CHOCO BANANA CAKE

Valentine's Day is not part of our culture, there is no harm respecting other's culture. It is okay if this Day is trending at the time. It is good to love. To all Valentines....when you fall in love...do not forget the wisdom....  remember... "The course of true love never did run smooth." If one love someone keeping this in mind, they can accept anything that comes their way and confidently say, "I love thee, I love thee with a love that shall not die. Till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old."

This is a subject I can write a thesis on. The practical mind at home jokingly calls his wife a relationship expert. How a practical self built a nest with an impractical love bird is an entirely different story....there definitely has some common personality traits. Its a movie material I can say. 

I believe Love is lifelong celebration...even if there is pain of circumstantial thorns. "Let no one who loves be called altogether unhappy. Even love unreturned has its rainbow." As per Wiki, it's a quote from J M Barrie's Little Minister.

Do we really need a 14th February to celebrate love? Isn't it true that in Love, every moment is special? It can be made special even over a humble cup of tea or coffee. It is in trusting each other, in sharing and caring. Its not being "with" each other but being "in" each other, neither should we be the cause of pain for our love but share it and face it together. Being silly in love is permissible / advisable. Calculations and love cannot really walk together. 

I sincerely hope this generation Valentines are intelligent beings, have the freedom to choose their lives. They do not need to wait for each other, they hold each other tight, hug tighter and walk along together enjoying every bit of the journey called Life.

In all these emotional bouts, I may forget the recipe of the cake I prepared for the Valentines. Each time I post a recipe on baked goods I seek your mercy, given I am poor at baking. I hope when Valentines are together and love is in the air, they hardly bother about how perfect is the cake. Thinking of that I feel relaxed.

INGREDIENTS :

Dark Chocolate Bar : 1 

All Purpose Flour : 1 coffee mug

Baking Soda : 1/ 4 tsp

Baking Powder : 1 tsp

Sugar : 6 tbsp [I used Brown Sugar]

Banana : 3 [small]

Plain Yogurt : 4-5 tbsp

Vanilla Extract : 1tsp

METHOD :

Preheat oven with the temperature set at 160*. 

Sieve together flour, baking powder and soda.

Blend together the sugar, banana, plain yogurt, oil. until fluffy. Add to the flour mix, beat well.

Melt the chocolate as in the picture. Add the vanilla essence [not in picture], the melted chocolate. Mix well.

Grease the cake tin with oil and then place a butter paper. Pour the cake batter until half of the cake tin.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven, I placed the low height wired stool inside, atop it the batter filled cake tin.

I baked the cake at 160*C for 30 minutes. Once done, cool the cake before taking out on a plate.

Enjoy the cake with your favourite beverage!

SWEET N SOUR FISH

There are some days when we do not like our regular curries with rice / roti. Our taste buds seek variety. On a relaxed Friday / week end evenings we crave for some nice finger foods to go with wine. What we wish now, should be fulfilled now, because life is too short. It has no guarantee actually. Back from the hospital morgue yesterday, I am believing it more.

All these fights, taking a dig at each other, hard feelings...what for? Anyway we are not taking along all these on our final journey. We have come alone, we will go alone. In between whoever we meet, whatever happens is a learning experience. If I hurt someone, I  apologise, if someone hurts me, I take is with a pinch of salt. There should be only one philosophy to follow in life..."Live and Let Live." What is to be done should be done at earliest, who knows whether we get to see tomorrow morning or not.

When all these goes on inside or something knocks me down, I love locking myself inside the kitchen, prepare something quick fix which has to be tongue tickling at the same time. Once done, I would ask my companion to treat his lady with some wine. The wine connoisseur does full justice to lighten me up. We can talk about companionship and its value on Valentine's Day may be, let's proceed with the recipe. For my convenience I keep few sauces at home, to be used as required. In this fish I have used two / three sauces and was done within an hour.

INGREDIENTS :

Fish Fillets : 500 gm
Thai Fish Sauce : 1tsp
Sweet n Sour Sauce : 2tbsp
Soy Sauce : 1tbsp
Lemon Juice : 1/4cup
Salt : As required
Corn Flour : 50 gm
Egg White : of one egg
Onion : 2 medium
Ginger[minced] : 1tsp
Garlic [minced] : 1tbsp
Bell Pepper : 1 small 
Green Chilli : 4
Dry Red Chilli : 2-3
Spring Onion : 25 gm
Oil : 50 ml

METHOD :

Wash the fish fillets and cut into desired shapes. Marinate with lemon juice and little of salt. Prepare a batter with the cornflour and egg white along with little of salt and 1tbsp water, if only required. The fish needs to be marinated for an hour at least.

