Difficulty: Difficult | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins| Yield: 12 pieces
INGREDIENTS
For the Filling
400 gms of Mooli (Raddish)
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Powder
½ tsp Red Chillie Powder
3 Green Chillies
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
For the Paratha
3½ cups Madia (Flour)*
¾ tsp Salt
1½ tbsp Oil
12 tsp Oil for Frying
12 tsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Peal and finely grate the raddishes and mix about a tsp of salt and leave aside for 10-15 mins.
- In the meanwhile chop the green chillies and the coriander leaves.
- Also you can prepare the dough while we wait for the radish to soften a little and the extra water comes out.
- Now in a bowl, take 3 cups of the maida and the salt and mix well. The rest of the maida will be required to roll the parathas.
- Then add the oil and evenly rub it into the flour.
- Now knead this flour with warm water and knead it into a soft dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. It's easier to stuff the parathas if the dough is soft.
- Cover this with a cling film or a wet cloth till the filling is ready.
- Once about 15 mins is over since you have set the raddishes aside, squeze out the water from it properly and put them in a separate bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients of the filling to it.
- Add the salt according to your taste and mix well. Ensure that the salt is a bit on the higher side as this would give a better taste to the parathas.
- Now divide the dough and the filling into 12 equal portions.
- Rolling between your palms make smooth round balls of the dough first and then flatten them by applying pressure between your palms and with your fingers.
- Now place a portion of the filling at the center and cover it with the dough. Ensure that the filling is in the center and the opening is sealed properly. Roll it between ur palm and flatten slightly. Repeat for the rest. [Refer image shown in Aaloo Paratha]
- Roll each of these in a little flour.
- Now sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and with a rolling pin, roll each of them into about 7” diameter round and ¼” thick discs. While rolling, the pressure should applied evenly and gently or else the filling may tend to come out of the parathas. In such case, sprinkle some flour on those areas.
- In a small bowl, mix the ghee with the oil for frying and keep it aside.
- Heat pan and first dry roast each of the parathas on medium heat till they are a little brown on both the sides.
- Once the parathas are roasted, in the same pan add 2 tsp of the oil and ghee mixture and place one paratha at a time into the pan again. Shallow fry the paratha on both sides for 1-2 mins. Repeat for the rest of the parathas.
- Serve with achaar(pickle) and plain curd.
NOTES
*You may also use wheat flour instead of plain flour. In that case you need not add the oil in the dough.
Difficulty: Easy | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins| Yield: 3-4 Servings
INGREDIENTS
1 Large Potato
¼ Green Capsicum*
¼ Red Capsicum*
1 tbsp Sambar Masala Powder
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
3 tbsp Oil
DIRECTIONS
- Peal, wash and dice the potatoes into about ¼”-½” cubes.
- Clean and wash capsicums. Cut them in squares of about the size of the potatoes.
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the potatoes and fry on medium heat.
- Once the potatoes are lightly brown in colour, add the capsicums.
- Add the salt according to taste.
- Fry till the capsicums are also fried a little and the potatoes and the capsicums are cooked.
- Now add the sambar masala and the red chlli powder.
- Stir for about a minute and remove from heat.
NOTES
*Add any kind of coloured capsicums as per availability. It looks better if you can use both the colours.
Difficulty: Easy | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: Nil | Yield: 2-3 Servings
INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Potatoes
¾ cup Pasta
½ Large Cucumber
1 Egg
15 gms Cheese
3 tbsp Mayonaise*
1½ Yogurt
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves**
1 Green Chillie***
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Peal and dice the potatoes and the cucumber into ¼” cubes.
- Boil the pasta and the potato with about 2 tsp of salt. Drain the water and leave it aside.
- Boil the egg separately and dice it into ¼” cubes as well.
- Finely chop the coriander leaves and the green chillie and grate the cheese.
- In a bowl take the potatoes, pasta, eggs, and cucumber.
- Add all the other ingredients. Mix well.
- Check the seasoning and if required add a little salt (about ½ tsp).
- Can be served as it is or if preferred, may serve it chilled as well.
NOTES
*I prefer to use home made mayonnaise. If not, use a plain mayonnaise from the grocery store.
**You may also use any other herb of your choice, or do away with it also.
***Optional.
Difficulty: Easy | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins| Yield: 3-4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Potatoes
100 gms Methi Leaves
¼ tsp Methi Seeds
1 Dry Red Chillie
1 Green Chillie
4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Peal and dice the potatoes into about ¼” cubes.
- Take out the methi leaves from its stems and clean them very well.
- Now finely chop them, add about ½ tsp of salt and leave them aside for about 5 mins.
- Chop the green chillies
- Heat oil in a pan and add the dry red chillie and the methi seeds.
- Now add the potatoes and fry till golden brown.
- Add the methi after squeezing out the excess water in them.
- Add salt according to taste and the green chillies.
