Tomato Khejur Aamshottor Chutney.....

Sweet chutney is a must have Bengali delicacy enjoyed at the last course of the meal with papad. There are various types of chutneys which are served for meals during celebrations and festivals. Tomato, date and dry mango pulp chutney is one of them. It can be kept for approximately 2 months in the refrigerator in a glass bottle. It is so scrumptious that it can be enjoyed with paratha, roti, luchi or just eaten like that. It is aways better to make it a day before as the taste enhances as it is stored. 

For the Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

2 tsp Panch Phoran ( Equal portion of Nigella seeds, Celery seeds, Feaugreek seeds, Fennel seeds and Cumin seeds) 

Method 

The seeds are dry roasted and ground to powder. 

For the Chutney 

Ingredients 

250 grams Ripe Tomatoes cut into pieces

1 tsp Ginger minced or paste 

1 cup of Dry Mango pulp / Aam Papad pieces 

1 cup of Dates / Khejur cut into pieces 

1/2 cup of Raisins / Kishmish

1/2 cup or more Sugar as per taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Salt 

1/2 tsp Panch Phoran 

2 Dry Red Chillies 

2 Bay Leaves 

2 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method 

Take a wok, add oil and heat it well. Add the Panch phoren. Let it crackle. Add the dry red chillies, bay leaves and ginger paste. Sauté it for a minute. Add the tomatoes. Stir it, add salt and turmeric powder. Stir it, add the dry mango pulp, dates and raisins. Stir it and cook it for 2 minutes. Add the sugar, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water, stir, cover and cook till all the ingredients combines together and it becomes mushy. Add the panch phoran powder. Mix it well. Let it cool. Serve it with any meal. 

Raj Bhog....

This is one of the sweet delicacy of Bengal. It is another variety of rosogulla which is made from paneer or cottage cheese but it is little bigger in size, yellow in colour and has a mawa and milk masala stuffing inside. 

For the Paneer / Cottage Cheese 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 liters Cow Milk 

3/4 tsp Citric Acid 

3/4 cup Water 

Method 

Dissolve citric acid in water. Heat the milk and when it just starts to boil, reduce the flame. Take a ladle full of milk and add it in citric water, mix it and pour it back in the remaining milk and stir. Once the milk curdles and separates from the whey, then switch off the flame and let it stand for an hour and half. Strain the paneer through a muslin cloth till all the water drains out completely. 

For the Suffing 

1 tbsp Mawa

1 tbsp Milk Masala powder 

For the Sugar  Syrup 

3 cups Sugar 

7 1/2 cups Water 

For the Raj Bhog

Ingredients 

Paneer made from 1 1/2 liters Cow Milk 

1 tsp All Purpose Flour 

1 tsp Semolina 

2 pinches of Yellow food colour 

Method 

For the Stuffing, mix the mawa and milk masala together, make 8 or 12 equal small portions as many portions of the paneer balls and keep it aside. 

For the Rajbhog, take the paneer, semolina and all purpose flour together and knead it well till a smooth soft ball is form. Divide the dough into 8 or 12 equal portions as per the size desired. Take one portion,  flatten and create a hollow in the centre of the dough. Add a portion of the stuffing, seal the edges of the dough and roll it back into a ball. 

To make the Sugar syrup, mix sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pot. Heat it on full flame. As the syrup begins to boil add the balls one at a time into the sugar syrup to make the Rajbhogs. Lower it on medium heat and cover the lid for the first 5 minutes. Then half open for the next 15 minutes and for the last 10 minutes remove the lid. Serve it hot or room temperature. 

P. S. Instead of the milk masala powder you can ground 2 Almond, 3 Pistachios, Few Saffron Strands, 1 Cardamom seeds together. 

Umm Ali .....

Umm Ali .....

Umm Ali, also called Om Ali, is a very popular sweet dish of Egypt. This dessert is a version of bread pudding from the West. It is made from freshly baked puff pastry. This dish can be made in various ways... This dish has a long history. Om Ali is named after Sultan Ezz El Din Aybak’s wife, back in the 13th century.  She made it for a victory celebration, and distributed it among the people of the land.

 Here I have made it with a healthy twist... I have used Cornflakes...this dish can be served as a sweet dish during Ramadan... 

Ingredients

2  cups Cornflakes 

1 cup Milk 

1 cup Amul cream 

6 tbsp or more Sugar 

1 tbsp Icing Sugar 

1 tsp Kewda or Vanilla essence 

1 cup mix Dry Fruits  (chopped Almond, Pistachio,Walnuts, Cashewnuts and Raisins)

1 tbsp Dessicated Coconut

Method

Heat the milk in a pot, add the sugar and the essence into the milk. Bring it to boil. Keep it aside. Spread the Cornflakes in the baking dish. Pour the milk, after 10 minutes sprinkle half of the dry fruits. Warm up the cream and pour it on top. Sprinkle rest of the dry fruits, coconut and  icing sugar. Bake in preheated oven on 190 degree celcius for 15 minutes.