Lauer Khosar Bora / Bottle Gourd Peel Fritters

 Bottle Gourd Vegetable peel was left after making Lau Chingri  (Bottle Gourd with Prawns). We normally make Lauer Khosa Bhaja or Lauer Khosa Bata. Since it is raining, I was craving for Lauer Khosar Bora with ghee and garam bhaat (hot steaming rice). This can also be had with garam cha ( hot cup of tea ). 

Ingredients 

1 bowl of Bottle Gourd peels cut into small thin strips. 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

1/2 tsp Poppy seeds

2 tbsp Rice powder 

2 tbsp Gram flour 

Salt to taste 

Oil to fry

Method 

Take the bottle gourd peels in a mixing bowl. Add the green chillies, poppy seeds, nigella seeds, salt, rice flour and gram flour. Mix all the ingredients well. There is no need of adding water.  Keep it aside for 5 minutes, meanwhile heat up the oil. Add little fritters in the oil. Fry until golden brown in colour. Enjoy the hot fritters. 

Lau Matar Daler Bora diye Ruhi Macher Jhol Ruhi Fish Gravy with Bottle Gourd and Split Green Pea lentils Fritters....

Lau Matar Daler Bora diye Ruhi Macher Jhol

Ruhi Fish Gravy with Bottle Gourd and Split Green Pea lentils Fritters....

 Usually bottle gourd and prawns or bottle gourd and bori is very famous among the  Bengali  dishes. This time I wanted to try a bit different dish. Tried to recreate this dish. This dish is eaten with steamed rice. Hope you will like it. 

 

For the Matar Dal Fritters 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup  Matar dal / Split Green Pea lentils  washed and soaked for 4 hours

Salt to taste 

1 small piece Ginger

1 Green Chilli 

1/2 cup Mustard oil

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients except the oil in a grinder. Don't add extra water. Mix the batter very well in one direction. Heat oil in a wok till the smoking point. Lower the flame. Add half tsp spoon of the batter. Add the batter 8 to 10 times in the oil, fry till brown in colour. Remove the fritters and keep aside.

For the Fried Fish 

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Ruhi Fish 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

Use the same mustard oil for frying the Fish

Method 

Take the fish and marinate the fish with turmeric powder and salt for 15 minutes. 

In the same wok, heat the oil.  Fry the fish until brown in colour from both the sides.

For the Gravy 

Ingredients 

Fried Fish 

Dal Fritters

1 small size Bottle Gourd peeled ( I have not peeled it ... Depending on the tenderness of the bottle gourd) and cut into chunks 

 2 Green chillies slit 

1 tbsp Ginger and Chilli paste

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 /2 tsp Cumin powder 

1 / 2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Take a wok. Add ghee. Let it heat. Add the cumin seeds and slit green chillies. Let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the ginger chilli paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the bottle gourd.  Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water. Let it simmer. Add the salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Cover and let it simmer till the bottle gourd is almost cooked. Add the  fish. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. Add the Matar dal fritters  and simmer for another 2 minutes. Once done. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp  Garam Masala and drizzle 1/2 tsp ghee before serving.

Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja served with Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Phoran.....

Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja served with 

Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Phoran.....

Crispy Bottle Gourd Peel Fry served with 

Sour Split Red lentils with Wild Celery seeds seasoning.. 

As summer is in, I prefer to have simple and light food. Some thing sour and tangy... Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Phoran is a simple dal made with raw mango to have a tangy.... Sour taste with wild celery seeds which has a distinct flavour and one of the key ingredient in Panch Phorn. It is rare to find it in local markets, but is available in Bengali stores.

Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja is a very interesting side dish made from the peels of a Bottle Gourd. We Bengalis make a dish out of the vegetable peels too. If you see there are more nutritious values in the peels of a vegetables which we thrown away. This is a crispy fry dish which goes well with hot dal and steam rice. It is absolutely a soul food.... 

Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja

Ingredients 

1 bowl of Bottle Gourd Peel cut into thin slices

1/4 cup Rice Flour

2 tbsp Gram Flour

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

1 tsp Nigella seeds

1 tsp Green Chillies chopped 

Salt to taste 

Oil to deep fry

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients except oil together. Mix it well. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a wok, spread the bottle gourd peels little at a time on the hot oil, fry on medium heat till crispy and golden in colour. Serve it with hot Taak Massor Dal and Steam Rice. 

Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Seasoning 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Massor Dal / Split Red Lentil washed and soaked

1 Onion chopped 

4 to 5 pieces of Raw Mango 

1 Green chillies slit 

1/2 tsp Radhuni / Celery seeds

2 Bay Leaves

1 Dry Red Chilli 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil  

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Method

Take a pressure cooker. Add oil, let it heat. Add Radhuni seeds, bay leaves and dry chilli. Let the seed crackle. Add the onion and green chilli, fry till translucent. Add the mango pieces, stir it. Add the soaked dal, salt and turmeric powder. Stir it, add 3 cups of water. Pressure cook and give 3 whistles. Let the pressure release on it's own. Add a cup of water more, depending on the consistency wanted. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Add coriander leaves for garnish. Serve hot.

Fried Modak Stuffed with Bottle Gourd and Mava stuffing.......

Modaks have a special significance during Ganesh festival,  as it is believed to be the favourite food Lord Ganesha, due to which he is called moniker modakapriya (the one who likes modak) in Sanskrit. During Ganesh Chathurthi the deity is offered with Modak and distributed as Prasad..  Modaks are made with rice flour and jaggary coconut stuffing  which are steamed.  Innovative recipes for modaks have also been created like chocolate modak, motichoor modak, cake modak....

Fried Modak Stuffed with Bottle Gourd  and Mava stuffing.......
For the Stuffing
Ingredients
3 cups  Bottle gourd grated along with the skin
1/2 cup Mava
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Condensed milk
5 tbsp or More Sugar according to the sweetness required
1/4 tsp Cardomon powder
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Almond flakes
1 tbsp Raisin
1 tbsp Broken Cashew nuts
1 tbsp Ghee

Method
Take a wok. Add grated bottle gourd, cover and cook till the juices of the bottle gourd reduces. Mean while in another pot mix 1/4 cup Mava , milk, condensed milk, sugar and salt. Let it boil and then let it simmer on low flame for 5 minutes. Add the bottle gourd in the milk. On a low flame cook the bottle gourd stirring it occasionally till the bottle gourd has incoperated well with the other ingredients. Add raisins, broken cashew nuts, Almond flakes, Cardomon powder, remaining Mava and ghee. Cook for another 10 minutes. Keep it aside.

For the dough
2 cups All purpose flour OR 1 cup APF and 1 cup Whole wheat
1 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste

Method
Mix flour and salt. Add ghee and mix the flour well. Add water as required and knead the flour to get a semi soft dough. Keep it covered for 15 minutes.

For the Modak
Dough
Stuffing
Oil for frying

Method
Make equal portion of the dough. Take a portion of the dough and roll it into a 2 inch circle. Add one spoon of the stuffing. With the help of the fingers curl up the edges of the dough. Gently get the edges together and close the edges. Take oil for frying in a wok. Heat the oil. Fry the modaks till brown in colour from all the sides.