Amader Rasona

Rasmalai

2010-02-22T19:09:00.006-07:00

I tried making Rasmalai yesterday and they really came out well. I had kept them in fridge last night and had them now...they were soo delicious :) I made the rasogollas first, and then soaked them in milk. I got this recipe from
Manjula's Kitchen...an awesome site...you can check there too.

Here comes the recipe which yielded 12 Rasmalais ... :)

Rasogolla

Ingredients :

Milk - 4 cups ( 2% is ok)

Lemon juice - 1/4 cup, mixed in 1/2 cup hot water.

Water- 41/2 cups

Sugar- 11/2 cups

Method :

To make the paneer/chhana -

Boil the milk in heavy bottomed pan and stir continuously so that the bottom of the pan doesn't get burned. After it comes to boil, add the lemon juice mixed in water. When the curd starts separating from whey, turn off the heat.

Once the curd has separated completely, drain the whey in a strainer lined with a muslin cloth. I dont have one, so I use an ordinary handkerchief :P It works okay. Wrap the curd in the cloth and then rinse under cold water. This helps in removing the sourness of the lemon.

Then squeeze the cloth and keep under a heavy bottomed pan. I do not have that either, so I just keep the wrapped cloth in the strainer and keep on a deep bowl for about an hour which works the same way as hanging the muslin cloth. I have made Rasogollas twice before and this has worked well :)

This step is very important in making rasogollas.

To check whether enough water is out of paneer, take a small portion on your palm and rub with your fingers. After a few secs, you would be able to make a small ball. This advice is directly from the above mentioned video.

When its done, put the paneer on a hard and clean surface and knead for sometime to make a smooth soft dough.

Divide the dough in 12 equal parts and make small balls. Keep it round shaped for rasogollas. And press them lightly into shape of patties for Rasmalais. Since I was making rasmalais this time, you would find the shape of rasogollas a bit flat !!

Mix the water and sugar in a pressure cooker and bring to a boil. Then add the balls in the syrup and close the lid. My cooker doesnt give whistles, so after it started rocking, I put the heat in medium and cooked for 7 mins. The pressure cooker should be big enough because the paneer balls will double its size when they are done.

After 7 mins, keep it off the heat for about 4-5 mins and then put the cooker under cold water to release the pressure. Open the lid and take out the rasogollas !!!! :)

Rasmalai

Ingredients :

Rasogollas - as described above

For Milk syrup :

Milk - 3 cups, 2 % is fine ( I used fat-free)

Sugar- I used about 6-7 tsp (adjust to taste)

Cardamom - I crused about 6-8 whole cardamoms

Pistachios - sliced for decoration

Method :

After making the rasogollas/rasmalai patties, take them out of the cooker and squeeze them slightly and keep them aside. Oh they were soo hot !!

Boil the milk while stirring continuously. Add the sugar and keep stirring till reduced to about 2 cups. I added the cardamom powder and some pistachios after this step.

Then add the Rasmalai patties in the milk and cook for 5-6 mins. Pour them in a bowl and garnish with the remaining pistachios. Serve chilled !!

Enjoy !! :)

Update : After seeing these, the first thing that my Mom said was ," why so big" ?? I was a bit surprised and replied that the size was like this only in the video which I followed !! Actually in Kolkata, we used to have rasmalais which were small balls in milk syrup ...but seeing the size in the website, I thought probably I was confusing with something else. But after asking my hubby I was sure Rasmalai in Kolkata are very smalls balls indeed. So if some of you are wondering "why so big"... here lies the answer !! :P Next time I would make it smaller...thus would get many rasmalais. :)

Happy Valentine's Day with Moghlai Paratha

2010-02-18T12:12:00.003-07:00

Hiiii ... I am back !! :-) It had been very busy past few months...hope all are doing well :) I started writing this post on Valentine's day but could not finish it. So I am not changing the heading :P I feel everyday should be Valentine's day because we need to make our loved ones feel special always !! :)

Sometimes I have this crazy urge to make something right now... so I search thru recipes over the net and rush to the kitchen !! :P At times I let my hubby know what I am upto....and even though he is feeling like eating something else...I convince him to try it out because I am craving to make it today itself !! :P Last night (read : day before V'day) was something like this...when I felt like making (and eating as well) moghlai paratha...so even though he was thinking of having American dinner, we decided to go ahead and have moghlai paratha and keep the other idea for tonight. So, that's how I made Moghlai paratha which actually came out very good :) Hmmm...let's see what happens tonight with the plan to make lasagna for the first time which we have not even eaten before. ( Update: I made it yesterday, recipe coming soon :D ) I made some new dishes in between which I will posting one by one and of course, visit my friends' blogs which is pending for loong !!

I searched through a few recipes for moghlai paratha and ultimately followed Dolon's recipe. Here is a link to her blog. Check out Sayantani's moghlai paratha too :)

I made a simpler version of aloor dum with small cubed sized potatoes first, which can be eaten as side for other breads also. Then I prepared the parathas.

Aloor-dum

Ingredients I used :

Potatoes - 3 big, chopped in small cubes

Onions- 1 large, chopped finely

Tomatoes- 2 medium, chopped in cubes

Green chillies- 2, chopped

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Cumin and Coriander powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala powder- 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste- 1tbsp

I dint have cilantro, so cudn't use it. But it gives a nice smell when added before removing from heat.

Method :

I made this curry a bit differently than the way I normally make Aloor-dum because here the main dish was moghlai paratha and I wanted to start with that as soon as possible. Special aloor-dum is there for luchi na !! :D

Here is how I made it :

Heated 2 tbsp oil in pan. Added Cumin seeds when oil was hot and let them splutter. Added the potato cubes and fried them medium high heat. When they were slightly done, I added the onions and fried well. Then I added the ginger-garlic paste and kept stirring till the raw smell was gone. Made a paste with all the masalas except garam masala , with water and added to the pan. Kept stirring till oil separated from the side of the pan. Then I added the tomatoes and cooked in low heat till they became mushy.

After that I added one and half cup of water and let it boil. Then I cooked it in medium heat till potatoes were done. I sprinkled garam masala on top and covered with lid and kept it off heat for atleast 10 mins.

I made the curry before paratha as I would be using some curry as stuffing and also we could eat the parathas hot as soon as they were ready.

Moghlai Paratha

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/Maida - as much as needed

Warm water to make the dough

Salt to mix in dough

Oil

For the stuffing:

Eggs- 3

Onion- 1 medium

Salt

Green chillies

Black Pepper

Method:

I made the dough for paratha just like I make for luchi/poori, mixing the maida with salt and oil and kneading for about 5 mins. Then making a firm dough with warm water, as needed. I kept the dough covered with wet cloth for about 15-20 mins.

