Matar ke Kachori

My sasural city is known for Kachoris. The best kachoris in the whole of Rajasthan are made in Kota. 

They say there is something in the water and the soil of Kota. 

I did not know the meaning of it until much later, when I became involved with food more as a passion and then later as a profession. 

Whenever we visit home, B and I have a favourite jaunt .... we go out very early in the wee hours of the mornings to our favourite kachori centers. 
And gorge on the super hot, freshly fried kachoris .... just out of the hot oil and resting in huge jhuris.  
One day it would be the moong ke kachoris, pyaz kachoris on the next.
And then it will be the matar kachoris winters. 

Super hot, beautifully fragrant with the best hing and spices and very very crisp. 
They serve it with two chutneys splashed all over it ... one made with tamarind and the other with green leaves like coriander and pudina. 

I refuse both. For various reasons. 
I love to bite into the crisp outer case and draw back immediately as a burst of steam releases and hits the nose with the most tempting of aromas ever. 

By then the mouth is already filled with the taste of spices, tartness mixed with salt and chilli. 
And no other chilli than the real Mathaniya chillies that not only have the required zing but also are fragrant too. 

Almost all the spices that I use in my cooking is from Rajasthan ... even Posto. 
And I grind my own garam masalas. 
They make a huge difference to the food I am making ...either for ourselves or for my clients. 

I made these Matar kachoris a few days ago and many people asked for the recipe in dms. 
So I decided to make this post quickly so you can enjoy them before the green peas disappear from markets. 

Need : 

For the casing : 

Maida  / APF - 1 cup
Salt - to taste 
Oil - 1 tbsp 

Water - to knead 

How to : 

Knead the maida with the rest of the ingredients , using just enough water. 
The dough should not be too tough and not too loose also. 
Keep it covered for 30 minutes. 

For the stuffing : 

Green peas - 2 cups 
Green chillies - to taste 

Ginger paste / grated - 1 tsp 

Hing / asafeotida - a pinch and  a little more

Red chilli powder 
Amchur powder 
Dhania seeds - ground coarsely
Black pepper powder
Ajwain 
Salt
Oil to cook 

How to : 

Grind the green peas with the green chillies into a coarse paste. 

Heat oil in an open pan . 

Add hing and grated ginger. 

Add the peas paste and stir well. 

Add all the powder masalas and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally. 

When it starts to dry up, add salt and cook till it is dryish. 

Remove and cool. 

How to make the Matar Kachoris : 

Heat enough oil in a deep kadahi to fry. 

Make small balls out of the kneaded dough. 

Stuff a little of the stuffing and flatten with your hands. 

When oil is medium hot, let in them gently. 

Cook on low heat till they slowly puff up.
Wait for a little while and then gently turn them over and cook till they are brown on both sides. 

Do not hurry to flip or raise heat. 
They need slow cooking to be crisp. 

Enjoy!! 

I served them with a ghugni and gajar ka halwa only because I had them already prepared. 
You may serve with  achars , chutneys or aloo ki sabzi. 

I love to munch on them  as is , with a cup of ginger tea. 

You may want to look up the Bengali favourite Koraishutir Kochuri too, while on the topic of Kochuris. ☺

Posto diye Lau shaak or Bottle gourd leaves cooked with poppy seeds paste

Among the very few vegetarian food that I would eat when young,  was the shaak or green leafy vegetables . 
We used to have different kinds of shaak everyday on our lunch plate. Among the other compulsory things on the plate like a little Ucche or anything bitter, some Bhaate / boiled and mashed, a piece of lemon, etc. there would be a small pile a leafy vegetable everyday. 
And no, we could not skip it and move on to the rest of the sides like chenchra or chorchori or the main jhols of fish or meat. 
We had to wade through the bitter and the leafy things first. 

The kind of shaak would be varied too. 
One day it would be the Notey and the Kolmi on the other. Sometimes we would get the Gima, a favourite of mine with its slightly bitter taste. 
Then there would be the Shushni shaak, Paat shaak, Palong  and Methi in winters, and lots more. 
Staying away from home in a place where we do not see more than 3 or 4 varieties, I have started to even forget the names. 

The leaves of creepers would be used too. Kumro pata / pumpkin leaves, Lau pata / bottle gourd leaves, Ucche pata / bitter gourd leaves .... and so on. 
The bigger leaves like the former two would be used to paturis / wraps and also for making mixed veg dishes or chorchoris. 
The smaller ones would be used for a stir fry or to make Boras / deep fried dumplings. 

