Dash-ratan Kofta

1. Finely Chopped Carrot 4tbsp
2. Finely Chopped Beans 4tbsp
3. Finely Chopped Cabbage 4tbsp
4. Cauliflower Florets 4tbsp
5. Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves 4tbsp
6. Boiled Green Peas 4tbsp
7. Boiled and mashed Potato 2tbsp
8. Diced Capsicum 2tbsp
9. Chopped Cashew Nuts 2 tbsp
10. Chopped Raisins 2 tbsp

• These are the TEN principal ingredients for making DASH-RATAN kofta. In addition to these ten ingredients some other masala and binding agent is required as given below

1. Sattu ( Dry fried Gram Flour) 2tsp
2. Chopped Green Chillies 2tsp
3. Ginger Paste 2tsp
4. Dry Fried  Jeera Powder 1tsp
5. Garam Masala Powder 1tsp
6. Salt & Sugar
7. Ghee 1tsp
8. Refined Oil
9. 2 tsp Besan

In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients except the oil  and 2tsp Besan and mix them well with your hand. Make the Koftas -- big balls say 3 inches diameter . Next roll the koftas  in the Besan and then fry them slowly in a high flame in refined oil.

Now make the gravy in a conventional manner. I prefer the completely vegetarian way of making the gravy i.e without adding garlic and onion. Heat the oil and add the  chaunk of garama masala and bayleaf followed by ginger paste, red chilly powder, tomato puree, a little beaten curd followed by a paste of poppyseeds and cashew nuts. Saute' for a few minutes. Add salt and sugar and then a little water. Place your previously fried koftas on this gravy and bring them to boli for a while. Sprinkle fresh  coriander leaves , green chillies and ghee on top. Pour 2 tbsp milk. Serve with roti/ paratha/chapati

Rude Food Of Bengal

 Most of the recipes that are talked or written about fall into the category of the exotic and eclectic but beneath the glitz and glamour of -- if I may be allowed to coin a word -- this food-eratti, there lies a wholesome underbelly of tasty, nutritious dishes that is both well known and widely used in the rustic belts of rural Bengal. This is the food that is cooked in the homes of those who are not so wealthy and more importantly have not had the chance to read magazines or watch the TLC on TV ! Someone calls this the "rude food" of Bengal -- that is easy to make, good for your health and yet tasty to eat. Is that a contradiction in terms ? Whatever .. please enjoy ...
Let us start with " Barbecued Brinjal" aka "Begun-Pora" which is very easy to make at home. You should try with Brinjal available in the winter season. Peel off the roasted brinjal and mash it with tomato, onion, green chillies, corriander leaves and of course with salt and a little sugar. Do not forget to sprinkle mustard oil and lemon juice on top. Serve hot with steamed rice and roti!

Generally we eat the fresh winter radish (Mulee/Mulo) and throwaway its leaves. Most of us do not know the foodvalue of this green/leafy part of  raddish but in fact it is full of iron and minerals. You can quite simply cook the finely chopped, well cleaned radish leaves by first boiling them with a pinch of salt and then stir-fry the same in refined oil with splatter of mustard seeds, whole red mirchi, sugar and  a little fresh mustard paste.

If you are suffering from annorexia or having a general reluctance to eating, then neem cooked with brinjal or "Neem-Begun" is a splendid antidote. This is particularly true after a prolonged illness, fever, cold and cough when you do not like to have any food then please start your lunch with Neem-Begun and hot rice.  You can simply marinate neem and  the finely chopped brinjal  with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Then fry the neem leaves in refined oil till brown and crispy. Then into the same oil add the brinjal pieces and stirfry till the brinjals becomes crispy. Mix both of them thoroughly and serve with hot rice.

There are different sizes of shrimps available in Bengal. [ Not to be confused with the prawns, the big headed Galda and the feline Bagda ] There are the very small ones called kucho-chingri generally used in fried rice /noodles/ chochhori. But there are even smaller ones, the nano chingri obtained in the fresh water ponds -- and these are called Ghusho-chingri. These are very inexpensive and generally available during winter. If you can buy fresh ghusho chingri from local markets you can make the famous Ghusho-Chingrir Bora generally eaten in rural bengal. This bora ( or vada) is very tasty but you have to be very careful while washing these nano-shrimps because  these are so tiny that and the shells are so thin that it is very difficult to remove them -- you might as well eat the lot. Rinse them several times in rumming water and also by soaking in a bowl of water then squeze out all  the water with your hand -- along with the troublesome mud if any. Mix salt, turmeric powder, finely chopped green chillies, besan, poppy seeds and red mirchi powder. Mash them well, then pat them into small discs and then deep fry in mustard oil. Serve hotwith rice and dal.

The flowers of pumpkin ( Kumro Ful ) is a very good source of Vitamin A, beta carotine. Pumpkin Flower  is not only anti carcinogenic but it is very tasty as well.  You can simply  deep fry them   in oil by coating the flowers with basan, rice flower, poppy seeds , red mirchi powder, salt and kalojeera. Serve hot and crispy Kumro- Ful with rice and dal.

Peel of Pleasure!!!

