Too Maach Bengali Food Festival – Review

Imaginatively named, the Bengali Food Festival and Four Points by Sheraton, Bangalore beckoned a few bloggers last Friday evening. I accepted, for the call of Shukto and Poshto was alluring, not to mention the gollas as well.

Due respect was given to seafood, for it is Bengali food after all. Thankfully, the buffet spread offered more than maach (Bengali for fish) for a vegetarian like me. Apart from the Macher jhol, and Murg kasha,  Nariyel diye cholar dal made its all important appearance. Fragrant with the bay leaves and panch phoron, I was happy to eat a bowl of this iconic dal by itself.

Aloor dum and Panner dalna were comforting. Were they authentic Bengali? Not sure. Were they tasty? Hell, yes. The Shaak bhaja, made with healthy red amaranth reminded you of a Bengali home with Kakima urging you to eat more of healthy greens!

The highlight of the evening was the aromatic, cooked-to-perfection Subz dum biryani. If you like your biryani aromatic, with each grain cooked perfectly, imbued with a bouquet of spices, yet with a restrained use of chillies, then this is the place to find it. You could choose hot steamed rice to accompany the gravies or ask for fresh hot luchi, naans or other rotis to be brought to your table from the live counter.

There were some Tangra dishes to add weight to the buffet such as the Wok tossed noodles, the sweet and sour vegetables, a grilled vegetable with cherry tomato confit. Appetising and flavourful, they lent good colour and gusto to the table. A fresh salad counter and breads enhanced the dining experience.

When there is Bengali food, how can sweets be far behind? Desserts were well represented with the Chaner payesh,  Kamla bhog, Mishti doi, Kala jamun, Roshogolla, and several more! While dessert is called the ‘king of all courses’, the ‘king’ of the evening’s desserts was the Chaner payesh. Creamy, divinely aromatic with the saffron, sweetened just right, I had to fight the urge to help myself to a second bowl of this Payesh.

To sum up, I would have to loved to see some of the famous Bengali chutneys and baaja on the menu. I guess the recipes have been adapted to make even a non-Bengali food lover enjoy the spread. When there, be sure to indulge in the desserts. I can guarantee you will find happiness.

The soothing interiors at ‘The Eatery’ with ambient lighting, comfortable seating, attentive staff willing to serve with a smile are all great positives for Four Points by Sheraton, Bangalore. 

Too Maach Bengali Food Festival is on at Four Points by Sheraton, Whitefield from March 11th to March 22nd. Open for dinner from 7 pm to 11 pm. At INR 749 + per person, it is a good value for money event. Do check it out, folks.

Peanut and Potato Salad

It is the season of peanut harvest in and around Bangalore. There is an interesting story around peanut harvest in our city.
Legend has it that a bull would roam over the fields every full moon night destroying the peanut crops. Flustered farmers offered their first harvest at the Bull temple and the roaming of the bull ceased!Local farmers offer their first crop to Nandi, the bull devotee of Lord Shiva at the Bull temple in Bangalore to this day. The temple vicinity wears a festive look during these two days. A village fair unfolds in the middle of the city. This annual fair is known as ‘Kadalekai Parishe’.
I love the earthy aroma of freshly dug up peanuts here. Call me biased, but the aroma and incredible, sweet, nutty flavours of peanuts that I buy from this fair every year beats all other. I cook the peanuts in their shells in salted water. All of us then gather around the steaming hot bowl of boiled peanuts, shell them and gobble them before some one else grabs it! Warm bonding  during chilly evenings over hot boiled peanuts!
Mostly I have no peanuts left over to include in any dish. However, I managed to make this peanut-potato salad from some that survived the onslaught. Even if the salad was made up from simple, readily available ingredients, it was bowl-scraping, finger-licking, slurp-worthy good. Ok, I’ll stop now.
I am documenting this recipe as much for myself as for sharing with all of you. Fresh seasonal ingredients. A good mix of crunch, soft, and crisp textures. A tongue tickling interplay of flavours. No fried ingredients. Healthy carbs and protein with a giant dose of fibre and vitamins. Do you need any more reasons? Just try it once. I am sure you’ll be hooked.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain gluten, lactose, corn, soya, eggs.
• Suitable for lactose or gluten intolerant people
• Contains peanuts.
• NOT SUITABLE for people with nut allergy.

