Paneer Makhana Ki Sabzi

Well, we are into a new year and I haven’t yet updated the blog. Let me wish a very happy new year everyone. May you have a happy, healthy, peaceful and joyous 2020.

A fresh start in to a new decade. It makes me pause for a moment to realize that 10 years have passed and in blink of a second, all memories keep flashing by. Well, each year was eventful and memorable and hope the same for you all.Once again- Happy New Year 

I will start this year on a very simple and homely food recipe of Paneer Makhana ki sabzi. As I understand after indulging in loads of sweets and desserts during holiday time, it’s time to go slow on sugar. Paneer a great alternative to chicken or meat can be cooked into a delicious curry.

This paneer makhana was served along with Gobi Aloo-matar -cauliflower potato green peas dry curry.

Now to the recipe

Paneer Makhana Ki sabzi

Recipe requirements

• 250 Gms of paneer
• 1 large cup of toasted lotus seeds/makhana in ghee
• 2 medium size onions
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• ¼ inch ginger
• 1 medium size tomato
• 1 cup whole cashews
• 2-3 green chilies

Seasonings

• 1tsp of red pepper powder
• 1 tsp of Kashmiri red pepper powder
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
•  ½ tsp of cumin powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala
•  1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 tsp of Salt or as per taste
• 2-3 tsp of ghee
• ¼ cup of cooking oil

Method

• Cut paneer block into cubes.
• In a food processor or mixer/grinder, grind onions, garlic, ginger, tomato, quarter cup of cashews and green chilies in to a smooth paste.
• In a fry pan, add in ghee about 2 tsp, fry the makhana or lotus seeds till they turn little puffy. Take out in a bowl.
• Now heat up a heavy bottomed fry pan, add cooking oil. Add in cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
• Add in the prepared paste, add in salt, turmeric powder, red pepper powder, Kashmiri red pepper powder, cumin powder and coriander powder and keep on stir/fry for 10-15 mints at medium high flame. Add in 2 cups of water. Preferably warm water.
• Add in rest of whole cashews and makhana/ fried lotus seeds and of course paneer pieces.
• Now cover the pan. Lower the flame and let it cook slowly for about 15-20 mints.
• At the end add in ghee, garam masala and mix well. Add kasoori methi if you like it as a garnish. You can add green peas also.Serve and enjoy with rotis.

Happy Cooking Friends

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

Usually on Sundays, we sometimes do chicken roast. This recipe is very simple to assemble. I have personally liked rosemary herb for its unique smell and its addition, brings a nice twist to our mundane Sunday roast. I have also roasted some asparagus, potatoes, an onion and garlic as sides with it.

Now to the recipe

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

Recipe requirements

1 medium size whole chicken

For the marination

2 tsp of red pepper powder

2 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of garam masala powder

3-4 stems rosemary

2 tbs of cooking oil

Salt as per taste

Method

• Wash the chicken well in lukewarm water.
• Now make the marinating powder
• Mix in coriander+red pepper +garam masala powder +salt as per taste.
• Now generously rub it all over the chicken and also to inside of chicken.
• Keep refrigerated for about 1-2 hrs for marination. This way chicken absorbs the flavour most and turns out tenderer.
• Preheat oven at 180 deg Celsius.
• Line a roasting tray with foil (if available) and then place the chicken over it.Arrange rosemary herb twigs nicely over it and also inside the chicken.
• Place in the second shelf of the oven.
• Bake it for 1 hr without skin and if the chicken has skin, then add in 4-5 mints more.
• Check for your make of oven and check about proper temperature for roasting. Half way through, take out chicken and bast/brush it with some oil.
• Roast chicken for about 1hr or till chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Happy Cooking Friends

Shrimp and Pea Sprouts stir-fry recipe

A simple stir fry recipe with shrimps and pea sprouts on a busy weekday night comes handy. All you need is to cut some colourful vegetables of your choice. Pea sprouts are the star ingredients of this stir-fry recipe. If you don’t get pea sprouts, then you can use baby bok-choy wholes or some chopped Ung Choi as well. Anaheim chili gives a milder flavour.

Shrimp and Pea sprouts stir/fry

Recipe requirements ( serves 2-3 ) 

• 10-12 large shrimps
•  1 and half cups of pea sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large tomato
• 2-3 Anaheim red chilly
• 1 tsp of freshly crushed black pepper
•  2 tsp of fish sauce
• Salt as per taste
• 4 tbs of cooking oil/soybean oil
• Soya sauce (optional)

Method

• Clean, de-shell and devein Shrimps. Sprinkle crushed black pepper and salt over shrimps. Keep aside for about half an hour.
• Cut chop all the vegetables- red bell pepper, tomato, carrots and Anaheim red chilly into long and bit of thick juliennes.
• Heat up a fry pan, add cooking oil, add in shrimps and stir/fry them for about 5-7 mints or till they are lightly browned. Take out in a bowl. Keep aside.
• Now add in left-over oil.
• Add in cut vegetables. Next add fish sauce and salt.Be careful with salt as fish sauce itself is salty. Sprinkle red pepper powder if you need more hotness. Keep on stir/fry for about 4-5 mints, retain the crunchiness of the vegetables. At this stage you may add soya sauce for some sweetness otherwise you can skip it as well.
• Now add in fried shrimps, mix well. Take out on a serving plate. Enjoy with some cooked noodles or warm cooked rice. This is absolutely delicious.

