Bengali style cottage cheese curry (Chanar Dalna)

About the food:

This food is reflective of a typical Bengali Cuisine, and is most commonly found as an vegetarian option in almost all occasions. I learnt this recipe from our dedicated cook, who had been catering my in-laws' family for 3 generations: from the marriages of my grand-parent-in-laws, of my parent-in-laws, my marriage, and also my son's birthday. And guess what, all these occasions had this Chanar Dalna, served in the same old unaltered fashion. This is a superb and delicious dish, and never has this dish failed me and had become a hit whenever I served.

For the cottage cheese, you can prefer to buy it from market, mostly all the Indian sweet shops sell them. I make them at home, as then it is fresh and it saves the pain of going around the market searching for it.


Preparation time: 30 mins.

Cooking time: 30 mins.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

For the Cottage Cheese:

If buying from market: 500gms
If making at home:
Full cream milk: 2 litres
Lemon juice: 1/4 cup, from about 3-4 lemons.

For the curry:
Vegetable oil for deep frying
White flour: 1/3 cup
Sugar: 1 tbsp
Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
Tomato puree: 2 tbsp
Haldi powder:1 tsp
Salt
Cumin (Jeera) seeds: 1/2 tbsp
Cumin powder: 1 tbsp
Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts: dry ground, 1/2 cup
Water-melon / sunflower seeds: dry ground 1/2 cup
Slit green chillies:3-4
Red chilli powder: optional
Baking powder: 1/2 tbsp

Spices for dry grind:

1/2 nutmeg fruit
Jayitri whole: 3-4 florets
10 cloves
7-8 cardamon pods
2 inches cinnamon

Method:

1. Dry roast the spices and grind them to a powder in a grinder. Store it in an air-tight container.

2.Bring the milk to boil. Add the lemon juice, slowly, through a sieve. The solid part of the milk would separate out. Keep on adding the juice until the water from the milk is clear light blue. Pour the mixture into a cotton linen, and squeeze the liquid out. Squeeze it hard so that you get a solid chunk of the cheese.Let it cool a little.

3.In a mixing bowl put the cheese, flour, a pinch of salt, baking powder and the ground spices. Mix them well and knead it into a soft dough. Sprinkle some oil on the base of a deep tray or pan, press the cheese to form an 1/2 inch high level and press it hard and uniformly. Cut them in 2 inches squares and deep fry them over high heat until golden brown.
Tips:Drop the fried cheese-cakes in cold water, directly from the pan: it keeps them soft. Take them out after 2-3 mins.

4.Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add 2-3 cardamon, 1/2 inch cinnamon and 3-4 cloves. Add sugar, the chopped green chillies, ginger paste, tomato puree, cumin and corinader powder, red chilli powder and saute for 2-3 mins. Mix the cashew and the seed powder with 1 cup of water to make a paste. Add it to the pan. Add haldi and salt, and let it simmer.

5. Place the cheese-cakes on the serving bowl. Pour the gravy from the pan on top it, and serve.

Best served with hot plain rice.

Cheese and chocolate layered dessert with egg meringue

About the food:

This is a fusion between cheese & cream truffles and the classic french dessert oeufs a la neige au chocolat (eggs on top of the chocolate mountain), and it is absolutely heavenly and as sinful as any food could be!

Different tastes are revealed at each layers: The topmost layer chocolaty, decorated with egg meringue (poached egg whites in milk) followed by the lemony and creamy cheese layer.

It uses Italian ameretti biscuit in the last layer, which are hard and brittle with a bitter-sweet taste. It is the last one to be tasted. The last spoonful would be a bit strong in taste, with the bitter-sweet biscuity flavour. This needs an acquired taste, but once you have gathered it, you would love it, and which is like heaven!

Cooking time: 1 hrs.

Ingredients: (serves 5)

6-7 Italian Amerreti biscuits, roughly crushed in a mortar. (If you cannot get them, any chocolate wafers, like Kitkat could be used).
1/3 tbsp coffee
2 tbsp cointreau or brandy
2 egg whites
100 gms caster sugar

Chocolate custard:

400ml milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 tbsp caster sugar
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Cream Cheese Filling:

1/2 tsp gelatine
2 tbsp water
125 gm cream cheese, at room temperature
75 gm caster sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
150ml cream

Methods:

1.Line up 5 tall glasses, and divide the biscuit mixtures among them. Pour 1/2 tbsp brandy in each. Mix 1/2 tbsp coffee in 1/4 cup of hot water, let it cool. Pour 1/2 tbsp coffee mixture in each of the glasses.

Cream cheese filling:
2. In a heat proof bowl, mix the gelatine and water. Place it on top of a pan of boiling water: the water should not touch the bowl. Mix it well by whisking it. Take it off from the pan and let it cool.
3.Put the cheese, sugar and lemon juice in a whisking bowl and whisk until well mixed and fluffy. Fold in the cream and whisk again. Mix the gelatine.
4.Pour the filling into each of the glasses, filling the glasses half through.Refrigerate for 15 mins.

