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Sweet and Sour Chana Dal

Serves : 6

Cooking time: 1 Hour

300gms chana dal.
1/4tsp mustard seeds.
1/4tsp fenugreek seeds.
1/4tsp onion seeds.
1/4tsp aniseeds.
5 whole red chillies.
2 bay leaves.
1tsp turmeric powder.
1tsp sugar.
1/2cup fresh coconut sliced into 2 cms long pieces.
2tbsps raisins.
Oil.
Salt to taste.

Procedure:

Soak the dal for 4 hours in water. Pressure cook till soft. Add turmeric, salt and sugar. Keep aside. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds,fenugreek, aniseeds, broken red chillies, onion seeds, bay leaves, coconut chips and raisins. Fry gently till golden. Pour the cooked dal into the fried masala. Add enough water to cook and make into a thick gravy. Simmer and serve with 'loochies' or 'puris'.

Alu Curry (Potato)

Serves : 6

Cooking time: 30 mins

Potato (small & round) - 1/2 kg.
Oil - for frying
Salt - to taste
Onion Paste - 125 gms.
Ginger Paste - 30 gms.
Curd - 50 gms.
Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
Clove - 6 Nos.
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Cardamom - 5 Nos.
Cummin Seed - 1 tsp.
Turmeric Powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp.
Lemon Juice - 1 lemon
Green Chilli - 5 Nos.
Fresh Coriander Leaves - 25 gms.

Procedure:

Peel the small and round potatoes and keep in salty water for 1/2 hour. Fry in oil till golden brown and firm. Keep aside. Take oil in a handi and crackle the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Add the onion paste. Stir for about 5-6 minutes till oil comes to the sides. Add the ginger paste and stir for another 2 minutes. Add red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Bhunno (simmer). Broil cummin seeds in a dry pan and grind them to a powder. Add sugar and broiled cummin powder and stir for 2 minutes. Beat the curd and add to the handi. Lower the temperature and immerse the fried potatoes for simmering. Cook till potatoes are tender by covering the top of the handi. Do not let the steam escape. Add garam masala powder and close the lid. Take off the fire. Serve hot garnished with slit green chillies and chopped coriander leaves

Khatta Baigun (Sweet and Sour Egg Plant)

Serves : 6

Cooking time: 1 Hour

2 lb eggplant
1/2 cup seedless tamarind
1/2 ts ground turmeric
1 ts ground cumin
1/2 ts ground red chilli
2 Ts finely chopped onion
2 ts ground coriander
2 ts salt
1 ts ground garlic
3/4 cup cooking oil
1/4 ts ground ginger 1/2 cup sugar
1 ts panchforan 2 bayleafs


Procedure:

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water. Rub through a sieve and save the thick liquid drained from it. Slice eggplant 1cm/ or 1/2 inch thick, wash and drain water. Mix ground spices and salt to make a paste. Mix eggplant with half of the paste. Fry eggplant slices until light brown in a covered pan. Choose a pan in which 2 or 3 layers of eggplants can be arranged afterwards.
Keep it in the refrigerator for few hours and then serve. It can be made early.
Heat rest of the oil in that pan. Add panchforan, bayleaf, and rest of the spices except sugar and tamarind. Add 1/2 cup of water and stir until oil separates. Add 2 cups of water, tamarind and sugar and arrange eggplant slices. Cover and cook for about one hour. Remove from heat when gravy is thick and is separated.

Vegetable Fried in Batter (Vegetable Fried in Batter)

Serves : 4

Cooking time: 20 mins

2 cups flour
3/4 cup water
1/2 cups cooking oil
1& 1/2 lb sweet pumpkin, palwal, or cauliflower etc.
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Procedure :

Mix oil and flour. Dissolve salt and sugar in water.Add water to flour to make thick batter. Keep batter covered for two hours. Slice pumpkin 1/2 inch thick. Scrape palwal and parse lengthwise. Mixed salt with vegetable and leave for 15 to 20 minutes. Dip one slice of vegetable into the batter and deep fry until brown and crisp. 3 or 4 slices can be fried at a time. This dish can be served as lunch or dinner item or as snacks. Serving size depends on number of slices.

Machchi Ki Sarsori (Fish Curry)

Serves : 4

Cooking time: 1 Hour

1/2 kg fish sliced.
3 potatoes sliced.
2 onions sliced.
2 green chillies.
1 tsp turmeric powder,.
1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped.
100 gms mustard oil, heated and cooled.
Salt to taste.

Procedure:

Mix the onions, potatoes, chillies, turmeric and salt with the fish. Put all these in a pan with the mustard oil and just enough water. Cook on a low fire. Stir carefully without breaking the potatoes and the fish slices. Cook gently till the fish is cooked and browned. Remove from the fire.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Teekha Machcher Jhal (Fish Curry)

Serves : 4

Cooking time: 1 Hour

1 large fish cut into large pieces and fried
2 Potatoes cubed
3 parvals sliced without seeds
1 brinjal cubed
2 raw bananas cut lengthwise and fried,
Mustard oil
Salt to taste

Grind following to a paste, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 4 tomatoes chopped, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 6 red chillies

Procedure : Heat 4 tbsps mustard oil and add the ground masala. Cook till oil separates from the masala. Add the potatoes, parvals, brinjals and fried banana pieces. When the vegetables are tender, add the fried fish Pieces. Add salt. Cook on a low fire till done.