In the meantime I prepared the stuffing by beating the eggs and mixing with chopped onions, green chillies, salt and black pepper. Also, I smashed some potato curry in a bowl also to be used as stuffing.

Then I made balls from the dough big enough to roll out a roti of approx 8 " - it was the size of my 'chaki' (the round wooden board on which I make rotis - belan-chaki). But actually it led to small parathas after folding, so making bigger than this would lead to bigger parathas just like street side shops.

After rolling it, I put 1-2 tbsp of egg mix in the centre of the roti and added potato curry on top of it. Then I folded the round roti from four sides so as to cover the stuffing thus leading to a square-shaped paratha. I sealed the sides with wet fingers.

I already kept one skillet on heat with sufficient oil. Once it was hot, I put the paratha in it very carefully so that it doesn't open up !! Once the bottom side started browning, I flipped it over and then waited till brown spots started coming up. Once the parathas were done, I drained excess oil and served with potato curry and onion slices. It felt soo good to have these after such a long time !!

Today is a very special day for me...... it's my parents' anniversary.....Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad !! :)

Let me know if you have already posted other versions of this great dish in your blogs, I could add the link here with this post.

Take Care... :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !! :)

2009-12-25T21:53:00.003-07:00

Dear Friends,

Hope you all are doing great and enjoying the holiday season to the fullest !! I have been very very busy lately, so disappeared from the blogging world...I didnt check my fellow bloggers' posts nor could post any comment...and sorry for not being able to reply to your precious comments !! They do mean a lot to me. I will reply to you all as soon as I resume blogging. I opened my dashboard after a loong long time now..and was overwhelmed by soo many delicious and mouthwatering dishes !! Specially, the cakes and cookies...yumm !!

My MIL has come here for the first time to visit us and to attend my husband's convocation :) So I will remain very busy till beginning of Feb....wont get the chance to post here as I have lab work 5 days/week...and then most importantly, final prep for my Residency journey going on ... :)

So, I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year !! See you all in 2010...I will be back with lots of new recipes and will visit all your blogs... :)

Till then, take care everybody...and Happy cooking !! :)

No-Knead bread !!

2009-12-01T10:44:00.005-07:00

This is straight from Soma's e-curry.com ... I couldn't wait to make this bread the moment I saw it. Well...how about a no-recipe post for the no-knead bread ?? :P

Ok let's write a short-cut post :P ... please visit Soma's blog for the detailed recipe here for this very easy-to make-bread !! I followed her recipe exactly as she has written but had to make a few changes. I will write them in detail though !! :)

I don't have a 6-8 quart pot, so I used a 4 qt pyrex mixing bowl and covered with aluminum foil. Maybe, thats why the size of the bread was a little smaller.

And I did a BIG mistake...instead of keeping the mix in warm place for 14 hours, I kept it in the fridge overnight only to realize next morning, when I saw the mix hasn't risen at all !! Actually, I was pre-occupied with something the previous night and dint read that part properly !! I thought that it was gone !! Still, I kept the bowl for the whole day , this time in the unheated oven. To my great relief, I found the dough has doubled !! :)

Since, the bowl that I used dint have a oven-proof lid, I covered it with foil. Actually, my husband did this part...covering and taking out the HOT bowl from the oven before putting the dough in. Have to be very careful if you are doing this way.

Another thing that I noticed, the crust was a bit too hard after baking it for 15 mins uncovered. I should have checked it before that but since we were watching a movie while having lunch...I dint get up before the timer beeped !! :P

Next time, I will check after about 10 mins.

It did taste great- apart from the hard crust, rest of the bread turned out well. And the whole thing was over in one evening. We had some with butter...and then tried making bread pizza with rest of the 4 slices :)) (will write about that soon).

Oh another point, my bread didnt crackle as she has described in her post... I kept it in front of my eyes and watched it expectantly while it cooled down... is it because of the hard crust ?? I am not sure.....may be it will next time !! :)

I will be back with other recipes soon. Till then, take care everybody !! :)

Awards and Awards only !! :)

2009-11-16T10:17:00.006-07:00

I have been bestowed with lots of awards recently by my dear blogger friends. But, due to lack of time I could not acknowledge them earlier. So, I would like to apologize for the delayed post. But, my heartfelt thanks to all my dear friends who thought of me while sharing the awards. This is really touching and I am flattered too !! :) Thank you very much........... :)

My sincere thanks to Shanthi, Indrani and Babli who passed the following awards to me... :)

Thank you very much dear Sangeetha for passing on the following awards to me... :)

All of you who have shared wonderful recipes for a long time here deserve these awards, but I think most of you have already received it. So I would like to share all these awards with some of my dear blogger friends :

Shaista, Aps, Sunanda, Jaya, Nithya, Soma, Arundhuti, and Vrinda.

Please accept them :)

Take Care everybody !! :)

Kanchkolar kopta / Green Plantain curry

2009-11-10T20:47:00.012-07:00

After a loong time I am here again with a recipe :) I dont know how the days are just passing by.... the evenings quickly roll into nights while I keep on thinking what new dish to make for dinner soon after we have some snacks after returning from lab...and the weekend gets over in a jiffy . This is going on for last one month which made me soo irregular in the blogosphere. I missed many posts of my friends/fellow bloggers and could not post the awards as well that have been passed onto me by my friends here. But...at the end of the day...I am liking what I am doing ... got to learn many things in my lab and looking forward to another opportunity. But I am still waiting for the much awaited call !!

Anyways, first I would like to apologize to my friends for the delay in acknowledging the awards ... I will post them very soon.

Hmm...now back to the recipe...I cooked some new dishes in between...will post them one by one. I made Kanchkolar kopta for the first time few days back...it really tasted great...we had it after so long...its a great dish when planning for a vegetarian treat or just to relish at home with rice :)

Kanchkolar kopta / Green Plantain Curry

Ingredients:

Kanchkola (Green plantain) - 2

Corn flour - 1tbsp

Garam masala

Onion - medium, 1 and half - chopped

Green chillies - 2

Tomatoes-1 medium, chopped

Potato - 1 medium, cubed

Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder-1tsp

Coriander powder-1tsp

chilli powder-1/2 tsp

turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Kashmiri mirch- 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste- 1tbsp

Salt

Sugar-a pinch

Vegetable Oil for deep frying.

Method:

How to make koptas ~

Cut the plantains in half and put them in a pressure cooker with water and salt. I cooked for 2 mins after the cap started rocking steadily. Mine doesnt give whistles, but I guess it would be 1 whistle. After 2 mins, the bananas were still a bit tough and I had to work hard to mash them. Maybe next time I will keep them for 3 mins.