Preparation time – 30 minutes + 30 minutes optional chilling time, Cooking Time – 30 minutes, Serves – 3-4.
You Need
Cookware - Pressure Cooker with 2 containers that fit into it, Metal/Glass Bowl, Colander/Salad spinner, Knife, Chopping Board
Ingredients

1. 2 cups peanuts in their shells
2. 2 medium potatoes, chopped with skin into quarters. 
3. 3 heaped cups Iceberg/Romaine Lettuce
4. 1 big Tomato
5. 2 tsp salt
6. 2-3 cups fresh water
7. a big bowl of ice water

For Salad Dressing

1. 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2. 1/2 a red onion
3. 8-9 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)
4. 2 generous pinches crushed black pepper
5. 1/4 tsp salt

To Assemble

1. Dunk the peanuts in shells into a huge bowl of water. Let it sit for a few minutes. Rub the shells vigorously with both hands to loosen the dirt on them. Drain the water and repeat with 2 more changes of water. You can omit this step if using shelled peanuts. Just rinse peanuts once in water is enough.
2. Now place in a container, pour enough water to cover all the peanuts,  scatter 2 tsp salt over it. Place the rinsed and chopped potatoes also in another container. Place both containers in pressure cooker and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
3. Rinse the lettuce first under tap water, then place in ice water.
4. Peel and dice/slice the red onion. Place in a bowl, add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to it and let steep.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining vinegar, EVOO, salt and crushed pepper into an emulsion.
6. Shell the peanuts and peel the potatoes. You can dice the potatoes into smaller size if you wish. Chop the tomato finely. Place all these together in a bowl.
7. Drain the lettuce, use a salad spinner if you have one. Else just drain in a colander and shake it well. Tear up the large leaves into bite size ones by hand. Add to the other vegetables.
8. Combine the onion and dressing from step 4 and 5. Drizzle over the salad vegetables. Mix well.

The salad tastes best if allowed to chill for half an hour before serving. But, if you are in a hurry, just dig in and enjoy! We coupled it with 2 slices of warm toasted baguette for an after school snack.

Technorati Tags: peanut salad,peanut potato salad,kadalekai parishe,seasonal ingredients,high protein,high fibre salad

Chole Kachumber Salad

Hearty, nourishing, vibrant, colourful. These are the descriptions that come to my mind as I think of the salads we make often at our home. And I am talking about vegetarian salads here. No, we do not miss the meat in salads or in anything else for that matter. Actually nobody would.
If we know how to bring together a medley of textures, colours, aromas and flavours, we can create amazing fresh, healthy salads for ourselves with just about as few or as many ingredients.
Salads such as these can be rustled up and forked down with guilt-less relish. At any time of the day. As part of a meal. As a meal in itself. As a filler between meal times. As a post workout snack. As an after school snack. …
Which is why I stock some soaked and cooked beans such as mung, brown or green chana (varieties of chickpeas), rajma (red kidney beans) or lobia (black eyed beans) in my freezer. They come in handy to spruce up a salad like this one.
I am calling this as chole – kachumber salad. It also closely resembles ‘Balilah’, a salad from Middle Eastern or Moroccan cuisine which is centred around chickpeas too. Here is the recipe for my chole – kachumber  salad.

ALLERGY INFORMATION

• Does NOT contain lactose, soya, gluten, nuts.

Preparation Time* – 15-20 minutes + 30 minutes chilling, Cooking Time – nil, Serves – 4-6.
You Need
Cookware – Steel/glass mixing bowl, Knife, Grater
Ingredients

1. 1 cup of cooked chickpeas/kabuli chana
2. 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
3. 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
4. 1/2 cup diced/grated cucumber**
5. 1/2 cup grated  carrots
6. 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
7. A few lettuce leaves torn by hand (optional)
8. 1 tbsp chopped parsley OR 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
9. 1 tbsp lemon juice
10. 1 tsp sesame oil
11. Salt and pepper to season

To Assemble

1. To make the dressing, mix salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice. Whisk well and set aside.
2. Prepare all the vegetables as mentioned for the salad.
3. **Peel and core the cucumber if you find it has big seeds. Then chop or grate as preferred.
4. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, drizzle the seasoning. Add salt and pepper. Toss well.
5. Chill for half an hour before serving.

* The preparation time is lesser only if you have cooked chana ready. Else, you may have to soak and cook ahead to use for the salad.  In that case, allow for 8 hours Soaking Time + 1 hour Cooking Time.

Technorati Tags: Vegetarian salad,chole,kachumber,chickpea salad,healthy salad,high protein salad

Chilled Pasta Salad

Summer bring the best and the worst out of all of us. Think thirsty  parched throats, prickly heat,…and again think tall cool glasses of sherbet, lazy vacation days, at least for school going kids, ice cream, swimming, and of course the season’s best – mangoes! Mango is so rightly called the king of fruits. I am yet to meet a person who does not like this ever so fragrant luscious fruit. Also think chilled salads when you are in no mood to cook your self along with food in a sweltering kitchen. To me, a pasta salad seemed just the answer to a hungry family and a not-ready-to-cook mom, that’s me. Teamed with warm grilled garlic bread, this filling salad left us so happy and content last weekend. I urge you too, do recreate this Indian-Italian piece de resistance in your homes this summer.
What’s good about this dish?

