Bengali - Twinkling Tina Cooks

Hing Diye Arhar Dal | Bengali Split Pea Dal Recipe with asafoetida | Aror Dal

Arhar Dal, aror dal, tur dal is a common ingredient in Indian kitchens. Hing diye arhar dal or the Bengali split pea dal recipe with asafoetida is a popular Bengali recipe.

Dals and lentils are a staple when it comes to a Bengali kitchen. We have it almost every day. There are so many kinds of dals that its confusing. While I am not a big fan of all kinds of dals, arhar dal or aror dal is quite a popular and regular preparation in our home.

Dals are a good source of plant-based protein. Bengali split pea dal recipe is a good way you can enjoy full protein preparation that is vegan. We make it with onions and garlic for extra flavour. This Hing Diye Arhar Dal recipe can be made without onion and garlic in a full vegetarian or niramish way.

Benefits of Using Hing or asafoetida

Hing or asafoetida has various antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial effects on the body. It is especially good for summers and helps you in digestion. Arhar dal with asafoetida is specially made in summers for this reason.

Do you need meal prep for Hing Diye Arhar Dal?

In my last ghugni recipe I told you overnight soaked lentils cook well and cooks faster. Arhar dal is a smaller lentil and doesn’t require overnight soaking. However, you can wash and let the lentil sit in a bowl of water for 15 minutes before you start cooking.

What I do is, wash and soak the dal and then chop the vegetables. Bu the time all chopping is done, lentils are nicely soaked in water.

Anything specific you need for this Bengali Split Pea Dal Recipe or Aror Dal Recipe?

As the name suggests you will need asafoetida. We temper the oil with paanch phoron which is a typical Bengali tempering spice. I have a detailed recipe of how to make paanch phoron at home if you can’t find it in the stores.

Serve this dal with white rice and some bhaja – like a begun bhaja or potol bhaja. We always eat somekind of bhaja along with dal.

How to make Hing Diye Arhar Dal

tinabasu1611 Arhar Dal, aror dal, tur dal is a common ingredient in Indian kitchens. Hing diye arhar dal or the Bengali split pea dal recipe with asafoetida is a popular Bengali recipe. Dals and lentils are a staple when it comes to a Bengali kitchen. We have it almost every day. There are so many … Continue reading A to Z Challenge 2021 hing diye arhar dal, arhar dal, bengali split pea dal, benagli recipe, dal recipe European Print This

Prep Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 20 mins 20 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

Arhar Dal/Toor Dal/Split Pigeon Pea Dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 1 cup
Panchphoron - 1/4 tsp
Sunflower Oil - 1 tsp
Dried Bay Leaves - 2
Green Chilies - 2 Slit in halves
Hing or Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
ginger paste - 2 tsp
Salt To Taste
coriander leaves - for garnish

Instructions

Pressure cook the lentils/daal with water, salt and turmeric powder. Cook till 5 whistles
Allow pressure to release and let the lentils cool down.
Heat oil in a pan and temper it with hing, paanchphoron and bay leaves
Add ginger paste and saute it well till the water from it dries up
Add the cooked dal and give it a good stir
Wait till it comes to a boil. If it starts thickening you can add little water. This dal will be of a thinner consistency
If you add water, let it boil add salt, green chili
Cook for 10 more minutes
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Serve with hot white rice and bhaja

Pin it for Later

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Authentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge

A – Aamer Chutney
B – Basanti Pulao
C- Chingri Malaikari
D – Dhokar Dalna
E – Echor Chingrir Dalna
F – Fulkopir Dalna
G – Ghugni

How to make Bengali Ghugni | Calcutta Style Ghugni Recipe | Kolkata Street Food Ghugni Recipe

Calcutta Street Food Ghugni Recipe is a Bengali snack recipe that tastes insanely amazing. This quick Bengali Ghugni recipe is a vegan recipe that can be enjoyed as a snack. Made from dried yellow peas and a blend of spices this is sure to make your palate go gaga!

Just how we Bengalis are sentimental about ‘phuchka’ the ghugni has a special place in our hearts. Ghugni is one of the most popular Calcutta Street Food. The roadside stalls near Vivekananda Park in Southern Avenue, South Calcutta has the best ghugni if you are looking to binge on some street food.

But can you believe it I am in Kolkata for the last 1 month and have not really eaten out or visited the Kolkata street food hotspots in the city due to COVID Scare! The numbers are astonishing, so you better stay home too.

Just like phuchka, you will find the ghugni served in shaal patar bati or bowls made with dried leaves. Sometimes, they are also served on paper plates and you eat them with those wooden ice cream spoons.

Bengali Ghugni Recipe | Kolkata Street Food Ghugni

Ghugni from being a popular household recipe forayed into the street food markets because of its ease of preparing and the spicy tangy taste. Traditionally, in Bengali households, ghugni was prepared in ‘dekchi’ where you slow cook it for a long time. However, we have moved over from the ‘dekchi’ to the pressure cooker. So the Bengali Ghugni Recipe is not time-consuming now.

You can make this Bengali Ghugni Recipe in an instant pot, crockpot or slow cooker if you have one and it will taste just the same. For convenience’s sake, we are using a pressure cooker for this recipe.

