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.

MIXED DAL DAHI VADA

Weekly once I crave for a chaat, of late I have been tuned that way. My men are not chaat lovers, I do it for myself and my help. Her Filipino taste buds got adapted to Indian Cuisine fast, I should get some credit for that. Well, she may not be a chaat lover, even if she is she would not admit because the son and the man dislike it, haha! Back home, my mom loves chaat. Whenever we went out, we would hop into the eateries and have a platter of chaat or Dosa or Idli. Then, I may not have loved these that much but now I do. Quite for sometime I did not prepare Dahi Vada, I have two bottles of homemade Date-Tamarind Chutney and Green Chutney following few of the friends' recipes, sev, i.e. gram flour noodles too, why delay? Usually the vada / balls is done with urad dal / black gram lentils. This time I did it with a mix of urad, moong, masoor, chana dal / lentil varieties, adding few spices. They tasted well with an addition of a generous amount of yogurt and chutney. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :[for the vada]

Urad Dal : 1/2 medium cup

Masoor[red lentil] : 1/4 medium cup

Moong Dal : 2tbsp

Chana[Bengal Gram] : 1tbsp

Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1/4tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp

Salt : As Required

Oil : 100ml[to fry]

INGREDIENTS :[final assembling]

Plain Yogurt : 200gm

Salt : 3pinches

Sugar : 1/2tsp

Chaat Masala : 1/2tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp

Date-Tamarind Chutney : 1/2small cup

Green Chutney : 1/4small cup

Sev : 2tbsp

Chopped Coriander Leaves : 1tbsp

METHOD :

Wash and soak the dal varieties in hot water for 1-2 hours. Drain the water and grind to a coarse paste in a blender.

Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and cumin seeds.

Heat the oil in a wok. Simultaneously boil half a vessel of water and switch off. Fry the vadas in batches and drop in the water. Take out after 5 minutes. This gives them sponge like consistency.

Keep the vadas onto tissue papers to get rid of the excess oil. Beat the yogurt adding the salt and sugar.

In a plate, arrange the vadas. Pour the yogurt. Add the dates-tamarind chutney and green chutney. Sprinkle the chaat masala, red chilli powder and the sev / gram flour noodles on the top. Add chopped coriander at last.

Serve chilled. Enjoy!

MURG PULAO

On days when I do not feel like spending much time in the kitchen, I choose this type of recipes to be cooked, that gets me less time spent in the kitchen with happier faces at the dining table. The carnivore duo at home are not fond of plain rice, when they get to see meat in some fried rice, they would enjoy it. They prefer one-pot meals, specially the senior does not want me to spend much time in the kitchen. I love being in the kitchen though there are days when I enjoy smart cooking. Yesterday was such a day. I planned to cook this Murg Pulao and serve it with raita and salad. Incorporating cucumber, tomato, carrot in the raita makes the platter a wholesome and tasty one. I prepared the pulao in the most simplest way with few spices. Had my men gladly ate bowls of raita & plates of salad, I would have happily cooked such  hassle free meals! That they would not do and I would not let them go without having good amount of vegetables, it is a necessity!

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 500gm
Rice : 1coffee mug [I used fragrant, short grain KALIJEERA rice]
Cashew Nut : 8-10 [halved]
Raisins : 10-12 
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 1tbsp
Onion Paste : 2-3 tbsp
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp

Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp
Cinnamon Stick : 2one inch
Green Cardamom : 2-3
Cloves : 2-3

Bayleaf : 3-4
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3tbsp
Ghee : 1/2 small tea cup

METHOD :

Wash the chicken pieces and marinate with salt, wash after an hour, thoroughly! Thereafter, marinate with  turmeric+cumin+coriander+red chilli powders, 2 tbsp oil, ginger+onion+garlic pastes, lemon juice. Keep aside for half an hour to 45 minutes!

Heat a wok! Add the marinated chicken, fold in well. Cover cook for 10-15 minutes stirring at regular intervals. After about half an hour, it should be done! If it releases enough water, we need not add water! Transfer to a bowl!

Wash the rice and drain the water! Spread a newspaper on the table & spread the rice grains on it! The rice grains would get free of water & get dry!

Take a heavy bottomed vessel or wok. Heat the oil and ghee together. Saute the cashews for a minute and take off. Temper with bayleaves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves, chopped green chillies.

Add the rice,  keep stirring for 7-8 minutes until the colour change. Add water double  of the rice using the same cup that measured the rice. Add some salt & sugar as required.

