Raw Jackfruit Kofta- A vegetarian delicacy

This weekend I tried raw jackfruit kofta. This is the time when you get these vegetables like raw jackfruit (kathail) or stripe gourd (parwal) and both are my favourites. Every time whenever I bring jackfruit, I usually go for the plain sabzi. This time I thought of making koftas. These vegetable delicacies remind me of my dida’s recipes, simple yet lajawab!!!

Making kofta is quiet time consuming, so I had chosen the weekend. With Kofta I had made veg biriyani accompanied with simple dahi raita.

It happens many times with many of us when some pure vegetarian guests are invited and we wonder of what to make or something new to make to avoid the repetitions. This dish is one of such kind which serves as a full royal meal. So here the recipe goes.

Ingredients

For Kofta

1 raw Jackfruit 1 Kg

2 potatoes Medium

100 gms chana dal 

2 green chilly

2 onion medium

½  tbsp Turmeric

1- 1/2  tbsp jeera powder

1 tbsp dhaniya powder

red chily powder as per tollerance

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

Salt as per taste

Sugar as per taste

Oil to fry the koftas

½ tsp garam masala

Few drops of ghee

Preparation:

Soak  chana dal for 2-3 hrs

Cut the Jackfruit into small pieces. (I usually get this peeled off from my vendor. If you have to peel this then refer to my earlier post (https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=72189134158661279#editor/target=post;postID=6041779103784091833;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=15;src=postname)

Peel potatoes and cut into halves                 

Pressure-cook the jackfruit pieces, potatoes and the soaked chana dal with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Do not overcook. I had cooked with 2 whistles.

While these get cooked, finely chop onions and the green chilies.

Open the pressure cooker, after it cools down and pour the steamed vegetables in a sieve to drain the water.

Mash them nicely.

Cooking:

Heat oil in a pan. Put the finely sliced onions and the green chilies and fry them till golden brown.

Add all the spices one by one and the garlic and the ginger paste and let the spices be cooked.

Add little sugar.  

When the spices are well cooked (this you can ensure when you see oil coming out) add the mashed vegetables and mix them continuously. 

When you see the mix is completely dry remove it from heat.

Now, make kofta balls out of this mixture. If you find the binding is not enough, you can add besan to this and mix well.

Fry the koftas.

For Curry:

1 medium potato (optional)

1big onion

1 big tomato

1  tbsp Turmeric

1 tbsp jeera powder

1 tbsp dhaniya powder

red chily powder as per tollerance

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

Salt as per taste

Sugar as per taste

Mustard oil or any oil

Jeera/Whole Cumin seeds and Bayleaves/ tejpatta for seasoning

½ tsp garam masala

Few drops of ghee

2-3 cups of water

Preparation:

If you are using potato then cut it into medium cubes.

Chop tomatoes and onions.

Cooking:

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with whole Jeera/Whole Cumin seeds and Bayleaves/ tejpatta.

Add the potatoes with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric. When the potatoes turn golden remove them from the oil.

Add the chopped onion and tomato and fry till it is soft.

In the meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all the spices and the ginger, garlic paste with half cup of water.

Add this paste when the onion gets light brown in colour. Add ½ tsp of sugar and continue to cook till the water dries up and oil releases.

Now add 2-3 cups of water. Let the water boil for some time. You will have to add the fried potaoes at this stage if you are using them. When you feel the consistency of the gravy is alright remove it from flame. 

As the kofta balls will soak the water so it is important to leave this gravy a little runny.

Now add the fried koftas and add ½ tsp of garam masala and Ghee. Keep this covered for some time to allow the koftas to soak the gravy. 

Be careful while serving as the koftas are now soft. Serve with roti, paratha, steamed rice or Biriyani.

Fried Baby Potatoes

In this post I am sharing the recipe of fried baby potatoes. This I made randomly. Since, long time was having these potatoes at home, needed to be cooked at the earliest. As dum aloo is a dish that is frequently cooked, I thought of some other variation. This dish came out very tasty and was liked by everyone. A simple and easy making dish.

