Kachkola Khosar Chatni / Plantain Peels Chutney

 

 

Hi everybody!

Here's wishing you a very happy festive season!

Hope you all had a wonderful Diwali.
I did try my best to have one.

And did not judge my success on how many savories or sweets I got to make this time.

 We strung little lights all over the house, had friends over and savoured whatever little I could dish up myself.

And decided Diwali is all about having people who love you around you.

I actually did not disappoint myself on the kitchen front.

I did make the very popular Rajastani kachori, went ahead and made a fusion by pairing it with the very Bengali Cholar Dal.

And a spicy rassewali Aloo.

Also had made plain Luchis or Puris.

On the sweet front had Chawal ki Kheer or Chaler Payesh.

And then greed struck.

I snitched some break time from the busy schedule and was going through my reader when Bong Mom's new post caught my eye.

Could not help making those wonderful Besan ke Laddoos ... they looked so tempting.

But more than that the very quick way of making them caught me.

I made them after dinner! ... they are so quick to make.

And tasted awesome! :-)

They are a great life saver , like my Instant Moong Dal Halwa.
Thanks Sandeepa for that. 

In between my trip back home for Durga Puja, coming back, getting caught up with cleaning for Diwali, I did cook and eat too.

But hardly got the time to click and frame a post to share.

But there are times when new things do come up in the kitchen that I so want to share.

Like this chutney.

Made from fresh raw bananas/plantains' peels, this is a great thing to go with any parathas ... especially parathas made with left overs  or Methi parathas.

And you can vary the taste and flavours with the spices of you choice.

Healthy, tasty, ... perfect!

Need

Fresh  raw bananas / Plantains

A few cloves of garlic ( depends on how much peels you have or how strong you like )

A piece of ginger

A small lump of Tamarind ( I used Kokum, you can use lemon juice too )

Salt

Sugar

Some whole jeera

Some whole Black pepper

1 or 2 fresh Green chillies

How to 

Take out thick peels from the plantains.

Take some water in a microwave safe bowl and add some salt and the peels.

 Run in the MW on full power for 1 minute.

Remove and cool.

Put in all ingredients with the peels in a mixer and make a paste.

Adjust seasoning. 

And yes, it is completely oil free.

Serve this tasty dose of iron and fibre with parathas or fritters.

Enjoy !!

You can change the spices to add different flavours to this chutney.

Murir Moa / Sweetened Puffed Rice Laddoos

 Shubho Bijoya!!

After a long time, I was home for Durga Pujo.

Much as I had a wonderful time enjoying the familiar sights, smells and catching up on a lot that I had missed out on the last few years on Pujo,

I was equally disheartened to see huge changes.

The place of my childhood had changed. So have the people.

And the way of life.

To me ... everything.

Tried my best to find some semblance to my childhood ... guess I was wrong to do that.

I was only disappointed.

On the brighter side, I got to meet a lot of friends that I had lost touch with.

And many relatives I hadn't seen for a longish time.

Also, being and adult during Pujo has its advantages.

You can sit at the pujo bari the whole evening with friends, doing nothing but pure adda, 

catching up, comparing dresses and saris, 

laughing at silly bygone jokes or just pure gossiping .... while the evening stretched into late night.

Nobody will rush you ... that it is getting late ... you have to go home.

Or setting out pandal hopping with friends ... or enjoying street food, 

especially phuchka and jhal muri every single evening.

No ... I don't have much to complain on that.

Just wish that our elders did not age so quickly.

 Now I am back, with a heart full of memories and a phone full of new numbers.

I do not get to make too many things for Bijoya ... a time of celebrating the victory of good over evil.

The reason is Diwali ... which is always just round the corner.

It is for Diwali that I make all the goodies.

But this time I could not resist making a few things.

Maybe it is the visit home that made me crave for all things associated with my childhood.

So was very tempted at trying to make the Muri(puffed rice)r Moa. 

Dida always used to make the best murir moas.

While mine turned out perfect in taste, I failed miserably in making them as perfect rounds.

My hand too is partly to blame.

But am not complaining.

Making them is no joke ... so am glad I tried at least once.

Need

Puffed rice - 2 cupfuls

Jaggery  - a little more than 1 cup  ( I used powdered )

Black pepper - 1 tbsp freshly crushed

Coconut - very thinly sliced

Ghee - around 3 tbsp

Water - ½ cup

How to

Heat around 2 tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed pan or kadahi.

Stir fry the coconut slices on low heat till they are crisp and brown.

Remove.

Put in the jaggery and the water into the pan and keep boiling till the jaggery is completely dissolved and the water starts to dry up.

Wait till it becomes thickish ... then add the black pepper powder, 

the coconut slices and the puffed rice.

Keep tossing and stirring till everything is coated well.

Remove from heat and wait till it cools down halfway.

Now apply some ghee on your palms and take small scoops of the mixture and press with both hands to make round laddoos.

( Remember ... they will not bind if they are too hot or too cold. )

Cool well before storing.

The coconut gives a different feel and is enjoyable when you get a piece in a bite.
And the black pepper gives a beautiful flavour, especially when combined with jaggery.

These stay well for more than a week in airtight jars. 
If you stay in a place that is humid, throw in a few handfuls of plain muri or puffed rice in the jar along with the moas.
It helps to absorb moisture and to keep them crisp.

Enjoy !