Panta Bhat served with Ilish Mach Bhaja, Murgir Bharta, Aloo Bhaja, DalBhate & Aam Tel

Panta Bhat 

Panta bhat known in Bengal or Poitabhat in Assam is a rice-based dish. It is prepared by soaking left over rice in water overnight. Traditionally served in the morning with salt, onion and chilli.It is traditionally considered as beneficial in feverish conditions.It is consumed in Bangladesh and the eastern Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. Panta bhat is especially popular in rural areas and amongst the poorer community. It is a popular dish on the day of Bengali new year. It is often served with fried fish or vegetable curry. Panta bhat or poita bhat is often garnished with Mustard oil, Onion, Chilli, Pickle, and served with Shutki mach (dried fish), Machher jhol(fish curry), especially Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa cooked with mustard), Aloo bhorta or Aloo pitika (mashed potato), Begun bhorta (mashed brinjal) and other Bhorta or pitika (mashed food). A similar dish consumed in the Indian states of Orissa and Chhattisgarh is known as Pakhal, Pokhalo, Pakhala or Pakhal Bhat. It differs from Panta bhat in seasoning as yoghurt is sometimes added prior to the fermentation process. This cold and wet food, is suitable for summer mornings, but in winter dry foods, such as Chira (flattened rice) and Muri (puffed rice) are more preferred.
It has been described in documents from 17th century.During the Mughal Era, members of socio-cultural organizations performed open air concerts, the audience listening to the concert preferred eating traditional food, particularly Panta bhat. Friar Sebastian Manrique a Portuguese Catholic priest of the Augustinian Order reported from his visit of Bengal in 17th century that the people of all communities, according to Manrique, were contented then with the daily meal of rice, often panta bhat, salt and green vegetable (shak). The better-off elements of the society consumed gh, butter, milk and sweetmeats.
In Bangladesh, it is a part of the Pohela Boishakh (Bengali new year festival) festivities. On that day it is consumed as breakfast by urban people. Panta is also served at high-end eateries in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Among Hindu Bengalis, it is consumed during the Ranna-Puja (Bengali cooking festival). In Assam, offering Dudh Panta(milk with stale water-soaked rice) is a part of the marital ritual. In Northeast India, there is a belief that taking painta or panta bhat gives the strength of a tiger.
Panta Ilish - a traditional platter of Panta bhat with fried Ilish slice, supplemented with dried fish (Shutki), pickles (Achar), dal bhate, green chillies and onion - is a popular serving for the Pohela Boishakh festival.
Information from the Net...

My Panta Bhat platter consist of
Ilish Mach Bhaja (Hilsa Fry)
Murgir Bharta (Chicken Bharta)
Aloo Bhaja (Potato Fry)
Dal Bhate (Mashed Dal)
Aam Tel (Mango Pickle)
Sliced Onions
Green chillies
Kagaji Lebu

PantaBhat
Ingredients
Leftover Rice
Water
Salt to taste
Drizzle of Mustard Oil

Method
Take a earthen pot or any vessel. Add the rice and water. Cover with a thin cloth and leave it over night to ferment. While serving add salt and drizzle with mustard oil.

Ilish Mach Bhaja (Hilsa Fry)
Ingredients
2 Pieces of Hilsa
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
Mustard Oil to fry

Method
Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Heat the mustard oil till smoking point, reduce the flame and fry the fish till brown on both the sides.

Murgir Bharta (Chicken Bharta)
Ingredients
1/2 cup fine Chicken minced
1 big size Onion sliced
2 to 4 Green chillies minced
4 to 5 Garlic cloves minced
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Mustard Oil

Method
Take a wok, add oil, heat it. Add the onion slices, garlic and green chillies. Sauté the onion till translucent. Add the chicken minced, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté and stir the chicken occasionally. Cook till the chicken is done.

Aloo Bhaja (Potato Fry)
Ingredients
2 Potatoes cut into small strips
1 big size Onion sliced
2 to 4 Green chillies slit
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
2 to 3 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method
Take a wok, add oil, heat it. Add the onion slices and green chillies. Sauté the onion till translucent. Add the potatoes, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté and stir the potatoes occasionally. Cook on medium high flame till the potatoes are done.

Dal Bhate
Ingredients
1/2 cup Massor dal
1 Green Chilli chopped
1/2 Onion sliced
Salt to taste
Few drops of mustard oil

Method
Wash and boil the dal with very less water. Once the dal is boiled and if any water remains then drain the water and boil till all the water dries up, take it off the gas. Add onions, green chilli, salt and mustard oil. Make it into a ball.

Aam Tel
This is a mango and spiced flavoured oil, that is used in Bengali Cuisine. This oil is used for mashes vegetables that we call bhate or used to flavour puffed rice that is eaten for snack.

Ingredients for the Powder Masala
1 tsp Panch Phoran
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
2 Red Dry Chilli

Method
Roast all the ingredients together and let it cool, dry grind the ingredients into powder.

Ingredients for Aam Tel
1 medium size Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size cubes.
1/2 tsp Panch Phoran Roasted
4 Whole Red Dry Chilli Roasted
Dry spice powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup Mustard oil, heated and cooled down

Method
Take the mango pieces, add turmeric and 1 tsp salt, rub the mangoes well, spread the mango pieces on a clean cloth and dry it for 2 to 4 hours under the sun. Take all the ingredients and the mango pieces in a bottle. Keep it in the sun for few day. It’s ready to be used.