Ingredients

Baby Potato 20-25 pieces peeled and cut into halves

Salt as per taste

½ tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp roasted ground nut powder

1 tbsp grated coconut

A pinch of whole mustard seed

Whole Red chilly 1-2

5-6 curry leaves

Coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method                                                                                                                               

In a pan, heat oil. When the oil is heated add the mustard seeds and the whole red chilly.

Now add the peeled, washed potatoes.

Add salt and turmeric powder.

Cover and cook in low flame.

Fry till the potatoes are brown in color.

Now add the ground nut powder, grated coconut and the curry leaves.

Mix well and fry for five minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and grated coconut.

Note: If you want you can add chilly powder or green chilies.

Lentil Soup

Now, the Bottle gourd soup was quite a hit. So last night’s dinner was accompanied by Lentil soup. Give the credit to the cold weather of Pune or my culinary skill whatever, even the lentil soup was also a success. So here goes the recipe of this simple soup.

Courtsey Google Image

Ingredients

Orange/Red lentils 100 gms

1 big onion sliced

3-4 fat garlic cloves sliced

3-4 coriander sprigs

Salt and black pepper to taste

Butter (as per your choice)

Method                                                                                                                               

Wash the lentils.

Add salt and butter and pressure cook the lentils with onion, garlic slices and coriander leaves. Give moderate amount of water.

After 4 whistles remove from heat and let it cool down.

Now, separate the stock and in a blender blend the cooked lentil.

Heat the stock in the pressure cooker and mix the blended part.

Add black pepper.

Add salt if required.

Remove from heat when the consistency is thick.

Serve hot with  butter and pepper. 

Oil less Cream Drop Bottle Gourd/ Lauki Soup

These days I am going through a somewhat hectic/ stressed days. There are different reasons. Shifting to a new house and making R adjusted to that being the primary one. As usual I was engrossed with my own problems- cursing, crying and what not of my luck. Then I heard some of my friends and colleagues discussing the odds of life. Realized once again and thanked the Devine Mother to make me remember how Beautiful Life actually is.

Why I said all these things here…No, actually I do not know. My only intention was to give the readers (if anybody actually read this blog J or else just a self declaration) the excuses behind my long absence.

Well, in spite of these stressed days, the only relief is this that my parents are visiting me now and my mother is around. Such a relief!!! Shifting all my worries to her I am happily coming to office and doing my daily chores. Thanks to the Devine Mother once again for making ‘Mothers’. She is actually my Matri Rupena Samsthita (I see the form of Devine Mother within her).

The rain has regained its lost power in Pune and it is raining almost continuously for the last few days. R was not too well and my parents need some well cooked vegetable in curry or dal to dip the roti for dinner. There were not too many vegetables with me and I did not want to make dal as it was already there for lunch. A hot soup will actually serve all my purposes. A soup from bottle gourd was my idea. 

Following is the recipe-

Ingredients

Bottle Gourd/ Lauki  300 grams cut into small cubes

1 big onion sliced

3-4 fat garlic cloves sliced

Salt to taste

½ tsp oregano

2 tbsp cream

Method                                                                            

                                                   

Pressure cook the Bottle gourd cubes, onion and garlic slices with salt with moderate amount of water. After 3-4 whistles remove from heat and let it cool down.

Now, separate the stock and in a blender blend the cooked Bottle gourd cubes, onion and garlic slices.

Heat the stock in the pressure cooker and mix the blended vegetable.

Add oregano.

Add salt if required.

Add 1 tbsp of cream when the consistency of the soup is moderate.

Remove from heat and add the other tbsp cream in drops.

Serve hot. 
You can add butter and pepper. 

Baked Vegetables with Cheese and Pepper

Last time when we had a party at our place with K da  I made this dish as veg starter. Since then it’s due to be blogged. This is another easy and less time consuming yet, a tasty and healthy dish. Kids will love this dish.

Normally in a gathering, like ours, I always have to think a lot for the choice of vegetables. Certain vegetables do not go at night, certain vegetables kids do not prefer, so it is always either cabbage or cauliflower or capsicums. I had a cauliflower dish for main course and was looking for a starter option. I had some baby potatoes. Initially I thought of baking the baby potatoes. Then I found some mushroom and baby corn waiting on my refrigerator, for some experimentation. So from baking baby potatoes I shifted to baking baby potatoes, mushroom and baby corn.