After they are done, remove the skin which already softened. Mash them nicely. Add half onion, chopped, green chilli, 1 tsp garam masala and some salt to the mashed banana. Mix corn flour so that it binds well when frying. Mix everything well to get a tight dough. Make small balls ( I got about 16 koptas) from it and keep aside for frying. Heat enough oil in medium high for deep frying the koptas/koftas. Put the koptas in batches and fry till brown. ( Mine should have been more brown, next time will do that). Put them on a paper towel.

** The koptas are to be added in the gravy just before serving, otherwise they will soak all the gravy. I had put aside half of them to be used one day and refrigerated the rest for using second day.

Gravy ~

Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan. After its hot enough, add the cumin seeds. After they crackle , add the onions. Fry them till they are soft. Then add the potatoes and fry them together. (Potatoes can be fried separately before adding onions, but I was in a hurry, so did it together). Make a paste with little water and the masalas except garam masala. Add it to the onion. Fry them very well till oil starts separating from the sides of the pan. Then add the tomatoes and cook till they become mushy. Add a pinch of sugar and salt. Add water and bring to a boil. Then cook in medium heat till it is done. Sprinkle the garam masala over the gravy and simmer for 2-3 mins. Then put off the heat and keep covered for about 10 mins. Gravy is ready.

** Few minutes before serving, add the koptas to the gravy. Enjoy with white rice or pulao !! :)

Subho Bijaya & Happy Diwali with Gulab Jamun :)

2009-10-07T20:54:00.006-07:00

Shobaike janai Shubho Bijayar antarik preeti o shubhechha - Wish you all a very Happy Vijaya Dashami and Happy Diwali in advance. I have been waiting to write this post for a long time now, but wasn't getting the opportunity. Actually, I got the research volunteer position in the lab for which I have been waiting for last few months. I wanted to learn various lab procedures and get some research experience. Since I was done with my exams in August, I thought to follow-up there and ultimately got it around 3rd week of September. I joined there as a volunteer (as of now, thats the only option as I dont have work permit in my Visa) .Here they are working towards developing more effective vaccines for children !! :) I am going there 5 days a week - normal work hours....thats why got busy and couldnt post for long !! Hope this experience will help me in future :)

Ok, back to the post !! I made Gulab Jamuns at home for about 5-6 times now... these are so delicious...can be made anytime if you have the mix at home. I have always made with Gulab Jamun mix - mostly with ' Gits ' mix. The mix comes in both 100g and 500g packets... the second one is a lot more economic :D The method is given in the back of the packet.

Gulab Jamun / Pantua

First make the sugar syrup - Add 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 5 mins so that the sugar gets dissolved properly. Keep off the heat. You can taste the syrup, if some more sugar needs to be added, it can be adjusted at this point.
Slowly add 50-60 ml of milk (or water) to 100g of mix and knead into a soft and smooth dough. If needed, sprinkle some water to make it smooth.
Make about 12-18 small balls ( it will become double its size after being soaked in sugar syrup - so the size depends on your choice). There should not be any cracks on the balls. If there is any, take some oil/water in the palm and apply on the cracks. they will become smooth.
While making the dough, heat oil in medium . ( it should be in medium to medium low to cook the sweets properly ). These will be deep-fried, so add oil accordingly.
When the oil is ready ( test with a a very small dough, it should rise to the top of the oil immediately), add the balls to the oil.
Fry them for about 7-8 mins- the colour will become reddish brown.
When they are done, drain the excess oil and keep on a paper towel for about 2 mins. In the meantime, fry the next batch.
After about 2 mins, add the fried balls to the hot sugar syrup. Make sure there is enough space for them to expand.
These are ready to eat after 40 mins to 1 hour. But can be kept in the syrup as long as you want !! :)
Enjoy !! :)

See you again ... Everybody Take care !! :)

Boondi Laddoo

2009-09-18T14:13:00.008-07:00

Shubho Mahalaya to all my friends !! :) Aaj theke Debi-pokkho suru -The festive season has begun....and everybody seems to be in a joyous mood :) Thats the essence of Durga Puja ... the most favorite festival of the Bengalis !! I have always been in Kolkata during Durga Puja till 2007. Then missing this auspicious occasion started for me too....though we will attend the Puja over here, but of course, "Probashe Puja" doesnt have the same charm. Nonetheless, we are waiting for the first weekend of October !!

I have got this link from a friend today : thought of sharing with you too :)

http://durgapuja-images.blogspot.com/2009/09/agomoni-gaan-collection-of-devotional.html

We had bought a packet of boondi few months back...to have with raita. So, when I saw the video for making boondi laddoo, I was immediately tempted to make that. Next time maybe I would make these from scratch :D

Here I am giving the recipe for making laddoos with store-bought boondis.

Boondi Laddoo

Ingredients :

Boondi - about 2 cups

Sugar - 1 1/2 cups

Water

Method :

Boil the water and then add sugar in it. Reduce the flame and let the sugar dissolve. Simmer the sugar syrup till it becomes 'one thread consistency'. Then keep it off the heat. Add the boondis. I had to soak the boondis for more than half hour because these were not freshly prepared, so took more time to absorb the syrup. When the boondis look soft, take them out of the pan , after draining off the extra syrup. When the temperature cools down a bit, take a handful of boondis and squeeze in between both the palms in round shape, about the size of a ping-pong ball...or the size you prefer.

After some time, the laddoos will become firm and ready to be enjoyed!! :)

Dinner with Naan and Punjabi Chole :)

2009-09-15T13:19:00.006-07:00

I was wondering what to make for dinner yesterday night and decided to try making Naan at home. I wasn't sure how it will turn out, so instead of buying some chicken dish from the nearby Indo-Pak restaurant, I thought of making Punjabi Chole at home...as I ran out of veggies, chicken and eggs :P And thanks to the videos....I could make Naan at home successfully, thought not soo perfectly, ... and it was so soft and tasty :-) I got the chance to use the packet of yeast first time for this, which I had bought last week to make bread at home :-) I did make a loaf of bread btw - though without yeast- will post that recipe soon !! Now, we can have Naan at home anytime we feel like... ;-)

Naan

Ingredients :

All Purpose flour ( maida) - 2 cups

Active dry yeast - 1 tsp

Luke warm water - 1 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar- 1 tsp

Oil

Milk - 1/4 cup

Method :

Take the luke warm water and add the yeast in it. Add sugar, salt , milk and 1 tbsp of oil in the mixture. Keep it aside for about 10 mins. This will make the yeast active and help the dough to rise.

Take the flour in a big mixing bowl. Add the yeast mixture and make a sticky dough. I learnt that the dough should be very sticky and soft when you are making naan in oven instead of tandoor. To see how sticky it should be, you can check the video here . There is another version of making naan at home here , but since I dont have pizza stone, I dint follow that.

After making the dough, add 1 tbsp of oil to the dough and coat it thoroughly.

