Pomfret Macher Jhal

Pomfret fish is a tasty sea fish which is great for your heart, skin and eyes just like all other fishes. This is a Bengali fish recipe which is easy to make and extremely delicious as well.

Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Pomfret fish - 500 gm ( 5-6 pieces)
Mustard seeds-  - 2 tablespoon (soaked in water for 10 minutes, strained and then a paste is made)
Kalonji seeds
Mustard Oil
Turmeric powder
Red chilly powder (optional)
Salt as per taste
Slitted green chillies

How to make the mustard seed paste?

Take the mustard seed, green chilies and chopped tomato and grind them together to prepare a smooth paste. Add water carefully so that you do not make a runny paste)

Lobongo (Laung) Lotika

Lobongo lotika is an extremely tasty bengali sweet dish, which is a parcel of white flour(maida) with a khoya filling inside, sealed with a clove(lobongo) and then coated with a sugar syprup and hence the name lobongo lotika.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

White flour (maida): 250 gms
Sugar: 250 gms
Cloves: 25gms( depending on how many lobongo lotika we are making)
Khoya kheer: 250gms
Milk: 1/2 litre
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Refined oil


For the Filling

Coconut Filling

Take a non stick frying pan and warm it, then add the grated coconut to the pan. Keep stirring it and keep adding sugar bit by bit until it becomes sticky. Keep it aside to cool.

Khowa Filling

Boil the milk, add the required amount of sugar to it and add the khowa to it. Let the milk boil and keep stirring until it dries completely.

Make a mixed filling of the coconut and the khowa.

How to Prepare the Dough?

The maida should be taken in a vessel and a pinch of baking powder should be added to it and then add a small amount of refined oil  to it. Then water should be added in requisite amount to knead a smooth dough. Keep the dough covered for 15 minutes. Make small equal sized balls from the dough.


How to Prepare the Sugar Syrup?

Take a vessel and add 1/2 litre water in it.  Add the sugar to it and keep boiling until a very thick consistency sugar syrup is prepared. The consistency should be so thick that it should immediately crystallize on adding it from above on the lobongo lotikas.

How to Prepare the Lobongo Lotika?

Take the ball and roll it out just like we do to make pooris. Add the khoya mix in between and then seal the ends from the sides in the form of a rectangular wrap. Then seal the remaining two ends on the reverse side in the form of a square wrap. Seal the centre with a clove. Once the lobongo lotika are made , deep fry them in refined oil in medium flame , until they are golden brown in colour.

Add the sugar syrup on the lobongo lotika from above so that it crystallizes on it. Make sure that both the sides get evenly coated. Serve at room temperature.

Cholar Daaler Pitha/ Chanar Daaler Pitha

Makar Sankranti is widely celebrated in the different states in India as a harvest festival and has different names in the different states, Poush Sankranti, Bihu, Pongal, Maghi and so on. People fly kites on Sankranti, make various sweet dishes and so on. In Bengal , Makar Sankranti is celebrated by cooking 'pitha'( bengali sweet dish). In winter the aromatic 'notun gur'(date palm jaggery) is used in preparing several mouth watering pithas. The major ingredients used to prepare pithas in Poush Sankranti is date palm jaggery, rice flour, coconut and milk.
Cholar pitha is a very tasty , juicy pitha and is very easy to prepare.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chana Daal (cholar daal) : 250 gms
Grated coconut: 1 cup
Sugar (for syrup): 1 cup
Sugar(for dough and coconut): to taste
Khowa: 250 gms
Milk: 1/2 litre
Cardamom: 2-3
Maida(white flour): 1/2 cup
Refined oil


Method

 For the Dough
Soak the chana daal in water overnight. Pressure cook the chana daal the next day(1-2 whistles). Make sure that the daal should not be over boiled(since the dough will not have the proper consistency then). Mash the chana daal finely and keep mixing white flour bit by bit until a smooth dough is prepared. Make sure that maida is not added in excess because otherwise the pitha will be too hard and the sugar syrup will not penetrate it.

