Bhuni Khichuri from Bhaskar da, Simkie di

After a long hiatus I am back to food blogging. This post is brought to you by a bad bout of cold. The last time I had a cold was when I visited, ahem, a very cold place.

It was January of 2017, when few of us visited the cold sleepy town or rather village of Roslyn, up in the Cascade mountains. Like any true Bong outing, it was less about where we went, but more about what we ate.

Since I was down with a cold, I mostly stayed indoors helping others cook. One of our friend BhaskarDa made this amazing Khichuri based on his better half SimkiDi’s  recipe.

The great thing about this Khichuri is it’s simplicity and rustic taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup gobindobhog rice ( Jeera rice)
• 1 cup yellow moong dal
• 2 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1” raw ginger grated
• 1 cup medium sized cauliflower florets
• 1 cub medium sized cubed potato
• 4 tbsp. oil
• 2 tsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Wash rice and drain the water and keep aside.

In a frying pan take moong dal and dry roast it on medium flame till you get a nutty aroma and dal starts taking a nice brown hue.

Remove from the heat and wash it. Now soak the dal in water.

In a heavy bottomed pan heat two tbsp. oil and temper it with one tbsp. cumin seeds, bay leaves and dry red chilies. When you get a nice aroma add washed and drained rice to it and fry them on very low heat for about five minutes.

Once you start getting the flavor of the fried rice add soaked dal along with its water to it. Give them a hearty stir. Add salt and cook it covered. you need to check the water level time to time and need to replenish if required.

In the mean time smear the cauliflower florets and potato cubes with little salt and start heating the rest of the oil in a frying pan..

Once the oil is hot enough  fry the cauliflower florets and the potato cubes on medium heat. Remove them from oil and keep aside.

When the rice and dal mixture is three fourth cooked add the fried cauliflower florets and potato to it.  Check the seasoning and the water level and adjust accordingly. This is the time you add grated ginger and sugar. Mix once more and cook it covered.

When the khichuri is done, turn off the heat. In a small frying pan heat ghee till it melts and temper it with the rest of the cumin seeds. When they stop sputtering, pour it over the khichuri and immediately cover the pot. Keep it covered till you serve.

Khichuri Kancha Maslar

Winter is coming up and so is the season for khichuri for those sleepy rainy Sunday lunches. This khichuri is from my dida and is not the typical bong niramish version (for that you have plain Khichuri). This has the flavor or raw spices and is made without any oil. However, you can indulge yourself with a large dollop of ghee on top of it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice
• 3/4 cup musur dal ( Red Lentil)
• 2 medium potatoes cut into halves
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1” ginger knob grated
• 2 fat cloves of garlic grated
• 1 medium sized onion cut into quarters
• 4-5 green chilies
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Wash rice and dal thoroughly.  Take a big pan and put rice and dal  along with salt, sugar and turmeric powder. Mix well and pour enough water, about six cups. Throw the potato halves into it. Cover it up and let it come to a boil on high heat. Once it starts boiling remove the lid and one by one add bay leaf, onion, grated ginger, garlic and green chilies, cauliflower florets and green peas. Keep boiling on medium heat till rice , dal and potatoes are cooked and look a bit mushy. You might need to add water to get the desired consistency.
Serve it with a big spoon full of ghee.

Murg Masur Pulao

Eid Mubarak to all my friends who are celebrating Eid tomorrow. Hope you are filling to your brim at the Iftar parties.

When I was a college student, one of my friends Shama used to bring Murg Masur Pulao to the class just after Eid. It would come in a huge container and in no time disappear. I have no idea where Shama is today, but I hope she is doing well and still enjoys this great dish. Thanks to the fantastic pulao I am thinking of her from another corner of the world.

