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.

Bengali Ghugni(Yellow pea curry)

I haven’t been on the blogging scene for quite some time, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking or eating new stuff, sole reason of my absence was too much travel and then I got caught in the whirlwind of work. Travelling is terrific for the sensory as well as olfactory nerves (nose for the uninitiated!), but a week out of home and I was salivating for the known tastes. Indeed the recipe is a dear friend-Swati’s request, and the dish is Bangali ghooghi/ghugni (Bengali matar curry-sounds like a cross between Punjab and West Bengal!!) and though I’m not sure, but I think the ‘Bengali garam masala( five spice blend) may have been put on Earth for the sole purpose of rendering a terrific eastern aroma to this ghooghni... Yummmmm!


Bengali Ghugni

"Puritans" enjoy the ghooghni loaded with kheema (minced and fried red meat ) and greased with ghee. Only if their arteries could speak, they would have loved this Low cal Bengali vegetarian concoction!

What I used:

1 cup soaked and boiled peas
2tsp vegetable oil (this dish tastes better when the base mixture is sautéed in ghee, but then…)
1 potato(boiled and cubed)
2 onions (chopped fine)
1 tomato (de-skinned and chopped fine)
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp ginger paste
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 dry chilli
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp bengali garam masala powder
2 tbsp coconut scrapings
½ tsp black salt
green chillies
Salt to taste

How I did it:

Like the popular chole recipe, you need to soak dry peas overnight in water, pressure cook with a teaspoon of salt. Do not overboil. Heat oil in a pan, and add a bayleaf, cumin, and cinnamon. Sauté till it splutters.

Add the chopped onions and stir fry till light brown. Add tomato, ginger paste, green chillies. Stirring briskly for a minute. Now add turmeric powder, and salt. Lastly add the boiled dry peas, potatoes and grated fresh coconut and let it all boil for 5-10 minutes on low heat, or till the consistency is thick with flavours flowing into each other and ingredients well cooked. Sprinkle garam masala powder on top, stir and remove from heat.
Sprinkle lemon juice and Serve piping hot.

Serving suggestion: white rice /phulkas or just have it as a tea time snack with fried alu bhujias on top.

Calories per serving : 125(without the fried bhujias on top)
Vegetarian Mangshor Ghugni

Oh! What a contradiction, but yes a low calorie and healthier version of the trans fat loaded mangshor ghugni is here: so if you are the longing for the same pujor diner Mangshor Ghugni aar Luuchi, then here’s what you can do:

Keep the Ghughni recipe same as above, and to the above ingredients add 1 cup soaked, drained and refried soya granules. While you are adding the boiled peas to the masala paste add them as well. You can avoid the coconut here and top it with lime juice and shredded coriander leaves.

Add a huge dollop of hot ghee on top (if you must!)


Bengali garam masala

This is something my mother prepares in large batches and couriers to me. On pestering her for the recipe, she shared hers here:

Ingredients:

3 tblsp Black Pepper corns

1 tblsp whole Cloves (Lavang)

2-3 Cinnamon (Dalchini)

20 green bruised Cardamom pods (choti Elaichi)
6-7 brown bruised Cardamom pods (Badi Elaichi)

1 tbsp Shahi Cumin Seed (Jeera)

1tsp Jafran

How my mom does it:
Dry roast all ingredients in a dry pan and heat over a very low fire, shaking the pan time to time.When a beautiful fragrance stars enveloping your room, know its done. Allow to cool slightly, then grind finely in an electric grinder. Or grind using a mortar and pestle and fine sieve afterwards. Store it in an airtight container.