Serve hot with loochis or puris.

Kankrar Jhal (Crab Curry)

Serves : 6

Cooking time: 1 Hour

6 medium Crabs(with body approx. 3 cms diameter), raw or pre-boiled
2 medium sized Potatoes, diced
2 small onions, chopped
3 Tablespoon ginger, grated
2 teaspoon of garlic, grated
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon sugar
2 bayleaves
1 small tomato, diced, or equivalent amount or tomato puree or paste, or tomato sauce
chilli powder, to taste
salt, to taste
oil
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves (optional)
1/2 teaspoon powered mixture of cardamom, clove and cinnamon

Procedure:

If using raw crab, clean it, and take the legs off the body. Cut the body into 2 pieces, discard the hard shell. Or the legs and body lightly with a hammer. Heat 4-5 tablespoons of oil in deep pan and fry the potato. Keep aside. In the same oil, fry the legs of crab and keep aside. Next fry the body and keep aside. Add the bayleaves and garlic to the oil. Fry for a minute, and add onion and ginger paste. Stir fry on low to medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until onion becomes light brown. DO NOT overcook onion - it makes the curry bitter. Add turmeric, chilli and tomato. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes and add potatoes, sugar and salt. Add water (enough to cover potatoes) and boil, covered, on medium heat, until the potatoes are Half done. Add the crab and boil, covered, until the crabs are done. Add some water if required. Sprinkle the coriander leaves and cardamom-clove-cinnamon powder mixture on top before serving

Note :

1.If you are living in a country where you can buy boiled crab at seafood store, buy that instead of raw crab.
2.Crabs come in different sizes - adjust the ingredients according to the size of crab.
3.The dish tastes best when eaten immediately after preparation.

Doi Mach (Fish in Yoghurt)

Serves : 4

Cooking time: 40 mins

250 gm Rohu fish
100 gm Thick curd
1 tbsp. Onion paste
1 tbsp. Ginger paste
1\2 tsp. Garlic paste
1 tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Red chilly powder
3 Cardamom
3 Cloves
1 inch stick Cinnamon
2 Bay leaves
6-8 Raisins
2 Green chillies (slit)
4 tbsp. Oil
1 tsp. Ghee
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Wash the fish. Whip the curd well. Take a large bowl and prepare a marinade with the curd, onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, sugar, chilli powder, sugar and salt and mix well. Marinate the fish pieces in the mix for half an hour. Grind the garam masala. Now heat oil in a pan; when the oil is ready add the bay leaves and the garam masala and allow it to splutter. Once you get the aroma of the masala, add the raisins and fry them lightly. Now add the fish pieces and shallow fry them. Finally add the marinade and cook till the fish is well done. When the fish is done add the ghee and the green chillies. Serve hot with rice

Prawn Curry and Cashew Rice (Prawn Curry and Cashew Rice)

Serves : 4

Cooking time: 1 Hour

1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1/2 pound shelled and deveined medium shrimp
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red, pepper
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 heaping tablespoon minced cilantro

For the cashew rice:
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup converted rice
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped cashews
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Procedure for prawn curry:

Saute garlic, ginger root and shrimp in oil in large skillet until shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes. Add coconut milk, turmeric and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium-low heat 2 to 5 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked and liquid is hot. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over Cashew Rice.
Note: Do not use sweetened coconut milk designed for cocktails.

Procedure for cashew rice:

Melt butter in medium pan. Add rice and saute 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until grains are glossy. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir in green onions and cashews. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Mishti Doi (Sweet Curd, Yogurt)

Serves : 4

Cooking time: Setting Time

Milk 1 litre
Unsweetened curd, (smooth) ½ tsp.
Sugar 1 cup.
Water 2 tbsp.

Procedure:

Boil milk till almost half its original quantity and leave to cool slightly. Blend sugar and water on extremely slow fire and lightly caramelize (light brown). While still liquid, quickly stir caramel into hot milk and whisk vigorously. When milk is room temperature (slightly lukewarm) stir in unsweetened curd till well-mixed. Set overnight in a warm place. Chill when set.

Mishti Doi, Dodhi, Yogurt

Mishti Doi - The Traditional sweet dish of Bengal
(Recipe By Rajesh Gupta, Published In Savvy Cook Book issue dated Sept-Oct 1998)

Quantity: 1.5 kgs
Ingredients:
Milk 2.250ltrs (Buffalo Milk with full fat is req.)
sugar 500 gm
Yogurt (Dahi) 25gms
Earthen pot (handi) Small container of 1.5 kg. capacity Or Deep Bowl

Method:
Add 300gms of sugar to the milk and put to boil on Medium heat for at least 45mins and beat the milk constantly while boiling.
See that the milk is reduced to almost 40 % and becomes thick and light brown in color.
Place the remaining 200gms of sugar in heavy bottom vessel with 50ml of water and melt on low heat Allow the sugar mixture to turn dark brown in colour.
Gradually add this sugar mixture to the boiled milk and boil again for 15 minutes.
Take it off the flame and beat constantly with a jar till the mixture becomes Luke warm.
Transfer the mixture into the Earthen Pot.
Mix the Yogurt into the mixture after 5 min.
Cover and allow to set for 8 to 12 hours at a warm place, do not open or move the pot during this period.
Uncover and Store in a refrigerator, Serve Chilled.