Mouri Potol

Things required to cook Mouri Potol (Pointed Gourd with Fennel Seed)

Potol / Pointed Gourd – 500 Grams

White Curd – 2 tbsp (If you need thick gravy, add one more table spoon)

Fennel Seed – 1.5 tbsp (You can grind the roasted fennel seed)

Ginger + Chili Paste – 1.5 tbsp (You can add more chili to the paste according to your taste)

Dry Red Chili – 2

Cardamom + Cinnamon + Bay Leaf + Cloves – 3 (Crushed) + 2 (Small Size)+1 (Big Size)+2

Shah Jeera (Black Cumin)- 1.5 tsp

Turmeric Powder + Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp +1 tsp

Salt and Sugar as per taste

Oil

Water

How to cook Mouri Potol

1. The very first job is making a smooth powder of fennel seed. Roast the fennel seeds in hot frying pan. Then keep it aside for cooling down. After that, grind the roasted seed in mixer grinder. But don’t use water. If you wish, you can make this powder in large amount for future use. If you add water, you can’t use it in future.

I make this dish very frequently, almost on every Thursday. So I kept the powder in an air-tight bottle.

2. Now we have to make the paste by mixing fennel seed powder, ginger, chili and little water. This time you can add more chili as per your requirement. Keep it aside.

3. Add sugar and salt to the white curd. Check if there is any lump in the curd. Add little water to the curd and beat well with little water.

4. Peel the skin of the Pointed Gourd. Sprinkle little turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt on them. Heat oil in a deep-bottom frying pan. Fry those pointed gourd till golden. Take them out of the pan and set aside.

5. Now we have to fry whole spices. Check if more oil required on the pan. Add whole spices i.e. red chili, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and at last Shah Jeera. Wait till it leaves a nice aroma. Now add the paste that you made with fennel, ginger and chili. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.

6. Reduce the heat, because now you are going to add the curd. Now add the curd. And don’t forget to stir continuously. Otherwise it would create lump. Do you notice oil separating from the curd? That means the curd is almost done.

7. Now add other spice powders i.e. turmeric powder, red chili powder. Add fried pointed gourd and mix well. Pour water as per your gravy requirement. After 1 minute, you must see the gravy boils. Add salt and sugar. Let it be boiled for 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning. Reduce the flame and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for next 5-7 minutes.

8. You can serve it with hot steamed rice. 

Spiced Egg Bharta - Raw eggs directly added to the curry

Ingredients for making Spiced Egg Bharta (for 2 person)

Egg - 4 (You don't need to boil them, we will directly add the raw egg to the curry)
Mustard seed - 1 tsp
Spice Powders (Red Chili Powder + Coriander Powder + Garam Masala + Pepper Powder) - 1 tsp of each
Onion - 1 (Chopped)
Tomato - 1
Ginger + Garlic + Green Chili Paste - 2 tsp
Fennel seeds powder
Cumin Powder
Poppy seed paste
Cashew Nuts
Curd
Oil
Salt
Water

Process to make Egg Bharta

1. First we have to make a paste of onion, tomato. Add it to the paste of ginger+garlic+chili. Mix well. (Paste no. #1)
2. Take all spice powders in a small bowl and add 2 tbsp of water. Mix well. (Paste no. #2)
3. Now make another paste with poppy seed and cashew nut. Add fennel powder and cumin powder to it. Then add curd. Mix well. (Paste no. #3)
4. Heat oil in a deep-bottom frying pan. Add mustard seed. Wait till the seeds splutter,
5. Add curry leaves and stir for 1 minutes.
6. Add paste no #1. Stir for few minutes - till the raw smell leaves. It would take 4-5 minutes. And you need to cook in medium heat.
7. Now add paste no #2. Stir well again.
8. Reduce the heat. Add paste no #3. Mix well. Make sure that there is no lump of curd created in the curry. Stir continuously to avoid the lumps.
9. Add  salt and then 1 cup of water and mix well.
10. Now break one egg and add directly to the boiling curry. Stir continuously, otherwise it would not mix well with the curry.
11. Take another egg and repeat the same way to add to curry.
12.  Once you find the thickly curry in which eggs are mixed well, remove the pan from the oven.