Chop, wash the spring onions. Cut into cubes the onions and bell pepper, wash and keep separately. Slit and wash the green chillies. Halve the dry red chillies. Wash the minced garlic and ginger.

Heat oil in a wok. Discard the excess water released from the fish marinade, coat the pieces well in the batter and fry until golden brown in batches. This is to be done at medium heat.

Once the frying part is done, remove the excess oil from wok keeping back only 1 tbsp. Add the minced ginger and garlic to the oil. Fry until fragrant, add the cubed onions. Saute till translucent.

Add the Thai fish sauce, sweet n sour sauce and soy sauce, little of salt. Add the cubed bell pepper and slitted green chillies. Saute at high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the fish pieces and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Garnish with dry red chillies and spring onions. Have as an appetiser or serve with fried rice / noodles of your choice!!!

DHOKAR DALNA / GRAVIED LENTIL CAKES

Dhokar Dalna is a Bengali vegetarian delight. Dhoka in Hindi means cheating, this dish has nothing to do with it. It's a tasty dish, usually a part of an elaborate vegetarian or non-vegetarian meal. The fish loving Bengalis do keep vegetarian items in their meals, the women at home sweat a lot planning the same. Usually, most of the families ate vegetarian meal once a week.

In our home, we used to have vegetarian meal on Thursdays. I and my brother hated the idea then; no fish at home, how can we survive. We behaved such awkwardly that daddy asked our mother to forget the custom / ritual; cook fish curry for us. Mom however was unwilling to break the rule. Strictly she declared; "Thursday should be a vegetarian day". At the same time she would bribe us with crispy fried potatoes, different types of pakoras and such delicate curries like Dhokar Dalna among others.

I close my eyes and can see a Wednesday night, mom soaking a bowl full of Matar dal / Yellow Split Peas. It tastes equally good if done with Chana Dal / Bengal Gram Dal. We did not have a mixer grinder then. She would make a paste of it in "shil nora"; a pair of grinding stone used for preparing the paste. I can still visualise her sweaty self. That generation believed that there cannot be any shortcut to good cooking. I respect their belief to the core. There are ready made dhoka mix available in the stores but they never will taste the same, I can guarantee. We can take the liberty to prepare the paste in an electric grinder. Here is a made easy for you curried lentil cakes ...which we fondly call Dhokar Dalna.

INGREDIENTS : [for the Dhoka / Lentil Cakes]

Matar Dal [Yellow Split Peas] or Bengal Gram Dal [chana dal] : 200-250 gm [I used yellow split peas / matar dal]
Asafoetida : 2 pinches
Ginger Paste : 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli : 2
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Sugar : 1/3 tsp
Oil : 1tsp + 5 tbsp [for frying]


INGREDIENTS : [for the Gravy]

Ginger Paste : 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 2pinches
Green Cardamom Powder : 2pinches
Cloves Powder : A pinch
Cumin Seeds : 2-3 pinches
Bay leaf : 1
Sugar : 1/4 tsp
Ghee : 1tsp
Oil : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

I used Matar Dal for this recipe. Wash the dal, soak overnight in a covered bowl or in hot water for 2-3 hours. Next morning, grind it to a bit coarse paste adding salt as required.  Chop the green chillies.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Temper with cumin seeds. Add 2 pinches of asafoetida. Pour the dal mix to the wok.

Add the ginger paste, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies and sugar. Mix well and keep on stirring until the dal mix tend to come out from the sides of the wok. Switch off the gas stove.

Take a plate grease with few drops of oil. Transfer the dal mix to the greased plate and spread to all sides with your palms.

Let it rest for 15 minutes. Now cut the cake into diamond or square shapes or as you wish!

Heat 5 tbsp oil in a clean wok. Fry the lentil cakes in batches until brown. Be careful, they should not break.

If there is some amount of oil left in the wok after frying, you will prepare the curry in it. Better if we strain the oil and reheat it. Once the oil is hot again, temper with cumin seeds, a bayleaf.

Add the ginger paste. Fry until the raw smell goes off. Add salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and dry red chilli powder. Stir until the oil separates from spices. 