Happy Cooking Friends

Tofu Palak Ki Sabzi- Tofu with Spinach

We have been cooking with tofu a lot these days and Tofu Palak ki Sabzi is another way of preparing tofu. You all can say Indian influence on tofu. Tofu is high in protein and is extracted from soybean milk just like our paneer which is extracted from cow milk. This recipe resembles with our very own Paneer Palak except for paneer we have used tofu. We have used super firm tofu for this preparation which is a denser variety of tofu.

Here to the recipe

Tofu Palak ki sabzi – Tofu with Spinach puree

Recipe requirements

•  2 whole bunch of spinach leaves approx. 400 Gms
• Tofu approx. 400gm
•  5-6 fat cloves of garlic
•  2 medium size onion
• ½ inch ginger root
• 1 large size tomato

For Tempering and seasoning 

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
•  2 tsp of red pepper powder
•  2 tsp of coriander powder
• ½ tsp of cumin powder
• ½ tsp of cardamom powder
• ½ tsp of cinnamon powder
•  1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• 2 tsp of sugar
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 5-6 tbs of mustard oil
• 1 tsp of ghee

Method

• Clean spinach leaves properly in water. Discard the root tip and chop spinach leaves roughly.
• Blanch spinach leaves in little water. Reserve the water that came out after blanching spinach leaves.
• Heat up a fry pan, add 4 tbs of mustard oil, and add in cumin seeds, dry red chillies.
• Now add in finely chopped onion, ginger, tomato and chopped garlic into it.
• Keep on stir/fry for about 8-10 mints at medium high flame.
• Now add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Add in cinnamon, cardamom powder and sugar as well. Sprinkle little bit of water and keep on stir/fry.
• Add in blanched spinach leaves as well. Coat well with spices. Let it cook covered for about 8-10 mints.
• Take this fried masala and spinach out and pulse through a grinder to get a smooth ‘spinach masala paste’.
• Add in about 2 tbs of mustard oil in a fry pan.
• Now add in the above prepared ‘spinach masala paste’
• Add in cubed tofu pieces and mix well with spices.
• Add in 1 cup of water and the water that you reserved to use, after spinach blanching.Cover and cook for 10-15 mints at med-low flame.
• Add in ghee or butter at the end.
• Take out and serve. Enjoy with rotis or rice whatever way you prefer eating.

Happy Cooking Friends and have a great week ahead...

Lotus Root Curry - Kamalkakdi Ki Sabzi

I have never made lotus root curry or ‘Kamalkakdi ki sabzi’ until that day. I was going through the vegetable aisle of our grocery stores here and came across these fresh lotus roots. I got intrigued and purchased it, thinking that I will make a semi-dry curry out of it. Now here in Malaysia, lotus root is extensively eaten in soups and noodles stir /fry preparations. In UP, India, it is known most commonly as ‘Kamalkakdi’ and Kamalkakdi ki sabzi is a staple food in cold winter months. You can even make a simple stir/fry preparation with cumin seeds and dried red chilly. Lotus roots are great source of dietary fibres, they are bit crunchy and has a delicate flavour. It is also known as ‘Renkon’ in Japan and ‘Lian Ou’ in Chinese. ‘Renkon’ Chips are very popular snack in Japan. Young Rhizomes are added to salad but more mature rhizomes needs proper cooking. Lotus root should be cleaned thoroughly of mud in water.

Here is how we made Kamalkakdi ki sabzi/or Lotus root curry.

Lotus Root curry (Kamalkakdi ki sabzi)

Recipe requirements

• 1-2 whole lotus roots – approx. 400gm
•  2 medium size potatoes
• 5 fat cloves of garlic
•  2 medium size onion
• ½ inch ginger root
• 1 large size tomato

For tempering and seasonings

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
•  2 tsp of red pepper powder
•  1 and half tsp of coriander powder
• ½ tsp of cumin powder
•  1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• ¼ tsp of sugar
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 5-6 tbs of mustard oil
• 1 tsp of ghee
• 1 tsp of garam masala

Method

• Clean lotus roots properly in water. Peel the outer skin and slice them in rounds of about ¼ inch thick pieces. Leave them for a while in water and then clean it thoroughly with water again.
• Put a big pot with ample water to boil. Add salt and the lotus root slices and cook them for about 15-20 mints. Or alternately you can pressure cook them for two whistles.
• Heat up a fry pan, add 4 tbs of mustard oil, and add in cumin seeds, dry red chillies.
• Now add in finely chopped onion, ginger, tomato and chopped garlic into it.
• Keep on stir/fry for about 7-8 mints at medium high flame.
• Now add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Add in sugar as well. Sprinkle little bit of water and keep on stir/fry.
• Take this fried masala out and pulse through a grinder to get a smooth ‘masala paste’.
• Add in about 2 tbs of mustard oil in a fry pan.
• Add in potatoes pieces preferably c ubed. Fry the potato pieces evenly. Take them out.
• Now add in the above prepared ‘masala paste’
• Add in chopped/sliced lotus root  and fried potato pieces now. Mix lotus root pieces very well with spices.
• Add in 2 cups of water. Cover and cook for 15-20 mints at med-low flame or till the lotus root pieces are cooked well.
• Add in ghee and garam masala at the end. Give a final mix.
• Take out and serve in a bowl with rotis or rice whatever way you prefer eating.

Happy Cooking Friends and you all have great week ahead.

Belanak fish curry- small Mullet fish curry

Bengali people and fish are inseparable identity. Here in Malaysia, I am being introduced to many local fishes on a regular basis. One among them is ''Belanak'' or gray mullet fish here. Belanak is a local fish and even more popular in Indonesia. These fishes are small and it reminds me of our very own ‘Puti’ and’ Morula’ fish. Although the ones I picked up are little bigger, more of size of our palms, some can even grow bigger than that as well. Any recipe with morula and puti can very well be incorporated with Belanak also.

