kanchakolar Koftar malaikari / Green Banana Koftas cooked in coconut milk gravy

Kanchakolar kofta or green banana kofta curry is a very common item in any Bong kitchen. Usually, no part of the Banana tree is discarded...Each has its own use. The stem, the blossom and of course the fruit are very much savoured in our kitchen. Banana leaves are used in some types of cuisine and is also used for serving food. They contain lot of health benefits. They are rich sources of calcium, potassium, vitamin C, Iron to name a few. 

Green banana is used in a varied way in Indian cuisine. Even the peel of boiled green banana can be made a delicious curry.

As I have mentioned already, koftas made with green banana ,known as Kanchakolar kofta is a favourite among Bongs. Usually,the bananas are boiled,mixed with some spices,fried into koftas and made a curry using different spices. There are usually two versions of this curry...the veg one is made with coriander,cumin and ginger paste and onion paste is added in the the non veg version. In Bengal, Onion and garlic are considered non vegetarian.

This time,while making these koftas, I thought of making it in a little different style....not the usual one described above 😀. Than I came up with the idea of cooking them in a mild gravy,which will be milk based and a little sweetish in taste. So, I made this Malaikari of the raw banana koftas,the main ingredient of which is, coconut milk. I have added a little cashew paste to make the gravy thicker and creamier. I have used very little spice here...and believe me,it came out really really tasty . 

So,here is the recipe.....

Ingredients : 

• Green / raw banana - 4
• Potato - 1 medium
• Besan / Gram flour - 2 tbsp
• Onion - 2 medium and 1 big
• Ginger paste - 3 tsp
• green chillies - 6/7 (slit)
• Chilli powder - half tsp
• salt and sugar - to taste (the gravy should be a little on the sweeter side)
• Thick coconut milk - 1 cup (I have used nestle coconut milk powder...mixed 2 tbsp in a cup of warm water +normal milk)
• Unsalted cashew - 10/12 (soak in water for an hour and then grind to a fine paste )
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Oil - to fry and to cook ( Usuallly,these koftas are deep fried. But I made them in an Appe pan,which reduced the amount of oil used to a great extent. In an appe pan, you just brush with very little oil and get equally good soft koftas ) 

Process.....

• Cut the bananas and the potato into half and boil them in pressure cooker. Discard water ,cool and peel them. Mash them and keep aside.
• Chop 1 medium sized onion very finely
• In a big bowl, mix the chopped onion, 1 tsp ginger paste, salt and a little sugar, gram flour, chilli powder and the banana potato mixture. You can add 1 tsp finely chopped green chilli also. Now, with hand or a hand masher,mix all the ingredients nicely and make a smooth dough.
• Make small balls from this mixture and fry them. Usually,they are deep fried. I have used Appe pan,to reduce the amount of oil.
• Get the coconut milk ready.
• Cut the big onion into thin slices , make beresta (deep and crispy fried onion) and keep aside.
• Cut the other medium sized onion and boil it in a little water. after it is boiled,cool it and grind it to a fine paste. as this dish is whitish in colour ,we shall be using boiled onion paste,so that,we don't need to cook it for long and make it brown.

Let us start the cooking now...

• Heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp ghee in a pan.
• Add the boiled onion paste and fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add the remaining ginger paste,salt and sugar and cook for a few more minutes,till the raw smell of ginger is gone.
• Add coconut milk,stir and cook for 2/3 minutes.
• When it starts to boil, add the cashew paste and let it cook. Add a little warm water...depending on what type and quantity of gravy you want. The gravy should not be runny,rather,it will be thick and creamy.
• Check seasoning...add salt or sugar,if needed.
• Add the koftas and let it boil for a couple of minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 tsp ghee and slit green chillies. Cover and switch the gas off.
• after 2/3 minutes of standing time, pour the malaikari into a serving dish, sprinkle the beresta over it and serve.
• This dish goes very well with naan, paratha,rice or pulao.

Vegetarian Egg Curry

This is an unique 'egg'  curry ....yummy , less cholesterol ,especially for the Vegetarians. But,I am sure, everyone will not just 'like', but will Love it. I saw this  dish in a tv programme long back.I got the idea from there. But,this recipe is entirely my own. I have followed  my own instinct. Here it goes.... 