Add 2 coffee mugs of water. Cover, let boil for 5 minutes at medium heat. Add the fried lentil cakes to the curry. Bring it to boil; add sugar, ghee, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves powder, give a stir, switch off.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with piping hot steamed rice.

Please note, you can also have the fried lentil cakes as a starter and omit adding to the curry!

FRUITTY KULFI MALAI [Frozen Dessert]

'Kulfiii Malai...malai kulfi...thanda malai...keu nebe naki...kulfi malai'.....this was how the vendor used to say in our neighbourhood... some 35 years back. It meant...anyone wants cold creamy kulfis? He would start coming every evening around 7-7.30 pm with the onset of spring. My mother along with other aunties in the neighbourhood would get annoyed because he always would come during our study time. He was as if the Pied Piper of Hamelin....one call....and all the kids were in their respective balconies. 

My brother in just two jumps from study table would be to the balcony... I would follow him and mom shouted....come back....come back. That was when the vendor would stand still....raise his voice and describe the kulfis using the finest adjectives. It was not his fault, he had to sell. Neither was it our fault....kulfi malai had always been more attractive than studies....moms forget their own childhood....

Finally, mom used to give in because she knew unless she buys us kulfis, not a single would go into our head. These were the small pleasures I still remember. I have to stop, otherwise it may turn into an epic. Every page of history has an interesting story to tell...better we unfold slowly.... But I must say, our parents were strict about buying us outside food, what I feel today is that they need not have be that strict. Everything we had was homemade mostly but they failed to feel our emotions. Although I too think outside food is deterrent to health, I allow. Also my man & the son are rebels, they would do what they want.

Kulfi Malai is a frozen dessert of the Indian sub-continent .... rich, creamy, served chilled. You need less ingredients to prepare it. Boiling the milk till it reaches a creamy consistency is the only thing where we need patience. You need to have kulfi moulds to prepare kulfi malai at home but I use thermocol or plastic glass.

INGREDIENTS :

Evaporated Creamer : A Tin of 

Ripe Mango : 1

Banana : 1
Sugar : 3 tsp [you may require more]
Cardamom Powder : 1tsp [I skipped]
Pistachios : 5-6


METHOD :

Pour the evaporated creamer in a heavy bottomed vessel. Put onto the gas stove and bring to a boil. Keep on stirring to avoid the milk from being spilling. Reduce the heat to the minimal.

Add the sugar and cardamom powder. Bring to a boil and switch off. It should reach a creamy consistency. Let it cool.

Prepare a paste of the peeled & washed mango and banana, pass through a strainer. Microwave at minimal heat for 3-4 minutes stirring in between.

Now crush the pistachios. Add together the already cold fruits puree and boiled evaporated creamer, beat well, add the pistachios.

Pour the milk mixture into each mould, cover with foil, insert a stick. Now put in the freezer for at least 5-6 hours.

When you wish to serve, take out, tear off the cups and serve, enjoy. 

PAPAYA CHICKEN

This chicken with papaya sans onion recipe was highly recommended by a friend about 15 years back. In this particular dish, onion is replaced by shredded  papaya. Initially I was skeptical about the taste without onion and never tried actually. One day we were at their house and got to taste it. I never did really understand the chicken preparation did not have onions in it. It tasted so good. It was not the wine effect at all, it really tasted different from the regular chicken curry. 

Our friend, the man's brother like Sanak Chottopadhay is known for innovative and experimental cooking in our circle, I appreciate that a lot. We should do experimental cooking, we may go wrong initially but one day we end up inventing a new dish. The pleasure of that is immense.

With the son mad about chicken; I am compiling old memories, trying new chicken recipes. This Papaya Chicken is done without onion, hence the marination part is very important. What we get at the end is a thick, mildly hot n tangy gravy which goes equally well with both steamed rice / Indian or South Asian Bread; any kind of bread in fact.

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 500 gm
Tomato : 2 medium
Raw Papaya : 1 small
Garlic Paste : 2 tbsp
Ginger Paste : 2 tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp[only adds colour]
Green Chilli : 4
Garam Masala Powder : 1/4tsp
Bayleaf : 1
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Oil : 4tbsp

METHOD :

Wash the chicken pieces, keep aside. Wash, peel and shred the papaya. Add to the chicken. Add salt, half of the turmeric and chilli powders. Mix well. Marinate for an hour or two.

