Umm Ali .....

Umm Ali .....

Umm Ali, also called Om Ali, is a very popular sweet dish of Egypt. This dessert is a version of bread pudding from the West. It is made from freshly baked puff pastry. This dish can be made in various ways... This dish has a long history. Om Ali is named after Sultan Ezz El Din Aybak’s wife, back in the 13th century.  She made it for a victory celebration, and distributed it among the people of the land.

 Here I have made it with a healthy twist... I have used Cornflakes...this dish can be served as a sweet dish during Ramadan... 

Ingredients

2  cups Cornflakes 

1 cup Milk 

1 cup Amul cream 

6 tbsp or more Sugar 

1 tbsp Icing Sugar 

1 tsp Kewda or Vanilla essence 

1 cup mix Dry Fruits  (chopped Almond, Pistachio,Walnuts, Cashewnuts and Raisins)

1 tbsp Dessicated Coconut

Method

Heat the milk in a pot, add the sugar and the essence into the milk. Bring it to boil. Keep it aside. Spread the Cornflakes in the baking dish. Pour the milk, after 10 minutes sprinkle half of the dry fruits. Warm up the cream and pour it on top. Sprinkle rest of the dry fruits, coconut and  icing sugar. Bake in preheated oven on 190 degree celcius for 15 minutes.

Oats ar Chana diye Gurer Payesh (Oats and Paneer Payesh with Date Jaggary)...

Oats ar Chana diye Gurer Payesh (Oats and Paneer Payesh with Date Jaggary)...

This is a Bengali sweet dish made out of the Date Jaggary, Milk and Paneer. Here I have given it a twist by adding in Oats. It has a rich and creamy texture and delicious in taste. 

Date Jaggery are usually found in the shops during winter. But I always keep a stock of it in the fridge to be used through out the year.. In case date jaggery is not available then you can also use Sugar... 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of Milk

4 tbsp Oats roasted 

1/2 cup Paneer crumble

1/2 cup Date Jaggary grated

Pinch of Cardamom

Pinch of Salt

Few Broken Cashewnuts

Few Raisins

1 Bay Leaf

Method

Take Milk in a pot and add the bay leaf. Keep it on low flame and let it simmer till the quantity reduces to half. Add the paneer, oats, salt, cardomom powder, raisins and cashewnut. Stir it and cook for 5 minutes more on low flame. Add the jaggery and stir it till the jaggery dissolves and simmer it for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame. Garnish it with some more cashewnuts and raisins. Serve it hot or cold.

Mango Coconut Kesar Laddu

Mango Coconut Kesar Laddu 

Ingredients 

2 cups Mango pulp 

1 1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut 

1/2 cup Milk Powder 

1/2 cup Sugar 

1/4 tsp Cardomom powder 

2 Pinch of Salt 

2 Pinch of Saffron 

Few Almond Flakes

1 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Take a wok, add  3/4 cup coconut and other remaining ingredients in the wok. Keep stirring on a low flame for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup coconut, keep stirring till the mango pulp becomes thick and sticky. Add 1/1 tbsp ghee.  Stir it, too check, take a small portion and try rolling it. It will be sticky, but it will form a ball. Take a plate, grease it with ghee. Pour the hot mixture into the plate. Spread it. Keep it till it is easy to handle. Take the remaining coconut on a plate. Apply ghee on the palms. Divide the mixture in to equal portions. Roll it into a ball. Coat it with coconut.

Oats and Mango Phirni

Oats and Mango Phirni

Ingredients

1/2 cup Mango Puree 

4 tbsp Oats roasted

1 tbsp Rice washed and soaked

1/2 liter Milk

4 tbsp Sugar

Pinch of Salt

Pinch of Cardamom powder

Few Mango pieces for garnishing 

Method

Add the roasted oats, rice and 4 tbsp water in a grinder and grind it into a paste.

Take a pot, add milk. Simmer the milk for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt and cardomom powder, let the sugar dissolve. Add the oats and  rice paste and keep stirring it on low flame continuously, till the milk thickens. Take it off the flame and keep stirring till a bit cool. Add the mango puree and mix it well. Take small mithi bowls, add the oats mango phirni in the bowls. Garnish it with mango pieces. Cool it in the fridge till served.

Baked Creamy Mango Sandesh (SugarFree)

Baked Creamy Mango Sandesh (SugarFree)

This Bengali sweet is creamy and soft. It is made with #SugarFree, cottage cheese and mango pulp as the key ingredients used in it. 