What are the main ingredients in the Calcutta Style Ghugni Recipe?

Do not confuse ghugni with chole or chana. It is not made from kabuli chana. Yellow Pea lentil or what we call motor dal is used for this recipe. You can find them in any grocery store. It is also called split pea lentil. You can find it online too. But do not buy Kabuli chana for this recipe.

Apart from these you require ingredients that are very easily available in any Indian Kitchen.

Tomatoes
Ginger
Mustard Oil
Regular spices – turmeric, chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala

Does the Bengali Ghugni Recipe require prep?

Yes, like all hard lentils, Bengali Ghugni Recipe, does require some prep. Wash the lentils and soak them in water overnight. Once this soaked lentil is ready with you, you can make this recipe pretty quickly.

Once they are soaked overnight, they plump up like this.

How long do I cook the lentils?

Once the lentils have been soaked overnight, you need to add water and pressure cook it for three whistles. If you live in a place at a higher altitude, you might have to cook till 4 whistles.

What to do once Ghugni is ready?

Once it’s pressure cooked and ready you bring in the magic of street food and make it into a chat!

Serve it with chopped onions, chopped chili, imli chutney (sweet tamarind pulp) or just a squeeze of lemon to make it spicy and tangy and let your taste buds explode around it!

If you don’t want it as a street food snack, you can serve it along with poori or luchi for a Sunday breakfast!

How to make Bengali Ghugni ?

How to make Bengali Ghugni | Calcutta Style Ghugni Recipe | Calcutta Street Food Ghugni Recipe

tinabasu1611 Calcutta Street Food Ghugni Recipe is a Bengali snack recipe that tastes insanely amazing. This quick Bengali Ghugni recipe is a vegan recipe that can be enjoyed as a snack. Made from dried yellow peas and a blend of spices this is sure to make your palate go gaga! Just how we Bengalis are … Continue reading A to Z Challenge 2021 ghugni, street food, Bengali street food, kolkata street food, indian food, indian street food Bengali, Indian Print This

Prep Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins 10 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

yellow pea lentil (motor dal) - 1 cup, washed and soaked overnight
ginger paste - 2 tsp
cumin powder - 1 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tsp
tomatoes - 2, roughly chopped
potato - 1 small, peeled and cut into cubes
salt to taste
tamarind paste - 2 tsp
salt - to taste
mustard oil - 3 tbsp
whole spices for tempering - 1 bay leaf, 1 whole red chili,
chopped onion for garnish - 2 tsbp

Instructions

soak the lentils overnight in enough water
pressure cook soaked lentils till 3 whistles in medium flame
in a pan heat the oil till smoking point and temper it with the whole spices
add ginger paste, turmeric and chili powder and saute for 1 minute
add cubed potatoes and saute them for 2 minutes.
add in the tomato and salt and keep sauteing till tomatoes become pulpy
add cumin and coriander powder and keep sauteing till the tomatoes release oil
now add the cooked lentils along with its water and simmer it in medium flame till potatoes are completely tender
Mash the lentils a little with the back of your ladle to make the ghugni little mushy
add in the tamarind pulp for a tangy taste and garam masala for the flavours

Notes

1. Serve hot with chopped onion and green chili 2. You can also serve with poori or luchi 3. check the water level, don't add too much nor make it too dry

Did You like it? Pin it for later.

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Authentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge

A – Aamer Chutney
B – Basanti Pulao
C- Chingri Malaikari
D – Dhokar Dalna
E – Echor Chingrir Dalna
F – Fulkopir Dalna

Fulkopir Dalna | Aloo Fulkopir Dalna | Bengali Potato Cauliflower Curry

Aloo fulkopir Dalna or the Bengali Potato Cauliflower Curry is such a Sunday staple in Bengali Cuisine. Its spiced with great flavours and served with luchi or poori.

In aloo fulkopir dalna – potatoes and cauliflower florets are cooked to perfection in a tomato and spice-based gravy. Tangy tomatoes and aromatic spices make it a Sunday favourite.

In Bengal, ‘luchi’ is a Sunday staple for breakfast. Your breakfast over the weekend is incomplete without luchi or what you call ‘poori’. And the luchi is often accompanied by either alur dom, cholar dal or aloo fulkopir dalna. It is especially popular during the winters because that’s when you get the best phulkopi or cauliflower.

But don’t confuse it with alu gobi ki sabzi that is widely popular in North India. This is a fully vegetarian recipe and cooked without the use of onion or garlic.

What kind of vegetables can be added in Aloo fulkopir dalna?

This recipe mostly uses potatoes and cauliflowers. But depending on availability, you can add green peas, or even carrots to this recipe.

Why is the Bengali Potato and Cauliflower curry served with luchi?

Luchi has a different emotion in Bengali cuisine. The white fluffy luchi is perhaps, everyone’s favourite. We make it with maida instead of atta. It is not perhaps, the healthiest of choices, but is definitely tastier than the wholewheat poori version. My son absolutely love ‘luchi’.

Luchi is quite versatile that way and you can enjoy various preparations with it. Drier and thicker gravy or dalna goes best with luchi. Luchi goes well with anything with thicker gravy – even the Doi Potol.

