MATAR MUSHROOM

Mushroom is something we never had in India. I was scared to buy it and ended up identifying it with 'byanger chata', meaning frog's umbrella which is poisonous. What aggravated the fear was the news of people dying eating poisonous "byanger chata" considering it mushroom in the interiors of Bengal. Hence, I never did buy them. In the mid-90's, I saw mushroom farming at my friend Juthika's home. After shifting to this island, I was awestruck to see many a variety of mushrooms and the health benefits they have. I gradually started including it in our meal plan. I failed to persuade my choosy about food pa-in-law to have mushroom till date, haha. He still has serious doubts about it. We get good quality mushrooms in the supermarkets of India. I would still suggest not to buy it from the road side stalls there, rather I would say that about Kolkata. I prefer Indian Curries with mushrooms. I incorporate them in my salads too. I am yet to learn to make the creamy homemade mushroom sauce. I have gone through some really good recipes of that. This recipe I have done simply with our regular Indian spices and sliced mushrooms. Most of it's variety is unknown to me, hence I prefer doing it with the common varieties. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS :

Mushroom [Any Variety] : 250gm
Green Peas : 1/2 medium cup

Tomato Paste : 4-5 tbsp
Onion Paste : 2 tbsp

Ginger Paste : 1 tsp

Garlic Paste : 1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp

Dry Mango Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Ginger Paste : 1/2tsp
Garlic Paste : 1/4tsp
Salt : As required
Cumin Seeds : 1/4 tsp

Bay Leaf : 1
Oil : 2tbsp

METHOD :

Heat the oil in a pan. Wash the green peas and mushrooms, apply a little of salt. Add to the oil and saute lightly at low heat. Take out and keep aside.

Temper the oil with the bayleaf & cumin seeds. Add the tomato and onion paste. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes.

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

Add 1 medium cup of water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2-3 minutes. Add the lightly sautéed green peas and mushrooms. Let cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the dry mango and garam masala powders and give a stir. Cook for 2-3 minute. It is done.

Enjoy with any kind of flatbread or cumin tempered rice!

SHALLOW FRIED SPICED FISH WITH GARLIC PEPPER RICE

This is an absolute favourite at my home, to be precise with my men. They are not good example of a Bengali. All my efforts to make them that goes in vein. I sweat out in the kitchen and there is no smiley faces I get to see on the dinner table. The senior still loves a nicely made 'macher jhol', the junior prefers this kind. He prefers a flavoured rice more with boneless fish steaks, else mumma has to de-bone the fish. 

I wonder how the son does not enjoy regular Bengali Food. He was fed simple, Bengali meals since age six. Though their preference of food leads me to hassle free cooking, I am not happy. I do Bengali cooking and share the joy with the people around who love it. I cannot accept the fact that my son will have only meat and no fish. I feel it is a serious threat to my Bengali identity. After all Bengalis are fish lovers. I try to prepare it the way he loves. 

I feel this generation kids do not want to make any effort for anything.... my boy prefers prawns and fish fillets for the same reason. To see some sunshine on their face, I decided the other day to prepare this platter but I had only Bengal Carp / Katla Steaks in my freezer. Accompanied by a generous serving of salad, it is goodness in a plate. You can use boneless fish fillets for the fish preparation. Compiled together both recipes of spicy fish and garlic pepper rice.

INGREDIENTS : [for the Garlic Pepper Rice]

Rice : 1big cup
Black Pepper Powder [fresh, coarsely ground] : 1tsp
Garlic [minced] : 1tbsp
Salt : As required
Oil : 1tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the Fish Fry]

Boneless Firm Fish Fillets : 5-6 [I used bone on Bengal Carp Steaks]
Lemon Juice : 2-3 tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 1tbsp+1tbsp

METHOD : [the Garlic Pepper Rice]

Prepare the rice in enough water till it is 70% done. Spread over a newspaper and let cool.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic and saute at high heat until it gives a nice aroma. Add the rice, fold in well.

