Bangali khichdi

Bangali khichdi

Ingredients (3-4 servings)

1 Cup Rice soaked for 30 minutes

1 cup  Red masoor dal, soaked for 30 minutes  

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 inch cinnamon stick

1-2 bay leaf

1 big onion  onion (finally chopped)

3 green cardamom

3 cloves

1 tsp grated ginger

1/2 cup green shelled peas

1/2 cup potatoes (peeled and diced)

1 big carrot (peeled and diced)

10-12 french beans

1 tsp grated garlic

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

3-4  green chilies finely chopped

salt to taste

4 tbls ghee

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method (How to make bengali khichdi)

Washed and soak the rice and dal for 30 minuts

Crush the whole spices (cardamom, chinnamon, cloves).

Now drain the access water from the rice and dal and keep aside.

Heat a heavy bottom pan and put 3 spoon ghee, add bay leaf, cumin and crushed spices.

Now add chopped onion fry till soft,  add ginger garlic and fry few minuts.

Add  green chillies, potatoes, peas, carrot, and beans and fry few minuts.

Now add rice and dal along with turmeric and  5 cup hot water.

Add  salt and garam masala and close the lid and cook around 25-30 minuts or vegetables are soft and rice cooked properly.

Add ghee and garnish with choppd coriander  leaves.

Serve Hot with baigan bhaja and dahi..

Capsicum Curry With Peanut Gravy

Capsicum Curry With Peanut Gravy

Ingrediants (for 2-3 servings)

2 Medium size capsicum

2 MMedium size onions (finally chopped)

1/2 cup peanut (roasted)

4-5 Whole red chillies

1/2 tbsp - coriander seeds

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

4 tsp - oil

1 tbsp - chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Method

Make a cross-like cut over capsicum and carefully remove seeds keep aside.

Now saute half of the onion  red chillies and coriander seed and set aside.

Now grind roasted peanuts, fry onion and chilly to make fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and remaining chopped onions fry till golden brown.

Add capsicum and salt and cook on medium flame for 10 min or till capsicum done.

Then add the onion and peanut paste with half cup of water and cook for 5-6 min.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Mater Kachori

Mater Kachori

Ingredients (for 3-4 servings)

1 cup Refined flour (maida)

2 tbls melted ghee or refined oil

1/2 tsp salt

For filling

1 cup fresh shelled green peas

4 tsp Fennel seed (saunf)

1 inch Ginger

1/4 tsp asafetida

4-5 green chilles

Ghee or oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Method (How to make kachori)

First sieve the flour in a big bowl add salt and melted ghee and knead soft dough using required amount or water. And keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Now put green peas, ginger, green chilies and fennel seeds in a grinder and make fine paste

Now put 1tbls oil in heavy bottom pan or non stick pan and fry the asafetida in a pan until it turns light brown in color. Then add the peas paste and salt in it and mix it well. Fry the paste until it gets light brown in color.

Take off the pan from heat and keep it to cool.

Make small lemon size balls of the kneaded dough, press each ball in the centre and fill 1 spoon mixture of peas and then roll it into a small puri. Make all puri like same method.

Now heat oil in a wok it and then deep fry the puris in hot oil, in medium flame until they turn golden brown in color.

Now drain kachori from the oil and keep it in paper tissue  

Serve hot with tea.

Bengali Chana Dal Dhokas (Dhoka Dalna)

Bengali Chana Dal Dhokas (Dhoka Dalna)

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

1 Cup Chana dal (Bengal gram dal)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds  

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 pinch asafetida

1 tsp grated ginger

2 tsp oil

salt to taste

for gravy:

1 small peice ginger

2 big tomato

2 green chilies

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds  

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp ghee

2 pinch asafetida

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Oil for frying and cooking

salt to taste

Method

Wash and Soak Bengal gram dal, in water for about 4 to 6 hours.

Drain extra water from the dal and make the paste of it by grinding it in a grinder.

Now heat 2 tsp oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add cumin seeds when cumin turn brown add grated  ginger, asafetida, and turmeric powder in it. Now put the dal paste and salt and cook the dal until it gets soft and thick.

Now grease one big plate with oil, and spread the cooked dal on the dish 1/2 inch thick lalyer and lightly press it with spatula. Keep it to cool and then cut it into diamond or square shapes.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and then fry the dhokas in hot oil until they turn lightly brown in color. Then keep them aside.

Now make paste of tomatoes, green chilies, ginger.

Now heat oil in a wok add cumin seed and tomato puree and cooked in medium flame, add coriander powder, chili powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder and cook untill oil seperate.

Add 2 cup water and salt in it and then keep the curry to boil

Now add the fried dhokas in the gravy and cook it to simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garam masala and ghee in it . Now take off the pan from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Dalan dhoka is ready serve hot with rice.

