CHHOLAR DAL PHUL KOFI ( Bengal gram dal with Cauli flower)

Teacher will beat me, beat me not; she loves me, loves me not; Maa will catch me, catch me not....and  it goes on forever...in my school days in a small sub-dividional town of Orissa I used to pick up a straw ( the real ones, not the one we use for coke et al.....) and decide my fate for the time. Now it is different,  pick up a Curry patta sprig and start plucking the leaves one by one, chanting the Mantra "SOMEONE will shout at me, shout at me not .....or ...will put a nigella seasoning....will put a cumin seasoning...

But today it was bit tough to decide because I wanted to post the last recipe of the year. ...So I picked up a curry patta and started plucking leaves...veg to post ..non-veg  to post, twice it came non vege and it was not in line with the desired outcome. ( Like if it ends with loves me not...you start all over again....by the way if you are using a coke straw of standard length, always start with the result you dont want . But it was tough in childhood days , the length of an actual straw varies..so I used to keep on trying until I got the desired results..after all who wanted to be caned in the class,

Same was the case today...I was biased to post a vege ( Jain dish) for all, including my vege friends, we non veges have the advantage of eating vege as a delicacy and non-veg as a day to day staple diet..

After plucking several sprigs I arrived at " Vege dish". Now the kitchen counter is littered with curry leaves. So I have picked up many sprigs of curry leaves, plucking  and chanting " SOME ONE will shout at me, shout at me not,,,,,"
The reason for posting a vege dish at the end of the year, is simple...all of my  blog followers, which are few, can cook it in 2010....and it is a great dish I tell you...
THE RECIPE
It is a traditional Bong dish, having a strong note of cumin, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. ( I have spared our much loved spice, the clove, in honor of my maternal grand mom, (who never used clove in this dish, as a respect to cinnamon flavor). I shall also share a secrete of thickening the Bengal gram dal without over boiling the gram dal. The flavor of souted Cauli flower, gram, cocnonut and the spices is just too good. It always figures as a party dish when there is a mix of Bongs, Malayali, Punjabi and Gujarati, Jain, Tamil etc friends. 
INGREDIENTS
Chana dal ( bengal gram) 1 cup
Moong dal 1 tbsp ( This is the secrete of thickening chana dal , every body knows it and every body says it is secrete , open secrete :-). Dont be tempted to add more; 1 tbsp is 1 tbsp per cup.
Cauli flower -1 about 8 inch dia, 8-12 florets
 grated coconut 3 tbsp ( originally 8mmX6mmX4 mm pieces were used, you can use too)
oil/ ghee for stir frying  Gobi 1 tbsp
 For boiling dal
broken green chili 2
Turmeric 1 tsp
Bay leaf 1
Cinnamon 1 inch, broken into pieces.
Cardamom 2 smashed
Black pepper 6-8 smashed

Salt.

spices
for seasoning
bay leaf 1
dry chili 2
Cumin 1 tsp level.
cinnamon 1/2 inch broken into big pieces
Cardamom 4
Black pepper 10 number
Ghee 1 tbsp 
other spices  ( mixed together and soaked in water, thin paste)
cumin powder 1 tsp level, 
Red chili powder 1 tsp level ( more the merrier),+1 tsp Kashmiri mirch
Ginger paste 1 tbsp
Garnishing  
Ghee 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp  ( made from cinnamon and cardamom. No clove to be used)
Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp 
Sugar 2 tsp level ( for taste) , ( for Bong and Gujarati friends 2 tbsp or more, for sweetening) 
PROCESS
Wash gram and Moong dal and soak for 2 hrs or more.
In a pressure cooker take dal and  soft water ( or bottled mineral water); just sufficient to soften the dall, may be around 2 to 3 cups.
Add spices given under "for boiling dal" and pressure cook. Normally chana dal will take 6-7 minutes if it is soaked for 2-3 hrs or more.
In a thick bottom Kadhai , put 1tbsp oil or ghee and stir fry Cauli flower . This is just to ensure that few brown spots develop on Gobi at random and you get the aroma of fried Gobi. This step can be eliminated too.No dip frying is to be done. 
Remove Gobi and add 1tbsp of ghee for seasoning , when hot add seasoning followed by the coconut , reduce flame and soute for 1 min
Add spice paste soute and you will get the cumin aroma ( dont burn)
Add water just to soften Gobi and mix well.
Add the Cauliflower, salt and mix. (caution  there is salt in dal already)
 cover and boil.
When Gobi is done, drive off water if necessary. ( It may not be necessary as you may need to add water in dal if it is too thick.) 
Add sugar as given above and transfer the dal to the Kadhai. Adjust salt  and water if needed.
Bring to boil.
Add 1 tbsp ghee, garam masala and roasted cumin powder, mix and cover immediately.
Eat with rice, vege Pulao, famous Kanika Pulao of Orissa or with roti, Paratha. I generally eat one small bowl full straight from the pan.
Try this in 2010.

