Bengali garam masala

If you want to add flavor to your food, without the fat, this is the best way to do it. I usually make it in small batches and store in airtight container. However it is easy to make on the spot too. Most bengali dishes are transformed with this spicy concoction

To make you will need

• 3 tbsp cumin seeds
• 5-6 cloves
• 5-6 elaichi
• 1 inch stick cinnamon
• 2 red chillies ( less if you don't want the heat)
• 1 bay leaf

Dry roast all ingredients on a tava/ griddle and grind finely in a coffee grinder after it has cooled. Store in a air tight container

Chingri Bati Chorchori

I have just returned from a trip to India and once again one of the best dishes I have tasted on this trip comes from my friend Sagarika's home . Her mom is an expert cook too and her rendition of "bati chorchori " is one of the most unique one I have eaten. Bati chorchori basically translates to cooking a mix of ingredients in one bowl with as little fuss as possible.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of medium size prawns
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 large potato
• mustard paste ( grind black mustard seeds with a pinch of salt and two green chillies into a paste)
  
• 2 tsp mustard oil
• 2-3 green chillies
• 2 tsp cilantro chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• salt to taste
  

Cut onions and potatoes, in long strips, mix with cleaned prawns, mustard paste, mustard oil, green chillies, chilly powder, turmeric and salt. Chop some coriander leaves as well and mix it.Mix everything in a kadai/wok , put the gas to high for sometime, then cover and let it simmer till everything is cooked. Should take about 7-10 mins. Garnish with cilantro .

Daal - the quintessential indian starter

What is an Indian meal without Daal? I was talking to a former student yesterday and she said that she hated daal! This set me off thinking that maybe she did not know what good daal tastes like :) Daal can vary from the boring watery soup like gruel to a wonderful hearty meal. The basic principle of cooking is very similar so here I shall present four basic daal recipes and then one could experiment once mastery of these daals is achieved .

Mushur daal/ red lentil ( a family favorite)

This is an all purpose daal that is a staple in most bengali households. This can be eaten by itself like a soup or with bhajaas and a non veg dish. This daal cooks pretty easily and so can be cooked without a pressure cooker. However, if you are going to cook it without a pressure cooker, soak the dal in warm water for 30 mins before you boil it. To boil any dal ( excelt moong daal) just wash well, add 3 cups of water to 1 cup of daal ( more if you like your daal soupy) , pinch of salt, turmeric and 2-3 green chilli, split in the middle for flavor but not spiciness. Pressure cook till the first whistle and switch off. Wait till pressure is released and add tadkaa as follows

Tadkaa

• 1 large onion, finely sliced
  
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• salt to taste
• pinch of sugar
• 1 tbsp oil

The tadkaa process is the same for all daals. In a wok, heat oil till its very hot. Add the dry whole spices first,till it all splutters, followed by the onions and tomato. Add turmeric, salt and sugar, cover and cook on med heat till the whole mixture is soft and mushy( 2-3 minutes). Now remove pressure cooker lid, using a fork whisk the mixture. At this step add more water if daal is too thick ( this can happen if the raw daal grains are too big) . Add the whisked daal mixture to the taadkaa and bring to boil. Garnish with cilantro.

Moong daal tadkaa

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chilly
  
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1/2 spoon ginger grated
• turmeric, salt and sugar to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp grated coconut
  

Dry roast the daal before washing and cooking it in the pressure cooker. The aroma of the roasted daal and light brown color is a good indicator that it is done. Be careful as daal burns easily. Cook daal for 5 mins longer after the first whistle.Put tadkaa in oil in the same order as explained in the previous daal recipe. Garnish with fresh grated coconut( optional).

Chana dal-Cholaar daal

• 1/ 2 tsp hing
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 bay leaf
  
• 1-2 red chilly
• coconut cut in small pieces
• 1-2 tsp raisin
• 1/2 tsp ginger grated
  
• salt, turmeric and sugar to taste
• garam masala( bengali style)
• 1 tbsp oil
  

Cook daal . After whistle, simmer the gas and cook for 5 mins. To oil add coconut and fry till brown. remove and reserve. Add hing first and then all other dry ingredients. add ginger and finally raisin. This daal is traditionally eaten sweet so add a little more sugar. Now add the cooked daal and fried coconut. If coconut is unavailable, can be cooked without it as well. Finally garnish with 1/2 tsp of garam masala.

Arhar daal tadkaa

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 chopped tomatoes( less if you dont like it sour)
• 2 red chilly
• 1/2 tsp hing
• salt, turmeric & chilly powder to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
  
• 1 tsp ghee
  

Heat oil, add hing, mustard, red chillies and cumin first. Once that splutters, add tomatoes and cook till it is soft. Add other spices and pour cooked daal over it. Bring to boil and add ghee before serving.

Egg curry-kosha dimer dalna

Its been a while since I have blogged a new recipe. My son is now just a year away from college and I realized that most recipes here do not apply to regular cooking. Egg curry is a staple in every bengali household, esp when there is no other meat available. My friend Aparna requested this recipe so I figured I would add it to the blog.





Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 2-3 large onions ( or one costco size onion;)) grated, not ground
  
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste ( alternately use 1tbsp each of ginger and garlic paste)
• 1 tsp tomato paste/puree
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp dhania powder
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp ghee ( optional)
• 1/2 tsp bengali garam masala
  

For tadka

• 4 cloves
• 4 green elaichi
• 1/2 inch stick of cinnamon
• 1-2 bay leaf
• 1 whole red chilli

Method

1. Shell hard boiled eggs and sprinkle with little turmeric and salt. In a hot wok/kadai, add the oil and fry the egg till it has a light brown coating. Remove and place in the dish you will serve the dish in.
2. In the hot oil, add the tadka of whole spices. Wait till it sputters. Now add grated onion and fry ( I usually squeeze juice out first, so that it does not need much oil to fry , and add juice later when onion is more done)
   
3. When onion begins to get half done and does not smell strongly of raw onions, add the ginger garlic and tomato paste. Stir fry a few more minutes, till the oil begins to separate from the mixture.
   
4. Now add all dry spices, including salt to taste. Add eggs to this mixture and simmer the gas. Cover and fry this whole mixture till it has a rich red-brown color. This process is referred to as kosha in bengali. Slow cooking over low flame.
   
5. Optional: add ghee for flavor and garnish with cut dhania and 1/2 tsp bengali garam masala