You can serve Egg Bharta with Roti. 

Brinjal in Curd (Doi Begun)

If you have any association with Bengali food, I am sure, you must have heard about Doi Begun, right? This item I learned from my mom. Mom probably leaned it from grand mom. That is how Bengali girls learn cooking.

This Bengali preparation contains Brinjal and curd as main ingredients. Its gravy should be thick and smooth. I prefer to add very little spices, so that it would not overpower the taste of Brinjal. Get the recipe here below. 

Ingredients for Doi Begun

Brinjal - 3
Curd - 3 tbsp 
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Seed - 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Green Chili - 3-4 
Water
Oil
Salt
Sugar

Kohlapuri Misal Pav

Ingredients for Kohlapuri Misal Pav

A. For Pav

Buns (Pav) - 6 pieces (for 2 persons)
Butter - 2 tsp (to roast the buns)

B. For Usal

Moth beans
Boiled Potato
Onion
Ginger+Garlic paste
Garam Masala
Turmeric powder
Red Chili Powder
Curry Leaves
Mustard Seeds
Asafoetida
Salt
Oil

C. For Gravy

Onion
Tomato
Dried Coconut
Ginger + Garlic Paste
Red Chili Powder
Coriander Powder
Cumin Powder
Turmeric Powder
Coriander leaves
Sugar
Oil
Salt

D. For garnishing

Mixed Farsan
Beaten Curd
Onion
Coriander Leaves
Lemon

Method for cooking Kohlapuri Misal Pav

Making gravy:
First we have to make the gravy. The gravy should be thin.

1. Heat oil in pan. Don’t take much oil. You just need 1 table-spoon full to fry onion until it gets slight golden brown color.

2. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add grated coconut to it and fry again for few minutes until it gets burnt.

3. Add chopped tomato and fry until it get mashed well. Fry for 5 minutes until you see a pulpy mixture in the pan. Take it out of the oven. Cool it down. Grind the mixture to have a smooth paste. 

4. Take 2 table-spoon of this paste aside. It will be used in making Usal.

5. Heat the frying pan again. Pour rest of the paste to pan. Let it be boiled for 3-4 minutes.

6. Add chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

7. Now add water (3 cups) and boil it for 10 minutes until you see a thickly paste.

8. At the end, add coriander leave. Stir well and take out of the oven.

Usal:

1. We need to sprout the moth beans first. To do that we have to soak it overnight – at least 6-7 hours in water. Drain the excess water and keep aside.

2. Steam the beans in pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Don’t forget to add salt while boiling the beans. 

3. Heat oil in a frying pan and add mustard seeds. Fry for few minutes until it crackles. You need to add asafoetida and curry leaves powder at this point of time.

4. Add onion and fry for few minutes – until it get soft. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till you feel the raw smell.

5. Add that paste which you prepared for gravy. Saute for few minutes.

6. Add moth beans. Stir for 5 minutes.

7. Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala and salt. Fry for few minutes.

8. Add water (1 cup is enough) and cover the pan with a lid. Let it be cooked for 7-8 minutes – until it becomes less-gravy.   

Roasting the buns:

Cut the each bun into 2 pieces. Apply little butter in one side of the bun pieces. Roast them on hot pan. You can skip the step of applying butter on bun. Roast them till they stay soft.

Garnishing:

9 layered garnishing is required for an ideal missal pav.

Layer 1: 1 ladle of Usal

Layer 2: 1 ladle of gravy

Layer 3: 3-4 tbsp of poha

Layer 4: 2-3 tbsp of beaten curd

Layer 5: Chopped onion

Layer 6: Chopped Coriander leaves

Layer 7: You can squeeze Lemon at this layer.

Layer 8: 2 tbsp Mixed Farsan

Layer 9: If you skip the layer 7, you must squeeze lemon at this stage.