Badhakopir Ghanto/Cabbage mishmash: From my maa's kitchen.

In daily food menu needs to be cooked in less oil for health purpose and I also love to follow this. Because oily foods are not good for every day, so better to use some less oil in our daily items. Today I was actually thinking to share one of my Mother’s cabbage recipes which is a very tasty dish and you can cook  this in very less oil. This is an authentic Bengali dish called BADHAKOPIR GHANTO.

Cabbage is not my favorite that’s why maa tried to cook in this way some time, and this one is my favorite. Few of my vegetarian friends are asking for a simple cabbage recipe from long time hope this one can be a perfect dish for them. In Bengali term ‘GHANTO’ means where veggies mishmash in their own way and the dish looks like bonding of veggies.

Ingredients:

1.Cabbage: Cut into small square shape (one big cup).

2.One medium potato: Cut into medium size.

3.Brinjal or Eggplant: Half of a medium size ( Cut into small square shape).

4.One small size chopped tomato.

5.Paanch Foron: ½ tea spoon. (Methi seeds, cumin seeds, Mustard seeds, Kalonji, Fennel seeds).

6.Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon.

7.Poppy seeds: 1 tea spoon.

8.Turmeric powder: ½ tea spoon.

9.Two split green chilies.

10.Salt and Sugar as per taste.

11.Two to three table spoon of mustard oil (if you want you can add more).

Process:

In a vessel add half table spoon of oil allow it to hot then add the brinjal pieces with some salt and fry it with a cover for 2 to 4 mints. Now remove from the heat and keep it aside.

Now first make a paste with poppy seeds and mustard seeds with some water and keep it aside.

Now in the same vessel add rest of the oil and allow it to hot, now add the paanch foron, after few seconds add the potato pieces, tomato pieces and the green chilies and saute for few mints.
Next add the cabbage and mix well. 

Now add the turmeric powder, salt and sugar and mix well, now cook this in medium heat till the veggies 80% done.

Now add the fried brinjal and mix well, finally add the mustard and poppy seeds paste and mix well.

Now cook this with a lid for few more mints or till the veggies mix with each other nicely.

Your BADHAKOPIR GHANTO is ready before serving sprinkle some ready made fried Bori or lentil dumplings.

Gokul Pithe: Poush Sankranti special

Today is Poush Sankranti or Makar Sankranti in West Bengal which is the last day of the Bengali month Poush. The same time this day is celebrated in other states of India too. Like Bihu in Assam, Pongal in South India, Lohri in Punjab, Hadaga Festival in Maharastra Etc. Actually this is a harvest festival and different states call it in different names. But all over the India celebrate this harvest festival.

Sweet dish never makes me feel tired and for that today also I prepared some Poush Sankranti special sweet dish or Pithe. This sweet is a very old and authentic dish, I learnt the recipe from my mother. I can say my maa is an expert of making all kind of sweet dishes. The ingredients are normal like other PITHE but the taste is really out of the world.

Ingredients:

For stuffing or PUR

1.One large cup shredded fresh coconut.

2.One cup thick milk.

3.Two table spoon milk powder.

4.Half cup sugar.

5.One freshly crushed cardamom.

For Outer Part:

1.All-purpose flour: 1 cup.

2.Semolina or Suji: 1/2 

3.Ghee: 1 table spoon.

4.Milk: 1 1/2  cup if needed use some more.

5.Sugar: 2 table spoon.

6.Salt: pinch of.

7.Baking soda: pinch of.

8.Sunflower oil for frying.

For sugar syrup:

1.Sugar: 1 ½ cup.

2.Water: 2 cup.

3.Freshly crushed cardamom.

Process:

For Pur or Stuffing:

In a large heavy bottomed vessel add the shredded coconut and sugar first and stir with a wooden spoon till the sugar melts completely.

Now add the milk and the milk powder and cook this in medium heat till the coconut milk mixture become dry and sticky now add the freshly crushed cardamom and mix well. Now the pur or stuffing is ready.

For outer part:

In a large bowl add the flour, semolina, sugar, salt, baking powder and ghee first then mix with a spoon, then add the milk and make a batter, it must be thicker than pan cake batter but not too much thick.

Now make some small flat round shape balls with the stuffing and sprinkle some flour on them.

Now first make the sugar syrup, add the sugar water and cardamom in a vessel and allow it to boil, and boil it for 3 to 4 mints and your syrup is ready. (The syrup need to be medium thick).

Now add enough oil in a karai for deep frying the Pithe’s.

Now take one flat stuffing ball and pour that into the batter and take out the ball with batter and slowly place it into the karai. And fry them till both the sides turn golden brown.

