Lau Bishori (Milky Bottle Gourd Curry)

Ingredients for Lau Bishori:

Lau - 250 gm 
Potato - 250 gm
Milk - 250 ml
Nigella Seeds - 1 tsp
Nigella Powder - 2 tbsp
Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
Green Chili - 4-5 nos
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Enough Water 

For flavour: 
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder / 2 tbsp Lemon Juice / 2 Lime Leaves 

Process for cooking Lau Bishori:

1. Peel the Lau and Potato, and cut them into cubes. 
2. Pour oil into a cooking pan. Once it is hot, add Nigella Seeds. Wait till it releases its aroma. Add Green Chilis. Now add Lau Cubes and them Potatoes. Stir well for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add Ginger Paste and mix well with Potato+Lau cubes. Then add Salt. Mix well. 
4. Add enough water to cover Potato+Lau cubes. Cover it with a lid. Let it boil for 10 minutes -  till the water gets dried up. 
5. Meanwhile boil Milk. Add Nigella Powder to the boiled Milk. Mix well. 
6. Pour this milk to the pan. Fold well. Let it boil once again and adjust the Salt. Cook for few more minutes to have a thick gravy. In the meantime add Ghee and any of the flavour mentioned above. Mix well. Turn off the heat. Set the pan covered with the lid until you serve.   

Lau Bishori is ready. You can have it with steamed Rice. 

Koi Maach'r Paturi (Steamed Koi Fish)

Ingredients for Koi Maach'r Paturi:

Koi Fish - 4 Nos.
Mustard Oil 
Mustard Seed - 3 tbsp
Rice - 2 cups
Pumpkin Leaves - 3
Onion Slices - 1 cup
Green Chili - 4-5 Nos.
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Water

Process for cooking Koi Maach'r Paturi:

1. Soak Mustard Seeds in water for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile wash the fishes, Pumpkin leaves and Rice separately. Set them aside.
3. Take Mustard seed in a grinding bowl and add Turmeric Powder, Salt and Green Chili to it and grind them together. You need to make a fine paste. 
4. Mix Onion slices with the Paste. Coat the fishes with Mustard Paste. Pour few drops of Mustard Oil. Wrap each fish with pumpkin Leaves tightly. You can use a cotton thread to wrap the fish.
5. Now keep Rice in a deep bottom frying pan. Add 3.5 cups of Water to the rice. Once it starts boiling, the water level will be reduced. Now place the wrapped Fishes on the top of the rice. Cover the pan with a lid. Medium heat is required now. 
6. Turn off the heat. Koi Paturi is ready. 

Have you noticed, the rice has got yellow colour? You can serve Koi Paturi with that rice. Don't throw away the Pumpkin Leaves. You can grind it with 1 Green Chili and little Salt. 

Homemade Cappuccino Coffee

Do you have a nice Coffee  mug? If yes, it indicates, you are a Coffee lover. I too love Coffee. I always say that there is no bad time to take it. The great thing about Coffee is that there no limit when it comes to variation. 

I have heard from one of friends, professionally Food Anthropologist, the custom of drinking Coffee during the earlier times was used for entertaining guests. Not long after people started enjoying a occasional cup did Coffee Shops and Cafes open. The drink then started weaving itself into the economy, society, agricultural history and culture of a number of countries. Years of roasting and sipping has led to more and more delicious Coffee recipes. Blending different ingredients and brewing with the use of the most peculiar contraptions is still stimulating conversations, business talk, dating and romance and friendship.

In India, Cappuccino Coffee is the most popular hot drink that is said by Coffee lovers, to be able to arouse the senses. It is very easy to make at home wit super easily available ingredients. Here I am writing the process of making the drink at home. 


Process to make Cappuccino Coffee at home:

1. Take Coffee in a small cup. 
2. Add Sugar. Add little water (max 2 tsp.). 
3. Mix well with a spoon for 2 minutes. 
4. Again add few drops of water. Keep stirring until you see creamy and foamy paste. Set aside. 
5. Boil milk.
6. Pour Coffee in your Coffee Mug. 
7. Add hot milk (1.5 tsp.) to the Coffee paste. Stir once with the spoon.
8. Now fill the Coffee Mug 1/2 the way with hot milk. 
9. Stir with a spoon. 
10. Add some hot water to fill the cup. You will see froth coming from the milk. 
11. Sprinkle with a pinch of Cocoa Powder. 
12. Serve immediately. 

You might have so far thought that a Coffee Shop is the perfect setting for romance. But now you yourself can create a romantic environment at your home. Wake up in the morning. Prepare your hubby a cup of Cappuccino Coffee in bed. This heart warming gesture will surely be appreciated by him. No other thing can beat your day if you start the morning with the inviting aroma of freshly brewed cup of Coffee. So, sit back with your cup and enjoy the company of your hubby. 

Lau Chingri (Bottle Gourd Curry with Prawns)

Ingredients foe Lau Chingri:

Grated Lau (Bottle Gourd) - 2 cups
Prawns - 20 pieces
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - pinch for frying the Prawns and later to mix in the curry as per you taste 
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Paste - 2 tbsp
Green Chilis - 4-5 Nos
Mustard Oil for cooking

Process for cooking Lau Chingri:

1. Grate the Bottle Gourd very well with a slicer.

2. Wash the prawns and marinate it with turmeric powder salt.

3. Heat oil in a cooking pan. Fry the prawns till it turns golden brown and keep it aside.

4. Add cumin seed to the hot oil. Add turmeric powder, ginger paste, cut green chilies and salt; stir for 1-2 minutes. Add grated bottle gourd.

