Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja served with Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Phoran.....

Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja served with 

Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Phoran.....

Crispy Bottle Gourd Peel Fry served with 

Sour Split Red lentils with Wild Celery seeds seasoning.. 

As summer is in, I prefer to have simple and light food. Some thing sour and tangy... Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Phoran is a simple dal made with raw mango to have a tangy.... Sour taste with wild celery seeds which has a distinct flavour and one of the key ingredient in Panch Phorn. It is rare to find it in local markets, but is available in Bengali stores.

Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja is a very interesting side dish made from the peels of a Bottle Gourd. We Bengalis make a dish out of the vegetable peels too. If you see there are more nutritious values in the peels of a vegetables which we thrown away. This is a crispy fry dish which goes well with hot dal and steam rice. It is absolutely a soul food.... 

Lau re Much Muche Khosha Bhaja

Ingredients 

1 bowl of Bottle Gourd Peel cut into thin slices

1/4 cup Rice Flour

2 tbsp Gram Flour

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

1 tsp Nigella seeds

1 tsp Green Chillies chopped 

Salt to taste 

Oil to deep fry

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients except oil together. Mix it well. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a wok, spread the bottle gourd peels little at a time on the hot oil, fry on medium heat till crispy and golden in colour. Serve it with hot Taak Massor Dal and Steam Rice. 

Taak Massor Dal with Radhuni Seasoning 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Massor Dal / Split Red Lentil washed and soaked

1 Onion chopped 

4 to 5 pieces of Raw Mango 

1 Green chillies slit 

1/2 tsp Radhuni / Celery seeds

2 Bay Leaves

1 Dry Red Chilli 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil  

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Method

Take a pressure cooker. Add oil, let it heat. Add Radhuni seeds, bay leaves and dry chilli. Let the seed crackle. Add the onion and green chilli, fry till translucent. Add the mango pieces, stir it. Add the soaked dal, salt and turmeric powder. Stir it, add 3 cups of water. Pressure cook and give 3 whistles. Let the pressure release on it's own. Add a cup of water more, depending on the consistency wanted. Simmer for 5 minutes more. Add coriander leaves for garnish. Serve hot.

Burmese Golden Egg Curry

Burmese Golden Egg Curry

It is extremely easy to make and yet very delicious in taste from Burma. Reading the history of this curry... as in earlier days many Indians visited Rangoon. This curry has come up due to the Indian influence in Burma. A cross country dish. The key ingredient giving a Burmese touch to the curry is the  Ngapi paste made out of fermented fish. But since this is not commonly available, fish sauce is commonly available. So the fish sauce is used here.  A must try recipe.

Ingredients

5  Eggs boiled and peeled

2 Onions chopped finely

2 tsp Garlic chopped finely

2 Tomatoes chopped finely

2 Green chillies slit lengthwise

2 tsp Fish sauce

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Chilli powder

Salt to taste

4 tbsp Sesame Oil

Method

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the tumeric and stir it. When the oil is hot, add the eggs and fry until golden in colour from all the sides. Take it out on a plate and cool it. Add the onion and garlic, in the same oil and fry until translucent. Add the tomatoes, chilli powder and salt  stir it for 5 to 8 minutes till the tomatoes are mushy. Meanwhile cut the eggs into halves. Add the fish sauce and green chillies in the pan. Stir it. Gently place the eggs cut side down in the sauce for 2 minutes. Serve hot. 

Peri Peri Grilled Chicken Sizzler servered with Sautéed Mushroom PeriPeri Rice, Stirred Fried Veggies and Mashed Potatoes.....

Peri Peri Grilled Chicken Sizzler servered with Sautéed Mushroom Peri Peri Rice,  Stirred Fried Veggies and Mashed Potatoes.....

Sizzler is one of my favourite dish... I love Jughead  sizzlers... And the Peri Peri Sizzler which is available is my daughter's and husband's favourite... Wanted to give it a try.... 

