Moong Dal and Palak Shorba

Moong Dal and Palak Shorba
Yellow Dal and Spinach Soup
Ingredients
1/2 cup Moong dal / Yellow dal
1 Onion chopped
1 small cup Spinach chopped
1 tsp Ginger grated
1 tsp Garlic chopped
1 Green chilli chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp  Melted Butter
Few Coriander leaves chopped

Reduce Butter if on a Diet

Method
Take a pot. Mix together moong dal, chopped onion, ginger, green chilies, turmeric powder, salt and chopped garlic. Add 3 cups of water and cook till the dal has become pulpy. Take a strainer, strain the dal. Add 2 cups water little at a time while straining. Take a pot. Add the dal water back in the pot. Add the spinach, simmer for 10 minutes. Take a pan. Add butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Add the seasoning to the soup.  Add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Fish Roll type 2

Fish Roll

For the Pancakes
Ingredients
2 cups All purpose flour
2 Eggs beaten
Salt to taste
Water to make the batter

Method
Beat APF, egg, salt and water to make a thick batter. Heat the pan. Make thin pancakes and keep it aside.

For the Fish filling
1 cup Fish Bheki/ Rahu / Katla (boiled and deboned)
1 Onion chopped finely
1 tsp Garlic minced
1 tsp chopped Chillies
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Sugar
1/2 tbsp oil

Method
Take a pan, add oil. Add onion, garlic and chillies. Sauté it till brown in colour. Add garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the fish, mix the fish well the the spices. Cover and stir fry the fish till the mixture is dry. 
For Rolling the pancake, take a pan cake on a plate, add a tablespoon of the filling on one end of the pancake, roll up the pancake by tucking in both the opposite sides and then rolling the pancake out from another side. Follow the same procedure for other rolls.

For frying the Fish roll
Ingredients
1 Egg beaten
1 cup Bread crumbs
Oil to fry
Heat oil in a pan. Dip each fish roll in beaten egg then roll in bread crumbs. Shallow fry until golden brown. Drain the fish roll on a kitchen towel.  Serve it hot with mustard sauce and tomato sauce.

Roti ki Kheer

Roti ki Kheer
Delicious and healthy... Roti ki kheer was an experiment in my kitchen. Try it and you will want more....
Ingredients
2 Chappatis
2 cups Milk
Pinch of Salt
6 tbsp Sugar or as per taste
2 Pinch of Cardomom powder
10 Raisins
Few broken Kaju
4 Almond chopped
4 Pistachio chopped

Method
Make fine crumbs of the Chappati. Boil the milk on a low flame. Once the milk boils, add a pinch of salt and sugar. Let the sugar dissolve. Stir it occasionally. Add cardomom powder. Let the milk simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Chappati crumbs. Let it cook on a low flame  till the texture gets smooth. Add the raisins, kaju, almonds and pistachio flakes keeping some for garnishing. Serve hot or cold.

Garlicky Hasselback Eggplant with Tomato and Basil

Garlicky Hasselback Eggplant with  Tomato and Basil
Ingredients
1 big Eggplant
6 Garlic cloves minced
1 Tomato chopped
6 Basil leaves thinly sliced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper Crushed
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Cheddar cheese grated
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Method
Preheat the grill pan to medium heat. Slice the eggplant 3/4 the way through ,leaving the bottom in tact. Add salt, pepper, chilli flakes and garlic to the eggplant. Rub the spices well in the cut section. Keep the eggplant on a sheet of aluminum foil and fold the eggplant tightly in the foil.Grill for 45 minutes, at 180 degrees Celsius or until the eggplant  is tender. When it is done, open the foil, add the tomato, sprinkle the chopped  basil leaves, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and cheese. Grill for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe source Parry's Plate. 

