Bengali cuisine – Batter Up With Sujata

Chicken Rezala

Chicken rezala. A mughlai dish which is very famous in Bengal. Chicken rezala is a yogurt based fragrant rich creamy curry. Yogurt, whole spices and Kewra water made the dish aromatic and delicious.

First time I tasted famous rezala of Sabir in Kolkata with my elder sister Chhobidi and brother in law long years ago. But still remember the taste. Chhobidi and brother in-law were left for heavenly abode. But I am dedicating this post to their younger daughter and my lovely niece Ellora Roy.

I have shared some more chicken recipes on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Chicken chaap

2. Chicken clear soup

3. Chicken dak bungalow

4. Zafrani chicken

5. Chicken kosha

6. Sikkimese chicken curry

7. Hariyali chicken

8. Easy spicy pressure cooker chicken

9. Andhra chicken curry

Monday again and this week its time for dahi/curd or yogurt. 294 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Dahi Dhamal suggested by Priya Vijaykrishnan who blog at Sweet Spicy Tasty. Priya has amazing collection of authentic South Indian recipes with different types of continental recipes. I have to try her Bean corn Quesadilla and Keerai sambhar soon.

To make this chicken rezala you have to marinate the chicken pieces in yogurt or curd/dahi and some spices for atleast an hour. You can marinate the chicken for overnight in refrigerator. Make a smooth paste of poppy seeds and cashew nuts. For easy grinding soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts in hot water. Or you can dry grind the poppy seeds first. I always store some dry ground poppy seeds. Just add little water with dry ground poppy seeds and grind for a few seconds. You will get perfectly ground smooth paste for your curry. For better result cook chicken rezala with ghee or clarified butter. But if you don’t want to use ghee use any vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon ghee. I have used 1 tablespoon Mustard oil in marination and refined white oil with ghee for cooking. You can also marinate with the chicken with ghee or any white oil.

Recipe

Chicken – 500 gram

Curd/dahi oryogurt – 1/2 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1&1/2 tablespoon

Black pepper powder – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Oil – 4 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Onion – 2 large

Green chilli – 5 – 6 or to taste

Cashew nuts – 12

Poppy seeds – 2 tablespoon

Bay leaf – 2

Dry red chilli – 5

Black cardamom – 1

Green cardamom – 4

Cinnamon – 1&1/2 inch piece

Cloves – 4

Saffron – a pinch

Milk – 1/4 cup

Water – 1&1/2 cup

Kewra water – 2- 3 drops

Method

1. Clean and wash the chicken well. Drain the water completely. Marinate with curd, black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, salt and 1 tablespoon oil or ghee. I have used mustard oil in marination but you can use any oil. Mix well, cover and keep in refrigerator for an hour. You can keep the marinated chicken overnight in refrigerator. But if you don’t have time marinate the chicken at least 30 minutes to one hour.

2. Soak the cashew nuts and poppy seeds in hot water. This time I have used dry ground poppy seeds so soaked only cashew nuts in little hot water till cashew nuts becomes soft. Soaking will make your grinding easy. You can dry grind the poppy seeds or khas khas into a fine powder and store in an airtight container in refrigerator to make your cooking easy. Grind the cashew nuts, poppy seeds and green chilli into a smooth paste and keep aside.

3. Also grind the onion into smooth paste separately.

4. Lightly crush the green cardamom in a mortar pestle. Soak saffron in 1/4 cup hot milk.

5..Heat oil and ghee or clarified butter in a pan or wok. You can use only ghee if you like or skip ghee and make with oil only. But for better taste use little ghee. I have used only 1 tablespoon. You can use any refined vegetable oil.

6. Now add bay leaves, crushed green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and dry red chilli. Fry for a few seconds or until whole spices becomes fragrant. Spices shouldn’t be burnt. Add onion paste and saute till oil leaves the sides.

7. Take out the chicken from marinated mixture and mix with sauteed onion paste. Add salt. Be careful while adding salt. We already used salt in marination. Stir well. Cover and stir in between.

8. Cook till chicken dried up and oil floats on top. Don’t forget to check and stir in regular interval to avoid sticking to the bottom. Add cashew nuts, poppy seeds and green chilli paste. Saute and till oil leaves the sides.

9. Add soaked saffron and water.Add warm water as require to make gravy. I have used 1 cup first and added 1/2 cup more warm water because chicken was about to dried up and still little uncooked.

10. Cover and cook till chicken becomes soft. Timing depends on the quality of chicken. So keep an eye and check in between.

11. Taste and adjust the salt. Add Kewra water mix and remove from heat. Garnish with saffron and fried dry red chilli and serve with steamed rice, pulao, rumali roti, naan, tandoori roti, paratha or simple fulka roti or any Indian flat bread.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Bati Chochchori

Bati chochchori. A simple, easy, quick and delicious curry without any spice. Sharing a simple and easiest potato recipe from Bengali cuisine. You can add any vegetable of your choice with potatoes.

You need only panch phoran or Bengali five spices, salt and mustard oil to make this curry. Even you don’t need turmeric or any other spice powder. Sounds healthy isn’t it? Normally it’s cooked in a bowl. And in Bengali bati means bowl. And vegetables with panch phoran called chochchori or chorchori. Mixed vegetable chochchori is always a dry curry. But this bati chochchori can be made with gravy. You can keep the consistency of gravy as you like.

