CRUNCHY COCONUT COOKIES

These coconut cookies are really crunchy, tasty and delicious; made from simple pantry ingredients which are easy on budget.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Self Raising Flour (Maida)
175 gm Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Egg
1 Cup Grated Coconut
150 gm Butter

METHOD:

Preheat oven at 180 C / 350 F for 10 minutes.
In a glass bowl, cream together butter and sugar with a hand blender, till fluffy.
Add egg in it and blend till light and fluffy.
Shift together flour, baking powder and grated coconut. Fold this mixture in the butter mixture. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Divide the dough into equal portions and make small balls. Flatten the balls and arrange them on the baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake for 22-25 minutes till light brown.
Let cookies cool down on the cooling rack.

Serve or store it in a air-tight container.
Enjoy this delicious, crunchy, munchy coconut cookies....

NOTE: These cookies really spread while they are baking. Make sure to leave plenty of room on the tray.

RUI MACHER POLAO (ROHU RICE)

After a long gap, today I come here with a super delicious Bengali delicacy "Macher Polao" (fish in rice), which I made with Rohu, a fish of sweet water. I told earlier also, 'Bengali meal is incomplete without fish'. In this cuisine, you can get variety of fingerlicking good fish dishes. Rohu Rice is delicately cooked with basmati rice, rohu fish and spices, which is ever yummilicious and mouthwatery, just tryout and relish! 

INGREDIENTS:

400 gm Rohu Fish / Rui Mach (cleaned, washed and cut into 4 pieces)

1&1/2 Cup Basmati Rice (washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes)

1 Bay Leaf

1 tsp Ginger Paste

1 tsp Red Chilli Paste (or as desired)

3/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Onion

3 Pods of Garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

(Dry Roasted & Pounded Spice Mixture of green cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, clove, caraway seeds & white pepper)

4-5 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)

Salt to taste

Cashewnuts & Raisins As Required

2 tsp Sugar

2&1/2 Cup Warm Water

Oil for Deep Frying

METHOD:

Wash rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes.

Marinate fish with salt and turmeric powder for 15-20 minutes. Deep fry fish pieces and keep those aside.

Heat 2 tsp clarified butter (ghee) in a deep frying pan. Add chopped garlic, saute for 20 seconds, then add sliced onion. Fry till onion turns into golden brown.

Add bay leaf, chilli paste, ginger paste and 1/4 tsp garam masala powder; saute for 2 minutes on medium low heat. Mix fried fish pieces into this spice mixture and fry for another 2-3 minutes, remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining 2 tsp clarified butter (ghee) in the same pan. Add 1/4 tsp garam masala powder, turmeric powder, cashewnuts, raisins, rice and salt in it. Fry for 2-3 minutes on low heat.

Add warm water in it and give a nice stir. Higher the flame till it starts to boil. Simmer the stove, cover and cook exactly for 15 minutes.

Switch off the heat now. Arrange fried fish pieces, sugar and onion mixture on the top. Cover it for another 10 minutes.

Serve warm with any curry or raita. 

Enjoy this lucious essence of Bengal, "Macher polao" (Rohu Rice)!!!