For the Creamy Mixture 

Ingredients 

1 cup Cream

2 cups Milk 

1 cup SugarFree 

1 cup Mango pulp 

Pinch of Cardamom powder

Method 

Take a pan and add milk in it, simmer the milk and reduce it to a cup, stirring it occasionally. Add Sugarfree and stir it until it dissolves. Let it cool down. Add the cream, mango pulp and cardomom powder. Mix it well. keep it aside.

For the Sandesh 

Ingredients 

2 cups of Cottage cheese  (Paneer)

Creamy mixture..

Chopped Mango for Garnishing

1 tbsp Rose Syrup 

 

Method 

Blend the cottage cheese in a blender till light and fluffy. Add the creamy mixture and blend it again.

To make the Baked Creamy Mango Sandesh

Ingredients 

Take a silicone mould, grease it with ghee. Add the mixture into the mould. Bake it for 10 to 15 minutes at 180 degrees celcius in a preheated oven. Once it is set, take it out and refrigerate it for 30 minutes. Garnish it with chopped mangoes and drizzle it with Rose syrup. Serve it cold.

Nutty Chocolatey Mawa Donut Gujjiya.......

Nutty Chocolatey Mawa Donut Gujjiya.......

Holi hai Bhai Holi hai....

Khelo Rango ke Sath.... 

Gujjiya kha ke mast raho....

Aahi hai Subhakamnaye Hmara Apke Sangh..... 

Gujjiyas are classic dish made with all purpose flour dough and Mava filling, deep fried and dipped in Sugar syrup... 

This is a Gujjiya with a twist... 

For the Donut dough

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour + 1/4 cup extra for handling the dough and rolling the dough 

3 tbsp Melted Butter 

2 tbsp Powder Sugar 

Salt to taste 

1 1/4 tsp Dry Yeast 

1/4 cup Lukewarm Water 

1 tbsp Sugar for the Yeast 

1/4 cup or more Lukewarm Milk for kneading a soft dough

Method 

Add yeast, sugar and  lukewarm water in a cup and keep it aside till it rises. Take flour in a mixing bowl,  add salt and powder sugar. Mix it.  Mix in yeast and milk little at a time as per the milk is required for kneading a soft dough. Add a tbsp of butter and keep kneading the dough for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining butter on the dough and  keep it aside cover till the dough rises. 

P. S. If the dough gets sticky sprinkle some flour and knead it. 

Knead the dough well. Stretch the dough and fold on a flat platform.

For the Nutty Chocolate Mawa filling 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup of Mawa

1/2 cup of Chocolate Chips 

Handful of Almond and Pistachio flakes or chopped

Method 

Take a pan, add the mawa and cook it till the mawa starts to form a dough, take it off the flame. Add the Almond and Pistacho flakes and mix it. Add the Chocolate chips, mix it well and keep it aside.

For the Donut Gujjyas 

Ingredients 

Dough

Filling 

Oil for frying the Gujjyas

Method 

Take the dough and knead it again. Divide the dough in to two portions. Take one portion and roll the dough, cut circles out of the sheet with a round cutter. Add the filling and fold one side to the other side. Press it and fold the edges. Keep it for 20 minutes. Heat the oil. Fry the Gujjyas till brown. Take it out. Cool it. Sprinkle it with coloured sugar powder... 

For Garnishing 

Use coloured sugar powder..... 

P. S. Take 2 tbsp of Sugar in a grinding jar and add few drop of colour. Mix it with the spoon.  Grind the sugar. The colour will get mixed with the sugar. If darker shade is required then add more drops of colour and grind again. This coloured powder sugar canbe used to decorate cakes and other desserts...

Malpuas

Malpuas

It is like sweet pancakes, it is popular in India and Bangladesh. It is also served to Lord Jagannath Dev in his Sakala Dhupa (morning food served to the lord). During Paush Sankranti, Malpuas are prepared in Bengali homes. Malpuas along with mutton curry is served in many non-vegetarian Maithil homes during Holi. 

Net Resource...

It is made in many ways... All purpose flour (Maida) mixed with fennel seeds, sugar, curd and milk.. Or some times rice flour or Simolina along with banana is mixed with curd and shallow fried and dipped in sugar syrup. 

Here is my version of the Malpuas... 

Sugar Syrup

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup Sugar 

1 cup Water

Pinch of Saffron

Method

Add all the above ingredients in a pan and let it simmer on medium heat till 1/2 string consistency is acquired. Take it off the flame and keep it aside. 

