Langcha/ Pantua ( the most Famous Bengali Sweets) Recipe..!!

Langcha is a famous sweet of West Bengal. This is one of those popular fried sweets that India is famous for. Shaktigarh in the Bardhaman District of West Bengal is famous for this sweet item. Langcha is one of the most delicious Bengali Sweets.

But here in Mumbai we dont get any chance to enjoy this sweet and therefore for the first time I took a chance to prepare it at home, the result was just extra-ordinarily good. We simply loved it. But I should mention that One of my facebook friend helped me with her recipe to make this. I would like to suggest you to take a chance to prepare it at your home atleast for once.You will be surprised with your own capability.

Here is the recipe:


                           An Overview through Pictures

                                          Boiling Milk..

                             Added Vinegar and the Milk started to curdle..

                       Chana is forming and separating from the greenish liquid ..

                                   Draining the chena using a Muslin cloth..

                                Powdered Milk And liquid milk for preparing Mawa at home..

                                        Dough Made from powder milk and little liquid milk

Preparing the sugar Syrup

                                                                   Grating the Mawa

                                                                       Making Langcha

Pantua

                                                    Pantua and langcha are ready to fry..

Frying

                                                         Into the Sugar Syrup..

Langcha and Pantua are ready,let it soak into the sugar syrup for 20-30 minutes..

 Ingredients:

• Chana:200 gms
• Khowa(Mawa) :100 gms
• Maida :2 tbsp
• Sugar : 2 cups
• Water:4 cups
• Large Cardamom :1 powdered
• Oil : for frying
• Ghee :1 tbsp
• Baking powder :Not more than a pinch

Process:

How to Make Chana:

• Boil the milk at low temperature.
• While boiling add the vinegar and stir it .
• Your milk will start to curdle and chena(chhana) will be formed after few minutes.
• When you will see a greenish diluted water which is easily separating from chena,then it's done.
• Now using a muslin cloth drain the water and wash the chena under the running tap water .If you are using lime juice to prepare chena,this wash will remove all the lemony taste or smell.
• Now tied the two ends of the muslin cloth tightly and let it drain all the excess water for atleast 15-20 minutes.And at this time you may put a heavy weight on thr muslin cloth for better draining.

How to make Khowa or Mawa at Home:

• Following two or three easy steps khowa ar mawa can be easily made at home.
• Take 2-3 cups of powdered milk.
• Add 3-4 table spoon of milk into it.
• Make a dough and heat it at full power in the microwave oven only for 1-2 mins or even more to get the desired tightness.But be very careful while microwaving so that it cant be burnt.
• The dough will be tight  after heating and then grate it to get dry khowa/mawa.
• It can be used to make any sweet.

How to Sugar Syrup:

• Now make sugar syrup using the sugar and water in the exact quantity mentioned.
• The syrup should not be thick and will be on the thinner side.
• Keep it in mind that this is  a very important step.

How to Prepare langcha:

• Mash the chena using your palm on the kitchen slab or cuttlery board till it’s very smooth and creamy and has absolutely no lumps.
• Remeber mashing chena is the most important step of making any sweet.
• Mash the khowa till its smooth in the similar way.
• Mix the ghee, baking powder along with the 2 tbsp maida.
• Add the mashed khowa with the maida and mix well.
• Mix the elichi powder with it.
• Add the chena and mix well together using your palm on the kitchen slab till the entire mix is very smooth and has no lumps
• Remeber the mixture does not stick to your palm.
• Rest the dough for 10 mins .
• Then make equal size round balls from the dough and shape them like a langcha (cylindrical) and pantua(round) using your palms . 
•  The shape should be even and smooth.
• This will help to fry them evenly.
• Heat white oil very well and turn off the gas for 1 min.
• Then turn on the gas to the lowest possible temperature.
• Fry the langchas evenly till you get a dark brown color. Ensure not to over fry
• After frying transfer them into the syrup and let it soak for 30 – 40 mins.
•  The langcha  or the pantua will be double in size once fried and and put in the syrup
• If anybody likes the dry version, then remove them from the syrup.
•  Otherwise  just leave it in the syrup itself.
• Your langcha and pantua  are ready to serve.
• Serve it warm.

                                                   Enjoy Your Food..!!!

Egg & Potato Curry..!!!

Choruibhati Style(Jungle style) Egg Curry with Somenath dada's Recipe:

It has been a long time ,I couldnt able to update my recipes.So,first of all I am apologising to all of my dearest freinds.Due to my daughter's final term exam,her annual day program at school and due to some household responsiblities and moreover due to the interruption in the  broadband services I didnt get time or scope to seat in front of my laptop and write the recipes.

