Aloo Posto | Potatoes cooked with poppy seeds

Posto or poppy seeds or khus khus are obtained from opium poppy and are used across various cuisines. Bengalis are one of those kinds that ate deeply awed by their POSTO. It is highly versatile and can be incorporated virtually into any vegetable/fish/chicken to satisfy a Bengali gastronome. Born into a Bengali family, I have very fond memories of having posto cooked by my mother every now and it still remains an integral part of my favorite food list. 

One of my ever favorites and my ultimate comfort food is Aloo Posto and here is how I love to make it:

ALOO POSTO (POTATOES COOKED WITH POPPY SEEDS)


Preparation time :                                                          Cooking time :
Serves : 2

Ingredients

Potatoes -  (3-4 large potatoes peeled and cubed)
30 gm : White poppy seeds (soaked in water to get 5-6 heaped tsp of paste / posto bata)
5-6 : Green chillies
1 tbsp : Mustard oil
1 tsp : Nigella / kalonji / kalo jeera
A pinch of : Turmeric (optional)
Salt and Sugar to taste
2 tsp : Ghee

Method

1. Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes.
2. Soak the poppy seeds in little water for 2-3 hours or more, even overnight. Longer the poppy seeds are soaked, easier it will be to grind them in a paste.
3. Chop the green chillies and use them with the poppy seeds while making a paste, add very little water to grind the paste. It will take around 10 minutes in multiple pulses and give your mixer a break for 2-3 minutes in between to cool off the heat.
4. Heat the mustard oil in a pan till it reaches the smoking point.
5. Temper the oil with nigella seeds, let it splutter.
6. Add the potatoes, green chillies and a pinch of turmeric if you are using it.
7. Fry the potatoes on medium heat, do not brown it.
8. Add the cumin powder, if using.
9. Add ½ cup water , salt and cover the potatoes, let it simmer on lowest heat till half done.
10. Now add the poppy seed paste, coat the potatoes well with the paste, saute for couple of minutes.
11. Adjust the seasonings, check for salt and add sugar to taste (usually ¼ tsp).
12. Add the milk or water, cover it and let it cook till done, potatoes should not get mashed.
13. This is a dry dish, so wait till most of the liquid evaporates.
14. You can drizzle few drops of mustard oil or a spoonful of ghee over aloo posto to heighten the flavor.
15. Serve aloo posto with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.

Note:

The poppy seeds paste should be very smooth and turns out better when soaked for a couple of hours. Traditionally, my mother would make the paste in a sheel noda. But for working people who do not have this can dry grind the seeds and mix them with water.

Image source: Google Images

My first attempt at making Egg Curry

On a day when I was reminiscing my childhood days, the fragrant memories of Ma's egg curry came to my mind. It was a family favourite and Ma would make it every alternate weekend. She would make an extra egg which she would reserve and my brother and I would always fight over grabbing that one. Such were the days of childhood when getting to eat an extra egg was a matter of life and death.

Moving on, I finally decided to make Egg curry but I wanted to give it a twist. Since I am very fond of white gravies, I decided to make the eggs in a curd based curry. I searched for recipes and after surfing a couple of them I short listed the one from Bong Mom's cookbook. The recipe link is here.

So I started with a heart full of zeal and put the eggs to boil in a saucepan. The easiest task ever, apparently. But it was not to be... Soon I realised that the eggs had started cracking and that broke my heart... Well almost (wicked grin)! The stubborn girl that I am, I started with another batch after doing a bit of research and consulting Ma over the phone. Soon I was back on track with a lesson well learnt - "DO NOT count your chickens before they hatch." (Post on boiling eggs here)

However, eventually the turn of events that happened were such that EGG CURRY was not destined to be had by us that day. One disaster followed another and I later realised that the onions had got a bit burnt which imparted a kind of undesirable bitter taste to the curry.

Anyways, my sweet husband volunteered to eat his share without a complaint which made my day and I felt very grateful to him...

All in all, it was a day of immense learning for me and all thanks to my husband's encouragement, I reattempted to make the same version of Egg Curry which finally was a huge success for me.

Here is a picture of it which looks rather deceptive ;-)

How to hard boil eggs

Boiled eggs sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper is something I have always relished. On a lazy day, mashed boiled egg, mashed boiled potatoes, masoor dal and rice topped with a dollop of ghee make the ultimate comfort food for a Bengali.

When I started cooking, it was a real challenge for me to get the perfectly boiled eggs. But over time, I have been able to learn it better and it's no more a big task for me. If you're a novice and hard boiling eggs is a challenge for you then do as mentioned below and it wouldn't be so much of a problem any more.

