Malpua....Sweet Indian Pancakes

As I mentioned in my last post that I'm celebrating "Poush Sankranti" or "Makar Sankranti" on my blog so this will be my last recipe to celebrate the same. We Bengalis celebrate this festival with Pithe-Payesh. Since childhood I have seen my Mom and Grandma to make different varieties of "Pithe". Among them Patisapta (Indian Rice Flour Crepes) and Malpua (Indian Sweet Pancakes) were my favorites. I used to call them Dosa Pithe (as they look like Dosas) and Bhaja Pithe respectively.

I learnt the skill of making Pithe from my Mom. But this year I tried two very unusual Pithes; Hridoy Horon Pithe and Golap Pithe. They not only include cooking but crafting too. As far as their taste is concerned they are ambrosial. I have already posted the recipes of Hridoy Horon Pithe and Golap Pithe. Check them out :)

To wrap up this festival I decided to make Malpua. It is fennel flavored sweet Indian pancakes dipped in sugar syrup and when served with Rabri, believe me its just a slice of heaven. There are many variations and proportions used for this recipe but I'm penning down what I learnt from my Mom.

Let's begin:

Ingredients:

For Sugar Syrup:

1. Sugar: 2 cups

2. Water: 1 cup

For Rabri:

1. Milk: 2 cups

2. Sugar: 1 cup

3. Green Cardamoms: 4-5

4. Saffron Strands: few

5. Almonds (chopped): for garnishing

For Malpua:

1. All purpose flour(Maida): 2 cups

2. Rice Flour: 1 cup

3. Semolina: 1 cup

4. Khoa(solidified milk): 1/2 cup

5. Sugar: 1/2 cup

6. Green Cardamoms(crushed): 4-5

7. Fennel Seeds: 1 tbsp

8. Salt: a pinch

9. Oil: for frying 

Method:

For Making Sugar Syrup:

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan add sugar and water and let it boil on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any). 

2. Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat. Keep it aside.

For Making Rabri:

1. Take a pan and heat milk on medium heat. Cook the milk till it is reduced to half.  At this stage add sugar and mix well.

2. Cook the milk-sugar mixture for another minute. Add crushed cardamoms and keep it aside.

For Making Malpua: 

1. As I used store bought khoa so I first grated and then mashed it. If you are using homemade then you just need to mash it well.  

2. In a deep bowl add all purpose flour, rice flour, semolina, khoa, sugar, crushed green cardamoms, fennel seeds and salt. Give it a nice mix so that all the ingredients gets combined.

3. Add milk to this mixture and mix well till no lumps are visible. The batter should have a pouring consistency neither too thick nor too watery.

4. Heat oil in a kadhai or pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot enough test your malpua batter by pouring a spoonful in hot oil. 

5. If required add more flour or milk (little at a time) to make it thick or thin.

6. When you are satisfied with the batter take a laddle full of batter and pour it into the oil. Fry the malpua till it gets a nice golden hue. Remove them in a palte lined with paper-towel.

7. Dip the malpuas in sugar syrup. The syrup should be warm enough.

8. While serving take out Malpuas from sugar syrup put a generous amount of Rabri on top of it. Garnish with few saffron strands and chopped almonds.

9. Enjoy.

Note:

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Golap Pithe.......Edible Rose Garden

As I'm celebrating "Poush Sankranti" or "Makar Sankranti" on my blog so my posts are revolving around "Pithe". Let me just give you an idea of what this festival is all about, so basically its a major harvesting festival which is celebrated in many parts of India. As India is a very diversified country, this festival is celebrated in many regions but with different names: 

Assam==> Bhogali Bihu

Andhra Pradesh==> Makara Sankranti

Bihar, UP and Rajasthan==> Sankrat

Gujarat==> Uttrayan

Goa and Maharashtra==> Makar Sankranti

Himachal Pradesh==> Magha Saaji

Karnataka==> Suggi

Kerala==> Pongal

Punjab==> Maghi

Tamil Nadu==> Pongal
Goa and Maharashtra==> Sankrant

West Bengal==> Poush Sankranti

I believe it really doesn't matter how a same festival is being celebrated in different regions, but what counts is same level of happiness that it brings along.

We Bengalis celebrate it with "Pithe-Payesh". For those who don't know what is "Pithe" so let me introduce it to you its basically a type of cake or dimsum common in the Eastern India and Bangladesh. They are made up of rice flour or wheat flour batter (or dough), stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients and then cooked and "Payesh" is rice pudding which is made with "Nolen Gur" (date palm jaggery) available only this time of the year.

To keep the spirit up of this festival I chose a very unique dessert called "Golap Pithe". It involves not only "Cooking" but "Crafting" too and when these two combine they give a recipe which pleases your mind aesthetically.

