Paneer Akuri

Ever since this Parsi dish set foot in our home it became our favorite. I love its attractive colorful appearance. Since the only time consuming part in  this recipe is cutting the vegetables and grating the Paneer. So I normally do this part in advance and store it in refrigerator. Once the preparation is done, final part is pretty zippy.  

Dear reader, are you a Persian? Or do you know a Parsi?  If yes, please help. I genuinely want a Parsi’s feedback on this recipe.

Paneer akuri

Ingredients:

300 g Paneer (cottage cheese) , finely grated

1 table spoon Butter

2 medium sized Onions

2 medium sized Garlic

2 medium sized Tomato

5 Green Chillies

1 tea spoon Turmeric Powder

Sugar and Salt to taste

Chopped Coriander leaves (optional)

1 tea spoon Garam masala powder (blend of powdered  cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom) (optional)

Process:

Chop all the vegetables in small pieces. Add butter in heated pan. Start with galics. Fry till they become slight brown. Then add onions and continue frying. Next add chillies and tomatoes and fry some more. Then add the grated Paneer. Sprinkle the Turmeric Powder to give some colour. Add Sugar and Salt per your taste. In case the mixture tends to stick to the pan add little water. A small tip: Be cautious and stir gently after adding the paneer or you might land up on a mashed paneer paste!

Cover and simmer for around 2 minutes and switch off the oven. Place it in a serving bowl. You may season it with Garam masala powder and/or garnish with chopped Coriander leaves.

This dish goes well with Roti or Chapati.

Bon appetit!  Nusheh jân!

Phirni or Rice pudding

In our family, Payesh (Bengali: পায়েস) is essential for Birthdays. If you are present, no matter you like it or not we will oblige you to eat at least a spoon. This year on my husband’s B’day instead of our long-established "chaler payesh" I prepared Phirni for the first time (clearly a courtesy of my ever rebellion inside). Then obviously I was very apprehensive about its acceptance. Fortunately everything went just well and everyone enjoyed this dessert. And I ? I am still savoring its victory.

Ingredients :

Whole Milk

Sugar 

Rice (I used Gobindo Bhog)

Crushed Cashew nuts

Raisins

Cardamom powder

Process :

Boil whole milk till it become thick. Add sugar per your taste. Break Gobinda bhog rice partially by mixer or by hand grinder (better but tiresome).  Then boil the rice in water till cooked. Mix the cooked rice (along with water) in the milk and boil together. Then add crushed Cashew nuts & raisins. After the milk become really thick switch off the oven. Pour it into small serving bowl and put into refrigerator. Sprinkle Cardamom powder on top before serving.

Variations:

•  I’ve had some Nolen gur (liquid Jaggery) left in my refrigerator for quite some time. So I pour a teaspoon of Nolen gur onto each serving bowl before putting it in the refrigerator
• You may decorate with rose petals
• Add as many dry fruits as you want
• Use Jaggery (or Patali gur in Bengali) instead of sugar

Bengali Bodhu in Quilling

Kono ek gayer bodhur kotha tomay shonai shono …. Hemanta Mukhapadhyay er konthe ei gaan shune amader boro hoye otha ….

In there

Every time I create something

Seems to ring a bell within

Though I don’t know what is there

But something I'm is worth to dare

So I keep on knocking the door

In a hope to knowing the core

So my friends who are near

If you don’t laugh I’ll share

May be you too have a look ‘in there’

May be you too find something rare

Which you cannot find anywhere

So let’s keep on digging within

Let’s not to stop dreaming here

However bright neon lights may appear

All the vogues are empty I swear

It’s nothing in contrast what lies ‘in there’

So don’t be blind by any outer glare

So just stop worrying my dear

Just keep on travelling ‘in there’

Let’s keep on travelling ‘in there’

By

Urmimala 

Hilsa Begun

I love to cook when I am with my family but when alone I just avoid cooking as much as possible. Anyway may be because of that I finally got some time  to Blog again after quite a long break.

To a Bengali Rainy season is incomplete without Hilsa fish. There are countless dishes one can prepare with Hilsa. Hilsa Begun is just one of them. 

Ingredients :

5 to 6 Hilsa (Ilish) pieces

1 Brinjal (Begun in Bengali) : Cut in thick slices

4 to 5 Green chillies slit vertically

Salt & Sugar to taste  

Mustard oil

Mustard paste

Kalunji or nigella seeds

Turmeric powder

Curd (optional)

Process:

Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt over the fish slices. Spread the spices evenly over the pieces by hand. Marinate for at least 15 minutes. Now heat  oil in a Kadai and fry the fish pieces one or two at a time. Fry till both side become golden brown. Similarly marinate the Brinjal pieces with turmeric 
powder and salt. Then fry them till they become golden.

Next heat  oil in a Kadai and add pinch of Kalunji seeds. When they start to splutter add the 
splitted green chillies. Give a stir. Then add Mustard paste and water in the Kadai and bring them to boil. Then carefully place the fried fish and Brinjal pieces into the Kadai. Add sugar/salt according to your taste. I sometimes add curd paste in it to give a little tangy twist.

Then cover the Kadai and simmer for few minutes. Serve hot with plain Rice.

Hilsa Begun