Petpujo and Adda: Healthy Living

Til Kumro (Pumpkin cooked in sesame paste) ( Bengali Dish)

I am going through a phase when cooking seems like a real hard work. Well, I did do some cooking in the weekend but the whole idea of clicking snaps and writing recipe seems too much. I just want to eat and sleep and go to work.

But.. I realised that I have not posted anything on the blog for a long time. Which I should have, now that I have a blog and that I need to try to make it popular. In fact almost wishing that I did not have a blog!!!!!!! Well too late, I guess.

Posting a recipe of Til Kumro or Pumpkin cooked in sesame paste. It is a very ‘everyday’ dish at my home in kolkata. Most likely originated from Bangladesh…. Well I am not sure. However, it does have the flavor of coconut, mustard and sesame mix, which is very typical of my mother. She also cooks chicken in the same combination. So do I. I had some drumsticks at home, drying in the fridge. I used them. but, you do not actually need them.

Try this dish for its simplicity and sweetness. Moreover, it is a healthy dish without any compromise on taste

Ingredients:

400g-Pumpkin, diced

2-stick of drumstick, cut length wise (optional)

3-tablespoon sesame seeds (increase the quantity if you like)

1 ½- tablespoon grated coconut (increases the quantity if you like but then also increase sesame too)

1-teaspoon mustard seeds (I used black) ((increase the quantity if you like and if you have increased the other ingredients)

1/4-teaspoon Nigella/kalo jeera/kalonji

1-long green chili (add more if you like hot)

Salt to taste

Pinch of sugar

1-tablespoon oil

Method:

1. In the blender/ grinder mix coconut, sesame, mustard and green chili and make a paste, add little water in case needed

2. Keep the paste aside and add little salt to the whole paste, otherwise it might turn bitter due to mustard

3. Heat oil in wok or karahi

4. Add Nigella seed and fry a little

5. Add the diced pumpkin and drumstick ( if using) and fry until the pumpkin is half done

6. Add the paste and combine with pumpkin

7. Fry for a while, add salt and pinch of sugar

8. Sprinkle little water in case sticking at the bottom or add water to make thick gravy

9. Cook until pumpkin is well done and gravy thickened

10. Serve with roti or boiled white rice

Enjoy the day and hope to you see you next time when I have more energy than today. Take care!

at 22:23

Maushumi r Doi Begun (aubergine with Yoghurt-a recipe by Maushumi)

Maushumi, a friend of mine astounded me with her Doi Begun (aubergine with Yoghurt). She grew up in Orissa and shared with us the amazing recipe that belongs to the state. When I saw the picture of her dish, I knew it was something that I would definitely cook, and rather soon. But the dish over exceeded all my expectation

We Bengalis cook aubergine with mustard, yoghurt and sometime even with Kasundi (fermented or pickled mustard sauce, very traditional mustard sauce from West Bengal). I love aubergine cooked with Doi (yogurt) and Shorshe bata (mustard paste). But this dish…. ohhhhhhhhhh ummaaa.. is the right expression!!! Simple to make, looks beautiful & stunning and taste…. Ohhhhhh… I do not have words to describe it.

I am in love with it. When I eat it for the first time last weekend, the newness of the taste, the minimalism of the ingredients, layered texture and freshness of spices took my breath away. Since then I have cooked the dish three times already, treated friends and would treat to few more.

I am giving almost exact recipe from Maushumi with little changes in the quantity as I made to suit my palate.

Please please, give dish a try.. Otherwise, you would be missing something out of the world.

Ingredients:

1-aubergine/begun/brinjal/eggplant, cut into round slices

1-teaspoon turmeric

½-chili powder

1-cup yoghurt, I used Greek fat free. You can use hang curd or any other you like.

½-musterd seeds

7/8-curry leaves (you can buy them at any Indian/Sri Lankan shop)

½-inch finely chopped ginger

2/3-dried red chili

Pinch of Heeng (Asafoetida, this is the first time ever I used heeng ever in my life)

Salt to taste

Oil to fry the aubergine as well as for later use

Method:

1. Soak the aubergine in salt water for 1 hour, so that it takes less oil to fry

2. Take them off the water and Marinate the aubergine with turmeric, chili and salt

3. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine until both sides are dark brown and aubergine is soft like cotton

