Vada Pav ......:)

Vada pav sometimes spelled wada pav or vada paav, is a popular spicy vegetarian fast food dish native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. It consists of a batata vada sandwiched between two slices of a pav. . It is also known as an Indian burger.

A very popular Mumbai street food,now days all India also. Mumbai’s very own burger. The vada is made of a spicy potato filling deep fried in a gram flour batter. Along with a hot and spicy garlic chutney, it is served inside a  Pav.

Before 5/6 yrs ago when i visited  Mumbai, that time my first introduced with this yammy & delicious food. Here is the Vada Pav  recipe.Hope you also enjoy with this recipe....:)

Ingredients:-

• Pav Buns - 8
• Red chutney - (5-6 tbsp)-1/2 cup dried coconut (or dessicated coconut),1 tsp chili powder,1/2 tsp chopped garlic,1/6 tsp tamarind extract or 1 pieces of tamarind (optional, added for tanginess),Salt
• green chutney - ( 5-6 tbsp)-9-10 strands coriander leaves,Few mint leaves,2 green chilies,1/2″ piece ginger,Salt
• Sweet chutney - (5-6 tbsp)
  5-6 dates(khajoor)
  1/2 tsp tamarind extract or about 4-5 pieces of tamarind
  1/2 tsp Jaggery
  Salt
  

For the vadas :

• Boiled & mash Potatoes - 4 medium sized
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 1/2 tsp chopped finely
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Onion - 1 medium sized chopped finely
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsp
• 6 to 8 curry leaves
• Oil - 2tsp

For Vada outer coating:

• Besan flour - 1/2 cup
• corn flour - 2-3 tbsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Baking powder - a pinch
• Oil - to toast / deep fry
  
  

Method:-

Vada stuffing:-

1. At first heat a little oil in a pan/karai and add mustard, cumin seeds. 
2. When it starts popping, add curry leaves, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, onions and fry till onions turn translucent. 
3. Add the potatoes, turmeric, salt and mix well. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix. Let it cool a bit.
   
   
   
   
   

For the vada coating:-

1. Mix besan flour, corn flour, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, baking powder.Add little water to make a smooth paste .
2. Do not make it too thin, the coating does not hold on to the stuffing it is too thin.

Making vadas:-

1. Heat oil for deep frying.
   
2. Make a ball sized round from the stuffing. Dip the ball into the coating batter and deep fry in hot oil. Take out on a paper towel.

Red chutney:-

firstly dry roast coconut and tamarind till it turns slightly brownish. Then grind together with all other ingredients. This is dry powder, so do not add water. It can be stored in air tight containers for about a month.

green chutney:-

Grind all ingredients to a smooth paste. Do not make too watery.

Sweet chutney:-

At first soak dates in warm water for about 30 -40mins. Take out seeds (better yet, use seedless dates). Grind with all other ingredients.

For the vada pav assembling:-

1. Take one Pav bun, slit in half (not completely - leave one edge joined) and put a spoonful each chutney .
2.  Place a potato ball on the bun and fold over, pressing down gently. Serve while the potato ball is still hot.

Now Enjoy Your's Vada Pav.....!!!

Malpua/Fried pancake dipped in sugar syrup.....:)

Another one very famous Traditional Indian sweet "Malpua".....Shallow-fried sweet pancakes of refined flour, Suji(Semolina)  and milk.Malpua is one of the easy to make sweet dish.This one is a common dessert in Bengal and Orissa and all over the India. This one is cooked in every household during Sankranti, Holi ,Dipawali that kind of our all Indian festival time.

I also prepared this one Poush/makar Sankranti time.My husband love very much this kind of traditional sweet dish.So I got a chance to experiment this kind of sweet dish. Hare I share my 'Malpua" recipe to all of you.....:)

Ingredients:-

• 1/2 cup refined flour or maida.
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup sooji(semolina).
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup milk.
• 1/4 cup grated coconut 
• one  cup sugar.
• two cup water 
• 200 gm condensed milk
• 1/4 teaspoon green cardamom powder.
• one pinch Saffron 
• 1/4 teaspoon funnel seeds
• 1 tsp almonds and pistachios to garnish
• Ghee or vegetable oil for deep frying.
  

• Method:-

1. At first start preparing the simple syrup, boil  water and sugar in a deep pan. Add a pinch of saffron and Elaichi Powder for flavor. Keep the syrup warm in low flame.
2. Now take a bowl and combine all the rested ingredients except  ghee/oil & garnishing nut with milk(1 cup should be sufficient) to make a smooth batter.
   