Wash and chop the tomatoes. Slit the green chillies. Heat oil in a wok. Temper with a bay leaf. Add the ginger garlic paste. Fry till the spices separate from oil. Add the remaining salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Stir well. Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade.

Stir at high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Cover cook for 10 minutes. Remove cover and add the chopped tomatoes, slitted green chillies. Stir and cover again. Remove cover, stir every 3-4 minutes.

When all the water dries up, add half coffee mug of warm water. Give a stir. No need to cover now. After 4-5 minutes, add the garam masala powder. Cook for another 2 minutes. Its done.

The gravy needs to be thick. Serve hot with peeping hot steamed rice or a variety of breads!

MICROWAVE MUTTON BIRYANI

It goes  that Biryani has its origin in PERSIA and might have reached India through various routes.  Derived from the Farsi word 'Biriyan', meaning 'fried before cooking'. History says it could have reached India via Afghanistan to North India. It could have been brought by the Arab traders via the Arabian Sea. Then it was a royal dish for the nawabs and nizams. [wiki]

Legend say Timor, the lame brought it down from Kazakhastan via Afghanistan to Northern India. Another legend say Mumtaz Mahal conceived this dish as a complete meal to feed the army. Some other say it originated in West Asia where the nomads buried an earthen pot full of meat, rice and spices in a pit, eventually the pot was dug up and Biryani was made. [wiki]

I'll not go further  beyond this discussion because that will need deeper research on history. What I know is that the Islamic restaurants in Kolkata make fabulous Biryani, mainly the Awadhi one as it originated when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was deposed to Kolkata by the British in 1856. Our love for Biryani is in fact legendary, specially the brother's. I am much in control now and he is not. I am so much in control now that I did not have it for a single day on my last visit to Kolkata in spite of the fact that we have 3 outlets of the famous Biryani makers in our neighbourhood. My brother is still going on. But I do prepare it at home, at times the most authentic way, sometimes in the microwave oven..... depending on how much time I have in hand, how hungry my family is, my energy level on that particular day.

Today's version of mutton biryani is a microwave made one, hence not authentic. Authentically it is slow cooked in dum in a handi with its lid sealed with a dough made of flour. My recipe is dedicated to the working mothers. I always prepare a Biryani masala powder and store it, that helps. We usually garnish it with caramelised onions, I skipped that day. Usually big pieces of meat are used in biryani but I do with small ones, in case of a mutton biryani.

INGREDIENTS [for the biryani masala] :

Cinnamon : 25gm
Green Cardamom : 25gm
Black Cardamom : 10 gm
White Pepper Corn : 10 gm
Cloves : 10gm
Mace : 5 gm
Nutmeg : 5gm
Star anise : 5gm
Tailed Pepper/kabab chini : 10 gm
Shahi Jeera : 15 gm
Bay Leaf : 5gm

INGREDIENTS [for the biryani] :

Basmati Rice : 2 cups
Mutton : 500 gm
Ghee [clarified butter]:3 tbsp + 1/4small cup
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Onion : 2
Plain Yogurt : 250 gm
Salt : As required
Cinnamon : 1inch piece 3
Green Cardamom : 6
Cloves : 6
Bay leaf : 4
Shah Jeera : 1tsp
Biryani Masala : 2tsp
Rose water or Kewra : 3-4 drops
Saffron : 6-7 strands[alternatively 2 pinches of yellow food colour]
Milk : 1/2 small cup

METHOD :

Dry roast all the ingredients of the biryani masala and grind them together to get a powder. Store in an air tight container.

We have to marinate the mutton overnight. Wash the mutton nicely and marinate with beaten yogurt, salt and half of ginger and garlic paste. Refrigerate in a airtight container. Next morning take out an hour before cooking.

Peel, wash and slice the onions. Heat the ghee in a wok. Temper with a bay leaf, 2 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1inch cinnamon. Add the sliced onions and fry till brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste, fry until the spice mix separates from the ghee. Add the marinated mutton along with all the marinade, mix well and cover. We have to check every 5 minutes and stir. Put the heat at low.

While the mutton  is cooking, let us prepare the rice. Take a soft white cloth and put 4 green cardamoms and cloves, 3 bayleaves, 2 cinnamon sticks. Tie a knot tightly. Put it in the vessel used for cooking rice. Cook the rice in enough water along with the tied whole garam masalas and salt until 60% done. Drain the water and discard the garam masalas.

