Kache Papaye Che Modak

Ganapati Bappa Morya.

Wish you all a happy Ganesh Chaturthi. 

Modaks have a special significance during Ganesh festival,  as it is believed to be the favourite food of Lord Ganesha, due to which he is called Moniker Modakapriya (the one who likes modak) in Sanskrit.  Originally in some parts of Indian Modaks are made with rice flour and jaggary coconut stuffing  which are steamed. There are fried Modaks too. Now a days there are different varieties of Modaks available like Mava, Chocolate, Cake, Dry fruit Modak etc.

Today I have made raw papaya Modak for Ganesha... 

A recipe with love from my Kitchen. 

Ingredients 

1 cup Raw Papaya cut into cubes 

100 grams Khoya

1/2 cup Cashew / Almond powder

3 tbsp Hot Milk

2 pinches of Saffron 

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 

Pinch of Salt

1/2 cup Sugar 

2 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Take a pot. 

Add 2 cups of water and papaya cubes into the pot. 

Simmer it for 2 minutes. 

Drain the water out. 

Add saffron into the hot milk and keep it aside. 

Blend the papayas in a blender into a paste. 

Add a tbsp of ghee into a pan or a pot. 

Add the papaya paste, stir it on a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add the cashew or almond powder. Continue to stir occasionally. 

Add salt, cardamom powder and khoya. Keep stirring on low flame till the khoya incorporates well with the other ingredients. 

Add the saffron milk and sugar. 

Stir and cook the mixture on a low flame until it starts to form a dough. 

To check, take a small portion and roll it. It should form into a ball. 

Switch off the flame.

Let it cool a bit.

Take a modak mould.

Apply ghee into the mould. 

Take a big lime size portion.

Place it into the mould to give it a shape.

Repeat the same process to make the other modaks.

Take few strand of saffron to garnish the modaks.

Pepper Plastic Chutney....

As chutney is a part of a Bengali meal, here is an unique type of Bengali chutney which is served in functions and ceremonies with papad bhaja. 

  It's a very easy and simple recipe with the two main ingredients - green raw papaya and sugar. It's called plastic chutney because of it's looks. The papaya after cooking in sugar syrup turns translucent and looks like plastic. 

Ingredients

2 cups Kacha Peppe / Raw Papaya sliced into small thin pieces like chips

1 tbsp Raisins

3/4 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

2 tsp Lime juice

1 1/2 cup Water

Method

Take a pot or a pan.

Add water and the papaya chips.

Let it simmer on low - medium flame for 10 minutes.

Add salt and sugar.

Let it continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the raisins.

Let till continue to simmer till the papaya chips become translucent and the syrup thickens.

Add the lime juice and simmer it for another minute.

Switch of the flame.

It's ready to be served.

Chanar Pantua

It is a traditional Bengali sweet made from cottage cheese and khoya, which is kneaded into a soft dough, divided into small equal portions and deep-fried. It is then dipped into sugar syrup.

Pantua is a Bengali version of Gulab Jamun.

For Sugar Syrup

Ingredients

2 cups Sugar

1 1/2 cup Water

2 Green Cardamom

Method

Add all the above ingredients in a pot and let the sugar dissolve and simmer till it becomes into a one string consistency. Remove it from the flame and keep it aside.

For the Pantua

Ingredients

Cottage Cheese made from one liter Cow Milk
approximately 150 grams 

100 grams Khoya

3 1/2 tbsp All Purpose Flour

A pinch of Salt

2 pinches of Baking Powder

1 tsp Milk if required 

1/4 tsp Ghee

Sugar Syrup

Oil for frying

Method

Drain the whey from the cottage cheese. The cottage cheese has to be dry, but moist. Add the cottage cheese, khoya, all purpose flour, salt and baking powder into a plate. Mix and knead all the ingredients together. If you fill the dough is hard, then add the milk otherwise not need. It has to be a soft smooth dough. Add ghee and knead it well. Divide the dough into equal size round balls or you can give it an oblong shape if you desire. Heat the oil. On a low flame fry the pantuas till golden brown in colour. Keep stirring the pantuas while frying to obtain an uniform colour. Directly dip the pantuas in sugar syrup. Let it soak for 15 minutes before serving.

Eggless Beetroot Brownie...

This is my daughter's one of the favorite dish. Very often there is a request to make it.

 It's an ideal lunchbox recipe for children or a tea - time snack recipe.

 I have used Whole Wheat Flour, Almond Flour along with All Purpose Flour. I have added fresh Beetroot juice to the batter. That makes it a bit healthy.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup Almond Flour

1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

2 tbsp Walnut chopped

1 tsp Baking powder

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Beetroot Juice

1/4 cup Curd

1/4 cup Oil or Melted Butter

Method

Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper and keep it aside. Mix the whole wheat flour, almond flour, all pupose flour, baking powder and salt together. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave and stir it till the chocolate chips melts properly. Take a mixing bowl, add the melted chocolate and oil. Whisk it. Add the brown and caster sugar. Whisk it till the sugar dissolves properly. Add the curd and whisk it once again. Add half of the flour and half of the beetroot juice. Whisk it well, now add the remaining flour and juice. Whisk it once again. Pour the batter into the pan, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top.

Bake it for 30 to 35 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius. When done,insert a tooth pick to check. It should come out clean. Cool it for 15 minutes, before removing the brownies from the pan. Cut into pieces and serve.

Aloo Cha Phadphada or Aloo Che Patal Bhaji...

This is a traditional Maharashtrian dish, which is made on special occasion. It's a very old and simple dish. This dish is made with Colocasia leaves which is also known as Taro leaves. These leaves are easily found during monsoon. This dish can be prepare in various ways.

Ingredients

12 medium sized Colocasia Leaves and stems chopped

2 Green Chillies cut into halves

4 to 6 Curry Leaves

1 tbsp Coriander Chopped

1/2 cup Raw peanuts soaked in water for 30 minutes

1/2 cup Split Bengal Gram soaked in water for 30 minutes

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Goda Masala 

1 tbsp Tamarind paste

1/4 cup Ground Coconut paste

1 tbsp Jaggery

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

2 tbsp Oil

Method

Take a pressure cooker. Heat oil. Add the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Add the curry leaves and green chillies and sauté it for few seconds. Add the colocasia leaves, peanuts, split bengal grams, salt, turmeric powder, goda masala and Jaggery. Stir the vegetable. Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover the lid and let it give 3 to 4 whistles. Let the pressure release. Add the tamarind paste and coconut paste. Let it boil for 5 to 7 minutes more. Add coriander leaves and serve it hot.