NARKEL POTOL (POINT GOURDS IN COCONUT GRAVY)

Pointed gourd or potol is a Summer vegetable in India. In Hindi, we known it as 'parwal'. So, Today I come with a traditional Bengali dish made with pointed gourd. My mom use to make this yummilicious dish. Hope, you will enjoy this flavour of Bengal!

INGREDIENTS:
300 gm / 6 Pointed Gourds (potol/parwal)
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut
1/2 tsp Ginger Paste
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
2 Green Chillies, cut into slits
1" Cinnamon, 2 Green Cardamoms, 2 Cloves (crushed)
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Sugar (for flavour only)
2 tbsps Oil (preferably mustard oil)
1 tbsp Raisins, soaked in water (optional)
1/2 tbsp Clarified Butter / ghee (optional)
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash, trim from both ends and peel the skin of pointed gourd in strips. Now make deep cuts on the body of each pointed gourd with the tip of your knief. Make sure the spices will enter inside the pointed gourd pieces. 
Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves in it. Saute for few seconds till nice aroma comes out. Add pointed gourds in it. Fry till pointed gourd turns in golden brown in colour. 
Add ginger paste, green chillies, cumin powder and salt in it. Sprinkle little water on it and fry for 2 minutes on medium heat. Add grated coconut in it. Fry for another 2-3 minutes.
Lower the heat, add sugar in it. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Keep strring occasionally. Open the lid now, add raisins, clarifie butter and fresh lemon juice. Fold for a minute and turn off the heat.
Garnish with raisins on the top, serve immediately with plain rice and enjoy your meal.

ZOMATO FOOD BLOGGERS' MEET AND SOME MALAYSIAN FOOD AT 'STRAITS'

I am a part of Kolkata Food Bloggers'. Our 'admin' told us about zomato.com before 3 months back, since then I was keenly interested on Zomato meet. After long wait, finally we met with a mirthful and very friendly Zomato group on 22nd June, 2013 at 'Straits', 105, S P Mukherjee Rd, 1st Floor, Kolkata-700 026. They were a group of 6 energetic young, professionally groomed and having expertise in explaining things. We were 9 food bloggers and very excited, as it was our first formal meet up with a professional group. 

This was the first time I visited 'Straits', the restaurant of Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. As per our schedule, I reached there on time, but Zomato group were present there before us and they cordially invited us as and when we reached there. The main section of the restaurant was very decent and well decorated too. Straits conveyed their welcome to us by offering "Sugarcane with Grenadine Syrup". Our discussion started by Zomato team as they discussed on the importance of food bloggers and restaurant reviewers. They also explained us 'what is Zomato and its functionality'.

We were served with starter 'Popiah'/chicken spring roll (for non-veg option) and 'Gado Gado'/roasted vegetables with peanut sauce (for veg option). There is a certain difference in taste between popiah and ordinary chicken spring roll. In popiah, peanuts are blended with minced chicken to make its filling. Anyway, it tasted not so delicious, crunchy and crispy from outside and more nutty from inside. With a very friendly and jovial atmosphere, as requested by Zomato team, we formally started to introduce ourselves, after that they also did the same spontaneously.

Straits started to serve lunch platter with traditional Malay food, 'non-veg Nasi Lemak' (Coconut Rice served with Chicken Rendang, Samsal Egg, Anchioves and Peanuts) and for vegetarians the option was 'vegetarian Nasi Lemak' (Coconut Rice served with Paneer Rendang and deep fried Mushrooms with Kung Po Sauce). As I felt the dish was drier and lighter too. but flavourful and tasted good. Zomato team was wonderful. We started chatting, clicking snaps, exchanging our opinions. Zomato team suggested about top restaurants' and/or food chains in different location of Kolkata on different cuisines.

The dessert served to us named, 'Sago Gula Melaka'. It was coconut creamy sago pudding topped by a scoop of ice cream. As per me, sago pearls were not well soaked and coconut cream used more here. It was not justified according to taste buds. It is my opinion, Straits should pay more attention on their dessert section. Here my advice is, 'Straits' should strengthen themself regarding the authenticity of food, as they failed to meet that expection.

Zomato team was excellent; their warm smiles still remain with us. At the very end of our lovely meet, they presented each food blogger "The Connoisseur's Guide to Eating Out in Kolkata", a restaurant guide book and a very cute coffee mug. Lastly, recieved a lovely chocolate pack from our co-blogger friend 'S', thanks dear..relished it in every munch. Thus I left an afternoon with full of sweet and wonderful memories, which will remain forever.

