Dum Aloo / Alur Dum

Ingredients:
Small potatoes 1/2 kg
Medium size onion 1
Fine yogurt  2 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp.
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp.
Chilli powder 1 tsp.
Asafoetida a pinch
Bay Leaves 4-5
Milk 1/2 cup
Ghee/oil 4 tbsp.
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp.
Cardamoms (brown) 4
Cloves 4-5
Black pepper 7-8
Cinnamon 1 small piece
Caraway seeds 1/4 tsp.
Cardamom (green) 2
Few coriander leaves
 
Steps:

Take all the spices and grind it in a blender to make fine powder.

Wash and prick the potatoes all over with a fork and soak in the water with little salt for 2 hours.
Boil  till half done.
Peel the potatoes and dry them on a cloth. Then heat the oil.
Deep fry the potatoes, remove immediately. This is just to give them a crispy texture on the outside, till it gets golden brown.
 
Add bay leaves, asafoetida, ginger-garlic paste, grated onion to the remaining oil. Fry till the paste becomes reddish brown and the mixture starts separating from the oil.
Add the garam masala prepared initially to this mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry it about a minute.
Now add milk to make the gravy. Then add yogurt (fine) and continuously stir it.
If you find the gravy too thick, you can add some water.
Finally add pricked fried potaoes to the gravy and pressure cook it. Switch off the gas before whistle.
Garnish it with green coriander leaves and serve hot with parathas, roti or rice ..

Methi Khakhra

Ingredients:

Whole wheat Flour 2 cups
Dry fenugreek leaves/methi 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil

Steps:
Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Add dry fenugreek leaves and mix well. Add enough water to knead into medium soft dough.
Divide into 12-15 equal sized balls. Apply a little oil on the chakla and roll out the balls into very thin and round chapattis.
Heat a thick tawa, put the chapatti on it and roast on slow heat. Turn and hold it down with a wooden press. Continue pressing and turning till the khakra is ready. Apply a little oil on one side and shallow fry pressing all the while, specially the edges.
When it is crisp and light brown in colour, it is done. Remove, allow it to cool and store in an airtight container carefully.

Simnel Cake

Ingredients:

 Marzipan

175g butter

175g sugar

3 eggs beaten

175g plain flour

Pinch of salt

½ tsp ground mixed spice

350g raisins and currants

55g/2oz chopped mixed peel

½ lemon, grated

1-2 tbsp apricot jam

1 egg beaten for glazing

         Steps:

Roll out marzipan to make a circle 18cm in diameter and reserve the remainder for the cake topping.

Preheat oven to 140C/275F. Grease and line a 18cm cake tin.

Cream the butter and sugar together by beating or using food processor until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well incorporated and then sift in the flour, salt and mixed spice ( a little at a time. Finally, add the mixed dried fruit, peel and grated lemon zest and stir into the mixture.

Put half the mixture into a greased and lined 18cm cake tin. Smooth the top and cover with the circle of almond paste/marzipan. Add the rest of the cake mixture and smooth the top leaving a slight dip in the centre to allow for the cake to rise. Bake in the preheated oven for 1¾ hours. Test by inserting a knife in the middle - if it comes out clean, it is ready.

Once baked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool .

Brush the top of the cooled cake with the apricot jam.  Roll out a circle of marzipan to cover the top of the cake.make round smalls balls of remaining marzipan.

Place the circle on the jam glaze and set the balls round the edge. Brush the cake topping with a little beaten egg.

Preheat the grill to high. Place the cake onto a baking tray and grill for 1-2 minutes, or until the top of the marzipan begins to brown. 

Serve.

Marzipan

 Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups grounded sugar
3 cups finely ground almonds/ cashews
2 large egg whites1 tsp. vanilla extract or rose water essence (optional)

 Steps:

 In the bowl, combine the sugar with the finely ground almonds until well mixed.

 Add the egg whites slowly and vanilla extract  and process/beat until forming a stiff paste. On a clean work surface, knead.

Mould into desired shapes.

