Showing posts with label Bengali Ranna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bengali Ranna. Show all posts

Saturday 23 May 2020

Aam Tel


This is a mango and spiced flavoured oil, that is used in Bengali Cuisine. This oil is used for mashes vegetables that we call bhate or used to flavour puffed rice that is eaten for snack.

Spice Powder
Ingredients 
1 tsp Panch Phoran
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
2 Red Dry Chillies 

Method
Roast all the ingredients together and let it cool, dry grind the ingredients into powder.

 Aam Tel
Ingredients 
1 medium size Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size cubes.
1/2 tsp Panch Phoran Roasted
4 Whole Red Dry Chillies Roasted
Dry spice powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup Mustard oil, heated and cooled down

Method
Take the mango pieces, add turmeric and 1 tsp salt, rub the mangoes well, spread the mango pieces on a clean cloth and dry it for 2 to 4 hours under the sun. Take all the ingredients and the mango pieces in a bottle. Keep it in the sun for few day. It’s ready to be used.

Aam Kasundi


Kasundi is a very popular mustard pickle used in Bengal and it is made by fermenting mustard seeds and spices in a mud pot. In modern times it’s highly used as an accompaniment with the chops, cutlets and various fried snacks. It’s also used in cooking. Traditionally it’s was made with lots of rituals and many restrictions were followed while making the Kasundi. Now it is made at home with ease. There are many spices added to the Kasundi. Apart from traditional Kasundi there are now many ways and ingredients used in making the Kasundi. 
Here I have made Aam Kasundi. 

Ingredients 
1 big size Raw Mango washed, peeled and cut into small pieces 
4 Green Chillies 
2 small pieces of Ginger
1/4 cup Yellow Mustard seeds 
1/4 cup Black Mustard seeds
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tsp Sugar 
1/4 cup Vinegar 
Normal temperature boiled water depending on the requirement

Method 
Take a grinder jar, add yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, green chillies, raw mango pieces, ginger, salt, turmeric powder and sugar. Add vinegar and water little at a time blend it into a fine paste. The paste has to be of dropping consistency. Take a glass jar, pour the Kasundi paste. Close the lid and keep it in the sun for few days. Check the Kasundi every day, incase if you find the salt is less than you can add salt. Stir it with a clean dry spoon. 

Monday 11 May 2020

Pangasius (Indian Basa) Maccher Aloo Pholkopir Jhol


Pangasius (Indian Basa) Maccher Aloo Pholkopir Jhol - Aaaahaaaaa ... it’s heaven having it with one plate of steamed Rice... it’s been some time that, I was craving for fish very badly ... yesterday my husband managed to order online from Fresh to Home and finally today morning it was delivered. Couldn’t wait... immediately cooked this fish the traditional Bengali way... The regional dishes are simple but always divine.
This curry can be made with any other fish like Rahu, Katla, Bhetki etc.. it can be made only with potatoes. Cauliflower can be replaced with pointed gourd...


Ingredients
500 grams Pangasius cut pieces, washed and apply turmeric and salt...
2 Medium size Potatoes peeled and cut into medium size chunks
1 Medium size Cauliflower cut into medium size florets
1 Medium size Onion cut into big pieces
1 Medium Tomato cut into big pieces
4 Garli Cloves
2 Inch Ginger cut into pieces
4 Green Chillies slit
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Ghee (optional)
1/2 cup Mustard Oil for frying the fish and making the curry

Method
Dip the cauliflower and potato in hot salt water for 5 minutes and drain out the water. Make a paste with the tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and 2 green chillies. Take a wok, add oil, let the oil heat up, reduce the heat to medium flame. Add the marinated fish and fry until light golden brown in colour. Remove the fish from the oil. In the same oil add the potatoes and cauliflower, add little salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry the potatoes and the cauliflower until it changes it’s colour. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and the 2 remaining green chillies,  stir and cook for a minute. Add the paste, sugar and little more salt to taste. Continue to cook for 2 minutes more. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and the garam masala. Here if you want you can also add red chilli powder, but I haven’t used it. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Now add around 2 1/2 cups of water.. let the curry simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Add the fried fish.... let it simmer for another 5 minutes more. Switch off the flame, drizzle ghee on top and serve it hot with steamed rice.


Thursday 19 March 2020

Crispy Fritters made with home grown Spinach and Pumpkin flowers...