• The meal combines grains(pasta and whole wheat bread), dairy protein (from the curd), fruit and veggies too. Hence it is a complete one pot meal.
• Ripe mangoes and corn add to the vitamin A, B6, C and E levels of the meal, apart from the natural dietary fibre content. 
• A good Potassium content in mangoes makes it a good fruit for people with hypertension. To make the dish more suitable for a hypertensive person, halve the salt used in the recipe.
• Fresh curd is rich in probiotics – the helpful bacteria that are needed for normal functioning and maintenance of stomach and intestines. Fresh curd is also rich in vitamins B and C. Even people with lactose intolerance can usually tolerate curd as the ‘lactose’ sugar is converted to ‘lactic acid’.

Do you need more reasons to try out this fuss-free delicious recipe….
You need

1. Small elbow or bow tie pasta – 250 gm ( I used  half of a 500 gm pack)
2. Sweet corn kernels – 1/2 cup, steamed 
3. Ripe, firm mango (any variety) – finely dice and measure 1 cup.

For the dressing

1. Fresh thick curd, and hung for an hour – 2 cups. Measure the cheese after curd is hung.
2. Onion – very fine minced, 2 tbsp
3. Sugar – 1/2 tsp
4. Black/white pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
5. Salt – 1 heaped tsp
6. Mustard – 1 tsp ( I used ‘Fun foods’ brand - English Mustard)
7. Fresh coriander leaves – finely minced, 2 tbsp
8. Green capsicum (Bell Pepper) – finely minced, 1 tbsp
9. Fresh cream – 2 tbsp (optional, I did not use any)

To assemble

1. Boil pasta for 8-9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Leave to cool in the colander until dressing is ready.
2. Steam the sweet corn kernels for 2 minutes in the microwave oven.
3. Peel and dice the mango as finely as possible without squishing it!
4. Combine all ingredients for dressing in a mixing bowl. Please do not omit any ingredient ( I did not have capsicum and sorely felt it’s absence). Adding cream is your choice though – it helps to give a smooth mouth feel, but does amp up the calories.
5. Once the dressing is mixed in well, add the cooked pasta, corn, and mangoes and toss well.
6. Chill well before serving. I chilled for an hour before garnishing it with more mango slices and served it up, accompanied with warm, cheesy garlic bread.

Notes

• Can use pineapple when mangoes are not in season.
• Can use other vegetables such as carrots too.
• Can use fresh or dried parsley or other fresh herb seasoning. Pudina / mint, however will be too overpowering a flavour.
• Do not omit any ingredient from the ‘dressing’ list. I did not have green bell pepper (capsicum) at the time of assembling this salad and sorely felt it’s need to perk up the dish!

Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry

One dish that makes even a veggie phobe love veggies again. I learnt this from my mother in law and it has never failed to impress my guests and relatives. Most people do not realise how many vegetables have gone into it and are happy slurping it off…You can use any combination of vegetables, add and subtract according to season. This is the way I made it a few weeks ago.

You need

1. Medium onions – 2, sliced lengthwise (2/3 cup)
2. Capsicum (peppers) – 2, sliced lengthwise (1 cup) You can use any colour, I had green ones at home, so I used them.
3. Cauliflower – 1 big (break into florets) The cauliflower I used, gave me 3 cups of florets.
4. Potatoes – 1 big or 2 small, cut into French fries shaped pieces (2/3 cup)
5. Carrots – 3-4 medium, again cut into fries shaped pieces (1 heaped cup)
6. French beans – cut into 1 inch lengths, 1/2 cup
7. Fresh green peas – 1/2 cup
8. Salt -  2 tbsp, more if you feel so
9. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
10. MDH Tawa fry Bharwan masala – 2 tsp
11. Everest Garam Masala – 1 tsp
12. Sambar powder – 1 tsp, heaped (homemade)

For seasoning

1. Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
3. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
4. Saunf – 1 tsp

To assemble

1. Heat the oil in a large wok / deep saucepan / pressure pan.
2. Add ingredients for seasoning in order.
3. Once the seasonings are sizzling (in under a minute), add sliced onions let fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Tip in the potatoes, toss well to coat oil evenly.
5. Let potatoes brown a wee bit.
   
