Aunt's Apple Cake - The last Bite of October

October is flooding my pantry with apples !

I’m frantically thinking of things to do with ‘em – instead of just biting the glorious red beauties in a bid to keep the doctors away.

I’m pouring into blogs , drooling over the pictures…inertia is gripping me at large. Too meticulous a recipe, and I’m scared to even attempt. Too simple and I start feeling dumb. Baking is not really my forte, but BAKE I will.

Bake what is the question.

After mopping around (and eating a few more apples I get the answer)  - re-creating an old apple gem. I remember the taste vividly.

It was a few decades back at my aunt’s place in Haldwani (foothills of Nainital). The apples and berries were in full bloom.She served this delicious dessert of an apple cake with home-whipped cream -a perfect anecdote to a balmy winter night.

I can't remember what was the occasion for the melt in my mouth after dinner dessert. All I remember is the taste. Maybe the occasion was me. 

It must have been that good to have had made a permanent place in my little brain. Good enough to make me miss my aunt(even after decades of not meeting her in person) and her fresh whipped cream with hot apple cake, it’s like they were made for each other.

The perfect marriage.

Mushy Apples cozily nestled in a bed of warm crumbles with a dollop of fresh cream. 

It is afterall the last bite of October!

Aunt's Apple Cake

3/4 cup all-purpose flour/Maida
3/4 tsp baking powder
4 large apples (I used red juicy variety-peeled an  cut to thin slices)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled


1 Preheat oven to 180 C. Lightly grease and flour a 20x30cm cake tin.
2. Beat vegetable butter and eggs until foamy. Add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and Rum; mix well.
3. Line the diced apples on the cake tin. Spoon mixture into prepared tin (it will be very thick).

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cake in tin for 10 minutes before removing.


PS : I made it a grown up cake by adding rum and savouring with Baileys. You can ignore the Rum and serve with clotted cream or Jam to kiddies.

Storing : This cake remains moist for days together. According to my aunt, it gets more comforting with each passing day. Leave the cake on its plate and just press a piece of plastic wrap .

Sending this entry to Lavender and Lovage and What Kate Baked

Microwave Paturi - For the City Dwellers

Have you tried the Bengali parceled fish, the Paturi yet?

The mustardy and juicy meat gently trapped inside a banana leaf, is divine….  I was craving for a comfort food to get over the post-holiday lull. It’s almost irritating when the flavors call your name while you are already recuperating from the post festival frenzy.   Last night I slept thinking about the food?…. Of course, the morning sun saw me standing in the fish market with my mom and shopping bag in hand!

We were lucky to get a fresh Hilsa. The banana leaf eluded us this time. Durga Puja seems to have eaten into the limited banana leaf stock of my Northy Indian state.. So microwave became my only source of hope. Nevertheless, I have to admit that I was disappointed.

For all you lesser mortals who plan to cook, without the banana leaf at hand – let me assure you that the humble homely microwave promises the same (well almost) taste as its banana leaf wrapped steamed and pan fried cousin, only the romance of unwrapping is lost. In any case we city dwellers outside of Bengal have to settle in for the former – much easier version.

So, come on Ilish/Hilsa Fish of Bangladesh on my plate!  Let’s devour you.

Let’s prepare the Ilish Maacher Paturi

Ingredients

5-6 pieces of Ilish

1 tsp turmeric powder (+ ½ tsp turmeric)

5 tsps yellow mustard seeds

1 tbsp posto/poppy seeds

21/2 tbsp plain yogurt

Green chilies to taste(more the merrier)

6 tbsp  mustard oil

Salt

Make a smooth paste of the poppy seeds, mustard seeds, half teaspoon turmeric powder and few green chilies. It’s best to dry grind and gradually add water before the green chilies, to get the smooth consistency.

I use a microwaveable pie dish for this preparation.

Start with arranging the fish.

