Another quintessential Bengali dish, this recipe is my mother’s – though I suspect it is the same across most bengali households. Daal is a part of a bengali’s daily lunch however the masoor daal is more common. This yellow moong daal dish is made occasionally and is considered a delicacy somewhat – a king among daal if you will. It’s called sona moong because of its bright golden colour – sona means gold or golden. This golden variety of the moong is indigenous to Bengal.
Ingredients:
Yellow Moong – 6-7 tbsp.
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp.
Oil – 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp.
Cumin powder – 1.5 tsp.
Ginger, grated – 1 tsp.
Green chili – 1, sliced
Sugar – 1.5 tbsp.
Water – 3-4 cups
Method:
Dry roast the daal in a pan till they are deep golden in colour.
Boil the daal with salt and turmeric powder, either in a pan or in a pressure cooker.
Heat oil in a pan. Fry cumin seeds till they crackle and give off their aroma.
Add chilli, cumin powder, grated ginger and fry.
Now add the boiled daal and sugar and bring to a boil.
Adjust taste and thickness as required. This is supposed to a sweet and salty daal with the sweet being slightly heavier.
Serve with hot rice and enjoy!
Tip: I generally add a step after (2) and beat the boiled daal to a smooth mixture.
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge; Day 25 – Letter “Y”.
This is a dish which was adopted in my kitchen out of a combination of pure laziness of a couch potato and the utter greed of a foodie. I didn’t feel like working too hard for a dinner, yet I wanted something decadent to pamper by taste buds. Even though it didn’t happen on that very day, the idea was born. It does require pre-thought to buy the main protein but the ingredients are ones found in every Indian kitchen and the steps laughably simple.
Ingredients:
Whole Chicken – 1 (~800gms.)
Curd – 4 tbsp.
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp.
Red Chilli powder – 1 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Cumin powder – 1 tsp.
Corinader powder – 1 tsp.
Garam masala – 1 tsp.
Meat Masala – 2 tsp.
OR,
Tandoori masala – 4 tsp.
Oil – 1 tbsp.
Method:
Wash the whole chicken thoroughly. Pat dry. With a fork, make pricks in the chicken so that the spices are absorbed well.
Add all the ingredients and mix well. Massage onto the chicken with a gentle hand. This helps in absorption. Marinade for 2 hours at the least.
Preheat an oven to 180°C for 10 minutes.
Place the marinaded chicken on the rotisserie stick, making sure the weight is distributed evenly on both sides. Tie the legs together if required.
Now cook for 40 minutes at 180°C.
Turn up the heat to 220°C and cook for 15 more minutes or until chicken and spices are cooked.
Garnish with chaat masala and serve hot with green chutney and sliced onions.
This dish is best accompanied with garlic toast speaking from personal experience, but it is an amazing meal on its own. It requires minimal amount of intervention but it gives you the maximum enriching experience!
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge; Day 23 – Letter “W”.
Standing on the roadside and having spicy Phuchkas crack open in your mouth and cover your tongue with that blast of flavors – this is a feeling unparalleled. Or maybe its comparable to licking your lips after having a plate of even spicier Ghoogni (chickpea masala). This group of food is what we lovingly call “street food”. But it’s a mere label which encompasses a world of joy, taste, colors and fun.
The extreme joy that these street foods such as these can give us is something we have missed sorely for the past year. So, here’s how we can recreate that feeling by trying these dishes at home.
Papri Chaat or Sev Puri
Ingredients:
For the Papri/Sev:
Maida (Refined flour) – 200gms.
Salt – a pinch
Oil – 2 tsp. for dough + for deep frying
Water – ½ cup or as required
For the topping:
Potato – 2, medium
Chickpeas – 1 cup (~75gms.)
Onion – 1, medium
Curd – 1 cup (~200gms.)
Sugar – 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds – 3 tsp.
