Beguni (Eggplant Fritters)

Beguni is a traditional Bengali dish. This is served as a side dish with an afternoon meal – Dal and steaming hot Rice or with Khichuri. But it is a perfect rainy day snack too and eatten with Puffed rice. It is a very popular street food of Kolkatta... Comes under "Tele Bhaja"..

Beguni (Eggplant Fritters)

Ingredients

1 1/2 kg long Eggplant cut lengthwise and pieces should be of medium thickness.

1/2 cup Chickpea flour / Besan 

OR

1/4 cup All purpose flour / Maida + 1/4 cup Chickpea flour / Besan

A pinch of soda bicarbonate

1 Finely chopped Green chilli

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Nigella seeds / Kalonji (Optional)

Oil for frying

Chat Masala for sprinkling

Method

Mix all the above ingredients with water except egg plant, oil and chat masala, whisk the rest of the ingredients well until fluffy. The consistency should not be too thick... Keep it aside. Take the eggplant and rub some salt on the eggplant. Take a fry pan. Heat the oil on medium low flame. Dip the eggplant into the batter and deep fry them until brown. Serve it hot sprinkling with some chat masala on top....

Minty Besan Chilla with Paneer Stuffing...

Minty Besan Chilla with Paneer Stuffing...
For the batter
Ingredients
2 cups Chickpea flour / Besan
1/4 tsp Ginger paste
2 Green chill chopped
2 tbsp Mint leaves chopped
1/2 tsp Carom seeds / Ajwin
Salt to taste

Method
Mix all the ingredients with water and make a semi thick batter consistency like pan cake batter. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.

For the Stuffing
Ingredients
1 cup Grated Paneer
1 finely chopped Onions
1 finely chopped Tomatoes
2 chopped Green chillies
1 tablepsoon chopped coriander leaves
Black salt to taste
1/2 tsp Lime juice
1/2 tsp roasted cumin seed powder
Option - 2 tbsp Grated Cheddar Cheese and 2 tbsp grated Mozzarella can be added..

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together for the stuffing.

For making the Chilla
Ingredients
Besan Batter
Filling
Oil for drizzling

Method
Heat a pan and pour a ladle full of batter moving the ladle in a circular motion from the centre to outward. Drizzles with 1/4 tsp oil around the batter. Cook the cheela on medium heat. Let it get crisp and then flip and cook for a about a minute. Flip it back. Add a tbsp full of the stuffing. Spread the stuffing length wise. Cook for few seconds. Fold the Chilla into half.
Cut the Chilla into half and serve it with tomato ketchup.

Hunan Style Veg Noodle and Rice

Hunan Style Veg  Noodle and Rice 

Ingredients 

1/2  pack Fried Rice Noodles ( Boiled as per the instruction given in the packet and fry it in oil)

2 cup cooked Rice

3 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tbsp Red chilli oil

2 tbsp Rice wine Vinegar

1 tbsp  Sugar

2 tbsp Water

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Ginger chopped 

1/2 tsp Garlic chopped 

2 tbsp  Spring Onions sliced

2 tbsp Peas

4 red chillies cut into half

1 sliced  Carrot

1/3 Cup sliced Mushrooms

1/3 Cup thinly sliced Yellow / Red Bell pepper

2 tbsp Sesame seed oil

Method 

 In small bowl, combine 1tbsp sesame oil, red chilli oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and water. Keep it aside.  Take  a wok. Add 1 tbsp sesame seed oil. Add green onions, peas, carrots, mushrooms, chillies and bell pepper to the oil. Toss it for 3 to 5 minutes. Mix the vegetables, sauce , salt, rice and noodle together. Toss it  on  a medium flame for few minutes.  Serve hot.

General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken
It is a sweet, slightly spicy, deep-fried chicken dish that is popularly served in most Chinese and Asian themed American restaurants. The dish is most commonly regarded as a Hunanese dish.
The dish is named after General Tso Tsung-tang, or Zuo Zongtang, a Qing dynastygeneral and statesman, although there is no recorded connection to him.
Informative source Net..

For Chicken Marination and Frying
Ingredients
500 grams boneless chicken cubes
3 tbsp Soy sauce
1 Egg beaten
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
5 tbsp Cornstarch
All purpose flour as needed
Salt as required
Oil for fry

Method
Combine the chicken cubes with the egg, soy sauce, and pepper. Add  cornstarch to coat the chicken. Take all purpose flour give second coat to the Chicken cubes. Heat oil in a wok and fry the chicken cubes.

For the Sauce
2 tbsp  Soy sauce
1 tbsp  Rice vinegar
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp Sesame seed Oil
1 tbsp Sugar
3 tablespoons Water
1 tbsp Ginger minced
2 tbsp Garlic minced
2 tsp  Cornstarch 
2 tbsp spring onions chopped for garnishing
5 small Dried red chilli for seasoning
1/2 tbsp oil for seasoning
Note: As soya sauce is salty add salt as required..

Method
Combine the sauce ingredients in the bowl, stir to mix the ingredients. Add 1/2 tsp oil in a wok. Add red chillies. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the sauce. Cook it till thick. Add the fried chicken cubes and mix it. Add the chopped spring onion for garnishing. Serve hot.

Mini Cheese Margherita Pizza

Mini Cheese Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
2 cup Wheat flour 

1 1/2 cups   All purpose flour 

9 grams Dry Yeast

1 tsp Sugar

1/4 cup Luke warm Water

Salt to taste

1cup grated Mozzarella 

1/2 cup grated Cheddar Cheese 

1 cup Pizzasauce

2 Tomato chopped 

1/4 cup Basil leaves chopped 

2 tbsp Olive oil 

Method
Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Add wheat flour, All purpose flour, salt in a bowl, mix it and keep it aside. Take lukewarm water and add sugar and yeast. Let it rise. Add the yeast water and more water if required little at a time to the flour. Mix it and knead it into a soft dough. Add 1/2 tbsp olive oil, cover and let it rise. Punch the dough and divide the dough in to 2 portions. Take one portion of the dough. Sprinkle some flour on the platform and roll the dough out. Take a cookie cutter and cut out in to round disc shape. Repeat the process till the dough is over. Grease a baking tray with oil. Arrange the cut out dough on the tray. Take a fork and prick on the cut out dough. Add 1 tbsp spoon of mozzarella and cheddar mix. Add the tomato and basil leaves, add a tbsp of pizza  sauce and again top it up with cheese.  Bake for 15-20 mins at 180 degrees celcius till the bread has become brown from the sides and cheese has melted on top.  Serve hot..

Option - Add chopped onions and capsicum to make vegetable pizza..