Aloo Samosa

Monsoon has arrived finally and so has our desire to munch on a lip smacking hot samosa.
A great idea to make them for family gatherings or evening time snacks.

It is a flaky and spicy snack which has an crisp outer layer made of flour dough and rich flavourful filling of mashed potato, peas and spices.

This dough has a wonderful taste and texture and it's very easy to work with.

It has a mild lingering taste of chilli, ginger, coriander and cumin seed which makes it simply irresistible.  Its really a fun food frolics filled trip.

It is iconic Indian snack. Pair them with tangy tamarind chutney or coriander chutney for dipping.
Enjoy them with a cup of tea.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups Refined flour
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp carom seeds
Salt
Water as required

For the stuffing:

5 large potatoes, (boiled, peeled)
1/3 cup green peas. boiled
1 tsp fennel seeds powder
1 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chat masala powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
4 green chillies. chopped
2 tbsp ginger, chopped
1 tbsp coriander leaves
Salt as required
2 tbsp oil for tempering

Oil for deep frying the samosas

Method:

Preparation of dough:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the dough except water and rub thoroughly.
2. Start kneading by sprinkling water and make a hard dough. Set aside for about 30 minutes.

Preparation of stuffing:

1. Take the boiled potatoes. Cut into cubes. Lightly crush them. 
2. Heat oil in a pan in high flame and add cumin seeds.
3. Once the cumin starts crackling, add the chopped ginger and green chili and saute till the raw aroma of ginger goes away.
4. Reduce the heat and add all the dry spice powders one by one.
5. Mix well and add crushed potato & peas.
6. Add salt and saute till it is mixed well.
7. Remove from heat and add the chopped coriander leaves from top and Mix well. Keep aside.

Preparation of Stuffing and Frying Samosa:

1. Divide the dough into round portions as per the size of the samosas required. (Here you can divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls)
2. Roll each portion of dough into a thin oval shape (Roti size)  and cut into 2 semicircles with knife.
3. Take a semicircle. Apply water on the straight side of the semicircle. 
4. Hold the semi-circle in your hand, fold the straight side, joining together the watered edges, seal the watered edges into a triangular pocket and press well.
   
5. Stuff the potato mixture and then seal the upper edges by applying water. Make sure not to have loose ends.
6. Repeat the above steps for rest.
7. Heat oil in a pan. Once oil is hot, gently drop the samosa and reduce the flame to low.
8. Deep fry samosa till golden brown and drain them on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
9. Before you drop the next samosa, increase the flame. Once you drop, lower the flame.

Serve them with coriander chutney.

Aloo Bhujia Sev

Ingredients:

2 cups Gram flour
4-5 medium sized Potatoes
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp Garam masala

Method: 

1. Boil the potatoes, peel and grate them.
2. In a bowl take gram flour. Add grated potatoes, salt, asafoetida, turmeric powder, Garam masala in the bowl and knead to make a smooth dough. 
3. Cover this dough for 15 minutes.
4. Attach the desired net to the Sev making machine. 
5. Apply some oil on your hand, pinch a ball sized piece form the dough.
6. Put this dough in the machine and close it.
7. Heat oil in a frying pan,  set it in medium flame.
8. Once hot, push the machine's piston and put Sev in hot oil. 
9. Deep fry it for some time then turn it over, fry Sev till it turns light brown. 
10. Take it out and place on a plate covered with paper napkin. Fry all of the Aloo Bhujia Sev.
11. Allow the Sev too cool.
12. Store them in an air-tight container and enjoy this snack for 1 month.

Note:
You can use spices as per your requirement.

