Basundi

Ingredients:

2 litres milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp elaichi powder

dry fruits for garnishing

Method:

• Cook milk in a heavy bottom pan on a slow flame, till it is reduced to half and has a thick consistency. Keep stirring the milk while it is on the flame.
• When the milk is reduced to the desired consistency, add the elaichi powder and stir. Add sugar and boil the milk till the sugar dissolves completely.
• Add the dry fruits (reserve some for garnishing)and cook for a minute. Turn the gas off and pour the milk in the serving bowl.
• Garnish with the remaining dry fruits and serve hot with puris.

Tips:

• Keep stirring the milk at regular intervals or else the cream will keep forming on the milk.
• I do not like bits of cream while i eat the basundi. What I however do is before adding the sugar I pass the milk, which has been reduced, through a steel sieve, and press the cream really hard through the seive, this way the basundi gets a smooth texture(which some may not like...in such a case you can skip this).
• It is extremely important to use a heavy bottom vessel while cooking milk, or else the milk will stick to the bottom and get brunt. Milk easily absorbs any flavour including burn, so be careful.
• Basundi should always be prepared on a slow flame.
• I normally add pistas and badam, you can add any other dry fruits of your choice. However, blanch the badam and pista before you add them.
• To blanch the badam/pista take a microwave safe bowl, add the pistas, badam and water and microwave covered for 1 1/2 minute. Let it cool. You can then easily peel off the skin, cut them and add to any recipe.
• Blanching of pista is very important as its only after blanching that you get to see that lovely pista colour.
• You may add saffron if you so desire.
• The quantity of sugar can be adjusted to suit ones taste.
• Basundi tastes equally good if had chilled.

Cholar Dal Paneer (Chana Dal with Paneer)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chana dal

1/2 cup water

1oo gms paneer

1 medium sized onion, finely grated

1 tomato, finely grated

3 cloves of garlic, finely grated

1" ginger, finely grated

1 green cardamom (elaichi)

1" cinnamon (dalchini)

2 cloves (laung)

1/2 tsp coriander Powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

3/4 tsp haldi powder

2 1/2 tsp oil

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

for garnish

pinch of cardamom powder

pinch of cinnamon powder

Method:

• Wash chana dal and soak it in water, keep aside.
• In a pressure cooker, add chana dal, water, haldi and salt, cover with the lid and light the flame to high. Take one whistle on high flame and three on medium whistle. Turn the gas off and let the pressure drop by itself.
• Cut paneer into cubes.
• Heat a kadai add 1 1/2 tsp of oil add the paneer pieces and shallow fry the paneer pieces till light golden in colour. Transfer on a tissue paper.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai, add elaichi, dalchini and laung, when they crackle add onion, ginger and garlic. Let the onion cook till it changes colour.
• Add grated tomato and stir well. Let the tomato cook well. Add jeera powder, coriander powder, salt, kashmiri red chilli powder and mix well.
• Once the masala is cooked add sugar and the cooked dal. Mix gently.
• Add the paneer pieces and garnish with cinnamon powder and cardamom powder.

Tips:

• You can use ghee in this recipe instead of oil, it gives a very distinct and good flavour.
• Paneer pieces can be deep fried.
• Raw paneer pieces can be added, but I prefer to fry the paneer.
• Once the paneer is fried , it can be drained on a tissue paper. Paneer pieces can also be soaked in water (or salt water), it helps keep the paneer soft.
• The chana dal for this recipe should not lose its shape. It should hold its shape hence do not overcook.
• If you soak the dal the cooking time of the dal would be reduced.
• Instead of grated onion you can grind the onion in the mixie. The same applies to tomato, ginger and garlic.
• Ready-made ginger garlic paste can be used instead of fresh ginger and garlic, however, I feel fresh paste give better taste...its healthy too!
• The consistency of this dal is quite thick, it does not have a very thin consistency.
• The recipe given above gives two servings! its a treat for those who love paneer.
• This recipe taste good with any type of roti...you can also have it with rice!!!

Sitaphal Tarkari (Pumpkin Vegetable)

Ingredients:

200 gms sitaphal (pumpkin),cut into big cubes

2 tbsp raw rice

3 tbsp grated fresh coconut

1 tsp oil

1/4 tsp panch phoren

1/4 tsp jeera powder

1/4 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp haldi

1/2 tsp sugar

1 green chilli

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

salt to taste

water

Method:

• Wash and soak rice in 5 tbsp of water.
• Soak mustard seeds and green chilli in water for 5-7 mins. Drain and grind to a paste.
• Heat a kadai. Add oil and heat it on a medium low heat, add panch phoren. When the panch phoren crackles add the sitaphal and mix well. Add rice (after draining the water) and mix well.
• Add haldi powder, jeera powder, coriander powder, sugar and salt and mix well.
• Add 3 tbsp of water, cover the kadai with the lid and let it cook on sim. Occasionally stir and keep adding 1 tbsp of water at a time so that the rice is done. Approximately 4-5 tbsp of water would be required.
• Once the rice is almost done, add grated coconut and stir. Cover and cook for 2 mins. Add the mustard and chilli paste. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
• Garnish with eliachi powder and cinnamon powder and serve.

