Chingri Chachchori..Prawns cooked in mustard and poppy seed paste with Potato...!!!

Chingri Chachchori...Prawns & Potato Cooked in Mustard and Poppy Seed Paste...A Complete Easy Bong Delicacy...!!!

Prawns in my fridge,always make me happy whenerver on a lazy day, I just cant decide what to prepare in a very easy and simple way without much effort.And for us, the bengali people,the poppy seed paste is a superhit ingedient all the time.Even we love to eat it raw ,with steaming hot rice.
However,this chingri chachchori is just a simple and easy yet delicious  recipe which I have learned from Maa.Moreover,with limited amount of prawns a satisfactory amount of gravy can be prepared in this way.

Here is the process of making my Prawn and Potato Curry with Poppy Seed and Mustard seed paste.



Ingredients:

 

• Prawns: 250 gm(medium sized,deveined,deshelled,peeled,washed) 
• Onions: 1 large(thinely sliced)
• Potato: 1 large(cut into wedges)
• Poppy seed paste: 2 tbsp(soak them in little warm water and using a mixer grinder make a fine and smooth paste).
• Mustard Seed paste: 2 tsp( mix the paste in 2 tbsp of water to avoid its bitterness)
• Turmeric Powder:1 tsp
• Chilli Powder:1 tsp(or as per choice)
• Salt:Accoridng to taste
• Green Chilli:2-4 nos(or as per your choice)
• Mustard Oil:4 tbsp
• Water:1/2 to 1 cup

Process:

• At first clean the prawns properly and devein,deshell & peel it.You may keep their head and tail portions.
• Marinate them with little salt and turmeric powder for few minutes.
• Heat 2-3 tbsp of mustard oil in the pan add the green chilli and then add the sliced onions.
• Saute the onions for few minutes until transluscent but dont burn them.
• Then add the potato wedges with the onion and also add little turmeric powder and salt.
• Saute them slightly for few minutes and then add the marinated prawns.
• On medium flame saute the prawns until they turn nice golden in colour.
• Then add the poppy seed paste and nicely mix it with potato and prawns.
• Now after 2-3 minutes add the mustard paste and mix well.
• Add little chilli powder.
• Now add 1/2 cup of water.
• Cover it and cook until the potatoes become soft and prawns are done.
• Increase the flame little and make a thick nice curry.
• Turn off the flame and sprinkle one tbsp of raw mustard oil on it.
• Serve with steaming hot rice garnished with coriander leaves and green chilli.

                                                          Enjoy Your Food..!!

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes...!!

   

When you love someone, it's something. When someone loves you, it's another thing. When you love the person who loves you back, it's everything.Yes,it's the time to cheer ...it's the time to say I love you...each and every time these three words could give someone an another strength ..Yes,I believe so.Though personally I think that,if you really love someone there is no need of such celebrations.But still sometimes we need to indulge ourselves, need to cheer some moments...because in our usual busy life,sometimes we really become exhausted..frustrated and during that time some special occasions help us to feel amazing from inside.


It gives me an another different pleasure when I used to do something different for Him specially on a very special occasion.So,this year ,since last few days I was thinking ,what should I prepare special,but as I am phyiscally not well due to viral fever I didnt want to go for something very difficult preparation.Then I decided nothing would be better than a cake to celebrate your special moments.And in valentine's day Red Velvet Cake will be perfect when I will serve it to my Valentine with a bunch of red roses.