Now this way makes all the GOKUL PITHE, after frying soaked them into the sugar syrup.

You will see the quantity of sugar syrup will be reduced that mean the pithe’s soaked the syrup properly and your GOKUL PITHE is done.

Serve hot or cold enjoy your GOKUL PITHE.

Kheer Patisapta: Poush Sankranti special.

Today is Poush Sankranti or Makar Sankranti in West Bengal which is the last day of the Bengali month Poush. The same time this day is celebrated in other states of India too. Like Bihu in Assam, Pongal in South India, Lohri in Punjab, Hadaga Festival in Maharastra Etc. Actually this is a harvest festival and different states call it in different names. But all over the India celebrate this harvest festival.

A special day we always celebrate with food from start to end. In Bengal we call this day as PITHE PARBON also, basically long time ago people started celebrating this day with the rice they received from their land. And with that rice they used to make lots of sweet dishes and all those sweet dishes are known as “PITHE”. From my childhood days used to see my maa and grand maa used to make lots of different PITHE and I really tried to make something like them to celebrate the special day. I prepared some Kheer Patisapta which is a traditional Bengali sweet just like Kheer Wrapped Pan Cakes in milk cream.

Ingredients

For stuffing or PUR

1.One large cup shredded fresh coconut.

2.One cup thick milk.

3.Two table spoon milk powder.

4.Half cup sugar.

5.One freshly crushed cardamom.

For Outer part or Pan cakes.

1.All-purpose flour: 1 cup.

2.Semolina or Suji: 4 table spoon.

3.Ghee: 1 table spoon.

4.Milk: 1 ½ cup if needed use some more.

5.Sugar: 2 table spoon.

6.Salt: pinch of.

7.Sunflower oil.

For Kheer:

1.Milk: 2 cups.

2.Condensed Milk: Two table spoon.

3.Freshly crushed cardamom: 1.

Process:

For Pur or Stuffing:

In a large heavy bottomed vessel add the shredded coconut and sugar first and stir with a wooden spoon till the sugar melts completely.

Now add the milk and the milk powder and cook this in medium heat till the coconut milk mixture become dry and sticky now add the freshly crushed cardamom and mix well. Now the pur or stuffing is ready.

Now for the Pan cakes batter:

In a large bowl add the flour, semolina, sugar salt and ghee first then mix with a spoon, then add the milk and make a batter just like pan cake (not so thick not so light)

Now in a nonstick pan sprinkle some oil first and spread the oil all over the pan. Then spread some batter like a pan cake and  then just in the middle add one spoon full of coconut stuffing from one end to another and roll the pan cake or Patisapta with a flat spatula. And then shallow fry both the sides for few seconds. 

Same way make all the Patisapta.

Your Patisapta is ready you can eat them like this also.

Now for kheer add the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and boil this in low flame till it reduce the quantity, then add the condensed milk and the crushed cardamom and cook till it become thick .

Now place the fried Patisapta in a plate and pour the kheer on top of that, and sprinkle some crushed pistachios on top of that.

Poush Shankranti special KHEER PATISAPTA is ready serve hot or cold.

Kolkata Style Phulkapir Singara or Bengali Samosa.

Outside temperature is almost -20 and snow started falling since yesterday night. So we were almost stuck at home that too in a Sunday. So best way to make you busy and make your family happy is to prepare something good. It’s been a long time my husband asked me to prepare some PHULKOPIR SINGARA OR CAULIFLOWER SAMOSA. So I thought this will be the best way to celebrate a chilled winter evening. And we thoroughly enjoyed our evening with singara, ginger tea and a movie.

SAMOSA is a well-known snack from North India, but our Kolkata SINGARA is really unique. Any how I feel Bengali Phulkapir Singara is the best, I learnt the recipe from my maa but the process of frying I learnt from my friend Tanushri. Hope you all like the recipe and this one tasted perfectly like Mistir Dokan or  Sweet Shop.

Ingredients:
For outer part:
1.One cup all-purpose flour.
2.Half cup ata.
3.Pinch of salt.
4.Three tea spoon ghee or sunflower oil.
5.Half tea spoon baking powder.
6.Water.

