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. 

Laccha Paratha (Multilayered Indian Flatbread)

Laccha means coil or bundle. As this name suggests this paratha is made by coiling dough together. Essentially instead of following the flat-bread approach, here the dough is flattened and then coiled around so that the final paratha becomes layered. This paratha is known in different names, like flaky-paratha, lacchedar parathha, laccha paratha, Kerala-paratha. All of these are essentially the same with slight variations (e.g. Kerala-paratha has egg in it).

Originally laccha paratha was available in Kolkata as just a paratha. We used to have it all the time in Golpark Bedwin. It was generally served with some Mughlai meat curries like chaap, rezala, rogan-josh, korma. However, with time it is become more popular as the standard Mughlai paratha. Today most street food joints serve egg-rolls and chicken-rolls wrapped in Laccha paratha.

We love to have laccha paratha with chaap (mutton, chicken), you can use this recipe as your first step for making rolls as well.

Ingredients

1. 3 cups + 2tsp. all purpose flour
2. 1tsp. salt
3. 1tsp. sugar
4. 4tbsp. oil
5. 4tbsp. clarified butter
6. 1 cup warm water
7. Oil for shallow frying

Procedure

In a small bowl mix ghee with 2tsp. dry flour to make a paste and keep aside.

In a big mixing bowl take rest of the flour, salt, sugar and mix them well. Add 4tbsp. oil to it and rub in the flour using your finger tips. Add warm water little at a time at knead it into a soft smooth dough. Keep it covered for about 30 minutes.

Knead the dough once again and divide it into 8 – 10 equal portions. Shape each dough into a round ball and flatten a little.

Flour a rolling surface lightly and rolled out a dough into a flat disc of about 6” in diameter (1/3” thick).

Apply the ghee + flour paste (made in the first step) evenly on the top surface of the disc.

Start folding the disc from one side like you fold for a paper fan. Continue folding till you reach the other end.

Now this will look like a long rope. Stretch it gently.

Start rolling up the rope from one end and tuck the other end underneath the dough bud. By this time it will look like a flower bud.

Roll out the dough bud with very gentle pressure without affecting the layers. Roll out only one side, do not flip and roll because it will spoil the layers.

Final rolled out discs should be little thick with visible layers.

Place the rolled out discs on a hot griddle. Fry for about 30 seconds and then turn it over. Pour half tsp. oil and spread it on the paratha. Shallow fry over low heat. Flip it over and again pour oil on the other side. Cook on medium heat you see nice golden spots all over.

Remove from the griddle and apply gentle pressure on the sides with your palms to loosen and make the layers visible.

Your laccha paratha is ready to eat!!!

Hilsha / Ilish Festival at Home

When we went to the “International Food Bazar” in Bellevue I made a sudden discovery. It was a pack of Kochur-lati just on the shelve beside the Hilsa.

My bong soul didn’t even let me think twice. Before we realized we were back in the car with our bags filled with the goodies. The next day we had a Hilsa festival at home. The spread was breath-taking, at least it took my breath away :)

I have posted the recipes already, here goes the links

1. Hilsha roe fried (come on you don’t need a recipe for that!!)
2. Kochur lati
3. Patla Jhol
4. Bhape

Goat Steak

Finally getting around to post our new-year dinner :).

My husband loves eating steaks, however, my meat choices are limited to the traditional bong palate. Hence we cannot go out eating steak. So for this new year I made goat-steak at home.

We also use this as a common healthy yet tasty dinner option. I know that Goat and healthy is already raising some eyebrows. We were raised identifying goat with red-meat and something which is unhealthy and to be avoided. However, this is a total myth, goat is actually more healthy than chicken and is definitely not among the real red-meats (beef). To debunk this theory let me put the nutrition values of goat (left) and chicken with skin(right) side by side (source http://nutritiondata.com)

 

Isn’t it an eye opener that chicken is 80% more in calorie and 6 times more in fat?

Leaving calories and fats aside, lets come to the more interesting things. Goat steak is yum :) as my daughter calls it. Also this recipe works equally well with Lamb steak.

