Labongo Latika

 

Ingredients

1) Maida or all-purpose flour: 1 cup

2) Grated coconut: 1/2 cup

3) Sugar : 1& 1/2 cup

4) Oil for frying

5) Kaju-kismis: 1 tbspn

6) Labongo/ Cloves to seal

7) Milk: 1/4 cup

Method of Preparation

1) Add the grated coconut to a warm pan. Roast it slightly till aromatic.

2) Add sugar, kaju-kismis and milk to it. Cook it till the mixture thickens into a dough for filling.

3) Take the all-purpose flour. Add 1 tbspn oil and knead it with warm water to prepare a tough dough.

4) Roll out thin rotis 4-5 inch in diameter out of it.

5) Take each roti, place a heaped spoonful of the coconut filling at the centre and fold from all 4 sides and seal it with a clove (as seen in picture above).

6) Warm oil in a deep fry pan. To it add the prepared labongo latikas and fry on low heat till a golden brown colour. Remove from oil onto a kitchen towel.

7) Prepare sugar syrup of 1 thread thick consistency. Dip the labongo lakitas for a while and remove onto a plate. Put them in the fridge to cool.

Serve chilled....Enjoy !!!

Shakahari Shami Kabab

Ingredients

1) Bengal gram or Kale chane: 1 cup soaked overnight
2) Potatoes boiled: 1 medium sized
3) Onion: 1 small finely chopped
4) Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbspn
5) Green chillies: 2 finely diced
6) Cilantro/ dhaniya patta
7) Cornflour: for binding
8) Chat masala: for flavouring or Shaan's shami kebab masala
9) Kasuri methi: 1 tspn
10) Salt to taste
11) Oil for frying

Method of Preparation

1) Boil the soaked chana till soft. Remove the water and grind it to a coarse paste without adding water or a little water.
2) Mix the chana paste and all the above ingredients 2-10 to form a tough dough.

3) Make small flat cutlet type shapes out of the dough.
4) Take oil in a shallow bottom pan or Tawa and shallow fry the kebabs till golden brown.
5) Garnish with onion rings, cilantro and serve hot with green chutney.

Enjoy the snack with tea/coffee !!!

Radhaballabhi /Dal puri

Ingredients

For the Puri ( for 6 Puris):
1) All purpose flour/ maida: 1 cup
2) Oil: 1 tbspn
3) Salt to taste

For the filling:
1) Chana dal/ Cholar dal: 1/2 cup soaked in water for 4-5 hrs
2) Cinnamon: 1/2 inch stick
3) Cardamom: 2
4) Cumin seed/ jeera: 1/2 tsp
5) Saunf/ fennel seeds: 1/2 tsp
6) Turmeric: a pinch
7) Salt and sugar to taste
8) Ghee/ oil for deep frying

Method of Preparation

1) Add 1tbsp of oil to the maida and knead well adding water to a relatively hard dough. Leave it aside for 30 mins.
2) Take the soaked chana dal and grind it to a course paste with minimun addition of water.
3) Lightly roast cinnamon, cardamom and cumin seeds and grind them to  powder.
4) Heat 1tspn oil in a pan. To it add the fennel seeds. Add the dal paste. To it add the dry roasted and ground spices, turmeric, salt and sugar and fry it well to get rid of the raw smell. Note: the filling should be slightly on the sweeter side, this is typical of Bengal.
5) Let the mixture cool down.
6) Make small balls of the dough, put the filling into it and roll into puris.
7) Deep fry till light golden brown.

Serve with cholar dal or any other vegetarian side dish (preferably containing potatoes). 

ENJOY !!!!

Veg Samosa

 

Ingredients

For the Samosa ( for 4 samosas)

1) All purpose flour : 1 cup

2) Sooji/semolina : 1tbspn

3) Salt to taste

4) Oil: 1 1/2 tbspn

For the filling

1) Boiled and coarsely mashed potatoes : 1 large

2) Green peas : 3 tbspn

3) Cumin seeds: 1 tspn

4) Cumin powder: 2 tspn

5) Red chilly powder: 1 tspn

6) Green chillies: 2 finely chopped

7) Garam masala powder: 1 tspn

8) Raisins and peanuts

9) Aamchur powder (optional)

10) Salt to taste

11) Oil for deep frying

Method of Preparation

1) Mix all the ingredients for the samosa cover and knead well. Let it rest for half an hour.

2) For the filling, heat 2 tbspn oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and let it splutter.