When you have vegetables growing in your small balcony, it’s happiness to eat your home grown vegetables. You can feel the freshness and taste of the vegetables. Here is a snack or a side dish recipe made with pumpkin flowers and spinach that had grown in our place. Fritter is crispy and delicious snack that can be made with different vegetables that are dipped in chickpea and rice flour batter. It is then deep fried until crispy and golden brown in colour.

Ingredients
10 to 12 small size Spinach leaves
10 to 12 Pumpkin flowers
6 tbsp Chickpea Flour
3 to 4 tbsp Rice Flour
1 Green Chilli finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Nigella seeds
1/2 tsp Poppy Seeds
Water as required
Oil to fry

Method
Take a bowl, add chickpea flour, rice flour, salt to taste, turmeric powder, nigella seeds, poppy seeds and green chilli. Mix the ingredients well. Add little water at a time and mix the ingredients into a batter. It should be semi - thick dropping consistency. Keep it aside for 5 minutes, meanwhile heat up the oil in a wok. Dip the pumpkin flower or spinach one at a time and fry them on a low medium heat until crispy and golden brown in colour. Remove the fritters on a paper towel and serve it hot.


Friday 13 March 2020

Kumro Pata Diya Chana Bhapa / Steamed Paneer with Pumpkin Leaves



Steamed Paneer is a Bengali vegetarian side dish. I have added pumpkin leaves, as pumpkin leaves are good for our health and when it grows in my balcony, then definitely it is good to use it in the dish. I have used homemade Aam Kasundi, but you can use mustard and any pickle masala oil incase Kasundi is not available.This dish is normally eaten during lunch. Serve this dish with hot steamed rice. 

For the Wet Paste 
Ingredients 
3/4 cup Fresh Grated Coconut 
2 tbsp Aam Kasundi or use 1 tbsp Mustard seeds and 1 tbsp any pickle masala oil 
2 Green Chillies  
2 to 3 Garlic cloves 
3 tbsp Hung Curd 
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Method 
Grind all the above ingredients into a fine paste. 

To make the Steamed Paneer 
Ingredients 
250 grams Paneer cut into small pieces 
10 Pumpkin leaves chopped 
4 to 5 Green Chillies slit into half and then cut into pieces 
Wet Paste 
2 tbsp Mustard Oil 
A big piece of Banana Leaf - optional 

Method 
Take a bowl, add all the ingredients in the bowl, mix all the ingredients together and keep it aside for an hour. Take a container with a lid. Lay the banana leaves at the base of the container, it’s optional. Add the marinated paneer into the container. Close the lid. Take a steamer, add water into the steamer. Keep the container into the steamer. Steam the paneer for 20 minutes. Once done, enjoy this dish with hot steamed rice. 




Friday 10 January 2020

Kheer Kamala / Kamala Lebur Kheer



This is a seasonal sweet dish from Bengal. It’s made with oranges. When the oranges are added to the reduced milk... it takes the dish to a different level. As this being my favourite sweet dish, after marriage when ever I visited my Ma during the orange season, she would make this dish along with alur dom and luchi or korisutir Kochuri. Ma Ke haat ka khana can never be forgotten. 
This dish is easy to make with only 3 ingredients, it taste heavenly.



Ingredients 
1 1/2 litres Milk
3 Oranges 
1/2 cup Sugar or more as per required 

Method:
Heat the milk in a thick-bottomed pan till it comes to a boil. Reduce the flame, and allow the milk to simmer, stir the milk occasionally until the milk reduces to half the quantity. Add the sugar and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more. Keep the milk aside. 
Meanwhile peel the orange, separate out the orange segments. Remove the skin, seeds and the fibres from the orange segments. Cut them into  small pieces. 
Once the reduced milk cools down, then add the chopped orange segments and pulp to the milk and mix it. Refrigerate the kheer. Server it cold.

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. 




Tuesday 8 October 2019

Beetroot er Sandesh



May this Bijoya Dashami light up for you, the hopes of happiness, peace and prosperity !
Bijoya Dashami marks the end of Durga Puja. It is  celebrated differently across India. It’s the celebration of good over evil. In Bengal it is celebrated after the MA Durga idol is immersed. Young seeks blessings from the elders and share sweets. Men embrace (Kola - Kuli) each otherto wish Subho Bijoya. 