Tips:

• Panch phoren is a mixture of equal quantity of 5 seeds viz: rai (mustard seeds), methi (fenugreek seeds), saunf (fennel seeds), kalonji (nigella seeds) and jeera (cumin seeds).
• In Bengali cuisine rai (mustard seeds) are replaced with radhuni. Radhuni has a peculiar fragrance and imparts its distinct taste and flavour to the food its added to. Since the above recipe is Bengali, you can also add radhuni.
• Mustard paste/ sauce can also be added instead of ground mustard.
• You can grind the mustard in a mortar and pastle.
• The sitaphal should not be peeled, the skin should be retained.
• Do not add all the water together, add the water in parts and cooked covered on sim. Sitaphal (pumpkin) should retain its shape.
• The quantity of green chilli can be altered according to taste.
• The above recipe is for two servings.
• This is an everyday recipe hence is prepared in less quantity of oil, you can increase the quantity of oil if you so desire.

Mushroom Matar

Ingredients:

5 button mushrooms cut into 6 pieces each

1/4 cup fresh green peas

1 medium sized onion

1 large tomato

1 " ginger

3 cloves of garlic

1tsp tomato ketchup

2 cloves

1 cardamom

1/2 tsp dry coriander powder

1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder

1/2 tsp jeera powder

pinch of garam masala

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

1/2 tsp kasuri methi

1 tbsp cream

Method:

• Grind ginger, garlic and onion into a fine paste and keep aside.
• Grind the tomatoes into a puree.
• Heat a kadai on a medium flame, add oil, add cloves and whole cardamom. Stir and add the onion paste. Simmer the gas and cover the kadai with a lid. Let the onion cook well. Stir occasionally.
• Once the onions turn dark pink in colour, add the tomato paste. Stir. Cover the kadai and let it cook on sim. Stir, Add salt and green peas. Cover and let the masala cook.
• Once the tomatoes are cooked add coriander powder, jeera powder and kashmiri mirch powder. Add 2 tbsp of water. Mix well and let the masala cook well.
• Once the masala is cooked, add tomato ketchup, 1/2 cup of water and mushrooms. Let the gravy come to a good boil. Once the mushrooms are cooked, discard the cloves and cardamom and add kasuri methi, garam masala and sugar. Simmer for a minute and turn the flame off.
• Add the cream, mix and serve.

Tips:

• The onion paste should be cooked well, otherwise it will give a raw smell to the gravy.
• At any stage if the gravy sticks to the kadai keep adding 1 tsp of water at a time.
• If using frozen peas then add them along with the mushrooms as it need less time to cook.
• Peas can separately boiled and added to this recipe. In such a case just add 1/2 tsp of sugar and salt while boiling the peas, sugar will help the peas retain its green colour.
• Fresh peas can also be microwaved. Just add salt and microwave covered for 4 mins.
• Mushrooms take very less time to cook, hence add it after the masala is cooked.
• Once the tomato puree leaves the sides of the kadai, it indicated that it is cooked.
• If using readymade tomato puree, reduce the quantity to half.
• Sugar enhances the other flavours in this preparation.
• Add the cream only after turning off the flame or else it may cuddle.
• Best way to store kasuri methi is to put it in an airtight box and keep it in the freezer.
• You can retain the cloves and cardomom in the recipe given above, i discard them cause it may get difficult for the guest to eat and in any case the flavour are already absorbed in the gravy before discarding.
• I normally use less oil in my recipes, you may increase the quantity or even use mixture of ghee and oil to enhance the flavour.
• Cream can be avoided, but i feel it gives a very good flavour, colour and texture to this preparation.
• You can even replace the mushroom with paneer to get matar paneer!!!!
• The above recipe gives two servings.
• Serve mushroom matar with roti or any rice preparation.

Bel Sharbat

Ingredients:

1 Bel fruit

1 lit water

for sweet juice

sugar as per taste

for sweet and salty juice

black salt as per taste

roasted jeera powder as per taste

sugar as per taste

Method:

• cut the bel fruit. Scoop the flesh of the bel fruit with the help of a spoon.
• pour the water in a vessel.
• transfer the scooped fruit in the vessel and cover it. keep this aside for 5-6 hours.
• Sieve the water and discard the seeds.
• transfer the juice into a bottle and store in the fridge.
• At the time of serving, if you like sweet juice, transfer the juice in a serving glass add powder sugar as per taste, mix and serve.
• if you prefer slightly sweet and salty, add black salt, sugar and jeera powder as per taste, mix well and serve.