Ingredients

• 500 gm. bone in chicken cut into medium pieces
• 2 and 1/2 cup long grain Basmamti rice washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1 cup Masoor (Red lentil with skin) washed and soaked for 2 hours
• 2 medium potatoes cut into quarters
• 2 large onions thinly sliced
• 2 large tomatoes cut into round thin slices
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 tbsp. garlic paste
• 2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• Whole garam masala ( 2 black cardamom, 4 green cardamom, 1” cinnamon stick, 5 cloves, 1 tp. shahi jeera)
• 1 bunch fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves finely chopped
• 4 tbsp. mint leaves
• 4 tbsp. chopped cilantro or coriander leaves
• Salt to taste                 
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• 1/4 cup warm milk
• Few Saffron strands 
• Few drops Kewra water

Procedure

In a heavy bottom pan heat oil and add onion slices to it. Fry till golden brown. Remove half of the fried onion on a paper towel and reserve for later use.

In the rest of the onion add ginger garlic paste, and chili powder. Sauté till the raw smell subsides. Now add chopped fenugreek leaves and tomato slices to it. sprinkle coriander and cumin powder. Fry till the moisture dries up.

Add chicken pieces to it and fry well so that the meat pieces are nicely coated with spices. Add salt and cook it covered till the meat is tender.

Now add potato quarter to it and fry along with the meat for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle garam masala powder and keep it covered. Add yogurt to it and cook till chicken and potatoes are tender.

In a separate pan boil the soaked lentil with salt till cooked. Take care so that they retain their shape.

In a large pan boil enough water with salt and whole garam masala and add soaked rice to it. Boil till the rice is 90% done. Drain the water.

Soak saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside.  

For layering in a large pan take half of the rice. Lay evenly the chicken and potato mixture with the lentils on top. Add chopped cilantro, mint and slit green chilies over it. Add  half of the golden brown onions.

For the top layer spread evenly the remaining rice. sprinkle saffron milk over it. Top it up with the rest of the chopped mint, cilantro and green chilies.

Finish it up with the rest of the golden onions and kewra water. 

Place this pan covered on the lowest mark of heat for 30 minutes.

Dish out and serve it with raita.

Kumro Saag diye Motor Dal

We are regular visitors to the local Farmer’s market. We love the fresh organic produce as well as the artisan food. In one of those visits I was flabbergasted to find Kumro saag (Pumpkin twigs) and pumpkin flower being sold in a corner. I bought a bagful (literally!!) and made some delectable Saag with Yellow split peas using my grandmoms recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup motor dal (Yellow split peas)
• 2 cups chopped pumpkin twigs along with their leaves (Cut into 1” pieces)
• 1 tsp. kalojeera (Kalonji)
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Wash dal thoroughly and cook in a pressure cooker with 2 cups water, turmeric powder and salt till one whistle comes.

In a pan heat 2tbsp. oil and temper it with kalojeera and dry red chili. When the spices stop sputtering add pumpkin twigs to it. Sprinkle one pinch salt and sauté for a minute. Cook it covered for about 3-4 minutes. By this time the leaves will start wilting.

Remove the lid and add boiled dal to it. Add sugar and mix. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Let it simmer for about another 5 minutes on medium heat. This dal will have a medium consistency.

Serve with plain rice. 

Aam Dal (Lentil with Raw Green Mango)

We are just back from Mexico. The weather there constantly reminded me of sultry Kolkata. The temperature hovered around 35 Celsius and the humidity at 99%. Even though I was having my fill of Taco’s and Tequila’s what I craved was Mango Daal and Alubhaja, the staple summer lunch of Bong’s.

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentil
• 1 small raw mango peeled and cut into big chunks
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• salt to taste

Procedure

Wash lentils till water runs clear and transparent. Add chunks of mango, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt to it. Boil lentil with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker till 1whistle comes. Turn off the heat and wait till the pressure settles down.

Open the lid and gently stir the mixture once.

Heat mustard oil in a small pan till it starts smoking. Now reduce the heat and temper it with mustard seeds and whole dry red chilies. Once they stop spluttering add the tempered oil into the lentil mixture. Season it with salt and sugar and once again turn on the heat. Let it simmer for a minute or two and then turn the heat off.

Serve with hot rice and alubhaja.

Dal Makhani

Initially I tried and failed to make that perfect silky Dal Makhani at home. Each time I visited a good Indian restaurant and had one, I’d go back thinking what is it that I was missing. Then I figured the secret out with the help from a friend who worked in the hotel industry. The secret is super slow cooking. You need to slow cook the dal for hours. I generally do it now for 6 to 7 hours in the lowest heat and get fantastic melt in your mouth silky Dal Makhani.

