Showing posts with label Su's experiment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Su's experiment. Show all posts

Saturday 5 December 2020

Steamed Orange Cup Sandesh infused with Orange Jam




Since Oranges are rich in Vitamin C and very good for keeping  the cold away in the winters... here is a healthy Bengali sweet dish fusion with oranges and cottage cheese.. to celebrate any moment of your day. Sandesh is a Bengali sweet dish made from cottage cheese... to which I have added home made Orange Jam to enhance the flavour of the orange. 


Ingredients 

5 medium size Oranges cut into halves

250 grams Paneer / Cottage Cheese / Chenna

1/2  cup Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1/3 cup Condense Milk 

Method 

- Using a citrus juicer, remove the juice from the oranges, without damaging the orange peel cups.. incase citrus juicer is not available, then remove the orange segments from the orange peel cups and press the segments through a strainer to procure the juice, discard the seeds.. we should get around 2 cups of orange juice. Gently remove the orange pith from the orange cups. Blanch the orange cups in hot water to remove the bitterness from the skin. 

- Take a pot, add a cup of orange juice, sugar and salt, let the juice reduce on a low flame, stirring it occasionally until the juice reduces and thickens. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside. Once cool, the orange jam will thicken further. 

- Take a blender, add the cottage cheese, condensed milk and the remaining cup of orange juice. Blend all the ingredients together into a smooth paste in a blender. 

- Take a steamer, add water into the steamer, set the steamer plate,  arrange the orange peel cups on the plate. Pour the liquid into the orange cups. Add a tsp of the orange jam into each of the orange cups. Steam the orange cups sandesh for 15 minutes. 

- Remove the steamed orange cup sandesh from the steamer the steamer and cool them a bit, then cool the orange cup sandesh in the fridge, before serving  garnish the orange cups with orange jam, dried orange peel and some mint leaves.

-  This portion gives 10 Steamed Orange Cup Sandesh. 

#dessert #bengalicuisine #cottagecheese #orange #innovativecooking #delicious #yummy #foodphotography #foodie #recipepost #cookingwithlove #homechef #foodoftheday #recipeoftheday 

Thursday 11 June 2020

Chicken - Aloo Tikki


This is a bit different Chicken - Aloo Tikki recipe, that I made in my Kitchen. Chicken boneless pieces are required, along with potatoes and with just few spices like cloves, cinnamon and cardamom that goes into a Bengali garam masala. 
This dish goes well as a starter and as snacks. This can be served with green coriander chutney and ketchup. 




Ingredients 
10 to 12 medium pieces of Boneless Chicken  preferred 
2 medium size Potatoes (peel and chop 1 potato into very small pieces and peel and cut the other potato into big pieces as it will grind with the chicken) 
2 Green Chillies (1 Chilli to grind and another chilli to slice) or added chillies as per requirement. 
5 to 6 Garlic Cloves 
1 small Ginger piece
1 tbsp chopped Coriander 
2 tbsp Sour Curd 
Salt to taste 
1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder 
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup Fine Semolina 
1/4 cup Vermicelli 
Oil to fry 
Method 

Take a grinder jar, add the chicken pieces, big potato pieces, 1 chilli, garlic, ginger and salt. Grind the ingredients into a paste, add 2 tbsp curd and grind the paste once more. Remove the paste into a bowl. Add the chopped potato pieces, sliced chilli and chopped coriander leaves. Mix the ingredients together. Add the rice flour, mix it and keep it aside for an hour. Add the vermicelli and mix the ingredients together, now add the semolina and garam masala powder. Mix the ingredients once more. Heat up the oil in a wok, Take small lime size portions and flatten the ball. Once the oil heats up, add the tikkis into the oil, fry the tikkis on medium low flame until golden brown in colour. Remove the tikkis on a paper towel. Serve the tikkis with green chutney and ketchup. 

Saturday 23 November 2019

Baked Chingri Begun


This is a side dish made with prawns and brinjal. Though the wet paste made with mustard seeds and other ingredients are commonly used in Bengali dishes to make Jhal, Paturi, Bhapa etc, and even brinjal is a common ingredient used along with fish to make curry, here I have tried out the recipe in a bit different way... 
This dish can be made with other small fishes. 
You can serve this dish with steamed rice.



