Recipe of "Kumro Saag Posto" / Pumpkin leaves with Poppy seeds

Green leaves are always very healthy and nutritious item to add to your meal regularly.  Pumpkin leaves are eaten in many different ways like; fries,chorchori (mishmash) with other vegetables, with dal.  It has many nutritious value too.  My recipe of pumpkin leaves with poppy seeds / "kumro saag posto" is a bengali recipe mostly eaten by bengalis but thanks to internet that the recipe available to anyone in other side of the world.

Kumro Saag Posto

Ingredients:

• Tender pumpkin leaves with tender stem.
• Poppy seeds - 2 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Cooking Oil
• Kalo jeera / Black cumin seeds
• Green chili - 2 / 3

How to prepare:

• Tear the whole leaves in 4 parts, peel the outer part of stem to take out the hard part of it from the stems and cut into 3 inches pieces.
• Wash and drain water.
• Make paste of  Poppy seeds and green chili add little water and keep aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and add 15/20 kalo jeera or black cumin seeds on heated oil and wait for a minute
• Add pumpkin leaves, salt to taste, little turmeric powder then stir and mix all  nicely and cover it  and let it cook in medium flame for 5 minutes.
• Check and stir after that and if it is tender and cooked then add poppy seeds/ posto paste in it and mix it nicely and bring to boil.
• Once you realize that the paste blends well with the leafy vegetable and cooked can take out of flame.
• It is ready to serve with rice as side dish with other curries.

Nutrients value:

Pumpkin is rich in vitamins (A, C) and minerals (calcium, iron).  It is also rich in protein.    It helps in sugar control and lower cholesterol.  also boost immune system of our body.  It is also known that pumpkin leaves and pumpkin also is good for ladies for breastmilk.

Recipe of Dahi Puchka / Dahi puri

Puchka or pani puri or gol goppa is very popular street food in various part of India.  Here I am talking about Kolkata style pani puri which is known as puchka in Bengal.  It is the all time favorite spicy, tangy, delicious and loved by all ages people.

Dahi Puchka

Ingredients:

• Puri - 20 pieces
• Potato - 2 large potatoes
• Black peas - 2 tablespoon
• Roasted cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
• Chili powder - 1 teaspoon
• Green chili
• Black salt
• Tamarind - a lemon size ball of riped tamarind
• Chaat masala - 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Sugar
• Mint leaves
• Coriander leaves
• Curd / yogurt - 1/2 cup curd
• 1 Cup of sev bhujia

How to prepare:

Filling / Potato mixture:

• Boil potato and black peas, peel skin of potatoes and mash it.
• Add boiled peas in it,  black salt and salt to taste, red chili powder, chopped green chili, 1/3 portion of chat masala.
• Chop mint and coriander leaves and keep it separately which would require for garnishing.

Curd / Yogurt:

• Add little black salt, chat masala, chili powder mix it nicely.

Water :

• Soak tamarind ball in water for 10 minuter and when it is softened take out the excess water and squeeze tamarind with hand to make the pulpe out of it, do this procedure twice and there would be enough pulpe. then mix little water and strain the whole thick paste. tamarind pulp is ready to use.
• Take a dip pan and add tamarind pulp, black salt, salt to taste, sugar to get the sweet taste, roasted cumin powder, chili powder, chat masala and 1 glass of water, then stir  and mix it.
• Add chopped mint leaves and stir to mix it.
• Add ice cubes into the water to get a tangy and chilled feeling.
• Water is ready to use / serve now.

Dahi puchka the main item:

• Take crispy puris, tap and make a small whole in top of the puri so filling could be put inside
• Take a small portion of potato mixture add in it
• Then add half spoon of thick sweet, spicy and tangy water on the mixture
• Put 1/2 teaspoon of yogurt on it,  then top it with sev bhujia.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves on top of yogurt to complete the preparation.
• The most loved street food in Kolkata is ready to serve at the comfort of the home.
• Our Dahi puchka / Dahi puri is ready to eat.

