Eating in Vs Eating out: Easy Vegetarian Soup

Eating out is more of hobby for most people these days, and then after relentless pursuing of this hobby for years it becomes a habit. I used to belong to one of these ‘eating out bandwagons’ till I almost caved in to the agony of bad taste and started cooking. I have had months when I would eat out at least 25 days, its Grosse, unhealthy, and ridiculously expensive…not that I have actually spent my whole bank balance on those eat out sessions – it used to be mostly apples, fresh juice , lassi, fruit platter from the juice corner and a vegetarian sandwich from the deli counter…but now as I look back, I know that I’m really sick of the salad sandwich at the deli section, salad (in my sandwich) meant roundels of raw cucumber, onion and tomato, sprinkled with some salt and oregano spice, trapped between two innocuous slices of brown bread. Trust me, if was like swallowing torture, by the time I would finish the slices would have gotten damp and the vegetables limp. The cheese grilled was no better either; it used to be nice when hot but then again, If I were to be a few minutes late, chewing would be a struggle. It got so Cheeeewy that even my molars hurt. Not to mention, the effect it had on my waistline. My jeans’ refused to hold my belly and butt together and if did force them to obey me, ‘POP’ would go my buttons! So I knew I had to stop.

So, yeah, I've been making a lot of soups lately – best part is you slurp on it as a warm starter and freeze the leftover(if any!), and later use it to add flavour and nutrition to curried dishes for an elaborate meal. It's easy to portion out.

Today I used Bottle gourd. For me everyday it’s a different vegetable for a different flavour, but I used bottle gourd all the more due to its health benefits , which I came to know courtesy Baba Ramdev and his sermons regarding Lauki. Cooking becomes all the more better if it promises to add that extra dash of vitality to your and your family’s health. Isn’t it?

What I used:

Ingredients:

1 small bottle gourd (lauki) or 2 large cups chopped in large chunks.

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp garlic (freshly pounded or roughly chopped)

1 onion

2 tomatoes

Salt and green chillies to taste

2 tsp corn flour mixed in cold water

For garnishing: 1 onion fried, ½ cup roasted croutons and freshly chopped coriander leaves

Fill the pressure pan with a beer mug's worth of bottle gourd, 1 onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger, garlic into with 2 cups of water, cook until soft and mushy approx 4 whistles.

Cool and grind the above mixer along with all masalas and salt in the mixer. Now strain to remove all big seeds and ginger juliennes. Oh, don't run the blender for more than a minute.

Fry the onions till pink and add the above. Whisk the corn flour in water till its lump free and add to the boiling lauki soup, to thicken it. Stirring continuously. Remove from fire once you are happy with the consistency of the soup.

Pour in individual bowls and garnish with croutons and coriander. Serve piping hot! With a dollop of butter on top (if you pleaseJ).

Freeze the rest of the untarnished soup, and add it to thicken and spike your curries.

Baked Bengali Biryani

I used to believe that Biryani’s have to be made in a cooker, or slow cooked for hours in a handi for the best taste effect , but I was recently thumped by a food show on NDTV titled ‘Cooking isn’t rocket science’ in which the host had an entirely different take on biryani, albeit an interesting one. She called it British Biryani, however, as I have taken a few liberties with the recipe , I think it just might as well have a new name to suit the Bengali twist and call it Baked Bengali Biryani.

Athough this recipe sounds English, this biryani involves all the nuances and experiences of a traditional one. Chopping all the vegetable, grinding of aromatic spices, soaking saffron in warm milk and releasing the fragrant aroma while the vegetables...really its just as good as the old fashioned one. If you come to think of it, Biryani is derived from the Persian word 'Birian' and In Farsi, Birian means 'Fried before Cooking'. Which I did , so it's not that much of a deviation—and serves the dual purpose of keeping the purist in me happy.

Now lets begin the fun part, that is cooking it:

I used the following ingredients:

1) 2 cups basmati rice

2) 750 gms marinated Chicken (marination is 2 tbsp yogurt, 1 tsp Cumin Powder, 1 tsp Ginger Paste, 1 tsp Garlic Paste salt and little oil for an an hour or more)

3)2 potatoes (we bongs like potatoes in our biryani too!)

