Fish Cutlet/Macher Chop(Kolkata style)

Fish chop is a spicy fish croquette that can be made with any fish. In Bengali homes it is usually made from Rui/Katla(carps) but I made this from bhetki fish. Bhetki as its known in Bengali is also known as Chanak in Konkani and Sea Bass in English. This fish cutlet or chop as its known in Bengali is a delicious cutlet which is soft/juicy inside with a crispy breaded coating outside. Although it's quite easily available in Kolkata, I request you to try it at home once and you will never like the outside chops anymore.. just like us :) This is a must try delicacy for fish lovers !!

Ingredients -

Fish - Sea bass/Bhetki/Chonak

onion

ginger

garlic

green chillies

potatoes

oil

turmeric powder(haldi)

red chilly powder(mirchi)

coriander powder(dhaniya)

cumin powder(jeera)

freshly coarsely ground garam masala - cardamom(elaichi),cinnamon(dalchini),black pepper(kali mirch)

bhaja masala - powder made by dry roasting - whole cumin(jeera), red chilly, cardamon(elaichi),cinnamon(dalchini),black pepper

salt

sugar

oil for deep frying

for coating-

corn flour

egg

salt

black pepper powder

bread crumbs

Method -

Wash the fish pieces well.

Marinate the fish with salt,turmeric powder,red chilly powder for 30min.

Heat oil in a wok/kadhai.

Fry the fish pieces in oil(medium to high temperature).

Allow the pieces to cool,then separate the bones and mash them.

Boil potatoes till soft,then peel and mash them.

Sprinkle salt on the potatoes as per taste.

Finely chop the onions and green chillies.

Make a paste of ginger,garlic.

In the same kadhai heat some more oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, green chillies,ginger-garlic paste,salt.

Add all the seasoning powders - turmeric,red chilly,coriander,cumin.

Coarsely grind the following - cardamom,cinnamon,black pepper.Add this to the above mixture.

Add the mashed fish and cook for sometime.

Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.

Now add the bhaja masala.

Adjust the salt and add bit of sugar for taste.

The stuffing is ready.

Take small balls and make oval shaped cutlets out of them.

To fry the cutlets -

Heat oil in a deep wok/kadhai for deep frying.

Beat 1 egg in a wide bowl and whisk it well.

Add 1-2 tspn of cornflour to it.

Add salt, pepper powder for taste.

Mix it well to get a consistent batter with no lumps.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over a plate.I have used the ready made bread crumbs.

Take 1 oval shaped cutlet deep it in the corn flour mixture on both sides.

Now roll it in the bread crumbs on both sides.

Deep fry in the oil.

Fry on medium flame till golden brown on both sides.

Serve the hot chops/cutlets with mustard sauce/kasundi or tomato ketchup.

Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji or Mumbai pav bhaji as it is famously known as, is a street food in Maharashtra.It is a vegetable curry known as bhaji in marathi served with pav(bread).It is full of vegetables so its pretty healthy when you have it at home specially where you can control the amount of butter you add :P So if you have never tasted this maharashtrian snack please try it once !

Ingredients-
cauliflower -1 cup
carrot - 1/2 cup
green peas - 1/2 cup
capsicum - 1/2 cup
potatoes - 1 cup
tomatoes - 2 cups
green chillies
onion
ginger-garlic paste
coriander leaves
lemon wedges
turmeric/haldi powder
red chilly powder
everest pav bhaji masala
oil/butter
pav

Method-
Cut all the vegetables into medium cubes.
Chop the onion,chillies and tomatoes finely.
Make a paste of ginger and garlic.You can also use the ready made ginger-garlic paste.
Pressure cook all the vegetables except capsicum and onions with water.
Strain the water and keep it. We shall use it later as a vegetable stock.
Heat oil and butter in a non-stick pan.
Put in the onions, chillies and ginger-garlic paste.
After 2min add the chopped tomatoes.
Add salt and let it cook till the oil separates out.
This will take some time..around 4-5min.
In the meanwhile mash the boiled vegetables with the help of a spatula/big spoon.
Add the mashed veggies to the pan.
Add haldi powder,mirchi powder,salt and pav bhaji masala.
Add some vegetable stock and let it cook for another 2-3min.
Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves and turn off the flame.
The bhaji is now ready.
For the pav - toast the pav in butter on both sides.
Serve hot pav-bhaji with a dollop of butter with some chopped onion,green chilly and lemon :-)

