I have learnt a lot of Bengali cooking from my pasher badir mashima, my neighbour aunty. Alu makha which is mashed potatoes in Bengali cuisine is one such dish. It is absolutely yum.
Ingredients ( Serves 2 )
Potatoes 2 boiled and mashed roughly
Onion 1 large finely chopped
Green Chilli as per taste finely chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped 2 tbsp
2 tsp cumin seeds and 3 whole red chilli dry roasted and powdered
Lemon juice 2 tsp
Mustard Oil 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Mash the potatoes roughly.. Do not mash it to fine, then you will get a crunch with every bite. Add all the other ingredients to the potatoes and mix well. Serve with hot rice and dal/lentils.
Sizzlers are a favourite for most people. But you do not have to head for a sizzler joint to enjoy it. It can be made at home. All you need is sizzler plates. And if you don’t have them you can even use a cast iron flat pan.
Ingredients ( Serves 2)
For Rice
Rice 1 cup cooked
Garlic 1 tsp
Ginger 1 tsp
Butter 1 tbsp
Mixed herbs 2 tsp including rosemary, thyme, Sweet basil, chilli flakes, pepper and oregano.
Salt to taste
For Patties
Potatoes 1 large boiled
Carrot 1 small half cut into small pieces and cooked
Beans 10 pieces half cut into small pieces and cooked
Sweet corn ½ cup boiled in water and strained
Cornflour 1 tsp
Refined Flour 1 tbsp
Bread crumbs 1 cup
Salt to taste
Ginger 1 TSP grated
Red Chilli powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
For Paneer
Paneer 4 rectangular pieces
Lemon zest ½ tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Chilli powder ½ tsp
Olive Oil 1 tsp
Salt to taste
For Stir Fried Vegetables
Carrot 1 cut into long pieces and blanched
Beans 10 pieces cut into long pieces and blanched
Cauliflower florets 4 pieces blanched
Capsicum 1 small cut into square pieces
Butter 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Pepper 1 tsp
For The Pepper Garlic Sauce
Cornflour 1 tbsp
Ginger 1 tbsp finely chopped
Garlic 1 tbsp finely chopped
Green Chilli 1 tsp finely chopped
Green chilli sauce 1 tbsp
Soya Sauce 1 ½ tbsp
Tomato ketchup 1 tbsp
Schezwan Sauce 2 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Pepper 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Olive oil 2 tsp
French Fries
Readymade French fries a few.
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cabbage Leaves
Cabbage leaves 4 washed and patted dry
Method
Rice
Take butter in a pan. Add ginger and garlic finely chopped. Saute for a minute. Then add the cooked rice with salt and mix well. Keep the flame on simmer. Then add all the seasonings. Mix well and set aside.
For The Patties
Mix all the ingredients together. Add half the bread crumbs to this. Form into Patties and cover with the rest of the bread crumbs. Deep fry and set aside.
For the paneer
Marinade the paneer with all the ingredients and grill on a pan with olive oil. Set aside.
For The Vegetables
Take butter in a pan and add the capsicum first. Saute for a minute and then add the blanched vegetables with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
For the sauce
Mix the cornflour in 3 tbsp water. Take the olive oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped green chilli, ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute. Then add all the sauces except for the vinegar and salt to taste. Remember salt should be less as all the sauces also have salt. Mix well. Then add the cornflour mixture with vinegar and mix till you get the right consistency. Add pepper and mix well. Set aside.
French Fries
Deep fry the readymade French fries, mix with salt and pepper and set aside.
Assembling
Place the cabbage leaves on the sizzler plates and place them on the gas stove. Heat it well till the cabbage starts browning. Then place the rice on one side, vegetable Patties on the rice, vegetables and fries on one side, paneer to the side. Let the plate heat well. Then pour the sauce all over. Finally add a mixture of butter and water on all sides to get a sizzle. Serve immediately.
Ghugni is one of the most popular dishes in Kolkata.. It can be had just as a snack on its own or with luchi/puri or bread toast
Ingredients (Serves 2)
1 cup (250ml) of white peas soaked in water for at least 8 hours
One medium onion finely chopped
One tomato finely chopped
2 inches ginger ground into fine paste with 1 green chilli
One small potato chopped into small pieces
Salt to taste
1 tsp each of cumin powder, coriander powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder
Dry roast 1 inch cinnamon, 3 pieces cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 3 whole dry red chilli, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds. Powder this.
Mustard oil 1 tbsp. You can also use refined oil if you wish.
2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
3 whole green chillies
Method
Pressure cook the white peas with salt to taste, turmeric powder and 2 slit green chilli. Take care not to over cook it. One whistle on high flame and 3 whistles on low flame should be enough but then it also depends on the pressure cooker you are using. Take mustard oil in a pan and fry the potato pieces till golden. Remove from oil and set aside. In the same oil add finely chopped onion and saute till translucent. Then add the ginger paste and saute for a minute. Then add finely chopped tomatoes with salt to taste just for the gravy as we have already added salt for the peas. Now cover and cook for 5 mins on low flame. Then add the fried potatoes with the cumin powder, Coriander powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder and mix well and cover and cook again for 2 minutes. Then add the white peas with a cup of water and cook for 10 mins till the potatoes are cooked and the white peas are nicely mixed with the seasonings. Now add the dry roasted powder and mix well. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and green chilli. Serve hot with raw onion sliced and bread toast or puri.
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