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.

Zafrani Polao or Saffron Polao

During my college days we had a friend Fatima, she was my tuition friend. Once she called us for an Eid special lunch at her place. I could not express how good cook her ammy was. The foods were awesome and the way she served us that’s that was also very special. I still remember the taste of “Zafrai Poalo”.
The taste and the flavor were just out of the world. Today I tried to prepared “Zafrai Polao” and it’s good but surely not like aunty. But my husband liked it so much; anyhow I am satisfied for that.

Preparation time: 10 mints.

Cooking time: 20 mints.

Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

1.Basmati Rice 2 cup.
2.One medium sliced onion.
3.Few  chopped cashew nuts.
4.Few chopped almonds.
5.Half tea spoon of cardamom and nutmeg  powder.
6.Few saffron stands (Soaked in one cup of warm milk).
7.Two tea spoon ghee.
8.Two table spoon sunflower oil.
9.Salt & sugar as per taste.
Preparation:

In a pressure cooker add the sunflower oil and one tea spoon of ghee and add the rice.
Fry the rice till it little crispy, then add the cardamom and nutmeg powder and mix with the rice nicely.
Now add 2 cup of water and one cum of saffron soaked milk with salt and sugar.
Switch off the gas after one weasel. The rice should not over cooked.

 
Now add one tea spoon of ghee in an oak and add the onions.
After the onions transparent, add the chopped cashew nuts and the chopped almonds.
Fry for another 3 to 4 mints.

Now add the cooked rice and mix with the fried onions, cashew and almonds.



Your “Zafrani Poalo” is ready enjoy the color and the essence.

 

 

Serve hot with any chicken or Mutton curry. and Raita.



 

Chicken Chaap

During my college days we used to carry very less amount of moneys with us. But some time any way we would manage to hang out in a small restaurant, as I said before we also didn’t have money to pay any big restaurant bill. But the good thing was that the taste of the dishes on that small place I never forget. They are not too rich not too spicy and a place where we can sit for long time, no one told us to leave. That’s the specialty of that place. How can I forget about the special chicken recipe which we used to have with “Naan” which is called “Chicken Chap”. Whenever I prepare this one at home I just cherish my memories.

Preparation time: 20 mint.

Cooking time: 45 mints.

Serve for 4 people.

Ingredients:

1.Chicken :1 kg. (cut into big pieces).
2.One large onion sliced( fried and grinded).
3.Two table spoon of poppy seeds, alond & Cashew nuts paste.
4.Two tea spoon of ginger and garlic paste
5.Two tea spoon curd.
6.Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Kashmiri Chili Powder, Cumin Powder (Half tea spoon of
each item).
7.Two clove, Two cardamom, One cinnamon stick, Two dry red chili, Few black pepper,
Half Nutmeg, Few javitri, Few coriander seeds. (Dry roasts all of them and grinds it).
8.Two drops of Keora water and Two drops of Mitha Ator.
9.Salt & Sugar as per taste.
10.Sunflower oil and Ghee (Use equal both of them).

Process:

Dry the chicken pieces with pepper towel.

In a bowl add the fried onion paste, curd, ginger garlic paste, salt, sugar, all the spice powder, poppy seeds almond and cashew nuts paste.

Mix them well, now put the chicken pieces into that bowl and marinate for 4 to 5 hr. (I prefer to marinate overnight).

Now put oil and ghee (1:1) in a heavy bottomed vessel and fry separately all the chicken pieces, then add the left over marinated ingredients and cook with a lid for 10 mints.

Remove the lid and add the all dry roasted masala powder and mix well, and cook it for another 12 to 15 mints in very low flame.

Before switch off the gas add the Keora water and Mitha ator.

The flavor and essence is the key factor of that preparation. Serve hot with Polao or Naan.



 

Ice Cream Sandesh

Today is my husband's Birth day. So wanted to prepare some special sweet dish for him. He is very fond of Sweets. So I made one of my mom’s special Sweet ‘Ice Cream Sandesh’. She used to make this on pressure cooker. But the same way I makd it on Microwave. After making it I just can’t believe on me. It’s awesome and somehow the taste exactly like one of my Favorite Sweet Shop. I am super excited. Please just make it once it's super cool.

Prep time: 20 mints.

Cooking time: 8 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Chena 100 gm.
2.Cottage cheese 100 gm.
3.Sugar 150 gm.
4.Vanila essence few drops.
5.Butter half tea spoon.
6.Few pistachio for garnishing.

Process:

Mix the chena, cottage cheese, sugar, vanilla essence and grind them in a mixer.

Now grease the butter in an oven proof bowl and put all the mixer into it.

 Now on maximum hit bake it for 8 mints (it's depend on microwave to microwave and the baking plate you are using on that alos,for better result check every 2 mint).

Now garnish your Sandesh with the pistachio.



After it completely cool down DE-refrigerate it for 2 ½ hr.

And cut them in small square pieces.



Enjoy the cool cool Ice Cream Sandesh.