4) chopped onion

5) 1 tsp ginger garlic paste

7) 1 large tomato

8) Generic Powdered spices (a little Turmeric Powder,1 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder,1 tsp Corriander Powder,1/2 tsp Biryani Masala/Garam masala) 

9) Whole Spices to temper the oil -  11/2 Bay Leaf, 1.5" stick of Cinnamon, 3-4 whole clove, 3 whole green cardamom, 1 black cardamom (optional), 1/2 tsp of Fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp Corriander seeds 

10)I cup buttermilk+3 cupswater

11)4-5 stands saffron soaked in 1/2 cup milk

Garnish 

11)5-6 sprigs coriander leaves

12) 1 onion thinly sliced and fried till brown, 2-3 slivers lemon, for layering and flavour

13)2-3 hard boiled eggs(optional)

14) paneer grated (1/2 cup) (This step is purely for looks purposes, and not bong tastewise , so its totally optional)

15) oil for frying and lining the baking tray

Salt to taste

How I made it:

I usually make this biryani with chicken and eggs. This also can be made only with ONLY vegetables.

Method:

Clean and soak the rice for at least half an hour. Add a spoonful of oil and required salt for the rice. Cook in 2 cups of water till the water is absorbed. Set aside.

Temper the oil with all listed under  nos 9. 

In that frying pan over a low heat, fry the marinated chicken . Chopped onions go in first , followed all under nos 8,  green chillies, ginger and garlic paste till well browned , now add to it the tomatoes and fry a little .

Add salt and fry for 5 minutes, and now add the potatoes.

In an oven proof dish, layer the rice. Add half of the fried onions. Add all the marinated chicken and potato mixture on top of the onions. Add all the chopped coriander. pour half the saffron milk .Cover this by another layer of rice. Sprinkle the remaining onions. pour remaining saffron milk. Add a tbsp of butter.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or till the chicken is done.The divine smell of all the spices and the unmistakable aroma of biryani will soon fill the house. 

Top it with halved boiled eggs and serve immediately.

Serves : 4-5

Preparation time: 1hr.

Cooking time 30 minutes

Other Biryani recipies

1) Bong Mom's cookbook

2)My kitchen Trials

3) Video on making a biryani

The Sounds of Diwali - Shorshe Bhindi (Mustardy okra)

Sitting on my computer, early morning on the Diwali day , the sound of a few patakhas --mostly bombs bursted by over excited kids is the most reassuring, familiar, festival sound to me. It just takes me back to my chilhood days when I would join the gang of boys , and after lot of hankeing, pestering and courage gathering, they would 'allow' me to burn a few mirchi bombs. Although scared of all sorts of bomb sounds , I still did it just to show it off to my brother, who eight years younger to me would stand in one corner and clap hands at the brevity of his didi.

The patakha sound still reminds of the chaos in the evening with our house swamped with family friends and how my mother would panic in the kitchen. Which me left to do the menial task of serving the guests and setting the table etc. and my brother used to wait impatiently in the parking area to start the ceremony of bursting crackers. The smoky dizzying smell of the crackers, the smoke infused ghee laddus and nimkis, savoured in-between the baji-porano session and my brothers reluctance to let the day end ...I think i'm still cabapble of living each moment of those days minute by minute.

Today the only thing I can do to faintly match the sound of patakhas is the whistle of the pressure cooker, which I intend on playing in a overdrive mode, just to ensure that the festivity which almost began in the kichten in my childhood home may always remain. But strangely though, I had never been a cook , I was a food aficionado at best . Ma would insist that I learn something, but I would listen inattentively , lurking in the kitchen only to take one bite of that fresh hot pakora. Or assist with rounding the laddus just to pop in a few in my mouth on the pretext of them being craggy edged!

