Mango pickle with Fenugreek sprouts

 

Mango pickle made with Fenugreek sprouts - just loving it… made in complete traditional way.. 

Here is the recipe - 

1 1/2 kg Raw Mangoes - (Measurement after washing, cleaning and cutting the mangoes into pieces)

1/2 cup Fenugreek seeds 

1/2 cup Mustard Dal ( Rai ka Kuria) 

4 tbsp or more Salt as per taste

2 tbsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder 

3 tbsp Chilli powder 

2 tbsp Roasted Fennel powder 

1 tbsp Roasted Coriander powder 

1 tbsp Roasted Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Asafoetida 

1 tsp Carom seeds

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

1/2 liter Sesame Oil

Method 

Day 1 - Take a bowl, add the mango pieces, add 2 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp turmeric powder, mix all the ingredients together, cover and leave the bowl aside overnight, wash the fenugreek seeds well and soak the fenugreek seeds in water overnight. 

Day 2 - Next day stir the mango pieces with a dry spoon. Cover and keep the mangoes aside. Strain the water from the fenugreek seeds, instead of throwing the water, drink the water, it’s good for health. Take the soaked fenugreek seeds and in a moist cloth, tie the cloth and keep it hanging. In between keep sprinkling water on the cloth to keep the cloth moist. It takes 2 days to get sprouts. We don’t need to over sprout the seeds. 

Day 3 - Strain the water from the mango pieces and keep the water aside. Spread the mango pieces on a cloth or on a plate, sun dry the mangoes for 3 to 4 hours. 

Meanwhile heat the oil, let the oil cool a bit, but it should be still hot, add the these ingredients in a bowl - 2 tbsp salt, mustard dal, Kashmiri chilli powder, red chilli powder, remaining turmeric powder, roasted coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, carom seeds, Nigella seeds and asafoetida. Mix all the ingredients together. 

Now add 1/2 the amount of oil into the ingredients and mix well. Cover and keep the masala aside, until the mangoes are sun drying. After 3 to 4 hours, add the mangoes into the masala, mix the masala well and keep the mangoes covered. 

Day 4 - Remove the fenugreek sprouts and sun dry until all the moisture from the sprouts are removed, for 2 hours. Then add the fenugreek sprouts into the marinated mango water, mix and keep it aside for an hour. Now mix the water and the sprouts into the mango pieces. Stir and keep it aside. 

Day 5 - Store the pickle into a clean dry glass jar. 

Day 6 - Stir the pickle and add the remaining oil. Stir daily once with a clean dry spoon and keep it to mature for at least 7 days. 

After 7 days it’s ready…

Kasundi - Traditional method…

 Kasundi is quintessentially a part of the Bengali cuisine. It’s used in cooking and used as an accompaniment with fried food as dip, salad and starters. Kasundi has a sharp pungent taste.

 Traditionally Kasundi is made with lots of rituals and many restrictions are followed. Earlier only the Bramhins could only make the Kasundi. Made in the month of April ( End April and starting of May,  as the mustard seeds have been harvested and dried in the Sun. Kasundi should be made before the monsoon begins. The mustard seeds and other spices are washed, dried in the Sun and ground into fine powder. Black mustard is used. The water is boiled and reduced into 3/4 quantity. The mustard powder is added into the mud pot along with salt and Turmeric powder. Gradually warm water added and stired well. The Kasundi is made into thin consistency. The Kasundi is stirred very well. Some people add raw mango pieces into the Kasundi. 

In villages people enjoy Kasundi with puffed rice / muri makha, different types of vegetables makha or add the Kasundi in the green vegetables like paat saag / jute leaves. 

Now it is made at home with ease. Apart from traditional Kasundi there are now many ways and ingredients vary while  making the Kasundi. 

Here is a humble try of making the traditional Kasundi at home. It stay for a long time out, but I prefer keeping the Kasundi in the fridge. 

Here I have used Black and Yellow mustard. I have added few Garlic cloves, it’s optional. I have added vinegar so that it stays well for a longer period of time.

