Chingri Kochu Aloo Chochchori

চিংড়ি কচু বেগুন আলু চচচড়ি...

Chingri Kochu aloo chocchori...

Ingredients :

400 grams shrimp (I used just the tails, they were largish, size 8-12)

1medium size potatoes, cut into wedges
1 Baigan/Brinjal medium
8-9 kochu/arbi
7-8 green chilies, slit lengthwise
Generous handful of chopped coriander
1tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1teaspoon cumin pwd
3-4 tablespoons mustard oil
Salt

Procedure:

Heat oil in a large, thick pan. Sauté the kochu  till the kochu are still light brown in color.
Then add the potatoes and get some color on them, for another 3-4 minutes.

Next to add are the turmeric and red chili powder cumin pwd and the ginger-garlic paste. Add some water n Mix for a minute or two, scraping the spices from the bottom of the pan, all this on medium heat.

Now add baigan. Saute for 5 mints in medium flame.

Add the shrimps n green chillies to the dish.

Cover for 4-5 minutes on medium heat and cook. Keep checking so that the spices do not burn. Add a cup of water and cover till the potatoes n kochu are done. The shrimps will turn pink.

Check the seasoning. Turn the heat off if the potatoes are done, else continue cooking for a few more minutes.

Add a generous amount of chopped fresh coriander (leaves and stems) and mix again.

Murg Kofta Curry...

Murg Kofta Curry...

Ingredients For kofta:

500 gram chicken mince
4 tbsp chopped ginger
2 medium onion chopped
4 green chilies chopped
4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt
2 egg
2 tbsp fine spice pwd

Ingredients For curry:

2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger paste/
grated
1 tsp garlic paste/crushed
garlic
3 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 inch cinnamon stick
3 green cardamons
1 black cardamon
½ tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp kashmiri red chillipowder
1 tbsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup water
salt per taste
few coriander leaves
(cilantro) to garnish
oil.

Procedure:

1. Place cloves, pepper corns, Cardamoms, cinnamons in a grinder and grind into a coarse powder. Now add red chilli and turmeric pwd n Garam masala pwd to grinder and grind further toll well mixed.

2. To make koftas combine chicken mince chopped onion green chilies ginger chopped coriander leaves salt fine spice pwd and egg in a blender jar and blend well.Transfer the mixture in to a bowl.

3. Make small meatballs and keep
aside.

4. Into a deep pan heat
some oil. Add cumin
seeds, cloves, cinnamon
stick, green and black
cardamons. When cumin
seeds start to sizzle add
chopped onions and fry
until onion starts to
change color. Add ginger
and garlic and stir fry for
1 minute.

5. Now add chopped
tomatoes, salt and all
powdered spices. Cook
until tomatoes are getting
mushy .Now add yogurt and start to
separate from oil.

6. Add a cup of water and
bring it to boil. Lower the
flame .

7. place the ball in the pan. Mix lightly and simmer for a few seconds till the koftas remain their shape.

8.  Simmer for 10
minutes. Garnish with
fresh cilantro/coriander
leaves.

Chicken Kofta Curry...

Chicken Kofta Curry...

Ingredients For kofta:

500 gram chicken mince
4 tbsp chopped ginger
2 medium onion chopped
4 green chilies chopped
4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Salt
2 egg
1tsp coriander pwd
1 tsp cumin pwd
1 tsp red chilly pwd
1 tsp haldi pwd

Ingredients For curry:

2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger paste/
grated
1 tsp garlic paste/crushed
garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup water
salt per taste

Procedure:

1. To make koftas combine chicken mince chopped onion green chilies ginger chopped coriander leaves salt fine spice pwd and egg in a blender jar and blend well.Transfer the mixture in to a bowl.

2. Make small meatballs and keep
aside.

3. Into a deep pan heat
some oil. Add cumin
seeds. When cumin
seeds start to sizzle add
chopped onions and fry
until onion starts to
change color. Add ginger
and garlic and stir fry for
1 minute.

4. Now add chopped
tomatoes, salt and all
powdered spices. Cook
until tomatoes are getting
mushy .

5. Add a cup of water and
bring it to boil. Lower the
flame .

6. place the ball in the pan. Mix lightly and simmer for a few seconds till the koftas remain their shape.

7.  Simmer for 10
minutes. Garnish with
fresh cilantro/coriander
leaves.

Kadai Bhindi...

Kadai Bhindi...

