Chushi Pitha Kheer

Chushi Pitha is traditionally made during Paush Sankranti. This is a Bangladeshi sweet dish. There many types of Pitha made during this season with the new harvested rice and date jaggery which is made during this winter season. Chushi Pitha or Chutki Pitha or Chui Pitha has to be made in advance as the small rice dumplings are made first and then sun dried. It is time consuming to make them so the traditional method is becoming extinct. Now a days the dried rice dumplings are available in the market. 

Traditionally it is made with Gobindo bhog rice flour or Basmati Rice flour. The dough is made by cooking the flour in hot water and then kneading it well. A pinch of the dough is taken and then shaped. There are many traditional and faster ways of making it, but since I being a Prabasi Bangali (out of the state), I am not very acquainted with all the methods.  The dumplings are sun dried and it can be stored. These are used to make Chushi Pitha Kheer. To make the kheer date jaggery is used as it is the season for this jaggery. Milk is boiled and reduced and sugar and date jaggery is added to the milk, it stirred till the sugar and jaggery is dissolved. The dumplings are fried in ghee and added into the milk and cooked till the milk has slightly thickened. 

Here I have mixed the flour and salt together and add hot water to the flour. I have mixed it and microwaved it for 30 seconds. Then kneaded it in to a dough... 

For the Chushi Pitha

Ingredients

1/2 cup + 1 tsp Rice Flour ( Gobindo bhog RiceFlour / Basmati  Rice Flour )

Salt to taste

Hot water as required

Method

Take bowl.  Mix 1/2 cup flour and salt. Add little hot water at a time and mix it till it forms a wet dough. Microwave the dough for 30 seconds. Let cool down a bit. Knead it well for 5 minutes.  Cover the dough and keep it for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on a platform. Take a small pinch of the dough and roll it into a ball. Keep it on a platform and with the help of the heel of the palm,  gently roll it from the edge and make it into a oblong shape. Then turn the dough and using the heel of the palm, roll it from the edge. It is pointy at the edges and thick in the centre. Follow the same process to make the other dumplings. Sprinkle some flour on them and sun dry. These can be stored in a jar and kept until Chushi pitha payesh is made out of it.

Chushi Pitha Kheer

Ingredients

3/4 cup Chushi pitha

1 1/2 liters Milk

3/4 cup Date plam Jaggery grated

3 tbsp Sugar or more as required

1/4 tsp Cardomom powder

Pinch of Salt

Few Raisins

Few Broken Cashewnuts

1 tbsp Ghee

Method

Take a heavy bottom pot. Let the milk simmer, stir it occasionally.  Meanwhile take a pan. Add ghee and stir fry the Chushi pitha till light brown in colour. Keep it aside. As 1/4 cup of the  milk reduces, add the sugar, cardamom powder, salt, jaggery, raisins and cashwenuts. Stirring the milk occasionally, dissolve the jaggery. Add the chushi pitha and keep stirring it as it should not form a lump. As the milk thickens, switch off the flame and let it cool. If you feel that the chushi pitha has absorbed the milk, then please add some more milk and stir it.

P .S. Some times due to the jaggery the milk curdles. So in that case if you are not sure of the jaggery, it is better to melt the jaggery with little water and then add it to the milk. 

Posto - Narkel - Dhonepata Ar Tiler Bora / Poppy seeds - Coconut - Coriander leaves and Sesame seed Fritters....

Narkle Postor Bora is a delicacy from Bengal. It is a side dish served with hot dal and rice. My Ma use to prepare this dish adding coriander leaves and sesame seeds into it mostly on a vegetarian day and I use to enjoy it with Korair (Urid) Dal and Aloo Posto. Usually the poppy seeds are ground into a paste and then mixed with the other ingredients. Today I have ground the poppy seeds into a powder and mixed it with the other ingredients. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Poppy seeds powdered 

1/3 cup desiccated Coconut or fresh grated Coconut 

2 tbsp White Sesame seeds

3 tbsp Rice flour 

Salt to taste 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

1/3 cup Coriander Leaves chopped 

Oil for shallow frying 

Method

Take a mixing bowl and add all the above ingredients except oil. Add just enough water to make a dough. Divide the dough into lime size equal portion. Take a portion and make a ball and flatten it. Repeated the process for other portions too. Heat oil in a fry pan. Place the fritters in the pan and fry it on medium low heat till brown on both the sides. Serve it hot with rice and dal. 

