Sweet Potato Cheesy Masala Bread ....

Since I had no time for the 2nd proofing and then baking the bread, I kept the dough in the fridge overnight and followed the rest of the process in the morning. The taste of the bread was good and the smell of the yeast was quite strong. 

Ingredients 

2 Sweet Potatoes boiled and mashed

2 cups Whole Wheat flour

2 cups All Purpose flour 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Curry powder

2 tbsp Sugar 

2 tbsp Dry Yeast 

1 cup grated Cheese 

1/2 cup + more Lukewarm water as required for kneading

2 tbsp Oil 

For brushing 2 tbsp Milk and 1 tbsp Butter

Method 

Mix yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup lukewarm water in a cup. Keep it aside to rise. Mix the flour, salt and curry powder together. Add the yeast water, cheese and mashed potato to the flour together and mix it. . Add remaining water little at a time and start kneading. Add a tbsp of oil and continue kneading for 10 minutes. Take a small portion of the dough and do a stretch test. Apply oil on the dough. Cover and keep the dough aside for an hour for it to rise and then in the fridge overnight. In the morning remove the dough from the fridge and keep it out till it comes back to the room temperature. Lightly sprinkle some flour on the platform. Take the dough and knead it for 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Take 2 bread tins and grease them with oil. Shape the dough and place the dough into the greased bread tin. Repeat the same with the other dough. Cover and keep the bread to rise. Brush with milk and butter mix. Bake it at 180 degrees celcius for 20 minutes in a preheated oven. In between the baking after 10 minutes remove the bread and brush it with remaining milk and butter and continue baking. 

Remove it from the oven and let it cool before unmoulding. Let it cool for some more time before slicing. 

Kosha Mangsho in Pressure Cooker

This is a very popular Bengali dish cooked on special festivals and occasions... 

In this dish the mutton has to be well marinated. While cooking the mutton is sautéed well that is called Koshano in Bengali and hence the name Khosha Mangsho... Since the mutton is marinated well, the mutton cooks in its own juices, so no water is added while cooking. Usually it is slow cooked in a pot, but due to time constraint, I have cooked it in a pressure cooker. 

For Marination

Ingredients 

1 kg Mutton pieces 

1 cup Curd

1/4 cup Mustard oil

1 Onion paste

2 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander and Cumin powder 

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients well and let it marinate for 5 to 6 hours. 

For the Mutton

Ingredients 

Marinated Mutton 

2 big Onion chopped

1 tsp Garlic crushed

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder

2 Green Cardomom crushed

2 Cloves crushed

1 small stick Cinnamon 

4  Pepper corn

2 Bay leaves 

1/4 cup Mustard Oil 

Method

Take a pressure cooker, add oil and let it heat up till smoking point. Reduce the flame, add cardomom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and bay leaves. Let the whole garam masala crackle. Add the garlic, sauté it for a minute. Add the onions and sugar. Sauté it till light brown in colour. Add the marinated mutton pieces. Stir and cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Add the turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir and cook it for 10 minutes more. Pressure cook the mutton for 4 whistles. Let the pressure release. Open the lid of the cooker. Sprinkle the powdered garam masala on top of the mutton. Serve it hot with Mughlai paratha or Luchi or Roti. 

Chicken and Vegetable Stew...

This is a chicken stew with roasted tomatoes, chillies and garlic. It is cooked for an hour in a cast iron pot. I have seasoned the Stew with  curry powder and pepper powder. It is served hot with bread. Absolutely comfort food for the winters.. 

Ingredients 

750 grams Chicken pieces 

1 medium size Sweet Potato cut into big

pieces 

1 Onion cut into cubes 

10 to 12 pieces of Whole French Beans 

4 to 5 Cauliflower florets 

1 Carrot cut into circle 

10 Mushrooms cut into 2 pieces 

4 to 5 Broccoli florets 

2 Tomatoes cut into half 

1 whole Garlic pod

1 Spring Rose Mary 

2 Dry Red Chillies 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

2 tsp Curry powder 

2 Chicken cubes

2 cups Chicken stock 

3 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Add salt and 1/2 tsp pepper powder to the chicken and mix it . Keep it aside . Roast the tomatoes , dry chillies and garlic. Add them into a grinder and add little water to make a paste. Keep it aside. 