Malpua Batter 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour 

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 tbsp Cottage Cheese

2 tbsp Mava

Pinch of Salt

1 tbsp Sugar

2 Pinches of Cardomom powder

1/4 tsp Fennel seed powder

1/4 cup Curd

2 cups Milk or more as per requirement 

Ghee to Shallow Fry 

For Garnishing

1 tbsp Almond and Pistachio Flakes

4 tbsp Rabdi or Condensed Milk 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl,add all purpose flour, wheat flour, Mava, cottage cheese, salt, sugar,fennel seed powder and Cardomom powder. Mix it well. Add curd and milk as required to make a medium thick batter. Like a crepe batter. It's better to churn it in a blender to get a smooth batter. Take a pan, add ghee. Let it heat. Take a ladle full of the batter and pour it into the ghee. Fry the Malpuas till golden in colour on both the sides. Arrange the Malpuas on a plate, pour in the hot syrup on the the Malpuas. Pour the Rabdi or condensed milk on the Malpuas and garnish with almond and pistachio flakes... 

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki kheer

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki kheer

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival and celebrated in India in reverence of the God Shiva. It is believed to be the day shiva was born to save the universe by drinking "haalaahala" and Gaaja the poison and drug that emerged from the churning of the ocean (samudra manthana).Shivaratri is celebrated during the night by keeping a night-long vigil as its believed that Lord Shiva saved the universe from darkness and ignorance. This day is also believed to be the day that Shiva was married to the Goddess Parvati. The Maha Shivaratri festival, also popularly known as 'Shivaratri'-'Great Night of Shiva', marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti.

Net source... 

 People fast on this day, many have fruits and falahari food which is had on the fasting day. 

Today being Maha Shivarati I have made 

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki Kheer.... 

Sabudana Tikki (Sago Tikki)

Ingredients

1 cup Sago washed and soaked overnight

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled

Few Curry leaves

2 Green chillies chopped

Few Coriander leaves chopped

1/2 cup Peanuts coarsely ground

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Pinch of Asafoetida

1 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Method

 Take 1 Potato and cut into small cubes. Take a pan, add ghee. Let it  heat. Add cumin seeds, chillies and curry leaves. Let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the asafoetida and stir for few seconds. Add the chopped potato and stir fry till light brown in colour. Add the sago, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and peanuts. Stir and mix well. Add coriander leaves. Let it cool. Mash the remaining potatoe and mix it well. Divide the dough into equal big lemon size portions. Flatten it. Take a pan and add oil. Let it heat. Shallow fry the Tikkis till brown in colour on both the sides. Serve hot with green coriander chutney.

Aloo ki Kheer

Ingredients

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled, peeled and grated

2 cup Milk

2 tbsp Mawa crumbs

1/4 cup Sugar or as per taste

Pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

1 tsp Almond and Pistacho flakes

Method

Heat milk in a pot and let is simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt, sugar, saffron and mava to the milk. Stir it. Let the milk reduce a bit. Add the potatoe and cardomom powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes more. Garnish with Almond and pistachio flakes. Serve with pooris. 

     

Rasgullas

Rasgullas

I had a lady who worked for me earlier. She was from a village near Malda (West Bengal)... When ever she went home on a holiday, she use to get me Rasgullas from her village... Then I changed my house and now I don't get them.. Then when my mother passed away, we had ordered food from a local Bengali caterer. The menu included Rasgullas. I could relate to the taste of the Rasgullas which the lady who worked for me use to get for me. But unfortunately if I wanted these Rasgullas from my caterer, I had to order in bulk. So then I thought let me give it a try.... These Rasgullas are not very spongy like normal Rasgullas, but taste excellent. When eaten, it had a creamer .... Mava taste... Try it you will love it...

To make the Paneer 

Ingredients
1 liter Cow milk
1 tbsp Citric Acid or 2 tbsp Lime juice

Method
Add 2 tbsp water to citric acid and dissolve it. Boil the milk. Once it begins to boil, add the citric water. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it stand for 2 minutes. Take a Malmal cloth and drain the whey out. Pour cold water to wash the paneer and tie the cloth and hang it to drain our the water. The water should drain out completely.

For the Sugar syrup 

Ingredients
3 cups of Sugar
6 cups of Water

Method
Take sugar and water and add it to a big deep bottom pot. Let it the water boil and sugar dissolve in water. Lower the flame and simmer the sugar syrup till a bit thicker, a stage before it forms a string. Meanwhile prepare the rasgullas balls.

