Sandesh...

I'm not an expert when it comes to cook in microwave, I mean solely using the micro feature. Grilling and the convection mode are frequently used but the microwave mode is only used for re-heating food in my house. It works wonder when I need to dehydrate herbs or to blanch almonds.

So when Indrani a co-blogger and a member of Kolkata food blogger announced an event to cook something using microwave and solely microwave not the grilling or convection option, my first thought was  that I need to pass this. But before saying 'quit' I gave it a little thought and came up with this very simple easy idea of making sandesh in microwave. I make sandesh very often to lure my kid to eat homemade cottage cheese or chana, which is  usually  falls in her "reject" category.

Chicken curry...ma's special recipe

In this hot sizzling summer, we all prefer to have something simple and light. The curries I make during summer is less oily and spicy. So last Sunday when the kid and the man asked to have a simple chicken curry for lunch I went for my Ma's special chicken curry recipe.

The curry my Ma makes is very simple, chicken on bone slow cooked along with onion, garlic and other few common spices. I have tried to recreate this curry so many times, but unable to achieve the exact flavor like my Ma does. May be mothers have magic in their hand, that makes something simple to be very special.

For few reasons I never ask recipes from my mother. Either she will say it is too simple why you need a recipe? or in between the narration of a recipe she will ask me whether she uses that particular spice or the other!!! So better stand quietly next to her while she is cooking that particular dish, ignoring all her attempt to send you back to your own room and watch precisely what's going on actually. What I have learnt from these observations is that you may know what spices go in which curry but you should know when to add them and how much to add. And I learnt this chicken curry that way, by watching her.

The lightly spiced thin curry with chicken and potato is simple yet delectable. A chicken curry that used to be our Sunday special lunch, along with some Gondhoraj lebu (an aromatic Lime) and steamed white rice. I still remember how we used to enjoy the leftover curry for dinner with freshly made ruti (whole wheat flat bread). And this curry is still a part of my regular menu, specially when we are in a mood for something simple. Though I know it is not possible to replicate the same taste as ma's, but after trial and error for 10 years it's somewhere very close. And to my outright pleasure my daughter loves this curry too.

Things needed to make Ma's Special Chicken Curry:

• Chicken (on bone): 700 gm (cut into 12 pieces)
• Potato: 5-6 small or 2 large cut into quarters
• Red Onion or shallots (finely chopped): 1/2 cup
• Garlic (crushed): 2 tbsp
• Ginger (grated): 1 tbsp
• Tomato (grated): 1 large
• Cumin powder: 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
• Red chili powder: 1-2 tsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
• Cinnamon stick: 1
• Green cardamom: 4-5
• Cloves: 5-6
• Green chilies: 5-6
• Mustard oil: 3-4 tbsp*
• Vinegar: 2 tbsp
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

*Mustard oil is a must ingredient for this dish.

Steps of making Ma's Special Chicken Curry:

1. Clean the chicken pieces, pat them dry. Marinate the chicken pieces with vinegar and red chili powder. Peel the potatoes, if you are using large potatoes then cut them into quarters. I prefer to use small potatoes and keep them whole.

2. Heat mustard oil in a pan, fry the potatoes till nicely brown from all sides. Keep aside.

3. Add more oil to the same pan, when the oil is hot, reduce heat and add a teaspoon full sugar. Add crushed garlic. Cook for 1 min, or till the garlic starts to change red, add the whole spices cinnamon, green cardamom and cloves. Cook for 1-2 min.

4. Add finely chopped onion and cook till nicely brown. Add grated ginger, mix well and cook for 2 min. Add grated tomato (discard the seeds), mix well and cover the pan, cook over medium flame for 2-3 min.

5. Add the dry spices, turmeric powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, along with a spoon full of water, mix well. Cook over low heat for 3 min, keep stirring. Add the chicken pieces. Discard any excess vinegar. Add salt and mix well. For the first 5-6 min cook over high heat and keep stirring continuously. Reduce heat to medium and cover the pan and cook for 10 min. The chicken will release a considerable amount of water. Uncover and cook till oil separates from the spices. At this point there will be very less water, so be careful not to burn the meat pieces.

6. Add 1.5 cups of hot water. Let it boil. Add the fried potatoes, cover the pan and cook till the potatoes are done. Check seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add garam masala powder, green chilies (use whole, this to impart a distinct flavor), switch off the heat. Cover the pan and let it rest for 10 min. Serve hot with steaming hot rice.

