Malai Sandesh

Malai Sandesh whose nearest translation in English is Cottage Cheese fudge soaked in thick and sweet milk cream, is  a delicious dessert. It’s a wonder that the recipe of this mouth-watering dessert is so simple. When it is a making of a dessert, most of the people are afraid of moving ahead. They think that desserts are not too easy to make or it takes more time. This recipe will change their mind. You can make it as a party dessert too, what exactly I did and everybody appreciated it.

I am very much thankful to one of my friends Laxmipriya, for the idea and the recipe. It was completely new to me. What attracted me is its easiness but didn’t realize that outcome could be so impressive. 

The first part of the recipe is to make the Sondesh / Sandesh (cottage cheese fudge). I used Ricotta Cheese and condensed milk but you can use home-made chenna and sugar if you wish. I avoided the home-made chenna / Paneer to make it hassle-free and I can assure you that this is nothing less yummy than the other one. You can serve the Sandesh without the Malai (thick - sweet milk cream) as 'Steamed Sandesh' which is also a good dessert.

  

Recipe of Malai Sandesh : serves 8 to 10 people

Ingredients: 

For Sandesh :

1.     Ricotta Cheese -  15 oz ( a small box )

2.     Condensed Milk- 1/2 of a tin (14 oz)

3.     cardamom powder- 1/4 tbsp

4.     Nuts : Cashew or pistachios, chopped ( optional )

For Malai :

1.   Milk - 1 liter 
2.   Sugar- 5-6 tbsp or as per the taste
3.   Saffron - few strands
4.   Pistachios - a handful ( chopped)

Method:

1.     In a bowl, take the ricotta cheese and condensed milk. Add the cardamon powder and mix it nicely.

2.     Grease a microwave-safe, square, baking dish. The dish should be wide. Pour the mixture into it, spread it well.

3.     Cook the mixture in Microwave. After 15 minutes, check every few minutes. It will take about 20 to 25 minutes to make the sandesh. But the cooking time may vary depending  on the wattage of your Microwave.

4.     Make sure the Sandesh does not get too hard. Once it is done. first let it cool  down completely. Then keep it into the refrigerator for half an hour. When it is completely cool, make some pieces with knifes. Now Sandesh is ready! It will taste or look like our 'Bhapa Sandesh'. 

5.     For the malai Part, in a heavy-bottomed pan take the milk, let it boil, keep the flame lower. Stir it every few minutes to avoid burning on the bottom of the pan.

6.      In a small bowl, take 4-5 tbsp of lukewarm milk and add the saffron strands.

7.     Milk will start to thicken. When the milk becomes less than half in quantity, add the sugar. Check the sweetness and add more sugar if needed.

8..     Add the Sandesh pieces into the milk and then add the saffron. Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes and turn off the gas. Let it cool down completely. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.

9..     Note : You may use Half and Half instead of milk, it will save time.

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Aloo - Potol r Dalna

Today I will share the recipe of 'Alu-Potol r torkari or Dalna' ( Pointed Gourd cooked with potatoes) which is a very common and equally popular dish in any Bengali household. Dalna in Bengali cuisine is a gravy dish where the gravy is thicker, not so runny and you will find small pieces of potato in most of the dalnas. Potol (Bengali) /Parwal (in Hindi) /Pointed Gourd ( in English) is a vegetable which is mostly available in summer. We can make so many curries or dishes with this vegetable, starting with 'Potol bhaja', 'Chal Potol', 'Potol r Dolma' to 'Alu Potol r Dalna' and so on. It’s not easily available outside of Bengal. I realized this when I came to Bangalore after marriage. It used to be so expensive and available only in few markets. But since my husband is a huge 'potol' lover, we used to keep track and find it somewhere. Off late in US too, we are getting this veggie quite regularly in our local Indian store. Last week we got this season's first Potol.

 

The recipe is simple, with very less number of ingredients, time-saving, healthy which uses very less oil for cooking. In this version of Alu-Potol-r-Dalna, we wont use any onion/garlic and so it is perfect 'Niramish'  or vegetarian dish. We, the Bengalis consider onion or garlic non-veg and it’s our tradition that we generally avoid these things on auspicious veg days

Okay, so enough of background writing. Let’s come to the recipe now !

