Patol Posto (Pointed Gourd with Poppy Seeds)

A simple Patol Recipe with coconut milk and posto ( Poppy Seed paste). Tastes best with plain rice. 

Ingredients

• Potol ( Parwal, Pointed Gourd) - 1/2 Kg  
• Poppy Seed Paste - 1/2 cup
• Coconut Milk - 1 Pack
• Green Chilli - 4
• Mouri (Fennel Seed) - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp and extra for frying
• Salt and Turmeric - As required
• Sugar - 1 tsp

Wash and remove the skin of the potol.

Fry in batches with salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside.

Add mustard oil in the kadai and add Fennel Seed. 

When it crackles, add the poppy seed paste, salt, turmeric, chopped green chilli and fry well.

Add the coconut milk mixed with water and mix with the poppy seed paste. Let it simmer for 30 seconds.

Now add the fried patol and stir so that all the patols are nicely coated with the poppy seed, coconut milk mixture. Let it simmer for 5 minutes over low heat or until the patols are done.

Adjust the seasoning. Mix the sugar as well. Serve hot with plain rice. 

Chicken DoPiaza

A very popular Indian dish, this is the bengali version of the same. As the name suggests, doPiaza means double the onion or onions added twice.

Ingredients

• Chicken - 500 gms        
• Onions - 5, big - chopped finely
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
• Green Chilli Paste - 1 tsp
• Hung Curd - 100 gms
• Salt and Sugar - As per taste
• Mustard Oil - as required

Marinate the chicken with vinegar for one hour. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the onion slices till golden brown.

Add more oil and fry the marinated chicken pieces till golden brown.

Add ginger, garlic, green chilli paste, salt, turmeric and sugar. Add beaten curd and mix well.

Add the fried chicken pieces and coat well with the masala mixture. Add half of the fried onions and mix well.

Add a cup of hot water and let it simmer over low heat. Stir occasionally.

Cook till the chicken is done and the thick gravy is formed. Adjust the seasoning. Add the remaining fried onions and mix well. Serve hot.

Sabji Dal (Lentil with Vegetables)

Moong Dal cooked with cauliflower and peas... very delicious and healthy too. 

Ingredients

• Moong Dal - Dry roasted - 1/2 cup   
• Cauliflower - 1
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Potato - 1, cut into cubes
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Jeera / Cumin - 1 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2
• Green Chilli - 2
• Salt, Turmeric, Sugar - As required
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Pressure cook the roasted moong dal with salt, turmeric and green chillies.

In a kadai, add oil. When it is hot, add bayleaves and jeera and let it crackle.

Fry the potatoes till golden brown. Add cauliflower and fry for 2 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and continue frying.

Add boiled dal with a cup of water. Adjust the salt and sugar. Add the peas and mix well.

 Let it boil for some time till the vegetables become soft. Add a spoonful of ghee if you like. Serve immediately.

Holi Special Thandai

This chilled almond flavored beverage is a traditional drink served during Holi. Very tasty and cools you down instantly.

Ingredients

• Milk - 1 litre   
• Almonds - 20
• Cashewnuts - 15
• Pistachios - 20
• Poppy seeds (khuskhus/posto) - 3 tbsp
• Saffron (kesar) - a few strands
• Sugar - 1 Cup
• Green cardamoms - 8
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Black pepper - 8

Soak almonds, cashewnuts, pistachios and poppy seed in water for 15 minutes. Take it out of water and make a fine paste using a little milk if required.
Grind green cardamoms, cinnamon and black pepper to a fine powder.

Bring milk to a boil in a pan with a few strands of saffron.

When the milk begins to boil add sugar and simmer till the sugar melts. Add the nut paste to the milk and mix well.

Simmer for 5 minutes. You may need to stir the milk continuously to avoid sticking to the base. Add the powdered masala to the milk and mix well.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Serve chilled.

Fish n Chips

Crispy and comforting,,,these are the two words that comes in my mind, when I think of Fish n Chips. Stay away from this recipe,,,if you are health conscious.:-)

Ingredients

• Fish Fillets - 8, boneless     
• Bread Crumbs - 1 cup
• Mixed Dried Herbs ( Oregano, basil, Parseley)-2 tbsp
• Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp
• Salt and Pepper - As per taste
• Egg - 1, beaten
• Oil for frying

Wash and pat dry the fish fillets.
Marinate the fillets with salt, pepper, half of the mixed herbs and lemon juice. Keep refrigerated.

Mix the remaining herbs into the breadcrumbs with a pinch of salt and spread it on a plate. Beat the egg with 2-3 tbsp of water.
Dip the fish fillet in the beaten egg, shake excess egg so that the fillets are just moistened, and press well onto herbed crumbs.

 Heat oil in a frying pan. Do not make the oil too hot as the bread crumbs will brown very fast before the fish is cooked through.
Fry the fish fillet on medium heat till golden brown.

To serve, arrange the fried fish in a plate along with finger chips, Mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce. Best enjoyed with a slice of lemon.

Watermelon Juice

Summer is round the corner and it is time to shift the focus onto light food and juices. Tried this watermelon juice today,, it is really yummy and refreshing.

Ingredients

• Watermelon - 1 cup, chopped roughly  
• Sugar - 2 tbsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt - a pinch

Chop the watermelon and remove all the seeds. Keep refrigerated.

Whisk the chilled watermelon with sugar in a blender. Strain the blended juice using a soup strainer.

Add the lemon juice and salt. Mix well. Cover half of the serving glass with ice cubes.

Pour the juice over the ice cubes. Serve immediately.

Chyanchra with Pui Muturi

Chyanchra is a mixed vegetables like charchari, but it's the fish head and fish oil that makes it different from a charchari. This is the season we get 'pui muturi' ( fruits(???) of pui shaak) in the market, mixed some other vegetables and added fried fish oil. The dish is ready.

Ingredients

• Pui Muturi - 1 bowl      
• MIxed vegetable - 1 big blowl
• Fish Oil
• Paanch Foron - 1 tsp
• Green Chillies - 3, chopped
• Salt and turmeric - as required
• Sugar - 1 tsp ( optional)
• Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp

Fry the fish oil in very little mustard oil over high heat for 1-2 minutes and keep aside.

Add remaining mustard oil in the kadai, when it is sufficiently hot, add the chopped green chilli and paanchforon. 

Lightly fry the brinjals with salt and turmeric and keep aside.

Now add remaining vegetables, add salt and turmeric and cook covered till the vegetables are almost done. 

Add the fried fish oil as well as fried brinjal and mix well, cook uncovered, till all the water evaporates and all vegetables mix well with each other. Adjust the seasoning. You may add the sugar at this stage. Goes well  as a side dish with plain rice and daal.