Fried rice and Chilli chicken ... a Bengali's favourite classic combo meal

I cooked this for lunch last Sunday. 
And the way it turned out to be, immediately decided it should be on the blog. 

I have been missing eating out for a while now. Not that we used to eat out very frequently, before the pandemic shut the whole world up at home, but yes, once in a while we did.

Or at least  had the freedom and the option to go out and grab a bite when not feeling like cooking or stepping into the kitchen. 

Now, however, life has been revolving around the three meals and snacks the whole day.

Not to mention the boredom of the familiar tastes and masalas . 

And Chinese food being my favourite, it is there that I was hit the most.

I do cook chinese food at home ..... mostly for dinners. But that is limited to just stir fried vegetables, hakka noodles and my quick, cheat's  Chilli Chicken. 

This time, however, my intense craving for Chinese food made me decide to whip up a meal.

And in detail .... no short cuts. 

Easier said than done. 

Chinese food has one elaborate thing for sure .... and that is prepping. 

Cooking the actual dish does not take much time .... just throw in a little of this, a little of that, toss, toss, toss .... and done!
But the prepping .... boy! ..... takes up all the time you have and also exhausts you. 

I realised I had bitten off more than I can chew by the time I was halfway and neck deep into the prep work. And I thanked the good gods for providing me the sense to eat a heavy breakfast that morning. 
The greater part of my problem is cooking two kinds of food .... vegetarian and non vegetarian. 

And keeping everything apart so that nothing touches each other, planning to use the oil for deep frying for the vegetarian part first and then use it for non vegetarian ..... and so on.

These are the little things that require constant alertness and are really stressful and exhausting. 

I had leftover rice in the fridge. 

I had marinated chicken in the freezer. 

I had a block of paneer in the fridge.

B assured me he would chop the vegetables. 

And so I dived headlong into cooking lunch. 

For the Chilli Chicken : 

I make the Chilli chicken the way I have grown up eating .... with lots of green chillies nad no capsicums. You may add them if you like though. 

Need : 

Chicken pieces - 250 gms, marinated with ginger garlic paste, soy sauce and a little vinegar 

Cooking oil , enough for deep frying

Corn flour  - 1 tbsp

Maida / Apf - 3 tbsp

Rice flour - 1 tsp 

Diced onions 

Chopped green chillies 

Minced garlic

Minced ginger

Salt - to taste 

Sugar - to taste 

How to : 

Mix the flours with the marinated chicken. 

Heat oil and deep fry the pieces.  Keep aside. 

In a wok, heat a little oil. 

Add  garlic and ginger. Then add the green chillies and the diced onion. 

Stir fry on high heat and add the chicken pieces, soy sauce, vinegar and salt. 

Toss on high heat till everything comes together. 

For the  Vegetable Fried Rice  : 

Need : 

Leftover rice 

Cooking oil

Chopped vegetables like carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower

Chopped onions
Chopped green chillies

Minced garlic

Minced ginger

Soy sauce

A little vinegar

Black pepper powder

Salt

Sugar

How to : 

Heat oil in a seasoned iron wok. 

Add chopped garlic and ginger. Toss.

Add chopped onion and green chillies. 

Add the vegetables and toss on high heat.

Add the rice and the rest of the ingredients and toss on high heat till everything comes together. 
Serve hot. 

 
And now .... as promised on my last post .... the winner of the giveaway of the beautiful book by Sandeepa Bongmom, Those Delicious Letters . 

I made chits and drew out the name of  ..... 
Julie of Savoury Delights !!!!! 

Congratulatoins Julie!!! 
Do drop me an email with your full address and phone number so that I can ship the book to you. 


My next post is going to be on another classic ..... so stay tuned folks! 

Stay safe. Stay at home. 💓


You can find my other recipes on Chinese food here. 

Chicken pepper fry

And just like that, the rains are gone. 
We did not get as much rainfall this year as we would have liked to. 
Especially when we are not going out. 
With the whole world and our lives coming to a a standstill, due to the pandemic raging all around us, all we had was the rains outside to look out at. 
Sitting by the window, or standing in the balcony or lounging in the sofa that I drag half way across the room just for the view ..... all we had was the gentle, quiet Pune rains and fog outside. 

The trees have grown a lot over the years and are now almost at our eye level at the seventh floor. 
Their leaves shiny, healthy, glistening in the rain. 
And swaying to the wind. 
The birds go on with their activities. 
And we go on with life. 
Daily, mundane chores. 
The only welcome break was the rains. 
And that too has gone now. Too soon. 

I don't mind  the sun though. 
The mornings are brighter and clearer now. 
And sunnier. 
There is a chill in the air and the feel of autumn is already in the air. 
Ganpati festival is on. 
Listening to the bhajans and aarti songs all around give an air of sanity. 
As if nothing has changed. 
And all is well with the world. 

I made this beautiful, spicy Chicken pepper fry a few days back for lunch. 
It was quick to make and was the perfect finger food for the dark, rainy days. 
The heat of the black pepper warmed the body as well as the cockles of the heart .... just like Ma  has cooked a warm meal and is feeding me  lovingly.

Need : 

Chicken pieces, on the bone (you may use boneless too ) 
Ginger garlic paste

Soy sauce

Vinegar / Lemon juice

Freshly crushed black pepper 
Chopped onions

Chopped garlic 

Chopped green chillies 

Curry leaves 

Salt - to taste

Sugar - to taste

Cooking oil 

How to : 

Marinate the chicken with vinegar, soy sauce, ginger garlic paste , a little oil and  salt. 
I marinated and froze it. You can keep it for 1 hour. 