Variation
I also cook  roasted Moong dal in the same way. You can try too.


Happy New year and Happy cooking and happy feeding of near and dear ones through out 2010. See you next year 
Flowers for my dear foodie friends

MOUROLA MACHHER JHAL WITH JHUMKO BEGUN ( Small fish with egg plant)

I love all kinds of small fish and given a choice I don't eat big fish. But small fish ( I mean real small ones from 3/4 inch to 3 inches). It is very difficult to get, as there is not much organized supply and if at all,these are available, they are very expensive. These are all sweet water fish. But if I can get fresh anchovies nothing like that.

While in Kuwait I ate all types small fish which I had not eaten for a long time.There is a sizable number of Bangladeshi people in Kuwait. As a result , huge quantities of sweet water fish, small and big ones, are imported from Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh etc .

 I thought, I should post few dishes which I normally cook with small fish. The most used recipe in Bengal is Machher Tak or Ambal ( fish in sour gravy or sweet and sour gravy, Bong style). This recipe is available on the net .

This dish was cooked in Kuwait and I am using the photograph of that time.. The name of the fish is Mourala.

Today I have also purchased Mourala from Delhi and will make a dish later. NO-ONE is interested in cleaning the fish, so I need to.

THE RECIPE: It is very simple recipe used for cooking mainly small fish like ( all bengali names) Puti, Mourala, Batasi, Kajoli, Tyangra , Pabda etc and I used anchovie too whenever I got them. In this recipe I have used small eggplants ( jhumko or clustered ). As all of you know this variety of eggplant maintains shape even after prolonged cooking.  This dish is traditionally  hot with red chili powder and green chili. I haven't used garlic here to keep the mild fragrance of the seasoning and fried eggplant.
INGREDIENTS
Mourola fish  150 gms
onion 11/2 medium, cut into thin slices
Green chili 2 for seasoning and 3-4 for cooking
Small brinjal 8
Tomato ,medium one cut to 4 pieces.
Red chili powder 1 tsp level (More , or less you decide)
Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
Mustrad Oil 21/2 tbsp ( you may use white oil, olive oil)
julienne of ginger 1 tsp

Additional Oil for frying fish.
for seasoning
Nigella ( Kala jeera ) 3/4 tsp
Green chili 2, cut to 2-3 pieces

PROCESS
Clean fish , marinate with salt and turmeric for 10-15 min.
Slit  the Brinjal longitudinally about 3/4th of the length, You can keep it half or make it 4 parts ( Star cut).Dont detach.  Smear bit of salt and keep aside.
Soak chili powder in water to make a thin paste.
Soak Turmeric powder in water to a thin paste .
Fry fish to golden brown ( It will be crispy and dont start eating it after frying. It is irresistible)

Stir fry the Brinjal ( you may dip fry) just to change the skin and keep aside.
Take 21/2 tbsp oil ( fresh or same oil used for frying) and heat.
Give Kala jeera and green chili seasoning.
Add Onion and soute for a minute, ( Dont fry )
add ginger and Tomato, soute for a minute
Add red chili and turmeric, salt saute for few minutes.
Add brinjal and 1/2 cup   of water and cover.

When the brinjal is done, add the fish.
Add 1/2 tsp raw mustard oil ( optional for Bong friends) and mix.
Add green chili and slowly drive out almost all the moisture and oil should come out.
Eat with rice.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
For my foodie friends, Indian wild oak acorns

GREETINGS

OLD BENGALI DISH IN NEW BOTTLE SORRY IN PAN, (CABBAGE, POTATO AND PEAS)

These days I am not doing any research and development work on recipes, thanks to  my great foodie friends on the net. So these days I am just whistling and making  dishes in the kitchen, with laptop open on one side. (printer is not working ).  But sometimes I need to prove, that I am still a cook. This reminds me the definition of a cook given by a great khansama ( cook) decades back.