Recipe of Alu - Potol r Dalna / Torkari

Ingredients

1.     Potol / Parwal / Pointed Gourd : 1 lb 

2.     Potato :  2 medium sized 

3.     Oil : 3-4 tablespoons  (preferably mustard oil)

4.     Panch phoron ( a whole spice blend, contains 5 spices : fenugreek seed, nigella seed, cumin seed, fennel seed and radhuni. Radhuni can be substituted with celery seed ) - 1/2 teaspoon

5.     Dried Whole Red chili - 1

6.     Bay leaves : 2 

7.     Ginger paste : 1 and 1/2 tablespoons

8.     Cumin Powder : 1 teaspoon 

9.     Kashmiri Red Chili Powder : 1 teaspoon 

10.  Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp

11.  Red Chili Powder (optional) - 1/2 teaspoon

12.  Salt :

13.  sugar : 1/2 tsp 
14. Crushed green cardamoms : 1/2 teaspoon

Method

1.     First cut off the ends of the potols, scrape the outer skin and then cut them laterally into two pieces. If it is little bigger then you should cut it into three pieces. Wash them well, sprinkle salt and mix it well with Potol.

2.    Peel the potatoes, cut into medium cubes and wash them.

3.   In a heavy-bottomed pan, add 2 tbsp of oil. When it heats up, add the potol. On medium flame, stir it occasionally until they are soft and color changes to light brown.

4.    Once it is done, keep it aside. In the same pan, add the remaining oil. Once oil is ready, add bay leaves, whole dry red chili and Panch phoron.

5.     When it starts to spatter, add the potatoes, add salt and stir it sometimes, until the potato is half cooked and the color becomes golden yellow.

6.     Take ginger paste, turmeric powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and sugar in a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp of water and make a paste.

7.     Add the paste to the pan and keep stirring till it is well cooked and oil starts to come up from the sides.

8.     Add the potol. Now cook the whole thing for 5 to 6 minute on medium flame. Mix it nicely. Add a cup of warm water, little less or more depending upon which consistency  you like.

9.     Add little salt, cover it and let it cook until potol or potatoes are fully cooked and the gravy starts thickening. Check the seasoning and add the crushed green cardamoms. Check the consistency and turn off the gas. Alu - Patol r Dalna or Torkari is ready!! Serve hot with the steamed white rice.

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Kheer r Kochuri (Mawa kachuri)

Today what I am going to share the recipe of Keer r Kochuri / Mawa Kachori  that I made during our last festival Holi. Holi/Dol/Basanta Utsab is the festival of colors. It comes in Spring, the season of love. Holi, one of the most popular Indian festivals, which is celebrated with colors (abir-gulal-pichkari) in almost every parts of India. This year we celebrated Holi in San Diego too as we used to do in our home-town. From our childhood I used to see my mom making  special snacks or sweet at kitchen on the day of holi, starting from 'ghugni', 'Singara' to 'Jalebi'. These days my blogger-friends are giving me enough inspiration to make some special food on the special days.  So I made up my mind to make Mawa Kachori which will match with the Holi’s festive spirit !

This is called Kachori in Hindi and Kochuri in Bengali. Mawa Kachori is one of the mouth-watering desserts from Rajasthan. We get almost the same thing in our Kolkata, which we call 'kheer r Kochuri' or 'Kheer r Chop', one of the popular desserts available in most of the sweet shops.

It is a deep-fried dessert, pastry filled with kheer(solid milk) and nuts drizzled with hot syrup. Though it is a deep-fried food, I can assure you that it would absorb very less oil. I used dry Kheer for the filling but you can use mawa mixed with sugar and chopped nuts for the same. Irrespective of the filling, the taste remains awesome always. From the below steps, you may feel that the process is lengthy but when you start  making it, would feel it is lot more easier than the other  kachories like peas - Kachori and all. 

