Shitkalin Niramish Tarkari

I absolutely love winters. The variety of fresh vegetables that you get to eat during winter is fabulous. I always love simple home cooked vegetables. One of the winter vegetable dish is  Niramish Tarkari - Vegetarian Sabji. The ground roasted masala that is added in this recipe is different. It enhances the flavour of of this dish. The vegetables cook in its own water. My Ma use to make this dish, this can be eaten with roti, chapatis or parathas. 

For the Roasted Powder 

Ingredients 

6 to 8 Black Pepper Corn

2 Green Cardamom 

2 Cloves 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

2 Dried Red Chillies 

1 tsp Coriander Seeds

1 tsp Cumin Seeds 

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds

Method 

Take a pan, add the pepper corn, cardomom, cloves, cinnamon, red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. Roast all the ingredients until you get some good aroma. Switch off the flame, let it cool. Add the ingredients in the grinder and grind the ingredients into a powder. Keep it aside. 

For the Vegetable

Ingredients 

1 big bowl of mix vegetables cut into cubes. 

1 Capsicum 

1 Carrot 

1 Sweet Potato

3 Cauliflower florets 

5 tbsp Green Peas

8 to 10 French Beans cut into medium size pieces 

1 Tomato chopped and keep it separate 

1 small piece of Ginger chopped 

2 Green Chillies cut into pieces 

2 Bay leaves 

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

Roasted Masala Powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

2 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Take a wok, add ghee, let the ghee melt. Add the ginger, green chillies and bay leaves. Let it sauté for few seconds. Add the cumin seeds, let the seeds crackle. Add the mix vegetables. stir, cover and let it cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Open the lid, add the tomato and stir for a minute. Add the sugar, salt, turmeric powder and the roasted powder. Stir and cover the wok and continue to cook on a low flame until the vegetables are done. Serve the vegetables with hot rotis, chapatis or parthas. 

Murgir Jhol / Bengali Chicken Gravy

This dish is very commonly made in any Bengali home. The method may differ as per the house. This is how I make a quick chicken gravy at my place.  It can be enjoyed with hot steamed rice. 

Ingredients 

750 grams Chicken cut into pieces 

Ground paste made with 2 Onions, 6 Garlic Cloves, 1 small piece of Ginger and 2 Green Chillies 

1 medium Tomatoe chopped 

2 Big size Potatoes peeled and cut into big chunks 

2 Bay leaves 

2 Cloves 

2 Green Cardomom 

6 Pepper Corns

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

1 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

1/4 tsp Bengali Garam masala - 1 Cloves, 1small piece of Cinnamon and 1 Green Cardomom ground 

4 tbsp Mustard Oil

1/2 tsp Ghee

Method 

Take a pressure pan. Add mustard oil, let it heat up. Reduce the flame. Add potatoes and fry them. Remove the potatoes and keep it aside. In the same oil add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper corns and green chillies. Let it crackle. Add the ground paste, sauté it for a minute. Add the sugar, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Continue to sauté for another minute. Add the chicken and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the tomato and stir. Add 2 cups of water and cover the pan with the lid, let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes. Open the lid, add the potatoes. Now close the pressure pan lid and allow 3 to 4 whistles. Switch off the flame. Let pressure release. Open the lid. Drizzle the ghee and sprinkle the garam masala powder. Serve it hot with steamed rice. 

Bhetki Maacher Pulao / Bhetki Fish Pulao

Made this home style Bhetki Pulao which is very quick and easy to cook. This can be made with any boneless fish left in your freezer. 

Ingredients 

500 grams of Bhetki fish boneless cut into small chunks 

1 1/2 cup Basmati Rice washed and  soaked 

1 Big size Onion sliced 

1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste

2 Green Chillies cut lengthwise 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

2 Bay leaves 

2 Cloves 

2 Green Cardamoms 

1 small stick Cinnamon 

5 to 6 Pepper Corns

1/2 cup Whisked Curd 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Ghee 

Method 

Take a pot. Add ghee, let it heat up. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper corns and bay leaves. Let it crackle. Add the sliced onion and sauté till the onions are translucent. Add the ginger - garlic paste. Continue to sauté for a minute more. Add the curd, salt, sugar, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin power and garam masala powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, add the fish pieces and the green chillies, continue to cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the fish pieces from the masala and keep it aside. Add 4 cups of water. Let it simmer. Add the rice. Let it continue to cook until the rice is almost done. Place the fish on the rice, gently stir the rice, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame. Open the lid and gently stir it again. Garnish with coriander leaves.  Let the pulao stand for 15 minutes before serving, so that the excess vapour will evaporate. It goes well with salad and  curd.