Ingredients

• 1 cup black urad dal (black gram) washed
• 1 fistful rajma (red kidney bean) washed
• 2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
• 2 large tomatoes pureed
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi (Dry fenugreek leaves)
• 2 tsp. butter
• 1/4 cup fresh cream
• Salt
• 2 tsp. oil
• For Tempering
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1” cinnamon stick
  • 2 cardamoms
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 bay leaf

Procedure

Soak rajma for 3-4 hours but not the urad dal. In a deep vessel take both dals with a pinch of salt and pour enough water to boil them. Cook them covered on the lowest heat mark for 6-7 hours. Alternatively you can pressure cook.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf and whole garam masala. When they stop spluttering add ginger garlic paste and sauté for few minutes.

Next to go in is pureed tomato and cook it on low heat for 5-6 minutes to cook of its raw smell. Add red chili powder and coriander powder and salt. Fry the masala till oil oozes out.

Add 2 tsp. butter. Pour boiled dal to it along with cream. Sprinkle dry kasuri methi powder and stir well. Cook for another 30 minutes covered, while mixing it in between so that it doesn’t stick to bottom.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve,.

Musur Daal Paanchphoron Diye

This is one of those simple foods, which the Bengali heart craves for now and then. After our super long 6000 km road trip to California where we ate all kinds of stuff from across the world, what I really wanted when I stepped into our home was some simple daal. This simple dal flavored with our very own paanchphoron, sukno lonka and accompanied with begun bhaja becoms delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 cup musur dal (red lentils)
• 1 pinch turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. paanch-phoron (generally available in Indian grocery stores)
• 2-3 dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Wash dal thoroughly and pressure cook it with a pinch of turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups of water on high heat till the first whistle. Let the pressure settle down on its own.

In a pan heat mustard oil till it smokes. Temper it with broken red chilies and paanch phoron. Wait till you get a sharp fragrance of the spices. Be careful as to not burn them. Turn off the heat immediately and pour the spices along with the oil  in the dal. Season with sugar and salt and mix them well. Let it simmer on high heat for a minute.

Serve with plain rice with a wedge of lemon and begun bhaja.

Bhaja Mooger Dal

Bhaja Mooger dal is a Bengali delicacy specially for winter. Here yellow moong dal is dry roasted to bring out its nutty aroma and then cooked with fresh winter vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow moong dal
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh green peas (I used frozen)
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
• 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp.canola or any refined oil
• For Tempering
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 2-3 green chilies slit lengthwise

Procedure

Take a pan and add dry moong dal to it. Dry roast on medium heat till you get a nutty flavor and the grains take a light brown hue. Remove immediately from the heat and allow it to cool down. Wash them thoroughly once it is cooled.

In a pressure cooker boil the roasted dal with 2 cups of water, turmeric powder and grated ginger for one whistle. Let the steam escape.

In another pan heat oil and temper it with cumin seed, bay leaves and green chilies. Sauté till the oil turns fragrant. Add cauliflower florets to it and fry on low heat till you get a nice aroma of fried cauliflower. Transfer this content to the pressure cooker.

Add green peas. Season the dal with salt and sugar. If this meal is planned for the kids then remove the green chilies now and add during the time of garnishing. Simmer dal along with the vegetables on low heat till the dal and the vegetables are cooked. You can add little water if required.

Pour the dal in a serving bowl and garnish with freshly grated coconut and finish it off with a spoonful of ghee.

Serve with plain hot rice. 

Medu Vada

Medu vada or vadai is a common South Indian snacks. Everyone seems to make them at home. However, really good quality medu vada simply stands out and is very hard to get even in the Southern parts of India. My husband is a vada fanatic. He hates waiting in line to get food, but would still queue up at Chutneys in Hyderabad at 3:30 waiting for their specific vada maker to come in at 4:00 and make scorching hot vadas. He judges a Southern café or restaurant just by their vada and most fails that test, some of the exceptions being Chutneys, Kamath, Saravana Bhavan and the likes.