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first anniversary...and some rajbhog

It's surprising how time flies, last Sunday I completed a year of blogging. 365 days, it seems like just yesterday, I decided to start my blog to share my love of food and cooking. I had been asked by so many friends to publish my own blog, but never took it seriously. Blogging happened just suddenly. It was not planned, like many other things in my life.

Growing up in a Bengali joint family, I have seen my mother and aunts cooking everyday food at home. From steaming hot cup of tea in the morning to Ruti (soft puffed flat bread) for dinner, all made at home. Eating out was considered to be unhealthy and waste of money. My mother had her strict instructions, no food from street stalls. Though we used to satisfy our taste buds with those unhealthy fuchka, jhalmuri and rolls etc & etc, that's a different story.

The transformation of raw ingredients to something finger-licking good is like magic, the magic of cooking that fascinated me always. The sound, the aroma, the taste are treasured food memories  I grew up with.The spluttering sound of vegetables going into hot oil, the flat stone mortar pestle grinding spices or the pressure cooker announcing the Sunday special meat curry were the acoustic of my food memory. Where as the smell of frying fresh fish, or boiling Gobindobhog (an aromatic rice) rice were pleasure to the olfactory perception.

The regular food I grew up with was mostly Bengali, with few exceptions of Indo-Chinese food or Mughlai dishes. I remember as a kid the most surprising thing for me was my mother making 'luchi'. I never understood how a flat flour disk can change into such a perfect crispy delicious rounds. Luchi is one of the top ten reasons that I used to wander into my mom's kitchen and very strongly sent back to study table.

Other than the curiosity of what's going on the kitchen, I was a very fussy eater. I never enjoyed same old rice and curry, always in search for something different, something new. And that let me start quite young in the kitchen in comparison to my other cousins at home who hardly bothered to know what's happening inside the kitchen.

Collecting recipes from cookbooks and magazines became one of my favorite hobbies. Instead of watching TV serials I enjoyed cookery shows. Then came a time when I was allowed to enter the kitchen and cook something by myself. It started with some simple cake, flan, with my mother's guidance of course. Though every time I occupied the kitchen my mother complained how clumsy I was. But mom's are for that, aren't they..?

My father and brother, both were my constant support. My elder brother being the most critical critic I have come across in my life and my father being just the opposite. My father never found any fault in my cooking, even if I completely forgot to add salt in a curry.

There are so many cooking disasters, I look back and laugh at those, memories are sweet indeed.

The love of cooking become a daily activity after marriage. Moreover being a mother myself, I spent a considerable time in kitchen. It's indeed rewarding when your little one hugs you and says 'you are the best cook mom', and the man declares the food is far better than the restaurants.

To cook is a pleasure to me. To recreate the traditional dishes I have grown up eating as well as experimenting something very new gives me a satisfaction. I found cooking to be very creative, an art itself. To spread that love and joy of cooking I started blogging. Blogging taught me so many new things; the aesthetics of food presentation, to click a good food photo. And most importantly blogging has given me so many friends. Thanks to all you for being there, constantly supporting me and encouraging me.

So to celebrate the first anniversary I made a special sweet, Rajbhog. As the name says it is the food for kings, Raj means king and bhog means food. These large round cheese dumplings cooked in sugar syrup is a delicacy from Bengal. Homemade cottage cheese balls stuffed with pistachio and milk solids are cooked in sugar syrup flavored with saffron and rose water. The procedure is very similar to  making Rosogolla.

Things needed to make Rajbhog:

(To make 12 Rajbhog)

For the cottage cheese dough:

• Milk: 1 gallon / 1.89 lt
• Lime juice: of a whole large lime
• Sugar: 1 tbsp
• Semolina/ Sooji: 1 tbsp
• Flour: 1 tbsp
• Saffron: a pinch soaked in 1 tsp milk

For the stuffing:

• Milk powder(unsweetened) or mawa: 1/4 cup
• Saffron: a pinch soaked in 1 tbsp
• Green cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp
• Pistachio (blanched and chopped): 1 tsp

For sugar syrup:

• Sugar: 2 cups
• Water: 5 cups (divided)
• Green cardamom: 6-7
• Saffron: few strands
• Rose water: 1-2 tbsp

Steps of making Rajbhog:

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan, keep stirring so the milk does not scorch to the bottom. As the milk rolls to boil gradually add lime juice till the milk curdles. Line a colander with cheese cloth, strain the curdled milk. Tie up the cheese cloth containing the solid curdled milk, wash under cold running water. Hang the cheese cloth to drain excess water.