Ground Spices for Kasundi 

Ingredients 

1 tbsp Cumin seeds 

2 tbsp Coriander seeds 

6 to 8 Pepper corns 

4 Bay leaves 

6 to 7 Dried Chillies 

4 Cloves

3 Green Cardamom 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

Method 

Dry roast all the above ingredients until an aroma releases. Switch off the flame and keep the spices aside until it cools down. 

Kasundi 

Ingredients 

1 medium size Raw Mango washed, peeled and ground into paste. 

4 Green Chillies (optional)

1 medium piece of Ginger

4 Garlic cloves (optional)

1/2 cup Yellow Mustard seeds 

1 cup Black Mustard seeds

Salt to taste 

2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Ground spices 

1 1/2 liter or more Boiled warm water ( Water has to boil and reduced to 3/4) 

2 tbsp Vinegar (optional)

Method 

Wash the black and yellow mustard seeds. Dry the mustard seeds in the sun until it’s completely dried up. 

Take a grinding jar, add the mustard seeds, Grind the mustard seeds into fine powder. Also make a paste of the green chillies, ginger and garlic together. Add the ground spice powder into the mustard powder. Sieve the ingredients together, so that we get a very fine powder of the ingredients ground. Take a mud pot, add the mustard and spice powder into the pot. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the ginger - chilli - garlic paste and mango paste. Now add the warm water gradually into the pot and keep on stirring, so that no lumps should form. Keep stirring, check on salt. Add salt if required. Keep stirring and keep adding warm water until the sauce has a thin consistency. Keep stirring for 10 to 15 minutes as all the ingredients blends together and all the flavours releases. Add the vinegar. Gradually the Kasundi will become a bit thicker later. Cover and leave the Kasundi aside in the mud pot. Next day transfer the Kasundi into the dry clean bottles and keep it in a dry place. Later keep it in the fridge.

Macher Patishapta

 Macher patishapta - 

Patishapta is a sweet pitha usually made during Makar Sankranti in Bengal. 

The patishapta base / crepe is made with rice flour, semolina and all purpose flour. Here taking inspiration from patishapta, I have made Maacher/ fish patishapta. Instead of sweet stuffing, savoury fish stuffing is added into the patishapta base. This dish can be enjoyed for breakfast or snack. 

Fish stuffing 

Ingredients 

250 grams boiled boneless fish mashed 

1 medium size onion sliced 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

1 tsp grated Ginger 

1 tsp grated Garlic 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1 Bay leaf

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/4 tsp Garam masala powder 

1/4 Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Chaat masala 

1 tsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take a pan, add oil, once the oil heats up, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds crackle, add the onion slices, ginger, garlic and green chillies chopped. Saute until the onions are light brown in colour. Add the boiled fish, salt, cumin powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Stir and cook the fish for a minute, add the chaat masala and tomato ketchup. Stir and cook until the fish stuffing has cooked well. Sprinkle coriander leaves. 

For the crepe 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup whole wheat flour 

1/2 cup fine semolina 

1 Egg

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Baking powder 

1 tsp oil

Fish stock ( Remaining liquid after the boneless fish has been boiled) and water as per required 

Method 

Take flour, semolina, baking powder and salt. Mix all the above ingredients together. Add the egg and the fish stock,  add water little at a time if required to make a batter. The batter should be of thick flowing consistency. Beat well so that no lumps should remain. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. 

To make Macher Patishapta 

Ingredients 

Fish stuffing 

Batter 

Method 

Take a pan, keep the flame on medium. Once the pan warms up, pour a ladle full of batter, rotate the batter and make a thin crepe, let the crepe cook, once done, remove the crepe on a plate, spread some fish stuffing on the crepe, roll the crepe and enjoy it with salad, Kasundi and tomato ketchup.

Mangalorean Buns with Veg Sagu

 May times we have visited Mangalore and every time we enjoyed this meal during breakfast. My friend’s MIL makes one of the best Mangalorean Buns. This dish is very popular in Mangalore and is available in most of the restaurants for breakfast. 

