Among all the festivals HOLI is the most color full festival of India. Almost all parts of India celebrate the color full festival. Every year we all wait for this special day with lots of fun and food. HOLI is known as DOLL JATRA in West Bengal. Especially in SHantiniketan they celebrate the day a huge way with POUSH MELA, every year plenty of people visit Shantiniketan to become a part of this color full festival.
A sweet dish is must for an occasion but a namken dish makes you feel better. So on that purpose I prepared some KHASTA KACHURI. This one is a very famous in Kolkata as well as in North India as a snack, With any chutney this one just perfect for any small tea party.
Preparation time: 5 mints.
Cooking time: 15 mints.
Ingredients:
For Dough.
1.All-purpose flour. : 1 cup.
2.Pinch of salt and sugar.
3.Two table spoon oil.
4.Some cold water.
For stuffing:
1.Grounded moong dal : three table spoon.
2.Half tea spoon fennel powder.
3. Half tea spoon coriander powder.
4.Pinch of red chili flakes.
5. Half tea spoon aamchur powder.
6. Half tea spoon ginger powder.
7.Pinch of Hing or Asafoetida.
8.Pinch of salt.
9.One tea spoon oil.
10.Oil for deep frying.
Process:
Make smooth dough with all the mentioned ingredients and keep it aside for 30 mints.
Now take one bowl and add all the dry ingredients for stuffing as mentioned above and mix well.
Now add one tea spoon oil and mix well.
Now dry roast all the mixture till it becomes little brown.
Now make small balls with the dough. Add little water to the stuffing mixture to make it little soft.
Now divide the dough into small balls. Add half tea spoon of filling mixture of the center of the dough balls and fill it.
Close the opening well and flatten it. Now roll them in to small round shape Kachuri’s with the help of your palm (don't use rolling pin).
Deep fry the Kachuri’s till they turn golden brown, soaked the extra oil in a paper towel.
Serve hot the KHASTA KACHURI with some tamarind chutney and green chili chutney.
Snowing continuously, this winter is going to be like that only. What else I can do to change our mood so made some spicy Street Food. I made one of a very famous Chat of Kolkata is called Ghugni or some people made this as a side dish also. Basically, this dish is made with Yellow peas and lots of spices.
In lots of street corner in Kolkata you will meet one GHUGNIWALA and in front of the stall people are enjoying their chats with lots of Tamarind Water. How can I forget the Chatwala who used to sit in front of our school gate? I think almost all of us have some memories with this Ghugni’s. My Maa used to make this at home, this one is her recipe only. Ghugni is famous as breakfast also with some Roti or Paratha.
Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 45 mints.
Ingredients:
1.Yellow Peas : 100 gm.
2.One medium size Potato (cut into cube size:
3.One large chopped onion.
4.One medium chopped tomato.
5.One table spoon ginger & garlic paste.
6. Chopped green chilies : 4 to 5.
7.One table spoon shredded coconut.
8.Turmeric Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder (half tea spoon of each item|).
9. Half Tea spoon Cumin Seeds, Half Tea spoon Paanch Foron (Cumin seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Kalonji, Fennel Seeds,Mustard Seeds) . Two dry red chili.
10.Two table spoon tamarind water.
11.Chopped Coriander Leaves.
12.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
13.Sunflower oil for cooking.
Process:
Boiled the yellow peas in a cooker (almost 3 weasels) or soaked the peas in warm water for overnight.
Now fry the potato pieces in oil till they turn brown and keep it aside.
Dry roast the cumin seeds, Paanch foron and dry red chili and grind them.
Now add some oil in a vessel and add the chopped onions and chopped tomatoes and fry till the onions are transparent. Now add the ginger garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Cook till the raw smell goes off.
Now add the shredded coconut and mix well. Add the turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder with some salt and sugar and mix well. Now add the fried potatoes mix with the spices.
Finally add the boiled yellow peas and mix with the masala, now add warm water and cook with a lid.
Remove the lid till the peas cooked and the gravy become thick, now add the dry roasted masala and tamarind water and mix well.
Serve hot with chopped onion and chopped coriander leaves or you can serve with Paratha also.
Near my home in Kolkata there is a sweet shop, every day morning they used to prepare “Dall Puri”. A special kind of puri stuffed with Chana dal mixture. It’s so good with a simple aloo sabji. In my childhood days in one rupee they used to give 2 puris. Wow what a day, and now one puri is 5 rupees. Try to prepare the Daal Puri at home, and the recipe for all of you. A very easy & delicious breakfast for all.
Prep time 20 mint.
Cooking time: 20 mint.
Serve for 4 people.
Ingredients:
For stuffing:
1.Chana dal 150 gm.( soaked in Luke warm water for 4 to 5 hr. or overnight)
2.Ginger 1 inch.
3.Green chili 2 to 3.
4.Red chili powder half tea spoon.
5.A pinch of Garam Masala Powder.
6.Few cumin seeds.
7.A pinch of Bhaja Masla( Cumin & Dry red chili roasted and grinded.)
8.Salt & Sugar (optional) as per taste.
For Dough:
1.All-purpose flour 200 gm.
2.One table spoon sunflower oil.
3.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
4.Sunflower oil for frying.
Process:
Make dough with all the ingredients. And keep it aside.
Now in a grinder add the soaked chana daal, ginger, green chilies and make a smooth paste.
Now put some oil in a karai & add some cumin seeds after few seconds add the chana dal paste.
Fry it in low flame. Slowly add the red chili powder, garam masala powder, bhaja masla ,salt & sugar.
Cook it till the paste became dry and the raw smells of raw chana dal goes off .
Now make some small balls with the dry chana dal paste. Now divide the dough into small balls.
Press each chana dal balls in the center of the dough balls and fill it .
Close the opening well and flatten it.
Now roll out as for puris.
Now put oil in a Karia and deep fry the puris on low heat till golden brown.
Serve hot with alu curry or any chutny.
