Sorshe Sim (Flat beans in mustard seed paste)

Today I want to share a very simple recipe..i.e., Sorshe Sim. Sim, is the name for Flat beans in Bengali and Sorshe is Mustard. So, flat beans is cooked in mustard seed paste. It's very easy to make and flat beans cook very fast, tastes yummy with Hot rice.

Flat beans are green and in their fresh form, they come with multiple beans in a large outer pod. Beans are full of nutrition. Beans are a good source of essential B vitamins, protein, fiber, carbohydrate and iron. Beans are a good source of fat-restricted diet, as it contains only 2-3% fat. Beans contain no cholesterol. Since they are one of the richest source of fiber, they actually help to lower bad cholesterol level.

 
Ingredients :
Flat beans: 10-15 nos.
Mustard seed : 2 tblsp.
Green chilli : 1 or 2
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : a pinch
Oil : 2 tblsp.

Method :

• Wash and drain flat beans. Method to cut flat beans: First, trim the edges half way thru and pull all the way to take out the string like thing on both sides. Do the same for the other side. Follow the same process for other flat beans. Then cut in 1/2 to 1 inch pieces.

• Prepare mustard seed paste: Set aside 1 tsp. mustard seed for tempering. Soak rest of the mustard seeds in 1 tblsp. water for 10 minutes. Grind into fine paste in a dry grinder/coffee grinder adding a pinch of salt and green chilli. Take out the paste and add 2 tblsp. of water and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, temper with mustard seed. When they start to splutter, add cut flat beans. Season with little salt and add turmeric powder. Stir for 2-3 minutes, then add mustard seed paste. 
• Stir to mix well until paste dries up and mix well with beans. Then add about 2/3 cup or enough water to cook the beans. When water dries up and beans are cooked, check the seasoning. Add salt if needed and add sugar. Mix well. 

Remove from heat and serve with warm plain rice.

Patol Posto (Parwal/pointed gourd in poppy seed paste)

This is my 150th post, another milestone achieved by me finally, just before my 2nd blog anniversary. As I was preparing to post this special post, I found that my interview has been published here, @ Cook like A Bong, where Sudeshna & Kalyan has done one survey to find out 7 best bengali food bloggers and my blog is one of them..I am so thankful to Sudeshna and Kalyan, for doing this survey. I never thought before starting this blog that, I can ever achieve something like this. This is a great achievement for me. To celebrate this special occassion, I don't have any sweet dish in my draft, so I'm posting one of my favorite dish today.......


All knows that bengalis have a love affair with Posto or poppy seeds or khus Khus. Especially me, I can't live without this spice, just love it with anything. If you ask anyone, bengali recipe of Posto or poppy seed, everybody will say ,"Aloo posto/potatoes in poppy seed paste" , as only this one is the most well known bengali posto recipe. But we, bengalis, use posto with every possible way, some of them I posted before, I"ll share another unusual/not so famous recipe of posto with Patol or pointed gourd, Which we call "Patol posto/pointed gourd in poppy seed paste". In bengali cuisine, posto is used all year round, but specially in summer it is used more, as posto has a cooling affect on body. Poppy seed has lots of medicinal properties, too..check out here.
Patol or parwal or pointed gourd is also a summer vegetable, so this recipe is a perfect recipe for Summer.

Ingredients :

Parwal/patol/pointed gourd : few
Poppy seeds : 2 tblsp.
Onion : 1(medium)
Tomato : 1 (small)
Green chilli : 1 or 2(as per taste)
Black cumin seed/kala jeera : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tblps.

Method :

• Wash each parwal. First, trim the edges and then peel the skin every 1/2" inch apart. Apply 1 tsp. turmeric powder and a pinch of salt on all the parwals and keep them aside for 10 minutes.
• For grinding poppy seed, I use coffee grinder/dry grinder. Add 1 green chilli and poppy seed in grinder and grind. DO not make into a fine powder, it should be a coarse grind.After grinding, take out the coarsely grounded poppy seed into a bowl and mix it with 3-4 tblsp. of water.
• Heat oil in a pan, fry the pointed gourds for 2-3 minutes until light brown from all sides. Take them out.
• In the same pan, temper with black cumin seeds, then add sliced onions, fry until soft and light brown. Then add chopped tomatoes and 1 chopped green chilli. Wait until tomatoes get soft, then add poppy seed paste into it. 
• Stir so that it doesn't stick to the pan. Add 1 tsp. turmeric powder into it. Stir fry it for 1-2 minutes. When oil seperates, add fried parwals/ patols. Mix well with the spices, then pour about 1/3 cup of water. Add salt to taste. Remember, patol/parwal cook very fast.
• Let it cook in medium heat. When all water are evaporated and parwals are done, check the seasoning. This is a dry dish, so no gravy will be there. Stir for another minute or two and remove from heat. 
• Patol posto is done. Enjoy with hot rice, or even with chapathi.

Saraswati/Basanti Puja and Bhapa Ilish or Steamed Hilsa

SARASWATI MAHABHAGE BIDYE KOMOLOLOCHANE

BISHWARUPE BISHALAKHKHI MAHADEVI NAMAHASHTUTE!!

Saraswati puja, is another festival which is celerated in Bengal with huge enthusiasm in every nook and corner, in every households and in most of the schools and educational centers. Ma Saraswati is the Goddess of Knowledge, Arts and Music. The day is known as Vasant Panchami or Sri Panchami, on the fifth day after new moon in Spring(vasant kaal in bengali), which falls around end of January or beginning of February. Goddess Saraswati is represented as a woman with white skin, who wears a crescent moon (chandrakla) on her brow and rides a swan. She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus – the symbol of true knowledge – in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on a string instrument called the veena. She is also depicted as a deity seated on a white lotus flower.            