3) To it add the green peas and saute for 2-3 mins. Then add the mashed potatoes and the rest of the ingredients mentioned above and mix well. Remove the pan from fire and let the mixture cool completely.

4) Now make a small ball of the dough (smaller than pin pong size) and roll it thin to about 6 inches in diameter. Cut into with a knife into 2 semicircles.

5) Now take each semicircle at a time, add a little water to the edges and fold it in the form of a cone.

6) Fill the mixture into the cone tightly and seal the edges well ( see picture below)

7) Leave it for 5mins before frying.

8) Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the samosas till light golden brown. Transfer onto a kitchen towel.

Serve hot with ketchup. Enjoy with a hot cup of tea !!!!!

 

                    

Vada with coconut chutney

Ingredients

for Vadas

1) Peeled & split urad dal: 1cup
2) Rice: 1/4 cup
3) Sooji/semolina: 1tbsp
4) Salt to taste
5) finely chopped green chillies and onion : 1tbsp (Optional)
6) Oil for deep frying

for Chutney

1) Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
2) Green chillies: 2
3) Red chilly : 2
4) Salt to taste
5) A pinch of black mustard seeds
6) Oil: 1tsp
7) few curry leaves

Method of preparation

For Vadas

1) Soak urad dal and rice overnight or atleast for 5-6hrs.
2) Grind the soaked dal and rice in a grinder to a proper consistency. Do not add too much water during grinding.
3) Add sooji to the batter. Add the finely chopped green chillies and onion.
4) Add salt and whip it in circular motions for a while for proper aeration.
5) Take small portions on butter paper held in your palm. Make desired shapes as shown in the picture with or without hole and deep fry in oil.
6) Remove from oil after the vadas attain a golden brown colour onto a kitchen towel.

For Chutney

1) Take the grated coconut and the green chillies in a grinder and grind to a fine paste.
2) Add salt to the paste.
3) Take 1tsp oil in a pan. Heat the oil, add the whole red chillies, curry leaves and mustard seeds till it starts spluttering.
4) To the above add the coconut paste and mix well and remove from the pan.

Serve the hot Vadas with the chutney. Enjoy !!!

Egg-devil : ideal tea-time snack

Ingredients

1) Hard boiled eggs: 4
2) Potatoes: 2 large boiled and mashed
3) Garam masala : 1 tsp
4) Jeera powder: 1 tsp
5) Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
6) Salt: as per taste
7) Cilantro: optional
8) Maida (all purpose flour) : 2 tbspn
9) Bread crumbs
10) Oil for deep frying

Procedure

1) Take the hard boiled eggs and remove the shell.
2) To the boiled and mashed potatoes add ingredients 3 to 7 and mix well and divide it 4 equal portions.
3) Take a boiled egg and wrap it evenly with one portion of the mashed potato mixture. Repeat for all 4 eggs.
4) Make a semi thick mixture of maida and water (this can be replaced with a beaten egg) with a proper consistency and dip the wrapped eggs in this mixture to coat evenly.
5) Remove from the mixture 4 and roll it on bread crumbs spread on a flat plate. Coat it properly.
6) Leave the coated eggs in the refrigerator for 30 mins so that the bread crumbs set properly.
7) Heat oil in a wok to boiling hot. Fry the eggs in this hot oil till golden brown.
8) Remove from oil and keep it on a kitchen towel for soaking the excess oil.

Serve it hot with tomato ketchup or any other desired dip.

Enjoy !!!

Rava and coconut ladoo (sooji r narkel-er naru)

Ingredients

Rava (Sooji or Semolina): 1 cup
Grated coconut: 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts and raisins: as desired
Ghee: 1/3 cup
Powdered Sugar: 1 cup ( or depending on your sweetometer)
Warm milk: 1/4 cup

Procedure

1) Take a small amount of ghee and fry the cashew and raisins and coconut. Remove from the pan and set aside when slightly browned...
2) Add the rest of the ghee (on very low flame)...add the Sooji....stir constantly till slight brownish and aromatic.
3) Remove from the pan into a mixing bowl.
4) Add sugar and the cashew-raisins and coconut...mix well.
5) Start adding warm milk in small quantities to the mixture till you get a proper consistency to mould the mixture into ladoos.
6) Make ladoos and keep in the refrigerator for a while....garnish with raisins or walnut flakes as seen in the picture.

And is ready to serve. Enjoy. Ideal for festivities !!!!