Ranga Aloor Puli.(রাঙা আলুর পুলি )

 Red Potatoes (রাঙা আলু ) are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin B6 and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin C and dietary fibres. It is widely used today because of its anti carcinogenic properties.
Here is a very simple recipe with Red Potatoes. This is  a typical fried sweet dish that is widely used in West Bengal during the winter season.

It's common name is  Ranga Aloor Puli.(রাঙা আলুর পুলি )

Ingredients

• Red Potatoes (medium size)-6
• Maida- 4 tsp
• Rice Flour- 2tsp
• Khoya- 4 tbsp [ you can make it by dehydrating 2 cups of milk ]
• Ghee- 2 tsp
• Sugar Syrup [made by boiling 1 cup Khejurer Gur in a cup of water and cooled ]
• Refined oil for frying
• Coconut (grated)
• Khejurer Gur (Date Palm Jaggery Liquified )

Procedure

The Khejurer Gur- Coconut filling

• Boil the red potatoes in a pressure cooker for  2 minutes only. Open the lid of the pressure cooker to avoid melting of the potatoes as they are very soft once boiled.
• Peel of the skin of the boiled red potatoes and mash them.
• Meanwhile make the thick Sugar Syrup and let it cool. 
• Boil the liquified date palm jaggery (khejurer gur ) and add the grated coconut. Stir continuously until the mixture attains a consistency thick enough to be made into balls that can be stuffed into a shell  of the pithey.  (Ranga Aloor Puli রাঙা আলুর পুলি )
• Take a platter and place all the ingredients except  coconut, khejurer gur, oil and the sugar syrup along with the bolied red potatoes and mash them together. Make a dough and cut small balls from it . Take each ball and fill it up with the coconut-khejurer gur filling and wrap it up to   make Ranga Aloor Puli.(রাঙা আলুর পুলি ) ( it is having a special shape as shown in the picture). Roll the Ranga Aloor Puli.(রাঙা আলুর পুলি ) on a dash of extra flour and rice flour and refrigerate for half an hour. 
• Fry them in hot refiend oil and place into the sugar syrup.

।।সরস্বতি মহাভাগে বিদ্যে কমললোচনে বিশ্বরূপে বিশালাক্ষি বিদ্যাং দেহি নমোহস্তুতে।।

জয় জয় দেবি চরাচর সারে, কুচযুগ শোভিত মুক্তাহারে
বীণা পুস্তক রঞ্জিত হস্তে ভগবতি ভারতি দেবি নমোহস্তুতে ।।

Methi Paratha with Boiled Lentils

Ingredients

Fresh Methi leaves (finely chopped ) 2cups
Maida i cup
Atta or whole wheat flour 1 cup
Sattu or fried Chana Powder 1/2 cup
Green chilly paste 2 tbsp
Salt
Refined oil
A little fenugreek seeds ( methi seeds) coarsely ground

Procedure

Grease a wok ( do not add too much of oil ) and add the coarsely ground methi seeds along with the washed and dried methi leaves. Sprinkle salt and stir fry till the water evaporates. Let it be cooled. Add the green chilly paste and sieve together along with maida, atta, sattu and a little refined oil. Keep aside for two hours. Make parathas out of the dough in desired shape. Fry with a dash of refined oil till brown. Be paitent while frying the crispy parathas....
Serve hot with chutney / pickle and of course with the boiled lentils garnished with onion and coriander leaves.

For the boiled lentils soak matar, chana, chana dal, rajma and  whole mung (green) together  overnight Boil them in a pressure cooker till it becomes soft. Then add coriander powder, jeera powder, red mirchi powder, black salt,  tamarind chutney and bring it to boil. Now before serving with methi paratha garnish the boiled lentil with finely chopped onion, tomato, green chillies and fresh coriander leaves and a dash of lemon juice.
 

This combo ( Methi Paratha with Boiled Lentils ) is an ideal evening snacks..