GREEN PEA DUM ALOO N RADHABALLAVI

This dish is an ode to my college days. Our college was at the centre of old and famous sweet shops and movie theatres. This was a dish served at the sweet shops. Some of us spent more time in these two places rather than the classrooms. A bowl full of dum aloo, two radhaballavi, a roshogolla or chaner jilipi or sandesh was a blissful brunch / lunch for us. Although we took packed lunch boxes from home, we always had space for these. We were always hungry. Those shops are still there, ailing actually in the shadow of big brands. Wish we could do something to revive them.

I remember at home, radhaballavi was not done much. Dum Aloo was accompanied by luchi or paratha and green pea stuffed kachoris in winter..... ahh sheer bliss! I am a hardcore foodie, ate like a demon once. These days I am not allowed to; yet I do not follow a strict diet chart! Where is the fun of living then? 

Radhaballavi is a kind of lentil stuffed poori. Let us cook the combo meal! I have used Chana Dal / Cholar Dal / Bengal Gram Lentils stuffing here following another recipe! I forgot to mention whose recipe I followed! Mine is authentic or not, it is tasty! One day, I would ask the sweet shop owner at Hathibagan, Kolkata what they use in the stuffing! I think I was more or less in the right track!

INGREDIENTS :[for the dum aloo]

Potato : 2
Green Pea : 1/2cup
Tomato : 1medium
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1/2tsp[optional]
Oil : 3tbsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the poori filling]

Bengal Gram dal[chana dal] : 1medium cup
Cumin Seed : 1/4 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 1/4 tsp
Salt : As Required
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Sugar : 1/2 tsp
Oil : 1tbsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the poori dough]

Refined Flour : 2 coffee mug
Semolina : 1/2 of a coffee mug
Salt : 2-3 pinch
Oil : 1 tbsp + enough to deep fry 
Water : As Required

METHOD :[Green Pea Dum Aloo]

Peel, wash and cut each of the potatoes into four pieces! Apply a little of salt and turmeric.

Heat the oil in a wok, fry the potato pieces until golden brown. Keep aside. Temper the oil with a bayleaf and cumin seeds.

Add the ginger paste and fry for a minute.  Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Stir well for 1/2 a minute.

Add the fried potatoes to the spice paste. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add  a small cup of water. Let boil at medium to low heat for 4-5 minutes.

Add the green peas & sugar! Let cook for 2-3 minutes. 

Transfer to a serving bowl.

METHOD :[the filling for the poori]

The Bengal Gram Dal / Cholar Dal / Chana Dal has to be soaked in hot water for 2 hours and pressure cooked adding a big cup of water up to 2 whistles. Let it cool. Blend it in a blender.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with the cumin seeds. Give a stir and add the dal paste. Stir for a minute.

Add the spice powders, salt, sugar. Fold in well. Cook until the dal mix gets drier. Add the refined flour now and fold in well. Take down and let cool. 

METHOD :[RADHABALLAVI]

Take the refined flour & semolina in a wide mouthed bowl. Add the salt and 1 tbsp oil. Keep rubbing with your palm for 2-3 minutes. Add water little by little and keep rubbing until a dough is formed. Cover it for 1/2 an hour with a moist towel.

Remove the towel and knead once again for 2-3 minutes. Make medium sized balls and make pockets. Fill each pocket with the dal fillings. 

Close the mouth of the ball. Do same with all of them. It looks as this.

With a rolling pin, roll into roundels. Do not press too hard, or else the stuffing may come out. 

Heat the oil in a wok and fry each at a time, until both sides puff up.

Serve the radhaballavi with the Green Pea Dum Aloo. An accompaniment of rosogolla or pantua or chanar jilipi or jilipi would be fine.

