Bengali Red Dal Curry

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Key spice: Panch Phanon Mix, also known as Five Spice (do not substitute
Chinese Five Spice!)
Equal proportions of whole cumin, fenugreek, anise, mustard, "Indian black
onion" seeds (kalunji). You will need to go to an Indian Store to get the
last ingredient. It is not related to the onion.


1 1/2 C red lentils
3 1/2 C water
6 serrano chilies (or 3 jalepeno?), either whole or sliced in
quarters
1/4 t turmeric, or more to taste
1 1/2 t salt

4 T ghee, butter or vegetable oil
1 C minced onions
1 C chopped tomatoes
1 T grated fresh ginger

2 T ghee or vegetable oil
1 T panch phanon mix
4 dried small red chilies
1-3 cloves garlic


There are three basic steps to this recipe: cooking the lentils in water,
making a tomato/onion/ginger mush, and making a spiced oil.

1. Rinse lentils well, add water, serrano chilies, turmeric and salt.
Bring carefully to boil and cook over low to medium heat, partially
covered, for 25 minutes. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Adjust
salt.

2. While lentils are cooking, cook onions in a frying pan in the oil until
they are golden brown (approximately 10 minutes), stirring constantly.
Add tomatoes and ginger and continue cooking until the tomatoes
decompose into a delicious and fragrant mush (approximately 8 minutes.)
Stir constantly so that tomato mixture doesn't stick. Turn heat to low
if necessary.

3. Scrape out this mush into the lentils and stir it in. Let lentils sit
while you make the spiced oil.

4. Do a quick rinse of the frying pan, without soap, and dry thoroughly.
Add the remaining 2T oil and heat over medium high heat. When oil is
hot add panch phanon mix and heat until the seeds begin to pop, about 15
seconds. Add red chilies and fry for another 15 seconds, until they
turn a little darker. Turn off heat and add the crushed garlic and let
sizzle for about 30 seconds. Stir this mixture into the lentil/tomato
mixture and serve with rice. Adjust salt.

AMUL CHEESE POTATO PURIS

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Makes about 10
2 medium sized potatoes - boiled, skinned and mashed while still hot
8 tbsp flour
100 gm Amul Cheese - grated
1/2 tsp salt
2 green chillies - chopped
2 tbsp green coriander - chopped
1/2 tsp garam masala
Oil for frying

Mix the flour, cheese and spices. Make a stiff smooth dough kneading in the potatoes (no water should be added). Roll dough into small thin 4 cm rounds and fry in deep hot fat. Serve hot

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

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Ingredients
400 gms. basmati rice
250 gms. cauliflower, cut into flowerettes
100 gms. green peas, shelled
100 gms. carrots, cut into 2.5 cm. long pieces
100 gms. french beans, cut into diamond shaped pieces
3 potatoes, cut into four pieces each
2 black cardamoms
4 green cardamoms
4 cm. cinnamon
4 cloves
8 peppercorns
1 tsp. shahjeera
3 bay leaves
Few strands saffron

Masala for the vegetables:
250 g. onions, sliced
3/4 cup curd
4 tsp. chilli powder
3 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
2 tsp. mint paste
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
1 1/2 tsp. coriander-cummin powder
Salt to taste
3 tbsp. ghee or more
Ghee for deep frying onions


For the garnish:

2 tomatoes, sliced
2 capsicums, sliced
2 onions, fried till crisp
Few mint leaves


Method
To prepare the vegetables:

1. Wash the vegetables and dry them well.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the masala, well except the ghee, and marinate the vegetables in it for one hour.
3. Heat ghee and deep fry the onions till well browned. Remove from ghee.
4. When cool, grind to a paste.
5. Wash and cook the rice in double the quantity of water. When done, remove the rice and spread it in a plate.
6. Keep aside to cool.


To prepare the rice:
7. Lightly roast the saffron, powder and sprinkle over the rice.
8. Heat ghee in a kadai and season it with the whole spices.
9. Add the vegetables and saute for five minutes. 10. Add a little water and cook the vegetables till done and almost dry.
11. In a baking dish arrange alternate layers of rice and the prepared vegetables.
12. Top with garnish and bake in a moderately hot oven for 20 minutes.


Serve hot with raita and papad.

Pear and Mango Chutney

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Ingredients:
250 gms. raw firm mango
250 gms. pears.
500 gms. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tbsp. marshmelon (kharbooja) seeds.
1 tbsp. raisins.
2 cloves powdered
8 each almonds and cashews chopped finely.

Method:

Peel and mash and pear.
Put 1 tbsp. sugar in a heavy saucepan.
Heat on a low flame, stirring and cooking till it turns brown.
Add 500 ml. water and boil.
When the sugar has fully dissolved in the water add remaining sugar.
When it begins to boil again add the mashed fruit, cashew, raisins, seeds, chilli and salt.
Boil till a thick jam consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally.
Add the clove powder and garam masala.
Cool a bit and transfer to clean airtight jar.

Making time: 1 hour
Shelf life: 1 month
Makes 1.5 kgs. chutney.