     

Ingredients  for the 'eggs' :

• Boiled and mashed potatoes : 2 (medium)
• Paneer : 1 cup (crumbled)
• Cornflour : 2 tablespoons
• Salt : 1 teaspoon (or,to taste )
• Ginger paste : 1 teaspoon
• Sugar : 1/2 teaspoon

Ingredients  for the 'yolk':

•  Chana dal (Bengal gram) : 1 cup
•  Salt : 1 teaspoon
•  Sugar : 1/2 teaspoon
•  Haldi /Turmeric powder : 1/2 teaspoon
•  Red chilli powder : 1 teaspoon

Ingredients for the gravy :

• Onion : 1 large
• Tomato : 1 medium
• Ginger : 1 inch piece
• Haldi / Turmeric powder : 1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli powder : 1 teaspoon
• Cashewnuts: 2 tablespoons
• Garam masala powder : 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt : to taste
• Sugar : 1 teaspoon

Oil,to fry. 

Method : 

• Mix all the ingredients under 'eggs' group together. Mix well,make a smooth dough. I have used home made paneer ,which is softer and easy to crumble. 

• Wash and soak the Dal overnight ,or,at least for 4 hours.
• Grind this dal alongwith all the ingredients in the 'stuffing' group. Try to add least amount of water while grinding.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep pan.
• Add the ground dal and cook it,stirring continuously.
• Cook till all the moisture dries up and the ground dal takes a dough like consistency.

• Now, make balls from the potato dough of the size of a small egg. 
• Make  small balls from the dal dough of the size of a small lemon.
• With moist palm, flatten the potato dough a little ,on your palm.
• Put the ball of dal over it and wrap the potato dough around it,giving it a shape of an egg.

•   Prepare eggs using all the mixtures. 
•   Fry these eggs,batch by batch carefully over medium flame. It may get burnt over high flame.
•  Once all the eggs are fried,keep them aside.
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• Now,let us start preparing for the gravy.
• 
  
• Gring all the masalas together, except the garam masala polwder. 
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• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep pan and add the ground masala. Cook over medium flame.
• 
  
• Add salt and sugar and keep cooking,stirring in between.
• 
  
• Once, the masala is cooked and oil starts separating from the masala,add 2 cups of hot water and let it come to a boil.
• 
  
• Now,add the fried eggs and let it boil for 2/3 minutes. 
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• Now,your yummylicious veggie egg curry is ready to serve. Garnish with garam masala powder and slit green chillies and serve hot with chapati /paratha or plain rice. 

We are not adding too many spices in the two doughs,because,that may change the colour of the white or the yolk of the yolk.

  

Hung curd tikkis in gravy

                                        

A very tasty and healthy dish,made with hung curd and spices. 

Ingredients :for the tikkis 

Hung curd  : 1 cup
Paneer (cottage cheese) : 2 tablespoons (crumbled)
Ginger paste : 1 tablespoon
Chopped ghreen chillies : 1 teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Sugar:half a teaspoon
Dry roasted besan(gram flour) : 4 tablespoons
Oil to fry

For the stuffing : *

Finely chopped cashew nuts : 2 tablespoons
Chopped kishmish (raisins) : 2 tablespoons
Moong sprouts: 2 tablespoons 

For the gravy :

Onion paste : 2 medium onions 
(peel,boil and make a fine paste)
Ginger paste : 1 tablespoon
Tomato : 1 (chopped)
Jeera(cumin)powder : 1 teaspoon
Dhania(coriander)powder : 1 teaspoon
Haldi(turmeric powder) : half a teaspoon
kashmiri red chilli powder : 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder : half a teaspoon
Salt : to taste
Sugar : half a teaspoon
Cashew paste : 1 teaspoon (you can add 1 teaspoon of fresh cream instead of cashew paste.It gives the dish a rich colour)
Oil : 2 tablespoons

Method :

• Hang the curd in a muslin cloth for at least 6 hours.After all the water in the curd drains out,you will get a chunk of curd ..called chakka dahi in Hindi.
• Dry roast the besan in a pan for a few minutes.Add it to the curd chunk.
• Add all the other ingredients under tikkis,except oil, mash and make a smooth dough.
• Mix all the ingredients under stuffing in a bowl.
• Put oil to heat in a pan
• Wet your hands,take a small ball from the curd dough,flatten it slightly on your wet palm,put a little of stuffing mixture on it,and carefully cover the stuffing with the dough with your other hand. 
• Your palms should be wet while doing all these. otherwise,dough will get stuck to your palm and it will be difficult to shape the tikkis.If needed,keep a big bowl of water ready at hand and dip your palm in it whenever needed.

