Niramish Pathar Jhol ( Veg Mutton Curry)

                      

Niramish Mutton Kasha ( Veg Mutton Curry)

The story of mutton that was cooked without onion and garlic and that is call NIRAMISH MANGSHO (Veg Mutton Curry) in Bengal. The name of the dish is bit funny. Is it not?

Basically the concept of the dish came when an animal is sacrificed in front of Goddess Kali or Durga, or in the name of any deity, it becomes Prasad and therefore any non-veg items like onion and garlic can't be used (Don’t be surprised. Bengalis do consider onion and garlic as non-veg items, not  goat / lamb or any animal after sacrificed) J

 Ingredients:

750 gms Mutton -Patha (small male goat) / Khashir mangsho:
7-8 tblsp oil (mustard oil)
2 & ½  tblsp turmeric powder
1 & ½ tsp red chili powder
1  tblsp Cumin Powder
2  tblsp Coriander Powder
1 cup hung curd
½ cup raw papaya paste
2 &  ½  tblsp ginger paste
Black pepper 8 ( optional) 
Cardamom-3-4 whole pieces
Cinnamon-2-3 small pieces
Bay leaf – 3 pic
Salt to taste
Methods:
Clean  and  wash the mutton pieces. Marinade the mutton with hung curd, ginger and papaya  paste, turmeric, coriander and Cumin powder with the 1 tblsp raw mustard oil and salt for 2 hour.
Peel the skin of the potato and cut the potato in two pieces. Rub the potato with turmeric and salt. Now fry the potato and keep it aside.
Heat up oil in a pan and add bay leaf and dry chili and stir it for some time than add  ginger paste, coriander powder, chili powder, green chili and black pepper and stir it for 3-4 munites. Now add the  marinated mutton pieces and stir fry on a high flame heat up for 8-10 minutes or stir well till mutton becomes absolutely dry and the oil separates (kashano in Bengali), it will also change color to a darker shade of brown. Add the dried up mutton in a pressure cooker and pour in 3cups of water, close the lid and wait for 2 whistle  open the lid and put in the potatoes and again allow 2 more whistles. Add the cardamom / cinnamon powder 10 minutes before the mutton is served.

The dish should have fairly thick gravy when done.  Serve with hot chapatti (Indian flatbread), Naans (tandoor-baked Indian flatbread), sweet polao or plain boiled  rice.
Recipe By : Manna Majumder
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Mishti / Ranga Alur Pithe

Mishti / Ranga Alur Pithe

শুভ পৌষ সংক্রান্তি উপল্খে সবাইকে আন্তরীক শুভেচ্ছা....

Sankranti is a harvest festival celebrated all over in India on the 14th or 15th of January and since this is a harvest festival, different parts of India make various delicacies with seasonal produce.

Bengalis celebrate the winter harvest of rice with a festival called Nabanna (new rice) or Poush Parban where special pithe(sweets) made with the rice, jiggery, milk, cream, sweet potatoes and coconut in different combination. Traditionally pithe is eaten on Posh or Makar Sankranti, the last day of the Poush month. The variety, art and creativity in pithey making is truly incredible and has a rich heritage in both Bengals (East & West).

This is Ranga aloor pithe (sweet potato balls / dumpling) one of my favorite pithe made with sweet potato, coconut, flour, sugar and  fried and then dunked into a sugar syrup which has been flavored with cardamoms powder.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 medium sized Sweet Potatoes (1 cup when boiled and mashed)

2 - 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour / Maida

1 tbsp Rice Flour

1 cup Grated Fresh Coconut

1/3 cup Powdered sugar

 For the Syrup:

6 tbsp Sugar / 6 tbsp Jaggery, powdered

1 1/2 cups Water

1/8 tsp Cardamom Powder

Method:

Boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Peel and mash them until smooth.

Add the rice flour and maida to the mashed sweet potatoes and knead it well to form a smooth dough. The dough should be soft and non sticky.

Divide the dough into equal small balls (Gulab jamun shape) and set aside. Repeat with remaining dough. Until you deep fry the stuffed dough, keep them covered to avoid drying.

To make the syrup, combine the sugar / jaggery and water in a vessel and stir until sugar / jaggery dissolves completely.

Add the cardamom powder and let it boil on a low-medium flame for 10 minutes. Turn off the flame and keep the syrup warm.

The syrup should not be too hot or cold when you add the fried sweet potatoes to it.

Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Deep fry the stuffed pulis over a medium flame until golden brown color.

