Ingredients:
For Kofta:
Raw banana:4,boiled,mashed
Potato:2,medium
Gram flour/Besan:1 cup or more for binding
Kashmiri red chili powder:1 tsp
Garam masala powder:1/2 tsp
Turmeric
Salt
Sugar:1 tsp
Ghee:1/2 tsp
Oil for frying
For gravy:
Oil:2 tsp
Ghee:1 tsp
Bay leaf:1
Whole garam masala-green cardamom,cloves,cinnamon(1 inch):each 2
Warm water:2 cups
Turmeric
Salt
Sugar:1 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder:1/2 tsp
Cumin powder:1 pinch
Onion paste:1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste:1/2 tsp
Tomato paste:1,medium
Khoa/mawa:1 tsp
Cashew paste(make a pastein 1/4 cup of milk):1 tbsp
Fresh cream:2 tbsp
Kasuri methi:1 tsp
Method:
Knead the boiled & mashed raw banana,potato,besan & other spices & ghee mentioned for kofta.
Make tikki or ball shaped kofta (I make tikki shaped as it takes less oil for frying!)
Heat oil in high flame & fry koftas in batches.
When one side of the kofta is fried,turn the other side & fry in medium flame.
Soak them in tissue paper.
Now heat oil for the gravy in a separate pan.
Add the sugar to caramelize by stirring it continuously.
Temper with bay leaf & whole garam masala.
Add the khoa & fry it in low flame till it beomes brownish red & avoid over frying it.
Add onion,tomato,ginger-garlic paste.
Cook till the oil starts seperating from sides.
Add 2 cups of warm water.
Add salt,turmeric,chili powdewr,cumin powder & stir well.
Add koftas when gravy starts boiling.
Add cashew paste & cream.
Cook for 2mins.
Add kasuri methi & remove from flame.
Serve with polao or paratha.
Ingredients:
For the Malpua batter: (for 15-20 Malpuas)
Milk: 2 cups or little more to make the batter of pouring consistency
Suji (semolina): 1/2 cup
Flour: 1 cup
Mawa/khoa:2 tbsp,dilued in 1 tbsp of warm milk
Date jaggery/khejur gur:2 tbsp,thick (I diluted patali gur in boiling water)
Sugar: 2 tbsp
Fennel seeds(crushed): 1/2 tsp (I didnt use)
BlackCardamom seeds(crushed): 1/4 tsp
Pistachio/almonds to garnish
Ghee to deep fry
For the syrup:
Patali gur:500gm
Water: 2 cups
Black cardamom seeds: 1/4 tsp
Method:
How to make Malpua:
Take the milk(at room temparature) ,add semolina/suji,flour,mawa,2 tbsp of gur,cardamom seeds to the
milk and mix well.
I mix it in mixer for the smooth,pouring consistency.
In the meantime make the syrup.
Boil 2 cups of water in a pan and add the gur. As the gur dissolves completely, lower the heat to medium.
Add cardamoms to flavor the syrup. Keep the syrup hot.
Heat sufficient ghee in a kadai for deep frying. As the ghee is heating up, bit the batter well.
When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low. Take a ladle full of batter and deep fry till nicely
brown. Keep the heat to medium-low.
Take out on a paper lined plate.
Dip it in the hot syrup.
Refrigerate it & serve malpuas garnishing with chopped pistachio.
(Maharashtrian style Stuffed baby eggplants)
Ingredients:
Baby eggplants: 10-12 Small
Jaggery:1 tsp
Tamarind:1 Pinch
Salt To Taste
Ginger-garlic Paste:1 tsp
Asafoetida:1 Pinch
Turmeric Powder To Taste
Chopped green chilli:2
Red chilli powder:1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder:1 tsp
Chopped coriander:2 tbsp
Mustard oil:4 tbsp
Mustard seeds:1 tsp
For dry roast:
Bay leaves:1,torn into small pieces
Whole red chilli:1
Coriander-cumin Seeds 1/2 Tbsp
Sha jeera:1/4 tsp
White Sesame Seeds :3 tbsp
Peanut,crushed:4 tbsp
Shredded Coconut Dry :1 Cup
Method:
Remove stems and give four slits (not fully) to the eggplants.
Wash them in salt water and keep aside.
Dry roast all the spices mentioned above.
Make a powder of this mixture and mix with tamarind, jaggery, ginger-garlic paste, salt,red chili powder,pepper into it with 1/2 cup of water.
Alternatively, grind all these ingreadients together with the roasted mixture & then mix with 1/2 cup of water.
The mix should not be thin or creamy-it should be thick stuff.
Fill all the eggplants with above masala.
In a kadai heat oil and add mustard seeds.
Add asafoetida & turmeric powder when they starts spluttering.
Add the stuffed eggplants.