So let's begin:

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour: 1 and 1/2 cup

2. Sugar: 2 cups

3. Milk: 1 cup

4. Egg: 1

5. Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tbsp

6. Green Cardamoms(crushed): 5-6

7. Salt: 1/2 tbsp

8. Oil: for frying pithe

9. Water: 3 cups

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed pan boil two cups of water with sugar on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any). Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat.

2. In another pan boil a cup of water with salt on medium-high heat. Once the water starts boiling add the flour and mix well with a wire whisk. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool down.

3. Crack the egg in a bowl and beat it nicely with a fork. 

4. Add ghee, beaten egg (very little at a time) and remaining crushed cardamoms to the flour mixture. Knead well until the mixture comes together into a dough.

5. Make small balls (8-10) out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and roll it into a flat puri (bread) with your rolling pin. 

6. Now take the puri (bread) and cut a circle with the help of a cookie cutter. In the same manner make the other two puris (breads). We need three puris (breads) to make one flower.

7. Put one puri on top of the other and make three cuts leaving the center as shown in the figure. Take one part at a time and fold it inwards to form the petals. Use water to seal the edges together. Continue the process until you are done.

8. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pithe. Fry them until they get a nice golden hue. Take them out on a plate lined with paper-towel. 

9. Put them in sugar syrup (the syrup should be warm enough) and let it rest for good 2-4 hours.

10. Enjoy these beautiful "Golap Pithe" with your friends and family.

Note:

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Hridoy Horon Pithe.....A Heart Stealing Delicacy

The foodies just need a reason to celebrate and slurp some of the sumptuous delicacies. Whether it's Holi, Diwali, Eid, Christmas or a simple weekend, we don't miss any chance to cook and then wolf it down. But this time for sure we have a reason. Yes, it's "Makar Sankranti" or "Poush Sankranti" (in Bengali) which is a major harvest festival in many parts of India. In Eastern India this festival is also called as "Poush Parbon" or "Poush Sankranti" as this festival marks end of the month "Poush". 

During this auspicious time of the year several desserts are prepared using freshly harvested paddy, nolen gur (date palm jaggery) and coconuts which are called as "Pithe" or "Pitha". The sweet shops in Kolkata are bursting with the sweets made up of "Nolen Gur". Every household is filled with the aroma of Pithe at this time of the year.

I grew up seeing my Mom and Grandma making these pithe. They use to spend their whole day (of Sankranti) making several types of pithe and payesh (rice pudding); I'm just following their footsteps. Well, I have to also confess that I don't make so many varieties of pithe-payesh but I do make three to four varieties. 

Pithe or Pitha is a type of cake or dimsum common in the Eastern India and Bangladesh. They are made up of rice flour or wheat flour batter (or dough), stuffed with sweet or savory ingredients and then cooked. 

"Hridoy Horon Pithe" is a very palatable and easy on the eye delicacy. "Hridoy Horon" is a bengali term which means "Heart-robbing". This dessert literally steals your heart when you look at it. When I made it at the very first time, trust me I couldn't have it, not because it didn't turn out well but due to its exceptional and affectionate look. Anyway that's another story :)

So, let's start with this heart stealing recipe of the pithe:

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour: 1 and 1/2 cup

2. Sugar: 2 and 1/2 cups

3. Milk: 2 cups

4. Egg: 1

5. Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tbsp

6. Green Cardamoms(crushed): 5-6

7. Salt: 1/2 tbsp

8. Oil: for frying pithe

9. Water: 3 cups

10. Almonds and Saffron strands: for garnishing

Method For Making Malai:

1. Take a pan and heat the milk on medium heat. Cook the milk till it is reduced to half.  At this stage add 1/2 cup of sugar and mix well.

2. Cook the milk-sugar mixture for another minute. Add crushed cardamoms and keep it aside.

Method For Making Pithe:

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan add sugar and two cups of water and let it boil on medium heat. Stir in between and remove the scums (if any). Once sugar is dissolved completely reduce the heat.

2. In a separate pan boil a cup of water with salt on medium heat. Once the water starts boiling add the flour and mix well with a wire whisk. Remove the mixture from heat and let it cool down.

3. Break the egg in a bowl and beat it nicely with a fork. 

4. Add ghee, beaten egg (very little at a time) and remaining crushed cardamoms to the flour mixture. Knead well until the mixture comes together into a dough.

5. Make small balls (8-10) out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and roll it into a flat puri (bread) with your rolling pin. 

6. Now take the puri (bread) and shape it into a paper fan. Fold it into half and seal inside with a wet finger.

7. Fold the open edges opposite way to give it a heart shape. Use water to seal the edges together. 

8. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pithe. Fry them until they get a nice golden hue. Take them out on a plate lined with paper-towel. 

