VADAKARI - A SNC CHALLENGE # 4

I am very happy to take part of this interesting SNC event. A great going event started and organised by Divya Pramil from  You Too Can Cook Indian Food. This is a monthly event where two teams, 'South team' and 'North team' have to challenge each other with their regional dishes. 

This Month North team got a challenge to make Vadakari from Ramya. Same like South team got a challenge to make Rajasthani Ghevar with Rabri from Manjula.

Since I am a part of Northern team, so very delicious and flavorful, a traditional South Indian style vadakari I made here with semi gravy. We enjoyed it too much, thanks a lot Ramya for this toothsome recipe.

Now lets move to this month's challenge VADAKARI.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MAKING VADAS:
1 Cup Bengal Gram
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
4 Red Chillies
3-4 Pods Garlic
Oil as required
Salt to taste

FOR SEASONING:
1 tbsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
1" Cinnamon
3 tbsps Oil

FOR GRAVY:
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Onion (paste)
1 Tomato (chopped)
2 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/3 tsp freshly grounded Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Water as required

METHOD:
Soak Bengal Gram for 1 hour. Drain the water completely.

Grind bengal gram along with garlic, red chillies, fennel seeds, 2 tbsps water and little salt. Make a coarse paste. Set it aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Put flat ball shaped portions in it.

Fry both sides of each vada till golden brown. Drain oil and remove from wok by using a slotted spoon. Keep aside. Follow the same process by making  the remaining vadas.

Then crumble the vadas for making curry.

Heat 3 tbsps oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds in it. Saute for few seconds, add chopped onion and green chillies in it. Fry till onion gets translucent.

Now add onion paste and ginger garlic paste in it. Fry till onion leaves oil. Put chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt in it.

Fry till all spices leave oil from the sides of the wok.

Pour 1 cup water in it. When it starts to boil, add all crumbled vadas in it. Fold well. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves in it. Mix nicely. Remove from heat now.

Vadakari is ready to serve with warm steamed rice, appam, idlis or chapathi.

Well Ramya, I tried to do justice with your vadakari. Over to all of my friends for your lovely and precious comments.

Sending to: Ramya

AAR MACHER KUTTI BHAJA (SPICY FRIED AYER FISH)

'Ayer' is a silvery white fish and has a sweet taste. The meat of Ayer is succulent and flaky with very less bones in its body. So, not only me and my husband, kids also like it too much. Bengalis are generally fond of this fish and it can be cooked with various Indian spices. It is little spicy fried fish  (dry version) recipe, you can increase the spice level according to your taste. It takes just 15 minutes to make this heavenly palatable fish dish. Here is the recipe mentioned below:

INGREDIENTS:
300 gm Ayer Fish (aar mach)
1 Medium Onion
4 Pods of Garlic
1 Small Tomato (chopped)
2-3 Green Chillies (as per taste)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/3 tsp Red Chilli powder
2 tbsps Fennel seeds (paste)
1/3 tsp Freshly Grounded Garam Masala
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves
4 tbsps Mustard Oil (any oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash fish nicely and cut it in 4 equal pieces.

Sprinkle salt and little turmeric powder on the fish pieces. Mix nicely and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

In the mean time, grind onion, garlic, turmeric powder and green chillies together. Keep it aside.

Heat mustard oil in a wok. Put fish pieces in it. Fry till fish turns into light brown. Now drain out the oil and remove the fish from wok. Set aside.

Now add grounded onion paste, fennel seeds paste, red chilli powder and garam masala in the same oil. Keep stirring continuously and fry till spices leave oil.

Add chopped tomatoes and salt in it. Fry till tomatoes turn mushy.

Put fried fish in it. Fold well, so that all spices coat fish pieces nicely. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the heat now.

Enjoy this scrumptious aar macher kutti bhaja with cooked rice accompanying with dal.

SOJNE PHULER TORKARI (DRUMSTICK BLOSSOMS CURRY)

This is a typically Bengali recipe made with the blossoms of Drumsticks Tree (Moringa oleifera), is a very beneficial tree and these flowers also are widely used for medicines. Those blossoms are edible when cooked and are said to taste like mushrooms. Try this simple Bengali delicacy and relish its flavorful heavenly taste.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Bunches of Drumstick Blossoms (Sojne Phul)
1 Medium Potato
A Handful of Green Peas (frozen)
1/2 of a Medium sized Eggplant
2 Green Chillies (chopped)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/3 tsp Paach Phoron (mixture of fennel, cumin, mustard, carom and nigella seeds)
1 Medium Tomato (copped)
1/2 tsp Sugar (for flavor)
3 tbsps Mustard Oil (or any oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut potato and egg plant in small cubes. Remove the hard part of the stem from the bunches of drumstick blossoms.

