Ghugni

A famous evening snack in Bengal prepared at home and found as well as at street corners. Though the way of cooking in both the places are different. The street ghugni is boiled yellow peas tossed with chopped raw onion and green chillies, thinly sliced beetroot and cucumber, black salt and chat masala ,served often in a 'salpatar bati'- is enjoyed as an ultimate evening snack. But the ghugni that is prepared at home has a different approach of makin as it is given below, even often added keema(minced meat)/ paneer(cottage cheese). It is Durga puja when most of the Bengali households has ghugni to offer to thier guests on 'Doshomi'(the 10 th day of durga puja) followed by 'nimki' and 'misti'(sweets). Ghugni can also be served in dinner plates with luchi, roti or paratha.

Ingredients(6 serivngs):

1. Dried yellow peas, 200 gm
2. Potato, 1 large
3. Onion, 2 large
4. Garlic cloves, 8 cloves
5. Ginger, 1 and 1/2"
6. Green chillies, 4-5
7. Whole dry red chilli, 1
8. Bay leaf, 1
9. Green cardamoms, 2
10. Cinnamon stick, 1 and 1/2"
11. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
12. Garam masala powder, 1/2 tbsp
13. Cumin Powder, 1 tbsp
14. Coriander powder, 1 tbsp
15. Mango powder( amchur), 2 tsp
16. Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp
17. Salt to taste
18. Sugar, 2 tsp
19. Mustard oil
20. Ghee(Indian clarified butter), 1/2 tbsp

Methods:

Soak peas overnight and cook in pressure cooker with two whistles. After 15 minutes check if it is soft enough to press between fingers, otherwise allow another whistle.

Cut potatoes into small cubes and fry in oil on medium flame till they turn soft.

In a pan heat 6 tbsp oil and temper with bay leaf, whole dry red chilli, cardamoms and cinnamon. I made it with 1 kg peas, so added more bay leaves than mentioned above.

Slice 1/2 of an onion and saute in oil till golden brown. Add slit green chillies and a pinch of salt too.                                                                                                                                                         

Blend remaining onion, garlic, ginger together and saute in oil for 2-3 mins.

          Mix all the powdered spices, salt to taste and sugar.                                           

Add mixed spices. Cook for a minute , and add 1 small cup of water, Cook till oil  seperates.                                           

                     After the oil seperates it will look like this.                                       

     Add peas and Cook for 3- 4 minutes.  After that add 1 medium cup of warm water to get thick gravy. Sprinkle 1 tsp garam masala powder and spread ghee just before removing from flame.

 

Serve hot.

Serving suggestion- goes well with Luchi and paratha.

Cottage Cheese Sandwich or Paneer Sandwich

Made of grated cottage cheese, carrot, roasted capsicum, this can be included in a healthy breakfast option as comes with all the goodnes of vegetables along with iron calcium and essential vitamins from cottage cheese.

Ingredients (6 servings):

1. Brown Bread slices, 6
2. Cottage Cheese, 100 gm
3. Carrot, 2
4. Capsicum, 1 small
5. Onion, 1
6. Green chillies, 2
7. Low fat butter , 2 tsp
8. Salt to taste

Methods:

Peel and roughly grate carrots.

Roast capsicum over direct flame for 2 minutes. The outer skin will turn black. Rub and remove the burnt skin and smash the capsium.

Grate cheese. In a pan heat few drops of oil and butter toss all the ingredients for 2-3 minutes. Brush little amount of oil on bread and roast on direct flame for 2 secs.

Place cheese stuffing on on one slice and cover with another slice. Cut from middle like a sandwich and serve.

Doi Mach, Rohu fish cooked with curd

Doi mach is an ultimate Bengali delicacy. Rohu fish immersed in curtry made of curd and certain spices usually used in a Bengali kitchen. This dish has taken place in a Bengali marriage ceremony menu list as well as in other occasions like onnoprason, sradhobari or bouvat along with other dishes.

