Badhakopir Dalna aka Cabbage Curry

Ingredients (6 servings):

• Cabbage,1, large, shredded
• Potao, 2, cut into small cubes
• Green peas, 2 handfull
• Green chillies, 4, slit from middle
• Ginger, 1"
• Coriander powder, 2 tsp
• Cumin powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Whole dry red chilli,1
• Bay leaf, 1
• Cinnamon, 1"
• Mustard oil

Methods:

Pressure cook shredded cabbage and if the whole cabbage doesn't fit in one cooker, cook them in batch. Never fill a cooker more than 2/3rd of it's capacity.You do not need to lock the lid. Just cover the cooker wth the lid.

Cube potatoes and shallow fry them. Keep them aside.
In a pan heat oil and temper with bay leaf, whole dry red chilli cinnamon stick, cardamoms and allow them to release flavour.
Blend ginger and all the powdered spices together, add into oil and saute for a minute. Add green chillies, salt to taste, sugar and green peas.
After a minute add steamed cabbage and cook untill the excess water is absorbed and the cabbage changes colour. This may take upto 5 minutes. Spread 1 tsp ghee to add in aroma, though it's optional. Remove form flame.

Serve with steamed rice, luchi, roti, paratha.

You may also try:

Fulkopir dalna

Ghugni

Lote macher torkari aka Bombay duck curry

This dish can be served soupy as well as a dry stuff. I like the 2nd one much . So just posting it! :)

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Bombay duck or lote mach, 500 gm
• Potato, 1 large, cut into small cubes (optional)
• Capsicum, 1/2 of a whole, cut into slices, (optional)
• Onion, 2 medium, chopped
• Ginger, 6 medium cloves
• Garlic, 1"
• Green chillies, 4, slit from middle
• Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
• Coriander powder, 2 tsp
• Cumin powder, 2 tsp3
• Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves, 1 handfull
• Whole dry red chilli, 1
• Bay leaf, 1
• Mustard oil, 6 tbsp

Note- Potato and capsicum developes a better taste so they were added, but you can make the dish without them too. For adding a slight tangy flavour I sprinkled some lime juice at the end of the preparation.

Methods:

Discard head and tail of fishes and clean them well. Strain water from fish very well. Blend garlic, ginger coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder togeter with 2 tbsp water. Marinate fish pieces with blended masala, salt, sugar and keep aside for 30 minutes, best keep them in refrigerator.

In a pan heat oil and temper with bay leaf, whole dry red chilli. Pont neuf potatoes and slice capsicum. Add them in oil and seasone with a pinch of salt, no need to fry them much at this stage, as they will turn soft later in rest of the cooking process. Add sliced onion and green chillies and saute everything for 2 minutes.

Now add marinated fish pieces, combine everything together and cover with a lid. Cook covered for 35-40 minutes on medium flame or until it absorbs excess water and form a sticky consistency. You do not need to add any water in this dish as the fish tends to release water itself. dd the end add chopped coriander leaves and combine. 

Serve with steamed rice, bread or roti.

Related Recipes:

Doi mach

Dhone tangrar jhal

Egg Tarka

Egg tarka is found in most of the street roti shops in Kolkata, it does not  necessarily to be a dhaba , but a simple roti shop also offer tarka sometimes.. When ordered for a plate of egg tarka they make that carefully on a large tawa( yes they do not use any kadhai or pan), where they saute there preboiled dal or green grams with onion,tomato and some selected Indian spices. I am an egglover so often give it try at home.

Ingredients:

• Green grams, 250 gm
• Eggs, 2
• Onion, 2
• Tomato, 1
• Garlic cloves, 4
• Ginger , 1"
• Green chillies, 4
• Whole dry red chilli, 1
• Bay leaf, 1
• Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
• Coriander powder, 3 tsp
• Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar, 2 tsp, to balance the acidity
• Mustard oil

Methods:

Soak dal overnight and then cook in pressure cook with 4 whistes and wait untill the pressure inside the cooker releases. Open the lid after 15 minutes and then mash the dal using a spatula or a non-electric hand blender. When you pressure cook dal add a cup of water.

• In a pan heat oil and temper with bay leaf and whole dry red chilli. Slice onion and tomatoes and add into oil. Seasone with a pinch of salt. Slit green chillie and add. Saute them until the onions turn golden brown. 

• In a bowl break 2 eggs and add into oil. Mix the egg with spatula.

• Blend ginger, garlic coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and 2 tbsp water together. Add into oil and saute for a minute. Add salt to taste and sugar. After a minute add 4 tbsp water and wai until oil seperates.