Give a stir & over cook at low heat for 10-12 minutes. When the rice is 80%done, add 1tsp ghee, the fried cashews and raisins. Add the chicken making some space in the middle! Cover cook for 6-7 minutes at minimal heat!

Lightly mix with a ladle. Turn off the gas stove after 2 minutes. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Shake well before serving. 

  

EGG MAHARANI

Some day, somewhere I have read that a community in the North-East region of India prepares an egg curry using lentils along with other spices. The rest I managed to forget, neither did I make any attempt to look for the exact recipe in the internet. Yesterday, I planned for an egg curry and wished to incorporate some dal protein, making the dish wholesome and flavourful too in the process. I purposefully did not look for the original recipe, I wished to prepare it in my own way with the apparent idea I had of it. I remotely remember one of my neighbourhood friends in Kolkata cooked "dal-dim" among other varieties on her elder daughter's birthday, the son and other kids were invited. That was sometime in 2007 or 2008 or 2009 or 2010. This mumma wouldn't let him go alone from one block to the other within a gated community. An idea of the curry was there, I went ahead with it freely. In such a scenario, what I find tough is naming the dish. I cannot think much and named it Egg Maharani, given it's unique taste and flavour. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :

Egg : 4-5
Tomato : 1
Onion Paste : 1tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 2 tsp
Bengal Gram Dal : 1tsp
Moong Dal [skinless] : 1/2tsp
Masoor Dal [red skinless] : 1/2tsp
Cinnamon Stick : 1two inch
Green Cardamom : 2
Clove : 2-3

Bayleaf : 1
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Garam Masala Powder : 1/4tsp[optional]
Cashew nuts [halved] : 5-6
Raisins : 7-8
Oil : 3tbsp

METHOD :

Boil the eggs in enough water adding a little of salt. Once cold, clear off the shell. Slit little on both ends and rub with little salt.

Make a powder with the three varieties of lentils in a grinder. 

Wash and cut the tomatoes, discard the seeds. 

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the eggs, take out and keep aside. Temper the same oil with the bayleaf, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom and cloves.. Add the cashews and raisins. Fry for 1/2 a minute.

Add the onion paste and fry for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic pastes, fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the dal mix and saute for 3 minutes. Add the cumin powder, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Stir well for  1/2 a minute and add 2 big cups of water.

As the gravy comes to a boil, add the egg pieces and let cook at low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the garam masala powder, stir. It is done.

Serve hot with any kind of Indian Breads or rice.

CHINGRI KASHA

Bengalis are prawn lovers, as most part of the world is. We prepare a variety of recipes with it. At times it is a dry curry, at times with gravy, with different vegetables... potato, jackfruit, banana flower, raw papaya. When we prepare it with vegetables, we choose the smaller variety, while for gravies dry or soupy, the medium or bigger sized are preferred. The soaring height of it's price have made it difficult to have it on a regular basis, at least back in my hometown. We are unable to have what we like. Back home tiger prawns are much loved, unfortunately it is seen rare on the plate now. Where I stay at present is slightly better when it comes to the prices of prawn. It is an island, hence, we get a wide variety of prawns in varied sizes. Moreover, my men love them, I prefer this small sized, mostly with vegetables. This particular preparation is done with shredded coconut and selective spices using a little amount of water. Let us do this easy dry prawn curry.

INGREDIENTS :

Prawn[medium sized] : 500gm
Shredded Coconut : 1small cup
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Cumin Seed : 1/4 tsp

Bayleaf : 1
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Salt : As Required

METHOD :

Clean, devein and wash the prawns thoroughly. Rub with salt and 1/2 tsp of turmeric. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Lightly fry the prawns in batches, take out and keep aside.

Temper the oil with the cumin seeds and a bayleaf. Add the shredded coconut and saute for 1 minute.

Add the ginger paste, salt, turmeric and stir for 1-2 minutes. Now add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, fold in well and stir for 1/2 a minute.

Add the fried prawns, fold in well and keep stirring at high heat for a minute or two. Add half small tea cup of water. Let cook covered at medium heat till the water dries up.

Enjoy with peeping hot steamed rice. We had some Palak Dal / Lentil Spinach Curry alongside!

VEGETABLE ROLL

When the neighbourhood confectionaries emerged in Kolkata, we came in contact with this! For this middle-class self, Pantheras was foreign! These confectionaries for the first time reached the middle-class homes for whom those in the Park Street area was another world! Pantheras became vegetable rolls in these outlets & to the Bengali catering houses! They however kept the non-vegetarian versions too! But we were denied of buying them, not solely because of the price but with the same warning time and again.... they are fried in poor quality oil. I think this was the scenario in many homes. 