Wheat flour cookies/Thekua - Chhath Puja Special

I was supposed to post this a week back..sorry for the delay.Wheat flour cookies (or thekua as they are well known as) are one of the most famous dishes prepared during Chhath Puja in Bihar.I had them the first time at one of my Bihari neighbour's house and I just fell in love with these delicious home made cookies.They are very healthy as they are made up of wheat flour.Easy to prepare and the best part is you can store them for 2-3 weeks, so they make up a healthy and handy snack :)

Ingredients-
whole wheat flour/atta(4cups)
sugar(1.5cups)
water(1cup)
ghee(3/4thcup)
fennel seeds/saunf(1tspn)
crushed/powdered cashew nuts

Method-
Take atta in a mixing bowl.
Heat water in a pan and add sugar to it.No need to melt the sugar completely.
Add saunf, crushed cashew nuts to the flour.
Now slowly add the sugar water to the flour and knead it.
The dough should be dry and not soft.
Make balls out of the dough.
Mould them with your hand or use a cookie cutter to get desired shape of cookies.
Deep fry the cookies or thekuas till golden brown.
You can store them in an air-tight container for weeks.
Enjoy home made cookies at tea time :)

Idli Sambar

Idli sambar is one of the most famous south Indian cuisines around the globe.It's a very healthy breakfast option for all of us right from kids to elders.Although there are many ways of preparing sambar the above recipe is very similar to the one you would get in authentic south Indian restaurants.

Ingredients-
suji/rava - 2cups
urad dal - 1cup
salt
baking soda - pinch
water

toor dal - 1cup
onions
tomatoes
potatoes
carrots
brinjal
chana dal - 1tspn
urad dal - 1tspn
red chillies
coconut
tamarind pulp
turmeric powder
sambar powder
water
salt
sugar
mustard seeds
curry leaves/kadipatta

Method-
Wash the urad dal and soak it in water for 7-8 hours.
Grind the dal with minimum water.
Now mix the ground dal with rava.Add some water if required.
The batter should be of medium consistency(not very thin or thick).
Keep the batter covered outside the fridge for the entire night for fermentation.
Next day morning add salt and soda to the batter.
Grease the idli stand with some oil/ghee.
Pour small scoops of batter into the idli moulds and steam them in a pressure cooker.
Hot idlis are ready.

To prepare the sambar -

Pressure cook the toor dal with salt and haldi powder till soft.You can add some vegetables along with the dal like carrots, potatoes.
Heat some oil in a pan.
Add chopped onions and saute.
Then add chopped tomatoes and let it cook till soft.
Once done add the cooked dal and veggies.
Separately dry roast some urad dal,chana dal,toor dal,red chillies and freshly grated coconut.
Grind all these to a fine paste.
Add this paste to the above cooked dal.
Add water to get the desired consistency of sambar.
Add tamarind pulp to adjust the tanginess and sambar powder.
Add salt as per taste and a pinch of sugar.
Finally five a tadka of mustard seeds,curry leaves and red chillies to it.
Serve hot idlis with sambar :-)

Chole tikki/Kabuli chana cutlet

A very easy and simple snack item which is healthy too as it is made up of chana..

Ingredients -
kabuli chana/chole -1cup
potato -1medium
green chillies
turmeric powder
red chilly powder
chaat masala
salt
coriander leaves

Method -
Soak the kabuli chana for 6-7hours or overnight.
Boil them till soft.
Boil the potato.
Mash the chana and potato together.
Add chopped chillies,coriander leaves and the remaining spices.
Adjust the salt for taste.
Heat a non-stick pan.
Drizzle some oil over it.
Make round patties of the mix,coat them with bread crumbs or sooji and put on the pan.
Cook on both sides till crisp.
Serve hot cutlets at tea-time with tomato ketchup :)