Now add precooked dal and cook until it turns thick. Mix chopped coriander leaves,1 chopped green chilli and removefrom flame.

Serve with roti, paratha.

Related Recipes:

Low fat tarka dal

Steamed Egg Noodles

Previously two recipes were posted on steamed egg, one was how to make it and the other one was schezwan steamed egg followed by the steamed egg preparation. And now this one which I made for lunch one day. For me I do not have any preference for lunch like I have to rely upon the daily rice and curry, but something that makes me full at the same time allowing me to enjoy the taste of food too. I enjoyed this preparation and so is sharing with you.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• Noodles, 100 gm ( I used low fat noodles, you can use pasta instead of noodles)
• Egg, 2
• Onion, 1 small
• Garlic cloves, roasted- Put garlic cloves on direct flame before feeling and keep for 30 secs, peel the outer skin )
• Chives, chopped, 4 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper powder
• Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp ( You may use soybean oil) 

Methods:

Cook noddles untill soft, strain water and keep aside. 

The best way to cook noodles is, In apan take 4 cups of water(for 100 gm noodles), when the water comes to boiling point add few drops of oil and also raw noodles, boil for 20 secs and remove from flame, Strain the water and instantly seperate them with a fork to prevent them sticking to each ther. This is how I get non-sticky noodles that doesn't stick to my pan.

Steam egg, click the link for recipe of steamed egg. In a pan heat oil, slice and add roasted garlic, chopped chives and a pinch of salt for seasoning. Square cut steamed eggs and saute in pan for a minute. Add noodles, salt to taste and blackpepper powder. Toss for 2 minutes. Turn off the flame, combine lime juice with noodles. Serve!!

Tips- Instead of steamed egg, you may add soybeans( if you prefer vegetarian food) or boiled and shredded chicken or scrumbled eggs.

Mutton Keema Masala

Last night I googled for some mutton keema recipes, and found this one. As soon as I saw this recipe just set up my mind to make it on this weekend. Brought the ingredients required for making this recipe and turned it into reality, using my own version, and found it as a perfect accompaniment for  my masala kulcha that was made for dinner.

This recipe serves 4 and all you need are-

• Mutton keema , i.e. minced goat meat, 250 gm
• Potato, 1 large, cubed ( You may omit potato, if you don't want them)
• Onion, 2 large
• Ginger, 1"
• Garlic cloves, 6
• Green chillies, 4
• Tomato, sliced, 1/2 of a whole tomato
• Capsicum, 1/2 of a whole capsicum
• Coriander powder, 3 tsp
• Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
• Kashmiri red chilli powder, 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves, 1 handfull
• Mustard oil, 4 tbsp
• Milk, 1/2 cup
• Butter, 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
• Whole dry red chilli, 2
• Bay leaf, 1
• Black Cardamom, 1
• Cinnamon stick , 1"
• Crushed peppercorns, 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• sugar, 2 tsp to balance the acidity of the dish

Methods:

This is a quick to make recipe as you can do all the stuff in a pressure cooker. In a pressure cooker heat oil and shallow fry cubed potatoes for 2 mins. They do not need to turn soft as they will be cooked later under pressure.

Shift them aside of the pan add temper the oil with bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and whole dry red chillies.

Saute sliced onion and tomatoes for a minute, add a pinch of salt. After 2 mins add sliced capsicum. Saute tyhem for 30 secs. Blend ginger, garlic, garam masala powder, coriander powder. Add the blended spices, and slit green chillies in the pan. Saute for a 2 mins. Add 4 tbsp water, salt and sugar and wait till the oil oozes out.

Add minced meat and saute in spices for 3-4 mins. Then add milk and crushed peppercorns, mix well and close the lid. Cook with three whistles. After the pressure releases completely open the lid. If you find it too dry then add some more milk or water and cook until it turns out to be a fine gravy. Mix chopped coriander leaves and 1 chopped green chillies along with butter.

Serve with bread, paratha, naan, kulcha.

Muli Paratha- an ultimate Winter food

 I crave for seasonal things all the time, say it vegetables or fruits. Horse radishes  are fresh during winter , so thought of putting one of them in wheat flour dough which turned out to be  nice and soft parathas filled with tempting smell and the satisfaction(my first cooking teacher) doubled when my ma appreciated it.