Cheese Stuffed Rice Balls with Chicken Mince Sauce

Cheese Stuffed Rice Balls with Chicken Mince Sauce
For the Chicken Mince Sauce
Ingredients
250 grams Chicken minced
1 Onion  finely chopped
1 Tomato finely chopped
4  Garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup Tomato sauce
1/4 cup frozen Peas
1  Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Dry Oregano
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
Pinch of Nutmeg powder
Pinch of Clove powder
Pinch of Cinnamon powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Olive oil

Method
Take oil in a pan, add the minced garlic and onions. Sauté it for few minutes. Add the chicken mince, Cook till all the water dried up. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, sugar, pepper, bay leaf, chilli flakes, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, clove powder and peas, sauté it for some time. Add 2 cups of water. Close the lid, simmer and cook till the chicken mince is tender on low flame. Keep it aside.

For the Cheese stuffed Rice Balls
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups Cooked Rice
5 Eggs
2 tbsp Butter melted
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese grated or powder
1/2 cup  Cheddar Cheese grated
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
Mozzarella cut into small 8 cubes
1 Cup Bread crumbs
2 tbsp Parsley / Cilantro chopped
2 tbsp All purpose flour
Oil for deep  frying

Method
In a large bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. Stir in the rice, butter, parsley / cilantro, salt, pepper, Parmesan and cheddar cheese.  Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Roll the mixture into equal 8 proportions to make rice balls. Press a mozzarella cube into each rice ball, reshape the rice balls. Keep the rice balls for 10 minutes in the fridge. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Sprinkle the flour on the rice balls. Dip each ball into the beaten egg, then roll in bread crumbs. Repeat the process. In a pan add oil to fry the rice balls till golden brown.  Drain on paper towels. Serve the rice balls with the meat sauce.

Mix Dal

Mix Dal
Ingredients
1 cup Mix Dal washed and soaked for an hour.
1 small Tomato chopped
1 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1 Green chilli slit
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Dry Red Chilli
Few Curry leaves
Pinch of Asafoetida
Few Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method
Take a pressure cooker. Add the dal, salt, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, green chilli, garlic and  ginger paste. Add 2 cups of water. Pressure cook the dal till tender. Let the pressure release. If the dal is too thick then add water as per the requirement. Add 1/2 tbsp ghee and simmer on slow flame for 10 minutes. Take a pan. Add ghee, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add curry leaves and red chilli. Cook for few seconds. Add the asafoetida and chilli powder. Before the chilli power burns take it off the flame and add the seasoning to the dal. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Bhapa Omelette er Dalnna (Steamed Omelette Curry)

Bhapa Omelette er Dalnna (Steamed Omelette Curry)

For Steamed Omelette
Ingredients
6 Eggs
1 Onion chopped
3 Green chillies chopped
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Milk
2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Beat all the above ingredients in a bowl. Grease a plate. Add the batter in the plate. Steam the batter in a steamer. Once done cool it down and cut in cubes. Keep it aside while making the gravy.

For the Gravy
Ingredients
1 Onions paste
2 Tomatoes paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
2 Green chillies slit
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
Coriander leaves for garnishing
1 tbsp Ghee

Method
Heat ghee in pan, heat it. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let the cumin seed crackle. Add onion and tomato paste.  Saute it till the paste turns a light brown and you see the oil separate from the paste.Add garlic, ginger paste and green chillies. Sauté it for few seconds. Add 4 tbsp water. Add Cumin Powder, Corriander Powder and Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric powder, Garam masala powder, Salt and Sugar. Stir well on medium heat. Add 2 cups water. Cover and cook till the gravy for 10 minutes. Add the steamed omelette pieces and thicken the gravy on medium flame for 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with Roti, Rice or Paratha.

Spicy Yam and Potato with Dry Prawns

Spicy Yam and Potato with Dry Prawns

For the Paste
Ingredients
2 Red dry Kashmiri Chillies
2 Red Bedki Chilli
1 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Sugar
3 Garlic cloves
1/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Dry prawns washed and soaked in hot water and drained
Salt to taste
Method
Grind all the above ingredients in to paste. Add water very little at a time. The masala paste should be dry.