This is our way of making belanak fish- Bengali way.Belanak fish can also be eaten if they are deep fried and goes very well with sambal belacan – a very spicy condiment served along with ‘nasi lemak’- a fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves here.

Belanak Fish curry (Gray mullet fish curry)

Recipe requirements

• About 12-15 small belanak
•  10-12 cherry tomatoes
• 3-4 Thai red chilly
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 5-6 shallots  

Spices and seasonings

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder (½ tsp of stir/fry and ½ tsp for rubbing on belanak)
•  2 tsp of red pepper powder
•  ½ tsp of coriander powder
•  1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• 3-4 Thai red chillies
• 5-6 tbs of mustard oil
•  1/2 tsp of Kalo jeerey/nigella seeds

Method

• Clean, and remove scales of belanak fish. Clean the fish stomach as well.
• Rub in fish with turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside.
• Heat up a fry pan, add 2 tbs of mustard oil, add in belanak fish and stir/fry them for about 2-3 mints flipping sides as well. Take out in a separate bowl.
• In that fry pan itself, add more mustard oil, add in nigella seeds, chopped garlic and Thai red chilies.
• Now add in tomato and shallots slit in between as well. Keep on stir/fry for about 5-6 mints at medium high flame.
• Now add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder and salt. Sprinkle little bit of water and keep on stir/fry.
• Add in fried belanak fishes.
• Add in one –two cups of water depending upon the consistency of curry. Cover and cook for 7-8 mints or till fishes are cooked through well.
• Take out in a serving bowl. This goes well with warm cooked rice.

Happy cooking friends

Cabbage with Shrimp stir/fry - Chingri diye Bandhakopi - চিংড়ি দিয়ে বাঁধাকপি

I don’t need to write about the benefits of green leafy-vegetables. So I will skip that part and also I don’t want to sound boring and rhetoric to you all. Cabbage with shrimps, now who doesn’t like shrimps except few of us, who have allergies. This is a very homely Bengali way of making cabbage with shrimps. People may have little variations to it, like some may use cumin seeds for tempering, some may not, and many will go on to add grounded ginger+ cumin as the base of the masala. Please use ingredients, whatever way you want to make.

This is how this recipe is made in our kitchen.

Chingri diye Bandhakopi – Cabbage with shrimp stir/fry recipe

Recipe requirements

• 1 whole cabbage – approx. 400gm
•  De-veined shrimps- 300- 400 Gms
• 2-3 fat cloves of garlic
•  1 medium size onion
• 2 medium size tomato

For tempering and seasonings

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder (½ tsp of stir/fry and ½ tsp for rubbing on shrimps)
•  2 tsp of red pepper powder
•  1 tsp of coriander powder
•  1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• ¼ tsp of sugar
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp of panch phoron
• 5-6 tbs of mustard oil
• 2 tsp of ghee
• 1 tsp of garam masala

Method

• Chop green cabbage finely.
• Clean, de-shell and devein Shrimps. Rub in shrimps with turmeric powder and salt.Keep aside.
• Heat up a fry pan, add 2 tbs of mustard oil, add in shrimps and stir/fry them for about 2-3 mints and take out in bowl.
• In that fry pan itself, add more mustard oil, temper it with panch phoron, dry red chillies.
• Now add in tomato and chopped garlic into it. Add in chopped onions.
• Keep on stir/fry for about 5-6 mints at medium high flame.
• Now add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder and salt.Add in sugar as well. Sprinkle little bit of water and keep on stir/fry.
• Add in chopped cabbage now. Mix cabbage very well with spices.
• Add in quarter cup of water.Cover and cook for 7-8 mints or till cabbage leaves are cooked through well.Add in fried shrimps now, stir/fry and mix with a spatula for another 3-4 mints.
• Add in ghee and garam masala at the end. Give a final mix.
• Take out and serve in a bowl.

Note-

You can add chopped potatoes and green peas as well.

Happy Cooking Friends

Dal-Saag (Lentils cooked with Amaranth leaves)

There are days when, I can only think of comfort foods and dal –roti is one such recipe which never gets ruled out and we never get bored out of it either. Dal- saag is adding up more greens to those ‘’everyday dal recipes’’. I have used up green amaranth leaves with chana dal+ masoor dal. Many use spinach , some even use beetroot greens. Choose whatever you wish to, bottom line is, this is a great way of incorporating greens in one’s diet-plan.

This is how we make Dal-saag – our comfort food.

Dal-Saag (Lentils cooked with Amaranth leaves)

Recipe requirements

•  2 cups of chana dal ( Yellow split pea lentil)
• ¼ cup of masoor dal ( orange lentil ) 
• 1 bunch of amaranth leaves or 800 gm of amaranth leaves -stems discarded

For tempering and seasonings

• ½ tsp. of turmeric powder
•  1 tsp of red pepper powder
•  1 tsp of coriander powder
• ¼ tsp of cumin powder
•  1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• 1/2  tsp of sugar
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 2-3 fat cloves of garlic
• 1 medium size tomato
• Pinch of hing
• 4-5 tbs of mustard oil
• 2 tsp of ghee

