hamaree rasoi

Lychee In Chocolate Basket

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:52:35 PDT

Sometimes you feel like throwing caution in the wind, run away from conventional wisdom and try something new which no one has ever done before. I know this is a rare feeling but recently such kind of feeling made me to prepare Litchi /Lychee basket with no reference from any where what so ever.

While preparing this dessert I kept on thinking how would I fare and whether it would meet the expectations of my friends and family. But to my surprise this preparation was liked by one and all and particularly the chocolate basket, which was moulded by freezing with the cup cake paper and the chocolate taking it's shape. I feel that it is a unique preparation and if any of you prepare it and do send me your feedback, my effort would be successful and I would be very grateful.

Ingredients:
250 gm Semisweet Chocolate
12-14 Lychee /Litchi, chopped
1 cup Chocolate Whipped cream
2 tsp Sprinkles

Equipments you need-
6 Silicon cupliners
1/2 inch flat paint brush

Method:
Make a place for tray in your refrigerator to keep silicon cupcake liners. In between melt chocolate by double boiler method ie. heat a sauce pan (low heat) with some water in it and then put your chocolate into a glass bowl on top of the sauce pan, your own homemade double boiler.

Just keep that in mind that too much heat will ruin your chocolate so keep stirring the chocolate with a wooden spoon. So never get tempted by melting chocolate on high flame. And avoid any contact with steam also.

Now quickly take out the silicon liners from refrigerator, dip the brush in melted chocolate bowl and coat the liners well. Apply thick layer, keep them back in freezer section for another 10 minutes. Again repeat the same process so that your chocolate liner sets well and keep in freezer for another 10 minutes again.

Now to unmold this, hold the mold and carefully remove the liner. So now the chocolate baskets are ready to be filled with chocolate whipped cream and lychees. Place few lychees on each chocolate basket and fill with chocolate whipped cream. Decorate with some sprinkles and
serve this chilled.

Chilly Tofu

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:10:36 PDT

Two years back I read in a magazine about Tofu and how it is a good substitute for meat. Since then I have been trying few tofu dishes. Though it is tasteless on its own but that is the challenge, so any spice, sauce, flavouring you add blends it nicely. As per definition from Wikipedia-"Tofu, also called bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is a component in many East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu that has been processed in some way." Tofu has a subtle flavor and can be used in savory and sweet dishes. So those who are new to tofu, go include this in your kitchen soon, as this is a very healthy addition to your diet.

Ingredients:

1 cup Tofu
1 Capsicum, long thin
2 Onions, long strips
3-4 Green onion, chopped
1 tbsp Plain flour
1 cup Vegetable stock
2-3 Green chillies, slit
1 tsp Ginger, chopped finely
1 tsp Garlic, minced
2 tbsp Tomato sauce
1 tbsp Chilly sauce
2 -3 tsp Dark Soya sauce
1 tsp White vinegar
1/2 tspWhite pepper powder
Salt to taste
White sesame seeds (for garnishing)
Oil

Method:
Wash tofu properly and absorb the extra water with a paper towel, cut into long strips. Dip in warm water for 5-10 minutes. Marinade the tofu pieces with flour, pepper powder and salt and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the tofu pieces till light pink (frying them for long time will make them hard later). Drain on absorbent paper to soak the excess oil.
In the remaining oil add onion, capsicum, garlic, ginger and green chillies, green onions (leave few for garnishing), toss for few minutes on low flame. Sprinkle some salt and pepper powder, mix well. Add vegetable stock now and mix all the ingredients well. Add all the sauce to make it more gravy style preparation. When the gravy is thick, add fried tofu pieces and cook on low lame for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish it with remaining chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

Aloo-Jhine Posto (Ridge gourd With Poppy Seeds)

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:37:31 PDT

Although the dishes of Bengal are dominated by non vegetarian preparations who get more prominence, however, there are several veg dishes which are not only superbly tasty but also good for health as well. I remember my visits to Kolkata during summer vacations when my Grandma ( maternal ) prepared this. Even today when I am a mother of a child, she takes my hand, escorts me till the dining table and serves me this dish and many more as if I still am a little girl. Still I long to visit the house when I have a chance to go there. Sigh...

Ingredients:
1kg Ridge gourd (Jhinge)
1 big Potato, cut into cubes and dipped in water with pinch of salt
4 tbsp Poppy seeds (posto)
2-3 Green chilly, slit
1/2 tsp Kalonji (kalo jeera)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Wash poppy seeds under running water on sieve and soak in warm water for minimum 2-3 hours for best results or atleast for 40 minutes if you are in hurry. Then in a coffee grinder, with little water and 1 green chilly, make a fine paste. This is going to take time as you have to check in between that paste is really fine. We Bengalis have Sheelnora (Grinding Stone) a solid slab and a small bolster shaped stone in our kitchen, a thing which is fast depleting in today's kitchen. Sheelnora is used for grinding spices to a fine powder/ fine paste like consistency with very little water.

Peel, cut ridge gourd in half moon shape. Heat mustard oil (mustard oil imparts a special in this Bong dish) in a heavy bottomed pan and once it reaches smoking point add green chillies, kalo jeera. Add potato and fry for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring in between. Add ridge gourd and saute for few minutes. Sprinkle turmeric, red powder and stir fry on low flame. Now add the poppy seeds paste, cover and cook.