Cover the dough with a lid and keep it for about 20-30 mins. I kept for 25 mins.

The dough did rise,though not double, and was very very soft.

In the meantime, put the oven to its full temperature ... I put it at 500 degrees.

Take the dough and make 6 equal balls out of it. The balls were very soft and light and I had to use flour on my hands to prevent them from sticking.

Then put one ball on the rolling surface and press it with palm to make it bigger and then flip on both palms to give it the shape of a naan ( refer to the video for this :-) )

The baking tray that I have has raised edges...so I cudnt make it exactly like this and I kept them smaller to fit two naans in the tray. BUt it was perfectly alright for us to be enjoyed at home... restaurant -type perfection is not always needed in situations like this :-D

Put the tray to the closest source of heat, I kept in the lowest rack for about 3 mins. After taking it out, I turned the naans and kept again for another 30 secs to 1 min. And then.....it was ready !! :)

I chopped one clove of garlic and added on top of 2 naans to make garlic naan. But since both of us were hungry ... I dint invest too much time on this. Maybe next time... ;-)

After they are ready, smear one surface with butter and enjoy with your favorite veg/non-veg curry. :)

Punjabi Choley

This is one of the quickest curries that I often make with garbanzo beans ( canned chick-peas) and punjabi choley masala. But I have tried with normal turmeric/red chilli/cumin-coriander powder combination as well... and it tastes great too !!

Ingredients:

Chick peas - 1 can ( 130 g) ( boiled)

Onions - 1 medium, chopped

Tomato- 1 medium, chopped

Punjabi Choley Masala - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Water - 2 cups

Method :

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add the sliced onions when its hot. Fry them in medium heat till golden brown. Drain the liquid from the can of garbanzo beans and wash them thoroughly. Then add the chick peas and the spices to the onions and mix them well. Fry them for about 7-10 mins in low heat. Then add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft. Add salt as per your taste. Lastly, add water and cook in low flame for about 15 mins and take off heat when it reaches the desired consistency. Chopped coriander leaves can be added on top, I added some chopped onions.

Enjoy with Naan or any other Indian bread !! :)

Rainy Day Special : Khichudi and Tomato Chutney

2009-09-11T11:15:00.010-07:00

Hello Everybody, hope all of you are doing fine !! Last 2 weeks I was very busy, so could not post any recipe. But I have prepared some dishes which I will be posting soon. I couldnt take some pictures with our camera as the charger was not working properly. So few, including these two, were taken with iphone cam, so the resolution might not be that good. My husband has bought a new digital charger and I hope to take good pics hereafter :)

Its been the same weather over here.... everyday hovering over 102 degrees !! But last saturday, when we got up in the morning, we were thrilled to see its raining , for a change !! :) My hubby immediately told me that we will have khichudi today !! Rain and khichudi.... its something which is incorporated inside us since childhood. Both of us just love to eat khichudi...whether simple or with spices...doesnt matter !! We had khichudi here even when it wasnt raining and the temperature was 45 degrees centigrade :P But last saturday was an ideal day to relish it.... so I made amish (with spices and onions) Khichudi along with aloo-kopir torkari , tomato chutney and fulkopir bora. It was an awesome lunch that day !! :)

I generally use basmati rice to make this, but completely forgot that day, instead used normal long-grain rice that I use everyday !! But nonetheless, it tasted great with the spices and ginger-garlic paste !!

Let me post the recipe now ... :)

Khichudi

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cups

Moong dal - 1 1/2 cups

Water - 10 cups ( I have tried with 4 times water, i.e. 12 cups for 3 cups of total rice and dal in pressure cooker ... but it was a bit more liquidy, this time 10 cups touched the upper mark in pressure cooker ... but when it was ready, the consistency was perfect ... so for 3 cups rice+dal, 9-10 cups is fine)

Onion - 1 small/medium , chopped

Potato - 2 medium, cut into halves

Cauliflower - 8-10 florets

Peas - 1/2 cup ( I dint give this time)

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp

Cumin and Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Green chilli - 1, slit along the length

Bay leaf - 1-2

Salt

Pinch of Sugar

Oil and Ghee

** Khichudi can be made without onion, ginger garlic paste and the spices, and then also it tastes great. We generally have without these spices during Puja. In that case, just omit those and cook in the same way.

Method :

In pressure cooker, roast the moong dal till golden brown. Wash the daal and keep it aside.

Wash the rice very well and mix with the daal.

Add 1 tbsp of oil and fry the cauliflower florets till golden brown and then keep them aside.

Then fry the potatoes slightly and keep aside.

Add 1 tbsp oil and little ghee and when its hot , add cumin seeds and bay leaf ( tejpata).

When they start crackling, add the onions and fry them till soft . After that, add ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone.

Make a paste of the turmeric, cumin & coriander and red chilli powder with little water.

Add it to the onion and fry till oil separates out.

Then add the rice and dal and mix them properly. Also, add the potatoes, cauliflower , peas and tomatoes and mix well. Add about 1 tsp salt and a pinch of sugar.

Put 10 cups of water in the pressure cooker and taste for salt. I did it like this, had to add more salt . The salt was perfect this time.

Mix everything nicely and close the lid. Mine doesn't give whistles, so i cant tell for how many whistles it needs to be cooked. But slightly less than it needs to cook daal completely.

I cooked it for about 3 to 31/2 mins after the pressure regulator started rocking steadily. After it was done I kept it for few mins off heat and removed the lid.

Add 1 tsp ghee on top of it before serving !! :)

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients :

Tomato - 2 big, chopped into small cubes

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Whole red chilli - 1-2

Sugar

Roasted Panch Phoron - I made it as Mom told, by roasting panch phoron and then grinding them in the mixer.

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add red chilli.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till they get mushy.

Add sugar and mix with tomatoes well.

Add very little water so that the chutney doesn't become too dry. Keep on adding sugar till it tastes right.

Take off the heat and sprinkle the roasted panch phoron on top of the chutney.

Enjoy as dessert after rice or khichudi !! :)

Shukto : Entry for Shanthi Krishnakumar's Event

2009-08-31T12:54:00.008-07:00

Shukto

Updated : 11th Sept, 09

I am back !!!! Its been long since I posted any recipe in my blog. It was a very busy and important week for us. Now, I will post all the recipes one by one that I prepared recently. But before I post any new recipe, let me complete this post first !! :)

Shukto is an authentic bengali dish ( vegetarian) which is bitter in taste, a very healthy dish as prepared with veggies and minimum spices and served in the beginning of a traditional bengali lunch. There are many variations , but I am giving the recipe which I have learnt from my Mother.

Ingredients :

Potato - 1, cut into cubes

Eggplant - 1 small, cut into cubes

Bitter Gourd - 4-5, cut into cubes, i used cut frozen pieces

Drum Sticks - cut into small pieces

Other veggies that can be added - green banana, papaya, beans, sweet potato, pumpkin, gourd (lauki) etc.

