Vegetable Foogath

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Ingredients:
1 small cauliflower
1 cup french beans, finely chopped
2 small brinjals, chopped to chunks
3 med. potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup green peas shelled
2 onions, chopped vertical slices
1" ginger
2 green chillies
2 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tsp bottle masala (refer recipe)
1 cup coconut milk (refer recipe)
salt to taste
1 tsp black pepper powder
2 tsp.lemon juice
3 tbsp oil

Method:


Place chopped brinjal in salted water till used.
Grind together ginger and chillies.
Heat the oil in a pan, add onions, fry till golden.
Add ginger-chilli paste and fry for a minute.
Add bottle masala and stir for 1 minute.
Add vegetables (except brinjal) and salt and 1-1/2 cup water.
Cook till the vegetables are 3/4th done, add brinjal
Cook for 3-4 minutes more.
Add coconut milk and pepper powder
Simmer till vegetables are completly cooked.
Add lemon juice, stir and adjust salt and seasoning.
Garnish with chopped corriander leaves
Serve hot with rice or roti.
Making time:30 minutes
Makes: 5 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Mixed Vegetable Curry

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Ingredients:
4 potatoes
1/2 cup boiled peas
3 small carrots, chopped
9-10 florets of cauliflower
10-12 french beans, chopped
2 tomatoes finely chopped
2 onions finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander leaves finely chopped
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Grind to a paste:
3 green chillies
1 tsp red chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1" ginger
4 garlic flakes
1 tsp cummin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds

Method:


Heat oil in a pan,add onions and fry till golden brown.
Add tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes.
Add paste and stir for two minutes.
Add chopped vegetables and salt
Add 2 cups water and cook till vegetables are done.
If dry is desired, wait till all water evaporates.
Add lemon juice.
If a more liquid recipe is required, add 1/2 cup stock or water or even tomato juice.
Bring to aboil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with corriander leaves
Serve hot with steamed or jeera rice.
Making time: 25 minutes
Makes: 4-5 servings
Shelflife: best fresh

Indori Puri Palak Ki

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Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
2 tbsp. ghee
1 cup fresh spinach chopped
1 tsp. ginger
5 green chillies
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds crushed coarsely
2 tsp fresh curds
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method:


Wash and boil spinach in very little water.
Grind ginger and garlic together to paste.
Blend spinach with its water in mixie till smooth.
Sieve flour with salt. Make well in centre.
Add all other ingredients in well except oil for frying.
Knead into a slightly stiff but pliable dough.
Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Knead again till smooth. Divide into small portions.
Roll into 4" diameter rounds.
Heat oil in frying pan till fumy. Add 2 puris at a time.
Puff by pressing with back of flat slotted spoon.
Flip and fry other side.
Drain and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.
Serve hot with chutneys or fresh curds.
Making time: 45 minutes (excluding maturing time)
Makes: 25 puris (approx.)
Shelflife: 2 days

Variation:
To make use of leftover puris:
Spread a line of your favourite jam, chunda or pickle along the diameter of the puri. Roll like a frankie. Fasten with a spring onion leaf. Serve as a snack with tea.

Rabdi

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Ingredients

2 litres full cream milk
1/2 cup sugar
10-12 cardamoms peeled
15-20 strands saffron
10 almonds
10 pistachios skinned

Method:

Fresh grind cardamom to rough powder
Soak saffron in 2 tbsp. hot milk.
Rub with pestle till dissolved.
Chop almonds and pistachios into thin slivers.
Pour milk in a large heavy saucepan.
Put to boil on high. Continue boiling till half quantity is left.
Keep skimming off the top cream every now and then.
Collect and keep aside in a separate container.
Add sugar, stir till dissolved.
Add all other ingredients, including saved top cream.
Stir, take off fire.
Cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate till well chilled.
Serve in individual bowls made of glass, ceramic or earthenware.
Making time: 1 hour (excluding cooling & chilling time)
Makes: 6 servings
Shelflife: 1 day refrigerated

Kala Jamoon

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Ingredients
350 gms. khoya (refer feature)
200 gms. paneer
65 gms. plain flour (1/8 cup)
600 gms. sugar
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1 tbsp. milk if required
ghee for deep frying

Method


Make 1 string syrup of sugar and water. (refer basic recipe in sweets)
Mash, grate or crumble khoya and paneer together.
Add cardamom powder, flour and knead well till smooth.
If too dry, add a little milk. Form a soft dough.
Make small balls out of dough rolling lightly between palms.
The balls should be half the size of pingpong balls.
Heat ghee till slightly fuming. Cool for 3 minutes.
Add some balls, and allow them to rise before putting back on heat.
Fry on low heat, till dark from all over.
Drain and dip into syrup.
Allow to soak till next batch is ready.
Repeat till all dough is exhausted.
Drain and transfer to serving dish.
Note: Take care not to fry on high or the jamoons will stay undone from the centre. If the jamoons are cracking, add some more milk. If soaking too much fat, add a little more flour. A little variation is bound since the khoya may not be uniform each time.

Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 30 pieces (approx.)
Shelflife: Room temperature 2 days refrigerated 2 weeks.