Dhokar Dalna

Ingredients:

1. Yellow split pea (Matar dal): 40gms
2. Bengal gram (Chana Dal): 160gms
3. Refined wheat flour (Maida): 1 tablespoon
4. Potatoes (Aalu): 2 medium sized
5. Sugar (Chini): 1 teaspoon
6. Black pepper (Gol morich guro): 1 teaspoon
7. Asfoetida (Hing): 1 pinch
8. Fennel seed (Mouri):  ½ teaspoons
9. Cinnamon powder (Dar chini guro): 1 pinchr
10. Cardamom powder (Elaichi): 1pinch
11. Nigella (Kalo jeera): 1 teaspoon full
12. Cumin Seeds (Jeera): ½ teaspoons
13. Turmeric powder (Halud guro): 1 ½ teaspoons
14. Red Chili powder (Sukhno Lankar Guro): 1½ teaspoon
15. Mustard oil (Sarser tel) for frying
16. Salt to taste

Steps: 

1. Grind both the pulses together in a powder. Grind it well so that it becomes absolutely powdery.
2. Alternately you can also soak the pulses for about 2 to 3 hours and then make a paste of the soaked pulses.
3. Add salt, ½ teaspoons each of turmeric powder, ½ teaspoons of red chili powder, turmeric powder, black pepper, cumin seeds;  refinedwheat flour, sugar, asafoetida, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder and 1 teaspoon of nigella to the dough.
4. If you have dry grinded the pulses then add water and make thick dough. Keep it for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Heat ½ teaspoons of oil in an wok. Add the dough and toss for 2 to 3 minutes or till the dough become quite dry.
6. Spread the tossed dough over a plate with almost an inch depth. Cut it into small diamond shapes. The dhoka is now ready to fry.
7.  Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the dhokas till they get hard and the inside also gets cooked. You can prick them with a knife. If the knife comes out with sticking, then the inside is also cooked.

          Making Dalna

1. Cut thepotatoes in medium size square pieces.
2. Heat oil in a wok. Fry the potatoes till they are golden brown.
3. Add the cumin seeds to it along with turmeric and chili powder.
4. Pour in water and salt.
5. Now cook till the gravy thickens and the potatoes are cooked well.
6. Carefully drop the dhokas and just boil for 2 minutes in low flame. Do not toss else the dhokas will break.
7. Dhokar Dalna is ready to serve. 
8.  

Mochar chop, Banana Flower Pakoda

Ingredients:

1. Mocha/ Banana Flower ( 500 gm minimum)
2. 2 or 3 Potato
3. Green Chilly
4. 50 gm Peanuts
5. 20 gm Raisin
6. 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
7. 1 tsp Garam Masala
8. Salt to taste
9. pinch of Sugar
10. 2 Cups Besan
11. A pinch of Baking soda

Steps :

1. Cut the banana flower into thin strips and boil in water. Strain it, and keep the mocha aside.
2. Mash the potatoes after boiling. 
3. Heat oil in pan then add green chilly,peanuts and raisin.
4. Add mocha with all the spices. Fry it . Cook till you get a dry mixture.
5. Make small balls of the mashed potatoes and mocha which is spiced with masalas separately .
6. Flatten the mashed potato between your palm then add mocha and cover it.
7. Make a batter with besan, baking soda, salt and water. The batter should be tight .
8. Heat oil in pan and dip the chop in the batter. Deep fry it. Fry till both sides are golden brown.
9. Now Mochar Chop is ready to serve.

Begun Bhaja

Ingredients
Ingredients:

1 big size brinjal
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
oil to fry
Salt to taste

Steps:

Wash and cut the brinjals into half inch round slices.
Apply salt and turmeric powder.
Heat up the oil in a pot to smoking point.
Fry the brinjal pieces till crunchy and brown.
Serve hot.

Cham Cham

Ingredients:

Sugar: – 100 gms
Paneer (cheese) : – 200 – 250 gms
Water : – 1 cup
Maida (flour) : – 2 tea spoon
Saffron: – Some standard saffron
Cardamom powder : – ¼ tea spoon
Milk : – 100

Steps:

Take a pan; add 1 cup water in hit. Keep it on gas and add the sugar in it. Keep it on gas till it comes into syrup or becomes thickened.

Blend the paneer with flour of the maida. Now make the pieces of that mixture into a finger shape. Add those pieces into the sugar syrup.

Keep the above mixture to cool for some time and remove the finger shape maida pieces from the syrup.

Now take milk in a pan and add the cardamom powder and saffron into it.

Now add spread this milk on the every piece of cham cham.