Heat oil in a flat pan. 

Let in the chicken pieces one by one. 
Sear them on high heat till the sides turn crisp and brown. 

Lower heat and add the onions, garlic , green chillies and the curry leaves. 
Add salt and the crushed pepper, cover and cook till the chicken is done. 

If you want less spicy, then add the black pepper last, just before removing from heat. 

Serve hot . 

The chicken was crisp on the outside and juicy and soft inside. 
The meat  peeled away smoothly .... I guess the marination did the magic. 

I had made some crisp dosa and so paired with them. 
With some beautiful peanut chutney on the side, this was my lunch on a dark, cold rainy day. 
Will go great with laccha parathas too. 


Stay safe folks. Eat well. Eat healthy. 

Masala Bhindi / Okra cooked with spices

My love story with the rains and Pune's weather during the monsoons is now jinxed for ever.
Or so it seems.
For the past few years, all that I got was loss, during the monsoons.
Either I fall ill, or a close one passes away. Or both.
And in the process, instead of making new memories, all I get to dwell in is morbidity.
Neither can I cook good food, something we so love and relate to with the rains, nor do I get to go out and enjoy the weather.
And by going out, I not only mean going out of the house but also stepping out into the balcony.
The cold breeze and the light drizzle call me.
But I do not dare to go.
Not with this sniffling nose, high fever and a most painful throat.
B, on the other hand, is thoroughly enjoying our balcony now. With the swing completely free for him now ... we usually race to the swing and often come up with tricks and cheat to beat each other to it .... he is more than happy to spend time on it with a cup of tea, smiling at me smugly when I look out from behind the half closed door.
The plants are happy too.
Only I am the miserable one .... surviving on antibiotics and paracetamol and an odd antihistamine in between, while dreaming of  sinful, deep fried and comfort food.

Speaking of comfort food, I have been making the much loved khichdi a lot these days.
And sometimes B makes his own version too.
Just a few days back, I was craving the Bengali khichuri as I do not make it often ... B does not like the sweetness in it ... and decided to indulge.
Cooked it and posted on instagram too.
A good piece of Ilish / Hilsa fry would have been the perfect accompaniment but I still haven't got hold of a Hilsa yet this season.
And this fact is making me even more morbid.
Sharing a photo of my Bengali khichuri platter from that day.
But do stay with me on Instagram if you want recipes of my daily cooking that I often do not make a post on here.

Coming back to today's recipe, there is nothing morbid about this beautiful dish of Okra / Lady finger / Bhindi / Dharosh cooked with spices.
I often make this on the side for rotis but recently found that it is a great side dish for khichris too.
Slightly on the drier side, whatever moistness there is will be from the cooked bhindis , the spice of the masalas are the perfect foil to the sweetness of the vegetable.
I use the masalas that I usually use for the bharwa bhindi , but sometimes do add in some crushed peanuts both for texture as well as some dose of protien.

Here is how I made it.

Need :

Okra / Bhindi - ¼ kg ( some 12 to 15 pieces ) ,
 ( cut the head and tip of the tail off and make a slit in the middle to check for insects )
Dhania / Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Amchur / Dried mango powder - 1 tsp ( you can use lemon juice too )
Besan - 1 tsp ( optional )
Crushed peanuts - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp

How to :

Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl to make a masala.

Add 1 tbsp of the cooking oil and mix well.

Fill the slits of the okra with this masala.

Heat the rest of the oil in a flat, heavy pan.

Let in the okra and stir well.

Cover and cook till okra is done.
If the masala starts to burn, you can add very little sprinkles of water and cover.

Remove cover and fry till the okra loses the sliminess.

Done!

Other than rotis or parathas, you can pair this on the side of plain rice and dal too.

Enjoy !! .... till I come up with a happier post.

Pepe ar Cholar tarkari / Raw Papaya cooked with brown legumes

Life has been happening to me for a while now. And a little too much too.
So, while I have been intending to make a post, I had no idea what to write.
Everytime I came here, I would stare blankly at the screen and then log out.
Not that I do not share my life here ... I always have, as best as I could, without making it overwhelming for my readers.
But then, not always good things happen.
Sometimes, stress does.
And so does loss.
And then of course the brighter things like the love of your family and friends, good memories and on some days beautiful weather ... life is made up of all these too.

I have been on this roller coaster of emotions and experiences since my last post.
A few losses, both in the family and also a friend's, have hit me hard.
No matter how old I get, I just can't seem to fathom or get to terms with a loss.
Especially a sudden one.
That void stares back at me, unmoving and adamant, almost as if challenging me .... and just refuses to fill.
I try to look away. But can feel it behind me.
And all around.
So I immerse myself in what I do best ... cook, knit and cleaning the house.
I have lost count of the innumerable meals that I have cooked for the family and friends recently.
And my house cleaning has gone up to a higher level altogether.
I have cleaned my kitchen numerous times over and over till there is nothing more to do.
And have given away more clothes and curtains and bed sheets than I actually needed to.
I exhausted myself arranging and rearranging the furniture, driving B up the wall literally.
Yet nothing helped.
Yet the hurt persists.

I did make a few posts of my lunch plates on Insta ... the comments and interaction helps a little .... but gave up.
Right now, I have decided to take it a little easy.
And try to not dwell in memories.
Hopefully, the sun will shine again and my mood will lift.