Bengali Khichidi

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Ingredients
1 cup rice (washed and soaked 30 minutes)
1 cup masoor dal (washed and soaked 30 minutes)
1 tbsp. channa dal (washed and soaked 30 minutes)
1 bay leaf
3 green cardamoms
1" stick cinnamon
3 cloves
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
10-12 tiny onions peeled or
1/2 cup sliced onions
10-12 baby potatoes washed clean
1/2 cup peas shelled
1 carrot diced
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. garlic grated
3-4 green chillies finely chopped
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
salt to taste
5 cups water
4 tbsp. ghee

Method


Drain dals, rice in a colander and keep aside.
Save this water for adding later.
Semicrush spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves)
Heat 3 tbsp. ghee in a large heavy skillet.
Add cumin seeds, bayleaf, crushed spices, splutter.
Add ginger, garlic, chillies, stirfry for a moment.
Add onion, potato (with skin), sitrfry for 2 minutes.
Add carrots, peas, turmeric, garam masala, salt.
Add dals, rice and gently stirfry for 1 minute.
Add water to make drained water 5 cups.
Heat well and add to skillet.
Stir, bring to a boil, cover and simmer till done.
Rice and dals should be done but not overdone.
Veggies will get soft and water should be absorbed.
Add more water if required in between.
When done, pour remaining ghee and sprinkle coriander.
Serve piping hot with gravied veggies or kadhi (refer 'khichidis').
Making time: 45 minutes
Makes: 7 servings
Shelflife: Best fresh

Palak in Muger Dal

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Spinach in Moong Dal)
Ingredients

1 cup yellow moong dal
1 bunch spinach, finely chopped
3 tbsp. ghee
2 tsp. panchphoran
3 whole red chillies
1 bayleaf
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. amchoor powder
salt to taste

Method


Take wiped dal in a large heavy skillet.
Roast dry dal stirring continuously, till golden.
Add 3 cups water, bayleaf, and turmeric powder.
Bring to a boil and simmer semicovered till dal is soft.
Add more water if required.
Add chilli powder, salt and spinach and cook further 10 minutes.
Heat ghee in a small frying pan, add panchphoran and allow to splutter.
Add whole chillies and pour over dal.
Add 1/2 tsp. amchoor (dried mango) powder.
Stir gently. Serve hot with roti or rice.
Note: To speed cooking one may use pressure cookers to cook dal much faster, but add turmeric and bayleaf in that too.

Making time: 2 hours traditionally 30 minutes in pressure cooker
Makes: 5 servings
Shelflife: Refrigerate till required after cooking. Add panchphoran just be serving.

Sondesh

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Ingredients
1 litre milk preboiled and top cream removed
1/2 tsp. citric acid or
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. cornflour
1/2 cup sugar ground fine
1/4 tsp. essence of choice
few drops colour to match essence flavour
(eg. green with pista essence)

For topping:

1 tsp. slivered pistas and almonds
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
Small moulds of choice

Method


Dissolve acid or lemon juice in 1/2 cup warm water
Put milk to boil. When it rises, pour acidic water all over it.
Reduce heat and stir till fully curdled.
When whey and water separate completely, remove from heat.
Strain in clean muslin cloth.
Hold under running water for a minute.
Press out excess water and hang for 15 minutes (paneer is made).
Empty the paneer in a large plate.
Take 2 tbsp. of paneer in a heavy pan and add cornflour.
Heat on med. flame stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes.
Cool, add to paneer in plate, add sugar, essence and colour.
Mix till very smooth.
Lightly grease and dust moulds with ghee and cornflour.
Mix topping ingredients.
Sprinkle little topping in each mould.
Press paneer mixture into it and level top.
Chill for 3-4 hours. Unmould carefully.
Serve chilled in individual paper cups (optional).
Note: If paneer is quite firm then cornflour can be omitted. Continue without the relative step. No cooking is then required.

Making time: 20 minutes (excluding chilling and hanging time.)
Makes: 7-8 pieces (depending on size of mould)
Shelflife: 3 days refrigerated

Subz Bhaja (Vegetable Fritters)

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Ingredients
2 med. potatoes
2 med. brinjals
1 raw banana thinly peeled
1 zucchini
1 slice pumpkin, skinned and deseeded
1 cup gramflour
1 cup rice flour
1/2 tbsp. hot oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. chilli powder
salt to taste
3-4 pinches soda bicarb
oil to deep fry

Method


Wash, wipe and slice vegetables (including skins) into thick diagonal slices.
Make a batter of all the other ingredients, using water as required.
The batter should be able to coat the back of a spoon smooth and thick.
Heat oil for frying. Dip some veggies in batter at a time.
Coat with batter and let them in hot oil one by one.
Fry fritters (veggies) till light golden and crisp.
Drain and serve hot with chutney and sauce.
Repeat for remaining vegetables.
Serve an assortment each time.
Note: Any one or one or more vegetables in combination can also be used. Choice is left to you.

Making time: 30 minutes
Makes: 7-8 servings
Shelflife: Prepare ahead but fry as required

Samosas Calcutta Style

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Ingredients
For cover:

2 cups plain flour
3 tbsp. melted ghee
salt to taste

For filling:

1 cup cauliflower
2 cups potatoes boiled
6-7 green chillies
1 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. panchphoran
1/2 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1/2 tsp. amchoor (dried mango) powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp. raisins
1 tbsp. cashew pieces
3-4 pinches asafoetida
1 tbsp. oil
Oil for deep frying

Method


Sift flour and salt together.
Add ghee and mix well.
Add water to knead a soft dough.
Cover with moist cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Brush liberally with ghee, knead, cover again and keep aside.
For filling:


Grate cauliflower, mash potatoes and finely chop green chillies.
Heat oil, add cashews and fry till light golden.
Add panchphoran and allow to splutter, add cauliflower.
Add all other ingredients and mix well.
Take off fire. Keep aside.
To proceed:


Make small balls, the size of small lemons, from dough.
Knead one into thin chappati about 5" diameter.
Cut into half, take one, fold into cone, seal edge with some water.
Fill with one tbsp. filling, seal open edges to form triangular pyramid.
Seal edges and corners well with moist fingers.
Make four or five, deepfry in hot oil till golden and crisp.
Repeat for all filling and dough.
Serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys.
Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 20 approx.
Shelflife: 2 days(refrigerate preparations, fry when required)