What you need

Eggs - as per requirement

Water

Salt

Method

1. Place the eggs in a pot gently to avoid breaking them.
2. Fill it completely with cold tap water. There should be some water over the eggs.
3. Cook the eggs on medium heat.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the water.
5. Put on a lid, increase the heat and bring the water to boiling point.
6. At this point in time, reduce the flame and keep heating for 5 minutes more without removing the lid.
7. Turn off the heat, but keep the pot on the hot stove. The steam will help getting the eggs cooked. Leave the eggs in the water for 10-15 minutes.
8. Take the eggs out and place them under cold running water. This helps to separate the egg sheels from the egg.
9. Once they are cool enough, roll the egg on a flat surface to crack the shell slightly prior to peeling.
10. Start peeling from the thick end of the egg.
11. While peeling, ensure to grab the membrane underneath the shell.

Note:

1. Do not place too many eggs in the pot. Doing so will prevent them from getting cooked evenly.
2. Do not place cold eggs in a pot of hot water, the shells will crack immediately and the egg will run. 
3. Adding salt makes the eggs easier to peel. Also slightly fresher eggs are easier to peel.
4. Be very careful with the time coz too much time will make the eggs discolored and smelly, while too little time will cause them to be runny.
5. To see if the egg is hard boiled, whirl it fast on a table. If it turns fast, it is hard boiled. If it turns slowly, it is soft boiled.

Doi diye Dim | Egg curry made in a yogurt gravy

This is one of those recipes that have been lying in my drafts for longest. Every time I have tried to make this easy peasy egg curry, something or the other has goes haywire. You can read about my disastrous first attempt at making it here.

The first time, I tried to make it, the eggs cracked up while boiling. So I couldn't even get through the first step of making egg curry. It is thus, very important to master the technique of hard boiling eggs and you just cannot get it wrong. 

The second time I tried it, I nailed it and that was the eureka moment for me. Everything went well this time - The eggs were nicely boiled, the yogurt didn't curdle.

Perhaps I was able to finally do it successfully because I never gave up. And here's something that every novice should get etched in her/his mind coz success is for the one who tries.

" IF SOMETHING DOESN'T CHALLENGE YOU, IT DOESN'T CHANGE YOU."

Here's what you need to do:

DOI DIYE DIM RECIPE (EGG CURRY IN A YOGURT GRAVY)

Preparation time : 20 mins                                               Cooking time : 20 mins

Serves : 2

Ingredients

Eggs - 2 (hard boiled)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 tsp (crushed)
Curd - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric (Haldi) powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Oil - 3 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp
All purpose flour (Maida) - 1/2 tsp

Whole spices:

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Green Cardamom (Elaichi) - 1
Cloves - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Black Peppercorns - 3


Method

1. Hard boil the eggs first. (If you are not sure how to do it the right way, read here)
2. Once they're done, coat them with a pinch of turmeric and salt. 
3. In a pan heat about 1 tsp of oil and when the oil heats a bit, add the eggs and fry them for 5 minutes.
4. As soon as they turn a beautiful yellow, turn off the gas. Take the eggs out with a slotted spoon and transfer them to another bowl.
5. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and wait till it heats up.
6. In the meantime, take the curd, salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, ginger and a pinch of all purpose flour (maida) and mix it well.
7. Once hot, put the whole spices and fry till you get the aroma of the spices.
8. When you get the aroma of the spices, add the chopped onions and fry till they turn pinkish. Do not brown them.
9. Switch off the gas, add the curd mixture along with half a cup of water and sugar. Switch on the gas again. Keep it on a low to medium flame.
10. Once it comes to a boil, check for seasoning and add whatever may be required.
11. When done, add a pinch of garam masala and coriander leaves, mix and switch off the gas.
12. Doi diye dim is ready to be served. Relish it with rice or with parathas.

Note:

1. Before frying the boiled eggs, I always coat them with a pinch of atta/maida to the eggs to avoid spluttering.
2. Be careful while frying the eggs. Over frying would make them rubbery in texture.
3. When adding yogurt, ensure to switch off the flame to prevent curdling of yogurt.

Eggless Oreo Cake | Jhatpat Microwave Cake in 5 minutes

This super duper easy and quick cake would always remain special to me and there's a reason for that. Here I have to admit that never ever in my life so far, have I been able to make a cake successfully. Somehow, the forces from above have always kept me from making that delusional perfect spongy cake. But yesterday was different. After a string of failed attempts, I have succeeded in making a spongy and delectable cake. I was so excited that I just couldn't wait for garnishing the cake, I just had to dig into it!

I came across the recipe for this cake on a Facebook page and never thought that I could really execute it as I believed my baking attempts are jinxed forever. But on the insistence of a friend who had successfully tried it, I went ahead and took the plunge.