The recipe today is a simple one, as usual.
And very, very healthy.
I have been using the raw Papaya in a lot of my cooking due to its health benefits.
But since most of them are mixed dishes ... a throw of this and that and let everything come together in their own flavours and end with a tempering ... , I never made any posts on them.

But Bengalis cook the Papaya as a standalone dish too.
Like the peper dalna ( I will make a post soon ) or this dry dish with legumes.
As children, we had to finish that piece of papaya that would be added to dal when cooking.
Boiled papaya was hated by us .... but then Thamma made it bearable by making a mash of it with some boiled potatoes to make the pepe bhaate ... much like these.
Later, I learnt to add some spices to it too and actually started to love it.
If you follow me on instagram, you will see my lunch plates almost always have a healthy boiled vegetable makha.

But if you are not into boiled stuff, then you can make a dish like this Pepe cholar torkari with spices and garam masalas.
It has all the health benefits of the Papaya and also the protein and fibre of the chola or kala chana, which also adds some texture to what otherwise would have been just a pulpy mash. 
If you want, you can use onion and garlic too, but this was usually made in our home on vegetarian days  or during pujas and paired with Luchi or Porota.


Need :

Kala chana / Kalo chola / Black chickpeas - soaked and boiled
( I usually soak and boil them in bulk and store in the fridge )

Raw Papaya - grated
Ginger - grated
Whole dry red chillies - broken
Jeera / Cumin seeds
Haldi / Turmeric powder
Garam masala powder
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch

If you want to, you can add potatoes too.

How to :

Heat oil.

Add the jeera and the dry red chillies.

Add the grated ginger.
Fry a little.

Add the kala chana + papaya + turmeric + salt + red chilli powder.
Stir and mix well.

Cover and cook till done.

Add garam masala and stir well again.

Serve hot.

This recipe has no onions or garlic ... which makes it a good niramish / vegetarian dish for the month of Shravan too.
Or for any other pooja days too.

Goes best with rotis, parathas or Luchis.
But you can pair this with khichuri too.

Enjoy!!

Bharwa Tinda / Masala stuffed Apple gourd

Summer is officially here.
The morning breeze is heavy these days ... not as light and crisp as in winters.
Blows more languidly.
I still sit out in the swing in my little balcony in the early mornings .... after I have filled the bird bath and watered my plants.
The sun turns bright way too soon ... and the breeze touches me in a more lazy way. The plants feel the heat approaching and are already still.
The birds come hurrying ... the small ones have a quick drink and a dip, shake the water off themselves  vigorously  and are off ... all in a matter of a minute.
The bigger ones are more confident .... my sitting there do not bother them ever.
The swallows even scold me once or twice for shamelessly watching them have a bath.
A couple of crows have made a habit of demanding biscuit from me ... will actually sit on the railing and stare at me till I give up and go inside to get a biscuit.
I don't remember when did this ritual actually start ... but now they are so assertive that I hate to disappoint them.

Summer also means a lack of variety in vegetables.
We have to make do with the limited Lau / lauki, Bhindi / okra, sheem / broad beans and a few brinjals here and there.
I am talking of Pune, mind you. You might be the luckier ones who live in places that have beautiful, moisture laden vegetables and fruits and leafy greens.
Not here.
We really have to go to different places to get different ... read good .... vegetables.
We try to eat local ... that is one thing that ensures fresh vegetables.
Which also limits our access to varied produce.

We were at the Mandai a couple of weeks ago. After finishing our errands, we decided to explore the market a little ... me hoping against hope to get some fresh vegetables.
The sun was ruthless yet I walked around looking at stuff.
Nothing looked different from the once we get at our nearest supermarket.
So I just picked up a couple of fresh coconuts at the exorbitant price of Rs.45/- each and started our walk back to the parking lot.
And then I noticed these real small and good Tindas at a lady's stall.

Now, I have absolutely no regard for this vegetable. But B loves it.
The ones we get at the supermarket are usually huge in size and absolutely sham.
But these were good ... small, fresh with a light peel.
When bruised, they oozed water so promptly that I just had to pick them up.
Got them home and cooked them immediately ... fresh.

Since they were so tender, I did not have the heart to chop them.
Instead, decided to make them bharwan / stuffed.
Ma in law makes them this way ... I followed her recipe since I don't have much expertise with Tindas.

Need :

Tinda - 6 pieces, small and tender
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Tomato - 1 big, chopped
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Whole jeera / cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Jeera / Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Punjabi garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Amchur / dry mango powder - 1 tsp
Mirchi / Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped

How to :

Wash the tindas , peel and make a cross half way across them.
Do not cut them into pieces ... they should be whole.

Make a mix of all the dry masalas with a little oil and salt.

Stuff the tindas with the masala paste.

Heat the rest of the oil in a flat, heavy bottomed pan.

Add the onions and cook on low heat till soft.

Add the grated ginger and the tomato.

Fry well till the tomato is cooked and mushy ... you may need to cover it to cook.
Do add a pinch of salt to hasten cooking.

Remove cover and arrange the tinda in the pan, add the residual masala paste.
Cover and cook till the tindas are soft and well done.
They should not break open ... so take care when turning them.
You may add a little water if you see the need.

Remove cover, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rotis.

Enjoy!!