To make bati chochchori you can use cauliflower, eggplant or any vegetable of your choice. Bati chochchori can be made with fish too. Just mix everything and cook. A super easy method. I like bati chochchori with only potatoes.

Do you love potatoes? Here are some potato recipes from this blog.

1. Spicy potato with tamarind

2. Coriander red potatoes

3. Potatoes with green peas

4. Rosti or Swiss potato pancake

5. Potatoes in yogurt gravy

6. Grilled potatoes

7. Potato curry to serve with hing kachodi

8. Batata bhaji

9. Peanut potato

10. Potato pie

11. Potato with nigella seeds, poppy seeds and tomato

12. Savoury potato cake

13. Stuffed potato

14. Aloo chop or potato fritters

15. Dum aloo

16. Spicy potatoes

17. No onion garlic potato curry

18. Aloo chaat

19. Aloo ke gutke

20. Matar nimona

21. Panch phoran tarkari

22. Kashmiri dum aloo

23. Aloo kabli/chaat

24. Aloo kofta curry

25. Dum aloo with luchi

This stew like curry is best accompany with luchi, puri, paratha or any Indian flatbread. I have served it with luchi. Get the recipe here.

Now why I am talking about this easy and simple recipe. Actually this week its my turn to suggest the theme for 286 #Foodiemonday bloghop. And I suggested my fellow bloggers to cook an easiest dish which you make so often and it should be your family member’s favorite. And better to use minimum spices. So the theme is Cook In A Jiffy. And I also suggested savoury bake as second option but easiest recipe won unanimously.

We are always looking for some easy quick and simple recipes to make in a jiffy for our busy days. Right? Believe me easy and quick recipes can also be delicious 😊 In winter a bowl of hot bati chochchori with fulko or fluffy luchi or puri is a bliss. If you like light less spicy curry then its perfect for you.

If you don’t have panch phoran, then you can make the mixture of five whole spices. To make panch phoran or five spice mix 1 tablespoon each nigella seed or kalonji, cumin seeds or jeera, mustard seeds or sarso, fennel seeds or sounf and 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds or methi. Use green chilli according to your taste. You can also add 1 – 2 teaspoon more mustard oil for an extra zing. Bati chochchori is a light curry. Mix mustard oil, salt panch phoran and water as require with chopped potatoes, green chilli and tomatoes. If you want your chochchori without much gravy, then add less water. I like the taste of light gravy so used 1 cup water. I have used pressure cooker but you can also make it in microwave. Mix everything in a microwavable glass bowl, cover and cook on full power for 4 – 5 minutes or until potatoes becomes soft. Or make in a covered bowl or pot on stove.

Recipe

Potato – 3

Tomato – 2

Slit green chilli – 4 or to taste

Panch phoran or five spices (mixture of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, cumin, mustard seeds and fennel seeds) – 1 teaspoon

Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Water – 1 cup

Method

1. Peel and chop the potatoes lengthwise. Rinse well.

2. Rinse and chop the tomatoes in small pieces.

3. In a pressure cooker mix chopped potatoes, tomatoes, panch phoran, slit green chilli, mustard oil, salt and water. Add green chilli according to your taste. If you like your curry hot add some more chilli or if you are making for kids reduce the amount of green chilli.

4. If you don’t want much gravy add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water. Use water as you like your curry, thick or thin. Pressure cook for 2 – 3 whistle.

5. Let the pressure settle down on its own. Taste and adjust salt. You can add 1 – 2 teaspoon more mustard oil for an extra zing.

6. For microwave mix everything in a microwavable glass bowl. Cover and microwave on high power for 4 – 5 minutes or until potatoes becomes soft.

7. Or you can make this bati chochchori in a pot or wok. Mix everything, cover and cook till potatoes becomes tender and tomato becomes mushy. Check and stir in between. If your curry is too runny, then cook for some more time to reduce the gravy. Your bati chochchori is ready. Serve hot with Luchi , paratha or any Indian flatbread.

Take care and stay safe 🙏 😊

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Mix Vegetable Fried Rice

Mix Vegetable Fried rice. Fried rice with all the seasonal vegetables. An aromatic, no onion garlic and easy to make rice dish from Bengali cuisine. You will love the delectable taste and flavour.

Fried carrots, French beans, cauliflower, green peas ,cashew nuts and raisins made this rice absolutely delicious. You can use whatever vegetables you like and available. And the rice is flavored with whole spices and Bengali garam masala.

You can serve this fried rice with any curry or

Khejur aamsotto chutney

Mango chutney

Chicken dak bungalow

Savoury rasgulla korma

To get some more recipes from Bengali cuisine click here.

And for some more rice recipes click on the name below.

1. Mexican green rice

2. Tricolour rice

3. Carrot rice

4. Mexican rice

5. Beetroot rice

6. Mint rice

7. Spanish moulded rice

8. Aloo chutney pulao

9. Korean rice

10. Corn peas barista fried rice

11. Easy pulao

12. Saffron rice

Monday again and our 281 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Variety Rice Special suggested by Narmadha who blog at Nams Corner. Narmadha is a very talented blogger. I always love her authentic South Indian recipes. I have bookmarked her Veg lunch menu and Curry leaves rice to try. I am sure you will love to visit her space for more authentic, innovative and healthy recipes.