For the Vegetable
Ingredients
250 grams Yam cut into medium size cubes
2 Potatoes peeled and cut in to medium size cubes
1 Onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
1 Green chilli slit
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
Few Curry leaves
2 tbsp Fresh grated coconut or desiccated coconut
Few chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Half boil the yam and potato cubes. Drain and keep aside.  Take oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Add the green chilli, curry leaves and onion, sauté till the onions are translucent. Add the paste. Sauté it and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add the yam and potato cubes, cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook till tender and water has dried up. Stir the vegetable. Add grated or desiccated coconut and coriander leaves before serving.

Vegetable Dumpling

Vegetable dumpling
Ingredients
For the fillings
1 cup mix vegetables ( carrots, capsicum, cabbage ) finely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic chopped
1/2 tsp green chilli chopped
4 tbsp spring onions chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp soya sauce

Method

Heat  oil in a pan. Saute chopped onions, chopped garlic and chillies. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt, vinegar and soya sauce and cook it till all the liquids dry up. Add spring greens, and let the filling cool.

To make  dough:
Ingredients
1 cup flour
Salt to taste
Hot water
Take flour. Add salt and  water. Make a stiff dough. Knead the dough well and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Divide into equal parts. Using dry flour roll each part into a small disc. Use dry flour to prevent dough from sticking.

Assembling
Put the vegetable filling on each disc. Bring the sides together and pinch the dough to appear like potlis or draw string bag. Now take some spring onions and tie it around the dumplings. Steam the dumplings for 10 minutes. When done, serve immedietly with homemade schezwan sauce or soya sauce.

Mutton curry Bengali style ( Mangshor Jhol)

Mutton curry Bengali style
( Mangshor Jhol)
For marinating the Mutton
Ingredients
1 kg mutton
1/4 cup curd
Salt to taste
1 tsp mustard oil
1/2 tsp turmeric pd
Mix all the ingredients and keep it for 1 hour.

For the paste
Ingredients
2  medium size onions roughly chopped
4 pieces of garlic
1 piece ginger
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
2 green elachi
4 cloves
4 green chillies
3 kashmiri chillies
Grind all the ingredients in to a fine paste.

For cooking
Ingredients
4 medium size potatoes cut in to 2 pieces
2 medium size onions sliced
1 big tomato chopped
6 tblsp spoon mustard oil
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 garam masala pd. ( 1 elachi,

Method
Take a pressure cooker. Add mustard oil. Heat it well. Add the chopped potatoes and fry it. Take the potatoes out and keep it aside. Add sliced onions and fry it well till golden brown. Add the paste and fry it well till the oil starts separating on slow fire. Add the marinated mutton, continue cooking on slow fire till the mutton mixes well with the masala.Add salt as per taste as salt was added in the marination also. As the oil begins come out of the mutton as the potatoes, tomatoes and half jug water. Pressure cook till 4 whistle. After the pressure realises add the ghee and garam masala pd. Have it with plain hot basmati rice........

Radish leaves roll

Radish leaves roll
2 cups radish leaves chopped
1 green chilli chopped
1 tsp garlic chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 pepper powder
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup cheese cut in to small cubes
12 samosa strips

Method
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Take a pan and add oil. Add garlic, onion and green chilli sauté till the onions have changed its colour. Add the leaves, salt and pepper powder. Cook the leaves till the water has evaporated and the vegetable has become dry. Switch of the gas and add the cheese cubes. Take the samosa strips and add the vegetable and roll the strips. Add water at one end and stick the end. Repeat the process with other  samosa strips. Grease the baking tray and place the rolls. Spray the rolls with oil and bake it for 20 minutes at 160 degrees. Take the rolls and keep it for sometime before having it.

Classic Dhokla, Schezwan Vegetable Dhokla and Vattayappam with a twist

These 3 healthy quick snack recipes are a twist from classic recipes of India made from the same basic key ingredients... Lapsi and Suji.  Do try out at home....

