Sausages in a Sea of Colour

Stir fried Sausages with Colourful Bell Peppers, corn kernel & Baby OnionsFast to cook....great to eat!

That is exactly what this dish is all about.

My fridge always (well almost always!!) has stock of certain things. Permutation/combination of these, result in some kind of eatables in case of an emergency (Eg. in case of an otherwise empty fridge without any meat/fish/veggies). Of these emergency saviours, egg, sausages, sweet corn kernels, bell peppers (mostly the green capsicum), cheese, babycorn (AD so loves them that in case she isnt in the mood to eat, I just fry her some babycorns and like magic her plate is licked clean in a jiffy....well in most cases, at least!) are a few.

Today's dish is one which can be cooked up fast; can be eaten for dinner and packed as a tiffin for AD, can be used as sandwich filling, Spring roll filling or eaten as it is.
It is easy, fast, looks great and tastes fresh, crunchy and yummy!

So here goes the recipe....

Ingredients :-
-Chicken Sausages : 250gm
-Bellpeppers : I used green, yellow & red - 1 each
-Baby Onions : 3/4th bowl (Bowl size - 250ml)
-Freshly ground black pepper : 1 1/2 - 2 tsp
-Chilly flakes : 1 tsp (or as per preference)
-Corn kernels - 1 bowl
-butter : 25 gm
-Salt


Procedure :-
1. Slice the sausages in thin discs
2. Cut the bell peppers in thin strips
3.Take the butter in a wok and after the butter melts, add the baby onions (whole)
4. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of pepper. Fry till translucent.
5. Add the sliced sausages. Stir fry on medium to high heat till it has browned. Sprinkle pepper, chilly flakes and stir again.
6. Add the thin strips of bell pepper. Stir fry on high heat but dont over cook. The bellpeppers need to retain their colour and crunchyness.
7. Add the bowl of corn kernel (I used frozen which I'd thawed and added raw. You can slightly fry the corn in butter if you want, or boil them in salt water)
7. With a final dash of pepper, chilly flakes and salt (if needed) and one final stir, take it off the flame. Ready to eat.



This recipe goes to the WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING #172 hosted for the week by Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. The history of WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING is available here. The logo for the event is .....

Paneer Anamika!

The preparation of this paneer dish is actually a modification....the original recipe has been twisted a bit here, subtracted a bit there to arrive at whatever this Paneer dish you may want to call! I'd read the original recipe eons ago in a Fish (yes...fish!!) Special of the popular Bengali magazine Sananda - the main ingredient being Bhetki fillet. But as is usual with me, I had forgotten to note it down. But the simplicity of the ingredients (always available at anyone's kitchen) and easy preparation and most importantly, the superlative taste of the final product (yes I had tried it out immediately after reading the recipe) had probably helped me remember the procedure.

A couple of Sundays back, just after I had finished the day's cooking, my husband (SD) informed that a friend and his wife would be coming over for dinner....Fine I said, and just as I was cosying up amidst the cushions to read the Sunday special bulky newspaper filled with anything but the news, he casually mentioned.... "Oh...they're vegetarian. Dont go into any trouble...something simple would be fine!"

I sprang out of my Sunday reverie, cursing my luck that everything was non-vegetarian or had non-veg additives that day!!! Opened my fridge, racked my brain and found some paneer... THANK GOD, I said a silent prayer. But no palak, so palak paneer was ruled out. Steamed paneer with mustard and coconut may be a Bong delicacy but mustard may not do much for the north Indian palate. And that was when the brainwave struck....and I came up with this improvisation/modification of the fish recipe...subtracted the garlic and the marination part. The end result was surprisingly good!

So when I prepared it last Thursday (SD's latest fad being vegetarian food on Thursdays!), thought I'll click some pics and post the recipe on my blog!

So here goes the recipe...

Ingredients : (since I'd decided while assembling the ingredients that it'll be a blog entry, I took the trouble to use my kitchen scale for the very first time! Hence the accurate weight measurements!!!)