Ice Cream Sandesh

Today is my husband's Birth day. So wanted to prepare some special sweet dish for him. He is very fond of Sweets. So I made one of my mom’s special Sweet ‘Ice Cream Sandesh’. She used to make this on pressure cooker. But the same way I makd it on Microwave. After making it I just can’t believe on me. It’s awesome and somehow the taste exactly like one of my Favorite Sweet Shop. I am super excited. Please just make it once it's super cool.

Prep time: 20 mints.

Cooking time: 8 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Chena 100 gm.
2.Cottage cheese 100 gm.
3.Sugar 150 gm.
4.Vanila essence few drops.
5.Butter half tea spoon.
6.Few pistachio for garnishing.

Process:

Mix the chena, cottage cheese, sugar, vanilla essence and grind them in a mixer.

Now grease the butter in an oven proof bowl and put all the mixer into it.

 Now on maximum hit bake it for 8 mints (it's depend on microwave to microwave and the baking plate you are using on that alos,for better result check every 2 mint).

Now garnish your Sandesh with the pistachio.



After it completely cool down DE-refrigerate it for 2 ½ hr.

And cut them in small square pieces.



Enjoy the cool cool Ice Cream Sandesh.

Vanila Sandesh

 

 

 

'Sandesh' is a typical Bengali Sweet. Basically it made with Milk, Chena , Sugar and sometime with Jaggery . Almost every sweet shop in Kolkata you will get lots of variety of Sandesh. Not only in Kolkata, other parts of India also has different kind of Sandesh or Sweet. Today I prepared Vanilla Sandesh . I used to have this Sweet from our nearest sweet Shop almost every day in my childhood. So it's a kind of nostalgic feeling also while preparing this.

 

 

 

 

 

Prep time :20 mints,

Cooking time:20 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Chena or Paneer : 200 gm.
2.Cottage Cheese: 100 gm.
3.Sugar: 200 gm.
4.Ghee: One tea spoon.
5.Vanilla Essence: 2 to 3 drops.
6.Yellow food color: 2 drops(Optional).
7.Chopped Pistachios for garnishing.

Process:

Mix the Cheana and Cottage cheese nicely with your palm (no lump should be their).

Now put the ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and add the chena & cottage cheese mixture along with the sugar, mix them all nicely, stir continuously.
 
Between add the food color and the vanilla essence and stir continuously, till the mixture become dry completely.



Now switch of the gas and let it become cool (Medium), now take small amount of the mixture at a time and give a nice shape like Round, Oval or Square as per your choice.

And garnish with chopped pistachios. 

Enjoy your 'Sandesh' with your family member.

Kaju Kacha Golla or Cashew Sweets

Today I made one sweet dish. It’s totally my recipe. Tomorrow is my daughters first birthday so I want to make something special for her. So I made Kaju Kacha Golla. Though she is not going to have this more still feel like to make something special like that. My husband appreciates it so much. After a hard work when we get a nice complement which will inspire us to do more.

Preparation time : 15 mints.

Cooking time: 20 mints.

Ingredients:

1.Chena : 100 gm.

2.Cottage cheese: 100gm.

3.Sugar: 150 gm.

4.Cashew nuts powder : Three Table spoon.

5.Ghee one table spoon.

6.Safron Milk: One table spoon (Soak saffron in one table spoon warm milk for 30 mints).

7.Some cashew nuts for garnishing.

Process:

Mix the chena and cottage cheese nicely (No lump should be their).

Now put the ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel and add the Chena and cottage cheese mixture with the sugar and mix well till it dry.

Now add the cashew nuts powder and mix well. Let it cool.

Now make small balls with the mixture and in each ball add one drop of Saffron Milk and garnish with cashew nuts.



Your Kaju Kachagolla or Cashew Sandesh is ready enjoy with your family.


 

Kesariya Rasogolla

“Rasogolla” is a very famous sweet of Bengal. So I prepared Rasgolla in little different way, with some kesar. My dear friend Pinki Sarkar Shared this recipe with me. Thank u Pinki for the lovely recipe.

Prep Time. 4 to 5 hr.
Cooking time: 30 mint.

Ingredients:

1.Milk 1 liter.
2.Sugar 1 & ½ cup.
3.Lime juice ½ cup. (Mixed few drop of water with it)
4.Few pinch of Saffron or Kesar.
5.Water 4 & ½ cup.

Process:

Put Milk in a heavy bottomed vessel, when it starts boiling adds the Lime juice. Slowly the milk
turn into chena.(when the water turn into green colour).

Drain the cheana in a cotton or muslin cloth. Wash the chena under running cold water so the flavor of lime juice will goes off.

Now hang the chena for 2 to 3 hr.

Mix the saffron with one table spoon of Luke warm milk for an hour.

Now mash the chena with your palm till it very smooth .Add the saffron and milk mixture into the chena.

Your chena turn into a very rich yellow color.

Now make some small round balls with the chena. Around 15 to 18 bolls

In a big flat vessel make the sugar syrup with the water & sugar. When it start boiling add the chena balls.

Cover with tight lid for 20 mints.

Your kesariya Rasagulla is ready, serve hot or cold.