Chinese Bhel

I first heard of chinese bhel from my sister. I used to think it must be something weird to eat. But, when I did taste it, it was one of the delicious to make. Looking at the dish it may look that it is very hard to make. But it is simple and easy to make.

Ingredients
Noodles
Garlic
Chopped Green Chillies
Tomato Ketchup
Tomato Puree
Vinegar
Tobasco Sauce
Cabbage
Carrot
Onion
Spring Onion
Capsicum
Oil
Salt


Method
Boil the noodles. Then spread them and dry them gently (under a fan). Sprinkle some cornflour or maida and pinch of salt and mix it very gently. This we add so that noodles don't stick together.
Mix some oil and keep aside for some time.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the noodles till they are light brown. You can store the noodles for few days in a airtight container.

Preparing the sauce
Heat little oil in a pan. Put garlic and saute for 1 min. Add green chillies and chopped onions and saute till onions are transparent. Add tomato ketchup and tobasco sauce.
Then add grated cabbage, capsicum and carrots. If you want you can add chopped cucumbers too. Add the tomato puree and salt and cook for some time. When the sauce is ready keep aside.


Serve
When ready to eat mix the noodles in the sauce and serve immediately. Otherwise noodles will get all soggy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients

1cup maida
1/2 cup melted ghee or butter
1/2 cup powder sugar
Chocolate chips
2tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1tbsp milk

Method

Mix together ghee and sugar.
Add all the other ingredients except chocolate chips.
Knead a dough and shape it as per your choice
Stick chocolate chips on the cookie and bake it at 150 degrees for 10 mins.


Oats cookies

For this cookie other than the ingredients required for the basic dough you will need
Oats
dry cranberry, dry blueberry, dry fruits

Knead and bake.

Cookies

Whenever I used to eat cookies I used to think that making cookies is a very cumbersome process. It must be lengthy and lots of ingredients required. So, I went to a cookie making class with lots of apprehension. All of my myths were shattered and I realized ignorance is such a pain.

I found  out that major cookies have the same base. They just add flavors or color to look and taste different. If one can master the basic dough. She is master of all. :)

So, I am posting the recipe of the basic dough.

Ingredients

1cup maida

1/2 cup melted ghee or butter

1/2 cup powder sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1tbsp milk

This measurement will make around 12 to 15 cookies.

Method

First and foremost add ghee/butter and sugar. Keep on mixing till sugar dissolves properly and the mixture is smooth.

In a bowl take maida and baking powder and knead it with ghee and sugar mixture. Please do not add any water. This will spoil the taste of the cookie. 

Before kneading you can add other ingredients which you want to add in the cookie. Like choco chips, oats, raisins etc.

The kneading has to be done with pressure and for some time to make the dough smooth as possible.

Absolutely at the last add milk and knead it once more.

If you don't add milk you can refrigerate your dough for one to two days. Just wrap it with clinging sheet and keep it in a fridge. When you want to bake it just take out and keep it for some time and add milk and knead. Your dough is ready. :)

This is the basic dough. My following posts will have different recipe of cookies from this basic dough.

Happy cookies.

Nankhatai Cookies

Okay, I have learnt few cookies recepies. So next few posts will be about cookies and cookies. Nankhatai is one of the yummiest cookies I have eaten.

Ingredients

1cup maida
1/4 cup sooji
Dry fruits
1/4 cup besan
1/2 cup powder sugar
1/2 cup ghee
2 pinch of baking powder
2 pinch of sweet soda
Elaichi powder

Method
Mix together powder sugar and ghee well.
Then add baking powder, elaichi powder, sweet soda, crushed dry fruits. Mix well.
Then add maida, sooji, besan. Knead into a dough. (do not use water. If needed add some milk or melted ghee)
Shape as per one choice.
Preheat the oven at 200 degrees. But bake the cookies at 180 degrees for 10 mins.

Serve.

Charchari

This is a staple bengali dish. Irrespective of your status every bengali household cooks this dish. This dish has so many versions. Every family has their own recipe. I am married into a bengali family. When this dish was served I was like, it is just another mixed vegetable. But, after I had my first morsel I am hooked to it. The mustard oil makes a lot of difference. If, you don't like the aroma or taste of the mustard oil use a bit of it. 

Ingredients

Potatoes ~ 2 cups. I used the red potatoes, others work fine
Brinjal ~ 3 cups
Yellow Pumpkin ~ 3 and ½ cup
Ridge Gourd ~ 3 and ½ cup
Shim or Broad Beans ~ 2 cups
Drumsticks ~ 6-7 cut ones (not in pic)
Green Chillies ~ 6-7 slit
Turmeric ~ ½ tsp
Hing or Asafetida ~ ¼ tsp
Panch Phoran ~ 1 tsp
Salt ~ according to taste
Sugar ~ 2 tsp

Canola Oil ~ 6 tbsp. This is an approximate measurement
Mustard Oil ~ 2 tsp

Mustard paste ~ 2 tbsp
To make paste: Soak mustard seeds in water and then wet grind to a smooth paste with green chillies and a little salt
Vadi ~ 8-10 small Bengali vadis are best.