Goddess Saraswati is not worshipped in temple, but in every households who has school, college or university going children, will surely worship the Goddess daily at their home. And every year on this day, a big model of her is made and worshiped. The puja is performed in the morning. The Goddess is worshipped with bel leaves, fresh while/yellow spring flowers like, marigolds, chrysanthemums and Palash is the special flower used in this puja, without this flower puja won't be complete. And the fruit, plum or wild berries or Kool is must for this puja. Since goddess Saraswati is the goddess of learning, the students are the most ardent worshippers of this day. Children place their books, music instruments, arts materials, earthen inkpots and bamboo quills before her. The ink is made from unboiled milk water, colour powder and silver glitter called Abhro. On this day nobody writes or reads any book, or play any musical instrument. This signifies that the goddess is blessing the books placed in front of her that day. Children give 'Anjali' to the goddess in empty stomach and pray for their future. Wearing Yellow or Basanti coloures saree is the custom on that day.

In  Bengal, every students of all ages have special happy memories of this day. Most of the schools and educational centers of Bengal celebrate Saraswati Puja. Older students of schools are mostly engaged decorating the schools the day before, making preperations for puja, helping priests, send invites to the other schools and going to school with freinds wearing yellow saris are the special unforgottable moments of this puja. From cutting of fruits to assisting the priest, everything is taken care of by the students. No matter whether a student is religious or irreligious, everyone participates in this in the hope of doing well in their examinations. Saraswati Puja is also the day of eating plums. Plums/wild berries, called 'kool' in Bengali is the most sought after fruit on the day of Saraswati Puja. 'Kooler Chatni' is a must for that day. 'Kool' or plum is a fruit of spring time. Hence, it must be eaten on the day of saraswati Puja. There is a saying in Bengal, "if you eat kool before that day, you will fail in the exam". We used to control ourselves at our best not to eat them and on that day, after puja, the first thing we used to it, is kool. It's a fruit of sour taste and it's yummy. the significance on that saying, I think, around that time, the fruit starts to ripe and is the right time to eat them, but children are told like that way not to eat them, as no children will like to fail in the exam.

Another special ceremony of taht day is "Hatey-Khari", where small children begin their writing/studies on that day with the blessing from the goddess. The priest help them writing thier first A, B C, D with a chalk on a slate. In this way, Saraswati puja has a tremendous importance among bengalis.
The another custom of that day, is to buy "Jora Ilish" or 2 Hilsa fish on that day. It is considered auspicious in bengali custom. So, Hilsa or Ilish is the must on that day's menu. Hilsa fish is the most beloved and popular fish among bengalis. So I made Bhapa Ilish or steamed Hilsa on Saraswati Puja, which was Yesterday. Hilsa marinated and steeped in a mustard-poppy seed paste and steamed.
Hilsa is rich in Omega-3 fatty acid and is full of very fine little bones. One has to be extra careful while eating it. Even though Bengalis love this fish, it has a distinct flavour and very soft flesh fish. This dish especially taste well with fresh fish, not with the frozen ones. Because, in this recipe raw fish is marinated in mustard paste and steamed in low heat. If not, lightly fried fish is also OK. I normally fry my fishes very lightly on both sides. This dish can be made in three ways. One, in pressure cooker, another in a steamer and in an oven. I make it in Pressure cooker, to make in oven, check here.

Ingredients :

Hilsa fish : 5-6 pieces
Mustard seeds : 2 tblsp.
Poppy seed : 2 tsp.
Green chilli : 2-3
Turmeric powder : 2-3 tsp.
Mustard oil : 3 tsp.
Yoghurt : 1 tsp.
Fresh dessicated coconut : 2 tblsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste

Method :

• Marinate fish pieces with very little salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for 1/2 an hour. 
• To make the mustard paste, soak mustard seeds and poppy seeds in little water for 1/2 and hour. Then in a grinder, grind into a paste adding 2 green chillies, dessicated coconut, a pinch of salt. Add water as little as possible while grinding. It should be a moderately thick paste. 
• In the prepared paste, add yoghurt, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Now the mustard paste is ready to smear on the fish. Tips : in any mustard paste preperation, while grinding mustard seeds, always add a pinch of salt, otherwise it tasted bitter.
  
• In a pressure cooker safe bowl, smear a little mustard oil, then place the fish pieces in single layer. Add the prepared mustard paste and coat over the fish pieces nicely. Add 2-3 slitted green chillies over it and drizzle 2 tblsp. of mustard oil over it. Keep it for 10-15 minutes.
• Then place in a pressure cooker, which is filled with water until half of the bowl or little lower. Cook for 2-3 whistles or about 10 minutes in medium flame.

Serve hot with rice and enjoy the distinct flavour of this dish............

One Lauki/Lau/Bottle Gourd, Two recipes --- Lau Ghonto & Lau-er khosa Charchari

Lau, as we call it in Bengali, in other parts of India, it is known as Lauki or Dudhi, is very low caloric vegetable and very low in fat. Because of its high water content, it's very cooling, calming, diuretic and easy to digest. Therefore, it's a great summer food. It is rich in iron and also has vitamins C and B complex. It is high in fiber, thus very effective for light, low calorie diet, people with digestive disorders and constipation. If you are planning to loose weight, add it to your diet daily.