This fried rice recipe is very simple and easy to make. Its a no onion garlic recipe but you can use sliced onion if you want. After adding whole spices add sliced onion with chopped green chilli and fry. When onion becomes golden brown add green peas. You can also make it with leftover rice but rice shouldn’t be over cooked. I have used carrots, French beans, cauliflower and green peas. If you don’t like any of these vegetables you can omit it.

Recipe

Basmati Rice – 1 cup

Carrot – 2

French beans – 100 gram

Cauliflower florets – 1/2 cup

Green peas – 1/2 cup

Green chilli – 3, finely chopped

Green cardamom – 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cloves – 4

Bay leaf – 2

Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Refined oil – 2 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

Salt – 1 & 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

Sugar – 2 teaspoon or taste

Bengali garam masala – 1/2 teaspoon

Method

1. Rinse the rice well. Soak in water for 15 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.

2. Heat sufficient water in a pan. When water starts to rolling boil add the rice. Stir and cook until rice becomes soft. Rice shouldn’t be mushy. Keep checking, remove from heat when 90 percent cooked. Check the rice by pressing between your fingers. Strain the rice immediately on a colander to drain the water well.

3. Spread the rice on a plate to cool down. Add salt and sugar and mix well. Add sugar according to your taste. I have used 2 and 1/2 teaspoon sugar, but you can use less sugar. But don’t skip it, add at least 1 teaspoon for taste. Be careful, rice shouldn’t be broken.

4. Wash all the vegetables well. Chop French beans into 1/2 inch pieces. Peel the carrots. Chop into small cubes. Cut the cauliflower into small florets.

5. Marinate the carrots, beans and cauliflower florets with little salt.

6. Crush green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in a mortar pestle.

7. Heat ghee and oil in a pan or wok. Fry the carrot cubes. Transfer fried carrots to a plate.

8. Now fry the French beans for 1 – 2 minutes. Beans should be remain green. Remove the fried beans from oil.

9. Fry the cauliflower florets till golden brown and remove from oil.

10. Fry the cashew nuts till golden brown and remove from oil. Fry the raisins. When raisins starts to fluff up immediately remove from oil. You can use the raisins without frying if you want.

11. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, crushed cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in the same oil ghee mixture. When cumin seeds starts to splutter and green peas and finely chopped green chilli. Sprinkle little salt. Saute till green peas becomes tender. To add onion see notes.

12. Now add rice, fried cashew nuts, raisins and all the fried vegetables. Mix well.

13. Fry for 2 – 3 minutes. Stir gently. Rice should be intact. Add 1/2 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder, mix well and switch off the heat. Your Bengali style fried rice is ready. Serve hot with kosha chicken, fish kalia, dum aloo, dim kosha, chhanar dalna, mutton curry, chutney or any curry.

Notes

1. You can use sliced onion if you want. Add sliced onion after adding cumin, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and fry. Add green peas when onion becomes light brown.

2. Add green chilli according to your taste.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Ranga Aloor Pithe/Sweet Potato Dumplings

Ranga aloor pithe or sweet potato dumplings. A sankranti special delicacy from Bengali cuisine. Sugar syrup soaked and stuffud with mawa/dried or thickened milk, coconut and khajur gur or date palm jaggery dumplings taste heavenly.

As I mentioned in my last year Sankranti post that in Bengal different types of pithe, puli, paesh or rice kheer/pudding are usually made to celebrate Poush Parbon or Makar Sankranti. On sankranti our lunch is Bhuni khichuri or khichdi with different types of vegetable fry or bhaja, Dum aloo , beguni, papad, tomato chutney or Khejur aamsotto or date mango bar chutney and for dinner different types of pithe puli, paesh or kheer, malpua, green peas stuffed kachodi, aloor nonta or savoury pithe. A day to enjoy all the traditional dishes. Here are some recipes that you can try to celebrate Poush Parbon or Makar Sankranti. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Til badam laddu

2. Moong dal fried and baked pithe

3. Baked dudh puli

4. Malpua

5. Nolen gur paesh or date palm jaggery kheer

6. Gokul pithe

7. Date palm jaggery and coconut barfi

8. Rice kheer

9. Narkol naru or coconut laddu

And not traditional as above recipes but absolutely delicious two innovative baked recipes with all the sankranti special ingredients.

1. Semolina or rawa cake

2. Date palm jaggery oats dry fruits cookies

Monday again and our this week’s 280 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Sankranti Special.

To make these ranga aloor pithe or sweet potato dumplings you need rice flour and maida or refined flour for binding with mashed sweet potatoes. You have to mash the sweet potatoes really well. Dough should be completely lump free. Some sweet potatoes have fiber. Discard the fiber if any. And we don’t need thick sugar syrup for this pithe. Make a stuffing with khoya or mawa/dried whole milk, khajur gur or date palm jaggery, dry fruits and coconut. Cook the mixture on low heat until dried up. Keep stirring to avoid sticking to the bottom. Add little cardamom powder and remove from heat. Let it cool down completely before stuffing.

I always use homemade mawa. Get the method to make mawa here.