Here goes the recipe.

Baked Vegetables with Cheese and Pepper (10 people)

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking-15 minutes

Ingredients

20-25 baby potatoes, cleaned and skin peeled

20-25 button mushrooms cleaned

10-15 baby corns cleaned and cut into halves, lengthwise

1 Big onion cut into cubes

4-5 bug fat garlic cloves crushed

Salt as per taste

Black Pepper coarsely ground

Oregano

Any vegetable oil 1 table soon (I have used olive oil)

2-3 cheeze slices

Method                                                                                                                               

Take the baby potatoes and prick on all the sides with a fork.

Brush a microwave safe bowl with oil. Add all the vegetables, onion pieces, crushed garlic, salt and oil. Mix well. In a microwave + convection mode bake for 8-10 minutes in 600 degree. After 10 minutes, carefully bring out the bowl and check. If the vegetables are cooked then add the pepper, oregano and the cheese slices and bake for 2 minutes in 200 degree.

After 2 minutes switch off the microwave and keep the dish to be cooled normally.

Garnish with some shredded cheese if you want. 

Baked vegetables

R's concert and Karaishuti-r Kacahuri, Niramish Alur Dam and Enchorer tarkari (Peas Kachauri, Dam aloo without onion Garlic and Raw jackfruit curry)

R had a concert this Sunday. Friday and Saturday were dress rehearsal days. On Friday she went to the auditorium in her school bus. Usually, R is accompanied by her papa to school. So she was quite excited of this first time experience. So much that when I said that ‘you will be dropped by your school bus’ she started clapping and dancing. Kids, unlike us become so happy with little-little things!

Saturday she had to wear her dance costume and go with full make up. My little one was dancing on the Goan song ‘ya ya maya ya’. Here’s the picture of her dress rehearsal.

On Saturday I dropped her to the auditorium. There is a big ground and all the kids were arranged there according to their class. My darling went to her respective place and chose a corner to sit.

Somehow she’s very calm and quiet, when she’s at school. Whenever I met her teacher, she said that R loves to be alone than in a group. This Saturday I witnessed that. I stood there for some time. She waved her hand and blew a kiss to me. Something was there on her face which made me feel that she was missing me.  I felt my eyes wet.

That morning she asked for blue colored luchis/puri J. As this is the end of winter and also the season of fresh peas, I thought of making Peas Kachauri or Karaishutir Kachuri. Traditionally, Karaishutir Kachuri is accompanied with niramish alur dam (dam alu without onion and garlic) and some sweets. As there were some guests as well, I thought of making one more vegetable. Raw jackfruit was there. So, this Saturday dinner was grand with Karaishuti-r Kacahuri, Niramish Alur Dam and Enchorer tarkari (Peas Kachauri, Dam aloo without onion Garlic and Raw jackfruit curry). I had not made any sweet dish, instead S brought Jalebis.

Here are the recipes.

Raw jackfruit curry/ Enchorer tarkari

Ingredients

1 raw Jackfruit 1.5 Kg

2 potatoes Medium

1 Tomato small

2 green chilly

1 onion medium

1 tbsp Turmeric

1 tbsp jeera powder

1 tbsp dhaniya powder

1 tbsp red chily powder

1 tbsp ginger paste

½ tbsp garlic paste

Salt as per taste

Sugar as per taste

2 tbsp Mustard oil

Jeera/Whole Cumin seeds and Bayleaves/ tejpatta for seasoning

½ tsp garam masala

Few drops of ghee

2-3 cups of water

Preparation:

Cut the Jackfruit into small pieces.

If you are doing it for the first time, take help of your mother (which I did) or check this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Me3Ohq_NaY

Cut the potatoes into medium cubes

Chop tomatoes and onions.

Slit the green chilies

Cooking

Steam the jackfruit. Do not overcook. Remove the pressure cooker from heat after a single whistle.

Open the pressure cooker, after it cools down and pour the steamed jackfruit in a sieve to drain the water.

Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot enough fry the potatoes with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric. When the potatoes turn golden remove them from the oil.

Next, fry the steamed jackfruit till it is golden in colour.