Suji and Lapsi Batter
Ingredients
2 cups Lapsi ( broken wheat)
2 cups Suji
1 cups butter milk or more to make a thick batter
2 tsp soda bi carb or yeast or Eno

Method
Wash the Lapsi and soak it in water for 2 to 3 hours. Then throw the water in which the  Lapsi was soaked. Now put all the ingredients except for the salt and soda bi carb or yeast or Eno in the grinder and grind it into a fine paste. Take the batter out of the grinder and if required add more butter milk to get a thick consistently. Add soda bi carb or Eno or yeast as desire. If yeast is added then add the yeast in 1/4 cup of Luke warm water with 1 tsp sugar and keep it for 10 minutes for rising. Then add the yeast water to the batter. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes to an hour.

This batter is the base for the 3 following recipes. Divided the batter into 3 parts.

Classic Dhokla
Ingredients
1 part of the batter
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp chilli paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp oil
1 pinch of hing
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
5 to 6 curry leaves
4 tbsp water
1/2 tsp sugar
Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method
Add ginger, salt and chilli paste to the batter. Grease the dhokla plates and fill 1/2 of the dhokla plates with the batter. Sprinkle chilli powder and roasted cumin powder and steam the dhoklas. Check the dhokla with the help of the tooth pick. If done the tooth pick will come out smoothly. Take the dhokla out of the steamer and cool it. Now take oil in a small vessel and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds starts to crackle add hing, curry leaves and sugar. Keep it for a minute and add water and let it bubble. Now add the tadka on the dhokla and garnish with coriander leaves. Cut it in to square or diamond shapes and serve it with green coriander chutney.

Schezwan Vegetable Dhokla
1 part of the batter
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste
1/2 pepper powder
1/2 tsp soya sauce
1 tbsp Schezwan sauce
1 onion sliced
1/2 small capsicum slice
1/2 tsp garlic crushed
1/4 cup cabbage sliced
1 tbsp carrot sliced
1/4 cup spring onion chopped
Coriander leaves and spring onions for garnishing

Method
Take the batter and add salt as required. Take a pan and add oil. Add crushed garlic and sauté for a minute. Add all the sliced vegetables. Add the soya and the Schezwan sauce. Sauté the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped  spring onions the vegetables and keep it aside. Now grease the dhokla   plate and fill 1/4 of the plate with the batter. Half steam the batter. Once half steamed and the top of the batter has harden spread the vegetables on the batter. Now fill the rest of the plate with the rest of the batter and sprinkle pepper powder on top. Put the plate back into the steamer and steam the dhokla till done. Take it out from the steamer and garnish it with coriander leaves and chopped spring onions. Let the dhokla cool and then cut into shapes as desire.

Vattayappam with a twist
1 part of the batter
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Sugar as per the sweetness required
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp broken kaju
1 tbsp raisins
1 mashed banana
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp Saffron syrup
1 banana sliced for decoration
1/2 tsp ghee

Method
Take the batter and add all the ingredients except Saffron syrup and sliced banana. Mix the batter well. Now grease the plate with ghee and add the batter. Steam the batter till done. Take the plate out of the steamer. Cool the Vattayappam. Garnish it with Saffron syrup and sliced banana.

Sandwich Uttapa and Masala idlis....

Sandwich Uttapa and Masala idlis....
For Sandwich Uttapa
Ingredients
Dosa atta
1 onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 green chilies chopped
1 tbsp of coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
Ghee
Method
Mix all the above ingredients in the dosa atta, except for the ghee. Take the sandwich toaster and brush with ghee. Add the batter and close the lid... Cook the Uttapa till done.

Masala Idlis
Ingredients
2 cup Idli cut into small cubes
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Chana Dal
1/4 tsp Urid dal
1 green chilli chopped
Few Curry leaves
2 tbsp  Mullapodi Chutney powder
1 tbsp Coconut chutney
1/2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp Desiccated Coconut
1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
Method
Take a pan. Add oil. Add mustard seeds, chana dal, Urid dal, curry leaves, chopped green chilli and sauté it for few minutes. Add Chopped Idli to the pan and sauté it for few minutes more.  Take a small bowl. Mix the coconut chutney , Mullapodi powder, lime juice and 3 tbsp water. Add the chutney mix to the idlis. Mix it well. Cook for few minutes till the water in the chutney dries up. Garnish it with desiccated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

Gohona / Nakshi Bori

They are dried dumplings / wadi made in the design formed with Urid dal / split black gram  batter. Gohona or  Goyna means jewellery in Bengali. 