Ingredients 
1 medium size Bharta Baigan / Brinjal 
10 to 12 medium size  Prawns cleaned and deveined
1 small Onion or 1/4 part of the Onion
4 to 5 Garlic Cloves 
4 to 6 Green Chillies as per the spiciness you require 
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut  
1 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Poppy seeds
1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 
2 tbsp + 1 tsp Mustard Oil 
2 tbsp Curd (Optional)





Method 
Take the brinjal, cut the brinjal from the center horizontally leaving the end tail part of the brinjal intact. Scoop out the inner part of the brinjal on both the sides. Keep it aside. Now chop the scooped flesh of the brinjal and keep it aside. Take a grinder, add the onion, green chillies, garlic, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, coconut, turmeric powder and salt. Add little water and 2 tbsp of curd (optional), make a smooth paste. Rub little salt on the inner and outer parts of the brinjal.  Take a bowl, add the prawn, chopped brinjal flesh, coriander leaves, 2 tbsp mustard oil and the paste. Mix all the ingredients together. Now stuff the prawn stuffing on one side of scooped brinjal. Cover it with the other side of the brinjal. Tie up the brinjal with a thread. Keep the stuffed brinjal in the refrigerator for an hour, Remove the brinjal from the fridge.  Place the brinjal into a baking tray, pour the remaining mustard oil, and apply the oil on the brinjal. To bake, you can either bake it in a preheated OTG at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the brinjal after 10 minutes to cook it evenly or to bake it on a gas stove, take a wok, place a pressure cooker stand into the wok, cover the the wok for 5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid, place the tray on the cooker stand. Cover the lid and bake for 10 minutes on medium low flame, after 10 minutes turn the side then continue to cook for another 20 minutes with the lid covered. Remove the baking tray from the wok. Remove the thread, place the brinjal on a serving plate and open one side of the brinjal. Pour in the liquid of the baked brinjal and prawns. Garnish with coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve the dish with hot steaming rice.

Tuesday 5 November 2019

Pork ar Tomato r Acchar


Pickle making is my passion, I love to develop new pickle recipes,  specially when it comes to non veg pickles adding up with vegetables...This is a Bengali style meat and tomato pickle. You can use any meat, here I have used pork. 




For the Masala
Ingredients 
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds 
1 tbsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
25 Garlic Cloves 
2 to 3 small piece of Ginger 
10 to 15 Green Chillies depending upon the spiciness you require



Method 
Take a grinder, add the dry ingredients and coarsely grind into a powder. Keep it aside. 
Now grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies into a coarse paste without adding any water, keep it aside. 




Pork and Tomato Acchar 
Ingredients 
250 grams Pork meat + 125 pork fat cut into small pieces 
375 grams Ripe Tomato chopped into small cubes 
Dry Masala powder 
Wet Masala
1 tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder 
Salt to taste 
1 1/2 tsp Sugar 
1/2 tsp Panch Phoran 
1/2 cup Vinegar 
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup Mustard oil



Method 
Take a strainer, add the pork pieces along with the pork fat in the strainer, sprinkle and apply salt on the pork, keep it aside for an hour or two for draining out the extra water. Pour 1/4 cup mustard oil in a heavy bottom pan. Let it heat up, add the pork pieces and fry the pork until golden in colour on a low medium flame. Remove and keep it aside. In the same pan, add the panch phoran, sauté for few seconds. Add the wet paste. Add the remaining mustard oil. Sauté and cook the paste on a low flame until the oil separates from the masala. Now add the tomato pieces. Sauté and cook the tomatoes until the tomatoes have become pulpy and the oil has separated from the tomatoes. Add the pork, continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add the dry masala, salt, sugar, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the flame and add 1/4 cup of vinegar, stir and then add the remaining vinegar and stir, let the pickle cool down completely. Store the pickle in a dry glass container. This pickle can be preserved for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. 




