Aam Sondesh

A big apology to all my readers for the long hiatus in posting a recipe and while it was always on my mind to post something here, my schedule had become so hectic that I hardly found any time to cook at home leave aside cooking something new and interesting. Today however I made up my mind that I will definitely post a recipe, whatever it takes! I tried this delicious Aam Sondesh today in preparation for a Sondesh Cake order this week and while I have tried making Sondesh many times in the past, it was never this perfect. With today's success I now know where I had been going wrong all this while and hence this post. 

Ingredients 

1 litre full cream milk

1 tbsp vinegar 

2-3 tbsp powdered sugar

4 tbsp mango purée 

Direction 

Bring the milk to a boil and churn it with the vinegar. Drain the whey and collect the chenna in a muslin cloth. Wash it well with drinking water to remove the taste of vinegar. Squeeze out the excess liquid   and let it hang for 5-10 minutes. Now  knead the chenna till smooth, about 5-7 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix  again till the sugar dissolves. Now add the mango purée and mix till well combined. Now transfer this mixture to a pan and stir constantly on a low flame for exact 4 minutes. Switch off the flame and transfer to a greased plate with ghee. While the mixture cools to a little bearable temperature, you can quickly grease the Sondesh moulds (if using) with a little ghee. Then take little portions out of the mixture and press against the moulds. Then remove gently and place on another greased plate and cool completely before serving. You can also chill them until served. If you do not have the moulds,you  can just shape them with your hands. 

Simple and Light Stewy Chicken Curry

It has been an extremely busy month and is going to continue as such for the next month as well. Father-in-law in town, hubby's birthday, Balinese Holiday, and every day cooking were some of the things that left me walking on a tight rope all this month. Next month starts with my birthday, my Blog's third anniversary, my first bread baking class, father-in-law's birthday, and half a month of babysitting while hubby leaves for an extensive business trip. Phew! That already makes me feel exhausted. Nevertheless, I couldn't stay away from blogging for long and so posting this extremely simple yet absolutely yummy light and Stewy Chicken Curry which is best eaten with a bowl of steamed rice or hot and fresh puffed chapatis and raw onions. I made this on a Sunday but this is actually an any day curry which will make you feel awesomely good!!

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken on the bone, washed and cleaned 

1 large onion chopped 

3-4 cloves garlic minced 

1" piece ginger minced 

2 medium tomatoes chopped 

2 medium potatoes quartered 

2 each of cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, and 2" cinnamon 

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli  powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

2 tbsp oil (preferably mustard oil)

Ground Spices

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

1 tsp black peppercorns 

Dry roast all the spices and grind to a fine powder 

Direction 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the quartered potatoes. Keep aside. 

In the same oil, splutter the whole garam masala and add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and saute till golden. Next add the chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy. Now add the ground spices along with the turmeric, salt, and chill powder and fry for 3-5 minutes till the entire masala comes together. Add the washed and cleaned chicken and fry on high heat till the chicken changes color and well coated with the masalas. Add the potatoes and fry for 5 more minutes. By now, the oil would start appearing from the sides. Now add 1 cup water and let the water come to a boil. Mix, reduce the flame to medium low, and cover and cook till the chicken and the potatoes are cooked through. 

Adjust seasoning. Add freshly chopped coriander if you like the flavor. Make sure there is enough gravy to give that stewy effect. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Kheer Patishepta

An absolute Bong dessert, the patishepta has many variants when it comes to the stuffing. Most people use a mix of jaggery and grated coconut, some use cottage cheese, and some even use leftover sweets like Sandesh, kaju barfi and similar. However, the yummiest of all is this kheer patishepta made with khowa/mawa mixed with milk and condensed milk. My guests who had never had this before were floored with the yumminess and once again, I was a happy host!

                                    

Ingredients

For the crepes

1 cup plain flour/maida

1/2 cup sooji/rawa

1/3 cup fine sugar

1/3-1/2 cup water

Few tbsp of oil for greasing the pan

For the stuffing

300 ml milk

100 ml condensed milk (you can adjust as per your desired sweetness)

1/2 cup crumbled mawa (you can increase this quantity to make it thicker and quicker)

Direction

Pour the milk in a wide mouthed pan and add the condensed milk. Bring it to a boil and then lower the flame. Keep stirring to avoid sticking at the bottom. Once it reduces a bit, add the crumbled khowa/mawa and continue stirring till it is completely dissolved and incorporated. The mixture will now be thicker than before. Continue stirring on a low flame till you reach a rabadi/custard consistency. Remove from flame and let it cool completely. You can prepare this kheer one day in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to prepare the patisheptas. Just take care to cover it well when kept in the refrigerator. 