Purba Medinipur in West Bengal is very famous for making these bori. In 1930 one of the student from Shantiniketan presented the gohona bori to Rabindranath Tagore, he was so impressed by the art that he wrote a letter seeking permission to preserve the photographs of Gohona Bori at the Art Building of Shantiniketan. 

Source - Google 

This boris are made and send as a part of a trousseau during wedding, but now these boris are dying art and are available during handicraft exhibitions / fair or in govt. emporium.

  The state is trying its best to keep this art alive by training ladies from the villages. 

These are made during winter.  The urid dal is crushed and broken down, thereafter soaked and washed well with water. The skin is removed and then the dal is made into paste on a sil - bata and beaten / whisked very well with hand. Now a days the ready split  dal is soaked and grinder is used to make a paste and with the help of a beater, the batter is whisked. 

The batter is then added into a piece of cloth with nozzle, now piping bags are used. Various designs are created on a bed of poppy seeds. It’s dried under the sun. It’s fried and eaten with dal and rice or enjoy it by itself.

Ingredients
1 cup Urid dal soaked
Salt to taste
Poppy seeds to sprinkle on the plate

Method

Wash and soak the dal for 6 hours. Drain all water from the dal. Blend all the ingredients except poppy seeds in a mixie without any water. Make a very  fine paste. Take this paste in a big bowl. Start beating the batter vigorously. It should become very fluffy and when a drop of batter  placed on water it should float. Now to make designs pour the batter in a piping bag with writing nozzle. The designs should not be very thin as the sun will make them thinner and brittle. Take a steel plate. Sprinkle poppyseeds to cover the surface completely. Now comes the fun part, play with your creativity. Use toothpick to stop the batter coming out from the piping bag.
Once done dry them in sun for 3-4 hours and let them sit on the plate overnight. Next day if still moist again dry for 1-2 hours. Once dried keep them stored in airtight container. Fry them and serve it with dal and rice or have it just like

Rosh Bora

Rosh Bora
The festival of Makar Shankranti is also known as Pithey Parbon in Bengal. There are many types of Pithey made in Bengal. Another type of sweet made during Shankranti is Rosh Bora.
Ingredients
2 cups of whole white urad dal
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp grated ginger
Oil for frying
Notun gur or date jaggery according to the sweetness of the syrup wanted

Method
Soak the dal for an hour. Drain the water and grind into a fine paste. Mix in fennel seeds, salt and grated ginger with the paste. The consistency of the mixture should be thick. Whisk the batter in one direction till light and fluffy. Heat oil in a wok and when oil gets heated up then drop a tablespoon of the batter and fry till golden brown in color. Fry in batches. Once the boras are ready. Keep them on a absorbing paper to drain off the excess oil. While frying the boras, get the Gur syrup ready. Heat 2 cups water with 2 cups grated Notun gur. When the gur completely dissolves and forms 1 string consistency then switch of the flame. Soak the boras in the syrup for an hour. Boras will turn super moist after absorbing the syrup.

Pane di Patate

Pane di patate Bread is made with mashed potato has a soft crust and moist center. In this recipe, the dough is coated in butter and baked in a ring mold.

Pane di Patate

Special equipment:
Ring mold or 10inch round
cake pan, with 250m ramekin

Ingredients:
250g potatoes, peeled
and cut into 2–3 pieces
2 1⁄2 tsp dried yeast
9 tbsp unsalted butter,
plus extra for greasing
1 large bunch of chives, snipped
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
21⁄4 cups bread flour,
plus extra for dusting

