Hinger Kochuri & Alur Tarkari - A Bengali Delicacy

Hinger Kochuri is a very popular Bengali breakfast item. It goes well with Alur Tarkari ( Potato Curry) & Jilipi.

There are many shops in Calcutta which are famous for their Hinger Kochuri & Alur Tarkari. It could be a great breakfast item for Sunday or any other holidays specially during Durga Puja.

Since I live outside Calcutta & do not get it in any shop I tried to make it at home.

So this is for all those people who are missing this Bengali delicacy as well as for those who want to try something new ! :-)

First I will explain how to make the Hinger Kochuri then I will give the process for the Alur Tarkari.

Hinger Kochuri

Ingredients for Hinger Kochuri :

1. All purpose flour
2. 50 gram Urad Dal or Biulir Dal ( Black Gram), soak it over night
3. 1/2 teaspoon Asafetida
4. Salt
5. Ginger paste
6.  Fennel Seed Paste
7. Oil
8. Water

Procedure:

Step 1: Stuffing

Now, blend the Urad Dal in a mixer. You can add green chilli if you like (optional). Put oil in a pan. Add a pinch of Asafetida and ginger paste. Stir it for sometimes and then add the dal. Mix it well, add salt to taste & fennel seed paste. stir it well and once done keep it aside.

Step 2: Making dough for kochuri

Now take the maida or all purpose flour , put some oil into it and mix it well. Once done, put enough water to make a dough for the puri / kochuri.

Step 3: The final step

Now divide the dough into small balls. Press each ball in the centre and fill it with the dal mixture. Close the opening well and flatten them. Roll out the puris. Heat up theoil in a kadhai. Deep fry the puris on low heat up till golden brown. Remove and serve hot with Alur Tarkari ( The recipe for the Alur Tarkari is given below.)

Alur Tarkari

Ingredients:

1. 2 potatos

2. Panch Foron or 5 Spices ( You will get it in any Indian Grocery Store or you can also make it at home by equally mixing of fenugreek seed, nigella seed, cumin seed, black mustard seed and fennel seed )

3.Turmaric

4. Cumin powder

5. Green Chilli

6. Red Chilli powder

7. Green Chilli

8. Oil

9. 1/2 tomato

10 . Salt to taste

Procedure:

Cut the potatos into small pieces. Put oil in Kadhai. When the oil gets hot add Panch Foron. Add the potato stir it for sometimes and add the tomato & all the other ingredients. Add some water and cover it and let it cook for sometimes. Once done serve it hot with Hinger Kochuri !!! :-)

Bread Potato Pakora

This yummy crunchy recipe is a very good one for evening snacks. It will go well with kids as well as with the adults!!!

Now, here  I will tell you what you ingredients need to make this dish. All the ingredients which we require to make this one are generally at our home. So you can make it any time you wish ! :-)

I have made the stuffing with Potato but if you like you can make other stuffing too like paneer bhurji stuffing and if you prefer something non veg then  chicken stuffing would be a very good option.


Ingredients:

1. Bread : 4 Slices
2. Potato: 2 (boiled & mashed )
3. Whole cumin seeds
4. Red chilli powder
5. Amchur Powder
6. Garam Masala Powder
7. Oil
8.Salt to taste
9. Green chilli cut into small pieces
10. 1/2 small onion cut into small slices.

Procedure:

There are two steps which we need to follow to make this snacks.

Step 1: Potato Stuffing

Put a little oil in a non stick pan. Add whole cumin seeds , once they start crackling ass the onion slices. Stir it for sometimes and when they change the color to golden brown add the mashed potato into it. stir it and now put all the other dry ingredients like amchur powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, green chilli and salt as per your taste. Stir it well and when it is done keep it aside.


Step 2: The Final Step

Now take the bread slices & cut the edges of the bread slices with a knife. Take a little water in you palm and take the bread slice and press it with your both palm . Now put the potato stuffing in the middle of a bread and roll it , repeat this process for other three breads as well. It's better to keep them in the refrigerator  for 15/20 minutes before you deep fry it.

Now take a Non Stick Pan , Put enough oil for deep fry the pakora. Once the oil is hot place the bread roll and deep fry it. The place them in a paper towel, so that the excess oil would be absorbed by the paper towel .

