Masoor Dal aur Sabji ke Pakore

Hungry, missing chai pakore stalls and want some tasty delicious snacks with garma garam chai, then try out this easy and quick to make snacks... this pakora can also be made with dals like moong and chana or can be made with mixed dal. Serve this pakora with chutney and tomato ketchup or imli ki chutney. It’s delicious. 

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup Split Red Lentils / Masoor Dal washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes 
• 1 small Onion chopped
• 2 Green Chillies chopped
• 1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 
• 1/4 cup chopped mixed vegetables ( carrot, capsicum, beans, cabbage )
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
• A pinch of Soda Bicarbonate 
• Oil to fry 

Method 

Take the soaked Masoor Dal and drain out excess water. The Masoor Dal has to be coarsely ground into a paste. The paste should be of thick dropping consistency. Remove the paste in a bowl. Add salt and turmeric powder, stir or whisk the paste well in one direction to incorporate air. Take oil in a wok and let it heat. Add the onion, green chillies, vegetables and coriander leaves. Mix well. Add the soda bicarbonate and mix well.. Reduce the flame to medium. Add one tbsp of the paste into the hot oil, repeat the process for 5 to 6 times or until the wok is filled with the pakoras. Fry the pakoras until crispy and brown in colour. Serve hot with green chutney and tomato ketchup. Enjoy the pakoras with a cup of garam chai. 

Grilled Fish

Grilled fish can be eaten as one of the healthy starter or can be enjoyed for dinner with some salads. Grilled fish can be marinated in many ways. Boneless fish or slices of big fish can be used for grilling. Bhetki, Basa, Ghol etc can be used for grilling. 

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Ghol fish slices 

1/2 cup Hung Curd

3 tbsp Mayonnaise 

1 tsp Garlic paste 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Pepper Powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1 tsp Cumin seed powder 

1 tbsp Besan / Chickpea flour 

1/2 tsp Carom seeds

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Marinate the fish with all the above ingredients well and keep it for an hour or two. Take a foil and spread it on a baking tray. Keep the fish slices on the foil. Add some of the marinade on the fish. Grill the fish in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven. Turn the fish gently and apply the remaining marinade on the fish, continue to grill for another 10 minutes. Remove the fish and serve the fish with green coriander chutney and spicy mango -  cucumber - tomato salad. 

Methia Keri

It’s a Gujarati Raw Mango pickle made with fenugreek seeds or fenugreek dal. It doesn’t need cooking, mix the spices and keep it in a corner. In 2 weeks time the pickle will be ready to eat. Enjoy with thepla, dal rice or paratha. 

Ingredients 

 1/2 kg Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into small pieces 

2 tbsp Split Mustard seeds 

1/4 cup split Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/4 cup Red Chilli powder 

1/4 tsp Asafoetida 

1 cup Sesame Oil

Method 

    Add the mangoes in a mixing bowl. Add the split fenugreek seeds, spilt mustard seeds, turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder and asafoetida. Mix all the ingredients well. Add the pickle in a clean glass jar. Pour the oil. The mango pieces and the spices has to be cover in the oil. Cover and keep the jar in one corner of the house. Stir the pickle with a clean ladle every day. The pickle will be ready in 2 weeks time. 

Aavakai

This a famous raw mango pickle from Andhra. It’s very commonly made in every household in Andhra during summer. It’s spicy and hot. It’s served with curd rice.

Ingredients
1 kg Raw Mangoes, washed, wiped and dried and then cut each mangoes into 6-8 pieces with kernel
10 to 12 Garlic cloves
1 tbsp Garlic coarsely ground
1 cup Mustard seeds sun dried and powdered
2 tbsp Fenugreek seeds sun dried and powdered
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1 cup Salt
1 cup Chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1 tbsp Black Chana (optional)
1 1/2 cup Sesame seed oil

Method
Spread the mango pieces on a dry cloth and dry them for 4 hours. In a mixing bowl add salt, mustard powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and asafoetida, mix well. Now add the garlic cloves, garlic paste, fenugreek seeds, black chana and some sesame seeds oil and mix well. Add the mango pieces and mix the spices well with the mango pieces, it should coat the mango well. Add these spice coated mango pieces to the jar. Pour the remaining oil on the top and cover the jar and keep it in a dry area. After 3 days open the pickle and check. Take a dry ladle and mix the pickle. If need be adjust the salt or add more oil if required. The mango pieces should be covered in oil. Stir the pickle once every day with a clean ladle. It takes 15 days for the pickle to get ready.