Recipe of Kheer r Kochuri / Mawa Kochuri / Kheer r Chop : 18 pieces

Ingredients:

For the Crust

      1.   All-purpose flour (maida, plain flour) - 1 cup

2.    Clarified butter (ghee) - 2 tbsp

3.    Lukewarm water - 1/2 cup approximately or as needed

Filling

1.     Whole Milk : 1/2 liter 

2.     Sugar - 4-5 tbsp or as per the taste

3.     Chopped Pistachio or chopped any choice of Dry fruits - 1 tbsp 

4.     Oil for deep-fry

Syrup

1.     Sugar - 1 cup

2.     Water - 1/2 cup

3.     Crushed cardamom - 1 pinch

4.     Vinegar - 1/2 tsp ( it will prevent the syrup from crystallizing) 

5.     Saffron - few strands 

Method:

Making Filling

Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan on low flame . Stir it occasionally .When it reduces 1/4 in quantity add the sugar. Stir it again and again so the mixture does not burn on the bottom of the pan and make it more dry. Add the chopped dry fruits and let it cool. Filling is ready.

Making Dough

In a bowl, take flour and clarified butter. Make firm but soft dough by adding water slowly as needed. Knead the dough with your palm until the dough becomes soft and smooth. Keep the dough aside and cover it with a wet cloth. Let the dough rest for at least 7 to 10  minutes.

Making Syrup

Boil the sugar and water on medium heat. When sugar starts to boil, add the saffron and cardamom. When the Syrup is about one thread lower the flame, add the vinegar.

Making Kachories

1.     Knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes and make 18 equal balls out of it.

2.     Roll out each ball into 2 inch diameter. Don't make it too big.  When it becomes bigger, it gets thinner too and there will be a chance that the filling would come out. 

3.     Put about 1 tbsp of filling in the center of it. Seal the edges to wrap the filling . Do the same process for all the balls. Rest the filled balls for 4 to 5 minutes. Once again try to give them round shape.

.

4.     Heat the oil in a deep-frying pan. Keep the flame on medium high.  Place the filled balls on a flat surface and gently press them with your palm and flatten them into 3 inches circle.

5.     When you would flatten the balls, make sure the sealed or closed mouth of the balls should be up.

6.     Check the oil, when it is ready, slowly drop the kachories in the oil. Fry them on medium heat.

7.     In one batch, maximum 4 kachories you can fry together. Once they are puff, turn on the other side. Fry them to golden brown on all sides. Kheer r Kachori / Mawa Kachori or Kheer r Chop is ready!!

8.   You can dip the fried kachories into the hot syrup for a minute and serve it or place the kacharies on a serving plate. Drizzle some hot syrup on it. Sprinkle some chopped dry fruits. Enjoy!

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Easter Special Chocolate Cupcake.

Hope you had a great Easter !! It's very nice to see little bunnies all around, hunting for eggs with their colorful Easter basket. Though we don't celebrate Easter at home, my son’s school planned a fun event for the kids. They had to make basket, decorate eggs and go for hunting. Loved to see the joy of their face when they opened the eggs one by one and get some candies.

Easter and Spring break fell on the same week. I was roaming around the blogs to see Easter creations from different people. So an idea popped up in my mind. Wondered if I bake or decorate something that my little one would love and he would help me at the same time to have fun during his Spring break !!

It's a very easy one, Easter Cupcake. My son had a request - “Mom please refer my name when you would post this recipe on your blog”. Yes, he had so much fun in this creation. Last year in his summer break, I took him in my baking but he was not so confident. This time he was really good with his tiny hands. 

Recipe of Easter Special Chocolate Cupcake : Serves 16 

Ingredients

For No-egg no-butter chocolate cupcakes:

Dutch-processed Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup

All-purpose flour - 11/2 cups

Baking soda- 1 teaspoon

Salt- 1/2 teaspoon

Granulated White Sugar - 1 cup
Oil : 1/2 cup
Water : 1 cup

Vanilla extract :1 teaspoon

vinegar : 1 tablespoon

For frosting

1.     Heavy cream - 1 cup 

2.     Sugar - 2 tbsp or as per the taste

3.     Shredded Sweetened Coconut - 1 cup

4.     Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

5.     Egg -shaped Easter Candy - a handful 

Method

1.     Preheat the oven 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C. Line the cupcake tin with paper liners 

2.     In a small bowl, take the cocoa powder and the boiling water and stir them until it becomes smooth. Let it cool down to room temperature.

3.     In another bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk it. Take oil and sugar in a bowl, beat them with a hand mixer until they are well combined. 

4.     Add the vinegar and mix well. Beat in vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat nicely until incorporated.