STUFFED POTATOES IN SILKY TOMATO SAUCE

Ingredients:

3 large Potatoes
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
2 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp Cashew nut
2 Green chilli, chopped
2 Kashmiri red chilli
1 tbsp Kasoori methi
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as required
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Butter
Oil for deep fry
1 tbsp Cream

For Stuffings:

1 tbsp Raisins, chopped
1 tbsp Almond chopped
1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp chopped green chilli
1 tbsp Fried onions
Salt To Taste
1 tsp Butter

Method:

Preparation of Stuffed potatoes:

1. Take the potatoes peel them and cut them into half's and boil it.
2. Remove from heat when it almost to be cooked.
3. Scoop the potatoes and deep fry them.
4. Take scoped potato in a bowl and mash. Add chopped green chilli, raisins, coriander, fried onions, almond and salt. Mix it well. 
5. Stuff this mashed potato mixture in fried potato.

Preparation of Silky Tomato Gravy:

1. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan. Add onions and saute till golden brown.
2. Add cashew nuts and saute it for 5 minutes.
3. Add ginger garlic paste, saute till raw aroma is gone. 
4. Add kashmiri red chilli, green chilli, tomatoes. Mix it well and put the lid on and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes in a slow flame. Let it cool down.
5. Blend the cooked onion and tomato into a paste. 
6. Heat 1 tbsp butter on same pan.
7. Add onion and tomato mixture and cook it for 20 minutes. Stir frequently. Don't let masala to burn. 
8. Add salt, sugar as required, mix it and add hand-crushed kasoori methi.
9. Add water if the gravy is too thick.
10. Cook it for 5 minutes.
11. Add cream, mix it well.
12. Add stuffed potatoes and put the lid on and let it cook for some time,
13. then switch off the flame and serve it.

Egg Hakka Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

150 gms Hakka Noodles
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, crushed
1 carrot, julienne
1 cup cabbage, shredded
½ cup beans, julienne
1 cup mushrooms, halved
1 small capsicum, julienne
½ cup spring onion, chopped
⅓ cup celery, julienne
2 eggs
1 tbsp green chilli sauce
2 tbsp Soya sauce
1 tsp Pepper Powder
Salt
Oil

METHOD:

1. Heat enough water in a pan with salt and few drops of oil.
2. When the water comes to a boil, add the noodles.
3. Stir and allow to cook the noodles till they are just cooked.
4. Drain them in a sieve.
5. Rinse the noodles in fresh water by placing the colander or sieve under fresh tap water.
6. Drain & keep aside.
7. Heat oil in a wok. Scramble the eggs and keep aside. 
8. In the same pan, add more oil if required, add chopped onion and garlic. Saute in high flame.
9. When onion becomes translucent, add rest of the veggies, except spring onion. 
10. Add salt. Cover and cook till the veggies are done. Make sure that it retains its crunchiness.
11. Once the veggies are done, add pepper powder and the sauces. Mix well.
12. Reduce to the low flame and add scrambled eggs, spring onion and noodles. Mix well. 
13. Cook on low flame for 2 minutes. Serve hot.

NOTES:

1. You can add any veggies of your choice. 
2. You can adjust the qty of veggies as per your requirements. 
3. If you are using sauces, be careful while adding salt to the recipe.
4. Adding sauces is optional.

Bhetki Macher Paturi

Marinated Steamed Fish in Banana Leaf Parcel 
Paturi recipe is a special way of cooking which we can apply for any fish. It is a low fat and high protein recipe.
If you are a vegetarian, then try this with paneer or with some other vegetables. You will definitely enjoy the preparation as well the food. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Asian Sea Bass (bhetki) fish fillet

1 big banana leaf

1 cup grated coconut

100 grams mustard seeds

4 tbsp mustard oil or as required

1 tbsp salt or as required

1 tbsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
1 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)

10 green chilies to make paste
Green chillies as required while stuffing fish in banana leaves

Stitching thread

METHOD:

1. Cut the fish fillets in 2"/2" size and Wash them properly.
2. Marinate them with salt, lemon juice(if using) & turmeric powder and keep them aside for 30 minutes.
3. Take one large banana leaf (not very matured) enough to wrap the fish pieces. Cut into rectangles(6x10)pieces.
4. Blend the mustard seeds and green chillies into a paste. Keep aside.
5. Blend the poppy seeds into a paste. Keep aside.
6. In a bowl mix 2 tbsp mustard oil, turmeric powder, mustard paste, poppy seeds paste (if using), chili paste and grated coconut salt.
7. Lightly warm the Banana Leaf on the heat to make it soft and foldable.
8. Take 1 tbsp mixed paste on the piece of banana leaves, place one piece of fish on the paste and put another tbsp paste on the top of fish piece so as to cover the fish piece by the paste from both sides. Place one green chili on top of it.
9. Fold the banana leaf to wrap the content from all sides and tie with a piece of thread or a toothpick. Apply the same step for rest of the fish pieces.
10. Heat little mustard oil on a frying pan
11. Place the banana leaf parcels in one layer and close the pan with an air tight lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes each side. You can use microwave for this as well. Steaming the fish in banana leaf makes the fish very soft and tasty. 
    
12. When all the fish pieces are cooked, remove them from heat.
13. To give it smoky flavour, you can roast it for 2-3 minutes.
    

Serve the banana leaf wrapped fish pieces with steamed rice. 

You can now open the wrap and enjoy aroma as well as taste the juicy bhetki fish paturi recipe.

Banana Leaves for Serving Food

The best reason to have banana leaf is that it is perfect for serving food becoz of it's size, you can serve a large variety of dishes in the leaf from sweet to savory.
The small leaves are served for breakfast & dinner and the largest leaves are reserved for lunch, as usually lunch has a huge variety of dishes.
It is hygienic, just have to sprinkle water and wipe and the leaves are clean in a few seconds.

It is eco friendly to dispose a banana leaf. It's waterproof.

Banana leaf is full of antioxidants and eating hot, freshly cooked foods on the banana leaf is one good way to get all the antioxidants easily.
Lastly, I strongly believe that eating in banana leaf enhances the taste of the dish :)

It's a wonderful experience eating on banana leaves, I truly recommend that you try it.

Prawn Curry (Traditional Odiya Style)

Ingredients:

To Marinate:

500 gms prawns
1 large potato
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tbsp mustard oil

To prepare gravy:

2 large onion
10-12 garlic flakes
1 1/2 inch ginger
1 inch long cinnamon
2 dry red chilis/ green chilis
2 large tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste
4 tbsp oil for gravy preparation
Oil as required for pan frying the prawns
2 cups of boiling water

Method:

1. Clean prawn properly. Drain out water completely.
2. Add salt, turmeric powder and mustard oil. Mix well. Allow to marinate for 15 mins.
3. Cut the large potato in half lengthwise, then cut each half in halves again. 
4. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the marinated prawn in medium flame, till it turns golden brown colour.
5. Fry the potato till they are nearly cooked through. Remove from heat and keep aside.
6. Grind the cumin seeds, 1 inch cinnamon and dry red chillies (if using) into a powder. 
7. Add 1 onion, half of the garlic flakes and 1 inch ginger to the same grinder jar. Grind till the paste is smooth. Keep aside.
8. Finely chop the tomatoes and keep aside.
9. Coarsely grind the remaining onion and keep aside. 
10. Crush together the remaining garlic pod and ginger using a mortar and pestle. Take care not to make a very fine paste.
11. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the sugar and allow it to turn brown. 
12. When the sugar starts fuming, add the onion paste. Saute it for 1-2 minutes.
13. Add the crushed garlic-ginger and saute for 2 minutes.
14. Add the ground masala. Saute for 4-5 minutes till the raw smell goes off.
15. Add tomato and saute till it starts melting. With the help of spatula mash the cooked tomatoes.
16. Add 2 cups of boiling water to the wok. Bring to a boil on high flame.
17. Add fried potatoes and prawns to the wok. Cover with a lid and allow to boil for 7-8 minutes.
18. Check the seasoning and add salt/spices as required.
19. Sprinkle Garam masala to the curry and add coriander leaves. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

Serve hot with white rice.