To make the Rasgullas 

Ingredients
Home made Paneer made from 1 liter Cow milk
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Flour
2 tbsp Mava
2 to 3  drops of Rose essence or 1 tbsp of Rose water

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together except for Rose essence and knead it well, rubbing the ingredients in between the heel of the palm and stretching it. Knead it well for 5 minutes to get a smooth dough. Divide the dough into small  equal proportions. Make smooth round balls. Gently add the balls one after the other into the sugar syrup. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 10 mins on a medium high flame. Open the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Pour 1/4 cup of cold water. Add rose essence. Let it cool and the Rasgullas are ready to be eaten.

Tiranga Barfi (Green Pea,Carrot Mava Barfi)

Happy Republic Day to all.....
Tiranga Barfi (Green Pea,Carrot Mava Barfi)
Ingredients
750 grams Mawa
750 grams Cottage cheese  (Paneer )
11/2 cups Condensed milk
2 cup Green Peas puree
2 cup Carrot puree
3/4 tsp Cardomom powder
3 Pinches of Salt
Sprinkle of  Pistachio powder and few Almond flakes for garnishing
Ghee for greasing

Method
Take a plate and make crumbs of mawa and paneer. Divide the mava, paneer, condensed milk, cardomom powder and salt into 3 parts.  Take a heavy bottom pan add  the green pea puree, stirring occasionally reduce the water content in the puree, Add  mawa and paneer and stirring it  continuously cook it for 10 minutes till the liquid in it dries up a bit. Add the condensed milk, salt and cardomom powder, stir and cook on low flame till the mixture forms almost like a dough. Take it out and spread the mixture on a greased plate while it is hot. Take the another  pan, add only the mava and paneer, salt, condensed milk and cardomom powder, repeat the process. After the middle layer is done, take a pan and repeat the same with carrot puree. Take it out and spread the mixture on the white mixture.  Sprinkle with pistachios powder and almond flakes. Let it sit in the fridge for 6 hours till it sets. Cut into pieces and serve.

Pitha (Rosh Bora Pitha, Chushi Pitha Kheer, Dudh Puli, Bhaja Puli andGurer Shoru Chakl,Patishapta, Gokul Pitha , Mung Dal Pakun Pithe)

Poush Sankranti ar Pitha....

In West Bengal, Sankranti, also known as Poush Sankranti is named after the Bengali month, it is celebrated as a harvest festival Poush Parbon. It falls on 14 th January according to the western Calendar. The freshly harvested paddy ( Nobo anno) and the date palm jaggery in form of liquid called Jhola Gur or solid block form called Notun / Nolen / Patali gur are used along with coconut and milk to prepare sweet dish called Pithas. There are many kinds of Pithas made. 

Few of the Pithas are

Chitui piṭha

Aarisha Kakara pitha

Teler piṭha 

Bhapa piṭha 

Pakan piṭha

Puli piṭha

Gokul pitha 

Beni piṭha 

Dudher piṭha 

Chôndro puli

Muger puli

Dudh puli

Paṭhi shapta

Mug pakon

Rosh Bora 

Chushi Pitha (Traditional Old Dhaka Pitha)....

Here are few common pitha recipe links that I would like to share with you. Please click on the names to see the recipe. 

             Click here 👉  Bhaja Puli

              Click here 👉Dudh Puli

   Click here 👉 Gokul Pitha

Click here 👉 Khejur Gurer Shoru Chakli

Click here 👉 Patisapta

Click here 👉 Chushi Pitha Kheer

Click here 👉  Rosh Bora

            Click here 👉 Moong Dal Pakon Pitha

Pathisapta

For the Stuffing
Ingredients
2 cup Coconut grated
3/4 cup Date Jaggary grated
2 tbsp Sugar or more as per the taste
4 tbsp Mawa / Khoya
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
Pinch of Salt
1 tsp Raisins

Method
Take a pan, add the coconut, sugar, Jaggary and salt, stir it on a low flame till the coconut becomes dry. Add Mawa, Cardomom and raisins.Cook for another couple of minutes till the mixture is dry. Pour in a bowl and let it cool down.