Tips:

• if you like the juice to be of a thin consistency, at the time of serving add more quantity of water and mix well.
• you can also add 1/2 tsp of lemon for the sweet and salty version.
• you can add normal salt along with the black salt.
• I prefer to soak the pulp of the bel overnight.
• powdered sugar or castor sugar is preferred over granular sugar to add to any shake or juice as its easy to dissolve.
• serve this chilled to beat the scorching heat!!

Rice Noodles with Mushroom in Black Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

100gms rice noodles

3 large size button mushroom, sliced

8 cloves of garlic, finely grated

1" ginger, finely grated

2 spring onion along with green, sliced

1/4 tsp black bean sauce

1/2 tsp pepper powder

salt to taste

4 tsp oil

Method:

• boil water in a vessel. Once the water starts boiling, turn the flame off, add the rice noodles and close the lid of the vessel. Let it stand for 2 mins. Drain the noodles in a colander. Sprinkle 2 tsp of oil, mix and leave it aside.
• in a wok heat 2 tsp of oil. Add the garlic on a high flame and mix. Add ginger, stir on a high flame. Add the spring onions and mushroom. Stir on a high flame. Add pepper powder and mix.
• Mix black bean sauce with 2 tsp of water add to the vegetables. Add vinegar and salt. Mix well.
• Add in the cooked rice noodles, stir fry, add the green of spring onion and serve hot!!!

Tips:

• do not overcook the rice noodles. Rice noodles take very little time to cook hence you can also wash the rice noodles with hot water and keep it aside. Add oil just before mixing the vegetables.
• you can add any other vegetables. Bell peppers, corn also taste good with this.
• black bean sauce also has some salt content hence add salt in the end after checking it for seasoning.
• the recipe above has a predominant garlic flavour you can reduce the quantity of garlic if you so desire.
• you can use olive oil, sesame oil or any refined oil.
• Add the greens of the spring onions either after adding the sauce or as garnish. Do not cook it for long.
• sprinkling some toasted sesame seeds as garnish also gives it a good taste.
• sprinkling some toasted pinenuts as garnish also gives it a good taste.
• for the non veg version of this recipe you can add boiled chicken pieces and/or egg.
• the above recipe is for two servings.

Dahi Bhindi

Ingredients:

5 medium sized bhindi (okra/lady's finger)

1 tsp of oil

1/4 tsp salt

4 tsp water

for the tempering

1 tsp oil

1/2 medium sized onion, finely chopped

1 red chilly whole

1/2 small sized tomato, finely chopped

1/4 tsp urad dal, washed and soaked

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

5 curry leaves

1/4 tsp haldi

for the paste

5 cashew

1/4 cup grated coconut

1/4 cup dahi

1/4 cup water

salt to taste

Method:

• wash the bhindi and pat dry. Cut each bhindi horizontally into 2 to get 10 pieces.
• wash and soak the urad dal in 1 tbsp of water for 10 mins. Drain before using.
• heat a kadai and add 1/2 tsp of oil. Heat the oil on a medium flame. Add the bhindi and stir, turn the flame on sim and close the lid, stir occasionally and keep adding 1 tsp of water at a time if required. Once the bhindi is cooked, turn the flame off.
• grind together cashew and coconut into a fine paste.
• mix curd to the cashew and coconut paste.
• heat a kadai. Add 1 tsp of oil. Add black mustard seed, when they splutter add the whole red chilli, urad dal and curry leaves. Cook till urad dal changes its colour. Add onion and saute. Add tomato and haldi and cook for two mins on medium low flame.
• once the tomato is cooked turn the gas off. Add 1 tbsp of water and mix well. Add the curd and coconut paste and mix well for a min. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix well.
• switch on the flame and cook the gravy on a low flame. Add salt to taste.
• cook the gravy to desired consistency. Add the fried bhindi, simmer for a minute. Switch off and serve hot.

Tips:

• you can also add hing to the tempering.
• you can also add garlic and ginger paste along with the onion.
• if the dahi is sour tomatoes can be avoided.
• it is very important to mix cashewnut paste to the curd, this prevents the curd from cuddling.
• this gravy thickens when it comes to room temperature, accordingly switch off the flame at a slightly thinner consistency than you actually desire.
• it is very important to get the pan off the flame and add a little bit of water before you add the curd mixture. This helps to prevent curd from cuddling.
• if you want a thicker gravy, reduce the amount of water added to the curd. Alternatively, you can increase the number of cashewnuts.
• you can 1/4 tsp of sugar to balance the flavours.
• you can also deep fry the bhindi. Add 1 tsp of cornflour to the bhindi and deep fry, it will result in crispy bhindi.
• you can keep the bhindi soft or crispy as per your taste.
• if you keep the bhindi crispy then do not cook the crispy bhindi in the gravy instead mix it with the gravy just before serving.
• you can sustitude the bhindi with fried brinjal,cauliflower, potato etc.
• this gravy tastes good with rotis, paratha or malabari paratha!