6. Throw in the crunchy carrots, toss heartily.
7. Paint your dish pretty by adding green capsicum now ( this is when I step back and watch my tricolour curry in progress and swell with patriotic pride!).
8. While these strike friendship with each other, go ahead and microwave the cut beans and peas for 5 minutes.
9. Add the beans-peas to the simmering wok of curry.
10. Once the vegetables are tossed well, add the cauliflower florets.
11.      
12. Go ahead and dress your curry with all the fragrant powders – add salt, turmeric powder, followed by the masala powders. This dish is very forgiving and you can use any  combination of masala powders. My mother in law uses only sambar powder. In that case add some fresh curry leaves too while frying the veggies.
13. Sprinkle some water,(about 1/2 cup) cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir every minute to let all vegetables cook evenly. This can get done quicker in the microwave but I have found that flavours and textures develop better over stovetop, what with my tending to it ever so lovingly!
14. Mixed vegetable curry is ready to dig in with steamed rice, phulkas. I like it best over steamed rice along with tangy kadhi.

Variations

• Add a couple of sliced tomatoes while frying.
• Add fresh coriander leaves to garnish.
• Add any or all of these vegetables too - tender radish, zucchini, even bitter gourd, sweet corn kernels, cabbage, the list goes on…
• Use only cauliflower, or in combination with peas to make cauliflower stir fry the same way.

Nutri notes

• Cauliflower is the vegetable used most in this dish, hence I want to discuss the special nutritional benefits of this cruciferous vegetable.
• Cruciferous vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, essential poly unsaturated fatty acids, making them important in a healthy diet.
• According to a study by the American Dietetic Association, eating more than 4-5 servings of cruciferous vegetables per week, has shown to protect against cancer.
• The American Institute for Cancer Research has published results which show compounds in  cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables help in stopping growth of cancer cells in all these cancers – of breast, endometrium, colon, liver, lung, cervix.
• Good amounts of Vitamin C (56mg/100gm)  and manganese (0.10mg/100gm)  in cauliflower makes it an important source of antioxidants. Besides these, it also contains other important antioxidants such as beta carotene, beta cryptoxanthin, quercetin, ferulic acid. All these wonder compounds work to lower the oxidative stress in the body.
• With presence of Vitamin K and omega 3 fatty acids, in addition to a compound called Indole 3 Carbinol (I3C), cauliflower has great anti inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation - of tissues or arteries in our body is a significant cause of cardiovascular diseases. I3C helps to prevent or even reverse blood vessel damage. This compound also helps stomach lining from being invaded by harmful bacteria such as H.pylori.
• Cauliflower is a good source of purines also. Hence, people with gout or other kidney ailments may consider restricting cauliflower in their diet.
• The vegetable also is known as a goitrogen. While it does not create any abnormal thyroid profiles in healthy people, it does help for hypothyroid people to avoid cauliflower.
• Steaming or light stir fry would be the best method of cooking this wonder veggie in order to realise it’s health benefits.

Sending this dish to 'Only Original Recipes', ongoing event started by  Pari's  Foodeliclious and hosted now by   Nivedita's kitchen.

 

Lemon Poha / Aval

The humble aval / avalakki / poha at its tangy best. An anytime meal / snack, kids and adults alike love the tang, the crunch of peanuts and it’s inviting colour. What I love best about this dish is the nutritive punch it delivers.

You need

1. Medium thick poha – 2 cups, heaped
2. Lemons – 2
3. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
4. Hing powder – a good pinch
5. Salt – 1 tsp or more
6. Sugar – 2 tsp or more (optional)

For seasoning

1. Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
3. Urad dal – 1 tbsp
4. Chana dal – 1 tbsp
5. Peanuts – 2-3 tbsp
6. Curry leaves – 7-10, torn up
7. Green chillies – 3-4, slit lengthwise
8. Coriander leaves – chopped, 3/4 cup

To assemble

• Wash the poha under running water in a colander, allow the water to drain, set aside. 

• Heat oil in a deep sauce pan, add ingredients for seasoning in order, save coriander leaves for later.

 

• Add the rinsed poha now, tip in sugar, salt, coriander leaves in this order and gently fold the mixture to avoid squishing the poha.

• Now is when you can squeeze in juice of two lemons (you can increase or decrease quantity of juice as suits your taste). Fold in the mixture with a gentle hand until poha, lemon juice and seasonings are well incorporated.

Your tangy poha is ready to be gobbled down.

Variations

• This is my basic version of lemon poha. You can add any or all of these vegetables to the seasoning mixture to add variety to the dish – chopped green or any coloured capsicum (peppers), grated carrot, boiled green peas.