9. Put them in sugar syrup (the syrup should be warm enough) and let it rest for good 2-4 hours. You can have these pithe as it is with sugar syrup or put it into malai.  

10. I guess this pithe justifies its name when you dip them in malai. Garnish with chopped almonds and  few strands of saffron.

11. Serve your "Hridoyhoron Pithe" and steal the hearts of your friends and family.

Note:

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Vegetable Chop (Vegetable Croquettes)...........A Winter Must-Have

There's no doubt that Kolkata is the hub of street foods. It is one of the friendliest cities for street food lovers. Vendors selling Fuchka (Pani Puri), Jhal Muri (spiced puffed rice), Bhel Puri, Ghugni Chaat, Chowmein, Egg Rolls (and the list goes on) can be found at every nooks and corners of the streets. 

Bengali's love to enjoy their evening tea with "Muri and Telebhaja" (Puffed rice with deep fries). These so called "Telebhaja" can be Aalur Chop (Potato Croquettes), Mochar Chop (Banana Blossom Croquettes), Dimer Chop (Egg Croquettes), Macher Chop (Fish Croquettes) etc....etc......

"Chop" is nothing but Cutlets or Croquettes. They are small, cylindrical shaped, stuffed with minced meat, mashed potatoes or mixed vegetables. They are then dipped into corn flour batter, rolled in breadcrumbs and then deeply fried. It doesn't matter whether it's vegetarian or non-vegetarian variety they all have different taste and equally tempting. They serve as a great appetizer and a complete party pleaser. 

Today I'm going to share Vegetable Chop which are stuffed with mixed vegetables and they pair well with tomato ketchup and finely chopped salad :)

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes(medium sized): 2

2. Beetroots(medium sized): 2

3. Carrots(medium sized): 2

4. Peas: 1 cup

5. Coconut (shredded): 3 tbsp

6. Roasted Peanuts (peeled and halved): 10-12

7. Onions(finely chopped): 1 cup

8. Green Chilies(finely chopped): 1-2

9. Ginger-Garlic Paste: 1 and 1/2 tbsp

10. Poppy Seeds: 1 tbsp

11. Garam Masala: 1 tbsp

12. Salt to taste

13. Sugar to taste

14. Cornflour: 2 tbsp

15. Water: 1 cup

16. Breadcrumbs for coating

17. Oil for frying + 1 tbsp

18. Panch Phoron (Mixture of Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp, Nigella Seeds: 1/4 tsp,  Fennel Seeds: 1/4 tsp, Mustard Seeds: 1/4 tsp, Fenugreek Seeds: 1/4 tsp)

Method:

1. Wash all the vegetables thoroughly and cook them in a pressure cooker (including the green peas) until you hear two whistles. Let it cool down.

2. Mash or grate the boiled and peeled vegetables. I use my grater for doing so. As the vegetables get a very good texture for making chops and they get easily mixed with the other ingredients.

3. Now add in the ginger-garlic paste, roasted peanuts, garam masala powder, salt and sugar to the mashed vegetables. Mash all the ingredients with your hands.

4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and then add paanch phoron and poppy seeds. Once they splutter add finely chopped onions and green chilies. Fry them until the onions get a nice golden color. Add the shredded coconut and cook it for a minute.

5. Now add the vegetable mixture in the pan and fry it for 5-6 mins until the mixture gets dry or there's no moisture left. You can check it by taking small amount of mixture in your hand and try to form a round ball. If you are able to do so then the mixture is perfect. Once done remove the pan from heat and allow the mixture to cool down.

6. In a small bowl take cornflour and mix it with water to make thin batter. 

7. Take small amount of mixture in your hand and give it a cylindrical shape. Dip the chop in the cornflour and water batter and then roll it on breadcrumbs. Refrigerate the chops for 15-20 mins.

8. Repeat the process so that the chops gets coated with breadcrumbs twice. 

9. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan or medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough fry the chops till you get a nice golden-brown color. Remove the chops on a plate lined with paper towel to soak the excess oil.

10. Serve it with tomato ketchup, salad or kasundi (bengali mustard sauce).

Note:

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Garlicky Egg Curry....A simple recipe to satisfy any Garlic-a-holic

"Sunday Ho Ya Monday Roj Khao Ande"..............we all have seen that advertisement in our childhood. Me and my husband both are egg lovers. Whenever I don't like to cook anything I reach out for the eggs in our refrigerator and yes, they never disappoint me. 