Amer Jhal Aachar

This is a spicy raw mango pickle from Bengal. It’s made without cooking, The pickle is with wet paste,  dry spice powder and mustard oil. This pickle can be eaten by rice dal, paratha or luchi.

Wet Paste

Ingredients 

3 tbsp Mustard seeds

10 Green Chillies

2 inches of Ginger cut into pieces 

1/2 cup Vinegar 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a paste.

Dry Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Coriander seeds 

2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Nigella seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

5 Dry Red Chillies

Method 

Dry roast all the ingredients, cool it and grind the ingredients into a powder. 

Jhal Achaar 

Ingredients 

1 kg Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size pieces 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder 

2 tbsp grated Jaggery 

Wet paste

Dry spice powder 

1/2 tsp Dry Roasted Panch Phoran 

3 to 4 Roasted Dry Red Chillies 

Mustard Oil enough to soak the mango pieces

Method 

Take the mango pieces, add the turmeric and salt. Spread the mango pieces on a cloth and sun dry it for 3 to 4 hours. Heat the mustard oil and cool  the mustard oil down. Take the mango pieces in a bowl, add the salt, chilli powder, dry spice powder, jaggery and wet paste. Mix all the ingredients together very well. Add the mustard oil and transfer the pickle in a clean glass jar. Add the dry roasted panch phoran and roasted dry chillies. Keep it in the sun for few day. Keep a check, if required add more salt. Once ready the mangoes will become soft in oil. 

Chunda

It’s a popular Gujarati spicy sour and sweet pickle. It doesn’t require any cooking. It’s a very easy delicious pickle that goes will with Paratha and thepla. 

Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

1 tsp Cumin seeds 

4 Red Dry Chillies

2 Cardamom pods

Method 

Take a pan and roast the cumin seeds, let it cool down, coarsely grind the cumin seeds with red chilli and cardamom. 

Chunda 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup Mango washed, peel and grated 

1 1/2 cup Sugar

Spice powder

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Few strands of Saffron (Optional)

Method 

Take the grated mango and add salt and turmeric powder. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. Squeeze the excess water out. Take a clean glass bottle, add the mango, sugar and spice powder and saffron (optional). Mix it. Leave it in the sun for few days. Keep a check. The sugar will dissolve and will cook up with the mango to a one string consistency. Enjoy the chunda with the paratha and thepla . 

Aam Ka Kucha

This is a Raw Mango pickle recipe from Bihar. As the mangoes are grated it’s called kucha. The spices and oil are added to the grated mango and  it’s kept in the sun to mature. 

For the Dry Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Coriander seed

1/2 tsp Carom seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tbsp Yellow Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Nigella seeds

Few Fenugreek seeds

6 Red Dried Chilli 

Method 

Roast all the above ingredients, cool it and dry grind it. 

For the Aam Ka Kucha 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Grated Mango 

 Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Chilli powder 

Dried spice powder 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

1 cup Mustard Oil

Method 

Take the grated mango, apply salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Keep the mango on a strainer for 15 to 30 minutes. Squeeze the water out from the mango. Take a bowl, add salt, turmeric, chilli, spice powder and  nigella seeds in the bowl. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the oil and mix it. Take a dry clean glass bottle. Pour the pickle in the bottle. Keep it in the sun for few days. Keep a check. Once the mangoes becomes soft and matured the pickle is ready to be eaten. 

Aam Tel

This is a mango and spiced flavoured oil, that is used in Bengali Cuisine. This oil is used for mashes vegetables that we call bhate or used to flavour puffed rice that is eaten for snack.

Spice Powder

Ingredients 
1 tsp Panch Phoran
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
2 Red Dry Chillies 

Method
Roast all the ingredients together and let it cool, dry grind the ingredients into powder.