Recipe of Mashed Potato / Aloo Bharta

Mashed Potato is a very tasty side dish, can be eaten with rice.  It is very easy to make and tasty too.

Potato preparation is very popular in all part of India.  In Bengali it is called aloo bharta and this recipe is very popular and very commonly used in all households.

Aloo bharta

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2 big sized
• Onion - 1 medium sized
• Green chili - 1
• Cooking Oil
• Salt to taste

How to prepare:

• Boil potato, peel it and mash it.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan then add sliced onion and green chili.

  

  Onion frying on pan

• Saute until onion is golden brown, add mashed potato and salt to taste and mix it nicely.

  

  Mashed potato with onion

• Mashed potato / Aloo bharta is ready to serve with rice.

Nutrients value:

Potato is rich in carbohydrates. It contains vitamins (B, C) and minerals (potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium).

Recipe of Onion Paratha

Paratha is a very handy food to have it for any meal - breakfast, lunch or dinner.  It is also very filling.  You can have paratha with tea, hot drinks or coffee for breakfast.  or some fruits along with it. I have a very simple recipe here today - Onion Paratha.  

Onion Paratha

Ingredients:

It is made out of stuff available at any household all the time.  

• Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
• Onion - 2 medium sized
• Green chili - 2 / 3
• Salt to taste
• Cooking Oil

How to prepare:

• Take flour, add salt in it, mix little water and make dough.
• Chop onion and green chili finely and mix with little salt.
• Take a portion of the dough in hand and make like small ball then press middle of that ball with fingers and make a deep space in that ball 
• Add a portion of mixed onion and chili inside that whole of the small dough.  Then cover and make it like the ball again and then roll it with dry flour along with it to make a paratha.

  

  Made Onion Paratha

• Heat oil on a flat pan and put that paratha on the pan.  
• Let it cook for 2 minutes in medium flame.  
• Then turn other side and let it cook until it is golden brown.
• It is ready to serve.

Onion paratha served with Mangoes

Recipe of Snake Gourd fry with eggs / "Chichinga aar dim bhaji"

Snake gourd is a very tasty vegetable and you can have nice recipe made out of it. It is called chichinga in bengali.  Here I am adding one of my favourites dishes - Snake gourd fry with eggs.

Snake Gourd Fry with Eggs 

Ingredients:

• Snake gourd - 3 Medium sized gourd
• Eggs -  eggs
• Onion - 2 medium sized
• Green chili - 2/3
• Cooking oil - 3 / 4 tablespoon
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder

How to Prepare:

• Scrape the skin of the snake gourd and wash it.

  

  Snake Gourd

• Then chop it in two along the length and slice it finely.

  

  Chopped Snake Gourd
• Add little salt and mix and squeeze it with hand then steam it with cover until it is soft.  Drain excess water after taking out from fire and keep aside.
• Heat little oil on pan and scramble egg, fry it and keep aside
• Then Heat oil, add sliced onion, green chili and cook for 2 minutes then add half cooked snake gourd and stir it then cover and let it cook in low flame.
• Once it is cooked add fried scramble egg in it and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
• It is ready to serve with rice, roti or chapati.

Nutrients value:

Snake gourd has many nutrients value which we need to be aware of and add it into our daily diet for betterment of our body and health. It boosts our immune system, helps in diabetes control. It also helps in growth of new hair.  It is high in protein.  It is rich in Vitamins (A, B, C) and minerals 

(potassium, magnesium,iron, iodine, calcium and manganese).  

Recipe of Saag / Greens fries

Green leaves are very healthy food.  It is very easy to make saag.  I have very simple recipe here for all.  Here I have the recipe of "Chawli" leaves which is called Amaranth leaves in english and notei shaak in bengali.  It could be eaten with roti / rice / chapati.

