The wedding season also means plenty of aiburobhat functions. Be it your bestie or sibling, planning a spread of delectables to celebrate the last few days of bachelorhood is an important event. So, here’s a helping hand with a few recipes to make your last meal as a bachelor a tasty one.
Kachoris with shrimp and paneer filling
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Small, crispy kachoris with kucho chingri and paneer filling to start the aiburobhaat foodventure.
Ingredients:
- Shrimp paste: 1 small cup
- Grated paneer: 1 small cup
- Finely chopped onions: 2 large
- Finely chopped green chillies: 3-4
- Finely chopped coriander leaves: 4 tablespoons
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Cumin powder: 2 teaspoons
- Maida: 300gm
- Sugar: 1 and ½ tablespoons
- Ghee: 3 tablespoons
- Ajwain: 1 teaspoon
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
Recipe:
- Mix ghee and maida and rub gently with fingers until flaky. Now add warm water, ajwain and a pinch of salt and knead into a soft dough. Wrap with damp cloth, cover and keep aside for minimum 15-20 minutes
- In a mixing bowl, take the shrimp paste, grated paneer, chopped vegetables, lemon juice and the remaining spices. Mix well and check seasoning
- Take medium-sized balls of maida dough. Roll into semi-thick rotis
- Add enough filling at the centre of each roti
- Pull the corners, bring them towards the centre. Give a twist accumulating all sides as is done while making mini kachoris
- Heat oil in a kadhai to deep fry the kachoris on low flame until light brown
Tip:
- The shrimps should be deveined, cleaned and peeled before pasting
Notun alu’r dum
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A classic Bengali winter dish that goes well with rice, roti, kachori, muri and what not.
Ingredients:
- Baby potatoes: 300gm
- Green peas: 1 medium cup
- Ginger and green chilli paste: 2 tablespoons
- Diced tomatoes: 1 large and 1 medium
- Slit green chillies: 2-3
- Hing: 1 teaspoon
- Dry whole red chillies: 2
- Bay leaf: 1 large
- Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Whole garam masala: 1 teaspoon
- Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
- Coriander powder: 2 teaspoons
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon for gravy, 1 teaspoon for potato fry
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 2 teaspoons
- Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala powder: 1 teaspoon
- Salt
- Sugar
- Mustard oil
Recipe:
- Wash the baby potatoes well. Pressure cook them for two to three whistles
- Strain water, coat the potatoes in salt and turmeric powder and deep fry on low to medium flame until golden brown. Strain the excess oil and keep aside
- In a kadhai, add mustard oil and heat. Add bay leaf, dry red chillies and temper the spices
- Now add bay leaf, whole red chillies, whole garam masala spices and saute well
- Add hing (asafoetida) and saute some more
- Now add ginger and green chilli paste and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Add the dry spices one by one (expect garam masala powder), mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes, and then for another 2-3 minutes with a dash of water
- Add the tomatoes and slit green chillies, and the potatoes. Mix well with the spices and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes
- Add desired quantity of water, salt and sugar, and the peas. Cover and cook until the gravy is thick enough and the potatoes are all ready
- Sprinkle some garam masala powder and it’s ready
Meatball pulao
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A quick pulao recipe with spicy meatballs — it’s as mouth watering as it sounds!
Ingredients:
For meatballs —
- Mutton keema: 200gm
- Onion, ginger, garlic paste: 2 tablespoons
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
- Egg: 1
- Salt
- Maida
- Vegetable oil
For pulao —
- Basmati rice: 1 cup
- Chopped dry fruits: ½ cup
- Bay leaf: 1 large
- Whole garam masala: 1 teaspoon
- Sugar: 1 small cup
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
- Kesar (Saffron): 1 teaspoon
- Grated khoya kheer: ½ cup
- Salt
- Ghee
- Vegetable oil
Recipe:
For meatballs —
- Mix the mutton keema with all the ingredients except oil and keep in the refrigerator for minimum 15-20 minutes
- Make medium-sized balls and deep fry until golden brown
- Strain excess oil and keep aside
For the pulao —
- Wash the basmati rice and air dry
- Cook the rice until it is 90% ready. Strain water and leave on a broad surface to air dry
- Meanwhile, heat ghee and vegetable oil (50:50) in a kadhai
- Add bay leaf and whole garam masala and saute well
- Now add the dry fruits and saute for 1-2 minutes
- Add the rice and turmeric powder and give a light-handed mix
- Add sugar, salt and khoya kheer, and mix gently. Cover and cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Uncover, check seasoning. Once the rice is ready and tastes to your preference, add the meatballs and stir gently. Cook for 4-5 minutes on low flame
Add kesar, turn off the heat and this offbeat pulao recipe is ready
Parsi mutton cutlets
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A taste that won’t let you stop at just one…
Ingredients:
- Mutton keema: 500gm
- Ginger and garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
- Finely chopped onion: 1 large
- Finely chopped coriander leaves: 1 tablespoon
- Finely chopped green chillies: 2-3
- Finely chopped mint leaves: 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon
- Cinnamon powder: ½ teaspoon
- Boiled, mashed potatoes: 2
- Breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil
Recipe:
- Drain any excess water from the keema
- Mix all the ingredients together, expect oil and breadcrumbs
- Pour the breadcrumbs on a plate and mix with a pinch of salt
- Make cutlets out of the mutton keema and coat in breadcrumbs
- Shallow fry on low flame until both sides are golden brown
Doi katla
Wikimedia Commons
Simple to make, this fish recipe can be done with katla, pona, chingri, koi, ilish — practically almost any maachh.