My favourite, however, is the way Ma cooked the Lau pata .... with posto or poppy seeds. And I loved it best when she added some jackfruit seeds too. 
Quick to cook, she would often cook it last, just before we sat down for lunch. 
When she brought the bowl of the steaming hot dish to the table,  I would take a deep breath of that sweet aroma of posto. 
And would take helpings after helpings, ignoring any meat or fish on the table that day. 
I loved to chew on the sweet, soft dnaata slowly, savouring the juicy bits of joints with a happiness that no meat or bone would be able to give. 

I got some Lau pata a few days back and soaked some posto immediately, having this dish in mind. 
And so made it for lunch. 

Need : 

Lau pata / Bottle gourd leaves 

Potatoes - cut into small cubes 

Chopped onion
Grated Ginger
Green chillies, broken 

Bori - I used my home made ones 

Poppy seeds paste 

Paanch phoron / Bengali five spice (a mix of fenugreek seeds, nigella seeds, fennel seeds, celery seeds. mustard seeds ) 

Oil  ( I use ghee ) 

How to : 

Soak poppy seeds and make a paste with very little water. 

Soak the leaves in salt water and wash well. 
Chop roughly and keep aside. 

Heat oil / ghee in a kadahi. 
Lightly fry the boris and keep aside. 

Heat oil / ghee. 

Add the paanch phoron .

Add the green chillies and the sliced onion. 

Fry and add the potatoes. Stir fry till half done. 

Now add the chopped leaves and cover. 

It will release water. After it has wilted, give a mix and add the boris, a little salt and the poppy seed paste. 

Mix well and cook till water is absorbed and everything is done. 

It will not be completely dry. 

Serve steaming hot. 
Here is a look of my lunch plate. 

Can you guess the fry on the side? 
More on it later. 

Till then, take care and stay safe. 
Do mask up and stay away from crowded places. 

 

Laccha paratha and Egg curry ... with Punjabi dhaba like flavours

I had made this meal quite a long time back. Maybe a few months. I did post on Instagram but wanted to make a post here too. 

Given that I do not cook rich food regularly, I had wanted to keep a track of this recipe. 

And more so because I cook as I go .... I never ever follow a recipe. I just can't. 

I cook as my heart guides me.

Whatever it calls out for, I add to the food.

And so, more often than not, I forget my own recipes.

I have trying to increase the protein content of B's food intake. He is a vegetarian but can eat eggs once in a while. That  too only omelettes. 

So I decided , for a change , to cook some Egg curry for him. 

And disguise the flavours of boiled egg in a rich, spicy gravy that would be fragrant with spices too. 

And since I have a decent variety of punjabi flavoured masalas and spices in my kitchen, I decided to make a punjabi styled gravy. 

Having said that, I must mention that dhaba food, for me , has always been the Dimer torka ( another recipe that I have always wanted to make a post on ) and country chicken curry with fresh, handmade rotis . 

On our travels all over Odisha, the highlight would be when Bapi would decide to stop for a meal. 

Once we pulled over at the selected dhaba beside the highway, we would sit on the charpais  / rope cots laid out under a huge, old tree .... sometimes the banyan, neem or at other times the peepal or mango. 

We never needed a menu. 

Bapi would ask for fresh chicken curry. And Dimer torka.

And I would always ask for an omelette. 

I loved tearing off a piece of the super hot roti, loaded with dry flour, dust it off and tear a piece of the omelette, dip it in the torka and eat it. 

There was something about the  heavy, afternoon breeze under the trees, the smoking hot fresh food in front of us and Bapi lying on the charpai, looking up at the sky, that makes it one of my best childhood memories. And it wasn't any wonder I never remembered the rest of our journey ever, after that kind of a meal. I would always fall asleep. ☺☺

Coming back to my meal and recipe, I made Laccha parathas to go with the egg curry. 

I have tried making Laccha parathas earlier too ... but this time the layers were better and so good enough for me to make a post. 

I have recently learnt a new technique and will be posting it soon. 


For the Laccha Parathas : 

Need : 

Maida / APF 
Oil - for kneading and frying 
Salt 
Curd 
Water 

How to : 

Mix everything together, except water. 
Use the water, a little at a time and knead a smooth dough. 
Cover and keep aside for at least an hour. 

Cut medium sized balls out of the  dough. 

Roll out a thin roti. 

Apply oil and some dry flour all over. 

Roll it up like a pipe. 

Roll it up again sideways to make a ball. 

Flatten it and roll out a roti again. Do not apply too much pressure. 

Fry on a hot tawa till brown and crisp on both sides. 

 
For the Egg curry 

I cooked the masala twice ... a technique I do not use much. But the gravy comes out very smooth and is perfect for occasional times.