For the Filling

Coconut Filling

Take a non stick frying pan and warm it, then add the grated coconut to the pan. Keep stirring it and keep adding sugar bit by bit until it becomes sticky. Keep it aside to cool.

Khowa Filling

Boil the milk, add the required amount of sugar to it and add the khowa to it. Let the milk boil and keep stirring until it dries completely.

Make a mixed filling of the coconut and the khowa.

How to Prepare the Sugar Syrup?

Take a vessel and add 1/2 litre water in it. Crush the cardamom and add it to the water. Add the sugar to it and keep boiling until a thick consistency sugar syrup is prepared. Once the syrup is prepared, cool it.

How to Prepare the Pitha?

Grease your palm with ghee, take a small amount of the dough in your palm and make a round (just like while making chapattis). Put the filling in between the hollow, fold it, and then seal the ends. Fry the pitha in medium flame until it is golden brown. Immediately add the fried pithas to the cool syrup ( make sure that the hot fried pithas are added to the cool syrup so that the sugar syrup can penetrate the pitha properly). Keep the pithas soaked in the sugar syrup overnight. The next morning savour the delectable juicy cholar pitha.

Beet Root and Potato/aloo Parantha

Paranthas are simply yummy and especially aloo paranthas. But if we wish to add a healthy twist to the yummy aloo paranthas then this is the ideal recipe to go for. This recipe is a slight variation from the regular aloo paranthas we have. Beet root adds a new flavor , a new taste and a new color to our normal aloo parathas.

Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Filling

Beet Root: 1 finely grated

Potato: 1 boiled and mashed

Onion: 1 finely chopped

Dried red chillies: 1-2

Roasted Jeera/Cumin powder

Red chilly powder

Asafoetida: 1 pinch

Chopped Green chillies

Salt to taste

Oil

For the Dough

Aaata: 2 cups

Maida: 1 cup

Refined oil

Water

Method

Filling

Take some 2 table spoon of oil in a frying pan. Once the oil gets heated up add a pinch of asafoetida, the dried red chillies and the chopped onions and saute them for some time. Then add the chopped green chillies and finally add the mashed potato and the grated beet root. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Then add a pinch of roasted cumin powder, red chilly powder and salt to taste. Keep stirring till the ingredients mix nicely and it is well cooked. Keep the filling separately in a bowl and let it cool down.

 

 

For the Dough

Take 2 cups of aata and 1 cup of maida. Add 2-3 teaspoon of oil in it. Mix it well and then make a smooth dough of it by adding water little by little and kneading it. Make small balls out of the dough. 

Take the balls and make a hollow in the middle and stuff the filling. Seal the sides. Then roll out the balls into small sized paranthas. Fry these paranthas in a tawa by adding small amount of refined oil.

Musur(Masur) Daal Bora in Beet Root Curry

Beet root has high nutritional value and is a rich source of antioxidants. It also contains potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamin A,C. B6, proteins, carbohydrates and folic acids. Beet root helps in controlling blood pressure and helps in fighting various heart diseases. The blood rich color of beet is extremely attractive and the vegetable itself has a nice flavor.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Beet root: 1 diced into cubical pices
Potato: 1 diced into cubical pieces
Masur daal pakora/bora: A cup of masur daal is soaked in water for 30 minutes and then made into a paste in the mixer grinder
Ginger paste: 1 teaspoon
Green chillies: 3-4
Dried redchillies: 2
bay leaves: 2
panch foron
Refined oil
Turmeric powder
Jeera/Cumin powder
Salt to taste
Water

Method

Take the masur daal paste, add some kalonji to it, a pinch of turmeric powder, a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking powder.Mix it well. Take a frying pan and add some refined oil in it. Once the oil gets heated up make small balls of masur daal and release it into the oil. Fry it golden brown and keep it aside.

Take some oil separately in a kadhai. Add some oil and when the oil gets heated up add a teaspoon of panch foron, bay leaves/tej patta, dried red chillies to it.Let it splutter for some time. Then add the diced beet root pieces and the potato pieces. Saute them well in the oil for about 10 minutes.

