Alu Tikki Chaat

I always make this dish with leftover ghugni or chana masala. For gugni recipe please click the below link.
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1156288225095612150#editor/target=post;postID=6111027506084893754

Ingredients:
For Alu Tikki:

1. Boiled potatoes - 4
2. green chilly paste - 2tsp
3. salt to taste
4. oil for frying

For Imli Chutney:

1. Imli - 1cup
2. Sugar - 4tbsp
3. Salt - 4 tsp
4. red chilly powder - 3 tsp
5. cumin powder - 2 tsp

For Dhaniya Chutney:

1. Coriander leave - 1 cup chopped
2. Pudina leave - 1/4 cup chopped
3. curd - 2-3 tbsp
4. garlic paste - 1tbsp
5. green chilly - 1-2
6. salt - 2 tsp

Others:

1. ghugni/chana masala
2. chopped onion - 2
3. chopped coriander leave
4. sev
5. lemon juice

Procedure:

1. For alu tikki, mash the boiled potatoes.Add green chilly paste and salt.Make 2"diameter round flat tikkis.Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a tawa and shallow fry the tikkis both the sides till it becomes golden brown.I make 8 tikkis out of 4 boiled potatoes.
2. For Imli chutney,boil tamarind with one cup of water for 10 mins.Now take out the tamarind pulp.In a mixer grinder grind all the ingredients for inli chutney together.
3. For Dhaniya Chutney, grind all the ingredients for dhaniya chutney together.
4. Now take alu tikkis on a plate.Spread the ghugni over it.sprinkle chopped onion,chopped coriander leave,sev,imli chutney and dhaniya chutney on top of it.Before serving add lemon juice and salt.

sometimes i feel super lazy to prepare chutneys.So I replace it with maggie sauce and green chilly sauce. :).

Alu Tikki Chaat

Alu tikki chaat

Ghugni

Ingredients:

1. Matar - 250 gm(soak overnight)
2. Alu - 2 cut into small pieces(1/2" cube approx)
3. Onion - 2 made into paste
4. Garlic paste- 2tsp
5. Ginger paste- 1tsp
6. Cinnamon - 1"
7. Cardamom - 2-3
8. Cloves - 3
9. Red Chilly powder - 1tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1tsp
11. Onion chopped for garnishing
12. Lemon juice for garnishing

Method:

1. Take a pressure cooker.Heat 4 tbsp of oil.(you can use either refined oil or mustard oil).
2. Add cinnamon,cardamom and cloves.
3. Add potato pieces and fry till it becomes brownish.
4. Add onion,garlic and ginger paste.Fry till the oil oozes out.
5. Add chilly powder and turmeric powder.Fry for 1 min.
6. Add soaked matar and fry for 6-8 mins.
7. Add 4 cups of water and salt.Close the pressure cooker with lid.Turn off the flame after two whistles.
8. Garnish it wih chopped onion and lemon juice.

Ghugni

Ghugni

Tomato diye Rui macher Jhol

Ingredients:

1. Rui/Rahu - 4 pieces
2. Tomato - 2 medium pureed
3. Cardamom - 4
4. Cinnamon - 1"
5. Clove - 4
6. Onion paste - 1 big
7. Garlic paste - 1tsp
8. Ginger paste - 1tsp
9. Kashmiri red chilly powder - 1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1tsp
11. Sugar - 1/2 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Coriander leaves for garnishing
14. Mustard oil.

Method:

1. Wash the fish.Marinate with salt and turmeric powder.Fry the fish in oil and keep them aside.
2. Heat a kadai with 3 tbsp of oil.Add cardamom,cinnamon and cloves.
3. Add sugar,onion,ginger and garlic paste and fry for sometime till the oil oozes out.
4. Add tomato and fry for some more time.
5. Add chilly powder and turmeric powder.Fry for 2 mins.
6. Add 2 cups of water.
7. When its boiling,add fishes and salt.
8. Cover and cook in simmer for 5 mins.
9. switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Serve it hot with rice.

Tomato Diye rui macher jhol

Tomato Diye rui macher jhol

Some Acrylic Paintings by Me..

