Kolkata Style Egg Rolls

"Dada duto egg roll deben toh" (Dada please make 2 egg rolls for me) ...these are perhaps the most frequent words you will hear if you are passing by a busy street of Kolkata. A very common and popular snack of Kolkata is Egg Roll. It’s specially prepared during the evening time for the students and office going public to satisfy their hunger after a gruelling day. Every street has a joint to cater to this huge crowd. 

All one has to do is to grab one of the rolls and be on the way.  It’s the simplicity in  the preparation itself that makes it so tasty and satisfying. All one has to do is fry a layer of egg on a paratha ( Indian Flatbread) with some veggies like shredded onion, cucumber, tomatoes and green chillies ( if required) and voila you have a snack under 5 minutes which is filling at the same time. So what are you waiting for ? Grab the Frying Pan , Prepare one and just dig in.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 medium size Onions, thinly slice
1 Cucumber, chopped
2 Green chillies, finely chopped
Tomato ketchup
1/4 cup Coriander leaves
Lemon juice as required
Salt and Pepper powder to taste
White Oil
Water to knead the dough
Chaat masala (optional)

Method:
Add flour to a large bowl and sprinkle some salt. Now make a well in the center, add 2 tbsp oil and add water little by little. Mix well to make a soft dough ball. Cover with dough and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and shape into round balls. Using a rolling pin, roll into thin chapatis (approx 6 inch).  In a bowl, whisk one egg at a time and salt as per taste. Keep aside.
Heat a dosa pan, place a chapati and cook on the griddle for 30 seconds then flip it. 

Pour 1 tsp oil on one side of the paratha and cook for a minute. Then remove the paratha from the griddle and pour 2 tsp oil on pan. Pour beaten egg, tilt and rotate slightly to spread and place that paratha's no-oil side back on the egg mixture so that it sticks to the paratha. To stick better slightly press the paratha with the back of a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes and flip. Remove from the pan and follow the same steps for the remaining parathas.

Assembling the Eggroll:

Take a plate, mix onion, cucumber, chillies, chopped coriander leaves and sprinkle some salt and pepper powder for seasoning. Keep this ready for the next step.

On a flat surface place the egg faced side up. Spread some tomato ketchup. Spread the above mixture evenly on the egg chapati and drizzle some lemon juice and chaat masala. Roll the parathas and cover one end with a napkin or foil to hold it together. Serve hot !!!

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Puran Poli with Katachi Amti (Indian Sweet Stuffed Bread)

I never thought I would try to make this at home, no never...But my rakhi brother who lives in Maharashtra was encouraging me enough to try my hand atleast once. He said it is Maharashtra's famous recipe and he will guide me to sail through. So with positive note I asked for recipe. He told me there are innumerous variations, some use Tuvar Dal others use Chana Dal. In fact some make the dough with whole wheat whereas some add all purpose flour. So you see no two recipes will sound same. So here I have followed the way his family makes at home. The stuffing is known as Puran and the outer cover is known as Poli. Puran poli is a famous Maharashtrian sweet dish  which is not served at the end of the meal but as a part of the main meal. Generally the puran poli is served with Katachi Amti, made from the left over stock of cooking chana dal. The plain jane Dal gets makeover by some spices, tanginess and sweet. I loved the flavours in it. Thanks brother for pushing me hard ;-)

Ingredients:
To prepare Puran:-
1 cup Chana dal (split Bengal gram)
3/4 cup Jaggery
1 tsp Green cardamom powder
1/2 tsp Nutmeg powder
2 tbsp Refind oil

To make Dough:-
1 cup Wheat flour
1 cup Flour
1 tbsp Ghee /Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
First wash and soak chana dal for 2-3 hours. Boil it in a pressure cooker with enough water if you want to make 'Katachi Amti' otherwise 2 cups is ok. I have used 4 cups water here as I served PuranPoli with Katachi amti. After 2-3 whistles, turn off the heat. Strain the cooked dal and reserve the water for later use. Once the lentil comes room temperature, grind it without adding water.

Heat pan on medium heat and cook jaggery and chana dal. Keep stirring regularly to avoid getting it burnt from bottom. Cook till the mixture become thick but not very dry. Add cardamom & nutmeg powder, mix well. Remove from heat and let this cool down. Our puran Poli stuffing is ready.

Now make dough by adding both the flours, oil, salt and mix well. Add water little by little to knead the dough, the end result should be soft, elastic dough.

 Smear a little oil over the dough and cover with a clingwrap. Keep aside for min 30 minutes.

Make 1 1/2 inch balls out of dough, take one ball at a time and flatten between your palm. Dust your kitchen counter and roll into 4 inch chapati then stuff 2 tbsp of puran (dal mixture). 

Seal and press between your palms.

 Now roll into 6 inch diameter roti with a rolling pin. Heat a pan and transfer a poli. Apply oil (1 tsp) on both sides and cook from both the sides (till some brown spots appear on both the sides).