Coat the fishes with the half of the spice mixture, and being generous is the trick. I find hand the best bet. Now  whip the yogurt with salt and add on top. Top it with the remaining green chilies. Add the remaining spice mixture. Top the fish pieces up with a teaspoon of turmeric Now add salt  and drizzle the mustard oil. Mustard is what creates the magic in the recipe. Ensure that all is covered nicely.

Cling wrap the microwaveable pie dish and keep for at least 10 minutes. Microwave on high power for atleast  10 minutes.

Serve with steaming plain white rice. Bon appetit!

Sending this event to Anu's Healthy Kitchen 

Shubho Bijoya'r Priti o Shubhechcha

Shubho Bijoya'r Priti o Shubhechcha

Bijoya Greetings to all of you and your loved ones.

Bijoya is joyous occasion. Although a bit tearful in spirit as today is the day we bid adieu to Durga Ma and her children. BUT, Of course sadness was the predominant (and quite publicly noticeable) emotion when I was small. We used to be sad as it was the last day of the much awaited festival, the excitement which was carried in our little hearts for months in a row was ending. The  ‘Visarjaans’ or the departure of the pomp and grandeur of the Durga Thakur deities meant going back to the routine. The end of buying bhelpuris along the footpath sides, back to wearing the school uniforms and catching the early morning bus to school …Hmmm…time to moan indeed.

Image courtesy -festivals.iloveindia

Bijoya was the time when we used to dress up in in our best Pujo clothes and hop from house to house touching the feet of all elders, curious to taste their Bijoya special delights and receive a platter of sweets or savories for us visiting kids. Rating the houses based on the cooking skills of the kitchen owner an important part of the game.  Afterall we were the ones eating it all. So how soon we visited the house after visarjan was directly proportion to how soft their nadus (coconut sweets)were.

As a grown up now – we have Bijoya sammilani’s where all the families gather to exchange greetings and taste the festival sweets. This has indeed simplified the yesteryear's rituals, cutting short the greeting period to one day vis'a'vis over a month back then. The only thing that this common meeting place does not allow is rating the houses based on the quality of food. So taste spotting is a bygone ritual. Let me just uplift the spirits by saying – asche bochor aabar hobe (meaning ma will come again next year).

Till then- No matter where you are or how grown up you are now, whether or not you celebrate Durga puja or care for the symbolic  victory of good over evil, I wish you a Shubho Bijoya and a festive Dusshera!

Image courtesy - theotherhome.com

Pujor Mishti Mukh : PatiSapta

Our Mythology says that Durga Puja is the time when Ma Durga comes home to visit her family with her children. We celebrate her homecoming. From Luchi-alloor dum to Kosha Mangsho and Malpua, we feast on.  Durga Puja Celebrations are done with utmost care and rituals; add to this the dimension of treating the goddess like your daughter the festive fervor takes an entire new level.

Durga Puja is also the time to take out the fine silks, about looking your best, intricate Sarees, delicate jewelry, pandal hopping., laughter that comes along with the revelry and of course time to open doors of your very own masterchef kithen  to all your near and dear ones.

Today being Navami- the Pujo frenzy is at its climax. Today is the last day of the celebrations – and I’m feeling a bit of a letdown to have missed the 'bhog', or community feast offered to the goddess first. Although I had more than my share of bhog for the last two days , missing it on the last day makes you think that you have to wait for the year to roll by before you can dig in again.

The reason why I missed is sweet though – I’m home this year. I’m donning the hat of a sous chef – helping, learning and assisting my mother in the kitchen creating something sweet and memorable for all those Bijoya guests. Rolling out the perfect bite of Patishapta  (rice flour crepes filled with stuffing of coconut & khoya )takes time, so does creating sweet memories.

Patisapta

For the pur or stuffing

Grated Coconut -4cups

Khoa /mava - 1 /2 cup

Sugar - 1 cup (Date Palm Jaggery is the most traditional sweetner for the Pithe)

For the Crepe’s batter

Maida /All Purpose Flour – 31/2 cup

Sooji or Semolina  1 cup

Rice Flour – 1/2 cup.