Hotchpotch Sandwich Casserole

This scrumptious dish is excellent for breakfast or dinner time served with a hot bowl of soup. This is an experiment in my kitchen. Here I have not added fruits as I did not have any, but usually slices of pineapple or papaya or strawberry goes very well. You can add any vegetables with leftover keema or any types of cold cuts... I have used home made sweet potato whole wheat bread here. For eggetarian cooked soya keema or cooked rajma beans and paneer can go well with the other ingredients mentioned in the recipe...

Ingredients

1 Bread Loaf cut into medium slices

1 medium size Potato sliced and par boiled

2 Tomatoes sliced

2 Onions sliced

1 small size Zucchini sliced

6 Chicken Salami

1 Canned Tuna

3 Cheese sliced

1/2 cup Green Leafy purée ( Handful Coriander leaves + Spinach leaves + 3 Garlic cloves + Salt to taste )

3 Eggs

1/4 cup Butter melted

Method

Take a baking dish. Grease the base with butter. Arrange the bread slices at the base. Take the green leafy purée and mix it with the melted butter. In a bowl break the eggs and mix the green leafy mixture with eggs. Pour 1/2 of the green leafy and egg mixture on the bread slices. Arrange the sliced tomatoes, zucchini, onions, chicken salama and  potatoes in the baking dish one after the other. Spread the canned tuna over the vegetables. Arrange the cheese slices. Cover up the cheese slices with the bread slices. Pour the remaining mixture of green leafy purée and egg. Bake it for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees. Remove it from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving it.

Sweet Potato Cheesy Masala Bread ....

Since I had no time for the 2nd proofing and then baking the bread, I kept the dough in the fridge overnight and followed the rest of the process in the morning. The taste of the bread was good and the smell of the yeast was quite strong. 

Ingredients 

2 Sweet Potatoes boiled and mashed

2 cups Whole Wheat flour

2 cups All Purpose flour 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Curry powder

2 tbsp Sugar 

2 tbsp Dry Yeast 

1 cup grated Cheese 

1/2 cup + more Lukewarm water as required for kneading

2 tbsp Oil 

For brushing 2 tbsp Milk and 1 tbsp Butter

Method 

Mix yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a cup. Keep it aside to rise. Mix the flour, salt and curry powder together. Add the yeast water, cheese and mashed potato to the flour together and mix it. . Add remaining water little at a time and start kneading. Add a tbsp of oil and continue kneading for 10 minutes. Take a small portion of the dough and do a stretch test. Apply oil on the dough. Cover and keep the dough aside for an hour for it to rise and then in the fridge overnight. In the morning remove the dough from the fridge and keep it out till it comes back to the room temperature. Lightly sprinkle some flour on the platform. Take the dough and knead it for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Take 2 bread tins and grease them with oil. Shape the dough and place the dough into the greased bread tin. Repeat the same with the other dough. Cover and keep the bread to rise. Brush with milk and butter mix. Bake it at 180 degrees celcius for 20 minutes in a preheated oven. In between the baking after 10 minutes remove the bread and brush it with remaining milk and butter and continue baking. 

Remove it from the oven and let it cool before unmoulding. Let it cool for some more time before slicing. 

Kosha Mangsho in Pressure Cooker

This is a very popular Bengali dish cooked on special festivals and occasions... 

In this dish the mutton has to be well marinated. While cooking the mutton is sautéed well that is called Koshano in Bengali and hence the name Khosha Mangsho... Since the mutton is marinated well, the mutton cooks in its own juices, so no water is added while cooking. Usually it is slow cooked in a pot, but due to time constraint, I have cooked it in a pressure cooker. 

For Marination

Ingredients 

1 kg Mutton pieces 

1 cup Curd

1/4 cup Mustard oil

1 Onion paste

2 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander and Cumin powder 

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients well and let it marinate for 5 to 6 hours. 

