Malpua – Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye

Today is a sweet day. “Sweet day?” eyebrows go up.

“God have I made a wrong expression?” I ask my good self. Phat (abrubtly) came the reply. “No not at all.” I heard the answer. Was it a soliloquy? No, no grammar, no drama, no more questions.

This post is all about making a sweet dish and that’s all. Always it is Jhol, Jhal, Tarkari, Ambol, Tak, Dal, Mangsho, Bhaja, Jolkhabar, and what not to find as I peruse my spot. Today I want to stick to something Mishti (sweet).

The love for Malpua at home makes me prepare this food item many times. But let me share a secret. This happens when the skin of the bananas becomes black, and no one bothers to touch and relish it. It is then my Malpuas come up.

Take 2 ripe bananas, the skin of those that has become black and no one bothers to look at it. There may be such times in your home too.

So here it is:

2 over-ripe bananas. After taking off the skin mash it in a bowl.

To this add 2 ½ cups of Atta (wheat flour)

Add water and mix it well to get a thick batter.

Add sugar about ¾ cups or as per your taste - less or more - and mix well. Taste the batter for the sweetness you want.

To this add 3-4 tsp. of sauf/ fennel seeds/pan mauri and mix well again.

This batter should not be too thick or too thin, to pour out into the oil from a ladle.

Next comes the cooking part:

Heat enough oil for deep frying in a kadhai/wok. Once it is hot let it cool down a bit. Now to this pour a ladle of the batter. This will spread on its own in the oil and get a somewhat round shape. Cook for a couple of minutes and then turn it. 

Cook both the sides till the outer portion becomes dark and the malpua takes the brown colour. Take out and place on a kitchen napkin.

Fry the rest of the Malpuas and then it is “ready, steady and serve” moment. The sides give the crunch with the bite and the inner part is soft and sweet.

What more, share, eat and relish…

© gouri guha 2013

Biuli Dal-er Boda/ Biri Bora/Urad Dal Vada/ Lentil Fritters

Snacks are so-o-o-o tempting, mainly the deep-fried ones. There are many who like to avoid deep-fried ones, some for health reasons, others for fitness aims and there may be many reasons unknown to me.

Whatever be the intention, the kitchen is wide open to cater to the needs of the different kind of explanations.

No chance of compromise with this serving of Bodas/Boras/Vadas today. Purpose – another snack – easy to make, tasty to eat, appetising to the palate and attractive to the sight, inviting at the first view, and much more but all that ends once you get the bite and taste of it…all in reality.

More so you can call this Bhaji or Bhajjia, or as in Bengali you can call it Tele Bhaja, have your cup of hot tea ready as you relish them. You need not worry for the rain to fall or the cold to give the bite, this snack is for all throughout the year…no time and day specified if you want to cook something that you like.

Coming to the Bodas/Boras/Vadas, it needs some time for the preparation. One needs to think of making it well in advance. 

So to get ready for the Preparation:

Soak 1 ½ cup Urad dal/Biuli dal/Biri Dal, overnight.

Rest of the ingredients:

2 medium size onions chopped

3-4 green chillies chopped

8-10 curry leaves (optional)

Semolina/Suji/Rawa 1 ½ tbsp.

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

For the final call:

Make a paste of the soaked Dal, not very fine. To this add the chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, semolina/suji and salt. The suji makes the outer coat crunchy. Mix it well.

Once the oil is hot, throw in the fritters/boras/bodas with the help of your fingers or you can take the help of a table spoon. These boras are simple home-made ones, so need not worry about a perfect shape. Be sure the oil is not burning hot as this will not let the inner portion be cooked properly. Fry the Boras/Vadas till it starts getting the brown colour.

Once they are ready, arrange the plate and serve with some home-made chutney of pudina, dhania or tamarind or some bottled sauce will do. Get the bite and smack your lips and in your mind you can say, “Ah! What a snack”. Simply simple isn’t it?

You can also visit and follow me on Facebook.

© gouriguha 2013

Simple Bangali Jolkhabar -- Porota aar Begun Bhaja/Simple Bengali Tiffin -- Parathas and Fried Eggplant (aubergine)

Sometimes simple things are inviting and appetizing. My sons loved Porotas in their tiffin box, and to compliment the porota there was Begun Bhaja or sometimes Aloo Bhaja. Even carrying tiffin like this to the office for lunch is a good choice.

Porotas, when they are fried on the tawa, give out an aroma that is ‘inviting’ for those who can get the smell but not a share. This I can say from my experience. We lived on the ground floor of a building. The kitchen that was separated by a wall had a small door, was very near the staircase. Whenever I made porotas, those climbing the stairs would say softly to one another how they felt hungry by inhaling the aroma of the porotas that were being fried in my kitchen. I would hear their fading words as they went up step after step. I cannot compel one to believe in what I’ve written, just a passing thought that went into words as I sat to write.

Coming to the Begun Bhaja:

Cut the Begun/Eggplant into slices, neither very thin nor thick either, it’s easy to fry.  See pic.

Rub some salt and turmeric powder onto the body of the pieces.

Next heat some oil in a wok/kadhai and fry them.

Next the porotas:

For this add some oil (to make it khasta/crispy) and salt to the flour. Mix it and then add water to make the dough. Divide the dough into small sections. 

Now roll out the porotas/parathas into triangle shapes. 

Next fry them and its ready to be served with the begun bhaja.

You must be wondering why this simple Jolkhabar spread. Let me release the secret, all because someone who is a learner in her kitchen wanted to know about it. No offence for those who are masters of cooking.

© gouriguha 2013