Thursday 6 December 2018

Bhetki Maacher Pulao / Bhetki Fish Pulao


Made this home style Bhetki Pulao which is very quick and easy to cook. This can be made with any boneless fish left in your freezer. 
Ingredients 
500 grams of Bhetki fish boneless cut into small chunks 
1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice washed and  soaked 
1 Big size Onion sliced 
1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste
2 Green Chillies cut lengthwise 
Few Coriander leaves chopped 
2 Bay leaves 
2 Cloves 
2 Green Cardamoms 
1 small stick Cinnamon 
5 to 6 Pepper Corns
1/2 cup Whisked Curd 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp Chilli powder 
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1 tsp Cumin powder 
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
3 tbsp Ghee 



Method 
Take a pot. Add ghee, let it heat up. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper corns and bay leaves. Let it crackle. Add the sliced onion and sauté till the onions are translucent. Add the ginger - garlic paste. Continue to sauté for a minute more. Add the curd, salt, sugar, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin power and garam masala powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, add the fish pieces and the green chillies, continue to cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the fish pieces from the masala and keep it aside. Add 4 cups of water. Let it simmer. Add the rice. Let it continue to cook until the rice is almost done. Place the fish on the rice, gently stir the rice, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame. Open the lid and gently stir it again. Garnish with coriander leaves.  Let the pulao stand for 15 minutes before serving, so that the excess vapour will evaporate. It goes well with salad and  curd.

Thursday 12 July 2018

Pur Bhora Komroni


These are stuffed Pumpkin Fritters. Normally in Bengal we have pumpkin pieces dipped into gram flour batter and deep fried. Here I have added a stuffing between the two pumpkin pieces, then dipped it into the batter and fried. I have added prawns in the stuffing but prawns can be omitted... for vegetarians. This dish goes well with hot steaming rice.

For the Stuffing
Ingredients
* 10 pieces of Prawns
* 2 tbsp Mustard seeds
* 1 1/2 tbsp Poppy seeds
* 1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut
* 1 Garlic
* 1 or 2 Green Chillies as per the requirement
* Salt to taste


Method
Add all the above ingredients into a grinder. Avoid water, if required then add a tbsp of water and continue to grind. Grind it into a coarse thick paste.

For Komroni
Ingredients
* Pumpkin cut into 30 square thin pieces
* Stuffing
* 3/4 cup Rice flour
* 3/4 cup Gram flour
* 1/4 tsp Nigella seeds
* Salt to taste
* Mustard Oil for deep frying

Method
Take a bowl, add rice flour, gram flour, salt and nigella seeds. Add water little at a time and whip into a thick dropping consistently. Keep the batter aside. Heat the oil in a pan. Meanwhile take a pumpkin piece. Apply the stuffing onto the pumpkin slice. Take another pumpkin piece and cover the stuffing. Press the pumpkin slice from top, so that while frying the pumpkin pieces don’t open up. Repeat the process with other pumpkin pieces. Take the pumpkin pieces, deep it into the batter and fry it until golden brown from both the sides. Eat it hot with hot steaming rice.

P.S. I have not peeled the pumpkin, but you can peel it. Try to cut it into a thin slice.
Fresh Coconut is preferable, if you don’t have then use desiccated coconut.


Tuesday 1 May 2018

Kacha Aamer ar Kacha Laal Lonkar Chutney


Due to the intense heat in Mumbai, going into the kitchen and cooking is a big noooo.... The only food I cook is very basic  simple  dal and rice or just some curry to have it with rice and that’s it. Only dish I prefer the most is dal and rice with with some Pickle or Chutney. Here is a superb recipe of Green Mango and Red Chilli Chutney that can be kept for 5 to 6 months in the fridge and it goes well the dal - rice or any fried starter or paratha. In Bengal, Kacha Aamer Chutney is made with panch phoron seasoning and flavoured with roasted panch phoron powder. Taking inspiration from the authentic traditional recipe here is my innovative version of the Chutney.. 