 

Then add the green chillies and the ginger paste. Then add some cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well and add water little by little. Finally when the gravy becomes thick add the musur daal bora/pakora and let it simmer for sometime. Swirch off the flame when the gravy enters the bora/pakora and it becomes juicy. Serve hot with rice.

Arhar Daal/toor daal/tuvar daal with Tomato and Coriander

Arhar daal is a very popular daal. It can be cooked in various ways and is a rich source of vitamins and proteins. It has very high level of proteins and thus is extremely nutritous. This daal recipe is very simple and easy to cook.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Arhar daal: 1 cup
Jeera Seeds: 1 tea spoon
Dried red chillies: 1
Cumin powder
turmeric powder
Asafoetida
Tomato: 1 minced into small pieces
coriander leaves finely chopped
refined oil

Method
Take the arhar/tuvar daal/toor daal, pressure cook it and keep it aside.

Now take a tadka pan, add 2 table spoon of oil in it. Let the oil heat and then add a pinch of asafoetida, the dried red chillies and jeera seeds. Let these splutter in the oil for sometime. Then add the minced tomato and cook it for some time so that it becomes tender. Then add a small amount turmeric powder and cumin powder to the oil.                                                                                                            




 Add the tadka to the daal and let the daal simmer for sometime. Add some salt from above. Let it cook for sometime and attain a thick consistency. Now add the chopped coriander leaves from above for garnishing. Finely add a table spoon of ghee for a good aroma. Serve hot with rice or paranthas.

Begun Pora (Roasted Egg plant)

Eggplants are a rich source of various vitamins and minerals and also contain phytonutrients. Phytonutrients have antioxidant property. Eggplants reduce risk of cancer, help in weight loss and also help in improving skin tone. Begun pora also known as baingan bharta is a very common and easy tasty dish. It can be cooked innovatively.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Egg plant/begun/baingan: 1 egg plant/baingan/begun roasted, the skin removed and then mashed and kept in a bowl
Tomato: 1 finely chopped
Onion: 1 finely chopped
green chillies: 2 finely chopped
coriander: chopped coriander leaves
Egg: beat 1 egg and keep in a bowl
Refined oil
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder

Method

Take a frying pan and add 2 tea spoon of oil in it. Heat the oil and then add the chopped onion into it. Fry the onion till golden brown and then add the chopped tomato and saute for sometime till the tomato becomes tender. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste. Then add the mashed egg plant/baingan. begun and keep stirring. Then add the chopped green chillies and the egg into the mixture. Keep stirring the ingredients till they mix very well. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves from above for garnishing. Serve with chappatis or rice.

Dim/Egg Posto (Egg in Poppy Seed Paste)

Egg lovers love to eat their egg in different forms whether as an omlette, poach, half boiled, boiled egg, egg curry and so on.. I am a foodie and particularly fond of bengali style egg curry. This dish is yet another innovative and tasty egg curry. This egg curry is cooked in poppy seed paste but one can also cook it by mixing mustard seeds and poppy seeds in equal proportion and then making a paste of it.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Poppy seeds paste or a mixed paste of poppy seeds and mustard seeds.
Onion paste
1 onion finely chopped
Ginger paste
Dried red chillies-2
Green chillies-3-4
Potatoes- 2 diced into small pieces
mustard oil
Cumin powder
garam masala powder
Tej patta (bay leaves)
Eggs- boiled and slightly fried.
Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Water

Method

Boil the eggs, remove the egg shell and then coat the eggs with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Make small cuts on the eggs so that the masala enters inside.Slightly fry the eggs till they become golden brown.

Keep it aside. Take a frying pan and add 2 table spoon of oil. Heat the oil and then add the tej patta (bay leaves), dried red chillies and finally the chopped onions one by one. Fry the onion till it becomes golden brown.

 

 Then add the diced potatoes and fry them for sometimes. Then add a small amount of cumin powder and garam masala powder and stir well. Add a small amount of water and let it simmer for sometime. Finally add the poppy seed paste and add the required amount of water. Then add the boiled eggs to the gravy. Let the gravy enter the eggs and let the gravy assume a thick sonsistency. Thus your innovative egg curry is ready to serve. Add a spoon of mustard oil from above before serving. Serve with hot rice.