Onion Tomato Chutney

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Ingredients:
1 med. onion
1 med tomato
4-5 clovettes garlic
1 tbsp. coriander leaves
1 tbsp. gram dal soaked for 1 hour
1 3" piece tamarind broken
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2" piece ginger
1 tsp.red chilli powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. oil
Seasoning: 1 tsp. oil, 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds,
1 pinch asafoetida.

Method:

Heat the 1 tbsp. oil add to the other ingredients except seasoning.
Grind either on stone, or in electric stone grinder, or in a mixie.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
Heat oil in a small crucible, add the seeds and asafoetida..
When they splutter, add to the chutney. Mix gently.
Serve with parathas, dosas, idlis, or just plain bread or toast.

Making time: 15 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Makes: 2 cups chutney
Shelf life: 4 days (refrigerated)

Note: Reduce or increase the chilli content as per taste.

Mint Chutney

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Ingredients:
1 cup cleaned washed and drained coriander
1/4 cup cleaned washed and drained mint leaves (pudina)
3 green chillies
1/2 lemon
20-25 peanuts
Salt as per taste
Method:


Chop the coriander. mint leaves coarsely.
Put all ingredients in a small blender .
Blend till smooth. Add very little water if required.
Remove with a rubber spatula.
Store in a clean dry airtight bottle in refrigerator.
Use on buttered toast, bread or in sandwiches as seasoning.
Shelf life: 2-3 days (refrigerated)
Making time: 10 minutes.

Spinach Raita with 7 variations

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Ingredients
1 cup spinach chopped fine, boiled, drained
2 cups tied curds
2 cups milk
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 small green chilli grated
salt to taste
2 tsp. ground sugar
1/4 tsp. black salt powdered
1/2 tbsp. coriander chopped finely

Method


Tie curds for 1 hour.
Beat together curds and milk till smooth.
Add all other ingredients, mix well.
Chill for an hour before serving.
Making time: 10-15 minutes
Makes: 3-4 servings
Shelflife: Fresh

Variations:

Substitute chopped spinach for the following combinations:

Finely chopped onions and boiled potato
Finely chopped pineapple and apple to be added just before serving.
Chopped 1/2 " bits of carrots and French beans, boiled and drained.
Chopped cabbage and capsicum strips.
Chopped blanched beetroot (the colour of raita will turn pink)
Parboiled or soaked pulses or sprouts.
Carrot, capsicum, onion, potato boiled, radish, all grated together.
Note: Never add sour pineapple or use canned pineapple. Otherwise the dish may curdle.

Doodhi Raita

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Ingredients
1 cup grated doodhi (bottlegourd)
2 cups fresh curds
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. cumin powder
3/4 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 tsp. ground sugar
1/2 tsp. each cumin and mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp. coriander chopped finely

Method


Boil grated doodhi in a little water till soft.
Drain, keep aside cool.
Crush the seeds together coarsely with stone or pestle.
Beat curds and milk together till smooth.
Add all ingredients including gourd.
Mix well and chill for an hour before serving.
Making time: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Shelflife: Fresh

Imli Raita

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Ingredients
50 gms. tamarind
1/2 cup grated jaggery
2 gharis (refer ghari raita recipe)
1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped
1 tsp. ghee
1/2 tsp. each cumin & mustard seeds
1 tsp. red chilli powder
1/4 tsp. black salt powdered
1 tsp. cumin powder
2-3 pinches asafoetida

Method


Soak tamarind in a litre of water for an hour.
Add jaggery and mix well till dissolved.
Strain taking care not to pour in the sandy sediment.
Break ghari into small pieces, add to tamarind water.
Add all other ingredients, except seeds, ghee and asafoetida.
To season, heat ghee in a small saucepan.
Add seeds and asafoetida, allow to splutter.
Pour over raita and cover immediately.
Allow to cool, open and mix well.
Chill for an hour before serving.
Note: This dish forms an excellent cooler in scorching summer heat. If jaggery is not your cup of tea, just substitute with light brown sugar.

Making time: 30 minutes (excluding soaking time)
Makes: 4-5 servings
Shelflife: 8-10 hours

Ghari Raita

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Ingredients
For ghari:
2 tbsp. gram flour
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste
2 pinches soda-bicarb
1 tsp. oil
For Raita:
2 cups fresh curds
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. each cumin & mustard seeds
2-3 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp. oil
1/2 tbsp. coriander chopped fine
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
salt to taste



Method

For ghari:


Mix all ingredients and add water to make thick batter (like dosa)
Heat a nonstick tawa or griddle, put a ladleful of batter in centre.
Spread into a thin round like a dosa.
Cook till browned, flip side with spatula, cook other side.
Remove keep aside, repeat for remaining batter.
For Raita:


Beat milk and curds together till smooth.
Break ghari into small pieces, add to curds.
Add salt, chilli powder, coriander, mix well.
Heat oil in a tiny pan, add seeds, asafoetida, splutter.
Carefully add to Raita and cover immediately.
Allow the spluttering to stop.
Mix well and chill for an hour before serving.
Making time: 25 minutes
Makes: 3-4 servings

Shelflife: Fresh