Add the salt and pepper powder, fold in well and stir at high heat for 2 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

METHOD : [the Swallow Fried Spiced Fish]

Wash and marinate the fish steaks with lemon juice and little salt for 1/2 an hour.

Now discard the marinade. Rub the fish pieces with cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, Kashmiri Chilli powder, 1tbsp oil, turmeric powder and a little of salt. Keep aside for 20 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and swallow fry the marinated fish steaks on both sides. They will be crisp with softer interior as we are using less oil in it.

Serve hot with a choice of salad. That is really quick, no fuss cooking!

MOONG PULI

With Makar Sankranti round the corner, many of us are busy preparing pitha, payesh, following the family traditions. I do not know a variety of them, just do the usual ones, patishapta, malpua, puli pitha, choshir payesh. Usually, the Bengalis offer to the God and then savour them sitting together. Preparing them in the evening and having them the next morning is the best idea, however.... this Moong Puli should be had warm. Pitha, payesh / steamed or fried savoury & sweet snacks, pudding tastes best the next day of preparation otherwise. Some of them should we have hot though. My childhood memory of having pitha is the wintry mornings, the courtyard [uthon] in the maternal grandparent's home, grand mom preparing a variety of them in a mud oven [unan] lighted with wood and dried jute plant stems [patkathi]. We must remember that even the rice flour [with atap chal] had to be made at home which was a tedious job.

This is my first attempt at Moong Puli. Bhaja pitha tastes yum along with the steamed ones. Moong Puli can be soaked in sugar or date palm jaggery syrup also after being fried. I skipped that part and served the fried ones. This one tastes best when served fresh and hot. Let us do it. My men would have pithe-puli [of their choice] whenever served. The father loved immensely, Bhai's intake of pithe-puli depends upon his mood! He eats but not in the same frequency as in case of biryani or roll!

Authentically, Makkar Sankranti goodies are cooked using rice flour, jaggery, coconut. I did not see in the grandmother's era semolina, refined flour to be used in the making of the winter goodies. Even she prepared her own rice flour in the "jata kol" the family owned, also a "hamandista!"During our mother's era, I saw her using semolina, refined flour in the "pithe-puli", that started in the late 70's, early 80's; continuing till date!

INGREDIENTS :[for the dough]

Moong Dal [split yellow lentil] : 1medium tea cup

Refined Flour  or Rice Flour : 2-3 tbsp [authentically rice flour is used]
Salt : A pinch of

Turmeric Powder : A pinch of
Water : As required

INGREDIENTS :[for the filling]

Shredded Coconut : 1 coffee cup
Jaggery : 1/2 small tea cup
Sugar : 1tbsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1tsp

INGREDIENTS :[for the Moong Puli]

The Lentil Dough

The coconut jaggery filling

Oil : To deep fry

METHOD :

Dry roast the dal, wash and pressure cook up to 2 whistles using 11/2 cup water. Please note do not use much of water. If it gets watery, we will find it very difficult to prepare the dough.

Once cool, the lid would open! Add the refined flour or rice flour, incorporate well and stir cook for few minutes. Take down on a plate, let cool.

To the dough, add a pinch of salt, turmeric and keep kneading until a firm dough is formed. Keep covered with a piece of cloth while we prepare the filling.

Heat a pan, add the shredded coconut and stir for a minute. Break the jaggery into smaller pieces and add to the pan.

Keep stirring, we will see the jaggery melts. Add the sugar and after 5 minutes, the cardamom powder. We will keep stirring till a sticky filling is prepared. Let it cool.

Prepare medium sized ball from the dough and make a hollow. Fill in with 2 spoonful of coconut - jaggery filling.

Close and shape as you desire! I did one, the rest were shaped by Cristine!

Heat the oil in a wok and deep fry in batches. The oil should be neither too hot nor less. If more they will burn, if less they will break.

Once done, place them onto a tissue paper before serving warm. If you wish to refrigerate, let them cool then keep. Take them out an hour before having, always warm a bit before you eat! This particular pithe tastes the best when fresh & warm!

I was going wrong somewhere while making this goodie. I was not adding any amount of refined flour or rice flour to the lentil dough! Hence, they were breaking while frying! What I want to learn, I would!