Recipe

Sweet potato- 4

Rice flour- 3 tablespoon

Refined flour or maida- 1 tablespoon

Sugar- 1 cup

Water- 2 cup

Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon

For Stuffing click here

Refined oil or ghee for deep frying

Method

1. First make the stuffing as we made for Moong dal bhaja pithe and keep aside.

2. For sugar syrup boil 2 cup water with 1 cup sugar till sugar completely dissolved. Let it boil on low heat for 5 – 6 minutes more. Add 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder, mix and remove from heat. You can use half cup khajur gur or date palm jaggery and half cup sugar to make jaggery flavoured syrup.

3. Boil the sweet potatoes. Don’t make the potatoes mushy, boil till potatoes becomes tender. If you are using pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistle.

4. Peel the sweet potatoes when cool. Mash the potatoes well. Break all the lumps and make lump free dough. Discard the fiber if any.

5. Add rice flour, refined flour or maida and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder. Mix well and make a smooth dough.

6. Make equal size balls. I have made 13 – 14 balls. You can make small sized pithe if you want. Flatten the balls with your palm. Place one teaspoon stuffing in the middle.

7. You can use little more stuffing but be careful while sealing, stuffing should be remain inside. Seal the edges and give cylindrical shape.

8. You can also make round pithe just like gulab jamun if you want.

9. Heat sufficient oil in a pan or wok. Slide the stuffed pithe into the hot oil. Slide 3 – 4 pithe one by one. But don’t overcroud. Fry on low medium heat till pithe becomes golden brown.

10. Dip the fried pithe in warm sugar syrup. Let it soak in syrup for 30 – 40 minutes or until all the pithe soaked well and swelled.

11. Use a large vessel to soak the stuffed and fried pithe. Don’t place the pithe over each other. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Bengali Garam Masala

Bengali garam masala. An aromatic spice mixture. Add a pinch of this garam masala with a teaspoon of ghee or clarified butter in your curries at the end to enhance the flavour and taste. This spice mixture is commonly used in every Bengali home. In curries, ghonto,dalna etc.

My mother and mother in law both were use it freshly ground in stone grinder or sil batta. And they never dry roast the spices. But I have dry roasted lightly for easy grinding. I remember it’s a regular duty of our domestic helper to grind a small bowl full of this garam masala with the help of little water daily. I didn’t use my stone grinder or sil batta since a long time. Discarded the old one because of small modular kitchen. But I had browse for the picture last night. And loved the picture below. Just like I had in my earlier kitchen.

In my parental home stone grinder or sil batta was made of black stone. In Bengali it’s called sil nora. I will ask my sister in law to send me a picture. Earlier shared one more aromatic Bengali spice mix Bhaja moshla to enhance the flavour of your cutlets, dum aloo, sandwich stuffing or any savoury dish.

Sending this recipe to 278 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Spice Mix Secrets suggested by Aruna SarasChandra who blog at Vasusvegkitchen. Aruna is a very talented blogger. Her space is full of different types of wonderful recipes. And she has also some delicious and flavorful spice mix or podi recipes. I have bookmarked her Peanut powder or palli podi and Idli dosa podi. Do visit her space for many more delicious snacks, starter, bread, curries, baked and tiffin recipes.

As I mentioned above that earlier people used this masala freshly ground. But I always store some for easy use. You have to add very little of this spice mixture. And never add it with other spices when sautéing or frying. Always add at the end or before removing the curry from stove for best result. It will make your dish more aromatic.

Recipe

Cardamom- 20

Cloves- 16

Cinnamon- 3 stick

Method

1. Dry roast the spices on a skillet for one minute only. You can also grind without dry roasting. But lightly dry roasted spices will grind easily.

2. Grind when cool. Store in an airtight container for later use. Add a pinch in your curries with ghee or clarified butter at the end to enhance the taste and flavour.

Notes

1. You can also grind this spice mixture without dry roasting if you have a powerful grinder.

2. You can add bay leaf and little javitri with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon if you want to make your spices more aromatic. But in Bengali garam masala we use only green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Bhuni Khichuri Or Bhoger Khichuri/Moong Dal Khichdi

Bhuni khichuri or bhoger khichuri/khichdi. A very aromatic and delicious one pot meal . This khichdi is usually prepared for offering as bhog prasad for Goddess with 5 types of vegetable fry, mixed vegetable or labra, dum aloo, chutney, rice kheer and sweets etc.

Now what is bhog? Food prepared to offer God called naivedyam or bhog. I had mentioned about bhog in my Durga Puja Or Sharad Utsab post. Not only khichdi but Luchi , Radhaballabhi, pulao , Misti doi suji or semolina halwa and different kinds of sweets also can be prepared for bhog. You can serve this khichdi with any no onion garlic curry. I had served it with papad, begun bhaja, dum aloo, mixed vegetable or labra, chutney and rice kheer.

And some salted vegetable fry to serve with this khichdi. Aloo bhaja or fried potato, fried cauliflower, begun bhaja or fried brinjal and pumpkin fry.

Here are some recipes that you can make with khichuri.