Ingredients(7 servings):

1. Wheat flour, 1 and 1/2 cup
2. Horse radish, shredded, 3/4 cup
3. Chopped Radish leaves, 1 handull
4. Chopped coriander leaves, 4 tbsp
5. Chopped green chillies, 2 tbsp ( you can add more green chilles if you want it to be more spicy)
6. Coriander powder, 3 tsp
7. Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
8. Roasted cumin powder, 2 tsp
9. Kahmiri red chilli powder, 2 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Sugar, 2 tsp
12. Curd, 2 tbsp
13. Vegeable oil (I used soybean oil), 1 tbsp for frying each paratha+1 tbsp for kneading the dough

Methods:

Combine together all the ingredients and oil as mentioned for dough. Then add water as required to knead into dough.

Make a little more than medium balls out of dough androll them semi-thick into 6" diameter. In a griddle cook raw paratha on it till white patches appears on both sides. Do the same with all other parathas.

Now in griddle add 1 tbsp oil and fry one paratha at a time. I played a trick here, that was, I added 1 and 1/2 tbsp oil and fried two parathas at a time, as I always do. Make sure that the flame is low or else the parathas will harden making them hard to tear with your fingers or teeth. Fry till blight brown patches appear on both the sides. This will nearly take 1 min for each paratha.

Remove from flame and enjoy this hot parathas with curd or pickle.

I tried it with Tarka dal.

• You may use red radish instead of white radish.

Sada Narkel Naru

These sweets are made with coconut, sugar and then combined with condensed milk. In lokhi puja offering narkel nadu to Goddess Lakshmi is a ritual and in doshomi, the tenth day of durga puja narkel narus are offered along with ghugni to welcome guests.

Ingredients(15 servings):

1. Grated coconut, 1 cup
2. Icing Sugar, 1/2 cup
3. Condensed milk, 4 tbsp
4. Korpur(camphor powder), 1/2 pinch, just for adding the odour to naru, but it's optional.
5. Ghee, 2 tsp
6. And last but not least, make sure you wear handgloves to protect your hands from burning. Just read the recipe and you will understand why I am saying this.

Methods:

1. Grate coconnut and powder sugar.

2. In a pan heat 2 tsp ghee, add coconut, sugar, camphor powder and mix well

3. Combine condensed milk and dry up the mixture a little. When the mixture is ready it will turn slightly brown and sticky.

4. Turn off the flame, but do not remove from the pan in which you cooked the coconut mixture, as it can not be combined to make balls when the mixture cools down, It tends to seperate. So you would have to warm it up often in the middle.

I think now you have got why  I told you to use handgloves.

5. Now make small balls out of the mixture and it's done.

6.Cool them and serve.

P.S.- Though I recommended to use handgloves but since my childhood I have seen my elders making them with bare hands. Even I follow a trick to do the same, still it leaves some red patches on my palm. So plz you do not try to make them in bare hands. Cooking is fun, but that does not mean you have to burn your hands.

Quick Chicken Curry

If you are tired enough on weekend and doesn't want to spend your quality time much in the kitchen then this recipe is surely a rescuer for you. The spices are to blow off your mind beside allowing you to resting yourself and spend the rest of the day on couch watching a scheduled movie or immerse into your favourite book. You can also make this dish and serve with roti, steamed rice  or paratha on weekend gatherings of your friends.

Ingredients(6 servings):

1. Chicken , 1 kg
2. Onion, 3, chopped
3. Garlic cloves, 8
4. Ginger, 1"
5. Tomato, 1 , sliced
6. Green chillies, 4-5, slit from middle
7. Coriander powder, 2 tbsp
8. Garam masala powder, 2/3 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
10. Kashmiri red chilli powder, 2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Sugar, 2 tsp
13. Curd, 2 tbsp
14. Mustard oil, 6 tbsp
15. Whole dry red chilli, 1
16. Cumin seeds, 2 tsp
17. Bay leaf, 1
18. Chopped coriander leaves, 2 handfull

Methods:

In pressure cooker heat oil. Temper oil with bay leaf, red chilli and cumin seeds. After the smoke comes out add blended spices.*

*Blend ginger, garlic, onion and all powdered spices together.

After sauteing the masala for a minute add sliced tomato, green chillies, sugar, salt to taste and curd. Wait till the tomatoes turn soft.

Add 2 tbsp water and wait till the oil seperates. Wash chicken pieces and combine with spices. Cook for 2 mniutes.

Add 2 cups of water and close the lid of cooker. Cook upto 4 whistles and remove from flame. Wait untill the cooker lid loosens. Check if the curry is thick, otherwise bring it to boil untill it thickens. Remove from flame and spread chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with Hot steamed rice, Luchi , paratha.