Happy Independence Day...

Tiranga Kalakand

Tiranga Kalakand
Ingredients
300 grams Paneer
6 tbsp Sugar
4 tbsp Condensed Milk
1/2 Cup Milk
Pinch of Salt
Few drops of Orange essence
2 drops of Orange colour
2 tbsp Pistachio powder
2 drops of Green colour
Few stands of Saffron
1 tbsp Almond flakes

Method
Take the paneer, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mash the paneer well with the help of your palm. Divided the mashed paneer into 3 equal portions. Take a non stick pan. Take one portion of the paneer and and cook the paneer on low flame for 3 minutes or till it becomes little dry and crumbly. Keep it  aside. Take the another portion, repeat the same process as with the first portion. Add orange essence and orange colour. Mix it and keep it aside. Take the last portion, repeat the same process as done with other portions, add 1 tbsp pistachio powder and green colour. Mix it. Now add the other orange and white paneer back into the pan. Add condensed milk and milk. Mix it and cook on low flame stirring it occasionally till the milk dries up. Spread the Kalakand on a plate. Decorate it with pistachio powder,  almond flakes and saffron..

Baked Stuffed Aloo Patties

Baked Stuffed Aloo Patties

For the Potato covering
Ingredients
2 large Potatoes, boiled and mashed
6 Bread Slices soaked in water and squeezed
1/2 tsp Chaat Masala
1/4 Dry Mango powder
Salt to taste

Method
Mix the potato, bread, salt, dry mango powder and chaat masala well till a semi hard dough forms. Keep aside.

For the Stuffing
Ingredients
1/2 cup  Chana Dal/Split Bengal Gram/Split Chickpeas wash and soaked for 30 minutes
1 Green Chilli chopped
1/2 finely chopped Onion (Optional)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/4 Chilli powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp  Oil

Method
Take a pressure cooker. Add oil. Add Cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Add and sauté onion till translucent. Add the dal, add salt, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, green chilli and chilli powder. Add one cup water,and pressure cook the dal. Put off the gas, let the pressure subside and then open the lid. If there is excess water in the dal, dry the water up completely. The dal should not become pulpy...

For the Pattise
Ingredients
Potato dough
Suffing
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Rub on your palm. Take a heart shape cookie cutter. Grease the cookie cutter. Place the cookie cutter on a plate. Take a little portion of the mashed potato and fill 1/4 portion of the cookie cutter. Press the mashed potato properly. Take little of the dry dal stuffing and spread it on the mashed potato in the cookie cutter. Take some more mashed potato, add it on the stuffing and fill up the cookie cutter. Press the patties well. Slowly lift up the cookie cutter and push the patties on the plate to get a heat shape patties. Press and flatten the patties. To make rest of the patties repeat the process. Take and grease a baking tray. Place the patties on a baking tray. Brush the patties with oil. Bake the patties in a pre heated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 15 minutes. Turn the patties and bake for another 15 minutes till golden brown in colour. 
Serve hot with Mint and coriander green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, chopped onions and Choley / Ragda.

Vegan Beetroot Whole Wheat Cupcakes

Vegan Beetroot Whole Wheat Cupcakes
Ingredients
2 1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
1 tbsp Cocoa powder
1cup Powder Sugar
1/2 cup Oilve Oil
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Soda bicarbonate
300 Ml Coconut milk
2 tsp Vanilla essence
1 Beetroot pureè
Method
Mix and seive the flour, baking powder, soda bicarbonate and Cocoa powder together. Take a mixing bowl. Add oil and sugar. Beat it well till the oil and sugar blends well. Add the vanilla essence and beetroot puree, beat it well. Add 1/2 the flour and 100 ml coconut milk, beat it well.  Add the remaining portion of the flour and add the remaining coconut milk little at a time. Beat it till thick batter consistency is achieved. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Take a 12 cavities cup cake mould. Add the cupcake liners. Pour the batter in the cupcake liners filling only 1/2 the level of the cupcake liners. Bake at 180 degrees celcius for 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes and frost with vanilla  buttercream. 

Tangra Macher Tel Jhol (Cat fish cooked in Gravy)

Tangra Mach is one of my favourite fish. In rainy season this fish comes loaded with eggs which is my most favourite part. As a child whenever my mother use to cook this fish along with fish eggs, I use to remove all the eggs from the fish and eat it up. I still remember my father use to keep his share of the fish eggs for me. After long time one of the days I had visited the fish market. I found this fish being sold, so I quickly got a portion for my family. Some of the fish was loaded with eggs. Enjoyed eating the eggs and remembered and cherished my childhood memories. The Tangra ( Cat ) fish is cooked in an oily gravy, hence the name Tel Jhol means in Bengali. The gravy is served with hot steaming rice. 

For Marinating the Fish and Frying
Ingredients
8 Tangra Fish / Cat Fish cleaned and washed
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Mustard oil for frying 

Method
Take oil in a fry pan. Let it heat. Add salt and turmeric powder to the fish. Add the fish in the oil. Fry till golden brown. Remove the fish and keep it aside.

For the Gravy
Ingredients 

Fried Tangra Fish
2  medium Potatoes cut into wedges
1 Tomato cut lengthwise
1 Onion sliced
2 Green Chillies slit
1 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds 

Use the remaining Mustard oil after frying the fish

Method
Heat oil in a pan, let it heat. Add nigella seeds. Let it crackle. Add the onion and green chillies. Let the onion cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for a minute. Add the ginger paste. Continue to cook for another minute. Add the tomato, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and  cumin powder. Sauté it for 2 minutes more. Add 2 cups of water. Cover and let it cook till the potatoes are tender. Add the fish. Open the lid and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Serve hot with rice.