Nutri notes
When compared to raw rice -

• Rice flakes /poha have twice the calcium  and three times the fibre content. 
• Poha also has thrice the thiamin (Vitamin B1) and twice the niacin (Vitamin B ) content.
• The absolute stunner comes from the whopping 20 times more iron than in raw rice!! Add to this the availability of copper too, poha is a nutrient storehouse.It is a valuable food for those who are – anaemic, sportspeople, teenagers, pregnant or lactating women.
• With the presence of Copper at  0.37mg /100gm in poha, and with the addition of lemon juice (Vitamin C) in this recipe, the dish is an excellent iron source especially for vegetarians. Reason – Copper and and Vitamin C are necessary for iron absorption in the body.
• Addition of dals and peanuts also add to the protein content of the meal, apart from adding texture.
• The dish can be made more wholesome by adding boiled green peas (protein), boiled corn, capsicum or shredded carrots(vegetables).

I hope I have conveyed the importance of using poha in our weekly diet well enough. Do let me know what you think about the nutrition information I have given here.

Dalia khichdi

We returned tired and hungry after an exciting round of Diwali shopping. With just more than half an hour at hand, I had to rustle up a reviving meal for my family. This is what I made. Quick and easy to put together, no exotic ingredients, and healthy comfort food at it's best! Do try it out and let me know how you liked it.

You need

1. Cracked wheat-1 cup (200 gm)
2. Mung dal-1 cup (200gm)
3. Carrot-2 small, chopped-(1/2 cup)
4. Capsicum-1 medium, chopped (1/4 cup)
5. Potato-1 big, chopped (1/4 cup)
6. Large violet brinjal- 1/2 chopped (1 cup)
7. Tomatoes-3/4 kg
8. Asafoetida powder-a pinch
9. Turmeric powder-3/4 tsp
10. Salt-2 tsp
11. Coriander leaves-3 tbsp chopped

For seasoning

1. Oil + ghee-2 tbsp
2. Jeera-1 tsp
3. Whole black pepper- 1tsp
4. Cloves- 7-8
5. Cinnamon-5-7 small sticks
6. green cardamom-3-4

To assemble

1. Choose ripe red tomatoes, wash well and puree in mixer.You could also blanch them, peel skin and then puree.Retaining the skin or peeling it off is personal choice, I have not seen flavour change with either.
2. Wash all other vegetables, dice into even sized pieces.
3. Wash dalia and mung dal together, add three times the volume of water (that makes it 6 cups of water for this recipe), and pressure cook for 4 whistles.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil, ghee mixture in a broad kadai/ saucepan.
5. Add in order given, all the ingredients for seasoning.
6. When jeera crackles, and you get a pleasant aroma of spices, it ts time to add hing powder, turmeric powder.
7. Add chopped vegetables toss well and fry for 3 minutes.
8. Add tomato puree and salt.Allow to simmer for atleast 10 minutes until raw smell of tomatoes are gone.
9. When the pressure has released, add the simmering vegetables to the cooked dalia,  mix thoroughly and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
10. Finally add chopped coriander blend in and serve hot.
11. Serve with any raita / salad and papad.

Notes

• You can fry washed wheat + dal in a tsp of ghee for a nice aroma.
• You can add more vegetables like knol khol, peas, sweet potato, onion.
• You can omit tomatoes entirely if you do not prefer the tang, or mix in juice of 1 lemon at the end.
• You can serve this hot topped with a tsp of ghee to kids and omit for those with calorie restrictions.
• Microwaved masala papad is a good accompaniment too.
• Can add more water after mixing the vegetables and cooked dalia.

Now for  the nutri notes

• This is a great one pot meal - combining cereal, pulse, vegetables and dairy allowance if served with raita.
• Eating a cereal and a pulse in the same meal ensures that the amino acids missing in one is complemented by those in the other. This is great for vegetarians since they derive maximum benefit from plant protein by eating in combination like in this recipe.
• Tomatoes, rich in lycopene take pride of place in this dish. Apart from fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C, that you get in tomatoes, the lycopene in tomatoes also is an anti carcinogenic agent.
• Using cracked wheat ensures that the benefits of bran and germ are derived fully. Hence, a high protein content (12gm/100gm), not to mention high fibre as well (1.2-1.4g/100gm).What would interest everyone is also the high niacin and folate levels in cracked wheat makes it an ideal grain for pregnant women, athletes, teenagers and elderly too.
• Carrots used here add to the beta carotene, you get half your daily allowance of Vitamin A by adding 1/4 cup of chopped carrots per person.

Here are the visuals 

chopped vegetables

frying whole spices

simmering vegetables

Mix cooked dalia with vegetables

Serve with raita