French Toast

French toast is basically bread soaked in eggs.It can be served as a sweet dish or just as a snack.This is a very simple and tasty dish which can be made when you don't have anything much in your pantry and you are running short of time :)

Ingredients -
bread slices(4)
eggs(1)
milk(1/2 cup)
sugar(3tbspn)
vanilla essence(1 drop)
butter/oil for frying

Method -
Whisk the egg well in a bowl.
Put in the milk and sugar and mix.
You can add a drop of vanilla essence to it but this is optional.
Grease a non-stick pan with butter.
Dip in each bread slice into the above mixture and fry on the pan.
Fry on both sides till golden brown.
Yummy french toast is ready to serve :-)

Sweet Corn Patties

 This is yet another easy and delicious snack which is healthy as well as filling.This pattice has got a unique savoury taste along with the sweetness of corn... :-)

Ingredients-
sweet corn - 1cup
potato - 1(small)
onion - 1(small)
green chillies - 3
ginger - small piece
garlic -1clove
turmeric powder
red chilly powder
coriander powder
cumin powder
fresh coriander leaves
salt
bread crumbs/sooji
oil

Method -
Boil the sweet corn with water till soft.Boil and mash the potatao.
Mix the mashed potato and corn with salt.
Chop onion,green chillies and coriander finely.
Make a coarse paste of ginger and garlic.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add chopped chillies,onion and saute.
After a minute add ginger-garlic paste.
Once ginger-garlic paste is cooked add all the masala-haldi,mirchi,dhaniya,jeera powder.
Add salt as per taste and coriander leaves.
Let this mixture cool a bit.
Apply some oil to your palm and make tikki/cutlets out of this mixture.
Roll the tikkis in bread crumb or sooji and roast on both sides on a non-stick tawa.
Crispy corn cutlets are ready to serve with ketchup/chutney of your choice.
Hot cutlets go well with a cup of tea :-)

Hummus

Hummus is a middle eastern dish which is served as dip or spread with pita bread.It is an arabic word meaning chickpeas.It is very nutritious since chickpeas are a good source of protein and fiber.

Ingredients -
chickpeas/kabuli chana -1cup
lemon juice -2tbspn
salt
garlic -6cloves
olive oil/sunflower oil
tahini(sesame seeds/til paste) -1tspn(optional)

Method -
Soak the kabuli chana overnight or for 6-7hours.
Pressure cook till soft.
Blend together - mashed chana,oil,lemon juice,salt,garlic and tahini.
Tahini is a paste made out of sesame seeds or til.
Serve as a dip with any kind of bread.

Baked Beans

Baked beans despite the name are not baked but generally stewed in a sauce.This is a common dish you will find in an english breakfast.It is generally a sweeter version in the west, but this recipe posted here is an Indian style baked beans :)

Ingredients -
kidney beans/rajma(1 cup)
onion(1 medium)
green chillies(3-4)
tomato(1 medium)
tomato ketchup(2tbspn)
salt
olive oil

Method-
Soak the beans overnight or for 7-8hours.
Pressure cook them till soft with some salt.
Chop onion and chillies finely.
Blanch the tomato ie- cook it in boiling water for 5min.
Remove the outer peel and make a puree out of it.
Heat a non-stick pan with some olive oil.Substitute with sunflower oil if you do not have oilve oil.
Add the chopped onion and chillies.
Saute for 2min.
Add the tomato puree and ketchup.
Put in the cooked beans and let it cook in the tomato sauce.
Cook till its semi-dry.
Serve hot with toast or it tastes equally yummy as a healthy snack :-)

Besan Uttapam/Chickpea flour Pancake

This is a nice variation to the normal uttapam where you need to prepare the batter in advance.So this can be done without any preparation and in no time..

