Kashmiri Pulao

KASHMIRI PULAV

Kashmiri Pulao is aromatic,sweet,mild,colorful.
Kashmiri Pulao is one of the easiest pulao recipes to make and unlike other pulao this one is on the sweeter side .
The pulao is garnished with both dry fruits and fresh fruits.
Dry fruits gives the warmth and is ideal for the cold climate Kashmir.
Kashmir (India)is one of the most beautiful place on earth in terms of scenic beauty .

INGREDIENTS

• Basmati rice -2cups
• Cloves-3
• Cinnamon 1 inch
• Shah jeera-1tsp
• Indian Bay leaf-2
• Star anise-1
• Small mace-1
• Green cardamon-3
• Fennel seed-1tsp
• Salt & Sugar -as per taste
• Ghee-1tbsp
• Oil-1tsp
• Small onion sliced -1/2 cup
• Cashews-10-12
• Raisins-10-12
• Almond-10-12
• Walnut-10-12
• Apple-chopped 1tbsp
• Small grapes- 1cups
• Saffron -soak in warm milk 
• Rosewater -1tsp 

METHOD

Wash and soak rice for 20-30 minutes after that drain  and boil the rice with water add star anise and small mace .

Wait till the rice is half done and keep aside for cool
Meanwhile heat a wok fry sliced onion till turns golden or caramelized and crisp,remove and drain on paper tissues
In the same oil first fry almond ,walnut,raisins and cashews till they are crisp and lightly browned.
Then heat oil and ghee in a deep pan on a low flame  add all the whole spices fry till the oil becomes fragrant.

After that add all dry fruits and half cooked rice stir it.
Then add salt ,sugar ,grapes and saffron milk and stir the whole rice in high flame .

At last switch off the flame after rice fully done then sprinkle with rose water and cover with lid and keep aside for few minutes .

Serve Kashmiri pulao hot and while serving the pulao garnish with fried onion and fruits .

Fish Kabiraji

FISH KABIRAJI

Fish cutlet in kabiraji style meaning fried fish in egg net .
This recipe is the result of British influence on the Bengali cuisine .
The word Kabiraji has probably the origin in 'Coverage' as the cutlet are covered with egg net .
Now a days most the upmarket restaurant in Kolkata do not make these any more but if u want to have a taste of it then better go to small eateries still hold the tradition .

Years back i had these kabiraji cutlets near the Gariahat crossing in kolkata.
The taste still lingers in my memory .

INGREDIENTS

• Fish(Bhetki/Basa/swai) fillets-8
• Eggs-7
• Red chili powder-1tsp
• Black pepper-1/2tsp
• Mustard powder(yellow)-1/2tsp
• Cornflour-1tsp
• Breadcrumbs(optional)-1tsp
• Lemon juice -1tsp
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves chopped -1tbsp

METHOD

Wash the fish fillet , pat them dry and marinate with lemon juice and salt for 30minutes.
Next mix the mustard powder,black pepper,red chili powder ,coriander leaves together and mix with fish fillet and rest it for again 30minutes.
Beat the eggs and mix with cornflour ,breadcrumbs with little salt and reserve it .
Heat some oil in a pan and add 2tbsp of egg mixture 
As soon as it becomes fluffy add the marinated fish fillet and quickly cover it with the egg mixture.
Fry on low heat still the fish fully cooked .

Serve hot with green salad .

Aam Doi (Mango Yogurt)

Aam Doi 

My Dad is a big health freak and diabetic too.
He also has a huge sweet tooth .
 So he has convinced himself and everyone around him that eating sweet is healthy.
Isn't  that brilliant!!
In Mango season in my home town kolkata,which is popular for Misti Doi (sweet yogurt).
Famous sweet shop owners make variant of Misti Doi,Aam Doi(mango yogurt),infusing mango flavor in regular sweet yogurt.
It totally tastes yummy and very easy to make it at home if you have oven .
There is also a top stove version but the procedure is quite lengthy.
A yummy dessert to surprise your friends and family .

INGREDIENTS

• Mango pulp-1cup 

• Whole or full fat milk -1ltr

• Sour curd-1cup

• Sweetend condensed milk -1 cup 

• Sugar-5tbsp

METHOD

Take a cheese cloth and pour the sour curd  on he cheese cloth and tie and hang from your kitchen tap for  1hr.
Now take the milk in a sauce pan and place on heat to boil the milk .
Mean while add sugar .
Boil the milk till the quantity becomes 1/4 of the original amount.
Let the milk to cool down .
Now pre-heat the oven on 240F
Now take a bowl add the hung curd with the milk .
Now  add condensed milk ,mango pulp and mix them all together very gently .
Make sure there should be no lumps.