Do sprinkle water in between to keep it moistured. Adding too much water will make it mushy, so use water sparingly. When the potatoes are cooked turn off the flame. Transfer to a serving bowl and pour 1 tsp of mustard oil on top and serve. This jhinge-posto goest well with plain rice and Biuli dal.

Mango Popsicles

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:09:56 PDT

Ingredients:
3 ripe Mangoes, peeled and pureed
2 tbsp Fresh Orange juice
3/4 cup Heavy cream
2 tbsp plain Yogurt
2 tbsp Honey (depends on the sweetness of mangoes adjust it)
10-12 Pistchios, chopped

Method:
In a large bowl mix together cream and puree.

Add yogurt, honey, orange juice, pistachios and blend together until you get a creamy texture.

The texture should be neither runny nor thick, make it moderate enough to pour it inside the molds.

Fill the popsicles with the puree mixture, tap twice and press on the lids. Freeze for several hours or until firm. To unmold, fill a pan with warm water(not hot), and briefly dip the mold in until the pops loosen, for about 20 to 30 seconds. Now enjoy these popsicles any time of the day ;-) like my son does.

Linking this post to Nupur's Kid's Delight -Fruit event which was started by Srivalli

also to Sumee's Bon Vivant #4 Fruit Recipes

Bengali Mishti Doi /Lal Doi/Red Sweetened Yogurt

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:17:42 PDT

Misti Doi ( literally means sweetened curd) is the most popular dessert in Bengali cuisine. Mostly prepared during summer season , this dessert is the finale of a delicious lunch. Traditionally, doi is prepared in an earthen pot to obtain right temperature and preventing any metallic contact with it. The best part is that not only it is delicious to taste but it is easy on the stomach as well.

Not to mention that it acts as a catalyst to digest the lunch that one had. However, I like it best during evening time with puffed rice.If you aks me I would say everybody should have it once, and its thick luscious taste will make you have it again ! Trust me friends, it tastes great. So here goes....

Ingredients:
1 ltr Full cream milk
3 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp DemeraraSugar
2 tbsp plain Yogurt (should have Active Bacterial Culture)
4 Earthen pots

Method:
Heat milk in a heavy bottomed pan, stir continiously. After the first boil, add sugar and keep stirring, boil until the amount is reduced to half. By this time milk will be thick and light brown in color. Remove from pan and let it cool down for 5-10 minutes. In another pan melt 3 tbsp demerara sugar with 1 tbsp water and keep stirring. Keep an eagle's eye on this, allow it to turn light brown in color,caramel is ready to be added in milk for light brown color of sweetened curd. Add this caramel to the milk and mix thoroughly. Keep this back on heat for 5 more minutes. Now let this cool down to room temperature, add curd and stir just once. Pour this liquid into the earthen pots, cover and keep them in warm place to set. In between do not move the pots while the fermenting process, it is done to to prevent the breaking up of curd. Leave these pots for overnight (minimum 10 hours) and then you can keep them in fridge to enjoy chilled lal doi.

User Comments & Tips:

It is said that Buffalo's milk is best for this mishti doi as it is heavier.
Before adding yogurt to the milk, make sure milk is just warm, hot milk will kill the active bacteria and you will end up with a watery milk !! So to set the doi check the milk temperature on the back of your palm.
Patience is the key for this lal doi as it has sugar in it so it takes longer time to set the curd.
I have used demerara sugar mainly for the color mainly, you can easily replace it with normal sugar.
If you don't have earthen pots, ceramic pots are also good option but certainly not in an aluminium vessel !!

Aam Jhol - Raw Mango Syrup

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:51:24 PDT

Summer season has unleashed it's full fury to the people of India and sometimes it plays tricks with your mind. For instance, one day I was driving in mid afternoon and due to heat I could actually see water spilled on the street at a distance. More my vehicle approached towards it, furtehr it went. Forget human beings,even birds have stopped moving out in the open. So it is important that one has to remain fit and avoid dehydration by lots of fluid intake during this testing season.

A sure shot way to beat the heat here is this preparation Aam Jhol ( Raw mango syrup) . It's a preparation having a right mix of sweetness of sugar and sourness of a mango. Once you are finished with the main course, this dish helps in digesting the meal and keeps your stomach stress free for the entire day. Also, Aam Jhol is a sweet-sour light on tummy syrup that is prepared at Bengali households on almost everyday.

Ingredients:
1 big Green mango, don't remove the skin, cut in cubes
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
Pinch of Panch phoron
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/8 tsp Red chilly powder (optional)
1 tsp Mustard oil
2 tbsp Sugar (adjust the sweetness to your taste)
1 tsp Salt
3 cups of Water

Method:
Sprinkle some turmeric powder and chilly powder (optional) on mango cubes and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. In a kadhai heat oil till it reaches smoking point, add panch phoron and mustard seeds. Add mango pieces as soon as the seeds stops spluttering and fry for few minutes by covering. Once the skin of mangoes starts turning light brown, add water, salt and boil on high flame uncovered. After first boil, simmer until mangoes are soft but not pulpy. Add sugar, adjust the sugar level depending upon the sourness of the mango. Remove from heat and let it cool. Aam jhol should be chilled before serving and the texture should be watery.