Chocolate custard & egg meringue:

5.Add 2 tbsp of sugar to the egg whites.Whisk until white peaks are formed. Add the remaining sugar (from 100gms) and whisk until smooth.

6.Mix and boil the milk, vanilla and 3 tbsp of sugar. Poach the above meringue mixture in the milk, by dropping spoonfuls of them and cooking them for 4-5 mins, and gently turning them. Take them out on a kitchen paper when they are firm. Continue with all the mixture.

7. Take a heat proof mixing bowl and mix the above milk, cocoa powder and the egg yolks. Whisk them until smooth. Simmer them by putting in on top of a pan of boiling water: continue cooking until thick, and continuously stirring the mixture. Cool the mixture for 10 mins.

8. Pour the custard to fill the rest of the glasses, and top them up with the egg meringue.

9. Chill for 2 hrs; sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.

Palak Paneer (Cottage cheese in spinach paste)

About the food:

This is an absolutely delicious dish, and a fantastic food for the vegetarians. It is a very healthy and pure dish, and is not so difficult to prepare.

Preparation time: 2hrs
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

2 litres of full cream milk.
Lemon juice, 1/2 cup (if making the cheese at home)
4 bunches of spinach leaves, washed, and chopped
4 big onions
2 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp cumin (jeera) powder
1 tbsp coriander ( dhania) powder
2 tomatoes
4-5 green chillies
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp Garam masala powder (cardamom, cinnamom & cloves)
2 tbsp butter
salt
Vegetable oil

Method:

Making the paneer ( Cottage cheese):

For a fresh flavour, you can prepare the paneer at home, following the steps below. Otherwise you can get them at the supermarkets.

a. Pour the milk in a big saucepan. Bring the milk to boil. Squeeze the lemon juices in a small non-metallic bowl. Discard the seeds. Pour this into the milk. The solid part of the milk would separate out, leaving a clear liquid. Until the liquid is clear, you should go on adding the lemon juice.

b. Line a colander with a cotton cloth. Pour the milk solution on it, and gather the solid part. Press the solid part to squeeze the water out. Tie the cloth tightly, and put some heavy bowl etc on top of it, to drain the water away. Keep it for at least 2hrs.

c. Open the cloth, and you get fresh smelling paneer. Take it out from the cloth, and cut it into 1 inch cubes.

2. Cut the onions in quarters and put them in a pan of boiling water. This reduces the heat of the onions, and cooking becomes much easier and takes less time while sauteing. Put the whole tomatoes in the pan, and let the tomatoes and onions boil for 3-4 mins. Drain the water, and take the skin of the tomatoes out, which would have already splited.

3.Wash the spinach in hot water.

4. In a mixie, make a smooth paste of the spinach leaves, onions, tomatoes and the green chillies: all mixed together.

5. Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp oil. Add the ground garam masala, cumin and coriander powder to the oil. Let them crackle. Add the ginger and the garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add a tbsp of sugar. Add the spinach mixture to the pan. Add salt and the turmeric powder.Saute on medium flame, and continue cooking for about 10-12 mins, or until the oil separates out. You can add water to adjust the consistency.

6. When the mixture is cooked and you have got the desired consistency, add the cubed cheese pieces. Mix them well, let them simmer for 5mins and remove on a serving dish. Put the butter on the top and let it melt and mix.

7. Serve hot with Indian Paratha/Roti or Naan, with salad and chutney.

Steamed Hilsa fish in mustard sauce ( Shorshe Ilish bhape)

About the food:

Hilsa fish, or Ilish, as known in Bengali, is at the pinnacle of delicacy among the fish loving Bengalis. This is a river fish and has a distinctive taste.This dish is a traditional dish, extremely delicious and is very easy to make. But just beware, it uses mustard, which could be little too hot for the inexperienced. Try this dish, and you would never forget the taste. Cook it in mustard oil for best results.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

8 -10 cut pieces of Hilsa
6 tbsp mustard oil
2 tbsp black mustard seeds
6 tbsp white mustard seeds
4-5 green chillies, split through the centre
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
salt

Method:

1. Mix the mustard seeds , grind them to make a paste. You can dry grind them and then add water to make a paste. Add salt according to taste, the turmeric powder and cover it in a bowl and set it aside.

2.Clean the scales from the fish pieces and wash them well.Put them in a microwave-able container.
If you are not using a microwave, put it in a metal tin, coat it with oil and place the fish pieces.

2.Pour the mustard seed paste on top of the fish, making sure the fishes are well covered. If needed, add a little water and mix well. Take care not to break the fishes.

3.Pour the mustard oil and the mix the green chilles to the container.

4.Seal the container with a lid or cling film. If using a microwave, cook for 20 mins at 850 C. Keep a watch, as cooking time may vary.

For non-microwave cooking, put water in the pressure cooker, and set the container inside, on the top of an inverted bowl. Steam for about 10mins.

5. Take the container out and check that the fishes are soft and succulent.Serve it hot with plain basmati rice.

Indo-oriental Chilli Cauliflower

About the food:

This is a fusion food involving Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisines. The 'Chinese' or 'Thai' food that we get in India is basically a fusion of the cuisines. The original 'Chinese'/'Thai' foods are entirely different and distinctive in their own style. This recipe belongs to this group of fusion foods, and I am confident that it would be extremely appealing to anyone who likes Indian style Chinese/Thai foods.