Pour in some water just to cover the top of eggplants.
Add salt & turmeric & chopped chili.
You can add the remaining spice paste used for stuffing when the water starts boiling.
Cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 min.
Remove the lid and stir & check the seasoning.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with chapati or rice.
Ingredients:
Mocha (Banana flower): 1 medium
Potatoes,cut into small cubes:2-3
Prawns:300-400 gms,medium
Grated coconut:about 2-3 cups(1 and half coconut will be required)
Green chillies:2-3
Bay leaf:1
Cumin seeds:1 tsp
Ginger paste:2 tbsp
Cumin powder:1 tsp
red chilli powder: 1 tsp
salt to taste
Sugar: 1-2 tsp
roasted cumin powder:1 pinch
Bengali garam masala powder( 1-2 tsp of ground green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon)
Turmeric : 2 tbsp
Oil
Ghee
Method:
Processing the banana flower:
Smear your palms and fingers with oil and a bit of salt.
Keep removing the petals until you reach the actual stalk, where you do see the petals but can’t really remove them.
Grate the stalk as finely as possible ; take off the small banana buds and slit them open, getting rid of the pin-like stems
inside, and soak them in turmeric brine for at least 2-3 hours (the more you soak the better it is)
Strain wash add some fresh turmeric and brine water and steam.
Bring the grated flower out after about 10 minutes and squeeze out the water as much as possible.
Cooking:
Heat about 3 tbsp or little more oil in a pan.
Sauté the shrimps (smeared in turmeric and salt) remove just as they turn color; add the poattoes and fry till they look
crisp and golden.
In the same oil, add bay leaf and cumin seeds for tempering.
Add the coconut and fry till you get the aroma.
Add the Mocha(banana flower) , all the spices except garam masala, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the shrimps and the fried potatoes and half a cup of warm water.
Cook on high adding garam masala; add the green chillies.
Remove from heat when the potatoes are fully cooked the curry is rich and creamy.
Add Ghee, garnish with roasted cumin powder and serve with plain rice.
Thakur Barir"Bhajibhuji"!(Snacks from Tagores' Kitchen!)
Pragya Sundari Devi was the second daughter of Maharshi Debendranath Tagore's third son Hemendranath Tagore & a niece of Rabindranath Tagore.
She was the wife of Lakshminath Bezbaroa was a great Assamese personality and celebrated pioneer of modern Assamese literature.
Pragya Sundari was the first to write a cookbook in bangla named 'Aamish O Niramish Aahar' in three volumes which became immensely popular.The third volume is about various pickles.Over 2500 recipes are documented in these books by her grand daughter Mrs. Ira Ghosh.
She also used to edit a monthly magazine named 'Punya'.
I am sharing her recipe of "Til Narkel er Bora"(Sesame Coconut Fritters)
"Til Narkel Er Bora"
Ingredients:
1 cup Freshly grated coconut
4 tbsp Sesame seeds
Salt
One Red chilli paste
1 tbsp(or little more) Rice powder
Oil for frying
Method:
Make a coarse paste of coconut & sesame seeds with one tsp of water.
Mix with chilli paste,salt & rice powder.
Make "bora" or tikki from the paste.
Heat oil.
Fry the bora/fritters till they become light brown & crispy.
Serve with steamed rice & dal.
"Kalia" is a spicy preparation from Bengali cuisine.
The gravy of the kalia is reddish & aromatic.
Onion paste/slices are fried in caramelised oil/ghee in Nonveg kalias & veg kalias.
To make a Jain style kalia onion is substituated with khoa/mawa.
I am sharing eminent Tagores'family's recipe of Paneer Kalia(Chhanar kaliya)
Recipe courtesy:Pragya Sundari Devi
She mentioned to cut the paneer into 1.5x1 inch pieces.
I kneaded the paneer with refined flour & cornflour(1:1) with a pinch of salt & garam masala powder to make kofta
Ingredients:
Paneer:125gm
Potato:3,medium,cut into halves (I didnt use)
Dry whole red chilli:2-3(I used Kashmiri red chilli)
Coriander seeds:1/2 tsp
Ginger:2.5 inch
Turmeric:2.5 inch(I used turmeric paste)
Khoa:30 gm(I used 1/2 cup)
Bay leaves:2,small
Green cardamom:2
Cloves:2-3
Cinnamon:2(each 1 inch)
Curd:125gm
Salt
Ghee
Raisins:8-10 pieces(optional)
Method:
Cut the paneer into 1.5x1 inch pieces
Or,mash the paneer,add 1 tbsp of refined flour & 1 tbsp of cornflour,a pinch of salt & garam masala powder & knead well.
Make small koftas.(you will get about 8 koftas out of this)
Place a raisin at the center of the each kofta.
