MAKKI KI ROTI

Ingredients:

3 cups corn meal
1.25 cup boiling water
melted buttersalt to taste

Preparation

1.Mix corn meal and salt in bowl.
2.Pour boiling water in center (like well) and knead to a stiff dough with a spatula or big spoon.
3.Divide it into about 10 balls and roll each out to a circular disc shape (about 1/8 inch thick, and 4 inches in diameter).
4.Cook breads in either on a skillet with oil or ghee until brown on both sides on low-medium heat.
5.Serve hot with Chutney.

BADOORA

Ingredients:
Maida-1000 gms
Egg-1
Yeast-1 tsp
Milk-1/2 glassS
ugar-2 tbs
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Add the above ingredients together. Add some warm water and mix it into a thick dough. Cover the dough with a wet cotton cloth and keep it aside for six hours. One or two mixing in between will make the dough extra soft. Now the dough is ready. Make small balls with the dough and roll it into thick rounds. Then deep fry it in oil.Easy method: To make the dough ready in half an hour, mix the flour with soda (bottled soda), a little sugar and salt.

Sondesh (Bengali Sweet)

Ingredients

1 litre milk preboiled and top cream removed
1/2 tsp. citric acid or
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. corn flour
1/2 cup sugar ground fine
1/4 tsp. essence of choice
few drops color to match essence flavor
(example. green with pista essence)
For topping:
1 tsp. slivered pistas and almonds
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
Small moulds of choice

Preparation

1.Dissolve acid or lemon juice in 1/2 cup warm water
2.Put milk to boil. When it rises, pour acidic water all over it.
3.Reduce heat and stir till fully curdled.
4.When whey and water separate completely, remove from heat.
5.Strain in clean muslin cloth.
6.Hold under running water for a minute.
7.Press out excess water and hang for 15 minutes (paneer is made).
8.Empty the paneer in a large plate.
9.Take 2 tbsp of paneer in a heavy pan and add cornflour.
10.Heat on medium flame stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes.
Cool, add to paneer in plate, add sugar, essence and colour.

Subz Bhaja (Bengali food)

Ingredients
2 medium size potatoes
2 medium size brinjals
1 raw banana thinly peeled
1 zucchini
1 slice pumpkin, skinned and deseeded
1 cup gram flour
1 cup rice flour
1/2 tbsp hot oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
3-4 pinches soda bicarbonate
oil to deep fry

Preparation

1. Wash, wipe and slice vegetables (including skins) into thick diagonal slices.
2. Make a batter of all the other ingredients, using water as required.
3. The batter should be able to coat the back of a spoon smooth and thick.
4. Heat oil for frying. Dip some veggies in batter at a time.
5. Coat with batter and let them in hot oil one by one.
6. Fry fritters (veggies) till light golden and crisp.
7. Drain and serve hot with chutney and sauce.
8. Repeat for remaining vegetables. Serve an assortment each time.

DOSA

Ingredients:

2 cups (360 g) rice, preferably parboiled
1/2 cup (90 g) split and husked Bengal Gram ('Dhuli Urad')
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
2 tsp salt Oil for cooking dosas

Preparation

Rinse rice and dal and soak in water for about 2-3 hours.Soak rice, daal, and fenugreek seeds together overnight. Grind these ingredients together to a very smooth consistency. Add the salt and enough water to make into a dropping consistency, and leave to rise for 5-6 hours, or overnight. Check consistency of the batter, and if needed, add enough water to make into a smooth pouring consistency. Heat tava (dosa pan) very hot, splash a little water over it, and with a ladle, immediately pour some batter onto it, spreading it thin, with a circular motion, without pressing too hard. (You will need some practice to get it right). Lower the heat and dribble a little oil around the edges. When edges start browning a bit, it is almost done. Add desired filling and fold over.

Ven pongal

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1 cup moongdal
3 green chillies
1/4 inch ginger
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp whole black peppers,
1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of turmeric powder.
10 - 15 cashewnuts
salt to taste

Preparation

Mix rice and moong dal Add 3 times water(6 cups) and steam until it is overcooked.Cut green chillies ginger into fine pieces. Take ghee in a fry pan and add black peppers, and cumin seeds. When the peppers burst add chillie and ginger pieces and a pinch of turmeric powder.You should be cautious while adding the black peppers and green chillie pieces in hot oil. They may burst all over. Therefore use low heat and a deep hollow vessel for this.Add cashewnuts and remove the pan when the cashews are roasted and begin to smell.Add this to cooked dal-rice mix. Add salt, a sprig of curry leaves and mix well. Add some ghee while serving.

Vermicelli upma

Ingredients: ]1 cup vermicelli
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urud dal
1/2 tsp, gram dal
2 red chillies
5 tsp oil
a bunch curry leaves,
1 onion
2-3 cashews
salt to taste

Preparation
Roast vermicelli in ghee/oil for 2 min until it becomes slightly golden brown in color. Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When it pops, add red chilies, urud dal, gram dal .Add curry leaves and finely chopped onions. Add the roasted vermicelli .Now add 2 cups water and leave it covered in low heat. Stir occasionally and cook until it becomes soft. Roast cashews in little ghee and add it to the upma. Serve hot.

PALAK PANEER

Ingredients

250 gm paneer pieces (cottage cheese)
500 gm spinach
3 tablespoon onion (chopped)
2 tablespoon tomato (chopped)
2 tablespoon any cream (alternate: sour cream)
2 teaspoon Garam masala powder
1 teaspoon Cumin powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon ghee or oil
Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Heat ghee or oil. Fry onion until light golden brown.
2. Add spinach and cook until it turns into a paste.
3. Add sour cream, spices and tomatoes. Cook for few minutes.
4. Add cubed paneer to spinach. Cook for about 10 minutes in medium heat.
5. Serve hot with rice or Rotis .

BAIGAN KA BHARTA

Ingredients:

1 teaspoons garam masala powder
2 teaspoons Amchur powder
2 teaspoon
oilsalt to taste

Preparation

1. Make slits in eggplants and roast them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or till it becomes soft. (Alternatively, cut and cook over stove with oil)
2. Peel and mash them.
3. Heat the oil in medium heat. Add the half of onion and fry until it becomes golden brown .
4. Add turmeric, salt and yogurt. Cook for few minutes.
5. Add the eggplant, tomato, garam masala, green chili and amchur powder. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes with continuous stirring.
6. Remove from heat. Add the rest of onions and mix well.
7. Serve hot.

DUM ALOO

Ingredients:

½ kg-small potatoes
1 cup-onion paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
½ cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1teaspoon kasoori methi
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
5 teaspoon cream
2 teaspoon cashewnut paste
½ cup-plain yogurt
2 teaspoon-oil
Salt per taste

Preparation

Peel, wash and prick potatoes with a fork. Deep fry over medium heat in oil until potatoes are golden brown in color. Keep aside.Heat oil in a pan. Add onion paste and cook until light brown.Add cashewnut paste and yogurt. Cook few seconds.Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Cook few seconds.Add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and tomato puree. Cook for few more minutes.Add 2 ½ cups of water. Bring it to a boil and add fried potatoes.Season with salt.Reduce heat to low. Add garam masala and methi.Continuing cooking for ten minutes on a low heat.Finish with cream and serve hot.