Beetrooter Sandesh 
This is a healthy sweet dish to be shared during Bijoya with your loved ones. 
Ingredients 
1 small Beetroot boiled and puréed 
1 cup Chana / Cottage cheese mashed 
2 to 3 tbsp Date Jaggery 
Ghee to apply on the sandesh mould




Method 
Take a pan, add the beetroot puree, on a low flame stir and cook the purée for a minute. Add the chana and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture has dried up a bit. Add the jaggery and continue to cook until it forms into a lump, and yet it is soft. Switch off the flame. Take the sandesh out on a plate. Let it cool down. Mix the sandesh dough well. Take the mould, apply ghee.  Take a small portion of the sandesh and shape up the sandesh with help of the mould. Remove the sandesh from the mould and serve. 

Wednesday 18 September 2019

Home style Chicken Biryani made in Pressure Cooker


This is one of the way I make Chicken Biryani at home. A quick easy way to enjoy, when you crave for home cooked Chicken Biryani. This is a Bengali style Chicken Biryani.






Chicken Marination 
Ingredients 
750 grams Chicken pieces cleaned and washed 
1 small Onion paste 
3 to 4 Green Chilli paste
8 medium size Garlic Cloves paste
1 small piece of Ginger paste 
1 tsp Coriander powder 
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala powder
( 3 Green Cardamom, 3 Cloves and 1 medium size Cinnamon stick ground into powder)
1 tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tsp Red Chilli powder 
Salt to taste 
1/2 cup Curd
2 tbsp Mustard Oil 



Method 
Mix onion, garlic, ginger and chilli paste together. Take a bowl, added a curd, ground paste, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and mustard oil. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the chicken pieces and marinate the chicken for minimum one hour. 

To cook the Rice 
Ingredients 
1 1/4 cup of Basmati Rice washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes 
4 cups of Water
Salt to taste 
6 Pepper Corn
3 Cloves 
3 Green Cardamom 
1 small stick Cinnamon 
2 Bay leaves 


Method 
Take a pot, add water, salt, whole Garam masala and bay leaves. Let the water boil. Add the soaked rice. Let the the rice cook till it’s 50 percent done. Strain the water and leave the rice in the strainer. 

To make the Chicken Dum Biryani 
Ingredients 
Marinated Chicken 
Half cooked Rice 
2 big size Potatoes cut into big chunks 
1 medium size Onion sliced 
2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 
2 tbsp Biriyani Masala 
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 
Salt to taste 
1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk
2 Pinch of Saffron 
1 tsp Kewra water
2 to 3 Drops of Mitha Attar
1/2 cup Mustard Oil
3 tbsp Melted Ghee 





Method 
Add the saffron into the milk and keep it aside. Take a pressure cooker, add oil. Let the oil heat. Rub salt on the potato chunks. Add the potatoes into the oil, add turmeric powder. Fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. Add the onion and stir fry on low flame until golden brown in colour. Remove half the fried onion and keep it aside. In the same oil, add the marinated chicken. Stir occasionally and cook the chicken for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the Biriyani masala. Stir and cook for another minute. Add 1 cup of water. Let the chicken simmer for 5 minutes. Switch of the flame. Add the rice and spread the rice well. Drizzle the saffron milk on the rice. Drizzle the ghee. Sprinkle the fried onion and coriander leaves. Drizzle the kewra water and mitha attar. Put the cooker lid on. On a very low flame, let the Biriyani cook on Dum for 15 minutes , switch off the flame just before the first whistle. Let the pressure release. Open the lid and serve the Chicken Dum Biryani with mint Raita or any raita of your choice. 







Thursday 12 September 2019

Papoder Jhal Kasundi Diye 


Papoder Jhal was one of the popular dish in our house, made by my mother on a vegetarian day. It was one of my father’s favourite dish. Another dish loved was Papoder Dalna. It’s a simple and a quick ghoroa ranna (simple home cooked dish). Urid dal Papad is used to make this dish. My Ma used mustard seed paste ground with green chillies instead of Kasundi. I have used home made Aam Kasundi, it can be made with store bought Kasundi. This dish is eaten with hot steaming rice during lunch.