Ingredients:

Bhindi/Ladies
Potato 1
finger - 12
Onion - 1
medium
sized,finely
chopped
Tomato - 1 big
sized,
finely chopped
Capsicum - 1
big sized,cubed
Ginger garlic
paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 2
pinches
Dhaniya powder
- 1tsp
Cumin pwd 1tsp
Red chilli powder
- 1 tsp
( according to
taste)
Green chilies - 1
Curd 1tbsp
Salt as needed
To Temper:
Jeera - 2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:

1.Cut bhindis into medium size pieces . Saute them well in oil till the
stickiness goes off and is slightly soft. [I
didnt deep fry them, you can do that if you
wish]

2.Temper jeera in a wide pan with oil.
Immediately add the onions and fry till its
transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry
till raw smell goes.

3.Add the tomatoes green chilly,with
little salt and mix well till it becomes soft
and mushy.Fry till the raw smell completely
leaves. Now add turmeric, red chili,
coriander powders cumin pwd,curd and mix well.

4.After the masalas are well blended with
tomatoes fry for
a min till oil separates.Add the capsicum
and fry in medium flame for a minute.

5. Now add the sauted bhindis n potato, Adjust spice
levels and salt at this stage. Sprinkle water
for bhindis to get cooked well. Keep covered
for 2mins and switch off! Serve hot with
rotis/pulao!

Rustic Chicken Pulao

Bengali New Year is knocking the door. Get ready to make authentic Bengali dishes.......

Recipe: Reem Khan

Rustic Chicken Pulao...Ingredients for Rustic Chicken Pulao

2 c rice, washed and soaked for half an hour
700-800 gm chicken, cleaned, washed and cut into 2-3" pieces
250 gms curd
3 big onions, finely sliced
1 potato, peeled and quartered
6-7 garlic cloves, coarsely ground
1 tbsp ginger, ground or grated
2-3 big green chillies
1 1/2 tsp jeera
5 green elaichi
2 badi elaichi
7-8 cloves
10-15 peppercorns
2" cinnamon stick
2-3 bay leaves
3-4 whole dry chillies (I used both long and boriya, or round. You may use any one kind)
1 tsp saunf
1 tbsp whole dhania
1-2 tbsp raisins (depending on how much you like them. Not in the picture)
1/8 tsp shah jeera (the very thin, blackish variety)
Salt to taste
4 tbsp oil
1 lemon, cut in thick slices.

Procedure:

Heat oil in a big, nonstick or thick bottomed pan.
Add jeera and let it turn brown.Add all the whole spices
Sauté for half a minute.

Add onions and sauté till light brown.Add ginger and garlic.Now add whole dhaniya and saunf.Fry the onions, and all the masalas till you get this rich brown colour (but be very careful, as there's a very thin line between browned and burnt. Also, onions will fry some more with chicken. So judge properly)
This is very important to give the pulao a nice colour, otherwise it will turn out quite pale.

Now add chicken pieces n raisins.Add salt (for chicken) and sauté on high flame so that chicken pieces get singed and the juices get sealed inside.
This is a tip to make your chicken tender, and flavourful.

Keep stirring and turning them around till they become nicely brown all over.Now add potatoes and green chillies.
Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes, so the potatoes get fried and absorb the flavours.

Add curd and mix well and fast so it doesn't curdle.
After a couple of minutes, you'll see oil oozing out.

Now add drained rice n salt.Stir lightly and carefully.
Cook for 3-4 minutes.Add water

EXACTLY DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF RICE
Here, 4 cups.

Add lemon slices.
Mix everything.
Taste, adjust seasoning.

Cook the pulao uncovered on medium flame, till all the water is almost absorbed.
Stir once in between, but towards the end, don't shuffle things a lot.
All these things that come and settle on the top, add to the beauty. Now SPRINKLE some shahjeera on top. Cover the pan.

Meanwhile, I preheated my nonstick tava.
Transfer the pan on the tava.
Let it cook on dum for 5-8 minutes.
Open the lid and carefully insert a flat spatula in the centre and create a slight gap.
There should be no moisture at the bottom of the pan.
Check the rice grain, it should have cooked through and through, ek ek dana khila hona chahiye.
If you see it needs some more time, then sprinkle a couple of tbsp water evenly, and cover it again (though I doubt that will happen)

When its done, open the pan and it remain uncovered for 3-4 minutes.
By doing this, each grain will separate.

Transfer to a serving dish.

Fulkopi alur Dalna...

Bengali New Year is knocking the door. Get ready to make authentic Bengali dishes.......

ফুলকপি আলুর ডালনা...