This recipe can be made a little watery in case you want to serve it with rice. But while serving with luchi we prefer to have a drier version or what we call ‘makha makha’ consistency.

How to make Luchi?

Making luchi is very similar to making a poori. I had done a detailed post on Luchi here, you can refer to that.

How to make Alu Folkopir Dalna?

Fulkopir Dalna | Aloo Fulkopir Dalna | Bengali Potato Cauliflower Curry

tinabasu1611 Aloo fulkopir Dalna or the Bengali Potato Cauliflower Curry is such a Sunday staple in Bengali Cuisine. Its spiced with great flavours and served with luchi or poori. In aloo fulkopir dalna – potatoes and cauliflower florets are cooked to perfection in a tomato and spice-based gravy. Tangy tomatoes and aromatic spices make it … Continue reading A to Z Challenge 2021 bengali, fulkopir dalna, aloo fulkopir dalna, bengali cuisine European Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Cooking Time: 15 15

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

cauliflower - 250 g, cut into florets
potato - 250g, or 3 potatoes, chopped in cubes
salt - to taste
green chili - 2
ginger - 2 inch
mustard oil - 5 tbsp
bayleaf / tej patta - 2
nigella seeds / kalunji/ kalo jeera - ½ tsp
tomato - 2 medium-sized, chopped finely
turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder - ¼ tsp
Cumin powder - ½ tsp
sugar - ½ tsp
water - ½ cups
Bengali Garam Masala - ½ tsp

Instructions

Marinate cauliflower florets with ½ tsp salt for 5 mins. Then Soak and rinse cauliflower florets in hot water to get rid of insects, worms if any. Cauliflower is notorious for having these creepy crawlies hidden!
Keep the washed cauliflower aside for 3-4 mins to let them dry. If they are not dry oil will splutter and come on you.
In a grinder make a paste of ginger and chili with 2 tsp water.
On a low to medium flame heat 4 tablespoons mustard oil in a Kadai / pan. Let it come to its smoking point.
Shallow fry the cauliflower florets and potatoes in the oil with ¼ tsp salt for 5 mins.
When you see them turning little brown, remove from oil and keep them aside
Add 1 tbsp oil to this pan and temper it with bay leaf and nigella seeds
Add the ginger paste and saute well for 2 minutes
Add chopped tomato, salt and saute well till its all mushy and oil starts separating from the sides. This will take 5-6 mins.
Add the powdered spices - turmeric, chili, cumin powder. Fry well along with tomato.
Once the tomato is cooked add sugar and cook for 2 mins.
Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to a boil
Add the fried cauliflower and potato. cover and cook for 5 mins
If gravy getting too dry splash some water 2-3 tablespoon
Add garam masala, ghee before turning off the flame.

Notes

You can use any oil, we prefer mustard oil Luchi can be fried in sunflower oil/ rice bran oil/ olive oil/canola oil but not in mustard oil You can add green peas in this curry

Pin it for later

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Authentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge

A – Aamer Chutney
B – Basanti Pulao
C- Chingri Malaikari
D – Dhokar Dalna
E – Echor Chingrir Dalna

Echor Chingri Dalna | Raw Jackfruit with Prawn | Bengali Echorer Dalna Recipe – Twinkling Tina Cooks

Echor Chingri Dalna is a traditional Bengali recipe made with raw jackfruit and prawns. This echorer dalna recipe is rich, tasty and ‘meaty’!

Echor or the raw jackfruit is a famous vegetable in Bengal. I have never been a big fan of either the echor or the ripened jackfruit. But echorer dalna or echor chingrir dalna is quite famous in the family.

What is echor? এঁচড়

Just like I told you how the lentil cakes were developed as a dhoka or illusion for meat by the widows of Bengal, the humble raw jackfruit is popularly called “gaach pantha” in Bengal! Which essentially means, ‘mutton from tree’. No there is no tree that offers a goat, but the humble raw jackfruit is meaty enough when cooked to earn this name!

The cooking process is almost like how you would cook mutton – what we call ‘koshiye ranna’

Isn’t this echorer dalna a vegetarian Bengali Recipe?

Echorer dalna is a vegetarian recipe, but when you add prawns to it, the taste just gets elevated. You can simply leave out the prawns in this recipe and make it a vegetarian recipe.

This recipe contains two dominant vegetables – the raw jackfruit or echor and potato. Since we are adding prawn to it, no other vegetables are added. If you are making a vegetarian preparation, you can add green peas to it.

Few Things you must remember while handling raw jackfruit or echor

Grease your hands with mustard oil while handling or chopping raw jackfruit. Else the latex of raw jackfruit will stick to your fingers.
If you are using a big-sized raw jack fruit you need to pressure cook it. If you are using a small raw jackfruit or echor you need not pressure cook.
You can use small shrimps for this recipe

How to make Echor Chingri Dalna or Raw Jackfruit with Prawn?

