Khatte Baingan

Khatte Baingan
Khatte Baingan Masala Powder
Ingredients
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
1 inch Cinnamon stick
3 Green Cardamom
2 Cloves
2 Kashmiri Red Chillies
1 small piece of Dry Ginger

Method
Add all the ingredients in the grinder and grind it into a powder.

Khatte Baingan
Ingredients
1/2 kg medium size long  Brinjals cut into half
2 Onions sliced
1 Tomato sliced
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 Pinch of Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Fennel seeds
2 tbsp Khatte Baingan Masala Powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of Lime Juice
2 tbsp Mustard  Oil
Few Coriander Leaves to Garnish

Method
In a wok, add mustard oil, let it heat. Add fennel seeds, asafoetida, onions and brinjals. Fry it till the onions and brinjals are light brown in colour. Add the Khatte Baingan Masala Powder, salt to taste and turmeric powder. Stir the spice powder into the brinjals. Add 1/4 cup water and tomato. Cover and cook, stirring it occasionally till the brinjals are tender. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and lime juice.

Macher Jhal-Pherchi

Macher Jhal-Pherchi
This recipe is taken  from “Thakur Barir Ranna” (Recipes from Tagore's Kitchen) written by Purnima Tagore, in the occassion of 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, this book was published with  variety of recipes listed in the book. These recipes are collection of recipes from a book handed down to her by her aunt, Indira Devi Choudhurani. Indira Devi, the favorite niece of Rabindranath Tagore, she had never cooked on a regular basis. But whenever she liked a dish, she would make it a point to collect the recipe from the cook and note it down in her book. The author has also included some of her own recipes in the book. It is not that all the recipes are from Jorsanko Thakurbari, but they are from Tagore's kitchen.
This recipe is prepared in a different way for the regular Bengali cuisine. The taste is awesome.....

For the Rosted Spice powder
Ingredients
1/2 tsp Caraway seeds
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 Green Cardomom powder
1 small Cardomom sticks
2 Cloves
2 Red Dry Chillies

Method
Dry roast the spices and grind it.

For the Fish
Ingredients
6 pieces of Rahu Fish Or 12 pieces of big size Prawns
1 small Onion chopped
1 small Onion paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 Whole Fresh Chilli slit
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
Rosted Spice powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Lime juice
2 tbsp of Ghee

Method
Take the fish pieces and par boil the fish pieces in 2 cups of water. Take the fish pieces out from the water and keep it aside. Keep the fish stock. Take a wok. Add the ghee, fry the chopped onion till golden brown, take it out and keep it aside. In the same ghee add the ginger, onion paste, turmeric powder and sugar. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the salt and fish pieces. On a low flame let the fish pieces cook for a minute on both the sides. Add the fish stock. Let it simmer for 10 minutes till the gravy becomes a bit thick. Add the fresh chilli, roasted spice powder and lime juice, mix it with the gravy. Let it cook for 2 minutes more, serve it hot with rice.

Kheerer Perakhi

Kheerer Perakhi 

My Ma was an excellent cook during her era. I remember my Ma making many types of sweet dishes during the festive season. One of the dish she prepared was Kheerer Perakhi.  My Ma passed away 2 years back. This Diwali I thought of celebrating in her rememberence. This sweet dish is not seen much in the shops now a days. 

Perakhi in other places outside Kolkatta is called Mawa Kachori / Candrakala/ Suryakala. The ingredients for the Perakhi and Kachori is more or less the same except in Mawa Kochuri / Candrakala / Suryakala  stuffing,  coconut, semolina and poppy seeds are added in some places. Kheerer Singara / Samosa Ingredients and the method is the same except for the shape is different. Perakhi is made with khoya stuffing filled in between the 2 rolled dough and then it is fried and dipped  into the sugar syrup. 

For the Stuffing 

Ingredients 

250 grams Khoya 

3 tbsp Sugar or as required 

2 tbsp Mixed Dry Fruit flakes (Almond and Pistachio)

1/2 tbsp Raisins 

2 Pinch of Cardamom powder 

Method 

Take a pan , heat it.  Add khoya and on low flame stir the khoya till it turns light brown & soft. Add sugar, stir it. Then mix  the dry fruit flakes, cardomom powder and raisins with the khoya. Keep it aside. 