Method:
Place the potatoes in a saucepan with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Mash with a potato masher. Let cool.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over 1⁄4 cup lukewarm water. Leave for 5 minutes until dissolved, stirring once. Melt half the butter in a saucepan. Put the reserved liquid, mashed potato, dissolved yeast, and melted butter into a large bowl. Add the chives, sugar, and salt, and mix together with your hand.
Stir in half the flour and mix well with your hand. Add the remaining flour, 1⁄2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It should be soft and slightly sticky. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead for 5–7 minutes, until very smooth and elastic.
Grease a large, clean bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and flip it so the surface is lightly buttered. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1–1 1⁄2 hours, until doubled in size.
Grease the ring mold or cake pan. If using a pan, grease the outside of the ramekin and place it upside down in the center. Melt the remaining butter. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Flour your hands and pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough, making about 30 pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball.
Put a few balls into the dish of melted butter and turn them with a spoon until coated. Transfer the balls of dough to the prepared mold or pan. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover with a dry kitchen towel and let the loaf rise in a warm place for 40 minutes, until the mold or pan is full.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Bake the bread for 40–45 minutes, until it is golden brown and starts to shrink away from the mold. Let it cool slightly on a wire rack, then carefully unmold. With your fingers, pull the bread apart while still warm.

GOAN PRAWNS OKRA CURRY

One of my favourite vegetable is Okra and so is Goan food. So today's gravy for lunch with hot steaming rice..

GOAN PRAWNS OKRA CURRY

INGREDIENTS:

300 gms Cleaned Prawns
200 gms Okra/Bhindi chopped
1 tbsp Oil
1 Onions chopped
6 Curry Leaves
1 Green Chilli
1/2 tsp  Coriander Seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves

To Grind
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut
1 Tomato chopped
1 tsp Grated Ginger
4 Garlic cloves
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
6  Dry Red Chilies
1 tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp tamarind paste

To Marinate the prawns
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp  Salt

METHOD:

Grind all the ingredients for grinding into a paste. Marinate the prawns.
In a wok heat oil and add coriander seeds, mustard seeds, onion, green chilli, curry leaves and saute until onion becomes soft. Add garam masala powder mix well and saute for another minute. Once masala gets cooked well, add grounded paste and cook until oil starts to seperate. Add salt and mix well. Add prawns and stir cook for 2 minutes, add water and bring it to good boil.Add okra pieces and boil for 2 minutes. Simmer until okra and prawns have cooked well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Home made Bori and Borir Tarkari

Home made Bori and Borir Tarkari
Ingredients
1 cup Urid Dal washed and soaked
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1  green chilli
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup Petha /chachikomro / Ash gourd water squeezed out
Salt to taste
Method
Grind all the above ingredients in a grinder. Avoid adding water ... Only if required then add very little water... Beat the mixture very well with your hand. To test add a drop of the batter in a bowl of water, if then batter flots in water then it is done. Take a bowl of water. Dip your hands in water and put the Bori on a sheet of plastic or cloth. Let it dry in the sun for 2 days. Once done store the Boris in a air tight container.

Borir Tarkari
Ingredients
10 to 12 Borirs
1 big potato cut into thick strip
1 tomato cut in to thick strip
2 green chillies
2 tbsp mustard oil
1/2 tsp kalonji
1/2 tsp ginger grated
2 tbsp mustard paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Method
Fry the boris and keep it aside. Take the remaining oil and add Kalonji and green chillies. Add the potato and tomato strips. Sauté it. Add mustard paste, ginger grated, turmeric powder and  salt. Stir it well. Add a cup of water. Cook the vegetables covered for 5 minutes. Add the boris and cook till the vegetables are tender and done. Serve it hot with rice.

Egg and Veg short crust pastry quiches

Egg and Veg short crust pastry quiches
Ingredients
12 round circles cut from the short crust pastry dough according to the size of the cupcake moulds
3 eggs
Salt to taste
3 tbsp spring onions chopped
3 tbsp capsicum chopped
1 green chillies chopped
1 onion chopped
1/2 tsp butter
Method
Preheat the oven for 180 degrees.
Take a pan and add butter. Saute the vegetables for 2 to 4 minutes and keep it aside. Take the eggs and sprinkle salt to taste. Beat the egg with the beater till soft peaks form. Now take a cupcake pan and put 1 cut dough circle in the cavities. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Now add 2 tbsp of beaten egg batter in each cavities. Gently add the sautéed vegetables on the beaten egg batter. Bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees. Take it out and serve it.