A REGULAR QUICK EGG CURRY

This is an easy week day night solution. There are days when we wish to keep the cooking simple, spend less time in the kitchen. I particularly feel like this on the weekday evenings. If it is a weekday, I prefer cooking in the evening so that food can be served fresh and hot to my men. At the same time, I wish to keep it simple, so that I can spend minimal time in the kitchen. To me, weekday evenings are meant to peep into the junior's room at regular intervals and check whether he is studying or not. It is also to wait for the senior to come back and have small chit chat while watching the television together. This is an egg curry which I did the simplest way. May be because I was not willing to chop the onion, peel the ginger-garlic and grind them into a paste. Perhaps my help was away for some other work. I have never claimed myself to be an independent worker, even if I be given any credit, half goes to her. Besides all these excuses, there is also the willingness to try something new or different. Hence this light & tangy egg curry, a minimalist approach. I think my recipes are just apt for a bachelor or a newly married girl or boy settling abroad. Boys must take part in the household works! Let us do it which will take a little more than 1/2 an hour.

INGREDIENTS :

Egg : 6
Tomato : 1big

Onion : 1 medium sized

Ginger Paste : 1 tsp

Garlic Paste : 2 tsp
Green Chilli : 2-3
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 2pinches
Coriander Leaves : 2sprig
Bayleaf : 1
Oil : 2tbsp

METHOD :

Boil the eggs in enough water for about 10 minutes. Leave them for some time to cool! Thereafter, peel off the shells cautiously. Wash carefully under the running water.

Make slits on both the ends. Rub with  a little of salt & turmeric powder. Keep aside for 5 minutes.

Wash and chop the coriander leaves discarding the roots. Peel, discard the two ends, wash & slice the onion. Wash and slit the green chillies. Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes discarding the seeds.

Heat the oil in a wok. Lightly fry the boiled and marinated eggs at low heat. Keep aside.

Temper the oil with the cumin seeds and a bayleaf. Add the sliced onions & fry until golden brown! 

Add the ginger & garlic pastes, stir cook at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes! 

Add the chopped tomatoes, rest of the salt and turmeric powder. Stir until the tomato pieces melt and separates from the oil.

Add one coffee mug of water. Bring to a boil. Add the fried eggs. Let boil for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chopped coriander leaves. Cook for another 1/2 a minute. It is done.

Enjoy with steamed rice or with roti!

CAULIFLOWER STUFFED SAMOSA / PHOOLKOPIR SHINGARA

Phoolkopir Shingara / Potato-Cauliflower stuffed Fried Samosa Snack is a nostalgia. It is a winter speciality. Earlier cauliflower was available in the winter alone. It took an entire day for our mom for the preparation. In the evening, she would bring her stove in the bedroom, switch off the fan and fry one after another. We would flock around with a bowl to have them fresh and hot. Stove was a kind of portable oven largely used in those days as an alternative arrangement to gas oven. Whenever mom prepared some time consuming dishes, she would use it, so that she could sit and do. She would prepare mini-sized samosas so that we could have quite a number without feeling too heavy on the stomach. Coming to the present, cauliflower is available throughout the year, at least at the place where I stay. I still prefer to do this kind of samosa with a cauliflower stuffing during these months of the year.... December and January. With peas available readily in packets, it is not a tedious job anymore. We can do these mouthwatering samosas with everything available at home.... maida, oil, cauliflower, green pea, potato. Let us do it.

INGREDIENTS: [for the coverage]

Refined Flour : 2cups
Oil : 2 tbsp
Salt : As Required

INGREDIENTS : [for the filling]

Cauliflower : 1 small
Green Pea : 1/2 small cup
Potato : 2 medium sized
Roasted Peanut : 1tbsp

Bengali Five Spice : 1/4 tsp [Panchphoron]
Dry red chilli : 2
Cumin Seed : 1tsp 
Coriander Seed : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1/2tsp
Oil : 1tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [to fry the snacks]

The uncooked stuffed Samosas
Oil : 150-200ml [the left over can be used later]

[Yields about 10-12 samosas]

METHOD :

Let us prepare the filling. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, the potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes. Wash and apply salt and turmeric. 