Fulkopir Tarkari

- Cauliflower- medium sized, cut
- Peas- half cup
- Potatoes- 2 cut into medium size pieces
- Ripe Tomato- 2, chopped
- Masala (Cardamom pods- 2, Clove- 2 and Cinnamon sticks 2. All should be grinded together)
- Bay Leaves- 2
- Chilli Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon
- Ginger Paste- 1 teaspoon
- Cumin paste- 1 teaspoon
- Sugar- 1 teaspoon
- Cooking oil- 5 tablespoon

Steps:

Heat oil in a round bottomed frying pan. Lower the heat slightly and fry the potato and Cauliflower pieces Remove the Cauliflower and potatoes from the oil once they are brown in colour and tender.
Add the Bay leaves. Now add the cumin paste, ginger paste, tomatoes , chilli powder, sugar and salt. Stir fry it for about 5 minutes. Add the masala.Finally add the fried cauliflower, potato pieces and the peas and thoroughly stir it again. Add half cup of water and cover the lid of the pan. Allow it to cook until the potatoes and the cauliflower pieces are well cooked.
Serve with hot rice.

Chanar Dalna

Ingredients:
Ghee
Garam masala (cinnamon,green cardamom and clove)
Cottage cheese/chhana
Diced potato
Bay leaf
Green chili,
Pieces of cumin,
Ginger paste,
Roasted cumin powder
Salt to taste,
Sugar to taste,
Turmeric

Steps:
Heat ghee adding garam masala, bay leaf, green chili and pieces of cumin to it. Add potatoes and stir fry for some time. Adding ginger paste, turmeric and salt cook well. Add chili. Now add the chhana and a small amount of water. Keep it to boil till the potatoes get softened. Before removing from heat add sugar according to taste.

Dimer Devil

Ingredients

6-8 hard boiled eggs
1 boiled potato
2-3 tbsp onions, finely chopped
2 green chillies minced
2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp curry powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1 lime

For the batter

1 cup rice flour
Water as needed
1 tsp salt
Oil for frying

Steps:

1. Cut the eggs in halves and remove the yolks into the bowl.
2. Mix the potato, onions, green chillies, cilantro, salt, curry powder, red chili powder together till smoothly mixed.
3. Squeeze the lime juice on the mixture.
4. Fill the eggs with the mixture and shape into a rounded shape to cover the entire egg white.
5. Make a batter with rice flour and water to make a thick paste.
6. Heat the oil, and carefully dip each egg into the batter to coat uniformly.
7. Lower the eggs into the oil and cook on medium heat on each side for about 7-8 minutes till the eggs are well browned on each side.
8. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
9. Serve hot with ketchup.

Kolkata Egg Roll

Ingredients 
 
1/2 cucumber
1 red onion
2 green chilies
2 tbspn oil
4 eggs
salt to taste
4 rotis
1/2 lemon


Steps:


1. Thinly slice cucumber, red onion and green chili pepper.

2. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl until fluffy. Add salt.

3. Place a large frying pan on heat and heat ½ tbsp of oil.

4. Pour ¼ egg mixture into the frying pan and swirl it immediately to form a roti size omlet. Before the egg sets, place a roti on the egg and press it gently. Flip the roti when the egg is done and cook for a few seconds.

5. Remove the roti from the frying pan and place on a board with the egg side up.

6. Divide the sliced vegetables into portions. Line up one portion of the vegetables in the center of the roti. Squeeze out some tomato sauce. Add a little lemon juice.

7. Roll up the roti with the vegetables in the center. Wrap up the roll into lunch paper or greaseproof paper to hold it together. Repeat for the remaining egg mixture, rotis and vegetables ingredients.
8. Serve with Ketchup.

Begun Bahar

Ingredients:
 Brinjals: 250 gm
Peanuts: 50 gm
Finely chopped Fenugreek leaves (Methi):500 gm
Finely chopped Tomatoes: 1 tbsp
Ginger paste: 1/4 tbsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder : 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder : 1/4 tsp
Finely grated Khoya : 3/4 tbsp
Oil : 2 tbsp
Salt & Sugar to taste

Prepararion:

1.First of all chop the brinjals into medium pieces.
2. Crush the peanuts with 1 tbsp of water into fine paste.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and fry the brinjal pieces over medium heat until half done.
4. Add the fenugreek leaves or the methi pata and mix well.
5. Then prepare a paste with ginger, turmeric, chilly, cumin, coriander powder and water.
6. Pour the above prepared paste to the fenugreek leaves with tomatoes, mix well and fry until the masalas are well blended.
7. Add the peanut paste, salt and sugar, mix well.
8. Cook until the brinjals are soft and it becomes a little dried up.
9. When done, remove from the fire and sprinkle with khoya.