5.     Now Add the cocoa mixture and mix the whole thing till it becomes smooth. Fill each cup about 2/3 full with batter and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes clean.

6.     But make sure don't over bake. Cakes are ready for frosting when they are completely cool.

Frosting

1.     keep a mixing bowl and wire whisk into the freezer for about 15 to 30 minutes. Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in the cold bowl. Beat just until stiff peaks form, immediately cover and refrigerate it.

2.     Spread the coconut in a large baking pan. Toast it in 350 degree oven until color changes to light brown, stir  it occasionally.

3.     Remove the toasted coconut from oven and keep it aside to cool until ready to use. With a offset spatula, spread the whipped cream about a ¼ inch layer over the top of each cupcake.

4.     Sprinkle the toasted coconut around the top. Place the egg candies in the middle of each cake. Cover and refrigerate cupcakes until they are ready to serve.

Related recipes that you might like :

Strawberry Cake

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Continue Reading...

Tweet

Pabda Mach r Sarshe Jhal

Back to Bengalis favorite dish – fish ! Pabda is one of the many sweet water fishes that Bengalis love to eat. It’s a very delicate fish, known as Pabo Catfish in English. I am not a big fish fan, but both my son and husband love fish like anything, more than chicken or mutton. We generally don’t prefer to cook any frozen fish, but exception is always made in some special occasions.  Sometimes there is no choice because here you would get only frozen pabda in some Bangladeshi stores. Last week I cooked this dish for my hubby's Birthday lunch menu. 

It' s a spicy Bengali fish curry, cooked in mustard gravy that is 'Sarshe jhal' in Bengali. The other preparation of this fish "pabda Mach r kalo jeere diye jhol" is also our favorite. Following the same recipe, you can cook many other sweet water fishes too. The fish is very soft so you should be very careful while handling the fish.

Recipe of Pabda Macher Sarshe Jhal ( Pabda fish cooked in Mustard gravy ) for 4-5 people

Ingredients : 

1.     Pabda Mach medium sized - 4-5 whole pieces.

2.     Kalo jeer e ( nigella seeds) - 1/2 tsp

3.     Green chilies  - 2-3 or as per the taste 

4.      Yellow mustard seeds - 2 tsp

5.     Coriander powder -1 tsp

6.     Red Chili powder - 1/2 tsp or optional

7.     Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

8.     Salt - 

9.     Tomato - 1 small 

10.  Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp

11.  Onion paste  - 1 tsp

12.  Cilantro - few (chopped)

13.  Mustard oil - 4-5 tbsp

Method

1.     Clean and wash the fishes and pat dry. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder and smear them.

2.     After a short marination like 10 to 15 minutes, in a big pan, heat the mustard oil. Once it gets smoky, fry the fishes on both side, very carefully and keep them aside.

3.     Take the mustard seeds, one green chili and few tbsp water in a blender and make a paste. While you will make this paste, don't over run the blender since it would result in bitter taste of mustard paste.

4.     In the same pan, add some oil again and wait till it starts to smoke. Add kalo jeere / nigella  seeds and green chilies.

5.     Once it starts splattering, add the onion paste. Cook it until the color changes to light brown.

6.     Add ginger paste and stir it till raw smell goes off. Now make a paste of coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder with 2 tbsp of water. Add this paste to the pan.

7.     Keep stirring till oil separates and add chopped tomato pieces. Add salt. Once tomato becomes soft, add the mustard paste. Stir it and mix it nicely. In few minutes, add half cup of water. Let it boil.

8.     When gravy starts to boil, add the fried fishes. Cover it and let it cook for 7 to 10 minutes. Check the seasoning and the consistency.

9.     Add the chopped cilantro ( optional ) and few drops of mustard oil. Add some green chilies if needed. "Pabda Mach r Sarshe Jhal" is ready. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Note : You can use any fish of your choice in the place of Pabda, and make Fish curry in spicy mustard sauce, following the same recipe. 

Relate recipes, you may like :

Easy Tomato Fish ( Fish in Spicy Tomato Sauce )

Methi Machi ( Fish Curry flavored with Dry Fenugreek seeds )

Fish Curry with Eggplant ( Begun diye Ilish / Salmon )

Fish Pulao

Continue Reading...

Tweet