These Red Velvet Cup cakes are really vetvety,soft like sponge,wonderful in taste and easy to make.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour:2/3 cup
• Granulated Sugar:2/3cup                     
• Baking Powder:1 tsp
• Butter:50 gm
• Vanilla essence:1 tsp
• Cocoa Powder:1 tbsp
• Salt:1/4 tsp
• Egg:1
• Vinegar:1tsp
• Red colour:1 tsp
• Butter milk:4 tbsp
• Readymade Cream for Icing

Process:

• Keep the butter at room temperature and at first beat it on low speed with a hand mixer.With out the hand mixer you could also beat it.
• Mix the butter milk and the red colour together and mix well and keep aside.
• Add sugar with the butter and beat them again.
• Now add the egg at a time with it and beat again in low speed until it become absolutely smooth and lump free and creamy.
• Add the vanilla essence and beat again.
• Keep it aside.
• Take an another bowl and mix the flour, baking soda,cocoa powder and salt and mix.
• Now add the half of the dry ingredients directly on the previous batter of butter,sugar,egg and vanilla essence and beat them at medium speed for 2-4 minutes.
• Then add the mixture of the butter milk and the color and beat it for 1 min.
• Now add the rest of the dry ingredients into it and at medium speed beat iy for anoter 3 minutes.
• Now add vinegar to it and mix for one minute.
• A creamy,nice ,smooth red batter is now  ready.
• Now take the cupcake moulds or baking tray.
• Preheat the oven at 180 degree celcius for only 5 minutes.
• Grease your cup cake moulds with little butter.
• Pour the cake batter into the moulds .
• Bake it only for 10-13 minutes.
• Now if a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean then it's ready.
• The Read velvety Cup cakes are ready.
• Now take the icing cream and beat it very well for 2 minutes until frothy for 3 mintues at medium speed.
• Decorate your cupcakes with the vanilla icing in your own way.
• Serve and enjoy your day.

•                                                                                          Enjoy Your Food...!

Makhmali Prawns...A Sunday Special Comfort Food..!!

          Makhmali Prawns..... A Weekend Indulgence...!!!

I am quite sure that the name "Makhmali Prawns" is enough to bring water in the mouth of all the prawn lovers.Even I couldnt restrict myself when I saw the recipe and the photo for the first time at the food page of one of my very good friend Tanushri ,who as a blogger,as a chef,undoubtedly amazing.She called it Silky Shrimp and yes it's a perfect name because of it's smoothness.But I would like to add an another name,Makhmali Prawns.

This is a very easy preparation but wonderful in taste.Using very few usual ingredients a very rich,creamy,flavoursome preparation will be prepared in a very short period of time which could be enjoyed with anything,either with plain steamed rice,pulao,fried rice or with roti or paratha.


Here is the recipe:


Ingredients:

1. Medium sized prawns          :250gm (cleaned,peeled,deveined) 
2. Onions                                   : 2 medium size ( finely chopped)
3. Ginger paste                           : 1/2 tea spoon
4. Garlic paste                            : 1/2 tea spoon
5. Fenugreek powder                 : 1 tea spoon
6. Chilli flakes                           :As per your choice(I used 1/2 teaspoon) 
7. Garam mashala powder         :1/2 tea spoon
8. Salt to taste
9. Heavy Fresh cream                :1-1 1/2 cup
10. Water                                      :3/4 th cup 
11. Butter or white oil                   :2 table spoon

Process:

 

 

Marinated Prawns with Salt

 

 

 

 

                                                                     Methi Powder...!!

1. Marinate the cleaned and deveined prawns with little salt(dont add turmeric powder) and keep aside.
2. Grind methi to make a smooth powder.It will give an  extra flavour to your gravy.
3. Heat butter(oil may be used also) in a kadai or thick bottomed vessel and add the chopped onion to it.
4. Fry  until the onions become soft and dry.
5. But dont overcook them and try to fry them in low flame so that the color cant be turn brown beause even the onions become little more brown the color of the gravy will be changed and they may give a bitter taste also.
6. Then add the ginger and the garlic paste accordingly and stir well.
7. Now it's the time for adding the fenugreek powder,so add it.
8. Then add garam masala powder ,the chilli flakes and the salt respectively.
9. Add the marinated prawns and mix it. 
10. Pour the  cream to the kadai along with the water.
11. Cover it and cook in a very low heat but be careful  so that the cream could not stick  to the bottom of the pan.
12. After few minutes,when the prawns become soft increase the heat slightly to make a thick gravy but dont make it too dry.
13. This gravy will be very smooth ,soft and rich.
14. Turn off the heat and serve.