To know more about 'Straits', please visit: 
http://www.zomato.com/kolkata/restaurants?q=straits  

More reads on Zomato meet:
By - Poorna Banerjee
By - Kamalika Chakraborty
By - Archita Chanda Ray
By - Sarani Tarafder
By - Sayantani Mahapatra

PHULKO LUCHI R ALOO CHORCHORI - PUFFED FRIED INDIAN FLAT BREAD & POTATO DRY CURRY

I have always been a fan of 'Luchi & Aloo Chorchori'. Today I come with this traditional, luscious and mostly cherished Bengali breakfast, "phulko luchi r aloo chorchori". "Luchi" is nothing but a puffed deep fried Indian flat bread made by maida, which is very similar to 'poori'. Luchis goes very well with a very mild spicy dry potato curry, seasoning with nigella seeds, a wonderful combo and great compliments to each other. In our childhood days, it was the staple breakfast on every Sunday morning. This dish is very appropriate for kid's lunch box too. Each and every child loves to eat this yummy dish and enjoys totally. Hope you will tryout this delicious and classic Bengali breakfast and relish it!

INGREDIENTS:
TO MAKE ALOO CHORCHORI:
500 gms Potatoes
1/2 tsp Nigella Seeds/Kalo jeera (kalonji)
A Pinch of Asafoetida
2-3 Green Chillies, Cut into Slits (if dish is only for kids, please omit it)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
A Pinch of Red Chilli Powder (optional)
1/2 tsp Dry Roasted Cumin seeds & Coriander Seeds powder
1 tsp Sugar (optional)
3 tbsps Oil (preferably mustard oil)
Water as Required
Salt to taste

TO MAKE LUCHI:
2&1/2 Cups Maida/Plain Flour
3 tbsps Cooking Oil + Oil for Deep Frying
1/4 tsp Salt
Lukewarm water

METHOD:
HOW TO MAKE ALOO CHORCHORI:
Wash, peel and cut the potatoes in small cubes.
Heat oil in a wok. Add asafoetida, nigella seeds and slited green chillies in it. Saute for few seconds.
Add potato cubes in it. Keep frying till potatoes turn into golden colour.
Add turmeric powder, roasted cumin-coriander powder, a pinch of red chilli powder and salt in it. Mix thoroughly.

Add 2 cups warm water in it. Mix well. Cook it on high flame till it starts to boil. Reduce the heat now, cover and cook till potatoes are well cooked. Add sugar in it. It must be a dry curry, so need not any gravy in it. Turn off the heat now. Sprinkle roasted cumin and coriander powder on the top. Serve warm with hot 'phulko phulko' (puffed) luchi.

HOW TO MAKE 'PHULKO' LUCHI:
In a large bowl, add APF, salt, 3 tbsps oil. Mix nicely. Make a dough by using little lukewarm water. Knead it nicely to make a very smooth dough. Smear with few drops of oil and cover with a damp cloth, set it for 30 minutes.
after 30 minutes, knead the dough once again, and make 20 equal balls from it.
Grease each ball with a drop of oil. Flatten each and roll into a disc of aprx. 4"-5" diameter.
Heat oil to deep fry in a wok. When oil is enough hot, fry one luchi at a time. Press the luchi a little with a spatula to make them puffed perfectly, gently flip it to the other side. Each luchi will take 20-30 seconds to fry. Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil from it.

Immediately serve hot 'Luchis' with 'Aloo Chorchori' and enjoy this popular and traditional Bangali delicacy!

NOTE: For making white luchi, use wheat flour/maida, but not All Purpose Flour. You may mix atta flour for healthier option.

Sending to: Guru’s Cooking Giveaway Kids Special ’13

NAN KHATAI - AN EGGLESS COOKIE

Recipe Source & Acknowledgement: Homely Food

'Nan Khatai' is nothing but eggless cookie, very famous in India and Pakistan. Cute looking short bread cookies are melt-in-mouth. They are very rich, crispy and buttery. These nan khatais are absolute delight with a cup of piping hot tea or coffee. The cookies are really simple, easy to bake and perfect in taste. So lets get started....

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup All Purpose Flour / Wheat Flour
2 tbsps Corn Starch (optional)
1/2 Cup / 115 gm Unsalted Butter, at room temperature (or clarified butter)
1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar (or powdered sugar)
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
Few Almonds & Pistachios, chopped (for garnishing)

METHOD:

Mix confectioners sugar with butter.

Mix butter and sugar with a spoon, until light and fluffy. It takes approximately 1&1/2 minutes.

Sieve all purpose flour with baking soda. Mix salt in it. Now pour flour, salt and baking soda into the butter-sugar mixture.

Add 1/2 tsp cardamom powder in it.

Beat it again till it incorporated well. First the mixture would resemble bread crumbs.

Slowly knead it in a smooth dough.

Make small gooseberry sized balls (I made 24 nos.) and make sure balls don't have any crack on their outer surface. Place the balls on a alluminium foil lined tray with space of 2" apart. Put some horizontal mark on each ball with the tip of your knife.

Press them down with pistachios and almonds slices on the top and flatten them very slightly.

Preheat oven to 170 C / 325 F for 10 minutes. Place the baking tray at the center of the oven. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove it from the oven, let it cool down for 5 minutes on the cookie tray.