Pumpkin in Mung Daal (Misti Kumro die Mung Daal)

Pumpkins are a rich source of various vitamins, dietary fibre minerals and antioxidants. The calorie content is low in pumpkin and is rich in vitamin A, C and E. It also contains various minerals like calcium , copper, phosphorus and potassium.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkins: 500 gms diced into small pieces
Mung daal: Roasted in 2-3 drops of oil and then cooked in a pressure cooker
Panch foron
Ginger paste
Cumin powder(Jeera powder)
Tej Patta
Dried red chillies(Sukno Lonka)
Turmeric powder
Mustard Oil
Salt
Ghee
Water

Method
Take 1-3 drops of oil in a pan and slightly roast the mung daal so that it becomes slightly reddish yellow in colour till a nice aroma of mung daal can be smelled. Slightly fry the diced pieces of pumpkin and keep it aside. Then pressure cook the daal and keep it aside. Take some oil in the pan and when it becomes hot add tej patta, dried red chillies, panch foron, turmeric powder and cumin powder one by one into the oil. Let it splutter for some time and then add it to the daal. Then add the pumpkin pieces and some salt and let the daal simmer so that the pumpkin pieces get cooked and the ingredients mix uniformly. Then add a tea spoon of ginger paste to the daal. When the daal get cooked and becomes thick then add a tea spoon of ghee from above. Serve it hot with rice.

Bhindi in Mustard Paste (Sorshe Dherosh)

Bhindi/okra/ lady's finger is one of the lowest calorie vegetable which is rich in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. It helps in weight reduction and also helps in reducing cholesterol. It is a rich source of various vitamins like vitamin A, C, K, folates and flavoinoid antioxidants.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Bhindi - 500 grams (Finely chopped)
Potatoes- 2 diced into small cubical pieces
Mustard paste ( Make a paste of mustard seeds with 2 green chillies and a pinch of salt)
Tomatoes- 2 finely chopped
Green chillies- 2-3
Kalonji (Kalo jeera)- a pinch
Dried red chillies-2
Refined oil
Turmeric powder
salt to taste
Water-1 cup

Method

Take some refined oil in a kadhai and let it become hot, then add the dried red chillies and a pinch of kalonji to it. Let it splutter for some time. Then add the chopped bhindi and the diced poatotes and fry them for sometime. Fry the bhindi/okra/lady's finger for sometime so that it becomes crispy and the slimy effect is lost. Then add the tomatoes and saute them nicely till the raw smell of tomatoes is lost and it become soft. Then add the turmeric powder to the vegetables, add some salt and mix well. Then add the mustard paste and mix it very nicely with the vegetables so that they get coated with the paste. Then add a small quantity of water just to make sure that the vegetables get boiled and cook it by covering the kadhai with a lid. Finally add the green chillies from above. The gravy should evenly coat the vegetables. Serve hot with rice.

Aamer Tok (Raw mango juice)

Aamer tok or raw mango juice is a very common Bengali recipe served at the end of a filling afternoon summer meal. It helps in digestion and restores lost apetite because of the hot summer. It is easy to make and does not require much of ingredients.

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients
Raw mango- 2 ( pealed and then grated)
Mustard seeds- a pinch.
Turmeric powder,
Mustard oil
Sugar-5-6 teaspoon
salt to taste
water

Method

Take a very small amount of oil in a kadhai and when the oil gets heated up add the mustard seeds to the oil. Let them splutter for sometime and then add the grated mangoes to the oil. Saute the mangoes for some time. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and a very small amount of salt.  Then add required amount of water to the kadhai and mix every ingredient properly. Then gradually add the sugar. Let the 'aamer tok' simmer for some time. Remove it from the oven and when it cools down put it in the fridge. Serve it chilled.

Coriander Cashew Mushroom Curry

Mushrooms are not only a very tasty food item for vegetarians but they have a surprisingly high nutritional value as well. They are low in calories and carbohydrates and thus help in weight loss. They are a rich source of the antioxidant selenium and have cancer fighting properties. If cooked well they can beat any non veg dish in taste.