.Date raisin jaggery chutney with mango bar

.Mango raisin chutney

.No onion garlic makhana curry

.Potato curry

.Dum aloo

.Rice kheer with date palm jaggery or khajur gur

.Rice kheer or paesh

.Misti doi

You can call it moong dal khichdi. But let me tell you that its not light moong khichdi which normally served to sick people. But this khichdi or khichuri is taste like pulao. Usually fried cauliflower and potatoes are used to make this bhoger khichuri or bhuni khichuri. But you can also make it with only green peas if you want. You can add cashew nuts and raisins in the khichdi if you like. Normally gobindobhog rice is used to make this khichdi but I don’t have gobindobhog rice so used Indrayani rice. My daughter bought it from Pune. You can use any fragrant short grain rice.

Monday again and this week 277 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is One Pot Wonder suggested by Archana Gunjikar Potdar who blog at Mad Scientist Kitchen. Archana is a wonderful blogger. I always love her authentic Goan recipes, different types of continental recipes and delicious bakes. Her Plum and apple cobbler and Goan-methi-che-polle-recipe are in my next to try recipes. Do visit her space for many more amazing recipes.

Now coming to the recipe. You can also make this khichdi in pressure cooker. If you are using pressure cooker add only 4 & 1/2 cup water. You need more water in open pot. But khichdi taste best in open pot, as I did. Fry the moong dal well or till you feel the aroma of fried moong dal and dal becomes golden brown. You can add less sugar according to your taste. But don’t skip it. To make the khichdi more aromatic and ghee and little Bengali garam masala powder at the end. You can add water according to your desired consistency but don’t make the khichdi runny. This khichdi or khichuri taste just like pulao. You can dry roast the dal and then wash and add with rice in the khichdi. You can add cumin powder and red chilli powder if you want. I am sharing my mother’s recipe here.

Recipe

Moong dal – 1 cup

Rice – 3/4 cup

Potato – 2 large

Cauliflower florets- 13 – 14

Slit green chili – 2 – 3

Green peas – 3/4 cup

Grated ginger – 1 tablespoon

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Dry red chilli – 1

Bay leaf – 2

Green cardamom – 3, crushed

Cloves – 3 – 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Mustard oil – 4 – 5 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon

Sugar – 1 tablespoon or to taste

Water – 6 – 7 cup

Method

1. Wash the rice well and soak in water for 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside. Use gobindobhog rice or any fragrant short grain rice.

2. Wash the moong dal and drain well.

3. Peel the potatoes and cut into 4 pieces.

4. Heat mustard oil in a pan or wok. Fry the potato pieces till brown. Remove from oil.

5. In the same oil fry the cauliflower florets. When florets becomes brown remove from oil and place on a plate.

6. Now add 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter in the oil. Add cumin seeds, dry red chilli, crushed or broken green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf.

7. Add drained moong dal and fry for a minute. Add grated ginger and fry till dal becomes golden brown.

8. You can dry roast the dal before washing, dry roast till fragrant and golden brown. If you are dry roasting moong dal then wash when cool and add it with rice.

9. Add soaked and drained rice. Mix well. Add salt, turmeric powder, fried potato pieces, green peas and stir well. Saute for a minute. You can add 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder if you want. I didn’t.

10. Add 5 cup water and slit green chili. Mix everything well. When it starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cover and cook on simmer for 15 minutes.

11. Stir in between. Check after 10 minutes and you can add more warm water if required. If you are using gobindobhog rice then you may need less water.

12. Now add sugar and fried cauliflower florets. You can also add some cashew nuts and raisins if you like.

13. Add 1 cup warm water and mix well. Cover and cook on simmer for 10 minutes more. I like my bhuni khichuri/khichdi dry. But if you like medium thick then you can add little more warm water. Khichdi shouldn’t be runny so add water carefully.

14. At last add 1 tablespoon ghee and switch off the heat. Add more ghee if you wish. I have added some more ghee before serving. You can add little Bengali garam masala powder at the end. Get the recipe of Bengali garam masala here.

15. Serve hot khichuri/khichdi with begun bhaja or beguni or baigan pakoda, labra, Dum aloo , tomato chutney or Khajur or date chutney, Mango-raisin-chutney papad, paesh or rice kheer and Misti doi.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Dim Kosha Or Spicy Egg Curry With Thick Gravy

Dim kosha or spicy flavorful egg curry from Bengali cuisine. A rich and thick curry, best accompany with steamed rice pulao, puri, naan or any bread. Easy to make and delectable taste.

Posting after a short break. Hope you will like the recipe. Earlier shared Chicken kosha Kosha means bhuna or frying the spices well. For delectable taste you have to fry the spices on low flame for a long time. I had served this delicious dim kosha or spicy egg curry with Saffron rice .

Eggs are a very good source of inexpensive, high-quality protein. More than half the protein of an egg is found in the egg white, which also includes vitamin B2 and lower amounts of fat than the yolk. Eggs are rich sources of selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. A study published in Paediatrics magazine has suggested that giving young children just one egg a day for six months, alongside a diet with reduced sugar-sweetened foods, may help them achieve a healthy height and prevent stunting. Source

You may like some more dishes with eggs on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Piperade-with-indian-spices

2. Soya-loaf

3. Kerala-egg-roast-with-potato

4. Egg korma with almond and coconut milk

5. Eggs in mustard and poppy seeds

6. Egg in yogurt sauce

7. Spicy egg or masala egg

8. Egg pulao

9. Potato stuffed egg enchilada

10. Tomato cilantro egg drop soup

11. Dimer chop or deviled egg

12. Chicken-dak-bungalow

Happy to post for our bloghop group again after more than a month. This week 273 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is My Family Favorite recipe suggested by Priya Vijaykrishnan who blog at Sweet Spicy Tasty. A perfect blog name. You can get many wonderful savoury, sweet, spicy, healthy, authentic, innovative and mouthwatering recipes on her blog. I have bookmarked her different types of lipsmacking chutneys and Date coconut microwave laddu to try.