Submitting this to Radhika's Lets Cook #15 With Fruits

Baked Baby Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:15:54 PDT

Last month I was in Chennai for some personal work and realized a good thing that happened with the advent of internet is that no matter wherever you are in the world, you can be friends with everybody and share your knowledge. I got some vital information about the city through my blogger friends.

Now distance do not matter and as far as food's perspective it is a great way to enjoy delicacies from all over the world. Mind you it has got nothing to do with the lavishness but the way even small preparations made with care can be tastier than the most expensive dishes.
At my home starters are much in demand, reason is almost every weekend we have some guests over for dinner. So more than the main course my hubby steps inside the kitchen to see what's for starters? :-) This is not only nutritious and healthy but the idea that you can make these ready in advance, helps in speeding up the process later. Just need to bake these for 15 minutes at 170 Degrees Celsius, after your guests arrival.

Ingredients:
12-14 tender Baby corns
2 tbsp Cornflour powder
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
2 tsp Chilly powder
2 tsp Tomato sauce
1 tsp Green chilly paste
5-6 Lemon drops
1/2 tsp White pepper powder
Pinch of Oregano
Handful of Parsley
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt to taste

Method:
Pressure cook baby corns in little water till 1st whistle or become tender. Drain the baby corns into the sieve and keep aside. In a mixing bowl, rub ginger-garlic-green chilly paste on baby corns, cornflour, sprinkle pepper powder, chilly, oregano and salt. Pour sauces, lemon drops, chopped parsley and mix well to coat each baby corn individually. Leave it for 15-20 minutes to marinate.

Ready to go inside .....

Place these baby corns on a baking sheet and drizzle some olive oil on top equally. Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown in color (170 Degree Celsius). Serve these nutritious and flavoury baked baby corns with tomato chilly sauce or mayonnaise.

Jhal Muri -The Ultimate Snack Of Bengal : Spicy Puffed Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:36:25 PDT

One of the beauty of India is that it accepts people from all walks of life and every body can make a living and still be happy. Unlike many other Developed Countries where you need a minimum basic wage to survive but in India , particularly in Kolkata you can have your tummy full in very cheap price.

Even today here a humble jhaal muri( spiced puffed rice ) wont cost you more that 10/- and can satisfy your hunger. I have seen rich and poor que in front of the humble vendor who serves them with equal enthusisam. Hope you try out this street food and savoir your taste buds.

Roasted chana dal and peanuts provide a rich and nutty taste. The mixing ends with spicy special oil which is pickle oil that makes the jhal muri spicy and the mustard oil gives a pungent taste. Many jhal muri walas add sprouted black chana, boiled diced potatoes and tomatoes. Feel free to add then according to your taste. I love to have this crunchy and crispy so don't add tomatoes. And to make it low calorie snacks, skip boiled potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 cups Puffed rice (muri)
1 red Onion, chopped finely
1/4 cup Cucumber, diced
2 tbsp Raw mango, finely chopped
1/2 cup jhal Chanachur / spicy namkeen/ sev
1 tbsp Coconut, finely chopped
1 tbsp Mustard oil, best is if you have spicy pickle oil
Handful of roasted Peanuts
Handful of roasted Chana dal
2-3 Green chillies, diced
2 tsp Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
1 tsp chat masala
Salt to taste

Method:
If you are using mustard oil here, heat mustard oil in a pan to a smoking point and then switch off the burner. Let it cool. Skip this process if you plan to make it with pickle oil.

Take a broad bowl, mix together all the diced veggies, paenuts, chana dal, jhal chanachur, muri. Mix well and add lemon drops, all the spices and lastly drizzle some pickle oil /mustard oil. Mix well with a wodden spatula and serve immedietely in paper cones.

User Comments & Tips:

Muri /puffed rice should be fresh and crisp for best results.
Mustard oil /pickle oil is the main essence of this simple snack, so don't use any other substitute.
It can also be made with boiled potatoes, sprouted black chana, diced tomatoes, so depending upon your taste add or skip any of these.
Serve immediately so that you can enjoy the crispiness, else it may become soggy.

Leaving you with a close look of Kolkata's famous street food

Linking this to my dear friend's 'Only- Snacks & Starters' event at Vegetarian Tastebuds , an event started by another good friend Pari's place (Foodelicious).

Stuffed Mushroom With Cream Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:17:52 PDT

Indian Premier League ( IPL ) season is all in full swing and my favourite teams are Rajasthan Royals & Pune Warriors and Mumbai Indians ( Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly) both of whom I admire as sound cricketers and nice human beings. As 20-20 overs provide us with a quick dose of high entertainment, I too decided to prepare something quick and nice to eat.

When guests have given you a notice of few hours to drop in , you get in the T20 mode and prepare this stuffed mushrooms which are not only a unique snack, but also a yummilicious dish to taste as well. Especially for all the veggies, it will be loved. So I hope it scores a century in the hearts and minds of all my readers and fellow bloggers.