Echor Chingri Dalna | Raw Jackfruit with Prawn | Bengali Echorer Dalna Recipe - Twinkling Tina Cooks

tinabasu1611 Echor Chingri Dalna is a traditional Bengali recipe made with raw jackfruit and prawns. This echorer dalna recipe is rich, tasty and ‘meaty’! Echor or the raw jackfruit is a famous vegetable in Bengal. I have never been a big fan of either the echor or the ripened jackfruit. But echorer dalna or echor … Continue reading A to Z Challenge 2021 Echor Chingri Dalna | Raw Jackfruit with Prawn | Bengali Echorer Dalna Recipe – Twinkling Tina Cooks European Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 30 mins 30 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Green raw jackfruit- 200g
Potato- 2, medium sized (peel, cut into cubes)
Onion- 2 ,medium-sized (thinly sliced)
Prawns- 200g (small-sized. I am using medium-sized prawns here)
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tbsp
Cumin powder- 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri Mirch powder- 3/4 tsp
green chilies- 3-4, slit
Garam masala powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar- 1tsp
Ghee/clarified butter- 1 tsp
Mustard oil - 6 tbsp
For tempering Oil
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Whole dry red chili- 1
Bay leaf- 1

Instructions

echor raw jackfruit curry

Peel the jackfruit & cut into cubes. Wash Well.
Marinate washed and deveined prawns by rubbing salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.
Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a pan/ kadai and shallow fry the prawns till they turn light golden/ red. Keep aside.
Add 1 tbsp oil in the same pan and fry the potatoes on medium flame. Add a pinch of salt and turmeric while frying. Remove & keep aside.
Add rest of the oil. Temper it with the whole spices - bay leaf, cumin seeds and dried red chili.
Add onions when the whole spices starts sputtering.
Add ginger-garlic paste, chili, salt, turmeric powder to it and saute well.
Add the chopped raw jackfruits and keep sauteeing for 10 mins. (if you are using big-sized raw jackfruit you need to pressure cook it till two whistles. This is a small green jackfruit so no need to pressure cook)
Add cumin powder, chili powder and saute for few more minutes. Cover and cook till oil starts separating.
Add the fried potatoes and cook them together. Keep stirring in between to prevent spices from getting stuck at the bottom of the pan.
Add 1 cup of warm water, cover and cook on low flame till potatoes and echor/ raw jackfruit are tender. This will take 5 more minutes.
Add the fried chingri / prawn
Add sugar and cook for 3 more minutes.
Before turning off the flame add ghee and garam masala and mix well.

Notes

Serve with hot white rice.

Pin it if you liked it

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Authentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge

A – Aamer Chutney
B – Basanti Pulao
C- Chingri Malaikari
D – Dhokar Dalna

Dhokar Dalna Recipe | Bengali Lentil cake curry recipe | Bengali Vegetarian Recipe – Twinkling Tina Cooks

Dhokar Dalna is a Bengali vegetarian recipe made from lentils. Lentil cakes are made from paste of mixed lentils and fried in oil. It’s yum and enjoyed regularly in a Bengali household.

Dhokar Dalna Recipe is quite a regular when it comes to the menu of a Bengali household. It is made fairly regularly in our household too. Dhokar Dalna is made of dal or lentils. The lentil cakes are crispily fried and then added to gravy (dalna). Most things with gravy are named dalna in Bengali cuisine. Tomorrow I am going to share another dalna recipe -Enchorer Dalna (which is another family favourite).

I like the Dhokar Dalna in the crispy fried lentil cake stage – it tastes amazing – crispy on the outside and softer inside. It becomes a little soggy when you add it to the gravy. When I make this Bangalore, I make a thicker gravy with very little water and add the lentil cakes in it 5 mins before serving.

But in a traditional Bengali Dhokar Dalna Recipe, the lentil cakes or dhoka are added while making the gravy.

Why is it called Dhokar Dalna? Who deceived whom?

Now why it is called ‘dhoka’ I have no idea who was deceiving whom! And the recipe is way older than the movie deception! In fact, this recipe was developed by widows in Bengal, who were forbidden from eating non-vegetarian preparations. They started developing recipes using vegetarian ingredients that emulated famous non-veg preparations. The lentil cakes here feel “meaty” and that could be the illusion or ‘dhoka’ as we call it.

Nonetheless, it is a yum vegetarian recipe to be made. But let me tell you in the beginning the dhokar dalna recipe involves various steps and is a little time-consuming. You can make this recipe from scratch at home – that tastes way better. Or these days you get instant dhoka mix in supermarkets (I get it in Bangalore too) so you will find it too outside Bengal.

How to prepare when making from Dhoka Mix?

If you are making from a dhoka mix, empty the contents in a bowl add warm water (proportion mentioned on packaging), and let it rest for 15 minutes. The mix has all the spices so no need to add anything. Then follow the instructions given here from step #5 in instructions.

How to serve Dhokar Dalna?

It is best served with hot white rice or you can serve with pulao. It is rarely eaten with roti or paratha.