Ingredients -
chickpea flour/besan(1 cup)
onion(1 medium)
green chillies(2-3)
bell pepper/capsicum(1 small)
salt
turmeric powder
fresh coriander leaves
water
oil

Method-
Chop the onion,green chillies,capsicum and coriander finely.
Take besan in a mixing bowl.Add salt and turmeric powder.
Add water and get it to a pouring consistency.
Heat a non-stick pan.
Drizzle some oil.Pour a laddle full of batter on the pan.
Let it spread on its own.Sprinkle the chopped onion,chillies,capsicum and coriander leaves over it.
After sometime flip it the other side and cook.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup or with a dollop of ghee :)

Soya Tikkis/Cutlets

Soya being an excellent source of protein,these tikkis are very nutritious.So this is yet another simple and healthy recipe which can be served as a starter with your favourite chutney :)


Ingredients -
nutrela soya nuggets/chunks(1cup)
potatoes(2 small)
onion(1 small)
green chillies(3-4)
fresh coriander leaves
salt
bread crumbs(2tspn)
oil

Method-
Pressure cook or microwave the potatoes with a pinch of salt.
Cook the soya nuggets in boiling water till they are soft(10min).
Cool the nuggets and then mince them or chop them finely to get a keema.
Chop the onion,green chillies and coriander leaves finely.
Mash the boiled potatoes and mix with soya keema.
Add the chopped onion,chillies,coriander leaves,salt and bread crumbs to the above mixture.
Make small tikkis.
Heat oil on a non-stick pan.
Shallow fry the tikkis till golden brown.
Serve hot with ketchup or chutney :-)

Cucumber Pancake

Cucumber pancake is also known as tavshyachi bhakri in konkani and kakdiche thalipeeth in marathi.Tavshe and kakdi standing for cucumber in konkani and marathi respectively.This is a nice variation to the typical thalipeeths/bhakris.This recipe is very simple and can be made within no time for breakfast or evening snacks.This is a savoury version, shall post the sweeter version sometime later.


Ingredients -
rice flour(2 cups)
cucumber grated(1/2 cup)
onion(1 medium)
green chillies(2-3)
salt
coriander leaves
oil
ghee(optional)

Method -
Wash the cucumber and grate it along with the skin.
Chop the onion and green chillies finely.
To the rice flour add the grated cucumber,onion,chillies,salt and freshly chopped coriander leaves.
Add water as required to get a desired thalipeeth consistency.
Heat a non-stick tawa.
Grease it with some oil.
Take a portion of the above mix and pat it with your hands gently to form a roti.
Apply some water to your hands so that it doesnt stick.
Sprinkle oil on the sides and let it cook.
Flip it on the other side and cook.
Serve hot thalipeeth with a dollop of home-made ghee over it or else it just goes well with a cup of hot tea :-)

Sabudana Thalipeeth/Spicy Tapioca Pancake

Tapioca is known as sabudana in hindi/konkani and stands for seeds of sago.Subudana preparation is commonly used in India during fasting.It is used in puddings or kheer and khichdi made out of sabudana is very famous..popularly known as sabudana khichdi.This thalipeeth is an easy and tasty variation of sabudana which is very filling and gets ready in no time :)


Ingredients -
potatoes (2 big)
sabudana/tapioca (2 cups)
green chillies(4)
cumin seeds
salt
fresh coriander leaves
oil


Method -
Wash and soak the tapioca for 4-5 hours or overnight.
Boil and mash the potatoes.
Chop the green chillies and coriander fine.
Mix the soaked tapioca,mashed potatoes,chillies,cumin seeds and coriander leaves.
Sprinkle salt as per taste.
Take a non-stick pan.
Wet your fingers and spread the dough with your hand.
Sprinkle oil as required and let it cook.
It will be faster if you can cover and cook.
Once done flip it and let it cook on the other side.
This thalipeeth needs to be crisp as tapioca will be a bit chewy.
Serve hot with ketchup or it just goes well with a cup of hot tea :-)

Tomato Omelette(Eggless)/Besan ka chilla

This is referred to as an omelette but it contains no egg :p It is a famous  breakfast dish in Maharashtra and I had it in Pune for the first time.It is also known as besan ka chilla in parts of northern India.It is a very easy,tasty and filling snack which can be served anytime..