- Continue frying the methi along with the potatoes till the methi is lightly fried. But make sure not to over fry them or else it'll become too dry.
- Serve with roti.
Difficulty: Difficult | Prep Time: 2 Hours | Cook Time: 1 Hour | Yield: 5-6 servings (Makes 18 Kachoris)
For Aloo Dum:
INGREDIENTS
500 gms Baby Potatoes
1 large Onion
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1½ tsp Garlic Paste
¼ cup Yogurt
2 tsp Coriander Powder
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Red Chillie Powder
½ tsp Cumin Powder
6 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Boil the potatoes and peal its skins.
- Make a paste of the oinion and chop the coriander leaves.
- In a pan, add the cumin powder and ½ tsp chillie powder for dry roasting them. Stir on medium flame till the colour starts changing. Remove the mixture from the pan immediately so that the roasting is not over done. Leave aside.
- Heat the oil in a separate pan and fry the potatoes till it gets a light golder colour.
- Remove from pan and keep aside.
- In the same oil add the oinion paste. Fry till the onion paste turns brown in colour.
- Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for another minute or so.
- Now add the coriander powder, turmeric powder and the rest of the chillie powder.
- Stir and add a little water.
- Once dry add a little water once more and fry the masala again. The frying of masala should be done 2-3 times adding a little water each time so that the masala cooks well and becomes a smoothe paste.
- Add the curd, stir in the fried potatoes and salt according to taste. Mix well.
- Now add about 2 cups of water. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer and cook for about 10 mins.
- Uncover and ensure that the gravy is dry and thick.
- Remove into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the roasted cumin and chillie powder. And finally, garnish with coriander leaves.
For Kachori:
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Boiled Peas
½ tsp Shah Jeera
½ tsp Whole Pepper
1 Green Chillie
3 cups Flour
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying and cooking
DIRECTIONS
- Dry roast the shah jeera and whole pepper in a pan for 2-3 mins.
- In a blender, add the peas, shah jeera, whole pepper, green chillie and blend to a smooth paste.
- Heat a pan, add 4 tbsp oil.
- Add the paste and salt according to taste. Please note, that the salt should be on the higher side as this will make the kachoris tastier.
- Cook till oil starts separating, and the paste is fully dry.
- Once cool, make 18 equal balls of the filling and keep aside.
- Now take the flour in a bowl and add 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp salt. Evenly rub it into the flour.
- Now knead this flour with water and make it into a soft dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. It's easier to stuffed the kachoris if the dough is soft.
- Now divide the dough into 18 equal portions.
- Roll between your palms and make smooth round balls of the dough first and then flatten them by appying pressure with your fingers, and between your palm.
- Now place a portion of the filling at the center and cover it with the dough. Ensure that the filling is in the center and the opening is sealed properly. Roll it between ur palm and flatten slightly. Repeat for the rest.
- To roll the kachoris grease a flat surface and the rolling pin. Take each balls of kachori, grease with a little, and roll each of them into about 4” diameter round discs. While rolling, the pressure should applied evenly and gently or else the filling may tend to come out of the kachoris. In such case, you may make it a little smaller in size.*
- Heat oil for deep frying. Immerse a kachori and fry one of its sides till it puffs up. Flip and fry the other side for a few seconds. Remove on a absobant paper.**
- Repeat for the rest.
- Serve hot with Aloo Dum
NOTES
*You may also add a little less filling the next time, though it is always nicer with lots of filling.
**Kachoris always puff up, so even if your filling has come out a little while rolling, it wouldn't matter.
[One of the typical Bengali vegetarian preparations]
Difficulty: Easy | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Yield: 3-4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 medium Potato
1 small Raw Banana
¼ Large Brinjal
½ Bittergourd
2 Drum Sticks
½” Ginger
2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 ½ tbsp Poppy Seeds (Khas Khas)
½ tsp Ajmud Seeds (Randhuni)
½ tsp Sugar
3 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
2 Green Chillies
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Soak the Poppy seeds in warm water for about 10 mins.
- Peal the drum sticks and the potato.
- Cut all the vegetables lengthwise into long rectangular shapes.
- Boil the raw bananas and take off its peals. Boil the potatoes as well. Do not over boil them.
- Finely grate the ginger and slit the green chillies.
- Leave a pinch of mustard and randhuni seeds aside.
- Make a paste of the remaining mustard and randhuni seeds along with the soaked poppy seeds, adding a little water at a time. It is advisable to soak the poppy seeds beforehand as it tends to take a long time to paste it.
- Now in a pan heat the oil.
- Add the pinch of mustard and randhuni seeds and a slit green chillie.
- Once the seeds start to splutter, add the ginger and the unboiled vegetables.
- Stir fry for a while. Then add the boiled potato and the banana. Fry for another 2 mins.
- Now add the masala paste and stir it in with the vegetables. Add salt to taste and the sugar.
- Saute' the vegetables with the masala for a while.