Take an ovenproof bowl and pour all the mixture and place the Aam Doi mixture inside the pre -heated oven for 1 hour or until the yogurt sets.
When the yogurt is settled ,

turn off the oven and let the yogurt  inside the oven for overnite.

In the morning remove the Aam Doi from the oven and place inside the refrigerator  for chilling .
Then refrigerate for at least 4-5 hrs or more to set fully .
Njoy & serve chilled.

Hakka Noodles & Orange Chicken

KOLKATA STYLE CHICKEN CHOWMEIN & ORANGE CHICKEN

HAKKA NOODLES

Chow Mein is a chinese term for a dish of stir-fried Noodles.
It is a popular Chinese Noodle Meal .
Chinese Noodles are versatile, available in so different form -Stir-fry, soup, gravy, or dry.
When i was in school my mom used to make ChowMein for me in pure Bengali way where you will find some pieces of potato too, but no soy-sauce and still it was real yummy.
My version of ChowMein or Noodles is always cooked with choice of shredded Vegetables,Egg,and shredded chicken .
Most of the time i miss to add the shrimps/prawns,but if you wish ,may add it .
It would give some more extra flavor and really super easy to make .

INGREDIENTS

• Egg Noodles-1packet
• Eggs- 2pcs
• Carrot -1(Julienne cut)
• Onion -1 (Julienne cut)
• Green Capsicum-1 (Julienne cut)
• Bell Pepper-1(Julienne cut)
• Cabbage -1/2 cup(Julienne cut)
• Spring Onion-1/2 cup chopped
• Vegetable oil -4tbsp
• Chili sauce -2tbsp
• Soy sauce-2tbsp
• vinegar-1tbsp
• Green Beans -1/2 cup chopped
• Chicken -1 cup chopped 
• Salt to taste 
• Black Pepper-1tbsp
• Corn flour -1tbsp
• Ginger-1tbsp chopped
• Garlic -1 tbsp chopped
• Sesame oil -1tbsp(optional)

METHOD

• Heat the water in the pot to cook the noodles,when it boils put noodles in and few drops oil with the boiling water .This helps to prevent sticky noodles.
• Meanwhile Cut all the vegetables in julienne shape .
• Marinate the chopped chicken with corn starch ,soy sauce , black pepper,salt and  deep fry them and keep aside 
• After that beat the eggs and fry them as scramble egg and keep aside them too 
• when the noodles are disintegrated and el dente ,it means they are properly cooked and soak or rinse briefly in cold water and then set aside.
• Now heat some more oil in wok and fry all the vegetable .
• When the vegetable become lightly fried add all the fried chicken ,scramble eggs ,salt ,black pepper and boiled noodles and soy & chili sauce,vinegar too and mix well 
• Stir fry for few minutes
• Adjust salt & pepper to taste 
• Yes it is almost done .just before turning off the flame add few drops of sesame oil .
• Garnish with spring onion and serve hot .

ORANGE CHICKEN 

Orange Chicken is an American Chinese dish of Hunan Origin.

The variety of Orange Chicken most commonly found at North-American fast food restaurant consists of crisp,fried chicken bites smothered in wonderfully sweet and tangy orange sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 2lbs boneless chicken -chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2tsp salt
• 2tsp white pepper
• 1/2 cups corn starch
• 1tbsp flour
• oil 
• 1 egg
• t tsp chopped ginger
• 1tsp minced garlic
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup green onion
• 1/2 cup crushed dry red chili pepper1tsp sesame oil

Orange Sauce for stir fry

• 2tbsp soy sauce
• 2tbsp water
• 7tbsp sugar
• 5tbsp white vinegar
• 1 orange zest
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 

METHOD

• Place the chicken in a large bowl  
• Stir in egg,salt ,pepper ,oil and mix well 
• Then stir cornstarch and flour together 
• Coat the chicken with egg and flour mixture together 
• Heat oil for deep frying wok add the chicken and fry 5-6 minutes or until golden crisp.
• Do not overcook the chicken .
• Remove the fried chicken from the oil and drain on paper towel and keep them aside.
• Clean the wok take some fresh oil add ginger -garlic  saute it until fragrant.
• Add green onion ,crushed dry red chili stir fry it for few seconds.
• Then add orange sauce and bring to boil .
• At last add the fried chicken cubes stirring until mix well.
• Add little corn starch + water mixture and toss the chicken with the sauce.
• Heat until sauce is THICKENED
• Add some sesame oil and orange zest 

Serve immediately with Noodle ,Rice etc.

Koraisutir Kochuri

KORAISUTIR KOCHURI 

Koraisutir Kochuri ...Green Pea stuffed fried flat bread, a winter special for Bengalis.
I know it is not winter here .
Thanks to frozen green peas available through out the year,who needs to wait till winter.
I know there is so much nostalgia with peeling fresh green peas those winter days to help your mother .
Luchi is a deep fried flat bread made of wheatflour that is typical of Bengali cuisine,Assamese and Oriya.
If maida is substitute with Atta is called Poori.
Kochuri mean stuffed flatbread with any stuffing like (lentils,potato,fish ).
For Koraishutir Kochuri the stuffing is made of green pea paste.
Grean Pea is called koraishuti.