Ingredients 
3 cups of grated Green Mangoes ( Washed, Peeled and then grated )
1/2 cup Red Chilli Pepper paste ( Red Chilli Pepper is a variety of red fresh chilli which is less spicy, cut them into pieces and remove excess seeds, add them into the grinder and make paste)
1 and 1/4 tbsp Ginger grated 
1/2 cup White Vinegar 
1/3 cup chopped Seedless Dates 
1/4 cup Raisins 
2 tsp Roasted Panch Phoron powder 
2 cups Sugar 
1 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Nigella seeds
2 Bay Leaves 
2 Dry Red Chilli cut into small pieces 
2 tbsp Mustard Oil 
2 cups of Water

Method 
Take oil in a pot, add oil, let it heat up. Add the nigella seeds, bay leaves and dry red chilli pieces. Stir and cook until the nigella seeds crackles. Add the green grated mangoes, stir and cook for few seconds. Add ginger, dates, raisins and salt. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the red chilli pepper paste, sugar, vinegar and water. Let it cook and simmer on low flame till the sugar syrup thickens up and looks glossy. Add the roasted panch phoron powder. Stir and let cook for few minutes. Switch off the flame. Let it cool, store the mango and red chilli chutney in a dry glass bottle. Serve the Chutney with dal - rice or it can be eaten as an accomplishment  with any fried starters or paratha. 

Panch Phoron is equal portions of Nigella Seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Celery Seeds, Cumin Seeds and Fennel seeds. As Celery seeds are not always available every where, use Mustard seeds instead of Celery seeds. 


Thursday 15 March 2018

Fresh Homemade Sausages without Casing


I love the Kolkata fresh sausages that my friend’s parents get for me, but unfortunately it’s not available in Mumbai. I had some boneless mutton in the fridge, so thought of experimenting  with mutton and  it turned out to be delicious. These fresh homemade sausages are quick and easy to make and satisfies your urge of  having sausages.  You can use boneless chicken or pork or mutton. Here I have used mutton.

Ingredients 
250 grams Boneless cold Mutton cut into small pieces 
30 grams Mutton Fat 
1 big Onion coarsely ground and water squeezed out
1 small Garlic pod finely minced 
1 small Ginger piece finely minced
1 Green Chilli finely minced 
1/2 cup Coriander leaves chopped 
1/2 cup Mint leaves chopped 
Salt to taste 
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 to 1 tsp Red Chilli powder 
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
3 tbsp Oil





Method 
Take a electric chopper or a food processor. Add the Mutton pieces, finely mince it. Add the fat and mince it once more. Remove it into a bowl. Add the onion, mint, coriander, garlic, ginger, green chilli, garam masala, cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix it very well for 5 minutes until the fat and the meat binds very well. Grease the steamer plate. Take a steamer and heat up the water. Take a plastic sheet and spread it on the platform. Now apply oil on your palm and on the sheet. Take a big lemon size portion. Roll the mince meat on the sheet and give it a longish sausage shape. Place the sausages into the steamer plate. Steam the sausages in batches for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the sausages from the steamer. Keep the sausages in the fridge for 30 minutes. If you are in a hurry then you can keep it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove it and now the sausages are ready to be fried. Take a pan add 1 tsp of oil, heat it. Add the sausages and toss the sausages till brown in colour. Serve them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I prefer having it with hot dal and rice. 

P. S. The meat pieces has to be cold so that it is easy to mince. 
The meat has to be finely minced and not paste. 
You can add 30 grams more fat if you want as I have used less fat. 
It is very important that the meat and the fat binds very well. 



Saturday 10 March 2018

Almond and Whole Wheat Orange Cookies


These orange flavoured cookies are home made and healthy too. Make them for your friends and family in a day advance and enjoy them with a hot cup of tea. You can add orange colour to the cookies but I don’t prefer adding any artificial colour. As you bite into the cookie and chew it, suddenly you get a strong flavour of the orange and that is due to the orange peel that has been added in the cookie dough while kneading. Please note that the white side of the orange peel should be scraped and removed before chopping or else it may give the cookies a bitter taste. 

Ingredients 
2 1/4 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Almond Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder 
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1/2 tsp Orange Essence 
1 tsp Orange Peel chopped 
1 cup Butter 
1 cup Powder Sugar 

Method 
Take a mixing bowl. Sieve the whole wheat flour, almond flour and baking powder together. Take butter and sugar together in another bowl. Beat it well, till fluffy. Add the essence and orange juice. Beat it once more. Add the flour and mix it well. Now knead the ingredients all together to form a dough. Add the orange peel and knead it once more. Take half of the dough and roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick sheet. Cut the desire shapes with the help of a cookie cutter and place the cookies on a baking tray at little distance. With a help of a fork press the top of the cookies to get some impression. Bake it at 170 to 180 degree celsius for 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove it from the oven and let it cool in the same baking tray. After it cools down, remove it from the baking tray and further coo it down. Keep it in a air tight container and enjoy the cookies. 