As an young engineer, I used to brag around, during lunch in the officer's dining room ,  what a great cook I was, I cooked this and that; awesome, fantastic and all the choicest adjectives I could still remember then. One day the cook , an old bearded man in his 60s , had cooked "Mutton Glossy" a favorite of the General Manager. This cook had worked for the father of the Managing Director at his residence and for the MD too. But when MD's son got married  the new lady of the house did not like this man to boss around. So she had him thrown out of the house. She did not know what she missed, because later whenever I was invited to the MD's son's house, I had to eat the food cooked by the lady. I had to eat that with great adjectives else I knew I would be also thrown out of my job.

Coming back , while eating "Mutton glossy" I started my usual brag on what great dish I cooked, what a great cook I was. The cook standing around, waiting to get a pat from the GM for the dish, smiled at me. I was bit disarmed.

" Why are you smiling , Ali dada ,? ( even MD used to call him Ali dada ) you dont believe what I say?'

He replied in perfect Urdu 

" Of course I believe you, if you put choicest spices, onion, garlic, garam masala etc it is got to be tasty  and great dish! It is impossible to make it taste bad ,,, but you will be a cook if you can reproduce the taste days in days out. "

" What do you mean?" I asked with a reasonably modest voice, because I knew I was talking to one of the greatest Chefs of that time.

He smiled and continued "  I come to your house and you cook me a great dish to my liking. After 10 yrs I come to your place again and request you to cook the same dish. You make it . I will just put it in my mouth and if I say  say " Ghosh dada , you took me 10 years back, the taste is exactly the same", then you are a cook ( he didn't know the word Chef), else....he just implied by a smile what he wanted to say.  

But now, let me clarify , we are not chefs, we cook as ametures, we dont earn our bread by cooking. So we must innovate , we must cook new dishes, fusion dishes, dishes of the world etc every day for our near and dear ones, what can be more satisfying than this, seeing a smile or a word of appreciatrion from a near and dear one. If I start cooking all the dishes which I have learnt from my friends here , I wont be able to finish cooking them in this life.

Moral of the story is, out of 100s of dish we experiment, we must watch which one is liked very much by our near and dear ones. We must assess which dish we may need to repeat on a request, which  we would love to hear from a person dear to us. In my experiments with cooking , SOMEONE  has been very cooperative to be a guinea pig, ( Malar, no objection with the word please). So I have a list of few dishes, she loves and I can reproduce it with perfection. 

THE ANTICLIMAX

I repeated the above story to someone in the morning. She has heard it 100 times before , mostly with a yawn. But disaster followed  in the afternoon, SOMEONE arrived with a cabbage in her left hand and a pack of un-peeled fresh green peas in the other.

" I was greatly moved by your story in the morning, and was thinking what dish should I tell you to cook to make you happy !! And also, by the way, I want to see if you are still a cook!!! So please make your "Bandha Kofir ghanto" with peas and no fusion unless I had approved earlier"

I bared my teeth ( laughed I mean) " Of course , done"

The dish is very simple..but cutting the cabbage uniformly in not the job of a highly rewarded international cook. So I thought if I stabbed and cut the cabbage here and there and whatever was the outcome could be transfered into a stir fried cabbage with garlic, chili and soya, I need not have to cut it uniformly.

In the afternoon while leaving for her round at the nursing home, SOMEONE said " Discovery channel can wait , finish the cooking "

But when I entered the kitchen I saw a pile of nicely cut cabbage, green peas and peeled potatoes waiting for me. " Hummm , to be lazy some times has its own benefits indeed". ( The dialogue between me and the cabbage, which followed, is confidential , and wont tell you.)

THE RECIPE

It is an old and popular Bengali traditional dish and I have tried to maintain it. There is numerous variation, which I also cook. Here I will give, what I learnt from my mother. This dish has a garam masala flavor with a good note of ginger and cumin.. In my time all bengali vege dishes were devoid of onion and garlic, in other words any vege dish containing onion, garlic were treated as non-vege,

INGREDIENTS

cabbage 1 about 8 inch dia , cut to thin slice uniformly.

Potato 3 medium, cut to  3/4 inch cubes

Peas 1 fistful or more.