                                            Enjoy Your Food...!!!

Marbel Cake...TGI Friday special Snacks...!!!

                                                       

                                                Marbel Cake..!!!!



When for the first time, I saw the picture of  the marbel cake in a cook book I was totally surprised and thought that it requires an extra-ordinary baking skill to create something like this.But after reading the recipe, I understood that if I could follow each and every step with a little care then I too could easily prepare this beautiful cake.
After doing some research on the net about the recipe of this cake I found there are multiple recipes available but more or less the basic recipe and the result are almost same.Different people used different combinations to get the marbel effect, like vanilla - chocolate, chocolate - strawberry and few of them created the marbel effect using two diffetent food colours also. I really loved all of them.
 
I opted an easier recipe with vanilla - chocolate combination and made this for today's evening snacks.The result was really good .It made both my daughter and husband happy.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Cake Flour: 200 gm
• Butter:200gm
• Powdered Sugar:200gm
• Baking Powder:1/2 tsp
• Salt:1/4 tsp
• Eggs:2
• Full cream milk/whole milk/Evaporated Milk:90ml
• Vanilla Essence:1 tsp
• Cocoa Powder:1 tbsp

Process:

• Preheat your oven at 180 degrees celcius. Grease a baking pan and dust the inside with flour; tap to remove the excess. 
• At first put all the dry ingredients ,except sugar and the cocoa powder together and mix well.
• Then take another bowl, add the butter and the sugar.Butter should be kept at room tmperature.
•  Beat the butter on medium speed for 3 minutes, add the sugar, and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs, beating for 1 minute after each addition. if the batter curdles or stays curdled do not get worried. It will be fine. 
• Now add the vanilla.
• Reduce to low speed and alternately add the flour (1/3 of the whole) and the milk (1/2 of the whole). Repeat it twice and end with the rest of the amount of the flour.
• Now divide the batter into two portions.

• I divided it into 1:3 proportion.
• Then add the cocoa powder in the 3/4 th portions of the batter and mix well.
• Your Chocolate batter and white batter both are now  ready.

• Now take the baking tray.At first layer it with half of the white batter. 
• Then add the whole chocolate batter on it.
• Add rest of the white batter on it.
• And swirl it with a knife or fork to bring the marbel effect.
• Bake it 35-40 minutes at 180 degree celcius until a toothpick inserted into it comes out dry.
• Remove it from oven,Cut and serve.

                                                      Enjoy Your Food...!!!!!      


 

Prawn Paneer Pulao...!!..In Goan Style..!!

Goan,Malwani and Konkani Cuisine are almost similar to each other and heavenly delicious. Goan Cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa, spread across the India's west coast along the Arabian Sea. Seafood, coconut milk and the local spices are main ingredients of Goan cuisine.Honestly my mouth is watering while I am talking about the goan or malwani foods,But sometimes we restrict ourselves to eat the malwani foods ,specially in Mumbai due to its very rich spiciness.But undoubtedly its flavour is just awesome.

So,this time I thought of preparing some goan pulao at my home in my own style and by reducing its spiciness.And the result was extremely good.We enjoyed the freshness of the prawns ,the flavours of curry leaves and the coconut milk,the non oily,non greasy rice without  spiciness.I have also added paneer with it to make it more delicious.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice: 1 1/2 cups
• Fresh Prawns(medium/small sized):250 gms(head and tail less)
• Paneer:200 gms(cut in cubes)
• Ghee:2 table spoon
• Bay leaves:2
• Green Cardamons:4
• Cloves:6-8
• Cinnamon Stick:1 -2
• Onion:2 (thinly sliced) one is for making Barista (fried) and other is for cooking
• Turmeric Powder:1/2 tsp
• Lemon Juice:1 tsp
• Green chillis:2-4(optional as per the taste)
• Coconut Milk:4-5 table spoon
• Salt/Sugar: As per taste
• Fresh curry leaves:4-6
• Coriander leaves : Fresh chopped for garnishing