Here is the recipe - 

Mangalore Buns

 Ingredients

2 cups Whole Wheat flour  Flour

2 medium sized Ripe banana

2 tbsp Jaggery powder or Sugar 

½ tsp Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Curd

1 tsp ghee

oil for deep frying

Method

Take a mixing bowl, mash the bananas, now add sugar, salt,  baking soda, cumin powder and curd . Mix the ingredients well into a smooth paste. Add the flour and knead the flour into a dough, add little more flour if required. The dough is slightly sticky. While kneading you can apply some ghee and knead. Keep the dough covered in a bowl overnight. Knead the dough the next morning. The dough is a bit sticky, so dust some flour and take medium sized balls from the dough and roll into round pooris. Fry each poori into medium hot oil till they are puffed and golden. Serve the buns as snacks or enjoy for breakfast with veg sagu or with coconut chutney or Sambar. 

Veg Sagu Recipe - 

Wet Paste 

Ingredients 

1 small Onion chopped 

1 small Tomato chopped 

2 Green Chillies 

Few Coriander stems cut into pieces 

1 small piece of Ginger 

2 tbsp grated Coconut or desiccated Coconut 

4 to 5 Cashew nuts

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Jagger 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 

1/4 tsp Chilli powder 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a fine paste with water. 

Veg Sagu 

Ingredients 

1 medium bowl around 250 grams of vegetables cut into small pieces - Carrot, French Beans, Cauliflower, Capsicum, Green Peas and Potato

2 Green Chillies 

Few Curry leaves 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1/2 tsp Chana dal

1/2 tsp Urid dal 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 Dried Red Chilli cut into pieces 

Few Cashew nuts  

Wet Paste 

2 tbsp Oil 

Take a pressure cooker, add oil, once the oil heats up, add the dried chilli, chana dal and Urid dal. Once the dals are half fried, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute until the mustard seeds crackle. Add the vegetables, cashews and green chillies. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the wet paste and continue to cook until the oil releases from the paste. Add 3/4 cup of water. Stir, cover the pressure cooker and give 2 to 3 whistles. Once the air pressure releases, check the gravy, as per choice, we can reduce the gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with poori, buns, Paratha etc. 

Kolkata style Chicken Cutlet ( Fowl Cutlet)

 

Fowl Cutlet is one of the street food of Kolkata and also one of the popular dish that’s sold in the Cabin style restaurants.. where each wall of the old cabin restaurant has some story to tell.. This dish is also made during occasions… 

The chicken cutlets are made with chicken mince or boneless chopped chicken pieces, spices and coated with egg and bread crumbs. It’s fried in oil until golden brown in colour and served with salad and mustard sauce (Kasundi). 

Ingredients 

1 cup Chicken Mince

or Boneless Chicken pieces 

Half Onion taken from 1 small Onion 

1 small piece of Ginger 

4 Garlic cloves 

1 Green Chilli 

1/4 cup Coriander and Mint leaves 

Juice of 1/2 Lime

Salt to taste 

1/4 Pepper powder 

1/2 Garam Masala (Ground 1 Green Cardamom- small Cinnamon-2 Cloves)

1/2 tsp Bhaja Masaala (Roasted Cumin- Coriander- Red Dried Chilli ground into powder) 

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Bread Crumbs 

Oil to Fry 

Method 

Take a chopper or a grinder, add the chicken mince or pieces, lime juice, onion, green chilli, ginger, coriander and mint leaves, garlic, salt and pepper powder. Blend the above ingredients together. Take the paste out into a bowl. Add the garam masala and Bhaja masala into the paste. Mix the ingredients together. Take 1/2 of the bread crumbs in a plate, beat 2 eggs with little salt. Take a lemon size portion from the chicken paste. Roll the portion on a greased plate to give a cylindrical shape. Then with the help of the bread crumbs flatten the cutlets into diamond shape or oval shape. Repeat the same process. We get around 7 cutlets. Now with place one cutlet on the chopping board and with the help of a knife shape the edges well. Repeat the same process with all the remaining cutlets. Now dip one cutlet into the beaten egg and then coat the cutlet with the remaining bread crumbs. Repeat the same process with the remaining cutlets. Take a pan, heat the oil, until medium hot. Place 2 to 3 cutlets into the pan as per the space of the pan. Fry the cutlets until golden brown in colour from both the sides. Serve the chicken cutlets with salad and Kasundi.