Black Salt – to taste
Jhuri bhaja / Sev – 1 cup
Sweet Tamarind Chutney:
Tamarind – 5gms. (small pulp)
Water – as required
Salt – a pinch
Sugar – 4/5 tbsp. Or as required to taste
Method:
Take the maida in a bowl. Sieve it once for smoother dough. Add the salt and oil and knead gently till the maida forms loose clumps in your hand.
Now add water little by little and keep kneading. The final dough should be soft and stretchy. Pat oil lightly over the dough and set aside for atleast 30 minutes.
Soak the tamarind in bowl of water for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and the chickpeas (separately).
Once the 30 minutes are up, roll out the dough to 6” round and 2 cm. thick circles. From these using a bottle cap or a small glass, cut out smaller rounds. Make 3 slices over these rounds to prevent them from puffing up.
Heat oil in a deep pan and fry these small papris till they are golden blonde.
In a pan/kadhai, add the tamarind soaked water, salt and sugar and let it boil and thicken. Adjust taste and thickness. It should be mostly sweet and tangy and of trickly texture.
Dry roast the cumin seeds in a frying pan. Once it cools, grind to a fine powder in a mixer.
Chop the onions to a fine dice.
Take the curd in a bowl, add sugar and beat well till its smooth.
Mash the potatoes. Mix the chopped onions and chickpeas.
All mis en place is ready. Time for it all to come together.
Lay out the 6 papris on a plate.
Put a dollop of potato mixture on each. Sprinkle black salt.
Cover generously with the beaten curd. Drizzle the tamarind sauce all over.
Sprinkle the roasted jeera powder and finally top them with sev / jhuri bhaja.
Image sourced from internet
Phuchka or Golgappa or Pani Puri
Ingredients:
Phuchka – 1 packet
Potato – 2, medium
Bengal gram (brown)/ chhola – ½ cup
Onion – 1, medium
Tamarind – 5 gms.
Salt – to taste
Lemon juice – 2 tsp.
Green chilli – 1
Coriander leaves – a bunch
Jaljeera – 2 tsp.
Water – 1 bowl
Method:
Boil the potatoes and the chhola.
Soak the tamarind pump in a small bowl of water for about 15 minutes.
Chop the onions, green chilli and the coriander leaves.
Mash the boiled potatoes. Add the chhola, onions, coriander leaves, green chili.
Add salt, 1 tsp. lemon juice and part of the tamarind pulp. Mix well together. It should taste salty and tangy.
In a big bowl of water, add the tamarind water, remaining lemon juice, jaljeera and salt and mix. Alternatively, you can add panipuri masala.
Now, you eat. Crack open each phuchka ball, stuff with a dollop of potato mixture and dip the whole thing in the tangy water. Eat in one go!
Boil the potato. Peel and chop into medium chunks.
Chop the onion, tomato, coriander leaves and green chilli.
Prepare tamarind chutney as in steps 3 & 7 of Papri Chaat recipe.
In a bowl, take the puffed rice. Add all ingredients and mix well.
Jhalmuri is ready!
Image sourced from internet
Sitting at home can be really demotivating and at times can leave you totally listless. Spicing up your lulling routine with these recipes on weekends or holidays will inject the very much required happiness in your life. For me atleast, food is joy!
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge; Day 21 – Letter “U”.
A Bengali delicacy! This may be a street food but this is one dish which is given royalty status because of its popularity and overall awesomeness. Rolled up maida (flour) flatbread filled with spiced chicken or mutton pieces, sliced onions and drizzled with sauces and garnished with masala.
What’s in a name?
A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, said Shakespeare. The humble Bengali “roll” is called by a variety of names all round the globe, yes the globe. Called “Wraps” globally, it is called Shawarma in the Middle East, Gyro in Greece, Burrito in Mexico, Spring rolls in East Asia and Frankie in our very own Mumbai! The essence remains the same and though I do not know which can be called the “original”, what I do know – to me and to every Bengali, it will always be THE Roll!