 Remove and repeat the same process with the rest of the dough and stuffing. Serve hot with ghee or with Katachi Amti. My maharashtarian friends enjoy this with cold milk also.

Ingredients to make Katachi Amti:
* Make a paste of - (2-3 Garlic pods
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 inch Ginger
Dry coconut grated)

**Dry Roast -(4-5 Peppercorns
1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
2 whole red chillies
2 Cloves) and make dry powder in grinder

1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
2 Curry springs
Few coriander leaves
Little bit of Sugar or jaggery if you want
2 tsp ghee

Method:
Boil the remaining water of cooked dal and mix * paste and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add water if it is too thick. In a separate pan add just 2 tsp ghee for tempering, add mustard seeds, curry leaves.

 When they start crackling add the ** set of dry powder, red chilli and turmeric powder.Finally add the dal and give a quick stir. Add tamarind pulp, sugar (optional) and boil for 2-3 more minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with PuranPoli but I liked this with hot white rice also.

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Anda Palak :Boiled Eggs in Spinach Gravy

I had few bunches of Palak sitting in my fridge for long, perhaps waiting for panner ;-) but since I was cleaning my fridge before my short trip I was no mood to buy paneer specially for Palak Paneer. So this idea came to my rescue, added eggs instead of paneer here. And the result was simply fantastic ! Don't believe me , huh ! 
Try it...

Ingredients:
2 bunches Palak /Spinach
2 tsp Olive oil
3-4 Green chillies
Pinch of Sugar

For Gravy:
2 small Onions 
2 Tomatoes
2 tsp ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Garam Masala (dry roast 3 Cardamoms, 3 Cloves, 1 1/2 stick Cinnamon) and make powder of it 
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
White oil
1/4 cup Water
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Cream for richness (optional)

4 Eggs
Some Salt and Red chilly powder
2 tsp Gram flour
2 tsp Water

Method:
First boil eggs in enough water for 10 minutes. Then remove the shells and cut them lenghtwise into equal halves. Make a paste of besan (gram flour), salt, red chilly powder and water. Coat well the egg halves and fry them in hot oil till light golden. Keep aside. 

Clean and wash spinach leaves in a large container to remove the dirt thoroughly. In a pan add 2 tsp Olive oil and fry till it reduces in volume. Presence of water in the leaves will make it shrink. Remove and place it on a plate, let this cool. Add palak, sugar in ginder to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Now take the pan in which you had fried eggs, add some more oil and heat on low flame. Add chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Add turmeric and coriander powder and give it a quick stir fry. Add tomatoes and fry till oil separates. Add pureed spinach and mix well. Sprinkle the garam masala and adjust salt level. Add fried eggs to the gravy, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and once it reaches room temperature you may add 4-5 lemon drops if you want. You can add cream if you want the creaminess in the gravy. This delicious egg palak is ready to devour with plain rice.

If you like this post, please consider sharing it with others. I would love to hear you via E Mail . And show your love to my FaceBook page if you like the content here :-)

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Simple Oreo Trifle

For last few days there has been a spate of bad news all around the world starting from Boston, Bangalore Bombings, earthquake and latest Texas explosions. Sometimes I wonder what's become of us and who gave the right to Humans to be called God's best creation? I am not that kind who remain oblivious to the surronding environment.

Anyway, coming back to the posting part today, I am posting a dessert called trfile.
 Now you can afford to have a weeknight dessert without breaking your head. Yes it's a no bake dessert which even ten year old kid can fix. 

Ingredients:
2 packets of Oreo (reserve 6 oreos for decoration)
2 packets Britania Chocolate Cake slices
2 cups heavy Whipping cream
1/4 cup powedered Sugar
1 packet of Strawberries

Method:
Crumble the cake slices and keep aside. Cut strawberries in thick slices (lengthwise).In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then add sugar and beat on low speed for 1 more minute (to check the soft peak, lift the beaters out of the cream, soft peaks should be fold over the beaters). 

Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble. Take individual glass to show off the layers :-) Put Oreos into a ziplock bag and crush them. Spread the layer of cake crumbles first then sprinkle some crushed Oreos. Arrange the strawberries around sides of the glasses and fold in whipped cream( through a piping bag). Again arrange a layer of cake and crushed oreo. Throw some more strawberries and repeat the same process. Dollop remaining whipping cream on top and decorate with remaining broken Oreos. Chill and serve !

 

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Ros Bora : Celebrating Bengali New Year with a Sweet

Firstly let me wish all my Blogger Friends and Readers a very happy and auspicious Bengali New year (Poila Boishakh). Evidently, no Bengali celebration is complete without sumptuous meal and pure adda ( gossip). So presenting a popular Bengali sweet, RosBora  which is simple yet very appealing. Ros =Syrup +Bora =Dumplings so the outcome is RosBora. Though this along with Pithey, Pathishapta are star traditional sweets during Makar Sankranti when there is abundance of Khejur gur in most Bengali's home. But being a die hard fan of Khejurer Gur I distribute my yearly quota wisely, so that I can enjoy even after six months of purchasing. So my fridge is always loaded with patali gur.

