Andhra Style Brinjal Curry or Baby Eggplant Curry

After a long time I purchased some baby eggplants or Brinajl from shop, while buying only I am really excited because eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables. I really didn’t want to cook them in simple way so I tried to cook it in Andhra style. And they turned out too good. The taste of tamarind made this dish so different. I think this one is perfect for Roti or you can have with rice also.

The baby eggplants are really soft so you don’t need to cook for a long time, but the freshness of the brinjals gave this dish a different look also. I added some fresh coconut also to make the gravy thick. A very easy way to feast yourself with this simple EGGPLANT CURRY, and perfect for vegetarian guests too.

Ingredients:

1.Few baby eggplants (4 to 6).

2.One medium sliced onion.

3.One large chopped tomato.

4.Two green chili.

5.One tea spoon ginger paste.

6.One tea spoon garlic paste.

7.Half cup shredded coconut.

8.Half tea spoon red chili powder.

9.Half tea spoon coriander powder.

10.Few mustard seeds, Few meethi/fenugreek seeds, one dry red chili, Few curry leaves.

11.Sunflower oil for cooking.

12.Salt and Sugar as per taste.

13.one table spoon tamarind pulp water.

Process:

Wash the baby eggplants, now cut them on top horizontally and vertically like + but don’t cut it completely.

Now add some oil in a vessel and fry the brinjal pieces with a cover, just fry till the brinjals look soft and keep them aside.

Now in a different vessel and some oil, allow it to hot then add the sliced onions and fry them till the onions are soft. Now add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for some time.

Now add the chopped tomato, red chili powder and coriander powder salt and shredded coconut and cook for 4 to 5 mint in low flame with a cover.

Now allow it to cool and make a fine paste with the masala mix.

Now add some oil In a separate bowl, then add the mustard seeds, meethi seeds, curry leaves and dry red chili then slowly add the masala mix and cook for few mints.

Now add some sugar and the tamarind pulp water and some extra water also and mix well, now cook this with a cover till the oil start floating on top.

Now add the fried baby eggplants and cook for another 3 to 4 mints with cover.

Now switch off the flame you easy BABY EGGPLANT  CURRY or MASALA BRINJAL  is ready to serve.

Moonger Laddu or Moong Dal Laddu: DIWALI SPECIAL

Diwali is a festival when we can’t stop ourselves to eat sweets so I can’t stop myself to make another DIWALI SWEET MUGER LADDU OR MOONG DAL LADDU. A very easy homemade sweet and the ingredients are very less. I remember during my school days a shop near my house where we cousin sisters were used to go to have this MONGER LADDU. I still remember the taste, so while making this I took a round in my childhood days.

This is a very famous DIWALI sweet in North India, the basic ingredients of the dish is MOONG DAL AND GHEE. Wishing all my friends, family and followers a happy and safe Diwali may this Diwali light make your life colorful.

Ingredients:

1.Moong Dal: 1 ½ cup.

2.Milk Powder: 5 table spoon.

3.Sugar: 1 cup and 3 table spoon.

4.Three freshly crushed cardamom.

5.Chopped cashew nuts (7 to 8).

6.Ghee: ½ cup.

Process:

First wash and clean the moong dal, now drain out all the water. Now dry roast the moong dal in medium flame till the aroma comes out from the dal.

Now let the dal become cold, now grind the dal in a mixture like powder.

In a large bowl add the moong dal flour , then add the sugar, milk powder freshly crushed cardamom powder, chopped cashew nuts and mix well.

Now in a vessel heat the ghee, now add the warm ghee into the bowl and mix well with hand nicely.

Now start making the laddu’s with the mixture, if you are not able to round them properly add some more ghee or some water also to make the laddu in proper round shape.

Your easy MOONG DAL LADDU DIWALI LADDU is ready, enjoy the special day with lots of sweet and crackers.

Karachi Halwa or Cornflour Halwa: DIWALI SPECIAL

One more special day for what we actually wait for 365 days because this day is a very special day for us - the festival of light DIWALI. In this special day we light all corner of our house. We decorate our house with lights, Rangoli and buy new dresses for all our family members. And the most important part of our DIWALI is making sweet dishes for our guests. Every year I have guests in my house in DIWALI so before the day I have to prepare some sweet dishes for them.

This year I prepared some KARACHI HALWA which is a famous sweet dish from KARACHI. The main ingredients of this sweet are corn flour so you can call it Cornflour Halwa too, a very easy a quick sweet dish to impress your guests.

Ingredients:

1.Cornflour: ½ cup.

2.Water: 2 ½ cup.

3.Sugar: 1 ½ cup.

4.Few chopped cashew nuts (you can use almonds or pistachios also).

5.Two freshly crushed cardamom.

6.One table spoon ghee.