The most favorite version is the Egg Roll which has a layer of fried egg over the flatbread and is universally the best! So here’s my recipe for Egg Roll; serves 2 (about 6 rolls).
Ingredients:
For the flatbread:
Maida (Refined flour) – 2 cups (~300gms.)
Salt – a pinch
Oil – 2-3 tsp. for dough + 2-3 tsp. for frying
Water – ¾ cup or as required
For the filling:
Eggs – 4
Cucumber – ½, medium
Onion – 1, small,
Tomato – ½, medium
Lemon juice – 1 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Tomato ketchup – as required
Chilli sauce – as required
Chaat Masala – a pinch
Optional (Chicken filling):
Chicken – 50 gms., boiled and shredded/cubed
Onion – 1/2, thinly sliced
Capsicum – ¼, thinly sliced
Oil – 2 tsp.
Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder – ½ tsp.
Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp.
Method:
Take the maida in a bowl. Sieve it once for smoother dough. Add the salt and oil and knead gently till the maida forms loose clumps in your hand.
Now add water little by little and keep kneading. The final dough should be soft and stretchy. Pat oil lightly over the dough and set aside for atleast 30 minutes.
Meanwhile chop the cucumber, onions and tomatoes for the filling and mix together.
Add the lemon juice and salt and mix well.
Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add salt to it and mix.
Once the 30 minutes are up, roll out the dough to 6” round and 2 cm. thick circles.
Heat a flat frying pan (a tawa). Lightly dry roast the flatbread on each side till they are cooked. Roast all the flatbreads and keep aside.
Lightly oil the pan and add a portion of the beaten eggs. Quickly place a flatbread over it. Let it fry for 1-2 minutes.
Brush oil on the upper side of the flatbread and turn the whole thing over. Fry for another couple minutes till it is just crispy.
Repeat steps 8 & 9 for all the flatbreads.
Take a flatbread and place the cucumber-onion-tomato mixture on one side of it over the egg fried side. Drizzle ketchup and chilli sauce and sprinkle chaat masala over the lot. Roll up the flatbread.
Egg roll is ready! Repeat for all the flatbreads.
Optional: If you want an egg-chicken roll, follow below steps.
In a frying pan, add oil and fry the onions and capsicums till they are translucent.
Add cumin, coriander and red chilli powder and fry till spices are roasted.
Then add the boiled and diced chicken pieces and fry till the spices mix well. Switch off the heat.
Add this chicken filling to the egg-fried flatbreads on top of the other filling.
There you have it, egg-chicken roll!
Step wise, it is actually quite a bit but the dish is worth it and the labour will be much appreciated by all who taste it. What takes so long to took will be devoured in minutes! Believe me. You can have this as a snack or as a full fledged meal.
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge; Day 18 – Letter “R”.
Lamb is a luxury buy in my culture; that is to say it is only prepared on special occasions and any preparation of lamb is considered to be a delicacy.
The Indian Kitchen
We i.e. bengalis call it “mangsho” reverently. Elsewhere, its called “Gosht”. Whatever moniker it may don, there is no denying its fanciness. While different regions of India have their own ways of preparing their dish – some like it sweet, some hot, some spicy while some like it simple and mild. This one is just a basic version which is nevertheless the perfect marriage with a sweet yellow Pulao.
Ingredients:
Lamb / Mutton – 500gms. (medium pieces)
Potatoes (optional) – 2, small
Onions – 3, medium
Tomato – 2, medium
Ginger Garlic paste – 4 tbsp.
Turmeric – 2 tsp.
Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp.
Garam Masala – 2 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 1.5 tbsp.
Green chili (optional) – 2, chopped
Oil – 3 tbsp.
Water – 1 cup
Method:
Marinade the mutton pieces with 2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp. turmeric powder and salt for about 10-15 minutes.
Slice the onions thinly and dice (medium) the potatoes. Cut up the tomatoes roughly and blend to a puree.
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil.