Dietary fibre or  roughage is the indigestible portion of plant foods having two main components:
# soluble  fibre that is readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts, and
# insoluble fibre that is metabolically inert, absorbs water throughout the digestive system and facilitates bowel movement.
Plant foods contain both types of fibre in varying degrees, according to the plant's characteristics.

Regular intake of roughage or food fibre not only reduces absorption of fats in body but relieves constipation.
One can simply consume food fibre by keeping all the vegetable peels and simply making pakoras or one can serve stirfried peels with dals.

Today I will discuss two such recipes that are both delicious and good for health. One is made from Potato Peel and the other is stir-fried BottleGourd (Lau / Lauki ) Peel.
Potato Peel is something that we generally we throw away but it is full of fibre and minerals, perhaps more than Potato itself. 

So from next time instead of throwing the Potato Peel away, do something interesting with them ! Wash them thoroughly in water for several times, pat dry and add salt, red mirchi powder, poppy seeds, besan and stirfry them in oil in a low flame. Serve hot with rice and dal. 

Another interesting recipe you can try out uses the peel of bottle gourd.
In this case, you first you have to boil the peel with salt and water for half an hour. Heat 2 tsp refined oil in a pan. Add dry red mirch and kalonjee. Add the gourd peels. Stir fry till it becomes tender. Sprinkle 1 tsp besan, 1 tsp atta, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp poppy seeds. Again cook them till the quantity reduces to half its original. Serve with hot rice.

Both in case of Potato as well as bottle gourd make sure that you peels are thick -- that is they have some underlying vegetable along with it. This makes the peel more tasty and also preserves some of the vitamins and mineral.

KK's Fried Chicken

European cuisine, or alternatively Western cuisine, is a generalized term collectively referring to the cuisines of Europe and other Western countries. European cuisine or Western cuisine includes that of Europe including (depending on the definition) that of Russia, as well as non-indigenous cuisines of North America, Australia and Latin America, which derive substantial influence from European settlers in those regions. The term  Continental Cuisine is used by East Asians to contrast with Asian styles of cooking. (This is analogous to Westerners referring collectively to the cuisines of East Asian countries as Asian cuisine.) When used by Westerners, the term may sometimes refer more specifically to cuisine in Europe or continental; in this context, a synonym is Continental Cuisine, especially in British English.

The cuisines of Western countries are diverse by themselves, although there are common characteristics that distinguishes Western cooking from cuisines of Asian countries and others. Compared with traditional cooking of Asian countries, for example, meat is more prominent and substantial in serving-size. Steak in particular is a common dish across the West. Similarly to some Asian cuisines, Western cuisines also put substantial emphasis on sauces as  seasonings, or accompaniments  Wheat-flour bread has long been the most common sources of starch in this cuisine, along with pasta maccaroni ar noodles.  and some times potato plays a major starch plant in the diet of Europeans in the form of bloied (mashed potato) or deep fried (french fries) Generally the term refers to European cooking, or more specifically non-English European cooking.

A style of cooking that includes some authentic dishes of various western-Europian countries. as a whole it could be considered as international cuisine paticularly Bristish, American, Australian, NewZealand. it can be shortly categorised by it's way of cooking which involves bakes, grills, stews, barbeques, deepfry, saute'. Today Continental Cuisine has probably come to mean a blend of all international cuisines.

Continental Cuisine is known for its elegant cooking style and also for its beautiful presentation. In terms of health and calories Continental Cuisine is generally good beacuse of its easy digestibility and use of fresh herbs which makes it less spicy but tasty. Generally a typical Continental Lunch or dinner is served in foru courses viz a salad, soup accompanied by a variety of breads/buns, a main course of meat or fish items (in sumptuous quantity) that is baked, grilled or fried and  served with boiled vegetables or mashed potato/ french fries and ends with a pudding for dessert.

 Krishnokoli's Kitchen has already had some interesting Continental Dishes of its own like Pizza, "fish & chips", Pie, Bread-de-lite, Chessy Garlic toast and soups, Puddings. Today I will post a typical Continental dinner from my kitchen. A standard ChickenSsoup, a Salad, KK Fried Chicken along with Garlic Bread and discuss the recipe of the authentic Fried Chicken cooked by me. Hope you will enjoy this simple mouthwatering recipe!

KK'S FRIED CHICKEN

• Chicken Leg or Breast Pieces ( thoroughly cleaned in running water)
• Lemon juice
• Salt,
• Red Pepper Powder
• White & Black Pepper Powder
• Ginger, Garlic & Green Chilly Paste 
• Egg White & and a little Flour
• Bread Crumb or Corn Flakes Powder
• Refined Oil for deep frying

 

• Marinate Chicken Pieces(4 pcs) with 1/2 tsp lemon juice, salt, pepper and 2 tsp Ginger-garlic-green Chilly paste for at least 6 hours and keep in the refrigerator( do not put them into deep fridge)
• Add the egg white and 1 tsp flour.
• Coat each chicken piece substaintially  with the crumb
• Deep Fry the Chicken Pieces in refined oil for 15 minutes( to ensure complete cooking) till it becomes golden yellow in colour.
• Serve hot with Soup/ Salad/ French Fries