ALUR DAM || BABY POTATO CURRY

Luchi Alur dam is typical Bengali cuisine and the most favorite breakfast of Bengali's. There is a famous saying "Eat your breakfast like a king" and we Bengali's love to eat. I have made this alur dam with baby potatoes along with the skin.

Ingredients:

1. Baby potato - 300 gram

2. Onion - 1 big (finely chopped)

3. Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)

4. Ginger - 1 inch (chopped)

5. Green chilli - 2-3 (slit)

6. Salt to taste

7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

8. Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

9. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

10. Ghee - 1 tsp

11. Cumin powder - 1 tsp

12. Bay leaf - 1

13. Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch

14. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

15. Fresh coriander leaves - 1 tsp (finely chopped) - for garnishing

Process:

1. In a pan, add oil and deep fry the baby potatoes for 3-4 minutes, adding a pinch of salt and turmeric powder, keep aside.

2. Remove the excess oil and start making the curry. Add bay leaf, hing and cumin seeds, saute by adding ginger, onion, tomatoes and green chillies. Add salt and all the powder spices, sprinkle a little water and let it cook on low flame til it starts to spread good aroma. Cook for 4-5 minutes.

3. Once the curry is half cooked, add the fried baby potatoes and half cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook for another 5 minutes and check if the potatoes are boiled properly. Once done, add ghee and garam masala powder.

4. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with Luchi.

CRISPY HONEY CHILLI POTATOES

Honey chilli potato is a hugely popular Chinese dish. It is very crunchy and full of flavor snack that you cannot resist. This is a favorite snack in all the age groups. Here is the three step simple yet delicious recipe. 

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 3 big
2. Cornflour - 3 tsp
3. Salt to taste
4. Soy sauce - 2 tsp
5. Tomato ketchup - 2 tsp
6. Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
7. Pepper - 1/2 tsp
8. Oil - for frying
9. Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
10. Ginger & Garlic (finely chopped) - 1 tsp
11. White sesame - 1 tsp
12. Honey - 1 tsp
13. Spring onions - 1 tsp (finely chopped)

Process:

1. Cut the potatoes into finger chip size and boil them adding a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Drain water and spread them evenly in a kitchen towel, let the moisture go away. In a bowl, add 1/2 tsp cornflour and mix the potatoes. Deep fry the potatoes until they are crispy golden brown. Keep aside.
2. In a bowl, mix water and corn flour and keep aside. 
3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add chopped ginger garlic to it, once the garlic is light brown and fragrant, add onions and saute for 5 minute, then add soy souch, chilli sauce, honey, tomato ketchup and mix well. Add spring onions and the corn flour mix to this sauce. Keep stirring on medium heat for one minute.
4. In a serving bowl, place the crispy fried potatoes and spread the sauce, mix well, garnish with some more white sesame and spring onions or chopped coriander leaves.

RAJMA CHAWAL

Rajma-Chawal ~ A fat free and delicious curry made by simmering red kidney beans in onion-tomato masala, spices and herbs. This is the answer when you are in the mood for some simple, healthy and flavourful meal.

Ingredients:

1. Rajma (kidney beans) -- 1 cup (soaked over night, drained & rinsed)

2. Tomato - 1/2 cup puree

3. Onion - 2 (finely chopped)

4. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

5. Oil as required

6. Salt to taste

7. Dry red chilli - 2

8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

10. Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp

11. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

12. Rajma Masala - 1 tsp

13. Hing - a pinch

14. Green chilli - 2 (slit)

15. Kashmiri red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

16. Coriander leaves - finely chopped 

Process:

1. In a pressure cooker, add rinsed rajma, required salt with 2-3 cups of water. Cook up to 2-3 whistle and then reduce the flame and cook for another 15 minutes and remove from the flame. 

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan / kadhai and add cumin seeds and hing (asafoetida). Add finely chopped onion and saute them till they becomes light brown in colors, and then add ginger garlic paste, tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

3. Now add all the powder spices and salt as required, and mix well. Add boiled rama along with water, you can mash some of the rajma to give the gravy a body..

4. Stir it and let it cook for 15 minutes on low flame. Add garam masala powder before switching off the flame. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and onion rings before serving.