Add the sliced onions and fry until they are lightly golden brown.
Add the tomato paste, remaining ginger garlic paste, chopped green chilli, remaining turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
Cook until oil starts to release from the sides. Now add the mutton pieces and salt.
Cook on medium flame, stirring regularly and mixing the masala well with the meat. Water will now be released from the meat.
Once all the released water has dried up, lower the flame and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Now add potatoes, water, sugar and garam masala and cover and cook on pressure.
Let it cook for 6-7 whistles on medium flame.
Serve hot with rice or pulao!
This is a dish which will give you warm, fuzzy feelings and leave you replete and happy. Try it out and let me know how it turns out.
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge; Day 12 – Letter “L”.
Jhol is a Bengali word meaning gravy. It forms the base for any vegetarian or non-vegetarian Bengali dishes. It may be a watery gravy which is generally preferred to be consumed with rice or it may be a dry and thick gravy which is generally suitable to be had with roti (flat bread). The thicker version is generally spicier and hence meant for special occasions or holidays while the watery version is lighter and meant more everyday consumption.
Bengal Connection
This is something that I have grown up with; this was home food – comforting yet tasty. Nothing too onerous, simple everyday ingredients cooked with love.
Maccher Jhol or Fish Curry
Ingredients:
Kala jeera – 1 tsp.
Green Chilli – 2, slit
Tomato – 1 small, paste
Turmeric / haldi powder – 1 tsp.
Cumin / Jeera powder – 1 tsp.
Coriander / dhaniya leaves – fistful, chopped
Salt – to taste
Oil – 3 tbsps.
Water – 1 cup
Fish – 2-4 pieces
Method:
Marinade the fish pieces with salt and ½ tsp. turmeric, for 10-15 minutes.
Fry the pieces in the oil – medium high flame – till both sides are lightly golden brown. Keep aside.
In the remaining oil, add the kala jeera and green chilli. Lower the flame.
Once the tempering starts to splutter, add the tomato paste, remaining turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander leaves and salt.
Once the masala has fried, add water and add the fried fish pieces.
Once the water has started to boil, adjust the taste and switch off the heat.
Maccher jhol is ready.
Kosha Murgi or Chicken Curry
Ingredients:
Chicken – 500gms.
Potato – 2, large
Onion – 2, medium
Tomato – 2, medium
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Sugar – to taste
Oil – 3-4 tbsp.
Garam masala – 2 tsp.
Method:
Chop the onion and tomato into rough pieces. Grind to a paste. Cut the potatoes into quarters.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the onion-tomato paste. Let it fry for a few minutes.
Add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and fry for a few more minutes until the oil starts to release from the sides.
Now add the chicken and the potatoes and mix well on medium flame.
Once properly fried and mixed, lower the flame, add sugar and stir.
Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the released water is dried up.
Adjust salt and sugar as per taste, if required. Add garam masala, give it a stir and switch off flame.
Chicken curry is ready!
Alu Fulkopir Jhol or Cauliflower-Potato Curry
Ingredients:
Cumin / jeera whole – 1 tsp.
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Turmeric / haldi powder – 1 tsp.
Cumin / Jeera powder – 1 tsp.
Ginger – 1” piece, grated
Green Chilli – 2, broken into half
Salt – to taste
Oil – 3 tbsps.
Water – 1/2 cup
Cauliflower – 1 medium
Potato – 1 medium
Method:
Cut the cauliflower and potato into 1” florets and cubes respectively.
Heat oil in a pan. Add whole cumin.
When it splutters, add the chopped tomato, turmeric, cumin powder, grated ginger, green chilli and salt. Let it fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and potato and mix well. Cook on medium flame for 7-8 minutes.
Then lower flame, add water, cover and cook until both vegetables are tender.
Gravy is generally a little watery.
Deem er Kosha or Egg Curry
Ingredients:
Eggs – 4
Potato – 1, large
Onion – 1, medium
Tomato – 1, medium
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Sugar – to taste
Oil – 3-4 tbsp.