Milk –Around 5 cups (Might need a few tablespoons more), this should make a fairly thin batter that spreads easily on the griddle. My mother says that mixing by hand the best bet.

This is how my mother did It

Prepare the stuffing

Take all of the grated coconut(around 4 cups). Fresh is best. In a pan mix the grated coconut with sugar or jaggery and keep pressing till they are in a moist togetherness. This step is before the pan is put on the stove. Add to it slightly warm khoya. 

Put the above mixture in a pan and stir.

It should turn light brown and sticky soon.  This is a bit tedious step, and it takes around 20-30 minutes of continuous stirring on a light flame. 

Now prepare the Crepe

Take 31/2 cup cup of Maida/ All Purpose Flour and add to it 1/2 cup of Sooji. Add the finely ground rice flour.Add the milk little by little. The batter needs to be thin so as to spread evenly on the griddle, so you may need to adjust the milk depending on the batter thickness.

How to put it all together: 

Heat a Frying pan and smear a ghee on it (Tip : you can use the cut top of an eggplant to smear the ghee evenly.Perfect for the days and place when you don't have a non-stick oven). Spread it evenly and heat the pan. 

Take a ladle full of batter and pour it on the pan, spread it evenly by tilting the pan, evenly distribute the batter in a circle . You have to do this really quickly as the mixture tends to set on heat fast.

Once cooked on one side, flip. Put the stuffing lengthwise at the centre of the crepe

Roll the crepe once it golden browns. 

Serve it with Kamlalebur payesh (sweet and flavored thick milk), alternatively you can also have it with condensed milk. 

Appendix : 

Bhog : The bhog is an offering to the deity which is later distributed among the masses. The bhog comprises of a wide range of items, from luchi (fried puffed bread)and khichuri (rice cooked with lentils)to vegetable items like beguni (brinjal fry),chorchori (mixed medley  of vegetables),papad  and chutney. In sweets its usually Payesh (rice pudding) or rosogolla.

Sending this recipe to  ICC CooksJoy and Blog Hop Tuesdays and Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Palong Saag Bhaja (Bengali Stir Fried Spinach) - Going Green

The below picture is the everyday lunch which my ma serves my baba(father) as he prepares to take on the day.

Today she graciously agreed to take a picture and share, coaxing me to agree to have something similar everyday atleast till Durga Puja so that I can add to the beauty of the new clothes she has carefully picked for me to wear during the festival...

I give in..I embrace the green in it.

Why?

Well...

Green is in.

A recent news report tells me that to send the message across they are making a lot of Durga Puja Pandals green (I mean the Eco friendly one).

The messages are not so subtle always. Some even color the deity green. (I'm not sold to this idea yet...as I keep thinking  H-U-L-K)

Wait..there's more

 Green is a soothing color, a peace and prosperity color, a spring color and …and if you were to listen to me what my instincts tell me , it’s the color signifying fertility….stimulates the eye, making you want more of …ummm food.

Contemplating?

A plate of green to whatever holiday you love to celebrate, will definitely let the others be a little green with…

You guessed it.

Change

Sag Bhaja (Stir Fried Spinach)

Ingredients :


Spinach - 1 bunch chopped fine
Onion - 1, sliced  (Mom called to delete the onions,so add only if you can't do without 'em)
Panch phoron - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Green Chillies to taste
Sugar 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste

Method :

Blanch the chopped spinach in a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt for about 3-4 minutes. Drain the spinach, run under cool water and set aside. Now drain the water out and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add panch phoron, sliced onion, fry until onions turn brown.

Now add boiled spinach, sugar, salt, Cover the lid for few more minutes.

Finally, add fried bori, mix it.

Enjoy with hot plain rice..