Good vada has a super crunchy exterior contrasted by a soft yet well cooked interior. The vada has to be served right after making it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup urad dal whole or split (Black lentils without skin)
• 2 green chilies
• 1/2” ginger
• 5 – 6 pepper corns crushed
• 1/2tsp. asafetida (Hing)
• 1tsp. whole cumin seed
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Procedure

Wash and soak urad dal in enough water for 5- 6 hours.

Drain and grind it into a coarse paste with green chilies and ginger. You might need to add very little water. Water should be just enough to make a soft but not watery dough – as its the consistency of the batter that determines the shape and softness of the vadas.

Transfer the paste in a bowl add add salt to it. Now beat it with your hand till the batter is light and fluffy. To make sure it’s right, run the following floating test. Take a cup of water and drop a little dough into it. If the dough immediately floats up, your dough is ready. If it sinks you need to beat it some more.

Add hing, cumin seeds and crushed pepper corn. Mix once more.

Heat oil in a kadai.

Wet your hand and take a portion of the mixture and start giving it the shape of vada by making a hole at the center with your thumb. When the oil is really hot upturn your hand and carefully slide the vada in oil.

Deep fry till both sides turn golden brown.

Note:

• Make the vadas as soon as the batter is ready as they will absorb too much oil if left for a long time.
• Add the vadas when the oil is really hot. It will make the outside of the vadas crispy while keeping the inside soft.

Remove and drain on an absorbent paper and serve with coconut chutney.

Moong Lau

Moong lau was generally made at our home with fresh bottle gourds from our backyard. This dry thick dish is made with bottle gourd and roasted yellow moong dal which gives it an unique nutty flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 medium bottle gourd (lau finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup yellow moong dal
• 1/2” ginger grated
• 1tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 2dry red chilies
• 1tsp. sugar
• 1tsp. clarified butter (Ghee)
• Salt
• 2tsp. oil for cooking

Procedure

In a pan take moong dal and dry roast till you get a nutty flavor. Careful do not burn them.

wash dal thoroughly and pressure cook it with 1 cup of water and grated ginger till one whistle comes. allow the pressure to settle. The dal will be cooked but not mushy. You should be able to see each grains of dal separately.

In another pan take 2spoon oil and temper with cumin seeds, dry red chilies and bay leaves. Let the spices crackle. Now add chopped bottle gourd and sprinkle a pinch of salt over it.Mix well and cook it covered on medium heat till its 1/2 done.

Add boiled dal to followed by salt and sugar. Give them a nice mix.Cook on medium heat till the vegetable is done and most moisture dries up.

Finish it up with a dollop of ghee and serve with plain rice.

Shrimp and Lentil Fritter (Pakora)

Having grown up as a single child of working parents, I had to; and liked spending some alone time. Even now and then I need that space for myself. My idea of spending such time is to curl up with some hot tea, pakora and a great book (preferably a detective novel). Everyone close to me knows of this. Sometime when I am stressed out, even my daughter goes and tells her father that they should head out biking or in the mountains to let mama get her “alone time”.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red lentil ( Musur Dal ) washed and soaked for 3-4hrs.
• 1 cup tiny shrimps ( You can 10 – 15 bigger shrimps alternatively )
• 1tbsp. chopped ginger
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 3-4 hot green chilies ( Use 1 if kids are eating )
• 2tsp. chopped coriander leaves ( Cilantro )
• 1/2tsp. baking powder
• 2tbsp. besan ( Bengal gram flour )
• 1/2tsp. sugar
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Procedure

Drain excess water from the soaked dal and grind it into a coarse paste with garlic and green chilies. Transfer the content from the grinder to a mixing bowl.

If you are using larger shrimps  clean and devein them and then churn them in a blender. We don’t want paste of shrimps, so just use the pulse mode for few seconds. For tiny shrimps use as they are.

Mix all ingredients together other than oil. If you feel that the mixture is still loose you can add little more besan or rice flour for binding. Make small balls out of it.

In a wok heat enough oil for deep frying and drop the balls in it. Fry on medium heat till both sides turn light brown. Crank up the heat to high and fry for few more minutes to make them crispy. Remove and drain them on a paper towel.

Serve hot with your favorite chutney or ketchup.