Ingredients
6 Pieces of Urid dal Papad cut into halves
1 medium size Tomato cut into wedges
2 to 3 Green Chillies slit
1 tbsp of chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds / Kallonji
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Aam Kasundi or 2 tbsp Mustard paste
1/2 cup Mustard Oil for frying the Papad






Method
Take oil in a wok. Let it heat up. Reduce the flame and fry the papads and keep it aside. Leave 2 tbsp of oil in the wok and remove rest of the oil. Add the nigella seeds. Let it crackle. Add the tomato and the green chillies. Sauté for few seconds. Add the turmeric powder and salt. Continue to sauté for a minute more. Add the Aam Kasundi, stir and sauté for 1 minute or the tomato becomes little soft. Add 3/4 cup of water. Let the curry simmer for a minute. Add the fried papads, continue to simmer for another minute. Switch off the flame. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve the dish with hot steaming rice.

Thursday 5 September 2019

Maacher Tel - Potkar Chorchori 



When we buy a whole big fish or a part of a big fish, generally people discard the inner parts of the fish, like liver, intestine and fats, but we Bengalis use these for cooking. We use these inner organs of the fish to make a mishmash dish by adding potatoes, brinjal and onions to it or we make Maacher Teler bora. This dish is not a known dish nor available in any Bengali restaurants.
Only a person who has eaten this dish can tell how delicious it is. This goes well with steaming hot rice.
Here I have used the fats, intestine and liver from a big Katla Fish. After cooking, eat the dish the next day, it taste even better.

Ingredients
150 grams of the Fish Fats, Liver and Intestine washed,  cleaned and cut into pieces
2 medium size Potatoes cut into small cubes
2 medium size Onions sliced
1 Brinjal around 200 grams cut into cubes
2 to 3 Green Chillies slit
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
4 tbsp Mustard Oil




Method
Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt into the fish fat, liver and intestine. Mix all the ingredients well. Take a wok, add the mustard oil, once the oil is hot, add the fish fat, liver and intestine into the oil. Fry it until brown in colour. Be very careful while frying these fish organs as the oil tends to splatter and you can get burn. Remove the fish fat, liver and intestine and keep it aside. In the same oil add the onions and the green chillies. Stir and fry the onions for a minute. Add in the potatoes and brinjal. Stir and continue to cook on a low flame for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger paste. Stir and continue to cook for another minute. Add the salt, turmeric, cumin powder and chilli powder. Stir and cover the wok. On a low flame let it cook, stirring the ingredients occasionally. Once the potatoes are cook, add the fried fish fat, liver and intestine. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. It taste best when eaten the next day. Serve it with hot steaming rice.

Saturday 17 August 2019

Kosha Mangsho


This is a very popular traditional Bengali dish cooked on special festivals and occasions... 
The mutton has to be well marinated, it’s ideally marinated overnight in the refrigerator, but minimum 4 to 5 hours of marination is a must.
The mutton is sautéed and slow cooked for an hour or two. It’s is called Koshano in Bengali and hence it’s called Khosha Mangsho / Bhuna hua Mutton. The gravy is rich and dark brown in colour. 
Normally no water is added for cooking this dish, but incase the gravy dries up while cooking then add little water as required.  This dish is served with roti, luchi or porotha.


For Marinating the Mutton 
Ingredients 
1 kg Mutton pieces 
2 Onion and 4 Green Chillies ground into paste
1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder 
1 tsp Cumin powder 
2 tsp Red Chilli powder 
1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala powder
1 cup Curd
1/4 cup Mustard oil



Method 
Mix all the above ingredients well and let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator or at least marinate the mutton for 4 to 5 hours minimum.



For the Kosha Mangsho 
Ingredients 
Marinated Mutton 
2 to 3 Medium size Onion sliced 
1 tsp Ginger and Garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Sugar 
1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala 
4 Green Cardomom 
4 Cloves 
2 small stick Cinnamon 
6 to 8 Pepper corn
2 to 3 Bay leaves 
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Mustard Oil 
2 tbsp Ghee



Method
Take a pot, add 1/2 cup mustard oil and let it heat. Reduce the flame, add cardomom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaves. Let the whole garam masala crackle. Add the sliced onions. Sauté and let the onions cook until light golden brown in colour. Add the salt to taste and sugar. Stir for a minute. Add ginger - garlic paste, sauté it for a minute.  Add the marinated mutton pieces. Stir and cook on low flame for 15 minutes. Cover the pot, continue to cook on low heat for an hour, stirring the mutton occasionally. Open the lid, stir the mutton. Once the mutton is tender, add 2 tbsp mustard oil, ghee and 1/4 cup of water. Stir and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle the powdered garam masala on top of the mutton. Cover and let the mutton stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Serve the kosha Mangsho hot with roti, porotha or luchi. 