Ingredients:

12 large Button mushrooms
1 Onion, diced finely
4 Garlic pods, finely chopped
1/4 cup Cream cheese
Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 tbsp fresh Chives, chopped
Pinch of Pepper powder
Pinch of Salt or more to taste

Method:
Pre-heat Oven to 350 Degrees F(180 Degree C). Grease a baking tray with olive oil.
Wash the mushrooms and by using a knife remove the stems.

Save the mushroom caps and chop the stems finely. In a small saucepan fry diced onion and garlic on low flame till it becomes tender.Add chopped mushroom stems and fry till the water evaporates. Sprinkle salt and pepper powder. Let this mixture cool. Once cool add cream cheese and chives, mix well.
Spoon the ready mixture into the mushroom caps and place them in baking sheet facing stuffed side up. Repeat the same till you finish with all mushroom caps Lightly spray with oil. Bake on the middle rack of the Oven and bake until the bottoms are golden color and tops are light, about 10 minutes.

Mini Apple-Apricot Bundt Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:42:08 PDT

This is one dessert preparation where I was tentative in it's initial stage. However as I followed the baking instructions by it's true letter and spirit, they turned out as per my expectation. The pictures are here for all of us to see. More so, as soon as I went for shower for 10 minutes, 4 of these cakes were gobbled up by my little one and hubby.

Anticipating this I had kept aside few more of these cakes, which saved the day and I could treat my friends. they too loved this. So boosted by their compliments, I am posting this for your viewing and feedback.

Recipe adapted from here
Ingredients:
1 cup diced Apples without skin
3 tablespoons unsalted Butter
3/4 cup granulated Sugar
1/4 cup dried Apricots (cut into pieces)
1 large Egg
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cups Walnuts

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan or if using Wilton's individual bundt pans then you would need 10 such pieces. Cream butter and sugar together until the texture becomes pale and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Add the egg, beat well and then beat in vanilla. Sift together all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together in another bowl. Reduce the speed of hand blender to low and add half of the flour and little milk. Mix until just blended. Then again add remaining milk, flour and mix until smooth. Add the apples, apricots and chopped walnuts to the batter.

Slowly pour the batter in one corner of the pan and allow the batter to spread in and around the bundt pan by tilting slightly. Now to avoid the air bubbles, gently tap the filled pans on the kitchen slab few times.

Bake until cake is springy to the touch and test by a toothpick inserting in the center, 15-16 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Invert on a plate and check if it is cool completely. Drizzle the top with melted chocolate, chocolate shaves and serve them with love !!

Mava Mutter Mushroom

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:11:17 PDT

For those of you who prefer vegeterian food and yet do not want to compromise upon the protien and other nutrient intake, I have prepared this dish called Mava Mutter Mushroom. This gravy is creamy, heavenly but mind you about the high calorie that mava offers. You can try this dish out and trust me it was well recieved when I served it to my family.

Ingredients:
200 gm Mushroom (cut into 4 pieces)
150 gms Mava (Mava is 'reduced milk'. It is also called 'Khoya'.)
1 cup Green peas
2 medium Onion
4 Toamtoes
2 tbsp Curd
3-4 green chillies in paste form
1 " inch Ginger (make paste)
2 tbsp Garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp Red chilly powder
1 1/2 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp Kasoori methi /dry fenugreek leaves
Coriander leaves for garnishing
4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Cut onion vertically into thin slices and grate mava in a bowl. Heat just 2 tsp oil in a pan and fry them for 2 minutes or till they turn light pink (don't over fry mava). Turn off the heat and keep aside the fried mava in a plate.

Now add 2 tbsp oil in the remaining oil and fry onion till light pink. Add ginger-garlic and green chilly paste . Fry for 2 minutes and then add tomatoes. Fry till the masala leaves oil, now take out the masala and spread it on a plate to cool. Make a paste by grinding it in a grinder.

Heat the same pan by pour remaining oil and fry peas and mushroom for 5 minutes or till all the water evaporates. Add salt, red chilly, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala, mix well and fry. When the mixture starts leaving oil, add fried mava. Add curd and stir continuously. Now add 2 cups of water, kasoori methi, cover and cook for 7-8 minutes. Serve this delicious mushroom gravy after garnishing with coriander leaves. Tastes best with tandoori rotis.

Open-Faced Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:38:31 PDT

First of all I would like to apologize to all my readers and Blogger friends for taking a break from blogging unannounced. Actually, the summer vacation of my child has begun and I have become pretty busy finding good summer camp. Also , now that the little one is in the house, I have to be after him to minimize his mischief. So for sometime, my blogging took a backseat. But thankfully he has settled down in many activities, laid down by the school and some by me . Also this being an extended weekend also helped as my husband was home taking care of other household chores. Today's preparation is a simple sandwich which is an ideal preparation to treat your guests when they drop in during evening time. The key character of this sandwich is that based upon your taste you can make it more or less spicy. So here goes....

Ingredients:
2 boiled Potatoes, grated
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Tomato, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped capsicum
Mozzarela cheese
Little butter to spread on breads slices
Green olives
Green chilies as per your taste
Oregano and Chilly flakes (optional)
Salt and Pepper as per your taste

Method:
Pre-heat Oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. Trim the bread crusts and spread butter on bread slices, place the slices on baking sheet and toast till they are golden light. Spread grated potaoto, chopped onion, tomato, capsicum, cheese and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle some chilly flakes and oregano if you want it more spicy. Add some olives and place them again back in oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the Oven and serve immediately to enjoy the crispiness of this quick snack.