Can add vadi too.

Ginger paste- 1tsp

Oil

Salt & Sugar to taste

Mustard paste/ Posto paste (optional) - 1 tbsp

Milk (optional)- 2-4 tbsp

For tempering :

Panchphoron - 1tsp

Whole red chilli - 1

Method :

Nowadays, I soak mustard seeds overnight and then grind in my magic bullet, earlier it used to become bitter, but soaking the seeds overnight makes them soft, so the paste turns out great !! I do the same with Poppy (posto) seeds, but these doesn't need to be soaked overnight. Then grind them along with little salt.

Vadis must be fried first and then kept aside.

Then saute the eggplants and other veggies, bitter gourd being last. ( This step can be skipped and the veggies, except eggplant, can be added for steaming directly, ).

Keep aside the sautéed veggies.

Add panchphoron to the oil. Let it splutter. Add the Red chilli.

Add all the veggies with some salt. ( At this stage, very little turmeric powder can be added, I didnt use).

After mixing them properly, add little water so that the veggies can be cooked. Cover and cook for about 10 mins.

Then add little sugar , ginger paste, mustard/poppy paste and add the milk. Let it cook for some time. This dish has little gravy, so dont add too much water. After the veggies are almost done, add the vadis.

Remove from the heat when the veggies are completely done. Ghee can be added before taking off the heat, which will give a nice aroma to this dish.

Serve with white plain rice in the beginning of lunch.

[Original post : Hmm...this is actually a draft post, publishing it coz I need the URL :P

I came to know from Shanthi of shanthi krishnakumar's cookbook that she is hosting state special event and when I checked, I saw today is the last date !! The event is so interesting that I would really like to participate. But no time to cook today :P So I searched through my pictures and found one snap of 'Shukto' that I had prepared few months back. This is a traditional bengali dish that is served in all occasions.

I am sending this recipe for her State Specials Event .

I will be really busy for next few days, will be back with the recipe very soon. :) ]

Updates : I am very happy that I could participate in her event, and it is very sweet of her to give all the participants this "Participation award".

Thank You Shanthi. :) Hope to participate in your events again !!

Home-made Phuchka ... :)

2009-08-25T13:52:00.007-07:00

Well well... it just took me one second to decide which one to post first from the list... :D yeah, it has to be Phuchka.....as I was soo happy after making these !! Phuchkas are famous street-food available all over India. Known as Pani puri or Golgappa outside Bengal, Phuchkas are hot favorite among all age groups in West Bengal !! But the actual charm in eating these is, I guess, while standing on the footpath, in a circle around the phuchka-wala holding those shalpatar-bati :) Back in Kolkata, one will rarely think of making these at home. It reminds me of the Durga Puja days, when we used to go pandal-hopping and eat phuchkas without miss !! We, the Kolkatans, have these with mashed potato inside the crispy balls along with hot and spicy tamarind water. So, that day when I found this website full of cooking videos, I just couldn't wait to try these myself. And guess what... after about 40 mins...we were munching on phuchkas !! It is really soo easy and the video is awesome... many of you might be aware of Manjula's Kitchen and her recipes. Those who are not, do have a look in her website... lots of veg recipes, which are both easy to make and yummy for our taste buds !! I must say, I have followed her instructions in to-to and the phuchkas came out perfect. Only I substituted tamarind water in place of mint water.

Phuchka ( Pani Puri/ Golguppa)

I wanted to make 20 phuchkas , so I took 1/3 rd of the flour and suji as shown in the website.

Ingredients:

Semolina/Sooji - 1/4 cup
All purpose Flour/ Maida -1/3 rd of the amount of Sooji : that makes 1/12 th cup or 1/3 rd portion of a 1/4 measuring cup
Water- 1/6th cup ( as needed )
Tamarind paste
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder
Potatoes -2, boiled and mashed
Green Chilli -1-2
Bhaja Masala ( Roasted cumin seeds and red chilli ) - to sprinkle on mashed potato.
Oil for frying

Method :

Mix the flour and sooji with water and make a soft and plaible dough.

Keep it covered with damp cloth for 10 mins once its done

Then make 20 small balls from the dough, keep them covered with damp cloth to prevent from drying.

Take two kitchen clothes , wet them , and place one on the counter-top.

Start rolling the balls into 2 inch diamter puris/luchis and keep them on one damp towel and cover them by the other damp towel. According to Manjula Ji, this step helps the puris to puff on all sides.

Heat the oil in medium high, shud be at least 1 and half inch high in pan ( like we take while frying luchis).

When the oil is hot, start frying the rolled puris. Press them lightly on one side, and when they puff up, turn over and press lightly on the other side.

When they are golden-brown in color on all sides, take them out of the pan and place on paper towel.

I made 20 phuchkas, all were very crispy - but 10 were puffed up. This was because when i was putting them in the pan, some got folded as they were moist. As the oil was very hot, I cudnt unfold them properly, thus 10 turned out to be papris !! :D With them I made papri-chaat the next day. Will post that also sometime.

Make tamarind water by mixing tamarind paste with water, red chilli powder and salt . This can be done in better way, I hurriedly added these as I cudnt wait to eat the phuchkas !! :P

Then make a hole on each phuchka , put some mashed potato and tamarind water ..... and Enjoy !! :)

I have some very important things to do in the coming week. Will post again when I am done. Till then, take care everybody !! :)

P.S. Can anybody please suggest me how to keep my kitchen roach-free ?? Two rounds of fumigation done by the pest control dept. and daily Raid spray is not helping !! Its such a menace !! Any tips, friends ?? Thanks :)

A very pleasant surprise - 5 awards at a time :)

2009-08-21T15:19:00.010-07:00

I was very busy last few days , so didnt get the time to post in my blog. And when I peeped in my blog today....I was pleasantly surprised by so many awards from my friends :) A few days back Pinky had passed me three awards with a tag and today Shaista showered me with 2 lovely awards along with the other three again !! :) I am so elated...and flattered ....... Your comments mean a lot to me and I thank you both Pinky of Esho-Bosho-Aahare and Shaista of MIXCALCULATIONS for passing me the awards . Its already a month now that I have started blogging... and here I am posting 5 awards with a tag......... :)

The three lovely awards I received from Pinky are :

And here is the tag to these three awards :

What is your current obsession?

Cooking new dishes.

What are you wearing today?

Capri and a top.

What's for dinner?

Most probably some American dinner-baked chicken and roasted veggies...didnt make it for quite some time.

What is the last thing you brought?

Some apparels - my husband gave me for my coming b'day and Durga Puja :)

What are you listening to right now?

Right now, none.

What do you think about the person who tagged you?

