Mango Kheer

Mango Kheer is a traditional Indian dessert which is popular during summer time when fresh aromatic sweet mangoes are available in abundance.

Ingredients 
• Milk -1 liter
• Mango Pulp -1 cup
• Green cardamom powder -1/2 tsp
• Pistachios (grated) -1tsp
• Almonds (grated) -1tsp
• Sugar – 1 cup

Method

Pour milk into a heated nonstick pan on fire. You will have to boil it for 12-15 mins till the milk thickens through evaporation.  Keep stirring the milk with a spatula at frequent intervals so that the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  Once the milk thickens, put the sugar and stir well. Boil the milk for another 5 mins and then remove it from the heat. Let it cool for some time. Once it comes to normal room temperature, pour mango pulp and mix it well with the milk. Sprinkle grated almond and pistachios on the mixture and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours till it becomes cold. Mango Kheer tastes best when served chilled. 

Tips: The quantity of sugar to be used depends on sweetness of the mango. If you get ripened sweet mango, use less sugar according to taste. And it is better to choose fibreless mangoes like alphonso. If there is fiber in mango, then sieve through the pulp to separate out the fibers. Lesser the fiber, smoother the texture of the kheer. 

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Chicken Rezala

Chicken Rezala is a very popular dish in Bengal and a signature dish for few old restaurants of Kolkata. Chicken Rezala has become a part of Bengali dish though one can’t ignore the Islamic touch in this. As it is said, descendants of Tipu Sultan and Nawabs of Avadh fled to Bengal during British regime. And they brought their cooks who rendered delicious food which mixed best of both Bengal and Awadh. Like Bengal. Awadhi style also liberally uses Kewra water.

When I went to India this summer, I was invited to my very close friend (may I call soul-sister), who is an accomplished cook herself. She had served Chicken Rezala with Basanti Pulao (yellow colored Pulao in Bengali style). It also goes well with Paratha, Naan or Biryani. Same thing can be cooked with mutton also to make Mutton Rezala.  

Ingredients

• Chicken – 1 kg
• Green Chilly – 7 to 8 no’s
• Ginger paste – 1and1/2 tsp
• Garlic paste -1and ½ tsp
• Salt – as per taste
• White pepper powder -2 and ½ tsp
• Oil -2tbsp
• Cashew nut paste -1tbsp
• Poppy seed paste -1tbsp
• Curd -1 cup
• Garam masala powder -1/2 tsp
• Cardamom – 5 no’s
• Cinnamon sticks – 3 no’s
• Cloves -5 no’s
• Bay leaves -2 no’s
• Red chili -5 no’s
• Saffron -1/2 gm
• Kewra -1/2 tsp
• Almond – 4 no’s
• Clarified butter or Ghee -2 tbsp

Method

1. Cover the chicken with salt, white pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, onion paste, curd. Let it marinate for 3 hours.
2. Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add garam masala (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves).Now add onion paste, ginger garlic paste (1/2 of the quantity)and cook till raw flavor is gone and oil starts separating from the mixture. Now add white pepper powder, salt, chopped green chili, cashew nut, poppy seed paste and curd.
3. Add marinated chicken to the above mixture. After sometime, it will start releasing water. When water comes to boil, put the lid on and let it cook for 30 mins in a low flame.
4. Once chicken is done and some water evaporates, add garam masala powder and cook till chicken is tender.
5. In parallel, heat oil in another pan. Now add red chili, onion rings and sprinkle some salt. Cook till onions are brown and pour this on the top of the chicken and cook it for 2 to 3 mins .Now add saffron and kewra water and switch off the flame.
6. Grate Almond in thin slices and garnish the Rezala with that before serving.

Tips:  Do not use any red-chili powder or Kashmiri Mirch in this recipe or else Chicken Rezala will lose its color.

Cheesy Keema Litti with Arrabiata Alu Chokha & Pesto chutney.

ChakumChukum, has quietly completed one year on 15th Aug, with blessings of all its wellwishers. 

Belated Happy Birthday to my baby ChakumChukum. 

While you were growing, I could bring out my first book #Spices of Life#. It took away considerable amount of my time but the time was worth spending. The book has got rave reviews and the first printed  lot has been sold off. What people liked the most was the fusion of my own real life stories with the recipes. It happens almost in every Indian girl's life and my female readers could identify themselves while reading my book.