Ingredients:
1 cup Urad dal (white in color)
1 tsp Saunf (mouri)
A big pinch of Cardamon powder

For the syrup:
2 cups Water
1 cup Sugar
50 gms Khejur er gur / Date Palm jaggery (if you don't have it just add another cup os sugar)
White oil for frying

Method:
Soak the urad dal overnight in sufficient water. Next day strain the excess water and transfer all dal into a grinder. Don't add much water initially. Add little by little so that you can control the consistency of the batter. The batter should look creamy and dropping consistency. Transfer the batter into a large bowl and mix saunf and cardamom in it.

 Place a frying pan on low heat and on another burner add water and sugar to make the syrup (single thread consistency). When sugar is completely melted, add Khejur gur. The syrup will turn dark in color. Remove from heat.
Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown. Place the fried boras on tissue paper and   immerse the hot vadas in syrup. Let them soak for a while. Serve them warm.

Here are some DatePalm Jaggery sweet dishes from past:
1) Sooji'r Payesh with DatePalm Jaggery
2) Nolen Gurer Payesh
3) Ranga Aloo'r Pithey

read more.. "Ros Bora : Celebrating Bengali New Year with a Sweet"

Review: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf : Celebrating 50 Years

                                                                   

I was longing for a good chat over tasty bites with my friends and this happened eventually ! Yes a lot more can happen over coffee table. Last week a few friends went to 'The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf  of MG 1, Bangalore. Located  centrally this sure has an edge over other coffee  outlets. We made ourselves comfortable at a table of 8. Coffee lovers don't settle down for the ordinary choices, in fact they are always on a look out for varieties of coffee.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL), founded in 1963 by Herbert B.Hyman in Los Angeles, has been a pioneer in bringing gourment coffees and teas to the global connoisseur. 

This year is significant as the brand celebrates 50 years of heritage and passion of delighting its patrons worldwide. An exclusive special anniversary offer is going on where they will gratify loyal patrons across the globe for their continued love and support over the years. The brand has just completed 5 successful years in India.

To enhance the celebrations, a new food menu with variety of gourmet and healthy eating options has also been introduced. From all day breakfast , gourmet bites, fresh bakes, main course to desserts, the new Coffee Bean menu is a foodie's delight offering novel options like Chilly Cheese Baguette, Pizza Curl, silky Chocolate Mousse to name a few.  

 

 What fascinated me was the Whole Leaf Tea Bags. Through these small pouches you can enjoy the finest teas in the world in convenient single-serving tea bags. 

The unique pyramid shape of the bag allows the whole two leaves and a bud to fully expand, providing maximum flavor infusion and the same richness and aroma you savor when brewing our premium tea in an infuser or teapot. The aroma is unmatchable !! Some of the exotic flavors are Tropical Passion, Pomegranate Blueberry, Vanilla Ceylon etc. 

Whole leaf tea allows the tea leaves to retain their natural properties resulting in the most flavoured cup of tea possible. During the steeping process, the leaves unfurl, releasing their flavor into the water. So they truly believe in serving their customer the most extraordinary collection of unique, handpicked, premium whole leaf tea.

 

We ordered few items and each one was superb in taste. Below are the pictures of item we had there.

Coffee Free Ice Blended

Oats & Cranberry Bar

Spaghetti Roast chicken & Pesto Cream

 

Sandwich

Boston Nut Brownie

Would particularly like to express my gratitude to Mr. Zaheer Ahmed to provide us a comprehensive view of CBTL where we freely kept on clicking pics and asking questions. Also thanks to Anamika for arranging this wonderful event.
Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post, all views expressed here are mine.
For more information please visit http://www.coffeebean.com/

read more.. "Review: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf : Celebrating 50 Years "

Sabudana Kheer /Sagoo Kheer / Tapioca Pudding with Pistachios

1Lakh 70 Thousand for a standard one student admission fee !!! No please don't you even think that I am fooling you today as it's April Fool Day. We went through a strenuous exercise of admission which started today around 9 am and ended at 5 pm !! Really education system is pathetic here in India. Seriously I better change the topic towards food or else I may write a long and depressing post today...

Today I am posting a very comfortable pudding which is not only is comforting but also takes care of odd time hunger prangs. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Sagoo /Tapioca
3 cups Milk
1/2 Sugar 
1/4 tsp Saffron
A big pinch of Cardamom powder
2 tbsp Pistachios 

Method:
Wash and soak the sagoo in enough water for atleast 2 hours. After 2 hours you will see sagoo has soaked up all the water and swelled. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan, after first boil keep stirring for another 10 minutes.

 Stirring continuously so that milk doesn't get burnt from the bottom. Strain extra water from sagoo and add to milk. Cook tapioca till it is cooked properly and becomes transparent. Add sugar, cardamom, saffron and mix well. Simmer for 2 more minutes and remove from heat. Garnish with pistachios. It can be served hot or chilled.

read more.. "Sabudana Kheer /Sagoo Kheer / Tapioca Pudding with Pistachios"