Chicken Manchurian

“Rain Rain go away come again another day” that’s the only line I want to sing today. Last 48 hours the weather is so bad and too chilly. To make our self-happy and busy tried one of our favorite Chinese preparations Chicken Manchurian. It’s spicy but we loved it so much.

We have a favorite Chinese Restaurant here, basically the cook is from Kolkata only. So the taste of the food is authentic Indian style Chinese. And most of the time we ordered this one.

Preparation time: 15 mints.

Cooking time: 40 mints.

Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

1.Boneless Chicken 800 gm (you can use with bone chicken also).
2.Three Eggs.
3.Two medium size onion cut into cube size.
4.One green bell pepper cut into cube size.
5.Four to Five split green chilies
6.Garlic paste one tea spoon.
6.One table spoon all-purpose flower.
7.Two table spoon corn flower.
8.Half tea spoon baking powder.
9.One tea spoon black pepper powder.
10.A pinch of red chili flakes.
11.Soya sauce: 2 table spoon, Tomato Sauce: 1 table spoon. Vinegar: 1 tea spoon, Chili Sauce: 1 Tea spoon.
11.A pinch of ajinomoto.
12.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
13.Sunflower oil.

Process

Marinate the chicken pieces with some salt and pepper powder.

Now make a smooth batter with eggs, black pepper powder, salt, red chili flakes, all-purpose flower, baking powder and half tea spoon of corn flower.

Now deep the chicken pieces into the batter and deep fry them. Soak the extra oil in a paper towel.

 

 

Rest of the corn flower, little soya sauce, tomato sauce mix with some water and make a smooth paste and keep it aside.

Now add the some oil in a pan and the onion pieces and split green chilies, fry for 2 to 3 mints.

Now add the garlic paste and fry for some time more.

Now slowly add all the sauces with some salt and sugar. Cook for some time, now add the fried chicken pieces and green bell pepper. Cook for few mints in high flame. Now reduce the flame and add ajinomoto.



Finally add the corn flower mixture and mix well with everything , Chicken Manchurian is ready serve hot with fried rice.

Karahi Mushroom

What a bad weather, since form the morning outside is completely dark. Sometime a bad weather makes us sad; I don’t know whats the reasons behind it. But a nice bright sunny day always makes us happy. Not in a mood to do anything from the morning. I had some bread for my lunch, but I had to prepare something for our dinner. Only mushroom is available in my fridge.  Just a thought and I prepared some Karai Mushroom. And what a spectaculars result, it’s mind-blowing.  Try it for sure. We enjoyed with some Peas Polao.

Preparation time:  15 mints.

Cooking time: 30 mints.

Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

1.Mushroom : 500 gm. ( cut into straight wise)
2.One large onion cut into cube size.
3.One medium tomato cut into cube size.
4.One medium green bell pepper cut into cube size.
5.One table spoon minced ginger and garlic.
6.One table spoon lime juice.
7.Few pinch shahi Garam Masala.
8.Clove:2, Cardamom: 2, Few fenugreek seeds
9.Turmeric Powder, Red chili Powder, Cumin Powder (one tea spoon of each item).
10.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
11.Sunflower oil.

Process:

Fry the mushroom pieces in high flame. And keep it aside.



 
Now put some oil in a vessel and add the Clove, Cardamom and fenugreek seeds. After few second add the chopped onions and chopped tomato.

Fry till the onions are brown; now add the minced Ginger & Garlic. Fry for some time now add the all spices powder with some salt & sugar.

Cook till the oil separate, now add the fried mushroom and chopped pepper with the lime juice.



Cook for another 5 mints in low flame. Karahi Mushroom is ready serve hot with Plain Rice or Polao.

Aloo Kumro patol er Chokka or Potato Pumpkin Curry with Parwal

Today I am so tired because we went for our daughters 1st school or you can say play school. She liked the place and her new friends. Even I got few good friends. I told them about my blog too, they are not Indians but I felt very good when they told that they love Indian food very much. It’s always good to meet new people from different culture. It’s a nice day out for baby and mamma.

Vegetables are always first preference for me, but as I told before my husband is very choosy in vegetables. So no other way, tried something from my Maa’s kitchen because he loves my Maa’s cooking. She used to cook this one for our Sunday breakfast. It’s very easy one but our very favorite one.

Preparation time: 15 mints.
Cooking time: 30 mints.

Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

1.One large potato: cut into cube size.
2.Five to Six Parwal or Patol: Each one cut into 3 pieces, Cube size.
3.Pumkin 8 to 10 cube size pieces.
4.Three to four green  split chilies.
5.One table spoon shredded coconut.
6.Few chola or Kala Chana.
7.Ginger ,cumin and tomato paste two table spoon.
8.Half chopped tomato.
9.Few cumin seeds, few Kalonji.
10.Turmeric powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Red chili Powder (half tea spoon of each
item).
11.Few pinch of Bhaja Mosla (dry roasted and grinded cumin seeds, coriander seeds and  dry red
chili)
12.Salt & Sugar as per tsate.
13.Mustard oil or Sunflower oil. ( I prefer to use mustard oil for this preparation)

Process:

Put some oil in a vessel and fry the Potato and Parwal together with some salt and pinch of
turmeric powder. And keep it aside.

Now separately fry the pumpkin pieces and keep it aside.

Now Put some more oil in the vessel and add the cumin seeds and the kalonji , after few seconds add the split green chilies. Now add the shredded coconut and Kala Chana or chola. Fry for some time.
Now add the ginger tomato paste with all the spice powder and some salt and sugar also.

Cook till the oil separate. Now add the fried vegetables except pumpkins.

Cook with a lid, add the fried pumpkins, when the other vegetables are 50% done.