7.Little ghee for greasing the plate.

8.Little orange food color.

Process:

First grease one plate with little ghee and keep it aside.

Now in a vessel add the ghee and fry the chopped cashew nuts till they turn golden brown and keep it aside.

Now in a separate vessel add one cup of water and sugar allow it to boil  in high flame for 3 to 4 mints, then add the freshly crushed cardamom’s.

On the same time in a bowl add the cornflour and 1 ½ cup of water and mix well no lamp should be there.

Now add the food color and mix well, now add the cornflour mixture into the boiling sugar syrup and reduce the flame in very low and stir continuously.

In between add the fried cashew nuts with the remaining ghee left in the vessel and keep string till it become like a jelly.

Now pour the mixture into the greased plate and smooth the surface and the corner. 

Keep the plate in refrigerator for 30 to 40 mints. And then cut them in square size. Garnish a cashew on top

Idly Dhokla : Breakfast from GUJRAT

In most of the weekends a must breakfast in my house is ‘LUCHI’ but this weekend I was not in a mood to eat LUCHI so I made some easy IDLI DHOKLA with some chutney. My weekend became super perfect, I never prepared DHOKLA at home but DHOKLA is one of my favorite. While preparing I was really nervous but they became so soft and tasty. This DHOKLA is different than other because of the shape but other than the taste is like normal DHOKLA only. I made it in my IDLY STAND so you can call it IDLY DHOKLA.

DHOKLA is a very famous dish of GUJRAT. The basic ingredient is gram flour or besan. Within few minutes you can prepare this for your family. I am really satisfied after my first attempt.

Ingredients:
For Batter:
1.Besan or Gram Flour: 1 ½ cup
2.Half table spoon salt.
3.Three table spoon sugar.
4.Water : ½ cup.
5.Baking Soda: ½ tea spoon.
6.Pinch of turmeric powder.
7.Yogurt: ½ cup.
8.Lemon juice: 1 table spoon.
9.One table spoon oil.
10.ENO fruit salt: 1 tea spoon

For Tempering:
1.Few curry leaves.
2.Few mustard seeds.
3.Two table spoon shredded coconut.
4.Few green chilies.
5.Few coriander leaves.
6.Little oil.

Process:

In a bowl mix the curd and water nicely, now add the gram flour and mix well (no lump should be there), the batter should be thick but not too thick. You can use more water if needed.

Now add the baking soda and mix well, keep it aside for 1 hour and let it rise.
After one hour add the turmeric powder, salt, ENO, sugar, lime juice and mix well.

Now in each idli stand tray spread some oil and add one table spoon of DHOKLA batter on each idly cone.

Now cook this for 10 to 12 mint in medium flame.

In a vessel add some oil, after it become hot add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chilies and sauté for 2 mints.

Now take out the DHOKALS from the stand. Garnish the dhokals with the fried curry leaves green chilies and mustard and also sprinkle the shredded coconut and coriander leaves before serve.

Enjoy hot IDLY DHOKLA  with some coriander coconut chutney.

Lagan-Ka-Murg

In daily busy life we always want some easy recipes to cook fast and they need to be tasty also. Sometime for guests we don’t get any early notice but any how we want to cook the best dishes form them. In my place most of my guests want chicken in main course. Some chicken dishes need to be marinated for long. So I always want some easy recipe where we don't need to marinate the chicken pieces but the dish need to be very tasty also. Last night dinner I prepared one very easy chicken curry and you can cook this very fast. The name of this dish is LAGAN-KA-MURG, I learnt the recipe from a cookery show.

The specialty of this dish is just making a mixture of all the ingredients and slow cook the chicken pieces on them. The gravy is creamy and the taste is really royal. Perfect for your guests, and I am sure after having the dish they will plan to visit your place again.

Ingredients:

1.Chicken: 600 gm.

2.One large sliced fried onion.

3.One small tomato paste.

4.Three green chili paste.

5.One tea spoon ginger and garlic paste.

6.Poppy seeds: One 2 tea spoon.

7.Cashew nuts: 6 to 8 pieces.

8.Dry coconut: 1 table spoon.

9.Red chili powder: 1 tea spoon.

10.Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tea spoon.

11.Garama Masala Powder: ½ tea spoon. One small cinnamon stick.

12.Curd: 2 table spoon.

13.Chopped coriander leaves: a hands full.

14.Chopped mint leaves: around 10 to 12 leaves.

15.Ghee or Sunflower oil : 2 table spoon.

16.Salt and sugar as per taste.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken pieces, and some salt and keep it aside.

Now dry roast the poppy seeds, cashew nuts and dry coconuts and make a paste with some water.

Now in a large bowl add the cashew coconut poppy seeds paste then add all the ingredients from no 2 to 16 just add one table spoon of ghee or sunflower oil on it. Mix all nicely.

