Taler Pitha / Palmyra fruit Steamed Cake

 Palmyra fruit / Taal / Tardgola  / Sugar palm 

The palmyra fruit is eaten while the outer covering is still unripe during summers… once the fruit is riped then the inside of the fruit becomes yellow and pulpy from inside. In Bengal it’s said in the month of Bhadro (August) tal fruit becomes ripe, it is used to make different types of dishes like pitha , fritters, kheer, luchi etc. This dishes made from Tal are offered to Lord Krishna on Janmashtami day in Bengal. 

The fruit is peeled, the pulp is extracted and then strained. Sugar and pinch of salt are added to the pulp and then simmered. The pulp can be stored in the fridge for further use. Since Janmashtami is just around.. today we made Taler pitha / Palmyra fruit steamed cake. It’s a sweet dish. Milk and sugar is used to make the dish, but I have used condensed milk to give richness to the taste. 

Ingredients 

1/4 cup Rice flour 

1/4 cup Semolina 

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Baking powder 

1 tsp + 1/2 tsp broken Cashews

1 tsp Raisins

1/4 cup Grated Coconut 

1/4 cup or more Condensed Milk as per the sweetness 

1/2 cup Palmyra fruit Pulp

1/4 cup Ghee

Method 

Take a bowl, add rice flour, semolina, salt, cardamom powder, baking soda and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add ghee, condensed milk and the pulp. Mix well. The batter has to be thick and dropped consistency. Add 1 tsp broken cashews and raisins, mix well. Pour the batter into a greased container. Sprinkle the grated coconut. Gently mix the batter. Add the remaining broken cashews. Steam the batter for 25 minutes or until done. Insert a toothpick to check. Once done cool the Taler pitha and enjoy. 

Chandrapuli

 Chandrapuli 

It’s a quintessential Bengali sweet dish made with Coconut and Mawa. The name of this sweet derived from the shape of the sweet “Chandra” means shape of the moon.. I remember during my childhood days in Kolkata, there use to be a sweet seller visiting my Aunty’s house to sell sweets required for offerings to God. One of my favourite sweet that is mostly offered to God mainly during Durga Puja and Laxmi Puja and during other pujas too and then for our pet puja as Prasad.. 

There are many ways of making this sweet. Wooden moulds are available in the market to make this sweets. I am using a clay mould which I have inherited from my mother. Here is one of the easy way you can make this sweet at home.  

Preparation time - 15 minutes 

Cooking  time - 30 minutes 

Number of Sweets made - 14 pieces 

Ingredients 

1 small Coconut grated (around 1 cup) 

1/2 cup Mawa 

1/2 cup  Milk or Coconut Milk 

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 

5 tbsp  Sugar 

1/4 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Ghee for greasing 

Method 

Add the grated coconut, mawa, salt, cardamom powder and coconut milk in a grinding jar. Grind all the ingredients into a smooth paste. 

Add the paste into a non stick pan. Cook the paste on low heat. We have to keep stirring the paste. When the paste thickens, add the sugar and continue to cook. Continue to cook and stir further on low heat until the paste starts to leave the side of the pan. To check take a very small portion of the mixture, when the mixture begins to roll easily without breaking then the paste has cooked well. Remove the paste on a plate. Grease the Chandrapuli mould, with ghee. Take small portion of the mixture while it is still warm, gently press the mixture and shape the mixture with the help of the mould. Gently demould the sweet  and keep it on a greased plate.  Repeat the same process for the remaining mixture. Keep the sweet aside for 3 to 4 hours before consuming. 

We got 14 pieces as our mould was small. 

Kali Gajar ka Barfi / Black Carrot Barfi

Last year I had made Kanji of Beetroot and Orange Carrot and I had loved the taste of the Kanji, I was very curious to taste Black carrot Kanji.. which is only available in the North.. so I recently had got a chance to drink Black Carrot Kanji..  that was from a restaurant, but haven’t see the whole black carrot as it’s not available in most parts of  India.. it’s apparently cultivated in Punjab and is found only in some states of North India. .. 

The carrot tasted earthy and sweetish in taste .. yesterday I had got some black gajar. 

