No Onion No Garlic Paneer Butter Masala..!!!

Cooking meals on Fridays seems to be a tough task for me as it is considered to be complete vegetarian day at my home. The other two members of my tiny family can’t even imagine a single day without some non-veg stuff. To us, the Bengali people vegetarian day means absence of onion and garlic even as we consider them as non-veg item. So it turns out to be really a great deal for me to cook some veg dish which will be tasty so that my husband and the little one don’t have to negotiate with the taste.

For cooking any veg dish,paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is the best choice. So, today I am going to share my version of “Paneer Butter Masala” recipe which I prepare mostly without onion and garlic. The whole recipe entails of very few simple steps but the taste is no less than the paneer cooked with onion and garlic.

So , here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Fresh Paneer: 250 gm
• Tomato: 2 (chopped) (large and juicy, make a smooth paste of the chopped tomato with little water)
• Ginger Paste :11/2 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder :1 tsp.
• Cumin Powder :1 tsp.
• Coriander Powder:1 tsp.
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar: 1 tsp.
• Asafoetida (hing) : a pinch
• Cumin Seeds (Whole) : 1 tsp.
• Red Chili Powder : 1tsp.
• Garam Masala Powder : 1/4 tsp.
• Cashews : a handful (Soaked in warm milk)
• Milk:1 Cup
• Fresh Cream : 2 tbsp
• Butter :2 tbsp.
• White Oil :1 tbsp.
• Water: 1/2 Cup (if required)

Process:

• Cut the fresh paneer in your desired shapes and soak these in warm water with pinch of salt for sometime.
• Make a smooth paste of the milk soaked cashews and keep it aside. 
• Make a smooth paste of the chopped tomato.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel and temper with whole cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds starts to crackle add the butter. Then add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, asafoetida, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,salt, sugar and mix thoroughly.
• Pour the cashew paste into the vessel and cook until the oil start releasing from the sides of the vessel.
• Once oil starts releasing from the sides of the vessel pour the milk into it and let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Now add the paneer and the fresh cream and mix well. At this time if required you may add little water. Cover the vessel and cook for 5-6 minutes. Don't over cook it unless the paneer will be hard.
• Uncover the vessel and sprinkle the garam masala powder and cover the vessel again for 1 minute only so that the aroma could be absorbed by the curry.
• Turn off the flame. Paneer butter masala is ready to serve. Serve it with roti, paratha or polao.

                           

                                                                         Enjoy Your Food!!

Summer Special Vegetable Curry With Watery Gravy...!!!!

“SUMMER” – the word itself brings a lot of heat in INDIA. But heat itself is not the core thing which brings worry to this side of the world. Heat brings many sidekicks which are even bigger reason to raise your heart beats. Dehydration, indigestion, stomach upset, infections are few to name. Spices are something which highly need to be avoided as they create the above mentioned issues if not used appropriately. So the question comes what to eat?? Without spices the food seems blunt and no one wants to eat a healthy food which is not tasty. Then the bigger question comes to find exactly what spices to eat and exactly how much amount so that a food can be healthy enough to beat the heat and tasty enough to beat the tongue.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts that the Mother Nature provides a huge set of fruits and vegetables during this summer season to cope with the extreme heat. So here comes the recipe of a mix vegetable gravy which is not only tasty but also extremely healthy and can be eaten daily without harming either the health or tongue.

So, here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Potato: 2 (Peeled & Cut into wedges)
• Raw Banana: 2 (Peeled & Cut in small Pieces)
• Pointed Gourd: 4 (Peeled and cut in small pieces)
• Ridge Gourd: 2 (Peeled & Cut in small Pieces)
• Cauliflower: 1 Cup florets
• Tomato :1 large and juicy ( cut in cubes)
• Ginger Paste: 2 tsp.
• Coriander Seeds Paste : 2 tsp.
• Cumin Seeds Paste:2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder :1 tsp.
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar : 1/2 tsp.
• Cumin Seeds (Whole) : 1 tsp.
• Green Chili :3-4 nos.
• Coriander Leaves
• Oil: White or Mustard (3-4 tbsp)
• Water: 3-4 Cups

Process:

• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel andd temper with cumin seeds and green chili. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle add the tomato pieces and stir well. Cook until the tomato becomes little mushy.
• Now add all the vegetables and fry them in medium flame with salt and turmeric powder for few minutes.
• Add the ginger paste, cumin-coriander seeds paste, sugar, coriander leaves and mix thoroughly with all the vegetables.
• Cook until oil starts releasing from the sides of the vessel.
• Pour the water now, increase the flame and cover the vessel with a lead and cook until the vegetables are done properly.
• Uncover the vessel and taste the seasoning. Add salt or sugar if required.
• As it is a watery gravy add some more water if required and cook for some more time.
• Turn off the flame. Summer special vegetable curry with watery gravy is ready . Serve it with steaming hot rice and enjoy with a slice of lemon and a wedge of onion.