Serve hot with steamed rice or Jeera rice.

ALMOND COFFEE CAKE

It's my niece's birthday today (19th June 2020). Though she is far away from me, I just thought to make a cake so that when she is cutting her birthday cake, I can also enjoy my piece of cake. This is my second experiment in baking a cake in Kadhai and this time also it came out fluffy, soft and tasty. I have used used normal Nescafe coffee powder, not any coffee essence. I just loved the cake.

Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1/2 cup
3. Baking powder - 1 tsp
4. Butter - 1/2 cup
5. Milk (boiled and cold) - 1/2 cup
6. Dry fruits - 1 tsp
7. Eggs - 2 
8. Salt - pinch of
9. Nescafe coffee powder - 1 tsp

Process :

1. Grease the cake tray. Dust with flour evenly and set aside.
2. Pour milk and suger in a mixing bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Gently mix until the flour is combined well. Start adding eggs one by one and keep mixing. Lastly add coffee powder and mix well.
3. Once the batter is ready, pour this in the cake tray.
4. Heat the heavy bottom kadai for 10 minutes and then place a steel stand (optional) inside the kadai and place the cake tray. If you do not have a steel stand, you can directly place cake tray in the kadhai. Sprinkle dry fruits in the top and cover with a lid.
5. Let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. After 15 minutes you can check by putting a knife side the cake, if the knife comes out clean, means the cake is done, else you can cook for another 5 minutes. 

Your Almond Coffee cake is ready to serve. You can garnish it with some more chopped almonds. 

Do share your experience while trying this cake.
Happy Baking. 

MANGO PHIRNI

Phirni is an Indian rice pudding made by cooking ground rice with milk, hence mango phirni is a mango twist on this classic dessert. It is a rice pudding made using rice and flavored with mango puree. It is usually flavored with saffron and garnished with lots of nuts and mango pieces. Unlike normal "Payesh" which uses whole rice, phirni uses ground rice and therefore, it is quick to make. Here is my version of easy recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 1 litre (full cream milk)

2. Rice - 1/3 cup

3. Saffron - 1 pinch

4. Sugar - as per taste

5. Mango puree - 1 cup

6. Nuts - to garnish

Process:

1. Wash and soak rice for an hour. Drain the water and blend the rice in a blender to make a coarse powder.

2. In a heavy bottom pan, add milk and let the milk come to boil. Add the powdered rice and saffron to the milk. Keep stirring the phirni throughout while cooking, otherwise the rice will stick at the bottom of the pan.

3. Simmer the heat and cool till the milk is reduced to 1/2 and phirni has reached the desired consistency. (Note : the phirni will further thicken on cooling)

4. Add sugar and cook for a minute before switching off the heat. Let the phirni cool down in room temperature.
5. Add mango puree in the phirni only once it is completely cooked. Transfer the phirni in earthen bowls (if not available, use regular bowls) and garnish with nuts and mango pieces and let it chill for a few hours before serving. 

Masoor Dal'er Borar Jhol || Lentil Fritters Curry

Masoor Dal or red lentils is the most popular choice in dal. It is a Bengali traditional dish.  Lentil fritters soaked in tomato based gravy with fried potatoes and spices is very flavourful and yummy. My mother used to cook this curry really well. This delicious and mouthwatering "Daler Borar Jhol / Lentil Fritters curry" is a famous dish of Assam and North East and is very much popular in West Bengal also. This dish is perfectly best option when you want to eat or cook something really special. You can make this dish with chana dal or motor dal also. I have used musoor dal only. 

Ingredients:

1. Masoor Dal 1/2 cup

2. Potato - 1 (cut in cubes)

3. Onion - 1 big 

4. Tomato - 1 big 

5. Ginger - 1 inch

6. Green chilli - 2

7. Bay leaf - 2

8. Dry red chilli - 1

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

10. Salt to taste

11. Cumin powder - 1 tsp

12. Coriander powder - 1 tsp

13. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

14. Ghee - 1 tsp

15. Refined oil

16. Panch phoron - 1/2 tsp

Process:

1. Wash and soak 1 cup of masoor dal in enough water for 2-3 hours and discard water. Add soaked dal to the grinder with 2 green chilli, turmeric powder, salt as per your taste, and 1 tsp grated ginger, make a smooth paste.