Check the mutton. When it is almost dried up, add 1tsp biryani masala and mix well. Cook for another 4-5 minutes. Once done, switch off. There has to be some gravy in it. Let rest it for 1/2 an hour. Soak the saffron strands in warm milk.

Take a microwave proof big bowl . Arrange some rice. Add one tbsp ghee, one tsp saffron milk, 2drops of rose water and sprinkle 3 pinches of biryani masala. Lightly mix with a fork. Over it place few pieces of mutton with the gravy. Repeat the process 3-4 times with rice at the topmost layer. Cover with a microwave proof plate and microwave at high for 5 minutes. It is done.

Serve with a salad and raita!

 

ALOO CHICKEN

Whenever we get lethargic but wish to see our family happily eating the meal, which should be nutritious and tasty at the same time, we turn to this bird for help. Easy to make, easier to digest, I wonder how it became such popular with the kids. Whoever I talk to, say that their  son / daughter gets happier when they see chicken on their plate. Same is the situation at this home, may be two days I took off from cooking it, hits a dialogue in my ears.... mamma so many days I have not eaten chicken. I counted....  its only two days. When kids want something to eat in their own will, I feel no mother should say a no.... however tired she is. Rather, we should find out some easy solutions....how to please them without shedding much of sweat. On such an evening, I was tired but the junior wished to have chicken with parathas, I cooked this  semi dum chicken with potato. My senior never asks for anything, a flexible person but had two extra parathas with it that day. It does make me happy...immensely! Let us proceed with the recipe which is easy and done with few spices.

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 1kg

Potato : 4 medium

Tomato : 2 medium

Onion : 2 medium

Lemon Juice : 4-5tbsp

Ginger Paste : 1tsp

Garlic Paste : 1tbsp

Coriander Powder : 1tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp[adds colour only]

Green Chilli : 2-3

Salt : As required

Turmeric Powder : I tsp

Bayleaf : 1

Oil : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash the chicken, marinate with ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, juice of one lemon. Keep aside for 2 hours.

Peel the potatoes, wash and cut into halves. Boil them upto 70% adding little salt. Drain the water. Slit the green chillies. Wash and chop the tomatoes discarding the seeds. Peel, wash and slice the onions.

Heat oil in a wok. Temper with bayleaf. Add the sliced onions and fry till brown. Add the marinated chicken with all of the marinade. Mix well, fry for 3-4 minutes at high heat. Lower the heat to minimum and cover.

Remove the cover every 3-4 minutes and stir. After about half n hour, add the semi boiled potatoes, slitted green chillies, tomatoes. Stir and cover cook for 10 minutes, stirring in between. 

Remove the cover, add the coriander powder. Stir for 2-3 minutes, you can see all of the water dried up.

Add a cup of warm water. Cover cook for 3-5 minutes at medium to low heat. It goes well with roti / paratha / steamed rice!!

BESAN LADOO

Any kind of Ladoo is welcome in our home. It is a versatile dry sweet, can be made with a variety of ingredients. When I explore through G+, I feel amazed to see even millet ladoos. Curiosity leads me to read every word of the recipes. Really like how people experiment with different ingredients, prepare new dishes or add life to old ones with a little twist. I enjoy watching all these, in the process learning more about variety in food.

Besan / Gram Flour Ladoo is not common in a Bengali household. I had a taste of it at a very young age from my non-Bengali friends. If I visited their homes, I would greedily wait when the lady of the respective homes would get me some from that big glass jar in a plate. I would finish one plateful in minutes. I would wait for those kind words, "Do you want more?" Obviously the answer was always yes!

In our home, since childhood I have seen mom making ladoos with coconut, puffed rice, flattened rice, sesame seeds. But we called them Moya / Naru. I had a basic idea about how ladoos are made. Yesterday evening, I was just sitting idle back from work, was not willing to go for my regular jogging session. That is when I felt like preparing something in a jiffy which will also be tasty. I had a fresh packet of gram flour bought a day before, hence the idea of BESAN LADOO / GRAM FLOUR LADOO popped up. You need few ingredients to prepare it within an hour.

INGREDIENTS :

Besan [gram flour] : 200-250gm
Sugar : 6tbsp
Ghee [clarified butter] : 150ml + 2tbsp
Green Cardamom : 4
Cashew Nut : 8-10

METHOD :

Crush the green cardamoms and cashew nuts.

Heat 150 ml ghee in a pan, add the crushed green cardamoms and cashew nuts.  Stir for a while, add the gram flour. Keep on stirring it at  low heat for about 7-8 minutes.