Ingredients for  Phulkopi-Alur Dalna:

Ingredients:

Fresh cauliflower 1 medium size (washed and cut into big florets)
Potato 2 medium (cut into big cubes)
Green peas + carrot+beans 3/4 cup (fresh or frozen..I used frozen)
Tomato 1 large (chopped)
Ginger 1 and 1/2 inches
Green chilli 2-3 pieces
Cumin pwd 1 table spoon
Coriander pwd 1 teable spoon
Panchforon 1 tea spoon
Bay leaf 1 piece
Dry red chilli 1piece
Salt according to taste
Sugar 1 tea spoon (or according to taste)
Turmeric powder (as required)
Chilli powder 1/2 tea spoon
Mustard oil/ vegetable oil 
Ghee/clarified butter 1 tea spoon

Procedure:

Marinate cauliflower and potato separately with salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder for 10-15 minutes.

Make a smooth paste together with ginger, green chilli, coriander seed & cumin seed. Use water to make paste.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry Cauliflower till they get nice golden colour n also tender. Strain and keep separately.

Fry potato cubes until tender and golden in colour. Keep aside.

Temper remaining (add little more if required) oil with panchforon, bay leaf and dry red chilli. Fry until nicely fragrant. Now add pasted spices (add cumin & coriander powder, if using), 1/4 tea spoon turmeric powder. Cook till raw smell is totally gone and oil is separated from spices.

Add tomato at this point. Add salt & sugar. Cook till tomato is soft & smashed.

Add fried potato and mix with spices. Cook covered over lowest heat for 3-4 minutes. Add green peas+carrot+beans. Give it few nice stirs.

Add water. Bring it to boil. Shimmer covered for 5-6 minutes or till potato and peas are cooked. Add fried cauliflower. Cook covered for another 2-3 minutes over low flame. Adjust gravy and turn off the gas.

Add ghee.
Enjoy with plain rice/ misti polao/ phulko luchi.

Kucho chingri aloo chochchori...

Bengali New Year is knocking the door. Get ready to make authentic Bengali dishes.......

কুচো চিংড়ি আলু চচ্চড়ি..

Kucho chingri alu chochchori..
Ingredients :

400 grams shrimp (I used just the tails, they were largish, size 8-12)

2 medium size potatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium red onion, slivered
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped (the riper the better!)
7-8 green chilies, slit lengthwise
Generous handful of chopped coriander
One and half tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
3-4 tablespoons mustard oil
Salt

Heat oil in a large, thick pan. Sauté the onions and green chilies till the onions are still light brown in color.
Then add the potatoes and get some color on them, for another 3-4 minutes.

Next to add are the turmeric and red chili powder and the ginger-garlic paste. Mix for a minute or two, scraping the spices from the bottom of the pan, all this on medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.

The salt will help the tomatoes release their juices which will moisten the other vegetables too. Add the shrimps to the dish.

Cover for 4-5 minutes on medium heat and cook. Keep checking so that the spices do not burn. Add a cup of water and cover till the potatoes are done. The shrimps will turn pink and the  tomatoes will become mushy.

Check the seasoning. Turn the heat off if the potatoes are done, else continue cooking for a few more minutes.

Add a generous amount of chopped fresh coriander (leaves and stems) and mix again.

Nolen gurer Sandesh...

শুভ নববর্ষের আগাম শুভেচ্ছা জানাই...

সকলের জন্য নলেন গুড়ের সন্দেশ...

Nolen gurer Sandesh...

Ingredients:

Full fat milk: 1 liter
Juice of ½ a lemon
Powdered sugar: 2 tbsp
Nalen gur: 4 tbsp

Method:
First you need to make the cottage cheese. 

Tie the loose ends of the cloth and hang to drain all the water. Do this for 40 mnt..

After that take this cheese in a flat plate. And start kneading with the heal of your palm. Once the cheese becomes smooth (approx 5 minutes) add the sugar and again knead till all the sugar melts in (another 2-3 minutes). Finally add the jaggery before kneading the dough for another couple of minutes.

Take this in a non-stick pan and on very low heat cook this for 3-4 minutes. Do this by stirring the dough continuously. Don’t panic if you find the dough  little soft, it will harden as it cools.

To give shape to the sandesh use the  terracotta moulds. Brush the inside of the mould with little oil or ghee (clarified butter) and press little bit of the dough to transfer the design.

Keema Cabbage...

Keema Cabbage...