Chingri–Sobji Diye Cholar Dal (Lentil with Shrimp and Vegetables)

Sometimes the bongcook is tired of cooking. Interestingly even though my little one will gobble down pizza/pasta when offered, prefers to eat at home, especially for dinner. So I take refuge in one of these simple recipes.

One of my daughter’s favorite food is daal. Adding Prawn quenches the non-vegetarian bong soul as well.We use this as a healthy one-pot dinner along with hand made soft rotis.

Ingredients

1. 10 – 12 medium sized prawns cleaned
2. 1 cup chana dal
3. 1/4th cup carrot chopped
4. 1/4th cup beans chopped
5. 1/2 cup cauliflower cut into small florets
6. 1 medium tomato finely chopped
7. 2tbsp. chopped coconut
8. 1 cup thick coconut milk
9. 1tsp. garam masala powder
10. 1tsp. turmeric powder
11. 1tsp. chili powder
12. 1tsp. sugar
13. 1tsp. ghee (clarified Butter) 
14. Salt to taste
15. For Tempering
1. 2,3 Bay leaves
2. 1” cinnamon stick
3. 2 cloves
4. 2,3 green cardamom
5. 2,3 Dry red chilies
6. 1tsp. whole cumin seeds
7. 1 pinch hing (asafetida)

Procedure

In a pressure cooker boil daal with 2 cups of water and turmeric. It takes 10 minutes if you are cooking on medium heat.

In a separate pan boil 5 cups of water with little salt. Now add carrots, beans and cauliflower florets to it. Turn off the heat and keep it covered for 5 minutes. Drain the water and dunk the vegetables in cold water for 10 more minutes. Drain the water. This will help the vegetables to retain their color.

Heat mustard oil in a pan and fry prawns. Remove and reserve them.

Temper the same oil with all the ingredients listed for tempering. When the oil turns aromatic and the spices sizzle add chopped coconut pieces to it. Fry till they turn light brown. Now add tomato and steamed vegetables to it. Season with salt and sugar. Sprinkle red chili powder over it. Mix everything well and fry on medium heat till oil separates out.

Add boiled daal to it. Mix the daal with sautéed vegetables. If you want pour little hot water to it and let it come to a boil.

Once it starts boiling add fried prawns and pour the coconut milk. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Finish it off with a spoonful of ghee, green chilies and garam masala powder. 

Moong Palong / Spinach with yellow lentil

Our last couple of dine outs have been to African restaurants. Interestingly I saw that Ethiopian and Moroccan food has heavy use of lentils. It is served as one of the main course in both Queen Sheba and Marrakesh restaurants that we visited. It reminded me of some of the traditional Bengali lentil recipes. These are not the traditional daal soup or curry but more dry and filling.

In Winter when fresh spinach hit the markets my mom used them with yellow lentil to make a thick dry side dish which we used to have with white rice. Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup yellow moong dal
2. 1lb spinach coarsely chopped
3. 1" grated ginger
4. 1tsp. cumin seed
5. 2,3 bay leaves
6. 3,4 dry red chilies
7. 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
8. 1 tsp. ghee ( clarified butter )
9. Oil
10. Salt
11. Sugar

Procedure

Dry roast moong dal on medium heat till you get a nutty smell and the dal turns light brown. You need to stir it continuously.

Once you are done, wash dal thoroughly. Now cook dal with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker with one cup of water. If there is any excess water allow it to dry on high heat. Don't overcook the dal.

In a pan heat 2 tbsp. of oil and temper it with whole cumin seeds, bay leaves and dry red chilies. Wait till it sputters. Add grated ginger to it. Next to go in is chopped spinach. Season with salt and a tsp. of sugar.

Mix well and cook it covered on medium heat. Soon the leaves will start wilting and release enough water. Remove the lid and cook it on high heat allowing all the water to evaporate. Add boiled dal to it. Mix the dal well with spinach. Check seasoning and adjust accordingly. Let it cook together till all excess moisture dries up.

You need to stir frequently to avoid sticking to the bottom. Add a dollop of ghee and turn off the heat.

Enjoy with hot rice.

