Thursday 30 July 2015

Vegetable Chop

Vegetable Chop
 Vegetable Chop a very tasty deep fried traditional bengali item. That can be served as an appetizer, snack or as part of a meal to go with rice and daal. Specially on a rainy day or in winter evening there's nothing better than having vegetable chop as an evening snack with hot tea.

    Vegetable Chop is nothing but a vegetarian version of cutlet. The filling is a combination of mashed potato and some winter vegetables like, carrot, beetroot, peas and ground nuts. At first vegetable itself is cooked with spices and then it’s dipped in flour thin batter mix and then in breadcrumbs and fried in vegetable oil.


  Ingredients:

• ½ tsp of cumin seeds,
• ½ tsp of fennel seeds,...
• 6 cloves,
• 3 green cardamoms,
• Small ½ inch cinnamon stick,
• 10 peppercorns,
• 2-3 dry red chili,
• 1-2 dry bay leaf
• 2 medium sized beetroot, finely grated,
• 2 medium sized carrots, finely grated,
• 2 small potatoes, boiled and mashed,
• 1 tsp of grated ginger,
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped,
• 2 tsp of peanuts,
• Salt to taste,
• Sugar to taste,


• 2 tsp of flour mixed in a little water,
• 5-6 tbsp of bread crumbs


Vegetable Chop

Methods:
 First, grind the roasted whole spices and keep it aside. In a kadai, take 1 tsp of oil and lightly fry the peanuts. Keep them aside and in the same oil, fry ginger and green chilies till you get a light aroma.Into this add the grated beetroot and carrot and sauté well. Now add the mashed potatoes, salt, sugar and ground roasted spice powder. Mix well.Cool the mixture and make medium size cutlet balls.In a separate bowl, take 2 tsp of flour and mix it with a little water to get a thin batter. It shouldn’t be too thick. Roll each ball into the batter and then roll them in bread crumbs.Deep fry the cutlets in hot oil until golden brown. 

 Serve them hot with onion rings, ketchup or with mustard sauce ‘kashundi’

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Monday 27 July 2015

Shukto


Shukto
 
Shukto-Bengali treat as a very special and traditional dish and have it on occasion like Marriage, Birthday etc specially those are from west Bengal, but as part of Lunch only. It’s a Bengali mixed vegetarian dish comprising of several veggies inclusive of Bitter Gourd, Green Banana & Drum sticks, with poppy seeds and mustard seeds paste and there are one more exclusive spice I used in my shukto recipe which is known as “Randhuni” that many Bengalis prefer to use while preparing shukto.
Ingredients
Uchche/Bitter Gourd(Karela): 1 (cut it in vertical pieces)
Begun / Eggplants: 1 (cut it vertically small pieces)
Kanchkola/ Green Banana/ Raw Cooking Banana: 1(cut it  2”vertically small pieces)
Potato/ aloo: 1 (cut it  2”vertically small pieces)
Sweet potato/ Ranga Aloo/ Sakkar Kandi: 1 (cut it  2”vertically small pieces)
Drumsticks/ Danta/ Danthal: 2 (cut it  2”vertically small pieces)
White radish/ Mulo/ Mooli: 1 (cut it  2”vertically small pieces)
Sheem/ Hyacinth Beans: 4-5 (cut it  2”vertically small pieces)
Ridge Gourd: 1(cut it  2”vertically small pieces)
Bori: 10-15
Poppy seeds/ Khuskhus/Posto paste: 2 Tbsp.
Mustard paste: 2 Tbsp.
Ginger paste: 1 Tbsp.
Panchphoran: 1 Tsp.
Radhuni: 2 Tsp.
Bay Leaves 2
Sugar: 1 Tbsp.
Salt to taste
Mustard Oil: for Frying and Tempering (around 4 Tbsp.)
Ghee/clarified butter: 1 Tbsp.
Milk: 1 cup
Water: 3-4 cup
Method
1  1. Hit Mustard Oil in a Wok and fry Bari in medium flame.
2. Now sprinkle some salt to the pieces of Eggplant and Ridge Gourd and fry.
3. After that fry Bitter gourd.
4. Now fry Green Banana, Potato, and Sweet potato, Drumsticks, White radish and Hyacinth Beans one by one.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a kadai and add panch phoron , radhuni and bay leaves. When the seeds start to crackle Add Ginger paste and cook for 1-2 minutes and add Poppy seed paste and cook for around 2 minutes.
6. Now add Mustard paste and again cook for around 2 minutes.

