Special recipes

Bijoya delights

An indispensable ingredient for any festival has to be the food. This week, we're featuring a whole host of Puja eats, which includes both special you can prepare on the day of the event, as well as munchies you can prepare beforehand, and serve as snacks throughout the occasion.

Narikeler Naru
Ingredients
Grated Coconut 1 cup
Sugar 3/4 th cup
Full cream milk 1/2 cup
Method of Preparation
Mix all the ingredients well.
Place the mixture in a non-stick pan and cook over low heat.
Keep stirring the mixture and cook it till it becomes soft and even.
Now pour the mixture on a flat broad dish.
Roll the mixture into myriad of shapes and sizes. (Be careful not to burn your hands)
Sweets will automatically harden on cooling.
Your Naru is ready to be served.

Patishapta
Ingredients
For Outer Covering: Flour 3 cups, Suji 1 cup, Sugar 2 cups, Full cream milk - 4 cups, Cardomom - 4
Filling: Khoya - 1 cup, Sugar - 1/2 cup, Full cream Milk - 1/2 cup.
Method of Preparation
Outer Covering
Mix the ingredients well into a solution.
Heat the non-stick pan and heat a little Ghee.
Take a tablespoon of the prepared solution and spread it evenly on the heated pan like a 'dosa'.
Wait till it dries.
Filling
Mix the ingredients well.
Now put this filling inside the Patishapta cover.
Roll the cover to enclose the Filling such that it takes an elongated shape.
Take the Patishapta off the burner.
Your Patishapta is ready to be served.

Murki
Ingredients
Khoi 250 gms, Jaggery 200 gms, Water 1 cup
Method of Preparation
Put the Jaggery in a pan over a burner and add Water to it.
Stir it till the Jaggery melts. (To test put a drop of molten jaggery in water. The drop should float in water)
Pour the Khoi in the pan of molten Jaggery.
Stir to mix the Khoi evenly with the Jaggery.
It will automatically harden on cooling.
Your Murki is ready to be served.
Accompaniment
Crisp and crunchy bowlful of Muri.

Neemki

- 1/2 kg flour
- 4-5 tbl spoon of oil
- a pinch of salt
- a pinch of Kalo jeere Steps:
- Knead all the ingredients well with a little water.
- Make small balls and flatten them into thin chappatis and cut them into small diamond shaped pieces with a knife.
- Deep-fry them in 2 cups of oil until light brown.
- Soak the extra oil and serve with tea.

Bhog (Khichuri)
Ingredients
Mugdal 800 gm, Rice Gobindabhog 500 gm, Ghee 100 gm
Spices white cumin 1 tea spoon, Bay leaves 5 to 6, Garam masala paste (Cardamum, Cinnemon Clove) 5 gm, Ginger paste 3 table spoons, Turmeric powder 2 table spoons, Salt, Sugar 150 gm, Mustard Oil six table spoons, Vegetables Cauliflower 1 big sized, Sliced into big pieces, Potatoes 500 gm sliced into big pieces,Tomatoes 3 big size, Sliced into pieces, green chillies 10 to 12 in number, 1 grated coconut
Method of Preparation
Heat two table spoons of ghee in a frying pan each time and fry the moog dal and rice separately keep them aside. Marinate the potatoes and Cauliflower's with salt and turmeric. Fry them in mustard oil until they turn golden brown. Take a large utensil with considerable depth. Fill it half with water. Let the water is heated put the pulse in it.
Let it boil, when it has softened, add rice to it. Add the fried pieces of potatoes, cauliflower's, green peas to it. Add turmeric powder, two bay leaves and 5 to 6 green chillies. After the rice has softened add salt and sugar to it.
Heat the rest of the ghee in a frying pan, add tomatoes, bay leaves white cumin, turmeric powder, ginger paste green chilies, fry them and add them to the khichuri. Add garam masala paste on top of the Khichuri. Pour the khichuri into a heap on a stone or wooden dish large enough, Garnish the khichuri with grated coconut.

Chingri Malai Curry
Prawn, Oil, Cardamom, Tej Patta (bay leaves), Chilli Powder, Ginger Garlic Paste, Onion Paste, Cashewnut (Paste), Turmeric, Salt, Coconut, Cardamom Mace Powder, Cream, Garnish, Cream
Accompaniment
Laccha Pyaz, Achar, Papar
Method of Preparation
1.Boil the onions and cashew nut till tender, strain and cool. Make a fine paste.
2.Shell the prawn keeping the tail intact, de-vein and wash, retain the shell, clean and make prawn stock by first browning it and then simmering it in water.
3.Heat oil, crackle cardamom and cinnamon, add ginger garlic paste, add red chilli powder and turmeric powder.
4.Add the paste, add the prawn stock to get the required consistency and cook till the masala leaves the oil.
5.Add the cleaned prawn and cook till the prawns are cooked

Rosogolla
Ingredients
Milk 1 litre, Citric acid ½ tsp, Water 5 cups, Sugar 1 ½ cups, Vanilla essence ½ tsp. (optional)
Method of Preparation
1. Boil the milk and add the citric acid to make the paneer.
2. Once the paneer separates from the whey, strain and wash it thoroughly.
3. Tie the paneer in a muslin cloth and squeeze out the excess water.
4. Now add 1-tsp. sugar to it and knead the paneer well.
5. Divide the paneer dough into small balls and keep aside.
6. Make syrup with the sugar and water, then add the balls while the syrup is boiling. (Add vanilla essence if necessary)
7. Cover with a lid and continue to boil it for 15 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and keep to cool.