POHA (CHIRER) PULAO

Today I am going to post one Bengali delicacy again, it is Chirer (Poha) Pulao. My favourite breakfast or brunch or as an evening snack dish, a Winter speciality mainly due to the availability of cauliflower, carrot, green beans and peas during this season. It tastes pretty delicious and flavorful too. A quick and filling snack made of rice flakes and different vegetables. Lets come to this yummy recipe...

INGREDIENTS:
3 Cups Flattened Rice
1 Medium Potato
2 Medium Carrots
6-8 Green Beans
8 Florets of Cauliflower
1/4 Cup Green Peas (frozen)
1" Cinnamon
2-3 Cardamoms
2-3 Cloves
4 Peppercorns
2 tbsps finely chopped Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
8-10 Curry Leaves
2-3 Green Chillies, cut in slits
2 tbsps Raisins
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Poppy seeds
1 tbsp Oil
2 tbsps Clarified Butter
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash flattened rice in luke warm water. Drain all water from it. Sprinkle little salt and sugar and fold this washed flattened rice nicely. Set it aside.

Cut potato, carrot, green beans and cauliflower florets in small pieces or in thin slices. Wash and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok. Add all chopped vegetables, green peas and salt in it.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.

Now heat clarified butter in the same wok. Add cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, curry leaves, green chillies, poppy seeds and raisins in it. Saute for a minute.

Add washed flattened rice and fried vegetables in it. Fold nicely and saute for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.

Now add finely chopped coriander leaves in it. Mix thoroughly and switch off the heat now.

Serve hot as a breakfast / brunch dish or as evening snack.

TIPS: May add fried peanuts and grated coconut too.

Sending to: Fast Food: Poha - event hosted by Shama's Easy 2 cook Recipes

Sending to: 60 days to Christmas @ Cook like Priya & You Too Can Cook - Indian Food Recipes

Sending to: Jaleela's event @ 'Bachelor's Feast'

Sending to: Celebrate - Christmas @ Divya & Jagruti

PRAWN IN POPPY PASTE (CHINGRI POSTO)

It is very simple and quick to make. A spiced shrimp curry with amazing distinctive flavor of poppy seeds and mustards seeds paste combination. Today I tried to make a shrimp curry in some different manner, which will be unique and a delicious Bengali delicacy. I should say mustard oil, indeed imparts special flavors and gives a unique flavor in Bengali cuisine. Who never used mustard oil, do try this curry, you just love it.

INGREDIENTS:
400 gm Medium Shrimp (prawns)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 tbsps Poppy seeds paste
1 tsp Green Chilli paste
3-4 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1 tbsp Mustard paste
1/4 cup Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Clean, de-vain and wash shrimp. Add turmeric powder and salt in it. Mix nicely.

Take a medium sized bowl. Combine poppy seeds paste, green chilli paste, mustard paste, mustard oil, green chillies and salt with shrimp. Set aside.

Heat a wok and add shrimp mixture. Cover and steam for 15 minutes on medium heat. (Or combine all ingredients in microoven safe bowl and micro it for 12-15 minutes on 100% power. Stir twice after every 5 minutes.) Switch off heat now.

Serve hot with steamed basmati rice or any plain rice only.....enjoy this toothsome yummy shrimp curry!

Sending to: 60 days to Christmas @ Cook like Priya & You Too Can Cook - Indian Food Recipes

Sending to: Jaleela's event @ 'Bachelor's Feast'

Sending to: Celebrate - Christmas @ Divya & Jagruti

 

SPINACH CURRY

I am always on the lookout for tasty and low calorie food. Spinach is a fiberous and low fat but easy to make food, which I used to make this scrumptious curry. Very simple, yet very tasty and flavourful curry. Spinach has full of vitamins and minerals and also a good antioxidant.

INGREDIENTS:
20 OZ / 600 gm Baby Spinach (washed)
4-5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1" Ginger
2 Tomatoes
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida
A pinch of Turmeric powder
2 tbsps Sour Cream
2-3 Green Chillies
1/3 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Curry powder
1/2 Cup Chicken / Vegetable broth
2 tbsps Oil
1 tsp Butter (optional)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat a frying pan. Add baby spinach in it. Saute for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Let it cool naturally. Blend spinach for 20 seconds to make it a paste. Set it aside.