4. Place the fried aubergine in a serving bowl

5. Beat the yoghurt with salt and keep aside

6. Heat little more oil in a pan

7. Add mustard seed and fry until they starts to splatter

8. Add the dried red chili, ginger and fry until ginger is almost golden brown

9. Add curry leaves and fry so that now ginger is crispy and curry leafs are fried but yet green

10. Add heeng and take off the fire in 10 secs

11. Now spread the yoghurt over the fried aubergine so that they are fully covered

12. Spread the fried spices over the yoghurt like in picture

13. Serve with white boiled rice and enjoy the bliss!

Note: after adding the yoghurt, do not cook or warm the dish as it might curdle the yoghurt

at 20:17

Fruit and Walnut Cups: Dessert made Easy and Healthy

This is a very simple dessert and it would never fail you. Many times, it rescued me from my last minutes dessert disasters. I usually make this dessert when I invite many people over for lunch and have gone overboard with main courses or too tired to make any puddings. Basically when I am too deep into showing off!!!! This light dessert is full of goodness of walnuts, freshness of seasonal fruits and healthy oat biscuits and decadence of whipped cream. So after too much eating, it sort of gives a break to the over eating and fills you up with freshness of fruit and nuts.

I have also tried this one for breakfast and it was an instant hit with kiddos and adults alike. You get to feed oat, walnuts and fresh fruits minus any sugar- without any fuss to any age group. It takes about 30 minutes to make for 10 people. What more do you want?

This is my all time favorite. I hope you like it too! Enjoy making this wonderful dessert by me!

Ingredients (to make for 10 to serve in small dessert glasses)

30-walnuts (3 for each person but you can add more) broken you can use a blender to make dust as well. I made dust of the walnuts

15-oats biscuit (1 and ½ for each person, but you can add more) made into crumbles (I used Mcvities digestives full fat version)

10-strewberry, thinly slices

1-orange, skin off and made in to dices

7/8-any other berry

2-sharron fruit, thinly sliced

Sufficient sweet mango, small diced

1/4-cup orange juice (or any other fruit juice)

Little vanilla extract

20/25-tablespoon fresh whipping cream (homemade or store bought. I used homemade. Ideally 2 table spoon for each glass/person)

Method:

1. Mix the broken/dust walnuts with oats biscuit crumble. Combine well

2. Add little orange juice with the walnut and biscuit mix to make it little moist but not soggy. It should remain loose and crumbly. Keep aside

3. Mix all the mix fruits together

4. Add vanilla with whipping cream or add vanilla in fresh cream and whip until soft peak rises. Do not over do it and make it hard

5. Now the layering for the dessert

6. Take a dessert glass or anything tall ( bowl would do too but for layering something glass like is nicer and easy)

7. First layer : make with walnut and oat biscuit mix

8. Second layer: Top the first layer with one tablespoon of whipped cream and spread the cream around the glass

9. Thirst layer : Top the second layer with fruits

10. Fourth layer: top the third layer with again walnut and biscuit mix

11. Fifth layer : Top the fourth with one tablespoon of whipped cream and spread the cream around the glass

12. Sixth layer: top the fifth layer (of cream) with fruits. Add the fruits nicely as this would be your last layer

13. Chill for 1 hour before serving

14. Serve as dessert or breakfast or even for picnic

Note: Layering is done to make it look beautiful. If you are eating at home on a Friday night while watching a movie, you might want to just put all ingredients together and combine and just enjoy the dessert without the hassle of layering

For regular update from my blog, please visit my face book page pet pujo and adda and click ‘like’. Also, follow me at my blog here . I am featured at Networkedblogs. You can also leave your comments here. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Hope to see you again!

at 02:00

Chicken Tagine with Chickpeas, Squash (or pumpkin) & Apricot

Pumpkin and Apricot with chicken?!!!!.....Yes! yes.! You are reading and seeing right.

Do not judge and shy away from making this wonderful one pot dish due to it ingredients. Let me assure you- it is a wonderful dish with lovely mixture of sweetness of the pumpkin and Apricot along with tanginess from lemon, which goes delightfully with chicken. Serve this with bread, couscous, or even rice and this will be a star. Today and always.

Traditionally Tagine is a North African Berber dish. The dish is named after the earthen pot in which it is cooked. I cooked the Moroccan version of the Tagine, which is slow cooked in a earthen pot called Tagine. I did not slow cook for hours neither I used the Tagine. However, I cooked for around 30/50mins to reduce the gravy and until the pumpkin and chicken became tender. Nevertheless, you can slow cook the dish and then serve in a colorful Tagine

Ingredients:

6- piece chicken thigh (fatless and skin less)

2-onions, roughly chopped

2-garlic cloves, chopped

300g pumpkin or squash, cut into large chunks

1-teaspoon of ground cumin

1-teaspoon of ground coriander

½-teaspoon of ginger paste

1-large cinnamon stick

1-teaspoon of honey

1/2-teaspoon red chili fleck

Pinch of black pepper crushed

Large pinch of saffron, soaked in 1 tablespoon of boiling water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