Ingredients-
chickpea flour/besan (3/4 cup)
rice flour(1/4 cup)
sooji/rava(2 tbspn)
hing(a pinch)
onion(1 medium)
green chillies(3-4)
tomatoes(1 big)
cumin seeds/jeera
coriander powder(1/2 tspn)
turmeric powder(1/4 tspn)
freshly chopped coriander leaves
water as required
salt
oil


Method -
Cut the onion,chillies and tomatoes finely.
In a large bowl mix the chickpea flour,rice flour and sooji together.
Add hing,jeera,coriander,turmeric powder,salt,coriander leaves to the above flour.
Slowly add water as per the desired consistency.The batter should be a little thick and not as thin as a dosa batter.
Heat a non-stick pan.
Drizzle few drops of oil and pour the batter to form an omelette.
Once done, turn it, and sprinkle some oil and let it cook on the other side.
Hot tomato omelette is ready to serve with ketchup :-)

Plantain Cutlets/Tikkis

Plantains are raw bananas which are unsweet.They have a high nutritional
value as they are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.They are also a
rich source of iron.Making tikkis/cutlets out of them is a very easy and
simple way of including them in your diet..

Ingredients -
plantain/raw banana(1)
potato(1 medium)
onion(1 medium)
green chillies(3-4)
salt
fresh coriander leaves
oil for shallow frying

Method -
Pressure cook or microwave the banana and potato with a pinch of salt.
Chop the onion and green chillies finely.
Mash the cooked banana-potato and mix well.
Add the chopped onion,chillies,coriander leaves and salt to the above
mixture.
Make small tikkis.
Heat oil on a non-stick pan.
Shallow fry the tikkis till golden brown.
Serve hot with ketchup or chutney :-)

 

Pancake

Pancakes are actually made out of all purpose flour,but I used wheat flour for a healthier version.This is one such breakfast/snack item which is very easy,healthy and tasty.Pancakes are usually served with maple syrup..since I didnt have one we had it with honey and it was simply delicious :)

Ingredients -
all purpose flour/maida(1 cup)
wheat flour/atta(1 cup)
baking powder(1.5 tspn)
powdered sugar(1.5 cups)
milk(2 cups)
eggs(2)
melted butter(2 tspns)
vanilla essence(few drops)
pinch of salt
honey(for serving)

Method -
Mix together the dry ingredients - maida,atta,baking powder,salt and sugar.
Beat the eggs well in a bowl and then add milk and butter.
Now pour this milk-egg mixture into the above flour.
Mix well so that there are no lumps.
Grease a non-stick pan with some oil/butter.
Take a laddle full of batter and pour on the pan.
Let it spread on its own.
Pancakes are supposed to be a bit thick.
Drizzle some honey over the pancakes and serve hot :-)

Vermicelli Upma/Semiya upma

Vermicelli upma is yet another variation with vermicelli(apart from the sweet version).This is nutritious too as it is full of veggies and it makes a good breakfast or snack item which takes very less preparation time :)


Ingredients -
vermicelli
onion(1 medium)
green chillies(2-3)
carrot
green peas
cauliflower
asafoetida/hing
mustard seeds
cumin seeds/jeera
curry leaves/kadipatta
turmeric powder
oil
salt




Method -
Cook the vermicelli in boiling water till they are half done.
Drain the water out and rinse the vermicelli under cold water so that they don't become sticky.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add hing,mustard seeds.Once they splutter add cumin seeds and curry leaves.
Add the chopped green chillies,onion and a pinch of turmeric powder.
After a min add the finely chopped veggies.
Add salt and cover and cook till the veggies are soft.
Finally add the cooked vermicelli,add salt and mix.
Serve hot vermicelli upma with tea :-)

Vada Pav

Vada pav is a very popular snack of Maharashtra.Pav stands for bread or bun.Batata stands for potato.Vada pav mainly consists of batata vada sandwiched inside pav.