2. In a small frying pan, heat 3 tsp oil and start frying small balls of masoor dal paste, in low flame. Continue this until the entire paste is done, keep the fritters in kitchen tissues. In the same oil, fry the cube potatos and keep them aside.

3. Make a paste of tomatoes, onion, ginger and garlic, you can add green chillies also.

4. Heat 2 tsp oil in a kadhai, add panch phoron and let them crackle in high heat. Add bay leaves and red dry chilli. Once the aroma comes out, add the onion-tomato paste and saute in low heat. Add all the powder masalas one by one. Add salt as per taste.

5. Add fried potatoes and cook in low hear for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 and half cup of water and cover with a lid, let it cook for 4-5 minutes.

6. Now, add the Fritters / Daler bora and let it boil in the grave for 2-3 minutes, do not use the lid this time. Add ghee and garam masala powder before switching off the gas. You can also add chopped coriander leaves, if available. Serve hot with rice.

Note: You can skip onions if you are a vegetarian, can simply make the curry with ginger and cumin paste, with or without tomatoes. 

KIWI CHIA SEED PUDDING

Starting your day with healthy and "easy-to-go" breakfast really helps to brighten up your day, it brings new experiences, a fresh start and a chance to have a great week ahead. I have started doing experiments with chia Seeds and I am just loving it. Its healthy and delicious and easy to prepare with any fruit combinations. You can use your favorite choices of dry fruits also in the pudding. Perfect for breakfast item or dessert. 

Ingredients

1. Milk - 2 cup
2. Chia seeds -  3 tsp
3. Honey / Maple syrup or simple sugar - 2 tsp
4. Kiwi fruits - 3 

Process:

1. Soak chia seeds in milk and honey over night or 3-4 hours. I have soaked them overnight.
2. Mix kiwi fruit either chopped or pureed (I have used pureed) with already soaked chia seeds.
3. Pour in a glass, garnish with dry fruits or some kiwi fruit slices.

NEER DOSA

Neer Dosa means water dosa, as NEER means water. It is prepared from rice batter and very minimal ingredients, very easy to cook. I love this dosa and it was on the bucket list to cook once at home. I have tried this for the first time at home today and it was yummy. 

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 cup

2. Salt - to taste

3. Oil - for frying

Process :

1. Soak 1 cup rice water for 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Drain the soaked rice and add them in a wet grinder jar. Just add little bit of water for the first round of grinding the rice. Grind to a smooth batter, the batter should not have tiny coarse particles of rice. Add more water to get a thin flowing watery consistency almost like that of milk. I added 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. The addition of water depends on the quality and kind of rice. I have used basmati rice. Add salt as required. 

2. Once your batter is ready, In a cast iron pan or a nonstick pan, drizzle ½ tsp of oil. Just spread the oil all over with a brush / spoon. You can dip half of an onion in oil and smear the pan with the halved onion. 

3. Stir the batter in the bowl and take a ladle full of batter and pour the batter moving outwards to inside, you can just spread the batter and tilt/rotate the pan. Do not spread the batter with the back of the ladle like the way we do for regular dosas. 

4. Cover with a lid and cook the neer dosa till done. Don’t brown it. It will be done in 2-3 minutes. Neer dosa is never flipped. Just the base has to be cooked well. If you want to fold it, you can do the same once you plate it after removing it from the pan.

Note: The batter consistency should be watery, thin, and flowing. The batter should not be thick.  If the batter has a pouring consistency, then you will get tiny holes and a lacy neer dosa. If not, this means the batter is thick. So add some more water to thin it down.  

Best combo is with any non-veg dish, you can also have with coconut chutney or any pickle. I have tried with spice chicken curry.  

CAKE - Made in Kadhai

Many people want to prepare cake recipes at home, but they dont have oven. There are many alternate recipes which use pressure cooker instead of oven. However, my pressure cooker is so small that I can keep a cake mold inside the cooker, so I have tried using a normal thick bottom kadhai for baking cake. It came out very well, so soft and fluffy and I love loved it.

Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1/2 cup
3. Baking powder - 1 tsp
4. Butter - 1/2 cup
5. Milk (boiled and cold) - 1/2 cup
6. Dry fruits - 1 tsp
7. Eggs - 2 
8. Salt - pinch of

Process :

1. Grease the cake tray. Dust with flour evenly and set aside.
2. Pour milk and suger in a mixing bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Gently mix until the flour is combined well. Start adding eggs one by one and keep mixing. 
3. Once the batter is ready, pour this in the cake tray.
4. Heat the heavy bottom kadai for 10 minutes and then place a steel stand (optional) inside the kadai and place the cake tray. If you do not have a steel stand, you can directly place cake tray in the kadhai. Sprinkle dry fruits in the top and cover with a lid.
5. Let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. After 15 minutes you can check by putting a knife side the cake, if the knife comes out clean, means the cake is done, else you can cook for another 5 minutes. 

Your cake is ready to serve. You can garnish it as per your choice. 
Do share your experience while trying this cake.
Happy Baking. 

SHAHI TUKDA

Shahi tukda is a rich, royal Mughlai dessert of fried sugar syrup coated with fried bread pieces topped and soaked with fragrant creamy sweet thickened milk or rabri and garnished with dry fruits. We often order this on dessert when we go for a dinner outing. Here is the recipe that you can easily make at home.

Ingredients:

1. Sugar - 2 tsp
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Milk - 2 cup
4. Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup
5. Ghee - for frying
6. Mixed dry fruits - 2 tsp
7. Bread -  6 slices
8. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Process:

1. Boil milk adding condensed milk and sugar stirring constantly until thick, add cardamom powder and dry fruits. Once the rabri is ready, keep aside and let it cool.
2. In a separate pan make sugar syrup by boiling a cup of water and sugar together. Strain and keep aside.
3. Cut bread slices into two and deep fry in ghee till golden brown. Immediately put the fried bread into sugar syrup, dip for a fraction of a minute, so that the tukdas remain crisp.
4. Remove from syrup and place them in a serving dish. Top each piece of prepared bread with the rabri you have already prepared. Garnish with chopped dry fruits.

Note : I have made very thick rabri as the bread pieces are already crisp and full of sugar syrup. You can make rabri as per your choice.

POMFRET SHORSHE GRAVY

Pomfret shorshe or Pomfret in mustard gravy is an authentic Bengali recipe which is made with pomfret fish. This is one of the easiest recipe with minimal ingredients. The usage of mustard oil and mustard paste is what makes this dish heavenly when had with steamed rice. This same method applies also to make Shorshe Ilish (Hilsha fish).

Ingredients:

1. Pomfret fish - 3 
2. Mustard oil - for frying and cooking
3. Green chillies - slitted
4. Kalonji (Nigella seeds) - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 2 tsp (ground into paste)
6. Turmeric powderr -1/2 tsp
7. Salt to taste

Process:

1. Firstly marinate the fish with salt and turmeric for an hour.
2. Grind and make a paste with mustard seeds adding a pinch of salt and turmeric.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and fry the fishes lightly form both sides until cooked through. Keep them aside. 

NOTE : you can use directly in the gravy, without frying the fishes - up to your choice.

4. In the same frying pan, add more oil if required, add nigella seeds and green chillies, once the aroma comes add mustard paste and cook for a minutes with constant stirring on medium flame.
5. Add water as per gravy requirement, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the fishes (even if you are using fish pieces without frying) and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
6. Turn off the heat, drizzle a little mustard oil and keep it covered for 10 minutes before serving with steamed rice.

VEG MANCHURIAN

Veg Manchurian is one of the most popular Indo Chinese style dish and is a great dish to serve with fried rice or noodles. Its easy to make at home. During this lock down period, whatever ingredients are available at home, I have tried to make this recipe with them only. Spring onions are one important part for any Manchurian dishes, though I have not got the same, hence skipped. Try out this easy recipe and share your feedback if you like the same.