Homemade Orange icecream with orange marmalade syrup

Homemade Orange icecream with orange marmalade syrup

Ingredients
2 cups Full cream milk
3/4 cup  Granulated white Sugar
1 tsp Orange essences
2 Orange pulp
1 tbsp Cornflour
1 tsp veg Gelatin
1 cup Fresh Cream

Method

Keep the freeze setting in maximum. Mix cornflour in 2 tbsp of cold milk and keep it ready. Soak gelatin in 2 tbsp lukewarm milk  for 5 minutes. Then microwave for 1 minute when required.

Boil milk until it reduces a little a bit. Then add sugar and boil the milk till the sugar dissolves. Reduce the flame and mix cornflour gradually stirring continuously. When the milk starts thickening, switch off the flame. When the milk is lukewarm, add gelatin and mix well. Chill it in the freezer for 2 hours. Then add fresh cream, orange essence and orange pulp and mix well and beat using electric beater, on a low speed for a few minutes, keeping the vessel over a bowl of ice cubes.
Pour the mixture in a box with a lid and keep it in the freezer. Once half set, remove from the freezer, beat it for a few minutes and pour it back into the box and freeze again. You can beat the ice cream for 1 or 2 times more. This is done to get creamier ice cream. Ice cream is ready once it sets. Allow it to thaw for 5 minutes before serving.

If ice cream maker is used then take the ice cream maker vessel cover it with plastic bag and freeze it till chilled. Chill the ice cream mixture. Take out the ice cream vessel from the freezer and then add the chilled ice cream mixture into the vessel. Whip the Ice cream mixture till it thickens and to set it well keep it in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours.

Add orange marmalade syrup before serving.

Orange syrup
Ingredients
1 orange pulp
4 tbsp orange marmalade
Method
Take a pan and add both the ingredients. Cook it on a low flame till the marmalade melts and blends well with the orange pulp to form a syrup. Take of the gas and cool before serving.

Shrewsbury biscuits

Shrewsbury biscuits....

Shrewsbury biscuits
Ingredients
150 gram flour
120 gram butter
75 grams sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
Method
Beat the butter well then add sugar and beat it again until the butter becomes fluffy. Add baking powder, flour and milk and beat the batter. At this stage the dough is very soft so keep it for 20 to 45 minutes.( If the climate is hot then keep it for 15 minutes in the freeze and 15 minutes out). After 20 to 45 minutes take the dough and make equal balls and keep the balls at a distance on the baking tray. If you have the mold then use the mold and stamp the balls so you will have Shrewsbury stamped on the balls. If not just flatten the balls with your hand. In a preheated oven bake if for 15 to 20 minutes at 160 to 170 degrees depending on your oven. Please keep checking after 15 minutes and turn the tray to keep browning. Keep the biscuits in the same tray till it cools.

Lasuni Tadka Dal

Lasuni Tadka Dal
Ingredients
2 Cups Whole Moong washed and soaked for 3-4 hours
1 big Onion chopped
1 big Tomato chopped
6 Garlic clove minced
Few Curry leaves
2 Green chillies slit
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Curry powder
Salt to taste
1 Whole Dry Red Chilli
1/2 Cumin seeds
Pinch of Asafoetida
2 tbsp Ghee
Method
Take a pressure cooker. Add the soaked dal. Add 2 1/2 cups water. Keep 1 tbsp Onion and 1 tsp Garlic aside for seasoning.  Add 1 green chilli, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and  curry powder in the cooker. Cover the cooker and cook the dal till tender. Let the pressure releases. Open the cooker, if the water has dried up then add more water according to the consistency required.  Take a pan. Add ghee. Heat the ghee. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add curry leaves, red chilli, 1 tbsp Onion and 1/2 tsp Garlic.  Sauté it for few seconds. Add asafoetida and add the seasoning to the dal. Simmer the dal for 10 minutes. Serve it hot with Rice or Chappati.