For inner filling:
1.Cauliflower: cut into small piece (around half of a small cauliflower).
2.One medium size potato: cut into small pieces.
3.Frozen peas:  a handful.
4.Ome medium size chopped tomato.
5.Three to four chopped green chilies.
6.One inch crushed ginger.
7.Turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder: ( half tea spoon of each item).
8.One table spoon bhaja mosla: for that you need half tea spoon cumin seeds, half tea spoon coriander seeds, 2 to 3 dry red chili. (Just dry roast them and grind them without water).
9.Peanuts: 12 to 15 pieces.
10.Pinch of panchforon (Fenugreek seeds, Fennel seeds, Mustard seeds, Kalonji, Cumin seeds).
11.Salt and sugar as per taste.
12.Sunflower oil for frying.

Process:

Take one large bowl and add the all-purpose flour, atta , salt, and baking powder and whisked all together. Now add the ghee or oil  for MOYAM and some water and make nice dough. It should be smooth and soft. Now cover the dough with a plastic wrap and keep it aside for 20 mints.

For making filling:
Fry the peanuts in few drop of oil till they look fried and become dark brownish and then keep it aside.

Now in a vessel add 3 to 4 tea spoon oil, allow it to hot and then add the paanch foron after few seconds add the chopped potato, cauliflower, pea’s tomato and saute for some time. 

Then add the crushed ginger and chopped green chilies and fry for some time.

Now slowly add all the dry masala powder with some salt and sugar and cook with a lid in a medium heat.

Now this way cook the veggies and avoid adding the water, after the veggies cooked properly sprinkle the bhaja mosla on top and the fried peanuts and mix well, remove from heat. 

Now take out the dough and make 4 balls, roll those with a roller pin make a big roti but little thick. Now cut the roti with a sharp knife into four quarters. And with the each quarter make one samosa.

Now put a spoon full of stuffing inside each of the pieces and join the edges, if needed brush some water into the edges. Now this way makes all the samosa. Just like my photos. 

Now pour enough oil in a deep karai and slowly add samosas (two at a time) at the same time switch on the gas, slowly the oil will become hot and somosa’s will also start frying. After the oil become hot reduce the heat and fry till it become golden.

Hot and crispy PHULKAPIR SINGARA OR CAULIFLOWER SAMOSA is ready serve with a cup of ginger tea.

Macher Matha diye Moong Dal

In daily menu one very important and essential dish in my place is DAL/LENTIL, it can be any kind of dal but without a bowl of dal we just can’t think a meal. I try to make different kind of dal so that we are not getting bored with the same thing. One of a very signature DAL of Bengal is MACHER MATHA DIYE MUNG DAL, basically Mung dal cooked with big fish head, preferably RUHU or KATLA. The taste of fish head, whole garam masala and the BHAJA MOONG DAL make the dish a super tasty. 

The recipe courtesy to my maa or I can say all authentic Bengali dish I learnt from my maa only. The garam masala makes it aromatic and few drop of ghee makes it delicious. So this dal can make your lunch or dinner special. 

Ingredients:
1.Yellow Moong Dal: ½ cup.
2.Katla or Ruhu Fish Head: 4 to 5 small piece.
3.One small sliced onion, One medium chopped tomato.
4.One small onion paste.
5.One tea spoon ginger garlic paste.
6.Whole Garam Masala: One Bay Leave, One small cinnamon stick, Two clove, Two cardamom, Few cumin seeds, One dry red chili.
7.Turmeric powder: one tea spoon.
8.Red chili powder: ½ tea spoon.
9.cumin powder: ½ tea spoon.
10.Pinch of garam masala.
11.Bhaja Masla: ½ tea spoon (few cumin seeds, few coriander seeds, 2 to three dry red chili dry roast them and grind them).
12.Salt and sugar as per taste.
13.Mustard oil for cookig.
14.Few drops of ghee.

Process:

First dry roast the dal for few mints, then boil the dal in a pressure cooker with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder and keep it aside.

Now wash and clean the fish head pieces, sprinkle some turmeric powder and salt on them and mix well.

Now add some mustard oil in a karai and fry the fish head pieces till all the sides fried properly and keep it aside.

Now take another vessel and add some mustard oil allow it to hot, now add all the whole garam masala. Next add the sliced onion and fry till they turn transparent.

Now add the chopped tomato and fry till the tomatoes get melted.

Now add the onion and ginger garlic paste with turmeric powder, cumin powder and red chili powder and cook for 5 mints in medium heat.

Now add some salt and sugar(while boiling the dal we already added some salt so don’t add too much of salt)  and add the fried fish head and cook with the masala till the oil come out.

Now add the boiled dal and mix well. Cook for 5 to 8 mint with a lid.

Now add the garam masala powder and some ghee and mix well and remove from heat. 
Finally sprinkle the bhabja mosla on top.

Your MACHER MATHA DIYE MOONG DAL or MOONG DAL COOKED WITH FISH HEAD is ready serve hot with plain rice.