200g chickpeas

5/6-dried apricot

Small bunch of coriander

Salt to taste

2- Tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large casserole

2. Season the chicken and brown them and keep aside

3. Add the garlic the same oil and fry until you can smell garlic

4. Add onions in the same oil and fry them until soft

5. Add the pumpkin/squash and cook for 5 mins

6. Add rest of the spices and cook for another 5 mins

7. Now add saffron, honey and lemon juice

8. Pour water and add chickpeas

9. Add the browned chicken

10. Add apricot and salt to taste

11. Cook for one hour or until squash/pumpkin and chicken is tender, the gravy thick

12. Stir through the coriander and serve with rice, bread or couscous

For regular update from my blog, please visit my face book page Pet Pujo and Adda and click ‘like’. Also, follow me at my blog. I am featured at Networked Blog. You can also leave your comments here. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Hope to see you again!

at 22:55

Winter Warmer Root Vegetables and Chicken One Pot Dinner

Well, after thousands of Christmas lunches, between shopping eating, endless New Year Parties and then of course the Poush Sankranti eating extravagance- it is time for me to remember ( at least I am trying. So you are not allowed to laugh) that I had promised to eat healthy for my dinner.

I am not one of those people who think healthy food is essentially bad food or no food at all. I actually like my food to be light, easy to cook –something that does not make me sluggish after eating. I love eating vegetables, fish and chicken. At the same time, I do not like bland food. My food needs to have texture, flavor and the spices. A combination of sweetness from vegetables, that meaty taste of fish or chicken and the zing of Asian spices like little green chili, black pepper, mustard, cumin, coriander etc. And of course the color: it has to be inspiring.

I am cooking a one-pot dish today, which has everything that I like. Note: I am using chicken for protein and as I like it so much. That is optional. You can use kidney bean (rajma), chickpeas (chana) or Paneer in case you want some protein in your food. Otherwise, you can make this dish with just vegetables and it tastes equally wonderful.

Ingredients (Measured for Two):

100g-carrots cut into small cubes

100g-Swede cut into small cubes

100g-Parshnip cut into small cubes

100g-Potatoes cut into small cubes

6-small pieces of chicken (optional)

1-large onion, cut in to thick wedges

3-cloves of garlic, sliced

3-tablespoon of tomato puree/ketchup ( I used no added sugar version)

1-tablespoon of whole grain mustard paste

½-cup red lentil, washed

1-teaspoon dried oregano

1/2-teaspoon red chili flakes

1-tablespoon oil

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat a pan with oil and fry garlic until you can smell it

2. Add onion and fry the onion until almost caramelised

3. Add the chicken and salt

4. Add black paper and fry for a while

5. Add the washed lentil

6. Add rest of the vegetables and fry for 10mins

7. Add water and boil

8. After 10 mins to add tomato puree,oregano and red chili flakes

9. Slow cook until water has reduced, chicken cooked and gravy thickened

10. Add more water and add the mustard paste

11. Cook until desired gravy achieved

12. Serve hot as one course meal or with a slice of bread

For regular update from my blog, please visit my face book page Pet Pujo and Adda and click ‘like’. Also, follow me at my blog. I am featured at Network bloggers. You can also leave your comments here. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Hope to see you again!

at 22:47

Basil and Almond Pesto layered baked Fish: Rich and Crunchy and Christmassy

Basil and Almond Pesto layered baked Fish

As promised, I am posting the second fish recipe that I had made last night. Well, although I said that it is an Italian dish, today’s after thought is that I am not sure. The reason being, I really made a pesto (paste) taking the idea from Italian dish but gave it a twist to suit my taste. Can this be still called Italian? Maybe a fusion is more appropriate. Whatever, the taste was great- rich with fish oil, crunchy from the bake and the taste of basil and almond works wonder. What I liked about it is the intricacy and texture of the recipe. I tasted the fish, little sharpness of the chili, bittersweet taste of the basil leaves and then the sweetness of almond. Not to forget, the rich and creamy taste of grated parmesan. It came out really nice, taking consideration that I just made it up with whatever I had in the fridge.

Here is the recipe……hope you like it. Although in all honesty, it was little oily for my taste ( I am totally oil less food person) but I know R would have loved it. I did not use that much oil, but as I used Salmon which is very oily (good source of omega 3, the heart friendly oil) and then with the parmesan together with olive oil made it oily. However if you use any other fish I am sure the effect will be different. But taste and texture wise, it was awesomenesssss!

Ingredients:

Handful of Basil leaves, chopped
1- Clove of garlic
1- Green chili or more depending on taste
1-teaspoon pine nut
5/6-almond roasted
Just little, really little bit of roasted cumin (10 cumin max maybe!!!)
1-tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste
Grated parmesan as per taste
Red Chili flake as per taste
Olive oil
4- Salmon steaks. Use any fish you like

Method:

1. Leaving aside the parmesan, salt, lemon juice , olive oil and red chili flake, grind rest of the ingredients to a paste

2. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and salt to the paste