Shaak Fritters or Shaker bora and plain rice

As very often I go to market so never miss the chance to pick something irregular at my home. A Saturday morning I made up my mind to go to market with husband just for a change. A old feeble man was sitting alone in market with his large stock of common and uncommon leafy vegetables. Surprised! I have found some really irregular items in his stock, many I do not know name exactly but sometimes in my childhood I had them . A bliss!
Pui Shaak
Palak
Thankuni
Gima

Bathua (lamb’s quarters)
Helencha
Kalmi shaak (water spinach)
Note Shaak
Lal Shaak
List goes on...
I have bought some of them  and already made up to make Bora/ fritters with some of those. 
here comes my Gima Shakker Bora. You can make it well with Palak/Pui leaves as well.

What You Need

2 cups Gima shaak washed, leaves separated
1 cup Besan / wheat flour
1/2 cup rice powder (Optional, it makes crispy)

1/2 tsp of Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp of Jeera / whole Corriander seeds
1/3 tsp Holud / Turmeric Powder
Salt
1/2 tsp Suji/Rava( Optional, it makes crispy)
2 KaNchalanka/ green chilli chopped


How I Did It

Mix all the above ingredients well with little amount of water

This batter consistency is not loose, its just moist to give shape with hand
Heat Oil in a Kadai/ frying pan
Give the mixture a shape of oval/ round as you wish with hand
Place each fritter in oil and fry both side until done.

Have this with plain rice and it really loving if you like authentic old Bengali touch food.
 

Chicken tandoori - My Home version and the Best one!

This is one of the Microwave dishes  me and my husband tried when we started  experimenting with it  and I wasn't still comfortable cooking meat or chicken. So I would stick to a chicken curry and stay safe with the rice.  

But this  Tandoori was definitely magical - good times assured and some very satisfied diners. Every. Single. Time. Don't take my word for it - go ahead and try it. Its a great snack, a blissful apetitizer and a must hit in guests party.

I do have a confession though - THIS IS ENTIRELY MADE BY MY HUBBY , S. The taste definitely can compete with restaurant expertize.

The Tandoor is a clay oven and dishes cooked in it are called Tandoori dishes. When meat cooked in Tandoor it forms a light crust on the outside, sealing the juices of the meat, leaving the inside moist after it is cooked. It is possible to achieve perfectly satisfactory results by using a conventional gas or oven setting it at the highest temperature, though the distinctive flavor of the clay-cooked Chicken Tandoori will not be achieved.

Chicken Tandoori

What You Need  

Chicken (legs or breast or a combination of both) : 1/2 kg

Lemon juice : 1 tbl spoon

Garlic ~ 1 large clove coarsely chopped
Ginger ~ 1 tsp
Green Chillies ~ 3 slit

Yoghurt (thick and set) : 75 gms

Tandoori Color ( available at all Indian grocery shops) : 1/2 tea spoon. You may not add color,taste will be same .

Coriander powder :  ~1 tea spoon

Cumin powder ~ 1/2 tea spoon

Black pepper powder ~ 1/4 tea spoon(Optional)

Garam masala :~ 1 tea spoon

Salt to taste.

How he Did It 

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly with  water. 

Make length-wise incisions (cuts) with a sharp knife on each piece

Make a paste of ginger , garlic , green chillies.Add coriander powder, cumin powder into it.

Add black pepper powder(Optional), garam masala,  Mix well. 

Prepare the marinade by adding some yoghurt, salt  to it.Yoghurt should not be watery, as much dry ,tight, hanger as possible.  

Now add 'tandoor food color' to the above prepared mixture. 

Coat the chicken with the freshly prepared marinade and allow it to marinate for atleast 4 hours in refrigerator.  

Place the marinated chicken pieces in Microwave Grill tool and arrange it in an oven tray. Place it in the oven.And allow it to cook for 15 mins at 320 degrees. 

Once the meat is cooked, turn the other side . 

Test with a fork.It will be tender to touch. 

Remove the meat from the oven and gently place the meat onto a plate. 

The juice of the lemon may be squeezed onto the meat .

Chirer Polau / Breakfast with Poha

There is a big Champa(A yellow flower ) tree opposite our house. One of my favorite pass timeis staring at that tree.

One morning,it was certainly Saturday, when I was late  ......... I was woken up by a sound of rain from my sunset above window.The sky had turned grey and there was a mild cool breeze. It could rain any time. I hurried towards the terrace to see surrondings.... there were my husband still lying on bed.

The birds on the tree continued their loud chattering ..... I thought they were getting uncomfortable with the sudden downpour or may be their mothers were yelling at the disobedient ones asking them to get inside the nests. My imagination took wings till I saw some kids from our neighbourhood come out on the roads with umbrellas, splashing water at each other and jumping into small puddles of water. They talked loudly as they walked past our house. I felt jealous of them and wondered how liberal and good their parents were !!

