Pink Lentil Fritters aka Musoor Dal er Bora

In my childhood days when it used to come to a niramish din(the day when people are supposed to eat vegetarian food only) at our home, my ma used to cook dal and rice on some 'no non-veg' days and I hated eating dal and rice that time. Then it was only musoor dal er bora that she made to make me convince to finish my meal. 

Though now I prefer regular dal rice in most of the days as I do not crave for spicy or junk foods untill I am really bored and also my love for these moong dal fritters still remains the same.

Specially in hot Summer days the combination of Plain steamed rice, musoor dal sedho(Pink lentil cooked with salt, sugar, turmeric powder, green chillies and added few drops of mustard oil after it is cooked) and Musoor dal er bora brings heaven for me.

Ingredients(8 fritters):

1. Musoor dal(Pink lentil), 1/2 cup
2. Onion, 1 : chopped
3. Green chillies,2
4. Kalo jeera(Nigella seeds), 2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Sugar, 2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
8. Mustard oil, 8 tbsp

Methods:

Soak dal for 30 minutes and then blend dal and green chillies into a smooth paste. Use 3 tbsp water for that.

I can't take to bite green chillies. So, I blended them . You can add chopped green chillies if you want.

Mix all other ingredients and 1 tbsp mustard oil with the paste and set aside fo 10 minutes.

In a pan heat oil and as the smoke comes out take some mixture in your hand and slide into oil. Fry the sides till they are golden brown. Keep the flame at mid-point.

Remove from oil and serve hot with rice and dal or just like that.

Cheese Envelopes

Movie/ Party with friends = Snacking. Experimented with some left over cottage cheese and sorted Indian spices to make a crunchy party snack. It was an weekend evening and my ma demanded for some snack to boost up the windy, rainy atmosphere of monsoon that complemented a scheduled movie we watched that evening.

Ingredients(8 servings):

1. Cottage cheese, 100 gm
2. Boiled Potato, 1, large 
3. Green peas, 1 handfull
4. All purpose flour, 1 cup
5. Chopped coriander leaves, 2 tbsp
6. Green chillies, neatly chopped, 1 tbsp
7. Garlic cloves, neatly chopped, 1/2 tbsp
8. Red chilli powder, 2 tsp
9. Coriander powder, 2 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Sugar, 3 tsp
12. Refined oil ( vegetable oil is appropiate for deep frying, like I used Soybean oil)

Methods:

Combine flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar, 4 tbsp oil and knead into dough.

For stuffing in a pan heat 4 tbsp oil . Add chopped garlic first and then boiled potato, green peas, all the powdered spices, chopped green chillies, salt to taste and 1 tsp sugar. After sauteing for a minute add small cubed paneer and coriander leaves. Combine well and remove from flame.

Make small balls out of dough and roll each of them into 3' diameter. Place 1 tbsp stuffing in the centre, First fold one edge to other side to form semi-circle and then fold both the sides to the centre to shape like an envelope.

In a pan heat enough oil for deep frying. Slide the envelopes into oil and fry till they are golden brown.

Serve with tomato ketchup or your favourite dips.

Stuffed Pomfret

Stuffed Pomfret is a popular Goan cuisine, also known as Pomfret Recheado. Pomfrets are stuffed with coriander leaves, coconut and certain other ingredients and served as side dish. You just can't ignore these spicy and mouthwatering pomfrets when served before you.

Ingredients(2 servings):

1. Pomfret fish, 2
2. Grated coconut, 100 gm(3/4 cup)
3. Coriander leaves, 1 cup
4. Tamarind paste, 1 tbsp
5. Garlic Cloves, 5
6. Ginger, 1"
7. Red chilli powder, 2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
9. Green chillies, 2
10. Salt to taste
11. Sugar, 1 tsp( to balance the acidity)
12. Rice flour(optional)
13. Semolina
14. Refined oil, 4 tbsp
15. Lime juice, 1 tbsp

Methods: 

Cut the fins and tail of fish. You may or may not cut the head. Clean the fish from inside. Remove bones and marinate them with 1 tsp salt, turmeric powder and lime juice.

Blend coconut, coriander leaves, garlic cloves, green chillies, ginger, tamarind paste, red chilli powder, sugar together. Mix salt as per your taste with chutney and fill the pomfrets with the chutney. For each pomfrets you will be needing 2 tbsp chutney. 

**When you blend the ingredients do not add water at first. After blending if you find the mixture too tight then add 1 tbsp water.

Mix semolina, rice flour; as much required and a pinch of salt to coat the pomfrets well. In a pan heat oil and when the smoke emits add pomfrets. Shallow fry them keeping the flame lower to make sure that the pomfrets are cooked from inside.

You may also grill or bake them instead of frying.

Serve hot with bread or rice or grab just like that.

Enjoy!!! :)

Radhaballavi

Radhaballavis are part of a typical weekend breakfast in a Bengali's home. Round and fluffy puris, stuffed with arhar dal(split pigeon peas) can be enjoyable with alu dam or masala aloo. These puris just make your day when enjoyed with family.

Ingrediemts(12 puris):

1. All purpose flour, 200 gm
2. Arhar dal(Split Pigeon peas), 150 gm
3. Fennel seeds, 2 tbsp
4. Ginger, 1"
5. Salt, 1 tsp
6. Sugar, 1 tsp
7. Soybean oil / Any refined oil

Methods:

Soak dal overnight.

Blend dal ginger and fennel seeds together . Do not add more than 2 tbsp water to blend. Roast fennel seeds lightly before blending. You can make fennel powder beforehand and then use for blending too. In a pan add 2 tbsp oil and cook the mixture with 1 tsp salt and 1 and 1/2 tsp sugar till the water evaporates and it forms a dough like consistency.

Combine flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Knead the dough with luke warm water and then keep aside for 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Make small balls out of dough and roll into 5" diameter. You can also measure using your finger, it's a little more than the length of your index finger.

Place 1 tbsp stuffing right in the middle and then fold the sides to the centre. Roll the dough again to same diameter. Apply firm pressure to roll otherwise the stuffing will come out.

In a pan heat enough oil for deep frying. Slide one puri into oil. As they start to inflate and change colour flip the puri. Fry both the sides till golden brown and then remove from flame. Keep the flame medium and fry puris one by one.

Serve hot. 

Prawn Oats Patty

Ingredients (4 servings):

1. prawns, 200 gm
2. Potato, 1 large
3. Onion, 1
4. Tomato, 1 small
5. Salt to taste
6. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
7. Coriander Leaves, 1 handfull
8. Cornflour powder, 1 tbsp
9. Oats
10. Soybean Oil/Olive oil

Methods:

Clean prawns well and marinate them with 1 tsp salt and turmeric powder.Toss them in oil till turn soft.Remove excess oil form pan leaving 2 tbsp. Add chopped onion and tomato . Boil and mash potato and add to oil. Season with salt to taste. Add coriander leaves and prawns. Combine everything and cook for a minute till the excess oil from potato removes. This only takes 2 minutes.

Remove the mixture from flame and mix cornflour powder. Take 4 tbsp of mixture and shape like a patty using your hand. Coat them with lightly roasted oats.You can use bread crumb instead of oats.

Fry in oil till turn golden brown. Serve Hot with salad.

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.