Dry roast the dry red chilli, coriander and cumin seeds and dry grind to a coarse powder.

Heat the oil in a pan and temper with the  Bengali five spices, crushed ginger and chopped green chilli [I forgot].  Add the cauliflower florets and the potato pieces, stir for a minute and cover cook for 3-4 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the green peas and fry for 2 minutes. Add the sugar, salt if required, the freshly made spice powder. Mash a bit the vegetables with the ladle.Stir  and cook for 2-3 minutes till it dries up completely. We are done, transfer to a bowl and let it cool.

We will prepare the dough. Take the refined flour, salt and 2-3 tbsp oil in a wide mouthed big bowl. Keep rubbing for 3-4 minutes.

Now add water little by little and keep kneading until a smooth dough is formed. Cristine did the kneading part. We will cover it for 30 minutes.

Remove the cover from the dough and knead for a minute or two again. Make balls and roll out roundels from it.

Wet the edges with water and fold to form pockets. Fill with the stuffing. Close tight as in the picture. I am not good with the shape, just manage. Cristine shaped the maximum.

Heat 200 ml of oil in a wok. Lower the heat to minimum once it is warm[not hot]. Fry the snacks in batches at low heat until they are golden brown. Keep on tissue papers to get rid of the excess oil before serving.

Enjoy with your choice of chutney or sauce!

MOM'S LIGHT CHICKEN CURRY

I remotely remember chicken took an entry in our home when I was in middle school. Earlier, to us meat meant mutton alone. Chicken was forbidden in many a Hindu households. The reasons are known but we are not always at the liberty to disclose what we know. At this age, I feel the reason was silly. I would not glorify or justify what I think is wrong. The parents started their life in Kolkata since the mid of 1976, years after that chicken entered our home.

Our moms were good cooks of their times but were not keen about experimental cooking. They were happy and content with whatever they have learnt in the family. Though our mom made a breakthrough and welcomed a bit the cuisines of the other states of India. Her daughter was a foodie, the son wasn't.

This particular chicken curry was simply done and called "murgir patla jhol". In the bygone days, chicken used to be a Sunday affair, just as watching Ramayana was. Having shaak [leafy green veggies], chicken curry, watching the television serials alongside was such a pleasure. Happiness was abundant within that two roomed rented flat, because life was simple, demands fewer. This chicken curry is made simply with ginger garlic paste and onion with no garam masala added. Let us do it. The mother definitely used freshly pasted cumin & coriander seeds. In our family, good quality spices were bought, washed, dried in the Sun and then pasted in the "shilnora" for use in cooking. I use spice powders mostly.

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 1kg
Onion : 2-3 medium
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tbsp

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 2 tsp
Green Chilli : 4
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp[juice of 1 lemon]
Salt : As required
Bayleaf : 1
Oil : 3tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and apply salt, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and lemon juice. Keep aside for an hour.

Heat the oil in a wok. Peel, wash and slice the onions. Add the sliced onions to the oil and fry till brown and transfer to a bowl.

Temper the same oil with a bayleaf. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry until it separates from the oil. Add the turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cumin & coriander powders, salt to it and fry for 1/2 a minute.

Add the chicken along with the marinade to the wok and fold in well with the spice mix. Keep stirring at high heat for 2-3 minutes.

Lower the heat to minimum and cover cook until all of the water released dries up. This may take about 20 minutes. Add the fried onions now. Fold in well.

Add two medium cups of warm water. As it comes to a boil, slit the green chillies and add. 

Cook for another 5 minutes at low heat. It should be done.

Enjoy with piping hot  steamed rice or chapati!

