Achari Daal Paratha With Leftover Daal..!!!

Finishing the surplus/leftover daal, is the toughest job to do for me and  my family members. Most of the time, uselessly I keep it inside the refrigerator thinking of doing something later with it and then throw it into the garbage bag. 

But this time I didn’t do this, rather I made something new using it, in the next morning. Yes, I made “Daal Paratha” for the  breakfast and that too in a twisted way, to give the parathas a special touch. And it was“Achari Daal Paratha” .

Everyone in my family loved it, enjoyed it and happily finished it. 

Can you visualize my "win-win" face in the end? Yes, I was deliriously happy and why shouldn't I ? Atlast I found a way out.

Anyway, let’s come to the point now.Here is the detailed process following which you can also make “Achari Daal Paratha” with your leftover daal.”


Ingredients:

For Stuffing:

• Leftover daal(I used pinkish red lentil,masoor daal) : 1 1/2 Cup
• Chopped Onion: 2 tbsp.
• Ginger Paste: 1 tsp.
• Hot & Sour Pickle(I used mango pickle, you may use any variety of your choice) : 1 tbsp.(mashed the pulp of the mango including masala and discard the hard portion).

For the Dough:

• Whole Wheat Flour( Atta) :- 1/2 CUp
• All Purpose Flour: 1/2 CUp
• Salt: 1/4 th tsp.
• White Oil : 2 tbsp to fry the paratha and 1 tbsp to knead the dough.
• Water: To knead.

Process:

      Stuffing Preparation:

• Start boiling the leftover daal in a non stick pan. Once the daal becomes thick add the chopped onion and ginger paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes more until the raw smell goes off.
• Now add the pickle and mix well. Cook until all the water dries up and the mixture gets ready to use as stuffing.
• Keep it aside and let it cool for sometime.

Dough Making:

• Take a bowl. Mix in atta, maida, salt and white oil. Add water slowly and make a firm yet soft dough. Cover it with a wet cloth and let it rest for sometime.
• Now divide the dough into few medium sized balls. Every ball should be equal in size.

 Making Paratha:

• Roll out each ball into a small circle dusting with wheat flour.
• Keep one tbsp of stuffing in the center and gather all the corners, close it, seal it well and press lightly.
• Now roll out the sealed stuffed ball carefully dusting with wheat flour powder.
• While rolling them out keep the sealed side of the ball on the top and don't apply too much pressure.
• Repeat the same process and roll out the other balls.
• Now heat a flat pan or tawa. Put the rolled paratha on it, when the bubbles will come, spread a tsp of oil all over the paratha and flip it over to the other side. 
• Spread another tsp of oil on the other side until the brown spots appear on both the sides.
• Repeat the process to fry the rest of the balls.
• Achari Daal Paratha is ready now.
• Serve the paratha hot with curd,pickle or raita.

                                                                           Enjoy Your Food..!!!

Fusion Mutton Curry..!!!

Have you ever tried to keep yourself away from your most adored hobby? Doesn’t it make a throbbing pain in the heart directly? No, not intentionally but I was away from my blog for a long time because of some indispensable reasons. Anyway, nothing much to tell about it…hope everyone of you is  just hearty and hale…My heartcore thanks to each and everyone who inspite of my absence, regularly visited my blog and followed..at the same time a warm welcome to all the new members of my blog page.. Though I was officially absent but regularly I got notifications of your visits, comments and likes. Not only that but also I should give immense thanks and love to my those generous and kind friends who reinvigorated me to start blogging again…

Today, I am going to share one of my experimental mutton  recipes which I prepared for the very first time for a Sunday lunch. I termed it “Fusion Mutton Curry” as in this recipe I combined two different processes of the mutton preparation. One,which is typically used to prepare mutton in the Southern Part of India and with the other process mutton is prepared in the Northern Part of India.

Here comes the process :

Ingredients :

   
                           : To Marinate The Mutton:

• Yogurt :2/3 tbsp
• Salt: To taste
• Turmeric Powder: ¼ th tsp mustard oil: 2-3 tbsp.
• Mustard Oil : 2-3 tbsp.
• Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp.
• Black Pepper Powder(preferably freshly crushed) : ¼ th tsp.
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder : 2 tsp (You may use hot red chili powder instead of Kashmiri red chili powder if you wish to )

                     :Other General Ingredients:

• Mutton: 800gm
• Curry Leaves :5-6 nos.
• Onion: 5-6 nos (medium sized, chopped finely)
• Tomato: 2 chopped
• Ginger Paste: 1 ½ tbsp.
• Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp.
• Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp.
• Cumin Powder: 1 tbsp.
• Coconut Milk: ½ cup (you may prepare it freshly or used store bought coconut milk. I used 2 tbsp of  Maggi coconut powder which I dissolved it half cup warm water and made the milk )
• Cinnamon Sticks: 1
• Cardamoms: 4-5 nos.
• Cloves: 4/5
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar: ¼ th tsp.
• Mustard Oil: 2-3 tbsp. more except the amount used for marinating.
• Fresh Cream: 1 tbsp.