How to make Dhokar Dalna or Bengali Lentil Cake Curry Recipe

Dhokar Dalna Recipe | Bengali Lentil cake curry recipe | Bengali Vegetarian Recipe – Twinkling Tina Cooks

tinabasu1611 Dhokar Dalna is a Bengali vegetarian recipe made from lentils. Lentil cakes are made from paste of mixed lentils and fried in oil. It’s yum and enjoyed regularly in a Bengali household. Dhokar Dalna Recipe is quite a regular when it comes to the menu of a Bengali household. It is made fairly regularly … Continue reading A to Z Challenge 2021 dhokar dalna, lentil cake curry, Bengali recipe, Bengali vegetarian Recipe, lentil cake, European Print This

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 20 mins 20 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

For the dhoka / lentil cake:
chana dal - 1 cup, washed and soaked overnight
motor dal / split peas - ½ cup, washed and soaked overnight
hing / asafoetida - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - ½ tsp
red chilli powder - ½ tsp
cumin powder - 1 tsp
kalo jeera / nigella seeds - 1 tsp
ginger paste - 1 tsp
green chillies - 3-4, finely chopped
sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
White oil - 2 tbsp
Oil for deep frying the dhoka or lentil cakes
For the gravy (dalna):
potato – 1 large, washed, peeled and cut in cubes
tomatoes - 2
green peas - ½ cup
ginger paste - 1 tsp
green chilies – 2, slit
turmeric powder - 1 tsp
red chili powder - 1 tsp
cumin powder - ½ tsp
coriander powder - ½ tsp
garam masala powder - ¼ tsp
bay leaf - 2
cinnamon stick - 1
green cardamoms - 2
cloves - 3-4
ghee - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
sugar - 1 tsp
oil - 2 tbsp

Instructions

For dhoka / lentil cake

Wash two kinds of lentils in a bowl and rinse them until water runs clear.
Soak the washed lentils in a bowl of water overnight.
In the morning, drain the water, grind lentils in a grinder jar with 3-4 tbsp of water to form a smooth paste.
Pour the paste into a bowl and mix - salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, ginger paste, green chili, sugar. Stir to mix everything.
Heat the oil in a nonstick kadai. Temper it with the hing/ asafoetida and nigella seeds.
Add lentil paste when nigella seeds start spluttering.
Stir and cook the lentil paste continuously so that they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
Keep cooking till you see the paste starts coming off the kadai and forms a lump.
Take it off the flame and spread the lentil lump on a greased tray/ back of a plate with the help of a spatula. Do this step quickly so that the lentil doesn't harden up before you have spread it properly.
Spread it with ½ inch of thickness. Keep aside for around 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, cut that lentil sheet cake in diamonds.
Heat oil for deep frying, on medium flame.
Deep fry the lentil cakes until golden brown on both sides.
Take them out and place them on tissue paper to soak off excess oil.

For the Gravy / Dalna

Heat ghee in a kadai and add the whole spices - cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves.
Sauté for 30 seconds
Add the chopped tomatoes.
Sprinkle some salt, and cook until the tomatoes become mushy and the oil separates.
Add ginger paste, slit green chillies and cook for a minute.
Add the spice powders (turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder ) to a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of water and add in the tomato mix. Saute them well.
Add cubed potatoes and fry them for two minutes, allowing the spices to release oil. Keep scraping the bottom and the sides of the kadai.
Add green peas.
Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil, add salt. Cover and cook.
Cook until the potatoes are soft and tender. It will take around 8-10 minutes.
Add sugar and simmer for until the sugar dissolves.
Add the fried dhokas / lentil cakes and simmer on medium flame for about 3-4 minutes.
Finally sprinkle the garam masala powder and drizzle some 1/2 tsp ghee.

Notes

The lentil cakes will soak water, so maintain the water in gravy, else it will become too dry. Serve hot with white rice.

Liked the Dhokar Dalna Recipe? Pin it for Later

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Authentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge

A – Aamer Chutney
B – Basanti Pulao
C- Chingri Malaikari

Chingri Malaikari | Bengali Prawn Curry in Coconut Milk

Chingri malakari is a signature dish of Bengal. This Bengali style Prawn curry is sautéed with delicate spices and cooked in coconut milk.

Just like how you will always find a Basanti Pulao in a Bengali celebration the “biye barir” (wedding ceremony) menu is incomplete without Chingri malaikari. We Bengalis have this Epar Bangla Opar Bangla culture – which essentially is the different cultures are traditions of East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and West Bengal. There’s always a big debate between ghoti and bangaal – who is better. I am a Bangaal – my ancestors were Zamindars in Dhaka (this is even before 1947). So our family traditions and food obviously have the Bangaal touch.

If you ever come across a Bangaal and Ghoti chatting, the debate of Illish maach and chingri maach is unmissable!

But you know, yours truly is obsessed with food – so while enjoying the Bangaal delicacies we love the best of West Bengal food. So I love my Chingris and postos. But I completely stay away from the gota sheddhos and boiled food that is very famous among ghotis.

But did you know the Origin of this popular Bengali Chingri Malaikari recipe?

Well, this is an interesting trivia you should know. While it might sound like the name of this preparation is derived from the ingredients Chingri (prawn) Malai (cream – here coconut cream) Curry. But in reality it actually gets it’s name from its place of Origin – and no its not epar Bangla or Opar Bangla – it actually is Malaysia! It essentially is Chringri Malay Curry if you have to break it down!

Now I have no idea when it sailed from Malaysia to India but we enjoy it and have given it a very high ranking in our Bengali Delicacies. Bengali restaurants will always have this on their menu.

You Might Like:

How to make Bengali Paanch Phoron
Shorshe Posto Chingri recipe

Which Prawns to use for Chingri Malaikari or Bengali Prawn Curry in Coconut Milk?