Now rest of the ghee or oil add in a heavy bottomed vessel after it become hot add the cinnamon stick now slowly add the mixture with some water. After it starts boiling add the chicken pieces and cook this in low flame with a lid for 8 to 10 mints.

Now remove the lid and cook for another 10 to 12 mints.

The easy LAGAN-KA-MURG is ready serve hot with NAAN or Plain Roti or any Rice.

Amritti or Imarti

End of Durga Puja and Navaratri is on 10^th day and we celebrate the day as DASHAMI or DASHERA. And this is the day when we all pray to Maa Durga for blessings and a prosperous year till  Maa Durga comes next year. We touch our elder’s feet for seeking blessings. Wish all my friends and followers happy Bijoya Dashami and Dashera.

In this special day we used to make some sweet dishes for Misti mukh and for that I made some AMRITTI or IMARTI though the shapes are not that good but the taste is really good. Hope you all like my recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Split black gram skinless or Biulir Dal : 1 small cup.

2.Any unscented Rice: ¼ cup.

3.Orrange food color: Few drops.

4.Sugar: 3 cup.

5.Water 2 cup.

6.Few saffron strands.

7.Few green cardamom.

8.Few pistachios.

9.Few drop of ghee.

10.Sunflower oil for frying.

Process:

In a heavy bottomed vessel add the sugar water cardamom and make thick sugar syrup when it starts boiling add the saffron strands. The sugar syrup needs to be thick but not make it too thick. Keep the sugar syrup warm.

Now in a bowl soak the rice and dal for 1 hour, now in a blender make a smooth batter with the soaked dal and rice with one cup of water.

Now add the food color and grind it once again. Now pour the batter in a bowl and add the ghee and mix well.

Pour enough oil in a heavy bottomed vessel in very low flame.

Pour the batter in a cup cake designer container as I use or you can use a zip lock bag also and cut a small hole in one corner.

Now press the bag or the container and make one circle first on the oil then make some small small round shape circle on top of that or you can make your Amritt’s as u want.

Fry both the sides in very low flame till it become cruncy, now soak them into the sugar syrup for 4 to 5 mints, and then remove from sugar syrup and garnish the pistachios.

Enjoy your Hot Amritti’s on the specila day with all your friends and family.

Kheerer Naru or Narkel NAru or Coconut Laddu

মহালয়া/MOHALOYA is a very special and auspicious day for all Bengalis and from today NAVARATRI also started so this is a festive season for all of us. In the morning of Mohaloya all men used to go to the ghats of Ganges for praying to their ancestor and after that Debi Pokkho starts. Durga puja is the main festival of Bengal and at the same time central and north India celebrating NAVARATRI which starts right after MOHALOYA and end on the 10^th day which we call DASHAMI or DASHERA.

Sitting far away from home but still I feel like to have all the essence of Durga puja, so I made some authentic KHEERER NARU or MALAI COCONUT LADDU.

Ingredients:

1.One coconut (shredded).

2.Sugar: 5 table spoon.

3.Heavy Milk: one small cup.

4.Condensed Milk: 2 table spoon.

5.Cardamom: 2 freshly crushed.

6.A pinch of Kuppur or Camphor.

Process:

In a heavy bottomed vessel add the shredded coconut and the sugar mixes them in medium flame.

When the sugar melt completely and become little sticky add the crushed cardamom, milk and condensed milk and cook in medium flame for 15 mint and stir continuously

Now add the Kuppur or Camphor and mix well and stir continuously till the mixture become very dry.

Now turn off the flame, rub some water in your palm and strat making Naru or LADDU before it become cold.

Your easy KHEER NARU OR MALAI COCONUT LADDU is ready enjoy you special day with all your family members. Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS DURGA PUJA.

Tomato Polao

My daughter doesn't like to have rice this days I don’t know why, may be she is bored with the simple dal rice.  So I started to give her Roti, Noodles types of things. But anyhow I felt she needs to have some rice at least once in a day. So I started to make veg polao, egg poalo and she really likes to have little sweet taste rice preparation. Today while making her lunch I thought to try something else so that I can also have, and I made some TOMATO POLAO. She just loved it and me too. I had this before in one of my friend's place but never tried something at home.

A quick one but this is very tasty rice preparation. This dish is very famous in south India as Tomato Rice but i love to call this Tomato Polao. Any kind of veg curry is perfect with this dish but I love to have with a bowl of curd only. 