Bottle gourd has many healing powers, even though it is not so popular in Western World, but it is widely used in India. Bottle gourd is valuable treating Urinary disorder, balancing Liver Function, treating High blood pressure and heart disease, treating Insomnia and other nervous disorders and many more. Ayurveda, the traditional Indian Herbal medicinal system, suggests bottle gourd juice once daily early in the morning helps treating graying hair, stomach acidity, digestive disorders and ulcers.
Today, I'll share a very simple lauki/lau recipe from bengali cuisine, which is called "Lau Ghonto". 
Another, from the same bottle gourd peel, "Lau er Khosa Charchari". One bottle gourd, two recipe.

Ghonto, is a cooking style in Bengali cuisine, where vegetables (cabbage, gourd, radish etc.) are chopped or grated very finely and cooked with a tempering(like, jeera/ panch phoron) and very few ground spices. Non-vegetarian ghontos are also made, where fish or fish head are added with vegetables. The famous Murighonto is made with fish head and cooked rice. 

Ingredients : 

Lau/lauki : 1 ( medium/big)
Dry red chilli : 1
Cumin seeds/jeera : 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Green chilli : 1 or 2(chopped)
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste 
Oil : 2 tblsp.

Method : 

• Peel the whole gourd. Don't throw away the peels. In Bengali cuisine, we have many delectable dishes made from it, like crispy fries(lau-er khosa bhaja) or charchari from it. I'll shared the fry recipe before and the charchari recipe follows after this.
• For cutting the vegetable very fine, first cut the gourds in round rings. Take 3 or 4 rings at a time and  chop them as finely as you can. Continue with the other rings. 
• Heat oil in a pan, temper with broken dry red chilli and cumin seeds. When chilli turns dark and seeds crackle, throw chopped up gourds. Stir for a while, water will come out. Wait for water to dry up. When water evaporates, add salt, turmeric and green chillies. Mix well , stirring for few minutes.
• Add very little water and in medium flame let it cook. Gourds cook very fast. Check the seasoning. When all the water evaporates and gourds are quite soft and mushy, remove from heat. Throw chopped fresh coriander leaves, mix well and serve hot with hot rice. 

Lau-er khosa Charchari 

It's a great dish, made from peels of bottle gourds and pumpkin. This dish, I've tried from Sharmistha's blog Cook-a-doodle-doo. I had no idea this dish exists, until She shared her mother's recipe. Instead of throwing all the highly nutritive peels of gourd, we can dish out a great simple relish. To make any dish with peels, do not peel but cut with little flesh on with a sharp knife. Thanks to aunty(sharmistha's mom) and Sharmistha for sharing such great recipe and obviously thanks to blogging, because of it, we get to know such secret recipes. I recommend all to try this dish who loves bottle gourd. You will get the recipe here. I followed her recipe and it was just great with hot rice. 

Bengali Winter Vegetable Medley

Chilly winter is in season now almost allover the world (not in my place, though..we're enjoying cool poolbath). So my today's post is on winter vegetables. Beets, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, Spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, fresh green peas are some of the vegetables available during Winter in India. Like, Roots and tubers, often considered as mere carbohydrate filters, are also vitamin-rich. One medium-sized potato can supply up to a third or more of the body's daily requirement of vitamin C, as well as some of the B vitamins. Sweet potatoes are similarly nourishing, and provide the body with vitamin A. Carrots are another source of vitamin A. Green leaves - whether from cabbage or such leaf vegetables as spinach - are rich sources of vitamins A and C. Vitamin A is essential for eyes and skin, while vitamin C is necessary to maintain a healthy connective tissue, Calcium, very important for the bone structure of growing children, and iron, necessary for healthy blood, are also provided by these plants. Other green vegetables, such as broccoli, peas and kale, also include some of the B vitamins, a large group needed by the body to extract energy from carbohydrates. The nutrients that vegetables contain are invaluable, so have your 5 a day.
I'm posting a Bengali Winter Vegetables Medley today....very easy and simpliest recipe without much spices, but absolutely delicious..in this recipe you'll see the simplicity of Bengali Cuisine.

Ingredients:

Beet root : 1
Carrots : 1 or 2
Cauliflower : few florets
Potato : 1 or 2
Green Peas : 1/3 cup
Dry red chilli : 1 (break into 2)
black cumin seeds/kala jeera/kalonji : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2-3 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing(only available during winter in India)

Method :

• Cut carrot, beet and potato in medium cube like pieces. Cut each cauliflower florets into 2 or 4 pieces. 
• In a pressure cooker, cook beet, carrot and potato until tender for 1 or 2 whistle.
• In a pan, heat 2 tblsp. oil, fry cauliflower florets a little until light brown and keep aside. In the same oil (add oil if needed), temper with dry red chillies and black cumin seeds. Wait for a while, when chillies change colour and seeds crackle, add boiled vegetables, fried cauliflower and green peas. Add salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Add a little water and mix spices well with the vegetables. Add sugar and stir fry together for 2-3 minutes in medium flame. 
• Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

This medley is going to take part in  
Monthly Mingle: Winter Fruits and Vegetables , hosted by Sudeshna of Cook Like A Bong and event is masterminded by Meeta of What's for lunch, Honey?

Sandesh - half traditionally with readymade Paneer and with the help of kitchen gadgets

This is my first post of 2010. Let's start with a sweet note....Being a bengali, I have quite a sweet tooth, which Bengalis are famous for. But I love more the dry sweets(i.e., bengali sandesh, North Indian peda or besan laddoo etc.) than the sugar syrup immersed sweets(like, Gulab jamuns). For the new year celebration, I made this famous bengali sweet, Sandesh at home, which was on my wish list for long time. After seeing Soma's awesomely beautiful post on Sandesh, I was really tempted to make it at home, as we don't get here at market/sweet shop and I totally miss all the Bengal sweets here outside India.

