Mattappoo Thoran ( Pumpkin flower Thoran )

Mattappoo Thoran

These Pumpkin flowers had grown in my balcony garden today morning. Normally I dip it in the batter (Bengal gram flour, kalonji, chillies chopped, poppy seeds) and fry them. Today I thought of doing something different. So prepared the pumpkin flowers in Kerela style. The dish is called --   Thoran

Ingredients: 

Pumpkin flowers and tender leaves of pumpkin.

1/2 cup coconut grated

1 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

2 green chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric pd.

4 to 5 garlic

Some curry leaves

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry chilli

Curry leaves

2 tbsp coconut oil or any normal oil.

Method: 

Chop the pumpkin flowers and leaves. Roughly grind coconut, salt, turmeric, cumin seeds, curry leaves, onion and garlic and keep it aside. Take a vessel add oil and let it heat. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry chilli. As it starts to splatter add the chopped pumpkin flowers and leaves. Saute it for some time and add the paste. Cook the vegetable on slow fire until dry. Serve it with hot rice.

 For non vegetarians: 

You can add small prawns or any small fish. Just fry it and add to the vegetable.

Shor Bhaja

Shor Bhaja
Shor Bhaja is a traditional Bengali sweet dish. It was first made in Krishna Nagar West Bengal. It is made  only from cream of the milk. The process is bit tedious and it needs gentle handling, but the outcome is worth the try.

For the Sugar syrup
Ingredients
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
1/2 tsp Lime juice
Pinch of Cardamom powder
Few drops of Rose essence

Method
Add water and sugar in a pot. Let it boil. Add cardomom powder and rose essence. Let it simmer till 1 string. Add lime juice and keep it aside.

For the Shor Bhaji
Ingredients
2 liters Full Cream Milk
1 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp All purpose flour
Few Almond and Pistachio chopped for garnishing
Ghee for shallow frying

Method
Boil the milk, then simmer the milk on low flame,  the cream will start to form on top of the milk. Wait till the cream settles in properly. Take the cream out from the milk very gently and keep collecting  it on a plate layer by layer. Sprinkle sugar on top of the cream when we reach to half point.  Repeat the process of collecting the cream over the sugar till the  last point. Press the cream and remove all the milk from the cream if any. Cut the cream pieces into square pieces. Sprinkle little flour on the cream. Leave it for some time. Heat the ghee in a fry pan. Take some flour on a plate. Take a square at a time. Gently apply flour all around and reshape  it. Add the square cream pieces 2 at a time in the ghee. Fry it on medium-high flame on both the side until golden brown in colour.  Put the sugar syrup back on fire on a low flame. Add the fried cream pieces into the hot sugar syrup. Let it simmer for 1 minutes. Switch off the flame. Let the Shor bhaja be in the sugar syrup for 10 minutes until it soaks some sugar syrup. Remove it and keep it on a serving plate. Decorate with chopped  almond and  pistachio. Serve it and Enjoy.....

Macher Kofta Curry / Fish Kofta Curry

Macher Kofta Curry / Fish Kofta Curry
For Fish Kofta
Ingredients
1 cup Fish  - Any fish  Bhetki, Rahu or Katla (Boiled and de boned)
1 Onion chopped
1 green Chillies chopped
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
Salt to taste
1/4  tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder
3 tbsp All purpose flour
1 tsp oil

Method
Take all the above ingredients and mix it well. All the ingredients should bind well. Make medium size balls. Take a non stick  paniyaram pan. Put the kofta ball in each cavity. Cover and cook till it becomes crispy and brown. Keep it aside.

For the Gravy
Ingredients
1 Onion paste
1 small Onion chopped
1 Tomato paste
1 Green chilli slit
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tbsp Ghee
Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Take a pan and add Ghee. Let it heat. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let it crackle. Add the chopped onion and green  chilli. Sauté it till the onions are translucent. Add the onion paste, tomato paste, ginger paste and garlic paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes.  Add turmeric powder , salt, garam masala powder, sugar, coriander powder, cumin powder and chilli powder. Sauté It for 2 minutes more. Add 2 cups of water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the koftas. Boil for another 1 minute. Add chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and chapatti.

Chanar Borar Dalna / Paneer Kofta Curry

Chanar Borar Dalna / Paneer Kofta  Curry

It’s a Traditional Bengali dish. My Ma use to make it very often. It is a total vegetarian dish...

For the Paneer kofta
Ingredients
2 cups Paneer (water drained out)
3 tbsp All purpose flour
Salt to taste
Oil for shallow frying

Method
Take paneer,salt and flour. Mix it well. Make equal portion balls and give it a flat shape. Heat oil in a fry pan. Fry the koftas from both the sides. Fry it till brown in colour. Keep it aside.

For the Dalna
Ingredients
2 Potatoes cut into medium size cubes
1 big Tomato ground into paste
1 Green chilli slit
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
2 Cloves
1 small Cinnamon stick
1 Cardomom
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
1  1/4 tbsp Ghee

Method
Take a pan. Add 1 tbsp ghee and let it heat. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Let it crackle. Add ginger paste. Sauté it for few seconds. Add  the potatoes and fry the potato cubes on a medium flame covered and stirring it occasionally for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste. Add salt, sugar,  garam masala, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Stir it and cook it covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water. Cover and cook till the potatoes are tender. Take it off the gas. Add the fried paneer balls, 1/4 ghee and sprinkle garam masala powder. Serve it hot with Rice or Chappati.

Palak - Paneer Sammi Kabab

Palak - Paneer Sammi Kabab
Ingredients
1 Bunch of Spinach clean and cut
1 cup Paneer
1/2 cup Chana dal / Bengal gram soaked
1 finely chopped Onions
2 Green chillies minced
4 Garlic cloves minced 
1/2 tsp Ginger grated
1/2 cup Gram flour / Besan
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/4 cup Mint leaves chopped
2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
Oil spray for shallow frying 

Method
Take the chana dal and pressure cook it till tender. Dry the water up if any. Take a pan. Add 1/2 tsp oil. Add the spinach and salt. Dry up the water from the spinach. Take a mixing bowl. Add the cooked chana dal, spinach, paneer, ginger, garlic, green chilli, turmeric powder, salt, garam masala powder, cumin powder,coriander powder, besan, onions, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix it properly. Till it forms a dough. If the dough is not forming then add more besan as required. Make equal portion ball, size of a lemon. Flatten it. Take a pan, spray oil. Heat it. Shallow fry the kababs on medium heat till golden brown from both the sides. Serve it with green chutney.