Dhokla..an ideal low-calorie evening snack!

•  Gram flour ( Bengal Chana Dal Besan) 2 cups
•  Fresh Curd (Stirred) 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• 1tsp Soda bi-carb or Eno fruit salt
•  Juice of one Lemon
•  A pinch of turmeric powder
• A pinch of red chilly powder
• Refined Oil 2 tsp (1 tsp for batter and 1 tsp for tampering (chaunk/foron)
• Fresh Curry leaves
• 1tsp Mustard Seeds
• Freshly grated Coconut
• Green chilies (vertically slit)
• Tamarind-Jaggery Chutney

• In a bowl take gram flour (besan), Curd and luke warm water.
• Mix well and make a smooth batter. The batter should be of thick consistency.
• Add salt, haldi powder, red chilly powder cover with a lid and set aside for 4 hours
• Keep the steamer or cooker ready on gas.
• Grease a baking dish (it should fit in the steamer or cooker).
• Now in  a small bowl take 1 tsp. of soda bi-carb or eno fruit salt, 1tsp oil and lemon juice and mix well.
• Add this to the batter and mix well.
• Pour the batter into the greased pan and steam for 10-15 minutes or till done( ensure bu pricking with a toothpick or knife)
• Cool for sometime and cut into big cubes.
• Heat little oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and curry leaves; allow to splatter. Remove and pour it over dhoklas.
• Garnish the besan dhokla with grated coconut and slited green chilies.
• Serve with Tamarind-Jaggery chutney.

Doodh Pooli

Sankranthi, or Sankranti (Sanskrit: मकर संक्रान्ति ), Makar Sankaranti marks the transition of the Sun into Capricorn on its celestial path. This is significant considering the Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the gradual increase of the duration of the day. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India.

In West Bengal, Sankranti, also known as Pous Sankranti after the Bengali month in which it falls, is celebrated as a harvest festival Pous Parbon (Bengali: পৌষ পার্বণ). The freshly harvested paddy along with the date palm syrup in the form of Khejurer Gur (Bengali: খেজুরের গুড়)and Patali (Bengali: পাটালি ) is used in the preparation of a variety of traditional Bengali sweets made with rice flour, coconut, milk and khejurer gur and known as Pithey (Bengali: পিঠে). All sections of the society particpate in a three-day begins on the day before Sankranti and ends on the day after. The Goddess Lakshmi is usually worshipped on the day of Sankranti.

I am going to post some of my favourite PITHE recipes for this month to mark the POSH PARBON usually celebrated by Bengalees.

• Milk - 1 litre
• Semolina ( sooji ) - 1 cup
• Grated coconut - 2 cups
• Date Palm Jaggery Liquified ( Khejure'r Gur ) - 2 cups
• Date Palm Jaggery Solid ( Patali Gur ) - crushed
• Ghee - 1 teaspoon
• Flower ( Maida ) - 2 teaspoon

1. Boil the milk in a flat pan (dekchi ) for about 30 mins to "thicken" it somewhat ....
2. Meanwhile, knead the semolina with hot water and 1 teaspoon ghee to make a soft dough
3. Boil the liquified date palm jaggery (khejure'r 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 -- to be made in the next step
4. Make 12 small balls from the semolina dough and after dusting it with the flower, make them into flat discs that can be converted into shells to hold the stuffings made in the previous step.
5. Make the "pooli" by placing the stuffing (step 3) inside the shell (step 4) and sealing it
6. Place the  "pooli"s one-by-one into the pan of boiling milk ... do not stir, simply let them simmer for about 5 minutes
7. Add the crushed Patali Gur, to the "pooli"s in the boiling milk and simmer for another 5 minutes
8. Remove from the heat and allow the pan of  "pooli"s to cool down to room temperature before serving.

Prawn Malai Curry

• 
• Prawn: shelled, deveined and cleaned thoroughly
• Coconut: grated and ground in a mixie along with green chillies, nutmeg and javitri.
• Ghee and Mustard oil
• Ginger paste
• Onion paste
• Garlic paste
• Garam Masala: Coarsely ground
• Green Chillies
• Kismis and Bay leaf
• Salt, Sugar and Turmeric powder

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the onoin paste till golden brown. Add garlic and ginger paste, bayleaf, and a hand full of kismis (rasins). Saute for a few minutes. Then add the coconut paste along with salt and sugar as per choice. Sprinkle turmeric powder into the mixture. Then add the Prawns. Fry them in the thick gravy for five minutes. Add a little water and bring it to boil. Add ghee on top along with Garam Masala. Garnish with green chillies.

Serve hot with rice/chapati/fried rice.