As I mentioned above recipe is very easy to make. Fry the salt, turmeric powder marinated hard boiled and peeled eggs. Don’t forget to make a few slit on the eggs. I had used mustard oil, you can use any oil but this curry taste best with mustard oil. If you don’t like to use green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, then you can use 1 teaspoon panch phoran for tempering. To make panch phoran or five spice mix 1 tablespoon each nigella seed or kalonji, cumin seeds or jeera, mustard seeds or sarso, fennel seeds or sounf and 1/2 tablespoon fenugreek seeds or methi. I also make dim kosha with panch phoran for a change. But this dim kosha with crushed whole spices is aromatic and more delicious.

Recipe

Eggs – 4, boiled and peeled

Onion – 1 large, thinly sliced

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon

Tomato – 1 ,finely chopped

Great chilli – 2 – 3, slit

Green cardamom – 3

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Dry red chilli – 1

Bay leaf – 1

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon or to taste, optional

Salt to taste

Tomato ketchup – 1/2 tablespoon

Mustard oil – 3 – 4 tablespoon

Water – 1 cup

Method

1. Make some slit on the hard boiled eggs. Marinate the eggs with little salt and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. You can also add little red chilli powder. I didn’t.

2. Crush green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in a mortar pestle.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the eggs till golden brown from all the sides.

4. Remove the eggs from oil and place on a plate.

5. Add bay leaf, dry red chilli and crushed cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in the same oil.

6. Now add sliced onion. Fry till onion starts to change it’s colour.

7. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add chopped tomato, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric

8. Now add tomato sauce and stir. Add water and mix well. When water starts to boil add the eggs and slit green chili. Add sugar if using. Mix well.

9. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook on simmer for 7 – 8 minutes. Remove the cover and cook on high heat until gravy becomes thick. Add garam masala and mix. Taste and adjust the salt. Mix and remove from heat.

10. Garnish with cilantro or coriander leaves. Serve with roti, puri, naan, paratha, steamed rice, jeera rice or pulao.

Notes

1. You can add peeled, cubed and fried potato in curry if you want.

2. Use chilli according to your taste.

3. You can also use 1 teaspoon panch phoran instead of crushed whole spices for tempering or tadka.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

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Doi Potol Or Pointed Gourd / Parwal In Yogurt Gravy

Doi potol or pointed guard/parwal in yogurt gravy. A no onion garlic delicious and flavorful parwal curry from Bengali cuisine made with a blend of aromatic spices and yogurt.

Soft whole parwal or pointed gourd in spices infused rich aromatic gravy is best accompany with steamed rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha, puri or any bread. All the spices, yogurt or curd, poppy seeds, melon seeds and cashew nuts will make your parwal curry rich and mouthwatering. You may like some more parwal or pointed gourd recipes on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Stuffed pointed gourd or potol dolma

2. Pointed gourd with poppy seeds and coconut

3. Paneer stuffed parwal mithai

4. Pointed gourd with poppy seeds

Sending this post to Facebook group Healthy Wealthy Cuisine for Satwik Treat theme suggested by Ruchi Shah who blog at Ruchis Veg kitchen. I love her vast collection of recipes. I recently bookmarked her Pinwheel samosa and Pressure cooker khandvi recipe to try. Do visit her space for many more wonderful recipes.

Check out the recipes of my fellow bloggers on this theme.

Bhindi kadhi by Preethi

Creamy pine nuts pasta by Shalu

Coconut rice by Jayashree

Satvik paneer butter masala by Poonam

Moong dal dosa by Ruchi

I have used cashew nuts in the recipe. But you can use almonds if you want. Any unsweetened thick yogurt can be used to make this parwal or pointed gourd curry. I have used homemade curd. To grind poppy seeds easily first dry grind the poppy seeds and then add other ingredients to grind. Or soak the poppy seeds in hot water for 15 minutes or microwave for 1 minutes to make smooth paste.

Recipe

Parwal or pointed gourd – 10 – 12

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Green chilli – 2 – 3 or to taste

Curd or yogurt – 4 tablespoon

Poppy seeds or khaskhas – 2 tablespoon

Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon

Melon seeds – 1 tablespoon

Cumin or jeera powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander or dhania powder – 1 tablespoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon

Green cardamom – 3

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Bay leaf – 1

Salt to taste

Sugar – 1/2 to 1 teaspoon or to taste

Mustard oil – 3 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 teaspoon

Method

1. Wash the pointed gourd or parwal well. Cut off both the ends. Peel in strips. Make slits on both sides. Parwal should be intact.

2. Rinse again and drain the water. Marinate the parwal with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and little salt. Keep aside.

