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.
1 heaped cup (250ml) of diced vegetables includingg carrots, beans, potatoes, peas and cauliflower
Thick (125 ml) and thin coconut milk (250ml) extracted from ½ cup of grated coconut
1 Tsp of coarsely ground peppercorns
1tbsp of coconut oil
1 sprig of curry leaves
One medium sized onion finely chopped
1 tsp of finely chopped ginger
2 slit green chillies
Whole Garam masala 3 cardamom, 3 cloves, and an inch of cinnamon
Method
Take a pan.. Add half the coconut oil.. To this add the whole garam masala. Then add the ginger, curry leaves and green chilli and saute for a minute. Add the onion and saute till translucent. Add the diced vegetables with the peppercorn powder and salt to taste and mix well. Add the thin coconut milk and cover and cook till vegetables are done. Finally add the thick coconut milk and simmer the stew for a minute. Garnish with leftover coconut oil and curry leaves. Serve hot.
Jhaal Alur dum takes me down the memory lane when I and my friends would head for the Puchkawala near Vivekananda park and gorge on these spicy potatoes drizzled with tamarind juice. This dish can be served as a snack or as an accompaniment in the main course.
Ingredients
Baby Potatoes- 250 gm Parboiled and peeled.
Coriander leaves – 1 tsp finely chopped
Green chillies – 3 broken into halves
Whole Garam Masala- 4 cardamoms, 4 cloves and an inch of cinnamon stick
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Bay Leaf – 1
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 Tsp
Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 Tsp
Dry Roasted and Powdered – 3 whole red chillies and 1 tsp of jeera
Tamarind juice – 1 Tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Method
Take oil in a pan. Add the bay leaf, cumin seeds, and the whole garam masala. Saute till a nice smell comes. Then add the baby potatoes with turmeric powder and salt to taste and mix well. Then add the cumin powder and red chilli powder and mix well. Add enough water to cover the potatoes and cover and cook at least for 45 mins till the water goes dry. Then add the dry roasted red chilli and cumin powder, and garnish with coriander leaves and green chilli. Mix and switch off the gas. Finally, add a squeeze of tamarind juice. This dish tastes best when spicy and tangy. Serve as a snack with a toothpick or as an accompaniment with dal and rice. It is Yummy!!
Alu chochodi, the name itself sounds so delicious that every time I say it my mouth waters. Lightly flavoured with the minimum of spices, this dish is easy to make and goes very well with rice as well as roti.
Ingredients
Potatoes- 2 (Thinly sliced with the skin on)
Onion – 1 (Thinly sliced)
Coriander leaves – 1 Tbsp finely chopped
Green Chilli – 3 Broken into halves
Red chilli powder – As per taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 Tsp
Salto to taste
Paanch Phoron- 1 Tsp of mixed methi seeds, Kalonji, Jeera, Saunf, Mustard seeds in equal quantities
Tej Patta/Bay leaf – 1
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Method
Take oil in a pan. Add the tej patta and the paanch phoron. Then add the onion with turmeric powder and saute till translucent. Then add the chopped potatoes and saute for a minute. Then add salt and red chilli powder and mix well. Add just enough water for gravy and cook till done. Finally, garnish with coriander leaves and green chillies. This dish tastes better if spicy.
Bengali cuisine celebrates vegetables without adding too many ingredients and dry masalas. The flavour comes from the tadka itself. Alu kumdo is one of the many dishes which is simple to make and yet absolutely lip smacking.
Chop potatoes. And kumdo. Keep potatoes a little bigger than kumdo as we want them just done and kumdo overdone.
Grind onion with red chillies. I add Kashmiri chilli for colour
Take oil in Kadai. Add tej patta..paanch phoron.. paanch phoron has methi.. kalaunji..saunf..jeera and yellow mustard
Add ALU with haldi and sauté for a minute. Then add the kumdo and saute for another minute. Then add ground masala, salt and a pinch of sugar and sauté till the masala loses raw smell. Add enough water for gravy. Cover and cook till the pumpkin is very soft. Garnish with Dhaniya patta and green chilli. Serve with hot rice. It is delicious!!
The big Green Chillies, the pakode wale mirchi , can be made in a different way..No need to make it heavy by dipping in gram flour and deep frying. Sharing a yummy recipe that will go well with rice and roti. And as usual it is the easiest to make.