Ingredients -
pav(4)
potatoes(2 big)
green chillies(3-4)
garlic cloves(4)
asafoetida(hing)
turmeric powder
salt
fresh coriander leaves
gram flour(besan)
red chilly powder
water
oil for deep frying


Vada Pav Chutney -
garlic cloves(7-8)
red chillies(3-4)
freshly grated coconut(2-3 tbspns)
red chilly powder
salt
oil


Method -
Boil the potatoes and mash them.
Make a paste of garlic cloves and green chillies.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add hing and garlic-chilly paste.
Add the mashed potatoes.Put in salt and turmeric powder.
Cook for 2 min and add fresh coriander leaves.
Mix together besan,turmeric powder(a pinch),salt,red chilly powder and water to form a batter.The batter should be little thick and not watery.
Make balls out of the potato mixture.
Dip them in the besan batter and deep fry till crispy(golden-brown).


Chutney preparation-
Heat 1 tspn oil in a pan.
Add the coconut and garlic to it.
Turn off the flame,let it cool and then grind this along with salt and red chilly.
Add red chilly powder and mix well.


Take 1 pav and divide it into 2.
Apply the chutney on one half.Place the vada over it and press with the other half.
Serve vada pav hot with tea :-)

Vegetable Poha

Poha or beaten rice is known as pohe in marathi,phovu in konkani,aval in tamil,avalakki in kannada.Yes this is a breakfast/snack item in almost all over India :)This is vegetable poha recipe..slight variation to the typical kande pohe.Poha is available in 2 varieties - thick and thin.I have used the thin version here and have explained below the careful steps to be taken while using this thin poha:-)


Ingredients -
thin poha/flattened rice
onion
capsicum
carrot
green peas
cauliflower florets
green chillies
groundnuts/peanuts
salt
sugar
turmeric powder
asafoetida (hing)
curry leaves(kadipatta)
mustard seeds
cumin seeds(jeera)
oil
fresh coriander leaves


Method -
Chop the onion,capsicum,carrot,cauliflower,green chillies finely.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Add a pinch of hing,mustard and cumin seeds.
Once they splutter add curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions,green chillies,peanuts and veggies.
Add salt and turmeric powder and cover and cook till the veggies get soft.
While the veggies are getting cooked wash the poha lightly once.
This is important because as we are using thin poha,if you wash it more it will get mushy and form a lump.If it is thick poha then it can be washed a couple of times.
Once the poha is ready(washed) add it to the pan.
Add salt and sugar as per taste.
Stir the poha lightly taking care not to break it.
Cover the pan and turn off the heat.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.Grated coconut can also be added at this time,I did not add.
Serve it with sev or it just goes well with a cup of hot tea :-)

Samosa

This is a samosa recipe which contains potato,green peas and cauliflower. Samosa being such a popular evening snack you can have this without worrying as it is home-made :-) 


Ingredients -
For the stuffing-boiled potatoes,green peas,cauliflower florets.
ginger sliced thinly or mashed
green chillies
masala - cumin seeds,red chilly,cardamom
oil
turmeric powder
salt
all purpose flour(maida)
oil for deep frying.


Method -
To prepare the stuffing -
Boil the potatoes and green peas.
cut the cauliflower into small florets.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
Fry the cauliflower florets(with closed lid) till they are soft.Keep them aside once done.
Dry roast the cumin seeds,red chillies and cardamom.Grind these to make a fine powder.
This is the masala used.
Now add the boiled potatoes and green peas to the pan.
Add the cooked florets.
Add salt,turmeric powder and the above prepared masala.
Cover and cook for about 5 min.
The stuffing for the samosa is ready :)


Now to make the samosa -
Mix some oil with the all purpose flour/maida.
Slowly add water and knead to prepare the dough.
The dough should be tight.This is very important.That's why add the water little by little as much as required in preparing the dough.
Once the dough is ready make equal balls out of it.
The ball should not be too small or too big.I have posted the pictures below.They are in a sequence.
With the help of a rolling pin make thin rotis.
The rotis should be oval in shape and not circular.
Cut the roti in the center to make two equal halves.If not exactly equal there is nothing to worry.
Take one half.Stick the adjacent edges of the half together to form a cone.
Once a cone is formed add the stuffing inside it.
Seal the top of the cone to form a samosa.This actually will be the base of the samosa.
Similarly prepare samosas with the rest of the dough.
Heat oil in deep-bottom pan.The oil should not be too hot.
Keep the flame on medium and fry the samosas.
Serve hot with ketchup or chutney :-)