For the Dough

3 cups All Purpose Flour 

3 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste 

Cold Milk or Water to knead the dough 

Method 

Mix APF, salt and ghee, mix it. Add milk or water little at a time. Knead into a firm dough, cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes. 

For Sugar Syrup

11/2  cups of Sugar

2 cups of water 

Method 

Mix the sugar and water in a pot. On a low flame cook the sugar syrup till 2 string consistency. 

For the Kheerer Perakhi 

Ingredients 

Stuffing 

Dough 

Sugar syrup 

For garnishing Pistacho flakes 

Ghee for frying 

Method 

Take the dough. Divide the dough into equal small lime size portions. To make the Perakhi, take 2 dough balls  and appy a drop of ghee on the rolling board. Roll the dough balls out into small size pooris. Place one spoon of filling in the middle of one poori and close the stuffing by placing  another poori. Now pinch and fold the edges inwards. Repeat the process to make other perakhis.  Deep fry the perakhis in the hot ghee over a low flame till it turns golden brown in colour. Drain on absorbent paper. Dip the perakhis in the hot sugar syrup. Let it soak for 5 minutes.  Take it out from the sugar syrup on a plate. Garnished it with  pistachios. Serve after it cools down.

Gurner Narkel Naru (Jaggary Coconut Ladu)

Gurner Narkel Naru (Jaggary Coconut Ladu)
These Coconut Laddus are made in a Bengali Traditional way.....In my Gandma's house in Kolkatta, they would make these laddoos for Puja or on a daily basis, stock it up in a glass jar during my growing up years as a kid. I remember my Ma making it too. I remember my cousin and me quietly vanishing the laddoos from the jar kept in my Grandma’s room while she was fast asleep in the late afternoons and sneaked under her cot to eat it and giggled away to glory. Another very distinct memory of my childhood is the visit to Mumbai Ramkrishna Mission in Mumbai with my Parents... Those day my father use to regularly take us to the Mission, specially on a Sunday and we knew many Swamijis there. As we visited the visiting room in the mission and met the Swamijis, one of the Swamiji use to take out 2 Narus out of the jar for me to gobble it up.

Ingredients
4 cups fresh grated Coconut
2 1/2 cups Jaggary Or Date Jaggary grated
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Cardomom powder
A small pinch of Camphor for flavouring

Method
Take a non stick pan, add the coconut. Stir it for 2 minutes, add the Jaggary. Cook it on low flame, stirring it continuously. Sprinkle the salt... It helps to balance the sweetness and Cardomom powder. Keep on cooking it on low flame till all the jaggery melts and is well incorporated into the coconut. When it starts to form a dough, Switch off the gas.to check, take a small portion and roll it with the help of the fingers. It will form into a ball. Sprinkle the Camphor and mix it. Make the desire size balls while it it still warm. Serve and store it in a jar when it cools down completely ....

P.S. The colour of the laddoos depends on the Jaggary... You can melt and boil the Jaggary first to get a dark colour laddoos..

Kesar Pista Kaju Chakli

How about celebrating Diwali with
Kesar Pista Kaju Chakli ✨✨
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Cashew flour /powder
1 1/2 cups Pistacho flour / powder
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
2 pinch Saffron 
Ghee for greasing
Pistacho flakes
1 tsp Saffron syrup

Method
Place a thick bottomed pan on a medium flame;  add sugar and water. Let the sugar dissolve in the wate. The syrup should  be in between 1 and 2 string consistency. Divided the sugar syrup into 2 parts. Take 1 part of the sugar syrup; add saffron and  powdered cashews to the sugar syrup. Lower the flame and keep on stirring the cashew paste till it  thickens and  becomes a soft dough. Switch of the gas. To check if it is ready to be rolled, just roll a small pinch of the dough in between your fore finger and thumb. Similarly repeat the same process with the powdered Pistacho at the same time.  If it does not stick to your fingers then that means it is ready to be rolled. Apply little ghee on the the palms.  Roll the two doughs into cylindrical long rope of the same size together. Cut the dough into equal portions. Take a portion. Apply ghee on the platform. Place the dough on the platform. With the help of the palm; roll the dough gently into a long thick rope shape around 4 inch. Give the rope a spiral shape. Repeat it with other portions. Garnish with pistachio flakes and a touch of saffron syrup in the center...