LAU CHINGRI / BOTTLE GOURD WITH SHRIMPS CURRY

'Lau Chingri' is a traditional hot favourite Bengali recipe. This bottle gourd preparation is a very simple with the use of less spices, till it is a delightful curry. When it is hot summer with humidity, this kind of veggies are used in most of the Bengali's house. Bottle gourd is a beneficial vegetable with full of minerals and rich in fibers. The excellency of this recipe made while spicy fried small shrimps mixed with delicate taste of bottle gourd and gave a magnificent enhancement.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lb Bottle Gourd (Lau/Lauki)
1/2 lb Small Shrimps (cleaned, deveined and washed)
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds (Kalonji)
2 whole Dry Red Chillies
2 Bay Leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
2 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1/3 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 1/2 tsps Cumin powder
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Mustard Oil (preferably)
1 tsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1 tbsp finely chopped Coriander Leaves (Cilantro)
Salt to taste


METHOD:
Marinate the shrimps with turmeric powder, red chilli powder and little salt. Set aside.

Wash and peel the bottle gourd. Chop finely and cut into 1" long thin slices. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Fry the marinated shrimps for 2 minutes. Remove shrimps from oil and set aside.

Add nigella seeds, dry red chillies, bay leaves and asafoetida in the same oil. Stir for few seconds. Add bottle gourd and ginger paste in it. Fold well and cook for 5-6 minutes and allow water to be released. Now add cumin powder, sugar and salt in it. Mix well. Cook on medium heat till bottle gourd is tender.

At this time, add fried shrimps and green chillies. Fold well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes to evaporate excess water. Add clarified butter and chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

TIPS: Bottle gourd requires a very little oil for cooking.
          Those who don't like to add shrimps, leave shrimps and instead of that just add fried  'boris'  
          (small fritters made by gram flour) as garnish.

Linking to:  Spotlight "Curries / Gravies" @ Recipe Junction & Cuisine Delights

COCONUT LADDU

Coconut laddu is a delicious and very easy recipe. It is a simpliest sweet, loved by all. Here is a simpliest and easiest recipe for making coconut ladoo, just for a few minutes in kitchen and you can make a delightful dessert for everyone.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 Cups of freshly grated Coconut
1/2 Cups sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tbsps Sugar (Preferably powdered)
1/3 tsp Green Cardamom powder
1 tsp Clarified Butter (Desi Ghee)
3-4 tbsps of dry coconut powder
Few seeds of Black Cardamom
Few Raisins

METHOD:
Combine grated coconut with sugar, condensed milk, green cardamom powder and clarified butter in a bowl. Mix well and keep aside for half an hour.

Heat a frying pan. Add this marinated coconut in it. Stir continuously. Stute for 3 minutes in medium heat. At that time, mixture leaves the side of pan, remove it from heat.

Grease your palms with little clarified butter. Take a little quantity from the warm mixture, roll on your palms, stuff 2-3 black cardamom seeds inside it, make small coconut balls. Roll immediately on dry coconut powder. Garnish with raisins on the top of each laddu.

At room temperature, it would be fresh for 3-4 days or store it in an air tight container for a few weeks.

TIPS: You may add roasted dry fruits in laddu, that's make laddu more rich.
         Make laddu immediately when mixture is enough warm, otherwise mixture would be dry.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

This roasted chicken recipe is scrumptious one-pot meal. Maximum root vegetables used in it. When these vegetables mixed with chicken flavoured juice, simply delicious. Flavour of thyme gives an authentic touch of mediterranean cuisine. For enhancing a twist in taste, I have added few Indian spices, which produces excellent result. The chicken is perfectly roasted till crisp and golden brown outside, still juicy and tender on inside. All vegetables soaked up juice of spices and chicken fats, that caramelized to perfection. So, enjoy my 50th recipe....................