Thursday 11 July 2019

Kalo Jam Makha (Jamun / Black Plum Mashed)


This recipe takes me back to my childhood days. Every year as a little kid, religiously every summer my mother and myself would visit my Uncle’s place (Mamar Bari) in Kolkata. Across my Uncle’s house there was a big Kalo Jam tree that use to be loaded with Kalo Jam which belonged to a family staying there. Every afternoon after our lunch affair was over, I use to visit their house to play with their 3 girls and eat Kalo Jam Makha. It was fun collecting the Kalo Jams. It’s a rustic dish but so delicious and mouthwatering. We also make this similar dish with raw mangoes. Peel the raw mango, cut it into cubes, add all the same ingredients give below, also add red chilli powder, sugar and Kashundi. Crush the mango in a mortar. I really feel sad that these simple rustic recipes are getting extinct with our new generation. I am sure all of us will have some stories to share of such dishes. 

Ingredients 
15 to 20 Kalo Jam / Jambun / Black plums
2 or more Green Chillies chopped 
Salt to taste or black salt and salt mix
1/2  tsp Mustard oil



Method 
Take all the above ingredients and mash it well. You can mash it with a help of a spoon, but best to use your fingers. 
It’s simply divine. 
Mustard oil is optional, but I love it with mustard oil as it enhances the taste. 





Saturday 6 July 2019

Lauer Khosar Bora / Bottle Gourd Peel Fritters


 Bottle Gourd Vegetable peel was left after making Lau Chingri  (Bottle Gourd with Prawns). We normally make Lauer Khosa Bhaja or Lauer Khosa Bata. Since it is raining, I was craving for Lauer Khosar Bora with ghee and garam bhaat (hot steaming rice). This can also be had with garam cha ( hot cup of tea ). 


Ingredients 
1 bowl of Bottle Gourd peels cut into small thin strips. 
2 Green Chillies chopped 
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds
1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
2 tbsp Rice powder 
2 tbsp Gram flour 
Salt to taste 
Oil to fry



Method 
Take the bottle gourd peels in a mixing bowl. Add the green chillies, poppy seeds, nigella seeds, salt, rice flour and gram flour. Mix all the ingredients well. There is no need of adding water.  Keep it aside for 5 minutes, meanwhile heat up the oil. Add little fritters in the oil. Fry until golden brown in colour. Enjoy the hot fritters. 

Wednesday 3 July 2019

Mangshor Jhol (Bengali Style Mutton Curry)


This dish is an all time favourite and most popular dish in any Bengali household. Be it any occasion, celebration or a holiday, this dish has to be made. This can be served with hot steamed rice, luchi or porotha. There are different ways you can make it. Each house will have their own way of making it. Depending on the day / occasion or celebration the richness of the curry / depends - like if it’s a Sunday afternoon affair then the jhol / curry will be patla or thin. If it’s an occasion or a celebration then the gravy with be a rich gravy. Without adding the fried potato cubes the curry is not complete. 
This is one of the version -

For the Wet Paste 
Ingredients 
1 Onion 
6 Garlic Cloves 
1 small piece of Ginger 
4 Green Chillies 

Method 
Grind all the above ingredients together. 

For the Mutton MarinationIngredients 
500 grams Mutton
Salt to taste 
1 tsp Turmeric powder 
1 tsp Cumin powder 
1 tsp Coriander powder 
1 tsp Bengali Garam masala powder - equal portions of cloves, cinnamon and green cardamom is ground into powder 
1 tsp Red Chilli powder 
2 tbsp of the Wet Paste 
1/2 cup Curd
2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 
Mix all the above ingredients together and marinate for 30 minutes. 

