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Badhakopir Ghonto (Bengali Cabbagge Recipe)

Badhakopir Ghonto (Bengali Cabbagge)
Badhakopir (Cabbage) Ghonto is a Bengali delicacy from Bengal. Badhakopir ghonto is sometimes known as badhakopir chorchori or badhakopir torkari. Badhakopir ghonto has mainly two types- one with fish bones and another without onion garlic. Today I have come with without onion garlic badhakopir chorchori recipe. Here cabbage is cooked with ginger, tomato and some spices. It is very simple yet testy easy to make recipe. This version of Badhakopir ghonto goes well with roti, luchi or paratha.

Ingredients:
Cabbage 700 grams
1-2 large tomatoes
1 cup green peas
1 ½ tsp. ginger paste/grated ginger
Pinch of asafetida powder/hing
1tsp. roasted cumin powder
1 tsp. red chili powder
1 ½ tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. panch foron/Bengali five spices
2 dry red chilies
2 bay leaves
Ghee
Method:
1.    First cut the cabbage in thin pieces and wash those thoroughly.
2.  Heat oil in a big pan/kadai so that all cabbage slices do fix in the pan.
3.  Temper with panch foron (Bengali five spices), dry red chilies and bay leaves. Let it splutter for few seconds.
4.  Add asafoetida, ginger, potatotes, cabbage, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder and sugar. Fix those thoroughly and cover and cook for 5 mins in high flame.
5.  If you are using fresh green peas then add them with cabbage.
6.  After 5 mins lower the flame and give it a good mix then add some water. Again cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until cabbage slices are completely cooked. Check in between.
7.  Add frozen peas and check the seasoning. Cook it for last 3-4 minutes.

8.  So Badhakopir chorchori or ghonto (cabbage with peas) is ready to serve. Finish it with a dollop of ghee and enjoy.

Chiken Rezala- Mughlai Recipe

Chiken Rezala- Mughlai Recipe
Chicken Rezala is a very famous mughal inspired preparation in Kolkata. But I do not know why it is not so famous in other parts of India. But sometimes I feel it taste so better than many other famous dishes. Just like other Mughal preparation here chicken is slow cooked in mild gravy made out of yogurt, nut paste and with some awesome aromatic spices. I love Mughlai recipes and chicken rezala is one of my favorite out them.  Chicken rezala is not spicy and testy chicken preparation which goes well with naan paratha and even with biriyani.

Ingredients
500 grams chicken with bone (preferable big pieces)
½ onion paste
2 big tbsp. ginger garlic paste (more ginger)
½ cup yogurt
2 big tbsp. almond and poppy seed paste (more nuts)
1 tsp. kashsmiri red chili powder
¼ white pepper
¾ tsp sahi garam masala powder
1 cup milk
2-3 chopped green chilies
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 black cardamom
2 green cardamoms
3 cloves
Salt & sugar to taste
Method
1.    Take a wide vessel, heat some white oil or ghee.
2.  Add whole garam masala and fry for few seconds.
3.  Add onion paste. Fry it for 2-3 minutes until it turns brown in colour.
4.  Add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell goes off
5.  Add white pepper, kashmiri red chili powder and chooped green chilies and saute it for 1-2 minutes or until it’s well fried.
6.  Add yogurt and almond-poppy seed paste and mix everything thoroughly and cover and cook until oil leaves from the side of the vessel.
7.  Add chicken pieces and coat the the chicken with the gravy. Braise the chicken with the masala until oil floats on the top. It can take 7-8 minutes.
8.  Then add milk and garam masala powder. Mix everything and cover and cook for 15-20 minutes in low heat. Check in between.
9.  Check the chicken pieces are coked or not if not then cook it for extra 5 minutes.
10.               So our chicken rezala is ready. Serve it with some roti naan or paratha or even with biriyani and enjoy.
11. Please follow me on Youtube if you like my recipes. J

How to make Paneer at home- Homemade paneer

How to make Paneer at home- Homemade paneer
Paneer is a very famous Indian unsalted Cottage cheese.  Paneer can be eaten fresh or cooked. But it does not melt when it is cooked unlike most of cheese. It is made with full fat cow or buffalo milk. When the, milk is hot the milk is curdled by lemon juice/vinegar/yogurt. We do not use rennet here. There is a lot controversy regarding the origin of paneer. There three main branches which explain paneer origin-Vedic Indian, Afghan-Iranian and Portuguese-Bengali. But still it is debated. The word "paneer" is itself debated, because it is similar to Persian word panÄ«r,  Turkish word peynir, the Azerbaijani word panir, and the Armenian word panir, all indicate "paneer", refers to any type of cheese.  The origin of paneer itself is debated.
Whatever it is but the outcome is delicious just like other cheese.  It tastes best when it is fresh. Paneer is available in Indian subcontinent. But being Bengali we are famous for sweet like rosogolla, that is made of with softened Channa (paneer) – before milk curdle turn into paneer that is  the stage when milk is curdled and just drain the water and take the solid part from it.  So let’s see how to make paneer. This is easy to make paneer.