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lb Skinless Chicken Thighs (4 chicken thigh pieces with bones)
2 tbsps finely chopped Garlic
2 tbsps Ginger juice
1 tsp freshly grounded Black Pepper
1 tsp Paprika (or Kashmiri Chilli Powder)
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/3 tsp Cinnamon powder
Juice of a Lemon (big one)
1 tbsp extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 large Red Onion, cut into thick slices
1 cup thin slices of Carrot
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, cut into slices
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, cut into slices
1 cup sliced carrots
3 small Red Potatoes, cut in thin slices
6 small Leeks
8-10 sprigs of Cilantro
1/2 tsp dried Thyme (optional)
3 Jalapeno Peppers (sliced)
2 tbsps melted Butter
2 tbsps Hot and sweet Sauce
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Rinse the chicken, pat dry and Make small cavities on the chicken thighs by using the tip of a knife. Marinate the chicken with garlic, ginger juice, lemon juice, grounded black pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme, cinnamon powder, little salt and olive oil. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Set the oven to 450 F. Grease a baking tray with few drops of butter. Now place the marinated chicken to baking tray. Roast it for 20 minutes at 450 F, till it gets little brown colour. Take out the baking tray from oven.

Now transfer potatoes, onions, carrots, bell peppers, leeks, jalapeno peppers, cilantro and little salt on the tray. Turn to coat with chicken dipping. Leave chicken on the top of the vegetables. Sprinkle 1 tbsp melted butter on the top. Roast for another 15 minutes at 450 F.

Again take out the tray from the oven. add hot and sweet sauce and remaining melted butter in it, mix well with a tong. Again place chicken on the top of the vegetable bed. Place it in oven finally. Set the oven to broil. Broil it for 5 minutes. Switch off oven. Keep as it is for another 10 minutes.

Let chicken pieces with vegetables rest on a serving plate. Now delicious roasted chicken with vegetables is ready to share.............



Linking to: Virtual Eid Potluck party @ My culinary adventures

"This recipe goes to Sara's Event Cooking with Love Series, hosted at Torviewtoronto".

This recipe goes to Bon Vivant #5 - Appetizers/ Starters

Linking to: Pragyan's guest host event 'Let's Party - Fusion Food' & brain child of 'Surabhi' 

MACHER JHOL

All types and all kinds of fish always bring happiness to every Bengali. This curry is simple yet flavourful, authentic but traditional Bengali dish for everyday's menu. Actually, sweet water fish (Rohu, Carp, Bhetki) works best for this kind of light and tasty fish curry.

INGREDIENTS:
6 Steaks of Rohu Fish (washed and cleaned)
1/2 Cauliflower (taken florets only)
1 Large Potato, cut into slices
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds (kalonji)
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 tbsp Garlic paste
1 tbsp Ginger paste
1 Tomato (chopped)
2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango Powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala
1 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
1/2 cup Mustard Oil
1 tbsp finely chopped Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Marinate all fish steaks with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and little salt. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok to smoking. Fry the fish steaks till golden brown. Now take out all fish pieces from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same oil, add bay leaf, a pinch of asafoetida and nigella seeds. Saute for few seconds. Then add onions in it. When onion gets translucent, add ginger and garlic pate in it. Fry for another 3 minues. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and dry mango powder in it. Stir for another minute.

Add tomato, salt and green chillies in it, fry till tomato gets soften. At this point, add cauliflower and potato in it. Cover the lid and stir occasionally, till Potato and cauliflower get half cooked and coated with the spices nicely. Add 3/4 cup of warm water in it. Let it boil. After 3 minutes add all fried fish pieces in it. Cover the lid and cook for another 2 minutes.

Lastly, add shahi garam masala, clarified butter and chopped coriander leaves. Remove from heat and mix well.

Macher jhol is now ready to serve with steamed rice.

Linking this to Dish Name Starts M @ Learning to Cook

SWEET POTATO (YAM) DUMPLINGS

It is an extremely delicious traditional dessert not only from Eastern India, but in Bangladesh also. Bengali sweets offer an unlimited choice. Among them, 'pithe-puli' (dumplings) are truely favourite among Bengalis. The speciality of this dumplings, made by rice flour, sugar, jaggery and coconut/khoya. Before serving, always they dipped into a sugar or jaggery syrup. This dumpling is closely associated with Bengali festival of 'Makar Sankranti'. 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb Sweet potato/Yam (parboiled and mashed)
4 tbsps Rice Flour
1 Cup Grated Coconut
1/2 Cup Condensed Milk
3 Pods of Cardamom (coarsely pounded)
1/2 lb Date Palm Jaggery / Molasses
1 Cup Water
Oil for deep frying


METHOD:
Mix grated coconut, condensed milk and coarsely pounded cardamom in a frying pan. Heat on medium flame, stir continuously for 5 minutes. Switch off heat and keep aside this coconut filling.