Pea and Spinach Rotis or Popeye Rotis

Taking forward the Roti week which I have embarked upon, I present Spinach Rotis--a basic staple which becomes attractive due to its colourful mirrored self, uhm a welcome change for most, from dieters to kids who find it alluringly delicious, it’s a bonus as well—as it scores high on the satiety factor, is low in calories, nutrients dense and wholesome meal—, that’s true, this sort of change is nice, refreshing, nutritious, but then how exactly did I arrive at this vegetable Roti thing: it’s interesting… as a kid I hated spinach and it was pre Popeye times so my mother couldn’t even lure me with muscle dreams, but having a ‘u must clean your plate mom!’ my Spinach eating was a de-rigueur. Spinach and pea soups and vegetable stews were the main event. Between slurps of soup, on a wintry night the four of us would watch TV and think of the main course, hurrying through the flavoured watery soup, we would all build up a mountain of discards in an outsized family bowl. We'd always create a rumpus over those vegetable chunks (Eat them? toss on each others plate? Or re-toss them into something else?) a dilemma which my mother had to endure on most of these nippy nights when we had excess of leftovers on our family bowl. She then introduced the vegetable filled Rotis, everyday sweating over some new filling, some new twist, and some new drama. And that's how ma created excitement before the dinner was announced. These unfussy and relaxed dinners always left me with a light stomach and uplifted mood, which is why I still make these stuffed rotis and buy spinach bunches almost every week…nostalgia, what else.

Now if you don’t have readily available leftover stew or vegetables, and are awed by the near mythical properties of the humble Spinach, fret no more, you can still whip up a quick stuffing and make delicious Rotis. Variations are abound , all you need is have things readily available in your shelf like some fresh or frozen peas, tamarind, coconut for an Indian touch and mushrooms, beans and parsley for a western flavour. Just keep one thing in mind, that its best to cook the spinach right after you buy them –storing it makes its limp and lame…quite unappetizing to start with!

Ingredients:
1) ½ cup dried spinach (if making from a soup)/2 cups fresh spinach
2) ½ cup cook, boiled, mashed pea/1 cup fresh peas
3) 1 tsp tamarind paste
4) 1/2 tsp gur/jaggery
5) salt to taste

For the seasoning
6) 1 tsp oil
7) 1 sprig karipatta/sweet neem
8) 1 t mustard seeds
9) 1 pinch of asafetida
10) 1 tsp shredded ginger
11) 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
12) ¼ cup coconut
13)2-3 slit green/ red chilies

For the rotis
2 cups all purpose flour
1cup curd
Salt to taste

How I did it:
Cook the peas, till they are soft but not overdone, and dry the paste and add all the other masalas, namely from 1-5.
For the tempering, heat the oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter, now add karipatta, green chilies, ginger, garlic, a pinch of asafetida and coconut. Dont let it brown too much
To the above mixture add spinach and peas. Spinach should be done quickly, but take some time to mix all of them into a homogeneous mixture. Lightly grind it in the mixer if you think its too grainy to be stuffed.
This mixture can be had on its own with steaming rice and some ghee.

For the rotis
Knead flour at knight with curds and salt, and cover with a wet cloth. Leave overnight. Refrigerate for an hour before rolling it out.
Stuff a spoonful of the above mixture and roll it on a flat rolling board. Take care so that the stuffing does not spill out. Fry or roast it one by one on hot pan.
Serve with sauce or chutney.
Tastes heavenly

Variations
Try using the taco shells and stuffing this mixture, and stir frying them. Have it with sour cream dip, Its yum!

Dal Bhara Porota (Dal Stuffed Parathas)

Dal Bhara Porota (Dal Stuffed Parathas)

Today is a dark and gloomy day, the moment I entered office I felt damp coldness all over, it almost felt like I’m living in a cave for awhile. All I could think of was my Tiffin, I was looking for that comfortable and familiar aroma of home food.My Didu, my mother and all my aunts would make their own garam masala and add it to their recipes in specified proportions, and that would make all the difference to even the basic of meals. Everyday in my Tiffin I would find all kinds of food to match my mood and my ma’s budget. ... today I tried that similar trick. I tried a quick, easy, cheap and delicious meal, the perfect antidote for a depressive day like this, and I wanted to savour it before sharing with anyone... I realize, though, that I bartered quick meals with comfort food or maybe I’m not that big a foodie as I though I am. For today my comfort food lying quietly in my tiffin is -- stuffed chapattis, which I plan to team it up with hot coffee. Somehow, the dal and roti in all its avatars is comfort food for me…for bongs its usually dal –bhat aar alu bhate which works like magic, but talk of breakfast and you ought to have a quick fix version --so this is it for me, and the best part is, I make it with all the leftover dal with some dried condiments and herbs added.