Ingredients:

Chicken keema 1 cup
Chopped cabbage 2 cup
Chopped onion 1 big
Curd 1tbsp
Ginger Garlic pst 1tbsp
Cumin pwd 1tsp
Cumin seed 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri red chilli pwd 1tsp
Garam masala pwd 1 tsp
Green chilli pst 1tsp
Green chillies 4-5
Chopped coriander leaves  1tbsp
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan or wok, add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter, Add green chilies, onion and sauté until light brown and soft.
Now add curd all spices pwd n pst wd little water. Saute for 5 mins in medium flame.

Add chicken keema ,saute for 10mins. Add chopped Cabbage n mix well  and cook until both gets cooked around 15 -20 mins in slow to medium flame.

Add coriander leaves mix well and off flame. Cover the pan (don't close fully) and let it stand for 10 mins before serving

Kesharibhog...

Kesharibhog...

Rcp by : Moumita Ghosh

Ingredients
For the Paneer/Chhana :
Full Fat Milk - 6 cups
Vinegar + Water - 1/3 cup+3 tablespoons
Kesar Or Saffron - 1/2 teaspoon soaked in 3 tablespoons of warm milk
Rava/Sooji/Semolina - 2 tablespoons
Sugar - 2 tablespoons
For Sugar Syrup :
1 1/2 cup Sugar
Water - 4 1/2 cups
Green Cardamom Pods - 4 to 5
Saffron threads - few

Yields : 6
Cooking Level : Medium
Preperation Time : 6 Hour(s)
Cooking Time : 20 Minute(s)
Total Time : 6 Hour(s) 20 Minute(s)

Steps to Prepare
First make the Chhana or Paneer:
Take a pan add little water in it and then add the milk, place the pan on oven and bring the milk to boil.
When the milk will start boiling add vinegar + water to the milk. Do not add all the vinegar + water at a time.
Add little by little and when all the vinegar + water will be added, turn off the oven and set aside the pan for 10 minutes for curdle all the milk (do not stir the milk after adding vinegar + water, the chhana will be harder).
After 10 minutes take a cheese cloth on a large strainer and strain all the excess water of the chhana.
Making The Kesari Cheese Balls:
Take the strainer under the tap and run cold water to remove the sourness of the chhana. Squeeze the cheese cloth to remove excess water and hang the cheese cloth from the kitchen tap along with the chhana to remove any excess water is left inside the chhana for 4-6 hours.
Take a large mouth pan and add 1 1/2 cup of sugar and 4 1/2 cups of Sugar in it and add the cardamom pods and place on oven to boil the mixture.
After 4-6 hours take the cheese cloth and squeeze to remove if any water was left inside the chhana. Now take a plate or bowl and mash the chhana with your palm.
Mash the chhana to make it smooth for at least 15-20 minutes. Now add the Saffron soaked milk and add little at a time.
Add few drops and mix with the Chhana. In this way add all the Saffron soaked milk to the Chhana and mix well.
Now add the Semolina and 2 tablespoons of Sugar and mix again. Now start rubbing the Chhana with your Palm for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes make small balls from the Chhana dough. I made 12 balls from the dough, but if you want to make bigger size Kesari Bhog you can make little big balls.
When the Sugar syrup will start boiling add the Chhana/Paneer balls to the Syrup and cover the Pan and boil for 10 minutes on medium heat. After 10 minutes open the lid , sprinkle some cold water and turn the Kesari Bhogs and cover again and boil for another 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes turn off the oven and keep aside the pan to cool down. When they are cold enough place then inside the refrigerator and serve chilled.
If you want little warm the Kesari Bhog and serve.

Aloo Bhindi Bhujia...

Ingredients:

15-18 - Tender Bhindi 

1 Large - Potato

1 Large - Onion

3 - Green Chilies

2 tbsp - Oil1 tsp - 

Cumin Seeds1/2 tsp

 Red Chili Powder1 tsp 

Coriander pwd 1/2 tsp 

Turmeric PowderTo Taste

  Salt

Chopped Coriander Leaves

Procedure:

Heat oil in a pan or wok, add cumin seeds and allow it to splutter, Add green chilies, onion and sauté until light brown and soft.

Add potato and fry in medium to slow to medium flame for 3-4 or potato is half done with regular stirring.

Add okra, sauté for 3-4 mins in medium flame with stirring until Bhindi becomes tender and half cooked.

Add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder mix well and cook until both veggies gets cooked around 6-8 minutes in slow to medium flame, bhindi and potato starts to get crispy.

Add salt and mix well, cook for 2 minutes in medium flame, add coriander leaves mix well and off flame. Cover the pan (don't close fully) and let it stand for 10 mins before serving.Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with roti or serve with rice.