FISH CORN BALLS

Today, I am going to share a very delightful and nutritious kid's friendly snack, where fish and corn are an interesting way to eat. A great starter dish for picnic or party or potluck, sweet corn makes this dish good and healthy. Cheese adds rich, pleasing flavour. So, here is a mouth watery and finger licking recipe of 'Fish Corn Balls' for all fish lovers.

INGREDIENTS:

3 pcs / 200 gm Rohu Fish (cleaned)
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Cup Sweet Corn (boiled for10 minutes and strained)
1/2 Cup Grated Cheese (I used 'Amul Cheese Cubes')
1 tbsp Corn Starch
2 tbsps All Purpose Flour (maida)
1 tsp Minced Ginger
1/4 tsp Black Pepper Powder
A Pinch of Soda Carb (sodium bi carbonate)
2 Finely Chopped Green Chillies (according to taste)
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
1/3 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (optional)
1 tsp Bhaja Masala (dry roast 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds and 1 dry red chilli. Pound coarsely to get bhaja masala)
2 tsps Fresh Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
2 tbsps Oil + Oil for Deep Frying

METHOD:

Wash fish pieces nicely. Marinate it with turmeric powder and little salt. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan, fry the both sides of the pieces lightly. Keep aside.

Crush boiled corn. Remove skin and bones from fish. 

Take a large bowl, combine fish flesh, crushed corn, grated cheese, corn starch, APF/maida, minced ginger, black pepper powder, soda carb, green chillies, coriander leaves, Kashmiri red chilli powder, bhaja masala, lemon juice and salt. 

Mash everything and mix well.

Take a small portion from the fish-corn mixture and make a small lemon sized ball. Set it aside. Follow the same process to make rest of the balls.

In a wok, heat enough oil to deep frying. Add balls carefully in it. Don't ad more than 5-6 balls at a time. Fry till both sidesof the balls turn into golden brown. Remove from oil and place balls on a papper towel to absorb excess oil from it.

Garnish with green salad or chutney and serve immediately.

SERVES: 4
Sending to: Guru’s Cooking Giveaway Kids Special ’13

SUBZ DO PYAZA (MIXED VEGETABLES WITH ONION-TOMATO)

If you really like Indian food, will surely love this recipe with full of veggies flavoured by Indian spices. It is a very simple to make, colourful, filled with flavours, yet delicious! Its a vegetarian dish, which can be served with chapathi/naan/paratha or even boiled rice. A good way to incorporate different veggies in your meal. It is too yummilicious, may serve it at party, potluck or in any occassion. Enjoy this North Indian delicacy!!!

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Chopped Mixed Vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, sweet corn, green beans)
1 Medium Potato, peel and cut into small cubes
1/2 Cup Onion Cubes
1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
2 Tomatoes (pureed)
4 tbsps Oil
1 tbsp Cheese Spread (I used 'Amul Cheese Spread')
2 tbsps Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves / Cilantro (for garnishing)
Salt to taste

TO BE POUND INTO PASTE:
2 Onions (chopped)
4 Pods of Garlic
2 Green Chillies (as per taste)

METHOD:
Grind all ingredients which are mentioned as 'to be pound into paste' to make a coarse paste. Set it aside.

Boil all vegetables alongwith potato cubes in little salted water for 5 minutes. Drain water completely. (Don't waste that water, you may use it as 'vegetable stock' for making soup or stew in near future) Keep it aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan or kadhai. Add onion cubes in it, fry till they turn into translucent. Remove from pan and set it aside.

Pour the remaining 3 tbsps oil to the same pan. Add pounded paste in it and fry till it turns into golden brown. Add all dry spices in it and fry for 2 minutes on medium heat. Mix tomato puree and salt in it, fry till spices mixture leaves oil.

Now add parboiled vegetables, sauteed onion cubes and 1/2 cup warm water in it. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove the lid and add cheese spread in it. Give a nice stir to mix it well, turn off the heat now.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve warm with chapathi/naan/paratha or steamed rice.

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

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