- Then add the other green chillie, about 2 cups of water and cover and cook on low heat till all the vegetables are cooked.
- The gravy should be little thick and creamy. If it is too light evaporate the excess water on high flame till done.
- Shukto should be brought to the room temperature or even less and served with steamed rice.
Daal Puri/Kachori
Difficulty: Difficult | Prep Time: 4 hrs | Cook Time: 1 hr | Yield: 20 pieces
INGREDIENTS
For the Filling
½ cup Masoor Dal
1 Medium Onion
1½ Ginger paste
1 Green Chilli
½ tsp Chilli Powder
6 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
For the Puri
2½ cup Madia (Flour)*
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Oil
Oil for Deep Frying**
DIRECTIONS
- Wash and soak the dal in water for about 3 hrs.
- Slice the onion and finely chop the green chilli and keep aside.
- Once the daal soaked well, make a smooth paste of it in a mixer adding as little water as possible.
- Now to make the filling, heat oil in a pan and add the onions.
- Fry the onions till translucent.
- Add the ginger paste and chopped green chilli. Fry for another 2-3 mins.
- Now add the dal paste, chilli powder and salt. Ensure that the salt is a bit on the higher side as this would give a better taste to the puris.
- Cook till the dal is mixed well with the onions and all the water has evaporated. Do not cook it for too long as it'll tend to make the filling very dry and hard to use later on.
- Now in a bowl, add the maida, salt and sugar and mix well.
- Then add the oil and evenly rub it into the flour.
- Now knead this flour with warm water and make it into a soft dough. The dough should be soft but not sticky. It's easier to make stuffed puri if the dough is soft.
- Now divide the dough and the filling into 20 equal portions each. Roll each of them into smooth balls
- Make smooth round balls of the dough first and then flatten them by appying pressure with your fingers and between your palm.
- Now place a ball of filling at the center and cover it with the dough. Ensure that the filling is in the center and the opening is sealed properly. Roll it between ur palm and flatten slightly. Repeat for the rest.
- Now grease a flat surface with a little oil and with a rolling pin, roll each of them into about 5” diameter round and ¼ cm thick. While rolling, the pressure should applied evenly and gently or else the filling may tend to come out of the puris.
- Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the puris one at a time. The puris would puff up once fried on one side. Flip and fry the other side for until slightly blown on each side. Please note, oil needs to be properly heated before frying the puris. Then again, if it gets too hot, then the puris would become too brown too soon. Hence, you need to regulate the temperature while you fry.
- Serve it hot with Aaloo Sabji.
NOTES
*You may also use wheat flour instead of plain flour. In that case you need not add the oil in the dough.
**If you do not want to deep fry, you may roast each puris on a flat pan. Once roasted, on both sides, add 1 tsp of oil and shallow fry them evenly. The picture above is of shallow fried puris.
Aaloo ki Sabji
Difficulty: Easy | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins | Yield: 3-4 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 medium Aaloo (Potato)
½ tsp Dhania (Coriander) Powder
½ tsp Jeera (Cumin) Powder
¼ tsp Haldi (Turmeric) Powder
1 tsp Chilli Powder
½ tsp Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek leaves)
½ tsp Hing (Asefotida) Powder
2 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)*
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Boil the potatoes. Peal and crush them a little with your hands to get uneven pieces.
- In a pan heat the ghee.
- Add the kasoori methi and then the dhania, jeera, haldi, and chille powders. Add a little water and fry the masala for 2-3 mins.
- Then add the potatoes, salt and lastly the hing.
- Stir and add 2 cups of water.
- Simmer with covered lid for about 5 mins.
- Serve hot with kachori or puri or even chapati.
Difficulty: Easy | Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Yield: 3-4 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 medium sized Potatoes
½ tsp Ginger Paste
½ tsp Garlic Paste
¼ tsp Kasoori Methi
¼ tsp Garam Masala Powder*
1 tsp Chole Masala Powder**
½ tsp Chillie Powder
2 Green Chillies
1 cup Dahi (Plain Yogurt)***
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Peel, wash and dice the potates into 1” cubes.
- In a pan heat the oil and the ghee together and add the potatoes. Fry lightly.
- Add ginger garlic paste, fry a little, and then add the kasoori methi, garam masala powder, chole masala powder and the chillie powder.
- Add a little water and stir. Add a little salt and fry the masala with the potatoes till oil starts separating from the gravy.
- Add the dahi.
- Slit the green chillies into halves and add them to the pan as well.
- Stir for a while and then add salt according to taste.
- Add a little water and cover the pan.
- Cook till the potatoes are cooked well.
- Uncover and allow the excess water to evaporate. This is to be done till the gravy thickens a little and oil starts separating again.
- Remove from heat.
- Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.
NOTES
*Garam Masalo powder includes equal proportion of cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon grinded together.
**You may replace the chole masala with anything other similar variant.
***If the dahi is too soury in taste, then add about ¾ cup only.