Narkel Doi Jhinge / Ridge gourd cooked with curd and coconut milk

 Winter sure is in love with us this year. Just a day after I mentioned how hot the days already are, the weather took a turn and it was cold again.
I lived in denial for a couple of days, refusing to wear anything warm, especially in the mornings, but gave up soon. The mornings are all misty and cold, the evenings are chilly and the nights ... boy! are the nights cold!
I do not like cold weather and so reluctantly pulled out my comforters again ... all washed and prepped  to be packed away for the year .... and also the blankets.
And now I am shuffling around in my warm slippers.
So much for the warm weather.

 The long weekend passed by in a blur.
After catching the Republic day parade on the telly ... a ritual I never miss unless there is an emergency ... , we set off to paint the town red, after a lunch of leftovers.
All I had in mind for the three days was shopping .... for myself, for B and for the house.
Pune is all out enjoying winter and the weather ... there are lots of exhibitions, flea markets and sales on.
So shopping I did.
Refurbished my kitchen shelves with modular boxes ... something I have been planning to for a longish while.
Am very happy the way kitchen shelves look now. No more space wasting with round bottles.
And my glass bottles are now free for my spices.

Just before the weekend started, I cooked this light, flavourful curry after seeing it on thegutlessfoodie's post on Instagram.
I am a fan of her food, photography and recipes.
And along with a lot of other recipes that I intend to try out, this particular curry had caught my eyes long back.
All that I was waiting for was some good ridge gourd / turai.
And as soon as B got some when shopping for vegetables, I immediately made this curry.
I followed Natasha's recipe fully except for the coconut part ... I did not have coconut at home but there was a pack of coconut cream in the fridge.
I used that.

This is such a beautifully light and flavorsome curry that you will love to have on any season.
But I think this has 'summer' written all over it.
Do give it a try and let me know.
Not a big fan of the ridge gourd / jhinge / turai, I am a convert now, after tasting this curry.

Need :

Turai / Ridge gourd / Jhinge - 2, medium, chopped
Thick curd - 1 tea cup
Coconut cream - 6 tbsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Green chillies - 2 big
Curry leaves - 5 to 6
Whole dry red chillies - 1, broken
Roasted jeera/cumin powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp or a little less
Salt - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Water - enough to cook in

How to :

Make a paste with the curd + green chillies + roasted cumin powder.

Heat oil.

Add the mustard seeds + cumin seeds + curry leaves + dry red chillies.

Add the onions and fry till translucent.

Add the chopped turai / ridge gourd + turmeric + salt.

Add a little water, cover and cook till done.

Switch off gas, remove cover and let in the paste + coconut cream .... stirring constantly .... or it will curdle.

Serve hot.
This goes best with steaming hot rice but you try it with other things too.

While had it with roti and other sides, I had made my quick Chicken Pulao with some leftover chicken curry that I had ( you will find it in my Instagram stories. )
And it went very well with it ... almost like a cooling raita ... the perfect complement to the spicy pulao.



Enjoy!!

Besanwali Bhindi / Okra cooked with gram flour

I have been intending to make some posts on the bhindi / lady finger / okra, for a while now.
But either I run short of time or the dish, even if it turns out to be tasty, does not look worthy of a photograph.
I do click anyway but those photos languish in the pending folder and then get poofed into oblivion after a while.


But when I made this recipe of the bhindi, I knew I had so share it; good photograph or no.
The reason I fell in love wit this dish was due to that combination of the saunf / fennel seeds, gur / jaggery and hing / asafoetida.
I had learnt to make a Gawarfali ki sabzi  with this combination long back and have often used it for a few other vegetables too.
Nothing worked as well as it did with the okra.
I was tempted to add some crushed peanuts as well .... since the original recipe had it, but did not as I was not sure how the peanuts would go with the okra.

Nonetheless, the dish is one of my most loved Okra dishes.
And has no slime at all in it.
While I have kept the okra long, with just a slit in the middle, you can chop it up too.
Only it tends to dry up faster when chopped, which in turn renders the besan dry too. On the other hand, the lengthwise pieces hold more moisture and helps the besan to hold on to it.

Need :

Okra / Bhindi - ¼ kilo, cleaned, washed, dried and cut into half lengthwise ... only halfway
Gram flour / Besan - 2 tbsp
Fennel seeds / Saunf - ½ tsp
Jaggery / Gur - 1 tbsp, powdered
Coriander / Dhania powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric / Haldi powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli / Mirchi powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

How to :

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed kadahi / wok.

Add the saunf and the hing.

Let in the bhindi and stir it well.

Add haldi + salt.

Cover and cook till bhindi is done.

Remove cover and stir it well, spreading it around so that any moisture left slowly dries up.

Add the dhania powder + gur + mirchi powder + besan.

Mix well and cover for a while for the besan to cook.

Remove cover and turn and toss so that everything mixes well.

Make  sure the besan does not burn .... if it dries up too much, give a sprinkle of water for extra moisture.

Remove from heat and serve hot.

This goes best with hot rotis.
But it is great on the side with plain rice and dal too.

Enjoy!!

Pui data Alu Begun Shorshe diye / Malabar spinach stalks cooked in mustard paste with potatoes and brinjals

 Recently, when I was visiting the other side of the family in Rajasthan, the lady who helps out in the house came up to me one day and asked when will I be going back. Taken aback, I asked why did she want to know.
All she said was to inform her a day before I left.
This lady is a Bengali and loves me to no end.
The moment she sees me, she turns all chirpy, smiling and joyous. Father-in-law says a drastic change comes over her.
It is not that I chat with her all the while. On the contrary I hardly talk to her except for once in a while.
All I do is smile at her ask about her welfare.
And take care that she is not burdened with any extra work due to our visit. And make sure that she gets whatever food is cooked at home .... fresh ... and whatever snacks and sweets we get home.

