Kolkatta's famous Jalbhora Talshansh Sandesh....

Kolkatta's famous Jalbhora Talshansh Sandesh....
This Sandesh was created by S.K. Modak around 1820, a very renowned sweet maker of that period. Jalbhora Sandesh is filled with liquid Date jaggary (Nuton Gur) in the Sandesh... Each bite you take is divine....

Ingredients
Paneer made from 2 litres full cream milk
4 tbsp to 6 tbsp Date jaggary (Nuton Gur) according to the  sweetness required.....
Liquid Date Gur made from 2 tbsp Date Jaggary and 2 tbsp water... Boil both the ingredients and the syrup is made.

Method
After making the paneer, drain the water out completely from the paneer. Knead the paneer for 5 to 7 minutes by mashing it with the palm very will... till the paneer becomes smooth and forms into a soft dough.Add paneer and jaggary in the pan. Keep stirring it on a low flame continuously till the jaggary has incorporated with the paneer and the mixture has dried up a bit. Take of the gas and while warm, put the mixture in the mould. While the filling is in the mould from the open end of the mould make a hole with your finger in the filling. Put the liquid jaggary into the hole. Cover the hole with more paneer mixture and fill the hole up. Decorate the Sandesh with pistachio powder and enjoy..

Aloo Tikki Chaat

Aloo Tikki Chaat
For the Aloo Tikki
Ingredients
2 potatoes boiled and mashed
1 /2 tsp Aam chur powder
1/2 tsp black salt
1 green chilli chopped
1 tsp coriander chopped
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
Oil for shallow fry
Method
Mix all the above ingredients except the oil. Take one small ball and flatten it . Make rest of the Tikkis in the similar manner. Shallow fry the Tikkis. Keep it aside

For Base
2 cups curd
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp black salt
2 tsp sugar
Method
Add milk to the curd and beat the curd. Add black salt and sugar. Beat it well.

For assembling Aloo Tikki chaat...
Ingredients
Aloo Tikkis
1 tbsp Mithi imli chutney
1 tbsp Green chutney
Chilli powder for sprinkling
Roasted cumin power for sprinkling
1 tbsp sev
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method
Take 2 Aloo Tikkis.... Add 2 tbsp curd on the Tikkis. Add green chutney and Mithi imli chutney. Sprinkle roasted cumin powder and chilli powder. Garnish with sev and coriander leaves....

Moog Dal Dahi Vada

Moog Dal Dahi Vada 
For Moong dal pakora
Ingredients
1/2 cup Moong Dal soaked in water for a hour
1/4 tsp ginger
Salt to taste
1 Green chilli chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method
Grind the soaked moong dal with all the above ingredients... Don't add any water for grinding... Beat the paste very well with your hand. Heat the oil and add small spoons of batter and fry till light brown in colour. Add the pakodas in hot water and keep it for 5 minutes. Squeeze the water out and keep the pakodas aside.

For Base
2 cups curd
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp black salt
2 tsp sugar
Method
Add milk to the curd and beat the curd. Add black salt and sugar. Beat it well.

For assembling Moong dal Dahi vada....
Ingredients
1 tbsp Mithi imli chutney
1 tbsp Green chutney
Chilli powder for sprinkling
Roasted cumin power for sprinkling
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Moong dal pakodas

Method
In a bowl and take 1 1/2 cup beaten curd. Add the pakodas. Garnish it with mithi imli chutney, green chutney, chilli powder, rosted cumin powder and coriander leaves....