                                               

                                                        Enjoy Your Food..!!!

Potoler Dorma....!! Potoler Dolma....!! Prawn Stuffed Pointed Gourd Curry ....!!!!

The Bengali people can’t imagine a single merriment time without some special foods. Be it their new year, be it their wedding ceremony, be it any religious time or at home even Sundays are considered curtailed without the food indulgences. Yes, we love to cook, love to enjoy our exclusive moment to its full extent and take pleasure of our food in every possible way.

Today, I am going to share an elite vegetable preparation with a non veg twist which is considered as one of the most conventional and humble Bengali delicacies, Potoler Dorma/Potoler Dolma or Stuffed Pointed Gourd Curry. There are two deviations of this dish. One is the complete vegetarian version where fried pointed gourds are stuffed with smashed potato or paneer (cottage cheese) and the the in other variety fried pointed gourds are stuffed with fish ,prawns or even chicken.
I picked the prawn stuffing version this time. The procedure is little prolonged and time taking but the consequence will be so unparalleled and well that it worth putting time.

Here comes the complete procedure of making Chingri Pur Bhora Potoler Dorma or Prawn Stuffed Pointed Gourd Curry..!!!!!!

Ingredients:

• Pointed Gourds:
• Prawns(small sized, I used biryani prawns) :200 gm.(decapitated ,without tail,shelled, ,veined and washed , )
• Onions: 4 (2 chopped finely and make a smooth paste with other two of them).
• Ginger: 1 tsp. + 1 ½ tsp.
• Garlic: 1 tsp + 1 tsp.( Crushed)
• Coconut (grated): 2 tbsp.
• Tomato Puree: 2 tsp+ 2 tbsp.
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar:1/2 tsp.
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: 2 tsp.
• Mustard Oil: 2 tbsp for cooking
• White Oil: 2 tbsp (For frying the pointed gourds and the prawns)
• Water: 1 Cup
• Garam Masala Powder: ½ tsp.

Preparation:

• Wash and clean the pointed gourds at first. Then Scrape the whole skin of each of them with a knife. Then cut one end little, near the edge and the other end little big. The big cut helps to enter a spoon inside to scope out the seeds.
• Then rub the pointed gourds with little salt and turmeric powder and keep them aside for just 4-5 minutes. Heat little white oil in a pan and fry them .Once done, take them out of the pan and keep them on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.
• Now wash and pat dry the prawns. Marinate them with little salt and turmeric powder. Now fry them with little white oil until pinkish in color. Take them out of the pan and let it cool for sometime. Then mash them coarsely with hands. 
• Now heat 1 tsp of mustard in a pan. Add 1 tsp of crushed garlic and sauté till brown. Add the chopped onion, tomato puree, ginger paste, little salt and red chili powder. Sauté till the raw smell goes off. Now add the mashed prawns into it. Stir well and cook until oil starts releasing from sides of the pan. Sprinkle a very little water at this time and give a nice stir. Add the grated coconut and cook another 5-6 minutes on medium to low flame.
• Your prawn stuffing is ready now. Take them out of the pan and keep separately until it becomes cool.
• Now stuff each of the fried pointed gourds with the prawns and make them ready to be cooked into the gravy.
• Take a separate pan. Heat the mustard oil and add the sugar and fry till brown. Now add the garlic, fry little and add the tomato puree and onion paste together. Sprinkle salt, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder and mix thoroughly.
• After 5-6 minutes add the ginger paste and cook on medium flame till the oil start to release from the sides of the pan. Pour the water and cover. Let it boil for sometime. 
• Now uncover and add the garam masala powder and cover again for a while so that the aroma of it could be absorbed by the curry.
• Then add the stuffed pointed gourd. Lower the flame and instead of stirring it vigorously cook them very carefully. Once one side the pointed gourds is covered by the gravy turn them and cook the another side for few minutes more. 
• Your Potoler Dorma is ready. Turn off the flame and serve with steaming hot right. Enjoy this absolutely heavenly delish.

                                

                                                  

                                                                                       Enjoy your food...!!!

Posto Borar Malai Curry .... Poppy Seeds Cakes In Coconut Gravy.....!!!

Posto or poppy seeds ,which is drawn from the opium plant (Papaver somniferum) is one of the most imperative components  of any Bengali Kitchen. We deem a full course Bengali meal imperfect without this. There are copious preparations in which we use poppy seeds paste as the key ingredient. Not only that in many fries we intersperse the whole poppy seeds to augment the deliciousness. Amongst all the preparations of poppy seeds Alu Posto( potato and poppy seeds paste curry)  and Postor bora or poppy seeds cakes are  enormously trendy and most admirable Bengali Delicacies. But eating raw poppy seeds paste with steaming hot rice is my most favorite. Ahhh Heaven...!!! I will definitely share  the experience with you someday.