Need : 

Boiled eggs  - 4, shelled and fried in a little oil with turmeric powder

Onions - sliced - 1 medium

Garlic cloves  -  6 to 8 

Black cardamom - 1 
Green cardamom - 1 

Onions chopped - 1 

Tomatoes - 3 medium 

Mustard oil - 2 tbsp 

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp 

Red chillies - 3 , broken 
Everest Kitchen King powder - 1 tsp 

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp 

Kasuri methi - a little 

Salt - to taste 

Sugar - to taste 

Ghee - 1 tbsp

How to : 

Heat mustard oil. 

Add  cumin seeds, red chilli, sliced onions, garlic cloves,  black cardamom and tomatoes with some salt.
Cover and cook till soft and done.

Cool and blend smooth in a mixie.

Heat oil in another kadahi.

Add green cardamom, jeera and chopped onions. 

Fry  till the onions turned soft and pink.

Add the blended paste, kitchen king powder, red chilli powder, a little sugar, salt and kasuri methi and a little water.

Simmer, add the eggs and cover.

Let it cook for some more time and the flavours to get together. 

Top with a spoonful of ghee before removing from heat. 

Done ✅ 

Enjoy!! 

Hope you have taken part in my giveaway of this fabulous book. 

Hurry!!

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. 

Pui shaak diye Ilish macher mudo / Hilsa head cooked with Malabar spinach

 It is that time of the year. Again.
When the sun is out finally after the rains have withdrawn for good.
When the mornings start with a slight nip in the air and then the afternoons turn fiercely hot.
When the smell of festive times is all over in the air.
When you know Ganeshotsav and then Durga puja is just around the corner.
When you remember the smell of sun soaked clothes and mattresses that have spent the day outside , back home, while the house is cleaned inside out in preparation for Durga puja.
When you remember the smell of Thamma's achars / pickles as the numerous jars and bottles are sunned too.
When you can feel the excitement of buying and planning designs with your cousins for new clothes.
When you step out into the kitchen verandah one late afternoon to see Thamma sitting quietly in front of the khirki duar / backdoor , looking out into the pond and drying her long hair in the breeze coming from across the deep, dark waters of the pond.
And your heart suddenly feels heavy with that surge of love for her.

It is that time of the year when I long to take the next flight home. And be in the midst of the busy family, quietly soaking in everything.
It is that time of the year when I miss Bapi's excited calls asking when was I coming.
It is that time of the year when nostalgia takes over and the weather turns fabulous and the evenings turn maddeningly beautiful with the bright yet soft sun and a heavy 'mon kemon kora' breeze passing by once in a while.

I try to focus on the house that I call my home now instead.
Loads of decluttering and cleaning to do.
Lots of things to be given away.
Now that the sun is back, loads of things need sunning.
I am like a plant .... I can't survive without the sun. Every single thing in my house needs to be sunned.
So lots of things to do now.
And to top it all, there is some travel coming up next week.
So it is all about hurrying right now. 

 Meanwhile, the past couple of weeks have been real hectic.
One of the days I cooked Khichuri in bulk for the street children that I often feed ... in memory of Bapi on his death anniversary.
I love going out and handing these hot packages of food to the little hands that come up to my car window. A few do not ... they are so small.
I love to hear their little screams of delight on finding some sweet. Or when I hand out ice creams.
Bapi loved ice cream.
And while I have not been able to eat a single ice cream ever since he left us, I do regularly distribute them to the little children on the streets.
Fills my heart with a some satisfaction and a lot of joy.

On another side, I have been cooking Ilish at home a little too regularly.
Given that I got two good fishes this time, I have had my fill.
And since I had a good growth of the Pui that I had planted some years ago, I decided to use them with one of the Ilish heads to make this chanchra. Or chorchori.
Or whatever you would like to call it.
There are a lot of ways that I cook Ilish head in. But my favourite is the tauk.
And this ... with the Pui shaak / Malabar spinach.


Need :

Ilish / Hilsa fish head - marinated with salt and turmeric
Chopped vegetables - I used pumpkin, ridge gourd, potato
Pui shaak / Malabar spinach - leaf and stem chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chopped onion
Turmeric powder
Red chilli powder
Panch phoron / Bengali five spice powder
Dry Red chillies
Salt
Mustard oil

How to :

Heat the mustard oil in a kadahi and fry the fish head.
Break into pieces and keep aside.

In the same oil add paanch phoron + red chillies + sliced onions.
Fry and then add ginger garlic paste.
Fry well and add haldi mirchi powder.

Now add the vegetables , salt , cover and cook till the veggies are half done.

Now add the washed and cut pui shaak and the fish head.

Cover and cook ...stirring once in a while.

Sprinkle a little red chilli powder, mix well and keep covered for a while before serving.


 I used ginger garlic paste for the first time with Ilish.
And I must say I loved the combination.
With the Rohu head, it is a different taste.
And with the ilish, it is again different.