Great creative cooks... :)

If you have a house totally paid for,fully furnished any where in the world,where would you like it to be?

Doesn't matter where, as long as my family is with me.

What are your must have pieces for summer?

Sunglass, Umbrella , cotton clothes, sunscreen , cold water.

Which language you want to learn?

Spanish... urgently !! :P

Who do u want to meet now?

My parents and in-laws ... its been more than a year now :(

What is your favourite colour?

Blue.

What do you try to cook when you have cooking blues(when you feel real lazy to cook something)?

Bhaat ar aloo-sheddho ( Rice and boiled/mashed potato).

What are the cosmetics/make-up/perfumes that you can't live without?

Moisturiser. can live without others, but like to use lipstick, kajal and my Ralph Lauren perfume :)

What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?

My pashmina saree and a stylish black leather jacket.

What is your favourite magazine?

Presently, EVERYDAY by Rachael Ray.

If you had $100 now,what would you spend it on?

Save it to buy an SLR camera for my hubby.

Describe your personal style?

Simple. I like traditional styles more.

What are your favourite movies?

A lot. Uttam-Suchitra bengali movies, Gupi-bagha series, other Satyajit Ray movies, some old hinidi movies like Khubsoorat, Kajal's movies, Titanic, Notting Hill etc etc...the list goes on !!

Give us three styling tips that always work for you?

I try to remain simple, natural and comfortable.

Coffee or tea?

Tea.

What inspires you?

Dreams ... I hope to live up to the expectations of my dearest ones who love me the most. The greatest inspiration has been my parents and my husband... always.

What do you want to become in life ?

A pediatrician.

Which other blogs you love visiting?

Till now, other food blogs...there are sooo many !!

Favourite dessert/sweet?

Rasogolla and Lyangcha.

Favourite season?

Spring.

Which is your dream destination?

Switzerland.

Which is your favourite international cuisine?

Indian.

What is your favorite line?

Tough time never lasts, but tough people do.

What is the meaning of your name?

One who makes friendship :)

In which God do You Trust?

I believe in all Gods -The Almighty.

My question :

What do you like to do or have in a rainy day ??

I like to have hot Khichuri with begun bhaja and omlette :)

The rules are:

Respond and rework – answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention,and add one more question of your own. Then tag eight or ten other people.

Today, I received 2 fabulous awards along with the above three from Dear Shaista ... :)

The rules are:

Put the logo on your blog or post.
Nominate at least 7 blogs

Let them know that they have received this Scrumptious award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

Inspire you
Encourage You
May give Fabulous information
A great read has Scrumptious recipes
Any other reasons you can think of that make them Scrumptious!

Now its my turn to pass these awards to 7 people. But how to choose..... there are soo many blogs that I love to follow.... with great recipes and excellent write-ups !! And there are many more which I would follow in the future. But since I have to ... I would select the blogs I mentioned in my first post and some more which I have recently come to know. They are :

Mandira of Ahaar
Indrani of Appyayan
Sandeepa of Bong Mom's Cookbook
Sharmila of Kichu Khon
Yasmeen of Health Nut
Kitchen Flavours of Yummy Food
Subhie of Subhie's Kitchen

All of you deserve these awards muuuuch more than me..... and I am very happy to pass them on to you !! :)

I have prepared some new dishes in the past week. Will try to post them asap.

My upcoming recipes :
Tandoori Chicken
Luchi Aloor-dum
Dosa
Gobi Manchurian
Medu Vada
Phuchka ... I was soo happy after making these :D
Stay Well !!

Rui Machher kalia

2009-08-15T21:13:00.008-07:00

A very Happy Independence Day to all Indians !!!! I am proud to be an Indian !! :)

We bought Rohu fish yesterday...we generally have tilapia fillet and sometimes salmon. But rohu has a special corner in the hearts of bengalis, which I have realized after coming here since we dont get to eat this frequently. At home we used to have katapona and different other fishes most of the days in a week. But here, its not available always. So we literally long for it. We have a Bangladeshi store across the road who bring these fishes from NY . After a long time we again bought rui machh, this time 7 lbs !! What to do, cut pcs are more expensive and will last only for 2 days atmost. So we decided to buy the whole fish, and keep it frozen !! :D

Today, I made Rui machher kalia, a very popular Bong dish, served splly during any occasion. It is a rich and spicy dish based on onion and tomato gravy. I had made this once last year and made it again today and had with basmati rice. :)

Rui machher kalia ( Spicy Rohu Curry)

This is how I made ...

Ingredients :

Rohu fish - 6 pcs ( steak-like)

Potato - 1

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato- 1 big

Cardamom- 3

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 1 " stick

Bay leaf - 1-2 small

Green chilli -2

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp ( according to preference)

Cumin powder - 1tsp

Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri mirch powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp

Yogurt - 2-3 tbsp

Mustard oil ( or white oil)

Sugar- a pinch

Salt- to taste

Method:

Clean the fish pieces very well (removing the scales is an ordeal !! ) and pat them dry. Rub with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1tsp salt and keep them aside for sometime.

Meanwhile, chop the onions in slices, tomatoes in cubes and potatoes in longitudinal pieces.

Then heat mustard oil in a pan and put the fish after making sure the oil is very hot, otherwise the fish will stick to the pan. Let it fry for few mins and after that turn them and fry for few more mins till it is golden brown. Do not turn when the fish is sticking to the pan. That means it is not yet fried properly.

After they are done, take it out from the pan and keep them on a tissue paper to soak the excess oil.

Then fry the potatoes with a pinch of turmeric and salt in the same oil.

In another vessel, heat some more oil ( about 2 tsp) . After its hot, add the bay leaves and the whole garam masala and let it splutter. After that, put a pinch of sugar and let it turn brown. This caramelises the onions and gives a nice color to the gravy.

Then add the onions and fry for few mins till it turns golden brown. Takes about 7-10 mins.Stir frequently.

Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for sometime.

Make a paste with the masalas with very little water and add to the onions. Fry for 4-5 mins till oil separates out.

Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they get mushy.

Take the yogurt in a bowl and beat it well so that it doesnt form lumps in the gravy. Add it to the gravy and mix well. Add salt and very little sugar and bring it to a boil.

It is a gravy based dish, so add water very carefully, I added slightly more than a cup.

Add the fried potatoes and cook for sometime.

When the potatoes are half done, add the fish pieces and cook for few more mins. Then remove from the heat.

Cilantro can be added for garnishing. I ran out of it, so didnt add.