Now in the same oil put ½ tsp of Whole Cumin seeds and Bay leaves. Add the chopped onion and tomato and fry till it is soft.

In the meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all the spices and the ginger, garlic paste with half cup of water.

Add this paste when the onion gets light brown in colour. Add ½ tsp of sugar and continue to cook till the water dries up and oil releases.

Add the fried potatoes and jackfruit and continue to cook again. These should be cooked well in the spice mixture to be seasoned.

Now add 2 cups of water. The gravy should not be too runny.

When both potato and jackfruit get cooked add ½ tsp of garam masala and Ghee and switch off the flame.

  

Niramish Alur Dam (Dam Aloo without onion and garlic)

Ingredients

Baby Potato 20

1 medium tomato finely chopped

Green chilies (as per your tolerance)

Finely chopped Coriander leaves for garnishing

1 tbsp Jeera/ Cumin powder

1 tbsp Dhaniya/ Corriander powder,

 Lalmirch/ Red chili powder as per tolerance

½ tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder

½ tsp Haldi/ Turmeric powder

Salt as per taste

Whole jeera/cumin seed, whole dry red chili and tejpata

Mustard oil or any white oil

2-3 cups of water

Method                                                                                                                               

Wash the potatoes and boil. Add some salt while boiling. Do not overcook.

You can cut them into halves if you wish.

Peel the boiled potatoes

Heat a pan with 2 table spoon mustard oil.

Fry the potatoes with ½ tbsp of turmeric. Fry till they have a golden colour. Remove the potatoes.

Next temper the oil with some whole jeera/cumin seed, 2 whole dry red chili and 2 tejpata

Add the finely chopped tomato.

This should be cooked in a low flame.

Now in a small bowl make a paste with 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1tbsp jeera, dhania and ½ tbsp lal mirch powder, salt turmeric and half cup of water.

Add this to the cooked onion and tomato mix and fry. You can add a pinch of sugar at this time. I add this as a part of traditional Bengali cuisine. This doesn’t make the dish sweet but adds to the taste and flavor.

When the mix releases oil add the potatoes and let them be cooked in the spices for sometimes. After they are well cooked in the spices, add 2 cups of water and increase the flame.

Cook in a high flame for some time. The gravy will not be too runny. Cook till your desired consistency.

Now add the chopped coriander leaves and mix it well and switch off the gas.

Karaishuti-r Kachuri (peas/matar kachauri)

Ingredients

For Filling

Shelled Green peas 100-150 gms (6-7 people)

1 inch ginger

2 green chilies (optional)

½ tbsp Jeera/ Cumin powder

½ tbsp Dhaniya/ Corriander powder,

½ tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder

½ tsp Haldi/ Turmeric powder

¼ tsp Asafoetida

¼ tsp Aniseeds (saunf)

Salt as per taste

1 tbsp white oil

For Kachuri

1 cup whole wheat

¼ cup refined flour

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp ghee melted

Water to knead the dough

Oil to fry the kachuris

Preparation

Sift the whole wheat with the refined flour and salt

Add 2 tbsp of ghee and knead

Add little amount of water each time and knead the dough, till it is soft

Cover the dough with wet cloth

Grind the peas, ginger, green chilies and aniseeds to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan

Fry the asafoetida till light brown.

Add the peas paste.

Add all the spices and salt

Sprinkle a little amount of water

Fry well till the paste is cooked.

Take off from heat up and let it cool.

Divide the dough into 20 balls.

Press each ball in the centre and fill it with the pea mixture.

Close the opening well and flatten.

Roll out as for puris.

Heat up oil in a deep bottomed pan.

Deep fry the puris on low heat up till golden brown.

Remove and serve hot.

Mocha ghanto/Banana Blossom Dish

Few days back, while doing my weekly sabji bazaar I noticed these Banana Blossoms. There were only two left.  Banana Blossom is not that uncommon here, but those available, are the unsweetened variety, which has a bitter taste. These blossoms are comparatively small in size and look similar to the one we find in Kolkata. To be sure, I asked the mausi who was selling and there was a positive reply. Without thinking twice, I grabbed the two.