-Fresh & Soft Paneer : 400gms (cut into pieces..I cut them into triangles)

-Cashew paste : 100 gms

-Onion paste : 60 gms (paste of 1 medium sized onion)

-Tomato paste : 60 gms (paste of 1 medium sized tomato)

-Kasuri methi leaves (3 tsp) soaked in warm warm water for 1/2 hr prior to use

-Ginger paste : 1/2 tsp

-Whole garam masala : 2 cardamoms+1 stick cinnamon

-Bay leaf : 1 or 2

-Oil : 3-4 tbsp

-Masala paste (turmeric - 1 tspn; Coriander powder - 1 tsp; Cumin powder - 1 tsp; Red Chilli powder is optional and depending on your taste)

-Salt to taste

Procedure :-
1.Take Oil in a wok. When hot, add the whole garam masala followed by the onion paste. Stir well.
2.When onion is well fried, add ginger paste followed by tomato paste and again keep stirring.
3.Add the masala paste. Keep stirring and let the masala cook.
4. Now add the cashew paste. If the cashew paste is too thick, sprinkle some water and let it cook on low heat.
5.Add the paneer pieces. Turn them around in the wok and if the gravy is sticking to the wok sides, sprinkle some water. Let it simmer. Cover with a lid.
6.Once in a while stir so that the gravy doesnt stick to the wok bottom and get burnt.
7.Once it comes to a boil, add the soaked kesari methi along with the water and again let it come to a boil again.
8. The Paneer is ready.(What shall we call it ? Paneer Pasinda or Shaahi Paneer...or something else??)
9. This can be eaten with Roti or Rice.

Mushurir Dal

Masoor dal or Red Lentil Soup

In any Bengali household, the ubiquitous Mushurir Dal is very close to the heart. In its multitudes of variations, the change of the seasonings (Paanch Phoron/Kaalo Jeera/Methi/Jeera and Green Chillies/Whole Red Dry Chillies) gives it its different avatars. But the staple protein which the dal provides, folklore has it, that Mushurir Dal protein is more wholesome & nutritous than chicken or meat protein!!

Today's recipe has Paanch Phoron and Whole Red Dry Chillies as the seasoning.

And one of the nuances of typical family traits in cooking a particular dish....in my family, we DON'T add Holud/Haldi/Turmeric to Mushirir Dal!! Why? Frankly, I dont know....but I too follow this religiously!! ;)

Ingredients :-

-Mushurir dal aka Masoor Dal (Red lentil) : 100gm

-Whole dry red chillies : 2

-Paanch Phoron : 1 tsp

-Ginger : 3/4 tsp

-Chopped onions - 1 small onion

-Chopped Tomato : 1/2

-Green Chillies : 2-3

-Coriander Leaves for garnishing

-Salt to taste

-Mustard Oil/White Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure :-

1. Put the washed dal in a pressure cooker. Add ginger, salt and 2 cups of water and pressure cook till 1 or 2 whistles blow.

2. Use a beater to ensure that there are no lumps.

3. Take the Oil in a wok and after it is hot season with 2 whole dry red chillies and Paanch Phoron.

4.Add the chopped onions and lightly fry.

5.Add chopped tomatoes.

6.Add the beaten Dal.

7.Check for salt and add water to make the dal of medium to light consistency (Mushurir Dal as eaten by Bengalis is of light consistency....paatla mushurir dal )

8.Bring to a boil

9.Add 2 slit green chillies and garnish with chopped Coriander Leaves.

The taste of this Dal reaches its maximum potential if eaten with hot steamed rice, with the juice of lemon squeezed and a green chilli rubbed into the dal-rice mix to give off a beautiful taste & aroma...

The speciality of this lentil recipe is that other than the Paanch Phoron (5 spice mix), it is a spice free, almost oil free dish, oozing with the goodness of Red Lentils.

This is my 2nd entry to the BLOG EVENT "LENTILS MELA" hosted by Ashwini's Spicy Cuisine. The logo for the event ..

This is also my 3rd entry to the event WYF:Cuisine. The logo for the event is..

Pabda Maachher Patla Jhol

(A Light Pabda Fish Curry)

Pabda or Butter Fish is as soft as butter :)

A favourite will all at home, I dont miss a chance to cook this light gravy, whenever I get fresh , pink Pabda.