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients
Button mushrooms- 500gms
Coriander leaves- 100gms(Finely chopped and then a paste of it made in the mixer grinder).
Cashew-50gms( a smooth cashew paste made in the mixer grinder)
Potato-4-5 diced.
Tej patta(bay leaves)- 1-2
Dried red chillies
Jeera powder
Green chillies-3-4(paste)
Ginger paste
garlic paste
kasauri methi
Refined oil
Water
Salt to taste

Method

Take the button mushrooms and chop them into small pieces. Add 1 tea spoon oil in the kadhai and lightly saute the mushroom and then keep it aside. Take the potato pieces as well , fry them lightly and keep them aside. Take some oil in the kadhai and then add 2 table spoon oil into it. When the oil starts spluttering then add the bay leaves and the dried red chillies. Then add 1 teaspoon of ginger paste, garlic paste and the green chilly paste. Keep stirring it till the oil separates and then add 1/2 tea spoon of jeera powder to it. Add a very small amount of water so that the masala does not burn. Once the masala is well cooked add the cashew paste and the coriander paste to it. Add some salt as per taste. Add 1 cup of water to it. Let the gravy simmer for some time. Then gradually add the diced potatoes and the mushroom to the gravy. Let the mushroom cook in the gravy for sometime so that it mixes well with the gravy. Once the gravy becomes thick add a pinch of kasauri methi from above and then let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Thus your tasty,yummy coriander cashew mushroom curry is ready to serve. Serve hot with pea rice or jeera rice or paranthas.

Lau Mung/ lauki in mung daal

Lauki/ lau or bottle gourd is a vegetable that blends very well with all types of daals. Bottle gourd juice is extremely beneficial for the body because of its high nutritional value. Due to its high water content, bottle gourd has digestive benefits and can help in the treatment of urinary disorders. Lau in mung daal is a popular bengali recipe.

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients
Lauki/lau/ bottle gourd- The bottle gourd is first cut into very thin circular pieces and then the thin circular pieces are further cut into smaller pieces. Make sure not to cut very thick circular pieces and also do not finely chop the pieces
Panch Foron
Tej patta(bay leaves)- 1-2
Dried red chillies
Mung Daal- 1 cup roasted in 2-3 drops of mustard oil
Jeera powder
Dhania powder
Turmeric powder
Green chillies-3-4
Ginger paste
Coriander leaves-finely chopped
Mustard oil
Water
Salt to taste

Method

Take the mung daal and slightly roast it in 2-3 drops of oil. Do not roast it too much because then the daal not become soft on boiling.Then cook the daal in a pressure cooker. Keep it aside. Take a kadhai and add a small amount of mustard oil into it. Add dried red chillies, panch foron and tej patta into it. Then add the lauki and stir it in oil. Then add one by one the jeera powder, dhania powder, turmeric powder and salt. Then add a small amount of ginger paste and mix nicely.

Finally add the daal to the lauki in the kadhai and mix nicely. Add the chopped coriander leaves from above. Let the daal and the lauki simmer for sometime and mix nicely. Add a teaspoon of ghee.

Serve hot with rice.

Raw Banana in Mustard Paste

This is a very simple and easy dish. Raw banana is an extremely healthy vegetable due to its high iron content. Bengalis are very fond of sorsho bata (mustard paste). This is a dish of raw banana in mustard paste.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
Raw bananas- 2 cut into longitudinal pieces
Potatoes-2 cut into longitudinal pieces
Mustard paste- mustard seeds grinded with 2-3 green chillies and a pinch of salt
Dried red chillies
Green chillies- 2-3 slitted
Panch foron
Turmeric powder
Mustard oil
Salt to taste

Method

Take some mustard oil in a kadhai. Once the oil get heated up then add some panch foron and dried red chillies. Once the panch foron starts spluttering then add the raw banana and the potato pieces. Saute the vegetables very nicely in the oil. Once they become brownish then add the mustard paste, stir it nicely till it is well cooked. Then add small amount of water and let it simmer. Let it simmer till it attains a dry consistency. Add some slitted green chillies for garnishing.