2. After no more water drops from the cheese cloth bag, transfer the cottage cheese to a flat tray or plate. Add sugar (1 tbsp), semolina, flour and saffron to the cottage cheese and mix very well.

3. Mix all the ingredients very well.  Knead the dough with heel of your palm for 4-5 min, to make a smooth dough.

4. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Cover the dough with a wet kitchen towel.

5. Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing.

6. Divide the stuffing into 12 small balls.

7. Stuff the cheese balls with the stuffing.

8. Make smooth round balls. Cover the cheese balls with a wet kitchen towel. Boil sugar(2 cups) and water(4 cups) for the sugar syrup, in a large deep container. Keep the other extra cup of water warm. Add green cardamom, saffron to the syrup, let the syrup boil. As the syrup rolls to boil add the cheese balls carefully. Reduce heat, cover the container and cook the cheese balls. Keep as eye so the syrup does not spill. Cook the cheese balls for 40-45 min. In between add ladle full of warm water(the extra one cup) to keep the consistency of the syrup right. Make sure you are using a large enough container to accommodate all the cheese balls and as the cheese balls are cooked they will swell up to double their size.

9. After 40-45 min, switch off heat, remove pan from heat and let the Rajbhog cool down for at least 5-6 hrs. I prefer to serve them after 24 hrs, so they can soak the syrup well. Serve hot or cold.

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Rosogolla...

Does Rosogolla or Rasgulla need any introduction? I don't think so. It is a signature Bengali confectionery. Whenever you talk about Bengali sweets, Rosogolla is the first thing that comes to your mind.

Rosogolla are homemade cheese balls cooked and soaked in sugar syrup. Rosogolla originated in Orissa,  a state/province of  the erstwhile Bengal and was called Khira Mohona. It was introduced to Bengal by a sweet seller. Eventually a confectioner from Kolkata named Nabinchandra Das adapted and modified it to the  modern rosogolla recipe as we know it. Rosogolla  gradually gained its popularity through out India. K.C. Das, son of Nabinchandra Das made it available world wide by first  making them available in cans.

Several other famous sweets of Bengal have  been derived from rosogolla, like rosomalai (cheese balls in fragrant milk), komolabhog (orange flavored rosogolla), baked rosogolla etc.

Today being the first day of Bengali new year, I made some Rosogolla at home.  Though you need very few ingredients to make rosogolla, one need to be very precise while making them. The steps involved are simple but you need to practice few times before you  can achieve that perfect texture and taste.

Things needed to make rosogolla:

• Whole milk: 1/2 gallon(1.89 ltr)
• Lime juice: of a whole large lime
• Semolina/sooji: 1 tbsp
• Sugar: 2 cups + 2 tsp
• Nakuldana: 20 (optional) (see pic for reference)
• Water: 6 cups
• Green cardamom(lightly crushed): 7-8

Steps of making rosogolla:

1. Boil the milk in a large pan, keep stirring so the milk does not scorch to bottom.

2. As the milk rolls to boil, remove from heat and gradually add the lime juice and keep stirring. The milk will start to curdle, the whey will separate.

3. Strain the curdled milk with the help of cheese cloth.

4. Collect the cheese in the cheese cloth and run under clod water. This will ensure to wash out any smell of lime juice in the cheese as well as cooling down the cheese and making it softer.

5. Tie up the cheese cloth and squeeze out excess water, hang the cheese cloth bag to drain out excess water. 

6. Take the cheese in a flat plate, add sooji (semolina), 2 teaspoon sugar and mix well for 2 min or till smooth.

7. Knead the dough with your back of your hand for 4-5 min or till no lumps.

8. Divide the dough into four balls.

9. From each ball make 5 balls. Put one nakuldada (sugar ball) in each ball. Make a perfect round ball. Nokuldanas(Sweet makhana) are small sugar candies commonly used as an offering during Pujas. You can get them easily in any Indian store.

Nokuldana

10. Repeat the step for other cheese balls, so at the end you will finish with 20 cheese balls.

11. In a wide mouthed and dip pan (with cover) add 6 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar, boil the syrup. Add crushed green cardamom.

