Aloo Papri Chat

Ingredients
Potatoes - 3 medium sized
Papri(round or squares) - 125 garms
Curd - 1 small cup
Tamarind paste - 3 tsp
Jaggery - 1 small cube
Sugar - for taste
Salt - for taste
Onion - 1 medium sizeed
Green Chillies - 5 to 6
Coriander Leaves - as required
Chat Masala - for taste

Preparation/Cooking
1. Boil tamarind paste in 2 cups of water.
2. Add jaggery and let is boil till the consistency starts thickening.
3. Add chat masala powder , salt and (sugar if required) for taste.
4. When the mixture gets its desired consistency and taste,keep aside to cool.
5. Boil the potatoes till soft.
6. Cut the boiled potatoes into small pieces.
7. In a bowl add a little bit of water with the curd and beat it till smooth and soft.
8. Cut the onions and chillies in small pieces.
9. In a big bowl, spread the papris.
10. Spread half of the onions over it.
11. Add potato pieces over it along with green chillies.
12. Add curd and tamarind-jaggery syrup over it.
13. Spray chat masala powder and salt for taste.
14. Garnish with coriander leaves to serve.

Notes
1. It is good to retain a thick consistency for the curd.Do not make it too thin while mixing with water.
2. Chilli powder can also be used if you want to make it more spicy.

Corn-Peas-Aloo Tikki

Ingredients
Corn - 100 grams
Peas - 50 grams
Potatoes - 3 medium sized
Salt - for taste
Pepper - for taste
Chilli powder -1 tsp
Grated ginder - 5 to 6 strips
Flour - 1/2 cup
Onions, Green Chillies, Ketchup for serving

Preparation/Cooking
1. Boil the potatoes , mash them and put it aside.
2. Boil the corn and peas until soft.
3. Mix the corn and peas with potato well.
4. In the mixture add salt , pepper, chilli powder, grated ginger and flour (little) and mix it well.
   (Please make sure the mixture does not become too dry, give flour accordingly.)
5. Make small shapes of the mixture and coat with flour.
6. Deep fry the shapes and serve hot with ketchup, onions and greens chillies.

Notes
1. If the potatoes, corn and peas are kept outside for long time so that the water in them evaporates, then no need to add
flour for drying. Adding flour on dry vegetables will make them hard.
2. Ginger strips are optional . Without adding this will also make it tasty.

Kaju Kismis Pulao

         Pulao is a sweet rice dish that is taken widely by people across India. This is a common dish cooked in almost all occasions.Here I will be talking about a flavour of Pulao which is eaten in Bengal and this goes best with rich mutton/chicken curry.It can be cooked with vegetables too but I have used dry fruits only.

        This is one of the easient recipes but yet turns out to be good every time.That is why everytime I have a get together in my home , I prefer to cook this one.

How to Cook

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Turmeric Powder - 1tsp

Salt - 1tsp

Sugar - 2/3 tsp

Kaju - 50 gms

Kismis - 50 gms

Whole garam masala spices (Cardamom - 3/4, Cinnamon - 1,Cloves 4/5)

Cooking:

• Wash the basmati rice thoroughly.
• Fill a handi/big pot with water and heat to boil.
• Place the basmat rice , turmeric powder and salt in the water.
• Cook the rice until it is almost done but not fully.
• Drain the water from the yellow colored rice and keep aside.
• Wash the dry fruits - kaju/kismis with water and keep them aside.
• Now take an empty pot and heat ghee and vegetable oil.
• Place bay leaves and whole garam masala (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves) into the oil.
• Wait for few seconds until you start getting a rich aroma of spices.
• Pour the rice over it and mix well with the spices and oil/ghee.
• Mix with kaju , kismis, sugar and salt.
• Cover the pot with the lid and cook for about 5-8 mins until rice is fully cooked.
• Give a standing time for about 10 mins before you serve.

Notes:

• Use vegetable/corn oil only , this does not taste good with mustard oil.
• Use of few drops of rose water can also increase the aroma - but this may not be preferred by all. 
• Be gentle while mixing the rice with spices and dry fruits - otherwise this will break the rice grains.

Pabda Machh - Spicy Curry

       When it comes to fish , Bengalis are always ahead. The primary reason being their proximity to river proned land. There are so many fishes that different communities of Bongs eat - it can hardly be counted . Out of the commons , after Ilish comes Pabda - one of the favourites of Bengal.
       Pabda machh (fish) is a fresh water fish and is easily cooked. It does not have rough scales that needs to be cut out like many other fishes.Though nearly all fresh water fishes can be eaten fried , Bengalis always try to stick to a rich and spicy gravy to compliment the taste.

How to cook

Ingredients:

Pabda fish - 5 to 6 pieces
Turmeric Powder
Red Chilli Powder
Salt - as required
Sugar - 1 tsp
Kalajeera - 1 tsp
Red Dry Chillies - 1
Green Chillies
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 2 medium size
Coriander Powder (Dhone guro) - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder (Jeera guro) - 1 tsp
Mustard oil (or any Vegetable oil)
Coriander Leaves


Cooking:

• Cut the fish fins and throw out unnecessary materials from behind the neck.Wash the fishes thouroughly with water. 
• Grate the onions. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and keep them aside.
• Mix the fishes with salt , turmeric powder and red chilli powder and keep for sometime (10-15 mins)
• Heat oil and fry the fishes till lightly brown.Keep medium flame while frying. Keep the fried fishes aside.
• In the oil ,pour kalajeera and green chillies . Let them splutter for few seconds.
• Pour the onion and let it turn to lightly golden brown.
• Add turmeric powder, red dry chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder , salt and sugar. Mix well and cook for sometime till oil separates.
• Add tomatoes and let it cook in the water released by tomatoes.
• When the spice looks done , add the fishes into the curry and mix well.
• Add sufficient quantity of water and let it cook for another 10 mins till you get a nice aroma of the curry.
• Add coriander leaves on the curry and give a standing time of 10 minutes before you serve.

Notes:

• You may add little fish masala before adding coriander leaves. This can enhance the taste.
• The curry tastes better when cooked in mustard oil, but if you are health conscious use vegetable or corn oil instead.