I am also pleased to share that I have won a giveaway at my very dear friend's place San's Kitchen. Thank you so much dear.

Honey Sesame Bread Sticks

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:00:13 PDT

Sometimes in life I wake up and say to myself ' Today I will do absolutely nothing'. For one day I will hand over my child to hubby and just relax, go wherever I feel and most importantly do not have to worry about my domestic help not coming to work! After just 1 hour the reality sets in. Hubby screams, '' Tell Jr. A not to smash my Laptop keys'' so I have to run after my boy to calm him down, My friend with whom I had planned to go shopping falls sick, The PC is attached by virus, so I have to be on constant calls with a host of experts to repair my software so there goes my relaxing and invariably my maid does not show up for work so I end up working for the day.

So much for planning not to do anything for the day. So at least to end the day on a positive note, I have to prepare some appetizers which would set the day for the dinner to be a good one. So, honey dipped bread sticks would be liked by all as a starter.Recipe Source: Here

Ingredients:
3-4 slices of day old Bread, crusts trimmed
8 tbsp of Butter
4 tbsp of Honey
1/4 cup of Sesame seeds

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 170 Degree C. Cut bread slices into vertically about 1/2 " a part. Dry roast sesame seeds in a pan at low heat until lightly toasted and just light brown in color. Keep aside.

Turn off the heat and add butter on already hot pan. When completely melted add honey and stir well. Now place the bread strips in a single layer in the frying pan to soak the butter-honey liquid. Turning it over once or twice to be sure both sides are soaked. Roll the bread slices over the roasted sesame seeds and arrange in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly brown.

User Comments & Tips:

You can use less butter and add more honey to suit your kind of taste. I like mine to be more buttery so I added double amount of butter.
These can also be stored in an airtight container for 2 days and I can assure you it remains crispy.

Palong Saag Bori Diye / Palak Saag

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:47:33 PDT

We the people of Bengal make it a point to have green leafy vegetable in the beginning of our course of lunch. Palong saag is one of our perpetual feature amongst such vegetable preparation. Spinach is one of the most beneficial veggie for our body and particularly now when due to junk food all the necessary vitamins and minerals are lacking in our diet. So, here goes a simple and easy form of spinach preparation.

Ingredients:
3 bunches of Spinach leaves / palong saag
Handful of Boris ( are dried balls made out of different kinds of dals)
1/4 tsp Panch phoron (this is the most basic 5 spices mixture that is essential in Benagli household)
1 Onion thinly sliced
Salt & Sugar to taste

Method:
Clean and wash the leaves in water 3-4 times. Chop very finely and keep aside. Heat mustard oil in a kadhai and add bori.Fry them till they are golden in color. Remove from kadhai and keep aside. Add panch phoron in the remaining oil and when spluttering stops, add chopped onions. Fry for a couple of minutes and add chopped palak leaves and salt. Cover and cook till the saag is cooked properly. Sprinkle pinch of sugar in kadhai and mix well. Remove from heat and garnish with fried boris. Serve with steamed rice and kasundi (mustard sauce).

User Comments & Tips:

Panch Phoron is a mixture of equal volumes of the following spices- radhuni, onion seed, aniseed, fenugreek and cumin seeds. In this radhuni can be replaced by black mustard seeds.
Adding onion is optional here.

Creamy Cucumber Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:49:35 PDT

Many of you must be wondering about my sudden disappearance, well my computer had gone for service. And later my blog was showing malware detection message, so took time to fix it with the help of my friend AD. Even while posting today I was facing many problems, thank God my neighborhood friend Lubna gave her inputs. Thank you dear :-)

Today I have come up with a refreshingly cool and minty flavor of this dip is sure to please your little one or for get together parties. Make this dip in advance and serve with crackers, bingo triangles, plain salted biscuits or with your fav salty chips.

Recipe Source: Tarla Dalal's Finger Foods For Kids
Ingredients:
1/2 cup peeled & thinly grated Cucumber
1/4 chilled fresh Hung Curd
2 tbsp Eggless Mayonnaise
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
2 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp Mint paste
Salt to taste

Method:
Squeeze out the water from the cucumber and discard. Blend it in a mixer till smooth, stsrain using a strainer and discard the water again. Combine all the ingredients, including the cucumber, in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve the chilled creamy cucumber dip surrounded with crackers.

Note: To get 1/4 cup of hung curds, tie 1/2 cup of curds ina muslin cloth and hang it for 1/2 hour. Remove from the cloth and use as required.

Black Chickpea Pilaf With Leftover Chickpea Gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:48:53 PDT

I often make this chana pilaf when I make Black chickpeas gravy a day before. Not only I relish this on day one with roti/parathas but also make full use of it by preparing it in form of pilaf to add the variety. It saves my cooking time .The best part of this rice based dish is that it is not only nutritious with the addition of chickpeas, but due to it's colour , it is attractive to children.

Hope all of you like the look of it. Would be even more happy if you could send me your feedback after you have prepared it in your homes.