When the raw smell goes and the besan turns light brown, switch off the gas stove, store it on a plate.

Add sugar to the pan and sprinkle some water.

As it gets sticky, add the roasted gram flour, 2tbsp ghee , fold in well. Stir at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes. Add a small cup of water and fold in well.

As it takes the form of a dough, transfer it to a plate. Let cool.

Grease your palms with a drop of ghee. Tear off smaller portions, smoothen rolling between the two palms.

I believe they taste the best when eaten fresh.

MACHER PATISHAPTA / FISH CREPES

On my December visit to India, I had it in a Bengali themed restaurant, loved it. Ever since I had been planning to do it in my kitchen. A dear sister took us out for lunch one day, wished to have an elaborate Bengali meal. This Fish Crepes were never made at home, hence I was too curious to have them, eventually ended up eating two big.

Kolkata residents are foodies. There are a number of speciality Bengali restaurants besides numerous other small eateries who serve regular Bengali meals. If, by any chance you happen to visit Kolkata, please do visit them to taste our local cuisine....both....exotic and regular. At some places they serve you traditionally in banana leaves and earthen pots, how I love food be served this way. Obviously, you cannot miss eating our famous sweets. To taste the many varieties you need to stay for at least 15 days.

We make jaggery-coconut filled crepes, making of these fish crepes are not common in our community. We need to prepare a fish filling and a batter for these Fish Crepes / Macher Patishapta.

INGREDIENTS[for the fish filling] :

Fish Fillets : 400gm
Onion : 2[medium]
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Green Chillies : 3
Bengali Garam Masala : 1/2tsp[cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves dry roasted and ground to a powder]
Lemon : 1
Salt : As required
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1/4tsp
All purpose flour : 1tbsp
Oil : 3tbsp

INGREDIENTS[for the batter] :

All purpose flour : 1 coffee mug
Semolina : 1/4 th coffee mug

Rice Flour : 2 tbsp
Water : As required
Salt : As required
Oil : A few drops of



METHOD :

Wash, marinate the fish fillets with the lemon juice, little salt. Keep aside. Get the ginger and garlic paste, garam masala powder ready in hand. Chop the green chillies. Slice the onions.

Let us prepare the batter. Take all the flours in a bowl. Add salt. Add water little by little. It will be like a dosa batter. Add a little of oil, beat well.

Heat oil in wok. Add the cumin seeds. As they splutter, add the sliced onions. When they turn brown, add ginger-garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell goes. Add the salt, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies. Fry for a minute at low heat. 

Add the marinated fish. Saute well, break the fish with your ladle. When the water is almost drying up, add the garam masala powder, potato. Stir cook for 2-3 minutes, add the corn flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the gas stove. . Let the filling cool down.

Heat 1/4tsp oil in a pan. With a round big spoon, pour in a spoonful of batter on a heated pan greased with oil. Spread with the back of a round, deep spoon. Add some fish filling in the middle as seen in the picture below.

This should be done in medium to low heat. Let the inner part of the crepe cook well. Then fold in from both sides and transfer to a plate. With 1/4 tsp oil you can make upto 3 crepes. Idea is to keep the pan greased.

Serve with sauce of your choice. It goes best with kasundi[a specially made Bengali mustard sauce]!

SWEET N SOUR GOBI / CAULIFLOWER

I have serious doubts if the Chinese prepare cauliflower like this or not. It is definitely to please the vast Indian vegetarian population. Just like rest of the world, Indians too are fond of Chinese Cuisine.... tweaked to suit our taste buds. Indo-Chinese restaurants in India have introduced certain vegetarian dishes that are Chinese inspired....few examples are chilli potatoes, chilli paneer, sweet n sour gobi.

It was in the canteen at my work place that I tasted this SWEET N SOUR GOBI. The man would never order this kinds in a restaurant, may be Kolkata restaurants sell them. I liked it for a change. I talked to the canteen cook and thought of preparing it at home. Ever since, my senior is cracking jokes on me saying he would have to ask his colleagues which province of China eats sweet n sour gobi. I never get angry on a joke. I told nobody claims it to be Chinese...but Chinese inspired Indian Vegetarian version. Even the vegetarians need to breakthrough from the daily monotony of Dal-Chawal-Sabzi.