NAVRATAN KORMA

Navaratan Korma did I prepare for the first time... What motivated me? Perhaps a worst tasted one that I ordered from a local restaurant during my stay in Kolkata this time, even worse was that, it came for my brother who is quite choosy about food. For me too, food is all about the good colour, texture and taste. I also believe in value for money. Hence, totally irritated with what I got, I made up my mind to try my hands on it. The sad part is I could not treat my brother with it, may be on my next visit. I do miss my family back home and definitely my city. For doing this Navratan Korma, I went through a number of recipes and then did it my own way. To keep it low caloric, I used yogurt and milk instead of fresh cream. There is less use of cream and cheese in our home. The vegetables I used are carrot, french beans, green peas, cauliflower. To them I added paneer, cashews, raisins and pineapple chunks. Let us see how we do it.

INGREDIENTS : [main]

Carrot : 1
French Bean : 7-8
Green Pea : 2 tbsp
Cauliflower Floret : 1small bowl
Pineapple[cubed] : 2-3 tbsp
Cashew nut [halved] : 2 tsp
Raisins : 1 tsp
Paneer [cubed] : 100-150gm [South Asian cottage cheese]

INGREDIENTS : [the spice paste]

Poppyseed : 1tsp [substitute with white sesame or melon seeds if you stay in Dubai or Singapore]
Coconut [shredded] : 2 tbsp
Tomato Paste : 2-3 tbsp
Onion Paste : 1tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 1/2tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder : 1/2 tsp [this dish need not be hot, so I used Kashmiri Mirch
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
Plain Yogurt : 1/2 small cup
Milk : 1/2 small cup
Salt : As required

INGREDIENTS : [final countdown]

Bayleaf : 1
Green Cardamom : 2
Cinnamon : 1two inch stick
Oil : 2 tbsp
Ghee [clarified butter] : 1 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash and cut the vegetables into small pieces, take each in separate bowls. Rub them with salt. The carrot needs to be peeled.

Soak the poppyseed [I used melon seeds] in warm water for an hour and blend to a paste along with the shredded coconut. Get ready with the ginger, garlic, tomato and onion paste.

Heat the oil and ghee together in a wok. Temper it with a bayleaf, the green cardamoms and the cinnamon sticks. Add the onion paste and saute for a minute or two. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Now add the poppyseed-coconut paste. Saute for a minute. Add the tomato paste, fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the carrot pieces, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Give a stir and cover cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, French Beans and stir. Cover cook for a minute. Remove the cover and add a small cup of water. Cover cook for 2-3 minutes at medium to low flame.

Remove the  cover, add the paneer cubes, green peas, cashews, raisin, stir. Blend together the milk and curd and pour over the curry. Let boil for a minute or two.

Add the pineapple cubes and the garam masala powder. Stir and let cook for 1/2 a minute. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Garnish with a spoonful of milk-yogurt mix.

Enjoy with any kind of Handmade bread!

TANGRA MAACHER JHOL

Tangra Mach is a variety of fresh water small cat fish. I did not get it's English name in google search, only that it belongs to the cat fish family. It is a much loved fish among us, in fact quite popular throughout Eastern India. On each visit to my hometown, I cook and have all kinds of fresh water fish to my heart's content. We do get here fresh Tangra where we stay, but rarely, I would not get frozen variety of this one. Our fish loving community needs to have fish on a regular basis. It is also true that we adjust to the circumstances slowly and gradually. We prepare this small fresh water fish in a number of ways, light curries, at times with mustard seeds & green chilli paste, at times with veggies. My today's post is about preparing a light curry with Tangra fish, flavoured with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Let us see how we do it.

INGREDIENTS :

Tangra Mach [small cat fish] : 500gm
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 2pinches
Coriander Leaves : 2tbsp[chopped]
Oil [authentically mustard] : 4tbsp

METHOD :

Clean and wash the fish thoroughly. Rub with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Keep aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the fish lightly on both sides and keep on tissue papers to get rid of the excess oil.

Temper the remaining oil with cumin seeds. Add the ginger paste. Saute for a minute. Add the salt, turmeric, chilli powder and fry for another minute.

Add a cup of water and let boil for 3-4 minutes. Add the fried fish. Cover and let boil for 2-3 minutes at low heat.

Add the chopped coriander leaves, give a stir and switch off the gas stove.

Serve with piping hot steamed rice.

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.