INGREDIENTS 

For Peas Kochuri

For the Peas stuffing 

• Sweet Green Peas-2 cups 
• Green Chilies-6-7pcs
• Chopped Ginger -1tbsp
• Bhaja Masala-2tbsp*
• Sugar and Salt as per taste

*Bhaja Masala 
The spice for Bhaja Masala

1. Cumin Seeds-2tbsp
2. Coriander seeds-2tbsp
3. Fennel seeds-2tbsp
4. Cloves-10
5. Dry red chili-4-5pcs

Roast the spices for 10-12 minutes at very low heat .
Cool and grind to a fine powder.

METHOD

                For Stuffing 

• If you are using fresh green peas,then shell the peas,wash well and drain the water .
• I used frozen peas, i just thawed and washed them 
• Make a  smooth paste of Green Peas, Green chilies and Ginger with the help of grinder
• Take oil in a pan. 
• when the oil is hot add the green peas paste and cook it in medium flame 
• Keep the paste stirring,
• Gradually it will change color and will dry up .
• when the paste is almost dry add Bhaja Masala and salt .
• when the paste does not sticking to the pan anymore,it is done.
• Let it cool down . Do not dry too much ,you should be able to make round balls with the stuffing without sticking to your hands .
• Now stuffing is done.

For the Dough 

• All purpose flour (maida)-3 cups
• salt -1tsp
• vegetable oil-2tsp
• Hot water to make soft dough

Method 

• Take the flour in a bowl add oil ,salt ,sugar and mix well.
• Gradually add water and make a dough .
• Kneading  the flour till a firm,smooth dough 
• Cover with wet cloth or wet kitchen towel and keep it for 1 hr .
• After 1 hr make a small balls from the dough which is called Lechi in bengali.

• Flatten the dough and take a little stuffing and put inside the dough .

• Now comes the last step of rolling the kochuri and frying it .
• Roll the stuffed dough with rolling pin slowly .
• Green peas stuffing need to make smooth paste ,if we have coarse paste then when we roll the kochuri it will burst out from the dough .
• Heat oil in a deep wok and fry them .

• As it Puffs,turn and frying one by one and put on paper tissue .
• 
  

Usually Koraisutir Kochuri served with Aloor Dum 

BHAPA CHINGRI

BHAPA CHINGRI 

The sound of Bhapa Chingri breathes music in the hearts of Bengalis.

Bhapa is steamed and steaming is honored way to cook in Bengal;spice coated,packed ,sealed and cooked while you hold your breathe ,waiting for the first whiff of the exhilarating aroma.

This is a quintessential dish,made with mix of mustard and poppy seed paste slender hot chili peppers, generous drizzle of mustard oil .

Bhapa Chingri is the ultimate delicacy which does't need any special reason to happen.

I do not want to run complimenting this dish  and leave it to you my friends try out yourself.


INGREDIENTS 

• Medium size Chingri/Prawn/Shrimp-20 pcs
• White Mustard Seed-1/2 cup (soak in water for 10 minutes)

• Black Mustard Seeds-5tbsp(soak in water for 10 minutes)

• Poppy Seeds-2tbsp(soak in water for 10 minutes)
• Green Chilies-7-8 pcs
• Red Chili Powder-1tbsp
• Mustard Oil -5-6tbsp
• Turmeric Powder-2tsp
• Salt
• Sugar
• Grated Cococut-1/2 cup
• curd-1cup
• Kalonji -1tsp

METHOD


Clean the Chingri very well and keep them aside.

Now marinade the chingri with 1tsp salt and 1tsp turmeric powdered and set aside for 20minutes.

In the meantime take a small grinder and make smooth of Black Mustard seeds with 2 green chilies with salt( chilies and salt to remove the bitterness black mustard seeds),white mustard seeds and Poppy seeds with some water  separately .

Pour all the paste in a bowl add red chili powder,salt,sugar,curd Turmeric powder and mix well.

Take a pan heat with little oil, fry the Chingri for 2- 3 minutes and keep aside .

Then with the same pan pour some more mustard oil add kalonji .

After few minutes add the whole paste mixture 
 Saute it for few minutes till the oil oozes out from the masala.

Add all the fried chingri  and green chillies and mix well .

Close the lid of the pan and cook it in low flame for 15 minutes give a gentle stir in between 
AT last add grated coconut and little mustard oil .

Again close the lid for 10 minutes more. 

Turn off the heat let the curry stand for 10-15 minutes.

After 10 minutes open the lid and serve hot with Steamed Rice .