Chauli Saag

Ingredients:

• Amaranth Leaves / Chauli / Chawli leaves / Note shaak.
• Onion
• Green chili
• Garlic
• Cooking Oil
• Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

How to prepare:

• Clean and wash the leaves and drain water.  Then chop it and keep it aside.

  

  Chopped greens

• Slice a medium size onion, green chili and smash 4/5 cloves of garlic.
• Heat two tablespoonful oil in a pan
• Then add sliced onion and fry until the onion is golden brown.

  

  Onion frying

• Add garlic and fry for few seconds.
• Then add chopped leaves, salt to taste, little turmeric powder, and green chili mix it and cover on low flame for  few minutes.
• Occasionally stir it and keep on low flame until it is cooked.
• Take it out from fire and it is ready to serve with bread, roti or rice.

Nutrients Value:

Amaranth or chauli leaves are rich in vitamins (vitamin A, B1, B2, C) and minerals (potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, manganese, sodium).  It has no cholesterol.  It is good for pregnant lady and for the baby too. It helps in increasing flow of breast milk.  It also helps in bleeding from nose, gums and excessive menstruation.  

Recipe of Salted Pancake

It is always good to have varieties for breakfast.  Nobody likes having same food everyday.  Here I am adding a healthy breakfast item.  It's tasty and healthier too.  It can be used as main course also with vegetable curry along with it.  

This recipe is of pancake, not the old fashioned pancake as sweet but salted.

Salted Pancake

Ingredients:

• Pure wheat flour - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 medium sized
• Green Chili -2
• Cooking Oil
• Water

How to prepare:

• Slice onion and chili and keep aside.

  

  Cut Onion & Chili

• Take flour in a bowl then add onion, chili and salt to taste.

  

  Flour with Onion & Chili

• Then add water to make batter, whisk it to make the batter smooth.

  

  Batter with Onion & Chili

• Heat a pan and pour little oil to spread all over the pan then heat it and pour 3 tablespoonful batter on the pan and keep the spoon on top of the batter and spread over the pan in round way.
• Let it cook for two minutes and then turn it over and let it cook on other side for two minutes.

  

  Pancake on Fire
• It is ready to serve simply alone or with tea.  

Recipe of Dal Bora / Wada

Red split lentil is known as Masoor dal in India.  I am going to share  recipe of snacks made out of the red lentils / masoor dal. 

Dal Bora/ Wada

Ingredients:

• One cup of masoor dal
• Onion - 1 medium sized
• Green Chili - 1 or 2
• Cooking Oil 
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of turmeric powder

How to prepare:

• Soak dal for minimum 30 minutes.  Then grind it and make paste of it.
• Cut Onion very finely and green chili.  Add it in the paste and mix it nicely.
• Add salt to taste.
• Now heat a pan then pour 5/6 tablespoon oil in it and heat the oil.
• Take small portion of the mixture in hand and put on the heated oil to fry.
• Keep the fire in low flame and let it cook from inside.
• Once it is cooked take it out of oil and put on a plate on a tissue paper so that the extra oil get soaked in the tissue paper,
• Now it is ready to serve hot with tea or just to eat as starter or as side dish with main course.

Nutrients Value:

It is a source of protein for people with vegetarian diet.  It is also rich in Vitamins and minerals.  

Recipe of Soyabean Curry

Soya bean's chunk is very healthy and tasty food.  There are many varieties of recipe on soya chunks. Here I am adding a recipe of Soya chunk curry.

Soya chunk Curry

Ingredients:

• Soya bean - Two cups.
• Potato - 2 medium sized
• Papaya -2 cup medium size diced papaya
• Onion -2 medium sized 
• Chili - 2 / 3
• Tomato - 2 medium sized
• Ginger - one spoon paste
• Garlic - 5/6 cloves
• Turmeric powder
• Two cloves of cardamom/ elaichi
• One stick of cinnamon
• Cookin oil
• Salt to taste

How to prepare:

• Boil water and soak the soya chunks, diced potato and diced raw papaya in warm water for few minutes until it's soften.  Then drain the water and squeeze the excess water out of soya chunk.