3. Heat ghee or oil in a kadhai/frying pan for deep frying.
4. When the oil is hot, use a ladle to gently pour the batter into the oil to form circles about 4" in diameter.
   
5. Cook till golden brown. Remove from the oil and put directly into the sugar syrup.
6. Remove after 3-5 minutes till they become a little soft, and drain on a wire rack with a plate. & garnishing with copped nuts. If you need Rabri also good combination with malpua.
7. Now your Malpua is ready to serve.
   
   

Now Enjoy Your's Malpua......!!!!!

“Rosh-Bora /A urad dal fritter soaked in sugar syrup".....:)

This one is my 3rd post for the  celebrates Makar Sankranti or Poush Sankranti  festival —:).This festival is also known as Pithey Parbon in Bengal, pithey or pithe being a sweet made with basic  ingredients of the region like rice,Flour , date palm etc.

Today, I make Rosh Bora / A urad dal fritter soaked in sugar syrup-- on Sankranti Spacial. A  Tradition Bengali dessert. It’s more of a daily household dessert, usually not found in the sweetmeat shops. Very simple and unique, it does't have too much sugar, but is crispy in taste.Here I share my “Rosh-Bora /A urad dal fritter soaked in sugar syrup" recipe with all of you...:)

Ingredients:-

•  Urad Dal (1 cup)
• Water (2 cups)
•  Sugar (1& 1/2 cups + 1 tsp)
•  Green Cardamom     4-5 crushed 
•  Sunflower oil (approximate 2 cups for deep frying)
• Fennel seeds -1/2 tsp
• Salt        -      one pinch
  

Method:-

1. First, rinse and then soak 1 cup of Urad Dal in enough water . Urad dal is also known as kalai er dal in Bengali. Let it soak overnight for best results else 4-5 hours should also work well .
   
2. Next, strain the water out, and put the dal into a grinder. Make a finely ground paste in the grinder, with minimum water so that it forms a smooth creamy paste.
   
3. Take the paste in a bowl and add salt to taste, about 1 tsp of sugar(optional) and around 1/2 tbsp of fennel seeds (which have been lightly bruised.) & beat it. This will give the bora a crispy texture when you fry it.
4. Now Sugar syrup preparation: Add the 2 cups of water to the 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar in a bowl and boil it for 10-15 minutes.Put cardamom also for a nice flavour . When the mixture has come to a boil, lower the heat to medium and let it simmer. Remember not to make the syrup thicker, or else the bora won’t get soaked properly.
5. Take oil in a wok and heat it.Once the oil gets steaming hot turn the heat to medium settings.Make round balls with the creamy dal paste with your hand and keep dropping the round dumplings into the hot oil on low flame. Fry till it changes its color to light-golden brown.
   
6.  Now fried bora drop directly into the syrup container . Let the bora cool down fully in the syrup,
7. Now your's  Rosh-Bora is ready for serve.

Now Enjoy Yours Rosh-Bora.....!!!

Patishapta/Traditional Bengali pancake recipe stuffed with Kheer or khowa or Coconut.....:)

Happy Makar Sankranti/Poush Sankranti To All Of You....:)

Just my before Blog post I told that Makar Sankranti/Poush Sankranti is also one of such festival to all of India. In Kolkata, this  Makar Sankaranti/ Poush Sankranti,is the harvesting festival and is also celebrated with verity of Pithe/sweets.
This my 2nd Makar Sankaranti/ Poush Sankranti spacial sweet/ Pithe name is 'PATISHAPTA PITHE'. A thin crepes made with mainly refined flour, rice flour and semolina. Stuffed with a tasty coconut and jaggery filling/ Kheer or khowa filling.

My Mother -In Law also prepare  variety of this type sweets/Pithe. This one she prepare very nicely. So I share her yammy & nice Patishapta Pithe recipe for all of You. Hope You also enjoying with this recipe.....:)

Ingredients:-
Batter for Crepes/Pancake:

1. 1 & 1/2 cup refined flour / maida
2. 1 cup sooji/semolina
3.  approximate  2 cups milk ( prepare for batter)
4. Oil, to cook the patishapta

For the filling:

1. 2 cups grated coconut / khoya
2. 1/2 to 1 cup sugar / date jaggery (as per taste)
3. 3-4 green crushed cardamoms
   

Method:-

1. Heat a  pan then add the chunks of Jaggery/sugar  let it melt then add the grated coconut/khoya. Stir in a low flame until well mixed. Cook this mixture until the mixture comes together and sticks together. 
   