Keema Diye Cholar Daal (Chaana Daal with minced meat)

While growing up I had heard many times from my dad about the cholar daal my dida made for him with left over chicken pieces. My dida was never moved even on surprise visit, she could just pick up whatever was in the home and churn out something yummy for her son-in-law.
I later learned this recipe from my aunt. This time when my dad came over for a visit, I made it and asked for a comparison. Even though his memory has obviously faded, he still took the side of his mom-in-law :|

Ingredients

1. 1 cup cholar dal (chana dal ) washed and soaked in water for 1hr
   
2. 200gms chicken OR mutton keema (I used small boneless pieces of meat)
   
3. 1 large onion finely chopped
   
4. 1 medium tomato coarsely chopped
   
5. 1 tsp. ginger paste
   
6. 1 tsp. garlic paste
   
7. 1 tsp. turmeric powder
   
8. 1 tbsp. chili powder
   
9. 1 tsp. cumin powder
   
10. 1 tbsp. coriander powder
    
11. 1 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder
    
12. 1 tsp. bhajaa masala ( dry roast 1tsp. coriander seeds, 1 tsp. cumin seeds and 2 whole red chilies and then coarsely grind them in a grinder )
    
13. 1 tsp. sugar
    
14. Salt
    
15. Oil
    
16. Ghee
    
17. For Tempering
    1. 1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
       
    2. 2,3 bay leaves / tejpatta
       
    3. 3,4 dry red chilies
       
    4. Whole garam masala ( 1' cinnamon stick, 2,3 green cardamom, 3,4 cloves )

Procedure

Wash dal thoroughly and soak it in water for half an hour. If you have a pressure cooked then use it to cook the dal till the first whistle. Let the pressure release on its own. If you don’t have a pressure cooker then boil the daal in a covered pan with 3 cups of water. Don't overcook it.
Heat oil in a kadai or pan and add all the ingredients for tempering. When the oil becomes fragrant add onion to it and fry on low heat till it takes a pinkish hue. Add ginger and garlic paste to it. Sauté on low heat for some time.
Next add chopped tomatoes along with the dry spice powder(turmeric + chili + cumin + coriander). Fry on medium heat till they loose their raw smell.
Its time for the keema or meat pieces to go in. Sauté along with the masala and season with salt and sugar.
Cook it covered till done. Add boiled dal to it and mix well. This dal will be thick not runny so adjust water level accordingly. Check the seasoning and adjust.
Sprinkle garam masala powder and bhajaa masala. Add a spoonful of ghee and remove from heat. Keep it covered till you serve to retain the aroma of ghee and bhajaa masala.
Best enjoyed with luchi or parantha.

Maacher matha diye muger da (Lentil with fish head)

We rarely had fish head in lentil at home. The reason being that in Kolkata you need to separately buy the fish head, which were in general huge in size. With just 3 people at home we rarely did that.
First time I had this famous bong food was at my grandma-s house, when we went for the traditional ceremony of jamai-shosti. In Jamai-shosti, son-in-law or Jamai is invited over and almost fed to death. I think it started as some sort of celebration then slowly turned into the an occasion where mom-in-laws got their sweet revenge.
I can still remember that day when my grandma and choto-mashi with her leg in cast was sitting and making this at their home.
Now things have changed, here in the US you have to buy a whole fish, which not-surprisingly comes with its head :). So maacher matha diye muger daal has turned into a common bi-monthly delicacy.

Ingredients

1. 1 fish head cut into four pieces
2. 1 cup yellow moong dal
3. 1 medium onion finely chopped
4. 1 tsp. ginger paste
5. 1 tsp. garlic paste
6. 1 tsp. chili powder
7. 1 tbsp. coriander powder
8. 1 tsp. cumin powder
9. 1 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder
10. Turmeric powder
11. 2,3 tejpatta ( bay leaf)
12. 2,3 dry red chilies
13. 1 tbsp ghee / clarified butter

