Kundru Aloo Posto

Kundru or Tindora is like a brother of Paatol (parwal) to me. Its the favorite vegetable of my Mom. It has some medical influences too, this vegetable helps to reduce blood sugar level.

I actually asked my husband to get parwaal, but he got kundru (I don't blame him, even I did that years ago :D). So making this Aloo kundru posto. Posto is indian poppy seed, a must have in bengali kitchens. Let's begin then.. it's a very simple one..

Indredients:

Potato : 1 medium, cut into strips (like french fries)
Kundru/ Tindora : 1 lb, cut into strips
Posto/ poppy seeds : 1/4 cup
Green chili : 2- 3
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp
Red chili powder : 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut (optional) : 3 tbsp
Salt : as per taste
Cumin seeds : 1tsp
Oil : 2 tbsp

Method:

Marinate the Kundru strips with some salt, 1/ 2 tsp turmeric powder and red chili powder, and let it sit for 1/2 hr. After 1/2 hr squeeze the excess water out from the kundru strips.

Make a smooth paste of poppy seeds, green chilis and grated coconut and water, and keep it aside.

Poppy seeds

Put the kadhai or pan onto the heat. Once it is hot add the add into the pan. And once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds. The oil should be really hot, so that the cumin seeds stats to splutter as soon as it is in the iol  oil (I keep getting OIL spelling wrong, I don't know why!!!)

Add the potatoes into the oil, add turmeric and saute for few minutes  Once the potatoes are little golden add the marinated kundru stips. Add salt. Fry them together till the vegetables are golden, crispy and tender.

Add the posto paste into the pan and mix well. Fry till the masala is well fried and potato and kundru is well cooked. Sprinkle a little water in between if needed. Taste it, adjust it anddddd Done!!!!

See, I told you, It's soooo easy. :) Njoy your posto with rice.

    

Aloo palak..Potato in spinach gravy.

I don't have much memories about spinach, so I guess I didn't like it as a kid. But after I read all the good things about spinach I started eating it, and now I like it, in fact I love it. Palak paneer is my favorite, then there is palak methi malai and of course our bengali shaak, "begun n bori diye palang shaak".

I usually buy spinach from Costco, those 2lb boxes of organic baby spinach, which is a huge quantity for two people. Today neither I had paneer nor methi or eggplant in the fridge. But I wanted to use my spinach. So I made it with aloo. Today was the third time I made this, and it gets better with past experiences. So here comes 'simple n easy' Aloo palak.

Ingredients:

Spinach : 1lb, fresh or frozen, roughly chopped
Garlic : 2 cloves, roughly chopped
Ginger : 1" root, roughly chopped
Onions : 2 medium, chopped
Green chilis : 2-3, chopped
Potatoes : 1 medium, peeled and cubed

Tomato : 1 medium, chopped
Turmeric powder : 1tsp
Dried red chili : 1
Cumin seeds : 1tsp
Garam masala powder : 1tsp
Coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder : 1tsp

Lemon juice : 1tsp, freshly squeezed

Cilantro/ Coriander leaves : a small bunch or handful
Fresh cream / Heavy cream / Greek yogurt (optional) : as per taste

Sweet corn kernels : 1/2 cup, frozen or canned (optional)
Salt : to taste

Vegetable oil: 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat a pan and add oil to the pan. Wait till the oil is smoking hot and add the dried red chili and cumin seeds. 

Once the sweet aroma comes from the cumin seeds and chili add the cubed potatoes  Add turmeric  powder and fry them for few minutes. After the potatoes are golden brown add the chopped onions and again fry for some time. 

Then one by one add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chilis. Saute them well and add the chopped tomatoes. Add salt as per taste. At this point you can add the corn, if you are using. (I like corn a lot, so I throw them in almost any dish, you can totally skip this.)

Now once the tomatoes are mashed, add the dry spices and let the masala be fried for 2 mins. 

Add the chopped spinach to pan. The spinach will wilt very fast and there will be a lot of water in the pan. Cover the pan and let the gravy cook in its own water. 

Once the the potatoes are soft and cooked, take a handful of cilantro and grind it to a paste by adding water. As we are making a paste, no need to discard the stems. Add the cilantro paste into the gravy; this gives a nice aroma.