As the name suggests, this preparation requires Chingri mach or prawns. Ideally this is made with jumbo prawns. But for the uninitiated let me tell you there are many varieties of prawn. Bagda Chingri is what we preffer in our house. Bagda chingri is tiger prawns – the one with black stripes. Most restaurants and caterers use Golda chingri for a malaikari because golda chingris are usually bigger and looks better on the plate.

I make the Chingri Malaikari often in Bangalore and mostly use the Blue Scampi if I can’t find bagda chingri. This recipe can be made with white prawns or shrimps too in case you can’t find any jumbo tiger prawn.

chingri malaikari bengali rawn in coconut milk bagda chingri — This is Tiger Prawn or Bagda Chingri

Why do we cook prawns with the head on in all Bengali Recipe?

This is something I have noticed in Bangalore, fish sellers want to take off the head and tail of the prawns in the first chance! And we love the prawn head in this recipe. If you find a bigger variety of prawn – bagda or golda, please keep the head on. The head has an amazing taste. But be careful you have to clean the head while washing. Take off the eyes and the black part found right at the beginning of the head.

If you are using shrimp – take off the head and keep only the tail.

What about coconut milk?

You cannot skip the coconut milk in this recipe. It is best made with freshly blended coconut milk. But you can use canned or powdered milk too if you can’t source a fresh coconut. I am using coconut milk powder for this recipe because it just makes it easier and quicker!

How to serve Chingri Malaikari?

This recipe tastes best when served with Basanti pulao or any kind of pulao. You can also serve it with steamed rice. This is not eaten with roti/paratha because the gravy has an abundance of flavours.

How to make Chingri Malaikari or Bengali Prawn Curry in Coconut milk?

Chingri Malaikari | Bengali Prawn Curry in Coconut Milk

tinabasu1611 Chingri malakari is a signature dish of Bengal. This Bengali style Prawn curry is sautéed with delicate spices and cooked in coconut milk. Just like how you will always find a Basanti Pulao in a Bengali celebration the “biye barir” (wedding ceremony) menu is incomplete without Chingri malaikari. We Bengalis have this Epar Bangla … Continue reading A to Z Challenge 2021 chingri malaikari, prawn recipe, bengali recipe, prawn in coconut milk recipe, bengali prawn recipe, chingri mach, chingri recipe European Print This

Prep Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 20 mins 20 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Jumbo Tiger Prawn - 6-8 pieces, washed and deveined
Turmeric & Salt for marinating - 1/2 teaspoon each
Juice of 1/2 lemon
For Tempering Oil
Whole cinnamon - 1
Dried Red chili - 2
Green cardamom - 2
Clove - 5
Bay Leaf - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
For Gravy
Onion, blended - 2 medium sized
Tomato, blended - 3 medium sized
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1 teaspoon
SUgar - 2 teaspoon
Salt - to taste
Mustard Oil - 4 tablespoon
Ghee - 1 teaspoon
Coconut milk - 1.5 cups

Instructions

Marinate prawns with salt turmeric and lemon juice and set them aside for 15 minutes.
In a frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the prawns for 2 mins each side or till they start turning reddish.
Remove from heat and keep aside.
In the same frying pan heat rest of the oil and add whole spices as tempering
Once they start to sputter, add onion, ginger garlic paste and fry well for 4 mins or till they turn light golden.
Add turmeric and chili powder, cumin powder and mix well.
Add tomato paste, salt and cook well till oil starts to separate.
Cover and cook in low flame.
Once the oil has separated add coconut milk, sugar, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add little water if you want thinner gravy.
Once the gravy is nice and hot add prawns and cook for 2 -3 minutes.
Before turning off the flame add ghee and garam masala.
The gravy should be medium consistency - neither too runny, nor too tight.

Notes

1. Don't get scared if the prawns start curling up - they are not alive, they curl up with heat! 2. Do not throw away the oil, in which prawn is fried, add the rest of the oil in this left over oil. This oil now has all the flavours of prawn. 3. If you find masalas sticking on the base of pan, only sprinkle water. 4. Never cook prawns for too long - it will harden them 5. Do not overcook or overheat coconut milk - it will split 6. Rest it for 5 minutes, before serving. 7. Serve with rice or pulao.

Liked the Recipe? Pin it for Later

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Authentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge

A – Aamer Chutney
B – Basanti Pulao

Basanti Pulao Recipe | Bengali Mishti Pulao Recipe | Bhoger Mishti Pulao

Basanti pulao recipe or the Bengali mishit pulao recipe is easy and gets ready really quickly. No Bengali Festival is ever complete with a side of this basanti pulao.

Basanti pulao get’s its name from its humble yellow color. Basanti pulao or the Bengali Mishti pulao recipe is a household favourite in our family. No pujo or onushthan (celebration) is complete without some kind of pulao and Basanti pulao happens to be the easiest and most popular.

You will find this basanti pulau in any Bengali puja bhog. This is a pulau that has a mild sweet after-taste. My grandma used to make the best pulau and payesh. But this one is my quick and easy Bengali mishit pulao recipe. In this recipe you neither need to temper oil or ghee with spices nor have to take any headache about rice becoming too soft and not fluffy.

What is Basanti Pulao?