For the Crepe
Ingredients
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Semolina
1 cup Milk or more
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Sugar
Ghee for drizzling on the pan
Liquid Date jaggary for drizzling (optional)

Method
Take a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, sugar and semolina. Mix it. Add milk little at a time to make the batter. Cover and let the batter stand for 30 minutes. The batter will be just a little runny-consistency that is easy to spread and swirl on the pan. Heat a small heavy bottom non-stick pan on medium-low heat and add just enough oil or ghee once the pan is hot. Add 1 or 2 ladle full of batter to the pan and immediately tilt the pan and swirl the batter to cover the entire surface. Soon it will start to set. Give the pan a gentle wiggle. If the crepe moves, it is ready. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of the stuffing lengthwise in the center. Fold the crepe from both the sides. Drizzle the Jaggary syrup on top of the pathisapta (optional).

Khandeshi Thali

Khandeshi Thali...

Khandesh is a region of central India, which forms the northwestern portion of Maharashtra state.The region falls in north-west Maharashtra and covers Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Malegaon, Nashik and Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh. The Khandeshis like their meals spicy and earthy. Peanut oil, dry coconut, tiny lavangi chillies are the trademark of their cooking. But the foolproof way to tell a Khandeshi dish from another is to look for oil swimming over the dish, locally and lovingly called tarri. Kala masala is to the Khandeshis what bottle masala is to East Indians. Every family has its own version of the recipe that's pounded every summer and bottled for use all year long. It's a heavily roasted preparation and includes khopra, coriander seeds, dried red chillies, peppercorns, whole turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, shahjeera, fennel seeds, hing, khus khus, bay leaves, nutmeg, mace, dagad phool, dry ginger and jeera. Pumpkins, green tomatoes, green sorrel leaves, ridge gourd and the very popular brinjal are all sourced on the day of cooking." The Khandeshi baingan bharta or hirva vangyachi bharith is made with green brinjals (long, slim, striped variety commonly found in Jalgaon) that are roasted on an open flame till black. They are then pulped and pounded with green chillies, garlic, peanuts and spring onions. Bharleli vaangi, another popular brinjal preparation, involves stuffing aubergine with a paste of roasted peanuts, dried coconut, garlic, turmeric, red chilli powder and kala masala. But the most famous and easiest Khandeshi bhaji is made without vegetables. Shev bhaji is a curry made with dry coconut, garlic and onions. The crisp shev absorbs the spicy curry and oil, making it ideal to slurp up with the bhakri.

Information : Net source

Today my Kandeshi platter consist of 

Vangyache Bharith

Khandeshi Chicken

Boondi

Jawari chi Bhakri

Shingdana cha Thecha

Khandeshi Vangyache Bharith

Ingredients

1/2 kg Big size Brinjal roasted

1 Bunch Spring Onions chopped

12  Garlic cloves minced

4 Green chillies fried and crushed

1 tbsp Dry coconut  slices

2 tbsp  Peanuts coarsely  ground

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tbsp Vegetable oil

Salt  to taste

Coriander leaves chopped

Method

Remove the skin of the  brinjal and mash it very well. Heat oil in a pan . Add cumin seeds and let the seeds crackle. Add garlic  and chillies. Sauté it for few minutes. Add the peanuts and coconut. Sauté for few minutes more. Add chopped green onion and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the mashed brinjal and salt. Mix it well and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve it salad and Bhakari.

Khandeshi Chicken Curry

For Marinating the Chicken

Ingredients 

1 kg  Chicken cleaned and cut into pieces

1 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method

In a mixing bowl, add the salt, turmeric powder and chicken. Mix it and marinate it for 30 minutes..

Wet Ground Masala

Ingredients

1 small Onion chopped

1 piece Ginger

10 Garlic cloves

4 Red Dry Chillies

2 tbsp Coconut grated

1 tbsp Oil

Method

Roast all the above ingredients in oil  till brown. Grind the roasted masala in a grinder to make a paste.

For the Chicken

Ingredients

Marinated Chicken

1 big Onions chopped

1 1/2 tbsp Kala masala

Wet Masala

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Chopped Coriander for garnishing

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.  Fry chopped onions till translucent. Add the ground masala and stir cook for 3 minutes. Add the kala masala and cook for 3 minutes.  Add marinated chicken and mix it.  Add 3 cups water to it and mix. Add salt to taste,  cover the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for upto 2-3 whistles.  Garnished it with chopped coriander, serve it  with sliced onions and Bhakris.