                                       

• Gently drop the tikkis one by one in the hot oil and shallow fry them over medium heat.
• Keep the fried tikkis in a dish and start preparing the gravy. **

                                                    

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add Ginger paste,boiled onion paste,salt and sugar and fry for a few minutes. 
• Now add haldi,chilli powder,sugar and chopped tomato, mix well ,cover and cook over medium heat for 5/7 minutes.
• When the tomatoes have completely melted and oil starts separating,add the cashew paste / cream and mix.
• Add warm water,about 2 cups and bring to a boil.
• When it starts boiling, add the tikkis and and sprinkle garam masala powder.
• Switch gas off.
• Keep covered until serving.
• Serve with Pulao, roti or paratha or enjoy it as you feel like.Don't forget to let me know how you liked it. :D

* You can make stuffing of your own choice. I had sprouts at home,so I added them. You can omit them if you like.

** These tikkis can be enjoyed simply as snacks,without putting them in gravy. 

NB : I have used boiled onion paste,because,that way,it absorbs lesser oil. Other than health reasons,it is particularly useful,if you want your gravy's colour not too dark.

Malai Mustard Brinjal ( malai begun basanti)

A dish made with large sized eggplants and different spices. tastes a little tangy and slightly sweet. 
( Inspired from a recipe from internet )

Ingredients :

• Large Brinjal /eggplants : 2 (cut into thick long pieces -- 1 brinjal yields 8/10 pieces)
• Mustard oil : 1 cup 
• Mustard seeds (sarson) : 3 tablespoons
• charmagaz (melon seeds ) : 1 tablespoon 
• Curd : 1 tablespoon
• Green chillies : 10/12
• Turmeric ?(haldi) powder : 2 teaspoons
• Nigella seeds (kalonji) : 1 teaspoon
• Salt : to taste
• Sugar : 2 teaspoons
• Thick coconut milk : half cup ***
• Fresh cream / malai : 1 tablespoon

Method :

• Rub 1 teaspoon salt,half teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon turmeric (haldi) powder. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep pan and fry the brinjal pieces. Keep aside. 
• Make a paste of mustard seeds,salt and 5/6 green chillies. 
• grind the charmagaz also and keep aside.
• Heat the rest of oil and all 2/3 green chillies(slit) and kalonji. 
• Now add charmagaz paste ,haldi powder,salt (if required) and cook over medium flame. 
• After 5/6 minutes,add the mustard paste and brinjals. cover and cook for 3/4 minutes.
•  Beat the curd and add now.Mix well. Cook covered. Add the coconut milk,cover and cook for a few more minutes.
• When the brinjal pieces are cooked completely,add the cream and sugar. Mix well and take the pan down.
• Garnish with green chillies (slit)
• Enjoy with rice or roti.

*** Soak scraped coconut in hot water for a few minutes and you get fresh coconut milk. 
Powdered coconut milk also can be used. 

Gatte ki sabzi

Gatta or gatte ki sabzi is an well known and very popular Indian vegetarian dish. I have tried to give the traditional gatta a little twist in order to make it healthier. Believe me,it tastes as awesome as the traditional one.Hope,you will also like it.Here goes my recipe

Ingredients :

Gatta:
Besan (bengal gram flour) : 1 cup
Chilli powder : 1 teaspoon
Grated carrots : 2(medium)
Ajwain : 1/2 teaspoon
Curd: 1tablespoon
Oil: 1tablespoon
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Oil for frying

Gravy :
Curd: 1cup (beaten)
Besan (bengal gram flour): 1tablespoon
Curry leaves: 7/8
Jeera(cumin seeds):1teaspoon
Rai (mustard seeds): 1/2 teaspoon
Hing(asafoetida): 1/2 teaspoon
Haldi(turmeric powder) : 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder : 2 teaspoons
Dhania(coriander)powder : 2 teaspoons
Salt : to taste
Oil: 1 tablespoon

Method :

• Combine all the ingredients under gatta,adding very little water , as the grated carrot and curd will leave enough water. The dough should be firm.
• Divide the dough into equal portions and shape them into sausage like(cylindrical) rolls.
• Boil enough water in a big pan.Add these rolls into the water,when it starts to boil.Cook them for 7 to 10 minutes.
• Keep the boiled gattas aside. Reserve the gatta boiled stock for later use.

• cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and shallow fry the gattas.Keep aside.
• For gravy ,combine curd ,salt ,besan and all the powdered spices and mix well.Add 2 cups gatta boiled stock in it. Keep aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil.Add curry leaves,mustard seeds,Cumin seeds and hing. Let the seeds splutter a bit. Now add the dahi (curd) and spices mixture and let it come to a boil.
• Stir continuously,so that the curd does not split. 
• Add the fried gattas in the boiling gravy.Boil for 1 minute and take the pan down. 
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (if desired) and serve hot with plain rice.