Today, my recipe is another blend of Indian and European (Italian) taste. Hope you would like it - "Cheesy Keema Litti with Arrabiata Alu Chokha & Pesto chutney."

Ingredients  for Litti dough: 
• Atta -250 gm 
• Besan (Gram Flour)- 100gm 
• Ajwain -5 gm 
• Salt –(According to taste)
• Grated cheese – ½ cup
• Water – as required

Ingredients for keema :
• Chicken mince (keema) – ½ kg
• Onion -2 finely chopped
• Chilli -2
• Ginger paste  - 1 tbsp
• Garlic paste -1 tbsp
• Chilli powder -1 tsp
• Coriander powder -1tsp
• Turmeric- ½ tsp
• Cloves -2
• Cardamom -2
• Salt –as per taste
• Oil -3 tbsp

Method :
How to make Keema filling :
1. Fry the onions in heated oil in a pan till translucent. Add slit green chilli ,cloves cardamom stir for sometime. Add ginger garlic paste and stir till the raw smell disappears.
2. Now add turmeric and chicken mince. Fry till all it dries up and the keema looks golden brown in color. Now add red chilli powder , coriander powder, salt and cook for sometime. After sometime pour a cup of water and cook till the keema is tender and dry.

How to make Litti 
1. Mix atta and besan thoroughly. Add ajwain, salt and water . Knead into a soft dough and keep aside.
2. Divide dough into medium size balls. 
3. Press with the thumb to make a hole and put a little keema  mixture inside, put some cheese, close the hole and make a round balls .
4. Bake these balls /Litti in Tandoor or Oven at 180 deg C for 10-12 mins. But turn over after every 3 mins to ensure all sides are well-baked.


Ingredients for Alu (Potato)  chokha with Arrabbiata sauce
• Olive oil- 3 tbsp
• Chopped Garlic  -1tbsp
• Chopped Celery -2tbsp
• Chopped  Onions – ¼ cup
• Salt – to taste 
• Chilli flakes – 2tbsp
• Tomato puree -1/2 cup
• Fresh tomato puree – ½ cup
• Potato  – 400 gm

Method 
Pour  olive  oil in a preheated pan and heat it for some time. Add chopped garlic , chopped celery, chopped onions and salt to taste. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes and add red chili flakes , tomato puree and fresh tomato puree . Cook for a while, check the desired consistency and mix the mashed potato. Alu chokha with  Arrabbiata sauce is ready to be enjoyed.
Ingredients for pesto 
• Basil -1and ½ cup
• Pine nuts – ¼  cup ( very lightly roasted)
• Parmesan Cheese – ½ cup ( grated)
• Salt – as per taste 
• Lemon juice – 2 tsp
• Garlic – 4 cloves

Method
Pour the garlic with a little pinch of salt and the basil leaves in a food processor. Add the pine nuts to the mixture and mix again .Turn out into a bowl and add half parmesan .Stir gently and add olive oil.

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Garlic Cheese Spread

INGREDIENTS : 

• Butter – 2 tbsp
• Garlic Powder  - ¼ cup
• White pepper powder – 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil – 3-4 tbsp
• Grated Cheese – 1 cup
• Chopped Garlic – 2tbsp
• Salt – as per taste

METHOD  : 

Take a blender bowl and put the butter, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, vegetable oil, grated cheese and blend it into a fine paste. Now, add chopped garlic 2 tbsp and mix it well . Your  cheese spread is ready.

IMPORTANT TIPS : 

You can make it without a blender too. Melt the butter before adding anything else. After adding all ingredients to the molten butter,  mix it fast with a spoon. The cheese will also melt in the heat of the butter.

Homemade Butter

INGREDIENTS :

• Heavy whipping cream or home made malai -1cup
• Salt  -1/4 tsp to taste
• Turmeric – a pinch
• Ice cold Water – 3-4 tsp

METHOD  :

Take 1 cup cream or malai and pour entire quantity into a blender. Now start blending for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, check it if it has thickened or else blend it for some more time. Now it will look like icing cream.

Now, blend it for another minute or so. You will notice that the mixture starts to separate. Now you can add salt, a pinch of turmeric (for colour) and 3 tsp of ice-cold water. You have to blend it well again for 15 seconds. You will see that all the liquid has come out. Pour the content into a strainer, drain all liquid by mashing. The drained liquid is butter milk. And  you have got fresh butter in your strainer.

