Gota Sheddho....

Gota Sheddho is made on the day of Saraswati Puja in Bengal and eaten the next day that is Sheetal Shasti. Gota means whole and Sheddo means boiled.  It is made with 5 types of vegetables, spinach with stem and roots (shish palak) and whole mung dal or whole black lentils. Each of the vegetables are taken in odd number like 5, 7, 9 or 11.

Different household has different version of making Gota Sheddho. In some houses, they have it only boiled and some houses makes mashala gota sheddho. 

I tried keeping my mother's traditional way of making mashala gota sheddho.  It is normally eaten with panta bhaat. 

Ingredients 

300 grams Whole Mung Dal 

1 bunch of Shish Palak

11 Flat beans whole

11 Green Peas whole 

11 small size Potato whole

11 small size Brinjal whole 

5 Green Chillies 

2 tbsp Ginger paste 

2 tbsp Fennel seed paste 

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take the shish palak. Cut the stems into 1 inch pieces, the roots are also cleaned and add to the stem, the leaves are cut into pieces and kept separately. Give a slit on the potatoes and brinjals. Take a deep bottom pot. Add 2 liters of water. Add the dal. Arrange the stem and the roots of the palak, sprinkle some salt, then arrange potatoes followed by brinjals. Then add the flat beans, green peas and chillies. Cover the pot and let it simmer on low flame till the ingredients are 50 percent cooked. Add half of the mustard oil. Now add the Palak leaves and sprinkle some more salt. Cover and let it simmer till the dal is cooked. Take the ginger and fennel seed paste in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup water to it. Pour the paste on the gota and add some more mustard oil. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Lastly drizzle the remaining mustard oil and keep it over night. Enjoy the gota for lunch.

Topa Kuler (Jujube) Tok Jhal Misti Achaar / Bor ki Khati Tikhi MithiAchaar

Topa Kuler (Jujubes) are Indian berries that are found in the month of Feb when Bengalis celebrates Saraswati Puja  on  Basanth Panchami  day. As a kid we were prohibited to eat Kul before the puja. My Ma use to get angry on me if I was caught eating this tangy berries with salt. Mouthwatering !! I still remember my Dida (Grandma) use to make this pickle in large quantity and when I use to visit her, my cousin and me use to very quietly hide and eat this pickle under the bed in the afternoons while every one was having their afternoon nap.  When ever I make this pickle it is so nostalgic, remembering my childhood day brings happiness to me.

Jujubes have to be be washed well and then after applying salt it has to be sun dried. It has to be then burst and then cooked. I have added jaggery and sugar, but you can add only jaggery. After it is cooked it is stored in a clean glass jar and kept in the sun for few days before enjoying it. 

Ingredients
250 grams  Kul / Jujube fruit / Ber
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp roasted Panch phoran  powder ( roast the panch photon along with a dry red chilli and then powder it)

1/2 tsp Panch phoran
3/4 cup  Jaggery 

1/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Mustard oil
1 dry Red chilli

Method
Wash and dry the kul / ber. Burst them. Add  1/2 tsp salt to the bors and dry them in the sun for 2 to 3 hours. Take a pan. Add mustard oil. Heat the oil well. Add 1/4 tsp panch phoran and dry red chilli. Let the panch phoran crackle. Add the kul / bers, remaining salt and turmeric powder. Add the jaggary, sugar and 1/2 cup water. Let it simmer till the jaggary has incorporated well with the kul/ bers and the gravy has thickened. Add roasted powder panch phoran  and mix it well. Take off the gas and cool it. Store it in the glass bottle and you can have it the next day. But if you  leave it in the sun for 4 to 5 days to mature it will taste more better. Store it 6 to 8 months. Enjoy the Achaar with dal - rice, paratha.... Or eat it just like that.