Green chili 3 - 4 

Ginger grated fine or chopped 2 tsp

Sugar 1 tsp leveled

salt as required

Oil 1 tbsp ( more the merrier) 

spice soak in water to a paste

1 tsp Turmeric

1 tsp heap coriander powder

3/4 tsp cuminn powder

1/2 tsp chili powder ( more or less you decide) 

for seasoning

bay leaf 1

red chili dry  2

cumin seed 3/4 tsp

Cardamom 2

Clove 2 

Cinnamon 1/2 in

Garnishing 

Ghee 2 tsp ( Vegan no need to use) 

Garam masala ( bengali) 1 tsp level ( Powder/ paste  from equal proportion of raw cinnamon, cardamom, clove)

Coriander leaves 1 tbsp optional ( not used in Bengali traditional dishes)

PROCESS

Heat oil and give seasoning and add the Potato 

Soute Potato to light brown , low flame.

Potato added

Add peas and soute for 2 -3 min

Add the spice paste, green chili and soute until cumin aroma comes out ( sprinkle water to prvent burning)

Add salt & ginger; sugar  mix and add cabbage.

Mix thoroughly , reduce flame and cover,

Note:Water released from the cabbage should be sufficient to cook the potato and the cabbage. Else sprinkle water from time to time. If few cabbage pieces get fried and browned, that will add to the flavor, fried cabbage flavor.!!!

When the potato is done stir and dry out.

Add Ghee ( for non vegan) and garam masala powder/ paste and mix , cover and switch off.

Note: I dont use at all non stick utensils which are generally unsuitable for Indian dishes 

Eat with rice, chapati, paratha 

Geranium flower  for my great foodie friends.

 Last time I had shown the colored leaves of Geranium. I only have the red color one in my album.. 

AWARD
I got this lovely award from Malar , thank you so much!!

MURI GHANTO ( fish head curry speciality)

Yesterday, I bought a medium size Rohu fish, about 2.5 Kg, and was wondering what to do with the head. I don't eat fish head. If SOMEONE sees the tail in the packet, will obviously ask, where is the head because she is very fond of fish head. If I take it home, it will be like digging my own grave of cleaning and cooking. Anyway I have already dug half of my grave and one foot is already in it, so better dig the rest now. So I did a bit of hypocrisy by thinking " Shame on me if I cant clean a fish head for SOMEONE so dear to me!!

Now what to cook with the fish head, there are mainly 3 recipes in Bong kitchen, Dal with fish head ( you all know the dal without fish head in my blog), the other option is with Cabbage and finally the Muri Ghanto with rice. ( There is an Oriya option " ChhinchDa", but Somoo has to publish that before I try). The Muri Ghanto with rice is a delicacy.

So to find out the recipe I had to rely on my blog circle of Bongs. ( I know few recipes but did not want to tax my brain and needed a fast route.) In our blog circle , we have 5-6 authentic source of Bengali recipes , and I finally found a great recipe at Bong Mom. 

All bengali fish recipies ( barring few) are based on sweet water fish. So I think I should say few lines on this dish cooked with the head of sea fish. ( Most of my foodie friends here eat sea fish)

Few years back, when I was in Korea ( a dream land for me) SOMEONE  was nice enough to join me for few weeks leaving few 'would be mothers' with other docs. We had gone to a restaurant, on the black pebble beach, with other Korean friends. The Restaurant specializes on raw fish dishes. ( cooked dishes are also there) .

One has to go to the big aquarium of the place, chose live  fish. They will take out the fish, slice into small fillet and serve with wasabi and other sauce. ( I dont mind eating it, as it is tasteless, smell less.).  The fish head is not served and destroyed. I told the girl to pack the head for me. The girl was very curious to know what I was going to do with the head. So I quickly explained to her in english what I was going to do with it. She did not understand a single word of English. So I had to explain her in sign language ( and a Korean friend was explaining ) that " I am an Indian Magician and I am going to grow rest of the fish again by using the head and eat again. She was so amused that she jumped on to my back and started showering lot of appreciation into my right ear...and then I heard in my left ear "SOMEONE " whispered  "Enjoying?"

" I wish I could, but my knees are buckling".

So that was the 1st and last time, I had used  a sea fish head in this dish. But I had to improvise the spicing system as Koreans cant eat Indian spice. Instead of Cumin and garam masala , I had to use quite a bit of Cinnamon only. Koreans are familiar with Cinnamon as it is used  in  special drinks and sweets.