This pulao essentially gets its name from its bright (yellow) basanti colour. I use the humble turmeric powder for this recipe. You can use kesar, that will add a nice flavor too. I would suggest you to avoid food colouring here. I know loads of restaurants use yellow food coloring for this. But if you get the result from the humble turmeric, then why not!

This pulao is traditionally made with gobindobhog rice – a short grain fragrant rice that is widely popular in Bengal. It’s mostly used for pujor bhog – you can guess that from the name. But you can make it with your regular rice too – it will turn out equally good.

Pro Tip: If you want a fluffy pulao wash rice in advance and dry it in air!

There you go, I gave you the best tip you can get for that “jhorjhore” (non sticky) pulao rice.

How can I get non-sticky rice for Basanti Pulao?

#1 Wash rice in advance

For any pulao or fried rice preparation, wash the rice grains in ample water – two or three times. It takes out the excess starch which and as a consequence rice will turn out non sticky.

#2 Air Dry

You can also air dry it for 10-15 mins after washing. Drier the grain, fluffier the rice.

#3 Measure your rice and water

If you can maintain the ratio of rice and water then nothing can make your rice sticky. The ratio of rice to water for this Bengali Mishti Pulao Recipe is 1:2. Which means if you take 1 cup rice, add 2 cups of water.

In this Basanti Pulao recipe I am using 2 and ½ cups of rice, so I will be using 5 cups of water.

How to Make Basanti Pulao?

Basanti Pulao Recipe | Bengali Mishti Pulao Recipe | Bhoger Mishti Pulao

tinabasu1611 Basanti pulao recipe or the Bengali mishit pulao recipe is easy and gets ready really quickly. No Bengali Festival is ever complete with a side of this basanti pulao. Basanti pulao get’s its name from its humble yellow color. Basanti pulao or the Bengali Mishti pulao recipe is a household favourite in our family. … Continue reading All Recipes basanti pulao, Bengali Mishti Pulao, Bhoger mishti pulao, bengali pulao recipe Bengali Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 20 mins 20 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Rice - 2 ½ cups
Hot water - 5 cups
Bay leaf - 3
Green Cardamom - 2
Clove - 3
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Ginger, chopped - ½ inch
Turmeric - ½ teaspoon
Ghee - 4+1 table spoon
Cashew nut split - 10-12
Raisins - 10-12
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 4 teaspoons
Green chili - 2 slit
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Thoroughly wash rice in ample water and air dry it for 15 mins
In a mixing bowl pour the air-dried rice, whole spices, 4 tbsp ghee, chopped ginger and mix well with hands
Leave it for 10 minutes.
In a wok/ kadhai heat the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee
Fry the split cashew till light golden.
Remove the cashew in a bowl
In the same wok, add the rice mix and saute well
The more you saute rice at this moment the better the pulao will be
Saute for 6 minutes in medium to low flame
Add boiling water to it, and salt to taste.
cover and cook in lowest flame possible for 10 minutes
Open the lid and when the rice is still little firm add the sugar.
Use folding method to mix rice (else rice grains will break)
Add the slit chili in standing position in the rice. - this will just give the fragrance without making it spicy
Cover and cook for another 10 mins in the lowest flame possible
Turn off flame and keep it covered for 1 min if rice looks lil wet.

Notes

You can squeeze 1/4th lemon at the end to make the rice fluffy You can keep this prepared earlier - pulao tastes better when made lil earlier Serve it at room temperature

How to Serve Basanti Pulao?

Basanti pulao can be served with any kind of side dish like chanar dalna, chingri malaikari, alur dom, doi potol, or any chicken or mutton dishes. It goes well with vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian preparations.

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Aunthentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

Here’s what I am Posting this April for #AtoZChallenge

A – Aamer Chutney

Aamer Chutney | Bengali Mango Chutney Recipe | Green Mango Chutney | Bengali Raw Mango Chutney Recipe

Kancha aam er chutney or the Bengali raw mango chutney recipe is every Bengali household favorite. It’s mostly made in the summers and served as an after-food condiment.

Summers are particularly hot in Kolkata and the aamer chutney or raw mango chutney is a special summer delicacy made with raw green mangoes. This chutney or as we call it ‘chatni’ is a bit sweet, a bit sour and has the perfect hint of light spices. It is served at the end of lunch. If you are having a full five-course Bengali lunch it will be served after the main course and before dessert.

Okay, are you wondering why I am writing about the Bengali Aamer Chutney recipe today? Because it is time for A to Z !

Welcome to another year of AtoZ Challenge on my blog. Last few years I have not been doing it from my food blog, but this year since I am in Kolkata with my mom, I thought why not do a Bengali food series for A to Z. Most of these recipes are my mom’s and I am hoping she will make an appearance too on the blog. She is very reluctant to come in front of the camera (though I find her browsing through FB and YouTube often).

So I hope you all have a great A to Z Challenge this April and follow my posts too for authentic Bengali Recipes.

Follow me on Twitter at Twinklingtina and on Instagram at Twinklingtinacooks and stay updated with my posts this entire month.

What is in a full Bengali Meal?

Have you ever been to Bengal and had a 5 course Bengali meal – you will be left delighted! A traditional Bengali meal can have 5-6 courses starting from bhajas to mishtis.