Telapia Macher Tak Posto ( Telapia cooked in Poppy and Tamarind gravy)

Telapia Macher Tak Posto  ( Telapia cooked in  Poppy and Tamarind gravy)
Ingredients
6 to 8 pieces of medium size Telapia fish
2 Green Chillies slit
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds 
1 Whole Dry Red Chilli
3 tbsp Poppy seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar 
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Tamarind paste
Mustard oil to fry and cook the fish

Method
Take Poppy seeds, mustard seeds, 1 Green chilli and tamarind paste. Add 1/4 cup water and make a paste. Keep it aside.
Take oil in a pan, heat the oil and fry the fish until golden brown from both sides. Keep them aside. Take 2 tbsp oil in a pan,  heat  it. Add nigella seeds,  when it  crackles add green chilli and add poppy seed paste,  turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Stir for 2 minutes , add 1 1/2 cup of water. Stir it. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Add the fish pieces. Cover and cook till the fish is tender and the gravy has  thicken up a bit. Drizzle with mustard oil and serve hot with rice.

Dharosh - Aloor Bhaja Tarkari ( Lady finger and Potato Fried Sabji)

Dharosh - Aloor Bhaja Tarkari ( Lady finger and Potato Fried Sabji)
Ingredients
250 grams medium size lady finger  washed and cut length wise into 2
2 Onion cut into half and slices
2 Potatoes  cut into thick strips
1 Tomato cut into thick strips
2 Green chillies slit
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
2 1/2 tbsp  Oil
Few Coriander leaves chopped finely for garnishing

Method
Take 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan. Heat it, add the potatoes and sauté and cook it on high heat till tender stirring it occasionally. Take it out from the pan and keep it aside. Add 1 tbsp oil in a pan, heat it and saute and cook the lady fingers. Take it out from the pan and keep it aside. Add the remaining  oil, heat it and add the cumin seeds. Let it crackle,  add the onions and green chillies. Fry the onion till brown. Add the potatoes, lady fingers and tomatoes. Stir it for 1 minute on high flame. Add salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir and cover the pan. Cook it on low flame for 3 minutes. Take it off the flame, garnish with coriander leaves.

Luchi, Alur dom and Begun Bhaja

Luchi, Alur dom and Begun Bhaja

Luchi
Ingredients:
2 cup Flour (Maida)
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil
warm water as needed
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Mix the flour, salt  in a bowl. Add a bit of oil and water and knead to a firm dough. Cover the dough and keep it for some time.  Knead the dough again for a bit. Make small balls. Take one ball of the dough and dip one side of it into the oil and roll in out into a 4 inch flat circle. Repeat for the remaining balls. Heat the oil in a kadai till its quite hot. Add the luchis to the hot oil and make sure that is it covered in oil. Flip it over and let it cook on the other side till its golden brown. Serve hot alur dom and begun bhaja.

Alur dom
Ingredients
8 potatoes cut in to half and boiled and peeled
1 tomato finely chopped
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp chilli paste
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
1/2 turmeric powder
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp mustard oil
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp curd
1 tsp bhaja masala ( coriander seeds, pepper, cumin seeds, red chillies - all roasted and powdered)
Method
Take oil and heat it well. Add potatoes and stir it well and take the potatoes out and keep it aside. Now add cumin seeds and after few minutes   add  chilli paste, ginger paste and tomatoes and saute it. Add curd , turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and sugar.Mix the gravy well on a slow flame for some time.. Add 1/2 cup water and boil the gravy well and now add the potatoes. Stir the potatoes well and cook it for some time till the potatoes mixes with the gravy. Add ghee and sprinkle bhaja masala on top. Serve hot with luchi.

Begun bhaja
Ingredients
2 big brinjals cut in to big pieces
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Mustard oil for frying
Method
Apply salt and turmeric powder on the brinjal.  Heat the mustard oil and fry the brinjals.