Grind onion, green chillies, ginger, garlic and tomato to make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds in it. When it starts to crackle, add asafoetida in it. Saute for another few seconds. Then add onion-garlic-ginger paste in it. After 2-3 minutes, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, curry powder in it.

Fry till all water evaporates from it and spice leaves oil from the side of pan. Now add blended spinach and chicken / vegetable broth in it. Fold nicely for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.

At this time add sour cream in it. Saute for 1-2 minutes by adding butter.

Switch off heat. Serve hot with steamed rice or any Indian flat bread. Enjoy this easy yet scrumptious curry.

Sending to: 60 days to Christmas @ Cook Like Priya & You Too Can Cook - Indian Food Recipes

Sending to: Jaleela's event 'Bachelor's Feast'

COCONUT SAMOSA - NARKEL ER SINGARA

A delicious yummy snack is samosa, a favourite appetizer to most of the Indians. It is nothing like a 'Hot Pocket', filling mostly with vegetables. Today I made coconut filling, then stuffed it into a cone shaped piece of pastry and formed a triangle. Fried and enjoyed with tangy chutney or ketchup. Bengalis are called samosa as singara. Specially in a Winter evening, samosa with ketchup/chutney with piping hot tea or coffee - a nostalgic combination.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Sodium bi Carbonate
4 tbsps Canola Oil
1 Cup Grated Coconut
1 tsp Roasted Peanuts (crushed)
2 tbsps finely chopped Cilantro / Coriander Leaves
3-4 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp Sugar
1/3 tsp Black Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Chaat masala
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

METHOD:
In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, sodium bi carbonate, 4 tbsps canola oil and little salt. Mix well. Knead everything tightly by using a little water to make a smooth dough. Equally divide dough into 10 small balls. Cover it with a damp cloth and set aside.

Now start making the filling. In a medium bowl, mix grated coconut, peanuts, cilantro, green chillies, sugar, black pepper powder, chaat masala, lemon juice and salt. Fold all the ingredients very nicely. Keep it aside.

Roll out each ball, one at a time. Cut it in half to make two equal semi circles.

Brush the edges with little water and form a cone with each semi circle. With fingers just press the part where edges meet. Fill the cone with 1 tbsp coconut filling.

Seal the samosa by brushing a little water on the opening end and lightly pressing the whole thing together.

Heat oil in a wok. Fry the samosas till golden brown and crispy. Remove from oil and drain on a kitchen papper towel.

Serve hot with your favourite chutney or ketchup and wash it down with a piping hot tea or coffee.

Sending to: 60 days to Christmas @ Cook like Priya & You Too Can Cook - Indian Food Recipes

Linking to: Celebrate Christmas @ Divya & Jagruti

MULO CHECHKI - RADISH STIR FRY

Radish / Mulo has a special taste in Winter and it is easilly available in market at this time. As I always like to use seasonal vegetables or fruits, so today I prepared a simple and easy radish stir-fry. This is usually eaten as a traditional Bengali lunch.  Now straight way come to the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
4 Medium Radishes
10-12 Curry Leaves
3-4 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
A Pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/3 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 tbsps Oil

METHOD:

Wash and peel radishes. Grate radishes nicely and set aside.

Finely chop curry leaves and green chillies.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds in it. When mustard seed starts to crackle, add asafoetida, chopped green chillies and curry leaves in it. Saute for half a minute.

Now add grated radish in it. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

Add turmeric powder and salt in it. Fold well. Cook for 2 minutes.

Mix well. Add sugar in it. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Serve with steamed rice and dal or roti or khasta paratha.

TIPS: May add grated coconut at the time of adding sugar in it. It increases taste
          definety.
          May add green peas to increase flavour.

Sending to: 60 days to Christmas @ Cook like Priya & You too can cook - Indian Food Recipes

Linking to: Jaleela's event 'Bachelor's Feast'