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Sunday, March 5, 2023

PanCake



A kid friendly recipe with innumerable variations....

sweet or savoury?

Chocolate sauce or maple syrup or honey or fresh cream or butter?

Topped with banana/ strawberry/ blueberry/mango?

Nutmeg /cinnamon/ vanilla?

Jotting down the most basic version of a well liked breakfast so that the girls need not ask me the ingredients and measures each time they make pancakes..

The measurements taken from Internet.  Other than the milk quantity mentioned here, all measures and ratios are just fine


Ingredients for 8 pancakes 

1 ½ cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour / whole wheat flour,

2 tablespoons sugar (powdered)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt, reduce to 1/4 teaspoon if sensitive to salt or using salted butter

1 ¼ cups (295 ml) milk....I used 195ml or till the batter was of flowing consistency

1 egg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Procedure 

BATTER

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and the salt in a medium bowl.

Warm milk  until lukewarm. 

Whisk milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract.. 

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately at first then combine just before cooking. When we are ready to cook, we combine the two mixes with a fork or whisk. 

COOK PANCAKES

Heat a large pan (mine has 3 circular grooves perfect for pancakes, crepes) over medium heat. The pan is ready if when you splatter a little water onto the pan surface, the water dances around the pan and eventually evaporates.

Lightly brush skillet with melted butter.

Pour ladle full of batter and cook till browned and crispy around the edges. Flip and cook the other side

Serve with toppings of your choice...chocolate syrup, honey, maple syrup, liquid jaggery, cream etc


Monday, February 27, 2023

Mushroom Spinach Crepes

A recipe from an FB reel made Sunday Breakfast a superhit.

Substituted the All purpose Flour of the original recipe with Whole Wheat Flour for the crepes as well as the white sauce.  

Ingredients :

A) for  around 18 crepes:

  • Whole Wheat Flour ...2.5 cups (approx 250gms)
  • Milk 2 large mugs or till a dosa like batter is made
  • Salt to taste
  • Baking powder & cooking soda..a pinch each
B) For the Mushroom Spinach Filling (measurements, ratio of ingredients as per taste and liking)
  • Butter / Garlic Butter : 1 tbspn
  • Chopped Garlic : a bowl full (around 50gm)
  • Sliced Mushroom : 400 gm 
  • Chopped Spinach : 1 bunch ...finely chopped
  • Milk (original recipe had cream) : 1 cup 
  • 2.5 cubes processed cheese : grated
  • Chili Flakes
  • Dried Hetbs
  • Pepper
  • Salt
  • Ata / Cornflour for thickening (as milk was used instead of cream)

C) White Sauce 
  • Butter : 1 tbspn
  • Wheat Flour (original recipe: All Purpose Flour) : 1 tbspn
  • 2 cups of milk
  • Chili Flakes
  • Dried Hetbs
  • Pepper
  • Salt
Procedure : Prepared the mushroom Spinach filling followed by the white sauce and crepes on adjacent gas burners
A) Crepes :
1) Mixed the Whole Wheat Flour / Atta, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt. Gradually added milk at room temperature and whisked the batter well to dissolve the lumps. Should be of flowing consistency


B) Mushroom , Spinach Filling :
1) In a wok, heated garlic butter and added chopped garlic and fried till golden brown.
2) Added the sliced mushroom and tossed on high heat. Added Chili flakes, dried herbs (oregano/Italian seasoning), Pepper.
3) Added the chopped Spinach. Tossed it around till it wilted.
4) Added Salt followed by Milk (substitute of Cream) and grated cheese. In case the filling is too watery, sprinkle some atta or cornflour for thickening 

C) White Sauce :
1) In a wok, heat butter and add a tbsp of Atta / Wheat Flour. Saute till brown. Add milk, salt, pepper, chili flakes, seasoning and bring to a boil till white sauce is ready  

D) Assembly :
1) Add a ladle full of batter to make the crepes.
2) Add the filling 
3) Fold it as you wish or find convenient
4) Serve on a plate and either dunk it in whote sauce or pour some white sauce as garnishing and sprinkle some chili flakes/pepper/chopped parsley or coriander leaves. (Optional...I left out the last bit as hungry eyes were more interested in the food rather than the decor and drama... ;)










Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Paneer with Posto and Capsicum

Paneer with Posto or poppy, capsicum paste

Had this delicious paneer dish at a cousin's place. Loved it.
She mentioned some ingredients she'd used, I guessed some she may have missed....the result was quite a refreshing tasting Paneer!

