Hing er Kochuri and Alur Tarkari

Hing er Kochuri and Alur Tarkari. The HaatPakha i,e the Palm Leaf fans that you see in this picture are decorated by my Aunt. Aren't they gorgeous ?

Durga Pujo is almost here. Mahalaya is this Friday. The gorgeous blue sky, the kaash phool, the lazy cotton clouds and the fragile shiuli with their orange stem and fragrant notes is making it all very real. As if! The only thing missing is the "Sharodiya PujoShonkhya "which my Ma brought along with her way back in August. Now that is what I call "blasphemy". You should not have a "PujoShonkhya" in summer.  No, No. NO! In August you can only have trembling hopes for one or two. You have to wait and wait some more and then wait until Mahalaya to get your copy. For what is Pujo without its Pujo Shonkhyas.

The annual Pujo numbers -- Anandomela

Many, many years ago when I was a timid kindergartner, still struggling to read fluent Bengali, my Ma had given me the best gift on Durga Pujo. She bought me a shiny, thick, colorful book. It was the Pujoshonkhya Anandomela, the annual number of the popular Bengali children’s magazine published every year during DurgaPujo. I don't know what spurred her in doing this when I could just about manage to read the "juktakhors", the Bengali conjugant, but that single book set me on a path of loving to read and read more. When I try to think of that Pujo, from a long time back, I do not have clear pictures of Durga or the Asur. All I see is snippets of a well lit mandap reverberating with the beat of the Dhaak and a fat book with glossy cover plonked onto my satin frock's lap.

Since that day, Pujo for me has always meant waiting for the PujoShonkhya. While others waited for the squeaky clean blue sky of Sharat, the swaying kaash phool or the latest cut in salwar kamiz that the local tailor would reveal, I waited for my annual Puja number of Anandomela.

The full page advertisement announcing the book would adorn the pages of the biweekly magazine as early as April or May. Gradually the list of writers who would write for the year's number would be revealed. Satyajit Ray, Shirshendu, Sunil Ganguly…the list was rich and endless. Around end of August, my mother would book a copy for me along with a couple of Desh and Bartoman for herself, with the newspaper delivery guy.

From early September, my heart would take a dip and start beating faster every time I heard the ringing bell of the newspaper guy further down the street. "Esheche? Is it here?" I would shout as he skillfully tossed the rolled newspaper on the front porch. As he rode away shaking his head in the crisp Sharat air, I would be dejected only to live in hope and again ask him the same question the next day. You see we lived in a small town far from Kolkata and the magazines usually arrived late there. So the "pujoshonkhya" published in Kolkata would take a while to make its appearance in our mofussil market and even then there was no certainty to that.

And then one school morning, a week or two before Mahalaya, he would announce "Aaj Bikel e. Today afternoon". That day would be the most exciting one and I would rush home in the afternoon, my strides back home faster than others. Tossing my school shoes and book bag aside I would pick up the thick colorful book that sat on the center table. I held it close to my nose taking a deep whiff, I admired the nifty bookmark dangling on a thin lace and I quickly sneaked in to see the cartoon they had this year.

That afternoon I refused the call of my friends for a round of hide and seek or playing tag on the terrace. Instead I went to bed, tucked two pillows under myself and carefully opened the thick Anandomela to be lost in the next adventure of Shontu ar Kakababu or the quirky inventions of Professor Shonku.

Waiting for Anandomela was probably the best part of my pujo and that is the only part I miss these days. I also miss the fact that my daughters will never experience that yearning and eventually the deluge of happiness. For waiting for something is much more exciting than finally getting it.

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Last weekend we made Hing er Kochuri at home. It seemed a very Pujo-isque thing to do. Also I am ashamed to say, it was my first time. Yes, I have sailed through half of my life without making a single Hing er Kochuri and the experience or rather the lack of it has not harmed me in anyway, as I see it. For, I have ate enough of them. And that is what really matters.

The thing is, I don't "deep fry" much. I kind of have a mental block which makes me eat "deep-fried" goodness by the kilos as long as someone else is "deep-frying". The moment I see all that oil, something in my brain goes "Twang" and I hyperventilate. I was not always like this. There was a time when I loved deep frying. But at that time, I feared anything that had to do with "dough" unless of course it was "play-doh" which "Duh! is not dough". But lately and specifically after my "small organ where bile is stored" had to be removed, I don't seem to work well after a meal of "deep-fried goodness". Of course it would be okay, if I did so in moderation. But moderation is never the keyword when things are being dunked in hot oil.