The mausi who was selling is from Ranaghat, a place in 24 Parganas, in West Bengal. There are few the vendors in this market who belong to this place and because of them sometimes I can give a change to my taste buds with some of the typical vegetables of Bengal, like, Kalmi Shak/ water spinach, Dhenki shak/ edible fern, kankrol/teasel gourd etc. Along with the native vegetables, the other incentive that I get is to speak and listen to a different variety of Bangla. These are the reasons why I come to buy vegetables from this market. This place is not very far from where I stay and the market is not a sophisticated one. I love to buy from such markets- may be developed this liking while accompanying Baba to bazaar in school days.

Those were not the supermarket days. The vendors used to sit with their stock in the ground. There was an effective communication between the buyer and the seller- from bargaining to personal info. Then there was an option of choosing your pick from several vendors to several varieties- the best option for a finicky buyer like my Baba. The truth is this that even I’m choosy and so I love to move through the whole market before picking up anything. This takes more time than usual but I enjoy. S helps me in this work by doing the babysitting throughout.

To make a Banana Blossom dish you should have enough time in your hand. A lot of time and effort are needed for the preparation of the dish. As it was a Saturday, so my job was easy. I took one of the blossoms, cut it and soaked overnight in turmeric water. The next day I prepared this dish Mocha ghanto.

Ingredients

1 blossom of 800 grams

2 potatoes Medium

1 Tomato small

2 green chilly

1 inch fresh ginger

2 tbsp Turmeric

1 tbsp jeera powder

1 tbsp dhaniya powder

1 tbsp red chily powder

Salt as per taste

Sugar as per taste

2 tbsp Mustard oil

Jeera/Whole Cumin seeds and Bayleaves/ tejpatta for seasoning

½ tsp garam masala

Few drops of ghee

Cleaning the Blossom:

Cleaning the blossom is time consuming. Moreover, you need to know which parts you need to discard. Coat your hands with oil. Open the petals one by one. Each petals have a group of long yellow coloured flowers attached with it. Remove those flowers from the petals and keep on a plate. Discard the used petal. The size of the petal decreases gradually. Repeat this process until you finish with all the dark coloured petals and reach the pale yellow coloured moist inner petals. Chop these petals.

Now, for the small bunch of flowers: there is a long thin stalk (the stamina) with a black dot below and a feathery papery layer. Remove those from each flower. Chop the remaining flower.

Method

Mix 1 tbsp of turmeric in normal water. Soak the chopped blossom in the water for atleast 8 to 10 hrs. This is to get rid of the bitter taste.

After 8 to 10 hrs remove chopped blossom from the turmeric water. Discard the water. In a pressure cooker add the soaked blossom with 1 and ½ cup of fresh water and ½ tbsp turmeric and salt. After 5-6 whistles remove from heat.

Make paste of the ginger.

Next cut the potatoes into medium cubes.

Chop tomatoes. Slit the green chilies

Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot enough fry the potatoes with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric. When the potatoes turn golden remove them from the oil.

Open the pressure cooker, add all the spices- ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chily powder, turmeric powder, salt and sugar one by one and mash the steamed blossom finely.

Now in the same oil put ½ tsp of Whole Cumin seeds and Bay leaves. Add the tomatoes and fry till it is soft. Add the mashed blossom and cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and continue to cook again.

After 10 minutes the water should dry. Check whether the potatoes are cooked or not.

Add ½ tsp of garam masala and Ghee and switch off the flame.

Serve with steamed rice.

Simple Cabbage recipe/ Bandhakopi-r Chenchki

While in hostel, I promised of not having certain things for at least 5 years. Cabbage topped the list. Cabbage was a regular candidate in atleast one of our meal menu. Anyway, though I try to avoid cabbage now, still I cannot totally escape from it.

In my childhood days, cabbage was not available throughout the year. This was true for other vegetables also. So, there was a clear cut distinction between summer vegetables like parwal/stripe gourd, raw Jackfruit and winter vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower. The taste of cabbage and cauliflower of those days makes me nostalgic now. Throughout my life I’ll really remember the taste of cabbage with the green peas- a  dish with very simple ingredients, little hot and little sweet- ahhh will never taste that heavenly dish made by dida again!

Dida, my father’s mother, and the best cook I had ever seen. She knew simple yet innovative and tasty recipes, different variations of cooking of the same vegetable.