She on the other hand, like a child, would insist that I make her tea. Everyday.
I have no idea why.
I make the worst tea in the world. Even I cannot drink tea made by my own self. And so stay away from making tea for anybody at all. That is one job that B fulfills beautifully ... if we have guests it is B who makes tea.
But for this lady, it has to be me.
I love the fact that she knows I make the most terrible tea ever, and still insists that I make it for her.

So I was a little taken aback at her blunt question.
And forgot about it.
The day we were about to leave for our journey back, she came up to me and handed me a huge bag, saying "Eta tomar jonne Boudi."
I started to protest at her gifting me something when I looked in and found the freshest and most gorgeous of Pui looking up at me!
Shiny, fresh green leaves and with the juiciest of stalks.
I was so overjoyed that I hugged her.

She knew I loved Pui and had remembered!
I was so touched.

After reaching home, I immediately stocked my freezer with fish and used the Pui in every possible way known to me. The leaves were so fresh that I even boiled them and added just Kasundi and devoured with plain rice.
This medley I made because I had some potatoes and brinjals lying around. Had some mustard paste in the freezer ... so added a couple of cubes. And voila!
A veggie dish was ready in no time for lunch.

Sharing this with you today in this quick post.

Need :

Pui data / Malabar spinach stalks - cleaned and cut into small sizes
Potatoes - cut into thick strips
Brinjals - cut into thick strips
Onion - cut into slices
Green chillies - slit
Mustard paste
Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - a little
Haldi / Turmeric powder
Salt
Sugar
Mustard oil- to cook

 How to :

Heat the oil in a wok / kadai.

Add the Nigella seeds and the green chillies.

Add all the vegetables and stir well.

Add turmeric powder + salt. Cover and cook till vegetables are done.

Remove cover, add the mustard paste and a little water, if needed, and mix well.

Add a little sugar, cover and cook till everything dries up.

Serve hot on the side with rice and dal.

Here is a shot of my lunch plate that late autumn afternoon.

Enjoy!!

Aloo Potol er bhaja / Stir fried potatoes and pointed gourd

 I have often noticed on social media that every time the Bhaja is mentioned, it attracts a lot of shocked 'whoah!'s or a very predictable reaction to the 'oil' used to make it.
At first, I used to wonder why.
I mean, what has the bhaja to do with a lot of oil, quite did not make sense to me then.
And then I slowly realised that most of the people who reacted this way are non Bengalis and the actual meaning of the 'Bhaja' is lost in translation.

It made me think of what Devdutt Pattanaik had said in one of his programs on the tv ... how the intricate details of our culture and ancient writings could not be explained or named by the English with their limited words .... hence they categorised everything under one word - 'mythology'.
The same way, non Bengalis have no idea of the word 'Chanka' and categorise eveything under the name 'fry' ... the straight literal translation of the bhaja.

Except for the brinjal / Begun / aubergine, every other vegetable that is called a bhaja or fry is stir fried.
And that is possible with a very limited amount of oil too.
And nowadays, it can be almost oil free too ... thanks to non stick cookware.
I, however, do not use non stick cookware at all and stick to the good iron kadahis ... which are excellent to stir fry in, with very little oil, once they are seasoned well.

The brinjal / Begun is deep fried because it has a tendency to soak up oil. So when deep fried, it can be drained well and does not hold back the oil.
Similarly, the Luchi, every Bengali's favourite, is deep fried, while the Porota is not.
So we say "Luchi chanka hocche " and "Porota bhaja hocche".

And every Bengali will have at least two or three vegetables bhaja on their plate for lunch or dinner. Or for the jolkhabar / breakfast or along with in-between meals too.
And no, they are not soaked with oil and neither are they unhealthy too.

So go ahead and enjoy that bhaja. They are a great way to get some veggies into you.
Are quick to make and the lightest of way to enjoy vegetables.

I have the Aloo Potol bhaja for you today.
I have got some very good Potol / Parwal / Pointed gourd this summer.
While I am usually happy with the Potol bhaja / Potolo pithau bhaja  (this one is my favourite ) along with some dal and rice, I did make some Chenchki, aloo diye bhaja and also a Potoler Rosa / curry with gravy.
And yes, the Potol posto too.
I did not make the Potoler chop this time but if you want to try it, the recipe is here.
Also it has the recipe of the Aam Kasundi that I had made for the very first time.

I had clicked these snaps so thought of making a quick post on this.
And also share a good news - just saw this morning that Kitchen-e-Kichu Khonn has been listed among the top 100 food blogs on the planet by Feedspot.
And I get a badge too , to display on the blog! 😊
You can check it out on the right column.

So could not wait to hurry over and thank all of you for your love and encouragement and comments and interactions ... all of which give me that push to keep blogging and posting.
Makes all the efforts of cooking, clicking, cleaning up, making the time to sit down and write to you here .... very very worthwhile.
I am so glad to be able to share this blog and little parts of my life with you !!


Now, to make the simple Aloo Potol er bhaja.

Need :


Aloo / Potatoes - 2 medium sized, cut into medium thick slices
Potol / Parwal / Pointed gourd - 5 medium sized, cut into slices
Onion - 1 big, cut into thick slices
Mustard oil / any oil - 1 tbsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp or less
Salt - to taste


How to :

Heat a kadahi well.