I feel in the vast arena of cooking, we are open to any kind of experiments, else we fall prey to monotony. May we proudly say it is a versatile world? I will happily engage myself sharing with you all the recipe of SWEET N SOUR GOBI / CAULIFLOWER.

INGREDIENTS :

Cauliflower : 1
Ginger : 1inch pieces [2]
Garlic : 3 cloves
Onion : 1
Spring Onion : 25gm
Green Chilli : 4
Light Soya Sauce : 2tbsp
Vinegar : 1tsp
Tomato Ketchup : 4tbsp
All Purpose flour : 3-4 tbsp
Corn flour : 2-3 tbsp
Salt : As required
White Pepper Powder : 1tsp
Oil : 100ml [to deep fry the cauliflower florets]

METHOD :

Cut the cauliflowers into medium sized florets and wash thoroughly. Transfer in a microwave proof bowl, add some water, little of salt. Microwave at high for 5 minutes. Discard the water.

Cut the onions into cubes. Slit the green chillies. Mince the ginger and garlic. Chop the spring onions. Wash, keep them in separate bowls.

Now prepare the batter. Mix the flours, white pepper powder, salt together, add water little by little to form a paste like consistency.

Heat oil in a wok. Coat the cauliflower florets well with the batter and deep fry in oil in batches till they turn golden from all sides. They should not turn brown.

Once done, reserve the remaining oil for later use. Place a clean wok on the oven. Heat 1tbsp oil. Add the minced garlic and ginger. As they release a nice aroma, add the onions and fry until they turn translucent.

Add soy sauce, vinegar and tomato ketchup.  Add little of salt. Add the slitted green chillies. Saute for 1/2 a minute and add the cauliflower florets. Fold in well and switch off the gas stove. Its done.

Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with spring onions.

Remember, you will not cook the cauliflowers in the sauce, just mix them with the sauce.

Serve with garlic rice / noodles!!!

MINI IDLI N COCONUT CHUTNEY

Idli is a traditional breakfast in a Southern Indian household, specifically in Southern Indian households. It is a savoury cake popular throughout India and few of her neighbouring countries. Made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils /de-husked urad dal and rice, they are extremely healthy.

Idlis were not made at our home. As memory goes whenever I and our mom went for shopping she would have a plate of it or dosa. Idli and Dosa being pretty popular in Kolkata, there is a South Indian restaurant at every corner. Honestly, I was not fond of Idli or Dosa earlier. I developed a liking for them after our son was born. I was being warned by my doctor for having too much of fried stuffs. Hence, these healthier options. When I got my first microwave, I got a microwave proof idli maker free with it. Thereafter, I started my tryst with home-made idli. 

Here in Singapore, there are good South Indian restaurants and eateries. Here, I have learnt that South Indian food is not only about idli & dosa. I venture there quite often. Besides, having South Indian colleagues, I get to taste them on a regular basis. One of my colleagues got mini idlis one day, I became fan of it instantly. So much so that I got a mini idly stand from an Indian super market. They are usually dipped into Sambar or fried in spices, but I love having them with my favourite coconut chutney.

INGREDIENTS[for the Idli]

Idli Rice : 4 cups
Black Gram : 11/2 cup
Fenugreek Seeds : 2tsp
Cooked Rice : 2tsp
Salt : As required
Oil : To grease the mini idli moulds

INGREDIENTS[for the Coconut Chutney]

Shredded Coconut : 1 cup
Roasted Peanuts : 1/4 cup
Curry Leaves : 6-7
Mustard Seeds [black] : 1/2 tsp
Black Gram  Dal [skinless] : 1/4tsp
Bengal Gram Dal : 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Green Chilli : 1
Oil : 1tsp
Salt : As required

METHOD :

Soak the rice and black gram separately in water for at least 6 hours. Add the fenugreek seeds to the black gram. Drain the water and rice and grind coarsely along with the cooked rice.

Grind skinless black gram dal smoothly and mix with the rice batter along with salt. Keep the batter in a warm place allowing it to ferment. It may take 8-10 hours.

Grease the specially designed mini idly plates with few drops of oil and fill with idli batter with help of a tablespoon. Steam them for about 10 minutes until they rise and become firm. Our soft, fluffy idli is done.

Now the chutney. This is the way I love it, may not be authentic. Blend the shredded coconut and peanuts along with a green chilli and salt as required. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds, skinless black gram dal and bengal gram dal, halved dry red chillies, curry leaves. Pour over the coconut chutney.

Enjoy a health loaded snacks!