Ganesha

                                 A Piece of Painting Inspired by Tanjore Culture

Niramish Alu Dum with Luchi

This dish was prepared by mom on ganesh chaturthi.This is my favorite dish.My mom used to prepare it during pujas when we are suppose to eat veg(that is without onion and garlic).It goes excellent with luchis. Luchi is the bengali version of puri.Its made of maida.I heard that during my grand mom's days there were no existence of refined oil and luchi used to be fried in ghee.I just mistakenly born in this time.I just want to go back to that time.Here goes the recipe of alu dum and luchi.

Ingredients:

1. Alu/Potato - 500 gms
2. Tomato medium - 2 chopped
3. Ajwain - 1 tsp
4. Elaichi - 5
5. Dalchini - 2''
6. Lavang - 5
7. Chilly powder - 2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1tsp
9. Ginger paste - 2 tsp
10. salt and sugar to taste
11. Oil - 3 tbsp (preferably mustard oil)

Method:

1. Cut the potatoes into halves and then boil it.
2. Heat oil in kadai. Add Cinnamon, Cardamom, Clove and ajwain.
3. Add tomato and fry for sometime till the oil oozes out.Now add chilly powder(you can use kashmiri red chilly powder for color and its less spicy),turmeric powder and ginger.Fry for 1-2 min.
4. Now add water .Its based on how much gravy you want.Cover and cook in simmer for 10-15 mins.Add salt and sugar to taste.
5. Now remove cover and in high flame let it boil till you get desired consistency.
6. Serve it hot with luchi.

For Luchi:

Mix one cup of maida, 2 tbsp of refined oil(or ghee), salt.Make a dough with water.Spread a drop of oil on top of it and cover it till you are done with the dum alu.Now make small balls out of it.Roll it and deep fry in oil.

oh and i just forget to add that this is my first post with watermark on the images. Thanks to asmita for her suggestion.Otherwise i was feeling super lazy to do that.Thanks asu for giving me that push i needed. :))
Also thanks to http://picmarkr.com/ for providing watermark on my images. :)

Niramish Alu dum with luchi

Niramish Alu dum

Labanga Latika

Ingredients:

1. Coconut - 1
2. Khoya - 200 gm
3. Maida
4. Lavang/Clove
5. Sugar
6. Oil for frying
7. Food Color - optional

Method:

1. Mix the maida with oil.For 1 cup of maida you should take 2 tbsp of oil.Make a dough with water.Cover it for 1 hour.If you want you can mix food color in the maida and then prepare the dough.I have not used any food color here.
2. Heat a kadai and add grated coconut and sugar(one and half cup).Fry for 5 minutes.No need to add any oil.
3. Add khoya/khova and then fry for some more time till the mixture separates from kadai.It will not stick to the kadai when done.
4. Now take another pan and heat 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar.The sugar syrup should be little thick.So boil it for sometimes till it reaches the thick consistency.
5. Now make small balls from the dough and roll it as big as puri.Now Stuff the coconut filling in the centre and wrap the other two sides one on another.Now flip it to the other side and wrap two sides on another.Finally put the clove on top and it will bind it.
6. Now fry this in oil.
7. After it is fried, dip it inside sugar syrup and wait for couple of hours so that it soaks the syrup and becomes soft.

Labanga Latika

Rosogolla

Rosogolla does not need any introduction.It is equally adorned by bengalis and non bengalis.Today is Ganesha Chaturthi and I thought of making some sweets.So I made it.Though my sweet mouth does not need any excuse to make sweet. :) Here goes the simple recipe.

Ingredients:

1. 1 lit milk
2. 2 and 1/2 cups of sugar
3. nokul dana(i really don't know the english name of it)
4. Maida - 1tsp
5. Sugar - 1tsp
6. Rava or Suji - 1/2 tsp
7. 2 tbsp of vinegar
8. rose essence - 1 -2 drops

Method:

1. Preparing chana : For making rosogolla, 1st you need to prepare chana/cottage cheese.To make it boil 1lit of water.Mix two tbsp of vinegar with 2tbsp of water in a cup.Alternatively you can use one lemon juice.When the milk starts boiling then add the vinegar mixture/lemon juice.Cheese will start to get separated from milk.Continuously stir in simmer.Don't wait for too long.Within 1-2 mins the entire cheese will come out from milk.
2. Drain the excess water using a sieve.I use a big steel sieve for it.
3. Hang it for 1 hour.So that all the water will drain out from chana.

4. Now kneed the chana very nicely.It will take some time.You should kneed it till the point when chana will not stick to the plate and you can make  a nice round ball out of it.