Process:

• Wash the mutton pieces well with warm water and wipe the pieces off with a kitchen towel or paper napkin.
• Marinate it with the above mentioned ingredients and keep it for 1 hr inside the refrigerator.
• Heat the rest of the mustard oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamoms and cloves. When the aroma starts to come out add the curry leaves, tomatoes and chopped onions. Cook until the onion becomes soft and translucent and the tomatoes become mushy.
• Now add the marinated mutton pieces into the pressure cooker and fry on high flame for 5- 7 minutes.
• Add the ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin power, salt (be careful while adding salt as the mutton pieces already have salt which was given while marinating ),sugar and mix thoroughly. Cook until oil start releasing from sides of the cooker.
• Add the coconut milk now. Give it a good stir and over the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook till 2 whistles come out or till the mutton pieces are done.
• Uncover and taste the seasoning. Add salt or sugar if required.
• During this mutton curry preparation you do not need to add any extra water as it has a thick gravy and not watery. The mutton pieces will be cooked with the water present in the yogurt and in the coconut milk.
• Turn off the flame. Your fusion mutton curry is ready to be served now. Add the fresh cream and serve with Rice, Pulao , Roti or Parantha.
• This time I served it with Bengali Mishti Polao .

Bengali Mishti Polao

                                                    Enjoy Your Food!!!!

Chicken Fry (My Version) ...!!!

It is a very informal, fast, hassle-free juicy yet crispy chicken preparation which may turn your sluggish weekend afternoon into an enjoyable one.You can serve it as an appetizer too before your main course meal.


Here goes the recipe:





Ingredients:

• Chicken : 8-10 pieces(you can use  curry cut chicken pieces, drumsticks or drumettes too.If you are using drumsticks or very large chicken pieces don't forget to slit the pieces with a sharp knife so that the marinade can enter inside and the chicken pieces can be cooked uniformly.)
• Onion Paste: 3 tbsp.
• Ginger Paste:1 ½ tsp.
• Garlic Paste:2 tbsp.
• Vinegar:1 tbsp.
• Yogurt:2 tbsp.
• Black Pepper Powder: 1/2tsp.
• Chili Powder:1 tsp (or as per your taste).
• Cumin Seeds :1 tbsp.
• Gram Flour : 2 tbsp.
• Salt: To taste.
• Mustard Oil :1 tbsp (for marination)
• White Oil :1/2 Cup (to deep fry) .

Process:

• Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces with a kitchen cloth.
• Marinate it with above mentioned all the ingredients except the white oil and keep it inside the refrigerator for atleast 1 hour (preferably 2-3 hours).
• Now heat the oil very well in a deep bottomed vessel and fry them on medium flame till the chicken pieces become tender and done completely. For a better result you may fry one or two chicken pieces at a time.
• Soak the excess oil using a tissue. Serve hot garnished with onion rings, and lemon wedges.

                                                                 Enjoy Your Food...!!

Nolen Gurer Payesh...Rice Kheer With Date Palm Jaggery...!!!!

Poush Sankranti.....Makar Sankranti.... Poush Parbon.....!!the word is umbilically related to Bong people. Bengal is An Abode of Festival... An Abode of Enthusiasm ...AN Abode of Rich Tradition,Spirit and Culture.Colloquially it is said that Bengali Calendar of 12 months celebrate 13 festivals. Even the time when the first grain of the year is stocked up is celebrated in a gorgeous and honourable way .This is known as "Nabanno"( nabo= new, anno= rice) in Bengal. This is the actual significance of "Poush Sankranti" or the last day of the bengali month Poush.According to Hindu Philosophy this particular day is the beginning of the Sun's Northward Journey ,from Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer. This is also called "Uttarayan". According to science the journey starts on 22 nd Dec. Poush Parbon or Makar Sankranti is not only celebrated in Bengal but also in almost all the regions of India. Actually the date of Makar Sankranti  is regarded as the Official beginning of Spring in India.

Nolen Gur ,Khejur Gur or Date Palm Jaggery is a traditional  jaggery from Bengal and can only be found in the Indian State of West Bengal and in Bangladesh. It is only extracted from the trees during winter months. In summer the heat at night makes the sap rancid and alcoholic.In one of my posts (Khejur Gurer Narom Paker Sondesh ), I already mentioned how this jaggery is produced in different parts of Bengal . In winter season this is widely available in every nook and corner of the state. So, very obviously this jaggery takes an important role in this celebration. Various traditional sweets basically made with rice, flour, milk and date palm jaggery or sugar are prepared in each and every house. These very traditional and famous sweets are known as "Pithe/Pitha" in bengali.