Add the oil and spread it all over.

Add the onions and stir fry on low heat till they turn pink.

Now add the potatoes, the pointed gourd , haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt.


Cover and cook till the vegetables are done.
Do remember to check and stir them once in a while.

Remove cover and fry them in the open till the potatoes turn slightly brown.

Remove and serve hot.

This bhaja goes very well on the side with dal and rice or when paired with rotis or parathas.

Enjoy!!

Aloo Dom .... cooked the typical Odiya way, with loads of flavour and spice and perfect for a snack

Aloo dum, Dum alu, Alur dum .... different names for different kinds.
The only common factor is the aloo / potato. Otherwise, there is absolutely no similarity in any of them. 

I had been craving Odisha's Aloo dom for a long while. These days, it is almost next to impossible to get hold of it .... not even on my visits home.
And no matter how much ever I tried, I just could not get it right .... whenever I have tried to make it by myself.
It always lacked that special flavour; that something that goes 'zing!' inside your head and your heart sings either 'yes!!' or 'home!'.
I have never eaten it at home ... our cook never made it.
I had tasted it only at my Odiya friends' houses or eaten it as a chaat / street food.
So,whenever I thought of it, I would get that twist in my heart ... almost leading me to sadness.
And yes, I had often wallowed in the self induced morbidity that I might die before I got to taste my favourite Odiya Aloo dom, ever again.

 But somebody up there yonder pulled some strings, I believe. And I got to make this authentic way of the Odiya Aloo dom; finally.
This wonderful lady from a group answered my question for the authentic Odiya Aloo dom, mentioning that it has been Aloo tarkari / curry all the while and has no idea when it started to be called the Aloo dom.
I got some baby potatoes the very next day and made this Aloo dom, which is often served as a street food in Odisha ... served with a dash of this and that spice, chopped onions and other condiments. Quickly tossed and plated out in a small bowl made of a leaf of a local tree ... the shaal tree. 
This is eaten with luchis, parathas or puris too, and usually for breakfast or dinner.

I had in mind to pair it with something else too ... post coming up soon.

 I leave you with this today.
Will be quiet for a while now.
Too depressed with the rampant plagiarism all over ... especially idea plagiarism.
Makes me want to stop blogging or sharing recipes or tips altogether.

Updated :

Ok ... here is the recipe ...

Heat mustard oil ... add chopped onions and fry till translucent.

Add bay leaf + jeera and + dhania powder  + turmeric + salt + red chili powder + ginger garlic paste.

Add blanched tomatoes or freshly cut tomatoes ..fry the masala till oil oozes out.

  Add boiled and cut potatoes + water , cover and cook.

Add garam masala and simmer for a couple of minutes.

Enjoy, folks!!!

Potol Posto / Pointed gourd cooked with Poppy seeds paste

Nothing much is happening in life right now.
Cooking is light and less and all that I have been doing is drowning in cooling drinks.
The Watermelon juice ( yes, I love it now ) has a permanent place in my fridge these days, as is the chaas or the lightly spiced buttermilk.
I am downing glasses of these and more .... that is when I am not drinking gallons of water.
Pune does not get any rains in summers ... other than a couple of very short and very rare showers ... and we are looking forward to the monsoons.
I have not made any boris or used the sun in any way this time ... not even a jar of pickle.
Been too caught up with some sewing.
And my travels have taken up the larger part of summer this year.

But, since the last few days, the sun has suddenly turned softer. There is a lightness in the air. The mornings are fresh and much cooler than what they were just a week back.
We are back to our routine of early morning tea on our balcony.
The birds still come for their drink of water and later in the day, their bath.
But the sun is not as burning any more.
I hope I am not speaking a little too soon, since we still have the rest of May and the whole of June. But I am enjoying Pune getting back to its cool self.

I have cooked with summer vegetables very rarely too, this time.
Something or the other has been coming up and regular green grocery shopping has been taking a backseat.
I did get some good Potol / Parwal / Pointed gourd twice in the last three weeks. And did cook them in all my regular ways ... mostly the bhaja.
I love potol bhaja with hot rotis or on the side of dal and rice.
But this time, I did make a couple more different recipes ... which I will be posting soon.

This Potol posto was made last year. I had clicked these photos in a hurry ... and was not too happy with them .... so kept postponing making a post the whole of last year.
Came across them when looking for some old photos and decided they are not so bad, after all. I mean, anything to not go through the rigmarole of cooking, arranging and clicking a photograph ... not to mention my shoulder acting up later.

So here is the way I made Potol posto. Try it before the summer runs out.
And the Potol disappears from the markets.

Need :

Potol / Pointed gourd - 250 gms, cut into medium thin slices
Posto / Poppy seeds paste - 5 tbsp
Onion - 1 big, cut into slices
Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp
Haldi powder - a pinch
Green chillies - 2 , slit
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to :

Heat the oil in a kadai / wok.

Let in the onions + green chillies.

Sprinkle the kalo jeere on them.

Fry well on low heat till the onions turn pink.

Raise heat, add the potol slices and fry well.

Lower heat, add the haldi + salt.

Cover and cook till the potol is half done.

Remove cover, add the posto paste with a little water, the sugar, the green chillies and mix well.

Cover and cook till everything is done and dried up.
Do remember to stir it once in a while.

Serve hot with rice.

Here are a few other recipes with the Potol.

Gotta rush today.
Enjoy!!!