Boondi

For the Boondi

Ingredients

1 cup Gram flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

Pinch of Soda bicarbonate

Pinch of Salt

1 tsp Oil

Approx. 3/4 cup of Water

Ghee or Oil for frying

Almond and Pistacho flakes for garnishing

Method

Mix the gram flour, rice flour and salt.  Add water slowly and make a smooth batter to dropping consistency, batter should have no lumps. Add 1 tsp oil and soda bicarbonate  mix it well. Heat the ghee or oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Hold the  skimmer about 2 inches above the oil over the center of the frying pan. Pour some of the batter onto the skimmer to cover all of the holes.Batter will start dropping through the holes into the oil. If the batter doesn’t drop right away through the holes. Add little more water to the batter and start again. Drop enough boondesi into the oil so they just cover the surface of the oil in frying pan in a single layer.Fry the boondies until the boondies are light golden in colour. Take the boondies out and put them directly into the warm syrup and mix it. Let it soak in the sugar syrup for 15 minutes. Drain the excess syrup. Boondies are ready to serve. Garnish with almond and pistacho flakes.

For the Syrup

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Sugar

1 cup water

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

Few drops of Lime juice

Method

Boil the water and sugar in a sauce pan on medium high heat, stir to dissolve the sugar, lower the heat and let it simmer for  3 minutes. Add the crushed cardamom, saffron and lime juice  to the syrup. The syrup should be one string syrup. Switch off the flame.

 Shingdana cha Thecha

Ingredients

12 Green Chillies silted

12 Garlic Cloves

3 tbsp Penuts

1 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method

Take oil in a pan. As the oil heats up add the chillies, penuts and garlic. Sauté it till the chillies starts to change it's colour. Add salt to the sauted chillies and garlic. Coarse grind all the ingredients in a grinder... Serve with Bhakri..

Kala Masala

Ingredients

1/4 cup Dry Coconut grated

1/4 cup  Coriander seeds

2 tbsp  Cumin Seed

1 tbsp Shahi Jeera

1 tbsp  Fennel Seeds

12  Dried Red Chillies

2 tbsp Pepper Corns

2 sticks Cinnamon

10 Cloves

3 Black Cardamom

1 tbsp  Dagad Phool

1/2  Nutmeg

2 Mace

10 Bay leaves

1 tsp Asafoetida

2 tbsp  Poppy Seeds

1 piece  Dry Ginger

2 tsp Oil

Method

Dry roast the coconut till brown. Set aside to cool. Roast each ingredient seperately ,except turmeric, asafoetida and ginger in oil and set aside to cool. Grind the roasted ingredients with turmeric , asafoetida and ginger in to fine powder.

Carrot Ladoos

Carrot  Ladoos

Ingredients

6 cups Carrots shredded

1/4 tin Condensed Milk

1 cup Milk Powder 

3 tbsp Sugar 

1/4 tsp Salt 

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

1/2 tbsp Almonds flakes

1/2 tbsp Pistachio flakes 

1/2 tbsp Mask Melon seeds / Magaz seeds 

1  tbsp Ghee

 Method

Heat ghee in a  heavy bottomed pan, add the shredded carrots and salt. Saute the carrots for 10 minutes. Add the milk powder and sugar. Stir it. Add the condensed milk and let the carrots cook, stir it continuously.  Add cardamom powder and stir it until it combines well. Once the condensed milk and the carrot has incoperated well, and the mixture has started to leave the sides, switch off the flame and mix in the almonds, pistachio and magaz seeds... Let the mixture cool. Grease the  palms with ghee and roll out small lemon size balls out of the mixture. Garnish with magaz seeds, almond and pistachio..

P.S. The mixture has to get dry and bit sticky... until then please keep stirring on low flame ... Otherwise the ladoos will not hold.. to test, once the mixture has come to the right consistency.. Try rolling a small portion... if it forms a ball, then it is done.

Strawberry Cashew Mawa Barfi

Strawberry Cashew Mawa Barfi 

This is my Chef's Special Choice winning recipe for the Sugar free contest 

Ingredients
250 grams Mawa
250 grams Cottage cheese  (Paneer )
1/2 cup Cashewnut powder
1/2 Sugar free powder
1/2 Strawberry pulp
Few drops of Strawberry essence
Few Pistachio chopped for garnishing
Method
Take a plate and make crumbs of Mawa and paneer. Take a heavy bottom pan, add the mawa and paneer and stirring it continuously cook it for 10 minutes till the liquid in it dry up a bit. Divide the mixture in to two parts. Take one part in a pan, add the cashewnut powder and 1/4 cup Sugarfree in it. Stir and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more till the mixture forms almost like a dough. Take it out and spread the mixture on a greased plate. Take the next mixture in a pan, add the strawberry pulp, 1/4 cup Sugarfree powder and few drops of Strawberry essence. Stir and cook till the mixture forms almost like a dough. Take it out and spread the mixture on the cashewnut barfi. Let it cool. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Cut and serve it in
pieces.