Make a paste of red chilli,coriander & ginger with little water.
Heat ghee.
Fry the khoa till it turns brown & then remove from the ghee.
Fry the koftas in the same ghee till they turn light brown & remove them.
Fry the potato pieces till they turn golden & remove them.
Temper with bay leaves & whole garam masala.
Add red chilli,coriander & ginger paste & cook till it becomes dry & then add the curd.
Cook till the water evaporates & then add the fried khoa.
Add 1 cup water & stir well.
Add kofta & potato when the gravy starts boiling.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add half tsp of ghee & remove from the flame & cover with a lid.
Serve it hot with rice/polao or luchi.
Another Snack from Tagores'Kitchen:
Pragyasundari Devi's recipe of "Aamer Luchi"(Poori made with mango juice)
The dough of Aamer luchi is made by mixing refined flour with mango juice,freshly homemade paneer(chhana) & thick coconut milk by giving generous amount of ghee-the end result was soft,fluffy,mango flavoured luchis which melted in mouth within seconds!
Ingredients:
Refined flour:6 tbsp or little more
Mango juice:3/4 cup(I used Alphonso mango)
Freshly prepared paneer:2 tbsp(remove water thoroughly)
Thick coconut milk:2 tbsp
Ghee:2 tbsp+2 cups
Method:
Mix the mango juice,paneer,coconut milk with 2 tbsp of ghee.
Mix the flour & nead well it to make a smooth dough,add a little more flour to get the desired consistency.
Divide the dough into 6-8 small balls, dip half the balls in ghee for lubrication and roll the balls to 4-5 inch diameter circles.
Heat ghee for frying in a deep wok till smoking hot.
Reduce the flame and slide in the rolled out luchi.
Press the luchi, while frying with the back of a slotted spatula, this helps in making the luchis fluffy.
Take out of flame and place in a plate to let the luchis drain out the excess ghee.
Serve hot.
We took this as it is!!
She suggested to serve luchis with Alur dum,Chhoka or kebabs!!
Now choice is yours!! ;)
Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet corn
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1 cup,chopped spinach
1,large potato, boiled
1/2 cup paneer
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 pinch kasoori methi powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp ginger, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped
1 Tsp green coriander, chopped
1 Tbsp cornflour
1 cup bread crumb
1/2 cup ghee/oil (to shallow fry)
Pav
1/2 tsp Mayonnaise/tomato ketchup
Method
Blanch corn in water.
Chop and keep aside.
Mix in lemon juice and chaat masala to balance the sweet flavour of corn.
Blanch spinach in water.
Mash potato, paneer and mix with corn and spinach.
Add the spices: red chilli powder, black pepper powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, kasoori methi powder, salt and mix well.
Also put chopped ginger, green chillies, coriander and cornflour and mix to prepare tikki mixture.
Make tikkis of the mixture,rub with bread crumbs and shallow fry in ghee or oil.
Slit the pav.
Apply Mayonnaise or ketchup.
Place the tikki to serve.
Narkel Diye Enchor Er Korma(Green Jackfruit & Coconut Korma):
Recipe courtesy:"Sananda"
Ingredients:
Green Jackfruit:1kg
Potato:1,cut into cubes(I didnt use)
Curd:150 gm
Cashew paste:1/2 tbsp
Magaz paste:1 tsp
Bay leaves:2
Cloves,cinnamon,green cardamom:2,each,crushed
Garam masala powder:1 tsp
Ginger paste:1.5 tsp
Cumin paste:1 tsp
Coriander paste:1 tsp
Thick coconut milk:1 cup,diluted in 1/2 cup leukowarm water
Coconut paste(of freshly grated coconut): 1 tbsp
Dry red whole chilli:2
Kashmiri red chilli powder:1 tsp,or less
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder
Sugar:2 tsp
Ghee:1 tbsp
Refined oil:2 tbsp
Method:
Rub your palms with oil & salt & cut the green jackfruit into cubes.
Steam the cubes with 1 tsp of oil,a pinch of salt & turmeric powder in pressure cooker till they are half done.
Drain the water thoroughly.
Marinate the green jackfruit cubes with salt,sugar,Kashmiri red chilli powder,a pinch of turmeric powder,curd & coconut paste.
Keep it for half an hour.
Meanwhile,fry the potato cubes & keep aside.
Heat half tbsp of ghee & about 2 tbsp of oil & temper with bay leaves,whole dry red chillies & crushed whole garam masala.
Add cashew,magaz,ginger,cumin & coriandar paste & stir well.
Add green jackfruit & potato cubes & cook in medium flame till it is done.
Add the diluted coconut milk & cook for 5 mins.
Add garam masala powder & remaining ghee & cook for 2 mins.
Remove from the flame.
Serve with steamed rice.