Water – ¼ cup
Garam masala – 2 tsp.
Method:
Chop the onion and tomato into rough pieces. Grind to a paste. Cut the potatoes into quarters.
Boil the eggs and the potatoes.
Heat oil in a pan. Fry the eggs and the potatoes. Make superficial slices with a knife on the boiled eggs. This helps to keep the eggs from spluttering/exploding.
In the remaining oil, add the onion-tomato paste. Let it fry for a few minutes.
Add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and fry for a few more minutes until the oil starts to release from the sides.
Add water, eggs and potatoes and mix well on medium flame.
Once properly fried and mixed, lower the flame, add sugar and stir.
Cover and cook for 5 more minutes until the water has dried up to a thick gravy sticking to the eggs and potatoes.
Adjust salt and sugar as per taste, if required. Add garam masala, give it a stir and switch off flame.
Have this with luchi or puri, this is a perfect marriage!
Egg Curry steps…
Tip: Kosha is ideally thick dry gravy, but you may keep a little fluid as per your tastes.
These general gravy may be used for other vegetables or meat and enjoy with rice or bread/roti. The jhol will give you a warm, homely feel but will make your taste buds dance.
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge; Day 10 – Letter “J”.
There are some foods which are like ambrosia, some little pieces of heaven which you are only blessed with on special days and events. And when you are, you thank your lucky stars and stuff your face! This little dish was my manna during childhood and that feeling has not changed in adulthood. There were rare occasions when ma used to make these and I just gorged on them.
From my Homeland
From the east of India, my homeland Kolkata, I bring you this purely Bengali dish – “deemer devil”. This is a crunchy fried ball of boiled egg with a thick coating of spicy mashed potato. It is a little complicated and time-consuming recipe which is probably the reason for it not being made very often but I assure you the end justifies the means. Occasions like festivals or guests coming in were times when these got made and the connection to this dish is totally from the heart!
Ingredients:
Egg – 6
Potato – 7/8, large
Onion – 2, chopped
Coriander leaves – handful, chopped
Green chilli – 2, thin round slices
Salt – to taste
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp.
Coriander seeds/dhaniya – 1 tsp.
Amchur powder – 1 tsp.
Chaat masala – 1/2 tsp.
Bread crumbs – 100 gms.
Oil – for deep frying
Method:
Boil 5 of the eggs and all the potatoes.
Dry roast the jeera and coriander seeds. Cool them and grind them into a fine powder.
Lightly fry the chopped onions till lightly brown.
Mash the boiled potatoes roughly; it doesn’t matter if there are little lumps.
Add the fried onions, green chilies, coriander leaves, salt, red chilli powder, powdered roasted masala, amchur powder and chaat masala and mix well. It should form a tight mixture and not a watery one.
Peel the boiled eggs and cut into halves longitudinally.
Now, carefully coat the boiled egg halves with the potato mixture evenly – about ½” thick.
Beat the remaining raw egg in a bowl and spread out the bread crumbs on a plate.
Dip the potato coated egg halves in the egg wash and then roll them over the bread crumbs to form an even crust.
Heat oil in a deep pan. Now release the balls into the hot oil and fry till golden brown.
Serve hot with kasundi (mustard sauce) or ketchup.
If you make these, let me know how they you like them but I can assure you, you will be a hit among your guests and family!
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge; Day 5 – Letter “E”.
Junk food is my comfort food. There’s nothing like sitting with a huge packet of Lays Magic Masala and munching away. Don’t judge me! I have had an incredible childhood where I always had yummy food at home. Of those, some of my favorite foods included deep fried goodies. Granted, they were not an everyday occurrence but whenever these treats were cooked at home, my day was made. These are vegetarian or non vegetarian deep fried bite sized wonders which are a burst of flavour on your tongue; the crunchiness simply adds to the experience.
It’s Desi and Home-made!