I was born and brought up in that part of Bengal where I got the opportunity to witness this celebration from my childhood.Though all those beautiful memories are archived in pages of history now but still I can remember those days very well. On that day, early morning after taking bath Maa made beautiful "Alpona" in front of our "thakur ghor" with rice paste and water. That was a holiday in our school and as my father was in Government Service it was his holiday too. So, after puja, we all  used to enjoy our lunch with "Khichuri"(Khichdi/Hotch Potch). In the afternoon Maa prepared various "pithe" specially, dudh puli and patishapta as these were our most favourite . Me and my brother eagerly waited for the dinner . Yes, dinner that day would comprise only  pithe.

But this time I couldn’t manage to make anything special at my home, except this rice kheer or payesh with date palm jaggery. So without wasting time lets come to the point now.Here comes the recipe of preparing Rice Kheer with Date Palm Jaggery .




Ingredients:

• Rice(Gobindobhog, Ambemohar rice, a very short grain aromatic rice. We the Bengali people exclusively use this rice for making payesh,but in absence any aromatic basmati rice is ok to use too) : ¼ Cup(soaked in water for half an hour).
• Date Jaggery: 4-5 tbsp.
• Cardamom Powder: ¼ tsp.
• Milk: 1 lt.
• Mawa/Khoya(Grated):2 -3tbsp.
• Cashewnuts: A handful
• Raisins: A few(I didn’t use though)

Process: 

• Take a heavy bottomed vessel,specially the non stick one, so that the milk cant stick to the bottom. Boil the milk till it is reduced to its half of the amount. Once the milk becomes thick add the rice and cook until it is done. Add the cashewnuts. 
• Now it’s time for adding  the jaggery. Add and mix well . Sprinkle the cardamom power and add the grated mawa into it. Mix thoroughly . Cook for another 4-5 minutes and turn off the flame. 
• Your payesh is ready to serve. Serve it hot or chilled.

                                                                 Enjoy Your Food..!!

Milk Powder Cake...!!!

Since a long time many of my readers have been asking me for a quick ,easy, tried and tasted recipe of a cake , which can be baked specially in the microwave oven.  So ,here I am sharing one of them today which I usually prepare at home for my daughter, as this one is one of her most favorites. 
Milk Powder Cake: 



Here comes the process:



Ingredients:

• All purpose flour /Plain Flour: 1 Cup
• Milk Powder:1 Cup
• Powdered Sugar: 1 Cup
• Low Fat Fresh Cream: 1 Cup
• Butter (Normal or Unsalted): 2 tbsp.
• Oil or butter for greasing the baking pan
• Cinnamon Powder: 1/2 tsp. (Optional)
• Baking Powder: 1 ½ tsp.
• Baking Soda: A pinch.
• Cashews: A handful.

Process:

• Preheat the oven to  180 degree C for 5 minutes.
• Now in a mixing bowl sieve the flour, mix in powdered sugar, milk powder,baking powder, baking soda, butter and the fresh cream. Using a electric mixer or by hands mix thoroughly until there is no lump.
• Grease the baking pan with little oil or butter.
• Pour the batter into it,sprinkle some cashews on top and bake in in the preheated oven for 30 minutes( timing generally depend on the power of your microwave oven, so it may require little more or less time than the mentioned timing) at 180 degree C.
• To check whether the cake is done or not, just insert a fork or toothpick inside the cake. If it comes out clean, then your cake is ready.
• Make it little cool and carefully demold it from the cake pan , cut and serve.

                                                                        Enjoy Your Food..!!

My Version of Goan Style Prawn Curry with Asian Giant Tiger Prawns...!!!!

The other day the man in my family bought some giant size tiger prawns from the nearby Pescafresh store (India’s leading sea food company) .I was delighted to see the sizes of the prawns.  Penaeus monodon, the giant tiger prawn or Asian tiger shrimp (and also known by other common names), is a marine crustacean that is widely reared for food. 

But I didn’t have any experience of cooking such giant size prawns at home so was thinking hard what to do with them. Then I thought of making Goan style prawn curry with them as we are very fond of Goan cuisine . But thinking of my little one who loves prawns very much but can’t eat spicy foods I modified it and prepared it in my own style.To be very honest it turned out delicious.