Thursday 18 January 2018

Savoury Mini Cake Loaf


This is a healthy vegetarian dish which can be served as snacks.
Here I have used Amaranth Flour and Semolina for the base along with vegetables. I have used chickpea leaves as it's available in the market in this season but we can use spinach leaves instead of chickpea leaves
Amaranth Flour contains high source of Protein, Calcium and Fiber. It is ideal for gluten intolerent. It has high levels of the amino acid lysine which help your body to properly absorb calcium from the digestive tract. Here I have used Amaranth flour from Original Indian Table which I had received it as a prize in  a contest. 


Ingredients
1 cup Amaranth Flour
1 cup Fine Semolina
1 small Onion chopped
1 medium size Carrot chopped 
1 medium size Capsicum chopped 
1/2 cup Chickpea Leaves or Spinach chopped 
2 Fresh Green / Red Chillies chopped
1 tsp Garlic chopped
1/2 tsp Ginger chopped
2 1/2 tbsp Walnut chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Soda Bicarbonate
1/4 cup Melted Ghee
500 ml Butter Milk

Method
Mix together amaranth flour, semolina, salt, turmeric powder, sugar and baking powder. Mix it. Add the ghee. Now add the butter milk little at a time into the flour and whisk it. Whisk it properly so that no lumps remain and it forms into a thick batter. Add all the vegetables. Mix the batter well. Add the soda bicarbonate and mix it again. Here I have taken 3 mini loaf tin and greased it with ghee. Pour the batter into the pan until 3/4 of the pan is filled. Sprinkle the chopped walnut on top.
Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. After 45 minutes, insert a tooth pick and check. If it comes out clean then it’s done. Remove it from the oven and let it cool a bit. Remove it from the tin, cool it further before slicing. Enjoy it with a cup of tea. 


Monday 15 January 2018

Chingri Macher Matha diye Kochu Saag Batta..


Prawn head and Colocasia leaves Paste....
 I love traditional dishes. Many of the authentic dishes or traditional home recipes are not available in any restaurants. It’s when some one personally shares them, we get to know. These recipes are not showy but one must taste them to experience it. Recently my love for these kind of traditional simple home cooked recipes have got more rooted in me.. 
This is one such recipe I am going to share with you which is my recipe connecting to my roots. 
 I had some prawn heads left with me after making  the prawn pickle for order. I didn’t feel like throwing them as I personally love to chew the prawn heads and I feel it’s more tastier than the prawn. I also had a bunch of Colocasia leaves in the fridge. So taking these two ingredients, put together... this recipe was created... 


Ingredients 
500 grams Prawn head after cleaning the prawns.. 
(Cleaned, marinated with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. And fried in Mustard oil.) 
1 bunch of Colocasia leaves chopped without stems
1 medium size Onion chopped 
2 to 3 or more Green chills chopped 
1 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Tamarind paste
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds / Kalonji 
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Mustard Oil
1 roasted dry whole chilli for garnishing.. 

Method 
Take 2 cups of water in a wok and add 1/2 tsp salt and colocasia leaves and let it cook till the water begins to bubble. Switch off the flame and drain the water out from the leaves. Keep it aside. Traditionally the Prawn heads and the Colocasia leaves should have been ground on a shil batta, but I have used a chopper. So first grind the prawn head and then add the leaves and grind them together again. As we don’t want fine paste, it’s better to use a chopper or a food processor. Add 2 tbsp oil in a wok. Let it heat up. Add the kalonji. As the kalonji begins to crackle, add the green chillies, ginger paste and garlic paste. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the onions and let it cook for 2 minutes or till the onions become light pink in colour. Add the prawn head and colocasia leaves paste. On a low flame, stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the cumin powder, stir for few seconds. Add the tamarind paste and stir for few seconds more. Now add the salt. Stir and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or till the paste starts to leave the sides of the wok. Remove the paste in a bowl, garnish with roasted whole red chilli and drizzle 1/2 tsp Mustard oil. Later you can crush the red chilli and sprinkle on top. This paste taste even better the next day. Server it with hot steaming rice... 
 P. S. You can add 2 tbsp fresh coconut paste at the end after you add salt and mix it. The coconut flavour will enhance the taste of the fish. 


