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.



 

Moong Dal with Squash and Coconut

Dal is a main part of our daily lunch or dinner.  Every time I try to prepare dal in little different way. My husband doesn’t like squash but I just loved it, so sometime I used to cook dal with squash. And in that way he loves to have dal. And my problem solves too.



 

Ingredients:

1.Yellow moong dal :One cup.
1.A small Squash :Cut into cube size pieces .
2.Shred Coconut Two table spoon.
4.Half tea spoon minced ginger.
5.Few cumin seeds.
6.One dry red chili
7.Two green chili.
8.Two pinch of bhaja Mosla (dry roasted and grinded cumin and red chili)
9.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
10.One tea spoon ghee.
11.Mustard oil.
Process:

 

 
Dry roast the moong dal, after that boiled the dal with the squash pieces, turmeric powder, salt and green chilies (3 weasels).


Now add some mustard oil in a vessel and add the cumin seeds and red chili.
Now add the shredded coconut.  Fry for some time.




Now add the minced ginger and sauté for few mints finally add the boiled dal and squash with some water.
Cook till it done before witch of the gas adds the ghee and bhaja masla.



Serve hot with plain rice.





 

Kolapuri Chicken

The best way to tame your husband is, cook whatever he loves to eat. Not exactly like that sometime present something which he never even thinks off also. My husband is a food lover, so whenever I want to say something or want to manage any terrible situation I just cook something special for him. The best time to say the matter is on the dining table. Try my tricks friend it’s goanna help you too.

I did some horrible mess-up, just to confront myself  I cooked “Kolapuri Chicken” for him and the result is, I am successful. And the chicken was too good also. Sometime we girls are so tricky.

Preparation Time: 15 mints.

Cooking Time : 30 mints.

Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

1.Chicken leg pieces: 8 to 10.
2.Three table spoon fried onion paste.
3.Two tea spoon ginger garlic paste.
4.One medium chopped tomato.
5.Turmeric Powder: half tea spoon, Red Chili powder: half tea spoon.
6.Clove: 4, Cardamom : 4, Cinnamon stick: 1, Few cumin seeds, Few black pepper ,
Few sesame seeds.Few fenugreek seeds,Few coriander seeds.
7.One tea spoon shredded coconut.
8.One tea spoon poppy seeds.
9.One tea spoon lemon juice.10.One dry red chili.11.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
12.Sunflower oil.

Process:

Marinate the chicken pieces with one tea spoon of ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt for 30 mints.

Now dry roast all the spices (no 6)  with shredded coconut and poppy seeds, and make a smooth paste with that.

 

Now add some oil in a vessel and add the dry red chili, after few seconds add the chopped tomato.

Fry for some time, then rest of the ginger garlic paste and sauté for some time.

Now add the marinated chicken pieces and sauté for 2 to 3 mints.

Now add the all ground paste and the fried onion paste with some salt and sugar. And Cook in low flame with lid till it done.



Remove lid and cook for another 2 to 3 mints. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.


Serve with Naan or Polao.



Keep coming for more.


 

Bhoger Khichuri or Puja Special Khichdi

The blue sky the Shiuli Flower or Night Jasmine the Kash Flower the sound of Dhak make us mad during the Spring Season. Because it’s the time for  “Maa Durga” to come to maternal house. We all Bengali’s wait for this around the year. Every year during this festive season my Maa used to cook so many different kinds of dishes. For us any festival starts and ends with the food only.

During this time a very famous dish of ours is Khichuri or Khichdi. My Maa used to prepare a perfect “Bhoger Khichuri . The taste of that Bhoger Khichuri is just out of the world. Today morning I called my Maa to ask that particular recipe only. And it came out just too good. If you are a Bhoger Khichuri lover then please try my recipe. It’s too good.

Preparation time: 20 mints.

Cooking time: 40 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Gobindobhog Rice: 2 cups.

2. Yellow Moong Dal : 2 Cups.



 3.Cauliflower ( cut into small size).
4.One medium size potato ( cut into cube size).
5.One medium chopped tomato.
6.Green peas : half cup.
7.Green chilies: 3 to 4.
8.Shreded coconut two table spoon.
9.One dray red chili, few cumin seeds.
10.One tea spoon ginger paste.
11.Turmeric powder: 1 tea spoon, Cumin Powder: half tea spoon.
12.Garama masala powder: half tea spoon,Bhaja masla : half tea spoon (dry red chili and cumin
seeds roasted and grinded).
13.Ghee 2 table spoon.
14.Mustard oil : 3 table spoon.
15.Salt & Sugar As per taste.

Process:

Dry roast the moong dal, and soaked it in warm water.

Now add the ghee and the oil in a vessel and add the potato and cauliflower. Fry till it golden
brown. And keep it aside.



Now on that same vessel add the cumin seeds and dry red chili, after that add the chopped tomato and green chilies.

Now after 2 mints add the shredded coconut, turmeric powder, cumin powder, green peas salt and sugar and cook for some time.



Now add the washed rice and the soaked dal, mix with everything nicely and fry for some time.



Now add 5 cup of water and cook with a lid. When the rice and dal 80 % done then add the fried cauliflower.



Cook till it done.Before switch off the gas add the Bhaja mosla, Garam Masala and little ghee.



Serve hot with Labra or Cabbage curry and Beguni.