Egg is a very versatile cooking ingredient. You can cook it the way you like and it tastes good in any form you cook either its poached, scrambled, omelette, boiled, or in a curry . Yesterday it was a very dull day for me and I wasn't feeling to cook anything and suddenly this Egg Curry struck in my mind which wouldn't take much time to cook and pairs well with anything starting from naan, paratha, chapati, fried rice or simply a bowl of steamed rice.

For this recipe you need hard boiled eggs. You would have noticed, usually eggs get cracked while boiling or at times even after boiling you have hard time to peel them off. It's due to the temperature. When you take out eggs from the refrigerator and put it in boiling water it tends to crack. So here is the trick which I learnt. Take a pan with cold water, dip the eggs in it and add a teaspoon of salt (this will prevent the eggs from cracking). Place the pan on low heat. After 5-6 mins increase the heat to medium and let it boil for 7-8 mins. Remove the pan and run the eggs under cold tap water. So, here you are with the easily peeled hard boiled eggs.

Now let's start with our recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Hard boiled eggs: 6

2. Onions (medium sized): 2

3. Potatoes (medium sized): 2 (cut into wedges)

4. Tomatoes (medium sized): 3 (chopped)

5. Cumin seeds: 1/4 tbsp

6. Garlic (crushed): 8-9 cloves

7. Green chilies: 4 (adjust to your taste)

8. Turmeric powder: 1/2 tbsp

9. Kashmiri red chili powder: 1/2 tbsp

10. Salt to taste

11. Oil for cooking

12. Cilantro (Coriander leaves) for garnishing

Method:

1. Boil the eggs as explained above.

2. Peel the eggs (I like to make a slit on the eggs for salt and other spices to get in easily) and potatoes, sprinkle a pinch of salt and turmeric powder and set it aside for 5-6 mins.

3. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Fry eggs and potatoes till they get a nice golden hue. 

4. In the same pan add some more oil (if required), add the cumin seeds, let them crackle, now put the onions and fry them until they are translucent.

5. Its time to add in our main ingredient i.e Garlic. You can use garlic paste too but garlic tastes best when its crushed. You can use your mortar and pestle or garlic crusher for this. Cook for 2-3 mins.

6. Add the tomatoes and cook till they get nice soft and pulpy. Add green chilies, salt, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder. Cook for another 5-6 mins or until the oil gets separated.

7. Add half cup of water, cover the lid and cook for 1-2 mins. Add the fried eggs and potatoes. Cook for another 2 mins.   

8. Remove the pan from heat. Garnish it with cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapati.

Note:

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Rui Macher Jhal......Rohu Fish in Mustard Sauce (My go-to Fish Curry)

Maach-Bhaat (Fish and Rice) is every Bengali's comfort food. A Bengali's love for fish is endless. There is a popular saying too "Mache Bhate Bangali" i.e. Fish and Rice makes a Bengali. We eat so many different fishes starting from fresh water ones like Rohu, Katla, Pabda to salt water fishes like Hilsa, Pomfret etc. But to be very frank I like only specific fishes maybe because I grew up mainly in Central India where we would get only 2-3 varieties. Whatever the reason is, the varieties I eat I just love them.

Here in Portland, Oregon we get Rohu, Hilsa, Pabda, Tangra etc in a Middle-Eastern shop but all in frozen form. Thanks to an Asian store out here where we get fresh fishes like Shrimp (Prawn), Pomfret, Bhetki and Tilapia (lately I started eating that). 

The recipe which I am going to share today is generally prepared with Hilsa or Ilish but I have seen my Mom to make it with Rohu too but with a slight twist. She adds cumin seeds along with the mustard seeds which not only reduces the pungency of mustard seeds but also gives a nice flavor to the dish. I like to make it the way she does. So, let's dig into the recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Rohu/ Katla Fish (medium sized): 6 pieces

2. Mustard Seeds: 2 tbsp

3. Cumin Seeds: 1 tbsp

4. Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp

5. Salt to taste

6. Mustard Oil (preferable, you can use vegetable oil too): for cooking

7. Green chilies

8. Cilantro (Coriander leaves): for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash the fish pieces and pat dry them with a paper towel.

2. Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder and keep it aside for 10-15 mins.

3. In the meanwhile make a paste with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric powder and green chilies. 

4. Heat oil in heavy bottomed pan on medium-high heat. If you are using mustard oil then heat the oil till smoking hot, this will help in reducing its pungency. Now reduce the heat to medium and add the marinated fish pieces and fry them on both the sides. Don't fry them too much just 1-2 mins.

5. In the same pan (you don't need to remove the fish pieces) add the mustard seeds paste. Add the desired amount of water. Cover the lid and let it cook for 2-3 mins. Once the gravy thickens to the desired consistency add just 1 tsp of mustard oil and turn off the heat.

6. Rui Macher Jhal is ready, serve hot with steamed rice.

Note:

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