I did not add the usual pinch of sugar and loved the change in the taste.

 Pair it with some hot rice and enjoy!!

Muga dali Pitha / Mug dal er pithe / Moong dal ke mithe cheele

During long vacations in my childhood, we would go over to Dadu's house and spend the days there.
But when there were short holidays, some part of the family would come over to our place.
Some part because fitting in the whole family together was possible only in Dadu's huge house.
We stayed an hour away, on the hills, where Bapi had his factory.
So at times, some cousins  and kakus and kakimas would come over to spend a few days with us.

The house would be filled with voices ... all talking, laughing, calling out to others ... all at the same time while we cousins did what we did best ...  creating our own ruckus and having a great time. 
The kitchen would be busy and while Ma looked into the meals all through the day, it would the kakimas or mashis (aunts) who would choose the job of rustling up their special snacks and sweets for us. It would be one of those times when we kids would to be perpetually hungry and after every hour or so we would walk into the kitchen with a "Khide peyeche" announcement.

While we were indulged on most times, it would be a no show if the time was closer to a meal time like lunch or dinner.
So my Mejo kakima came up with this potent medicine of "Dudh kola muri debo?".
The thought of a bowlful of soggy, puffed rice mashed with banana and milk would successfully douse those whimsical hunger pangs that the aromas from the kitchen had brought about.
And with a hasty "We will wait for lunch / dinner", we would disappear.

I remember one such time when Boro mashi, Ma's eldest sister, was visiting.
Mashi worked as a teacher in govt. schools and had just become Principal and was posted in a school at a nearby district. Since it was summer vacation, she and her daughter were spending a few days with us.

Mashi visiting us meant fun in all ways. She would hold quiz contests, grill us on general knowledge, give us math quizzes to solve, hold competitions complete with prizes ... and so on.
And the best part was getting to eat the food she cooked.
Boro Mashi had magic in her hands.

She could make a light, plain dal seem heavenly.
She could make a plain roti interesting.
She could make the fussiest kid eat up without a peep.
And she was a wizard at making achars.
A dash of this, a handful of that, a little chopping here, a quick beat of hands there ..... watching mashi in the kitchen was mesmerising.
Matronly, with a warm smile on and a solution to any problem always, she was one person I looked up to.

It was on that visit that Mashi had made this Muga dali pitha.
She had sat us kids down with a bunch of questions to solve and had disappeared into the kitchen.
We could hear her chatting with Ma and in a while,  this beautiful, warm, sweet aroma drifted out of the kitchen a spread all over the house .... making its way towards us in the drawing room.
We started getting fidgety but were warned against getting up and going to the kitchen.
Bapi had returned by then and the evening tea was just being served.
And Mashi walked in with a plate full of fragrant, hot pithas.

And what pithas they were!
Crisp on the sides, the sweetness of the jaggery mixed with the fragrance of coconut ... it smelt of something that can be only divine.
They were just fried and out of the pan and still very hot.
We savoured each bite, experiencing different flavours everytime ... the sting of black pepper, the bite of small pieces of coconut, the sweetness of a fennel seed .....

Jaggery and coconut are an integral part of Odia pithas.
And are usually paired with crushed black pepper and fennel seeds.
And the body is usually of dals / lentils or rice powder.
Fried, steamed, roasted ... made in different ways for different occasions.

Yesterday, a few of my friends had come over to visit and brought me a load of cooked food so that I could rest and not have to cook for a couple of days at least.
I was touched but not surprised.
All through the years, every time I have fallen ill .... and god knows when I fall ill it has always been a lengthy affair, sometimes stretching to almost a year .... it has been these friends who have been my rock; my support; my pillars.
I was so happy to see them that I wanted to make something for them that would be quick.

I had boiled moong dal in the fridge for dal tadka .... so decided to make this pitha for them.
I had grated coconut in the freezer too.
So all I had to do was to make a mix and fry them.
My friends joined in too and soon we were all in the kitchen .... chatting, laughing, frying the pithas and eating them right there ... straight off the pan .... breaking each one, blowing on the pieces to cool  and sharing with one another.
We made some ginger tea too and while it rained on outside, I basked in the warmth inside, feeling cozy and loved.

Now for the recipe of the Muga dali pitha or Moog daler pithe -

Need :

Whole green moong dal - 2 tea cups, boiled with a pinch of salt
Gur / Jaggery - according to your taste for sweetness (I used granules )
Maida / APF - 2 tbsp
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Elaichi / Cardamom seeds - crushed
Black pepper - crushed
Mouri / Fennel seeds - crushed
Grated coconut - 1 tea cup
Water - a little to make the batter
Cooking oil - as you require
Ghee - half of the amount of cooking oil (optional)

There is no perfect measurement for the ingredients ... you will have to decide according to the thickness of the batter, the sweetness you want, whether you want to pan fry or deep fry ... etc. etc.