Sandesh is one of the most favorite sweets in Bengal. It is milk based sweets with very few ingredients and surprisingly very easy to make (I realized it after making). It is made from curdled milk or Channa as we call it, another name is Panner/cottage cheese. Freshly made channa/ paneer is sweetened by adding sugar in it, and some flavours like, rose assence, cardamom powder and Saffron are also added for special touch.

Here is how I made it :

In the title, I wrote half traditionally, because it is made from fresh channa/cottage cheese and the chaana is then knead to make lump-free by hand to make Sandesh soft. I had very less time when I made them, so to make it faster, I used readymade paneer cubes, available in market and I kneaded them in Mixer to save time.

Ingredients : (Will make 20-24 medium size sandesh)

Paneer cubes : 500 gms.

Sugar : 3/4 cup or as needed
Black Cardamom powder : 2 tsp.
Rose essence : 1 and 1/2 tsp.
Saffron : 1 tsp.(crushed between fingers)
Cardamom seeds : few (for decoration)
Saffron : few strands (for decoration)

Method :

• As I had frozen paneer cubes, I defrosted them first and then knead them a little by hand.
  
• To make the process little faster, I put them in a mixer and added little milk. It softens quite fast that way, but this way channa/paneer liquidises a bit because of added milk.
  
• After it softens and becomes lump-free, add sugar little by little. Mix it in the mixer, taste it and if needed add some more. When sugar just dissolves in channa, take out from mixer. 
• Now, this step is the most critical and important part of making sandesh. So be cautious. Heat a non-stick flat pan, spread the channa-sugar mixture on the pan evenly. Change the heat to medium. Stir constantly with a spatula so that it does not stick to the pan, scraping off the sides of the pan. Cook on medium heat for the first 5-6 minutes. You will see slowly the texture is changing to thicker consistency, then lower the heat.  Cook on low flame, stirring continuously, you will see the colour is also changing to darker shade. Add cardamom powder, rose essence and crushed saffrons into it. Mix well.
  
• When you see the channa is no longer sticking to the pan and you can gather the whole thing and make  a ball, then it's time to turn off the heat (for test, take a little channa in your palm, make a small ball rolling between your palms. If you can make it, then it's done). If you heat longer than this, the channa will be hard and lumpy and the sandesh will turn hard. This process should take 15-20 minutes and is called "paak". (I heated a little more, my channa became little crumbly as you can see in the pic. I could give it a shape and it was soft, but the channa was little crumbly..so be cautious about it)

• Spread on a plate for 5 minutes to cool down a bit. DO NOT let it cool much, then you won't be able to give it a shape. Take little portion and make it into round or oblong, any shape you want.
• For decoration : Take 1-2 tsp. milk on a bowl, drop the saffron strands into it. take one or two saffron strands on hand and press on top of each sandesh. Seperate cardmom seeds, take one or two cardamom and press on top of each Sandesh. You can decorate any way you want, can decorate with fruit pieces, too like, with small cherry or pineapple pieces. Can decorate with pistachio or almonds pieces.

Sandesh can be kept fresh for at least 7-10 days in refrigerator. It tastes also good when slightly cool. But keep in an airtight container, otherwise it can become hard.

Sending my first post of the year to Arundhuti for her
first event, "Served with Love", as this Sandesh is my Husband's and my Daughter's favorite Sweet.

Kumror Choka/chakka - A Pumkin Delight from Bengali cuisine

Kumror choka or chakka, is an absolutely delightful dish made from pumpkin, belongs to bengali cuisine. The method of cooking this dish differs slightly from home to home. Every home has their own touch on it. But the main ingredients are always the same...pumpkin, potato and kala chana or black chick peas. Some people also add parwal/patol/pointed guard, too. But that is optional. The spices also play an important role, here. The taste differs there. Today, I'll share my mom's recipe of Kumror Chakka, as we call it. Her spicing system is the secret touch in this dish. I think my mom makes this dish the best. It goes very well with roti, luchi(phulka) or paratha and even taste very good with rice. Try it out, who havn't tried it yet..it's absolutely yummy................

Ingredients :

Pumpkin(kumro) : 1/2
Potato : 2(medium)
Chola/kala chana/Black chickpeas : 1/2 cup (soak overnight or 4 hours in hot water)
Panch phoron : 2 tsp.(1 tsp. for tempering+1 tsp.dry roasting)(5 spices- fenugreek, mustard, white cumin, black cumin & fennel/aniseed(mouri) seed - mix each in equal quantity and store for future use)
Bay leaves : 1
Green chilli : 1 (slitted)
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Chilli powder : 1 tsp.
Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Ghee(clarified butter) : 1 tblsp.
Bengali Garam masala : 1 tsp.(grounded powder mix of 1" cinnamon stick, 2-3 cardamoms, 3 cloves)
Raw peanuts : 1 tblsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves(optional)

Method :

• Cut pumkin in big cube like pieces and potatoes in medium sized cubelike pieces. The pumpkin pieces should be bigger than potatoes, as pumpkin cooks faster than potatoes.
• Soak chickpeas overnight if possible, otherwise soak in hot water for 4 hours. 
• Dry roast 1 tsp. panch phoron on hot tawa until seeds start to splutter and turn light brown, you'll get the aroma,too. Remove from heat and immediately grind in coffee grinder and keep in an airtight container for future use.
• Fry raw peanuts and grind coarsely into little pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan, temper with bay leaf and panch phoron, when seeds start turning light brown, add pumpkin and potato pieces. Add salt, slitted green chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add all powdered spices and kala chana or chick peas now. Mix well adding 2-3 tblsp. water into it.
  