7. Add Salt and Sugar again cook for 1-2 minutes and then add milk and water to the Spice mix and bring it to boil.
8. Add all the veggies and cover the wok with a lid.
9. Cook for around 8-10 minutes in low flame or till the veggies cooked properly.
10. Check the water level and if required add some more water since Shukto should have sufficient gravy.
11. Add Ghee to the Curry and boil for around 2 minutes and switch the flame off.
12. Shukto is ready and served with plain Rice.
Tips: Panch Phoron is a mixture of equal quantities of fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds,mustard seeds, onion seeds and cumin seeds.
 


Friday 24 July 2015

Dalia-r Halwa

Dalia-r Halwa

Dalia or Daliya is made with whole raw wheat, it contains the nutrition of whole wheat as it does not undergo any processing to refine it. It contains fibre and protein and rich in iron, vitamin B etc. Dalia is also known as Lapsi, bulgar, burghul wheat or Fada.

There are many recipes made with dalia, both sweet as well as savories. This dalia halwa is easy and simple to make. It is a quick recipe to make for breakfast or when you need a quick sweet dish to serve with a meal. I made this with jaggery but you may use sugar if you wish.

INGREDIENTS:

Dalia (broken wheat, cracked wheat) - 1 cup
Water - 2 ½ to 3 cups as needed.
Jaggery(gud - brown sugar) – 3/4 cup, more or less according to taste.
Salt( optional - a pinch )
Ghee (clarifies butter) - 2 tbsp
Milk- ½ cup

Dry fruits such as chopped cashew nuts, almonds and raisins - 2 tbsp
Powdered cardamom - ½ tsp

Method

Add 1 cup of water and jaggery to a pan. Heat and bring to boil. Stir till jaggery dissolves. Take off fire and Keep aside.
In another thick bottomed pan, add ghee and dalia. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes till an aroma rises from dalia. Now add milk to it and heat again and cook till the milk gets absorbed.. Mix and cover. Cook till the milk has been absorbed. This may take for 4-5 minutes.

Strain the dissolved jaggery water over dalia. Mix well. Cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes till all the water is absorbed and dalia is fully cooked. Add more water if needed. When dalia is fully cooked, add the chopped dry fruits and cardamom powder. Mix and switch off.  Keep covered till serving time. Serve hot.

Tips :The exact amount of water will depend on the variety of dalia.
You may use sugar instead of jaggery(gud).

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Thursday 23 July 2015

Boal Macher Jhaal

Boal Macher Jhaal

Boal Maach (wallago attu) is widely available in the fish markets in India. This is a meaty fish with little bones and no scales.  Boal Macher Jhaal normally I  cooked with minimum spices but as a taste enhancer and to give this age old traditional dish . This famous dish in Bangladesh North Sylet dist.
Ingredients

Bual / Boal Fish pieces – 400 grm / 4 pieces
Turmeric powder— 1tsp.

Red chili powder- ½ t

slit green chillies— six .
Onion paste-  1 Big

Mustard oil— 4tblsp.
Salt to test.

coriander leaf for garnish.

 METHOD

Marinade the bual fish pieces with turmeric powder, chili powder, onion paste, salt and one spoon mustard oil and keep it for 15 mint.

Now heat mustard oil in a deep bottomed pan. Now fry the fish pieces with medium flame t and after flip the fish to fry other side.  Fry it till oil come out. Then add slit green chilies. Now add 2cup water and Cover and let it boil in low flame for 5 minutes till the fish is properly cooked.

Bual Macher Jhaal is ready to be served. Now garnish with coriander leaf and serve it with hot rice.

