Ripe Baby Mango Chutney/Choto Paka Aamer Chatni/Pigmy Ripe Mango Chutney

In this mango season markets are flooded with mangoes. Every Indian household waits for this time of the year for their favourite mangoes.  Green mangoes have their own space. They are pickled in many homes to cater for the whole year. With lots of spices and lots of oil, if this pickle is preserved for a longer time it boosts the taste. This home-made pickle need not be preserved for a year only, it can stay in the bottle for many more months.

Pineapple Chutney/Anarosh-er-chutney (Home-made Recipe)

Something sweet and tangy is in my thoughts today.

Not only that, some fruity thoughts are also cooking its way.

I love the taste and the smell of pineapples. A glass of pineapple juice is so cool and refreshing for me. I simply love this fruit.

Today this fruit is being cooked in my kitchen to be served as chutney.

Aloo and Green Peas Tikki – Aloo-hara matar tikki -- Anytime snack for family and friends

 

Where to start from?

A big question mark appears.

Yes time has run in a speed which is impossible for me to catch up with.

Again a WHY?

Because I’ve not been keeping pace with time and not written for a long time.

Time the Sprinter is always the winner. Usain Bolt may be the fastest sprinter but competition is also picking up with him.

I have to run a three-legged race with time to run alongside. But now a three-legged race seems impossible for schooldays are gone and childhood has shed its coat.

Aamshi (r) Tak/ Sukha Aam ki Chutney/ Dried green mango Chutney – A little Sweet a little Sour

Aamshi (r) Tak/ Sukha Aam ki Chutney/ Dried green mango Chutney is not something that’s not known to many. But, sometimes some inquisitive mind wants to know how this aamshi/sukha aam/dried green mango can be used, to be more specific, the different ways that this can be savoured and cooked.

Chicken Makha- Makha

Puja days are saying, “Knock knock” standing at the doorstep of everyday life. What more, children say, “ki moja Pujo eshe gelo” (great fun the Pujas have come), and elders including me looking forward for the first day of the Pujo, Sosthi, that’s the beginning of the five days -- uff! -- can’t imagine the excitement building up for the coming days. One more day and then the daily routine of life will be different from the regular activities -- ektu (little) different from the regular schedule of life. O God, my language is becoming a mish-mash of Bangla and English words. It happens, it happens in India, nothing to worry.

I’m not thinking about pandal hopping that’s going to happen in my life after a couple of days, but, now I’m more concerned about my recipe that’s going to get a place here.

I’ve named this recipe Chicken Makha-makha because whenever I cook chicken I ask everyone at home what they like to eat. “What will you like, murgir jhol (chicken curry), chicken dopiyaza, kadhai chicken, chicken roast…”, before I can carry on – mind you I don’t have many more options to give them – am delighted to hear -- “keno chicken makha-makha kore daoo (why? Cook chicken makha-makha) ”. Thus this recipe has a name of its own in my home.

Chaltar Tak/Ambol with Tak-Misti-Jhal Taste – Elephant Apple Sweet and Sour Chutney

The Chalta came to my house as a gift from a friend. Chalta is not commonly found and is rare. I had seen a Chalta tree in one of my Uncle’s house. That was the first and last I have seen a Chalta tree. The tree bears lots of fruit at one time and this is seasonal sour fruit cooked to make tak/anbol/chutney.

Chalta is known as Elephant Apple in English.

When I got the Chalta/Elephant Apple, I was very happy as I was thinking about it few days back. I knew I had to spend some time dressing the Chalta before cooking it.

Mango Shake/ Refreshing Mango Drink

There are two words in the title of this story or should I say something FRUITY and JUICY in this spread of writing that I’m presenting. This is no doubt it’s a Fruity Affair and a Juicy Drink. All this because of the King of Fruits the Mango and the taste of it blended to give out its taste and flavour.

Let me say something why this thought of putting this up came to my mind. All started when my Mangowallah, yes my Mango Man…don’t take me wrong here for saying “The Mango Man”…no he’s not

Tamarind Chutney (Hot, Sweet and Sour) / Imli Chutney aka Te(n)tuler Chutney

The thought of the word tamarind and the sourness brings water to the mouth. Tamarind carries back memories of childhood days. There was a girl in our class who used to bring the tamarind pods to the class. She used to hide and keep them in her bag and how our group waited for the bell to ring for the short break. We – the small kids -- would run out with the tamarind pods and then break open the pods with the help of a stone – hit hit hit and the pod breaks, the sour fruit comes out and then in they go into the mouth. Why was it that the sourness was not felt then but now -- simply can’t do this act again? Age has done its job and the tamarind has got its place in the kitchen to be used for so many dishes.

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?

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© gouriguha 2013

Tomato Chaatni (Chutney) with a Tangy Touch

Tomato Chaatni (Chutney) is one of my favourite chaatni during winter. The word Chaatni is very much the Bengali word for Chutney. The juicy tomatoes simply lure me to make lots of Chutney and keep it in the fridge. When I was young there used to be a Tak (Sour) item cooked everyday during lunch. It could amaar tak, tentuler tak (tamarind chutney), anarosher chutney (pineapple chutney) with mustard paste and kamrangar tak (star fruit chutney). Chutney has always been one of my favourite dish and I love it with dal, bhat and aloo bhaja.

Most of the Bengalis like chutney. In Bengali context Chutney is a sweet and sour relish served towards the end of the meal.

Tomato chutney tastes good with khejur (dates) and even with aamshotto (aam papad). I did not have khejur or aamshotto, so I made it simple.

Tomato Chutney

For Tomato Chutney the main ingredients are:

Tomato, sugar, salt, dry red chili (whole), cooking oil, turmeric powder, tamarind whole or pulp and any home made masala for extra flavour . The other two ingredients are optional – khejur and aamshotto,.

Preparation:

Wash 5 large size tomatoes and cut them into small pieces. Heat oil in a kadhai and when the oil is hot break into half and add 2/3 dry red chilies. Once the chili turns darker in colour add the chopped tomatoes and sauté. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and stir. Cover and cook over slow flame, keep stirring from time to time. The tomato will release its juice. Add salt to taste and also add the sugar about 8 tbsp or adjust as per your taste. It is time to add the tamarind pulp or whole tamarind, with or without the seeds, to give it a little tangy taste. Now cook it over slow flame. Enough juice has been given out from the pulpy tomatoes and also by adding sugar. Cook till it reduces to a thick consistency. Sprinkle the powdered masala of roated jeera, red chili and methi. This powder gives an achari taste.

If you want to add khejur or aamshotto, add it along with the salt and sugar so that the khejur and the aamshotto becomes soft. Can add whole khejur or cut into half removing the seed. Also cut the aamshotto into tiny pieces before adding it to the cooking tomatoes.

And get the taste…