• When spices blend well, add 1 cup or enough water to cook the veggies. When water dries up and the veggies are cooked, check the seasoning and add sugar now. Mix well, the taste will be a blend of sweet and spicy. Add ghee and garam masala. Mix well, stir for 1 minute and remove from heat.
• Lastly add roasted panch phoron powder and fried peanuts. (this is the secret spice in my mom's recipe...oops, secret is out, mom)
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, if available. 
  

The aroma of roasted panch phoron powder makes this dish so different and chick peas add the crunch, here......Serve hot with rice or rotis............try it out
 

Sending this veg. and legumes delight to MLLA : 18 to Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons, event is a brainchild of Susan of The Well-seasoned Cook

Bhindi Posto(Okra w/poppy seed) & Jhinge-aloo Posto(Ridge gourd-potato w/poppy seed)

Posto, or poppy seed or khas khas, is the star ingredient of today's post.

Points to be noted : Even though opium and poppy seeds are correlated, poppy seeds do not contain any narcotic properties and hence one can benefit from poppy seeds nutrition without the effects of opium. 
The poppy seeds contained 45 to 50% of unsaturated essential fatty acids, which make it a good source of nutrition and health food. Poppy seed have many medicinal properties too. They are considered to have high cooling properties, their usage is believed to relive digestive disorders, and is a great cleanser for the system too.The poppy seed contains extensive quantities of calcium and phosphorus. So, it is very good food for lactating and pregnant mothers. Poppy seed paste also helps to cure Insomni, joint pain, skin blemishes, dry skin problems etc. Poppy seed oil which is rich in linoleic acid (an important omega-6 fatty acid), health and protecting the heart against cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks. The oil is also rich in oleic acid, which is believed to help prevent breast cancer. So, add poppy seed in your diet if you're not doing, to have this above mentioned health benefits.
I just love this spice like most of the Bengalis do. Bengali's love for this spice is something undescribable. I think, so far people from all over the World know about Aloo Posto, The famous Bengali vegetarian dish. There are many variants to this basic dish. Just replacing the vegetable like potato & Bhindi(okra) or potato & ridge gourd(jhinge) or potato & drumstick(sajne data), or sometimes single vegetable like bhindi(okra) or Parwal/patol(pointed gourd) with poppy seed paste makes a divine dish with hot rice. Even, non-veg dishes like, Murgi posto(chicken with poppy seed) or Prawn posto or Rui posto(carp cooked with poppy seed) are also made in bengali cuisine. Roughly grounded poppy seeds are also served raw, mixed with chopped green chilli, onion and mustard oil, known as Kancha posto bata is another preperation, which tastes great with hot rice. Another preperation, is Posto'r bara, grounded poppy seeds made into round patties and shallow fried, taste just divine.
I've posted my one of the favorite poppy seed dish, Sajne data O Aloo posto(drumstick & potato with poppy seed paste) already. Today, I'll post 2 more varieties.., on request from one of my blog followers..
Another advantages of these dishes, is very easy to cook, and need very few ingredients.

\\1//Okra or Bhindi Posto(Okra with poppy seed)

Ingredients :

Okra : few
Poppy seed : 3-4 tblsp.
Green chilli : 1-2
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 1-2 tblsp.

Method :

• Wash okras first, pat dry. Cut off each okra head and tail a bit, then cut half the bigger ones and if small, do not cut. 
• Grind poppy seed in a dry or coffee grinder with  the chillies. Adding chillies is optional. If you can tolerate, then add them, otherwise omit and just add a pinch of chilli powder. But green chilli blends very well with poppy seeds. I only use green chilli while cooking with poppy seeds.
• Heat oil in a pan, throw the okras. Fry for 2-3 minutes adding a pinch of salt and turmeric. Mix 2 tblsp. water with poppy seed paste and add the paste to okras. Mix well and stir until water dries up. then add 1/2 cup or just enough water to cook okras. 
• Cook covered until okras are done and water dries up completely. Check the seasoning and You are done.

You have a great tasting side dish which tastes divine(especially for the okra/bhindi lovers) with hot rice..................

\\2// Jhinge Aloo Posto (Potato & Ridge gourd in poppy seed paste)

(The light green veggie you see, are the ridge gourds)

Ingredients :

Potato : 1 or 2(medium)
Ridge gourd : 2
Poppy seed : 3-4 tblsp.
Green chilli : 1-2
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp.
Black cumin seed/Kalonji/kala jeera : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil : 1-2 tblsp.

Method :

• Cut potatoes in small cube like pieces. Cut ridge gourds also the same way.
• Grind poppy seed in a dry or coffee grinder with the chillies. Adding chillies is optional. If you can tolerate, then add them, otherwise omit and just add a pinch of chilli powder.
• Heat oil in a pan, temper with black  cumin seed and add the potatoes. Add salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Mix 2 tblsp. water with poppy seed paste, then add the poppy seed paste. Mix well stirring, until water dries up.
• Add 1 cup water just to cook the potatoes. We will add ridge gourd at the end as it gets cooked very fast in minutes. Cover and let it cook. When potatoes are almost done and water almost dried up, add ridge gourd pieces. Cover again and wait till water dries up. Check the seasoning and stir to coat potatoes and ridge gourd with poppy seed paste.
  

 Serve this with hot rice and dal and enjoy......................

My other recipes reposting here, Poppy seed as a Key ingredient :

• Palong-saag Bhaja posto diye (Spinach & green veg. fry w/poppy seed) 
• Sajne data O Aloo Posto (Drumstick N potato in poppy seed paste)
• Pyaj-Aloo posto (Potato & Onion in poppy seed paste) 

 Sending all 5 recipes to RV, who is hosting Think Spice: Think Poppy seed ,

event masterminded by Sunita of Sunita's World

Full Meal idea : Koraishuti'r Kachori(green peas kachori) & Dum Aloo

This post is dedicated to another full meal idea from me...This time it's Koraishuti'r Kachori or green peas kachori, a bengali delicacy, deep fried bread stuffed with green peas and Dum Aloo, a North Indian Style Spicy potato curry. Both goes very well together, complementing each other.