3. Soak the melon seeds and cashew nuts in hot water. Grind the poppy seeds to make powder or you can also soak the poppy seeds in hot water or microwave for 1 minute.

4. Now grind ginger, green chilli, soaked cashew nuts and melon seeds with poppy seeds. Add little water to make smooth paste. You can also grind ginger and 1 – 2 green chilli separately.

5. In a bowl mix cumin powder, coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder with 3 tablespoon water.

6. Crush the green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a mortar pestle.

7. Heat mustard oil in a pan or wok. Fry the marinated parwal from all the sides till light brown. Remove from oil.

8. In the same oil add bay leaf and crushed green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.

9. Stir and add mixture of cumin, coriander, turmeric and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Fry the spices on low heat for 2 – 3 minutes or till oil leaves the sides.

10. Now add all the ground mixture and saute for 2 -3 minutes again. Add fried parwal, salt and sugar. Mix well. Saute till parwal coated with spices. Add 1 cup water and cover the pan. I have made thick gravy but you can add more water to make thin gravy. I sometime do so. You can add 2 – 3 slit green chilli if you want.

11. Cover and cook on low medium heat for 5 – 6 minutes or till the parwal becomes soft. But be careful parwal should be intact.

12. Whisk the curd well. Add well beaten curd in the curry. Remember to keep the flame low while adding curd. Mix well. Cook on low heat for 3 – 4 minutes. You can add little more water if required to make thick gravy. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

13. Add ghee or clarified butter and switch off the heat.

14. Serve with steamed rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha, puri or any bread.

Notes

1. Add green chilli according to your taste.

2. Almond can be used instead of cashews.

3. Ghee or clarified butter is optional. If you don’t like skip it.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Chhanar Paturi Or Steamed Cottage Cheese/Paneer

Chhanar paturi or steamed cottage cheese. An easy to make paneer or cottage cheese dish from Bengali cuisine. You can make paturi with fish, eggs or any vegetable following this recipe. Just marinate the mashed paneer wrap with banana leaf and steam and your delicious paneer is ready. Serve this no onion garlic side dish steamed paneer or chhanar paturi with hot steamed rice and lemon wedges.

Now you can ask what is paturi. Literally meaning of paturi is wrapped in leaves. And leaves should be edible. You can use banana leaf or pumpkin leaf etc. Paturi can be made with fishes like hilsa or ilish, bhetki etc, eggs or make niramish paturi with chhana or paneer/cottage cheese, cauliflower, broad beans or any other vegetable following this recipe. You can also shallow fry these paturi instead of steaming. After wrapping with banana leaves shallow fry with mustard oil till leaves becomes brown. Earlier shared broad beans paturi in a different way. I have stuffed the broad beans before steaming. Click on the name for recipe. Stuffed steamed broad beans

And if you want the similar taste without steaming or wrapping with leaves check out my Cauliflower paturi

Sending this post to Facebook group Shhhhh Cooking Secretly challenge. Shhhhh Cooking Secretly a group started by Priya of Priya’s Versatile Recipes, is where every month food bloggers are paired up and give each other 2 secret ingredients to cook with according to the theme chosen. Theme of this month is steamed food suggested by Anu Kollon. Do check out her recipe of Kerala style steamed rice for this theme. This month my partner is Priya Vijaykrishnan. Priya gave me poppy seeds and curd and I gave her hing or asafoetida and ginger. And she made delicious Amiri khaman with these ingredients.

This chhanar paturi or steamed cottage cheese/paneer is very easy to make. Just marinate the mashed paneer, wrap with banana leaves and steam in steamer or pressure cooker. I have used my rice cooker to steam. If you don’t have steamer then you can use pressure cooker or pour sufficient water in a pot place a stand on the middle. Arrange paturi on a plate and place on the stand. Cover and steam till done. Or shallow fry the paturi on a pan with mustard oil. You can double the ingredients if require.

Recipe

Paneer or cottage cheese – 1 cup

Mustard powder – 1 tablespoon

Poppy seeds or khaskhas – 2 tablespoon

Green chilli – 3 – 4 or to taste

Coconut – 1/4 cup, grated or finely chopped

Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

Thick curd or yogurt – 1 tablespoon

Cashew nuts to garnish, optional

Banana leaf – 1

Cotton thread as required

Method

1. Wash the banana leaf from both sides. Wipe with a kitchen towel. Heat a pan and place the banana leaf over it. Heat the leaf from both sides. Leaf shouldn’t be burned. Just heat to make the leaf little soft.

2. Mash the paneer or cottage cheese well to make smooth.

3. Grind the poppy seeds. Add coconut and 1 – 2 green chilli. Use very little water if require to make smooth paste.

4. Mix the paste in mashed paneer. Add salt, mustard oil, curd or yogurt, turmeric powder and mustard powder. Mix well. Mash again to make smooth.

5. Cut the banana leaf into two pieces. I have made two paturi. You can make small sized 4 paturi. Cut the banana leaf accordingly.

6. Grease the banana leaf pieces with mustard oil if you want. I didn’t. Gently shape the paneer mixture into square or rectangular. Place on banana leaf pieces. Place 1 slit green chilli and cashew nuts over it.