THE RECIPE

 Although rice is added to this dish it is not a Pulao rather it is treated as a curry and eaten with normal rice. The main flavor comes from garam masala, onion and ginger with cumin note.

You can use a fresh sea fish head, if you eat it otherwise.

DEVIATION

There is no deviation from Bong Mom's recipe, except an error. I did not notice that Bong Mom had used half the fish head and I put the whole. As a result the dish in the photo looks more : Fish heady" than " Rice-ee" . The taste is superb, at least SOMEONE is very happy. ( May be I will take the risk of loitering tomorrow) 

 For the detailed recipe, ingredients, method etc please visit Bong Mom's MURI GHANTO   

I am giving some photos of the dish I cooked. 

This is how it looked after cleaning

 how it looked after frying

Final Look

And finally the flower for you all

KUMRO CHHAKKA FUSED ( PUMPKIN CURRY BENGALI)

Many of my friends, semi friends, semi-foes  and foes called me up, sent mails, passed message through intermediary  with prayers, requests, warnings, and threats with dire consequences etc to refrain from preambles and get down to to business with ingredients, process, thanks etc, They are not at all interested in what happened between "SOMEONE" and me, if I was loitering in the park in the name  of brisk walking, what was the dialogue between me and the Tigress prawn etc..etc.

I am in a great dilema, because non of my 38 blog followers , has said any thing like this. There may be two reasons, either they enjoy the introduction ( there are confirmed people who do enjoy) or they are too modest to say " dont write all these craps and get down to business of cooking".

Anyway , whatever I write in introduction, comes automatically. So dear Foody friends, please let me know if I should continue with some spontaneous introduction or straight get down to the business of cooking . Of course I write the blog in such a way that you can always start from Recipe or Ingredients para and ignore the bla, bla at the beginning.

THE RECIPE. 

It is a very common and traditional Bengali recipe with pumpkin. It has undergone some fusion over the years, so I have put a suffix  FUSED. The fusion is nothing but adding a bit of grated coconut taken from another famous Bengali dish called " Narkel Kumri" ( Coconut and Pumpkin). It is traditionally a vege dish without Onion and garlic.

Here I am giving 2 versions, with and without onion. The basic aroma comes from Panch PhoDon seasoning ( bengali ) cumin and a over doze of ginger for the temple / Jain version; and for the other fried onion smell will add on.

INGREDIENTS.

Pumpkin 250 gms cut to 11/2 inch pcs ( approx)

 Potato 200 gms cut to 1 inch ( I haven't used here and you may skip too, but it is used.)

 whole black gram 3 tbsp ( 1/2  fistful approx, ( ladies fist size, not mine :-)

grated coconut 1 heap tbsp (or more, I hate to grate coconut as I am scared of grating my palm ) 

 Ginger 1 heap tbsp, chopped fine

Cumin powder 1 tsp , soaked in water.

Sugar 1 tsp or more. This dish has a sweet note. The Pumpkin itself is  sweet so sugar has to be adjusted. 1 level tsp will be added always.

 Red chili powder 1/2 tsp ( more the merrier)

Turmeric 3/4th tsp

Mustard oil 1 tbsp ( or white oil or ghee) for cooking 

For seasoning 

Panch phodon 1 tsp ( Methi, Fennel, cumin, Kala jeera, Mustard (1st 3 are mandatory) mixed , equal proportion).

 Bay leaf 1

 Dry red chili 2

Garnishing 

Roasted cumin powder 1 tsp heap ( if you are roasting fresh batch please add 2 red chili, roast and grind)

1 tsp Ghee for garnishing 

For the onion version.

onion medium 1 finely chopped.

for the seasoning 

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp fennel ( level)

 cardamom 2

clove 2

cinamon 3/4th inch 

red chili dry 1

PROCESS 

Soak the black gram in water for 2-4 hrs.

In a Kadhai, heat oil and give seasoning of bay leaf, Panch Phodon, red chili  

add potato  and black gram soute under low flame for 5 minutes. ( sprinkle water if needed)

Add cumin powder-paste and fry for a minute or two

Add Pumpkin , ginger, red chili powder, Turmeric, salt and mix.  Continue frying for 3-4 minutes.

Cover and allow pumpkin to release water. Add grated coconut .

Add water just to ensure that the potato will be cooked and little water will be left at the end. (Add water and boil if potato or pumpkin is not done.) It will have some gravy and pumpkin will be too soft and falling apart type.