Few days back, there was a post in FB, wherein somebody wanted to know about some different recipes of cabbage other than the usual ones. Within an hour, the post was flooded with answers- from Cabbage Manchurian to South Indian style cabbage- but there was one mention about Bandhakopir Chenchki. Thanks to that post. It reminded me the taste of chenchki that dida used to prepare and after a long time, actually for the first time, I prepared it.

Chenchki, as called in Bangla, is usually a dish where you cut any vegetable either raddish or cabbage or potato into small pieces, season with paanchporon, or kalo jeera and cooked without any ground spices, only with salt and turmeric.

Here’s the full preparation.

Ingredients

500 grams cabbage

2 potatoes Medium

2 Tbsp Mustard oil

2 green chilly

Salt as per taste

Turmeric

Sugar as per taste

Red chili powder (optional)

Kalojeera for seasoning

Preparation 

Wash the cabbage and the potatoes.

Cut the cabbage into very small pieces. I then wash it again and put into hot boiled water with a pinch of salt. This is for the smell and also a precaution against the insecticides.

Next cut the potatoes into medium cubes.

Cooking  

Heat oil in a deep-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot enough fry the potatoes with ½ tsp of salt and turmeric. When the potatoes turn golden remove them from the oil.

Now in the same oil put ½ tsp of kalojeera and slit green chillies. You’ll sense the sweet aroma of this combination. Do not let the chilies burn. Now add the cabbage. Add salt and turmeric as per taste and cover and cook in medium flame.

After 10 minutes, add the potatoes. At this point add red chili powder and sugar as per taste. Cover and cook.

Check if the dish needs water or not. Usually you do not need to add extra water for cabbage; but if you see that the cabbage or the potatoes are not cooked yet, and there’s a little water left, then you can sprinkle water from the top. Continue to cook again.

Remove it from heat when both cabbage and potatoes are cooked and water had dried up.

Serve with steamed rice.

Spicy Dam aloo

Celebrations!!! Yes, we love to celebrate each and every occasion, right from Valentine ’s Day to Eed, from Christmas to Navroz.  Our calendar is marked with festivals and celebrations all through. Then there are birthdays and anniversaries.

As a Bengali my festival starts with ‘poush parban’ or Makar sankranti, followed by saraswati puja (Vasant Panchami), holi, paila boishak (Bengali new year or first day of Baisakh), jamai shoshthi and so on. Married to a Bihari family I now also celebrate some more occasions with much fervour.  Rakhi or Rakshabandhan is one such.

I remember one incident of Rakhi from my childhood when I was in first standard.  Our’s was a girls’ school and there was no holiday on Rakhi as in Bengal we observe Bhaiphonta (bhaiduj). One of my classmates Neeraj Pandey came with a big Rakhi adorned with all Zari and decorative beads. She managed it from her brother. The rakhi was too attractive and there was a wish hidden on my young mind to have one such some day. Then so much water has flown into the Ganges!!!

When I came to Mumbai, didi was the one who tied me a rakhi for the first time. It was a small decorative piece and I loved it. After that as long as I was in Mumbai each year she used to tie me the silk thread.

With R, Rakhi is now more serious and busy event. Till now, R, the only daughter of the family, has to send Rakhis to all her cousins. So, now I get enough chances to handle those silk threads. This year, I have even bought 3 extras. They are so beautiful and creative!!! A Superman or a Doreman Rakhi for the kids, Designer Rakhs, Rakhis like Punjabi ChuRas and so on. One for my boudi, one for my sis-in-law and the other one for me- 3 punjabi ChuRas apart from R’s share.

If Rakhis and gifts are one part of the celebration then the other important part is the food of course (the one without which we cannot think of our festivals). The menu that I decided this time was spicy dam aloo, dhokar dalna, shemai-er payesh and sattu paratha (chatu-r parota). Typically a mixed Bihari  & Bengali cuisine.

I am sharing the recipe of Spicy Dam aloo.