                                  

In a bowl, mix the flour, sooji, and sugar. Add water very slowly and little at a time till you reach the consistency similar to dosa batter/crepe batter. Basically, it should be of pouring consistency. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes. The flour may absorb some water at this time and so adjust accordingly. 

Heat a little oil in a pan and wipe off the excess oil with the help of a kitchen towel or the head of a brinjal or onion. Lower the flame and pour 2-3 tbsp in the center and spread it out with the back of the spoon into a circle. Increase the flame a little and let the batter cook on top. Now put a spoonful of the kheer towards one end of the crepe and with the help of a spatula, roll it up. Flip the top and let it cook on both sides of the roll. Remove from heat and place it in a plate. Repeat for the rest of the batter. If the pan gets too hot, sprinkle some water and grease again and continue with the process. Enjoy your rich and gooey Bong delicacy!

                                     

 

Rasmalai in Nolen Gur (Date Palm Jaggery) Syrup

Once you achieve the Rasgulla breakthrough, all other derivables seem like a cake walk! With friends now coming over to learn the procedure and a few others who never forget to mention the soft and cottony Rasgullas they had at my place, I am quite enjoying my Rasgulla fame in Singapore. These Rasmalais were in fact too good to be true. So soft and cottony, drenched in a milk syrup sweetened with Nolen Gur or date palm jaggery (famous in Bengal), I prepared these for my Hubby's colleagues from India. I love sweets and learning to make these were the best thing I ever did!! 😆😆

Ingredients (Makes 16)

For the chenna 

2 ltr low fat milk (I use Farmhouse in Singapore)

2 tbsp vinegar 

For the first sugar syrup

2 1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

For the ras or milk syrup

1 ltr full cream milk

1/4-1/3 cup nolen gur/date palm jaggert as per your taste (you can substitute this with regular sugar as per your taste)

1 tsp cardamom powder (if not using jaggery)

A pinch of kesar (if not using Jaggery)

Direction 

For the chenna balls

Boil milk in a deep bottom pan and bring to a boil. 

Now add the vinegar and reduce the flame to minimum for a minute and switch it off. The milk will start churning and the chenna will start separating from the whey. 

Now drain the whey and wash the chenna a couple of times with clean drinking water and either tie in a muslin cloth and put a weight to drain for 5 minutes or use a paneer maker. 

After draining the liquid for 10-15 minutes, take the chenna in a bowl or plate wide enough to knead and start kneading. 

Make sure the chenna is crumbly and grainy and not pasty in texture. 

Start kneading using your fingers and the heel of your palm and knead till the mixture starts releasing the fat and your fingers feel oily. 

Meanwhile, heat the sugar and water for the syrup until sugar is dissolved. Make discs from the chenna and make them smooth. Lower the heat to medium and add the discs. Cover and let them double for 12-15 minutes. 

I used a smaller vessel else the discs had more capacity to double. Now take a bowl of clean drinking water and place one disc in the water. If it sinks, they ate cooked and time for the next step. 

Let the discs remain in the drinking water for about 30 minutes while you prepare the ras or milk syrup. 

Heat the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame and thicken the milk until it reduces to half. Add the jaggery/sugar as per your taste and let it dissolve. If ysing sugar, add the saffron/kesar and cardamom powder. You may do this ras one day in advance or even in the beginning of the process which makes it easier. If prepared in advance, bring the milk syrup to slightly warm.

 Gently squeeze out the water from the discs and place in the milk syrup. When it  is cool enough transfer to a serving bowl and chill before serving. 

Bengal Special Rasgulla

First, a confession. I do not like Rasgullas! In fact, I never liked it as a child and the only sweet that I crave and which I can have anytime of the day is Gulab Jamun. While I have successfully made Gulab Jamuns at home twice and highly appreciated by friends and family, I have failed several times (4 times to be precise) and just to get it right I did not lose hope and tried it for the fifth time and nailed it! Soft and spongy, it was such a delight to taste my first successful Rasgulla. Imagine the smile at that moment of triumph after 4 failed attempts. Priceless!!! The guests, for whom I especially made these, loved them thoroughly and kept asking me for the recipe!! Success is sweet, truly!! 💃💃😀

A special thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Garima Serera Narolia who is officially crowned the Rasgulla Queen by my most favorite food group!