How to :

Mix everything except the oil and ghee and make a thick batter.

Heat a heavy pan or a tawa.

Add a oil + ghee in equal quantity.

When hot, pour in spoonfuls of the batter to make thick pancakes.

Fry the pithas, first covered and then uncovered, on both sides, till they turn brown.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Enjoy !!

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!!

Shubho Naboborsho 1425 !!

 Shubho Nabo borsho!
I know I am a day late.
Poila Boishakh or the first day of Baishakh and the start of Bengali new year was yesterday.
But then the year is just a day old .... the whole year is waiting ... laid out straight in front of us.
A straight road for us to travel.
That might have turns and bends.
That might be lonely or crowded.
We don't know.
All that we know is we will have to travel that road. For the rest of the 364 days.
Come rain or storm or thunder.
Come sun or spring or winter.
We don't have a choice. No shortcuts to the end.
We cannot decide for how long. We cannot choose an off road.
All we can do is travel.
And decide what to do on this journey to make it more enjoyable.
And make better memories for later times.

While I was going through my photos to edit yesterday, I came across a collage of some food photos that I had compiled together for this post on the English new year.
And that collage and the post set me thinking.
It was about whole of the year 2017 ... what I cooked, what I clicked, where I traveled to .... and so on. My thoughts, feelings and emotions reflected on those various posts.
And in one glance I had the whole year in front of me.

 And that made me wonder .... why not plan  and make a list on how my collage and the write for my last post of the year will look like, at the very beginning of the year?
If I have a list of food to cook and share with you here, maybe that will push me to make regular posts.
If I have a list of places that I want to see in this year, maybe that will motivate me to plan better.
If I have a list of things I need to knit and finish this year, maybe I will be able to plan my knitting time more effectively ... considering a number of half done projects lying waiting.

Why not?
I know some of these are absolutely in my control .... only the travel part will need an equal degree of enthusiasm as well as agreeing from B.
If left to me, I would happily pick up a rucksack and set off right away.
But that is not to be.
I have been trying to convince the man that I am craving some crisp mountain air for a while now.
And have got just some condescending nods in return. 
Nothing beyond that .... yet.

But the rest of the stuff ... I can manage.
And plan to manage very well.
Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Given my sudden outbursts of ill health, I know that not every year is going to be as smooth as the last one was.
But I truly believe where there is a will, there is a way.
What say? 😊

 So with that mojo, I set off to cook a lunch platter for the day.
I had bought some fresh minced mutton and planned to make some mutton pulao or kheema.
But as the day progressed, the temperature outside soared.
While all I wanted at that moment was a bowlful of the cooling Paanta bhaat, I restrained.
And went ahead and cooked a light vegetarian meal.
B was a little concerned at my eating vegetarian food on a Sunday and that too on Poila Boishakh day.
But I knew I could eat nothing heavier.

I had the Narkel diye Cholar dal already in the fridge as well as the Peper chaatni.
There were boiled baby potatoes too.
So all I did was quickly kneaded some Maida / APF for the Luchi .... one cannot just not have a couple of Luchis on the New year day ... right?
And while the dough rested, I set the  Mishti polau ... this time with kaju and kismish .... on the stove.

After that I tossed the potatoes with a cube of my frozen ginger + garlic paste and some onions and tomatoes and some roasted jeera powder and garam masala.
Threw in some of my frozen peas, from winter, too.
And the Choto aloor dom was ready.
And lunch was ready within an hour.

Finally, I sent B to the shower and started to make the Luchis.
I raced against time to set the table, plate the food, frying the luchis at the same time ... regulating the oil temperature in the wok / kadahi was the biggest challenge in this hurry .... and setting them on the plates.
I had wanted them to stay puffed up ... what is a luchi if it is not a phulko or a perfectly puffed up one?  ... while I took the pictures.

( I know I have to make a post on the Luchi too. Hope you have seen my video on the cover of my page on Facebook ... the one that many loved and voted for it to stay and asked me not to remove it. )

Surprisingly they behaved ... maybe out of sheer respect for my honest efforts to make them look good ... and stayed perfectly puffed up all through the shoot.
And till a while later too ... when I finally had the time to sit down and eat.

So while the photos were taken for Instagram, I am sharing the meal here with you too.

নতুন  বছরের অনেক শুভেচ্ছা ও ভালোবাসা আপনাদের জন্যে রইল। 
খুব ভালো থাকুন , প্রাণ খুলে হাঁসুন আর পেট ভরে খান। 
আর যদি পারেন কোনো ক্ষুদার্ত শিশু কে  অন্তত একটি  বেলা  খাওয়ান। 
আপনাদের নববর্ষ মঙ্গলময় হোক !!