Procedure

Wash the fish head thoroughly in water and pat it dry. Smear it with salt and turmeric and keep aside. Meanwhile dry roast the moong dal on medium heat till you get a nutty flavor. Don't char them. Now wash thoroughly the dal and cook it in a pressure cooker with little salt ,turmeric and 2 cups of water. Let the pressure releases on its own after one whistle. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, just cook the daal for a longer period of time. In a kadai heat mustard oil till smoky and fry the fish head. It can splutter so it is better to keep the kadai covered with a lid. You don't have to break the fish head as it will start disintegrating from its joints once it is fried. Remove and reserve it. Take fresh oil in a kadai and heat it. Temper the oil with bay leaves and broken dried red chilies. Now add finely chopped onions to it and fry till they become translucent. Add fish head and ginger garlic paste to it. Sprinkle all dry masala other than garam masala and fry them with fish head. Once you see the oil gets separated out from the masala add boiled dal to it. Season with salt and sugar and let it simmer with fish head for 2-3 mins. The dal will not be runny rather it will have a thick consistency. Finish it off with garam masala powder and ghee. Serve it with hot rice and crispy alu bhaja. 

Sabji Diye Mator Dal (Lentil soup with vegetables)

This is a common bong delicacy on a cold winter day. Markets in Bengal fill up with fresh vegetables in winter and this dish makes ample use of that. This is generally served with hot rice, accompanied by begun bhaja (fried eggplant) or crispy aloo-bhaja (potato chips).

Ingredients

1. 1 cup yellow split peas (or Motor daal)
2. 1/2 radish cut in cubes
3. 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
4. 1 carrot cut in cubes
5. 1/2 cup green peas
6. Handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves
7. 3,4 green chilies slit lengthwise
8. 1 tsp. kalonji ( Nigella seeds)
9. Turmeric
10. Salt
11. Sugar
12. Oil
13. Ghee ( clarified butter)

Procedure

Wash the dal and cook it in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Let the cooker whistle once, then wait for the pressure to be released by its own. You can boil the dal without cooker but then it will take longer time.

In a separate pan or microwave cook the vegetables till they are tender.

Heat oil in a kadai and temper it with kalonji and green chilies. Once it starts sputtering add the cooked vegetables and sauté till the nice aroma of the vegetables fill the air.

Now add dal and season it with salt and sugar. Finish it off with freshly chopped coriander leaves and a spoonful of ghee.

Sheetal shashti and Gota Sheddho

Sheetal shashti is observed on the 6th day of the Sukla Paksha of Magha month. Which is the day after Saraswati puja. Sheetal means the cool and shasti means the 6th day. Traditionally Gota Sheddho (or whole boiled) is made on the  day of saraswati pujo and the food is served on the next day when it is cooled. Hence comes the name.

This ritual is mainly observed by the Bengali mothers wishing for long healthy life of their children.

Gota sheddho is nothing but a dish made with five types of whole vegetables cooked in whole lentils. You need to use 6 of each of the vegetables. As you can figure out from the name, you need to keep aside your knife while cooking this.

Each family has their own version of making gota sheddho, so it was very common to exchange a bowl of gota sheddho among the kakimas in our neighborhood.

Ingredients

1. 6 baby potatoes
2. 6 whole peas(traditionally 6 must be used you can add more if you want)
3. 6 flat/ broad beans or sheem
4. 6 small eggplants
5. 6 whole spinach (small spinach plants along with the roots)
6. Half cup whole green moong
7. 1 tbsp. grated ginger
8. 1 tsp. turmeric
9. Salt
10. Sugar

Process

Wash dal and all the vegetables. Remove stringy part of peas and beans.

Now in a pressure cooker or thick bottomed pan boil the dal with enough water. Once the lentil is half done add all the vegetables followed by turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Add grated ginger to it. Cook on medium high heat for about 20-30 mins till the vegetables and dals are cooked. Dal and vegetables should be well over it.  cooked but not mushy. Turn off the heat and drizzle 2tbsp of mustard oil over it.

Dhoka-r Dalna (Lentil Cake Curry)

 

Dhoka in a bunch of Indian languages mean betrayal, but believe me the last thing Dhokar dalna does is to betray. It faithfully satisfies your palate each time. I have no idea why this is called dhoka, please let me know if you have any idea about it. Essentially dhoka-r dalna is a a curry of cakes made of ground lentil.

It takes some patience to make this dish and hence I rarely make it. However, when I do its an instant hit at our home. Making dhokar-dalna is a two step process. First you need to make the lentil cake called dhoka and next you make the gravy or dalna.