It’s said it has - Vitamin B, C, E, it has high anthocyanin content, it fight diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, inflammation and oxidative stress, it boost immunity, improves vision and digestion. 

I had shared a picture of the black beauties.. I was thrilled to get good responses from my foodie friends.. I thank them for sharing some information about the black carrot. 

Apart from the healthy probiotic drink Kanji which is the most popular recipe, dishes like Halwa is made, it’s sold in few shops in Lucknow. Other than that it’s also use for making juice, salad, pickle and murabba. And then of course you can create your own recipes from black carrot like cake, bread, cookies etc.. the idea and innovation is endless.. 

Here I tried out 3 dishes with black carrot.. 

I have used jaggery powder and sugar to make the Barfi sweet since I had very little jaggery left in my pantry.. jaggery is a healthy version or otherwise can be made using sugar. 

I made a small batch of Kanji, used in making salad and made Barfi out of the rest of the carrots.. 

Here is the recipe of the Black Carrot Barfi -

Ingredients 

2 Cups of Grated Black Carrot 

3 tbsps + 1/2 tsp Unsweetened Khoya 

3/4 tsp Desiccated Coconut 

3/4 cup Milk 

3  to 4 tbsps  as per sweetness required Jaggery powder 

1 tbsp Organic Sugar ( I had no jaggery left at home )

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder 

A big pinch of Salt

Some Almond flakes 

2 tbsps Ghee

Method 

Take a pan, add ghee, once the ghee melts, add the grated carrots, stir fry for at least 5 minutes on low flame. 

The whole cooking will be done on low flame.. 

Now gradually add half cup milk, stir occasionally and cook the carrots until the milk has almost evaporated, add the remaining milk and 3 tbsp of Khoya, mix and stir the ingredients so that no lumps remains in the pan. Continue to cook until the milk has evaporated, now add the jaggery powder, cardamom powder, pinch of salt and little almond flakes, stir occasionally and cook until the mixer starts to separate from the pan and starts to form a lump… to check take a small portion and roll the portion, it will form into a ball. Switch off the flame. Pour the mixture into a tray, flatten and spread the mixture evenly. Add the remaining Khoya into the desiccated coconut and mix the khoya with the coconut. Sprinkle the Khoya - coconut mixture and remaining Almond flakes over the Barfi. Let the Barfi set for few hours before cutting. Enjoy the Barfi any time of the day. 

Aamer Bhapa Sandwich Sandesh

For a Bengali the day begins with sweets and ends with sweets… with every meal a piece of sweet is required and  “shesh pate misti chai”… at the end of the meal, a piece of sweet is savoured. But now the times have changed… eating sweets everyday doesn’t happen any more…  only on occasions… There are many types of sweets people enjoy… Sandesh is one of them… 

Sandesh is a type of sweet made with Channa / Paneer, that has originated in Bengal… and it’s the popular sweet of Bengal. Varieties of Sandesh are available at the mistano bhandar / sweet shops…. Rose Sandesh, kacha gola, jol bhora, kodapak, chocolate sandesh, malai sandesh etc. 

Here we will make Sandesh with Mango.. 

Summer means Mangoes in any form… be it icecream, barfi, laddu or Sandesh… 

Here we have taken full cream milk and have curdled the milk… to make the chana… at home…full cream paneer from the milk dairy  can be also used. The middle layer of the Sandesh is homemade mango Jam… and fresh homemade mango pulp is used on the top layer.. 

Condensed milk should be used less as we will also use mango jam… that will make the sandesh sweet. 

The end result will be delicious creamy  Sandesh with mango.. 

Ingredients 

250 grams or a cup of homemade Channa / paneer 

1/4 cup or as per the sweetness required Condensed Milk 

1/2 packet of  Amul Fresh Cream 

4 tbsp of Mango Jam

2 tbsp Mango pulp 

1/4 tsp of Ghee

Method 

Take a blender, add the paneer, condensed milk and cream. Blend the ingredients into a smooth paste, the paste should be of thick dropping consistency. Take a steel container, grease the container with ghee. Take half portion of the paste and spread the paste with the help of a spoon. Close the lid of the container and steam the container for 10 minutes. Once cool remove the container and open the lid. Now spread the jam on the first layer of the sandesh. Add the remaining paste over the jam and gently spread the paste.. add  blobs of  mango pulp on top of the paste.. with a help of a toothpick or a stick, spread the mango pulp. Close the lid and steam the sandesh for 20 to 25 minutes. Switch off the flame and cool the container, open the container and check. Keep the container in the fridge for an hour, to remove the sandesh from the container, slightly warm the base of the container, take a knife and run around the sides, cover the container with a plate, turn the plate, tap the container 2 to 3 times, the sandesh will be on the plate, take another plate and turn the sandesh, so that the top part of the sandesh will be on the top, cut the sandesh into square pieces.. enjoy  