P.S: Do remember to read my notes for 

dos and don'ts at the end of this post.

Ingredients (Makes 9-10)

1 liter low fat milk

1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

For the sugar syrup

1 cup sugar

4 cups water

2 pieces of cardamom or cardamom powder

For adding later

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup water

Few strands of saffron

Few drops of rose essence

Direction

Bring the milk to a full boil. Reduce the flame to minimum and add the vinegar or lemon juice. The milk will curdle immediately and the chenna or paneer will form on top leaving behind a clear greenish liquid below it. Switch off the flame and let it sit for 3-5 minutes. 

Now strain this using either a muslin cloth placed properly over a colander or seive or using a paneer maker like I do. Once all the paneer/chenna is collected and the whey drained (you can reserve this liquid which is very high in nutrition to make chapati dough later on the same day). Wash the paneer/chenna with clean drinking water to get rid of the lemony/vinegary taste. Now tightly tie the muslin cloth and hang it in a place to drain the excess liquid. If using a paneer maker, place a heavy weight on top and let the water drain. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes. 

Now take the paneer out in a broad vessel with a rim. This will help in kneading the paneer without spilling around. First crumble the paneer with your hands and then start kneading. This is how it will look in the beginning. 

Continue kneading the paneer starting with your fingers and ending with the heel of your palm till you see a slightly greasy base and a thin film forming as your press the paneer with the heel of your palm as shown in this picture. 

Now get the dough together to form a soft yet smooth ball without any cracks or crumbs. Pinch out equal sized balls and roll them smooth without any cracks and keep aside. 

Meanwhile, as you near your kneading process start preparing the light sugar syrup. You can keep the sugar and water ready in a wide mouthed vessel and switch on the flame as you reach the final stage of kneading. Bring the sugar syrup to a roaring boil and then add the chenna balls carefully into the hot syrup without breaking. 

Keep the vessel covered and let it cook on a medium flame for 12-15 minutes. Make sure there is enough space for the balls to expand in size and move about without crushing each other. After 10 minutes they will look all puffed up and almost doubled in size. 

To check if the chenna is cooked, drop a ball in a bowl of clean drinking water. If it sinks, the chenna is cooked. Take the balls out of the syrup and dunk them in the bowl of clean drinking water at room temperature. Once again, the bowl should be big enough to allow sufficient space for the balls. All the balls would be sinking to the bottom of the vessel. Keep it aside while you prepare the syrup further. 

Add the remaining sugar and water and bring it to a boil till the sugar dissolves. Now switch off the flame and let the syrup come to room temperature. When the syrup is just warm, add the saffron and rose essence. I like the kesari color and so added the saffron while the syrup was still hot to get beautiful kesari rasgullas. 

Now squeeze out the excess water from the chenna balls by gently pressing with your hands and dunk them back into the room temperature or lukewarm syrup. Keep them covered and leave them for 3-4 hours before transfering to your serving bowl. 

Now most important part of this post

Dos and Don'ts

1. Use low fat milk. If you have access to fresh cow's milk, use that. Else, low fat milk is the best option. I used Farmhouse low fat milk available in Singapore. 

2. Do Not let the paneer/chenna hanging in the muslin cloth or paneer maker for too long. The longer you leave it the drier it becomes and your success rate goes down considerably. 10 minutes is sufficient time to let the excess water drain out. The chenna should be just moist, neither wet nor dry. 

3. Bring the milk to a roaring boil before adding the vinegar/lemon juice. 

4. Keep the flame on medium high while boiling the chenna balls. 

5. Do Not overcook the balls. Check if they are done at around 10 minutes by dropping a ball into the clear drinking water bowl. The ball should sink within 3-4 secs. If not, put it back into the syrup and check after 2-3 minutes. They should be done by then. 

6. The rasgullas get sweeter as they remain longer in the final sugar syrup. Do not disturb them for the next 2-3 hours. Although you can check the sponginess within an hour or so by tasting one of them. It won't be very sweet then but good enough to relax your nerves to know your success. 

7. Do Not be disheartened if you do not nail it at the first attempt. I tried 5 times and finally achieved success. Remember that spider's tale if you fail. Keep trying until you succeed. 