Ingredients:
1.Raw Rice or Sonamusuri Rice : one cup.
2.Two medium chopped tomato.
3.One medium fresh tomato puree.
4.One small sliced onion.
5.One tea spoon ginger and garlic paste.
6.Few curry leaves.
7.Few mustard seeds.
8.Cumin Powder, Red chili powder: ½ tea spoon of each item. Pinch of turmeric powder.
9.Few clove, 2 cardamom, One small cinnamon stick.
10.One green chili (you can add more).
11.Pinch of kasuri meethi.
12.Few methi leaves.
13.Few coriander leaves for garnishing.
14.Salt and sugar as per taste.
15.sunflower oil: 2 tea spoon
16.Ghee: ½ tea spoon.

Process:

Wash and clean the rice and keep it aside.

In a heavy bottomed vessel add the ghee and the oil, now add the mustard seeds, cardamom, clove and cinnamon stick wait for 30 seconds now add the sliced onions add the curry leaves , Saute for 3 to 4 mints.

Now add the chopped tomato and tomato puree and cook for 3 to 4 mints.

 Now add the ginger garlic paste with all the spices powder and cook till the oil separate.

Now add the kasuri methi, fresh chopped methi leaves and some salt and sugar and mix well.

Now add the washed rice and mix well with everything for few mints.

Now add enough water and cook till the rice done.

Your easy TOMATO POLAO is ready serve hot with raita and sliced onion.

Dahi Paneer or Paneer Cooked in Yogurt Gravy

Paneer or Indian cottage cheese is an important dish at my place or I can say Paneer is a best substitute for non-veg dishes. I love to cook paneer in different ways so that he likes to eat otherwise he only loves Palak Paneer. Few days back in a cookery show I saw a nice paneer dish and that is DAHI PANEER - Paneer cooked with lots of whole spices in yogurt gravy. The taste is really different than any other Paneer dish.

I made this dish in his birthday and he liked it so much and I am really happy for that. I love to add potato in few of the paneer dishes. After I finished cooking somehow I felt if I added potato also this dish would become more tasty. 

Ingredients:
1.Paneer: 100 gm.
2.One small cup of curd.
3.Two table spoon besan or gram flour.
4.One small piece of tomato.
5.One inch ginger.
6.One green chili.
7.Turmeric powder, Red chili powder, Cumin powder:1/2 tea spoon of each item.
8.Few cumin seeds, Few fenugreek seeds, Few ajwain, Few fennel seeds, Few mustard seeds.
9.Pinch of garam masala.
9.Salt and sugar as per taste.
10.Sunflower oil for cooking.

Process:

Cut the paneer in cube size pieces.

Now add some oil in a vessel lets it become hot now add the paneer pieces and fry for some time and remove it from the vessel and keep it aside.

Add the besan into the curd and mix it nicely and keep it aside. Make a paste with ginger tomato pieces and green chili.

Now add some more oil into the vessel and slowly add all the whole spices (no 8) and allow them to start leaving the smell.

Now add the ginger tomato paste into the vessel and stir for some time. Now add all the spices powder with some salt and sugar and mix well. Cook till the oil come out from the masala.

Now add the curd and besan mixture into the vessel and mix well, cook for a minute.

Now add enough water and the fried paneer pieces and cook with a lid for 5 to 6 mints.

Now remove your DAHI PANEER from heat, now its ready to  serve. Perfect with Roti Paratha or any kind of rice, simple and tasty.

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.

Topse Macher Batter Fry

Fish is one of an item which is always a good main dish for us. And any time any kind of fish curry goes perfect with rice. But some time a simple fried fish also makes your dinner or lunch complete. If it’s a matter of fried fish then I always love to have small fish. There are so many small fishes which we love to have fried rather than the curry. And among them one of my favorite fish is TOPSE FISH or MANGO FISH. 

But this fish is usually fried with a thick batter and that’s the specialty of this fried fish. I learnt the recipe from my cousin sister she makes this TOPSE FRY in all special days because we all cousins love this. After a long search I got the fish from the Bangladeshi shop and I am more than happy. We had a wonderful lunch with this fried fish last Sunday. 

Ingredients:
1.Topse or Mango Fish: 6 medium size.
2.Egg: 1.
3.All-purpose flour: 2 table spoon.
4.Corn flour: 2 table spoon.
5.Pinch of Baking soda.
6.Ginger & Garlic Paste: 1 tea spoon.
7.Half tea spoon turmeric powder.
8.Two green chili paste.
9.Pinch of red chili powder.
10.Salt as per taste.
11.Mustard oil for frying.

Process:

Wash and clean the fish pieces, now sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder on them and marinate the fish pieces. 

Now make a thick batter with flour, egg, corn flour, salt, baking soda, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, some turmeric powder and red chili powder.

Now add some oil in a karai, now take one fish and dip the fish into the batter and deep fry them in medium heat till both the side fried properly. Now soak the extra oil in a paper towel. 
Repeat the same with all the fishes. 

Your hot and crispy TOPSE MACHER BATTER FRY is ready serve hot with plain rice and dal.