ECHOR CHINGRI [ RAW JACKFRUIT WITH PRAWN]

Echor Chingri is a dish prepared with raw jackfruit and small prawns. It is a Bengali delicacy which was served in the Bengali weddings and other important ceremonies some 15-20 years back. That was when we did not feel shy to flaunt and follow our own tradition and culture. At any Bengali ceremonial function, the food fair was predominantly Bengali, the way it should be. I am not regionalistic but there is a need to protect and follow our own tradition. Some regions of India strictly follow it and I respect that. In such a scenario it is necessary to keep our traditional recipes alive, hence this urge to compile the family Bengali recipes. We usually prepare a vegetarian curry with jackfruit. At times, we add a special touch to it cooking it with the small prawns. This dish goes well with steamed rice. My family usually fry the potato pieces and raw jackfruit pieces after boiling, I avoid it for less consumption of oil. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :

Echor [raw jackfruit] : 500gm
Prawn [small sized] : 150gm
Potato : 1 big
Green Chilli : 2-3 [slitted]
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 2tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 2pinches
Green Cardamom Powder : 2pinches
Cloves Powder : 1pinch
Cumin Seed : 1/4 tsp
Bayleaf : 1
Sugar : 1tsp
Oil [preferably mustard] : 4tbsp

METHOD :

Grease your palms with few drops of oil. Cut the skin of the jackfruit, cut half and furthermore discarding the mid section. Now, cut them into small cubes. Take out the seeds and discard the yellowish outer skin. Wash them, take is a vessel with enough water and put for boil. Add salt and turmeric.

Clean the prawns and wash well. Apply salt and turmeric. Peel, cube the potato, wash and rub with salt & turmeric.

Once the raw jack fruit pieces are 60% done, reserve them in a colander.

Thereafter, Lightly fry the prawns and take out. Prepare a spice paste with the ginger paste, salt, cumin, coriander, red chilli, turmeric powders adding 1tbsp of water.

Temper the same oil with cumin seeds and bayleaf. Add the spice paste and fry for a minute. Add the potato pieces and stir cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the fried jackfruit pieces and fold in well. Stir cook for 2 minutes.

Add about 2 coffee mugs of water, covercook for 8-10 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the fried prawns and the slitted green chillies. Fold in well and cover cook at low heat for 4-5 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves powder and sugar. 

Stir well and let boil for 1/2 a minute. We should be done.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

ALOO CHANA CHAAT

Chaats have become essential for me now-a-days. I enjoy and keep doing a variety of them for myself. The rest in the family are not chaat lovers. On the contrary, food is something you enjoy in the company of others. Though they say it is essential to pamper the self, to do or have what makes the soul happy. Perhaps the upbringing / values taught are such in the Indian subcontinent that by default the women folks cannot think beyond the family, their personal likes and dislikes take a backseat. It has got nothing to do with the lack of freedom or anything, it is about the frame of mind we are stuck in.  It is a debatable issue and need not continue here.

What I was trying to say is that I keep a chaat item whenever there are guests at home. Looking back, I remember a cute, funny story regarding chaat. Though not a favourite then, all of a sudden I started loving them while I was expecting our son. I was restricted from having them by the man. Completely ignoring it was in the interest of the mother and the child, I felt it was a serious threat on my freedom. Looking for an opportunity, one day I got it. On a lazy afternoon, the man was sleeping, I heard a vendor passing by... tempted by the irresistible calls to have his 'ghugni'... I ran to the balcony, asked him to stop, had it to my heart's content. The reaction started after an hour when I started feeling sick and threw off everything. A sleepless night with a wiser soul was spent. Next 10-12 years I did not have chaats, neither was I into cooking a variety being busy looking after our son. Cooking was limited exclusively to the Bengali regular dishes.

It is in the present day that I try this or the other. The teen is busy in his own world and mamma in the kitchen. The other day I prepared this Aloo Chana Chaat and enjoyed a spicy chat session with our visiting friends. It is an easy to do dish, which is yum and healthy, with no oil used in it. Who says Chaats cannot be healthy? My son's doctor once asked me to feed our son homemade "phuchka" at times, sans the spices. If you feed your child the same old food everyday, they will tend to hate food. 'Homemade' is what is important. Let us do this quick, easy dish together.