 

Taler Bora / Sugar Palm Fritters

 

Taler Boras are very popular in Bengal during this month, specially during Janmashtami as it’s supposed to be favourite of Shree Krishna. Ripe sugar plum pulp is extracted and made into various types of traditional sweets like Taler bora, Taler luchi or pitha. The golden pulp of the sugar palm, wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina or rice flour, sugar, salt and grated coconut is used to make the batter, which is then dip fried to make fritters.  Some people add mashed bananas into the batter. This can be enjoyed as snacks, but it’s so delicious  that you can’t stop eating until it’s over. 

Ingredients 

1 Sugar Palm

1/2 cup Wheat Flour 

1/2 cup Rice Flour 

1/4 cup Grated Coconut 

1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt 

Oil for frying 

Method 

Take a bowl, add wheat flour, rice flour, salt and sugar. Add the sugar palm as required to make a thick batter, whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the coconut, stir and mix the batter well. Rest the batter for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok, drop small portions of the batter into the oil. Fry the fritters until golden brown in colour. Remove the fritters on a paper towel. Enjoy. 

Maha Shivratri Special - Aloo ki Kheer

 

Har - Har Mahadev 

Happy Shivratri 🙏🏼

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival and celebrated in India in reverence of the God Shiva. It’s believed that Lord Shiva saved the universe from ignorance and darkness and it’s also said that today Shiva was married to Goddess Parvati on this day. The Maha Shivaratri is known as the 'Great Night of Shiva', and it is celebrated during the night by keeping a night-long vigil and it marks the convergence 2 supreme power - Shiva and Shakti.

In Bengal the young girls celebrates this festival by keeping fast the whole day and night and prayers are offered in desire to get a good husband. Ladies pray for the welfare of their husband. Sabudana soaked in milk and fruits are eaten during fasting. 

Since I am brought up in Mumbai.... We have Sabudana Khichadi, Puri - Alu Bhaji, Aloo ki Kheer...

Aloo ki Kheer 

Ingredients

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled, peeled and grated

2 cup Milk

2 tbsp Mawa crumbs

1/4 cup Sugar or as per taste

Pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

1 tsp Almond and Pistacho flakes

Method

Heat milk in a pot and let is simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt, sugar, saffron and mava to the milk. Stir it. Let the milk reduce a bit. Add the potatoe and cardomom powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes more. Garnish with Almond and pistachio flakes. 

Steamed Orange Cup Sandesh infused with Orange Jam

Since Oranges are rich in Vitamin C and very good for keeping  the cold away in the winters... here is a healthy Bengali sweet dish fusion with oranges and cottage cheese.. to celebrate any moment of your day. Sandesh is a Bengali sweet dish made from cottage cheese... to which I have added home made Orange Jam to enhance the flavour of the orange. 

Ingredients 

5 medium size Oranges cut into halves

250 grams Paneer / Cottage Cheese / Chenna

1/2  cup Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1/3 cup Condense Milk 

Method 

- Using a citrus juicer, remove the juice from the oranges, without damaging the orange peel cups.. incase citrus juicer is not available, then remove the orange segments from the orange peel cups and press the segments through a strainer to procure the juice, discard the seeds.. we should get around 2 cups of orange juice. Gently remove the orange pith from the orange cups. Blanch the orange cups in hot water to remove the bitterness from the skin. 

- Take a pot, add a cup of orange juice, sugar and salt, let the juice reduce on a low flame, stirring it occasionally until the juice reduces and thickens. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside. Once cool, the orange jam will thicken further. 