By the way, I love Rasgullas now. My success really made me fall in love with this Bengal delicacy. 

Long Beans Chorchori (Borboti Chorchori)

Veggies and me do not go a long way, really. On any regular day, you will hardly find any veggies in my pantry unless I have some dish in mind. However, these days with my Father-in-Law visiting us, my pantry is loaded with veggies and being done with all the simple quick stir fries, I need to now think of something more detailed yet easy to keep the menu rolling. Today's recipe can be done with a variety of veggies which you have been cooking otherwise in the same old stir-fry way. Apart from the beans, you can use spinach , pumpkin , raw papaya, raw banana, brinjal, squash, flaf beans, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, etc., etc.. The possibilities are endless. :)

Ingredients

1 bundle long beans and/or any veggie as suggested above

1 big potato

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 tsp onion seeds or kalonji

1 tbsp mustard seeds soaked for 1/2 hour

1" piece ginger

2-3 green chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1// tsp sugar

Salt to taste

2 tsp mustard oil

Fresh coriander for garnish

Direction

Wash and cut the beans in 2" pieces. Keep aside. Cut the potato into long strips just like french fries. Keep aside. 

Make a paste with the mustard seeds , ginger and green chillies and s dash of water. Keep aside. 

Heat oil in a pan and crackle the onion seeds. Add the chopped onions and fry till slightly golden. Now add the beans and potato and stir. Add the dry spices along with sugar and salt. Mix and cook on a low flame till almost done and beans and potato are slightly golden. Now add the paste and 1/3 cup water and stir well. Cover and cook on a low flame for 5-10 minutes till the gravy sticks on to the veggies but not burnt or sticking to the pan. There should not be any liquid gravy. If there is, dry it out. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Bengal Special--Patishapta

Last weekend was celebrated in India as Bhai Phota (in Bengali) or Bhai Dooj. This comes right after Diwali and is quite similar to the festival of Rakhi or Rakshabandhan. However, with no brother in my family as well as no sister in my husband's family (apart from our cousins), I am not much aware of the festivities or rituals. All I know is that something sweet is prepared on this day and fed to the brother while praying for his well being. My Patishaptas were once relished very dearly by a friend and, as we were meeting him the next day, I thought of preparing these on this occasion. You can serve them with a drizzle of condensed milk to enhance the look and taste. I skipped it as I did not have it in my pantry. 

Ingredients

For the filling

1 ltr full cream milk plus 2-3 tbsp

1-2 tbsp vinegar

3 tbsp jaggery grated

2 tbsp powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp grated/desiccated coconut

1 tsp ghee

For the batter

1 cup maida/all purpose flour

1/4 cup rice flour

1/2 cup semolina

1 1/2-2 cups milk

1-2 tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

Direction

Start with making the chenna first. Boil 1 ltr milk and add 1-2 tbsp vinegar and let it curdle. Cover and let it stand for a few minutes for the whey to separate. You can also add a few ice cubes to expedite the process. Strain the chenna in a muslin cloth or a paneer maker. Wash it with some drinking water to rinse away the vinegar. Be careful at this step as the chenna might get washed away too. Now tightly tie the muslin cloth and hang it in one corner for about 30 minutes till the water is completely drained out. 

Now, take the chenna in a plate and crumble it with your hands. Use your fingers and the heel of your palm to smoothen the chenna. It should no longer be  grainy at the end of around 10 minutes. Now add the sugar and knead for 5 more minutes till the mixture is mixed well. 

Heat the ghee in a pan and roast the grated/desiccated coconut till slightly golden. Now add the jaggery and keep stirring till melted. Next add the chenna mixture and continue stirring till everything is well combined. Keep stirring till the mixture no longer releases water. Now add 2 tbsp milk and mix everything well and remove from heat. If the mixture dries up further after cooling down, add 1-1/2 tbsp more of milk. The mixture should be of thick but smooth rabdi consistency. 

