Nolen gurer Ice Cream

Ingredients
• Nolen gur or Date Palm Jaggery  - 3 tbsp
• Fresh cream – 1 cup 
• Full cream milk – 1 cup 
• Whole milk cream powder – 1 cup 
• Powder sugar – ½ cup

Method :
1. Put the nolen gur into a blender jar , add fresh cream , milk, whole milk powder, powdered sugar and blend till smooth.
2. Pour the mixture into an ice cream container with a tight fitting lid. 
3. Then put the container into the refrigerator for 8 hours  till it is set. But remember to stir the mixture after  every one hour  for the first 3 hours.
4. Place scoops in stemmed glasses or plate or bowl . You can use liquid nolen gur above the servings for garnishing. 

Servings – 6 person 

Chicken Parmigiana

It is a classical Italian dish. It can be served along with Pasta or one can have it as the main dish with good Italian wine.


Ingredients
• Egg – 1 
• Bread crumbs – ½ cup
• Boneless chicken breast – 2
• Red pasta or home made tomato sauce – ½ cup
• Mozzarella cheese – ½  cup 
• Parmesan cheese grated – ¼ cup 


Method
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Take a medium sized baking sheet and grease it lightly.
2. Pour egg into a small bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl.
3. Dip chicken pieces  into egg, then roll it over  bread crumbs.
4. Place coated chicken  on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the chicken is  pink and juices run clear .
5. Pour ½ of the pasta sauce or homemade tomato sauce into a baking dish. Place chicken pieces over sauce , and cover with remaining sauce.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheeses  on top.  
7. Put it back into  the preheated oven for 20 minutes .

Doi illish or Curd Hilsa

Doi Illish or curd Hilsa has very similar looks to that off mustard (or sarshe) hilsa, but taste-wise it is completely different.

Ingredients:

• Hilsa fish – 4 pcs 

• Curd – ½ cup 

• Poppy seed – 2 tbsp paste 

• Mustard paste – 3 tbsp

• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp 

• Green chillies – 4 

• Salt – as per taste 

• Sugar – ½ tsp

• Kalanji seeds – ½ tsp 

Method:

1. Clean the hilsa pieces and pat dry them .Season them with salt and turmeric powder.

2. Now heat mustard oil in a wok, and slowly put the fish pieces one by one and fry them lightly. Remove the fish pieces after they are fried and keep the oil aside 

3. In a bowl, mix curd, poppy seed and the mustard paste. Add turmeric powder. Add some fresh oil to the wok and temper with the Kalanji seeds and let them splutter.

4. Turn the heat to low and add the mixture of curd, poppy seeds and mustard paste and green chillies. As the oil starts separating, add the fish, salt and cup of water. Cover and cook for some time. 

5. Garnish with a few drops of fresh mustard oil and green chillies, serve with hot steam rice.  

Dry Fruit Chikki or Dry Fruit Brittle

By birth I am a Bengali but by heart I am a die-hard fan of Punjabis, be it their attitude to laugh at themselves, or their ways to celebrate with an open heart, or their food. Having spent the golden period of my life in Delhi,  I got to spend a lot of time with the Punjabis, and been part of their celebrations.  On the day of Lohri today,  I am thousands of miles away but have found my own way to celebrate Lohri.  

Wish a very Happy Lohri to my friends

Here is an easy recipe of dry fruit chikki 
Ingredients

• Almonds – ½ cup (cut in halves)
• Cashew nuts – ½ cup (cut in halves)
• Pistachio flakes – 1 tbsp 
• Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp 
• Sugar -3/4 cup
• Honey -1/4 cup 

Methods:

1. At first dry roast cashew nuts in a hot non stick pan .  Then dry roast almonds.
2. Now, put  sugar onto the non-stick pan and let it melt on low to medium flame. Stir it to prevent from burning. When sugar  melts completely, add honey, almonds, cashewnuts, cardamom powder and mix well.
3. Now pour the mixture  on parchment paper and spread it evenly. Sprinkle pistachio flakes.
4. Gently roll it with greased rolling pin. 
5. After 3 to 4 minutes make square (or diamond shapes) marks  with sharp knife and allow it to cool.
6. Separate the chikki into square  or diamond shaped pieces and store in an air tight container.