So anyway since Ma is here to give expert advice and all, I felt it was the right moment to make Hing er Kochuri because you know my girls need to remember their Mother's kitchen as one where kochuri puffed up and yadda, yadda, yadda. But what is Hing er Kochuri, you ask ? Well it is a deep fried savory snack almost like a luchi or puri but with stuffing made of spiced Urad Dal paste and with a strong and beautiful aroma of hing or asafoetida. It is usually served with a side of Cholar Dal or Alur Dom. But in this recipe I served it with a Aloor Tarkari or a Potato Dish inspired by A Mad Tea Party

Usually I don't write up a recipe unless I have tried it a couple of times. But I figured that would make it 2016 until I put up this recipe. And really the recipe is perfect, it is the expertise which many of us need to gather to make stuff like this, that needs to be worked on. And we can all do that until 2016 strikes. Until then here is the recipe to follow.

 

Hing er Kochuri

Make the Stuffing 

Soak 1 cup of Urad Dal/Kalai er Dal/Biulir Dal overnight in water. Yep. Shuddh nirmal paani aka H2O aka water.

Next morning forget that you have soaked urad dal

Then in the afternoon when other folks in the house ask you why is there some dal soaking in a container, it all comes back. **Ting**. You have to grind the Dal. To make Hing er Kochuri.

All enthu, you put the dal in a blender along with
3 green chillies
1" ginger chopped

With aid of very little water, make a coarse paste. Not very coarse but not smooth like a Vada batter either.

Now you heat some mustard oil in a kadhai. I would suggest to use non-stick.

To the hot oil add
1/4 tsp of Hing/Asafoetida
1 tbsp of grated ginger
1/4 tsp of ground fennel seeds

Add the dal/lentil paste that you made. Add salt to taste and a pinch of sugar. Mix well.

Now comes the part where you have to keep stirring like a maniac. Okay, maybe not maniac but still considerable stirring as the st***d paste tries to stick to the kadhai. You might also have to add some more oil in the process.

Eventually your hard work will show some result. The paste will slowly start coming off from the sides and will get drier. It will also no longer taste or smell raw and will actually taste pretty good on eating. If it does not taste right, adjust the spices and keep stirring. Add little more Hing/Asafoetida if you feel the aroma is missing.
But take heart, this whole process takes a mere 20-30 minutes of your lifetime and life gets better after this.

Once you have the stuffing, keep it aside and make the dough for the kochuri. You could also have made the dough earlier, while the dal was soaking and all but then such foresight is not my plus point.

Make the Dough

In a wide mouthed bowl add
1 cup of AP Flour/Maida
1 cup of Whole Wheat
pinch of salt
1.5 tbsp of Vegetable Oil

With your fingers rub the oil in the flour. Then gradually add warm water to knead the dough until the dough is soft. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest.

Note: My Mother later said that she also adds a sprinkle of hing to the dough for a more Hing-y flavor, so try that.

Make the Kochuri

Take a small ball of the dough. It might take 2-3 tries until you settle at the right size. The size should be like a gooseberry/amla. Roughly make about 20 dough balls out of this dough.

Dip the tip of the ball in oil and then flatten it between your palm.

Now roll it out to a 2" circle. Take a little of the stuffing and put it in the center. bunch up the sides of the dough disc now to form a purse like formation. With your fingers, close the top of the purse so that the stuffing does not come out. Flatten it between your palm and you are ready to roll.
Note: You can also stuff it the traditional way by making small dent in the flat disc, putting the stuffing in and then sealing the dough disc

Roll out the stuffed ball into small discs about 3" in diameter, same size and thickness as that of a luchi or poori. Well maybe a wee bit thicker than luchi

Heat enough oil for frying in a Kadhai. When the oil is hot, dip the rolled out disc to see if the oil bubbles. If it does, slowly release the disc in oil and press with a slotted spoon coaxing the kochuri to puff. Once the kochuri puffs up and takes a shad of pale brown, take it out and get ready for the next.
Note: Now honestly, I might write all the theory but this step takes some practice and mine fails to puff up 40% of the time. So it is okay. Even if it does not puff up, it tastes really delicious.


Kochuri needs some Alu Torkari and different homes make it different way. Another favorite to go with Kochuri is the Cholar dal, a hot favorite to be precise. However, having made Anita's station aloo a couple of times, I have fallen in love with it and so that is what I made to go with these Kochuri.

Alur Torkari inspired by A Mad Tea Party

Chop 4-5 large potatoes in quarters and put to boil in the pressure cooker. We will peel them later.

Once the potatoes are done and have cooled down, peel the jackets and crumble the potatoes by hand. Don't mash them, just gently crumble.

Now heat some mustard oil in a Kadhai.

Temper the Oil with
1/4th tsp Hing
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Tej-Patta

Follow with a tbsp of grated ginger.
Once the ginger sizzles, add 1 small chopped tomatoe and 5-6 broken green chillies.
Fry till the tomatoes are all mushed up.

