Pull Apart Choco Roll

I have never ever bake a bread till date, for that matter never used yeast for cooking. And I heard about erratic behaviour of this Yeast Monster in so many other forums that I predecided myself that it is not my cup of tea. So when I get the notification from  'Kolkata Food Blogger' regarding this week's theme, 'Yeasty Feasty', my initial reaction was Oh My God !!!  But the moment I raised my concern, advice and tips started pouring in, thanks to all my friends from Kolkata Food Blogger, for almost a week I gathered information and tips on bread making, gone through their experiences, hits and misses and finally able to make these delicious rolls myself for the first time. Since this is my first try and I was not sure about the outcome, I made only 9 - 10 rolls and it disappeared the moment I bring it out of oven and cooled it a bit. :-)  I was not too happy with the photograph too, nevertheless, will have to make a fresh batch of one or two tomorrow again. Oh,, yes,, I am proudly submitting this to the ongoing 'Yeasty Feasty' event of Kolkata Food Blogger group. A Big thank you to KFB to motivate me to come out of my comfort zone and venture into a completely new area.

Ingredients

• Active Dry Yeast - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tbsp
• Lukewarm Milk - 1/2 cup
• All-Purpose Flour - 200 gms
• Butter - 2 tsp + extra for brushing
• Chocolate Hazelnut spread / Nutella - 2 tbsp

Place the yeast and sugar in a cup and pour lukewarm milk into it. Keep it in a microwave oven with the light of the oven on. You may keep it in any warm place. Let it froth for 10 minutes.

Make a soft dough using this frothed yeast and the flour. adding more milk, if necessary. Knead it well for 5 minutes. Then add melted butter and knead again.

Rest the dough covered for 45 minutes until double in size. I again kept it inside microwave oven with the light on.

Punch the dough and knead again. Roll out onto a floured surface until about 1/4th inch thick. Spread the choco hazelnut spread.

 Roll the dough into a spiral log and cut into pieces. Place cut side up in a round baking pan with some space in between for the rolls to rise. Leave to double in size again for about 40 more minutes.

Preheat your oven at 200 degree C for 5 minutes. Now bake for about 15 minutes at 200 degree C till the tops are light golden. Remove and brush with melted butter when hot. 

Let it cool before serving.

Ilish Machher Malaicurry

Yes,,, 'Ilish machh' with coconut milk and garam masala. :-) Nowadays, I have really started experimenting with hilsa and various weird and not so common masalas, and interestingly all are coming out really good. So.. here I am presenting Hilsa malaicurry.

Ingredients:

• Ilish mach / Fish - 5 pieces
• Coconut milk - 1 small sache
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
•  Ginger paste - 2 tsp
•  Cumin paste - 1/2 tsp
•  Slit Green chilies - 3
•  Cardamom - 3
•  Cloves - 4 - 5
•  1 small piece of cinnamon stick
•  ½ tsp Jeera, Cumin Seeds
•  Sugar - 1/2 tsp
•  Salt, Turmeric
•  Mustard Oil

Smear the fish pieces with salt & turmeric and keep aside. Mix the coconut milk powder in a cup of water and keep aside. Heat about 2-3 tsp oil in a pan. Put the fish pieces and quickly turn to the other side. Repeat once again. Remove the fish pieces. Wipe the pan well, put it back to stove.
Put fresh oil and heat, put the whole garom masala and the jeerey. stir, it smells, add 75% of the ginger paste, the red chili powder, cumin powder and stir well. Put the sugar, little salt and sauté and then add little water.

Reduce heat and add the fish pieces one by one carefully. Stir a bit, turn the pieces, stir, then pour the coconut milk, add the green chilies. Let it cook for 5-6 min, then add the remaining ginger paste. Check the seasonings. If it becomes very dry add little warm water. Carefully turn the fish pieces and cook for another 5-6 min.

 Serve with plain rice.

Chicken Keema Matar

A very common dish available in almost all road side dhaba in India. Serve with Tawa Roti and a big salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• Chicken Keema - 250 gms
• Peas - 1/2 cup
• Potato - 1, cubed
• Onion - 2, chopped
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Green Chilli - 4, chopped
• Curd - 2 tbsp
• Salt, Turmeric - as required
• Bay leaf

Mix ginger garlic paste, salt, turmeric, green chilli and curd with the keema and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Add oil in a pan. When it is hot, add the bay leaf. Then add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown. 

Add the potato cubes with salt and turmeric and fry for 1 minute. 

Add the marinated keema and stir continuously. Keema will release lot of water and will get cooked in its own juice.

Add chopped tomato and continue cooking with a lid over low heat till the keema is almost cooked and the water is reduced. Then add the peas and mix well. Cook with the lid on.

When water is completely absorbed, and potatoes are done, check the seasoning. Serve with Paratha.

Achari Gobi

Got the ingredients of this magic masala, which, if used judiciously can make wonder to a otherwise simple dish. Our very own gobi or cauliflower tastes heavenly with the touch of it and it is quite handy for cooking a quick meal too. 