Serve with plain hot rice !! :-)

I am sending this recipe to Appyayan's 1st event hosted by Indrani di. :

Vegetable Stir-Fry

2009-08-12T14:42:00.011-07:00

Last month we bought 2-3 different kinds of sauces that can be added to stir-fries . Day before yesterday, I thought of making Tofu Stir-fry with the portion of tofu that was lying in the fridge for quite sometime now. But as I took it out, I realised it has gone bad and it was quite a lesson for me not to keep tofu for long after taking out of the box :(

So I thought of making vegetable stir-fry with all the veggies that I wud have used along with tofu. And it turned out quite yummy that goes well both with roti and rice. And very easy and quick to make as well.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

Ingredients :

Any veggies you want to add actually.

I used :

Eggplant

Broccoli

Onion

Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum)

1tsp Ginger-garlic paste

3-4 whole red chillies

Salt

White Oil

Worcestershire Sauce (almost similar to Sweet & Sour sauce)

Soya Sauce

Chilli-garlic sauce

Tomato Sauce

Only tomato ketchup, soya sauce and chilli sauce will also suffice. I had made with these three earlier, and it tastes good too.

Procedure :

Chop all the veggies in small cubes and onions in wedges. Mushroom can be used too. Heat some oil and fry the eggplant cubes till they turn brown and soft. Keep them aside. Then heat some more oil and add very little sugar to the hot oil. This caramelizes the onions and gives a nice brown color. Then add 3-4 red chillies. After that, add the onions and fry till soft. Then add the green bell pepper and fry them for few mins. They shud remain crunchy. Then add the broccoli pcs and fry all together. After that add ginger garlic paste and stir till raw smell is gone. When its done , add the egg plant and mix all the veggies nicely. Put the heat in low, and add worcestershire sauce and little bit of soya sauce, tomato ketchup, and chilli sauce. Add salt as per your taste.Mix everything well so that the veggies get coated with the sauce nicely. It will not be too liquidy. After stirring for about 2 mins, take it out from the heat otherwise the sauce will get dried up. Vegetable stir-fry is now ready !! :)

Serve hot with rice or roti !!

Down The Memory Lane with Broiled Corn on the Cob

2009-08-11T13:06:00.013-07:00

Broiled Corn on the Cob

Since the day I saw Sharmila's post on roasted corn on the cob in her blog Kichu Khon , I was eagerly waiting when I will make this myself !! I simply love bhutta (corn on the cob) but had no idea that I can make this at home before I read her post !! Thanks a lot Sharmila !! :)

When I was small, my Dad used to bring this for me almost everyday while returning from office. Even when I grew up, this almost became a rule during the bhutta season... whenever he returned in the evening, I used to search his bag for bhutta... :D

I used to buy this myself as well, while waiting for a bus in the stand and relish it with lemon and salt !! :P

So, the moment I read her post, I made my husband bring two bhuttas from Safeway last friday!!

I do not have a open flame stove here, its glass-topped. So i thought of broiling it in the oven just the way I make ' begun-pora' ( roasted eggplant) .

I had smeared the corn with little oil , but later realized its not required. Then put them on the grill and broiled them in high for about 5-7 mins and turned them over. I kept on checking so that it doesnt get charred too much. Then i rubbed it with little salt and lemon juice.

And then...... I cudnt wait to have it !! :D But first I needed some snaps for which I call my hubby most of the times :P Photography is his passion... so even before he can taste a preparation, I request him to take a pic for me !! :P

The first bite was awesome...but then we realised its a bit sweet, so the taste was not exactly the same as the ones bought from the bhuttawallahs. Nonetheless, it was great... and I hope to make it again !! :) I was so happy to have the bhutta at home just like Kolkata streets....oh, I miss those phuchkas and churmur soo much !!

Yesterday I completed one full year of my stay in US. Today we had a house cleaning done and the stove-top is again as shiny as it was when we rented the apt. And now, I will be arranging my kitchen just the way I did on 11th last yr. One year flew by so fast, away from our parents, with two big exams in between for me and loads of lab-work for my hubby. We will miss Durga Puja this year also, though we hope to attend the puja here. Lots of important things are coming up in life, I pray to God that our dream is fulfilled !!

Writing up this post brought back so many good old memories... so thought of listening to one of my favorite songs... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr_Vk7IaXQc

Rabindra sangeet amar bhishon priyo...satyi-i "purano sei diner kotha...bhulbi kire haay o shei chokher dekha...praner kotha...se ki bhola jay..."

Shobai valo theko... Everybody take care ... :)

Hot Summer Evenings and Mango Lassi

2009-08-07T14:02:00.006-07:00

June/July/August are the hottest months in this part of Amercia. Everyday is hotter than the previous day... reaching upto 115 degrees in the afternoons. Longing for rain...but thats just a wish till now !! This is my first summer outside Kolkata . I never used to like monsoon when I was there... but, now it feels like ages that we didnt get to drench in heavy downpour !!

Few weeks back, we got a can of Mango pulp from an oriental store here and didnt use it for long. On one hot evening, I thought of making Mango Lassi with that , and it turned out very refreshing. The snap was taken very casually, much before I started blogging. I am planning to buy two nice glasses... and make this again... :) and also, try some other drinks from fellow bloggers' recipes !!

Mango Lassi

Ingredients :

Yogurt : 1/2 cup

Mango pulp : 1/2 cup

Milk/Water : 1/2 -1 cup

Sugar - 2 tbsp ( as per taste)

Green Cardamom- 1

Ice cubes - 3-4

Method :

Put the yogurt, mango pulp and water/milk in the blender and mix till smooth. Add the sugar, ice cubes and cardamom ( without the skin) and blend well . This should not be too thick or too liquidy. So water is to be added carefully. This makes 1 mug as shown in the pic. These are the party mugs that I got with the Magic Bullet, my favorite kitchen appliance :)

Serve chilled !! :)

Chicken Handi

2009-08-06T11:10:00.009-07:00

There is an Indo-Pak cuisine just across the road and we love to eat biriyani and chicken handi over there :) My husband is specially fond of their chicken handi dish and frequently brings that for dinner :D So on a special occasion I decided to give it a try at home. I searched for a recipe in the net but all were different from each other . The only common thing was cilantro. I have never cooked chicken with cilantro/coriandar before. The chicken handi that we are fond of , indeed has cilantro in it. So I prepared this delicious dish in the same way that i make chicken curry/kosha but added cilantro. And it turned out so good :) My hubby said it was actually as good as the restaurant preparation !! :P

I made this before I started blogging. So the amount of

the ingredients are a bit approximate. Here is the recipe...

Chicken Handi

Ingredients :

Chicken - 1 lb breast pcs

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Cilantro- half a bunch

Yogurt- 4 tbsp

Onion - 1 big,chopped

Cloves- 3

Green Cardamom-3

Cinnamon - 1" stick

Ginger paste-1tsp

Garlic paste- 1tsp

Turmeric-1/3 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander+Cumin power - 1 1/2 tsp

Mustard oil- 2 tbsp

Vinegar- 1tsp

Salt- to taste

Ghee- 1tsp

Procedure :

Cut the chicken breasts in bite sized pcs and wash them well. In a bowl , mix the chicken with yogurt, vinegar, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder, chilli powder, 1 tbsp oil and some salt and marinate for about half and hour.