Wednesday 29 November 2017

Instant Fresh Turmeric and Ginger Pickle....


Turmeric is a root that can be found in the market through out the year, but the fresh ones are seen in winter. It is easy to grow in a container or a pot. It has many medicinal properties like anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and it’s antibacterial. It’s used for internal health related issues as well as applying on cuts and bruises.
In India we grind the dried turmeric roots into powder and use it in our daily cooking. We also add turmeric into a glass of milk and drink it. My father when he was alive, always wanted a piece of fresh turmeric with his meal... 
Recently my friend Rachana had had got fresh turmeric and ginger pickle with the paratha and I just fell in love with it... I got inspired to make this delicious pickle. 
Here is my version of the pickle...

To make the Spice powder
Ingredients
15 Guntur Chillies
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
Method
Add the red chillies, coriander seeds and fennel seeds in a grinder. Grind the ingredients into a fine powder. 

To make the Pickle
Ingredients
250 grams Fresh Turmeric peeled and grated
200 grams Mango Ginger peeled and grated
100 grams Ginger peeled and grated
Spice Powder
Salt to taste
Juice of 3 Limes 
2 tbsp Split Mustard seeds
1 tsp Split Fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Asafetida
100 ml Sesame Oil
Method
Roast the split fenugreek seeds and split mustard seeds on a low flame for few seconds. Remove them from the flame and let it cool. Mix the split mustard and fenugreek with the spice powder.
Take the oil and heat it up. Once the oil is hot, lower the temperature of the flame. Add the mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add the asafetida and ginger. Stir and cook for a minute. Now add the grated mango ginger and fresh turmeric. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spice powder and salt. Stir it together for a minute. Add the lime juice. Stir it well for few seconds. Switch off the flame. Cool the pickle and store it in a dry container. This pickle can stay for 6 months in the fridge. Enjoy the pickle with paratha or curd rice. 

Saturday 14 October 2017

Gondhoraj Chicken Bhappa




‘Gondhoraj' in Bengali means the king of smell. It's a type of a lebu / lemon, which is aromatic and it is different in size, shape and taste. The smell is very refreshing and mesmerizing.
It is best had with Korai r Daal and Aloo Posto served with hot steaming rice. Now a days many different dishes are made using Gondhoraj Lebu.
The lemons, lemon leaves and Bhut  Jolokia used are from the plant growing in my house. 
Here I have made Chicken Bhappa my style with Gondhoraj Lebu and it's leaves. Since I used bhut jolokia, I didn't add green chilli paste as bhut joloki is very spicy. 



Ingredients 
1 kg Whole Chicken 
1 Onion sliced
3 Green Chillies slit 
2 Bhut Jolokia sliced lengthwise 
5 Gondhoraj Lemon leaves
4 to 6 wedges of Gondhoraj Lime 
Some Coriander Leaves for garnishing 
Paste of 1 medium size Onion, 1 small piece of Ginger and 5 Garlic 
Paste of 2 tbsp Coconut grated and 2 tbsp of Poppy seeds ground with 2 tbsp of Curd 
1 tbsp Juice of Gondhoraj Lebu 
Salt to taste 
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Mustard Oil 


Method 
Take a whole chicken, after washing the chicken, wipe the chicken with a paper towel. Poke the chicken with a fork. Apply little salt on the chicken properly and keep it aside for 15 minutes. Now add the Onion - Ginger - Garlic paste. Rub it well on the chicken. Keep it aside for 15 minutes. Add the coconut - Poppy seed paste, lime juice, salt, 1/4 cup of oil, sliced onion, 2 green chillies, some slices of bhut jolokia and lemon wedges. Apply all the ingredients well on the chicken as well as in the inside part of the chicken, let it stand for an hour. Take a pressure cooker, place the chicken and its marinated juices into the pressure cooker. Pour in 1 tbsp of the mustard oil. Place the green chilli and the remaining slices of the bhut jolokia on top of the chicken. Cover the lid of the cooker. Let it cook on a low flame until 5 whistles. Let the pressure release. Garnish it with some coriander leaves. Serve it with hot steaming rice.