Pujor Diner Khabar ( Festive food of Durga Puja--part 2)

1. Cholar Dal Narkel Diye(Bengali-style Chana Dal with coconut)


Ingredients :
Chana dal(Yellow Split dal/Bengal gram) : 200 gm.
Bay leaf : 1
Cinnamon stick : 1 (1 inch)
cardamom : 2/3
Cloves : 3
Dry red chilli : 1
Fresh coconut : 1/2
Green chilli : 2/3 (Blanched)
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
Ginger paste : 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp.
Ghee : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Soak chana dal in hot water for half an hour. In hot water it gets soft faster than normal water.
• Cut coconut in small pieces and fry them and keep them aside.
• Pressure cook the dal adding little salt and a pinch of sugar for about 5-7 minutes. Chana dal tends to cook very fast. Mash with a spatula.
  
• When oil is enough hot, add dry red chilli, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and lastly cumin seeds and green chillies. When all these get brown and cumin seed crackles, add 1/2 of the ginger paste. Stir for a minute and pour dal. Add turmeric powder.
  
• If it looks too dry, pour little water and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Add coconut pieces. Lastly, pour ghee and squeeze the juice from rest of the ginger paste. Mix it well and serve garnishing with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Luchi/Puri or plain white rice. Enjoy....................

2. Phulkopir Roast ( Roasted cauliflower)


Ingredients :
1 whole cauliflower
Onion: 1 (medium big- grated)
Ginger : 1" (grated)
Garlic : 3-4 cloves (grated)
Tomato : 2 ( medium - chopped)
Green chilli : 2
Turmeric : 1 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Coriander powder(dhania) : 1 tsp.
Bay leaf : 1
Cardamom: 2-3
Cloves : 3
Bengali Garam masala : 2 tsp. (powder of cardamom, cinnamon & cloves)
Ghee : 2 tsp.
Mustard oil : 4 tbsp.
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

• Wash the cauliflower and remove leaves and thick stems. Then carefully cut all the florets keeping little bit of stem.
  
• Soak in warm water for 1/2 and hour adding a pinch of salt. Then drain off and dry them with a paper towel.
• Sprinkle little turmeric over them and fry in hot oil from all sides in medium flame until light brown.
  
• Now heat oil on medium heat in pot, preferably non-stick and add cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. When they get brown(only takes seconds) add grated onion followed by ginger and garlic paste. Saute them well and when it turns brown, add chopped tomatoes.
  
• Stor for few minutes and when tomatoes mix well with onion paste, add turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder and saute for some time. Now add the fried cauliflower and mix well with masala. Season with salt, garam masala and ghee at this moment. Stir for 2-3 minutes and add 6 tbsp. of hot water.
• Cover with lid and cook in low heat until cauliflower florets are tender and masala coats well with the florets. Keep an eye time to time. cauliflower cooks very fast, shouldn't take 7-10 minutes.
  
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with roti, luchi/puri, Pulao.

3. Fried rice and Chilli Chicken


For Fried rice
Ingredients :
Basmati rice : 500 gms.
Bay leaf : 2
Cinnamon stick : 1"
Cardamom : 3
Cloves : 3
Carrot, capsicum, french beans : 1/2 cup
Onion : 1 (medium - chopped)
Ginger paste : 1 tbsp.
Raisins : 25 gms.
Cashew nuts : 12-14
Sugar : 1 tbsp.
Salt to taste
Ghee : 4 tbsp.
Fried onions for garnishing

Method :

• Wash the rice and soak in water for 1/2 and hour. Cook the rice adding little salt, 1 bay leaf and 2 cardamoms in water until rice is 2/3 done. Drain the water and spread the cooked rice evenly so that it doesn't stick to each other.
• Fry vegetables in little oil until done.
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, add 1 bay leaf, rest of the cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. When they crackle, add chopped onions and ginger paste, saute for few minutes, then add all the vegetables and cooked rice. Season with salt and sugar. Add cashews and raisins. Mix well and check the seasoning.
• Garnish with fried onions and serve hot.
  

For chilli chicken
Ingredients :
Chicken breast : 2
Chicken wings/thigh : 5-6 pieces (originally, this recipe is with boneless chicken, but I love to have both-boneless and with bone pieces)
Onion : 2 (big-chopped)
Ginger paste : 2 tbsp.
Garlic paste : 1 tbsp.
Tomato sauce : 2 tbsp.
Chilli sauce : 2 tsp. or to taste
Green chillies : 3 ( big one)
Egg : 1
Capsicum : 1, sliced length-wise
Corn flour : 2 tbsp.
Soy sauce : 3 tsp.
Vinegar : 2 tsp.
Black pepper powder : 1 tsp. or to taste
Yoghurt : 3 tbsp.
salt to taste
Oil : 4 tbsp.

Method :

• Wash chicken pieces and pat dry. Marinate them with yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, corn flour, vinegar, 1 tsp. soy sauce, salt and with 1 egg. Mix everything well and keep it aside for at least 2-3 hours.
• Heat oil in a pan, deep fry chicken pieces in medium flame. So, when you're frying, chicken pieces will be tender. Drain off the excess oil on a paper towel.
• In the same oil, add chopped onions and fry them until brown. Then add capsicum. Stir for 2 more minutes, then add tomato sauce, chilli sauce, rest of the soy sauce and mix well.
  
• Add chicken pieces now and coat well with the masala and season with salt and black pepper. Give it a good stir and very little water to make gravy. Simmer it for 5-7 minutes.
  
• Chilli chicken is ready to serve. Serve hot.

4. Misti Doi (Sweet Yoghurt)
This is one of the elegant dessert of Bengali cuisine. Without this dessert any celebration or festival is incomplete. When living in Kolkata, never tried to make this dessert at home, as we could get it anytime we wanted from nearby sweet-shop. But now living outside India, we need to make whenever we have cravings for this delicious dessert. People living outside India, also invented different ways to make it. This is one of the easiest recipe to make Misti Doi.....

Ingredients :

Non-fat/Low-fat Normal Yoghurt : 1 litre
Evaporated milk : 1 tin(12 oz.)
Condensed milk : 1 tin

Method :

• In a oven-safe bowl, take whole evaporated milk, yoghurt and 3/4 of 1 tin condensed milk. Tip : You can use the whole tin of condensed milk, according to your taste, how much sweet you want. I use 3/4 of 1 tin. By using c0ndensed milk, you will get the light reddish color, what bengali Misti Doi has.
• Mix everything very good with a spoon.
• Pre-heat oven in 180 degree F for at least 30 mins. Then put the bowl inside. I like to make it in low heat for long time, it sets very good. It will take about 1 and 1/2 hour.
• Take out and let it cool in room temperature. Then refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
• Your Misti-Doi is ready . Isn't it a easy recipe? Try and let me know..Enjoy....
  

This post goes to Navaratri festive food event hosted by LG of cooking station & Taste of Mysore.