5. Cover the pan with a lid for 5-6 minutes and remove the cover. Stir it well and cover it and let it cook for 4-5 minutes more.

6. Remove the lid, add the fried prawns and mix it well. Allow it to cook till the excess water is gone. Add salt to taste. Mix it very well and turn off the heat. 

Chana'r Jilipi - a Bengali dessert

Another lovely sweetly festival (Bengali New Year) is just round the corner. And you know, the celebration is not afar. The actual celebration will start from 14^th April. I prefer to celebrate such moments with something that is made at home.

When I make food that helps me recall by-gone-days, even build some memories. Today’s takeaway generation has lost much of that.  It doesn't really leave much room for remembrance, do they? I try to collect the recipes from old cookbooks, Ma’s diary, faded handwritten notes scribbled by grandma – perhaps now ready to slip away. That is how some of the nostalgia survives.

Today’s Chana’r Jilipi Recipe I am sharing with you, was made by Grand Ma. 

Ingredients for making Chana'r Jilipi: (for 10-12 pieces)

For Jilipi:
Homemade Cottage Cheese / Casein (fresh made): 1 cup
Khoya Kheer / Mewa: 1 cup
Suji / Semolina: 2 tbsp
Refined Flour: 2 1/2 tbsp 
Baking Powder: a pinch
Melted Butter to mix Refined Flour
Green Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp 
White Oil for frying

For Syrup: 
Water - 3 cup 
Sugar - 6 cup 
Green Cardamom - 5-6

Method for making Chana'r Jilipi: 

1. Soak Semolina in 4 tbsp of warm water for 15 minutes.
2. Take Casein, Mewa in a mixing bowl. 
3. Melt Butter in a pan. Add Refined Flour. Mix well. Add this to Casein Mix.
4. Add soaked Semolina to Casein Mix. Add Cardamom Powder. 
5. Knead well. Make a smooth dough. 
6. Divide the dough in small equal size balls. Roll each balls in long strips. Give them coil shape like Jilipi. Leave them aside for 5-7 minutes. 
7. Meanwhile you can make Sugar Syrup. Take all ingredients (except green cardamom) in a deep-bottom aluminium pan. Wait till Sugar dissolves in the water. Add Green Cardamom. Stir well. Boil the Syrup till it gets 1-string* consistency. 

[1 String consistency* : Place one drop of syrup in between your thumb and forefinger. To taste the consistency you have to pull apart them gently. If only one thin thread is formed, it indicates that you have got 1-String consistency.]

7. Heat oil in a frying Pan. Fry those coil shaped Jilipi in medium hot oil until they become dark brown, but not too dark. 
8. Dip them into Sugar Syrup. Keep them in the Syrup for at least 3-4 hours. It will soak the syrup. 

Pasta with Hoemade Arrabbiata Sauce

Ingredients for Pasta with homemade Arrabbiata Sauce:

Penne Pasta - 3 cups
Broccoli Florets - 1/2 cup
Olive Oil - 3 tbsp
Dried Oregano - 2 tsp
Dried Thyme - 1/2 tsp
Dried Basil - 1 tsp
Fresh Basil - 5-6 leaves
Chopped Garlic - 1 tbsp
Crushed Chili Pepper - 1 tbsp
Cherry Tomato - 15 Nos. 
Tomato Paste - 1 cup
Balsemic Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Parmessan Cheese - handful 
Pasta Seasoning as per your choice 
Salt for taste
Water for making Sauce

Process to cook Pasta with homemade Arrabbiata Sauce:

Prepare the Penne Pasta according to the packet instructions.

Boil Broccoli florets in hot water.

Heat 2 or 3 tbsp of Olive oil in a tall pan, add the dried Oregano and Thyme, chopped Garlic and crushed Chilli Peppers. Fry for few minutes. Don't let the Garlic turn brown.

Add the tin of Cherry Tomatoes into the pan. Simmer uncovered for about 8 minutes and let the excess water evaporate.

Reduce the heat, cook for another few minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the Tomatoes into the sauce. Now add Tomato paste and cook stirring till the raw smell goes away.

Add pinch of Salt and Black Pepper to taste. Add both dried and fresh Basil; 1 tbsp of Olive oil and 2 tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar. Stir and fold occasionally. Add handful of Parmesan Cheese.

Mix the pasta and Broccolis with sauce and garnish with Pasta seasoning.

Koi Fish Do Peyanja

Ingredients to cook Koi Fish Do Peyanja:

Koi Fish - 4 nos

Finely chopped Onion - 1 cup

Onion Paste - 1 tbsp

Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Ginger Paste - 1 tsp

Cumin Seed Paste - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Green Chili - 4-5 nos.

Finely chopped Tomato - 1 cup

Oil - 3 tbsp

Water as per your gravy need

Salt - as per your taste

Process to cook ingredients for Koi Fish Do Peyanja:

1. Heat oil in a cooking pan. Add chopped Onion and stir till it gets golden brown colour. Then add Ginger and Garlic paste. Cook for 1 minute. Then add Onion Paste and stir for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder and Red Chili Powder. Add 2 tbsp of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, 
3. Now add Green Chilis, chopped Tomatoes and Salt. Stir until it releases water. 
4. Add fishes. Stir until the spices coats the fishes. Now add water. Cook till water gets dried and you will notice oil on top. Add 2-3 green Chilis. Fold once. Turn off the heat. 

Serve Koi Fish Do-Peyanja with hot steamed Rice.