Thank you very much for your patience .I would like to request all my friends to keep an eye on my food page,I will update all the pending recipes one by one.
Anyway I should come to the point now.Today I am sharing the recipe of "Dimer Jhol"(Egg Curry) in Somnath dada's style.

Dimer Jhol or Egg Potato curry is one of the soul food of Bengal.At my home,most of the time though I use eggs for  breakfast or evening snacks ,sometimes whenever I feel very lazy, I opt this for lunch and dinner also.Because  egg preparations always requeire a very minimum effort yet satisfy our taste buds completely.

 It's my privilage that through a social networking site I have come in contact with few wonderful food lovers friends. Their preparations,presentations,innovations inspire me in all the ways.This time I was inspired by Somnath Dada's "choruibhati style dimer jhol" (Jungle style Egg Curry). The recipe is slightly different from the usual ones,as it is very rich and has an excellent rich aroma.I modified it slightly in my own way and the reslut was really good.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Big Size Eggs(Hen or Duck) - 4 pcs
• Potato- 2 medium, (diced )
• Tomato- 1 medium(chopped)
• Onion - 1 medium, (paste)
• Onion - 1 medium(thin sliced)
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 4-5 cloves
• Green chillis:1-2( as per choice/optional)
•  Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
• Red Chilli powder:1/4 tsp(as per choice)
• Cumin Seeds  - 1tsp
• Coriander Seeds:1.5 tsp
• Cinnamon Stick:1
• Cloves:2-3
• Green Cardamom:3
• Bay leaf:1
• Mustard Oil
• Water:1 cup(or little more)
• Salt:As per taste
• Sugar: For caramelisation
• Garam masala Powder:1 tsp

Process:

• Wash,peel and dice the potato in quarters.Heat little mustard oil in a pan and fry the diced potato with turmeric powder and salt till golden yellow in color .Keep them aside.
• Now hard boil the eggs,deshell them and in the similar way fry them golden yellow and keep them aside.
• Now,make a  paste of ginger and garlic together.Add few green chillies while making paste (optional)
• Chopped the tomatoes finely.
• Dry roast the cumin,coriander seeds and the red chilli.Pound them coarsely.
• Now add the mustard oil in the kadhai and heat it.
• Add little sugar and caramalise it.
• Add the bay leaves,cinnamon,cloves and the cardamoms.
• When the aroma comes out, add the onion paste .Saute until it turns into translucent golden.
• Add the grated ginger, garlic and chilli. saute for a few more minutes.
• When the oil starts to release add the sliced onions and saute it for few more time.
• Now add tomato paste, pounded coriander and cumin, turmeric and chilli powder and saute.
• Sprinkle a little water to avoid burning at the bottom.
• Add the fried potatoes.
• Keep cooking until the nice golden color comes out.
• Add 1 cup of water . Mix well.
• Cover and cooking until the potatoes become soft.
• Add the fried eggs. Mix with the gravy check seasoning (salt, sugar) and cover and cook in medium for 5 minutes.
• Uncover and increase the flame to adjust the gravvy
• Sprinkle little garam masala powder .
• Turn off the flame and serve with rice/roti/paratha or puri.
    

                                              Enjoy Your Food..!!!
 
 

Rich Eggless Chocolate Cake...!!!

         Rich Eggless Chocolate Cake....!!

It was a friday afternoon and I just prepared a simple veg curry and roti for dinner as friday is considered to be a complete veg day at my home. So,I was thinking hard,how could I make this begining of the weekend into a special one.On the fridays,some special foods,late night movies,sometimes  little shopping at the end of the day are the usual features of my family and I know,everybody after ending a busy and stressful  week ,want to indulge themselves in their own ways,specially on the friday evening.

Therefore I thought that I should go for a eggless cake preparation as cake is such a thing  which  turns a very ordinary day into a special one.
As chocolate is the most favorite flavour of both the " D " s at my home, I chose to prepare Rich Eggless Chocolate Cake for them.And DD just loves to enjoy  chocolate cake with his favorite tea,Earl Gray.Then I made a quick search,whether I had all the necessary ingredients for the chocolate cake and if there were sufficient amout of earl gray tea bags in my kitchen pantry.Oh ,yes,everything was there so,without wasting time,I just started to prepare those.

And I know,now you are quite curious about the result. It was really really good and the li'l D told me,"mamma,ummmmm lovely,thank you for the yummy cake" and DD expressed his satisfaction with his smile.That was all I wanted to see.