For those like me who have never dared to venture into the world of baking, this is a must-try!

Here's what you need:

EGGLESS OREO CAKE RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 mins                                                    Cooking time: 5 mins


Ingredients

Oreo biscuits - 19
Milk - 1 cup
Eno - 3/4 tsp or Baking powder - 1/2 tsp


Method

1. First crush all the Oreo biscuits to a powder consistency.
2. Add milk and whisk it all well till it rises to about twice in volume.
3. Grease a glass bowl or a microwavable dish that is deep enough with olive oil or butter.
4. Add the Eno/baking powder to the batter and transfer the contents to the greased dish.
5. Put the bowl in the microwave on high power for 5 minutes.
6. Check if the cake is done. If not, microwave it for some more time, keeping a close watch.
7. Once it is done, leave undisturbed for 15 minutes before garnishing/serving.

Note:

1. I used the original Oreo biscuits. You can also try the other variations.
2. You can also add a drop of vanilla essence into the batter for enhanced flavour.

This was the first time I baked a cake but certainly was not the last! I will endeavour to move ahead from here and improve my baking skills. 

"NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU GET YOU CAN ALWAYS GET BETTER, AND THAT'S THE EXCITING PART."

~ Tiger Woods

Chicken Makhanwala - Comfort food on a rainy day | Chicken Makhanwala

As I have already spoken about being married into a family of food aficionados, every person including my husband and even my father-in-law is a great cook with his/her own specialty. This post is about a recipe from my brother-in-law's goody bag. He is exceptional when it comes to preparing non-vegetarian dishes and is our in-house chicken/mutton/pork expert. He never follows any recipe and cooks from the heart, which is perhaps the reason why food cooked by him turns out brilliant most of the time.

Last evening, as we welcomed the belated first shower of monsoon, our plans to go out for dinner were foiled. As we were all perplexed by the heavy shower, dear Brother-in-law (let's call him RD) decided to be the saviour of the evening and made this version of Butter Chicken (which he calls Chicken Makhanwala) for us. No points for guessing that it was finger lickin' good!

So here is the recipe that I have taken from him for the toothsome Chicken Makhanwala, which novices like me could breeze through.

CHICKEN MAKAHANWALA RECIPE

Preparation time : 2-3 hours                          Cooking time : 50 mins
Serves : 6

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg

Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 3 (sliced)
Tomatoes - 6 (puréed)
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Water - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Cream - 5 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - finely chopped (for garnishing)


For Marination
Curd - 2 tbsp
Salt - 3 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp


Method

1. Take the chicken along with all ingredients listed under marination list in a bowl. Mix well and keep aside for at least 2-3 hours.
2. When done, heat butter in a pan on very low heat and as butter melts, add the garlic paste and cook.
3. As the raw smell of garlic goes, add sliced green chillies, cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt.
4. Add 1 tbsp of water and mix it well.
5. After 2-3 mins, add tomato purée and cook on medium flame till oil starts separating.
6. Now add 1/2 cup of water and sugar and stir.
7. Once the gravy comes to a boil, add the chicken pieces. Cover and cook till chicken becomes tender.
8. Once chicken is cooked, lower the flame (you can even remove from heat) and add milk. Stir well and cook for a minute.
9. Add cream, mix it all well.
10. Now add garam masala and kasuri methi. Mix well.
11. Transfer the contents of the pan into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
12. Chicken Makhanwala is ready to be served.

Note: 

1. The milk should be kept at room temperature before adding to the gravy.
2. Be very careful when adding milk to the gravy. Lower the flame and you can even switch the flame off as high heat would cause the milk to curdle. 

Mango Pannacotta- Here comes the call of the king!

The summer season is all ready to bid adieu and so is our beloved king of fruits - Mango or Aam. The favourite fruit of many is all geared up to say goodbye and the ones lying in my refrigerator were calling out to me frantically to give them a farewell much deserved. Sigh!

I was initially very confused as to what to make with them as I really didn't want to make things that I would usually make like mango shake, mango raita, etc. After a lot of deliberation, I finally decided to make Mango Panna Cotta in honour of the royal fruit. 

Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert (more like custard) and in English, it translates to 'cooked cream'. True to its name, Panna Cotta is made by cooking cream, milk and sugar on low flame and then mixing with gelatin and cooling it to set. Now one can either mix the mango purée into the cream mixture and add gelatin in the end to set the custard (this basically makes things a lot more easier) or leave the custard to set and make a separate layer of mango coulis to add on top. I chose the latter.