Wishing you a very happy, healthy and prosperous Bengali new year!

Plastic Chatni / Chutney made with Raw Papaya .... a Bengali favorite

 Thin, transparent slices that glisten in a clear, slightly thick liquid. You feel like picking one up but hold back for fear of it breaking or melting in your hand.
Slowly you fish a slice up and hold it between your fingers.
It is so clear that you can see through it.The sticky syrup rolls down you fingers and you quickly lick it to stop from flowing down your elbow.
And revel in the taste.
Sweet, lemony, with the kick of the paanch phoron. 
And slightly spicy, if a piece of the dry red chilli has crushed.

That is the Plastic chaatni for you.
Every Bengali's favourite. Something every Bengali looks forward to in the menu of a special occasion, especially weddings.
I am not talking of today's catering managed wedding meals.
I am talking of the traditional weddings of yore.
Where food was served on plaintain / raw banana leaves and water was served in traditional earthen glasses.
Where food was eaten with hands and where people sat down together, in large batches, to enjoy the feast.
Where all the dishes were served on the same plate, course by course and the plate holds the heavenly mix of flavours from the all the dishes served.
So the sweetness from the Mishti bhaat or the fried rice, the spiciness from the macher kalia or the jhol, the richness of the Kosha Mangsho, the crunch from the Fish fry .... every dish leaves its print on the plate.
And to that ,when the sweetness of the Plastic chatni is added, it is heaven on your plate. 
And the lingering taste and smell in your fingers.
And the sounds of the shehnai mixed with a lot of boisterous chattering and laughing out loud in your ears and the frangrace of the Rajanigandha in the air.
That is what Bengali wedding meals used to be.

The Plastic chaatni ..... it got its name because the papaya slices resembled clear plastic after cooking, is not very common in everyday cooking in Bengali households.
And rare too in occasions like birthdays or Annaprasanna ( when a child eats rice for the first time ).
However, when it came to wedding menus, its place was fixed.
Although I have never seen this chutney served anywhere else, I did notice that the restaurant Sigree always serves it along with other relishes.
Their version is slightly dry though ... but the flavours are the same.

Traditionally, the shape is of thin slices of the raw papaya. I have chopped them for reasons best known to god. I have no idea why I did not slice them.
Also, by the time I cut the papaya to cook, it had ripened slightly.
But I can assure you, it made no difference to the taste.

My chatni has a little too much of paanch phoron / Bengali five spice tempering .... but that is because the spoon slipped from my hand and landed straight into the hot oil.
Happens.
But again ... no harm to the taste.

Here's how to make this wondrous chatni.

Need :

Raw Papaya - 1 cupful ,
( thinly sliced small pieces or cut into very small cubes )
Kismis / Raisins - 1 tbsp, soaked
Lemon juice - around 1 tbsp
Sugar - 2 cupsful
Water - 3 cupsful or a little more
Paanch phoron / Bengali five spice mix - 1 tsp
( a mix of
methi / fenugreek seeds (use just a few seeds),
jeera / cumin seeds,
mouri / fennel seeds ,
sorse / mustard seeds,
kalo jeere / nigella seeds )
Whole dry red chillies - 1, broken
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch

(If you are afraid of biting into a methi seed, then you can use just the fennel (saunf ) and the nigella ( kalonji ) seeds for the tempering.


How to :

Heat oil in a pan or a kadahi.

Add the paanch phoron + broken red chilli.

Then add the papaya and toss well.

Add a little salt, cover and cook till just half done.

Remove cover, add the raisins and water and bring to a boil.

Now add the sugar and cook for some more time, covered.

Remove cover, check if the papaya is done yet firm.

Add the lemon juice, simmer for a minute or two.

Remove from heat and cool. 

This stays well in the fridge for more than a week.
Just make sure you keep it covered well or in a tight lid bottle.

Poila Boishakh is just a day away.
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous Bengali New Year!!
Health and happiness and more healthy, happy food to you !!

Enjoy!!

Tel Koi / Koi or the climbing perch fish in a spicy gravy

I am  a serious case of writer's block these days.
After I uploaded these photographs, I have been trying to write something ... anything that can pass off as a decent post ... but no luck.
I kept coming here and going back without writing a single word.
And so, after struggling for the past few weeks, I decided to make a post today ... come what may.
Write or no write.

Ever since I saw this ad on facebook about a fish shop that sells fresh fish all the way from far away Kolkata and Odisha, I have been waiting  for some free space in my freezer.
And finally, after my stock of Rui, Tyangra and some fresh water prawns was successfully depleted, I called this shop to know what they had for the day.
When I heard they had Koi, visions of my Thamma's Tel Koi danced before my eyes.
And the beautiful, unique flavour of the Koi in my mouth.