Cook till done, before switch off the gas add the Bhaja Mosla and mix well.


Serve hot with Puri or Paratha.



 

Chingri Macher Malai Curry or Prawn (Shrimp) Malai Curry

Whenever we think about sea food the first picture comes in our mind is Prawn. The best thing about prawn is, almost everybody likes it, so for preparing anything with prawn no need to think twice. I and my husband we both also love prawn so much. We Bongs cook prawn sometime with different vegetable also. Prawn makes any normal curry delicious.

Today I prepared one of the famous Bengali styles Prawn its called“Chingri Macher Malaicurry” or Prawn Malaicurry. It’s a very simple but truly very tasty preparation. The main ingredients of this dish are Mustard and Coconut.

Preparation time: 15 mints.

Cooking Time: 20 mints.

Serve for 2 people.

Ingredients:

1.Prawn: 12 to 14 piece.
2.Mustard seeds: one table spoon.
3.Shredded coconut : one table spoon.
4.Three to four green chilies.
5.One tea spoon turmeric power.
6.Half tea spoon curd.
7.One tea spoon Coconut Milk or Fresh Cream.
8.Clove:2, Cardamom : 2, A small cinnamon stick.
9.Mustard oil for cooking.
10.Salt & Sugar as per taste.

Process:

Marinate the fish with little turmeric powder and salt.

Make a smooth paste with Mustard Seeds, Shredded Coconut, curd and turmeric powder with
some water.

Now shallow fry the prawn pieces and keep it aside.
 

Now put some more oil into the vessel and add the Whole Garam Masala and split green chilies
after 2 mints add the mustard paste mixture with some salt and sugar.

Cook till oil separate, now put some water and add the fried prawn pieces cook till the gravy become thick.

Before switch off the gas add the Coconut Milk or Fresh cream.



Chingri Malai Curry is ready serve hot with plain rice.

Kesar Pesta Ball

It’s time for Maa Durga to back home with her children. This time we all pray to Maa and ask for our good health and wealth. Every year this is our most heart breaking time, we all know Maa will back next year again but still we can’t stop our tears. The day call “Dashami”, means 10th day or end day of Durga Puja Festival.
 
At the end of the festival we prepare some sweet dish for Misti Mukh  (a piece of sweet in mouth), because this time we touch our elders feet for blessings and they can’t return us like that so they give us a plate of different sweets. This is a ritual and part of our” Durga Puja Festival” too. In Punjabi and Gujrati people also celebrate this time as” Navaratri” and the end of this festival called “Dashera” or “Dashami” for us. Sitting far away from home but can’t forget the day, so tried to prepare a sweet dish for my family and friends. Subha Bijoya Dasami and Happy Dasera to all of you.

Preparation time: 15 mints.

Cooking time: 30 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Chena : 100 gm.
2.Cottage cheese: 100 gm.
3.Condensed milk: one table spoon.
4.Saffron milk: Two table spoon ( pinch of saffron soaked in two table spoon of warm milk).
5.Crushed pistachios: Two table spoon.
6.Sugar 150 gm.
7.Half tea spoon ghee.

Process:

Mix the chena and cottage cheese nicely.

Now put the ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel, and add the chena and cottage cheese mixture.

After few mints add the sugar and saffron milk, condensed milk and cook till it dry. Stir continuously.



Now let it become complete cool. Now put the mixture in a plate and add the crushed pistachios ontop.



Mix them nicely, and make some small balls. Now roll the balls into few more crushed pistachios.


A nice Kessar Pista Ball is ready to please you and your guests.

Kucho Nimki or Salty Snacks or Namakpara

Whenever two people meet, anywhere, anyplace the first thing come in our mind is let’s having a cup of tea. And for every cup of tea we need perfect snacks also. Like we Bongs always say that Cha with Taa. That mean without a perfect Taa our Cha is Incomplete.

Friends used to come home very often, so every time I used to think what to give with Tea.  As usual my Maa has the solution. And she gave me her home made ‘Kucho Nimki’ recipe. From now onwards every time in my place there is Nimki with Tea. You can try this too.

Preparation time : 10 mints.

Cooking time : 15 mints.

Ingredients:

1.All-purpose flour: 200 gm.
2. Half tea spoon kalonji.
3.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
4.Three table spoon sunflower oil. (For Dough).
5.Half cup water.
6.Sunflower oil for frying.

Process:

Make dough with all the mentioned ingredients except no 6.

Now make big balls with the dough.




Roll the dough with all-purpose flour like a big roti.

 


Now cut them with a knife across the width, first horizontally then vertically.  



Cut like diamond shapes.


Now deep fry the Nimki’s , few at a time .



Soak the extra oil in a paper towel.



Enjoy with Tea or Coffee.

 

Jhurjhure Alu Bhaja or Kurkure Potato Fry

I can’t think any first food without “French Fries”. But how can I forget about our own famous homemade “Jhurjhure Alu Bhaja” or “Kurkure Potato Fry”. Many of you might know this recipe but still few of my non Bengali friends asked me for this typical Bengali “Jhurjhure Alu Bhaja” recipe. Sometime I used to give this to my husband for his office lunch, and some of his colleagues liked it so much.

Ingredients:
1.Two large potato.
2.Salt as per taste.
3.Oil for deep frying.
Process:
Soaked the potato in some cold water for one hour.
After that, crush the potato with help of kitchen king.


Now add oil in a vessel, and before frying the crushed potato, squeeze the extra water.


Deep fry them in high heat, few at a time.


Soak the extra oil in a paper towel.



Now sprinkle the salt. Enjoy with Plain Rice and Dal or some time with a cup of Tea also.