Paneer with Posto or poppy, capsicum paste

Ingredients:

Paneer – 500gm
Tej pata-2
Tomato chopped-1
Ginger paste -1 tbsp
Whole jeera
Whole Garam Masala
paste of 2 medium sized capsicum
paste of 2 tbsp posto
Dhone-jeera powder – ½ tsp each
Salt
Sugar
Green chili
Ghee at the end

Procedure:
1. Season the oil with Tej pata, Whole jeera, Whole garam masala, ginger paste/grated 
2. Add the tomato followed by Capsicum paste and let it cook till the oil separates.
3. Add the Posto/Poppy Paste followed by sugar, dhone - jeere paste.
4. Add the Paneer cubes and salt to taste 
5. Add some water...not too much...just a sprinkling
6. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes.
7. End it off with adding some slit green chilies and a liberal spoonful of ghee.
8. Eat it with steamed rice or roti.

PS: I'd added some diced potatoes which I'd sauted prior to adding to the gravy. Potato is totally optional....I added because I like potatoes with paneer 😉

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Masala Poorie / Puri


Chholar Dal or Chana Dal was already carried forward from Lunch. Hence the Puri with a twist!
Though we Bongs are partial towards 'Phulko Luchi'...Poories made of Maida, Covid restrictions and limited supplies prompted me to improvise with whatever was available.... and here goes the recipe of Masala Poorie

Ingredients as per my availability: can be tweaked around to suit taste and availability
Maida - about 1/2 cup
Ata (whole wheat flour) - 3 cups almost
Hing /Asafoetida - 1 tbsp
Chili flake - 1 tbsp
Ajwain - 1.5 tbsp
Salt
Sugar
Ghee- 1 heaped tbsp
Curd (because it was available)-a bowl approx
Warm water

Procedure :
Mix the dry ingredients.
Then mix the ghee followed by curd and warm water....knead
Roll into poories and fry....


I served with Chholar Dal...
Anything like Alu Dum, Chhole, Chutney will do....even just like that...warm puffed spicy poorie tastes awesome!

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Lau Chingri

Bottle Gourd with Shrimps
Lau Chingri or Bottle gourd with shrimps , a Bengali recipe
The addition of Shrimps (Kucho Chingri) to the humble Lau (Bottle Gourd) has elevated this dish to  an exalted position in the world of Bong gastronomy. The 'Lau Chingri' didnt stop at conquering the heart of the Bong gourmet, but inspired the cult folk song from Opar Bangla "Saadher Lau banailo more Boiragi" !

Coming to the recipe, here it goes :

Ingredients : 
Lau / Bottle Gourd- chopped into small pieces
Pumpkin julienne-a small qty ..about 1/3 the quantity of Lau
Shrimps-de-veined and washed
Panch phoron-1 tsp
Tej pata -1
Shukno lonka / whole dry red chili
Grated/paste of ginger
Holud/turmeric
Jeera powder
Green chili
Dhonepata / Coriander leaves-chopped
Ata (whole wheat flour)- 1 tbsp
Ghee
Salt
Sugar

Procedure :
1.Steam the chopped lau + julienned pumpkin
2. In a Kadhai, heat oil and season with Panch Phoron.
3. When the phoron is crackling, throw in Tej pata, Shukno lonka followed by the washed and de-veined shrimps.
4. After frying the shrimps add ginger, turmeric, jeera powder followed by salt and a pinch of sugar.
5. Now add the steamed chopped lau + julienned pumpkin into the spice mix in the kadhai.         
6. Stir it around..no water is to be added as white gourd gives out water.                                  
7.Keep it covered for a few minutes till the vegetables are cooked. Remove the cover...let the moisture evaporate.
8. Once the veggie-shrimp is done, sprinkle a spoonful of Ata to help dry up excess moisture and make the dish 'maakha-maakha'.
9. Finish of with dhonepata, slit green chilies and a dash of ghee.
10. Serve with steamed rice


Saturday, April 18, 2020

Phish Phash / Pish Pash...what's in a name ;)?

A gentle nudge from friends reminded me that I have a Cooking Blog. It has been sitting idle, gathering (virtual) dust for the past 2 years or so. Not that I haven't cooked...I have. But blogging about food is a tad bit more cumbersome than cooking food.