Take a cast iron pot . Add the butter. Let it melt. Add the chicken pieces and cook it for 2 minutes. Remove it and keep it aside. In the same butter , add the roasted paste , chicken stock , 6 cups of water, chicken cubes , salt , pepper powder and curry powder.Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces,  rose mary, sweet potato, carrot, cauliflower, onion and carrot. Stir and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the broccoli , peas and mushrooms. Cover the lid and cook for 30 minutes. Once done, open the lid and serve it hot with bread. 

Eggless Orange Caramel Pudding...

This dessert is made with pure orange juice. 

This is my variation of making this eggless pudding.Though eggless.. It taste awesome. 

For Caramelising the Sugar 

Ingredients 

3 tbsp Sugar 

2 tbsp Water 

1/2 tsp Butter 

Method 

Take a baking bowl. Grease the bowl  with butter. Heat sugar and water in pot and cook on low flame till it is golden brown. Pour this into a greased baking bowl and spread evenly. Keep it aside.

For the Pudding 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Fresh Orange juice 

1 tsp Orange Candy Peel chopped into pieces

5 tbsp Condensed Milk 

1 1/2 cup full fat Milk 

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence 

2 tbsp Sugar or more as per your requirements 

2 tbsp Custard Powder 

1 1/2  tsp Veg Gelatine or Agar Agar powder 

Method 

Take a pot, add a cup of milk. On a low flame, let the  milk simmer. Add sugar, condensed milk and  vaniĺla essence. Stir and mix it. Take 1/4 cup milk,  mix the custard powder in it. Add the custard milk in the milk. Stir it continuously so that no lumps form. As it thickens, switch off the flame immediately. Keep on stirring till it cools down a bit. Heat the remaining milk, add the veg gelatine or agar  agar powder and mix it and let the powder dissolve in the milk, add this agar agar mixture into the custard milk. Stir it. Let the mixture cool down a bit. Add the orange juice and orange candy peel. Mix it. Pour the mixture in the caramelised bowl. Cover the bowl with a foil. Take a steamer. Add water. Place the tin into the steamer. Cover the steamer. Steam it for 30 minutes. Take the bowl out of the steamer. Let it chilli for an hour or more in the fridge.  To unmould it, very light heat the base of the baking bowl. Run a knife around the edges. Turn the pudding on a plate. Serve it.

The elegant cutlery I have used is from Awkenox.

Mangsher Bhuna Khichudi....

This dish is a popular dish of Bangladesh. It is a richer variation of Khichudi cooked with Mutton.  Khichudi or Khichadi know all over India is normally is cooked with vegetables, rice, dal and spices. The cooking style varies depending upon the state. This is a one pot meal... very easy to make.

Ingredients 

200 grams Mutton pieces 

1 cup Rice 

1/4 cup Moong Dal 

1/4 cup Masoor Dal

1 Onion sliced 

1 Tomato chopped 

6 to 7 French Beans cut into big pieces 

6 to 8  Cauliflower florets 

1 big size Potato cut into cubes 

1 Carrot cut into long thick pieces 

2 tsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste 

2 Bay Leaves 

2 Cardamom 

2 Cloves 

1 Cinnamon stick 

 6 Pepper corns 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar 

1 tbsp Ghee

3 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method 

Take a pan, add the rice and dal. Roast it till it is light brown in colour. Wash the rice and dal. Soak it in water and keep it aside. 

Take a pressure cooker. Add the oil. Heat the oil to a smoking point. Reduce the flame,  add the whole garam masala and bay leaves. Let it crackle. Add the green chillies. Let it sauté for few seconds. Add the onion and stir fry till light brown in colour. Add the vegetables except tomato. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic - ginger - chilli paste and sugar. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the mutton, stir and cook it for 3 to 4  minutes. Drain the dal and rice. Add it into the cooker. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt and dry spice powder. Stir and cook for a minute. Add 3 cups of water. Close the lid and give 4 whistles. Once the pressure releases then open the lid. Stir it. Add 1/2 cup of water and ghee. Stir and serve hot.