Karaishuti'r/matarshuti'r Kachuri (Green Peas Kachori)

It is another famous and bengali's beloved delicacy (just like Radhaballavi/Dal puri), generally made at the beginning of winter with the fresh green peas. But nowadays, with the blessings of Giant Supermarkets, you can get frozen green peas throughout the year. It is a small deep fried bread made with white flour(maida) and stuffed with spice mixed mashed up green peas. It just melts in your mouth. Bengali style chana dal with coconut(cholar dal narkel diye) also goes very well with peas kachori.

 (Sorry,couldn't take better pictures, guests were waiting, may be next time) 

Ingredients :

All purpose Flour(maida) : 2 cups
Ghee/oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt to taste
For green peas filling :-
Green peas(fresh or frozen) : 1 cup
Ginger :1" (Grate and squeeze out the juice)
Cumin seed : 1tsp.
Dry red chilli : 1
Fennel/Aniseed/Saunf : 2 tblsp.(grind into powder)
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp. (as per taste)
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil for frying

Method :

• Prep: Dry roast cumin seed and dry red chilli until brown. Remove and grind immediately and store into a container to preserve the flavour .you can store for further use.
• Take flour in a big bowl, add ghee/oil and 1/2 tsp. salt, mix well with the flour, then add enough water to make a tight dough. Keep aside.
• Now make the filling . If using fresh peas, boil them for few minutes. Then grind into a paste with very little water. Heat 1 tblsp. oil in a pan, add the peas paste and dry some more stirring continuously. when all the water evaporates, add roasted masala powder, chilli powder and grounded fennel seed powder. Add sugar and salt. when mixed well together, remove from heat and let it cool a bit.
• To make kachoris: From flour dough make small balls. With a rolling pan, widen each ball a bit, put 1 tblsp. filling in the center, and seal it again carefully from all sides. Make a round ball again. Stuff other flour balls with filling same way like this.(for a step-by-step instruction picture, click here).
• Now take one stuffed ball and flatten the ball 3-4 inch wide pressing very gently. Take care not to break the outer cover. The filling should not come out of it. 
• Heat enough oil in a pan for deep frying. carefully drop one rolled out bread into oil through the side of the pan. Press one side of the bread with a spatula, once that side is puffed up, flip to the other side and fry until lightly browned. Take out from oil. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel.
• Kachori is ready to serve. Always make just before serve, it doesn't taste the same when cold. Fry other kachoris same way.
  

Dum aloo(baby potatoes in thick gravy)

Check out my other recipe of Dum aloo in Bengali style, here.

Ingredients :

baby potatoes : 20-25nos.
Onion : 2(medium-grated)
Tomatoes : 2(medium-pureed)
Ginger-garlic paste : 3tblsp.
Cumin seeds :1 and 1/2 tsp.
Poppy seeds : 1 tblsp.
Red chilli powder : 1tsp.
Turmeric powder : 2 tsp.
Cardamom : 2
Cloves : 4
Dry red chilli : 1(big)
Cinnamon : 2(1" stick)
Bay leaves : 1-2
Yoghurt/Curd : 1/2 cup(beaten)
Oil : 3-4 tblsp.
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Garam masala powder : 1 tsp.(powder mixture of cardamom, cinnamon & cloves)

Method :

• On a hot tawa/pan, roast together cardamoms, cloves, cumin seeds and poppy seeds. Grind roasted ingredients into powder. Grind together onion, ginger and garlic into paste, add roasted powdered masala into it, keep aside.
• Meanwhile, boil unpeeled potataoes in a pressure cooker until tender, not overboiled. Remove and peel the potatoes. 
• In a pan, heat oil, fry potatoes adding little salt from all sides until golden brown. Remove on a paper towel.
  
• In the same pan, add 2 tblsp. oil, add whole red chillies, cinnman and bay leaves and 1/2 tsp. of cumin seeds. Stir for a few seconds, then add grated onion paste and fry till golden brown. Add roasted powder, tomato puree, salt, chilli and turmeric powder. 
• Keep stirring, stir for 3-4 minutes, then lower the flame to sim, add curd little by little, mixing well with the masala paste. Stir fry till oil seperates. Add fried potatoes and stir gently to coat the potatoes with the masala. Add sugar at this moment. 
• Add 1/2 - 2/3 cup water and in low flame let it cook. When water dries up and gravy thicken, check the seasoning. Add if needed. Remove from heat. Add Garam masala powder. Stir and serve hot. 

 Dum aloo is going to take part on RV's event, "Think Spice : Think Poppy seed", which is brainchild of Sunita of Sunita's World and Green peas Kachori is on the way to MLLA:18th Helping, nestled this month @ Srivalli's Cooking 4 All Seasons, event is masterminded by Susan of The well-seasoned Cook

Try out sometime, friends and let me know how much have you like this combo...Bon Appetit !!!!!!!!! Have a great foodilicious Weekend, everyone...........