  

  Boiled vegetable and soya chunk

• Heat a pan and then pour oil in it.  Then add sliced onion cook for a minute.
• Add potato and papaya into the pan, keep the flame in medium and salt to taste.  let it cook until it's half cooked.
• Then add  ginger garlic, green chili paste and tomato puree, in the pan and cook.
• Boil water and keep a side earlier to add for gravy in this curry.
• Then put soya chunk in it and mix with masala and let it cook.
• Also add Elaichi, cinnamon paste in it now.
• As required add little boiled water for gravy and cook.  Keep in low flame for 5-8 minutes.
• Soya chunk curry is ready to serve with rice, pulao, roti, chapati or bread.

Nutrients value:

Soybean is full of whole protein and minerals.  It has many food value.  Soya Chunk also is good for health issues. Research shows that it lower the risk of breast and prostate cancer.  It also helps in lowering cholesterol in human body.  It is easily available in every food store in India.

Recipe of "Kancha Aam Makha" / Raw Mango Sauce

Thinking of raw mango pickle and my mouth is already feeling watery.  Ladies and girls love to have sour product be it tamarind, raw mango or some other fruits. It gives a tingling taste in your tongue.  

This recipe which I am going to write here now can be used as a sauce with fries or can be eaten alone.  

"Kacha Aam makha"

Ingredients:

• Raw mango - 2 medium sized
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste
• Master seeds -1/3 of a teaspoon
• Green Chili -1

How to prepare:

• Peel mangoes and cut into pieces, then grate it and keep it aside.
• make paste of chili and mastered seeds together.
• Then mix the paste with grated mango and add salt and sugar for taste and mix it nicely.
• Raw mango sauce / pickle is ready to it.

Recipe of Beguni / Brinjal Fry

In India eggplant is known as brinjal.  In Hindi it is called "baingan" and in Bengali it is called "begun", Here I have a recipe of Brinjal which can be eaten as snacks or side dish with main course like rice.  This snacks is called "beguni".

Beguni

Ingredients:

• Brinjal / aubergine / eggplant 
• Besan / Gram flour
• Kalonji
• cooking oil
• salt to taste

How to prepare:

• Take a brinjal and slice it in round way and then make a round piece in to two.
• take 4/5 tablespoon of besan and mix it with little water, salt to taste and kalonji and a pinch of turmeric powder.  Thickness of the batter should be little more liquid than paste.
• Keep pan on fire and heat 5 /6 tablespoon of oil.
• Take a slice of brinjal and dip in the mixture in both the side and then put it on pan to fry.
• Keep the flame in medium.
• Once the colour is changed to golden brown turn it and let the other side cook.
• Make sure it does not get burnt and remove from oil once it is cooked.
• It is ready to serve hot with hot drinks or with puff rice it just tastes so well.

Nutritious value of brinjal:

Brinjal or eggplant or aubergine is eaten all over the world.  It is very nutritious vegetable.  It is low in calorie but high in fiber and research shows that it is effective in controlling high cholesterol.  It contains low minerals except manganese in good quantity and essential vitamin B-complex.

Recipe of Chicken Curry

People who are non vegetarian, mostly loves to eat chicken.  Chicken is a source of protein.  we need protein in our body in daily basis for a particular measurement.  By eating chicken we can fulfil that need of our body.

Today I would be adding a very simple recipe of chicken curry.  It is very easy to make.

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 750 grams
• Onion - medium sized five Onions
• Tomato - medium sized two Tomatoes
• Potatoes - 4/5 me
• Green / Raw Papaya
• Curd / Yogurt - Three tablespoon
• Garlic - 20 cloves
• Ginger - 10 grams 
• Turmeric Powder
• Salt
• Cooking Oil

How to prepare: 

• Clean the Chicken, wash it and put yogurt, mix and marinate it for half an hour.