Here is the process of preparation of the rich eggless chocolate cake..


Ingredients:

• 1 tin condensed milk
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour( maida)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 150 gm oil( 1 cup)
• 1 tdp sodium bi barbonate( mitha soda)
• 2tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

Process:

• Grease a round cake tin with little butter and sprinkle 1 tbsp flour to dust it.
• Preheat your oven to 150-300 degree Celcium
• Sieve flour,baking powder and soda bi carb together ,keep it aside.
• Beat oil,sugar and essence till well mixed.Add cocoa.
• Add milkk and condensed milk,beat well.
• If the mixture ,looks curdled beat oder hot water.
• Add flour in 2-3 batches ,mix well after each addition.
• Beat well for 4-5 minutes till the mixture is light and fluffy and of a soft dropping consistency.Add a few spoons of milk,if the batter is too thick.
• Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared tin
• Level the mixture.
• Bake it at 150-300 degree celcium for 1 hour.
• Insert a clean tooth pick in the centre of the cake,If it comes out clean,switch off the oven.
• Remove the cake from the oven after 5-10 minutes.
• Then unmould it and serve it with your favorite fruit dipped with chocolate sauce.
• This is a cake for converting into a blackforest or truffle cake.

                                                  Enjoy Your Food...!!

Aloo Posto....Small Potato Cubes Cooked in Poppy Seed Paste..!!

             Aluposto...Potato Cooked in Poppy Seed Paste.....Soul Food of A Benagli...!!!!

For a bengali " alooposto and garom bhat ar ektu daal"( potato cooked in poppy seed paste along with daal and the steaming hot rice) is always heavenly delicious .And I am quite sure that most of the bengali people would like to leave the most costly food for this simple delicious preparation.

Posto or poppy seed or khaskhas is the most useful ingredient in a benagli kitchen.Aluposto is one of the very famous ,traditional and delicious bengali preparations where small potato cubes are cooked in the gravy of the poppy seed paste.Since our childhood ,we believe as well as enjoy this preparation as our most comfort food when served with steaming hot rice,associated with daal and other curries.The recipe is very simple but the taste is always fingerlicking good.

Ingredients:

• Potato: 2 medium(cut in small cubes)
• Poppy Seed paste: 4-5 heap tbsp
• Turmeric Powder
• Salt
• Green chillies
• Oil:2-4 tbsp(Taste of the most of bengali preparations are best when cooked with the mustard oil but white oil is also good.)
• Chillli Powder: 1 tsp( as per choice)
• Water: 1- 1 1/2 cup

Preparation:

• Soak the poppy seeds in 1/2 cup of water for 10 minutes and then make a smooth paste with the help of a grinder.
• Peel,wash and cut the potatoes in small cubes.
• Now heat mustard oil(white oil is also good) in a thick bottomed kadhai.Add the green chilllies and the potato cubes.
• In medium heat slightly fry the potatoes. During frying add little salt and turmeric  powder and the red chilli powder( optional).
• Then add the poppy seed paste and mix the paste very well with the potatoes.
• Add one cup of water in the kadhai and cover it.
• In the medium flame cook it until the potatoes become soft.
• Increase the heat slightly and cook until a thick dry curry is formed.
• Turn off the flame.
• Sprinkle little raw mustard oil over the curry.
• Serve it with steaming hot rice and daal.

                                                            Enjoy Your Food..!!

Banana Berry Shakes...!!! A Perfect Refreshment...!!!

Summer  is almost here and there is a scorching sunlight outside.During this season,the best way to keep the body cool , is to drink lots of water and juices.In these days,I really remain worried about my daughter,because after the school hours when she comes to home,she really looks very exhausted and tired and moreover,she doesnt want to drink enough water.
Therefore sometimes,specailly after the school hours I like to give her some refreshing drink which not only helps to keep her body cool,but also enhances energy and provide some nutrients as well.

This Banana Berry shake is a very easy preparation which requires a minimum fuss inside the kitchen.As strawberries are still availbe in the market and this is my daughter's most favourite fruit,I made  Banana Strawberry Shake for her.

Here is the recipe:


Ingredients:

• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 very ripe banana,peeled and chopped
• 1 cup chilled unsweetened yoghurt
• 1/2 cup vanilla icecream
• 2 tbsp straeberry crush
• 2 tbsp sugar(or as you want)
• 4-5 ice cubes.

Process:

• In a mixer put all the ingredients together and blend until smooth.
• Serve immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                Enjoy Your Food...!!!