Knead mashed sweet potato with rice flour well. Make a smooth dough.

Divide 16 equal portion from this dough. Give a round shape of each ball. Form a cup shape with a ball and stuff with the coconut filling inside. Finally, seal the edges and mould into half moon shape with your palms to form dumpling.

Make a syrup with 1 cup water and date palm jaggery. Keep it heating on low flame. When syrup gets slightly sticky. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the meantime, Heat sufficient oil in a wok for deep frying. When oil is enough heated, put few dumplings in it and fry on medium high flame. Fry till dumplings turn lightly brown.

Quickly and gently add all fried dumplings into jaggery syrup. Set as it is for a couple of  hours.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.


TIPS: If date palm jaggery is not available, may add fried dumplings in sugar syrup. Though, it is
          not the trend.

BANDHAKOPIR GHONTO / CABBAGE STIR FRY

There are several types of 'Ghonto' in Bengali cuisine. Actually Ghonto means dry fry vegetables. This is a semi-dry dish, no water used here. My 'Ma' used to prepare it as a 'niramish' (veg) dish. She never added onions and garlic in it. Even though, it was exceptionally tasty. Adding a little lemon juice to the end, enhances flavour of this dish. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin B2 and vitamin C, after all it is a low calorie food.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cabbage (finely chopped in very thin slices)
2 Medium Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 Medium Tomato (Chopped)
A Handful of Green Peas (frozen)
1 tsp Panch Phoron (a combination of five seeds i.e. mustard, cumin, fennel, nigella and fenugreek)
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 tsp Grated Ginger
1-2 Green Chillies (cut in slits)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala
1 tbsp Lemon juice
3 tbsps Oil
1/2 tsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)
Salt to taste


METHOD:

Heat oil in a wok, fry the potatoes till golden. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Add panch phoron and bay leaf in oil. After few seconds add tomato, green chilli and grated ginger in it. Saute till tomatoes are nicely mashed up. Now add green peas, stir about a minute.

After that add turmeric powder,  coriander powder and red chilli powder. Stir till spices leave oil. Now add cabbage gradually and mix well with all spices. Add salt, mix again and cover with lid. Occasionally keep stirring for 3 minutes. (Do this process on medium heat)

Now add potatoes, again mix up well. Stirring and covering helps in cooking the cabbage faster. After 2 minutes, potatoes and cabbage get fully cooked. Add sugar, lemon juice, shahi garam masala, roasted cumin powder and clarified butter in it. Mix all well and remove from heat.

Now it is ready to serve with dal-rice or roti.

TIPS: Grated coconut also can be mixed, at the time of mixing dry spices.
             Adding little lemon juice, increase its flavour, though it is not the trend.
            Cabbage should not fry for a prolonged time, for best result cabbage should be
            sliced thinly and cooked for 4-5 minutes.

REFRESHING JEERA LEMONADE

It is so simple and perfect for hot days, when you don't feel to do much. This great refreshing drink makes you feel cool in the hot Summer. Honey adds some more flavour in lemonade.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsps fresh Lemon juice
2 tbsps honey
A Pinch of Black salt (optional)
1/2 tsp Jaljeera powder (Available in Indian grocery)
4 tbsps chilled water
12 OZ / 355 ml Soda (unsweetened and chilled)
Few Ice Cubes


METHOD:

In a bowl, combine chilled water, lemon juice, honey, black salt and jaljeera powder. Stir well till everything mix throughly.

Now divide this mixture into 2 serving glasses equaly. Pour chilled soda on those glasses and stir to mix well.

Serve over ice with a lemon slice to garnish.

Serves: 2

Sending to: Jagruti's and Shama's Know Your Natural Sweetness Series.