Check for the seasoning and turn off the heat. At this point you can add the cream if desired. If you are using greek yogurt (which I use), put 2 tbsp of yogurt and 2 tbsp water and blend it in the mixer for 10 secs, it will be in the consistency of heavy cream with a little sourness. 

Add a little fresh lemon juice and serve.. Creamy aloo palak with rice...Ummm....


Sorry for these bad quality photos. Those are takes by my tab as I was too busy to get a camera. :(

Kala chana Chaat

The Indian chickpea.. I hated it when i was a kid. I used think it was for the horses not human beings... I know, silly me. I was soooo wrong!!!!

I was introduced to it again when I was traveling to Miami, in a party, as a vegetarian starter. And I must say, I was amazed by how quickly you can put it through and how awesome and crunchy and flavorful it tasted. The only preparation it needs is soaking it ahead. Actually to be very frank it doesn't need any recipe or something.. Still I am going to put it down, but I will not be mentioning the exact portions because it is totally up to you. Some people like it with more onion (makes it crunchy), some more green chilis (if you like it more hot!!) ....Got the idea???

Today me and my husband are going for fishing. As we will be going straight after his office, he will be too ravenous; so I am packing this chaat and a flask of hot coffee to the lake.

Ingredients:

Indian chickpeas or Kala chana or chola (in Bengali)
Onion : finely chopped
Tomato : seeded and finely chopped
Potatoes (optional) : boiled and cubed
Green chili / Jalapenos : very finely chopped
Coriander leaves : throughly chopped
Chaat Masala
Salt
Black salt
Lemon juice : freshly squeezed
Aloo bhujia / Mung dal fry / any Namkeen or chanachur (optional)

Method:

Soak the chana overnight or 4-5 hrs. Rinse properly and put it into a pressure cooker with water and little salt, and put 1 whistle to it. You don't want it to overcook it, it must be soft while the chanas retain their shape. Now drain the water through a strainer. 

Now add onions, tomatoes, potatoes and chilis to the chana. Add some chaat masala, salt and black salt to the mixture, tasting in between for the salt level. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and just before serving add the Bhujia or the Namkeen (you can totally skip the Namkeen if you like the healthy version, and trust me..that is a masterpiece too!!). And Done.

You can serve it hot or of room temperature, as you prefer.

I don't know how the fishing is going to be, but I am pretty sure I will enjoy with the food, drink and my "Fifty Shades of Grey" ;).

Ghugni

Ghugni.... Reminds me of sunday mornings as a kid. My Mom used to make Luchi and ghugni; a bengali delicacy, for most of the sunday breakfasts. My dad used to like it sprinkled with "Bhaja masla" which is a mix of different whole spices dry roasted and ground together. But I like it with finely chopped onion and coriander leaves and a little lemon juice... Yummm!!!!!

There are many variations of Ghugni. Generally bengalis make it with small cubes of potatos but one can make with small cubes of chicken pieces, and it will be "Mangsher Ghugni". I once made it without the aloo and the chicken (I was in a diet :D). It was delicious too.

So lets get cooking..Shall we??

Ingredients: (serves 4)

Dry yellow peas : 1 cup
Potato : 1 (medium) cut into small cubes
Onion : 1 (medium) thinly sliced
Tomato : 2 (medium) chopped
Green Chillies : 1 or 2 broken (I like to break them rather than cutting)
Cumin Seeds : 1 tbsp
Ginger paste : 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder : 1 tsp
Chilli powder : 2 tsp
Cumin powder : 2 tsp
Coriander powder : 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil : 3 tbsp
Lime juice : 2 tbsp
Fresh coconut slices : cut into small pieces
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Bhaja masala : Dry roast 1 dry red chilli, 1 tblsp. cumin seed, 2 cloves, 1 cardamon pod and immediately grind it to fine powder

Method:

I get whole yellow peas here as Ghugnir dal. Take 1 cup of that and soak into the water. In India we need to soak it overnight but here, 3-4 hrs is enough.

soaked

Once soaked put it in the pressure cooker with salt and turmeric and put 1 whistle. 1 whistle because you don't want it to be overcooked. If it is little undercooked that's okay. You can boil it for few more minutes after opening the lid of the cooker and it will be all fine.

Now put a kadhai or wok on the heat and pour some oil into it. Once the oil is heated add the cumin seeds and saute for few seconds and add the potato cubes into the oil. Add little turmeric powder to the potatoes and fry them till they are little golden.