Serve with hot rice.

Coconut Flavoured Gajar Ka Halwa

This sweet dish is a slight variation from the normal gajar ka halwa we usually eat. This recipe is a very popular Indian sweet dish recipe and is very easy to cook.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Carrots- 4-5 (grated)
Sugar- 4-5 cups
Coconut milk powder- 4 tablespoon
Cardamom: finely powdered
Cashew nuts: cut into small pieces
Almonds: Cut into small pieces
Pistachios: Cut into small pieces
Ghee/refined oil
Milk- 500ml
Milk powder-5 tablespoon
Khoya kheer-150gms

Method

Heat a small amount of ghee in a kadhai and then add the grated carrots to it. Keep stirring the grated carrots till it becomes soft and then add the milk, milk powder and khoya kheer to the grated carrot. Keep stirring so that it mixes uniformly. Let the carrots boil in the milk and become soft. Mash the carrots in the milk and then add the coconut powder, dry fruits and cardamom to the kadhai. Add the sugar and keep stirring till your gajar ka halwa attains a thick consistency. Once it is done remove from flame , cool it and then freeze it in the refrigerator.

Serve cold.

Dimer Bhapa (Steamed Egg Dish)

Dimer bhapa is a steamed egg dish. It is an unique egg recipe and quite appealing to the palate. It is a variation from the usual egg curries.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Eggs-5-6

Green Chilly Paste

Ginger paste

Onion paste

Garlic paste

Tomato puree

Cumin Powder

Garam Masala powder

Red chilly powder

Panch Foron ( a mix of fenugreek seed, mustard seed, cumin seed, fennel seed and nigella seed)

Bay leaves-1-2

Potatoes- Cut into big pieces, boiled and fried.

Fresh yoghurt

Refined oil

Method

Take a closed container which closes tightly. Beat the eggs and add a small amount of salt, turmeric powder, green chillies paste, red chilly powder to it. Beat the eggs nicely to mix all the ingredients. Take the container, grease it nicely with oil/ghee and then add the eggs to it. Close the container tightly. Take a wide vessel containing water and boil the water. Then place the closed container in the vessel and let it cook on steam for about 15-20 minutes. You can also place the closed container inside a pressure cooker containing required amount of water and then allow 1-2 whistles. After about 20 minutes take out the closed container, let it cool. Open the container, It is found that the eggs are baked. Since the container had been greased so the baked eggs should come out easily. Cut it into small cubical pieces.

Take a kadhai and add some refined oil, Fry the cubical pieces till they become yellow brown. Keep them aside. Then add some more oil, heat it and add the panch foron and bay leaves to it. Then gradually add 1 teaspoon each of ginger paste, garlic paste, onion paste, green chilly paste one by one. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato puree and keep stirring. Then add the whisked yoghurt, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilly powder , garam masala powder to it. Keep stirring, once the spices are well cooked the oil will release on the sides. Then add the potatoes which had already been boiled, fried and kept aside. Add the cubical steamed egg pieces to the gravy and mix thoroughly. Once the gravy reaches a thick consistency switch off the flame. Add some ghee to the gravy.

Serve with hot rice, roti or parantha.

Tomator Chutney

Tomato chutney is an absolute essential after having a proper Bengali lunch. It is served at the end of the meal before serving any other sweet dish. This typical bengali chutney is also served during the durga pujas along with the 'bhog'. The sweet, tangy, spicy taste is simply awesome.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Tomatoes- 4-5 chopped nicely
Dried red chillies-2-3
Mustard seeds
Bay leaves-1-2
Turmeric Powder
Ginger paste
Salt to taste
Sugar/Jaggery
Cashew nuts- 4-5 chopped
Raisins
Tamarind Pulp (optional, can be added if the tomatoes are not very sour)
Mustard oil