Sorshe Begun (Baby brinjals in mustard & yoghurt gravy)

Mustard is one of the most preffered spice in Bengali cooking, as I said in my earlier posts. Bengalis are quite fond of this seed, not only Mustard oil is the preffered and main cooking oil there, but seeds and paste are also appear in quite a few of our delicacies. If you followed my earlier posts, You'll see I have also posted many veg. dishes which are cooked with this paste. Almost all the vegetables are cooked with this paste, fish, even eggs are also cooked with this paste. Off Course, there is some reason for this love of Mustard, as Mustard is considered as "One of the World's healthiest spices". Check out my other post, where I explained the health benefits of mustard seed and oil.
My today's recipe is one of the delicacy of Bengali cooking, " Sorshe begun" , where baby soft brinjals/aubergines are fried and doused with freshly ground mustard and yoghurt/curd paste and tempered with Panch phoron(five spice mix). My mom is a great cook and this is one such dish my mom cooks the best. I made this many times, but never could bring the same test like mom.

 Ingredients :

Long baby brinjal/aubergine : 7-8 pieces
Yoghurt/curd/dahi : 3/4 cup
Ginger : 1/2 " piece
Garlic : 3-4 cloves
Green chilli : 2-3(slit lengthwise)
Mustard seed : 1and 1/2 tblsp.
Gram Flour/besan : 1 tblsp. 
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp. (as per taste)
Panch Phoron : 1 tsp.(mixture of mustard, fennel, white cumin, black cumin/kalonji and fenugreek/methi seed-mix in equal measure)
Mustard oil : 3-4 tblsp.(prefferably mustard oil, can use any other oil)
Sugar : 2 tsp.
                                           Salt to taste
                                           Fresh coriander leaves(few sprigs) : chopped

Method :

• Trim the end of the stalks and cut brinjals lengthwise into 4. (see the picture below). Rub about 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. turmeric into inside of the brinjals and fry them in medium hot oil until soft and almost cooked. Remove on to kitchen tissue.

• Preperations : 1. Soak the mustard seed in 2 tblsp. hot water for 10 minutes, then whiz to a smooth paste in a blender. Remove and set aside. 2. Put remaining turmeric, red chilli powder, ginger and garlic with little water in a blender and make a smooth paste of it. Remove and keep aside. 3. Using a whisk, mix together yoghurt, gram flour, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt.

• Heat oil in a pan, add slit green chillies and panch phoron. When spices start to crackle, add ginger-garlic(2nd preperation) paste and stir fry for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to sim, and add the yoghurt mix. (because if yoghurt boils, it tends to split)
  
• Gently mix the spices and cook for 1-2 minutes, check the sugar-salt balance. Then mix the mustard paste, mix thoroughly with yoghurt, cook for 2 minutes. Then carefully place the fried brinjals in the sauce. 
• Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over it, cover the pan and simmer for 3-4 minutes. As brinjals are already cooked, this step is just to incorporate brinjals with sauce. 

Spinkle few more coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.....enjoy

There are lots of good memories attached to this recipe. As this is one of my favorite dish, My mom used to make this on every Birthday of mine. But now, far away from mom, I miss mom's cooking and whenever I make this, it brings tears to my eyes.
Sending this mouth watering brinjal gravy to HOTM#31 - Retro Dishes , hosted by Ilva of The Heart of the Matter-eating for life

Panchmisali Tarkari - A Bengali Mix-vegetable Delight

Tarkari, A cooking term associated with Bengali cuisine, which is similar to 'curry' in english. In bengal, we use this word for any uncooked vegetable as well as for cooked curries of vegetable or for fish curry or fish and vegetable cooked together. Even though, the staple food of Bengal is definitely rice and fish, bengalis consume a lot of vegetables, too and it's a must daily along with fish. Bengali cuisine has a lot of low calorie veg. dishes, made with very less oil and spices, tempered with some seeds(referred as phoron) and just a touch of turmeric powder and green chilli. So these veg. dishes are extremely healthy and low calorie.
One of them is Panchmisali Tarkari...if you got the meaning of tarkari, I will tell you what panchmisali means...'panch' means five, 'misali' means mix here, that means it's a mix vegetable curry dish. But the number of vege doesn't have to be five, it can be 4 or 6. Just 5 or 6 or more types of vegetables cooked together with a tempering(phoron) and with touch of turmeric powder. It's extremely healthy dish. There is no fixed vegetable for this, you can use any vegetable available in your home. It's just a simple comfort food and you are getting all the vitamins and minerals needed from one dish.

Now to the recipe....

Ingredients :

Vegetables I used : Green beans, broad beans/shim, sweet potato/potato, cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, pumpkin, Okra/bhindi and carrot(optional). (arbi/taro roots, ridge gourd/Jhinge can be used, do not use beets in this dish, brinjal is a must here)
Dry red chilli : 1 (break into 2)
Panch phoron : 1 tsp.(mixture of fennel, white cumin, black cumin, mustard and fenugreek seed--mix each in equal quantity and use 1 tsp. from the mix)
Turmeric Powder : 2 tsp.
Chilli powder :  1 tsp.
Green chilli : 1 or 2(chopped)
Tomato : 1(medium-chopped)
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing(optional, but recommended)

Method : 

• Wash and cut all the vegetables more or less in same sizes. Because, as all are going to the same pot and cooked together, harder vegetables should cut in smaller sizes and softer veges should cut in bigger sizes, so all can be cooked at the same time. if using, ridge gourd, add it at the end when all other veges are already tender.
• Heat oil in a pan, add dry red chilli and panch phoron, when seeds start to turn dark (do not burn the seeds, it will make the curry bitter) , throw all the veges to the pan. Add little salt and stir fry for 2 minutes. Then add chopped green chillies, tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder. Give it a good stir for few minutes and mix well with the veges. Add sugar and mix again. 
• Pour over about 1 cup of water and cover the lid and let it cook in medium heat. 
• Check time to time, it will take more or less 7-8 minutes. When water dries up and vegetables are tender, check the seasoning(salt). Add if needed. Give it a good stir and mix well.
• Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves if available. Serve hot with rice as the first course of meal.