Ingredients

• Cauliflower - 1, medium, cut into florets
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Salt and turmeric - as required
• Amchur powder - a pinch (Optional)
• Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp, chopped

For the achari masala

• cumin seeds - 1 tsp 
• mustard seeds - 1tsp 
• ajawain seeds - 1 tsp 
• saunf or mouri - 1tsp 
• peppercorns - 5-6 

Dry roast the achari masala ingredients on a tawa, let it cool and grind it, keep aside.

Cut Cauliflower into medium sized pieces, Dip in hot water with salt for 10-15 min.
In a pan, heat mustard oil. Fry cauliflower till they are crisp. 

Lower the heat, sprinkle the masala prepared above, some salt haldi and amchoor powder, if using. Add one finely chopped tomato. 

Sprinkle some water, cover the panand let it simmer. Toss it couple of times. 

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Nalen Gurer Mousse - Eggless

Winter is the time of the year when you get the flavor of Bengal, the Nolen Gur, or new Jaggery. The subtle fragrance and sweet taste of Nolen Gur is quite unlike any other ingredients used in traditional Bengali sweets. Sweets like Kachagolla or Sandesh tastes heavenly with the right kind of Gur or Jaggery and almost all sweet shop in Bengal are flooded with these kind of specialty. However, one of my friend, Amrita has gone to the top of her innovative self and used Nolen Gur to make this Eggless Mousse, which looks so divine that I have immediately decided to give it a try and it is an instant hit. A big Thank You to Amrita Gill for sharing this wonderful recipe.

Ingredients

• Paneer or cottage cheese - 1 cup
• Whipped cream - 1/2 cup 
• Grated Nolen gur/Date palm jaggery - 1/2 cup 
• Nolen gur shavings for garnishing

Whip the cream till it makes soft peaks.

Dissolve Nolen gur in 2-3 tbsp warm milk. Blend paneer in a blender till smooth. Do not add any water.
Mix paneer with the dissolved nolen gur. Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Pour in serving bowls and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to set. 

Garnish with Nolen gur shavings. Serve cold.

Prawn Kalia

Fish Market is flooded with 'Golda chingri' ( Prawns with big head) now a days and it is very rare to get good quality Bagda or Chapra Chingri ( Tiger prawns or other varieties). So the moment I get to see them last week end, I just jumped onto them. Cooked 'Chingri Machher Kalia' or Prawn Kalia after a long time. Recipe is a common Kalia recipe which you can use with other fishes as well. However, for prawn dishes, You may omit the garlic, if you want. Being a garlic lover, I try to use it in as many dishes, as possible though. :-)  Also, we prefer our prawn dishes a bit hot and sweet, so used lots of green chilli and atleast a tsp of sugar. Please be judgemental and use the chilli and sugar as per your taste bud.

Ingredients

• Medium Prawns - 500 gms
• Potato - 2, cubed
• Fresh Peas - 1/2 cup
• Onion Paste - 2 tbsp
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 2, chopped
• Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tsp
• Whole garam masala - as required
• Bay leaf - 1
• Salt, Turmeric, Sugar - as required
• Green chilli - 4, chopped
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Garlic - 1 tsp, chopped (Optional)

Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric powder for 15 minutes. Lightly fry the prawns and keep aside.

Fry the potato cubes till golden brown and keep aside.

 Heat some more oil, then add the bay leaf and whole garam masala. Add the onion slices and fry till transparent. Then add the onion paste, ginger paste, chopped garlic and continue frying till the mixture turns golden brown. Add the tomato and chopped green chilli.

Fry well till tomato is mashed. Next add the turmeric and kashmiri chili powder with a little water and stir till oil comes out. Add the fried prawns and potato and mix with the masala.

Add required amount of salt, sugar and 1/2 cup of peas. Next add 1 cup of hot water and cook covered over low heat.

Cook till the potatoes are soft and gravy thicken a bit. Adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with rice or roti.

You may sprinkle some more chopped green chilli at the end, if you like.

Saru Chakli

Saru Chakli is a flat rice based fried pancake traditionally made in Bengal during winter and served with liquid jaggery. I remember having it at my Grand Mom's place during our winter holidays.. Dosa or pancake was quite unheard of during our growing years and this was the first Indian pancake that I have tested. I vividly remember having it  on cold evening straight from the coal chulha.....

Ingredients:

• Urad Dal - 1 Cup
• Rice - 1 Cup
• Salt - a pinch
• Oil for frying

Soak the rice and dal separately for two hours. Grind them to a paste and then mix with a pinch of salt. Keep it covered for 2 hours.

Heat a non-stick tawa really well. Coat it with a film of oil. Take the batter in a tablespoon and spread it on the hot tawa like a dosa or pancake. 

Turn upside down after 1 minute and remove from heat. Serve hot with liquid jaggery / Nolen Gur.