MOONG-SAMALI...a PITHE

• Moong Dal : 1 cup
• Grated Coconut : 1 cup 
•  Khejurer Gur : 1/2 cup
•   Rice Flour  
•   Sugar : 1tsp 
•   Mustard Oil : for deep frying                

PROCEDURE:


Dry fry the Moong Dal in a wok till it becomes golden brown in colour. Boil the dry fried dal in a pressure cooker on a slow flame by adding water which is just sufficient to soak the dal. Remove from fire. Take it out from the pressure cooker and spread it on a thali. Mash the dal with your palm and let it cool. Sprinkle rice flour on the mashed dal to knead the dal to make a dough.( don not add too much of rice flour) Finally add the 1tsp sugar into the dough to make the fried PITHE a bit porous. Make small balls out of the dough. Meanwhile make the stuffing by mixing grated coconut and boiling Khejurer Gur together. Put the coconut stuff inside each ball and seal the PITHE in desired shape. Deep fry the "Moong Samali" PITHE in mustard oil.
Serve hot with NALEN GUR as an evening snacks. 

RAS-VADA

Toor Dal (Biuli) [ from 100 gms of dal you can make 20 small VADA's]
Sugar
DatePalm Jaggery (Khejurer Gur) [ for 20 VADAS  you need to use 50gms]

Saunf (Mouri)
Mustard Oil for frying

Soak the dal in water for overnight. Paste in mixie with adding water (not too much) into a smooth paste. Sprinkle saunf on the batter. Heat oil and deep fry 1tsp batter at a time to make the VADA. Fry till the VADA is golden brown in colour.
Meanwhile boil Khejurer gur and Sugar(1:1) in water to make the syrup (CHUSNEY). Immerse the hot VADAs into the syrup while hot.
Serve as a delicious snacks or simply as a dessert !!

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.

"PATISAPTA"

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.

"Patisapta" is one of my favourite pithe which I have learnt from my Grand Mother.

Ingredients:

• Flour 4tbsp
• Semolina 2tsp
• Khejurer Gur 1/2 cup + 2tsp for the pancake
  
• Sugar 2tsp
• Deshi Ghee 2tsp
• Milk 8tbsp
• Coconut (grated, 1cup)
• Khoya 1/4 cup
  

Procedure:

In a large wok mix the khoya, khejurer Gur and grated coconut together and make a smooth paste with the help of a spatula over a high flame. The Patisapta Pur is ready.
Meanwhile make a smooth paste of milk, flour, semolina, khejurer gur (2tsp), ghee and sugar.This is your pancake batter.
Heat a nonstick tawa and grease it with ghee and fry the pancakes one at a time from the smooth batter you have made. Stuff each pancake with the Patisapta Pur.
Serve hot as a winter desert.

Caramel Pudding

Ingredients:

• Milk : 1/2 litre.
• Egg : 2
• Sugar : 6tsp
• Essence of Vanilla/Strawberry/Pineapple
• 1/2 tsp Butter , 1/2 tsp sugar and 1tsp Coffee Powder for Caramel.
• Dry fruits of your choice for example Kaju, Kismis, Almond etc.
• Cherry and Wafers for decoration.

Procedure:

Boil the milk until it thickens. Add sugar and heat further. Let it cool and then break two eggs into it. Stir the mixture for at least 20 times until it becomes uniform. Add the essence and dry fruits. Refrigerate.

In the meantime heat the pudding pan in a low flame. Add butter and sugar and continue heating until it caramelises. Add coffee powder or cocoa powder to get the nice brown colour. Pour the pudding mixture in the pan and bake it for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 degree Celsius. Remove from Oven. Let it cool and turn it upside down. Garnish with bright cherries. Refrigerate.

Serve with wafers as a dessert.
You can use small cake moulds to make your pudding and turn it upside down and pour chocolate sauce on top before you serve!

GO GREEN with SPINACH SOUP this winter!

• 1 tbsp. Butter  
• 2 cups. Fresh Spinach (chopped)
• 1 Small Onion (chopped)
• 1 cup Milk
• 1  tbsp. Flour (Maida)
• 1 tbsp Refined Oil
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• 1 Green Chilly (finely chopped)
• Fresh Cream (optional)
• 1/2tsp sugar
• To taste. Salt & pepper

* Blanch spinach in hot water with a pinch of salt.  and refresh in cold water.
    * Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and sauté. Add crushed garlic, chopped green chilly salt, sugar and pepper.
    * Puree together with boiled spinach.
    * Make a thin white sauce by melting butter in a nonstick pan.Then add maida and cook for 5-7 mins. Slowly add the milk so that no lumps are formed.
    * Add the spinach puree to this and bring it to a boil. Add a little water if required.
    * Add 2 tsp fresh cream (optional) and serve spinach soup hot with bread croutons/ soup stick.

"FISH FOLDER".. my signature dish for RPlus channel

Last month I had the opportunity to share one of my special signature recipes with eminent singer and host Parama Banerjee in her well known cookery show" R-O RANNAGHOR" in  a widely popular Bengali TV channel RPlus. I was invited by RPlus channel to share an exotic and innovative Fish Recipe. It   was a nice experience to cook and spend an hour with one of my favourite vocalists Parama. I got nice gifts from the sponsors and was delighted by the cordial behaviour of RPlus channel.



Ingredients for making "Fish-Folder"

• For the Pan Cake Batter:
• Flour 1 Cup
• Egg 1 no.
• Milk 1/2 Cup
• Pinch of Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• Refined oil

• For the Pan Cake Filling
• Fish (Rui/ Katla) 200 gms. marinated with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.
• Grated Carrot 4tbsp
• 1 Potato (boiled& mashed)
• Finely Chopped Onion 4tbsp
• Finely Chopped Garlic 1tsp
• Grated Ginger 1tsp
• Lemon juice
• Finely Chopped Coriander
• Finely Chopped Green Chillies
• Garam Masala Powder 1/2 tsp
• Ghee 1tsp
• Mustard oil 2 tsp
• Sugar 1tsp

Procedure:

Boil the marinated fish  with just the right quantity of water, till there is no more water left in the vessel. De-bone the fish using your hands.  Add 2-3 drops of lemon juice into the fish and keep aside. Fry the onions in mustard oil till golden brown in a wok. Add the garlic, the ginger, the green chillies, and then fry for 5 minutes. Now add the finely chopped coriander leaves and the grated carrot, and finally the boiled and mashed potato.. Finally Add the de-boned fish. Saute for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp sugar, salt (to taste), ghee and  garam masala powder. Spread the mixture on the wok so that it gets completely dried.

Now for the pancake, heat a nonstick frying pan and grease it with 1/2 tsp refined oil. Pour the pan cake batter with the help of a serving spoon and spread uniformly in a low flame. Turn upside down. Now place the fish filling inside the pan cake and roll it like a "Patisapta". Serve with "Cheese Yoghurt Sauce"