- Take a blender, add the cottage cheese, condensed milk and the remaining cup of orange juice. Blend all the ingredients together into a smooth paste in a blender. 

- Take a steamer, add water into the steamer, set the steamer plate,  arrange the orange peel cups on the plate. Pour the liquid into the orange cups. Add a tsp of the orange jam into each of the orange cups. Steam the orange cups sandesh for 15 minutes. 

- Remove the steamed orange cup sandesh from the steamer the steamer and cool them a bit, then cool the orange cup sandesh in the fridge, before serving  garnish the orange cups with orange jam, dried orange peel and some mint leaves.

-  This portion gives 10 Steamed Orange Cup Sandesh. 

#dessert #bengalicuisine #cottagecheese #orange #innovativecooking #delicious #yummy #foodphotography #foodie #recipepost #cookingwithlove #homechef #foodoftheday #recipeoftheday 

Instant Suji Jalebi

If you have a sweet tooth like me and craving for sweets in this lockdown period, then try this instant Suji /  Semolina Jalebi and enjoy this with your family. This recipe is inspired from Nisha Madhulika ji’s Suji Jalebi recipe, with changes made in the measurement of all purpose flour and sugar, I have used turmeric as a food colour and add a bit of salt for the balance. 

For the Sugar Syrup 

Ingredients 

1 cup Sugar 

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1 cup Water 

Method 

Take a pot, add the sugar and water, let it simmer until one string sugar syrup has formed. Switch off the flame and add lime juice. Keep it aside. 

For the Jalebi

Ingredients 

1 cup Fine Semolina 

1/2 cup All Purpose flour 

1/2 cup Curd 

1/2 tsp Turmeric for the colour or use 1/4 tsp yellow food colour 

1/2 tsp Baking powder 

1/4 tsp Salt

Ghee for frying 

Method 

Take a bowl, add all purpose flour, semolina, salt, baking powder, turmeric or food colour and curd, now add little water at a time and whisk the batter, until you get a thick dropping consistency. Keep the batter aside for 30 to 40 minutes. Take a pan, add ghee, let the ghee heat up. Take a piping bag, pour the batter into the piping bag, cut a small end of the piping bag. Once the ghee is heated up, reduce the flame to medium. Hold the piping bag straight at a distance from the ghee, rotate your hand to form a 2 1/2 swirls. Fill up the pans with jalebis. Fry the jalebis until crisp, and the colour changes to golden yellow. Remove the jalebis and drain out the ghee. Place the jalebis in the sugar syrup. Keep the jalebis in the syrup until the sugar syrup is absorbed. Remove the jalebis and serve. 

Dudhauri

Dudhari is a simple sweet dish from Jharkhand. It’s made during festivals, but its also made otherwise at home too. It’s very easy to make, you should take care that the dough is mashed and no liquid should remain... otherwise while frying it will break up. It’s absolutely yummy.. 

For the Syrup 

1/2 cup Sugar 

1/2 cup Water 

1 Cardamom 

1/2 tsp Lime Juice 

Method 

Take the sugar, water and a crushed Cardamom in a vessel. Boil and the simmer unti you get a one string consistency. Once done add the lime juice and leave it aside. 

For the Dudhauri 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Rice

1 1/2 cup Milk 

Oil for Frying 

Method 

Wash the rice well, soak the rice in 1/2 cup milk for 15 to 30 minutes. Take 1 cup milk in a pot, heat the milk, add the soaked rice along with the milk and cook the rice until the rice has soaked up all the milk. No liquid should remain. Mash the rice well until it forms a sticky dough. Make small portions of the rice dough, shape it into oval or round. Take a wok, add oil, let the oil heat up. On a medium flame fry the balls until golden brown in colour. It takes time to become brown, so don’t get disheartened. Once done soak the dudhauri in the sugar syrup. Let it soak for at least 25 to 30 minutes before serving it. It taste awesome.

Watermelon Rind Barfi / Tarbuje ka Chelka ka Barfi

In this lock down state we should try to keep our mental state healthy, the best way is to keep ourselves busy and work on hobbies we love. We also have to eat proper food, since the whole family is at home, we need to make some delicious dishes that our family will enjoy.... Keeping in mind that simple ingredients which are easily available should be used, zero wastage policy should be taken into consideration. Try to use the complete vegetable including the vegetable peel and transforming the leftover meals into delicious recipes. 