Method

• Soak chana and masoor dal for about 2-3 hrs in a vessel with water.
• Put cleaned dals in pressure cooker.Add in 2-3 cups of water.Let it come to one boil, Remove /skim off the white foam that is forming now. Close the pressure cooker, by securing the lid with whistle.
• Now pressure cook both dals together for 2 whistles with ample water. Let the pressure subside and then open the lid. Add more water if it turns out semi- dry. Add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, salt and sugar. Mix well and keep aside.
• Now heat up a fry pan, add in mustard oil. Let it come to smoking point.Now do the Tarka/tempering.
• Add in cumin seeds, dry red chillies and hing. Add in chopped garlic and tomato. Add dry spices- coriander+cumin powder.
• Stir/fry all for about 3-4 mints at med-high flame or till oil separates out.
• Clean Amaranth leaves in water.Take out tender shoots and healthy looking leaves from the bunch, discard stems..
• Blanch amaranth leaves separately. Add the leaves to the cooked dals ( Lentils). Let it simmer for about 8-10 mints.
• Add the tempering/tarka to the above cooked dals with greens.
• Let it slowly simmer for about 4-5 mints. Add ghee at the end. Serve and enjoy with roti or rice whatever way you prefer.

Tip- You can add in some toasted cashews to the above dal or Paneer cubes as well.

Happy Cooking and have a great week ahead.....

Of This and That - Some Musings

This will be my last post for 2016… It’s raining heavily outside, sitting down with my laptop on our dining table, occasionally I glance through my balcony doors to look far ahead, but the visibility is zero. I made a glass of chilled iced lemon tea for myself...Music playing in the back ground, you know those ageless and soul-soothing old Hindi songs – like one from film ‘Anupama’. December makes me feel cold inside, although the temperatures outside will defy all things winter has to offer here. There is nothing as such a typical ‘winter’ in Malaysia – rain and sun-shine all through the year. How I longed for the coldness, winter has to offer and the white snow clad houses and streets, is a forlorn story here.

But even in those scarcity of true feelings for winter, we created a space in our heart which made us believe, yes believe, that these last few days of 2016, this festive spirit will linger on. We have put up a Christmas tree just like we used to do in UK. 

Warming up our cold hearts, this tree reminded us to believe in everything about life- whatever the challenges, obstacles one may face, believe in yourself – this will pass through. We have made it so far, hopefully we will keep doing so in future as well. In all those challenges, we should not forget about all the blessings which god has bestowed us all. Pause for a moment, take out time from your busy schedules and please count all those blessings. The true spirit of festivals lies there.

The shopping malls are all decked up and busy here with beautiful Christmas decorations and huge Christmas trees and people shopping for their near and dear ones. We usually sit down on those numerous benches inside shopping malls and watch the world go by leisurely. 

There will be people shopping on the likes of Gucci/Prada/MK / Miss Selfridge/ Topshop/Zara and what not, in those numerous shopping malls, during these last few days before Christmas. But to me Christmas, or for that matter any festival, is all about togetherness of family and friends. Gifts are just add-on like cherry on top of an assembled black-forest cake.

Couple of days back, we had a long weekend, so, dear daughter called up her few friends from our residential-complex and had a mini-Christmas snack party. 

The home was filled with the warmth of their girlie-chat, laughter and fun. Time flies and even before I realize, these girls all in pre-teen age are ready to create their own stories, just like we did decades ago.

Since these are holiday time, I thought instead of doing a recipe post, a proper menu post will be more helpful.

The snack- menu had chocolate cupcakes, cucumber and mozzarella cheese sandwich, baked chicken drumsticks and roasted spiced potato wedges with plenty of cold drinks.

There was another platter which we had on Sunday - roasted potato and orange sweet potato, tofu fried rice, baked spicy salmon steak and California rolls (this one is a type of  'Sushi'- store-brought though)…And there was plenty of litchi mock tail as refreshments.

Recipe for Oven- Baked Salmon Steak

Requirements

Salmon steak pieces- 4-5

Spices

½ tsp of turmeric powder

2 tsp of red pepper powder

 2 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of cumin powder

½ tsp of cardamom powder

½ tsp of cinnamon powder

 1 tsp of black pepper powder

Salt as per taste

Method

Take all the spices in a big bowl and mix in well.

Now rub spices all over the salmon steak pieces.

Cover and keep it in fridge for about half an hour.

Now preheat an oven at 175 deg C.

Place the salmon steak pieces over a baking tray and put that in the middle rack.

Bake for 30-35 mints. Take out serve hot. These are absolutely delicious.

Roasted spiced potato wedges have the same spices as listed above. The only addition was mustard oil and chili flakes to marinate them well.Bake the potato wedges at 180 Deg C for 40 mints.

Cucumber Mozzarella sandwich- Layer thinly sliced cucumber over buttered sandwich bread and then top it up with grated fresh mozzarella cheese or cheese slices. Press the sandwich and viola ready in jiffy.You can use tomato as well.Tomato and Mozzarella is another great combination.

Tofu Fried Rice

Requirements

 3-4 cups of cooked rice- for 3-4 people
you can use brown rice as well

 200 Gms of extra firm tofu

2 tsp of thick soya sauce

1 tsp of oyster sauce

1 tsp of red pepper powder

1 tsp of black pepper powder

 3 tsp of grated fresh ginger
 1 stick lemon grass

 3-4 tsp of soybean oil/ or sesame oil

Method

In a big wok/fry pan, add in oil. Add in firm tofu pieces and fry them at high heat for about 3-4 mints.

Take out and keep in a separate plate.

Add in grated ginger, cut lemon grass  and any vegetables you would like to add- I have used carrots and tomato finely chopped. Toss well and cook at high heat for 3-4 mints.

Add in all the sauces and spices listed above. Adjust salt.