   

Carrot and Cinnamon Sponge Cake with Cinnamon and Walnut Frosting

A healthy homemade cake recipe with the goodness of carrots.

Love this cake that I have been making... hope that you will enjoy it too. 

Ingredients for the Cake

1 1/2 cups All purpose flour(Maida)

3/4 cup  Caster Sugar

1  tsp Baking powder

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Beaten Curd + 1/2 Milk = Butter Milk 

1 tsp Vanilla essence

1/2 cup Grated Carrot 

3/4 cup Butter 

Method

Grease 8 inch square tin with butter. Whisk the butter and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the essence and carrot into the batter and stir the ingredients together. In a bowl sieve flour, baking powder, soda bicarbonate, salt and cinnamon. Sieve all the dry ingredients together. Add little of the flour and buttermilk into the batter and whisk it, continue to add little of buttermilk and flour until the batter is of thick dropping consistency.  Pour this batter into the prepared tin and bake the cake in a  preheated oven at 180 degrees Celcius for 35-40 mins. The baking time varies from oven to oven, hence keep an eye after 30 mins. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake to check. If the toothpick comes out clean then the cake is done. Remove the tin from the oven and let it sit for 10 mins on the cooking rack.  Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake and gently turn it upside down onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Cinnamon and Walnut  Frosting 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cups hung Curd

1/2 cup Cream Cheese 

 1/2 cup to 1 cup Icing  sugar as per the sweetness required 

1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

 2 tbsp Walnut powder 

Method 

Beat the Icing sugar, cinnamon powder, curd and cream cheese  together. Cut the cake horizontally from the centre. Apply the frosting. Sprinkle some walnut powder. Place the top part of the cake on the frosting. Spread the frosting on top of the cake. Sprinkle walnut powder on top of the frosting. Take 3 tbsp of the frosting, add orange colour and mix it. Take a small piping bag and put the frosting in it to make the carrot. Now take another 1 tbsp of the frosting, add green colour and mix it. Put it in a small piping bag to make carrot leaves. First use the green frosting and make leaves for the carrots. Then make the carrot with the help of orange piping bag. Shape and texture it with the help of the blunt knife. Cut the cake into rectangle pieces and enjoy. 

Aloo Begun diye Ilish Marcher Jhol Hilsa with Brinjal and Potatoes

Aloo Begun diye Ilish Marcher Jhol
Hilsa with Brinjal and Potatoes
Ingredients
6 pieces of Hilsa
2 Potatoes cut into thick strips
2 Brinjal cut into strips
1 Tomato cut into strips
4 Green Chillies slit
1 small pieces Ginger
1 tbsp Mustard paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Panch Phoren
1 Bay Leaf
Mustard Oil for fry
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method
Marinate the  fish with salt and turmeric powder, let it rest for 15 minutes. Heat the oil. Fry the fish in mustard oil till brown on both the sides. Keep it aside. Remove the excess oil from the wok. Add Panch Phoren, bay leaf and green chillies, let the Panch phoren crackle. Add the vegetables, sauté it for 2 minutes. Add mustard paste, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, and cumin powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more. Add 2 to 3 cups of water as per the gravy required. Cover and boil till the vegetables are tender. Add the fish and cook for 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves for garnishing. Serve hot with rice.

Mix Fruit Spread

Mix Fruit Spread
Here it is, a very healthy Fruit spread....
Ingredients
2 ripe  Plums chopped
1 cup Pineapple chopped
1 Apple chopped
1 cup Red Grapes seed removed
Few dry Cranberry
2 tbsp Honey or more as per the sweetness required.
P.S. It can be kept only for 2 to 3 days.

Method
Take all the fruits and blend it in a blender. Add1/2 cup water. Take a pot, add the fruit juice into the pot, on a low flame, stir the juice occasionally. Let it simmer till the juices reduces to 1/2 the quantity , add the cranberries and the honey. Cook and further reduce the juices till all the juices and the pulp of the fruit combines very well. Serve with toast.

Dahi Wala Bhindi Curry Healthy and Easy Okra in Curd Curry with very less oil.

Dahi Wala Bhindi Curry
Healthy and Easy  Okra in Curd Curry with very less oil.
Ingredients
1/2 Kg Okra cut into half
1 cup Curd
1 piece of Ginger
4 Green chillies slit
2 tbsp Gram Flour
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
Pinch of Asafoetida
Rock Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Coriander seeds
Few Curry Leaves
1 tsp Oil
Few coriander leaves chopped

Method
Take 1/2 tsp oil in a wok. Heat it, add the Okras and stir it. Sprinkle some salt. On high heat stir the Okras. Let it cook till it changes its colour. Take the Okras  out from the wok and keep it aside. 
Blend curd, salt, ginger, 2 green chilies, gram flour, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder in a blender. In the same wok, add the remaining oil. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add curry leaves, 2 chillies and asafoetida. Sauté for 30 seconds. Lower the heat. Add the curd masala. Keep stirring as the gram flour will start to form lumps. Add 4 cup of water. Stir and let it simmer on low heat. After 3 minutes, add the okra. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes or till the rawness of the gram flour disappears. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.