Ingredients
Big Green Chillies – 4 slit and deseeded
Potatoes – 2 boiled and cut into small pieces
Ginger – 1/2 inch piece grated
Nigella Seeds/Kalaunji – 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste
Garam Masala Powder 1/2 tsp
Method
Deseed the pakoda chilli and sauté in a little oil and set aside. In the same oil add onion and grated ginger… Then add kalaunji and haldi and fry till translucent. Then add boiled and diced potatoes and salt.. Cover and cook on slow fire till a little crisp.. Last add the red chili powder and garam masala pwdr.. Mix and remove from heat. Now stuff this into chilli and grill in otg till nicely roasted. Serve hot with Rice or roti
I love potol/pointed gourd..it is indeed a versatile vegetable which mingles with any spice that you use..rainy season is the season for fresh potol and I make a dish with it every other day..sharing the stuffed potol recipe..the Bengali non veg version has fish mince in it…I either use potatoes or paneer..do try
Ingredients
Potol/pointed gourd 4 pieces – Remove the inside of the potol..use the flesh and the seeds only if white in colour..discard if yellow. Scrape the skin of the potol very lightly
1 boiled potato/50gm paneer..use either of the two
Onion 1 finely chopped
Green chilli 1 finely chopped
Ginger half inch grated
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Method
Take oil in a pan..add the cumin seeds. Then add the onion, ginger and green chilli with turmeric powder and sauté till translucent. Then add the inside flesh of the potol and sauté for a minute. Now add the mashed potatoes/grated paneer with salt to taste..mix well..lastly add the red chilli powder..mix and switch off gas. Once the mixture cools down, stuff it into the potol shells. Shallow fry covered till done. Do not worry if a little stuffing comes out while frying..scoop it out of the oil and RE stuff once the potol is done. Enjoy with dal and rice.
I am a great fan of Food Shows on TV and every once in a while come across a recipe which is worth trying. This time I tried Nimona after watching it in Utsav Thalis of India and it was just fantabulous. The ingredients here are celebrated to the optimum and the dish is delicious.
Ingredients (For 2 as an accompaniment)
Fresh Green Peas 100gm – Ground coarsely
Tomato 1 Medium sized – Blanched and pureed
Potato 1 medium size – Diced
Ginger 1/2 inch and Green Chilli as per taste- ground together
Coriander Leaves- 1 tbsp finely chopped
Red Chilli powder- a pinch
Coriander Powder- 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds/ Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Cloves/ Laung – 2 pieces
Asafoetida/ Hing- A pinch
Bay Leaf/Tej Patta- 1
Salt to taste
Clarified Butter – 2 Tsp
Method
Take the clarified butter in a pan and saute the potato until golden brown and set aside. In the same clarified butter add whole red chili, cumin seeds, asafoetida, cloves and bay leaf. To this add the ginger and green chilli paste and saute. After a minute add the pureed tomato and the red chilli powder and coriander powder. Saute till the ghee separates. Now to this add the ground green peas and salt, mix, add a little water and cook it for 3-4 mins. Finally, add the fried potatoes and give it one more boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis. Yum!!
This is one of the first complicated dishes that I learned to make on my own 🙂 It is simply delicious when you are yearning for a variety in Pulao.
Ingredients ( Serves 2)
Grind Together the following
Coriander Leaves 1 small bunch
Shallots 6 pieces
Coconut Grated 1 Tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Green Chillies as per taste but this pulao tastes better when spicy
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Other Ingredients
1 Onion sliced long
1 Tomato sliced long
1 potato cubed
1 cup Basmati Rice soaked for 15 mins
Whole Garam Masala- 3 cardamoms, 3 cloves and a stick of cinnamon
Clarified Butter/Ghee – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method
In a pressure cooker add the clarified butter and the whole garam masala. Then add the onion and saute until transluscent. Add the tomatoes and the potatoes and saute until the tomato is soft. Now add the ground masala and saute on high until all moisture is absorbed. This is important as otherwise, the pulao will become soggy. Then add the rice and salt and 1 1/2 times water. Cover the pressure. Cook on high for one whistle and on low for 6-7 minutes or 1 whistle whichever is earlier. Serve hot with Raita.
I love potol/pointed gourd..it is indeed a versatile vegetable which mingles with any spice that you use..rainy season is the season for fresh potol and I make a dish with it every other day..sharing the stuffed potol recipe..the Bengali non veg version has fish mince in it…I either use potatoes or paneer..do try
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