Uchche chochori...

It feels great to come back and write a new post. I've promised myself to post at least once a week, though not sure whether I'll be able to keep that promise to myself.. The reason behind the hiatus is my health, I was not well. Since the year 2018 started I was visiting the doctors and hospitals, went through an operation. Right now I'm feeling much better but still under regular check ups. I think not posting or not clicking and taking this long break is not solely because of my health. It's more of a mental state that put a barricade around me. I was so dispirited and needed time to look inside myself to understand what I want. The most important thing I realized during this time, we all get only a single chance to enjoy this beautiful life and we must not give up on things that we like to do and love to do. One must keep doing it, without any expectation or reward. I took up the camera and started clicking again and felt free. My blog has been always my creative outlet for me, so I will continue to do that. Thanks to all my readers and followers who encouraged and supported throughout.

Meatballs with mango glaze...

When I was asked to submit a recipe using summer fruits for an blog event, surprisingly the first thing came to my mind was not a dessert, but a savory dish. May be because I personally inclined to spicy savory stuffs than sugar loaded dishes. It's common to incorporate juicy pulpy summer fruits to a dessert or some frozen good. Specially when we are talking about mangoes. But I used it to glaze the chicken meatballs. The natural sweetness of mango, heat of dried red chilies and tartness of lime juice created a magic. Try it before the mangoes vanish from the market.

Chicken kofta curry...

I prefer a spicy and hearty curry for winter dinners. A curry to wipe off with a piece of roti or naan. Last night I was indecisive about what to make for dinner. Jr. S was asking for a chicken curry, where as Sr. S made a face and sighed 'why that same chicken curry?' So keeping balance between both I opted for a chicken kofta curry with a special twist to the gravy. And to my joy both of them loved it and gave a big thumbs up to curry.

Kumro phool bhaja..

It's great to receive a bunch of bright yellow flowers as a surprise, but being a foodie it's feels equally good when you see your favorite edible bunch of flower as a surprise gift. Last weekend when S, smilingly handed me these vibrant yellow bunch I was overjoyed. I couldn't resist myself and took pictures of them. They made my winter Sunday morning extra special.

Tetor dal:yellow lentil with bitter gourd

Korola, Bitter gourd...from the name it is very evident why this vegetable is not so welcomed to everyone, but I'm among those few who love Bitter gourd. Boiled bitter gourd and potato mashed (Uchhe-alu bhate) together with salt and mustard oil, is my all time favourite. Or crispy fried bitter gourds(korola bhaja) with a dash of mustard sauce(kasundi)...mmm for me these are mouth watering.

A typical bengali menu begins with something bitter, be it Sukto(Bitter-sweet vegetable curry) or simple fried or boiled bitter gourd. Other than bitter gourd there are several other hundreds of bitter vegetables/leafy greens, those are part of regular bengali diet.

Today I made lentil soup with bitter gourd....Tetor dal. Yellow lentils(Moog dal) along with bitter gourd. It also has bottle gourd(Lau), and as the bitterness blends with the soft bottle gourd and lentils, this dish does not taste that bitter, rather it has bitter-sweet medley. And another speciality of this lentil soup is the flavor of Randhuni/Indian celery seeds. Randhuni is a very common spice found in Bengali kitchen, used widely for making Sukto to Fish curries.

I'm updating this post with some recently click photographs. I know it's evident which were clicked six year back, the recipe is same though.

Things needed to make Tetor dal:

• Moog dal/Yellow lentil:1/2cup
• Korola/Bitter gourd:1 medium cut into rounds
• Lau/Bottle gourd:8-10 large cubes
• Ginger: 1tsp(grated)+1tsp(julienne)
• Green chilies:2(Optional)
• Celery seed:1/2tsp
• Turmeric powder:1/2tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste
• Oil

Ingredients for Tetor dal

Steps for making Tetor dal:

1. Soak the bitter gourd in water for 10-15min, then wash them well. Cut the bitter gourd into 1/2cm thick rounds. If the seeds are ripe and hard, discard the seeds.

2. Peel and wash bottle gourd, and cut into large cubes 1and1/2 inch thickness.

3. Wash the yellow lentil thoroughly, till the water runs clear. In a pressure cooker put the lentils and cubed bottle gourd and water. Cook on high heat till 2 whistles. Remove from heat. Wait till the pressure releases.

Boiled lentil and bottle gourd

4. In a pan or kadai heat 2tbsp of oil and fry the bitter gourd pieces. Add salt and turmeric powder while frying.

Fried bitter gourd

5. In the pan or kadai add 1tbsp oil, when the oil is hot reduce the heat and add celery seeds(Randhuni). If you are staying outside India, and do not manage to get Randhuni in the stores, just look for this India Celery Seeds in any local grocery stores.

6. Add the grated ginger and cook for 1-2min. Add the boiled lentil and bottle gourd, turmeric powder and water. The amount of water depends on the thickness you want for the soup. Add the fried bitter gourd. As it boils, reduce the heat add green chilies, cover and cook for 10min. Add sugar.

7. Check the seasoning, adjust accordingly. Switch off the heat. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the julienned ginger, immediately cover the bowl.

Serve hot with rice

Serve with steamed rice, along with some fried potato or egg plant or pumpkin..a delicious healthy lentil soup.