Mourala maach bhaja / Crispy fried small fish with spicy masalas

After a long, torturous start to summer and the never ending days of unbearable hot days and nights, it rained last evening. And this evening too.
In fact, it rained a lot more this evening. And how!
It poured and poured and poured.
There were flashes of lightening ever since the clouds had started to gather by late afternoon. All went still and not a leaf moved. The heat was suffocating and we could hardly breathe in the thick, humid air.
Then started the wind.
Whole trees swayed from side to side and we could see leaves and fresh cotton balls, from the trees, flying hither and thither.
Thunder rolled in the heavens along with every crack of lightening.
And then came the first drops .... big, fat and heavy, falling with little thuds. Gradually the tempo increased and soon we could not see anything through the screen of rain.
And there was a power failure promptly.

The road below was a sight to see, though.
As the heavy rain splattered on it, we could see the steam rising and create a haze that was so beautiful that we stood at the window and watched mersmerised ... every time a car passed, its headlights lit up the scene.
Later, we ignored the inverter and did not switch on the lights either.
Rather, soaked in the dark and quiet all around.
I am not much of a crowd person and the recent trip to the desert land and the extended family has exhausted me completely.
So I am very much at peace right now in my cosy little 1500 sq. ft. flat. It might not be a haveli, but it is my nest. This is where I play house, dress it up, make its curtains, play around in the kitchen and sit back in my favourite chair or my swing and happily watch the world go by.
Here, I am the queen.

We had dinner in the dark; the old fashioned way.
And sat out in the balcony later, taking turns on the swing, soaking in the beautiful cold. The rain had stopped finally but the thunder still growled in the distant hills.
We chomped on cold watermelon pieces, spitting out the seeds carelessly. It was very quiet all around. And dark; still.
Crickets sang in the small patch of forest beyond our balcony. And the dry leaves that covered the ground below the huge trees, all soaked in the rain, let out a beautiful, earthy, soggy fragrance that hung heavy in the air.
We sat quietly; not speaking lest the spell gets broken; lest the street lights come back to their sharp life, searing the eyes and the beautiful all around.

I felt relaxed, in a long while.
And at peace.
"Time to get back to my favourite space, my Kichu Khonn", I told myself.

After a long bout of vegetarian food, I am back to my non vegetarian diet. No fish in the fridge yet ... gotta buy some tomorrow ... but egg and chicken, yes.
Coming here, I saw this post in the draft and so, my friends, I have this beautiful, spicy, crunchy fish fry for you.
Quick to make, quick to finish off too, you can pair this with the simple dal bhaat or the panto bhaat or much on it as an appetizer.
Small fish are high in protein, omega 3 as well as calcium. So try to make them a part of your meal at least two or three times a week.

I had got a batch of absolutely fresh Mourala the last time I got my fish. My fishmonger cleans them for me, which I am grateful for, since I have no idea how to handle them. And it would take me ages, of course.
All I did was to wash it clean ... you have to scrub real clean ... mix with the spices, fry and much on them.

Need :

Mourala fish - 250 gms
Rice flour - 1 tbsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp ( I use mustard oil )

How to :


Marinate the fish with salt + haldi + lemon juice + red chilli powder + rice flour.

Heat the oil in an open pan.

When smoking hot, add the fish .
Spread out the fish ... they should not stick to each other and form a clump.
A few sticking together is ok but there should not be too many.

Fry till they turn brown on one side.

Flip and fry the other side too.

Serve hot with sliced onions and green chillies and of course, kasundi on the side.
You can sprinkle a little rock salt or chaat masala on it before serving too.

Enjoy!!

I am sharing my lunch plates on my page on FaceBook .
Join me there to get light, nutritious lunch ideas for the summer.

Enchor er halka jhol / Kathal ki tariwali sabzi / Raw Jackfruit cooked in a light gravy

 All my life I have heard that Kathal or the raw Jackfruit is the vegetarian equivalent of meat. Probably due to its resemblance as well as its iron and fibre content.
And so has to be cooked like meat .... complete with onions and ginger and garlic paste and smothered with garam masalas, a dash of curd, etc. etc.
Now .... I have not had a great relationship with the raw jackfruit. Ever.
Not as an adult. Never as a child.
While I loved, and still do, the ripe jackfruit and can never fathom why many people in my home wrinkled their noses at its smell, I never gave a thought, leave alone a second look to any kathal dish on the table.
If I had to eat meat, I always had chicken or mutton. Why on earth would people cook a vegetable with a huge fuss, just pretending it to be meat or like meat ... I could never understand.
Thus was the story till I got married.

At the time, raw jackfruit was either not readily available in Pune or I did not know the right places to look it for. And I had no reason to do so too.
But it turned out that the husband loves jackfruit curry. Which obviously led me to asking around for places where I could find it.
I do not remember exactly where I found it finally and when. Maybe in the Mandai.
All I remember is the piece that I got looked very limp, yellow and dry.

Came back home and started to prep it ... which turned into something hugely disastrous. After 1 full hour and half a bottle of mustard oil smeared all over my hands and fingers, which still stuck to each other in that sticky white glue, a little knife all smeared with oil and glue that barely scratched the kathal, I was almost in tears.
And gave up.

Trying washing my hands was another story.
Finally I called Didi. She patiently explained how to go about the whole thing.
But all I was interested in was to get my hands and fingers clean.
And promised myself that I will never touch the darned thing again.