Add in fried tofu and coat well with spices and sauces.

Now add in cooked rice and mix well. Serve and enjoy.

These recipes can be found in archived posts here…

Nutella-and-chocolate-cupcakes

Baked Chicken - Kalmi Kabab style

Oven-baked chicken-tikka

Some other Christmas recipes

Couscous-and-dried-fruits-stuffed Chicken

Chocolate Swiss-roll-recipe

Apple fritters with toffee-sauce

Black forest cake

Cheesecake recipe

So, here is the end part for this post.

You all have a great festive time.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and have a Happy new year …….

See you all in new year 2017…Welcome 2017....bye –bye 2016…..

Chingri diye Chal kumro - ash-gourd with shrimp stir/fry - and it's 10 years of food-blogging

This blog turned 10 years old. Yes that’s a long time. I have planned to write a big senti-post with elaborate made-ups, emojis and what-not. But here I am, with my flaws, loss with words and ………

When I started taking baby steps, I never knew this could be shaping up something like this today. I needed to write, needed to write down my experiments in my small apartment kitchen like a mad scientist working endlessly, in their laboratory, except those laboratory products were being tasted by and tested on real people – aka my dear Husband and my dear daughter. Well what else can they do?

  I think (or rather I pretend to think- whatever is the case), they have also accepted this mad scientist/aka cook with her flaws and that she will continue experimenting things with them. Now, even they have started giving me instructions, ways to improve a recipe. We have healthy discussions about recipes on our dining table and the conversation even revolves around the spice –level and the levels at which vegetables are stir/fried/charred/burnt. We sometimes even discuss the need of ‘jeerey phoron’ over ‘panch phoron’ and vice-versa. Sorry politics and ‘gyan –wardhak- batein ‘, please find some other dinner table.

One fine day, dear daughter was calling me fanatically, and I thought it must be those days, where she has to vent out her feelings. ‘Ma you should see this!!  …..And I asked what? …..Hey! Your blog is on google search and that too on first page. Do you really know what it means…..and I was rolling my eyes, what it meant, trying to recall – and I gave a blank stare to her.…..probably she understood (after that day, she is on a reading spree- reading all those old posts from the beginning. I wonder how she feels, where she is mentioned or I have written about her. I need to ask her someday that too…….)

10 years can do that too (can make you go blank sometimes) ……it’s a long time …..Well food –blogging, is now a profession these days, as this is what I last heard about. I have seen a paradigm shift in this field- from hobby to making it a profession. I don’t know what should I say about that- but if that makes a difference to you. I now do tell, 'real –life' people or friends that I have a food-blog which some 3-4 years ago I couldn’t think or speak-out.

But yes, there are people, who still visit this food-blog, spend time accessing recipes and perhaps do make them in their kitchen. Some even find time to write me back and appreciate for sharing recipes with them,or drop a comment. Some even ask questions about recipes, some even criticize, and some are silent readers-they come, they read and I do think they try making recipes from here as well. 

Well, to all of you, thanks a lot for making ‘spice and curry’ a part for your life, a tiny place where you like to hang around and feel like it’s your home. Well that is what this food-blog is all about. Thank you for visiting and checking recipes here, making it a million-hits- food-blog.

Without you reader(s) this blog is incomplete. Hopefully, I will keep writing more recipes, but you have to promise me as well, that you will keep visiting us as well. 

Thank you for being with me all these 10 years of food-blogging!!!

Today I am sharing a very Bengali recipe- Chingri diye chal kumro- ash gourd with shrimp and coconut stir/fry. After all those blabbering above, I think I will spare you from more torture, and will write the recipe.

Here is how I made it 

Chingri diye chal kumro r torkari/ Shrimp and potato with coconut stir/fry

Recipe requirements- ( serves3-4 people)

1 medium size ash gourds

 300 Gms of shrimps- cleaned and deveined

2 medium size potatoes

 1 medium tomatoes chopped or 8-10 ripened cherry tomatoes slit in between

3-4 red bird eye chilies/Thai chilies

 1 and ½ tsp of red pepper powder

1 tsp of turmeric powder

Salt as per taste

For tempering

1 tsp of cumin seeds

2 dry red chillies

5-6 tbs of cooking oil/mustard oil

Method

Clean and cut ash gourd, potatoes in to long juliennes, little bit thicker.

Clean shrimps- deshell them and devein them. Marinate with turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside for 10 mints.

Heat up a fry pan, add 1tbs of mustard oil, and stir fry the shrimps for 4-5 mints. Take out and reserve to use up later in the stir/fry preparation.

Heat up a fry pan/wok/kadai, Add in rest of the cooking oil to it, add cumin seeds, dry red pepper, and let it splutter.

Stir/fry it for 1-2 mints at med-high flame.

Add in ash gourd and potatoes pieces/juliennes.

Add in red chilly slit in between and finely chopped tomato pieces.( you can add grated coconut as well.)

Add in all the dry spices- turmeric powder+red pepper powder+salt in a cup of water, mix it well.

Add this spices mixture to the above fried mix and keep on stir/fry for about 3-4 mints.

Let it cook for 10-12 mints at medium-low flame or till the potatoes turn soft. At this time add in fried spicy shrimp to above and mix it well. Take out and it’s ready to be eaten.

Serve and enjoy with warm cooked rice.

Happy Cooking friends and 

Thanks you for stopping by here and spending time with me all these 10 years of food-blogging !!