I used two ripe mangoes. Chopped a portion into small cubes (for the coulis and garnishing) and puréed the rest of the pulp. Here's the recipe I followed (I have divided into parts for ease of understanding):

MANGO PANNACOTTA RECIPE

Serves : 5-6 (medium portions)

1) For Pannacotta

Ingredients

Cream - 1¼ cups (I used Amul cream)
Milk - ¾ cup (preferably full fat but I used toned milk)

Sugar - 5 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Mango purée (Unsweetened)- 4 tbsp
Vanilla essence - ¼ tsp
Gelatin - 2 tsp

Water - 5 tbsp

Method

1. Sprinkle gelatin in a bowl of cool water and leave for 5 minutes.
2. In a vessel, mix cream, milk and sugar. Heat this mixture on low heat till sugar dissolves, continuously stirring with a whisker.
3. Once sugar has completely dissolved, add the mango purée and heat on low flame till it comes to a slight boil, continuously stirring with a whisker.
4. Switch off the gas and pour the vanilla essence and gelatin mixture into the vessel and mix well. 
5. Once the gelatin has dissolved, let the mixture cool for a few minutes and then pour it into serving bowls, filling them about three-fourth (I used shot glasses). 
6. Cover the bowls with cling film and leave them to set in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours.

2) For Mango coulis

Ingredients

Mango purée (Unsweetened)- remaining portion (about a cup and a half)

Sugar - 5 tsp (adjust according to taste)

Gelatin - 2 tsp

Water - 5 tbsp

Cardamom oil - 1 drop (optional)

Method

1. Sprinkle gelatin in a bowl of cool water and leave for 5 minutes.
2. In a vessel, heat mango purée and sugar on low flame, till sugar completely dissolves, stirring continuously.
3. As sugar dissolves, remove from gas and add gelatin mixture. Mix well and leave to cool for a few minutes.
4. Add on top of the panna cotta layer, cover the bowls with cling film and leave in the refrigerator to set for 4-5 hours.

3) Garnishing (Optional)

For garnishing, I whisked some Amul cream to soft peak consistency and then added 6 tsp castor sugar (adjust according to taste), and beat it again to medium peak consistency. Layer the cream on top of the shot glasses. I topped these with mango cubes and left to cool for an hour in the refrigerator. (Read about making and using whipped cream here)


Mango panna cotta is all set to be devoured!

With this, as I say goodbye to the royal fruit, all I have to say is:

"GOODBYES ARE NOT FOREVER, GOODBYES ARE NOT THE END.
THEY SIMPLY MEAN I'LL MISS YOU UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!" 

Besan Chilla! Why don't you just chill?

WARNING - This is about an experiment that was only partially successful. Attempt it at your own risk! :-P But if you are an amateur like me, you can always read it to learn from my mistakes. If you are an expert, please do leave me some suggestions for improvement.

As I woke up this morning, the sudden thought of making something that I have never tried before struck me. The first thing that came to my mind was - BESAN CHILLA. Apparently, a simple dish to make but does anyone ever think as to how the difficulty rating of recipes should be decided for novices like me (who almost always get stumped on the quantity of ingredients to be taken)! For beginners, all recipes other than Maggi and Omelette should be rated starting from Difficult to Are you friggin' out of your mind!

Coming back to cooking, everything went on smoothly as I sieved the besan, added water to it and mixed it well. Worked with the veggies and the spices and mixed everything well. But soon crisis struck. I realized my batter was too thin. I quickly managed to salvage my dear Chillas by adding some more besan and the batter was soon good enough (pakoda batter consistency) and I left the batter covered for sometime.

Finally, I got to my favorite part, cooking the chillas. The stage was set and the tawa was hot, calling me to quickly put the batter onto it. With full enthusiasm, I poured two spoons of the batter on the hot tawa. But the moment I tried to spread the batter, I saw myself facing my moment of truth ;-(. The batter just stuck to the bottom of the tawa and refused to budge! Flinching at the disaster, I tried to save the first Chilla of my life but to no avail. It was soon a tiny mountain of crushed remains of what could have been an awesome Chilla. After another failed attempt, I made a rescue call and my little brother who is doing Hotel Management came to my rescue. Finally, we were able to save the Chillas. Although they were a bit out of shape, they tasted pretty good and I got appreciated for that.

Sure I am not very far from the day when I shall be churning perfect Chillas.

OUR GREATEST GLORY IS NOT IN NEVER FAILING, BUT IN RISING UP EVERY TIME WE FAIL.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Credit: I got the recipe for Besan Chilla/Cheela from here.

PS: In all the hustle today, I completely forgot about taking pictures. I will remember that next time onward and shall eagerly await valuable comments/feedback/ suggestions.