The piri-piri pepper, known as peri-peri in Africa, has been a staple of the Portuguese table since the Age of Discovery beginning in the 14th century. After Columbus brought the fiery fruit back to the continent from the New World in 1493, it was the Portuguese who carried it throughout the globe. In fact, the chili, including relatives of the African piri-piri peppers, has become so famous, that it’s used in world cuisines. This sauce, found everywhere in Portugal and several of its former colonies, specifically Angola and Mozambique. It can be used on kind of meat. The  piri-piri peppers are Thai bird, red jalapeño, santaka, arbol, cayenne, or Tabasco, depending on availability as well as  heat preference and tolerance. 

Net source 

I have used dried bedki chillies which was available in my kitchen... 

For the Peri Peri Sauce 

Ingredients 

12 Fresh Red Chillies or Dry Chillies 

1 tsp Red Chilli powder 

8 Garlic cloves 

Salt to taste 

1/4 cup Vinegar 

½ cup Olive oil

Method 

Soak the dry chilles in the vinegar for 15 mintues. Blend all the above ingredients in a blender and blend it into a smooth paste. After use the remaining sauce can be stored in a bottle and kept in the fridge. 

P.S. If using fresh chillies then blend it directly.

For the Chicken to Marinate and Grill the Chicken 

Ingredients 

2 Boneless Chicken breast pieces

4 tbsp Peri Peri Sauce

Salt

1 tbsp Olive oil

Method 

Take the chicken pieces and rub salt on it. Add the Peri Peri Sauce and marinate it for 30 minutes. Take a gas griller. Add oil. Let it heat.  Add the chicken pieces and cook till brown and grilled from both the sides. Don't  throw the marinated juices.

For the Peri Peri Sizzler Sauce

Ingredients 

Remaining Marinated Peri Peri Sauce

1 Onion chopped 

4 Garlic Clove chopped 

1 tbsp Corn flour 

1 tsp Olive oil

Method 

Take a pan, add oil. Let it heat. Add the onion and garlic. Let it sauté till translucent. Add the marinated sauce and 1/4 cup water. Cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 tbsp water to the corn flour. Stir it. Add it into the sauce. Stir it till it thickens a bit. Keep it aside.

For the Stir fry Veggies 

Ingredients 

1 Potato peeled and cut into wedges 

6 Baby Corn

1 medium size Carrot cut into strips 

Few medium size Cauliflower florets 

1/4 cup Green Peas 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tbsp Olive oil

Method

Par boil the veggies and drain the water out. Take oil in a pan. Heat it. Add the veggies and sauté it till stirred fried.

For the Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients 

2 Potatoes boiled and mashed 

1/4 cup Amul cream 

1 tsp Olive oil 

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients into a smooth paste.

For the Sautéed Mushroom Peri Peri Rice 

Ingredients 

2 cups of Cooked Rice 

2 cups Mushrooms sliced 

1 Onion sliced 

4 Garlic cloves minced 

2 to 3 tbsp Peri Peri Sauce 

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp Olive oil

Method 

Take a pan, add oil. Let it heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute it till translucent. Add the mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the salt, pepper powder and peri peri sauce. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir fry for another 2 minutes.

For Assembling 

Ingredients 

Cabbage leaves

Grilled Chicken 

Sautéed Veggies 

Mashed Potatoes 

Sautéed Mushroom Peri Peri Rice 

Piri Piri Sizzler Sauce

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Oil and 1 tbsp Vinegar mix 

Method 

Take a sizzler skillet. Heat it till smoky and hot. Add oil, spread the cabbage leaves on the skillet. Lower the gas and let the plate remain on the flame till served. Arrange all the remaining ingredients as per the choice except for the sauce. At the end drizzle some sauce on top and serve the rest of the sauce in a bowl. For the sizzling effect, add the Oil and vinegar mix in between the empty space. Enjoy it.

