Aloo Dhonepata Posto

Another version of Aloo Posto is here where the posto or poppy seed is ground with a handful of fresh coriander leaves to give a new dimension to the ever popular aloo posto. We prefer to have aloo posto with a bit of gravy, however the traditional aloo posto is a dry dish usually served with rice and kolai dal.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 4, diced
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Poppy seeds - 3 tbsp
• Coriander leaves: a handful
• Green chillies - as per taste
• Nigella seeds/kalo jeere: 1/2 tsp
• Mustard oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt, turmeric, sugar

Soak the poppy seeds in water. Then make a paste of it along with the coriander leaves and green chillies adding a little bit of water. Set aside.

In a non-stick kadhai, add mustard oil. Once oil heats up add the nigella seeds, and 2 green chillies slit longitudinally. Stir for 45 seconds before adding the potato cubes. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric and cook the potatoes covered on medium heat for 10 minutes. 

In the last 3-4 minutes, add the onions. 

Add the poppy seed-coriander-green chilli paste and coat the potatoes and onions well with that. 

 Add a cup of water. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. In between check seasoning and add salt if required. Add a pinch of sugar to balance the taste.

When potatoes are cooked, remove from heat and add a spoonful of raw mustard oil. This is a very important step to get the authentic taste of aloo posto. 

Serve hot with plain rice.

Chicken DakBanglow

In the Bengali Food Blogger community, almost everybody has a version of Chicken Dakbanglow Recipe. Off late,  I was ignoring it for some time since the photographs seen so far was not so appealing to me. This Sunday, when it comes to cook the Chicken dish for Sunday Lunch, ( which must be of Indian Origin, must go well with rice etc. etc.) I have decided to give it a try and boy, it was awesome. I could not imagine the simplest of ingredients available in all Bengali household can yield this result. A must try. 
Note: Since we had it with rice, I keep some gravy but if you are planning to have it with Roti, please reduce the water and make a thick gravy. It should be equally good!!!

Ingredients

• Chicken - 1 kg
• Potatoes - small  -6,
• Eggs - 3
• Onion - 4, chopped
• Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Tomato - 1, chopped
• Curd - 2 tbsp
• Green Chilli Paste - as per taste
• Salt, sugar, Turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Nutmeg powder - a pinch
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Marinate the chicken and baby potatoes with salt, turmeric, curd and green chilli paste. 

Hard boil and peel the eggs. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry the eggs till golden.

In the same pan, fry the potatoes till golden brown and keep aside.

Add some more oil to the same pan. Add a spoonful of ghee to it. Now add bayleaf, cinnamon and cloves and let it splutter. Then add the ginger galic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone.

Add chopped onion and fry till golden brown. I sprinkle a pinch of salt and sugar while frying the onions. It lends a beautiful color to the gravy.
Puree the tomato and add it to the pan. Continue frying till oil comes out of the masala.

Add turmeric and kashmiri red chilli powder with a splash of water and mix well.

When masala is well fried, add the marinated chicken and mix well.

Cook covered over low heat stirring occasionally. Add the fried potaoes in the midway.

Add a cup of hot water depending on gravy requirement and continue cooking till the chicken is almost done. Add the eggs. Adjust the seasoning.

When chicken and potatoes are cooked, remove from heat. Sprinkle nutmeg powder and keep covered for 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

Shingi Machher Jhol - Light Catfish Curry

This is how we bengalis cook our 'machh er Jhol'. A very basic recipe where fish is cooked with vegetables in a light and soupy gravy. No fancy ingredients used, only the basic Bengali masala, panchforon pr Bengali Five Spice is a must for this. I have used Shingi Machh or a kind of Cat Fish, which is believed to be very healthy and generates blood in the body. any other sweet water fish can be used to cook 'Machh er jhol' provided the fish is fresh.
Disclaimer : Not for the experienced Bengali Chefs.

Ingredients

• Shingi Machh - 3, cut into pieces
• Cauliflower - 1/2, cut into florets
• Sheem or Broad Beans - 4, cut into half
• Bori or Bengali lentil balls - 10-12
• Panch Foron or Bengali five spice - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chilli - as per taste
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Salt, Turmeric
• Bay leaf
• Mustard Oil

Smear salt and turmeric onto the fish. Fry lightly in mustard oil and keep aside.

Take half a cup of water and mix the kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Keep aside.

Heat the mustard oil and then lightly fry the marinated fish. Fry the bori too.

Add panchforon, bayleaf and slit green chilli to the hot mustard oil of the same pan.

Add the chopped vegetables and stir fry for 1 min. Next add the masala water and stir to cover the vegetables.

After 3-4 minutes, add 2 cups of hot water. ( The dish would be soupy  it is a machh er jhol, so be liberal with the water.)

When it starts boiling, add the fishes immersed in the soup and cook covered for 10 minutes over low heat till the vegetable is cooked.

Add the fried bori and mix carefully. Boil for 1 more minute.

Keep covered for a standing time of 10 minutes. 

Serve this healthy but tasty Singi machher jhol with hot steamed rice.

Oven Baked Chicken with Garlic Potato

Served this for our Christmas Eve dinner with some bread to mop up the juices, it was delicious. 

Ingredients

• Potatoes - 2, medium, thinly sliced
• Ground nutmeg - a little
• Onions - 2, fried
• Peas - 100 gm, boiled
• Boneless Chicken Breast - 300 gm, cooked and Shredded
• Butter - 25 gms
• All purpose Flour - 25 gms
• Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp, dilute in water
• Milk - 300 ml
• Green Chilli ( optional) - as per taste
• Bread to serve

Chop and fry the onion till crisp. Boil the peas. Steam the chicken and shred once it is cool. 

To prepare the white sauce, heat the butter in a pan, then add the flour and stir continuously. Add the milk and stir so that no lump is formed. Thicken the sauce and remove from heat.

Preheat the oven at 180 degree C.
Take a oven proof dish. Layer the potatoes over the base and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Sprinkle some garlic water. 

Spoon over the white sauce and shake till sauce settles through the gaps of the potato. I have added chopped red chilli too.

Spread half of the fried onions. Arrange the shredded chicken on top. Then add the boiled peas. Sprinkle salt, pepper and some more garlic water. Alternate the layering if required.

Finish with the remaining potatoes. arranged in an even layer and dot with butter and remaining garlic water. Season with salt, pepper and sprinkle some more nutmeg powder.

Bake for 30-40 minutes till the potatoes are golden and tender.

Serve hot with your choice of bread.

Coffee Cinnamon Cake

As part of my New Year resolution, ' A Cake a Week' Challenge, this is the 2nd entry for the week, and this time it is a Coffee Cinnamon Cake. I have adapted the recipe from Pritha with some minor touch here and there. and the output is an amazing aromatic cake with a generous dose of coffee.

Ingredients

• Flour - 1+1/2 Cup + 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 Cup
• Butter - 100 gm
• Baking powder - 2 tsp
• Cinnamon powder - 3/4 tsp
• Eggs - 3
• Vanilla essence - 1.5 tsp
• Instant coffee power- 3-4 tsp (depending on how strong you want), dissolved in 1/4 cup ofmilk

In a bowl, sift flour, castor sugar, baking powder and cinnamon and  mix well.

Add in the eggs one by one along with the vanilla and whisk till batter is smooth. Add the butter and blitz. Now add the coffee-soaked milk and pulse well till the batter is smooth and shiny.

Preheat oven to 180 degree C and grease a bundt cake pan with butter. Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for 32-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes before unmoulding.

Remove from the pan carefully and cool completely before slicing.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.