To know how to make Black Chana Gravy click here. Dry up the gravy on low flame as we don't need the gravy. Keep aside.

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati Rice (rinse the bastmati rice and soak for 20 minutes)
1 big Onion, cut into thin slices
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic-Green chilly paste
1/4 cup Tomato paste
1 inch Cinnamon stick
2 Green cardamom
2 Cloves
1 Bay leaf
1 Black cardamom
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
2 Green chillies, chopped (you can skip this if you have child at home)
2 cups Water
Oil (I used 3 tbsp)

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai on low flame, add bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves and fry for one minute. Add onions and keep stirring till it becomes transparent. Add ginger-garlic-chilly paste and fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder and tomato paste and fry till the oil starts separating. Drain the water from rice and add into the pan. Mix well.

Fry this for 2 minutes (if you are adding green chilles add it now) and add the left over chana into the kadai along with 2 cups of water. Mix well after adding salt (do remember left over chana had salt in it) so check after seasoning. Let the first boil come, then cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or till the rice is done. Serve this nutritious pilaf with raita of your choice.

Phirni With Rice Flour

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:33:32 PDT

Summer is setting in and by the initial looks of it , it seems that this one will be a long heat wave. During this period I am on a mission to prepare certain cuisines that not only taste good but also helps the body to beat the heat. One of such dessert that acts as a soothing agent after a heavy lunch is called Firni ( Rice Pudding) . It may have originated from the Middle east but now a days it has become a delicacy in the South Asia particularly in India and Pakistan. The key point in preparation is that it must be refrigerated and then eaten. Hope you like this dessert as a finale at the end of a sumptuous meal.

Ingredients:
1/2 ltr Milk + 3 tbsp hot milk separate in a cup
60 gm Rice flour
50 gm Sugar
1 tsp Cardamom powder
1 tsp Rose water
1 tbsp chopped Almonds and pistachios
A few strands of saffron dipped in milk( approx. 2tsp milk)
Silver leaf for decoration (optional)

Method:
Boil milk in a heavy pan on medium heat till it reduces to half of it's original quantity. Keep stirring in between. Make a paste with rice flour and hot milk in a cup, dilute till you get a thin consistency.Add this to the pan and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed. Cook on low heat by stirring continuously for 10-12 minutes.

The texture should be smooth and little thick, now add sugar and mix well. Continue to cook on low flame the sugar dissolves. Before removing the pan from the heat, add cardamom powder and mix well. Remove from heat, add saffron strands liquid and rose water. Mix well. Pour into small individual earthen pots for best results and let it cool. Then chill it in the refrigerator for a while. Garnish with chopped nuts.

Fried Marie Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:43:29 PST

How are you friends? I hope all my Indian friends had wonderful Holi celebrations. Did you play with colours? This year I enjoyed this festival of colours with my friends and family. Morning was spent on applying colors on friend's faces and later part of the day was spent hours trying to scrub off the colour from my face ;-)

By the way did I tell you my friend Lubna has helped me to installed Facebook Like badge to the left sidebar in this blog? As it has become most popular amongst bloggers would be grateful if all my visitors press the LIKE button on it. It will mean a lot to me.

Last week when I went to meet my friend Sunanda Patary, she surprised me with one of her mother's recipe. Every time I visit her she surprises me with her quick, simple ingredients required dish.

And this time it was with Marie biscuits.......
These were crispy and easy snacks with just egg and biscuits as two vital ingredients.Thanks dear for this super quick idea to satisfy pre-dinner hunger pangs.

Ingredients:
1 Egg
6 Marie biscuits
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying (vegetable oil)

Method:
In a frying pan heat oil on medium heat. Beat egg, add salt, pepper powder until fluffy. Dip one biscuit at a time in egg mixture and immerse into hot oil. Deep fry on both sides until become golden brown.

With slotted spatula take out fried biscuit drain on a plate with kitchen towels on it. Serve immediately these crispy fried biscuits with tomato ketchup.

No one can eat just one ;-)

Kalakand Recipe -Sweet for Holi !!

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:23:50 PST

Firstly I would like to wish all my readers and blogger friends from all across the world a Happy, vibrant and colorful Holi. In order to celebrate this festival of colors, I would like to present a very popular North Indian sweet called Kalakand which is loved by everyone for its soft and melt in mouth texture. For those who have not tasted this sweet , the key ingredient of this sweet is milk and sugar, but here I have posted milkmade version as I find it quick and have to spend less time in the kitchen.

So, once you have started playing Holi keep on popping in few pieces of kalakand in between to energize yourself and apply colors to each and every near and dear ones. Play a safe Holi with Eco-friendly colours !!!

Ingredients:
1 tin Milkmaid
1 cup Milk
Pinch of Phitkiri (Alum)
1 tbsp Sour curd
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
Chopped nuts to decorate (almonds and pista)
Silver foil (optional)

Method:
Boil milk in a heavy pan and stir continuously on medium flame till it is half. Add a pinch of phitkiri and sour curd. This will help in crystallization, keep stirring till the extra water dries up. Add milkmaid, sugar and keep stirring the mixture till the mixtures becomes semi dry and leaves the edges of pan. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Turn off the heat and immediately spread the mixture in a greased tray. Sprinkle nuts on top and with the back of flat spatula slightly press it against the kalakand. Let it cool, then cut into squares. To set these properly you can store the pieces in an air tight box and keep inside the fridge for later use.

