Shahi Baingan Bharta

Shahi Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is a delicious vegetarian dish mainly cooked in various parts of India. Baingan is eggplant which is grilled over charcoal or direct fire to impart a smoky flavor to the flesh of the eggplant and then it is cooked with different spices and vegetables. Baingan bartha is popular in Punjab, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. In Gujrati it is known as odo, wangyacha bharti in Marathi and in West Bengal it is called Begun pora. The fun part is in West Bengal many belief that to prepare Begun pora in Tuesdays and Saturday protect the family member from evil eye. There is no scientific proof whether this help as an evil eye protector or not but one thing is sure the members of the family get an awesome dish to taste every week.

This Shahi Baingan Bharta is more rich and royal version of the regular baingan bartha.

Ingredients:::

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 tsp garlic chopped
• ½ tsp ginger chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tomato chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 2 green chilly chopped
• ½ tsp of sugar
• ½ cup peas blanched
• 1tsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 bay leave
• ¼ tsp of garam masala
• 2 tbsp of raisin
• Handful chopped coriander leaves
• 5 to 6 tbsp of mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method:::

1. Baingan Bharta requires roasted eggplant. You can roast eggplant in various ways. The most common method is to rub the skin of the eggplant with little oil then hold it on a low flame burner. But it is not too safe for the beginners or who are not so expert in it. In that case use your cook top grill plate or oven grill or barbeque grill. Keep turning and cooking till the all the skin get charred and the inner flesh looks really soft.
2. Once the eggplant is roasted let it cool totally and then peel off and discard the charred skin. Mash coarsely and keep aside.
3. Meanwhile in a pan take a spoonful of oil and scramble the egg and keep aside.
4. In a pan heat oil then add the bay leaves and chopped onion.
5. Add little sugar and stir until the onions are translucent.
6. Add ginger and garlic paste. Stir until the onion become golden brown then add the tomatoes and all the dry spices except garam masala and cook until the tomatoes become soft.
7. Add the blanched green peas, green chili and the mashed eggplant. Mix well.
8. Add the scrambled egg, coriander leaves. Go on stirring continuously for 6 to 8 minutes. You will see the excess water evaporates and a creamy texture is coming.
9. Add ghee and garam masala powder. Mix well. Put off the flame.
10. You can make it more exotic by adding 2 tbsp of full cream. Cover the lid give 5 minutes standing time before serving. Garnish with chopped coriander.
11. You can serve it with Naan, Paratha, Roti or Puri.

Mughlai Paratha

Mughlai Paratha

Mughlai paratha or Dim paratha as it is called in bengali -dim standing for eggs. This is a very famous bengali food which can be had at anytime maybe breakfast,lunch or dinner. Mughlai  paratha is an easy-to-make bread with a filling of red kidney beans, meat, or paneer. This is a very easy, filling and quick recipe which can be made even if you do not have much in your pantry :)

Ingredients:::

For the dough:

• 500 gm whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup milk
• Warm water
• Salt to taste

For the filling:

• Minced meat (Kheema) - 500 gms
• Eggs - 3
• Cumin- 1/2 tsp
• Green chilly- 2 (chopped finely)
• Onion – 1 small size (chopped finely)
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 heaped tbsp
• Carrot - 1pc chopped
• Chopped coriander leaves – 1 bunch
• Turmeric powder- 1.5 tsp
• Cumin powder- 1 tsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tsp
• Red Chilly powder- 1tsp
• Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
• Tandoori masala powder – 1 tsp (optional)
• Salt - To taste
• Ghee/cooking oil for pan frying Parathas

Method:::

1. Take a big bowl and mix flour, milk and salt. Rub the flour with 2 tbsp of oil.Add little water at a time and make soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. Boil the minced mutton with salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder in half liter water. Pressure cooking for 10 minutes after the first whistle of the pressure cooker is a good measure of time for boiling the mutton.
3. Dry the excess water from the boiled keema. Beat the egg with salt, and half cup milk. Keep it aside.
4. Put oil in a pan.  Add cumin seed, chopped green chilly. When jeera begins to splutter, add onion.
5. Fry  for 2 minutes, then add ginger garlic paste, and saute for 2minutes.Then add rest of the masalas and keema. Saute everything for 5 minutes on medium flame. Put coriander leaves and cover the karaahi. Let the keema cook on slow flame for 7 minutes. The stuffing for the mughlai paratha is now ready.
6. Make 8 balls from the dough and roll out into flat thick rounds.Now roll it, press down and roll out into square of 8 inches by 8 inches.
7. Brush the surface of the paratha with the beaten eggs. Put a large spoonful of the Masala Kheema in the center of the circle and fold edges of circle up to completely cover and seal the Masala Kheema inside.
8. Gently press down on the filled ball to flatten it and then roll it, with very gentle pressure, into a 6″ circle.
9. Heat a griddle on a medium flame till hot. Put a Paratha on it. When both sides are cooked, put oil/ghee and spread it to both the surfaces.
10. The Paratha is ready when the egg on both sides is cooked & paratha fry from both side till crispy & golden brown.
11. Serve hot with 1 tsp butter on the paratha.
12. Remove it from the pan & serve hot with some potato curry , salad & tomato sauce .

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer butter masala made in rich cream gravy is on the special dishes of paneer which can be prepared for any party or special guests. It can be prepared with numerous styles. The following method is the easiest method of making paneer butter masala which taste very similar to restaurant style paneer butter masala. It takes very less time for preparing it. 

Ingredients:::

Ingredients

•     250 grams cottage cheese cut into cubes
•     1 onion chopped
•     1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
•     ¼ cup tomato puree
•     1 tbsp tomato ketchup
•     1 tbsp coriander powder
•     1 tsp red chilli powder
•     1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
•     ¼ tsp garam masala powder
•     ½ cup milk
•     ¼ cup cream
•     salt to taste
•     oil 3 tbsp & butter

Method:::

1. Wash tomatoes, green chilly and ginger. Cut tomatoes, green chilies, onion coarsely, peel ginger and cut coarsely. Place all these ingredients in a mixture jar. Grind and make a fine paste.
2. In a large bowl, pour hot water. Add salt and mix well. Add the cubed paneer pieces and let it sit for a while. This will make the paneer pieces soft.
3. In the meantime, heat the oil & some butter in a pan. Add the onion . sauté on  a low flame till golden brown in colour.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for another 1 minute.
5. Add the tomato puree, tomato ketchup, coriander powder, red chilli powder , Kasuri Methi and salt.  Fry till the oil separates from the masala. This will take 10 minutes on a low flame. Keep on sprinkling water if the spice mixture sticks to the bottom of the wok.
6. Pour milk and ¼ cup water mix well. Add the drained paneer cubes. Mix well and let it come to a boil.
7. Simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Add the cream and garam masala powder
9.  Mix well
10. Cover the pan and cook sabzi for 3-4 minutes on low flame. After 3-4 minutes, add rest of the butter.
11. Lip smacking and appetizing paneer butter masala is ready. Take out the paneer in a serving bowl. Serve with chapatti, parantha, naan or rice.