Tempting Bengali Misti “Kalakhand”

Tradionally prepared Kalakand is a very time consuming and intricate misthi to make. Here is a simpler version of Kalakhand…it’s an ideal energy pack required to boost your lazy day. For desserts, moderation is always the keyword…One actually salivate at the name of Kalakhand…

Ingredients

·        
Unsalted Fresh paneer (cottage cheese): 3/4 cup 

·         Milk powder: 8 tbsp 

·         Condensed Milkmaid Milk: 1 Can

·         Sugar: ¼ Cup

·         Fresh cream: ½ Cup

·         Cardamom (Elaichi) powder: 1/2 cup

For the garnish
10 almonds (badam) & kishmish

Method

·         Combine all the ingredients in a non-stick pan.

·         Cook over a medium flame, stirring continuously for approximately 10 to 15 minutes till the mixture thickens and leaves the sides of the pan.

·         Spread onto a 175 mm. (7") diameter pie dish. Cool and cut into 16 pieces.

·         Garnish with kismish almonds and serve chilled.

Amazing  Phata  Phat Chocolate Cake…

A good food especially chocolate cake has the curative attribute to take a lot of tension away from home changing the mood …and the ambiance… Whether it’s a spectacular birthday cake or a simple afternoon tea cake, this legendary chocolate cake with heavenly rich cherries makes an elegant cake moist and delicious with a wonderful chocolaty taste...

Ingredients:

·         Butter, softened:  1 stick

·         Sugar: 1 1/2 cups

·         Eggs: 2

·         Cocoa (heaping) 2 Tablespoons

·         Cake Flour:  2 1/4 cups

·         Buttermilk: 1 cup

·         Vanilla: 1 teaspoon

·         Baking Soda: 1 teaspoon

      Cherries & gems for decorations.

Method:

·         In a larger mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

·         Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

·         In another bowl and cocoa until cocoa is completely dissolved. Add to the creamed mixture.

·         Mixing on low speed, add buttermilk and flour alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Mix well but do not over-beat to ensure a light fluffy cake.

·         Add vanilla flavoring, mix well.

·         Blend the baking soda into the batter.

·         Transfer into two floured and greased 9 inch round cake pans.

·         Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes. Cool.

·         Decorate with cherries & gems.

Anda Murg Masala

Anda Murg Masala (Egg-Chicken Curry):

The chicken pieces floating in flavorsome gravy prepared from yogurt with a blend of spices adds a new dimension to this meal experience. Though there are endless variations to make a chicken curry, my recipe is prepared with some basic ingredients with a slightly different technique. The blending of all spices with curd offsets the spicy flavor of the curry and thus making this dish it’s unique, subtly sweet, warm and yet spicy.

Ingredients:

Marinate:

·         Chicken: ½ kg (washed and cut into medium sized pieces)

·         Curd: ½ cup

·         Red chilli powder (adjust to suit your spice level): 1 tsp

·         Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

·         Dhania powder: 1 tsp

·         Kashmiri Red Powder: 1-2 tsp

·         Salt to taste

·         Sugar: 1 tsp (Bengali Twist)

·         Mustard Oil: 5-6 tsp (Bengali Twist)

·         Vinegar: 1-2 tsp

·         Chicken masala powder: 2 tsp

Other ingredients:

·         Cinnamon: 1-2 pieces

·         Cloves: 4-5 pieces

·         Bay leaves: 2-3

·         Cardamom: 2-3 pieces

·         Black Pepper: 4-5 pieces

·         Refined Oil: 7-8 tsp

·         Onions finely chopped: 2 Nos

·         Tomato finely chopped: 1 large

·         Potatoes (cut into dice): 2 medium sized (Bengali Twist)

·         Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp

·         Cumin Seeds: ¼ tsp

·         Eggs (hard boiled): 2 Nos

Method:

·         Marinate chicken pieces with all the ingredients mentioned under “marinate” for 2-3 hrs.

·     In a pan, add mustard oil and allow it to heat. Add diced potatoes, a pinch of salt, turmeric and  Kashmiri mirch powder and fry them till the potatoes turn golden brown.

·      In a cooking vessel, heat it and add refined oil. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves and black pepper. When the spices splinters, add chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic-ginger paste to it and sauté till onions turn golden pinkish and the masalas start leaving oil.