Baked Spinach Cigars

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 03:05:16 PST

Don't be surprised by the name friends, let me clarify that I am not into smoking cigars ! I was determined to make something very healthy for my family last weekend and this idea clicked. Instead of tobacco, the spinach is the filling inside the dough and another difference is that instead of lighting this cigar you need to chew this slowly and savor the taste. ;-)

Also being a baked preparation ensures it nutritional values to be intact and the crispiness remains. Hope you try out this recipe and post your pics with a cigar in your mouth. You would look like a powerful Boss used to giving orders to the henchmen :)!

Ingredients:
For The Outer Dough-
2 cups All purpose flour
2 bunches of Spinach (Palak)
Salt to taste

For The Stuffing-
1 cup Mushrooms, finely shopped
1 Onion, finely shopped
1/4 cup Corn Kernels
2 Green chillies
2 Garlic pods, chopped
1/4 cup Amul Cheese, grated
2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method:
To make the dough, first separate the palak leaves from the stem. Clean and wash palak leaves thoroughly and make sure that there is no dirt. Then blanch leaves in boiling water for 4-5 minutes, then dip them in ice water or cold water for sometime. This will ensure the green color is maintained. Now squeeze out the excess water and blend in a mixer to make puree.
Take a big bowl, add flour, salt and make a well in the center to pour spinach puree. Mix and knead until the dough is moist enough to be gathered into a soft ball. Cover and keep this aside for 20-25 minutes.

In between prepare the filling by heating 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add garlic, onion and saute. When the onion turns pink, add mushroom, salt and pepper. Stir fry for 4-5 minutes or until the moisture is gone.

Turn off the gas, sprinkle coriander leaves and cheese. Let this mixture cool down. Pre-heat Oven to 175 Degree Celsius.
Now roll out thin pooris and shape them in squares,collect the extra edges from the round puris to the dough.

Brush the edges of the square with a little water. Pour 2 tsp of mushroom filling, carefully roll to seal it properly. Now arrange the cigars in a single layer on a baking sheet and brush the cigars with little butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately with your choice of dip.

Oats Upma

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 02:04:02 PST

There is a well known saying that a healthy and fulfilling breakfast paves the way for energetic day with complete vigor.And that is the reason why now a days I make oats upma frequently these days. The USP of this meal is that it can be prepared within a very short period( 15 minutes at max). Today, I woke up a bit late , realized that it is still Friday and my husband and son would be off to their respective venues( Office and School) and by Lo and Behold ! After 15 minutes my wholesome breakfast is ready. Sometimes you can not plan things and would have to improvise at the spot and take decision. Today was one of such days.

Ingredients:
100 gms Oats
1 finely chopped Onion
1 chopped Tomato
1/4 cup Sprouted moong beans
1/2 tsp grated Ginger
1 Green chilly, chopped
6-7 Curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Sugar
300 ml water
Lemon for taste
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:
Dry roast oats on low flame for 6-7 minutes or till golden brown, keep aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add green chillies, ginger and onion, fry for a minute. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt and stir well. Add the roasted oats, sprouted moong, little water and stir well. Add the remaining water, stir well and cook on low flame for another 5-6 minutes or till the mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and serve hot.

Linking this to Rasi's I'm the Star- her first event.

Corn Vegetable Pulao

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:45:48 PST

One of an important point I learnt during my course of cooking is always to think how to make dishes more tastier without excessive time or effort. As the name suggests the main ingredient is corn which is complimented with healthy veggies like Carrots and French Beans. At the end of the meal, the dish looks simply superb and once you taste it, you would feel satisfied as this takes little time to make. So, even simple meals can be tasty and tempting which is proved by this rice. We had this with palak chicken (coming up :-).

Ingredients:
2 cups Bastmati Rice
1 cup Corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped French beans
2 Black cardamoms
2 Green cardamoms
1 " Cinnamon stick
4-5 Black pepper corns
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds, roasted and grounded to powder
4 tbsp Ghee
Salt to taste
4 cups Water

Method:
Wash and soak basmati rice for 30 minutes. Drain and keep it aside.Heat ghee in a kadhai, add whole spices and stir until the spices leaves aroma. Add the vegetables and fry till they are half done. Add the rice, turmeric powder and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 4 cups of warm water, season with salt, mix well. Boil on high flame then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes. Check if the rice is cooked and the moisture is gone by gently stir the rice in a way that the bottom layer comes up. Now sprinkle the cumin powder over rice and miix well. Serve piping hot corn pulao with raita of your choice.

Festival of Culinary Celebration With Kingfisher Explocity Restaurant Week

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:36:31 PST

The veil was lifted on 20th Feb 2012 with much fanfare for the most awaited Kingfisher Explocity Bangalore Restaurant Week. Bangalore being a foodie's paradise showcase the city's Top 16 chefs who were competing to win the prestigious title. The event was held at the Leela Palace. The event was organized by Kingfisher in association with Explocity.