Ingredients

Baby Potato 10-15

1 big onion finely chopped

1 medium tomato finely chopped

Green chilies  (as per your tolerance) finely chopped

1 Big onion fine sliced

Garlic paste

Ginger paste

2 tblsp fresh lemon juice

Jeera/ Cumin powder

Dhaniya/ Corriander powder,

 Lalmirch/ Red chili powder

Haldi/ Turmeric powder

Whole jeera/cumin seed, whole dry red chili and tejpata

Mustard oil or any white oil

Ghee, garammasala and sugar (optional)

Method     

                                                                                                                          

Wash the potatoes and partly boil. Add some salt while boiling. You can cut them into halves if you wish.

Peel the boiled potatoes

Heat a pan with 1 table spoon mustard oil.

Fry the potatoes with ½ tbsp of turmeric. Fry till they have a golden colour.

Next add another tbsp of mustard oil and temper the oil with some whole jeera/cumin seed, 2 whole dry red chili and 2 tejpata

To it add the finely chopped onion, green chilies and tomato.

Cover and cook

Now, add 1 tbsp garlic paste and cover again

This should be cooked in a low flame.

Now in a small bowl make a paste with 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1tbsp jeera, dhania and ½ tbsp lal mirch powder, salt turmeric and water.

Add this to the cooked onion and tomato mix and fry. You can add a pinch of sugar at this time. I add this as a part of traditional Bengali cuisine. This doesn’t make the dish sweet but adds to the taste and flavor.

When the mix releases oil add the potatoes and let them be cooked in the spices for sometimes. After they are well cooked in the spices, add water and increase the flame.

Cook in a high flame for 5 minutes or till the water dries. This is a dry dish, so do not keep lot of gravy.

Now add the lime juice and mix it well and switch off the gas.

If you want you can add some ghee and garam masala at the end. I usually avoid this but this time I added as a part of festival dish J.

Patol/ Parwal Kasha

During the summer and monsoon Parwal/patol is quiet available here. Parwal is one of the vegetable that both S and I prefer. There are many variations of parwal that I make. This time it is patol/parwal kasha. 

‘Kasha’ is a type of preparation where you fry and cook the ingredient with spices in a low heat for a long time, so that the all the spices go inside it to make soft and seasoned.  The gravy can be thick or dry being ideal to have with paratha or nun. The most enjoyed ‘kasha’ dish according to me is mutton/chicken kasha. The other kasha recipes are dim (egg) kasha, kasha alur dom (dam-aloo) and patol kasha.

Ingredients 

Patol/ Parwal:  10-12

2 Onions Medium

1 Tomato  Medium

2  green chilies (or as per your choice)

Ginger paste 1 table spoon

Garlic paste 1 table spoon

salt as per taste

turmeric powder ½ tea spoon

jeera powder 1 table spoon

red chili powder  ½  or 1 teaspoon

½  tea spoon sugar

½ tea spoon garam masala

½ tea spoon ghee

Bay leaves and whole jeera for tempering

Mustard oil/Sunflower oil 3 table spoons

Preparation

Cut the parwal from both the ends and scrape.

Wash them and with a fork pierce for two or three times. This will give good result while seasoning.

Chop finely both the onions and tomato.

Cooking

Heat a pan with 2 table spoon of oil.

Fry the parwals with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Reduce the flame and cover. Open the lid after 5 minutes. Turn the parwals to the other side and fry well. Parwals may discharge water. In that case increase the flame and fry. Do not cover now. Remove them from flame when both the sides are light brown and the parwal is soft.

The total time of frying the parwals will be some 10 minutes.

Now, you may need to add a table spoon of oil to the existing one. Once the oil is hot enough temper it with whole jeera and bay leaves.

Add the chopped onions and tomato.

Add the green chilies and the garlic paste

Let it be cooked for 5 minutes.

In the mean time you can make the spices ready.

For the spices: In a small bowl put ginger paste,  jeera powder, red chili powder, turmeric, salt to taste and 3-4 table spoon of water.  

Mix the spices thoroughly and add it to the chopped onion and tomato. Let it be cooked for some more time.  The mixture will release oil. At this point add a little bit of sugar.

Now put the parwals and reduce the flame and cook for some time.  You may sprinkle little water to avoid the parwals getting burnt from bottom.  Let it be cooked for 10 minutes, covered with a lid. The parwals will get absorbed in the spices.