5.Now add 1 tsp maida,1tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp suji/rava in the chana and mix them again nicely.I give maida and suji for binding.I add sugar so that it will make the pores inside rosogolla.

6. You can make 10 - 12 rosogollas from 1 lit of milk depending on the size you desire. I have done 12 balls and some are big and some are small.While making the balls, I put one nokul dana inside every ball.That will make the size little bigger and more imporatantly the rosogolla will have a hole inside full of juice. :)

The balls should be made as smooth as possible.There should not be any crack on the surface else it may break.You can see some very fine lines on my rosogolla though and after boiling they made some crack on the surface. :'(. So next time I have to be more careful so that there should not be any fine lines on the surface.

7. Now add 2 and half cups of sugar in 5 cups of water and start boiling.After boiling if any impurities float on top then you have to remove that part.When it starts boiling, then add the rosogollas.Let them boil.

Then simmer the flame.Cover and cook for 30 mins.

8. After 30 mins, open the lid and check if the sugar syrap has become thick.Add some water to thin the syrup.At this point add 1-2 drops of rose essence and then again cover it and wait for 15 more mins.

9.After 15 mins rosogollas are ready to eat.Let it remain inside the sugar syrup for a couple of hours so that the rosogolla will be juicy and soft.

Rosogolla - the final outcome :)

Spongy Egg Pakoda

That day i saw an interesting post on facebook.It said what you do when you feel hungry.

1. open the refrigerator.
2. lower your expectation.
3. go to step one.

How true! how many times have you felt like having hot pakodas in this rainy and lazy evening? when nothing is actually stocked in your refrigerator.This is the simplest pakoda i ever had.This is also very tasty and does not require too many ingredients.Follow this.

Ingredients:

1. Maida - 1small cup
2. Egg - 1
3. Onion - 1small chopped
4. Green Chilly - 1 chopped
5. Baking powder - 1tsp
6. salt to taste
7. Oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients except oil.If it is too thick then add 1-2 tbsp of milk.
2. Deep fry it in oil.

and yes its ready to be serve with hot tea. Enjoy watching TV with this. :)

ready to serve - spongy egg pakoda

Snow ball

I did not know how to name this recipe.Then it looked like a snow ball to me before frying and named it so . :).Its a perfect and easy dish to serve in a rainy evening with hot tea.I normally don't like fish petty(abdomen part of fish).Specially for rahu and katla fish less than 1kg weight.So I prepare this recipe with the fish petty.
You can skip the fish part and make it a veg snow ball too using only boiled potato.Or you can use leftover fish or chicken also to prepare this recipe.It's so flexible and i love it for that.

Ingredients:

1. Fish petty from rui/katla fish
2. turmeric powder - 1tsp
3. sliced bread
4. boiled potato
5. chopped onion
6. green chilly
7. Coriander leave
8. red chilly powder
9. cumin powder
10. salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil the fish with salt and turmeric powder.Remove the fish thorns from the boiled fish.
2. Mash the fish with boiled potato.
3. Now add chopped onion,green chilly,coriander leave,cumin powder,red chilly powder and salt in it.mix it properly.
4. Dip the bread in water and then take out and remove excess water.
5. Take little fiilling inside the bread slice and cover the filling with the bread.It will look like a snow ball at this time.Refer to the pic below.

    6. Take a kadai and heat oil.It will not be deep fried but need more oil than shallow fry.Refer to the pic below.Now fry till it becomes brown.

     7. Serve it hot with tomato sauce and hot tea.

Frying the snow balls

fried snow balls

Paneer Paratha

Now a days every Sunday i am making some stuffed paratha for breakfast.My husband loves to eat alu paratha and paneer paratha.So mainly I make these two types of paratha.This is a complete meal by itself.Serve it with pickle and curd.Sometimes when I am alone at home and feel super lazy for preparing lunch for myself I eat the same paratha in lunch too. :) Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the Fillling:

1. Grated paneer or chana (I have prepared chana from 1 lit of milk)
2. Coriander leave chopped
3. Coriander powder - 1tsp
4. Cumin powder - 1tsp
5. Green chilly -1 cut into pieces
6. Amchur powder - 1tsp
7. salt and sugar to taste
8. Vinegar - 2-3tbsp

For the dough:

1. Atta
2. salt 
3. oil - 1tsp

Method:

