Search This Blog

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Homemade Dhoka Mix (Dhoka Flour)

IMG_9744

I had a friend who told me that she has seen Dhoka Mix at our local Indian grocery store. I searched everywhere but came empty handed. All the while I had my suspicions that she had either seen Dhokla mix, or the right mix at the wrong place (in India).

I was coping with my disappointment and even considering professional help, when I visited another friends house. Who reached into her pantry and pulled out Dhoka mix she got from India and showed me. That was the tipping point.

Thankfully the next week I got some time to myself when my husband and kids went out for some snow fun. After various attempts I finally came up with my own very own Dhoka mix. Please see the steps below. And if you want to make some Dhoka with the mix, see my post http://www.bongcook.com/2012/01/dhoka-r-dalna-lentil-cake-curry.html

Ingredients

  • 100 gms Bengal gram ( Cholar daal  / Chaana Daal)
  • 1 tsp. asafoetida (Hing)
  • 2 dry red chilies
  • 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp. whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sugar

Procedure

Dry roast red chilies, cumin and coriander seeds till they are fragrant. Remove and let them come to room temperature.

Wet a cheese cloth and wring it well to get rid of the extra water. Now clean the dal by rubbing them with the moist cheese cloth. spread the daal on a plate and let it to dry completely. It is best to wait overnight to ensure the daal doesn.t have any moisture left on their surface.

Now take the daal along with all other ingredients into a dry grinding jar and grind them to make a coarse powder. Allow it too cool down before you pour it into a airtight jar. Store in the refrigerator.

Before making Dhoka take required the dry mix (100gms) in a bowl and mix with 75 ml. of luke warm water. Let it stand for twenty minute. You can adjust seasoning if required. I like to add a tsp. of grated ginger at this point.

Heat one tbsp. oil in a non stick pan and and pour the batter. Cook it while continously stirring on low heat for couple of minutes. Turn off the heat when you see the mixture is coming together to form a dough..

Transfer the dough on a greased plate and press it downwards and flatten the surface while it is still warm. Allow it to cool down. Now with a sharp knife cut into squares or triangles.

Heat enough oil for deep frying in a wok and fry the dhoka pieces on medium high heat till they are brown and crispy. Remove and make dhokar dalna…

IMG_9752 (2)

IMG_3718

Monday, March 20, 2017

Chicken Pepper Roast

IMG_2599
 

When we first moved to the US and were living in the temporary housing, my kitchen was obviously not fully setup yet as most of my appliances were still floating in a ship somewhere over the atlantic. However, I had to entertain some guests and cooked up this chicken pepper roast because it needed very few and common ingredients. My husband liked it so much that he frequently requests for a re-do.  Here is a post from one of those many re-dos.

Ingredients

  • 1lb. chicken cut into medium pieces on bone
  • 1/4th cup thick plain yogurt
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. ginger paste
  • 1 tsp. garlic paste
  • 2 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 2 tsp. chicken tandoori masala
  • 2 tsp. minced ginger
  • 1 tsp. chopped green chili
  • 10 - 15 curry leaves
  • 1 tbsp. black pepper corns
  • 5 tbsp. ghee
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • Salt to taste
  • Cilantro for garnishing 
 

Procedure

In a mixing bowl take chicken pieces and marinate it well with yogurt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri red chili powder and chicken tandoori masala and salt. Let it rest for at least three hours.

Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Now take the chicken pieces and shake off the excess marinade from it and lay them on the tray in single layer. Don't discard the marinade. Pre heat the oven at 200C and bake the chicken pieces for about twenty minutes. Don't forget to brush up ghee every five minutes.

After baking is done, you will notice a good amount of watery liquid is accumulated in the baking tray. Keep this liquid along with the marinade.

In a small pan start cooking the marinade along with the liquid and let it simmer until  the quantity is just enough to coat the chicken pieces. Check the seasoning and adjust. This is the time you add sugar to it.

Now heat 3tbsp. ghee in a cooking pan. After it melts add chopped ginger and green chili to it and sauté on very low heat for about a minute or two. add chicken pieces to it along with the cooked marinade. Toss everything well so that the chicken pieces are well coated with spice. Cover and let it sit on low heat for about 2-3 minutes.  Pour the rest amount of ghee and add freshly crushed pepper corn and curry leaves to it. Give it a good mix before you turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy..

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Chingri Bharta

IMG_3432

 

This is a classic Bangladeshi dish. It’s common for Bangladeshi’s to make bharta/bhorta (mish-mash) out of a lot of everyday items. Chingri or Prawn being no exception.

Recently I attended a potluck lunch and decided to make this yummy yet easy to make main-course. Prawn Bharta goes really well with steaming white rice.

Ingredients

  • 20-25 medium sized shrimp shelled and de -veined
  • 5-6 dried red chilies
  • 5-6 green hot chilies
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp. minced ginger
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp. kalonji (nigella seeds)
  • 1/4 cup mustard oil
  • 1 tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 tsp. sugatr
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste

 

Procedure

Heat 2 tablespoon mustard oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Smear the prawns with turmeric powder. Add the prawns to medium hot oil and cook till they turn pink and cooked through. Do not over cook. Remove them from the pan and allow them to come down to the room temperature. Take aside 10-12 prawns and put them in a blender or food processor. Pulse the blender/food processor to process the shrimp coarse and chunky consistency. It should NOT be a fine paste. Transfer the content in a mixing bowl.

Cut the rest of the prawns into small bit sized pieces. Keep them in the mixing bowl.

In the separate pan, heat about 2 tbsp. of oil. Add the dry red chilies and nigella seeds to it. Cook them until they stop sputtering. Now add half the amount of the green chilies, 1/4 cup onion, garlic and the ginger in the pan and cook them on low to medium heat until the onion, garlic and ginger looses their rawness, but still maintain their structure. They should not turn brown. Once done, transfer the all the content of the pan to the mixing bowl.

Add the rest of the chopped onions, green chili peppers, rest of the mustard oil, sugar, salt and lime juice. Gently toss. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve over hot rice or as a side.

IMG_3429