There are many vegetable peels that can be eaten and can be made into delicious snacks or vegetable or sweets... like we can make Chutney out of the peel of bottle gourd, pointed gourd, ridged gourd, raw banana, water melon rind, peas etc. In Bengal we have many types of bata / mash  that are made with different vegetable peels like raw banana, pointed gourd, cauliflower stem etc. 

Some delicious fritters/ fry can be made with peels of bottle gourd, potatoes, water melon rind etc. Some sweet dishes too can be created with the peels of watermelon and green peas like candy, Halwa, barfi or kheer. Today we will make water melon rind Barfi... 

Ingredients 

Grated Watermelon Rind from 1 medium size Water Melon 

1/2 cup or as required Sugar

1/4 cup Water + Juice extracted from the grated Watermelon rind 

1/2 cup Milk 

2 Pinch of Salt 

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder 

2 tbsp Milk Powder

2 tbsp Almond and Pistachio flakes 

Few Saffron strands

Method 

Squeeze out the juice from the water melon rind. Add water, juice of grated water melon rind and sugar in a pan. In few minutes add salt and let the liquid simmer for a minute. Add 2 tbsp milk and continue to simmer. Strain the liquid out and pour the liquid back into the pan and let it continue to simmer until one string is formed. Add the water melon rind into the sugar syrup and continue to cook on low flame until the ingredients changes it’s colour to golden brown. Add the milk, cardamom powder, milk powder, few saffron strands and 1 tbsp of almond - pistachio flakes into watermelon rind. Continue to stir and cook on low flame until all the ingredients form into a lump. Pour in the mixture into a greased square mould, level the barfi evenly. Sprinkle the remaining saffron, almond and pistachio flakes. Leave the mixture to cool down. Cut the barfi into square pieces and serve them.  

Kheer Kamala / Kamala Lebur Kheer

This is a seasonal sweet dish from Bengal. It’s made with oranges. When the oranges are added to the reduced milk... it takes the dish to a different level. As this being my favourite sweet dish, after marriage when ever I visited my Ma during the orange season, she would make this dish along with alur dom and luchi or korisutir Kochuri. Ma Ke haat ka khana can never be forgotten. 

This dish is easy to make with only 3 ingredients, it taste heavenly.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 litres Milk

3 Oranges 

1/2 cup Sugar or more as per required 

Method:

Heat the milk in a thick-bottomed pan till it comes to a boil. Reduce the flame, and allow the milk to simmer, stir the milk occasionally until the milk reduces to half the quantity. Add the sugar and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more. Keep the milk aside. 

Meanwhile peel the orange, separate out the orange segments. Remove the skin, seeds and the fibres from the orange segments. Cut them into  small pieces. 

Once the reduced milk cools down, then add the chopped orange segments and pulp to the milk and mix it. Refrigerate the kheer. Server it cold.

Beetroot er Sandesh

May this Bijoya Dashami light up for you, the hopes of happiness, peace and prosperity !

Bijoya Dashami marks the end of Durga Puja. It is  celebrated differently across India. It’s the celebration of good over evil. In Bengal it is celebrated after the MA Durga idol is immersed. Young seeks blessings from the elders and share sweets. Men embrace (Kola - Kuli) each other, to wish Subho Bijoya. 

Beetrooter Sandesh 

This is a healthy sweet dish to be shared during Bijoya with your loved ones. 

Ingredients 

1 small Beetroot boiled and puréed 

1 cup Chana / Cottage cheese mashed 

2 to 3 tbsp Date Jaggery 

Ghee to apply on the sandesh mould

Method 

Take a pan, add the beetroot puree, on a low flame stir and cook the purée for a minute. Add the chana and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture has dried up a bit. Add the jaggery and continue to cook until it forms into a lump, and yet it is soft. Switch off the flame. Take the sandesh out on a plate. Let it cool down. Mix the sandesh dough well. Take the mould, apply ghee.  Take a small portion of the sandesh and shape up the sandesh with help of the mould. Remove the sandesh from the mould and serve. 