Process:

1.  At first soak  the rice in three cups of water for about twenty minutes. Drain and keep aside.
2. Soak the paneer cubes in luke warm water for 15 minutes with little salt and slightly fry them till little brown and keep aside.
3. Shell, de-vein and wash prawns very well.Marinate them with little salt and turmeric powder and slightly fry them until pink and keep them aside.
4. Fry the curry leaves in one tsp of oil and keep them aside.
5. Thinly slice the onions.
6. Make Barista with half of them.
7. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions.
8. Keep stirring the onions so that they are evenly brown. Cook until the onions are light golden in color and take out the onions immediately because by the time you get all the onion out it will get a little darker. 
9.  Do not over cook because if the onions get even slightly burnt, they leave a bitter taste.
10. Then heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan.
11. Add bay leaves, cardamons, cloves, cinnamon .
12. Once they crackle add rest of the sliced onion and sauté till pink.
13. Add three cups of water, turmeric powder, lemon juice and green chillies.
14. Bring it to a boil and add rice.
15. Cook for a minute and add prawns and coconut milk.
16. Season with salt and sugar. Stir light. 
17. Stir till rice absorbs all the water and then cover it with a lid and cook it on low heat till rice  cooked.
18. While the rice almost absorb 3/4 th of the water add the paneer cubes and mix carefully.
19. Add the fried curry leaves ,mix and trun of the gas.
20. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and barista.
21. You may add scrapped coconut while serving.

                                                      Enjoy Your Food..!!!!

Rainbow Cake...!!!

                            

                

                                           

The word "rainbow" itself  has something which is enough to attract a kid even us, the adult people also. With this word , don't you  remember some sweet memories, the beautiful nature...something that could refresh and refresh  you again. Oh I do...I have very sweet, beautiful and refreshing memories with this word. I could remember that in my childhood , I loved to draw rainbow, always used to pray to God to do something so that I could see a rainbow in the blue sky. And now I see the same expression, excitement in my daughter. And you know, she doesn't want to believe that the rainbow has only seven colors, she used to say me," no mamma , it has loads of colours" and starts to draw a rainbow in her drawing book atleast with 15-20 colours .I understand this is childhood...this is imagination...this is the refreshment...this is the joy...!

So, in this way, sometimes we could also add some colors in our daily boring life too. I thought, if only drawing a rainbow could make my little one so happy, why shouldn't I try to do something so that she could enjoy her food also and in this respect I must mention that this is the only thing for which most of the time I am used to fight with her. Meanwhile I saw a wonderful recipe of rainbow cake and immediately thought to try this. And unexpectedly it was wonderful . My daughter not only enjoyed it to eat but also she shared it with her friends. I was fully satisfied after making this. So, now I am going to share this.
Before I write this recipe, I want to inform that, as during this preparation I emphasized only on colouring and therefore I used a simple cake mix for this instead of using the materials from scratch. But if you want to do from scratch you should go for this.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Eggless Cake Mix(I used Pillsburry vanilla cake mix)
• Baking tray
• Food colors: I used red, green, sky blue and pink(you may use whatever you like)
• Mixing bowls:5( 1 large and 4 small, as I have used only 4 colours)

Preparation:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following the direction written on the backside of the packet, I at first prepared its batter using melted butter, milk, vanilla essence, powdered sugar in the large mixing bowl.

Then divided it into 4 equal parts and poured them in 4 different bowls.

Then only add 1 drop  each different colours into each  of the bowls.(amount of the colour depends on the amount of the batter,drops may be increased or decreased).Mix the color well with the batter.

Then preheat your oven in 180 degree C for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile take the baking tray.

Grease it with some butter.

Now add the coloured mixture one by one in the tray.

You will wonder to see that the different coloured batters are not mixing with each other.

Then put the tray inside the oven.

Bake it until a toothpick inserted into the cake, comes out dry.

Let it cool for sometime

Remove it from the tray carefully and you will be surprised and delightful again after you cut the cake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                        Enjoy Your Food..!