INGREDIENTS:

Chana [chickpea] : 1 cup

Potato : 2

Tomato : 1

Onion : 1

Cucumber : 1

Green Chilli : 2

Sev[fried gramflour noodles] : 2tbsp

Coriander Seeds : 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds : 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chilli : 1

Salt : As required

Chaat Masala : 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves : 1 sprig[chopped]

Green Chutney : 1 tbsp

Lemon Juice : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

Soak the chickpea over night in hot water. Next day pressure cook it in enough water  up to 2 whistles adding salt. Drain the water once cool.

Dry roast the dry red chilli, coriander and cumin seeds and ground them to a coarse powder. Wash the tomato, coriander leaves, green chilli and cucumber, chop them. Peel, wash and chop the onion.

Peel, wash and boil the potatoes in enough water. Once cool, drain the water and mash. Add salt, 1/2tbsp lemon juice, coarsely ground spices and mix well.

Arrange the boiled chickpeas in a bowl. Add 1/2 tsp lemon juice and a little of salt if required. Mix well. Arrange the potato mix on it. 

Add a little of salt to the chopped onion, tomato and cucumber and arrange over the potato mix. Add the chopped green chillies. Sprinkle with the chaat masala, pour the green chutney on it. Add 1tbsp of lemon juice.

Add the sev[fried gram flour noodles] and the chopped coriander leaves. Refrigerate and serve chilled!

SEMAI ER PAYESH / VERMICELLI KHEER

In India and other countries of the Indian Subcontinent, vermicelli is known by various local names. In Bengali, we call it shemai / semai. Vermicelli is used in a number of dishes including a sweet dessert, made in a similar way as of rice pudding. Upma is also made with vermicelli in many parts of India, adding various vegetables to it. Semai Er Payesh / Vermicelli Kheer is not an authentic Bengali dish  like Chaler Payesh / Rice Kheer. It may have started as an experimental alternative to Rice Kheer, which gradually may have been accepted as a much loved homemade dessert. I remember Shemai er Payesh was welcomed in our home when I was in High School and my brother much younger. I had always been a food lover but my brother had been fussy about food. Hence, mom tried to get variety in er cooking. We accepted this pudding made of milk, sugar and vermicelli as a good dessert option and then it continued to be prepared on a regular basis at home. In the present day, our son is fond of it. It takes less time to prepare than the rice kheer, ingredients used are more or less the same. Let us proceed with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS :

SEMAI / SHEMAI [VERMICELLI] : 1/2 medium tea cup
MILK [FULL CREAM] : 1litre
SUGAR : 1small tea cup[or as per your taste]
CASHEW : 8-10 [halved]
RAISIN : 10-15
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
BAYLEAF : 1
GHEE : 1 tbsp

METHOD :

Pour the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and put for boil. Add the bayleaf.

In a wok, heat the ghee. Add the cashews, saute for half a minute and keep aside. Add the vermicelli and fry in ghee until light brown. Keep aside. Soak the raisin in water for an hour, drain the water.

Let the milk boil till it thickens a bit. Add the vermicelli, let simmer for 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring continuously.

Add the sugar, raisins, cashews and lightly crushed green cardamoms. Let boil for 3-4 minutes and then switch off the gas stove.

Once cool refrigerate, serve and have it chilled!