2. Remove from heat when the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Flavor it with cardamom powder. Let it cool and Keep them aside.This process usually take 35-40 minutes over low flame. 
3. In a mixing bowl take All Purpose Flour & Semolina  mix well.
4. Pour the milk with constant stirring to avoid lump formation. The batter should be thin, smooth and free flowing. (Add excess milk if required). Keep the mixture for half an hour.
5. Heat the non stick pan. Put  a little oil. Pour a thin layer of the mixture on it and spread it quickly with the laddle.
   
6. Put the filling lengthwise at the center of it and roll it. Wait till the colour is light brown.
   
   
7. Place it on the plate. Serve hot or cold. You can pour condensed milk/nolen gur or liquid date palm jaggery over it before serving. 
   
8. A very tasty , simple, great Bong traditional sweet/pithe is ready now.
   

Now Enjoy your's Patishapta....!!!

'Doodh Puli Pithe"/Coconut Stuffed Dumpling with in the Milk cream".....:)

 We know that  Bengal & bangali are generally very populer for various varieties of pitha /sweet dishes. This is known as Makar Sankranti or Poush Sankranti in West Bengal, as it is celebrated in the last day of Bengali month of Poush. It is called by different names in all over India – Magh Bihu, Makar Shankranti, Pongal, Uttarayan etc. 

To celebrate this harvest festival, in all bengali homes making a special kind of sweet named "pithe". Many kinds of Pithe, just like  Puli Pithe, Gokul Pithe, Dudh Puli, Malpoa, Patishapta Pithe and many more.which is made with basically rice flour. Another special thing is needed is Palm Jagery (khejurer Gur), & Coconut. 

My Mother & Grandmother both r very expert to making this 'Pitha'.Dudh puli is one such delicious yummy traditional pithe, this was almost common in every house decade ago but now in modern times hurry and worry such traditional time taking sweets are on the way to extinct. Doodh puli has a outer shell made of rice flour and an inner filling made of Coconut and sugar/Jaggery. The shell is commonly made into half-moon shape, this is called puli. After these pulis are prepared, are either boiled in thickened milk/doodh, sweetened with jaggery/suger. So the name is coming- "Doodh puli"....:)

Here I share my Maa(Mom) yammy 'Doodh Puli' recipe for all of you...Hope you also enjoying with this recipe....:)

Ingredients : (Around 30-35 Pulis)

• Milk : 1/12 liter 
• Date Palm Jaggery (khejur Gur) : Dry 1/2 cup & liquid 1 cup.(approximate) .
• Rice Flour : 1& 1/2 cup
• Salt : a pinch
• Lukewarm water to make the dough
• Grated Coconut :2 cups
• Cardamom Powder : 1/2 tsp.
  

Method:-

1. Heat a  pan then add the chunks of Jaggery let it melt then add the grated coconut. Stir in a low flame until well mixed. Cook this mixture until the mixture comes together and sticks together. Remove from heat when the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Flavor it with cardamom powder. Let it cool and Keep them aside.
   
2. Next Take rice flour, add salt and mix. Add enough lukewarm water to make a soft dough. Cover the dough with a cloth (30 mins).
   
3. Now after sometime, make small balls, size just like lemon from the dough. Flatten each ball with your fingers in the shape of a bowl. The shell would be medium thin. Stuff small amount of filling coconut mixture into it. Bring together both the edges and it will get the shape of half-moon, press and seal with your finger. Then puli is done. Make other pulis the same way. See the shape of 'Puli' as in the picture.
   
   
   
4.  After the pulis now it’s time to make the milk sauce.In a big wide pan, heat milk, Once it starts to boil, let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Then lower the heat to low, add liquid Jaggery according to your taste(you should always add jaggery in low heat, as in high heat it can curdle the milk). Mix, add all the prepared pulis now, cook for another 20-25 minutes or until pulis are soft and the milk has thickened. Take care not to break the pulis. The milk shouldn't be too thick nor too thin.
   
5.  Put off the flame. Let it rest for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Dudh puli taste great in room temperature. Serve a pulis in a bowl and ladle the thick milk sauce over it . 
   
6. Simplicity is the best décor for such traditional sweet dessert. But if you need garnishing garnish with grated Cashews & Pistachio.
7. Enjoy Bengal’s age old traditional favorite  Duduh Puli Pithe....:)
   

Enjoy with Your's Duduh Puli Pithe.....!!!