Ingredients:

For Manchurian balls:

1. Carrot (grated) - half cup
2. Cabbage (shredded) - 3 tbsp
3. Onion (finely chopped) - 1
4. Potato - 1 (boiled and mashed) - this is optional, I have added.
5. Green peas -1 cup (boiled)
6. Beetroot (shredded) - half cup (this is also optional, I had beetroot at home, so used)
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
8. Capsicum (sliced) half cup
9. Salt to taste
10. Maida - 2 tsp
11. Cornflour - 2 tsp
12. Oil - for frying

For Gravy:

1. Oil - 2 tsp
2. Ginger - 1 inch (finely chopped)
3. Garlic - 3-4 cloves (finely chopped)
4. Chilli - 2 (clit)
5. Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
6. Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
7. Soy sauce - 1 tsp
8. Tomato ketchup - 1 tsp
9. Vinegar - 2 tsp
10. Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Water - 2 cup

For Slurry:

1. Cornflour - 2 tsp
2. Water - 1 cup

Process :

1. Firstly, in a mixing bowl, take all the ingredients required for making the Manchurian balls. Mix well making sure everything is combined well. Make a soft dough and prepare small ball sized balls.
2. Deep fry them in hot oil keeping the flame on medium. Stir occasionally, until the balls turn golden brown. Drain off the Manchurian balls and keep aside.
3. In a small bowl, take 2 tsp cornflour and 1 cup water, mix well forming a lump-free slurry. Keep aside.
4. Now in a frying pan / wok, heat 2 tbsp oil and saute ginger, garlic, chilli and spring onion (if you are using spring onions). Add onion and stir fry on high flame for 2 minutes. Further, add vinegar, soy sauce, chilli sauce, tomato ketchup and pepper powder along with salt to taste and stir fry making sure all the sauces are well combined. Add 1 cup water and boil on medium flame.
5. Now add the cornflour slurry and mix well, continue to boil until the grave thickens and turns glossy.
6. Add prepared veg Manchurian balls, some spring onions (I have used coriander in place of spring onions as they are not available at home this time) and mix well. 
7. Veg Manchurian gravy is ready to serve with fried rice or plan rice, whatever you like.

PAV BHAJI

Street food made at home for breakfast today. Pav Bhaji, is essentially a dish from Maharashtrain cuisine with its origin in Mumbai and Goa. Pav means bread in Marathi and Bhaji means any cooked vegetable curry in its thick form. Here is my recipe for "Easy Mumbai style Pav Bhaji" 

Ingredients:

1. Pav - 4 pieces
2. Potato - 2
3. Carrot - 2
4. Green peas - half cup
5. Cauliflower - half cup chopped

6. Onion - 2 finely chopped

7. Tomato - 2 finely chopped

8. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

9. Butter - half cup

10. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

11. Fresh coriander - 3 tsp (chopped)

12. Pav bhaji masala - 2 tsp

13. Salt to taste

14. Oil - for making the bhaji - 2 tsp

Process:

1. In a pressure cooker, boil all the vegetables with a cup of water and pinch of salt. Mash them once they are properly boiled. Keep aside.

2. In a frying pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Add chopped onions, tomato and ginger garlic paste, salt and saute for 3-4 minutes. 

3. Add mashed vegetables, salt, pav bhaji masala. Mix well and saute for 2 minutes. Spread butter and coriander leaves. Bhaji is ready to serve.

4. In a frying pan / tawa, place the pav with piece of butter and fry both the sides.

5. In a serving plate, place the bhaji and pav, put a cube of butter above the bhaji.

MUSKMELON MINT COOLER

As everyone loves mangoes in summer, so mangoes dominate the fruit basket. But if you make a point to bring home muskmelons and make this cooler in this summer, you can feel how refreshing this drink is, as melons are moisture rich fruits. If you want to keep your stomach light you should try watermelon and muskmelon coolers, You can add these fruits in salads or desserts also.

Ingredients:

1. Muskmelon - one small (you can use half of it or full, depends on number of serves)

2. Mint leaves - 2 tsp

3. Sugar - as per taste

4. Salt - as per taste

5. Black peppers - 1/2 tsp

6. Ice cubes 

7. Ginger - 1/2 tsp (grated)

Process:

1. Put all the ingredients in a grinder and blend them into a smooth paste. 

2. In a serving glass, pour half of the glass with this paste, add water and ice cubes, mix well and they are ready to serve.