Add 1 tsp or more sugar ( it will have a sweet note) , adjust salt.

Add ghee and roasted jeera powder, mix and cover.

Onion version

It will be essentially same 

Add onion after seasoning ( sea above) and fry to light brown then add the black gram and Potato, soute under low flame. Then proceed as above,  

Normally eat with Puri or Luchi also roti and rice.
Happy eating 


Here is a Himalayan wild flower for the great Chefs

MUTTON KASHA WITH VENGEANCE

Friends, bloggers , fellow Foodies, lend me your ears; If I had to eat, consecutively for 3 days , a "health-food" breakfast comprising of 2 chopped carrots, 3 chopped tomatoes (big ones) , a plate full of germinated Mung dal and Bengal gram, soaked peanuts, chopped raw turmeric , ginger, small pieces of Jaggery ; 1 banana, 1 hard boiled egg and a glass of milk; dont you think it is too much!! What was my offence for this punishment?? Because during my walking session, I was caught loitering in the park, instead of brisk walking. SOME ONE says Loitering is no exercise, a house wife loiters 3-5 KM in side the house and gains weight. One has to do brisk walking to a point one really breathes hard!!!

Vengeance is the answer to this, so I pulled out a pack of lamb which I had kept in the fridge among frozen spinach, turnip, peas, fish, chicken etc. ( Luckily SOME ONE doesn't believe, the cholesterol and red meat hoax predominantly going around in India, so there is no restriction on red meat, but majority at home believes in fish and chicken eating )

 I cooked this dish after many decades to please SOME ONE so that if I am caught next time loitering around in the park, the offence will be pardoned. But I must admit in absence of this SOMEONE , I wouldn't have existed so far in life.

THE RECIPE

This is a simple recipe, but carries lot of emotional values. Many decades back, when I did not have a proper kitchen I developed this dish, I did not have anything to grind spices or  make paste of ginger, garlic , onion;. the powdered spices were not reliable. To thicken the gravy I used chopped Tomato and onion in such a way that you cant make out that tomato was used.  The oil used was removed before serving and kept as an  Oil extract of Garam masala flavor for future use. Turmaric and Garam masala plays a key role in the flavor. It is quite thick , called as " KASHA MEAT" type in Bengal. I have recently introduced bit of ginger garlic paste but it is optional.
It is some times customary to add a suffix to a dish, Like Mutton Kalia rasala, Gost Sunderpuri, chicken Kolhapuri etc. So the name of the dish has a suffix of vengeance  to counter the effect of health food..

INGREDIENTS

Lamb/ Goat meat 500 gms

Onion 300 gms

Tomato 300 gms

Green chili 4

Garlic 6 cloves ( large ones)

Oil 4 tbsp ( more the merrier)

Turmeric 1 level tsp

red chili powder 1 level tsp ( More the merrier , I use Very hot chili powder)

Sugar 1 level tsp for caramel ( will not sweeten)

Marinade

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp , optional

Curd 1 heap tbsp

Mustrad Oil  2 tsp
Blak pepper 6, smashed

Turmeric powder 1 level tsp.
Coriander leaves chopped , 2 tbsp heap
Salt as required

Spices

Cardamum 6, smashed

Cinamon 1.5 inch broken into pieces

Clove 2
Bay leaf 1

PROCESS

Marinate the mutton/lamb and keep aside for 30 min or more.

Cut the onion into thin slices
Cut the tomato into circular thin slices ( for faster frying./ dehydration)
Chop garlic coarse
Chop green chili 6 to 10 mm 
In a thick bottom pan or in the pressure cooker, heat oil , add sugar and caramelize ( it will melt and become brown ), immediately add 2 cloves, bay leaf, green chili, garlic and soute for 15 sec.
 add 3/4th of chopped onion and soute to light brown, 
Add Tomato and reduce heat so that the tomato releases water.

Tomato frying half way through

Keep Frying the mix so that most water is driven out. It will look like a dark brown paste and tomato would lose all its sour taste and tomato flavor and identity.
Add the meat, balance 1/4th of the onion , spices, 1 level tsp Turmeric, red chili powder, and all the ingredients.. 
Mix thoroughly and and Bhuno ( Stir fry) for 5-10 minutes, until oil starts separating.
Add 1.5 cup of water, 
Pressure cook for 5-6 minutes ( i.e. 6 to 8 minutes after the 1st whistle , reduce flame)
( Note: If it is a good young lamb it will be cooked in 6 minutes assuming that , the stir frying was done for 10 minutes. I like the mutton bit stiff, I mean the fiber should not fall apart or leave the bones. But if you like very soft and falling apart type mutton  you can pressure cook longer, it wont make any difference if you cook for 12 minutes or 20 minutes.)
Cool the pressure cooker on its own, open and if it gravy is thin, boil and expel water,  adjust salt if needed.
Eat with rice or Roti.