The Bread Potato Pakora is ready. You can have it with tomato ketch up or any other chutney( Coriander/ Pudina/ Tamarind )

Instant Microwave Khaman ( Besan Dhokla)

This is a very easy & popular Gujarati snacks which will take around 10-15 minutes time to make.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup Gram flour
2. 1/2 cup curd
3.  1/2 tea spoon sugar
4. A pinch of salt & Turmeric
5. Green chilli
6.  Ginger paste
7.   Mustard Seeds
8. Curry Leaves
9. Fruit Salt or Eno
10. Asafetida


Procedure:

Take a microwave proof square box and add gram flour, curd, pinch of salt, sugar, turmeric, ginger paste and fruit salt or eno and stir it well. Now put it in the microwave at 700 C for 5 min. Then take it out and make square pieces.

Now take a non stick put some oil in it. Once the oil gets hot add mustard seeds and slit green chillis & a pinch of asafetida. Add water & Sugar. Cook it for 3 to 4 minutes. Once it is done put this syrup into the dhokla. It's a very healthy breakfast item or can be eaten as evening snacks.

Peas Kachori ( Koraishutir Kochuri )

Peas Kachori or Koraishitir Kochuri is a very popular Bengali Dish specially during winter when fresh peas are easily available in the market.

Every winter my mom makes delicious Koraishutir Kochuri and we can't imagine winter in Kolkata without this mouth watering dish.

Since I got married I began to miss this breakfast item, I asked my mom & learned this Bengali Delicacy from her.

My first try was a big big hit !!! :D

And here is the picture & the procedure.

Ingredients:

1. Peas - 200 Gram
2. All purpose flour
2. Green Cardamom
4. Sugar
5. Oil & Ghee
6. Water

Process:

There are three steps to make this Kachori.

Step 1 : The Peas Stuffing

Soak the peas in water overnight, put some salt in the water. Next day grind the peas in a mixer.
Take a non stick , put some ghee ( You can put oil but ghee will give you a better taste definitely ;-) ). Add some cardamom powder in the ghee then add the peas paste. Stir it for sometimes add sugar & salt according your taste. Stir it untill the stuffing becomes dry. Keep it aside.

Step 2: Making the Dough for Kachori.

Take all purpose flour, add some oil into it & Mix it well. Then Add water and make a dough out of it the same way for puri or paratha.


Step 3: The Final Step

Now divide the dough into small balls. Press each ball in the centre and fill it with the pea mixture. Close the opening well and flatten them. Roll out the puris. Heat up the ghee/oil in a kadhai. Deep fry the puris on low heat up till golden brown. Remove and serve hot with Alurdom.

Try it out I am sure you won't regret !!! :-)

Nankhatai Biscuits

As we Indians mostly start our day with 'Chai' ( Tea) and biscuits, I thought to start my first recipe with Nankhatai Biscuits, :-)

It's a very delicious Indian eggless biscuit which is mostly available in the western part of India. I have heard a lot about this from my husband who used to live in Pune but being lived in Calcutta & Bangalore I have never got the opportunity to taste this delicious biscuit from any bakery ( apart from my own homemade one ;-) ).

So, I thought trying to make these little cookies in my own kitchen!

I have done a lot of research regarding the recipes from internet and finally this Christmas & New Year I was ready with my baker's cap.

I wish to share the whole process here, so that everyone can try these cookies in their homes & taste these mouth watering cookies. :-)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of all purpose flour
2.  1/4 cup of Gram flour
3. 1/4 cup of Semolina
4. 1/4 tea spoon of baking powder
5.  1/2 cup unsalted butter
6.  1/2 cup powdered sugar
7.  Green cardamom powder
8.  A pinch of Salt
9. Dry fruits ( It cuold be Cashew Nuts, Raisins, Almonds , Pistachios anything)
10. A few tea spoon of milk to make the dough ( if needed)


Procedure:

Mix all purpose flour, gram flour, semolina, cardamom powder, a pinch of salt & baking powder together. Then in another bowl take unsalted butter ( butter should be in the room temperature) and  powdered sugar and mix the butter and sugar together. Then add this mixture into the other one and make a dough ( u can add a few tea spoon of milk to make the dough). Keep the dough aside for 15/20 minutes. Then Crush some dry fruits. Preheat the oven at 180 C. Make small balls from that dough . Roll them evenly in your palms and slightly flatten them. Press sliced almonds/kaju etc on the top slightly. Grease the baking tray with butter. Place them in the baking tray. Keep some space between them as they expand while baking. Bake the Nankhatai for 20-25 min at 180C till the color is light golden brown . Take it out from the oven and let it be cool for sometimes. Your Nankhatai biscuit is ready !!! :-)

PS: My Husband loved it, so I think I have done a good job ! You guys also try and let me know :-)