I went inside and was thinking about how we used to make old newspaper  boats and was waiting for an opportunity to float them.

Those days of happiness don't last long.I had to grow up.

Now I have to make our breakfast.A simple one but crispy one I wish.I have open the jar with Poha/Chire and now I will make Chirer Polau.

Chirer Polau

What You Need

Thick Poha/ Beaten Rice - 1 cup

Dry Roasted Peanuts - a handful

Green Peas - 1/3 cup(Optional, I had some in my refrigerator)

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 2

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 small pinch

Salt

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Oil for cooking

How I Do It

  Heat Oil in Kadai/Pan.

  Add chopped green chilies to it and cumin seeds. When the oil is warm and begins to sputter add a pinch of turmeric powder.

  Add green peas and fry for one minute. Add the roasted peanuts too.

  In the mean time, wash Poha/Chire and drain the water completely and keep aside.Do   not wash again and again,it will get extra soft.

  Add the Poha.

  Add sugar and salt and mix well. Stir for one minute. Remove from heat.

  Garnish with chopped coriander.

Aloor Chop / Fried Potato Patties

In Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake , one of the first images that consume you, is that of Ashima Ganguli tossing up jhal muri across the Pacific. You identify with her migrant pain, you realise that mixing jhal muri is something that makes Ashima feel closer home. Not to forget the pungent mustard oil, with its wasabi-like kick when used raw, and a key ingredient in jhal muri .

It's easy to Ashimas abroad. And it is even easier to find a clerical Borobabu, Ashokda , a typist Reenadi or a parar Tukai haunting their favourite roadside stalls for shingara , kochuri, roll, jhal muri and phuchka, chow mein, mishti, beguni, chop and cutlet, idlis and dosas , lassi and kulfis , jalebi and omriti . All that's needed are an 'Italian' style stall (made with fired bricks, of course), ability to stew in your own juice, a saturated disposition (shallow ones stay out) and an appetite for a disinfecting fire ordeal. Street food in the city is more than just culinary or gastronomic delight - it epitomises the 'kaalchar' and the very essence of this historical city that has embraced all. It's a social activity because you're enjoying a snack with other people on the street.
 
A South Kolkatan wouldn't mind travelling all the way to Salt Lake just to refute his colleague's claim that AE market's phuchkas are better than the ones served at Vivekananda Park. Likewise, a Salt Lake resident wouldn't mind travelling to Dacres Lane for the sumptuous chow mein and chilli chicken.
And what's miles when it comes to Putiramer kochuri or a brain chop? And how on earth can you be a daily passenger and not savour the extra-oily jhal muri served on locals?

Muri , Beguni , fuluri and alur chop  - the snacks that fed hungry mouths at home,at office,everywhere for Bengalees.

 Alur Chop 

What You Need

For the Chop/Patties

Potatoes ~ 4 Large
Onion ~ 1 medium chopped
Garlic ~ 3 cloves minced
Ginger ~ 1 tbsp minced
Green Chili - 4-5 chopped fine
Roasted Cumin Powder ~ 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder ~ to taste
Salt ~ to taste
Mustard Oil ~ a few drops(optional)

For Batter

Besan/Chickpea Flour ~ 1 cup
Rice Flour ~ 1 tbsp or Poppy Seed ~ 1 tsp
Baking Powder ~ 1/4 tsp
Salt ~ to taste
Water ~ 3/4 cup

For Frying

Plenty of Oil

How I Did It

The Patties

Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and mash them. Use your fingers or a masher.

Heat little Oil in a Kadhai/Pan. About 1-2 tsp should be fine.

Add the chopped garlic, minced Ginger, the green chillies and the onion.All of these should be chopped real fine so that you do not bite into anything but the potato when eating the chop.

Sauté till the onion wilts and is pinkish brown.

Add the Roasted Cumin powder and Red Chili Powder and saute for a minute.

Add the mashed potatoes.

Add salt and mix the masala well with the potatoes.Add a few drops of Mustard Oil to the potatoes if you want.
Make small balls of the mashed potatoes.
Flatten them between your palm .

Batter and Frying

Make a batter with the ingredients .  The batter should be tight as it has to form a coating on the potato patties.

Heat Fresh Oil in Kadhai/Pan. The patties would be deep fried so add enough oil.

Dip the patties in the batter, so that the batter uniformly coats the patties
Gently release the dipped patties in the hot oil .

Fry till both sides are brown.

Remove ,take care  so that the excess oil drains out.

Sprinkle some Chat Masala or kala namak/black Rock salt(beet noon) on the patties while serving