Cut to today, with a kitchen and a fussy eater as a husband -- to myself, I seem to have discovered the joys of cooking! the festive sounds are so resonant with the memories of the yesteryears than anything else. Reminding me of all-- that was Diwali.

Tangy Creamy Bhindi (Coconut-mustard Okra)

Mustard paste is a delicacy in almost every Bengali household.Mustard is typically hand grinded with a little salt and green chillies and added to potato/vegetables/fish, mixed with parboiled rice and eaten. Okra being a very versatile vegetable is very delicious when cooked into this mustard-coconut and curd paste, along with a typical south Indian tadka gives a fresh twist which makes it simply mmmm.

150 gms Okra(bindi)
1/2 cup set curd
1tbsp fresh Mustard paste
1 cup grated coconut
salt to taste
1tpsb mustard oil
2-3 slit green chillies
2-3 sprigs meethi neem(karipatta)

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard oil and then once its smoky add 1 tsp mustard seeds and let them pop, add leaves toss for a half a minute till the flavors come out and take care not to burn them.Now add the slit salted and green chillis and saute for a minute. Cook covered on medium flame for 10 minutes or until done and browned.

Now in a mixer add the mustard paste, or soaked remaining mustard seeds (if you are making a fresh paste). Grind mustard well until smooth.Add green chillies and salt and little water if required and grind again. Now add coconut and curd and a little water and make a smooth paste.

Now add the paste to the okra mixture with approx half cup of water. Bring to a boil and reduce flame and cover with lid. Let it cook for 5-6 mts till the gravy thickens slightly.Once cooked, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Pujor aahar -- Vegetarian Kobiraji Cutlet

Durga Pujo to us Bangalis is as much about Ma Durgar Pujo as its about our little own Pet Pujo. Every Bangali worth his fetish for Pheesh , Phootball and Phoron, knows the role of food during these four days of Pujo...and of course the Bijoya days that follow. This year while vacationing with my family back in Lucknow, I gratefully realised that not much as changed since my growning up years. Bijoya Pronam is still followed by a plateful of mishti--that's a wide variety of assorted sweets , some home cooked and some store brought with narkel nadu (coconut laddu) making its presence felt in almost every household, ghooghni(chick peas dried curry), nonta(salty savories) and a signature dish to add as a suprise element. Now this signature dish is anything from a devilled eggs to kobiraji cutlet to a kid friendly version of the menu such as mini burgers. And the taste ah! it tastes all the more incredible, as its that time of the year when the bright october sun mixes warmly with mami and mashi' excited banter, and the mild smell of shiuli flowers add to the heady aroma of freshly fried cutlets. I dont know whether its my nostalgia speaking, but as I'm writing i feel that there is this tiny sadness clutching onto faint corner of my heart , as much miss those Pujo days , I also miss my mom's famous cutlets, this to me is 'wishful craving', this to me is also nostalgia, can anyone tell me why...?

2 cups boiled cholar dal (I'd use a pinch salt and haldi for boiling)
2 onions chopped fine
1 t ginger paste
1 pinch asafoetida(heeng)
1 tsp garam masala
1 chopped green chili
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped alternatively can use 1.5 tsp aamchur powder
2 T ghee
2 eggs for coating
1/2 cup bread crumbs
ghee/oil for frying cutlets
1/2 t sugar
salt to taste

Add to the chana dal a pinch of turmeric and some salt. Place in a pressure pan with just enough water water and cook. Around 4 whistles or let it boil until the dal is cooked and quite soft. Let teh extra water remain.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add onion, ginger, turmeric , a pinch asafoetida and green chillies. Mix
well and fry 3 or 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and finally the boiled dal. Mix thoroughly, adding salt and sugar to taste. Add garam masala when the water dries off.

Remove from fire when the dal mixture has browned and appears well mixed. Cool.
Divide mixture into desired shape about quarter inch thick. Makes around 10.

Beat the eggs and now coat the cutlets in egg mixture, and finally roll in bread
crumbs .Heat ghee in frying pan and fry cutlets until well browned on both sides.


Serves 5, calories : 175-190/cutlet.