So here comes the recipe for my version of goan style prawn curry . Here I should mention that please don’t expect a typical(ideal) version of goan prawn curry from this recipe as I have prepared it in my own way completely and except the use of coconut cream and curry leaves I didn’t use any spices which are generally used in Goan cuisine.
Lets start discussing the recipe:


Ingredients:

• Asian Giant Tiger Prawns: 4-5 nos.
• Onion: 2 Large(Chopped)
• Tomato : 1 (chopped)
• Ginger Paste: 1tsp.
• Garlic :7-8 Cloves(Crushed)
• Yogurt:1 tbsp.
• Kashimiri Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder:2 tsp.
• Salt: To Taste.
• Sugar: 1/2 tsp.
• Green Chili :1 (or as much as you want, I didn’t use even a single one)
• Curry Leaves: 7-8 leaves
• Freshly Ground Garam Masala Powder ((cinnamon 1inch,2 cardamoms,3 cloves): 1tsp.
• Mustard Oil: 3 tbsp.
• Coconut Cream: 2 tbsp. (if you are using coconut milk, add ½ cup of it)
• Fresh Cream: 1 tbsp.
• Water:1/2 Cup to 1 Cup (warm)

Process:

• At first peel and devein the prawns. If you get very fresh prawns try to keep the heads intact. Wash it thoroughly and marinate them with salt, turmeric powder for 5 minutes.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and fry the prawns till golden yellow.
• Now heat another 2 tbsp of oil in the kadhai and add the sugar , caramelize it and then add the crushed garlic and tomato.Give it a good stir and cook for few minutes, Once the tomato become little mushy add the chopped onions. Sprinkle little salt and cook until the onions become translucent. Then add the turmeric powder, salt,kashimiri red chili powder, green chili (if you are using) and the beaten yogurt. Here I just want to mention that to avoid curdling beat the yogurt with a pinch of wheat flour and little water. Cook until oil starts to release from the sides of the kadhai and all the spices are mixed with each other very well. Then add the coconut milk/cream and give a very nice stir.
• Turn off the flame and pour the cooked spices into a blender. Blend it till the spices become smooth.
• Now heat a cleaned kadhai and heat the remaining oil and then pour the spices paste into it. Soon it will start to boil. Immediately add a cup of warm water into it and mix. Add the fired prawns into it. Fry the curry leaves with little oil separately and add to the gravy now.Cook until the prawns are done and the gravy comes to your desired consistency. Add the fresh cream and give a nice stir.
• Taste the seasoning. Add sugar or salt if required. 
• Turn off the flame and sprinkle the freshly ground garam masala powder.
• My version of goan prawn curry is ready to serve. Serve it with steaming hot rice. Believe me it tastes heavenly.

                                                                                             Enjoy Your Food...!!!!

Bhapa Chicken Curry...!!! Steamed Chicken Curry With Maa's Recipe...!!!

Steamed Chicken Curry…. Or Bhapa Chicken….A rapid and informal recipe which Maa prepares at home often when she has to cook something tasty for us in hurry. I collected the recipe from her long ago and since then thinking of making it at home but somehow forgot. Last Sunday while I was carelessly turning over the pages of my recipe notebook I found the recipe of the same and without wasting time made it. Now it’s the time to share that recipe with all of you. I hope you will not get disappointed after trying this.

Here it is:

Ingredients:

• Chicken: 800 gm.
• Onion: 3 Large (Chopped)
• Ginger: 2 tsp. (Very Smooth Paste)
• Garlic: 2 tbsp. (Paste or Crushed)
• Yogurt: ½ Cup (beaten)
• Black Pepper Powder: ¼ th tsp.
• Turmeric Powder: 2 tsp.
• Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp. (Adjust according to your tolerance)
• Green Chili: 2-4 (chopped or use as a whole)
• Cinnamon Sticks: 1
• Cardamoms: 2-3
• Cloves: 2-3.
• Mustard Oil :4-5 tbsp.
• Salt : To taste
• Sugar: ½ tsp.

Process:

• Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces at first. Then marinate it with 2 tbsp pf mustard oil, ginger garlic paste, yogurt, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and green chili. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for atleast 2 hours.
• Then heat rest of the mustard oil in a deep bottomed vessel. Add the sugar and caramelize it. Now add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and cardamoms. Once the aroma comes out add the chopped onion and fry them in increasing flame until they become transparent and little brown in color. Don’t over fry .
• Now lower the flame to the minimum and add the chicken, mix thoroughly with the onions, add salt, mix and cover it . Cook it on a very low flame, covered for 20-30 minutes. Please don't forget to stir the curry in between You don’t need to add water as the chicken has been marinated with yogurt which will release lots of water and the chicken will be cooked. Once done uncover the vessel and taste the seasoning. Add more salt and sugar if required.
• Serve with steaming hot rice, pulao, naan, paratha or roti.

Note: If you want you may add potato cubes to the chicken curry too. In that case you need to fry the cubed potato separately till golden yellow with salt and turmeric powder and then add it to the vessel along with the marinated chicken. Cook until done. 

                                                                   Enjoy Your Food...!!!