Prawn Malai Curry

Prawn malai curry is an authentic Bengali style mouth watering jumbo prawn curry cooked in coconut milk. This is a delicious recipe from bengal's classic kitchen........
a must eat item for bengalis and sea food lovers across the globe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

8 large jumbo Prawns (Bagda or Golda chingri in bengali)
1 packet of coconut milk
1 large onion(chopped)
0.5 Inch piece Ginger
1 Pod Garlic
4 Silted Green Chili
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
2 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Tsp Sugar
0.5 Tsp Turmeric powder
4tsp oil
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (powdered cardamom,cinnamon,cloves)
3 tsp cumin(jeera ) powder
salt according to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash and de-vein the prawns. Rub some turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt on the prawns.
Fry in little oil till light brown. Keep aside.
2. Chop the onions. Grind the garlic and ginger to a fine paste.
3. Heat oil and fry onions to a light brown. Add the garlic and ginger paste,cumin powder,
turmeric powder,bay leaf, red chili powder and green chilies and fry for about 5 - 7 minutes
till the aroma of the spices spread and the oil separates.
4. Add to this the coconut milk and simmer it in low heat for 5 mins till the all the ingredients
mix well.
5. Then add the prawns and remaining green chillies to this mixture and cover with a lid.let the
whole thing come to a boil.
6. Remove lid and add the Garam masala powder and stir to check if the prawns have
softened.Cover it for some more time till the gravy thickens.
7. Just before taking the gravy out of the oven add ghee to it for that extra flavour.

Serve hot with: Basmati Rice or Ghee rice.

Aachari Paneer

Achari panner is a spicy dry gravy dish served hot with rotis in the homes of North India.Its specially a Punjabi dish.
So, here I am with some spiced up Indian Cottage Cheese (Paneer Achari) for those who are fond of eating hot and spicy paneer dishes.
My best friend is a vegetarian and he is Gujarati(most of the Gujarati's are vegatarian).He likes all kind of paneer dishes and this recipe is specially dedicated to him.

Ingredients:

1 cup paneer, cubed
2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 fenugreek seeds (methi)
1/2 teaspoon onion seeds (kalonji)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
3 onion, chopped & 1" piece crushed ginger
5-6 crushed garlic flakes
1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 1/2 tsp amchoor(dry mango powder)
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
3-4 chopped green chillies
1/2 cup beaten curd
3 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat 4 tbsp oil.
2. Add 2 tsp saunf, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp methi dana, 1/2 tsp onion seeds (kalonji),1 tsp
hing and 1 tsp jeera and fry till they crackle.
3. Add 3 chopped onions and 3-4 chopped green chillies till golden.
4. Add 1 tsp haldi, 5-6 crushed garlic flakes and 1" piece crushed ginger.
5. Gradually add 1/2 cup beaten curd, stirring constantly.
6. Add 1 1/2 tsp amchoor and salt.
7. Cook till curd dries slightly.
8. Just before serving, add 300 gms Amul Paneer and a few slit green chillies.
9. Sprinkle with salt and 1/2 tsp chilli powder.
10. Add the coriander and bring to a boil.
11. Stir for 1-2 mins on low flame. Serve hot.

Serve with: Jeera rice, plain rice or rotis.

Malai Kofta

The terms "malai" is cream and "kofta" is dumplings. As the name "malai"(cream) would suggest,
this recipe consists of deep-fried dumplings soaked with a heavy, creamy sauce.
Its a dish for special occassions. Malai Kofta is the vegetarian alternative to meatballs.

Ingredients:

Kofta:
50 gms. khoya
50 gms. paneer
5 medium potatoes
20 gms. cashewnuts
20 gms. raisins
4-5 green chillies chopped fine
1/2 tsp. ginger grated
1 tsp. coriander chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds & salt to taste

Gravy:
125 gms. cream
75 gms. khoya or paneer
50 gms. cashewnuts
3 tsp. white pepper powder.
2 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. grated ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. garlic crushed
1" cinnamon
6 cloves
6 cardamoms
salt to taste
3 tbsp. ghee

Garnish:
1 tbsp. grated cheese or paneer
1 tbsp. chopped coriander

Preparation:

Koftas:
* Boil the potatoes, peel and smash them.
* Mix together all the ingredients except raisins and cashews.
* Take a ping-pong ball sized dough in hand.
* Flatten. Place 2-3 cashews and raisins in the centre and shape into a ball.
* Repeat for remaining dough. Keep aside.