I don't remember this fish ever being cooked by Ma but sometimes I did get to eat it when we were at Dadu's place. I do not even remember if they were from our pond or bought from the local market.
But I do remember that Thamma made something real awesome with them.
And especially that gravy .... rich, yellow and spicy .... perfect with a morsel of boiled rice. And a bite of kancha lonka / raw green chilli after a mouthful.

I was happy I would get to eat fresh Koi sitting here ... so far away from home.
Koi is one fish that has to be bought live.
You are not supposed to buy, forget eat, dead Koi.
So when I stepped into the shop and saw two big tubs filled with water and some Koi and Magur swimming around in each of them, I did not know how to react.
Because I had never bought or dealt with Koi earlier.

It is a strong fish and does not give in easily.
And the thought of holding a bag of wriggling Koi and carry them back home was enough for me to give up and turn track.
My vegetarian husband was equally new to this barbaric side of Bengalis and took refuge in the car, mumbling something about parking problems.
A sudden brainwave saved me from being witness to the whole process .... I asked them to prepare the fish and hold it for me while I go finish some errands.

So it was good one hour later that saw me back home with my loot.
And I set about to make the Tel Koi.
A call home resulted in confused recipes .... Ma has never cooked it and Jethima was confused between her recipe and Thamma's.
I got the gist and decided to stick to a light simple gravy with just a few main things.

Jethima, knowing that I am not a fan of Jeere / Cumin powder, did insist on using it in this gravy.
I did ... but it was roasted jeere guro ....  so I have no idea if this gravy is authentic.
But it did turn out well.

Need :

Koi / Climbing perch fish - 6 pieces
( cleaned and marinated with turmeric powder + salt )
Curd - ½ cup, beaten smooth
Kalo Jeere / Nigella seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin / Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Coriander / Dhania powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric / Haldi powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder / Lonka guro - 1 tbsp
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Fresh green chillies - 4, slit
Mustard oil - 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp + tbsp + 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water - as needed


How to :

Heat 2 tbsp of the mustard oil in an iron kadahi.

Lightly fry the Koi pieces and keep aside.

Make a thin mix of the cumin + coriander + haldi + red chilli powders and some water.

Add 2 tbsp oil ot the kadahi.

Add the nigella seeds and a few green chillies.

Add the grated ginger and then immediately the powders mix and cook well on low heat till oil starts to leave the sides.

Now add the beaten curd and some water and mix well.

Add salt and bring to a boil.

Add the fish pieces and cover.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Spread the last of the raw mustard oil and some more green chillies.

Remove from heat and serve hot.

This goes only and only with steaming hot boiled rice.
The pungency of raw mustard oil combined with the flavour of green chillies and curd makes this gravy truly lip smacking.

Enjoy!!

Chanar Jilipi / Chena jilapi / Syrup soaked cottage cheese circles

My feet are itching to set off on the road again. My heart is restless and is longing for new visions.
Not goal visions; visual visions.
Like looking out of the window and seeing the countryside fly by. It can be a window of a train or the car ... I don't care much for flights because there is no countryside to look out at, but right now a flight will do very well too.
I just need to get out.

Last year was a whirlwind .... full of travels.
Even before we had emptied our suitcases, we were off again.
So much so that I had no time to update my travel blog, much as I wanted to.
January had started with Hampi and Bangalore, which we did by road and had way too much fun, then Rajasthan just a day after we reached back, which was by train, in
March we were in Mahabaleshwar, by road, Jaipur again in May, by flight,
July in Lonavla and September and October in the US of A, which included Miami, Florida and Disneyland, Orlando too.
Phew!!
I do have a very sincere intention of updating Country Roads with these trips, but not before I wade through the hundreds of photographs and select a few.

The weather, in Pune right now, is fabulous and it would be criminal if not soaked in.
A thought we are taking very seriously.
So we are going out, visiting exhibitions, sales, music programmes and sometimes eating out too.
We have drastically cut down on our eating out ... but do visit our old favourites once in a while.
Where we know the food ... read quality ... is good and the service polite and warm.
Umpteen number of eateries have sprung up in Pune in the past few years but quality is one thing that helps us decide which to try and which not to.
Most places will start of well and then quickly deteriorate in quality .... so we strike it off after two or three visits.
Others will start off weak, but gain momentum and realise the importance of the quality of food.

Besides, both of us love home cooked food and very very simple food. If you read my recipes or have tried them out, you will know just how light my cooking is.
And both of us love our food that way.
Give B a dal and rotis and he is the happiest person in the world.
Give me a dal with rice and I am happy.
Give me a light bhaja along with it and I am the happiest girl around.