The thought of comfort food was swirling in my mind since yesterday, after I finished about two stories from the book Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, where most of the stories revolve round the subtle nuances or relationships but as the story evolves, you can feel a faint mention of bong aromas, sometimes in the form of luchis , sometimes is alu bhaja or cutlets, their abhorrence towards anything English claiming its bland or more as an attempt to clutch on to the bong cultural remnants in faraway land. The protagonists of the stories carry a whiff of the Bong pride which seems to stand upright even in the in mad Howrah station rush. The stories touch the chord somewhere; I think it would for all Bengalis as it does to me.

Getting back to where I started, I would like to share this comfort breakfast recipe made from leftover Dal (or any cooked vegetable you might fancy).

Dal Stuffed Porotas

Ingredients

11/2 cups leftover Dal (assuming its salted and seasoned with whatever you fancy)
2 cups Flour
1cup Milk (to knead the flour)
½ tsp Garam Masala
2-3 sprigs fresh coriander/mint /parsley
1tsp Ajwain
1 pinch Amchur powder
Salt to taste

What i did:Knead the four as you would do for roti, with milk and water and salt to desire. Make it soft and pliable. To turn the Dal into a dough filing, by drying the Dal in slow fire, adding salt and chillies to taste, add coriander and garam masala and ajwain in the end. The filling should be dry enough to stuff inside the roti dough.

Now pluck small balls from the roti dough and fill it lemon sized Dal stuffing, and roll out neatly so that the filing does not spill out.

Now roast the rotis on a flat pan. Turn once done.its tastier if you add some ghee and fry , like you would do ti a paratha, but its just as good without it.

Eat it with aam chatni or pickle, top it with butter. I used Amul.It rocks!

PS : For Kids, you can roll it up with some aam chatni in the centre, and its acts as a wholesome snack, with carbohydrates, proteins, and goodness of a fruit trapped inside.

Sondesh

Sondesh

This weekend I was off with my colleagues at a wildlife resort for 2 days , shouted screamed and yelled and did everything what calls for, but then I would intermittently retire to my room, do some reading and be back, ready for action …off late I have realized, that I need my better half by my side to complement the moody blues I have, the need to be alone and then with people in a cyclic order …sometimes I miss the lonely comfort of my single room apartment, where even the morning light has to put in a lot of effort to streak in, while I would lie in bed thinking the best way to take on the day via daydreams, those dreams have given way to the realities, not harsh but soft and gooey as a hot fudge with occasional ‘nuts’ thrown in for crunch and twist—do we call them ‘relatives’?:)

On my way back home, I spent about six hours in a bus, even though I was rendered motionless due to paucity of space, arbit thoughts kept dancing around my head all throughout…sometimes it took the shape of wire drawing on the back of paper napkins and at others I aimlessly kept flirting with ideas in my mind

Life was moving on wheels.

Today is Monday morning. Now at my office desk with rest of the people whirling past in a pleasantly fast pace, catching up with the days work, I can easily put aside the ‘dancing thoughts’, but I have an idea, its pleasant to watch the sudden burst of inspiration bubble, gathering the burst boils and culminating them once again, just like unused milk or scraps of cheese…which often makes way to something nice, hurried, but nonetheless savoured to bits.

That particular bit of food is what hubby made yesterday. Its sondesh. Fond memories of my childhood came flooding back at that first bite. Hubby has a way about him. The first thing I did after being back from my trip was to taste his labour of love. We had dinner post that. We watched ‘Friends’. Jut two days away from him—one look into his eyes it’ was hard to look away;) Eating the sondesh, watching friends, I thought how can I just have roller coaster days , may be my love to being completely alone has slowly made me hanker to be with him…two of us comprises ‘alone’ , thinking if its again possible to bookmark the moment. I know I cant, but I can indeed put the recipe of my hubby’s classic creation here—for all the bong husbands or husbands who have bong wives…to rekindle the romance….believe you it works like oysters for the bong belly:)

Sondesh