IMPORTANT TIPS :
Important is to have a blender and a strainer to make it real fast. I have not added salt as I wanted unsalted butter. But you can add salt to taste and/or different types of herbs as per preference. Turmeric is used for slightly yellowish colour. But you can make without salt and turmeric to get plain white butter.

Kasundi or Mango-Mustard Sauce

INGREDIENTS : 

• Yellow mustard -1cup
• Black mustard -1 cup
• Finely chopped raw mango – 1 cup
• Finely chopped ginger-1tbsp
• Finely chopped green chilli – 1 tbsp
• Powdered sugar – 3 tbsp
• Oil – 3tbsp
• Cumin seeds  - 2tsp
• Asafoetida- 2tsp 
• Salt – as per taste 
• Coriander powder – 2tbsp
• Red chilli powder -1tbsp
• Turmeric  powder – 1tbsp

METHOD  : 

In a blender, add yellow mustard, black mustard, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, finely chopped raw mango, ginger and green chilli. Now add powder sugar. Add water as required. Now make a paste and keep it aside.

Now pour oil in pan and put it on an oven to heat. Once the oil is heated, add cumin seeds.When cumin seeds start to crackle,add asafoetida and the paste kept aside earlier. Add water as required, mix well and let it cool in a bowl. Your kasundi mustard sauce is ready to serve.

IMPORTANT TIPS : 

Sugar is used in this recipe for fermentation. Salt used for taste. But do not add salt while you are making the paste. Let the kasundi mature for 10 days and then only add salt according to taste and mix well. If you add salt before that, the salt will not let the sugar to do fermentation activity. 
I have used mustard oil as it goes well with Kasundi. But, if you want less pungent smell, can use any other edible oil.

Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• Eggs – 2 yolks
• Lemon Juice  - 1.5 tbsp
• Dijon Mustard – 1 tsp
• Whole grain mustard paste – 1 tsp 
• Vegetable oil – 300ml
• Salt  - as per taste 
• Pepper –as per taste 
• Powder sugar – Half tsp 

Method 

1. Put the egg yolks in to the bowl; add lemon juice, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard paste, salt, sugar, pepper. 
2. Then whisk vigorously to fully combine in to creamy consistency.
3. The most important part starts now.  Add oil slowly, little by little and keep whisking the mixture. Please ensure that the ingredients mixes with oil well before fresh oil is added
4. Once all the oil has been poured and whisked, the mixture will thicken and will resist further beating / whisking.  Then you know your mayonnaise is ready to be served.

Note:  You can refrigerate this mayonnaise and it must be consumed within 3 days.

Malpua

Any Festival is incomplete without great food. As Holi, the festival of colors draws near sharing an Indian dessert recipe Malpua. 

Ingredients:

• Flour/Maida – 1 cup

• Suji – ½ cup

• Sugar  - ¼ cup 

• Cardamoms powder – ½ tsp

• Baking soda – ½ tsp

• Mil powder or khoya – 3 tbsp or 50 grams 

• Curd – 4 tbsp

• Oil or ghee – for frying 

• Almonds or pistachios – 1 tbsp 

For sugar syrup

• Sugar – ½ cup

• Water – ¼ cup

• Kesar – 1 pinch 

Methods 

1. In a mixing bowl take all purpose flour, cardamom powder, Suji, baking powder, sugar and milk powder or khoya. (In this recipe I used milk powder). You can also use khoya instead of milk powder .Mix all the dry ingredients well.

2. Now add curd and water and begin to stir to a thick flowing batter without lumps. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.

Method (Sugar syrup)

1. Take ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water. Now boil this mixture on low flame. To melt the sugar, stir well.

1. You need to have a ½ inch (1 string) consistency in sugar syrup. If you are unable to get this consistency, then just make sticky syrup. Keep it aside.

2. Take a pan and pour some ghee or white oil. Heat in low flame .Take 2 to 3 tsp of the batter and gently pour it on the hot ghee /oil. 

3. Now deep fry on a low to medium heat till crisp and golden.

4. Drain oil on paper towels and immediately place them in the warm sugar syrup. Gently coat the Malpua with the sugar syrup with a spoon.