12. Add the cheese balls, cover the pan. Keep an eye so the syrup does not spill. Cook for 40-45 min.

13. In between add little warm water to the syrup, because as the syrup is boiling for long it may thicken and make the rosogolla hard, to keep the consistency of the syrup same, add little hot water. I did add hot water twice (a ladle full) while cooking the rosogolla.

14. As the cheese balls are cooking  turn the cheese balls very gently. The cheese balls will puff and will be double the size, make sure you are using a large enough pan to accommodate all the cheese balls. After 40-45 min switch off the heat, remove pan from heat and let it cool down to room temperature. As the rosogollas will cool down they will shrink in size. Rosogolla will taste best the next day. You can cool it inside a refrigerator and serve cold or at room temperature.

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Chingri macher malaikari...a signature Bengali dish

Chingri macher malaikari...prawn in creamy coconut gravy is always close to every Bengali's heart. If you are talking about a typical Bong spread then malaikari is a must on that.

There is a big debate  though about the origin of this dish. Some say it derives the name from the creamy coconut gravy, malai means cream, hence called malaikari or malaicurry. The other opinion is, it has originated in the land of Malay...

But frankly, I do not want to scratch my head pondering about the origin of the dish, whatever may be the origin, the dish is always a show stopper and my all time favorite. And my 5yr old too agrees with me. I have seen my grandma and my mother to cook this dish several times. And I also follow the same.

This is my entry to BWW#89 of Black and White Wednesday- a culinary photography event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, now managed by Cinzia of Cindystar, and hosted by Lynne Daley of Cafe Lynnylu.

Back to the Malaikari Recipe, it's here...

Things needed to make Chingri Malaikari:

• Large prawns: 6
• Onion(grated): 2tbsp
• Garlic paste: 1/2tsp
• Ginger paste: 1tbsp
• Cinnamon: 2-3(1inch stick)
• Cardamom(crushed): 3-4
• Cloves: 4-5
• Bay leaf: 1-2
• Dry red chili: 2-3
• Shah jeera/black cumin: 1/2tsp
• Turmeric powder:1tsp
• Red chili powder: 1/2tsp
• Cumin powder: 1/2tsp
• Garam masala powder:1/4tsp
• Thick coconut milk: 1cup
• Ghee/clarified butter: 1tsp
• Oil
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste

The steps of making Chingri Malaikari:

1. Wash, clean and devein the prawns. Peel the prawns but keep the shell on head and on tail. Smear salt and turmeric powder on prawns and keep aside for 20-30min.

2. In a pan or kadai add oil, any vegetable oil is good. When the oil is hot add the prawns. Cook for 2-3min on high heat or as they change color to red. Do not overcook the prawns, or they will turn chewy and hard. Keep the fried prawns aside.

3. In the same pan or kadai add some more oil. do not discard the oil from fried prawns. As the oil heats up, add bay leaf, whole garam masala(cinnamon, cardamom, cloves), shah jeera/black cumin, dry red chilies. Cook till the spices release nice aroma, add the garlic paste and cook for 1min. Sometimes I have seen my mother add slices of garlic to the oil, and cook the garlic till red, then she discards the garlic slices from the oil. This way the garlic does not dominate the curry but leaves a mild aroma. I do both way, even sometimes without garlic. It is entirely on your choice which one you prefer.

4. As the garlic is done, add the onion paste. Cook on medium heat for 3min.Add the ginger paste and mix well. Cook for 2-3min on medium flame. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and cumin powder, mix well. Cook for 2min then add the coconut milk. I used canned coconut milk, those are readily available in any grocery stores. If you like you can make fresh coconut milk. For that scrape  the coconut and keep soaked in hot water. Make a fine paste of the coconut and strain it, your coconut milk is ready.

5. As the gravy boils, add the fried prawns. Cover and cook on low-medium flame for 3-4min. do not overcook the prawns. Check seasoning, accordingly add salt and sugar. Switch off the heat. Add ghee and garam masala powder, close the lid immediately. Let it stand for 10min. Serve with steamed hot rice.

Coconut milk is the key ingredient of this dish. Aromatic garam masala with creamy coconut milk blended with flavorsome prawns makes this dish a topper. There are many who do not add any garlic and onion to their malaikari, even there are recipe that totally rejects usage of turmeric powder. But at the end it's individual's choice. I sometimes make my malaikari without any garlic, sometimes with cumin and without....but adding mustard paste or tomato or fennel paste to malaikari is a big no for me.

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