or with a lentil curry and rice. Both ways it rocks. If I fry pakoras everyday, they would have it, particularly the son. Considering the health factor, I prepare them at a gap of say 10-15 days. Pakoras or fries at home are a must when guests visit. I love treating my guests with nice platters of starters..... both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. We love getting cosy with our guests over wine and food. 

Last week, we had some guests for whom I made Sami kebabs, which I blogged about earlier, I saw my senior having quite a couple of them which is unlikely of him. He even skipped his dinner. I got the message, I will do it more often. If I serve him a lentil Sami kebab, he gets upset; this is not the case if I serve him veg pakoras!

These Chana Dal Vada / Cholar Daler Bora were prepared a couple of days back for a visiting friend. I remember mom used to prepare vada or pakora with dal / lentil varieties. Later, I watched the man's eldest maternal aunt frying pakoras / vada which had been too tasty. Too simple were the ingredients. I too love doing the same. 

I have added some shredded coconut to the dal mix, I have always felt chana dal / Bengal Gram and coconut makes a good combination. Let us prepare these Chana Dal Vada / Cholar Daler Bora together.

INGREDIENTS :

CHANA DAL [BENGAL GRAM LENTIL] : 100 gm
SHREDDED COCONUT : 50gm
RICE FLOUR : 2 tbsp
GREEN CHILLI : 2-3[chopped]

DRY RED CHILLI : 2
TURMERIC POWDER : 1 tsp
SALT : As Required
SUGAR : 1 tsp
OIL : 150ml-200 ml [for frying]

METHOD :

Wash and soak the chana dal / Bengal Gram Dal 2-3 times and soak in hot water for 2 hours. Drain the water and prepare a bit coarse paste along with the dried red chillies in a blender. Add a little of water in between, if required. Transfer to a bowl.

Wash and chop the green chillies, add to the dal paste. Add the shredded coconut, rice flour, salt, sugar, turmeric powder. Mix all the ingredients very well.

Heat the oil in a wok. The oil should neither be too hot or too less. We want crispy vada / pakora, well cooked without burning.

Take out smaller portions  from the paste and drop into the oil carefully. Turn over after 2-3 minutes. Repeat 3-4 times till the outside is brown. Keep adjusting the heat from time to time.

Once done, transfer onto a tissue paper before serving.

Serve the finger food / snacks with your choice of chutney or sauce, else enjoy with rice & lentils!

ILISH MACH BHAJA / FRIED HILSA

Ilish /Hilsa, somewhat similar to the Shad fish is our religion when it comes to food. Our Community is a fish loving one, Ilish and Prawns featuring on the top. As of me, I perhaps can have Ilish everyday, at every meal. Though it's skyrocketing price does not allow us to do that. In fact, Hilsa fish & mutton prices started going up and out of reach of the middle class Bengalis from the 70's. However, we fail to resist ourselves when we see this silvery beauty in the market. It is recommended that we buy an  ilish weighing more than a kilogram to get the best taste. Back home, they say it has really become a pinch in the pocket to get a good quality, big one. What was a weekend pleasure during the monsoon has become an occasional one these days for us. In particular, I hail from a humble family that bought the freshest of the Hilsa just below a kilogram of weight, say 800-900 kilogram and that few days in the season. There is a difference between the price of a Hilsa weighing 1 kg & above and below it. We were just fine this way, the sky did not break on our head. But both my brother and I love food, explore food and spend on food these days. This fried Hilsa or Ilish Bhaja we love to the hilt. If it is a good quality fish, it releases it's own oil. It is with this oil we love to have piping hot steamed rice accompanied by a green chilli and the fried ilish or Ilish Baja. On my husband's side of the family, if it is Ilish, the lunch will be a two-course one with Ilish Mach Bhaja and it's curry and nothing else they would prefer. They tended to buy big, classy Hilsa. Our son is a less of a Bengali who loves salmon, baked fish fillets, however loves Hilsa fish eggs, fried. Let us prepare this super simple and quick Ilish Bhaja and enjoy with steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS :

Ilish / Hilsa Pieces : 4
Salt : As Required
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Mustard Oil : 2 tbsp [the fish itself releases oil]

METHOD :

Clean and wash the fish pieces very well. Apply salt and turmeric and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add 2 fish pieces at a time. Fry at low heat each side 4-5 minutes. They need to be crispy fried.

Reserve the oil to have with piping hot steamed rice, with a green chilli, a dash of salt and a crispy fried hilsa piece.

CHICHINGE CHINGRI / PRAWNS WITH SNAKE GOURD

Keeping in tune with my wish to compile a series of my family recipes that are essentially Bengali, I thought of presenting this dish of snake gourd with small prawns today. This is common in both sides of my family. There is both vegetarian and non-vegetarian version of this dish. Our mother used to prepare the non-vegetarian version more to feed her vegetable hater, fish loving daughter some veggies. The brother had no interest in food when young! 

I do both versions in turns to go with lentil and a fish or meat curry. In general, at Bengali homes we cook a lot of veggies like cabbage, bottle gourd, ash gourd, pointed gourd, even bitter gourd with small prawns. I play the same trick as our mother, the man & the son are not fond of vegetables! If I add fish or make koftas of them, they would eat! I cannot think of serving a meal without vegetables, all in my family have to have vegetables!

In Bengali, we call snake gourd.... chichinge. This dish called Chichinge Chingri or Prawns with Snake Gourd is done very simply with almost no spices. Cutting the chichinge or snake gourd is a bit time consuming, otherwise the rest of the cooking is quick given that snake gourd is soft and takes less time to cook. Let us prepare Chichinge Chingri or Prawns With Snake Gourd together.

INGREDIENTS :

Snake Gourd [chichinge] : 2-3big

Prawns[small] : 150-200gm

Dry Red Chilli : 2[halved]

Green Chilli : 2[slitted]

Nigella Seeds[kalonji/kalojeera] : 1/4tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1tsp

Salt : As Required

Sugar : 1/2tsp [optional]

Oil : 3-4tbsp

METHOD :

De shell, clean and wash the prawns thoroughly. Apply little salt and half of the turmeric powder. Keep aside.

Scrape the snake gourd with the back of a knife. Discard the two ends, cut half width wise and then length wise. Cut into thinner slices. Wash thoroughly and apply little salt and turmeric.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the small prawns till golden brown discarding the marinade and keep aside.

Temper the same oil with nigella seeds and halved dry red chillies. Add the cut snake gourds, stir and cover.

A lot of water would  release. Uncover and stir every 3-4 minutes until the water dries up till 80 % and the veggie is cooked well.

Add the fried prawns, sugar and slitted green chillies. Stir and let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Its done.

Enjoy with piping hot steamed rice!