Kheerer Perakhi

Kheerer Perakhi 

My Ma was an excellent cook during her era. I remember my Ma making many types of sweet dishes during the festive season. One of the dish she prepared was Kheerer Perakhi.  My Ma passed away 2 years back. This Diwali I thought of celebrating in her rememberence. This sweet dish is not seen much in the shops now a days. 

Perakhi in other places outside Kolkatta is called Mawa Kachori / Candrakala/ Suryakala. The ingredients for the Perakhi and Kachori is more or less the same except in Mawa Kochuri / Candrakala / Suryakala  stuffing,  coconut, semolina and poppy seeds are added in some places. Kheerer Singara / Samosa Ingredients and the method is the same except for the shape is different. Perakhi is made with khoya stuffing filled in between the 2 rolled dough and then it is fried and dipped  into the sugar syrup. 

For the Stuffing 

Ingredients 

250 grams Khoya 

3 tbsp Sugar or as required 

2 tbsp Mixed Dry Fruit flakes (Almond and Pistachio)

1/2 tbsp Raisins 

2 Pinch of Cardamom powder 

Method 

Take a pan , heat it.  Add khoya and on low flame stir the khoya till it turns light brown & soft. Add sugar, stir it. Then mix  the dry fruit flakes, cardomom powder and raisins with the khoya. Keep it aside. 

For the Dough

3 cups All Purpose Flour 

3 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste 

Cold Milk or Water to knead the dough 

Method 

Mix APF, salt and ghee, mix it. Add milk or water little at a time. Knead into a firm dough, cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes. 

For Sugar Syrup

11/2  cups of Sugar

2 cups of water 

Method 

Mix the sugar and water in a pot. On a low flame cook the sugar syrup till 2 string consistency. 

For the Kheerer Perakhi 

Ingredients 

Stuffing 

Dough 

Sugar syrup 

For garnishing Pistacho flakes 

Ghee for frying 

Method 

Take the dough. Divide the dough into equal small lime size portions. To make the Perakhi, take 2 dough balls  and appy a drop of ghee on the rolling board. Roll the dough balls out into small size pooris. Place one spoon of filling in the middle of one poori and close the stuffing by placing  another poori. Now pinch and fold the edges inwards. Repeat the process to make other perakhis.  Deep fry the perakhis in the hot ghee over a low flame till it turns golden brown in colour. Drain on absorbent paper. Dip the perakhis in the hot sugar syrup. Let it soak for 5 minutes.  Take it out from the sugar syrup on a plate. Garnished it with  pistachios. Serve after it cools down.

Gurner Narkel Naru (Jaggary Coconut Ladu)

Gurner Narkel Naru (Jaggary Coconut Ladu)
These Coconut Laddus are made in a Bengali Traditional way.....In my Gandma's house in Kolkatta, they would make these laddoos for Puja or on a daily basis, stock it up in a glass jar during my growing up years as a kid. I remember my Ma making it too. I remember my cousin and me quietly vanishing the laddoos from the jar kept in my Grandma’s room while she was fast asleep in the late afternoons and sneaked under her cot to eat it and giggled away to glory. Another very distinct memory of my childhood is the visit to Mumbai Ramkrishna Mission in Mumbai with my Parents... Those day my father use to regularly take us to the Mission, specially on a Sunday and we knew many Swamijis there. As we visited the visiting room in the mission and met the Swamijis, one of the Swamiji use to take out 2 Narus out of the jar for me to gobble it up.

Ingredients
4 cups fresh grated Coconut
2 1/2 cups Jaggary Or Date Jaggary grated
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cardomom powder
A small pinch of Camphor for flavouring

Method
Take a non stick pan, add the coconut. Stir it for 2 minutes, add the Jaggary. Cook it on low flame, stirring it continuously. Sprinkle the salt... It helps to balance the sweetness and Cardomom powder. Keep on cooking it on low flame till all the jaggery melts and is well incorporated into the coconut. When it starts to form a dough, Switch off the gas.to check, take a small portion and roll it with the help of the fingers. It will form into a ball. Sprinkle the Camphor and mix it. Make the desire size balls while it it still warm. Serve and store it in a jar when it cools down completely ....

P.S. The colour of the laddoos depends on the Jaggary... You can melt and boil the Jaggary first to get a dark colour laddoos..