Time to prepare the batter now. Mix all ingredients listed under batter and make a smooth creamy paste. Do not make the batter too runny nor too thick. It should be same as dosa batter. Keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Now heat your dosa pan/flat non-stick frying pan and drizzle 1 tsp oil. Gently rub the pan with a paper napkin so that the entire pan is well greased. Take a spoonful of the batter and spread it out in one direction in a circular manner just like you prepare a dosa. The size of the circle should be slightly bigger than a pancake and thickness like that of dosa. Cook this on a medium low flame till the bottom is slightly golden and the top is cooked (you can see that no raw spots remain). When you see the top cooked through, add 1-2 tbsp of the filling and spread it out in a log/horizontal line. Close in the edges from both the sides and press gently to seal. Transfer to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter. Serve hot/warm or cold. Tastes awesome anyway!! :)

 

Bandha Kopi Diye Moori Ghonto (Cabbage in Fish Head)

The one vegetable that I truly dislike is cabbage. As a child I never ate it and nor did I eat after marriage. However, things change when you shop and cook for your family and within a monthly budget. You cannot just bin a veggie that cost you a couple of dollars just because you don't like it. The situation then becomes such where you need to find ways to like it. And this recipe is one! The flavor of the fish beautifully compliments the otherwise bland cabbage and makes an interesting dish. I do not like Fish Head also, btw, but the combination tasted good in totality!! :D  A happy Homemaker!

Ingredients

1 fish head washed and cut in half

1 medium cabbage finely chopped

1 medium onion sliced

1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 medium potato cut into quarters (optional; I forgot)

1 tsp panchphoran (equal quantities of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, and onion seeds)

1-2 whole red chillies

1-2 bay leaves

2 each of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ghee (optional)

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

2-3 slit green chillies

Mustard oil as required

Direction

Smear the fish head with a little salt and turmeric and keep aside for 10 minutes. 

Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and fry the fish head till crisp and golden. Make sure you keep the pan covered at all times to avoid oil spilling on your hands and face and all around. Remove from heat and keep aside. Fry the potato quarters in the same pan till golden and keep aside. 

In the same pan, add any additional oil if required and add the panchphoran, whole red chillies, bay leaves, and whole garam masala. As the fragrance starts coming out, add the sliced onions and grated ginger and fry till onions turn pink. Add all the spices except the garam masala and ghee and fry for 2-3 minutes. Do not add the salt now.  Add the cabbage and mix well. Cover and  let it cook till tender and shrunk in volume. Now add the salt, fried potatoes and fish head. Cover again and cook for another 5-10 minutes while stirring in between. Now break the fish head with the tip of the laddle and mix everything together. Add the garam masala and ghee and check for seasoning. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Bengali Maacher Jhol (Bengali Fish Curry)

Fish and Bongs are like the two sides of the coin. Inseparable! While there are a few exceptions, but majority of Bengal population thrives on fish. And why not? It is easy to cook, readily available (even in a pond), and loaded with nutrition. Over the years, the traditional bengali fish recipes have been passed on to the new generation, each doing their own tweaks as per their convenience. However, the basic essence has always remained intact so much so that today people, and not just Bongs, across the globe love and enjoy Bengali food and even recreate it in their kitchen. Today's recipe is one of the simplest Bengali Fish Curry, which gets prepared on a regular day in the most humble household as well as any sophisticated high society one! Try it and enjoy this recipe if you and your family have a liking for fish. 

Ingredients

Rohu fish fillet as per your serving size (I used 8)

2 medium potato, cut into wedges

1 medium tomato chopped

1 tbsp ginger grated

1 tsp cumin seeds freshly roasted

1 tsp coriander seeds freshly roasted

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp sugar

3-4 slit green chillies as per taste

1 tsp onion seeds or kalonji

Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Mustard oil for frying the fish and 1/2 tbsp for gravy if required

Salt to taste

Direction

Wash and clean the fish. Apply little salt and turmeric and keep aside for 20 minutes. You can keep it for longer as well. I applied it in the afternoon and kept it in the fridge till I made the gravy in the evening. However, take the fish out and bring it back to room temperature at least 1 hour before frying. 

Make a paste with the roasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, chilli powder, and turmeric powder with a little water. Keep aside. This is usually done on a silbatta or mortar and pestle for the ultimate taste. I had to do it in my regular grinder like in most modern homes!

Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan with a lid and bring it to smoking point. Add the fish pieces, leaving enough space for it to be fried golden on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cover the pan with the lid while frying to avoid spillage of oil on the outside as well as on your face and hands. Also, keep adjusting the heat so as not to burn the fish. Remove from heat and keep aside. 