Ingredients
Full fat milk (more fat content more quality paneer you will get)
Lemon juice/citric acid/yogurt/vinegar
Method
1.    Heat up the milk until boiling point.
2.  Stir it continuously otherwise it get burned in the bottom
3.  Prepare a mixture made with lemon juice and water
4.  When it comes to boiling point then switch of the stove let it cool down a bit.
5.  Then add the lemon juice water mixture little by little and stir it continuously. When the milk curdle up. Stop pouring the acidic mixture.
6.  Take a strainer and place a cheese cloth over it. Strain all excess water and store the curdle milk solids.
7.  You can use the leftover water in any curry instead of normal water, it taste good.
8.  Wash the milk solids with cold water and wrape the milk solids with cheese cloth place one heavy thing over it and let it drain out all the remaining water from it for minimum of 6-8 hours.
9.  Then our paneer is ready, take it out from the strainer. Cut it in your desired pieces. Enjoy
10.               You can make any tasty curry or you can it raw paneer as it is J

11. Do not forget to check my matar paneer recipe. 

Matar Paneer (Peas with Cottage Cheese)- Indian Cottage Cheese Curry

Matar Paneer (Peas with Cottage Cheese)- Indian Cottage Cheese Curry
Matar Paneer is a very famous north Indian preparation which is loved by all over the India. Matar Paneer is famous in all over the Globe as well. Matar Paneer is widely available in every north Indian Restaurant and any road side dhaba. Sometimes we cannot get the consistency of matar paneer gravy like dhaba or restaurants. So today I will show you how to get that thick gravy of Matar Paneer just like dhaba or restaurants. Here I have used homemade paneer which I regularly make at home because fresh paneer is not available here. For extra creaminess I have used milk here instead of water, you can skip that.

Ingredients
250 gram paneer cubes
1 cup peas (here I have used frozen peas)
1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
1” ginger
7 garlic pods
10-12 cashew nuts
1 tsp. whole cumin seed
½ tsp. turmeric powder
1 ½ tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. coriander powder
¼ tsp. garam masala powder
1 tbsp. kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Salt & sugar to taste
Method
1.    Cut the paneer into cubes. Lightly fry those cubes for 1-2 minutes and keep aside. You can use fresh not fried paneer to the gravy but I like this way.
2.  Heat some oil/ghee. Fry cashew nut for 1 min. Then add ginger garlic and onion and salt. I have roughly chopped all of these no need to chop those finely. Fry them 2-3 minutes.
3.  Then add tomato pieces. Fry everything for 4-5 minutes. After frying, transfer everything in grinder jar and let it cool down then grind it into a smooth paste. Here I have used milk for making the paste smooth you can substitute it with water.
4.  Now in the remaining oil add with cumin seed. When it crackles add that onion tomato paste which I made earlier.   Give it a good mix.
5.  Add turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chili powder and mix it properly and cover and cook for 4minutes. But do not forget to check in between. The gravy can stick in the bottom.
6.  After 4 mins add milk, cream, sugar, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix everything and cover and cook it for another 4-5 minutes or until the oil leaves the side of the gravy.
7.  Now add kasuri methi and paneer. Mix everything and cook it for 2 minutes or so.
8.  After 2 minutes add garam masala powder and frozen peas if you are using fresh peas then boil it first then add it into the gravy.
9.  So our matar paneer is ready to serve. Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve it with naan, roti or polau and Enjoy J

Dalma- Toor Dal with mixed vegetable (Odiya Recipe)


Dalma- Toor Dal with mixed vegetable
Dalma is a staple and comfort food from Orissa. Dalma has rich heritage. It is served to Jagganath (Hindu God) as Mahaprasad (serving food to god) in Puri temple in Orissa. Dalma is basically arhar / toor (pigeon pea/slit pea) dal with mixed vegetables.  You can get pigeon pea from Indian store. It is really healthy and wholesome food which contains less oil. As everything pressure cooked here so every vegetable retains the nutrients. Dalma is very easy to make wholesome dal recipe.