Shorshe Bhapa Bhetki/Siakap- Steamed Siakap with mustard seeds paste and Shubho Bijoya

How time is slowly slipping away from our hands like sand, the more I try to hold it tightly, it starts slipping away harder. Well this is time for you, and it never stops for anyone, it moves because it has to move, for that is what it's purpose is.

Past couple of days were spent in euphoria. Well after moving here in KL, I thought maybe, I will miss Durga Ma ‘darshon’, but here, I am again put wrong. Bengalis are everywhere, even in Kuala Lumpur. So, there is Malaysia Bengali association as well. I went, I saw and I was conquered. I was conquered with the ageless beauty of Ma Durga, her divine face and her aura.

We have now some great memories of Durga Puja in KL. We did our ‘pushpanjali’, had bhog, and saw ‘Sandhi Puja’, heard ‘Dhaak’ and saw ‘Dhunuchi’ dance as well. All things which makes Durga Puja so beautiful and festive. And, we were mesmerised with the ambience. OH! And not to forget – tried food made by local Bengali ladies as well in ‘Anando Mela’.

And since yesterday was Bijoya Dashami, the culmination of 9 days Navaratri festival, specifically last 4-5 days. Here wishing everyone shubho Vijayadashami, shubho Bijoya.

I have a fish recipe post today, and no sweet recipe this time.Shorshe bhapa Bhetki/Siakap/Barramundi, and this remains one of our favourite ways of making bhapa Mach aka steamed fish. Here is how we made it

Shorshe bhapa Bhetki /Siakap – Steamed Siakap with mustard seed paste

Recipe requirements- serves 3 people

 1 whole bhetki/siakap –cleaned and gutted – cut into 3 pieces

2 garlic cloves

6-8 red bird eye chilies/Thai chilies

2-4 tbs of brown mustard seeds

 1 tbs of cumin seeds

 1 tsp of red pepper powder

½ tsp of turmeric powder

 For marinating fish

¾ tsp of turmeric powder

Salt as per taste

3-4 tbs of mustard oil

  1 tsp of Salt or as per taste

Method

Clean siakap/bhetki fish pieces well in water. Marinate them with turmeric powder and salt and keep aside for about half an hour.

Fry the fish pieces lightly, just to get rid of the raw smell.

Soak mustard seeds for 1-2 hrs in water. After that grind them to make a paste with salt, cumin seeds, garlic and 3-4 Thai red chillies. You can use any other chilies as well.

Add in all the dry spices- turmeric powder+red pepper powder+salt in a cup of water, mix it well.

Add in mustard oil to the above spices mixture. Mix mustard paste with this spice mixture.

Prepare steel box which you will be using for steaming. Pour spice mixture with mustard paste and place fish pieces inside it.Cover it and put the box for steaming in a vessel filled with water. Steam cook it for 45-50 mints at medium flame.

Otherwise you can use electrical steamer. Steam cook the above for about 40-45 mints. I have used electrical steamer for the purpose. The timing can vary, please check your brand’s manual for fish cooking time.

Serve and enjoy with warm cooked rice.

Other Recipe post on Shubho Bijoya.

Shubho Bijoya with Dorbesh

Coconut and white chocolate truffles

Fig and Chocolate malpoa

jibe goja

Shubho Bijoya everyone.
Wish you all a very happy Dusehrah.

Siakap Fish Curry with cauliflowers/ Phulkopi diye Bhetki mach'er jhol

Even though one can find visible differences, while travelling or residing in other countries, one gets evenly surprised, when faced with a familiar thing but with different name for it. And that exactly happened to me , when I was purchasing fish here , I noticed a familiar fish, but I was surprised to hear the name as Siakap.Now siakap reminded me something similar we get in Bengal- ‘Bhetki ‘ and I wasn’t  wrong either, when I made the fish curry with cauliflower. And yes it is bhetki but instead of bhetki , people over here call this fish -Siakap. To all of you, who don’t even have any clue, what I am talking of, if you have heard about Barramundi, then you know these all are different name for the same fish Bhetki. While there are various ways we prepare bhetki, one of our favourite way of consuming this fish is making a light and runny jhol/curry with cauliflower florets .And with warm cooked rice, this is a great meal combo one can have on a lazy and rainy afternoon.

Now to the recipe

Bhetki mach’er jhol phulkopi diye – Siakap fish curry with cauliflowers

Recipe requirements-( makes for 3-4 )

1 whole siakap/bhetki/Barramundi fish cut into 4-5 pieces

About 2-3 cups of cauliflower florets

1-2 medium size potatoes cut into long slices

 1 medium size onion

 1 tsp of red pepper powder

½ tsp of turmeric powder

For marinating fish

¾ tsp of turmeric powder

Salt as per taste

For tempering

1 tsp of cumin seeds

2 dry red chillies

5-6 tbs of cooking oil/mustard oil

  1 tsp of Salt or as per taste

Method

Clean Siakap /bhetki/barramundi  fish pieces well in water. Marinate them with turmeric powder and salt and keep aside.

Heat up a fry pan/wok/kadai, add in cauliflower florets and stir/fry them well till they turn light brownish. Take out and keep aside.

Add in more oil to it and slowly add in fish pieces and fry both sides well.Take out fish pieces.

In that oil itself, add cumin seeds, dry red pepper and finely chopped onions. Stir/fry it for 4-5 mints at med-high flame.

Now add in potato pieces, and keep on stir/fry for about 3-4 mints. Add in bird eye red chilly slit in between and finely chopped tomato pieces.

Add in all the dry spices- turmeric powder+red pepper powder+salt in a cup of water, mix it well.

Add this spices mixture to the above fried mix and keep on stir/fry for about 3-4 mints.