But that was not to be.
I did venture into dealing with it again. And learnt slowly.
Now, I know how to handle and cut a raw jackfruit without any hassles. 
I ask the green grocer to peel it and cut it into big chunks .... maybe two or three chunks for half a kilo of kathal. 
All I do is wash them under running water and cook it with some salt and turmeric powder, in the pressure cooker, for two whistles on medium heat.
And then, cutting it is a breeze.

Earlier, following hearsay, I have tried cooking the kathal just like meat is cooked. Lots of ginger garlic paste, onion, garam masalas, etc. etc.
But, very truthfully, have never quite enjoyed it.
B would eat it happily, but only once or twice. Not more than that.

This time, I decided to go by my instincts.
Had boiled and frozen a good kathal, but could not decide on a recipe.
Finally, I decided to try a light version. The hot weather played its part too.
And it was a vegetarian day for me ... so I wanted something that I too will eat without much ado ... thus saving me for making something for myself.

And settled on this recipe .... something that will have a hint of garam masala flavours but not very rich with garlic or onions.

I wanted a thin, light gravy that will allow the taste of the raw jackfruit to come through.

And what I got in the end is a very well flavoured light gravy with the kathal flavours shining through. I had added boiled potatoes, since the kathal was already cooked, and they soaked up the flavours of the gravy beautifully.

Need :

Raw jackfruit / Enchor / Kathal - ¼ kg,
( pressure cooked for two whistles on low heat, with a little salt and cut into medium sized pieces)
Boiled potatoes - 4 , cut into cubes

Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp 

Black cardamom - 1, crushed 

Tej pata / Bay leaf - 1 

Dry red chillies - 2, broken

Grated ginger - 1 tsp

Tomato - 3, pureed

Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin powder - 1 tsp ( I used my roasted jeera powder )
Oil - 3 tbsp ( I use mustard oil )
Ghee - 1 tsp(skip it if you are vegan )
Salt - to taste

How to :
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil.
Fry the kathal cubes.
Remove and keep aside.

Heat the rest of the oil.

Add the cardamom + jeera + tej pata + dry red chilli + grated ginger.
Stir and add the tomato puree immediately.

Add haldi + mirchi + dhania powder + jeera powder.
Fry well, on high heat, till oil starts to leave sides.

Add enough water for a gravy.
Let in the cut potatoes and kathal.
Adjust salt.
Cover and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer covered for 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove cover.
Add ghee.

Cover, simmer for a minute and then remove from heat.
Let it stand for 5 minutes, covered.

Serve hot.

This curry goes great with everything ... rice, rotis, luchi or parathas.

Enjoy!!

Mangshor Ghugni

With Poila Boishakh just around the corner, I thought I will give my light, vegetarian recipes a skip and post this Mangshor Ghughni.
The photos have been in my drafts for quite some time now ... and I really have no reason why I did not post this still.
What with summer bearing down heavily on us much before the expected time, I seriously doubt any Bengali will cook up a rich, heavy feast to celebrate this first day of the Bengali new year.
But having said that, I know there will be feasts.
And then there is always Unienzyme.

I do not have any intention of eating out in this weather and have decided to stick at home and cook something light and traditional.
For old friends coming by.

This year, my menu for the Bengali New year or Poila Boishakh will be from my blog. Everything that I plan to cook is here on Kitchen-e-Kichu Khonn.

Like this Mishti Polau, this very light Narkel chicken, some bhajas or vegetable fries, a Doi Maach or a kalia with the Rui / Rohu fish, and Aamer chaatni.
For the vegetarians, I will prepare some Koraishutir kochuri ( I have already made and frozen the pur / stuffing ) and this delightful Saunf paneer.
Planning to get some mishti doi from our Bengali shop, if possible.

I am hoping this will be enough.

I had made this Mangshor ghugni sometime back when I had some guests over.
Actually, all I had to do was to put together the already prepared and frozen Chicken keema with a freshly cooked ghugni.
That's all.

I had kept some chopped onions, green chillies , saunth / tamarind chutney and some homemade Aam kasundi on the side for the vegetarians. They loved sprinkling the condiments themselves and playing with the level of spices in different helpings.

For the minced chicken :

Cook the chicken kheema this way.
For the ghugni :

Need :

Dry white peas - 1 cup, soaked over night
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Whole red chillies - 2, broken
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Ginger + garlic paste - 1 tbsp, home made
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Roasted jeera powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - to taste
Salt - to taste
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp ( I use mustard oil )

How to :

Boil the matar or the dry peas the way I have done for this recipe.
They should be cooked yet stay almost whole.
Not soft and mushy like I make for the simple, light Ghugni or the Ragda pattice.


In a kadahi / wok, heat mustard oil.
Add jeera + dry red chillies + chopped onions.
Fry till the onions turn reddish.

Add the ginger + garlic paste.
( Remember the chicken kheema will have ginger garlic too. So go easy on this. )
Fry well.

Add turmeric powder + red chilli powder +  sugar.
Fry well till the masala starts to dry up and the raw smell is gone.


Now add the boiled matar / white peas + water and mix well on high heat.
Adjust water + salt.

Cover and simmer for around 5 minutes on low heat.

Remove cover and add the chicken keema and mix well.
Check for salt.

Adjust water, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes till the flavours mix well.

Remove cover, sprinkle red chilli powder, roasted jeera powder + garam masala powder.
Give a mix.

Cover , raise heat, give a boil, switch off heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

This goes very well with paratha or luchi.

Enjoy!!