In a pressure cooker [ which i bought recently :) ] heat 1 tbsp oil . Add a pinch of sugar and let it turn brown. This adds a nice brown colour to the curry. Then add the whole garam masala and fry for a few secs. After that add the chopped onions, fry for about 5-7 mins till it turns translucent. Then put the ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone. Then add the marinated chicken and mix everything nicely. After some time, add the chopped tomatoes and keep stirring. Keep frying till oil separates out. It takes about half an hour. Then add the chopped cilantro and mix well. After it is cooked for some more time, add water according to consistency of gravy u prefer. Add salt. Then close the lid of the pressure cooker and put in high heat. Mine doesnt give whistles, the pressure regulator rocks after adequate pressure builds up. I cook chicken for 7 mins after it starts rocking. It takes about 12 mins after I add water. After its done, I do not open the lid immediately and wait till the pressure falls on its own. That takes about 10 mins.

The smell of cilantro was already coming thru the vent pipe :) After opening the lid, I added 1 tbsp of ghee and adjusted the salt. Chicken Handi is now ready !! :)

Before we bought the pressure cooker, I used to cook chicken for about 45 mins-1 hr after adding water.

We had this with Shrimp Biriyani, salad and raita !! If somebody has an authentic Chicken Handi recipe, do let me know :)

Shrimp Biriyani

2009-08-06T10:03:00.008-07:00

I am back after my exam...I hope everything was okay !!

These days its soo hot over here...and no signs of rain at all !! Hope the weather gets a bit cooler soon !!

On a special occasion 2 weeks back, I made Shrimp Biriyani and Chicken Handi at home which we had along with salad and raita :) Today I am going to post the recipes ... :)

Shrimp Biriyani

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Water- 3 cups

Potato- 2 big

Shrimp - i gave about 10-15 pcs

Cloves- 4

Green cardamom- 4

Cinnamon- 1" stick

Shan Chicken Biriyani Masala- half packet

White Oil- 4 tbsp

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Procedure :

First, I washed and soaked the rice in 4 cups of water for about 45 mins. Then drained it and kept aside.

Then I peeled and cut the potatoes in half and fried them in 1 tbsp of oil and kept them aside.

I used small size cooked shrimp, so didnt have to clean them. I had these in my fridge so used them, though I like the fresh ones more.

After thawing, I shallow fried the shrimps in 2 tbsp of oil with little turmeric and salt. After it was done I added 1 tbsp of oil and fried the whole garam masala for few seconds.

Then I added the biriyani masala with little water and mixed with the shrimp and fried for some time till oil separated.

After that i added the potatoes and rice and mixed them well. Then I added 3 cups of water and some salt and mixed everything nicely.

I dont put the lid and let it boil in high heat till holes appear on the surface of the rice. Then i decrease the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for about 5-7 mins. After that I added 1 tbsp of ghee and mixed slightly.

Shrimp Biriyani is ready :) Shan biriyani masala gives a nice flavour and since I dont have joitri/jay fol etc. I use their chicken or mutton biriyani masala for any kind of biriyani.

It was quite spicy even without adding chilli powder.

We had this with raita and chicken handi... :)

My First Recipe Post: Ilish machher Jhol

2009-07-22T16:38:00.015-07:00

I was browsing through the blogs and incidentally came to know that Indrani di of Appyayan is hosting an event for Fish !! I have been seeing this events for long, but dont quite know what it is and how it works. Actually I will be very busy till 1st week of August and so I coudnt post any recipe in my blog till now. Seeing this,I was immediately tempted to post a recipe in my blog. I made Ilish machher jhol sometime back and have the picture. Since blogging was nowhere in my mind that time, i didnt keep count of exact amount of the ingredients. Both me and my husband love Ilish machh/Hilsa fish the most. So what could be better than to start my recipe post with Ilish mach...favourite of all bengalis :)

Ilish Machher Jhol ( Simple Hilsa curry with potatoes and eggplant)

Ingredients :

Ilish mach/ hilsa fish
Eggplant/ Begun
Potato
Green chillies
Turmeric powder
Chilli powder
Kalonji
Mustard oil ( & white oil)
Salt to taste

Method :

First, cut the fish pcs , wash them and rub with little turmeric and salt.

Heat 2 tbsp white oil in a pan and fry the potatoes along with little bit of salt and turmeric powder till light brown. Keep them aside.

Then fry the eggplant pieces till brown and keep them aside.

Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil and add half tsp kalonji and 1 green chilli to it. Then fry the fish pieces lightly for 2 minutes (or less) on both sides.

Make a paste of turmeric powder and chilli powder with little water and add to the fish and fry for some more time.

Add about 2 cups of water , 1 green chilli and salt to it.

After it comes to boil, add the potatoes and simmer for about 5 mins.

Then add the eggplant pieces and simmer for 5 more mins/ till potatoes are done.

Enjoy with plain white rice ... :)

It turned out really good and after having this at lunch, my hubby sms-ed me " khub valo hoyeche"... :P

I will be sending this recipe to Appyayan's event Spotlight : Fish :)

This is my first ever try to write a recipe. There was a day, not so long back, when I had to call my parents in India and write down the recipe of daal, palong shak , mangsho etc etc.... !! There might be a lot of different ways to make one dish, but I will be posting them just the way I make them in my kitchen. Let me know your opinions regarding this ... :)

Greetings !!

2009-07-17T14:10:00.003-07:00

Hi Everybody,

I have been following a few very nice blogs, mainly while searching for recipes , since past 1 year. I was totally a novice in cooking when i came to US and ... its almost a year now !! I have grown up seeing my mother cooking variety of delicious dishes. My Dad never used to let me cook at home and always assured me that I too will learn when time comes. While coming to US, my Mom gave me one of her own cookbooks where she wrote down many recipes for me :) Besides that, I used to search different recipes in the net and gradually found myself visiting regularly a few particular blogs like Ahaar, kichu khon, Bong Mom's cookbook, Appyayan and many more. Back then I never imagined that I too will create a blog one day, which also will contain recipes :)

I love to cook for my husband who loves to eat good food and is a good cook himself as well. I started cooking with an inspiration and urge but soon it turned out to be my passion. I must say one thing, I am still at a very early age regarding cooking experience, just one year... and I am still learning. I have taken suggestions or sometimes completely followed many recipes from different blogs and sites till date and cooked a few dishes on my own too. So this is my humble way of sharing and contributing to this yummy world of Food blogs and learning a lot more... :)

Hope to see you friends in my blog !! :-)