Ingredients

1. 4 medium sized goat steaks
2. 1tbsp. chopped garlic
3. 1tsp. chopped ginger
4. 2tbsp. plain yogurt
5. 1tsp. chopped mint leaves
6. 1tsp. dried basil
7. 1tsp. cumin powder
8. 1/2tsp. dried red chili flakes
9. 1tsp. black pepper powder
10. 1tsp. dark soya sauce
11. Juice of one lime
12. 1/2 cup red wine
13. Cooking spray (or cooking oil)
14. Salt

Procedure

First take a mixing bowl and mix all ingredients other than wine and cooking oil. Take the steaks and coat both the sides with the marinade. Keep them in a refrigerator for 2-3 hrs.

Apply cooking spray on the skillet and place the steaks in a single layer. Keep the marinade reserved for sauce. Grill the steaks on medium high heat for 15 minutes and then flip them over. Again apply some cooking spray all over and grill for another 15 minutes.

In the meantime make the sauce. Take a pan and transfer the left over marinade into it. Add wine and cook it over medium heat till it thickens.

Place the grilled steaks on a serving plate and drizzle some sauce over to keep them moist. Garnish with little sour cream or Greek yogurt of your choice.

Kochur Loti Ilish maacher Matha Diye

Kochur Loti or Colocasia stems  is a delicacy of Bangladesh. It has gained so much popularity all over that you will even find them in the frozen section of Bangladeshi grocery stores in the US. This dry dish commonly cooked with shrimps or Hilsha head is served with rice.

Sometimes the throat really itches after having Kochu. My grandmom used to say that it only happens to quarrelsome people. However, there is a different science behind the itching. The stem contains crystals of calcium oxalates that cause itching when they stick to the mucous membrane of our throat. That  is why it needs a special technique for cooking. Either cook on high heat or use acidic medium (like tamarind) that dissolves the crystals.

Ingredients

1. 500gms Kochur Loti (Colocasia stem ) cut into 2” pieces
2. 1 Hilsa Head
3. 1tsp. kalojeera or nigella seeds 
4. 2–3 green chilies slit lengthwise
5. 2tsp. turmeric powder
6. 1tsp. chili powder
7. 1tsp. sugar
8. Salt to taste
9. Mustard Oil

Procedure

Take enough water in a pan and add salt to it. Bring it to a boil. Now add kochur loti to it and boil for another 2- 3 minutes. Don’t overcook it. Keep it covered for another 5 minutes and then drain the water and retain the stems.

Smear the head of Hilsa with turmeric powder and salt. Heat mustard oil in a pan and fry the head on medium heat till all sides are done. Now remove the head and temper the same oil with kalonji and green chilies.

Wait for them to sizzle. Now add kochur loti to it followed by turmeric and chili powder. Add sugar and salt to your taste and mix everything well. Lower the heat and keep it covered. Let it cook till the stems turn soft. You should stir frequently. Now add the fried Hilsa head to it and give it a nice mix. Cook it covered for another two to three minutes. Turn off the heat and serve with plain white rice.

Egg Salad Club Sandwich

We are avid hikers. One of the challenge of a hike is to pack good food. You want to ensure that you pack something that is easily packable, non-messy, nutritious, tasty and at the same time is rich in good calories. Egg salad sandwich fits that bill perfectly. After a soul crushing hike, eating the sandwich at the top of a mountain with a view as below adds an extra dimension to the whole experience.

Ingredients

1. 3 slices white sandwich bread
2. 3 hard boiled eggs chopped
3. 2tbsp. finely shredded cabbage or lettuce
4. 2 tbsp. grated carrots
5. 1 ripe avocado peeled and mashed
6. 1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
7. 2tbsp. mayonnaise
8. 1tsp. freshly ground black pepper
9. Salt to taste

Procedure

Add chopped egg into a medium mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise, mashed avocado, shredded cabbage, salt and pepper to it.

Combine all the ingredients well using your spoon stirring firmly.

Spread breads on a chopping board. generously soon the mixed egg salad onto one slice of bread. Spread evenly using the back of the spoon. Now cover it up with another slice of bread. Spread the egg salad mixture on the top surface of the second bread. Close the sandwich with the remaining bread slice.

Cut the sandwich diagonally across with a sharp knife.