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Tuesday 21 July 2015

Echorer Chop (Jack fruit Cutlets)

Echorer Chop (Jack fruit Cutlets)
                                                                              
 Chops or  fritters are one of the most famous snacks for Bengalis in winter. Earlier chop was regularly served as starters in all Bengali occasions and ceremonies in winter & Enchor-r chop is one of the most popular snacks in summer.The reason for being seasonal is the availability of its key ingredients - Enchor (raw jack fruit).  Serve hot enchor chops with salad, kasundi (a Bengali style mustard sauce) and hot tea or coffee. The good thing is you can make the chops ready when you have time and keep them in refrigerator. Fry it just before eating.

 Ingredients
 
4 Cups Echore / Raw Jackfruits - Cut into small size cubes
4Medium size boiled potato...
2 Green chili chopped
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1 Medium size chopped onion
3 tsp garlic clove
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 Garam Masala Powder
2 tbsp Maida
2 tbsp rosted ground nut (optional)
2 tbsp green peas (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
 
Method
 
Chop the jackfruit into really small pieces and steam them with turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker to soften them. Remove and drain off all water . Chop 1 large onion, ginger 1 inch piece and 2-3 green chilly's really fine and garlic clove . Boil 4 medium size potatoes and mash well with salt and 1 tbsp maida to make it smooth and bind properly.
Now heat 2 tbsp refined oil and fry the onions till it starts to colour ,then add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chilly and saute well. Add 1/2 tsp Turmeric, 1/4 tsp Garam Masala Powder, 1/2 tsp Red chily Powder, 1/2 tsp Coriander and Cumin Powder, Salt as per taste and 1/2 tsp sugar. Now saute well, sprinkle a dash of water if the spices are burning. Then add the jackfruit and stir fry well with the spices to mix all well and add the green peas and ground nut. When a nice smell begins to come and the mix browns and starts to leave the sides of the pan , remove and cool the mix.
Now take the whole mashed potato mix and divide it into equal size portions. Also divide the jackfruit mix into equal size portions. Take one portion of the potato mash in your hand and make a well in the middle and fill a portion of the jackfruit mix in the well. Close to seal , so that the jackfruit filling can not come out. Now shape like a chop/ oval shape. Give shape with hand to help you do use refined flour to dust your hands.
Now make chop of all the other portions.
In a bowl, Beat two Eggs. In a dish spread Breadcrumbs. Now dip the chops first in egg and then coat all over with bread crumbs. Dust off the excess bread crumbs.
Keep in the fridge for half an hour at least to set before frying.
Heat Refined Oil 2 cup in a wok and when its really hot, reduce the flame and slowly add the chops to fry them golden. Do not add too many at the same time. It will immedetely reduce the temperature of the oil and not fry well. Add in small batches and fry till golden and remove.
Serve hot with Sauce or Chaatni. Sprinkle a pinch of Chaat Masala.
Author : Manna Majumder

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Monday 20 July 2015

Dalia Khichudi (Broken / cracked wheat)

         
Dalia Khichudi



 
Dalia khichudi with moong dal, is a perfect one-dish meal. Addition of carrots and green peas gives this khichudi a great flavor and makes it nutritious and very tempting and tasty dish to eat.

Since cracked wheat is made from whole wheat it has fiber and nutrient of the wheat. If you love khichdi then Moong dal and Dalia khichudi will be one of the good options. Dalia and Moong dal are full of taste and flavor. It is easy to prepare.

Ingredients

½ Cup Dalia (Cracked wheat or
bulgur wheat)...
½ Cup split Moong split or skinned
yellow moong dal)
¼ Cup chopped carrots
½ Cup green peas
¼ Cup chopped potatoes
1 Green chili chopped
½ Tablespoon grated ginger
1 Medium ripe tomato- Chopped (optional)
1 Teaspoon panch foron / cumin seeds (Jeera)
1 Pinch of asafetida (Hing)
1 Whole dry red chilies – Break Chile in
half (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 Tablespoon Ghee
salt and sugar to your taste