For the Mutton

Ingredients 

Marinated Mutton 

2 big Onion chopped

1 tsp Garlic crushed

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder

2 Green Cardomom crushed

2 Cloves crushed

1 small stick Cinnamon 

4  Pepper corn

2 Bay leaves 

1/4 cup Mustard Oil 

Method

Take a pressure cooker, add oil and let it heat up till smoking point. Reduce the flame, add cardomom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaves. Let the whole garam masala crackle. Add the garlic, sauté it for a minute. Add the onions and sugar. Sauté it till light brown in colour. Add the marinated mutton pieces. Stir and cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir and cook it for 10 minutes more. Pressure cook the mutton for 4 whistles. Let the pressure release. Open the lid of the cooker. Sprinkle the powdered garam masala on top of the mutton. Serve it hot with Mughlai paratha or Luchi or Roti. 

Chicken and Vegetable Stew...

This is a chicken stew with roasted tomatoes, chillies and garlic. It is cooked for an hour in a cast iron pot. I have seasoned the Stew with  curry powder and pepper powder. It is served hot with bread. Absolutely comfort food for the winters.. 

Ingredients 

750 grams Chicken pieces 

1 medium size Sweet Potato cut into big

pieces 

1 Onion cut into cubes 

10 to 12 pieces of Whole French Beans 

4 to 5 Cauliflower florets 

1 Carrot cut into circle 

10 Mushrooms cut into 2 pieces 

4 to 5 Broccoli florets 

2 Tomatoes cut into half 

1 whole Garlic pod

1 Spring Rose Mary 

2 Dry Red Chillies 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

2 tsp Curry powder 

2 Chicken cubes

2 cups Chicken stock 

3 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Add salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder to the chicken and mix it . Keep it aside . Roast the tomatoes , dry chillies and garlic. Add them into a grinder and add little water to make a paste. Keep it aside. 

Take a cast iron pot . Add the butter. Let it melt. Add the chicken pieces and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove it and keep it aside. In the same butter , add the roasted paste , chicken stock , 6 cups of water, chicken cubes , salt , pepper powder and curry powder.Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces,  rose mary, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower, onion and carrot. Stir and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the broccoli , peas and mushrooms. Cover the lid and cook for 30 minutes. Once done, open the lid and serve it hot with bread. 

Eggless Orange Caramel Pudding...

This dessert is made with pure orange juice. 

This is my variation of making this eggless pudding.Though eggless.. It taste awesome. 

For Caramelising the Sugar 

Ingredients 

3 tbsp Sugar 

2 tbsp Water 

1/2 tsp Butter 

Method 

Take a baking bowl. Grease the bowl  with butter. Heat sugar and water in pot and cook on low flame till it is golden brown. Pour this into a greased baking bowl and spread evenly. Keep it aside.

For the Pudding 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Fresh Orange juice 

1 tsp Orange Candy Peel chopped into pieces

5 tbsp Condensed Milk 

1 1/2 cup full fat Milk 

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence 

2 tbsp Sugar or more as per your requirements 

2 tbsp Custard Powder 

1 1/2  tsp Veg Gelatine or Agar Agar powder 

Method 

Take a pot, add a cup of milk. On a low flame, let the  milk simmer. Add sugar, condensed milk and  vaniĺla essence. Stir and mix it. Take 1/4 cup milk,  mix the custard powder in it. Add the custard milk in the milk. Stir it continuously so that no lumps form. As it thickens, switch off the flame immediately. Keep on stirring till it cools down a bit. Heat the remaining milk, add the veg gelatine or agar  agar powder and mix it and let the powder dissolve in the milk, add this agar agar mixture into the custard milk. Stir it. Let the mixture cool down a bit. Add the orange juice and orange candy peel. Mix it. Pour the mixture in the caramelised bowl. Cover the bowl with a foil. Take a steamer. Add water. Place the tin into the steamer. Cover the steamer. Steam it for 30 minutes. Take the bowl out of the steamer. Let it chilli for an hour or more in the fridge.  To unmould it, very light heat the base of the baking bowl. Run a knife around the edges. Turn the pudding on a plate. Serve it.

The elegant cutlery I have used is from Awkenox.

Mangsher Bhuna Khichudi....

This dish is a popular dish of Bangladesh. It is a richer variation of Khichudi cooked with Mutton.  Khichudi or Khichadi know all over India is normally is cooked with vegetables, rice, dal and spices. The cooking style varies depending upon the state. This is a one pot meal... very easy to make.