In the same pan, add any extra oil if required. Now add the kalonji and slit green chillies and let it splutter. Fry the potato wedges till golden. Now add the chopped tomato and continue frying on a medium heat till soft and mushy. Add the ground paste and rinse the grinder with a dash of water and add it to the pan. This will ensure that your masala does not stick to the pan without adding any additional oil and also saves you from wasting the residual masala. Take care while stirring the masala now as it might break the potatoes. When the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan, you will know that your base is ready. Now add the salt and sugar as per your taste and 1 cup of water. Bring it to a boil and then add the fried fish. Cover and cook on a medium flame till gravy thickens to desired consistency. Pick 3-4 potato pieces in a bowl and mash them with the back of a spoon. Put it back into the pan and stir. Check for seasoning and remove from heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and slit green chillies and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Bengali Mutton Curry

Weekends are special in every household and so is mine. However, it is not about food always in my household. In fact, I hardly cook on weekends unless I have guests for dinner. For me weekends are more of spending time with family, go shopping, and spend some me time. This weekend was special, however, as I had to clear my pantry before going on a werkend holiday to Cambodia next week. So with mutton being on the cards and husband requesting for some authentic Bengali Mutton Curry, I had to do some homework before I could get on with it. After going through a lot of recipes, this recipe from Bong Mom's CookBook seemed really convincing, though a bit elaborate. As it was weekend and husband was there to take care of the baby, I decided to go for it. The end result was stupendous and this recipe turned out quite a stunner, with some minor changes at my end. If you love mutton and love the Bengal style of cooking, you cannot stay away from this recipe.

Ingredients

For the marination

1 kg mutton washed and cleaned

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp mustard oil

2 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp grated raw papaya

2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp salt

For the special paste

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

15 black peppercorns

8 dry red chillies

8 fat cloves garlic

2" piece ginger

1 tsp mustard oil

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp sugar

Dash of water

For the gravy

2 large onions finely sliced 

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 large tomatoes pureed

2 large potatoes quartered

6 green cardamoms

2 black cardamoms

8 cloves

3 bay leaves

3 whole red chillies

1 mace

1 tsp good quality garam masala

3-4 green chillies slit

Salt to taste

2 tbsp mustard oil

Direction

The preparation time is quite time consuming for this recipe and so I shall share with you the process step wise, like I did, to ease the entire cooking procedure. 

Step 1

Marinate. Wash and rinse the mutton and keep it in a vessel with a proper lid. Add all the ingredients listed under marination and mix well. Cover and marinade overnight. 

Step 2

Make the paste. Dry roast the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, and whole red chillies. Cool and make a fine paste with the rest of the ingredients. Keep aside. Traditionally, it will be best if you can do this paste on a silbatta (mortar and pestle) as the older generation used to do. Gives the optimum results. Trust me!

Step 3

Prepare for the gravy. Slice the onions and keep aside. Puree the tomatoes and keep aside. If using fresh ginger garlic paste, prepare and keep aside. Cut the potatoes and heat the oil in a big wok. Remember, you will be using the same wok for the rest of the procedure. So choose accordingly. Fry the potatoes till golden. Keep aside. 

Step 4

Now it's time to start cooking. Take the same pan where you fried the potatoes and add thevwhole garam masala listed under gravy. I did not add any additional oil apart from 2 tbsp oil added while frying the potatoes. When fragrant, add the sliced onions and fry with a pinch of sugar till browned and caramalized but not burnt. Next add the puree and fry till the excess water evaporates and the raw smell disappears. Put the mutton along with the marinade and fry on high heat for 5 minutes till the mutton turns brown. Now reduce the flame and continue stirring intermittently till oil droplets start appearing on top. This will take a good 20-25 minutes. A point to note here. I have not made this curry in the pressure cooker as the raw papaya added during marination tenderizes the meat sufficiently and cooks perfectly even in the pan. In fact, the mutton started coming off the bones while frying!

You will know that the mutton has been fried well when you see droplets of oil floating on top. Now add the spice paste and rinse the blender with a dash of water and continue frying the mutton along with the spice paste for another 5-10 minutes till everything is well mixed. Add the fried potatoes and give a gentle stir. Add salt and 1.5 cups of water. Cover and reduce the flame to minimum once the gravy comes to the first boil. Stir in between and keep covered until you see oil floating on top.

If you want reduced gravy, remove the cover and cook on high flame till the gravy reduces to desired consistency. Now add the garam masala and check the seasoning. Add some fresh slit green chillies for an awesome taste. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice. 