Now   add ghee and garam masala powder and switch off the gas. Keep it covered for more 10 minutes.

Serve it with roti or paratha.

Veg Shammi Kabab with green Chutney

Shammi Kabab and Veg!!! 

Even I raised my brows as I read the name of the dish in Bongcomb’s blog, but I should say that the whole recipe was indeed appealing.  It was on my mind to make some chatpata  veg starter and what best it could be than trying out these veg kababs!!!

The ingredients of this dish are quiet simple and almost available at home, readily I decided to make it last night. The outcome is a healthy and tasty dish, loved by all including R. Moreover, I did not have to spend more than 15 minutes to complete the dish.

For all those you want the original recipe here it is

http://bongcomb.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/meat-kebabs-wait-these-are-vegetarian-kebabs/

I have made some very minor changes. Here is my version:

Ingredients

Soya granules 1 cup
2 tablespoon of besan ( chickpea flour)
Ginger paste 1 table spoon
Garlic Paste 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
½  teaspoon turmeric
½  teaspoon Red chilli powder
½  teaspoon jeera ( cumin ) powder
½  tablespoon plain yoghurt
1 ½  teaspoon Everest Tandoori Chicken Masala powder*
½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
1 tablespoon oil

Method                                                                                                                               

Soak the soya granules in 1 cup of warm water for about half an hour. Check if they are soft in texture.

Drain out the excess water. Do not squeeze out the water from the granules.

In a bowl with the soya granules mix all the ingredients one by one other than the oil.

At the time of mixing all the ingredients

Make small balls out of the mix and flatten it with your palm to give it the shape of the Kabab.

Heat a tawa or flat skillet, brush it with oil and shallow fry the kebabs on both sides till the color turns golden.  

Kababs on the Tawa (not a good picture though!!!)

Serve hot with green chutney and onions.

The final thing...

This time I made some variation with the chutney as well. For the chutney:

1 Bunch of coriander washed and roughly chopped.
1 green chili
1 table spoon yoghurt
Salt to taste

Blend or grind all the ingredients in a blender or chutney grinder till smooth.

Mixed Veg Tofu Cutlet with Green Chutnee

This recipe was in my inbox for a long time. Finally, it saw the daylight.  Thanks to me!!!

It was late in the afternoon on one weekend, when S said that an old friend of ours is coming to visit us along with his wife.

Though they said that major is the adda, as we will be meeting after a long time so a cup of tea will be enough. S added, we will order something.   As it was on a weekend, so I could spend some time in the kitchen, and I thought of this cutlet with green chutney.

This was for the first time I made it and it came out well. There are many versions of cutlet, but this one is easy and tasty. If you can spend an hour in the kitchen any day then you can go for it.

Ingredients

Vegetables of your choice (I used the following)
1 carrot roughly chopped
1 big capsicum roughly chopped
French beans roughly chopped
1 large Potato boiled and mashed
Tofu 250 gms
Green chilies (as per your tolerance)
1 Big onion fine sliced
Ginger paste 1 table spoon
Garlic Paste 1 table spoon
Salt as per taste
Roasted jeera, dhaniya, lalmirch Powder*
Any vegetable oil 4-5 table soon
Breadcrumbs

Method                                                                                                                               

Heat a pan with 1 table spoon of oil.

Add the chopped onion and the vegetables.

To it add salt and cover.

When the vegetables are almost cooked add the tofu.

Dry up the released water and add the boiled mashed potato. Now add the roasted spice powder and stir.

When the mix releases oil, it is ready.

Cover it and give some time to cool.

Divide the mix into small portions and make small balls out of it and flatten it.

Coat the cutlets with breadcrumbs. See that both the sides are well coated.

Now shallow fry the cutlets and serve with the green chutney.

For Chutney:

5-6 sprigs of dhaniya patta
2-3 green chilies or as per tolerance
2-3 garlic cloves
½ table spoon oil (optional)
Salt and lemon juice  as per taste

Mix 1, 2 and 3 in a mixture. To it add ½ table spoon oil, salt and lemon juice.

For Roasted Spice

Heat a flat bottom pan and add whole cumin, coriander seeds and Red Chili. Roast till the ingredients turn brown. Cool and ground it. You can store it in a air tight container for future use.