Ingredients 

200 grams Mutton pieces 

1 cup Rice 

1/4 cup Moong Dal 

1/4 cup Masoor Dal

1 Onion sliced 

1 Tomato chopped 

6 to 7 French Beans cut into big pieces 

6 to 8  Cauliflower florets 

1 big size Potato cut into cubes 

1 Carrot cut into long thick pieces 

2 tsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste 

2 Bay Leaves 

2 Cardamom 

2 Cloves 

1 Cinnamon stick 

 6 Pepper corns 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar 

1 tbsp Ghee

3 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method 

Take a pan, add the rice and dal. Roast it till it is light brown in colour. Wash the rice and dal. Soak it in water and keep it aside. 

Take a pressure cooker. Add the oil. Heat the oil to a smoking point. Reduce the flame,  add the whole garam masala and bay leaves. Let it crackle. Add the green chillies. Let it sauté for few seconds. Add the onion and stir fry till light brown in colour. Add the vegetables except tomato. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic - ginger - chilli paste and sugar. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the mutton, stir and cook it for 3 to 4  minutes. Drain the dal and rice. Add it into the cooker. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt and dry spice powder. Stir and cook for a minute. Add 3 cups of water. Close the lid and give 4 whistles. Once the pressure releases then open the lid. Stir it. Add 1/2 cup of water and ghee. Stir and serve hot. 

Doi Maach...

This is a fishy delicacy from Bengal. This dish is prepared during occasions. It's a bit sweet and sour in taste. Spiciness is adjusted as per requirement. This dish is served with hot steamed plain rice or polau.

For Marnating and Frying the Fish...

Ingredients 

1 kg Ruhi or Katla pieces preferably cut from a big size fish

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder

Mustard Oil for deep frying the Fish

Method 

Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder and let it stand for 15 minutes.Heat mustard oil in a wok till smoking point. Reduce the heat and fry the fish till light brown in colour from both the sides. Remove the fish and keep it aside while the gravy is prepared.

To Make the Doi Mach...

Ingredients 

Fried Fish

1 tbsp Ginger paste

1 tbsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tbsp Chilli paste 

1 medium size Onion paste 

3 Green Chillies slit

1 cup Curd 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1 tsp Sugar to taste

Salt to taste 

2 Bay Leaves

3 Cloves 

1 small stick Cinnamon 

2 Green Cardomom 

Mustard Oil (Use the same Fish Fry Oil) 

Few Coriander Leaves chopped for garnishing

Method

Take the same wok in which the fish was fried. Reduce the oil to 4 tbsp. Heat the oil. Add cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom. Let the spices crackle. Add the bay leaves and green chillies. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the onion paste, ginger paste, garlic paste and chilli paste. Sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes till the rawness of paste is gone. Meanwhile add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, sugar and salt in the curd and beat it. Add the beaten curd into the wok. Sauté it for another 3 minutes. Add the fried fish into the curd gravy. Let it simmer for a minute. Add a cup of water. Cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish it with coriander leaves before serving. 

Malvani Surmai Curry

Malvan is a town in Sindhudurg District, it lies in the southern most district of Maharashtra. Since it is on the coastal belt, the main occupation is fishing. It has its own style of cooking. The staple diet of the local people is fish curry and rice.

Coconut is used in abundant in various forms as grated, dry grated,fried, coconut paste and coconut milk.

Some of the spices like dried red chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin, cardamom, ginger, garlic, etc. are used in the paste. Kokum, dried kokam,tamarind, and raw mango are used to give a sour flavour to the curry. Malvani masala powder is made with 15 to 16 types of dry spices. This masala is grounded into powder and stored in jars to be used when required.

For the Coconut Paste

Ingredients

2 small Coconut grated

2 Onion chopped

8 Garlic Cloves

4 small Ginger pieces

6 Byadagi Chillies

6 Degi Chillies

1/2 tsp Pepper Corn

1 Cinnamon stick

4 Cloves

4 Green Cardomom

1 tbsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

2 tbsp Poppy seeds

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 Star Anise

1/2 tsp Turmeric

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method

Take a pan, add oil. Heat the oil. Add the 1/2 tsp Pepper Corn, Cinnamon stick, Cloves, Green Cardomom, Cumin seeds, Mustard seeds, Star Anise and Fennel seeds. Sauté it till it crackles. Add the garlic. Sauté till it lightly changes its colour. Add the onions, sauté it till light pink in colour. Add the chilies, sauté it for a minute. Add the poppy seeds and sauté it for another minute. Add the coconut and sauté it till it light golden in colour. Switch the flame off. Cool it. Add the ingredients in the grinder, add water and grind it. Open the grinder lid and add salt and turmeric powder. Grind it further to a smooth paste.