A microorganism is holding up the whole world of the mot superior being at ransom...the whole human world is under forced hibernation. While the more fortunate ones are cooped up within the confines of their home, praying for safety and good health, the others are stranded far away from home, alone, scared and helpless. Among the millions of Covid related forwards doing their rounds in the virtual space, one which struck me somewhere said "A vaccine for the Human Virus has finally been found ...Corona....which will heal mother Earth"! What a sad state of affairs we have brought ourselves to...

Well in these troubled times, when supplies, though regular (till now) are limited and cooking simple yet finger licking food is a daily challenge, remembering Phish Phash was like a God Send.  

This is  comfort food I remember from my childhood, especially  from the after-fever-bitter-taste-zero appetite phase. I remember the soft aromatic rice with melt-in-the-mouth-mutton, carrot-peas-potato drizzled with dollops of butter....Aaahhhh bliss!

With chicken in the fridge, I proceeded with the chicken version of the above one pot comfort food!

Ingredients for 10 generous helpings and some more
Gobindobhog Rice - 750gm
Curry cut chicken with bones - 1.5kg 
Carrot : 2-3 chopped into chunks
Beans - a handful -roughly chopped
Potatoes- 2-3 cut into quarters if large
Green chilies - as per taste
Any other vegetables may be added: capsicum, raw papaya, cauliflower, cabbage..all chopped roughly in chunky pieces
Ginger paste - 2 tbsp - for marination of chicken
Garlic paste - 2 tbsp - for marination of chicken
Pepper powder
Whole garam masala - Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Peppercorns (optional), Bay leaf
Finely chopped onion-1
Onion paste-1
Chopped tomato -1
Butter

Procedure :
1. Marinate the thawed and washed chicken with ginger-garlic paste, salt and pepper for about 1/2 hour.
2. In a pressure cooker, place the marinated chicken + onion paste + chopped onion+ chopped tomatoes +whole garam masala+Pepper powder+salt+green chilies+salt. Add adequate water. Cook for 2 whistles.

3. Separate the chicken stock and the boiled chicken pieces.4. In a rice cooker place the washed Gobindobhog rice with the chunky vegetables and add the chicken stock and a bit of butter/ghee and let it cook till almost done. Add the chicken pieces. Keep the cooker on for a couple of minutes more.

5. Serve the steaming hot Phish-Phash with dollops of butter.

I dont like the rice very mushy and overcooked. 
If you like it that way, after pressure cooking the chicken, add the rice and veggies into the chicken stock in the pressure cooker. If needed, add some more more water and pressure cook for 1 whistle (gobindobhog cooks very fast)...And the mushy risotto like  Phish Phash is ready to be served

Optional : A fistful of Masoor Dal (Red Lentils) may be added along with the rice to make it an even more wholesome meal. I didnt, though...





Sunday, February 4, 2018

KORAISHUTIR KOCHURI

Koraishutir Kochuris  are an almost indispensable part of a Bong's Winter cuisine. The first glimpse bright green pea pods are irresistible....and the first thing that comes to mind is Koraishutir Kochuri, of course with Alur Dum or Chholar Dal.

Ingredients :
Shelled Peas 
Ginger - 1" piece
Green Chili
Asafoetida or Hing - a pinch
Cumin or Jeera
Fennel or Mouri powder - coarsely ground (after dry roasting)
Salt
Sugar
Ghee

Procedure :
Filling
Make a paste of Green Peas,Ginger (ginger can be added while cooking the paste too), Green Chili, a pinch of sugar and salt
Heat ghee in a kadhai. Temper with Jeera and Hing. 
Add the Green Paste followed by Ginger paste if not already added while blending
Turn it around in kadhai to cook or give 'paak' while ensuring the colour does not change to a dirty dull green. 
Add fennel powder and red chili(optional) and also roasted cumin powder.
Overcooking is sacrilege and so is overpowering the sweet taste of green peas.
Adjust salt and sugar. The taste is mildly sweet
The filling is ready

Dough:
1.For the maida dough, add a tablespoon of ghee as moyen. Now knead the maida into a soft dough.

2.Like in making puri/luchi, pinch of balls off the dough, roll them into smooth balls. Then make cavities in the centre and add a spoonful of the cooked green paste. Fold up the dough cup with the green paste mix in the centre and seal it and again roll into ball.

3.Now roll out the balls as you would in case of puri/luchi.



Koraishutir Kochuri with Alur Dum....