Ingredients :-

-Pabda Fish - 500gms. (Nine medium sized Pabda), marinated (with turmeric+Mustard Oil+salt) for 10 minutes and shallow fried in a non-stick pan.
-Kalo Jeera/Nigella seeds-1 teaspoon
-Green Chillies : 3-4
-Chopped Tomato - 1
-Masala paste with
*Turmeric - 2 - 3 tsp
*Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
*Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp (Optional....today I didnt add this)
*Mustard  paste 2-3 teaspoon
*Salt to taste
- Mustard Oil - 4-5 tbsp
-Bori -8-10 (Optional) (Fried or dry roasted..today I dry roasted in a wok.)
-Coriander leaves - chopped
Some snapshots of the Bori and shallow-fried pabda...


Procedure :
1.Take mustard oil in a wok and put it on the stove and wait till it's crackling hot
2.Season with Kalo Jeera & 2 Green Chillies (Today I didnt use the green chilli for seasoning).
3.Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir.
4.Add the masala paste. Stir and cook the paste (moshla koshano)
5.Keep sprinkling water from time to time
6.Add the fried fish. Turn them around in the wok to coat the fish with masala but taking care so as not to break them.
7.Add one glass of water. Cover with a lid. Simmer the flame and let it cook for 5 minutes.
8.Add the fried /roasted Bori
9.Check the salt.
10.The gravy should be of thin consistency. If required, add water. Bring to a boil.
11.Add 2-3 slit green chillies and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
12.Ready to serve/eat with steamed rice

Simply Sunday!

Sunday lunches are normally elaborate affairs. Sunday starts off on a leisurely pace and by the time the fancier-than-normal breakfast (weekday breakfasts are usually boring affairs of cereals, smoothies, toasts or eggs!) session is over it's almost 11am. Then starts some special lunch menu with SD throwing in his suggestions which on Sundays are entertained and indulged.
Today was different. Yesterday night we watched a movie till 2 am and the late Sunday mornings became REALLY late! Hence breakfast was the normal lacklustre affair!
After two consecutive days of eating out, the stomach was begging for some relief and relaxation. So I decided to let this Sunday lunch be a simple affair! Less of spice and frills....just a simple Bong recipe of Mushurir Dal (Masoor dal), Alu Bhaja (Fried potato juliennes), Pabda Maachher Patla Jhol (Light Pabda fish curry) and Shaada Doi (Plain curd).
The squeaky clean plate of AD and the contented look on SD's face told me that the Simple Affair had been a healthy, wholesome and tasty hit!

Boiragi Dal....Mixed Lentil Soup

What has Dal (lentils) got to do with Boiragyo or spiritualism? Well, if you go by the name of this Dal…..quite a bit, I guess!

This Dal opens a floodgate of memories….of having lunch with Dadu (my paternal grandfather) during my growing up years.

A man of reticence, well-known amongst relatives for being a strict disciplinarian, with us grandchildren, Dadu was a different man altogether. Age had probably mellowed him. For me, his 'live-in' granddaughter, he was a storehouse of stories…of his growing up years, his schooling in the village pathshaala followed by his college years in Kolkata.

The sepia tinged memories of Dadu narrating his tales of a bygone era while we had lunch (on Sundays and holidays), with the 1 o'clock Bengali newscast on All India Radio in the background, are crystal clear even today, more than 20 years later.
Different stories of different phases of his life…Like when while studying engineering, he, with some friends played hookey and got caught while trying to sneak back to the hostel after a round of football match and were almost suspended by the professor. Of another occasion when the hungry youngsters, fed on measly hostel food, went uninvited, to a wedding party close to their college premises. After the host came to know they were engineering students from the hallowed institution, they were given an almost royal treatment and the boys feasted to their hearts' content. Stories of seaplanes taking off from water instead of the runway left me wide-eyed with wonder and amazement while tales of post World War II Germany and Britain, when food was rationed and life was stark gave me a first hand account of history. Myriad stories of a life spanning the entirety of the 20th century…..
To imagine that a modest dal had so many memories associated with it!!!
Well, coming back to the Dal…..peeping through the cobwebs of the past, the first time I remember having this dal, Dadu asked us whether we knew its name ….Boiragi Dal was what is was called, he said! 'Boiragi'?? I asked, taken aback by the totally out-of-context name. The Boiragis, he explained, lived on alms. And whatever they received as Bhiksha from each grihostho-baari was collected in a common container. And the Boiragi, at the end of the day, cooked this assorted Dal and hence the name Boiragi Dal.