Ingredients:

1. Rohu fish, 500 gm
2. Onions,2
3. Garlic cloves, 1
4. Ginger, 1"
5. Green chillies, 4
6. Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Sugar, 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder
10. Curd, 4 tbsp
11. Whole dry red chilli, 1
12. Bay leaf, 2
13. Cardamom, 2
14. Cinnamon stick, 1"
15. Cumin seeds , 1 tsp
16. Cloves, 3-4
17. Mustard oil

Method:

The fish is suggested to cut into thick and medium pieces. Marinate fish pieces with 2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp turmeric powder for 30 minutes.

Fry Fish pieces till slightly gold brown. Fry in medium flame to allow them to turn soft.

In a pan heat 4 tbsp oil and temper with whole dry red chilli, bay leaves, cardamoms, cinnamon sick, cloves and cumin seeds

Chop half of an onion and saute along with a pinch of salt and slit green chillies till turn soft.

Blend remaining onion, garlic cloves, ginger together to form paste and cook in oil for 2 minutes.

Mix curd, salt to taste, sugar, 1 tsp turmeric powder and kashmiri red chilli powder . Add into oil and cook  for a minute. Add 2 tbsp oil and cook agan till oil seperates.

It will look like this when the oil will seperate from spices.

Cook fish in spices for 3 minutes. add 2 small cups of luke warm water and cook covered till the gravy is thick enough.

• Serve with hot boiled rice.

Mixed Veg Soybean Rice

You can say it veg rice, as this one comes with all the goodness of vegetables, herbs. Moreover it was prepared using less amount of oil ( few drops of olive oil and 1 tsp low fat butter, but the quantity may change depending on the rice quantity).

You may use brown rice instead of basmati rice and can add stir fried chicken /egg of your choice.

Ingredients:(4 servings)

• Rice, 1 cup (100 gm)
• Carrot,1
• French beans, 6-8
• Onion,1
• Garlic, 3-4 cloves
• Soybean, 1 small cup
• Salt to taste
• Sugar,1 tsp
• Black pepper powder, 2 tsp
• Herbs, 2 tsp ( Here dried persley and rosemary have been used)
• Lemon juice, 1 tbsp
• Olive oil/ Soybean oil, 1 tbsp
• Low fat butter,2 tsp

Method:

         Chop onion,garlic and cut vegetables into small cubes. Boil soybeans till turn soft and keep  aside.

In a pan heat oil and butter. Saute vegeables on low flame till become soft, Add a pinch of salt and toss them. It took nearabout 5 minutes.

Add rice, mix salt, sugar, black pepper powder and chopped herbs. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring in the middle.

At the end turn the flame off and mix lime juice. Do not heat after that as vitamin c that comes from lemon reduces in excessive heat.

•  Serve hot.

Dimer Dalna- an egg preparation made in Bengali cuisine

An easy to make recipe that can be prepared within 20 mins (excluding the time required for boiling eggs),a wintry lunch time  delicacy of a bengali household...

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Eggs, 4
• Potato, 2
• Red onion, 2
• Garlic, 6 cloves
• gGnger, 1"
• Green chillies, 4
• Whole dry red chilli, 1
• Bay leaf, 1 large
• Cloves,2
• Whole cardamom,1
• Whole cinnamon, 1"
• Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
• Coriander powder, 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder,2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Curd, 2 tbsp
• Tomato puree, 1 and 1/2  tbsp
• Mustard oil

Method:

                  Cut potatoes into medium cubes.

Shallow fry in oil till soft and golden brown. Add a 

pinch of turmeric powder and 1 tsp salt.

In a pan add 4 tbsp oil and temper the oil with whole dry red chilli, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves. Let them release flavour for 1 minute and then saute 1 and 1/2 chopped onion till turns soft. Seasone onions a pinch of    salt.

Now add potatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add1/2 cup water and bring it to boil. Add eggs and cook until the gravy is thick. Remove from flame and sprinkle 1 tsp ghee for aroma.

Serve with steamed rice or even I like it with luchi too.

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