For the Mutton Curry 
Ingredients 
Marinated Mutton 
2 medium size Potatoes cut into Cubes 
1 Onion sliced 
1 Tomato chopped 
2 tbsp of the Wet Paste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 whole Cardamom powder 
2 whole Cloves 
1 small Cinnamon 
1 Dried Red Chilli 
1 Bay leaf
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Sugar 
1/2 cup Mustard Oil to fry the Potato cubes 

Method 
Take a pressure cooker. Add the oil and let it heat up. Lower the flame. Add the potato cubes and fry them. Remove the fried potato cubes and keep it aside. Reduce the oil from the pressure cooker. Let 2 tbsp oil remain. Add the cumin seeds, whole garam masala, bay leaf and dry red chilli. Let it crackle. Add the sliced onion. Sauté it for a minute. Add the sugar and salt, continue to stir. Add the wet paste and continue to sauté for another minute. Add the marinated mutton. Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chopped tomato. Stir and add 2 cups of water. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let one whistle come. Switch off the flame and let the pressure release. Open the lid and add the fried potato cubes. Stir and close the lid of the pressure cooker again. Allow 2 whistles and switch of the flame. Once the pressure releases then open the lid of the pressure cooker. Serve the mangshor jhol hot with steaming rice, luchi or porota. 





Saturday 4 May 2019

Aamer Ambol / Aamer Tok / Aamer Jhol


It’s a traditional sweet and sour summer treat, in a Bengali home. We make this almost every alternate day for lunch. It’s is served at the end of the meal. You can have it cold as it taste better and it can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. It’s a drink for your soul. Panch phoran powder is optional. I have added 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds for seasoning - that is also optional. Try it. 

Aamer Ambol
Ingredients 
2 to 3 Raw Mangoes cut into pieces or wedges 
2 tsp Mustard Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds - Optional 
2 Dry Whole Red Chilli broken into pieces 
2 Bay leaves 
1/2 cup or more Sugar as per the sourness of the mangoes 
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Panch Phoran roasted and powdered - Optional 

Method 

Add oil in a wok, let it heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and bay leaves. Let the seeds crack. Add the mango wedges, salt and turmeric powder. Stir it. Add sugar and 2 to 3 cups of water, let it simmer till simmer and let the mangoes become tender. Sprinkle the panch phoran powder and switch of the flame. Let it come to a room temperature, server it with the meal. You can drink the Ambol at the end of your meal.

Monday 11 February 2019

Cadburylicious Sandesh



I was very happy to be invited by The FBAI for the launch of the super fabulous new spread in town called the Cadbury Diary Milk Spready and the Chocolate Cook book with 70 chocolate recipes written by none other than the famous chocolatier Zeba Kohli at Courtyard Marriott. It was a great pleasure to meet Saloni the founder of FBAI. I was also happy to meet many more people from the industry. The evening was well spend.

We had the opportunity to taste the delicious Chocolate cake made with Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready.
 Anil Viswanathan the Director of Marketing introduced us to the Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready and launched the Chocolate cook book along with Zeba Kohli. The session was made interactive with a cooking competition using the chocolate spready.

I got a bottle of the Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready as my daughter loves chocolate spreads. I was sure that she would love this one too. She did the honours of opening the bottle and tasting it and she loved it. Since I had to make some sweet dish for Saraswati puja, I thought why not use the chocolate spready for a change and create a fusion. We Bengalis love Sandesh. The Sandesh I made is called jolbhora where Date Jaggery is added, so I gave a twist to the traditional recipe and added the spready.




Cadburylicious Sandesh
Ingredients
* 250 grams mashed Cheena / Cottage Cheese
* 2 tbsp Sugar
* Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready
* 6 Raisins




Method
Take a non stick pan, add the mashed cheena and sugar, on a low flame continuously stir the cheena for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a tbsp of Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready. Continue to stir until the cheena has become smooth and began to form a dough. Switch of the flame. Take the cheena dough on a plate. Now we have to make the Sandesh fast as the dough tends to dry up fast. Take the jhol bhora Sandesh mould or a modak mould will also do. Apply ghee on the mould. Take a portion of the dough and press it into the mould, with the help of your finger, create a cavity. Pour a blob of the chocolate spready into the mould. Take a little more dough and cover the cavity. Now gently remove the Sandesh from the mould. Repeat the same process until the cheena dough is used up. Keep the Sandesh on a plate and place raisins on all the sandesh pieces. Tadaa, it’s ready to be indulge.

#Cadburylicious  #CadburyDairyMilkSpready