Heat oil in a wok. Add panch phoron and a pinch of asafoetida, following by potato, green chillies and eggplant in it. Fry for 3 minutes.

Add turmeric powder, tomatoes and salt in it. Fry for another 3 minutes.

Now add peas and drumsticks blossoms and very soft part of stem in it. Mix nicely. 

Add sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat or till the gravy is almost dried up. Remove from heat.

Serve with steamed rice as a side dish.

RASS BORA - AN EASTERN INDIAN DELICACY

'Makar Sankranti' is one of the auspicious occassion for all Hindus and celebrating all parts of India. So today I celebrated this Sankranti with delightful 'RASS BORA'.

In Bengal, every year a big mela 'Ganga Sagar Mela' held in Ganga Sagar and 'Pithe Puli' (sweet-savory dumplings) made in every house. All members of the family eating these pithe puli by sitting together. Rass bora is easy to make and very delicious dessert which is flavored with date jaggery. So, enjoy this Makar Sankranti with this highly seasoned flovory sweet dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Black Gram Lentils - skinless (urad dal)
1 tsp Fennel seeds (crushed)
1/2 tsp freshly gounded Black Pepper
2-3 Cardamoms (crushed)
1 Bay Leaf

Date Molasses

400 gm Date Molasses
2&1/2 Cup Water
1/2 tsp Salt
Oil for Frying

METHOD:
Soak urad dal overnight. Drain water from it.

Grind urad dal with minimum water to make a smooth paste. Set it aside.

Heat molasses with water. Add cardamoms and bay leaf in it.

Boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Now syrup is ready. Remove from heat.

Add salt, crushed fennel seeds and black pepper into the batter of urad dal. Beat nicely.

Heat enough oil in a wok. Oil must be steaming hot.

Slowly drop few small vadas in it.

Fry till both sides turn golden brown. Remove from oil.

Add the vadas in warm syrup.

Follow the same process for the rest of the vadas.

Keep it as it is for 4-6 hours, so that all vadas will absorb syrup nicely. Syrup thickens when cooled, so don't boil it again.

Serve as a yummy dessert. Enjoy!!!

Linking to: Cook Like a Celebrity Chef - 3

Linking to: Makar Sankranti 

Linking to: Favorite Recipes Event: Lentil/ Legume/Beans recipes

PRAWN CHA-CHADI

It is a day to day Bengali prawn curry in simple way. Last week I saw this delectable Bengali dish at COOKING AND RECIPES and decided to cook it like Ushnish da. I think everyone who is related with cooking blogosphere (Indian) is surely known about Ushnish Ghosh. He cooks everyday wonderful recipes in his Delhi kitchen for our 'BOUDI' (his wife). He is not only a great chef, but he has extreme knowledge regarding any food matter. I admire his enthuism and passion for cooking. So, today I dedicate my easy and simple but toothsome prawn recipe to USHNISH DA. I made little variation in this recipe, though I can't have much spicy, so I added spice less. If you like, may add more green chilli and red chilli powder. Adding coriander leaves in it, is my choice, and it added more flavor and aroma to this luscious dish. 

INGREDIENTS:
0.5 lb / 200 gm dressed and cleaned shrimps
1 Large Potato
1 Medium Onion
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder (according to taste)
1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder
2-3 Green Chillies (optional, if like enough hot)
3-4 tbsps Mustard Oil
1 tsp fresh Lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING:
1/3 tsp Nigella seeds (kalonji)
5-6 freshly crushed black peppercorns
3 Green Chillies, cut in slits

METHOD:
Marinate shrimps with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Cut potato in thin long pieces. Cut onion into thin slices. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add all ingredients for tempering. Saute till green chilli changes its colour.

Following that add onions in it. Fry till the onion turns translucent.

Add sliced potato now and fry for 2 minutes.

Now add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder and kashmiri chilli powder in it. Fry for another 2 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup water in it. Mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

At this time add shrimps in it. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes on high heat. Add green chillies now. The mixture almost dry within 3-4 minutes. Don't overcook, then shrimps will becoming chewy and and little hard.

Add Coriander leaves and lemon juice in it, fold nicely again. Remove from heat.

Serve immediately with piping hot steamed rice.

May prepare this luscious dish within 20 minutes only. Enjoy your lunch table with this toothsome Bengali delicacy. 

Sending to: Cook Like a Celebrity Chef