I learned this recipe from a friend, and I have slightly modified it. For non-veg lovers, you can substitute the cauliflower with chicken, and it tastes absolutely fantastic. Try this, it is extremely easy to cook, and makes a great meal!

Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients: 1 big cauliflower
1 bunch of spring onions
1 inch root ginger, finely chopped
1 big onion, cut in rings
3-4 dried red chillies, cut through the centre de-seeded, chopped
vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornflour
1 tsp ajinamoto
salt
1 tbsp black pepper powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup Thai sweet-chilli sauce
1 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup cashew nuts, halved

Method:

1. Cut the cauliflower with big chunky pieces, with the florets intact. Wash and put them in a large bowl. whisk the eggs in a glass, add 2 tbsp of cornflour, 1/2 tbsp salt and the ajinamoto. Pour this on the cauliflower and coat them well with the mixture.

2.Heat oil in a deep pan. Dip fry the cauliflower in batches until golden brown. Take them out in a kitchen towel.

3.Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the onions, capsicum, chopped ginger, cashew nuts, red chillies and fry them for 2 mins. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 min. Keep on cooking until the onions are tender but do not brown them. Add the cauliflowers and mix them well in the pan.Add the soya sauce, vinegar, the sweet-chilli sauce, a pinch of salt and 2 cups of water. Bring the water to boil. Mix 2 tbsp of cornflour with water in a cup and add it to the pan. Let it simmer for 2 mins.

4. Put it in a serving tray and serve with plain rice or any kind of Chinese/Thai fried rice.

Clear chicken ball soup

About the food:

This is an original recipe of mine. My 4 yr old son is crazy about chicken soups, and if given his way, can have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.I had to think hard to add variety to his 'chicken soups'. I leafed through by cookery books, searched the net, and then this recipe came to my mind.

In this recipe, the chicken balls are succulent, the apricots give a sweet and twangy taste and the ginger gives a spicy flavour.It is an extremely healthy and versatile food, your kids would love the soft and succulent chicken balls, you can have it as a light meal or you could serve this in a party. The best part of this dish is that it is extremely easy to cook! You cannot expect anything more for a dish.So, let's go ahead!

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

500 gms boneless chicken breast pieces
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp of ginger paste
1/2 inch root ginger, finely chopped
6-7 dried apricots, chopped finely
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp black pepper powder
salt
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cornflour
vegetable oil
1 ltr water or chicken stock

Method:

1. Chop the chicken pieces and using a food processor/mixer mince them finely to a thick paste.
Take them out in bowl, add the ginger paste, onion powder, black pepper powder, cornflour and salt. Mix them together and leave it for 20 mins.

2.Wet your both palms with some oil, and make small balls from the mixture. Line them it a plate, taking care that they do not touch.

3. Heat a deep pan and add they butter. Put the black peppercorns, chopped ginger, spring onions and apricots. Fry for 5mins over a low flame. Add 1 ltr of water or the chicken stock, add salt and let it boil. One by one, lower the chicken balls into the boiling water. Cover and let them simmer over a low flame for 20-25mins.

4. Scoup off any fat from the surface, and serve hot with garlic bread.

Chicken Rezala

About the food:

Rezala is a typical Bangladeshi dish, which has the just mix of sweet, sour and hot flavours. It is a rich dish, absolutely delicious.Try this dish, it will never fail you. for the original flavour, this dish should be prepared using ghee only, but I do a healthier option. I cook it in vegetable oil, and mix the ghee, less amount than when cooked only with it, to the pan.

Preparation time: 2 hrs
Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

1 kg skinless chicken pieces

For marination:
5 onions made into paste
4 green chillies, made into paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp ground Garam Masala( cinnamom, cardamom and cloves)
4 tbsp kewra water

For the curry:

2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
1/2 cup posto (khas-khas) paste
200 ml (1 cup) plain yogurt
vegetable oil
ghee
1 big onion, chopped into rings
salt
1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg (Jai phal)
1/2 tbsp ground mace (jayitri)
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marination. You can mix the green chillies, ginger, garlic and onions together and make a paste in a grinder. Add these to the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hrs.

2.Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan. Fry the ring onions until lightly golden. Keep it aside.

3. You can use the same pan used to fry the onions, and no need to rinse the pan either.Heat 4 tbsp oil in pan. Add the marinated chicken in batches to the pan, and stir fry. Add the potatoes. Cook on a medium flame, so the chicken pieces do not burn.Add 4 tbsp ghee, nutmeg and mace powder, salt, lemon juice, kewra water and sugar and continue cooking until the oil separates out. Now, add the yogurt, 1 spoon at a time , mixing it well before adding the next spoon. Otherwise the yogurt would cuddle.Cover and cook over a low flame, turning between the time,for about 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked.Add the posto paste, mix, and bring the food to boil.

4. Remove from the flame, garnish with the fried onion rings and serve hot with Indian Paratha or Basmati rice.