Laal shaak bhaja / Red spinach fry

Serve as the first item in a traditional Bengali thali.

What You Need 

Laal Shaak or Red Spinach. Chopped, washed.
Kalonji /Kalo jeera
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
Salt to taste. 
A couple of red chili
Badam / nuts
Oil
 
How I Did It 
Heat Oil in a Kadai/ frying pan.
Add some badam/nuts , fry nuts, and keep aside.
Add some kaloni/ Kalo Jeera.
Add 2 red chilli broken as phoron.
When starts spattering , add the chopped laal shaak aka red spinach.
Add about 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and mix well folding spinach all over.
Add salt to taste.
Do not add salt at this step in much amount. Any leafy vegetable seize in amount. And so final salt add after final taste.Let the shaak/spinach cook, fried  and stir so that it does not stick in pan. Taste and adjust salt.
Add fried nuts and mix well. Keep rest in pan for 2-3 minutes.
Serve with rice.:-)

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 .