For the Malvani Curry

Ingredients

1 kg Surmai fish cut into pieces

Wet paste

6 garlic crushed

4 Green chillies cut into 2 pieces

6 Kokam pieces

1 tsp Mustard seeds

2 Spring Curry leaves

1 Star Anise

3 tbsp Mavani Masala powder

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Oil

Method

Take a flat base pot or pan. Add oil, let it heat. Add the mustard seeds and star anise. Let it crackle. Add the garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Sauté it for a minute. Add the wet paste. Sauté and cook it till the oil starts to separate out from the paste. Add the salt and Malvani masala. Stir and cook for another minute. Add 1 liter water. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the Kokam and let it simmer for another minute. Add the fish pieces and let it cook for 10 minutes or till the fish is cooked. Switch of the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot steaming rice.

Spicy Lasuni Papad Ka Paratha...

 Papad ka Paratha is an unique dish sold in Gali Paranthe Wali or Paranthe Wali Gali, a narrow street in Chandi Chowk of Purani Delhi; where different types of Parathas are sold. This paratha is made with Urid dal papad. The papad is fried and crushed and stuffed into a dough and then it rolled out into a disc and deep fried. 

I have made this paratha with a twist... 

I had some green garlic leaves growing in a pot. I ground the garlic leaves and used it in the stuffing along with the roasted crushed chilli papad and some more fresh garlic.  This gives a garlicy flavour to the dish. 

For the Suffing 

Ingredients 

4 roasted Chilli Papad 

4 Garlic cloves coarsely ground 

3 tbsp Green Garlic leaves paste 

1/2 tsp Chaat Masala 

1/2 tsp Dried Mango powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/8 tsp Asafoetida powder 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl , crush the roasted papad. Add rest of the above ingredients and mix it well. 

To make the Paratha 

Ingredients 

Semi hard Dough made with 3 cups of Whole Wheat Flour 

Stuffing 

Ghee to shallow fry the Paratha

Method 

Take a big lemon size portion of the dough. Roll it into a ball. With the help of your fingers and thumb; make a deep hole in the centre. Add 2 tsp of the stuffing in the centre. Close the edges of the dough. Press the dough. Apply little ghee on the dough and roll it out in to a round disc. Heat a skillet. Place the disc on the skillet. Cook the paratha by pressing it. Pour 1 tbsp of ghee and cook it for a minute. Turn the paratha. Add another tbsp of ghee and cook it till golden bubbles appear on both the sides. Remove and serve it hot. 

Masaledar Omelette Sandwich....(Mumbaia Istyle)

Hungry kiya... Make this road side Mumbai Egg Toast Sandwich. Mumbai street food has it's own style. I tried imitating the style and innovating this sandwich. I am sure you will enjoy making it. It taste akdum jhakas (super duper) 😉

Ingredients 

4 pieces of Bread

1 Egg

1 tbsp Onion chopped 

1 Green Chilli chopped 

1 small size Potato boiled and sliced 

1 Tomato sliced 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sandwich Masala 

2  tbsp Green Chutney 

1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 sliced Cheese 

3 tbsp Butter or Ghee

Method

Break an egg in a mixing bowl. Add salt,  chopped onion and green chilli. Beat it well. 

Take a skillet. Add 2 tbsp melted butter or ghee. Let it heat up. Lower the flame. Pour and spread the beaten egg.  Place 2 pieces of bread on the Omelette. Let it cook for few seconds. Cut the Omelette from the centre and turn the bread. The Omelette will be facing upwards. Apply green chutney  on both the Omelette pieces. Place the potato slices and then the tomato slices on the chutney. Sprinkle some sandwich masala powder. Cut the sliced cheese into 4 parts. Place the cheese slices on the tomato slices. Take 2 pieces of bread and cover the sandwich. Press and toast the bread. Sprinkle some more butter or ghee on the bread. Turn the bread and toast it till it is brown on both the sides. Remove it from the skillet and cut it into triangle. Spread some more chutney and drizzle with tomato ketchup. Serve it hot. 