Misti Cholar Dal

Today is Janmasthami - lord Krishna’s birthday, almost every part of India celebrate this auspicious day with lots of wishes and some mouthwatering dishes. For hindus lord Krishna is symbol of intelligence and we all believe that lord Krishna is a small kid and try to make him happy with our puja and prasad. 

Today I prepared few of the authentic Bengali dishes to celebrate JANMASTAMI, and among them one of my favorite dish is MISTI CHOLAR DAL or SWEET CHANA DAL. This one is a signature dish of Bengal and a perfect breakfast item. With LUCHI or PURI this dal just makes your breakfast perfect. My MAA made this with lots of love so I wanted to share my mother’s love with all of you.

Ingredients:
1.Cholar Dal or Chana Dal or Bengal Gram: One small cup.
2.One inch crushed ginger.
3.Few raisins.
4.Few cashew nuts.
5.One bay leave.
6.One dry red chili.
7.Few cumin seeds.
8.One small cinnamon stick.
9.Turmeric powder: 1 tea spoon.
10.Cumin Powder: Half tea spoon.
11.Bhaja Masla: ½ tea spoon (few cumin seeds, 2 dry red chili and  few coriander seeds, dry roast them and grind them). Garam Masla : ½ tea spoon.
12.Shreded coconut: 1 table spoon..
13.Chopped coconut (small bite size): one tea spoon.
14.Mustard oil for cooking.
15.Few drop of ghee.
16.Salt and sugar as per taste.

Process:

Boil the dal in a pressure cooker with some salt around 3 to 4 weasel (don’t over boil the dal).

Now take one heavy bottomed vessel and add the mustard oil, after the oil become hot add the cumin seeds, bay leave, cinnamon stick and the dry red chili, stir for few seconds.

Now reduce the heat and add the raisins and the cashew nuts and fry for few seconds.

Now add the crushed ginger, turmeric powder and cumin powder and stir for few seconds.

Now add the shredded coconut stir for few seconds, then add the boiled dal with the water and add some salt and sugar.

Cook with a lid in medium flame till the dal boil completely and a nice gravy come out with the water which we added while adding the boiling dal. Now add the garam masala and mix well.

Now in a separate vessel add the ghee and fry the chopped coconut till they turn little brownish.

Now serve the dal in a bowl and sprinkle the bhaja masla on top and garnish with fried chopped coconut. Enjoy this hot dal with some Luchi or Puri.

Bharwa Karela or Poor Bhora Ucche or Stuffed Bitter Gourd

Among all vegetables I really dislike Bitter gourd because of the bitterness and I find there is no taste also. But bitter gourd is really good for our health so for this reason some time I cook bitter gourd but try to cook some different way every time. This time tried some BHARWA KARELA  or STUFFED BITTER GOURD. 

My husband also doesn't like bitter gourd so for him also I tried this one for the very first time. And with the stuffed stuffs the bitterness of this is also not felt that much. So people like me who don’t like bitter gourd this recipe can be ideal for them.

Preparation time: 10 mint.
Cooking time: 20 mint.

Ingredients:
1.Two medium size bitter gourd or Kerela or Ucche.
2.One medium chopped onion.
3.One tea spoon poppy seeds.
4.Half tea spoon mustard seeds.
5.One tea spoon shredded coconut.
6.Pinch of kalonji.
7.Turmeric powder: Cumin Powder: Aamchur Powder:half tea spoon of each item.
8.One or two chopped green chilies.
9.Salt and sugar as per taste.
10.Mustard oil for cooking.

Process:
Wash and scrap the bitter gourds. First cut the edges of the bitter gourds, and then cut the bitter gourds form the middle. Now slit the karelas. Now with the help of a spoon take out all the seeds from the insides.

Now rub some salt into the bitter gourds (inside and outside both) and keep it like that for 20 mints.

After 20 mints wash them nicely to excess salt and bitter ness and boiled them in salted water till the karela pieces 90% cooked.

Now add some oil in a vessel and allow it to hot now add the kalonji and after the smell come out add the chopped onions and fry for some time.

Now add all the spices powder and fry for some time.

Now make a smooth paste with poppy seeds, mustard seeds and shredded coconut with some water. And add the mixture into the vessel with some salt and sugar and cook till the mixture dry.

Allow it to cool now with a help of  a spoon stuff the mixture into the bitter gourds.

Now add some oil in a frying pan and fry the stuffed bitter gourds slowly (all the sides except the side you stuff the mixture.

Serve hot with plain rice and dal.