Kesar Pista Kaju Chakli

How about celebrating Diwali with
Kesar Pista Kaju Chakli ✨✨
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Cashew flour /powder
1 1/2 cups Pistacho flour / powder
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
2 pinch Saffron 
Ghee for greasing
Pistacho flakes
1 tsp Saffron syrup

Method
Place a thick bottomed pan on a medium flame;  add sugar and water. Let the sugar dissolve in the wate. The syrup should  be in between 1 and 2 string consistency. Divided the sugar syrup into 2 parts. Take 1 part of the sugar syrup; add saffron and  powdered cashews to the sugar syrup. Lower the flame and keep on stirring the cashew paste till it  thickens and  becomes a soft dough. Switch of the gas. To check if it is ready to be rolled, just roll a small pinch of the dough in between your fore finger and thumb. Similarly repeat the same process with the powdered Pistacho at the same time.  If it does not stick to your fingers then that means it is ready to be rolled. Apply little ghee on the the palms.  Roll the two doughs into cylindrical long rope of the same size together. Cut the dough into equal portions. Take a portion. Apply ghee on the platform. Place the dough on the platform. With the help of the palm; roll the dough gently into a long thick rope shape around 4 inch. Give the rope a spiral shape. Repeat it with other portions. Garnish with pistachio flakes and a touch of saffron syrup in the center...

Dal Bati Churma

Dal Bati Churma
It is a famous dish / delicacy of Rajasthan. This dish is cooked in all occasion. It consists of baatis that is round breads baked over firewood or oven and dipped in ghee. The dal is slow cooked in a pot and seasoning is added,  Churma made from unsalted dough,  into round balls and fried in ghee. These  fried baatis are crushed and sugar or jaggery is mixed into it.

I have baked the Batis in oven and Dal in pressure cooker with less use of ghee. Even the Churma is baked in oven.

For the Panchmel Dal
Ingredients
2 tbsp Split Bengal Grams (Chana Dal)
2 tbsp Yellow Split Dal (Tuvar Dal)
2 tbsp  Split Green Gram (Moong Dal)
2 tbsp Split black Dal (Urid Dal)
2 tbsp Pink lentils (Massor Dal)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Bay leaves
2 Cloves
1 small Cinnamon stick
1 Red dry Chilli
2 Pinch of Asafoetida
1 Green Chilli slit
1/4 tsp Ginger grated
1/2 tbsp Ghee

Method
Clean and wash the dals, soak it for 30 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook it. Give 3 to 4 whistles. Once the pressure releases, open the cooker. Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder, 1/4 tbsp ghee, ginger and green chilli in the dal. Mix it. Add the water if required. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.  Heat rest of the ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, red chilli, let the cumin seed crackle. Add asafoetida and red chilli powder. Add 1 tbsp of water in the seasoning to avoid burning of chilli powder, cook for few seconds. Add the seasoning in the dal. Simmer for 2 minute more. Serve with the Batis.

For the Bati
Ingredients
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Semolina
1 tbsp Bengal Gram Flour
1/4 tsp Carom seeds
1/2 cup Milk
Pinch of Baking Powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tbsp  + 1/2 tbsp Melted Ghee

Method
In a mixing bowl, Mix all the dry ingredients and mix it. Add 1/2 tbsp of ghee, rub the flour with the help of the Palm. Add milk, and water if required little at a time. Knead it into a firm dough. Knead well for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape each portion into an even sized round balls. Flatten the rounds lightly using your thumb to make an indentation in the centre of the ball. Arrange the baatis on a baking tray. Brush ghee on the Batis. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 40 minutes turning it over occasionally. Brush ghee on the Batis break each baati into pieces and pour hot panchmel dal over the baatis.

For the Churma
Ingredients
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tbsp Fine Samolina
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp Powder sugar or more as required for sweetness
2 pinch Cardamon powder
1 tsp Almond Flakes
1/4 or more Milk
1/4 tbsp + 1 tsp Melted Ghee

Method
In a mixing bowl, mix whole wheat flour, Simolina and salt. Add 1/4 tbsp ghee, mix it. Add milk little at a time and make a firm dough. Knead it for 5 minutes. Make equal portion of the dough, brush the churmas with ghee, bake it at 180 degrees Celcius for 40 minutes turning it occasionally till brown on both the sides.  Cool the churmas, blend the churmas in a blender, add powder sugar, Cardomom powder and the remaining ghee and mix it. Add the almond flakes for garnishing.
P.S. I have baked the Churmas along with the Batis...
Please use melted ghee according to the measurement to reduce the quantity of ghee used while brushing.