Bhapa Dimmer Malai Curry (Steamed Egg Curry with Coconut Milk)

Malai Curry is an authentic Bengali delicacy and is made on occasions. It's a gravy dish. It’s made with big size prawns. Here I have twisted the recipe with steamed eggs. You can enjoy this dish with hot steaming rice. 

For Steamed Egg

Ingredients

8 Eggs 

1 Onion chopped 

1 Green chilli or as per your requirement chopped

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Milk

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

Method

Break the eggs in a bowl. Add the salt, onions, green chilli, ginger, coriander and milk. Beat the eggs. Grease a plate or idli moulds. Pour the beaten egg on the plate or in idli moulds. Steam the beaten egg. Once done cool it down and cut the steamed egg into cubes, if you have steamed it in a plate or remove the dim bhapa from the idli moulds. Keep it aside while making the gravy. 

For the Gravy

Ingredients 

Dim Bhapa

1 big size Onion paste

1 big size Tomato paste

1 tbsp Garlic - Ginger paste 

2 Green Chillies slit

1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

3/4 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Sugar 

Salt to taste

2 Cloves 

2 Green Cardamom 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

2 Bay leaves

1 Dabur Coconut Milk pack

1/4 cup Mustard Oil 

1 tsp Ghee

Method 

Take oil in a wok, heat it up to a smoking point. Reduce the flame. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom. Let it crackle. Add the ginger - garlic paste, stir for a minute. Add the onion paste, continue to stir, add the green chillies, continue to sauté, add the sugar and salt. Sauté the onion till it changes it's colour. Add the tomato paste, stir and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and cumin powder.  Continue to sauté till the oil releases from the paste. Adjust and add water as per your requirement for the gravy, as I wanted thin gravy, I added 2 cups of water and stirred it. Let the gravy simmer for 2 minutes. Add the dim bhapa and cover the wok. Cook it for 2 minute. Remove the lid. Add the coconut milk, stir and cover the wok and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the lid. Add the  ghee and sprinkle the garam masala powder. Switch of the flame. Serve the Bhapa Dimmer Malai Curry with hot steaming rice.

Badam Milk Mix Cupcake

Bangalore has many shops that serves delicious hot Badam Milk... you also get Badam milk powder that you can purchase and mix a spoon of the powder with hot milk. I got a packet of the Badam milk powder this time while I was in Bangalore. Preferably it’s better to make the powder at home. Since no one in my house wanted to drink Badam milk, I used the powder to make these cupcakes. 

Ingredients 

2 cups All Purpose Flour 

1/2 cup Badam Milk Mix Powder

1/3 cup Powder Sugar 

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder 

1 tsp Soda Bicarbonate 

3 tbsp melted Ghee 

1/2 cup Curd beaten 

1 1/2 cup Warm Milk 

2 tbsp chopped Almonds 

Few Saffron strands

Method 

Add all purpose flour, Badam Mix powder, Baking powder, Soda bicarbonate and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients together. Take another bowl, add 1 cup milk, curd,  ghee and sugar. Stir and whisk well until the sugar dissolves well with the milk.  Now gradually add the flour and whisk. Add the remaining milk and continue to whisk until the batter forms a thick dropping consistency. Pre heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Take cupcake liners and arrange it into the cup cake cavity mould or use aluminium cups. Fill up the liners with the batter. Fill upto 3/4 of the quantity of the liner. Sprinkle the chopped almonds and few saffron strands on the top. Bake the cupcakes for 20 - 25 minutes at 180 degree celsius. Insert a tooth pick and check if the cupcakes are done after 20 minutes. Once done then remove the cupcakes and place them on a cooling rack and cool it. Enjoy the cupcakes for breakfast or tea.