So when I turned a year older a few days back, B wanted to go out for lunch.
And had been trying select a good place for lunch or dinner.
I, on the other hand, was not being helpful.
Because I did not want to eat out.
A plate of dal, bhaat and begun bhaja was calling out to me in my mind.
I was missing home, my family and the numerous phone calls did not help.
So, when it was late noon, I told B to give up searching.
And set off into the kitchen to cook. That is where I find solace.
So cooked a full meal of dal, roti and sabzi for B and a Chicken curry and Mishti bhaat / Polau for myself.
Indulged myself with a few aloo bhaja too.
There was Tomato Khejurer chaatni in the fridge.

And all these made a happy plateful( here is a shot) for me.

And I made Chanar Jilipi.
Or Chenna jalebis. Or Chenna jilapi ( in Odia ).
Or sweets made from fresh cottage cheese.
Call them by any name you want to.
I have been wanting to try my hand at making these for a while now.
And it was such a soul satisfying job .... by the time I finished and stepped out of the kitchen, I was smiling.

These light, soft, delicate, syrup soaked roundels of sweetness are pretty easy to make.
All you need to do is handle them with care.



Need :

Milk - 1 litre
Juice of lemon - 2 tbsp (or more if you need )
Fine semolina / sooji - 1 tbsp
Maida / APF - 1 tbsp ( a little more if you feel the jilipis break when forming )
Sugar - 1 coffee cupful
Water - 3 coffee cupfuls
Green cardamom - 3, crushed and powdered
Cooking oil - 5 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp

 How to :

Boil milk.

Add the lemon juice to curdle and make the chana / chenna / cottage cheese.

Strain well. Keep it in the strainer or hang it in a muslin cloth to drain the water well.
But don't make it too dry. It should have some water left in it.

Heat the water and sugar in a heavy pan till sugar dissolves and the water comes to a boil.

After an hour, knead the chana with the semolina and maida till very soft and light.

Add the powdered cardamom and mix well.

Take small balls out of the kneaded chana and roll on a flat plate to make a thick, longish shape.
You can use a little ghee in your hands and on the plate so that the balls do not stick.

Gently twist the long shape into a circle.

Heat the oil + ghee in a heavy, flat bottomed pan.

When hot, gently let in the chana circles into it.

Fry one side till brown and then gently turn it over.

Remove carefully and let into the sugar syrup.

Soak well for a good two or three hours before serving.

 

Wish you all a very happy spring!

Go out, enjoy the sun, the breeze, the flowers and be alive!!

Enjoy !!!

Lau diye bhaja Muger dal / Roasted Moong dal cooked with Bottle Gourd

Today is Shitala Shasti, a day after Vasant Panchami or Saraswati Puja.
And today is the day that sets the approach of spring and summer ... read warmer seasons.
And so, today things that are cooling to the body and the digestive system are eaten .... usually cooked the night before and cooled and eaten today.
In preparation for the hot summer, today is the day when we switch from dense foods ... read winter vegetables to water laden and cooling summer vegetables.
My mother in law has a beautiful local rhyme that names the vegetables to be eaten on different seasons .... and for summer it is the bottle gourd, pumpkins, cucumber .... and so on.

I try to follow it as much as I can.
So, while I do not have a Gota Sheddho ( vegetables boiled whole, cooled and eaten today ) to post today, I do have this very light dal made with the bottle gourd for a light, cooling lunch or dinner.

As far as sheddhos / boiled things are concerned, I eat them throughout the year as you will know if you check out my mashes / makhas.
Even dals / lentils .... I like them plain boiled with just a little turmeric and very little salt.

This dal is very quick to make. And if you have roasted the moong dal and stored it, then it is even quicker.

Need :

Yellow mung dal - 1 cup
Lau / Lauki / Bottle gourd - 1 medium, chopped
Grated coconut - 5 tbsp ( optional )
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Whole dry red chillies - 2, broken
Tej pata / Bay leaf - 1
Roasted Jeera/ Cumin powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch
Ghee - 1 tsp ( skip if you are vegan )
Water - 2 cups and a little more

How to :

In a heavy bottomed pan, dry roast the mung dal, on low heat, till aromatic and has a few specks of brown here and there.
Do not burn.

Heat the mustard oil in a pressure cooker.

Add jeera + dry red chilli + bay leaf + grated ginger.

Add the chopped lau / bottle gourd and stir well.

Add the moong dal and stir well.

Add haldi + mirchi powder + roasted jeera powder + coconut.

Add salt + sugar.

Add water and pressure cook for two whistles.

Serve with a dollop of ghee and sprinkled roasted jeera powder + red chilli powder on top.

This goes great with rice as  well as rotis.

Enjoy!!