You can make the cake either using the full recipe below, or you can use readymade Dhoka mix. Unfortunately the mix is not available atleast on our side of the US and I make my own dhoka mix. See my ready to use dhoka mix recipe for that.

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Making the Dhoka

Ingredients

1. 1 cup cholar/chaana dal (also called Bengal Gram) soaked overnight
2. 2,3 green chilies
3. 1/2" ginger
4. Salt
5. Sugar
6. A  pinch of hing (asfoetida)

Process

Drain the soaked chana dal and grind into a smooth paste with green chilies, ginger, and salt by adding as little water as possible.

Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and temper with a pinch of asfoetida. Add the ground lentil paste along with little sugar and cook it till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. This mixture has a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan unless you stir continuously throughout the process. The end product should be moist and soft.

Grease a flat dish with a spoon of oil and transfer the dal mixture into it. Now with your hand press it downwards and flatten the surface while it is still warm. Now with a sharp knife cut into squares or triangles. Wait for sometime to allow it to cool.

Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry each pieces till both sides turn light golden brown.

 

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Making the Dalna or Gravy

Ingredients

1. 3 medium sized potatoes each cut into six cubes
2. 1 tomato coarsely chopped
3. 1 tbsp. ginger paste
4. 1 tbsp coriander powder
5. 1 tsp. cumin powder
6. 1 tsp. turmeric powder
7. 2 tsp. chili powder
8. 1 tsp. garam masala powder
9. Whole garam masala
   1. 1" whole cinnamon
   2. 2 whole green cardamom
   3. 2,3 cloves
10. 2,3 tejpatta (bay leaves)
11. 1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
12. A pinch of hing (asfoetida)
13. Salt
14. Sugar
15. Ghee

Process

Heat oil in a wok (kadai) and temper the oil  with whole cumin seeds, asfoetida, tejpatta, and whole garam masala. Now add potato cubes to it  along with ginger paste and sauté for a while.

Add chopped tomato to it and fry till the tomatoes become mushy.

In a bowl mix turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin and coriander powder with little water to make a smooth paste. Add this masala and fry. Sprinkle salt, sugar and mix well.

Pour about 2 cups of water to it and cook it covered till potatoes are done. Check the seasoning and adjust. Now very gently add the dhoka to it and simmer for couple of minutes. 

Finish it with a spoon of ghee and garam masala.

Grandmom's Tetor Dal (Yellow Moong dal with Bottlegourd and Bittergourd)

Traditional bong meal is multi-course (around 7) and starts with a bitter food. The idea is that this bitter food cleanses the system and gets the taste buds ready for the good stuff follows. One of those first courses is tetor daal.

My didu (grandmom) used to make the best tetor daal. My mashi (aunt) tried (and still is trying) to match her moms finesse in this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup split yellow moong dal
• 1 bitter gourd or karela cut into thin round or half moon slices
• Half bottle gourd/ lauki cut into medium sized chunks as shown in the photographs
• 1/2 " ginger
• 3,4 bay leaves
• For tempering 1/2 tsp. of each of these following whole spices mixed together
  1. Radhuni/wild celery seeds
  2. Methi/fenugreek seeds
  3. Black mustard seeds
  4. Fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp. radhuni/wild celery seeds (in addition to the 1/2 spoon mentioned above)
• Ghee/clarified butter
• Salt
• Sugar

Procedure

Wash the moong dal and boil it along with bottle gourd pieces, bay leaves, pinch of salt and two cups of water.

In a grinder make a paste of radhuni and ginger.

Meanwhile heat oil in a wok or Kadai and fry the bitter gourd slices till they turn crispy. Remove and keep aside. Discard the oil.

Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a kadai and temper with 2 tsp. of the whole spice mixture. Once the spices start sputtering add boiled dal and fried bitter gourd. Let it simmer on medium heat for a minute.

Add ginger and radhuni paste to the boiling dal. Give a taste test and adjust salt and sugar accordingly.

Add a spoonful of ghee before you finish it off.

Note: In case you want to make this less bitter and want the little ones to also have it, add the fried bitter gourd at the very end.

Enjoy with steaming white rice and aloo-bhaja (Crispy fried potatoes).