Ingredients 
2 cups arhar/toor dal (pigeon pea lentil)
2 tbsp. ginger
3-4 green chilies
1 tsp. cumin seed
1 dry red chili
½ cup coconut
1 tomato
1 eggplant
2 carrots
2 potatoes
1 zucchini
Handful of raisins (optional)
Salt & sugar to taste
Ghee (Clarified butter)

Method
1.    Wash the toor/arhar dal [pigeon pea] thoroughly. Then soak it for at least 30 mins.
2.  Take a pressure cooker add dal in it. Add all of the vegetables, turmeric powder, half of ginger, half of coconut, half green chilies and salt. Add 4 cups of water; you can adjust the water level according to your preference.
3.  Close the pressure cooker and give it 2 whistles.
4.  Now take a pan add some oil or ghee and temper with cumin seed and dry red chili. Sauté those. Then add raisins if you are using. Turn off the heat add shredded coconut. If you are using raw coconut then add them with ginger.
5.  Now add tarka to the boiled dal. Add sugar and asafetida. Mix it thoroughly. Boil it for 10 mins.
6.  After 10 mins add chopped fresh coriander leaves and ghee/clarified butter.
7.  Serve it with boiled rice and ghee. Enjoy.

Dal Bora or Dal Pakora (Lentil Fritters)

Dal Bora or Dal Pakora (Lentil Fritters)
Dal Bora/ Dal Pakora is a very famous Indian tea time snack and widely available throughout India. It is basically Lentil fritters made with of dal/lentils with some spices. There is wide variation of dal bora/dal pakora. Today I am making Masoor dal/ red lentil fritters. It is very famous in streets of Kolkata. Only made with some washed and soaked dal with some onion ginger garlic.

Ingredients
1 cup masoor dal
1 tsp. cumin seed
½ tsp. onion seed/ kalonji
1/3 tsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder
3-4 green chilies chopped
1 onion finely chopped
Coriander leaves
Pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste

Method
·        First wash the masoor dal (red lentils) thoroughly.  Then soak it for 30 minutes. Then drain out the water.
·        Blend them in a coarse paste.
·        Now add all of those ingredients into the dal paste and mix it thoroughly.
·        Heat the oil properly. Check by dripping some dal if it floats that means it is ready.
·        Gradually add dal batter in small portion in to the hot oil. Lower the flame in medium. Fry those Dal Pakora/ Dal Bora until it turns into golden brown color. Flip it occasionally.
·        Serve it immediately with tea and enjoy J

Tandoori Chicken - Indian Roasted Chicken (Without Oven)

Tandoori Chicken - Indian Roasted Chicken (Without Oven)
Tandoori chicken is a famous appetizer from Punjab which is equally famous all over the Indian subcontinent.  This yummy appetizer was invented by Kundan Lal gujral, a punjabi restaurant owner.
Here chicken is marinated in selected spices and yogurt. Later it is roasted in a special oven called tandoor from where it is named as tandoori chicken. But we do not have clay oven in our home Today I will show easy way of making tandoori chicken which is equally testy like restaurant’s tandoori chicken. Tandoori chicken can be eaten by its own as a starter or appetizer or with some rumali roti naan etc. This is without oven tandoori chicken you can try oven backed chicken tandoori recipe.

Ingredients:
For 1st Marination
Chicken leg pieces (600grams/3 big pieces)
1 lime/lemon
2tbsp. ginger garlic paste
½ tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
Salt sugar to taste
For 2nd Marination
3 tbsp. tandoori masala
3 tbsp. hung yogurt 1tbsp. /chicken pieces
1tbsp. kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
½ tsp. carom seed
½ tsp. chaat  masala


Method
·       First take some chicken leg pieces with thigh give some cuts all over the chicken. I will do two marination.
·       1st Marination    
·       Marinate the chicken with lemon juice, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, salt and sugar & mustard oil thoroughly massage those chicken pieces with those margination. Let it rest for 15-30minutes.
·       2nd Marination
·       After 30 minutes, add hung yogurt, tandoori masala, kasuri methi/fenugreek leaves, ajwain/carom seed, chaat masala mix everything thoroughly rub the chicken with this margination. Let it rest for 2 hours.
·       After 2 hours, heat up a non-stick pan/grill pan is the best but in case of mine I do not have it.
·       Brush some oil over the pan. When pan is hot then place chicken pieces. You will get the sizzling sound. Cover and cook for 10 minutes at medium flame. Do not worry if it releases some water. It will be dried up.
·       After 10 mins, open the lid and flip the chicken pieces. Again cover and cook other side for 10 minutes.
·       After 10 minutes flip the chicken to another side. Higher the flame and cook it for 5 minutes each side. No need to cover it just stays there and check it weather it’s cooked or not.
·       After in total 10 minutes, the chicken pieces should have some burn spot over and should get completely cooked through if not then cook it for another 4-5 minutes.