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki kheer

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki kheer

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival and celebrated in India in reverence of the God Shiva. It is believed to be the day shiva was born to save the universe by drinking "haalaahala" and Gaaja the poison and drug that emerged from the churning of the ocean (samudra manthana).Shivaratri is celebrated during the night by keeping a night-long vigil as its believed that Lord Shiva saved the universe from darkness and ignorance. This day is also believed to be the day that Shiva was married to the Goddess Parvati. The Maha Shivaratri festival, also popularly known as 'Shivaratri'-'Great Night of Shiva', marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti.

Net source... 

 People fast on this day, many have fruits and falahari food which is had on the fasting day. 

Today being Maha Shivarati I have made 

Sabudana Tikki and Aloo ki Kheer.... 

Sabudana Tikki (Sago Tikki)

Ingredients

1 cup Sago washed and soaked overnight

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled

Few Curry leaves

2 Green chillies chopped

Few Coriander leaves chopped

1/2 cup Peanuts coarsely ground

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Pinch of Asafoetida

1 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

Method

 Take 1 Potato and cut into small cubes. Take a pan, add ghee. Let it  heat. Add cumin seeds, chillies and curry leaves. Let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the asafoetida and stir for few seconds. Add the chopped potato and stir fry till light brown in colour. Add the sago, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and peanuts. Stir and mix well. Add coriander leaves. Let it cool. Mash the remaining potatoe and mix it well. Divide the dough into equal big lemon size portions. Flatten it. Take a pan and add oil. Let it heat. Shallow fry the Tikkis till brown in colour on both the sides. Serve hot with green coriander chutney.

Aloo ki Kheer

Ingredients

2 medium sized Potatoes boiled, peeled and grated

2 cup Milk

2 tbsp Mawa crumbs

1/4 cup Sugar or as per taste

Pinch of Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Pinch of Saffron

1 tsp Almond and Pistacho flakes

Method

Heat milk in a pot and let is simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt, sugar, saffron and mava to the milk. Stir it. Let the milk reduce a bit. Add the potatoe and cardomom powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes more. Garnish with Almond and pistachio flakes. Serve with pooris. 

     

Rasgullas

Rasgullas

I had a lady who worked for me earlier. She was from a village near Malda (West Bengal)... When ever she went home on a holiday, she use to get me Rasgullas from her village... Then I changed my house and now I don't get them.. Then when my mother passed away, we had ordered food from a local Bengali caterer. The menu included Rasgullas. I could relate to the taste of the Rasgullas which the lady who worked for me use to get for me. But unfortunately if I wanted these Rasgullas from my caterer, I had to order in bulk. So then I thought let me give it a try.... These Rasgullas are not very spongy like normal Rasgullas, but taste excellent. When eaten, it had a creamer .... Mava taste... Try it you will love it...

To make the Paneer 

Ingredients
1 liter Cow milk
1 tbsp Citric Acid or 2 tbsp Lime juice

Method
Add 2 tbsp water to citric acid and dissolve it. Boil the milk. Once it begins to boil, add the citric water. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and let it stand for 2 minutes. Take a Malmal cloth and drain the whey out. Pour cold water to wash the paneer and tie the cloth and hang it to drain our the water. The water should drain out completely.

For the Sugar syrup 

Ingredients
3 cups of Sugar
6 cups of Water

Method
Take sugar and water and add it to a big deep bottom pot. Let it the water boil and sugar dissolve in water. Lower the flame and simmer the sugar syrup till a bit thicker, a stage before it forms a string. Meanwhile prepare the rasgullas balls.

To make the Rasgullas 

Ingredients
Home made Paneer made from 1 liter Cow milk
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Flour
2 tbsp Mava
2 to 3  drops of Rose essence or 1 tbsp of Rose water

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together except for Rose essence and knead it well, rubbing the ingredients in between the heel of the palm and stretching it. Knead it well for 5 minutes to get a smooth dough. Divide the dough into small  equal proportions. Make smooth round balls. Gently add the balls one after the other into the sugar syrup. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 10 mins on a medium high flame. Open the pot and cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Pour 1/4 cup of cold water. Add rose essence. Let it cool and the Rasgullas are ready to be eaten.