Dear Foodie friends, please send your entries ASAP for Sunday Snacks: Festive snacks of Navratri and Diwali event..deadline is 29th of this month

Sending this tarkari to  Sudeshna of Cook like a Bong,

who is hosting This month's "Think Spice : Think Turmeric"
Event, which is brainchild of Sunita of Sunita's World

WHB#209 : Chaltar Ambol (Sweet & Sour Elephant Apple)

Chalta, as known in Bengali, or Outenga in Assamese, is known as Elephant Apple or Wood apple universally(Dillenia Indica as scientifically) is native to Southeastern Asia, from India, Bangladesh and Sri lanka, east to southwestern China and Vietnam, and south through Thailand to Malaysia and Indonesia.
         In India, chalta is found in forests along the base of Himalayas from Nepal to Meghalaya.  It is also found in dry hilly regions of Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh in north and Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in south India.  It bears green fruits which resemble large apples. Hence, it got its name, "elephant apple". It is a tropical acidic fruit, is eaten both ripe and unripe. It is common in chutneys and other pickled dishes. The fruit comes into season in the fall months, depending on the region, with maturity in October and November in Malaya and a longer harvesting period, October through March, in India.
     The fruit : The fruit of the elephant apple tree is enclosed in a hard husk, which must be cracked to get at the fruit. This can be accomplished by hurling the fruit at a hard surface or by using a hammer to crack the husk open. The elephant apple itself is very fleshy, with Astringent and resinous notes. It also has a strong smell, along with numerous small seeds.

 Image source : 

 http://www.fruitipedia.com/chalta.htm

 Image source : 

http://pt.treknature.com/gallery/Asia/India/photo174378.htm

Different uses of this fruit and parts of the plant :

• The wood of the elephant apple is very hard and prized for construction applications in which durable wood is needed.
• During the rainy season, the tree exudes a gum that is used in some parts of the world to replace gum arabic, and it appears in watercolors, inks, varnish, and other applications in which gum arabic might normally be used.
• Products of the elephant apple tree are also used in some traditional Indian medicine, and the plant is said to be soothing to the digestion.  
• The fruit is said to possess tonic and laxative properties, and is used for abdominal pains. It is also known as anti diabetic and has cooling effect on body.
  
• The bark and leaves are astringent.
• Dried leaves are used as a substitute for sand paper in polishing ivory and horn.
• Culinary use : Fleshy sepals form the edible portion. Though the fruits contain sugars, still these taste pleasantly sour due to predominance of acid.  These are seldom eaten raw and are mostly used as flavouring in curries. These are also made into jams and jellies. The juice is sweetened with sugar to make a cooling and refreshing drink.
• Do not use if pregnant

The recipe I want to share today of this fruit, is called Chaltar Ambol, is from Bengal(Bengali cuisine), my native place Kolkata. This is basically a sweet and sour Chutney, but little different from typical chutney. Chutney can be both sweet and sour, but Ambol is always a sour dish, served at the end of the meal to provide the refreshing touch of tartness to make the tongue anticipate the sweet dishes which is served just after Ambol or chutney. Ambol, is a cooking style of Bengal, where a sour dish is made either with some fruit or vegetable or even with small fish, the sourness is being produced by adding Tamarind pulp. But in this dish, as chalta, itself is an acidic soury fruit, jaggery is used to make it little sweet.

How to cut this fruit : The fruit flesh comes into layers and its outer covering is very hard. You have to be careful while cutting, as inside pulp is very slippery because of the gum. After you cut through the middle by a sharp knife, discard the central or the most inside seeded part. Then seperate layers and cut into thin lengthwise pieces.
For this recipe, we need not too ripe or not too young fruit, a yellow greenish elephant apple.

Ingredients :

Chalta(elephant fruit) : 2
Sugar Cane jaggery(akher gur) : 250 - 300 gms.(or use accrd. to your taste)
Dry red chilli : 1

Panch Phoron : 2 tsp.(is a mixture of cumin seed,     
black cumin seed, mustard seed, fennel seed and
fenugreek seed-mix each in equal quantity--No. 5 in the image)

Turmeric powder : a pinch
Oil : 2 tblsp.
Salt : a pinch
Flour(APF/Atta) : 1 tblsp. (optional, but recommended)

Method :

• After cutting into thin slices, pressure cook it for 10 minutes with a pinch of turmeric. Take out and discard the water.
• Heat 1 tblsp. oil in a pan, add whole dry red chilli and 1 tsp. of panch phoron. When seeds turn light brown and you get the aroma of fried seeds, throw the elephant apple or chalta pieces. Add little salt and stir for 2 minutes. Then add about 1 cup of water. Cook with covered lid for 7-8 minutes. 
• Add the jaggery. Do not add jaggery all at a time, add little by little, let it melt, taste and if needed add some more. It will be a little sweet, more sour kind of taste. How much jaggery is needed depends on the sourness of the fruit. The consistency is kind of liquidy(you can see in the image). If you think, yours is very liquidy, mix 1 tblsp.of flour with 2 tblsp. of water and add into it. This will thicken the gravy and add some taste.
• When you get the right consistency, pour into a serving dish. If a small pan, heat 1 tblsp. of oil, add rest of the panch phoron, when it splutters, pour this with oil into your serving dish over the ambol. This will add a fresh tempering flavour to the dish.
  
• Chaltar Ambol is ready to serve. Serve in room temperature. Leftover can be kept in refrigerator and consume cold. It tastes even better.

This post is my entry to Weekend Herb Blogging(WHB)#209,

hosted this month by Paulchen's Foodblog, event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now the event is managed by
Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything.
This is my second time contribution to this awesome event ...every time I feel proud to be a part of WHB event.