Batata Vara

Ingredients

 4 large potatoes
6 cloves garlic
2 inch ginger
4 green chillies
1 lime; juiced
2 tbsp chopped coriander
salt to taste

for Batter
1 cup chickpea flour; besan
3/4 cup water
1/3 tspn baking soda
salt to taste
Oil for frying

Steps:

1. Wash and peel the potatoes , boil and roughly mash.
2. Puree the garlic, ginger and chillies with the lime juice
3. Add to the potatoes with the coriander and salt, mix
4. Make lime sized balls.
5. To make the batter add the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl, add the water in slowly mixing it well. The batter should be like a pancake mix.
6. Heat the oil in a frying pan / karai / small wok, dip the potato balls in the batter and deep fry.

Hara bhara Kabab

Ingredients:
500 gms boiled potatoes
100 gms boiled green peas
100 gms boiled spinach
2 tbsps chpped coriander (dhania)
1 tbsps chopped green chillies
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chaat masala
salt to taste
2 tsp cornflour
oil for deep frying

Steps:

Peel and grate boiled potatoes.
Mash boiled green peas.
Squeeze out excess water from spinach and chop finely.
Mix grated potatoes , peas and spinach.
Add chopped green chilies, chopped coriander,ginger, chaat masala and salt.
Add cornflour for binding.
Divide the mixture into 25 equal size portions.
Shape them into a ball and then press it between your palms to flatten it. Heat oil in a kadhai deep-fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes.
Serve hot.

Pineapple and Raisins Chutney

  Ingredients:
Pineapple  1kg
Citric Acid  few drops
Sugar  400gm
Raisins 100gm
Whole Jeera  1tsp
Oil  50ml
Maida  25gm
Turmeric Powder  1/2tsp
Salt to taste

Steps:  

 Scrape the pineapple in a bowl and keep aside.
Heat oil, crackle jeera, then add the pineapple, citric acid, turmeric powder, sugar, mix maida for thickening, stir well and cook for 5 to 10 minutes
Cool and serve.

Aamsatta khejurer chutney

Ingredients:

Aamsatta  400gm
Dates  400gm
Panch Phoran  1tsp
Whole Red Chillies  4
Sugar  400gm
Maida  25gm
Tamarind  50gm
Oil  50ml
jeera powder 1tsp
Salt to taste

Steps:  
 Deseed dates, cut amsatta in cube size and keep aside.
Heat oil, crackle panch phoran, whole red chillies, then add water and boil it when it boils add jeera powder, sugar, tamarind water, salt, amsatta and dates,
 Cook for 5 to 10 minutes and mix maida for thickening, mix little chilli powder, cool it and serve.

Potoler Dorma

Ingredients:
 
4 large potol
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp turmeric

Ingredients for filling:

½ cup of grated coconut
2 tbsp chopped cashew nut
1 medium size potato
1 tbsp roasted powder of cumin 1 tsp mango powder (amchur)
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste

Ingredients (for gravy):
½ tsp of asafoedita/ hing powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
3 tbsp curd
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste

(Mix all ingredients to a smooth paste and keep aside)

Steps:

Scrape potol well.
Cut one side of mouth of potol and scoop out pulp with the help of a tea spoon or knife.
Marinate potol with salt and turmeric for 2 mints
Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry grated coconut lightly
Mash boiled potato
Mix fried coconut with mashed potato, chopped cashew nut, mango powder, roasted spice powder, salt and sugar to taste.
Stuff mixed ingredients in each of every potol.
Close the mouth with gram flour dough and tie a thread (if necessary)
Heat oil and fry them in slow four till potol turn golden brown.
Keep stuffed and fried potol aside.
Heat oil and put the fire slow.
Add mixed gravy paste and sauté.
Add half cup of water and let the gravy boil.
Add fried stuffed parwal and mix well with gravy.

Bhetki fry

Ingredients:
 
350 gm Bhetki Fish
Salt to taste
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Amchur Powder
1 Lemon
2 tbsp Cornflour
Water as required

Steps:

Clean and pat dry the fish. Marinate with spices.
Put the cornflour with water into the the container to make a batter .
Heat oil in non stick kadai and mix the fish with batter.Deep fry .
Serve hot.

Tilapia curry

Ingredients:

500 gm Tilapia Fish
1 Medium Size Onion
1 Tomato
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Fish Masala
2 Green Chilly
2 tsp Turmeric Powder

Steps:

Make a paste of onion with green chilly and another paste of tomato
Deep fry the fish.
Heat oil in kadai then add cumin seeds to crackle in oil. Put onion and fry it until it browns then add all the spices and tomato paste . Now pour fish with water .Cover the lid and boil for 10 mins.
Serve with hot rice.