CHILLED PASTA SALAD

I have learnt about this dish from a friend. She prepares scrumptious starters. This Chilled Pasta Salad dish she usually serves alongside kebabs. I keep learning recipes from my surroundings. At times, I improvise  them or sometimes follow the recipe ditto in the comfort of my kitchen. This typical Indian cook does at times cook different, if only she has the ingredients ready in hand..... My Western and Middle-Eastern food loving men have to visit the restaurants for those kinds. I do not like messing up a recipe, I cook what I am comfortable in. In this pasta dish, we can keep adding the ingredients as per our preferences. Lots of vegetables, sausage, boiled chicken, eggs, mayonnaise can be added but I want simpler things in my kif. In a low caloric version, we can skip the mayo and use only the olive oil. Since I prepared it for my guests, among which there were the little ones, I used mayonnaise. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :

Pasta[Any Variety] : 200gm [I used the shell shaped]
Tomato : 1 small sized
Cucumber : 1 small sized
Sweet Corn : 2 tbsp
Parsley [chopped] : 2 tbsp [I did not have]
Green Chilli : 1

Onion : 1 medium sized
Mayonnaise : 2-3 tbsp
Salt : As Required
Black Pepper Powder : 1/2tsp

Olive Oil : 1 tbsp

Lemon Juice : 2 tsp

METHOD :

Boil the pasta in enough water with a little of salt and 1 tsp of oil added to it. Drain the water and wash  the boiled pasta with cold water again.

Chop the washed tomato and cucumber. Boil the sweet corn for 3-4 minutes, drain the water. Wash and chop the parsley, green chilli. Peel, wash and chop the onion.

In a bowl, add together the olive oil, mayonnaise, crushed black pepper, lemon juice, a little of salt and mix together well.

Thereafter, add the chopped vegetable and the boiled  pasta. Mix well. Our pasta salad is ready. Chill the bowl for an hour or two before having.

PANEER CAPSICUM

Paneer[Indian Cottage Cheese] is a versatile ingredient to cook, specially for the vegetarian population in India. I find it very handy and easy to prepare. Besides, high in protein, it is healthy to have and a good alternative to meat. I and our son are paneer lovers, the man is not. He eats it when served. I prepare it often. Earlier, at Bengali homes, paneer was made at home curdling the  milk, we called it chena, softer in texture. Paneer got to be available in the sweet shops much later. There might be a fine line of difference between Paneer and Chena which I do not know. Since it is cooked regular at home, I try to prepare it in different ways. This time I prepared it with capsicum using the regular Bengali spices. The slightly tangy, spicy paneer dish goes well with any kind of handmade flatbreads. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :

Paneer[Indian Cottage Cheese] : 150-200 gm
Green Bell Pepper : 1/2 of one
Red Bell Pepper : 1/2 of one
Tomato : 1
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2tsp

Dry Mango powder : 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinches

Bayleaf : 1
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Cut the paneer slab into your desired shape and apply a little of salt. Cut the tomato, deseed and wash. Cut the veggies into cubes and wash. Rub with salt.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with the cumin seeds. Add the ginger paste and fry for 1-2 minutes till the raw smell goes.

Add the tomato pieces, salt and turmeric. Keep stirring till the tomato pieces melt. 

Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and stir for 1/2 a minute. Add the veggies and stir at high heat for a minute. Add 1/2 cup of water.

Once the gravy comes to a  boil, Add the paneer pieces, garam masala powder, dry mango powder. Let boil for a minute or two. It is done.

Serve it hot with any kind of handmade bread or rice!

FULKOPI ALOOR DALNA

Fulkopi Aloor Dalna is the cauliflower curry with potatoes done the typical Bengali way. In our childhood this was a winter treat. In those days Cauliflower was available only during winter, it's taste incomparable. They tasted heavenly given no chemical fertilisers were used growing it. Be it made into a fry, added in a curry or made a dry preparation, the Bengalis love it all. I remember, in our home no part of a cauliflower was thrown away. The leaves were made into a paste, then cooked with sliced onions, chillies with a tempering of nigella seeds. The stems[data] were also used to prepare a yummy veggie. 

These days I don't even see leaves on them unless one is growing them in their own garden. Well, the cauliflowers that come from India has the leaves in tact on them, the price is a bit higher. I remember our maternal grandfather used to grow it in his garden during the winters. Two years back our mom grew them in pots and reserved one to cook for me when I visited. The taste was awesome.