1. 1st you need to prepare the chana.For that heat milk in a pan.Take a cup and put vinegar and same amount of water in it.When the milk starts boiling, add the vinegar solution in milk and stir it continuously.After sometime the chana will be separated.Take a stainer and drain it so that the water will be drained out and you will get the chana.Hang it in a cloth for sometime so that the water drains out completely.
2. Now add coriander leave,green chilly,coriander and cumin powder,amchur powder,salt and sugar to the chana.Add one tbsp atta in it and mix the chana properly.
3. Now make 9 balls from this chana.
4. Make a ball from the dough.It should be as big as the chana ball.
5. Now roll the dough little bit(4'' diameter approx).You should roll it in such a way so that the middle part will be thick and corners will be thin.
6. Now place the chana ball in the middle and then cover the chana ball .You can refer to the below pic.

  7.  Now roll the paneer stuffed dough again.

  8. Heat a tawa and place it on top of that.

  9. When the paratha will change color and puff up then apply 1 tsp oil on it and then flip it.

10. Apply oil on the other side and flip it when it puffs.

11. Keep a dollop of butter on top and server hot.(putting butter is optional, if you are health concious then you can skip it).

Paneer Paratha - hot from the tawa

Paneer Paratha

Pomfret Rava fry

Pomfret Rava Fry

This is an amazing starter recipe.The spicy tangy pomfret rava fry is a perfect delight for foodies.First I tasted the recipe in Goa and ever since it has topped in my food chart.Goan fenny with rava fry is the deadly combo.Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Pomfret fish - 2 cut into pieces
2. Rava or Suji
3. Chilly powder 2tbsp
4. Turmeric powder 1tsp
5. garlic paste 1tsp
6. Vinegar -2-3 tbsp
7. salt to taste
8. Refined oil for deep fry

Method:

1. Clean the fish and pat it dry.
2. Make a paste of chilly,turmeric,garlic and vinegar.
3. Now apply the paste evenly on the fish pieces.
4. Spread the rava on a plate and roll the marinated fish pieces over the rava so that the rava quotes the entire fish pieces evenly.
5. Now keep the rava quoted fish pieces in the refridgerator for one hour.
6. Now take out the fish from refridgerator and deep fry in refined oil.Serve with sliced onion or salad.

Begun Ilish

Begun Ilish

This is another recipe where we use brinjal in fish recipe.Ilish or hilsha is the most adored fish among bengalis.Monsoon is incomplete without Ilish.Apart from Ilish bhaaja,Ilish vapa,Ilish paturi or sorshe Ilish, I like begun ilish also.Here goes the simple and tasty recipe.

Ingrdeients:

1. Hilsha - 4 pieces
2. Brinjal -1 
3. Kalanjee - 1 small tsp
4. Green Chilly slit-6-8
5. Mustard oil
6. Turmeric powder
7. salt to taste

Method:

1. Clean the fish and then add salt and turmeric powder.
2. Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the fish.Don't over fry the fish.The fish also will remove some oil.
3. In the same oil add kalanjee and brinjal.Fry for some time till the brinjal is soft and cooked.
4. Add slit green chilly,turmeric powder.Fry for 1 more min.
5. Now add some water (1 1/2 cup) and salt and let it boil.
6. Add the fish in boiling water and wait for 2 mins.
7. Now add two tablespoon mustard oil and switch off the flame.serve it hot with steamed rice.

Begun diye Tangra macher jhol

Begun diye Tangra macher jhol

Tangra maach or Tangra fish is a sweetheart to the Bongs.We love to eat this fish in simple jhol(thin gravy) or begun diye jhol(thin gravy with Brinjal) or tel jhal(oily gravy with lots of green chilly). Here I am sharing the recipe of begun diye jhol. I don't know if fish is cooked with vegetables in other provinces.But we bengalis certainly do so.Alu(potato) is the most common thing which we add in non-veg  dishes.Be it Mutton curry or chicken curry.Next comes brinjal.There are many dishes like Begun Ilish jhol,Begun diye Tangra macher jhol,Begun bodi diye pabda jhol etc.I 'll share all these recipes later.