Add in more water if you need a light and runny curry/jhol.

Lower the flame and add in fried fish pieces and cauliflower florets. Cook it covered till potatoes are tender and once done switch off the flame. Let it sit there for about half an hour.

Serve and enjoy with warm cooked rice.

From archived post- Bhetki mach'er chop ...

Happy Cooking 

Notey Shak chorchori with Kumro

I was away on a blogging break, but that doesn’t mean, I was off from cooking as well. It’s good to be back in the blogging regime again. We have relocated to Malaysia. We are all curious and eager souls to know more about our host country, their traditions and the most astonishing aspect of Malaysia- its multi-cultural awesome cuisine. Malaysia is a great amalgamation of three cultures- Chinese, Malay and Indian, and with this comes the gastronomic pleasure this country has to offer. As we will continue to explore more about the local cuisine, you all will keep seeing more local recipes from time to time hopefully.

During these days of our settling phase, I am still trying to figure out more about our new home and the surroundings over here. I am still looking for various options, where I can be getting/buying fresh vegetables, poultry and fish, and yes, fish is important for every Bengali people. My new home ,new kitchen, cupboard and its layouts, makes me feel like I am doing the rounds of “bhul-bhulaiya of Lucknow fame” sometimes, as I forget where I have stored spice packets or whenever  I have to assemble and prepare meals in hurry. Well then, change of place also comes with new challenges, not many friends over here, an unknown world, but then, that’s what we have -an additional package that comes with re-locating into an unknown foreign land. And UK is past now, but we will keep on cherishing good memories associated with UK.

These fresh amaranth leaves made me happy when I went to vegetable shopping near our locality. I also happen to pick well ripened kumro/pumpkin. And thought shaak chorchori with kumro will be a great accompaniment with garam bhaat.Pumkins were very sweet and the leaves were fresh. The chorchori turned out very flavorful.

Now to the recipe

 Saag Chorchori with Kumro ( Amaranth leaves pumpkin stir/fry recipe)

Requirements

About 200-300 gms of red amaranth leaves /notey shak pata

1 and half large cups of cubed pumpkin pieces

1 medium size potatoes

 1 tsp of red pepper powder

½ tsp of turmeric powder

For tempering

1 tsp of panch phoron

2 dry red chillies

3-4 tsp of cooking oil/mustard oil

 Salt as per taste

Method

Pluck tender leaves from the shoots and wash thoroughly well in running water to get rid of any dirt or mud.

Cut and chop pumpkin and potatoes into cube

Heat up a fry pan/ kadai .Add in cooking oil.
Add in panch phoron , dry red chillies and temper the oil.

Now add in potatoes first and stir/fry them well about 2-3 mints at med-high.
Add in pumpkin pieces as well.

Add in spices- red pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt, pinch of sugar.

Mix well and add in cleaned amaranth leaves. Keep on stir/frying for about 2-3 mints or till the leaves shrink.

Cover the pan and lower the flame. Cook further for about 7-8 mints or till the potaoes+pumpkin turns soft. Mix with the spatula well.

Serve with gram bhaat.

You can add freshly grounded cumin+ coriander powder as well for some extra flavour.

Happy Cooking 

Hummus - Recipe with white sesame seeds

With spring season upon us, we really feel blessed to notice spring blossoms scattered here and there. Every season has its own way of making its presence felt. If there is strong and cold winter, then there is spring, which comes as a balm to sored souls. Summer, has own way of making its presence felt, being sweltering and hot. And autumn, well, what do I need to add, autumn whenever spelt, it itself creates vague and beautiful pictures, enticing our senses with colorful disposition.

Now come back from that whirlwind trip of seasons, step aside and park yourself in your kitchen, it’s time to cook. Eating with season has become part of our food plans. And it’s not that something, I pre-plan, but then it has become a routine. For that matter, I have never seen my Ma or Ma-in-law making out such plans about eating with season, to them it was all about, what was really available easily in their respective local vegetable markets, and which obviously used to be flooded with all the local produce and in accordance with seasonal fruits and vegetables (I have started a label “Eating with season” keeping in mind the changes, that are good to include for our day-today grocery plans and eating habits. I will try to update that label from time to time.)

It was going like that, until came those leading globe explorer, who with their each expeditions opened up a new world to each one of us. They due to their curiosity, meticulously started exploring new ingredients, new recipes and new cuisines. And with that, came new discoveries about methods, ingredients and exploring other world cuisine.

Hummus a great Mediterranean dip, can be relished throughout a year.Although, served as part of Turkish-style meze platter. You don’t have to wait for a particular season to relish this mouth tingling dip. All you need is cooked and boiled chick peas, and I am sure every Indian home keeps dried chick peas in their pantry. And for those of you, who are always on a tight schedule, you do have pre-cooked chick- pea cans.

But to get that store-bought quality, one has to make it with toasted sesame seeds or better if you can get “Tahini paste”. Now Tahini paste is easily available in middle-eastern stores here in abroad. But in case you can't get Tahini paste easily, you can use toasted white sesame seeds/ “till” as in Hindi. And olive oil can also be replaced with normal sunflower oil, although olive oil is the primary oil used in hummus preparation

.

Now to the recipe

Hummus – A Mediterranean dip

Recipe requirements

•  2 cups of cooked chick peas or use 1 pre-cooked chick peas can
• 1 garlic clove
• 4-5 tbs of olive oil
• ¼ tsp of grounded pepper /cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup of Tahini paste or use ½ cup of toasted white sesame seeds
• ½ tsp of black pepper powder
• Salt as per taste
•  2 -3 tsps of lemon juice
• Some more olive oil for garnishing

Method

If you are using dried chick peas. Soak those overnight in water, and next day cook it as usual in a pressure cooker for two whistles. You can even use canned chick –peas as well.