                                                                 
Directions

1. In a bowl add dalia (cracked wheat) and dal and wash changing water several
times until the water appears clear, and then soak them in 2 cups water for 10
to 15 minutes.
2. Once dalia and dal are soaked, carefully pour out the soaking water and wash
the dalia and dal in several changes of water until water runs clear. Keep them
aside.
3. Chop the vegetables. Keep them aside.
4. In a pressure cooker heat the oil, add panch foron/ cumin seeds and fry them
for 1 minute or until they become light brown
5. Add red chili pieces, bay leaf and fry them for 1 minute or until chilies become
light brown. Add chopped tomatoes and mix with sautéed onions(optional).
7. Add chopped vegetables and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then add grated ginger and chopped green chilies and mix.
8. Now add soaked dalia and moong dal and stir it for few minutes, add salt, turmeric powder and 2½ cups of water, and mix. Now Close the lid of the cooker and cook on medium heat. (I made this khichdi like pullao . If you want can add more (3½ cup) water)
9. In about 8 to 10 minutes pressure cooker starts steaming, turn the heat
down and let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes and turn the heat off
10. Once the steam of pressure cooker goes down open the cooker, with the
cooking spoon mix Khichdi so that there are no lumps, turn the stove on
medium heat.
12. Once dal and dalia are cooked and they blend well with each other and you have the desired consistency turn the stove off.
13. When serving khichdi if you like garnish it with butter or ghee
14. Serve it with choice of pickle and yogurt.
Tips:
1. If cooking in sauce pan it will require more water and will take longer to
cook.
2. In khichidi Dalia and dal are generally over cooked and gooey in texture.
3. For making Moong dal dalia khicdi either use yellow dal or Split green dal.

Tips


1. If cooking in sauce pan it will require more water and will take longer to
cook.
2. In khichidi Dalia and dal are generally over cooked and gooey in texture.
3. For making Moong dal dalia khicdi either use yellow dal or Split green dal.

Monday 13 July 2015

Jhinge Posto

Jhinge Posto
Posto or Poppy-Seeds or KhasKhas is always popular ingredient for several dishes in Bengal, particularly in the districts of Bankura, Birbhum even in Bangladesh also and Jhinge or ridge gourd is another vegetable which is loved by Bengalis.
 
Jinge Posto is very traditional recipe which is made in every Bengali's Kitchen. It's fairly simple and very tasty.

Ingredients

3 ridge gourd peeled and roughly chopped into medium chunks
4 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
3 green chillies 
 ½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp Nigella seeds
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
3 tbsp mustard oil

Method

Soak the poppy seeds in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Blend it in a mixer with sesame seeds (here did not use) and green chillies.
In a wok heat the oil. Add the Nigella seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the ridge gourd and fry for a minute or two. Add the salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Cook till the ridge gourd becomes soft. Make sure not to add water as the ridge gourd will release water. Once the ridge gourd is soft and cooked, add the poppy seed paste and silted green chili and mix well.
Now add sugar and cook till it reaches desired consistency. Keep in mind it’s a dry preparation. Serve hot with plain rice and Dal.

Tuesday 7 July 2015

French Bread Toast


French Bread Toast

Ingredients
Bread  Slices  4
Egg                 3
Peper powder  1/2 tsp
Onion (Chpooed) 1
Green Chili (Chpooed) 3
Oil for frying
Salt and sugar to taste

Method

Cut bread slices diagonally to get triangular pieces.

Beat 3 eggs in a bowl thoroughly. Add salt, sugar, and cinnamon powder. Mix it well.

Add chopped onion and green chili. Mix it again.

Heat oil in a pan. Dip bread pieces in the egg batter so that each slice bet coated well with batter with onion pieces and slowly drop in the oil and deep fry for a couple of minute until it becomes crispy and turns golden yellow in color on both sides. Take it out on a tissue paper in order to remove the excess oil from it.
Serve hot with tomato sauce and your crispy bread toast is ready to eat