  

  Chicken with curd

• Clean and slice onion, tomatoes, keep aside separately.

  

  Sliced Onion 

  

  Diced Tomatoes
• Peel potatoes and raw papaya and make big dice pieces.
• Mix little turmeric powder with potatoes and raw papayas and keep both separately.
• Clean garlic, ginger and green chillis, make paste and keep aside.
• Now keep a pan on fire, heat it and pour one tablespoon of oil and heat it.
• Then fry the potatoes in low flame for 3/4 minutes then keep it aside.

  

  Fried Potatoes

• Next heat one tablespoon of oil and heat it then fry the raw papaya in it for two minutes.

  

  Fried Papayas

• Now pour three tablespoons of oil on pan and heat it then add sliced onion in it and fry until it is golden brown.

  

  Frying Onion

• Add Chicken and salt to taste and cook it in medium flame for five minutes. 
• Then add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and cook on low flame until it is cooked.
• Boil water on a separate pot and add little water to make gravy in the chicken curry cook it until it is boiling
• Chicken curry is ready to serve with rice or roti or bread.

Recipe of Egg Fry / Simple Omelette

Talking about a very simple recipe made out of egg.  We can start our day with this menu as our breakfast.  It's full of protein and tasty.  I have seen people love this item very much to have for their all three meals in a day and even for a small meal too.  And this is a a very simple way to make it.

Adding simple recipe for a first time cook.  Friends  who are great cooks please understand this is made for people who are totally new in cooking anything for themselves.

Egg Omelette

Ingredients:

• Two eggs
• Onion
• Green Chili
• Salt
• Cooking oil 

How to make:

• Take a medium sized onion, peel and slice it finely then keep aside.
• Take Two green chillies slice it finely keep with onion
• Put those onion in a bowl add half tea spoon of salt and smash the onion with your fingers as much you can add chilli after that.
• Take two eggs and break on the onion then beat it nicely so the white part of it mixes properly with yoke.

  

  Egg with all ingredients

• Put a pan on fire heat it up and pour two tablespoons of oil and heat it up.
• Pour the mixture on pan and spread the mixture on the pan by rolling the pan on the fire either clockwise or anticlockwise
• let it cook in medium flame.
• Once it is cooked then turn it over to cook other side.
• After both the side is cooked take it out on the serving plate.
• It is ready to eat.  

Our breakfast or small meal or snacks which ever way you want it to be, it would just be perfect for all those labels.  I hope you find it very easy and simple way to make an egg omelette to make by yourself.  

Omelette is a word which originated from French.  But now it made it's way to be used with same name in many different languages and countries.

Recipe of Bread Lady Kenny

I want to add a dessert recipe here.  Its name is "Bread Lady Kenny".  Main item of this recipe is Bread.  It is very easy to make.  Not so hard at all but anyone can make it.  When I explain it simple way, you would see it’s very easy to prepare this recipe.

Bread Lady Kenny

Ingredients : 

we require bread, milk, oil, water and sugar.

How to prepare:

• Take 4/5 slices of bread

  

  Sliced Bread

• Cut it in small cubes keep in a plate.
• Put half cup of milk on those bread pieces but make sure it does not soak it so much that u can’t fry it on oil.

  

  Milk soaked bread cubes

• Keep a pan on fire after it is heated up put some oil in it.
• After the oil is hot enough fry those milk soaked bread cubed pieces and keep those aside.

  

  Frying bread cubes

• Take another pan put 6 tablespoon of sugar on it and put little water to make sugar syrup, boil it until the solution is sticky when you take it two fingers to check it then put of the fire.
• Take a serving bowl and put those fried bread pieces then pour sugar syrup on it. Let it soak on that.
• Our "Bread Lady Kenny" is ready.

This is a very simple dessert recipe.  You can make it any time and with item available at home.  Anyone would love this dessert recipe when you give it to them.