If you are packing them for lunch, wrap the sandwiches in a cling film or take them in zip locks.

Bengali Aloo Phulkopir Singara (Samosa)

In my last trip to Kolkata, I reached Delhi airport in the wee hours of the morning. As we were departing out of the international arrival I overheard another fellow Bengali talking loudly over the phone. He was instructing his parents at 4:00 in the morning to ask their driver to buy Singara from “Bhola’s shop” while coming to pick him up from the Kolkata airport. I could really understand his craving for Singara. This is something we miss dearly on weekend breakfasts and when friends come over for some pure Bengali “adda”. We get Samosa’s here but they differ considerably in their filling with the traditional Bengali Singara.

Last week we were heading out to our friends home to meet their new-born and to spend the evening there. I decided to make some traditional Bengali Singara with cauliflower and potato filling. Thousands of miles away from home the “adda” got a special authentic touch.

TIPS

Singara is not that hard to make, however, there are some common pitfalls. You need to ensure that you have the right “moyen” which is the amount of oil in your dough. This will decide how crisp your singara will be. Too much oil results in brittleness. The local stores use dalda and other stuff to make over-crispy samosas, so that they can sell it through out the whole day. It’s not healthy and we will refrain from that.

Similarly the temperature of the oil in which you fry is also very important. It should be low so that the shell gets evenly cooked and it remains crisp for a longer time.

Also note that re-heating the Singara in Micro-wave makes them go soggy. Make them fresh or re-heat in conventional oven.

Ingredients for the Filling

1. 5 medium sized potatoes boiled and peeled
2. 1 cup cauliflower florets
3. 1/2 cup green peas
4. 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
5. 1”ginger grated
6. 2 green chilies finely chopped
7. 1/2tsp. turmeric powder
8. 1/2tsp. dry red chili powder
9. 1tsp. whole cumin seeds (jeera)
10. 2 – 3 tsp. bhaja masala (dry roast whole cumin, coriander seeds along with dry red chili and grind them into a powder)
11. 1tsp. sugar
12. Salt
13. 1tbsp. vegetable oil

Procedure For the Filling

Bring a pan of water to a boil and add cauliflower florets and peas to it. Cook them covered for 2 – 3 minutes and then drain the water. Break all the vegetables ( Potatoes + Cauliflower) in uneven shapes with a spoon.

Heat 1tbsp. oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Let it sputter and then add roasted peanuts and green chilies to it. Fry for a while and then add cauliflower and peas. Keep them frying before you add boiled potatoes to it. After potato add grated ginger, turmeric powder and chili powder. Keep frying till everything mixes well. Since all the vegetables are cooked be gentle while frying so that they don’t become mushy.

Season with salt and sugar and fry till there is no traces of moisture. Now add bhaja masla and mix again once more before you turn the heat off.

Ingredients For Shell

1. 3 cups all purpose flour (maida)
2. 4tbsp. clarified butter (ghee)
3. 1tsp. salt
4. 1tsp. sugar
5. Enough oil for deep frying

Procedure

In a mixing bowl take flour, salt and sugar and mix them well. Add 4 tbsp. of ghee and rub it with flour using your finger tips. Knead the flour into a tight dough by adding some water. Let it rest for at-least 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into lime sized balls.

Apply oil on a wooden board or kitchen counter and start rolling each portion of dough in oblong shape with the rolling pin.

Cut the rolled out dough into halves.

Brush water on both sides along the straight edge and then fold the edges to make a cone. Fill 3/4th of it with the potato  stuffing.

Now smear the open edge with water and make a fold just opposite to the join of the cone. This is important to do otherwise the shape will not be retained after frying. Seal the ends by pressing gently with your finger tips.

Take enough oil in a wok and put it on low heat. Add samosas to the oil. Essentially the oil should not be hot. This will make the samosa uniformly crispy which will last longer.

Fry them on low heat for 6-7 minutes and then on high heat for another 2- 3 minutes. Remove when they turn golden

Make sure the temperature of the oil is low enough before you add the next batch of samosa.

Serve hot with masala chai.

If you want to make them ahead of time make sure you reheat them in a oven and not in a microwave.