Now for some creative take on the plain 'ol stir fry . These are the regional saag recipes I cooked and liked
Murg Saagwala from ecurry.com
Kashmiri Saag
SouthIndian Palaak Saag

Luchi aar Kosha Mangsho /Puffed Fried Bread with Mutton Gravy

Remember the time when party dress shopping was an annual festive ritual? Getting two pair (instead of one)of fancy shoes was a big thing? When eating out every month was almost unheard? And going out with ‘friends Vs family’ was a debate not entertained.

If this rings a bell, or you can remotely relate to the life back then, then you my friend belong to the same era as me . And the rest of you, have age on your side ;)

These festive rituals which I fondly associated with Durga puja  are slowly on their way to becoming extinct.
  Thankfully food is not a part of this brigade. Food fervor during the festivals is alive, and will always be. If you don’t agree then you have not tasted the kosha  mangsho and Luchi yet.

You can plan this dish much ahead and prep it beforehand or ask for extra 5 minutes from the guests who decide to drop in unannounced! What makes it so good and unforgettable? The crisp thin puffed up melt in the mouth luchi (fried indian bread) and soft delectable chunks of bony aromatic mutton (aka Kosha Mangsho). I have to agree, it is one of my guilty pleasures.

Luchi aar Kosha Mangsho /Puffed Fried bread with mutton gravy

Luchi  (Fried Indian Bread)

11/2 cup Flour (Maida)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Sugar (optional)
3 tbsp Melted Ghee or ant vegetable shortening
1/2 cup Warm Water or as needed
Ghee for deep frying

Knead the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub the shortening/ghee into it and gradually knead using enough water to make a pliable dough.

Cover the dough with damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

 Now you are ready to roll. Divide into balls. Now roll out the dough, dip in ghee to avoid the dough sticking.

Heat oil , and drop the luchi once its smokey. Watch it get puffed up. It takes about 30 seconds. Flip and fry until both sides are golden brown.

Ready to serve.

Kosha Mangsho  (Bengali Mutton Curry)

500 gms  of mutton cut to pieces
2-3 potatoes cut to half
2-3 onions

Mutton Marinate

2 tsp fresh ginger garlic paste
11/2 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tsp  freshly pounded chilli flakes
3 tbsp thick yogurt
1tsp of Bengali garam masala
½ cup coarsely chopped raw papaya (optional, it helps in meat tenderization)
Salt to taste

For tempering

9-10 black pepper
3 bay leaf
3 whole green cardamom
1 whole black cardamom
4-5 cloves
½ inch long cinnamon stick
1 tsp of sugar
½ cup of mustard oil

Process

Marinate the mutton for 3-4 hours, with all the ingredients mentioned under marination.

Heat a heavy bottom Pan and add 1-2 tbsp mustard oil to fry the potatoes till brown. Once done, keep aside the fried potatoes.

Now in the same oil, add the remaining ½ cup oil and temper it with all ingredients mentioned under tempering. Add sugar at the end. Fry all under low heat. Now add the onions, and fry till they are golden brown. Once done, add the marinated mutton.

Fry till the oil leaves the sides of the pan.

Transfer the contents to a pressure pan/cooker, add fried potatoes and 2 cups water. It will take around 15-20 minutes. Once you open the cooker, add garam masala.

Top it with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with luchi for a festive feel.

Radhaballavi / Dal Puri and my COOLEST blogging day

Radhaballavi / Dal Puri 

Today has to be the COOLEST Blogging day, in the history of my blooming blog moments. All in my mind I say, but I don’t seem to care – or so I pretend. Every now and then a comment pops up and I’m elated, I go back to my blog zestfully…writing…cooking…taking pictures…repeating et all. Not knowing who will that be- reading, what I have to say. I do it – for I love to do it…. But even the most motley of cooks (a.k.a me) would like a passionate reader… Ha! I have one now…

My mom is reading my blog. 