Ingredients:
- Thick katla pieces: 8
- Boiled onion paste: 1 large onion
- Hung curd beaten well: ½ of a small cup
- Bay leaf: 1
- Whole cumin: 1 teaspoon
- Whole garam masala: 1 teaspoon
- Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Grated khoya kheer: 2 tablespoons
- Raisins: 2 tablespoons
- Cashews: 2 tablespoons
- Garam masala powder: 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
- Ghee: 3 tablespoons
- Mustard oil
- Vegetable oil
Recipe:
- Marinate the fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder. Shallow fry them in mustard oil and set aside
- In a kadhai, add ghee and vegetable oil. Add bay leaf, whole garam masala and whole cumin seeds and temper well
- Now add the onion paste and cook for 3-4 minutes
- Add the red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and hung curd. Mix well and cook for 4-5 minutes on low flame
- Add salt, sugar, and the khoya kheer. Cook for 3-4 minutes before adding required amount of warm water
- Cover and let the gravy simmer into desired consistency
- Now add the fish pieces and the dry fruits, and cook with the lid on for 4-5 minutes
- Check seasoning, add garam masala powder and some ghee and turn off the flame
Rajasthani Laal Maas
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A traditional Rajasthani mutton curry full of spice, aroma and deliciousness.
Ingredients:
- Mutton: 1kg
- Whole red chilli paste of 7-8 chillies
- Mathania chilli paste of 8-10 chillies
- Ginger and garlic paste: 2 tablespoons
- Finely sliced onions: 2 large
- Hung curd, beaten: 150gm
- Whole garam masala: 1 teaspoon
- Black peppercorns: 1 teaspoon
- Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
- Coriander powder: 2 teaspoons
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Salt
- Mustard oil
- Ghee
Recipe:
- Soak mathania chillies in warm water for 5-10 minutes and make a fine paste
- Soak the dry chillies in warm water for the same amount of time and make a smooth paste
- Marinate button with salt, 3-4 tablespoons of curd and ginger-garlic paste and leave aside for minimum one hour and preferably overnight
- In a kadhai, add mustard oil and ghee (50:50) and heat
- Now add the whole garam masala spices and black peppercorns
- Add finely sliced onions and fry until it turns light brown
- Add the marinated meat and mix well with the fried onions
- Add mathania chilli and dry red chilli pastes in the kadhai and give a good mix
- Cook without cover for 5-6 minutes on high flame and then with the cover on for another 5 minutes. Don’t forget to stir at regular intervals
- Now add beaten curd, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powder and mix
- Let the mutton cook with the lid on for 30-40 minutes on low flame
- Check the status of the mutton as well as the taste. If it is too hot for your taste, you can also add some sugar
- Once the mutton is perfectly cooked, sprinkle some ghee and serve piping hot
Khejur, tomato, kuler chutney
Wikimedia Commons
An easy, tangy, tasty and storable chutney to cool down after the spicy Laal Maas.
Ingredients:
- Deseeded dates: 15
- Small diced tomatoes: 2 large
- Paka kul: 12
- Sugar: 1 medium cup
- Panchforon: 1 teaspoon
- Dry whole red chillies: 2
- Salt: 1 small pinch
- Radhuni: ½ teaspoon
- Vegetable oil: 3 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Add vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet and heat. Add bay leaf
- Now add the panch phoron, dry red chillies and radhuni and temper well
- Add sugar, keep the flame low and star stirring until it starts to caramelise
- Add tomatoes, mix well, add salt, and cover and cook on low flame for 5-7 minutes, occasionally stirring
- Add the dates and kul and mix well
- Check seasoning and add more sugar if required
- Cover and cook for another 7-10 minutes on low flame, stirring at intervals until you have the desired consistency, and your chutney is ready
Carrot Halwa and Makha Sandesh layered dessert
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What happens when two winter must-haves come together? A medley of delectable sweet delights.
Ingredients:
For carrot halwa —
- Blanched grated carrots: 2 large
- Boiled full fat milk: 500ml
- Condensed milk: 1 small cup
- Cardamom: 2
- Sugar: ½ of a small cup
- Ghee: 4-5 tablespoons
- Mixed dry fruits: 8 tablespoons
- Bay leaf: 1
For makha sandesh —
- Store bought makha sandesh/notun gurer sandesh: 150gm
- Rose water: 1 teaspoon
- Cardamom powder: ½ teaspoon
- Condensed milk: 4-5 tablespoons
- Rose petals (for garnish): 5-6
Recipe:
For carrot halwa —
- Heat ghee on a non-stick pan and add the bay leaf. Temper well
- Now add the grated carrot, mix well and keep cooking on low flame without cover for 5 minutes and with cover for 3 minutes
- Once the carrot has begun to change colour, add half of the milk, sugar and cardamom. Mix, cover and allow it to cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes, occasionally stirring
- When the milk has almost thickened, add the condensed milk and give it another light-handed mix
- Splash some more milk and cook with the lid on for another 5-7 minutes
- Add the dry fruits, check if the sweet is of desired preference
- Cook for another 4-5 minutes on low flame, mixing all the ingredients well. Turn off the heat and allow the halwa to cool
For makha sandesh —
- Gently mash the mishti in a bowl
- Add condensed milk, rose water and cardamom powder and mix well
Assembling the dessert —
- Grease each dessert bowl with some ghee
- Put a layer of makha sandesh at the bottom
- Add a layer of chopped dry fruits if you like
- Add a dollop of carrot halwa on the top
- Garnish with chopped dry fruits, rose petals and a drizzle of condensed milk