Cadburylicious Sandesh

I was very happy to be invited by The FBAI for the launch of the super fabulous new spread in town called the Cadbury Diary Milk Spready and the Chocolate Cook book with 70 chocolate recipes written by none other than the famous chocolatier Zeba Kohli at Courtyard Marriott. It was a great pleasure to meet Saloni the founder of FBAI. I was also happy to meet many more people from the industry. The evening was well spend.

We had the opportunity to taste the delicious Chocolate cake made with Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready.
 Anil Viswanathan the Director of Marketing introduced us to the Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready and launched the Chocolate cook book along with Zeba Kohli. The session was made interactive with a cooking competition using the chocolate spready.

I got a bottle of the Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready as my daughter loves chocolate spreads. I was sure that she would love this one too. She did the honours of opening the bottle and tasting it and she loved it. Since I had to make some sweet dish for Saraswati puja, I thought why not use the chocolate spready for a change and create a fusion. We Bengalis love Sandesh. The Sandesh I made is called jolbhora where Date Jaggery is added, so I gave a twist to the traditional recipe and added the spready.

Cadburylicious Sandesh
Ingredients
* 250 grams mashed Cheena / Cottage Cheese
* 2 tbsp Sugar
* Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready
* 6 Raisins

Method
Take a non stick pan, add the mashed cheena and sugar, on a low flame continuously stir the cheena for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a tbsp of Cadbury Dairy Milk Spready. Continue to stir until the cheena has become smooth and began to form a dough. Switch of the flame. Take the cheena dough on a plate. Now we have to make the Sandesh fast as the dough tends to dry up fast. Take the jhol bhora Sandesh mould or a modak mould will also do. Apply ghee on the mould. Take a portion of the dough and press it into the mould, with the help of your finger, create a cavity. Pour a blob of the chocolate spready into the mould. Take a little more dough and cover the cavity. Now gently remove the Sandesh from the mould. Repeat the same process until the cheena dough is used up. Keep the Sandesh on a plate and place raisins on all the sandesh pieces. Tadaa, it’s ready to be indulge.

#Cadburylicious  #CadburyDairyMilkSpready

Porabari Chom Chom

I am totally in love with this chom chom from Bangladesh. I had it when my husband had been to Bangladesh and had got this sweet dish for me from there. Greedy me, wanted to have more so tried making it at home. Some net search and the result was yum. 

This chom chom is very famous and were made at Porabari Tangail Bangladesh in earlier days. Now it’s know world wide. The taste is divine. It’s different from the normal chom chom we get in India. The actual process takes a very long time up to 3 to 4 hours and it naturally gets a golden colour. But to reduce the time, I have tried it differently and have caramelised the sugar first and then added it to the sugar syrup later to speed up the cooking process to almost an hour. It takes a long time to cook but it is worth the effort.

For the Caramel Syrup

Ingredients

1/4 cup Sugar

1 cup of Water

Method

Take a pot, add sugar and continuously stir on a low flame to make the caramel syrup. Keep a eye on the syrup as it can get burn very fast. As the colour of the sugar syrup changes and becomes caramel, add a cup of water and let it continue to simmer on low flame for a minute.  Remove it and keep it aside.

For the Sugar Syrup

Ingredients

2 cups Sugar

5 cups of Water

Method

In a wok, add the water and sugar, let the sugar dissolve and let the sugar syrup continue to cook till we make the chenna balls.

For the Chom chom 

Ingredients

250 grams Homemade Chenna / Cottage Cheese mashed

1 tbsp Fine Semolina

2 tbsp Flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

3 tbsp Milk powder + 2 tbsp dry Mawa mix together for garnishing

Sugar syrup

Caramel syrup

Method

Till the sugar syrup is being made. Take the mashed chenna, add the semolina, flour and baking powder. Mix and knead it very well till all the ingredients combines and binds well. With the help of the palm rub the mixture against the flat surface. Knead it well for 5 minutes. Take lime size portion and give it a longish oval shape. Repeat the process till all the chenna dough is used up. Add the chenna balls into the sugar syrup. Cover and let it cook for 10 minutes. Heat up the caramel syrup. Open the lid of the wok, now gradually add the caramel syrup into the sugar syrup and stir it. Let it continue to cook for at least an hour or till the sugar syrup becomes clear and the chom chom gets its colour. In between the cooking time once in a while stir the sugar syrup and remove the impurities that has formed on the sides of the wok. Once done, switch  off the flame and add 1/2 cup cold water. Let the chom chom  sit in  the sugar syrup till the sugar syrup completely cools down. Remove the chom chom from the sugar syrup and roll it in the milk powder and mawa crumb. Enjoy the  chom chom. 