Dal Paturi

Dal Paturi

Paturi is a style of traditional Bengali cooking wrapped and steamed/roasted in banana leaf. The delicate flavor that the banana leaves impart into the steaming food is simply matchless. It is prepared with fishes, vegetables, lentils and all other possible combinations. One such is dal paturi. 
It is a paste of bengal gram / yellow split peas (Chana dal /matar dal) and coconut steamed to form a delicate ‘cake’.
My Thami(Granny) used to cook this for us & it was a family favorite food. She used to fold the batter in banana leaf, & then place on the tawa & after that it got slow cooked on the heat of charcoal oven (unun). The taste of Granny’s hand cooked food-the aroma of banana leaf & charcoal all are missing these days.Dal paturi is one of my favorite food.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup -split bengal gram/ chana dal
1 ¼ cup – freshly grated coconut or ½ a fresh coconut
2 tbsp -mustard oil
2-3 nos – green chilies (as per your spice taste)
Fresh coriander leaves- 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt and sugar to taste

FOR ROASTING



Banana leaf


METHOD:
 

Grind the soaked split peas with little water possible (4-5tbsp). The texture of the paste should be a bit rough.
 Mix together chana dal paste, grated coconut, turmeric powder, coriander leaf and green chillies, together. Add salt and sugar to taste. Add 3 tbsp of mustard oil (raw) to the chana dal paste.
Prepare the banana leaf/leaves. Cut the leaf, pass it over the gas flame, this will soften the leaf and help the paste to b wrapped nicely. De-vein the leaf. Do not throw the veins away, you will need it to tie the leaf parcel later.
Arrange for 4 parcels by laying down double layer of the leaf piece. Put a portion of the paste in the centre and wrap it up. Tie the parcels with the veins.


Heat up the griddle (tawa). Place the parcels on it. Lower the heat to minimum, cover and let it cook for 20-25 mins. Flip them over to the other side of the parcel. And let it cook another 20 mins.
Take it off fire. Cut into wide squares & serve hot or room temperature as a starter/side with cooked red lentil( masur dal) and white rice.
One can also steam the parcels.

Author : Manna Majumder
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Monday 6 July 2015

Doodh Puli Pithe

Doodh Puli Pithe



Ingredients:
• 1 coconut .
• 1 cup sugar / 1 cup Nolen Gur (date jaggery)
• 2 cup Rice flour...
• 2 tblsp. plain flour (Maida)
• 1 litr milk.
• 10 gms raisins
• 10 gms cashewnut
• 1 tsp. cardamom powder.
• Bay leaf.
• Rose water(optional)

Method:

1. Heat a Pan and add grated coconut and mix with sugar/nolen gur (I used nolen gur) and cardamom powder. Mix well and keep it aside after little bit sticky.
2. Now again heat a Pan and add Rice flour. Stir for about 10 minutes. Take it out in an bowl and add plain flour to that. Now add Hot water and knead well to make dough.
3. Make small balls from the dough, spread each ball with hand and stuff the coconut sugar mixture into it. Fold it and seal the edges so that filling doesn't come out to get the shape of 'Puli' as in the picture.
4. Heat a pan and add milk. boil the milk for some time so that it get reduce to half. Add sugar, bay leaf and cardamom powder. cook for a couple of minutes. Now add the pulies to the milk slowly and cover it and let it cook for about 15 minutes with stirring in between. Add raisins and cashew nuts and if you want mix some rose water.

Take it out in a serving tray. Serve cold

Recipe By - Manna Majumder

Amla Murabba


Amla Murabba
Peparation Time – 10 Minutes
Cooking Time- 75 Minutes
Difficulty- Easy...
Recipe Type- Sweet


  Ingredients
• 500 grm Fresh amlas
• 250 grm Honey
• 1/2 tsp Alum

Method

Wash amlas properly and perforate all over it with a fork.
Take 2 litres water and dissolve alum in it. Put amlas in this water.
Soak them for a day.
Wash the amlas with alum water.
Drop amlas in boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove and leave aside.
Make honey syrup with 1/2 litre water.
Soak the cooked amlas in the sugar syrup for 24 hrs. Take out amlas from syrup. Boil the sugar syrup to restore its original consistency.
Return amlas in syrup. Keep for 24 hours.
Repeat the process for 4 days.
Preserve the murabba in a tight jar.