Sandwich Masala Powder

Ingredients

8 Cloves 

1 medium Cinnamon stick 

15 Pepper corn 

1 tsp Fennel seeds 

2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1 StarAnise 

1 tsp Black Salt 

2 tsp Rock Salt 

1 tsp Dried Mango powder 

Method

Roast the above ingredients except Rock Salt, Black Salt and Dried Mango powder. Let the spices cool down. Add all the ingredients in a grinder and grind it in to a powder. 

Home Style Kacchi Chicken Biriyani....

This Biriyani is very simple to make with all the ingredients easily available at home. It is cooked in a cast iron pot with marinated chicken and half cooked rice. The chicken is infused with smoky flavour by burning a charcoal piece and placing it over the chicken and covering the lid. Once the biriyani is made, cover the pot and let it stand for an hour before serving. Serve it with raita. 

For Marinating the Chicken

Ingredients

500 grams Chicken pieces 

1 medium size Onion paste 

3 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli - Coriander leaves and Mint Leaves paste

3 tbsp Fried Onion crushed 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder 

1/ 4 tsp Cloves powder 

1/4 tsp Cardomom powder

1/8 tsp Nutmeg powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

3/4 tsp Chilli powder 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

3/4 cup Curd

1/4 cup Saffron Water mixed with pinch of Saffron colour 

Method 

Add all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients together. Keep it aside atleast for 2 hours or more. 

To make the Rice

Ingredients

250 grams Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes 

2 Bay Leaves 

1 small piece Cinnamon 

2 Cloves 

2 Cardomom 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Take a deep bottom pot. Add half liter of water let it simmer. Add salt, cloves, cinnamon , cardamom and bay leaves. Let it simmer for a minute. Add the rice and let it cook till it is 50 % done. Drain out the excess water. 

To make the Biriyani 

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken pieces 

Rice

2 Big size Potatoes cut into big chunks and fried 

2 tbsp Onion fried 

1 tbsp Almond flakes 

1 tbsp Raisins 

6 Apricots

3/4 cup Ghee 

3/4 cup Milk 

1/2 cup Hot water 

1/4 cup Saffron water 

Few drops of Kewda essence (Optional) 

1 Charcoal piece

Method 

Take a cast iron pot. Add the marinated chicken. Lay the fried potatoes and apricot over the marinated chicken. Sprinkle almond flakes and raisins. Take a bowl. Add milk, hot water, half of the ghee, remaining saffron water and kewda essence. Keep it aside. Smoke the charcoal piece. Put it on a small plate. Place the plate over the chicken and add a tsp of ghee. Quickly cover the pot for 2 minutes. Remove the cover. Remove the charcoal plate. Drizzle the remaining ghee over the chicken. Spread the rice over the chicken. Pour the milk over the rice. Garnish with fried onions. Cover the pot. Place the pot on a low flame. Cook it for 45 minutes to an hour. Check if the chicken is cooked. Let it stand for an hour before serving. Serve it hot with raita. 

P. S. If you don't have cast iron pot then use normal pots. The cooking is done evenly and the bottom does not burn in the cast iron pot. 

Baked Sautéed Achari Vegetables.....

This dish can be served as a side dish or a meal by itself. This dish is an Indo -Wester fusion dish. 

I have used Indian spices in the baked vegetable dish and given it a twist. This is an experiment in my kitchen. The cheese has well combined with the Indian spices. It gives a sharp taste of the achari spices as well as the creamy texture the cheese. Instead of using all purpose flour, I have used sattu. Do try it and experience it yourself. 

For the Spice powder 

Ingredients

1 tbsp Coriander seeds 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds 

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp Carom seeds 

1/4 tsp Asafoetida powder

8 Red Dry Chillies

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients in to a powder. This powder can be stored in a clean glass bottle and can be used to make pickles or any achari vegetables or meat. 

For the Sautéed Achari Vegetables

Ingredients 

8 Mushrooms cut into 4 pieces 

1 big size Onions cut into cubes 

1 Green Capsicum cut into cubes 

1 medium size Brinjal cut into medium size cubes 

1 small size Broccoli cut into small florets 

1 small size Carrot cut into thick strips 

1 mediumsize Sweet Potato cut into wedges 

8 Garlic cloves crushed 

1 tbsp AcharI Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Mustard powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a pan. Add oil. Let it heat. Add the garlic. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the sweet potato, carrot and onion. Sauté it. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, stirring it occasionally.  then add the brinjal, capsicum, broccoli and mushrooms. Stir fry the vegetables. Cover and continue to cook  till the vegetables are done. Add the salt, mustard powder and achari masala. Stir it. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside. 