Coming from a culture where asking ma to come online is as foreign as a trip to Alaska, this is definitely a drum roll moment. In my house the camera is something which is taken out only to capture major milestones – and today it was out. For taking a picture of ‘Radhaballavi  aar cholar dal’ (Stuffed fried bread with lentil soup) which she cooked in the morning and she promised to follow it up with the recipe. 

On cajoling she confessed, that she has been coached by a young btech student (who happens to be my father’s student) and in leiu she prepares mouthwatering evening meals for him. I think this is a deal few can refuse.

Coolness is in the eye of the beholder I guess because I’m sure reading about daughter’s chaotic rannaghor  ---for a person who knows Bela de recipies  verbatim , is difficult and uber cool at the same time. This blog is really just a shout out to my ma, my biggest fan and critic. I love you, read away. This has to be a living example of how far we both have come…bridging the gap that time and distance has created…and I savor every moment of it.

I love you Ma. 

My mom's recipe for Radhaballavi

Ingredients

2 cups maida (Knead into a dough with salt +2 tbsb oil and 1/2 cup water)
Ghee for frying

For the filling :

Chana dal (cholar dal) : 1 cup
Red chilli powder : 2 tsp.
Dry roasted cumin  powder : 2 tsp
Dry roasted fennel seeds (mouri/saunf)1/2 tsp
Ginger juliens 1 tsp
asafoetida/ hing : a pinch
Oil : 1 tsp.

Method

Knead the wheat flour with oil, salt and water and make a dough.

Boil chana dal with approx 1 1/2 cup water and salt. Mash completely into a dry paste. Heat 1 tsp oil and temper oil will all the spices for the filling, now add the mashed dry chana dal paste a. Mix well by hand and keep aside.

Divide dough into equal portions and roll carefully into small puris. Stuff each small puri with enough dal stuffing. Roll out into puris.

Heat ghee in a kadai and deep fry till golden color on both the sides. Serve hot with cholar dal or dum aloo.

Sending this entry to Cuisine Delights 

Dimer Devil (Bengali style Deviled Eggs recipe)

Dimer Devil (Bengali Deviled Eggs recipe)

Last week had a training session at work. Out of the very many things learnt and forgotten with equal ease the one which is worthy of mention here is the lesson on ‘and’ & ‘but’.

The example shared struck a similar chord with my daily conversations and miffs with dear husband (DH)…you’ll know once you hear this.

Me: Both of us are ready and getting late for our show , BUT little one?
DH-No response (which meant I have to be the one getting her dressed)

Me:Is the dress looking ok?
DH: Looking great on you , BUT isn't it too tight?

The 'But't in ruined my day.

So the moral of the story --- to keep our butt out of trouble we must replace “but” and start using “and.”

Well I'll be glad if I and DH can settle the AND’s into more of a routine!

Till then setting up the stove is my task and I get to make the Dimer devil. I can t tell why the ‘devil’ I chose this today over anything else though…

Dimer Devil

Ingredients of Dimer Devil (Bengali style Deviled Eggs recipe)

Ingredients

4 boiled eggs
2 raw eggs  (used for egg wash)
1 tsp Lime juice
1 tbs breadcrumbs
Mustard oil for frying

Mince meat filling

250 gms minced meat
50 gm Bengal gram dal (cholar dal)
50 gms green peas
2-3 flakes garlic minced
1/2 tbs ginger julliened
3-4 green chillies
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1tsp chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/2tsp Bengali garam masala
1/4tsp nutmeg powder

Mashed potato topping (optional)

3-4 boiled potatoes
1 tsp cumin powder

1tsp chilli powder

Salt to taste
1/2tsp Bengali garam masala
1/4tsp nutmeg powder

Directions

Cut theboiled eggs to half.

Mix the mince with all the ingredients for masala. Pressure cook with 3/4cup of water for 10 minutes. Evaporate the excess water over a high heat.