Gravy:
* Roast the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves together.
* Dry grind and keep aside. Wet grind garlic,ginger and cashew, except ghee, to a paste.
* Heat ghee in a skillet, add powdered spices and fry for 2-3 seconds.
* Add paste and fry further for 5-7 minutes stirring well.
* Add 2 cups water,cream and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
* Warm the koftas either in the oven or on the tava(Optional: You can deep fry the koftas also.)
* To serve place warm koftas in a casserole.
* Either pour boiling hot gravy on the koftas or pour and bake in hot oven of 5 minutes.
* Garnish with grated cheese and chopped coriander.

Serve hot with: Naan or parathas.

Khandvi

Khandvi is a very popular colorful, delicious, savoury snack of Gujarat.This Gujarati delicacy is made using Gram Flour/Chick-pea Powder
and flavoured with tempering of pungent mustard, spicy green chillies,
sweet coconut grates and aromatic coriander leaves.

Ingredients:

* ½ cup: Chick-pea flour
* ½ cup: Sour yogurt
* ½ tsp: Ginger paste
* ½ tsp: Green chilli paste
* ½ tsp: Chilli powder
* 1/8 tsp: Asafoetida(heeng)
* 1/8 tsp: Turmeric
* ½ tsp: Mustard seeds(sarson)
* 2 Sabut lal mirch(dry red chillies)
* 3-4 Curry leaves
* 2 tsp: Oil
* 1 tsp: Salt or to taste
* 1 ½ cup: Water
* For Garnish
o Coriander-chopped fine
o Grated coconut

Preparation:

1. Mix besan, ginger, green chilli, red pepper, salt, heeng and turmeric into a smooth paste
with some water till no lumps are left. Add the rest of the water and mix well.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring all the time (to avoid scorching).
3. Keep cooking and stirring till you reach a paste like consistency. Spread a tsp of the batter on
to an ungreased surface and cool, it should come off clean.
4. With a rubber spatula spread onto an ungreased surface, as thin as possible and leave to
cool.
5. Heat oil and add the sarson, kadhi patta(curry leaves) and sabut lal mirch. Stir a few
time and spread over the layer. Pick up the lal mirch and keep aside.
6. Cut layer into strips and roll each strip like a scroll, firmly.
7. Arrange on to a serving dish and garnish with coriander, coconut and peppers and serve.

Navaratna Kurma

'Navaratna' denotes nine types of stones which is worn for wealth and luck. Here navaratna kurma means using 9 kinds of vegetables we make kurma out of it.But if you eat this kurma it doesn’t bring wealth or luck but it is good for your health. Any kind of vegetable can be used for this kurma. My mom used to make this for auspicious days. This goes well with parothas and chappathi’s. Whenever she makes this dish, we tend to eat more than usual.Iam sure anyone would like this.So try it out.

Ingredients:

3 cups - Boiled vegetables (9 varieties-potatoes, carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower,
capsicum, cabbage, bottle gourd, cluster beans)
150gms - Grated paneer
3 - Tomatoes
2 - Grated onions
1 1/2 tsp -Ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp - Garlic paste
Salt To Taste
1 tsp - Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
1 tsp - Coriander powder
2 tsp - Garam Masala Powder
2 tbsp - Cream
6 tbsp - Vegetable oil
1 tbsp - Ghee
1 cup - Milk / water
1/4 cup - Dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisins)
Coriander leaves for decoration

Preparation:

* Boil tomatoes till tender. Allow them to cool. Then peel off the tomato skin to make puree.
Readymade tomato puree can also be used.
* Take 1 tbsp ghee and slightly fry the dry fruits for about 1 min on medium heat.
* Heat oil in a pan. Fry onions and ginger-garlic paste till golden brown.
* Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fry for
2-3 minutes.
* Next add tomato puree and dry fruits. Stir well and cook the mixture for 4 minutes. Ensure
that the mixture doesn't stick to bottom of pan.
* Add milk (use water alternatively). Bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the
gravy becomes thick.
* Add paneer to the gravy and stir well.
* Finally add all the vegetables to the above gravy and cook for 5-7 minutes.
* Serve the navratan korma hot. Put cream and chopped coriander leaves on the navaratna
korma to decorate .

Serve with: Butter(or plain) nun, Butter roti ,Chapatis.