Removing excess oil
I normally use bit excess oil, and remove from the top, as much oil as possible. This oil is very rich in aromatics and can be used for dishes where the aroma of this extract ( Yakhni) is acceptable. Most people will keep the oil in the gravy, choice is yours.

For my great foodie friends Colorful geranium leaves from the Himalayas 

FLAT BEANS (SIM) WITH CORIANDER LEAVES AND GREEN CHILI

No sooner did I land at home after finishing my  trip to the Himalayas, which was real , than I got into a horrible dream. I saw some one was pushing me around in the kitchen and I saw all kinds of things like chicken, lamb meat, onions, broad beans, garlic, Mushroom cauliflowers etc etc along with all kind of cooking gadgets. I did not like it , I guessed that this dream would be over soon and would be followed by  dreams of Himalayas, the snow peaks, the walk through the Cedar and wild Oak forests etc.

Suddenly I realized it was no dream but reality when I heard some one commanding " Few distinguished People are coming tomorrow for lunch , so clean the flat beans and keep ready other ingredients, so that I could cook it as soon as I am back. In the mean time finish cooking your Dum Gobi and special Mutton dish too. I don't want any disturbance in Kitchen when I am busy cooking other dishes."

These are commands and not requests; so had to be obeyed.

But I did not like the idea of cleaning flat beans, plucking coriander leaves from the bunch etc. After all I have now some international recognition as a cook, received many awards from great cooks and foodies ( Thank you so much dear foodie friends). So this kind of preparatory work doesn't fit my status!! But who is going to listen to these!!!

But suddenly I realized , if I did all the work of preparation and even took few photographs, what was left for cooking except stirring with a ladle and pouring the finished product into the serving bowl!! That is not cooking after all! So I decided to publish the recipe in my name, sweet revenge!!

(PS. By the way I have someone's permission to publish this in my name as if I have cooked it )

THE RECIPE

This is an old cooking style with well known coriander leave paste and some spice. There are few variations, which I use some times. With flat beans (sim) the taste is really good. You can use the common bean, the long rounded ones ( don't remember the name). 

INGREDIENTS

Flat bean ( sim) 200 gms

Coriander leaves 200 gm ( or 3 cups leaves)

Garlic 6 puds ( Jain foodies can eliminate this)

Green chili 4  for grinding+2(for seasoning, broken into 2-3 pieces)

Mustard seed 1 level tsp ( for seasoning)

Turmeric powder 1/2 level tsp 

Oil 1 tbsp ( or 2 tsp) 

Sugar 1/2 tsp ( This is called sugar to taste and not for sweetening) 

Salt as required

(See variation in ingredients below but don't try it 1st time) 

PROCESS

Cut the tip of the beans from both sides, ( dont piece) wash

Steam the beans in salted water until these are soft to some extent ( 2-4 min) and keep aside.

Grind Coriander leaves, 4 green chilis ( increase or decrease chili) pinch of salt 

smash and flatten the garlic pods ( don't chop, don't hit too many times.)

In a Kadhai or thick bottom pan . heat oil Give seasoning of Mustard , green chili and smashed garlic. Add the coriander paste, turmeric, sugar , salt  and soute for 1 minute.

Add the beans and keep mixing on medium flame for few minutes. ( 5 -7 minutes). There will be little water left . I mean it wont be dry and dont burn the paste by over frying.)

Eat with rice or chapati

VARIATIONS

1/2 small tomato chopped fine ( not used here, you can add this immediately after seasoning and fry thoroughly, then add coriander paste and proceed

Hing 1/4 tsp ( 30% active content powder) can be added.
If you love healthy food, add generous amount of oil and keep stirring until oil comes out. I do it some times)
For Jain food, eliminate the garlic, it will be good too.
Happy cooking !!!!


Rare flower for my foodie friends,,,,shot in an abandoned tea garden in Choukari.

These are tea flowers