Now lets discuss some of other good magnitudes  of Poppy seeds.Besides its luscious and mouth watering taste this  is good for human health too. Poppy seeds are highly nutritious, and less allergenic than many other seeds and nuts. These are a potential source of anti-cancer drugs.  Moreover it is very helpful in digestion and rich in carbohydrate and calcium too. 

Today I am going to share a little off bit recipe of poppy seeds. Out of inquisitiveness I prepared a different type of curry with the poppy seeds cakes. After making poppy seed paste cakes or postor bora I made Malaicurry with those.If the truth be unfold ,I also never tried or tasted it before but it was simply cherished by my other two family members, even I also liked it very much. 


Here is the recipe for you ….!!




Ingredients:

For Making Postor Bora:

• Poppy Seeds Paste: 1 Cup + 1 tbsp.
• Coconut ( Freshly Grated or Frozen) : 3 -4 tsp.
• Onion : 2 small ( very finely chopped)
• Green ChiliL :2 (Chopped)
• Salt: As required.
• Maida(White flour) :2 tsp.
• Mustard Oil : 1 tbsp + for frying.

For The Curry:

• Cinnamon Stick:1
• Cardamoms:2-3
• Cloves:2-3
• Onion:2 tbsp ( Paste)
• Ginger:1 1/2 tsp.
• Garlic:1 1/2 tsp ( Crushed)
• Tomato Puree:2 tbsp.
• Salt:to taste
• Sugar:1/4th tsp.
• Turmeric Powder:1/2 tsp.
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder:2 tsp.
• Coconut Milk: 1 cup ( I used 1 small packer of  maggi coconut powder which I dissolved in a cup of water)
• Poppy Seeds Paste:1 tbsp.
• Mustard Oil : 2 tbsp.
• Water:1/4 -1/2 Cup ( warm)

Process:

How to Make Postor Bora:

• At first mix 1 cup of poppy seeds paste with green chili, onion, grated coconut, salt, mustard oil and maida. The idea of adding coconut in the popp seeds paste I learned from one of my friend. You may skip it too. But dont forget to add little flour while you are going to make curry with your poppy seeds cakes. It will help to keep the poppy seeds cake firm and these wont break easily.
• Once yout mixture is ready make few flattened balls keep them aside.
• Heat a little mustard oil in a pan( preferably non stick pan) and shallow fry them until golden brown in color.
• Your postor bora is ready. Take them out of the pan and keep them on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.

you can serve these with steaming hot rice and lentil too.

How to prepare the Malai Curry:

• Heat the rest of the mustard oil in a pan and then add the sugar. On medium flame fry the sugar till brown and then add the cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamoms.Fill the fragrance and then after 2-3 minutes add the tomato puree. Give a nice stir . Then add the onion paste. ginger paste ,salt and kashmiti red chili powder.
• Keeping  the flame in low to medium cook thoroughly until oil starts to release from the sides of the pan. At this time you will find that the spices mix tends to leave the pan. Now add the coconut milk and a 1/4 th cup of warm water.Let it boil for few minutes.
• Then add the fried poppy seeds cakes or postor bora. Do not cook them for a very long period of time as they can break off.
• Once these gravy becomes thick and the postor bora become more soft and tender and well coated by the gravy turn off the flame.
• Serve with steaming hot rice.
• Trust me it's blissfully delicious.

                                                                   Enjoy Your Food...!!

Bitter Gourd & Capsicum Fry...!!!

Ruthless summer and its consequences don’t persuade me to stay inside the kitchen for a very long period of time. That’s why these days I am sharing some very easy and fuss free recipes. But I promise I will be back with some other recipes soon. Today I am going to share an incredibly trouble-free, as well as hale and hearty recipe for everyone. This is not only the first-rate recipe for the diabetic people but also it is good for the non diabetic ones.

Here comes the process:

Ingredients:

• Bitter gourd: 2 nos.
• Capsicum (Green Bell Pepper): 2 nos.
• Onion: 2 nos.(thin sliced)
• Garlic: 4-5 cloves(crushed)
• Green Chili: 2-3 (Chopped or halved, adjust the number according to your tolerance)
• Turmeric Powder:1 tsp.
• Salt: To taste
• Onion Seeds ( Kalonji):1/2 tsp.
• Coriander Leaves: Chopped to garnish.( Optional)
• Oil :1-2 tsp.

Process:

• Wash, Pat dry both the capsicum and bitter gourd. Remove the tapering ends of the bitter gourd and make thin slice of them. Keep separately. Discard the seeds of the capsicum in the middle and make thin slice of that also. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the kalonji or onion seeds. Feel the fragrance. Then add the crushed garlic. Once it becomes little brown add the onion slices and fry it on medium flames till translucent. Now add the bitter gourd and the capsicum slices. Add the turmeric powder and salt. Stir it for 2-3 minutes. Then cover and cook until both of them become  tender.
• After few minutes uncover and cook for another few minutes on medium flames. Add the chopped green chili. Give a nice stir. Once the bitter gourd and the capsicum become well fried turn off the flames.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

                                                                                                            Enjoy Your Food...!!!