For the Cheesy Sattu Sauce 

Ingredients 

1 cup Processed Cheese grated 

3 tbsp Sattu / Roasted Chickpea flour 

3 tbsp Butter 

1 cup Milk 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp coarsely ground Fennel seed powder 

1/2 tsp Mustard powder 

Method 

Take a pan and add butter. Let the butter melt. Add the Sattu and roast it for few seconds on low flame. Gradually add the milk... stirring it continuously. As the sauce thickens, add the cheese. Stir it for few seconds. Switch off the flame. Add salt, mustard powder and fennel seed powder. 

P. S. If the sauce has thickened up add 1/2 of milk and heat it up once more. 

To Assemble

Take a baking tray. Add the vegetables and pour the sauce from top. Sprinkle some more cheese from top and sprinkle with coarsely ground fennel powder. Bake it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celcius. Remove it and serve it hot. 

Paan Chocolate Cake Truffles..

If you are a paan lover, and want to enjoy dessert with an Indian touch, then this is an ideal Diwali sweets for you after a sumptuous meal. This is made with chocolate cake sponge and the ingredients of the paan are added into the cake crumbs. It is mixed and kneaded into a dough. The dough is then divided into small balls which are dipped into melted chocolate and garnished with sweet fennel balls. Just pop one and you will pop in another... Sinfully delicious..... 🎊✨🎉💥😃

To prepare Paan Chocolate Cake Balls

Ingredients 

15 small Betel leaves cut into pieces 

1 1/2 cup of Chocolate Cake crumbs

2 tbsp Gulkand 

3 tbsp Chocolate Ganache

1 tbsp Sugar coated Fennel seeds mukhwas 

1 tsp chopped Glazed Cherries 

1/2 Paan masala ( pinch of Nutmeg powder, pinch of Cinnamon powder, pinch of cloves powder , pinch of Cardamom  powder and pinch of fennel powder )

1 tbsp of each  dried Rose petals and Desiccated Coconut  ( I did not use )

Method 

Take a grinder, add the cake crumbs, chocolate ganache, gulkand and betel leaves. Grind it into a paste. 

Or 

Add the cake crumbs into a grinder and grind it into a finer crumbs. Remove it into a mixing bowl add the chopped betel leaves, gulkand and chocolate ganache and follow the rest of the process. 

Add the paan masala, chopped glazed cherries, sugar coated fennel seeds mukhwas, rose petals and desiccated coconut. Knead it into a dough. Make small balls from the dough.

To make the Truffles 

Ingredients 

1/4 packet of Pure Dark Chocolate 

2 tbsp Sugar coated Fennel seeds 

Paan Chocolate Cake Balls 

Method 

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and cool it down to room temperature. Dip a cake ball into the melted chocolate. Remove it and keep it on a chocolate / small cupcake liner or a parchment paper. Sprinkle some sugar coated fennel seeds. Repeat the same process. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Serve it. 

Paan Bahar Sandesh....

I have betel plant growing wild in my balcony. I love the flavor of the betel leaves with gulkand and sweet fennel mukhwas. My experiment with Sandesh continues. I have infused betel leaves and gulkand with paneer. Have it at the end of a meal. As you eat it, first taste is of the sandesh and then the flavour of the paan.. 

Ingredients 

10 small size Betel Leaves finely chopped 

200 grams Paneer / Cottage cheese

3 tbsp Condensed Milk 

3 tbsp Dessicated Coconut 

2 tbsp Gulkand 

1 tbsp of Sweet Fennel Mukhwas 

1 tbsp of Sweet Mix Mukhwas

Few Cherries cut into pieces 

Method 

Take the paneer and blend it in a blender. Take a wok, add the paneer, Betel leaves, dessicated coconut, gulkand and condensed milk. Keep stirring it continuously and cook on low flame till all the ingredients combines together and forms a dough. To check, take a small portion of the dough and roll it with your fingers. Remove it from the wok and keep it on a plate. As it cools down a bit. Knead it for a minute and divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Mix the 2 types of sweet mukhwas together. Take a portion. Roll it into a ball and slightly flatten it. Create a dent in the centre. Fill up the centre with the mukhwas and add a cherry piece on top.