Method
Wash and chop the veggies in almost equal sizes.
In a kadai put all the veggies with ½ tsp of turmeric and 2 tbsp of mustard paste and cook it covered. No need to add water as the Ridge gourd will release water and this will be enough. If you think You need to add water, add very little.
Cook till the veggies are done.

Heat Oil in a Kadhai/Frying Pan.
Temper with Panch Phoron and Hing/Asafetida, Green Chillies and wait till the spices pop.
Add the steamed veggies.
Sauté and add sugar and salt. Mix well.

Do not stir any more and cook till the water dries out and maybe try hearing the sizzle sound if you would. I just wait for the water to dry and that is absolutely necessary.

Drizzle 1 or 2 tsp of Mustard Oil before you take it off the heat. If you don't have Mustard Oil you can skip this step
Enjoy with White Rice or you can also have it by itself if you wish. A healthy, tasty dish is waiting for you.

With Vadis
If you are using Vadis, fry them brown and keep aside. Crumble them on top of the finished dish. 

Kanchkolar kofta / Green Plantain curry

I don't exactly remember when I first had this dish. But I do remember that I was not told that it is a dish made from green plantains. That is the beauty of this dish. You cannot say that you are eating green plantains. Its just yummy. Oh! you can have the koftas just like that. (meaning after frying)

Ingredients:

Kanchkola (Green plantain) - 2
Corn flour - 1tbsp
Garam masala
Onion - medium, 1 and half - chopped
Green chillies - 2
Tomatoes-1 medium, chopped
Potato - 1 medium, cubed
Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder-1tsp
Coriander powder-1tsp
Chilli powder-1/2 tsp
turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Kashmiri mirch- 1/2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste- 1tbsp
Salt
Sugar-a pinch
Vegetable Oil for deep frying.


Method:

How to make koftas ~

Cut the plantains in half and put them in a pressure cooker with water and bit of salt. Pressure cook it upto 1 whistle. After taking out the plantains it should be soft. (If not then keep it bit longer after the whistle)

After they are done, remove the skin which are already softened. Mash them nicely. Add half onion, chopped  green chillies, 1 tsp garam masala and some salt to the mashed banana (remember you have added some salt while boiling them).
Mix corn flour so that it binds well when frying. Knead to get a tight dough.
Make small balls ( I got about 16 koftas) and keep aside for frying. Heat enough oil in medium high for deep frying the koftas. Put the koftas in batches and fry till brown. Drain them on a paper towel.


How to make Gravy ~

Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan. After its hot enough, add the cumin seeds. After they crackle , add the onions. Fry them till they are transparent. Then add the potatoes and fry them together. (Potatoes can be fried separately before adding onions).
Make a paste with little water and the masalas except garam masala. Add it to the onion and potatoes. Fry them very well till oil starts separating from the sides of the pan. Then add the tomatoes and cook till they become mushy.
Add a pinch of sugar and salt. Add water and bring to a boil. Then cook in medium heat till it is done. Sprinkle the garam masala over the gravy and simmer for 2-3 mins. Then put off the heat and keep covered for about 10 mins. Gravy is ready.

** The koftas are to be added in the gravy just before serving, otherwise they will soak up all the gravy. You can put aside half of them to be used next day.

** Enjoy with white rice or pulao !! :)

Eggplant Parmigiana

Okay, when I first had this dish I was very skeptical. As I was not fond of this particular vegetable. But being a vegetarian I did not have any other option in an Italian restaurant. The waitress recommended it highly.
After taking the first bite, I was not able to put my fork down.
I have tried the same dish in many other Italian restaurants. All of them have different tastes. But they all are very very tasty to eat. After much searching I was able to get hold of the recipe.

Ingredients:

280 gms sliced eggplant peeled, cut lengthwise

Flour  

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil  

1 -2 tspns butter  

30 gms grated parmesan cheese  

100 gms grated mozzarella cheese  

1 cup tomato sauce

2-3 leaves basil leaves  

Few sprigs of oregano leaves  

Pinch of cracked black pepper

Fresh white breadcrumbs  

2-3 cloves garlic


Method:

Choose nice firm eggplants with a shiny flesh.

Trim the stem end of the eggplant and peel the eggplant.

Slice lengthwise into 3 cm slices and put them in a bowl with chilled salted water for 30
minutes. Drain and squeeze off excess moisture and pat dry.
Dredge the slices in seasoned flour.

Pat fry in a little olive oil and butter. Drain the excess oil.

Grate the parmesan and mozzarella cheese in a greased baking dish or cocotte, spoon a little tomato sauce at the bottom, lay the eggplant slices side by side. Sprinkle the grated cheeses, pinch of basil, oregano and cracked black pepper.

Repeat this over 3 layers.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs and the butter.

Bake for 15 minutes at 180°c

Serve with crispy garlic bread and rocket salad.