If you can get Tahini Paste easily, go ahead with it. However, if you are getting difficulty in finding one, then, use white sesame seeds. Take white sesame seeds and dry roast them for about 6-8 mints at medium flame or till they turn out slightly golden. Keep an eye on them while roasting them.

In a blender or mixer, add all the ingredients- cooked chick peas, Tahini paste or ( toasted sesame seeds)  lemon juice, grounded pepper , garlic , olive oil, black pepper powder and salt. Blend all, if needed add very little water, just to rotate the mixer blades.

Take out in a bowl, garnish with more olive oil and crushed red chilly flakes. A smooth and delicious dip is ready as a side to many appetizers or roasted vegetables or a typical Turkish style meze. You can garnish with finely chopped parsley as well.

Happy Cooking Friends

Lobia Keema Curry- Black Eyed Beans cooked with Lamb Mince

We saw season’s first snow today, excited? Yes, you can presume as such .And who doesn’t like snow, but then if the snow starts melting, it’s another story altogether.While it’s snowing heavily far across Atlantic Ocean in US, we are happy and contended to get about an inch of snow here.Well, I wouldn’t even dare to think 10 inches of snow, as that would ring an alarm bell for me.As of now, update is, it’s melting away, oh! Things of joy don’t last for ever, it always is short-lived, but the memory that it creates always resonate.

With this cold and grey weather, we really crave to eat some spicy food, and lobia- keema curry is one such dish.As our family struggled with seasonal flu and cough, this hot and spicy preparation was well appreciated by my folks.There is of course a vegetarian version, and that will be to skip lamb mince all together, or may be adding up soya mince- vegetarian option for meat mince.But if you like non-vegetarian meals, then this is very appetizing.You can even make this  curry in bulk and store in batches in fridge, but try to consume within 2-3 days.And trust me, next day , when the flavours are well incorporated, this turns out more flavourful.

Well it does remind of Mexican Chilli, although I haven’t included other vegetables or cheese or kidney beans or pinto beans, in to this curry.This is a spicy preparation, if you are making it for little kids, reduce the red pepper powder.Actually I have used red bird-eyes chili pepper / Thai chili for this preparation, which is considered one fo the hot peppers, so you can guess the hotness of this curry.

Lobia Keema Curry – Black Eyed Beans lamb Mince Curry

Recipe requirements (serves 3-4)

• About 500 Gms of cooked lobia/ black eyed beans or use 1 pre-packed tin of black eye beans
• 500 Gms of lamb mince/ mutton keema

For the gravy

•  1 large tomato
• 2 medium size purple onions
• 3-4 fat pods of garlic
• ½ inch ginger root

For the seasonings

•  ¾ tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of red pepper powder
•  ¾ tsp of Kashmiri red pepper powder
• 1 heaped tsp of coriander powder
•  ¾ tsp of cumin powder
• 3/4  tsp of cinnamon powder
•  ¾ tsp of nutmeg powder
• ½ tsp of cardamom powder
• 2-3 Red bird’s eye chily slit in between
• Salt as per taste
• Pinch of asafetida
• ¼ cup of cooking oil
• Method

Prepare Black eyed Beans- lobia

• Soak about 2 -3 cups of dry lobia/black eyed beans in ample water for about 6-7 hrs. You can even soak them in warm water for 2-3 hrs in case you are running short of time. Or even use pre- packed tins. I have used approx 2 – 3 cups of cooked lobia for this curry (1 can serves well for 3-4 people). You can even use 2 tins to increase more beans in the curry.
• Now pressure cook  black eyed beans/lobia  for one whistle at high, lower the flame and let it cook further for about 10-12 mints. Open once the pressure subsides. Reserve this for later use.

Now prepare the keema- lamb mince

• Chop finely all the ingredients- onion, ginger, garlic and tomato. If you don’t like chopping then, wet grind those in a mixer adding little bit of cooking oil. I have even added some of the dry masala ingredients while making the onion+ginger+garlic paste, so add turmeric powder, red pepper powder, kashmiri red pepper powder, cumin-coriander powder to make a smooth paste.
• Now heat up a large vessel enough to hold keema, lobia and the gravy. Add in cooking oil. Add in pinch of asafetida, and then add in the prepared masala paste. Add in slit bird eye chili.Adjust salt.
• Now let it stir/fry it further for about 9-10 mints at medium high flame, splash some water if the paste starts to stick on the base. Once the paste has turned dark in color and the oil starts separating out, add in lamb mince.
• Keep on stir/fry the lamb mince for about 10-15 mints. Add in cinnamon powder+nutmeg powder+cardamom powder. You can even use garam masala as well. Splash little water if it tends to become very dry.
• Now add in about 2 cups of lukewarm water and the cooked beans with all the water if any left after pressure cooking it.
• Cover the vessel and let it cook slowly for about 1 hr at low flame. Alternately you can put the entire thing in a pressure cooker. Let one whistle at high and then lower the flame, so that it can cook on it’s own for about 10 mints. Open once the pressure subsides.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
• Enjoy with rotis or rice. I had it with cooked couscous and cherry –avocado salad.

Note-

Bird eye chilly adds the hotness to this curry, skip it if you do not like very hot and spicy curry.The same recipe goes well with rajma- red kidney beans as well.

Happy Cooking friends