Method

Take a kadhai and add 1 tablespoon oil into it. Let the oil get heated up. Once it gets heated up add bay leaves, slitted dried red chillies and mustard seeds to the oil. Let the mustard seeds crackle and then add the chopped tomatoes to the oil. Stir nicely for 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes become tender. Then add a very small amount of ginger paste to the tomatoes. Stir for sometime and then add a very small amount of turmeric powder and salt. Then slowly keep adding sugar/jaggery depending on how sweet you want your chutney to taste. Mix the sugar nicely and gradually your chutney develops a dark red colour due to the sugar. Finally add the cashew nuts and raisins. You can add tamarind pulp to increase the sourness. Do not add any water to the tomato chutney as it dilutes the taste. Let the chutney simmer for sometime and then remove from flame. Cool it before serving. Finally your tangy, sweet tomato chutney is ready to serve.

Serve it at the end of a typical Bengali meal.

Sattu ka Parantha/ Chatur Parantha

Sattu is an extremely healthy breakfast food. It contains all the essential nutrients and has digestive properties as well due to its high fibre content. Sattu paranthas are tasty and at the same time extremely nutritious and healthy.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients


Sattu- 1 cup
Mustard oil
Onion- 1 (finely chopped)
Garlic- 1 teaspoon (chopped)
Ginger-1 teaspoon (chopped)
Green chillies-2-3 (chopped)
Roasted cumin powder
Garam masala powder
Red chilly powder
Dried mango powder (amchur powder)
Whole wheat flour- 4 cups
Refined oil
Salt to taste

Method


For the Filling


Take the sattu in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of mustard oil to it, add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and green chillies to it. Then add a small amount of roasted cumin powder, garam masala powder, dried mango powder and red chilly powder to it. Mix all the ingredients very nicely with the sattu and then add some water to make a smooth and thick paste of  it.

For the Dough

Take the whole wheat flour, add some oil and then knead it properly by adding water. Make a smooth dough and keep it aside in a bowl covered with a wet cloth for some time.

Divide the dough into equal sized balls. Take a ball, make a hollow in the center and add the sattu filling in between. Close the ends properly and then roll out the balls to make your parantha. Add some oil in a tawa and cook the paranthas uniformly on both the sides.

Thus your sattu ka parantha is ready to eat. Serve with tamarind chutney.

Bread Pulao

An interesting pulao, a variation from the traditional pulao. This is a yummy breakfast recipe and is a rich blend of several colors.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

Potato: 1 Boiled and chopped
Carrots: 1 finely chopped
Green peas: boiled
Tomato: 1 finely chopped
Coriander leaves: finely chopped
Asafoetida (hing): a pinch
Curry leaves: 4-5 chopped
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Black pepper powder
Red chilly powder
Bread (preferably whole wheat bread): 4-5 slices cut into small pieces
Refined oil



Method


Take a kadhai and add 1 tablespoon oil. Once the oil gets heated up add a pinch of asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds and cumin seeds start crackling add all the vegetables and saute nicely. Once the vegetables mix nicely and become tender add a bit of salt, red chilly powder and black pepper and mix nicely. Add the bread slices and cook for about 3 minutes. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Tok daal/ aamer daal (sour daal)

Tok daal is a popular daal specially prepared in summers. During the extreme hot weather in summers people often lose their appetite. This daal is believed to build appetite during the hot summers. This indian daal recipe is easy to prepare and very healthy too.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes


Ingredients

Masur daal - 1 cup
Raw green mangoes- 2 (chopped into slices)
Green chillies (slit and the seeds removed)
Dried red chillies- 2(slitted)
Mustard seed
Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Mustard oil
Water

Method


Take the masoor daal in a pressure cooker, add required amount of water and let it heat without putting the lid of the pressure cooker. Remove the froth from above. When the water becomes clear, add the green mango slices, add some salt and close the lid of the cooker. Allow 1 whistle and then let the vapour escape gradually.


For the tadka, take some mustard oil in the pan and add the slitted dried red chillies and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds splutter for sometime and then add a bit of turmeric powder, green chillies to the oil. Once the tadka is ready add it to the daal in  the pressure cooker. Let the daal simmer for sometime so that it mixes well with the tadka.


Thus your tok daal meaning sour daal is ready. Serve with hot rice.