The connection is totally desi! The dishes I am about to describe are all Indian. Whichever part of India we travel to, these will be available in some form or other and by various names. Home-made is the best way to go and trust me, these will turn out delicious!
Pakoda / Peyaji / Kanda Bhajji
Ingredients:
Onions – 2, medium sized
Turmeric – 1 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Besan (gram flour) – ½ cup
Green chilli – 1 or 2 (optional), thinly chopped
Water – as required
Oil – for deep frying
Method:
Cut the onions into thin slices.
Add the besan, salt, turmeric and green chillies.
Now mash in the besan with the onions so that the juices of the onions are released, and a cakey mixture is formed. Add in water as required so that the final result is a sticky batter, lightly coating the onions. The batter should not be too runny or thick.
Now heat oil in a deep kadhai (pot). Put in the onion batter in dollops and deep fry till golden brown.
Drain the fries on absorbent paper and your yummy pakodas are ready to be enjoyed with a cup of tea!
Tip: For best results, midway through frying using your spatula to flatten the dollops like a coin. It helps in better heat distribution and even frying.
Preparation stagesPakode!!
Daal Fritters / Tele bhaja
Ingredients:
Masoor dal – 1 cup
Bengal gram (chholar daal) – 2 tbsp.
Salt – to taste
Kashmiri red chilli powder – to taste
Oil – for deep frying
Method:
Soak the two pulses – masoor and bengal gram – for atleast 1 hour.
Drain the pulses and grind them into a paste in a blender. The wet pulses should be enough to be a paste; if not, add water in tiny teaspoon measures.
Once the daal are ground to a paste, take it out into a bowl and add salt and Kashmiri red chilli powder.
Now whip/beat the mixture with a simple hand whip. This aerates the mixtures and makes the fritters fluffly.
Now heat oil in a deep pan and add the batter in small balls.
Deep fry till they are golden brown and then drain onto absorbent paper. Crunchy fluffy daal fritters are ready!
Tip: This recipe can be done without the Bengal gram. The Bengal gram is my personal addition to make the fritters truly crunchy. I sometimes add yellow and green moong as well. Multi-daal fritters taste as good as the original version.
Daal / lentils
Mixture
Daal Pakoda
Beguni / Eggplant fries
Ingredients:
Eggplant – 1 (preferably thin, long one)
Salt – to taste
Turmeric – 1 tsp.
Besan (gram flour) – 1 cup
Water – as required
Oil – for deep frying
Method:
Slice the eggplant longitudinally to form fillets. Of ½” thickness and 2” or 3” in length.
Marinade with salt and turmeric.
Create a batter out of besan and water. The batter should be slightly thick and gloopy, not runny at all.
Heat oil in a deep pan. Coat the eggplant fillets in the batter evenly and drop into the hot oil.
Deep fry till they are golden brown and drain onto absorbent paper.
Enjoy with hot rice and daal!
Tip: Add a tbsp. of the hot oil into the batter and mix. It makes for crunchier fries.
(PC: Whatanindianrecipe.com)
Chicken Pakoda
Ingredients:
Chicken – 200-250gms., boneless
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Vinegar – 1 tsp.
Soya sauce – 1.5 tsp.
Salt – to taste
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp.
Egg white – 1 egg
Flour – 1.5 tbsp.
Cornflour – 1 tsp.
Oil – for deep frying.
Method:
Cut the chicken into cubes. Marinade with ginger garlic paste, vinegar, soya sauce, salt and red chilli powder for minimum half an hour.
Add the egg white, flour and cornflour and mix well.
Heat oil in a deep pan. Now fry the chicken pieces till they are golden brown.
Serve hot chicken pakodas with ketchup or mayonnaise.
All the recipes above are ideal for 2 people. Try out these simple but delicious deep-fried wonders at home and let me know how they turn out. I know any of these on any given day would just make my day!
This post was written for Blogchatter A2Z challenge: Day 4 – Letter “D”.