I usually try to mix it all by hand, this leaves a bite when I'm eating, you can grind the cooked mince to a smooth paste if you'd like. Cover each boiled egg with one portion of the mince.

I double coated with a potato mash.You can skip the step if you like. Make roundels.

Once done, heat oil in a pan, coat the deviled eggs with with egg wash.Dip in breadcrumbs and deep fry the eggs over medium heat till golden brown. Cut the devils in halves and serve with chutney. I served it with the onion chutney , recipe courtesy Tamils Kitchen

Further Reading 

(Well I did come across these links earlier while looking up for my devilled eggs, but here they are courtesy research effort of a fellow blogger BengaliCuisine)

Vaidyanathan Pushpagiri on Eggs in Calcutta, Deviled Eggs and everything in between
Check out the website Deviled Eggs Recipes for some great variations in Dimer Devil recipes

Bandhakopir Ghonto ( Bengali Cabbage Curry )

Bandhakopir Ghonto 

Every weekend I keep hearing from my friends – the ones who still don’t have kids yet, about the exciting things they do. The pubs, the dances, the parties …. Somewhere I too feel bound to be out doing something helluva interesting and fun. Alas! I feel I’m always at a loss to quite know what it is.

I can’t find enough kid friendly things to do – probably which look as good as the pictures people post on Facebook.

And whatever interesting I do, I can never share the picture. Somehow I can never have her pose…and the moment I leave to click, she behaves like a cabbage. Running around in mysterious a circle.

Tai hobe tahle (Cabbage it is.)

The cabbage behavior is unruly. The cooked vegetable is not. It’s timid, mild and extremely yum and healthy.

Bandhakopir Ghonto 

Ingredients 

½ of a whole big cabbage (makes around 21/2 cups shredded cabbage)
½ cup green peas
1 potato
tbsb oil
1 tsp ghee to top

Spices

½ tsp Turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp Cumin powder
1” ginger julienned
1tsp coriander powder
2 green chillies (optional)
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan, now add cumin seeds, hear it splutter. Add all spices except the green chilies , cumin powder and garam masala.

Fry and now add the ginger. Brown slightly. Add the cabbage, green peas and potato. Lightly fry. Add around1/2 cup of water, cover and cook till its well done and slightly mushy.

Once done, Top it with cumin powder, garam masala and 1 tsp ghee for the divine smell.

For Variations :

You can looks at fellow bloggers ;
1) Sanoli's Kitchen 
2)Bong Mom's Cookbook 
3)Sayak's Kitchen

Pumpkin Ratatouille Pancake - Friday evening little love

Pumpkin Ratatouille Pancake - Friday evening little love

Friday evening it is. I decide to curl up in front of TV with DD watching Ratatouille. Happy faces. TV screen and my DD’s company – together they make me feel a little less lonely on a Friday night. Then came scores and scores of recipes, cooking, French recipes are after all French to me. Bah! It all made my bong belly think “Wow Ratatouille, I didn’t know they made them like that.”. Hunger came calling next.

“Ma – Khide” , the French cooking and the bong kitchen inspired a cross connection. Then the pancake was born. The common thread was the pumpkin and flour, both of which were aplenty in my pantry as well as on TV.Time to roll up the sleeves to breathe life into the Pumpkin Pancake or shall I call it my ‘Pumpkin Ratatouille Pancake’?

Pumpkin Ratatouille Pancake

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup  sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tsp vanilla
Oil as required

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix all wet ingredients. Keep the milk aside .Add the wet and dry ingredients, and add milk slowly till the consistency is right.  Mix all till there are no lumps.

To  make the pumpkin puree

Steam 250 gms chopped pumpkin. Cool. Add 1/2 cup milk and puree in a mixer.

Process

Heat oil in  a pan, pour a ladle. Spread the mixture evenly. You will soon see some steams being let out from the little holes of the pancake. Time to flip. You are done when the both sides are lightly browned.

Sending this entry to Halloween Fiesta