Spicy Paneer

Spicy Paneer

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

200 gram Fresh Paneer

2 big onion (grated)

1 bunch spring onion

2-3 green chilly (chopped)

10 to 12 pearl onions peel and cut in half

4 -5 cloves garlic (paste)

1 tbs soya sauce

1 tbs vinegar

1/4 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp chilly flakes

1/2 tbs lemon juice

Oil 3 tsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Cut the paneer into half ince cube size pieces.

In a big bowl mix paneer with soya sauce, vinegar, garlic paste, chilly flakes, lemon juice,some salt and ground pepper.

Keep it for marinate about 15-20 minutes.

Now heat 3 spoon oil in nonstick pan and fry the paneer pieces in low heat, cook from all side properly, but avoid over frying it.

Now in the same pan add the grated onion and saute till oil seperate.

Add the pearl onions, chopped spring onion and finely chopped green chilly.

Now add the left over thing  from the marinate bowl and cook for another few minutes.

Add the fried paneer and salt and mix properly.

Finally add the lime juice.

Garnish with onion rings and some lime slices. Serve hot.

Rasjasthani Kaale Chane Ki Sabji

Rasjasthani Kaale Chane Ki Sabji

Ingredients

1.        1 cup black (kale) channa

2.        1/4 tsp soda bi corb.

3.        3-4 green chillies chopped

4.        1 tsp garam masala powder

5.        2 tbsp oil

6.        2 tbsp ghee

7.        2 inch cinnamon

8.        5-6 cloves

9.        2-3 black cardamoms

10.    1/4 tsp asafoetida

11.    1 1/2 cup yogurt

12.    2 tsp coriander powder

13.    1 tsp red chilli powder

14.    4 tsp bengal gram flour (besan)

15.    Salt to taste

16.    1 tsp turmeric powder

17.    1 tsp cumin seeds

18.    2 tsp chaat masala

19.    1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped

Method

u  Soak channa overnight in 4 cups of water and 1/4 tsp soda bi corb.

u  Drain, mix in 6 cups of water and pressure cook till done.

u  Mash the channa slightly with water.

u  Heat the ghee and oil, put cumin seeds, when they crackle mix the cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and fry for few minutes.

u  Mix asafoetida and chopped green chillies, saute.

u  Mix gram flour and dry masala in yogurt with 1 cup water and mix well.

u  Mix the mixture in to the sauted whole garam masala.

u  Keep stirring till it boils.

u  Now add boiled chana with water

u  Mix in salt to taste and mix well.

u  Close the lid and cook in the simmer for 10-12 minutes.

u  Remove from the heat the garnish with chopped coriander and onion and tomato rings.

Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Pani Puri

Pani Puri

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sooji
• 3 tbsp maida
• 2 to 3 tbsp soda water
• salt to taste
• oil for deep-frying

For filling

• 2 medium boiled potatoes
• 1/2 cup boiled dried yellow peas
• salt to taste
• Chat masala 1/2 tsp
• Green chutney
• Red Tamarind Chutney

To make pani

• 1/2 cup Tamarind (Imli) Pulp
• 2 tbsp roasted Cumin Seed (Jeera) Powder
• 1 cup Coriander Leaves
• 1 cup Mint Leaves (Pudina Leaves)
• 3-4 Green Chilly (Hari Mirch)
• 1 tsp Black Salt
• 2 tbsp Boondi

Method for puri

• Mix maida, sooji, salt and soda water and knead soft dough. cover with wet cloth and keep it for atleast 15-20 minutes.
• Now make small equal lemon sized balls of the dough. Do remember to keep them covered with damp muslin cloth while making more balls.
• Now with the help of some dry maida, roll out thin rotis. Make them round with the help of a round cookie cutter or lid of any container.
• keep them covered with damp muslin cloth while making more pooris from balls
• Now heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry the poori in hot oil on a medium flame till they puff up and are Golden brown in colour  (press each puri using a slotted spoon till they puff up in the oil).
• Let them cool  and store in an air-tight container.

For the pani

• Combine all ingredients except the black salt and boondi in the blender and grind to a fine paste using a little water.
• Transfer the paste into a large bowl and and add with 1 litre of water, the black salt and salt as required and mix boondi.
• Chill for at least 2 to 3 hours in refrigerater.

To Make The Stuffing

• In a bowl mix boiled yellow peas, roughly mashed potatoes, chat masala and salt and  Keep aside.

To Serve  

• Make a small hole on a puri by tapping slowly on the crisp side. Fill some stuffing in the centre along with some green chutney or tamarind chutney and fill chilled pani prepared earlier.