Now add the onions and coconut slices and again fry for few minutes. Add the tomatoes, broken chilis and grated ginger and staute for some more time. Add salt, cumin powder, coriander powder and chili powder and mix well.

I din't have tomatoes today :(

Now add the boiled yellow peas in the masala mix and stir to combine will. Add water to your desired consistency and bring it to a boil. Check for the seasonings and adjust if needed. Take it off the heat and sprinkle some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Garnish with finely chopped onion and chopped coriander leaves or the "Bhaja Masla" mentioned earlier. Serve hot. :)

The final product.

Bon Appetit!!!!!!

If you want to make it with chicken then cut the chicken pieces in cubes and saute it with the potatoes and onions. Every thing remains same, only saute it for some more time. Once the chicken cubes are cooked you can put the peas in and Voila!!!

P.S: My husband finished the whole thing within 1/2 hr today.. I am sooo happy.. :)

Dal Makhni

This is my one of the favorite dal. In Bangalore, Indranagar area there is a restaurant named Kund. I loved their Dal makhni. So I tried to replicate the same thing at home. And I was almost successful (almost because I din't want to add so much of butter as they do). This is how it goes:

Ingredients

Whole urad dal (black lentils): 150gm
Rajma (red kidney beans): 50 gm
Ginger, peeled (ada): 2'' piece
Garlic (rasoon): 2-3 cloves
Green chillies (Kacha Lanka): 2-3
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Cumin seed (gota jeera): 1tsp
Tomato paste or puree: 1 medium tomato
Butter : 2 tbsp
Fresh Cream or Heavy Whipping Cream: ½ cup
Chilli powder (guro lanka): 2tsp

Turmeric powder (halud guro): 1tsp
Garam masala:Salt to taste

Method
Soak all of the lentils (urad and rajma) in water for 8 hours, or preferably overnight. Wash four times, changing the water each time.

Boil all of the lentils with salt, and simmer until lentils are well cooked. Drain off excess water and mash the lentils lightly with the back of a ladle.

Chop the garlic and ginger finely. 


To make the tadka, heat the ghee or oil in a heavy pan until hot, and add the cumin seeds and stir until they crackle. Add the ginger-garlic and fry until beginning to colour. 

Add the tomato puree and fry for a minute or two. 

Add to the cooked dal, mixing well. Bring the dal to the boil again, adding the chilli powder, turmeric powder and green chillis. Now butter and cream. Simmer gently for until the dal is thick.

Aloo Fulkopi

I will start with my favorite vegetable Fulkopi (Cauliflower). In my childhood I liked to think the florets of cauliflower as small trees while eating. This is one of the most common recipes in a Bengali household in Winters. I like to add a little Paneer in this recipe. This is how it goes:   

Ingredients: 

Cauliflower (fulkopi): 1 medium size

Potato small (aalu): 2 pieces

Paneer : 8 oz or 200gm

Green peas (matarshuti): ½ cup 

Green chilli (kacha lanka): 3 / 4 (optional)

Turmeric powder (haluder guro): ¼ tsp

Chilli powder (sukhno lankar guro): 1 tsp

Cumin seeds (gota jeera): 1 tsp

Red Pepper (sukno lanka): 2 pieces

Cumin powder (jeera guro): 1 ½ tsp

Coriander powder (dhone guro): 1 tsp

Tomato sauce (ketchup): 1tbsp

Vegetable oil (sada tel): 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method: 

Cut the cauliflower in 1“ size florets. Cut the potatoes also of the same size. Cut the paneer into cubes.

Aloo and Cauliflower

Paneer

Pour oil in a wok or kadhai and when the oil is hot add the red peppers and cumin seeds to the oil and let it fry a bit. 

Now add the cauliflower and and the potatoes. Add turmeric powder and fry a little. When the cauliflowers become little golden add the paneer pieces and fry.

Add cumin powder, coriander powder and the chilli powder. When the vegetables and paneer is coted with the spices add the green peas (you can use the frozen one's). 

Add salt and put a cover on the wok. After 2-3 mins add a little water and bring it to the boil. Now cut the green chillis into half and add them to the gravy. If you want more spicy you can add them earlier also. Cook till the vegetables become soft and the gravy becomes thick. 

Finally add the tomato ketchup and mix well. Serve hot with rice, roti or paratha.

Note: If you wish you can garnish with Coriander Leaf/ Cilantro.