5. Once soaked in sugar syrup, remove them and place on a serving plate. Follow the procedure for all Malpua this way. 

6. Garnish with chopped almonds or pistachios. Serve the Malpua with hot rabdi. You can also just serve the Malpua coated with the sugar syrup, garnished with the nuts.

Wish you a very happy holi

Chocolate Ice cream

Ingredients
• Dark chocolate – 1 cup (grated)
• Full Cream Milk  – 2 ½ cups
• Corn flour – 1tbsp 
• Sugar – 1/3 cup
• Fresh cream – ½ cup 
• Vanilla essence – few drops

Method 
1. Take some chocolates and grate that. Keep that aside.
2. Take a non stick pan, half cup of milk into it and heat it. . Keep the heating at medium temperature, add grated chocolate. Now keep stirring till the mixture becomes smooth.
3. Boil the remaining milk with sugar in another non stick pan.
4. Mix corn flour in 3 tbsp of water, add to the milk and simmer for it for 2-3 mins. Now, add chocolate mixture and mix well. After sometime, remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. 
5. Take the fresh cream, vanilla essence and pour it into the above mixture. Now mix it well. 
6. Pour the entire mixture into a container and let it settle. Blend in a blender to make it smooth
7. You can now use the same container or transfer into a separate the container for freezing.  Cover the container and put it inside the freezer.  Take it out when it is set and serve.

Tomato Soup

Ingredients
• Tomatoes – 10 
• Garlic – 5 cloves 
• Carrot – 2 medium 
• Celery – 2 stick 
• Onion – 1
• Basil – Few leaves 
• Sugar – 1 tsp 
• Oil – ½ tsp
• Butter – 1tbsp
• Bay leaf – 1 
• Pepper corns – 4-6
• Salt – as per taste 
• Pepper corns crushed -  ½ tsp 
• Cream – 2 tsp 

Method 

1. Wash tomatoes and cut each  into 4 pieces. Peel & chop garlic. Now peel, wash and cut carrots into thin slices. Finely chop celery, slice onion, cut basil leaves into thin strips.
2. Pour some oil and butter onto a pan and heat. Add bay leaf, peppercorn, sliced onions and sauté until translucent 
3. Now add  chopped garlic and celery, stir fry. Add slices of carrot and tomatoes, fry for a minute and add 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil. Cover with a lid and then cool for ten to fifteen minutes. One can use pressure cooker also.
4. Strain the blended mixture through a strainer. Keep the liquid aside. Remove peppercorns and bay leaf from the residue and allow it to cool .
5. Now, blend in a mixer to get a smoother puree. Pass it through a sieve or strainer. Add the separately kept liquid to the pureed tomatoes and adjust the consistency. 
6. Put it back on heat . Add salt ,freshly crushed peppercorns to taste. Simmer it for a couple of minutes. Just before serving,  add  basil leaves , cream and bread croutons.

Pasta in white sauce

Pasta is food full of protein and keeps one full for long time. This easy recipe can help you make pasta easily. This you can give your kids in school Tiffin. Also you can have a healthy lunch or dinner with minimum effort of cooking.  

Ingredients :

• Pasta – ¾ cup 
• Carrot – fine chopped 
• Peas (frozen) – 1/3 cup 
• Green bell pepper – Fine chopped
• Butter – ½ tbsp 
• For white sauce
• Butter – 1 ½ tbsp
• Cheese – 2 tbsp 
• All purpose flour – 1tbsp
• Milk – 1 ¼ cup, boiled and cooled
• Pepper powder – ½ tsp 
• Oregano – ¼ tsp
• Chili flakes – ½ tsp as per taste 
• Salt – as per taste 

Method 

1. Boil the pasta and keep aside 
2. Heat ½ tbsp butter in a pan and sauté the chopped vegetables. Keep the vegetables aside in a  plate .
3. Add 1 ½ tbsp butter in the same pan and add flour .Whisk very well.
4. Add boiled milk and mix well, whisk properly  in low flame to avoid lumps.
5. Once the sauce starts to thicken ,add salt ,pepper powder ,chili flakes grated cheese and dried herbs. Mix well.
6. Cook further in low flame till the sauce thickens and turns smooth.
7. Add sautéed veggies and mix well. Add boiled pasta and mix well .
8. Serve Pasta in white sauce..

Note:

Make sure that there are no lumps in white sauce 

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.