·         To this add the marinated chicken pieces and keep on stirring it till the gravy becomes almost dry (This is called” kosha” in Bengali”). Do this on medium flame.

·      After constant stirring for around 25-30 mins, put 2-3 cups of water and add the fried potatoes to it. Cover it.

·        Allow it to cook for 10-15 mins, till the chicken pieces and potatoes are fully cooked.

·         Garnish with pieces of hard boiled eggs.

Spicy Sausage Hotpot

Sausage Hotpot:

This simple, hot & tangy curry preparation was enticing and we all gobbled with pleasure. Indeed it is a great casserole for all times….a real crowd-pleaser. Warm up after work with this ultimate comfort food dish; just add a buttery dollop of mash…

Ingredients:

·         Sausage: 10-12 pieces

·         Refined oil: 5-6 tsp

·         Large potatoes peeled and chopped into 1" cubes: 2 Nos

·         Large onions sliced thin: 2 Nos

·         Large tomatoes chopped fine: 2 Nos

·         Green chillies: 3-4 Nos

·         Hot water: 1 Cup

·         Tomato Sauce: 3-4 tsp

·         Garam Masala sabot (Cardamom, Elaichi, bay leaves, cloves & black pepper): Acc to need

·         Turmeric powder: 1 tsp

·         Red Chilli powder: ½ tsp

·         Kashmiri Mirch Powder: 1 tsp

·         Salt to taste

·         Garlic-Ginger paste: 1 tsp

Preparation:

·         Pour the cooking oil into a wok or deep, heavy bottomed cooking pot. Heat on medium heat till oil is hot. Now add the potato cubes and fry, stirring often, till golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside on paper towels to drain.

·         In the same wok, add oil. When it’s hot, add the Sabut Garam masalas to till.

·         When it splinters, add the sliced onions and fry till translucent. Stir often.

·         Now add the tomatoes and green chillies and fry till the tomatoes are pulpy.

·         Add garlic-ginger paste, all dry masalas & stir well

·         Add the hot water, salt to taste and stir well. Bring water to a boil.

·         Now add the sausage meat and the fried potatoes. Stir well. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

Turn off heat and serve curry with piping hot, plain boiled rice.

Crunchy Spring Rolls

Spring Rolls:

Vegetarian cuisines have a myriad of snack delicacies amongst which spring rolls are the most preferred one. As the name suggests, spring rolls are a large array of filled, rolled appetizers. The name is a literal translation of the Chinese chūn juǎn (春卷 'spring roll') found in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine. The kind of wrapper, fillings, and cooking technique used, as well as the name, vary considerably within this large area. I have hewed to the standard recipe with a kind of Chinese stuffing, but midway through I have twisted the ingredients a bit driven by my culinary whims..!!

Ingredients:

·         Cabbage (finely shredded): ½ Kg

·         Green chillies (finely chopped): 4 Nos

·         Onions (Medium sized, finely chopped): 2 Nos

·         Capsicum (cut into juliennes), different colors if available:  5-6 Nos

·         French Beans (finely chopped) : 10-15 Nos

·         Spring Onions (finely chopped): 10 Nos

·         Carrots (cut into juliennes): 2-3 Nos

·         Tomatoes sauce: 1 tsp

·         Chilli sauce: 1 tsp

·         Vinegar (white or black): 1-2 tsp

·         Soya sauce: 1-2 tsp

·         Salt: To taste

·         Red chili powder: ½ tsp

·         Black pepper powder: 1 pinch

·         Ginger (finely chopped): 2 tsp

·         Garlic (finely chopped): 2 tsp

·         Maida: 1 cup

      Refined oil: ½ cup

Method:

·         Knead the maida well with little water & more oil, like we do for gujiyas. Keep aside.

·         In a frying pan, heat it & add 3-4 tsp of refined oil.

·         Add chopped ginger, garlic, onions and spring onions to the heated oil. Sauté well.

·         Then add chopped cabbage, carrots, French beans, capsicums to it & fry well till its tender. Cover it, if   required.

·         Add all the above mentioned spices & sauces to it and again cook for 4-5 mins. This makes the spring roll filling masala.

·         From the dough, make big portions, so that it makes into a big roti.

·         Fill good amount of masala into it & roll it till the last end.

·         Seal the edges with water. Like these make all the rolls.

·         Deep fry the spring rolls & cut them into slanting pieces.

      Serve hot with schezuan sauce