·       So our Chicken tandoori is ready. Serve it immediately with some chutney or raita, sprinkle some chaat masala over it and Enjoy J

Tandoori Chicken - Indian Roasted Chicken

Tandoori Chicken - Indian Roasted Chicken
Tandoori chicken is a famous appetizer from Punjab which is equally famous all over the Indian subcontinent.  This yummy appetizer was invented by Kundan Lal gujral, a punjabi restaurant owner.
Here chicken is marinated in selected spices and yogurt. Later it is roasted in a special oven called tandoor from where it is named as tandoori chicken. But we do not have clay oven in our home Today I will show easy way of making tandoori chicken which is equally testy like restaurant’s tandoori chicken. Tandoori chicken can be eaten by its own as a starter or appetizer or with some rumali roti naan etc. This is oven backed tandoori chicken you can try chicken tandoori without oven recipe.

Ingredients:
For 1st Marination
Chicken leg pieces (600grams/3 big pieces)
1 lime/lemon
2tbsp. ginger garlic paste
½ tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
Salt sugar to taste
For 2nd Marination
3 tbsp. tandoori masala
3 tbsp. hung yogurt 1tbsp. /chicken pieces
1tbsp. kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
½ tsp. carom seed
½ tsp. chaat  masala


Method
·       First take some chicken leg pieces with thigh give some cuts all over the chicken. I will do two marination.
·       1st Marination    
·       Marinate the chicken with lemon juice, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, salt and sugar & mustard oil thoroughly massage those chicken pieces with those margination. Let it rest for 15-30minutes.
·       2nd Marination
·       After 30 minutes, add hung yogurt, tandoori masala, kasuri methi/fenugreek leaves, ajwain/carom seed, chaat masala mix everything thoroughly rub the chicken with this margination. Let it rest for 2 hours.
·       After 2 hours, preheat the oven at 190°C/374°F. Place the chicken over an oven tray and bake it for 20mins.
·       After 20 mins take out the tray and flip another side of chicken and brush oil. Bake it for 5 minutes.
·       After 5 minutes take it out from oven and flip chicken pieces and brush oil. Higher the temperature at 250°C or broil it for 5 minutes.

·       After 5 minutes take the tray out of the oven and flip those chicken pieces other side and broil it for last 5 minutes.
·       So our Tandoori chicken is ready to serve. Enjoy J
·       For more details watch my youtube video.

Homemade Tandoori Masala Powder


Tandoori Masala
Tandoori masala is unique spice mix from Indian cuisine. You can use it any of tandoori making food dishes like tandoori chicken tandoori fish, tandoori mushroom, tandoori panner etc. Nowadays I don’t like store bought spice mix because sometimes they add some ingredients which are not good for our health. So it is an easy to make tandoori masala recipe which is equally good as store bought.

Ingredients
1 tbsp. Cumin seed
1 ½ tbsp. Coriander seed
1 tsp. fenugreek seed
1 tsp. fennel seed
4-5 black cardamom
16-17 green cardamom
1 tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. cloves
6-7 dry red chilies
4 bay leaves
·        Dry roast all of above ingredients together at slow flame for 3 to 4 minutes. But do not burn the spices. Let them cool and transfer in a grinder jar.
1 tbsp. kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ginger powder
6-7 mace
1 nutmeg
½ tsp. turmeric powder
·        Add all of these spices into the same grinder jar and grind it in a fine powder.

·        So our tandoori masala is ready. Try my easy chicken tandoori recipe.

Beetroot Raita (Yogurt Sauce) Recipe

Beetroot Raita
Raita is very famous condiment from Indian subcontinent. The main ingredients of raita is ‘Dahi’/ ‘Doi’/ yogurt/curd. It is made with some cooked or raw fruits and vegetables. Raita can be compared with side dip/ salsa etc. in western cuisine. Here I have taken beetroot which is good source of iron and folic acid and some antioxidant. So it is a very healthy side dish along with other dishes. There is wide range of raita exits in Indian culture. Generally raita is consumed in the time of summer months.

Ingredients:
1 whole boiled beetroot (do not cut in chunks. It will lose its beautiful color)
300 grams yogurt
½ tsp. cumin powder
Pinch of red chili powder
Pinch of chaat masala powder
Black salt to taste
Method:
Grate the boiled beetroot.
Add the grated fine pieces of beetroot in yogurt.
Add cumin powder, red chili powder, and black salt and chat masala
Mix everything together.

That’s it. We are done with Raita. Serve it with other dishes. Enjoy J
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