7. Wrap the leaf and make like an envelop.Tie with a cotton thread.

8. Boil the water in steamer. Place the envelopes on steamer. Cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

9. Open the envelopes and serve delicious paturi with steamed rice and lemon wedges.

Notes

1. Use green chilli according to your spice tolerance.

2. Instead of steaming you can also shallow fry these paturi in a pan. Fry till the banana leaf becomes brown.

3. Lemon juice can be used instead of curd or yogurt.

4. You can also use 1-2 teaspoon lemon juice in the marination with curd.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Bengali Sabur Khichuri Or Sabudana Khichdi With Moong Dal

Sabur khichuri or Bengali style sabudana khichdi with moong dal. A simple yet delicious flavorful no onion garlic fasting recipe. You can make it with potato, cauliflower, carrot or any vegetable of your choice.

This khichuri is not like North Indian sabudana khichdi but a khichdi with sabudana and moong dal or split yellow lentil. On fasting day we usually take one time meal. And it should be vegetarian and without onion garlic and rice. It may be Luchi, Kachodi or Radhabollobhi with Dum aloo or any no onion garlic curry. But this sabudana khichuri is easy and quick to make and better than deep fried foods. I love it simple but sometimes use cubed and fried potato.

I got this recipe from my loving masimaa Utpala Mallick. Usually I spent all my summer vacation with my masimaa, meshomoshai or uncle and my cousins at Ranchi. Masimaa was an excellent cook. I already shared her Orange steamed sandesh. I was a school going girl at that time and never cooked anything. Once she cooked this khichdi on one of her fasting day. I just loved the taste. When she made it in the second time I noticed the method and ingredients. And I made it first time when my maa and masimaa both were not at home. Still remember their surprised face after tasting the khichuri. Both said its too good and perfect. That was a fasting day so I was feeling very happy to see their happy faces. Both my masimaa and mother are left for heavenly abode. But they are always with me in my heart. Learned a lot from maa and her sisters. Do you remember Misti doi recipe? I got it from my sejomashi Gargi Gupta. I will share some more age old recipes soon. Stay tuned.

Its my contribution to 254 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Farali Farmaish suggested by Kalyani Sri who blog at Sizzlingtastebuds. Do visit her blog and YouTube channel for different types of healthy and delicious recipes. I have bookmarked her Coriander garlic walnut pesto and Baked broccoli casserole recipe to try.

Yes we can make luchi puri kachodi anything but this sabudana khichdi is a healthy option for one time meal. After the whole day fasting its better to take something quick and simple food in evening. If you like you can add cubed and fried one potato, fried cauliflower florets, carrot or small pieces of fresh coconut. Add the vegetables before adding water. Vegetables will become soft with dal. Add some more water if using vegetables. You can make the khichdi thick or thin consistency as you like. You can use less ghee or make it with oil and add a dollop of ghee at the end. You can also make it in a pressure cooker. I sometimes do so to save time. You can dry roast the dal before rinsing.

Recipe

Moong dal or yellow split lentil – 1/3 cup

Sabudana or tapioca – 1/4 cup

Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon

Green chilli – 2 – 3

Green cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cloves – 2

Bay leaf – 1

Water – 5 cup

Ghee or clarified butter – 1 – 2 tablespoon

Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Fried cashew nuts and raisins to garnish, optional

Method

1. Rinse the moong dal and sabudana separately. Drain the water and keep aside. I don’t like sabudana much so used less than moong dal. You can use equal quantity or more sabudana and less moong dal. Choice is yours. I have made it one serving so used little less than 1/3 cup moong dal and 1 tablespoon less sabudana.

2. Crush the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a mortar pestle.

3. Heat ghee in a wok or pan. You can use half oil and half ghee. 1 tablespoon ghee is sufficient but I have used 2 tablespoon to enhance the flavour. If you don’t want to use ghee, you can make it with only oil. But add at least 1 teaspoon ghee at the end.

4. Fry the cashew nuts if using. Fry till golden brown and transfer on a plate. Now fry the raisins. When raisins puffed up immediately remove from ghee.

5. In the same ghee add cumin seeds, bay leaf, crushed cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. When cumin seeds start to splutter add grated ginger and 1 chopped green chilli.

6. Stir and add drained moong dal. Fry the moong dal. See notes for more options.

7. When dal starts to change colour add water, salt, turmeric powder and 1 – 2 slit green chilli. Mix well. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or till dal becomes soft.

8. Now add drained sabudana and sugar. Mix and cook again for 5 minutes or until sabudana becomes transparent.

9. You can add more water if you want your khichdi little thin consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. You can add a dollop of ghee at the end.

10. Garnish with coconut slices, fried cashews and raisins. You can also use chopped cilantro or coriander leaves to garnish. Serve hot with Date raisin jaggery chutney with mango bar, Mango raisin chutney, Instant sweet mango pickle , curd or any no onion garlic vegetable curry.

Notes

1. You can add cubed and fried potatoes, fried cauliflower florets, carrot and small pieces of fresh coconut in the khichdi. Add a little more water if using vegetables.

2. You can also use 1 chopped tomato with grated ginger and green chilli.

3. Add green chilli according to your taste.

4. To make it quickly you can cook it in a pressure cooker if you want. Dry roast the dal before rinsing and add everything when cumin seeds start to splutter.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

Please visit my facebook page and hit the like button to get the latest update

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