Now remove them on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

Then store them in air-tight container.

Serve it with a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy it anytime!!!

Sending to: Guru's Cooking Giveaway Kid's Special '13

MIXED HAKKA NOODLES

This is actually my favorite chinese noodle dish, a perfect recipe for a lazy day in kitchen. Definitely very simple recipe, packed with vegetables, eggs, chicken and shrimp - one pot meal. You can stir fry it with different ingredients as per your taste. I put which are available with me. You may add shredded carrot and bell peppers that also goes very well. Soya sauce and ajinomoto both are salty, so add little salt and which works nicely. A healthy and luscious fast food, can be made anytime at home.

INGREDIENTS:
4 OZ Egg Noodles
3 tbsps Sesame Oil
1/2 medium sized Onion (thinly sliced)
1 pod of Garlic (minced)
1/2 cup thinly shredded Cabbage
1 Scrambled Egg
8 small sized cooked Shrimp
3/4 cup shredded cooked Chicken
2 tbsps Light Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1/3 tsp Garlic Pepper
1/3 tsp coarsely pounded Black Pepper powder
3-4 sprigs of green onion (finely chopped)
A pinch of Ajinomoto
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat water in a sauce pan. Bring water to boil. Add egg noodles in it. Cook till noodles are tender. Drain and rinse noodle on cold water. Lay down on a flat tray. Sprinkle 1 tbsp sesame oil on it and toss noodles nicely, this is for prevention of stickiness of noodles. Keep aside.

Heat remaining oil in a pan. Add chicken and shrimp in it. Fry for 2 minutes, remove from pan and set aside.

Add minced garlic in the same oil, followed by onions. When onion get translucent, add cabbage, fry for 3 minutes on medium high heat. Now add scrambled egg, shrimps, chicken, ajinomoto, garlic pepper, black pepper in it. Fry for another 2 minutes.

Now add egg noodles, soya sauce, oyster sauce and little salt in it. Toss everything on high flame for 2-3 minutes. Fold nicely. Remove from heat.

Serve hot. Garnish with chopped green onions on the top.

Linking to: Guru’s Cooking Giveaway Kids Special ’13

VEGETABLE PASTA

This is my version of vegetable pasta. Pasta is rich in protein and fiber. The colour and texture of this dish is very appealing and inviting. Fresh vegetables and whole grain pasta while mix up with sauces, makes a flavorful and delectable one. This is a simple dinner to be served with a side of salad and garlic bread.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Penne Pasta
1/2 Potato, cut in small cubes
1/2 Green Capsicum, chopped
1 medium  Onion, sliced
2 pods of Garlic (chopped)
1 Carrot, cut in thin 1" long slices
Handful of Green Peas (frozen)
1/2 tsp dried Basil
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp freshly pounded Black Pepper powder
1 tbsp Pasta Sauce
1 tbsp Hot and Sweet sauce
2 tbsps Olive Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat a heavy bottomed sauce pan with 3 cups of water and little salt. When water starts to boil, add penne pasta in it. Cook it for 10 minutes on medium heat. Seive pasta and drain water. Allow cool water running of it for  10-15 seconds. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a non stick pan. Add chopped garlic in it. Saute for a couple of seconds. Now add onion, potato, capsicum, carrot and green peas. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Add dried, oregano and salt in it. Fold well.

Add cooked pasta, black pepper powder, pasta sauce and hot & sweet sauce in it. Fold well. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with garlic bread. If you are not that much calorie consious, sprinkle shredded cheese on the top, otherwise serve as it is.

Linking to: Guru’s Cooking Giveaway Kids Special ’13

ACHARI BHINDI (OKRAS IN PICKLE SPICES)

Among all green vegetables, my hubby mostly likes okra or bhindi, so very often I make bhindi/okra dish in my kitchen. Long before, I saw this recipe and made it. It was with onions, but I skipped onion and reduced the spice level too. Since then, I make oftenly this simple yet tasty side in my kitchen. A very delicious dish goes very well with warm chapati, paratha or any Indian flat bread. The pungent achaari masala, makes this dish very flavourful and yummy! Tryout, will admire it.

INGREDIENTS:
350 gms Okras (bhindi)
1 Tomato (Chopped)
2 Green Chillies (chopped)
1 tbsp Pickle Spices (take spices from any pickle available in your pantry)
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
A Pinch of Nigella Seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
2 tsps Lemon Juice
3 tbsps Mustard Oil (preferably)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash and wipe okras with a kitchen paper towel. Trim both ends and slit from the centre of each okra.

Heat mustard oil in a pan or kadhai. Add mustard, fenugreek, cumin, nigella and fennel seeds. Whatn they are cracking, add asafoetida in it. Add choped tomato and green chillies. Saute for a minute.

Add okras, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix nicely. Cover and cook till okras are tender.

Now add lemon juice and pickle spices. Fold well and turn off the heat now. Serve hot with rotis, parathas, naan or dal-rice & enjoy!