 Aam Tel

Ingredients 
1 medium size Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size cubes.
1/2 tsp Panch Phoran Roasted
4 Whole Red Dry Chillies Roasted
Dry spice powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup Mustard oil, heated and cooled down

Method
Take the mango pieces, add turmeric and 1 tsp salt, rub the mangoes well, spread the mango pieces on a clean cloth and dry it for 2 to 4 hours under the sun. Take all the ingredients and the mango pieces in a bottle. Keep it in the sun for few day. It’s ready to be used.

Aam Kasundi

Kasundi is a very popular mustard pickle used in Bengal and it is made by fermenting mustard seeds and spices in a mud pot. In modern times it’s highly used as an accompaniment with the chops, cutlets and various fried snacks. It’s also used in cooking. Traditionally it’s was made with lots of rituals and many restrictions were followed while making the Kasundi. Now it is made at home with ease. There are many spices added to the Kasundi. Apart from traditional Kasundi there are now many ways and ingredients used in making the Kasundi. 

Here I have made Aam Kasundi. 

Ingredients 

1 big size Raw Mango washed, peeled and cut into small pieces 

4 Green Chillies 

2 small pieces of Ginger

1/4 cup Yellow Mustard seeds 

1/4 cup Black Mustard seeds

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Sugar 

1/4 cup Vinegar 

Normal temperature boiled water depending on the requirement

Method 

Take a grinder jar, add yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, green chillies, raw mango pieces, ginger, salt, turmeric powder and sugar. Add vinegar and water little at a time blend it into a fine paste. The paste has to be of dropping consistency. Take a glass jar, pour the Kasundi paste. Close the lid and keep it in the sun for few days. Check the Kasundi every day, incase if you find the salt is less than you can add salt. Stir it with a clean dry spoon. 

Malai Tangdi Kabab

Now the best way to enjoy restaurant food is to make it at home, one of my favourite restaurant dish is Malai kabab... I had 6 pieces of chicken tangdi at home. So marinated the chicken tangdi. Since the kababs are made in tandoor and we don’t have at home, we can give a smokey flavour by burning a charcoal piece and placing it on a small plate and placing the plate on the chicken pieces and pouring little oil over the charcoal and closing the bowl with a lid, before grilling the chicken pieces. 

This dish can be had as a starter. Garnish the Kabab with onion, mint, tomato and green chutney. 

Ingredients 

6 Chicken drumsticks 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1/4 tsp Fresh Green Chilli paste 

1/4 tsp White Pepper Powder 

3 tbsp Fresh Cream 

4 tbsp Hung Curd 

1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala powder 

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

1 tsp Butter 

Onion rings, Mint leaves and tomato for garnishing 

Method

Take a bowl, add the curd, ginger, garlic, green chilli, lime juice, salt,  pepper and garam masala and mix well, add the chicken tangdi. Rub all the ingredients well. Marinate it for minimum 2 hours. The longer it’s kept it’s better. I had kept it for 8 hours. Now add the cream and the mustard oil and keep it for another 2 hours. 

Preheat oven at 200 degrees celsius. Place a aluminium foil on the baking tray. Place the marinated chicken drumsticks on the foil. Add some marinated juices, put the tray in the preheated oven and grill it for 15 minutes, remove the tray and turn the chicken pieces, add the remaining marination and grill for another 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, apply butter on the chicken tangdi. 

Serve hot garnished with onion rings, mint, tomato and green chutney. 

Raw Mango Jam

I had got a good quantity of Raw mangoes to make various types of pickles... after cutting the mangoes into desired pieces, the seeds of the mangoes and some scraping from the mangoes remained... I was in two minds, either to make raw mango squash or Jam... finally decided on making the Jam... 

Home made Jams are best as no preservatives are used... 2 main ingredients are used Raw mango pulp and sugar... 

There are optional ingredients that can be added to enhance the taste like Cardamom pods, Red Chilli flakes, garlic, Bacon mince etc. 

If you love pork, you must add fried bacon mince or fried bacon pieces into the Raw mango jam and have it with toasted bread... it’s yum... 