But now as I write, a question comes to mind. Didn't the Boriagi receive any rice as alms. So that would make his day's Bhiksha a mix of Dal and Rice and hence it would become Boiragi Khuchudi!! Or did he have two separate containers for rice and dal? Explanations anyone??

Again, returning to the Dal…..the recipe :

Ingredients :

i) To be pressure cooked :-

-Any number of dal - I used 5 varieties. Masoor (Red Lentils), Toor(Pigeon Pea), Yellow Moong(Yellow lentil), Urad(White lentils), Chana(Split chickpea) : 20 gms each

-Ginger paste : 1 tsp

-Bay leaf : 2

-Salt to taste

-Sugar : a pinch

-Turmeric : 1/4 tsp

-2 glasses of water

ii) Other spices

-Oil : 2tbsp

-Dry red chillie (whole) : 2

-Panch phoron : 1 tsp

-Asafoetida (Hing) : 1 tsp

-Chopped tomatoes - 1

-green chillies : 2-3

-Ghee : 1 tsp

Procedure :-

1. Take all the dals and the other ingredients at (i) and pressure cook till the dal mix is of a creamy consistency. Mix the lentil grains well.

2. Heat oil in a wok.

3.Throw in the dry red chillies, panch phoron, hing and the chopped tomatoes and stir well

4. Pour the dal mix already prepared and kept aside.

5. Stir well and add some water if the consistency is too thick.

6. Check for salt and let it come to a boil

7. Add the slit green chillies and a dash of ghee before taking it off the stove.

8. Ready to serve with steamed white rice

*This is my entry to the BLOG EVENT 'LENTILS MELA' hosted by Ashwini's Spicy Cuisine. The event logo is....

** This is also going to the BLOG EVENT 'MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR-EIGHTH HELPING' hosted by The Well-Seasoned Cook. The event logo is...Bibliography :
Boiragi - From the sanskrit word Vairaagya which means Sannyasi or one who has renounced the world
Pathshaala -yesteryear's junior school in villages
Grihostho-baari - home of a family man
Bhiksha - Alms
Panch Phoron - Very commonly used seasoning in Bengali cooking. The 5 spice mix consists of Cumin (Jeera), Fenugreek (Methi), Kalonji (Kalo jeera), Radhuni, Fennel seed (Mouri/Saunf)

Cheesy Mixed Veggies

I'm a diehard carnivore! Ma spent most of my growing up years devising ways and strategies to make me eat vegetables. Now I'm on the other side of the fence and though AD is not as bad as me when it comes to veggies, there are times when the usual dal-sabzi gets boring and tedious. So this is just a small improvisation...not authentic veggie au gratin (SD's triglyceride would shoot up with more than a moderate quantity of cheese...so got to be careful!), neither the same old boring mixed vegetable. This is easy to cook and is a dish that has never really failed me...So here goes the moderated version of vegetable au-gratin with a personal touch!

Indredients
-Carrot, Beans, Potato - diced and blanched. (Broccoli may be added, cut into small florets. But I didnt have any in my fridge today.)
-Baby Onions - whole: 1 bowl (1 bowl measure = 250ml)
-Freshly ground pepper-1-2 tbsp
-Oregano powder - 1tspn
-Chilli flakes - 1tspn (Optional)
-Grated Cheese (today I used one 25gm cube but the more it is, the tastier the end product would be!)
-Baby corn sliced - 1/2 bowl
-Capsicum diced - 1/2 bowl
-Butter / Oil : 3tbsp
-Salt to taste

Procedure :

1. First saute the diced capsicum & sliced babycorn in some butter/oil in a non-stick frying Pan. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, freshly crushed pepper and if you like it hot, some chilly flakes. Keep this aside

2.In a wok take butter/oil and when hot, add the baby onions. Lightly fry till they turn translucent.

3.Add the Blanched vegetables. Stir well.
4.Add salt, freshly crushed pepper, chilly flakes, oregano and mix well.
5. Stir but not too vigorously as the veggies will melt. Cook on medium to high flame.
6. Finally add the grated cheese. Mix well. And sprinkle one final pinch of pepper.
7.Garnish with the sauted capsicum+babycorn
8.Ready to eat!\