This curry with cauliflower and potato is a regular in our home. I do it the typical Bengali way. The Bengali way of doing this curry is always to fry the salt and turmeric marinated cauliflower florets and potatoes separately before adding to the curry at different stages. You can skip that to make less use of oil. Here we get a Taiwan variety of cauliflower which tastes similar to the maternal grandfather's homegrown ones or what we get during the winters in Kolkata.

                     

INGREDIENTS :

Cauliflower : 1medium
Potato : 1big
Tomato : 1big
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1/2tsp
Cinnamon Powder : A pinch
Green Cardamom Powder : A pinch
Cloves Powder : A pinch
Cumin Seed : A pinch
Bayleaf : 1
Ghee[clarified butter] : 1/2tsp [skip if you are a vegan]
Oil : 6-7 tbsp

METHOD :

Peel and cut the potatoes into big cubes and the cauliflowers into florets. Wash and rub with salt as required.

Boil the cauliflower florets in enough water for 5 minutes. Drain the water, marinate it with a little of salt and turmeric. Cut the tomato into pieces, discard the seeds and wash.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the marinated potatoes and cauliflower separately in batches. Take out.

Temper the oil with cumin seeds and bayleaf.

Add the ginger paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato pieces and fry for a minute. As it melts, add the cumin powder, salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp of red chilli powder. Fold in well and saute for half a minute.

Add the fried potato pieces, fold in well and stir for a minute. Add 1 cup of water. Cover cook for 3-4 minutes at low heat.

Remove the cover, add the fried cauliflower pieces and let cook at low heat for 3 minutes.

Add the  sugar, cinnamon powder, green cardamom powder, cloves powder. Fold in well and cook for a minute. Add the ghee, stir well. It is done.

Enjoy the curry with steamed rice or chapati.

EGGLESS FRESH FRUIT CAKE

The refrigerator had some watermelon and litchis lying inside  it requiring to be used up sooner. My family is not much of a fruit lover, I have to force feed them. The diabetic self is not allowed to have much of fruits. On the weekdays, I manage to pack some fruits for them, the pizza, burger lovers simply refuse to have fruits over the weekends. Hence, I have to think of using of them up wisely that would also be loved by my family. This week I prepared an eggless cake with pears and grapes, then topped it with a simple butter frosting. Though cliched, I love to admit in all my baking posts that I am a learner when it comes to baking. My cakes are the simplest ones that even kids can do. I am satisfied that I have done it all by myself without following any recipe. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS : [for the cake]

Refined Flour : 1 coffee mug
Yogurt : 1 medium sized tea cup
Sugar : 5-6 tbsp
Baking Powder : 1 tsp
Baking Soda : 1/4 tsp
Vanilla Essence : 1tsp
Chopped Watermelon : 2-3 tbsp
Chopped Litchi : 2-3 tbsp

Chopped Dry Fruits : 2 tsp [of your choice]

Oil : 4 tbsp

METHOD :

Discard the skin and seeds of the litchis and watermelon, wash and chop. 

Sieve together the refined flour, baking powder, baking soda and semolina.

Blend together the oil, yogurt and sugar.

Add it to the flour mix little by little and beat the whole thing for  4-5 minutes to turn it into a smooth batter.

Add the chopped dry and fresh fruits and mix well.

Preheat the oven at 160*C. Grease a cake tin with oil and then dust with flour. I did not require to dust it as I did the cake in a glass bowl not requiring to transfer.

Pour the batter, it should not cover more than half of the cake tin.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven. I have preheated it keeping the low height wired stool inside and then placed the cake tin atop it.

I baked the cake at 160* for 30 minutes. Insert a fork to check if it is done or not. If done, it will come out clean.

Let it cool and then turn it onto a plate. Mine was a glass bowl, I did not transfer it. 

For the best taste, serve and have it warm with a choice of beverage.