Chutney in Bengali meal is not a pickled chutney or a condiment to be had with certain foods. It actually is an item on its own. We offer chutney to Ma Durga during bhog as well. If you ever visited a Durga puja and had bhog you might have had khichuri, labra, chutney, papod and mishit. In most pujas, we offer tomato chutney, because its easily available round the year.

What is special about Aamer Chutney or Raw Mango Chutney?

West Bengal is a state of mangoes. We have that in abundance. Every other home (before the apartment culture engulfed the city) had a mango tree. Kancha aamer chutney is a summer classic and is widely made in almost all households during summer.

This same chutney recipe can be made more watery for consumption in summers – gives you that sweet and sour and tangy taste. Or it can be made into a mango jelly chutney by just reducing the quantity of water.

This is the perfect kind of kancha aam to be used for this recipe, not too small, nor to ripe. And that’s the mango tree in the background!

Bengali Raw Mango Chutney Recipe – How to make Kancha Aamer Chutney?

This chutney is made with raw green mangoes or what you call kairi in hindi. It is a fairly simple recipe that requires very less spices. The flavour comes from mango and a tempering of mustard seeds – or sarson.

We also use bhaja moshla powder which is whole spices dry roasted and powdered. Normally all Bengali households will have this masala prepared and ready in home to be used in various recipes. I’ll tell you how to make it.

How to make bhaja masala or dry roasted Bengali Masala

Take a tablespoon each of cumin seeds (whole jeera), coriander seeds (whole dhaniya), fennel seeds (saunf). Add a pinch of methi seeds, 2-3 bay leaves, 2-3 green cardamom (elaichi), 1 dried red chili. Dry roast them on a pan for less than a minute on low flame. Watch them turn a little golden. Any more than that, they can burn, so watch the flame and time. Cool it down and grind it in a mixer grinder. That’s it. Store it in a glass jar.

Bengali Raw Mango Chutney Recipe

tinabasu1611 Kancha aam er chutney or the Bengali raw mango chutney recipe is every Bengali household favorite. It’s mostly made in the summers and served as an after-food condiment. Summers are particularly hot in Kolkata and the aamer chutney or raw mango chutney is a special summer delicacy made with raw green mangoes. This chutney … Continue reading All Recipes aamer chutney, bengali raw mango chutney, kancha aamer chutney, green mango chutney Bengali Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 min Cooking Time: 15 mins 15 mins

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

Raw mango: 1, large - take out the seed
Sugar: ⅔ cup
Ginger, ground: ½ tbsp
Mustard oil: 1 tbsp
Water: 2 cups
Whole Spices
Dry Red Chili: 1-2
Mustard seeds, black: 1 tsp
Ground Spices
Salt: ½ tsp
Turmeric: ¼ tsp
Red Chili: ½ tsp
Bhaja Masala: 1 tbsp

Instructions

Wash and clean mango. Discard seed. Chop mango lengthwise.
Sprinkle salt and red chili powder on chopped mangoes and coat well.
Heat oil in a kadhai and add whole spices for tempering.
Add the mango and sauté for 1-2 mins.
Add ginger, turmeric
Keep stirring from time to time.
Add water in the kadhai and bring it to boil.
Cover and cook for 10-12 mins or until mango is cooked.
Once the mango is cooked, add sugar and keep boiling. Mango should still be little firm.
Sprinkle bhaja masala on Aamer chutney
Turn off flame.
Let it cool down and serve at room temperature after meal.

Notes

Do not add sugar at the beginning, it will not let the mango cook. If you can't find or make bhaja masala you can use freshly ground fennel seeds If you have paanch phoron, you can use that too for tempering

I am taking part in #AtoZChallenge & #BlogchatterAtoZ where I am sharing 26 Aunthentic Bengali Recipes from my Mom’s Kitchen throughout April. Follow me and enjoy the Bengali food Festival here.

How to Make Panch Phoron – Bengali Five Spice

Panch Phoron or the Bengali Five Spice is a blend of aromatic seeds – fennel, mustard, nigella, fenugreek and cumin seeds.

I am sharing lots of Bengali recipes these days so thought let me share a very common spice mix recipe. A distinct spice blend that is common in any Bengali household is the panch phoron. This Bengali Five spice mix or ‘panch phoron‘, as we call it is used for tempering and mostly used for the vegetarian dishes – yes we eat a lot of vegetables too.

Continue reading How to Make Panch Phoron – Bengali Five Spice

Chunky Fish Fry Recipe | Deep Fried Fish Fillets

The Chunky Fish Fry Recipe is simple and easy. Marinated fish fillets, double coated with breadcrumbs, dep fried for that extra crunch.

We have a special space for fish in our hearts – and that obviously means I am that fish loving Bengali. Thankfully, my son – who is a terrible eater – has taken a liking to fish too. But he has developed a peculiar taste for crispy food. The harder, the crunchier the better. So we are constantly baking, frying and air frying things for him hoping he would eat them. This Chunky Fish Fry recipe happens to be his favorite.

This is the simplest fish fry recipe you can get your hands on. We like to keep it chunky because you know one portion of it gives you enough protein.

Continue reading Chunky Fish Fry Recipe | Deep Fried Fish Fillets