Here I had used 15 mango seeds and 1 cup scraping from the raw mango, to which I had added 2 cups of water, 1 tsp of Rock salt, 1 tsp of turmeric powder for the colour and 2 crushed Cardamom, pressure cooked it and strained the pulp through a wire-mesh strainer.

Ingredients 

2 cups of Raw Mango pulp 

2 cups of Sugar or more as per the sourness 

Method 

Take the raw mango pulp and the sugar in a heavy bottom pot, on a low flame, let the pulp and sugar simmer, and occasionally keep stirring the ingredients. Occasionally keep cleaning the sides of the pot and remove the scum that forms on the top. Once the pulp reduce, thickens up and changes it’s colour, check if the jam is ready, take a small steel plate, keep it in the fridge and cool it. Take the plate and pour 1/4 tsp of the jam, if the jam starts to set then it is done. Cool it a bit. Take a clean glass bottle and pour the jam in the bottle and let it set in the bottle. Enjoy it with bread, roti or paratha.

Pangasius (Indian Basa) Maccher Aloo Pholkopir Jhol

Pangasius (Indian Basa) Maccher Aloo Pholkopir Jhol - Aaaahaaaaa ... it’s heaven having it with one plate of steamed Rice... it’s been some time that, I was craving for fish very badly ... yesterday my husband managed to order online from Fresh to Home and finally today morning it was delivered. Couldn’t wait... immediately cooked this fish the traditional Bengali way... The regional dishes are simple but always divine.
This curry can be made with any other fish like Rahu, Katla, Bhetki etc.. it can be made only with potatoes. Cauliflower can be replaced with pointed gourd...

Ingredients
500 grams Pangasius cut pieces, washed and apply turmeric and salt...
2 Medium size Potatoes peeled and cut into medium size chunks
1 Medium size Cauliflower cut into medium size florets
1 Medium size Onion cut into big pieces
1 Medium Tomato cut into big pieces
4 Garli Cloves
2 Inch Ginger cut into pieces
4 Green Chillies slit
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Ghee (optional)
1/2 cup Mustard Oil for frying the fish and making the curry

Method
Dip the cauliflower and potato in hot salt water for 5 minutes and drain out the water. Make a paste with the tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and 2 green chillies. Take a wok, add oil, let the oil heat up, reduce the heat to medium flame. Add the marinated fish and fry until light golden brown in colour. Remove the fish from the oil. In the same oil add the potatoes and cauliflower, add little salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry the potatoes and the cauliflower until it changes it’s colour. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and the 2 remaining green chillies,  stir and cook for a minute. Add the paste, sugar and little more salt to taste. Continue to cook for 2 minutes more. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and the garam masala. Here if you want you can also add red chilli powder, but I haven’t used it. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Now add around 2 1/2 cups of water.. let the curry simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Add the fried fish.... let it simmer for another 5 minutes more. Switch off the flame, drizzle ghee on top and serve it hot with steamed rice.

Whole Red Lentils and Prawn kebab

This recipe is good for snacks or can be served as starter. This can be served with Onions, lime and Mint - Coriander Chutney It’s easy to make with ingredients mostly available at home. This can be a good lockdown recipe for all the fish lovers.. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Whole Masoor dal / Whole Red Lentils soaked for 4 to 5 hours 

18 to 20 pieces  of clean medium size Prawns 

2 small piece of Ginger

1 Whole Green Chilli

2 Garlic Cloves 

1 medium size Onion chopped 

1 Green chilli chopped 

1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves 

1 tbsp chopped Mint leaves 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Amchur powder

Salt to taste

1 Egg

Oil to shallow fry 

Method 

Wash the masoor dal and remove all the extra water from the dal. Take a grinder jar, add the Masoor dal, prawns, ginger, garlic, whole green chilli, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, Garam Masala powder, amchur powder and egg into the jar. Don’t add extra water, grind the ingredients into a fine paste. The paste should not be of the dropping consistency or very watery. Remove the paste in a bowl, now add chopped onion, chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix the ingredients. Take a pan, add oil. Let the oil heat up. Take small portions from the paste with the help of a tbsp spoon and put it into the oil. Flatten the paste with the help of the spoon, fry until golden brown. Serve it with onion, lime and mint Chutney.