Beyond all these warnings was a greedy soul who would stand in front of 'Chop kaku's' shop and watch all the activities. A big wok full of hot oil, how skilfully the person dipped the thing in a batter made of gram flour and dropped them in the hot oil to fry. At times the lady of the house did give in and bought her kids those fries. I remember the newspaper bags[thonga] all soaked in oil and the self carefully taking out the 'chop' and giving a heavenly bite. Honestly, today I too will not allow my son to have such oil soaked stuffs.

Our mom used to prepare certain kind of fries & fritters at home if not these vegetable rolls. It took me over forty years to do them in my kitchen. I think my tryst with food is since when I was born! Aah; my home sweet home and all of these little things add up to the sweetness. These vegetable rolls did I prepare mainly with boiled beetroot, potato, green peas and few spices. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS [for the dough]

Refined Flour : 2 coffee mug

Salt : 1/4 tsp

Oil : 2 tbsp

INGREDIENTS [for the filling]

Beetroot : 2
Potato : 1
Green Peas : 2tbsp

Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Asafoetida : 1-2 pinch

Cumin Powder : 2 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As required
Sugar : 1 tsp or Jaggery
Cornflour : 1tbsp
Oil : 1tbsp 

INGREDIENTS [for the final product]

The Cooked Filling

The Dough

Bread Crumb : 250-300 gm

Refined Flour : 2-3 tbsp

Oil to Deep Fry

METHOD :

Peel, wash, cut the beetroots and potatoes. Take them in a pressure cooker, pour two coffee mugs of water and pressure cook up to two whistles. Once cool, strain the water and mash all of them adding a little of salt. The water can be reserved for future use in curries or soups.

Heat I tbsp of oil in a wok. Temper with the asafoetida & cumin seeds. Add the mashed potatoes n beetroot and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes.

Once the mixture starts drying, add the salt and the spice powders, green peas and fold in well. Keep stirring for few more minutes!

Add the sugar or the jaggery and the cornflour, stir cook for 2-3 minutes & take down on a plate! Let it cool!

Prepare a dough mixing together the refined flour, salt, oil, adding a little of water at a time, then kneading it! It would take 7-8 minutes! Keep the dough covered for 10-15 minutes.

Thereafter, remove the cover, knead for 2-3 minutes  and tear off smaller portions!

Roll out each ball into round paratha shapes, add some filling and fold as below. You can place the filling on the side too & roll!

At first dip each of the rolls in the refined flour-water mixture we would prepare, thereafter, coat with the bread crumb! Repeat it again!

Heat the oil in a clean wok. Deep fry them in batches and transfer onto a tissue paper to get rid of the excess oil.

Serve & have them hot with your choice of sauce / dip / chutney, onion and cucumber rings!

KASHMIRI PANEER CHAMAN

I was looking for a different paneer recipe I have never cooked before. I landed at this recipe of Kashmiri style paneer recipe which they call Veth Chaman in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. As I came across the recipe, I was once again lost in the past. It was October, 1987 that we visited Kashmir, indeed a Paradise on Earth. 

Mesmerised by its picturesque beauty, I always wished to visit again in future but never could. Everything I saw there is fresh on my mind till date, even the innocence of the rural people. A basket full of apples was gifted happily, they even refused to take money. Then what did they ask for in return? Our mother's strips of Bindi.

I do not remember if we had tasted the local cuisine there or not. What I always say is that our parents were limited in their choice of food then. What I read is this Paneer Chaman is a vegetarian recipe prepared by the Kashmiri Pandits of Jammu and Kashmir. I went through a number of recipes and finally adapted this recipe from "mapsofindia.com". The paneer pieces are usually fried but I did not as I was trying to reduce the amount of oil consumption. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :

Paneer : 300gm
Tomato : 2medium
Asafoetida : A pinch
Ginger Powder : 1tsp
Fennel Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1/4tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1/4tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As required
Cumin Seeds : 2pinches
Milk : 1/2 small cup
Oil : 2tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Cut the paneer into cubes, marinate with a little of salt. Cut and wash the tomatoes, discard the seeds. Prepare a tomato paste in the blender.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with the cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida.

Add the tomato paste and saute well for 2-3 minutes. Add some salt, turmeric powder, ginger powder, fennel powder, Kashmiri mirch, red chilli powder and stir well for a minute.

Pour half cup water and let the gravy boil at low heat for 3-4 minutes.

Add the paneer pieces and milk. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the garam masala powder. Stir carefully.

Let cook for half a minute and switch off the gas stove.

Enjoy it with any kind of handmade bread.