Winner: Sundeep Biswas from Istas

The 10 day gourmet affair will start from 24th Feb will continue till 4th March. To add to the glitter of the night, celebrity Chefs Karen Anand, Abhijit Saha and five of the most renowned bloggers and food critics of Bangalore were present to encourage the participants and judge their creations. Also the atmosphere was charged up by the presence of food lovers and connoisseurs of the city. They were glued to the two large LCD Tvs where the performance of chefs were being telecast. To keep them in good spirits, a steady supply of mouthwatering appetizers and drinks were provided. So,while witnessing the craftsmanship of cooking, the crowd were cheering for their respective favorites.

Winner of Asthetic award: Chef Jitu from The Park

The way this event has unfolded, it can be safely predict that this event is going to be talk of the town. The Kingfisher Explocity 2012 would be a very handy manual for all the foodies whoever is interested to savour mouthwatering variety of dishes. So foodies lets go for it amongst more than 100 restaurants ( Khansama, Tasty Tangles to name a few) are giving great discount with the best of the cuisines from all over the world.

Abhijit Saha, Karen Anand, Ramji, Samar Singh

Restaurant Style Malai Kofta Curry

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:26:12 PST

There is a long circulating myth that vegetarian dishes can not be lavish as much as non veg ones. However, when I retrospect with all the paneer dishes that I had, the best possible preparation that comes in my mind is not the conventional type paneer curry ( palak, mutter etc.) but malai kofta which is an unusual preparation which requires your patience and preservation.

This dish is one of the most popular, rich and delicious ordered Mughlai preparation in restaurants. A lavish dish which is served in restaurants or in homes where delicacy is the key word while serving it to the friends and families. Hope you enjoy my preparation like my friends did on pot luck party.

Ingredients:
200 gms Paneer (cottage cheese)
2 Bread slices
2 Potatoes, boiled
6 tsp All purpose flour
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Salt

*For Filling:
Collect the cream (malai) of the milk in a bowl for the last 3-4 days.
Fistful of cashews and raisins
2 tsp chopped Coriander leaves
Mix the filling ingredients and keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

For Gravy:
3 Onion
3 Tomatoes
2 tbsp Curd
1 " Ginger
3-4 Green chillies
2 tsp Poppy seeds (soaked in warm water for 1/2 hour)
5-6 Cashews
1 tsp Red chilly powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam masala
4 tbsp fresh Cream
1 tsp Salt

Method:
Grate the boiled potatoes and mash well with paneer. Moisten the dry bread and squeeze the extra water out and add salt, flour, garam masala into the paneer bowl. Mix well and make round balls.

Flatten each ball and fill the center of the ball with the cream filling*. Make sure that you seal the edges and deep fry the koftas on medium heat till golden in colour. Place them on paper towel to soak excess oil. Keep aside.

To make the gravy you need to first boil the onions in a bowl of water for 12 minutes, drain out the water and then puree in a mixer. Keep aside. Do the same with the tomatoes also and boil till the skin looks loose and will come off easily. Let them cool a bit then put it in the blender or food processor to puree them. Keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion puree till light brown. In between make a paste of ginger, green chillies,.cashews and poppy seeds with 1 or 2 tsp water. Add this paste to the pan and fry till it leaves oil. Sprinkle red chilly powder, salt, coriander powder and keep stirring. Add tomato puree and fry till the oil leaves from the side of the pan. Add curd at this point and stirring continuously, pour 2 1/2 cups of water, cover and cook for 7-8 minutes on low flame. Season with garam masala, coriander leaves and cream. Add koftas just before serving otherwise koftas will soak all the gravy. Serve with Nan / Peas Pulao or with chapati.

Look at the fresh cream in the center ;-)

Palong Sager Ghanto (Spinach With Vegetables)

noreply@blogger.com (Hamaree Rasoi) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:55:54 PST

During my childhood, Mom used to nag a lot "tora saag sobji kobe khete shikhbi?" (When will you start eating green leafy vegetables?)
And now a days when I insist my son to eat leafy vegetables, I can very well understand my mom's concern while going through the same vicious cycle. This spinach with vegetables combination is served at along with the mid-day meal. With minimum spices this is a very healthy dish. We use Panch phoron in this saag, which is prominent mixture of 5 spices largely used in Bengali dishes

Ingredients:
3 bunches of Spinach
1 Red carrot
2-3 small Brinjals
1 Radish
6-7 Cauliflower florets
6-7 Beans
1/4 cup Yellow pumpkin
2-3 Green chillies
1/2 tsp Turmeric power
1/2 tsp Panch Phoron
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
Mustard Oil

Method:
Cut, wash and dice/ trim all the vegetables. In a large vessel take spinach and soak it for 5 minutes before you rinse (to get rid of the grit this step is must). Do this several times until the water is clear. You may remove the hard stalks.
Heat oil in a pan till it reaches smoking point, then reduce the heat and add panch phoron, silted green chilles. Once the panch phoron releases its aroma add all the vegetables, salt, turmeric, mix well and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, sugar, cover and simmer for another 5-6 minutes. Turn off the heat and this saag is ready t be served with gorom bhaat (steamed rice) and dal.