Paneer Sabji Nirali

Paneer Sabji Nirali
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time:    45 minutes
Portion : 1 Person
Ingredients
100 grams 1 Paneer cube
1/4 cup of Mix Vegetables chopped
(Cauliflower, French Beans, Carrot, Potato)
1/2 tbsp chopped Capsicum
1/2 tbsp of Peas
1/4 chopped Onion
1/4 chopped Tomato
1/2 chopped Green chilli
1/4 tsp Garlic paste
2 big pinch Garam masala powder
2 big pinch Madras curry powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Lime juice
1 tsp Ghee OR Oil
Few Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Take a non stick grilling pan and heat it. Take the paneer pieces,sprinkle some salt, spray with oil and grill it from all the side. Take the grilled paneer cubes and with the help of a small round cookie cutter cut out the centre of the paneer for filling the vegetable. Take the cut centre of the paneer and cut the centre of the paneer into half horizontally. Use one half for the covering on top of the paneer.  Keep it aside. While grilling the paneer, boil the mix vegetables and peas. Take a pan, add butter or ghee or oil, heat it. Add the chopped onion, sauté it for few seconds, add garlic paste and sauté it for few seconds more. Add chopped chilli and capsicum, cook for 2 minutes . Add the tomato, salt, garam masala and curry powder. Stir it for 2 to 3 minutes. Take it off the gas. Add lime juice and coriander leaves. Keep it aside.

Tangy Tomato Gravy
Ingredients
1 big Tomatoes cut into big pieces
1 Garlic cloves
1/2 Green chilli
2 pinch Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Cumin seed powder
Salt to taste
1 Bay leaf
1/4 tsp Ghee
Few chopped Coriander leaves

Method
Take a blender, add the tomatoes, garlic, green chilli, turmeric powder, salt, sugar, garam masala powder and cumin seed powder. Blend the tomatoes well. Take a strainer and strain the liquid out. Take a pan, add ghee. Let the ghee heat. Add the liquid to the pan. Simmer the liquid for 10 to 15 minutes till the rawness of the tomatoes goes away and the Gravy reduces a bit. Add the coriander leaves. Keep it aside. 

For cooking the Sawa Millet
Ingredients
2 tbsp Sawa Millet
Salt to taste
Method
Take 1 cups water in a pot. Add salt. Let the water boil. Add the washed millets in the water. Stir and cook till the Sawa millet have become tender and thick. Take it off the gas.

Plating of food
Method
Take a plate and a ring. Keep the ring in the centre of the plate. Pour the Sawa millets in the centre. Take the ring out. Place a grilled paneer in the centre on the Sawa millet. Add 2 to 3 tbsp mix vegetables in the centre of the paneer. Take the cut centre of the paneer to cover the paneer from top. Pour the gravy on top of the paneer, decorate the plate and serve.

Dalma

Dalma

It is a traditional dish of Ordisha. It is cooked with lots of Vegetables. Different types of vegetables can be added like Raw banana, Raw papaya, Radish, Drum sticks....There are different variations of Dalma. I made this according to the recipe given by the lady who workers in my house . One of the FB food group member Ritu Pattnaik Mohanty told me that  in temples they use whole green cardamom, cinnamon stick,  bay leaves and crushed ginger while boilng the vegetables and dal , seasoned with panch phutan and red chilly or whole jeera and  red chilly and finally sprinkled with  roasted jeera red chilly powder and grated coconut. I made few changes in the ingredients.

Ingredients
1 cup Toor dal (Yellow pigeon peas) soaked for 30 minutes
1 Potato cut into medium size cubes
2 small Brinjals cut into medium size cubes
Yam peeled and cut into medium size cubes around 6 pieces
Pumpkin cut into medium size cubes around 6 pieces
8 French beans cut into big pieces
1 Green chilli slit
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
4 tbsp Grated coconut
2 tbsp Ghee
1/2 tsp Panch Phoren (Fenugreek seeds,
Nigella seed, Cumin seed,Mustard seeds and Fennel seed mix in equal portion)
Pinch of Asafoetida
1 Dry Red chilli

Method
In a heavy bottle pot add the dal, salt, turmeric powder and 6 cups of water. Boil the dal till 1/2 cooked. Add the vegetables and again boil the dal till the dal and the vegetables are cooked. Add ginger paste, coriander powder, garam masala powder, sugar and coconut. Boil the dal for another 10 minutes. In a small pan add ghee, heat the ghee add dry red chilli and Panch phoren. Let the Panch phoren crackle. Add a pinch of Asafoetida. Add the seasoning to the dal. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve it with hot rice or Roti.

P.S. Different types of vegetables can be added like Raw banana, Raw papaya, Radish, Drum sticks....There are different variations of Dalma. I made this according to the recipe given by the lady who workers in my house and I made few changes in the ingredients.