Kacchi Mutton Biryani-The Bengali Way

As a homemaker, when it comes to gift something special to your loved ones on their birthdays and special occasions, it is food through which you can show your love more appropriately rather than buying them a gift with their money. The dishes that you cook out of love and of their interest makes them even happier than buying an expensive gift from the store. Mutton was what my husband wished to eat for his birthday and I travelled by bus, then train, then walked to buy the best mutton in Singapore and again rushed back via the same route to be just in time to pick up my baby from school. The love and effort that went into the making of this biryani definitely showed in the end result. Husband was glad and conpletely enjoyed his birthday meal. My gift was well accepted and ackowledged!

Ingredients

For the Marinade

500 gms boneless mutton (you can use with bones too)

1/2 tbsp salt plus more to taste

1/2 cup fried onions (thinly slice the onions and let it dry on a paper towel for 1/2 hour. Fry till crisp and brown, but not burnt)

1 tbsp fresh ginger paste

1 tbsp fresh garlic paste

3/4 cup yogurt

1/2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp ghee

2 tbsp raw papaya paste (for tenderizing the meat)

To be ground for the spice mix

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

6 green cardamoms

6 cloves

2" piece cinnamon

2 black cardamoms

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 mace

1/2 javitri or nutmeg

2 bay leaves

2-3 whole red chillies

For the Biryani Rice

2 1/2 cups long grain basmati

2 each of green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf

4 cups of water

1/2 tbsp salt

For the assembly

2 medium potatoes cut into halves

1 medium potato sliced into medium thickness roundels for lining the bottom of the biryani pot

1/2 cup fried onions (prepared as per the procedure detailed above)

2 tbsp ghee , divided

1 tbsp kewra essence, divided

A big pinch of saffron soaked in cold milk

1 cup milk

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup aaloobukhara or dried pitted prunes (optional; I did not have it)

3/4 slit green chillies, if you like it

Oil for frying the potatoes

1/2 cup aata or wholewheat flour made into a dough for sealing the edges

Direction

Step 1

The first step towards making this biryani starts one day ahead. Take the mutton pieces and wash properly. Rinse well and apply salt and keep aside for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, dry roast all the ingredients listed under powder and let it cool. Now grind to a not-so-fine yet not-so-coarse powder and keep it handy. 

Wash and rinse the mutton again after 20 minutes and take it in a clean vessel with a lid. Drain out as much water as possible. To this add the yogurt, sugar, ghee, fried onions, papaya, salt to taste, ground spices and mix well. Add salt keeping in mind that this is how your biryani will taste along with the rice (which will also be cooked in salty water). Cover the vessel and keep aside the mutton for marination for atleast 4-5 hours or overnight. The more the better. 

Step 2

Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Boil water with salt and add the whole spices. Add the soaked and drained rice and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the water. The rice should be just 30-40% cooked. Keep the rice in a colander until used. 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the potato halves until golden on all sides. Remove from heat and drain excess oil on paper towels. 

Step 3

If you have marinated the mutton overnight, ensure that you bring it to room temperature before starting the procedure. The best way is to take it out of the refrigerator first thing in the morning and let it remain for 2-3 hours before cooking. 

Now grease the bottom of your biryani pot. Ensure that it has a tight lid. Meanwhile, put a thick iron skillet/ tawa on the stove top and let it heat up. Arrange the sliced potatoes in a single layer with minimum gaps in between. You can use more sliced potatoes if you need. 

Now spead out about 1/3 of the rice in an even layer. Sprinkle 1/2 of the fried onions, 1/2 of the ghee, 1/2 of the kewra essence, and 1/2 of the raisins and prunes (if using). Now spread the mutton and the marinade over the rice and fill out any open gaps. Add the fired potato halves and slit green chillies if you like it spicy. Top it up with the remaining rice and spread evenly. Add the remaining ghee, kewra essence, raisins and prunes, and  fried onions. Sprinkle the saffron milk on the rice followed by 1 cup of milk. Roll the atta dough into an elongated rope and fix it along the rim of the vessel. Seal it with the lid tightly placed on top and ensuring there are no gaps in between for the steam to escape. 

Put the vessel on the hot tawa and reduce the gas to minimum and forget about it for the next 1-1.5 hours or until you start getting the biryani fragrance. Switch off the flame and let the vessel remain on the hot tawa for 1/2 hour. Remove the lid now, mix the biryani with a spoon and serve hot with your favorite raita and green chutney.