Remove from the oil and immediately drop them into the warm syrup. Let them soak in the warm syrup for 20 minutes or sometime. Serve warm or cold.
Author : Manna Majumder
Recipe By : Tapasi Dhar
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Mushroom Butter Mashala

                                            


Mushroom Butter Mashala

Ingredients:

250grms Mushroom (boild & golden Fry)
medium Onions, finely chopped (optional)

1½ teaspoons chopped Ginger

3-4 Garlic Cloves (optional)

 3 medium Tomatoes

 6-8 Cashew Nuts, soaked in water for 15 minutes

 1 small piece of Bay Leaf

 2 Green Chillies, slit lengthwise

 1/2 cup Full Fat Milk

 2 teaspoons Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves)

 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder

 1 teaspoon or to taste Red Chili Powder

 2 tablespoons Fresh Cream (or homemade malai)

 2 tablespoons Butter

 2 tablespoons Oil

Salt to taste.

Method3-4 Garlic Cloves
3 medium Tomatoes
6-8 Cashew Nuts, soaked in water for 15 minutes
1 small piece of Bay Leaf
2 Green Chillies, slit lengthwise
1/2 cup Full Fat Milk
2 teaspoons Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon or to taste Red Chili Powder
2 tablespoons Fresh Cream (or homemade malai)
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste.
3-4 Garlic Cloves
3 medium Tomatoes
6-8 Cashew Nuts, soaked in water for 15 minutes
1 small piece of Bay Leaf
2 Green Chillies, slit lengthwise
1/2 cup Full Fat Milk
2 teaspoons Kasuri Methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon or to taste Red Chili Powder
2 tablespoons Fresh Cream (or homemade malai)
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Oil
Salt to taste.
Grind onion, ginger and garlic in a grinder and make onion paste. Grind soaked cashew nuts with 2 tablespoons water to make cashew nut paste. Blanch the tomatoes and blend them to prepare tomato puree.
Heat cooking oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium flame. Add onion paste and bay leaf and sauté until onion paste turns light brown for approx. 4-5 minutes.
Add green chilli and red chili powder and sauté for 30-40 seconds. Add cashew nut paste.Stir and cook for 2-minutes.
Add tomato puree and cook until oil starts to separate from the puree, it will take around 3-4 minutes.
Add coriander powder and garam masala powder and mix well.
Add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water and salt; mix and cook until oil comes on the surface or for approx. 4-5 minutes.Add fried mushrooms, kasuri methi and cook for approx 2-minutes or until you get the desired consistency of gravy.
Add fresh cream.Mix properly and turn off the flame.

Grind onion, ginger and garlic in a grinder and make onion paste. Grind soaked cashew nuts with 2 tablespoons water to make cashew nut paste. Blanch the tomatoes and blend them to prepare tomato puree.

 Heat cooking oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium flame. Add onion paste and bay leaf and sauté until onion paste turns light brown for approx. 4-5 minutes.

 Add green chilli and red chili powder and sauté for 30-40 seconds. Add cashew nut paste.Stir and cook for 2-minutes.

 Add tomato puree and cook until oil starts to separate from the puree, it will take around 3-4 minutes.

 Add coriander powder and garam masala powder and mix well.

 Add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water and salt; mix and cook until oil comes on the surface or for approx. 4-5 minutes. Add fried mushrooms, kasuri methi and cook for approx 2-minutes or until you get the desired consistency of gravy.

 Add fresh cream and mix properly and turn off the flame. Serve with Polao, plain rice or paratha.
Recipe By : Manna Majumder
You can vist FB page - https://www.facebook.com/bengalikadai
Grind onion, ginger and garlic in a grinder and make onion paste. Grind soaked cashew nuts with 2 tablespoons water to make cashew nut paste. Blanch the tomatoes and blend them to prepare tomato puree.
Heat cooking oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium flame. Add onion paste and bay leaf and sauté until onion paste turns light brown for approx. 4-5 minutes.
Add green chilli and red chili powder and sauté for 30-40 seconds. Add cashew nut paste.Stir and cook for 2-minutes.
Add tomato puree and cook until oil starts to separate from the puree, it will take around 3-4 minutes.
Add coriander powder and garam masala powder and mix well.
Add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water and salt; mix and cook until oil comes on the surface or for approx. 4-5 minutes.Add fried mushrooms, kasuri methi and cook for approx 2-minutes or until you get the desired consistency of gravy.
Add fresh cream.Mix properly and turn off the flame