Rasabali

It is a sweet dish from the state of Odisha. This sweet dish is originated from Baladevjew temple of kendrapara. It is offered to lord Baladevjew. It is one of the chapan bhog offered to Lord Jaganath. 

The mashed Cheena is mixed with all purpose flour and semolina, then it is shaped into small flattened pattie  and then fried until golden brown. It is then dipped into flavoured thickened sweet milk and served. 

For the Chenna Bara / Pattie

Ingredients

250 grams Mashed Chenna / Cottage Cheese

3 tsp Fine Semolina

2 1/2 tsp All Purpose Flour

1 tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Baking soda

Oil / Ghee for frying 

Method

Take a bowl. Add cheena, semolina, APF, sugar and baking soda. Mix all the ingredients well together. Take small lime size portions and make small balls and flatten it. Take oil / ghee in a pan, let it heat. Add the flattened balls into the hot oil. Fry on medium low heat until golden brown from both the sides. Remove them on a paper towel and keep it aside.

For the Rasabali

Ingredients

1 liter Milk

5 tbsp or more Sugar as per the requirement

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

Few strands of Saffron

Pinch of Salt 

Few Almond / Pistachio flakes and Rose petals for garnishing

Cheena Bara / Patties

Method

Boil the milk in a heavy bottom pot on medium low flame. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Now add salt, saffron and cardamom powder. Stir for a minute. Now add sugar, stir the milk and let it simmer till the milk has reduced into half its quantity.  Add the cheena patties into the milk. Let it continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Garnish with almond flakes, pistachio flakes and rose petals. Let it cool. You can either serve it in room temperature or chilled. 

                          

Durga Pujo ar Misthi Mukh

Durga Mai ki Jai.... 

The sound of Dhak, Dhunochi r Naach, Smell of happiness in the Air, New Clothes, Dressing up, offering Puspanjali, Bhog, Meeting friend's and family, Adda and feasting means Pujo, ar Bangali mane Mishti.... 

Ar Shes Pate Mishti - at the end a sweet dish has to be there... 

Here are some of the festive sweetdishes you can try out... The links are given below each picture. Please click on the link for the recipe... Happy Durga Pujo... 

Chanar Pantua 

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2017/08/chanar-pantua.html?m=0

Langcha 

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2017/08/langcha.html?m=0

Nolan Gurer Roshogolla

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2017/01/nolen-notun-gurer-roshogolla-date.html?m=0

Pan Bahar Sandesh

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/10/paan-bahar-sandesh.html?m=0

Keshri Babam Bahar Sandesh Roll

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/10/kesari-badam-bahar-sandesh-roll.html?m=0

Raj Bhog

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/09/raj-bhog.html?m=0

Chitrakoot

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/08/chitrakoot.html?m=0

Rosogollar Payesh 

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/08/rosogollas-payesh.html?m=0

Oats ar Chanar Diye Gurer Payesh

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/06/oats-ar-chana-diye-gurer-payesh-oats.html?m=0

Malpuas 

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/03/malpuas.html?m=0

Rasgullas

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2016/03/rasgullas.html?m=0

Perakhi

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2015/11/kheerer-perakhi.html?m=0

Narkel Naru

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2015/11/gurner-narkel-naru-jaggary-coconut-ladu.html?m=0

Chanar Misti Polau 

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2015/08/chanar-misti-polau-or-chanar-zarda.html?m=0

Misti Doi

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2015/07/mishti-doi.html?m=0

Chandrapuli

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2015/07/chandrapuli.html?m=0

Malai Chumchum

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2015/07/malai-chumchum.html?m=0

Ranga Alur Pantua ( Sweet Potato Pantua )

http://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2015/06/sweet-potatoes-pantua.html?m=0