Shokhno Alur dom (Dry Alur Dom Bengali style)

Shokhno Alur dom (Dry Alur Dom Bengali style)
Ingredients
1/2 kg Small size whole Potatoes boiled and peeled
1 big size Tomato paste
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/4 tsp Chilli paste
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
Salt to taste
1/2 Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Mustard Oil
1/4 tsp Ghee for garnishing
1 tsp Bhaja masala ( coriander seeds, pepper, cumin seeds, red chillies - all roasted and powdered)

Method
Take oil in a pan and heat it well. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Add potatoes and stir it well for 2 minutes. Now add  chilli paste, ginger paste and tomatoes and saute it. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and sugar. Mix and stir well on a slow flame for some time.. Add 1/4 cup water and cover the pan for 2 minutes and stir the potatoes well till the potatoes mixes well with the gravy. Sprinkle ghee and bhaja masala on top. Serve hot.

Dhonepatar Patar Chutney / Coriander Chutney

Dhonepatar Patar Chutney / Coriander Chutney
This Coriander Chutney has a different preparation... Normally the ingredients are ground raw and the chutney is ready. I remember one of the cook at my Aunt's place use to make this in Kolkatta. She use to called it Dhonepatar Bhorta and it was had with hot rice. This chutney is cooked with mustard oil and has a sweetly, tangy, spicy taste and can be preserved for 3 to 4 months. This chutney can be used to have on bread or can be used for cooking with fish or chicken.
Ingredients
1 big bunch Coriander Leaves cleaned and chopped with stems
10 Green chillies or More as per taste
1 big Lime Juice
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Sugar
1 cup Mustard oil

Method
Take all the ingredients in a grinder except oil, grind the ingredients into a paste. Take a pan, add 1/2 cup mustard oil, heat it. Add the coriander paste, on a low flame cook the coriander paste, for 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup mustard oil in between. Cook the coriander paste till all the water has almost dried up, add the remaining oil. Keep cooking till no water remains in the paste and the oil starts to leave from the paste. Switch of the flame and cool it. Store it in a dry bottle and refrigerate it. Use when require. It stay well for 4 months. Always use a dry spoon while taking the chutney out.

Chettinad Mutton Gravy

Chettinad Mutton Gravy

For Chettinad Masala Powder
Ingredients
10 Dry Red Chillies
2 tsp Cumin seeds
3 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 1/2 tbsp Fennel seeds
1 tbsp Poppy seeds
2 medium sticks Cinnamon
6 Green Cardamom
1 tbsp Peppercorns
1 Star Anise

Method
Dry roast the spices and when cool, grind it into fine powder. Store it in a air tight container, in dry cool place.

For Wet Coconut Paste
Ingredients
1/4cup Fresh Coconut (grated)
1tsp Fennel seeds

Method
Grind the coconut and fennel seeds into a wet paste and keep it aside.

For the Mutton Gravy
Ingredients
500 grams Mutton pieces
2 Onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Tamarind paste
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Chettinad Masala powder
Salt to taste
1 small stick Cinnamon
2 Cloves
2 Cardamoms
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
2 tbsp Oil
2tbsp Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Heat the pressure cooker and add oil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel and curry leaves, saute it for a minute, add the ginger garlic paste and stir for few minutes.Add the chopped onions and cook it till light brown in colour, add the tomatoes, turmeric, salt and tamarind. Stir it and let it cook for 5 minutes, add the mutton pieces. Stir and cook the mutton pieces for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups of water, pressure cook until 5 whistles. Let the pressure release, open the cooker
and add the coconut paste, adjust the gravy according to the taste by adding water and masala powder if required. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish the with chopped coriander leaves.

Moong Dal and Dill Leaves Bhaji

Moong Dal and Dill Leaves Bhaji
Very simple and rustic, it taste awesome.. Once you acquire the taste for dill leaves, how ever it is cooked, it taste simply awesome....
Ingredients
1 bunch Dill leaves chopped
1/2 cup small Size Moong dal soaked for an hour
10 Garlic cloves minced
2 fresh Chillies minced
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp a Turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp Oil

Method
Thane a wok, add oil. Let it heat, add the garlic and chilli minced. Stir fry for a minute. Add the chopped dill leaves, salt and turmeric. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Add the Moong dal and 1/4 cup water, stir it, cover and cook till the water dry up completely. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Piragi (Latvian Buns)

Piragi (Latvian Buns)
A pīrāgs -  plural - pīrāgi is an oblong or crescent-shaped baked Latvian bread roll or pastry, often containing a filling of finely chopped bacon cubes and onion. Pīrāgi range from 5 centimetres in length to 13 centimetres, depending on if they are intended as a snack or a more substantial meal. Smaller pīrāgi are often prized for their daintiness and are considered the work of a skilled cook. As with many national dishes, Latvian families often have their own unique recipe for the dish, resulting in many variations of pīrāgi. Due to the amount of work involved to make pīrāgi, they are usually made only for special occasions.
Other common pīrāgs fillings include fatty bacon, fatback (speķis), mixtures of ground or finely chopped meats (ground beef, ham and chicken with or without bacon), fish, cabbage and pressed cottage cheese. Pīrāgi come in two main varieties: plain bread pīrāgi and brothor soup pīrāgi (zupas or buljona pīrāgi). Bread pīrāgi come with a larger variety of fillings and are made using a yeast dough. Broth pīrāgi are made from a flaky pastry butter dough, often a sour cream dough, and are usually filled with boiled beef or sometimes cooked fish. These are intended to be eaten with a cup or bowl of good broth.
Information source Net

My version of Pīrāgi
Suffing
1 cup Cottage chesse finely minced
1 cup Red Cabbage finely minced
2 Onions, finely minced
1 tsp Garlic finely minced
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1 tsp Oil

Method
In a heavy non stick pan, add the oil. Sauté the onions, garlic, red cabbage and cottage cheese until the onions are translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Keep the stuffing aside to cool completely.

Pīrāgi
Ingredients
3 and 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 tbsp dry Yeast
1/4 cup Warm Water
2 tbsp Sugar
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Butter
Salt to taste
Stuffing
2 tbsp Milk + 2 tbsp butter

Method
Place yeast, sugar and water in a small bowl, put aside for the yeast to activate atleast 10 minutes. In a small saucepan add butter, milk, salt. Warm over a low heat until butter has melted. When milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm stir in the yeast. Place two cups of the flour in a large bowl, pour liquid over and stir to combine. Once combined add the remaining flour. Mix until all ingredients have come together, then leave to rest in the bowl for 10 minutes. Once rested turn dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and soft, about 5 – 10 minutes. Place dough back in to a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Leave dough to raise, around 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Once dough is ready, divide the dough into  lime size portions. Take a portion and roll the dough in to a ball and stretch it to a circle. Place a tablespoon of stuffing, and bring the edges of the dough together. Seal the bun in a oval shape and pull the 2 points outwards. Place formed buns on a baking tray that has been greased. The seal edge has to be facing down.  Mix the milk and melted butter to make wash. Brush it on the buns.  Place buns in a preheated oven of 180 degrees celcius  and bake for approximately 25 minutes,brushing the milk and butter in between 2 times, bake until golden brown.