Ingredients:

1. Tangra mach - 8
2. Brinjal - 1 big cut into pieces(like the pic above)
3. Alu - 2 medium size cut into thin slices
4. Kalanjee - 1 small tsp
5. Mustard oil
6. Turmeric powder - 1tsp
7. Red Chilly powder - 2tsp
8. Ginger paste - 1tsp
9. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and clean the fish.Add salt and turmeric powder to the fish.
2. Now heat a kadai with 3-4tbsp of mustard oil.Fry the fish and keep it aside.
3. In the same kadai now add the kalanjee and Brinjal.
4. Fry the Brinjal in the oil.Add some more oil if required.Keep the fried brinjal aside.
5. Now in the same oil add the potatoes and fry for some more time.
6. After the potatoes are fried, add ginger paste,chilly and turmeric powder.Fry for 1-2 mins.
7. Now add some water ( I have added 2 1/2 cups for the above gravy).Also add the fried brinjal and fried fish.Let the gravy to boil.
8. Add salt and slit green chilly (optional).
9. Boil till it cooks properly(the oil should come on top).Serve it hot with steamed rice.

Chicken Pepper Fry

Chicken Pepper Fry

This is one of my most favorite south indian chicken preparation.The recipe is very easy and very tasty.Basically its a very spicy recipe as you add green chilly, red chilly and pepper powder.But I don't eat so spicy so take the seeds out from the green chilly.It can be eaten as a starter or a side dish.Its a dry preparation (without gravy).here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Boneless(cut into small 1'' cube) - 400 gms
2. Garlic - 2tbsp chopped and 2tsp paste
3. Ginger - 1tsp chopped and 1-1/2tsp paste
4. Slit Green Chilly - 6-8 (you can take the seeds out if you want less spicy)
5. Red Chilly - 2 tsp
6. Curry leaves - 15-20 
7. Pepper powder - 2-3 tbsp
8. Curd - 2 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1tsp
10. Lemon Juice squeezed out from 1 medium size lemon
11. Salt to taste

Method:

1. 1st clean the chicken and marinate with salt,turmeric powder,red chilly powder(1tsp),ginger paste(1/2 tsp),garlic paste(1tsp) and lemon juice.Marinate it for 1 hour atleast.
2. Heat the kadai and add 3tbsp of refined oil.When its heated, add the marinated chicken and cook for 25 mins in simmer.Add salt to taste.No need to add any water.The chicken itself will remove water.After cooking the chicken if its watery then higher the flame and let the extra water to evaporate.Keep the cooked chicken aside.
3. In the same kadai add 2tbsp oil and heat.
4. Add Chopped garlic,chopped ginger,green chilly and curry leaves in the oil.Fry for 2 mins.
5. Add ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder and chilly powder(1tsp each).Fry for 1 more min.
6. Now add the curd and salt.Fry in high flame for 1 min.
7. Add the cooked chicken and mix it well with the masala.
8. Finally add the pepper powder and mix it well with the chicken.

Easiest way to Have Chilli Chicken

We all crave for chinese food. Everytime cant have them in a chinese restaurent. Sharing the easiest way to prepare Chilli Chicken -

Ingrdients:
                 Chicken- 500gms
                 Choice of vegetables- Carrots, Capsicum (Cut and Rinse well)
                 Green Chillis- 4 (medium chopped)
                 Spring onion- chopped
                 Onion- 2 large(one cut into pieces and another to be pasted)
                 Garlic and Ginger paste- 3 tablespoon
                 Chopped Garlic-4 cloves
                  Tomato-1 (paste)
                  Egg-1
                  Black Pepper Powder-2 tspoon
                  Cornflower-2tablesppon
                  Soya Sauce- 2 Table spoon
                  Vineger- 2table spoon
                  Salt and Sugar- to taste
                  Refined oilfor cooking

Procedure: Clean chicken well and marinate with onion paste, ginger and garlic paste, Soya sauce, egg and black pepper powder for one hour. Keep it in fridger. After one hour, take oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken pieces until its golden brown &  keep them aside(dont throw the marinated gravy). Shallow fry all the vegetables including onions and keep them aside with fried chicken. In a pan , take oil (we can use the excess oil too) take one spoon of black pepper powder in the hot oil and put the chopped garlic in it. After that  add tomato paste, rest ginger garlic and onion paste and marinated gravy and cook it well. Add the Chicken and the Vegetables and stir well. Add the vineger, salt and sugar. After cooking take some hot water and make a mixture of the cornflower and put it into the cooked chicken. Stir it well as it leaves no lumps. Now after 2-3 minutes Chilli Chicken will Be ready to eat.