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.

Chanar dalna...

Chanar dalna is a popular Bengali delicacy. It is made from homemade cottage cheese or Chana. This delicious curry is prepared without using any onion and garlic, for that this is often made during auspicious occasions like puja when eating non-vegetarian food including onion garlic is prohibited. I do not need any special occasion to make this curry. My daughter loves this and I often make this for her. While making this for regular family lunch or dinner I keep the curry simple, but to celebrate a special occasions and entertaining guests I add almond and cashew nut paste to the curry and that makes the gravy extra special, thick, creamy and finger licking good. I also add cubed potatoes to the curry, as no curry is complete for a Bong sans the potato. When fresh green peas are in season I also like to add a handful of green peas to the chanar dalna.

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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Malai chomchom...

Through the ages Bengalis have proved their irreplaceable love for sweets. In Bengal, sweets occupy an important place in the diet and also at social ceremonies. So last weekend when I was invited to my friend's Grihopravesh (House warming ceremony), I made Malai Chomchom for her.

Chomchom ('ch' pronounced as chair) is a very popular sweet from Bengal (Eastern India). Chomchom are made from homemade cottage cheese (Chana), cooked in sugar syrup. Chomchom can be served various ways, with grated coconut, chopped nuts or with cream (malai).They are sometimes translated as 'pleasure boats'. Indeed they are. The soft, sweet Chomchom, soaked in syrup and accompanied with some cream (malai) is truly a pleasure to your taste buds. 

Things needed to make Malai Chomchom:

For Chomchom:

• Whole Milk: 1/2 gallon (1.89 ltr)
• Lime Juice: of a whole large lime
• Semolina /Suji: 1 tbsp
• Sugar: 2 tsp
• Saffron: few strands

For sugar syrup:

• Sugar: 3 Cups (divided)
• Water: 5 cups + 1/2 cup
• Green cardamom: 7-8

For Malai (cream):

• Heavy cream /double cream: 200 ml
• Mawa/ unsweetened milk powder: 1/4 cup
• Sugar as per taste
• Saffron: few strands
• Green cardamom: 3-4
• Rose water: 1 tbsp (optional)

To garnish

• Finely chopped pistachio
• Saffron

Steps of making Malai Chomchom:

1. Boil milk in a heavy bottom pan. Stir in between, so it do not scorch to the bottom of the pan.

2.As the milk boils gradually add lime juice and keep stirring, till whey separates and the milk curdles.

3. Line a colander with cheese cloth or a piece of muslin, drain the curdled milk.

4. Tie up the cheese cloth and wash the cottage cheese under cold water, till it feels cold to touch.

5. Hang the cheese cloth bag with the cottage cheese over the sink or a bowl, to drain out excess water. Keep the cottage cheese like this still you see no more water is dripping from it. Give the cheese cloth bag a big squeeze to drain out any extra water.

6. Take the cottage cheese or chana in a flat plate or tray. Add semolina, sugar (2tsp), saffron and mix well, for about 2 min. Make a smooth dough.

7. Knead the dough with the heel of palm, till no lumps, for about 5-6 min. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, from each part make 6 balls. Shape the balls into cylinders of 2 inch length.

8. In a large deep pan boil 2 cups sugar and 5 cups of water. Add green cardamom to the syrup. As the sugar syrup starts to rolling boil, add the prepared chomchom pieces one at a time. Do not over crowd the pan. As the chomchom will be double the sixe while cooking, so use a bog enough container to fit all. Otherwise cook them in batches. Cover the pan and cook the chomchoms over medium heat for 30-35 min. In between lightly stir the chomchoms. Add some hot water to the syrup to keep the consistency right. Make sure the syrup does not overflow. After 30-35 min, take out the cooked chomchom in a large bowl along with half of the syrup, cover and keep aside.

9. Add 1 cup of sugar in the remaining sugar syrup and boil till the syrup thickens a bit. Switch off heat. Take out the chomchom from thin syrup with a slotted spoon and add to the thick syrup. Cover and keep it in the syrup for 6-8 hrs. You can serve the chomchom this way also, after cooling down to room temperature. Sprinkle chopped nuts, or grated coconut, or grated mawa. I made it a little special, adding some thick malai (cream) to it.

10. To make the Malai: In a heavy bottom pan add heavy cream and mawa (unsweetened milk powder), cook over low heat till mix well. Add sugar as per taste. I like to keep the malai less sweet, so it does not overwhelm the taste of chomchom. Add green cardamom, saffron, and rose water(if using). Mix well. Cook till it thickens, but it should be of pouring consistency. Let the Malai cool down to room temperature, keep it in the refrigerator. The Malai will be thickened as it cools down.

11. You can just spread the malai over chomchom. I used a star nozzle to pipe malai on chomchom.

12. Garnish with chopped pistachio and saffron strands. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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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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