Add 1 tbsp of Coriander powder, Turmeric powder, salt to taste and saute for a minute.

Add the potatoes and then add about 2 cups of water. Stir around and let it come to  a boil.

Let it simmer for about say, 10 -12 minutes. In between break up some of the potatoes to give a thick texture to the gravy. Taste and adjust the spices.

Both my daughters enjoyed the Hing er Kochuri and Torakri a lot and I think I have to make it soon, if only for then.

Pasta with Grilled Vegetables and toasted Breadcrumbs

We had this Pasta for dinner some time last week.

It was so good and the girls liked it so much that I decided to share with you all.

Also maybe I would want to make it again, very soon, and I would be moving heaven and earth trying to find the Pasta recipe that I just did on 26th September, 2013 or was it 25th ? But I would never find it because a) it would all be in my mind and b) I forget things that are on my mind.

So for benefit of mankind and myself, here is the recipe as I made it.

1. Chop veggies like pepper, mushroom, onion. Toss in Olive oil and salt. Pop in oven at 350F for say 30-40 mins.

2. While veggies cook, you can do several other things, none of which should involve stressful activities like doing power yoga.

3.If you still have time from doing non-stressful activities, put a big pot of water to boil. Generously salt it.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions. I had Fettuccine and the box said "cook for 10-12 minutes" and so I chose 13. Once pasta is done, drain and reserve some pasta water.
Toss the pasta in olive oil and keep aside.

5. While the pasta cooks, for 13 minutes is a looong time, put a a frying pan on fire. Yes, you heard it right.

6. Warm up some olive oil in there. Add  a good amount of minced garlic and stir around a bit. Gahhhlic is important. For your breath.

7. Once the garlic is fragrant add some chopped sausage if you have or want them in your pasta. Follow with a tbsp of marinara sauce from the jar.
Again, if you don't have the tomato sauce, fine, go and add a tbsp of ketchup. This pasta thing is very free wheeling as long as you are not Italian.

8. Throw in the almost-done veggies from the oven and toss with sausage etc.

9. Now put in the cooked pasta. Add some salt to taste. Sprinkle little of the pasta water and toss the pasta along with veggies. Add a splash of olive oil if you feel that is the right thing to do.

10. Meanwhile put a cup of breadcrumbs into a oven safe tray and toast in the oven for couple of minutes. You can use fresh for that is best but I had the store bought seasoned kind.

11. When you taste and all feels fine with the world add some...Guess what ? Add some of the toasted bread crumbs!!! Yes, yes. Breadcrumbs. I had no idea that people add breadcrumb to pasta until I saw this. Toss the pasta with breadcrumbs. It is excellent.

12.And since there has to be a twelfth commandment for 11 is an odd number to end a list, garnish with some fresh basil and add feta if you so wish. Then dig in.

Now something that is totally unrelated to Pasta. As in "Pasta se koi wasta nahin". If you have by any chance read through my book, you would get a general idea that I am not the one who has perfectly matching accessories and high sense of fashion. I am severely challenged in that area. That does not preclude my being friends with fashionistas though. Many of my friends are impeccably turned out and have a very acute sense of what earring complements which high heels.

One of them is this lady who has been creating waves with her beautifully designed sarees. If you are in the area and you want to catch a glimpse of her exquisite creations do stop by her exhibition on Oct 5th.

The Indian Fish Curry with tomatoes, coriander and mint

What is "The Indian Fish Curry" ? I have no clue.

I just named it thus. I have been clueless since yesterday. Yesterday, I spilled tea on LS's homework. The very first homework that she brings back back from Kindergarten. The one single worksheet which asked her to color all objects which start with a letter M. Objects as in, pictures of objects in an A4 sized worksheet.

So here I am calmly drinking my tea at the kitchen table while she is very importantly coloring the "mitt" , proud to have at least some homework compared to the loads that her fifth grader sister brings in. And then I shoot out my hand to point out that maybe it is a nice idea to color within the lines. And my shot out hand actually knocks off my cup of tea which spills part on her worksheet. No one is harmed, except for the worksheet. And my ego.

LS wags her finger at me and says "This time it is not my fault at all. Puro tomar dosh. All your fault." I nod my head in agreement and say "Sorry" umpteen times. We also mop up the worksheet which is now stained with my red label chai and set it to dry. I fear LittleSis would be hopping mad. Surprisingly she isn't. She takes a certain pleasure in the fact that it is all my fault and then asks me if I have to make more tea for myself as there was none left for me to drink. Tea is important to me.

Then I print more worksheets. I don't get the exact same one on internet so I print something similar. She does not complain and does the homework again. And at that point, I am a bit ashamed. If it had been my important work which was messed up by the kids spilling something on it, I would have shouted, given them a scolding and then a lecture on how to be more careful. And then I would have showcased that incident as an example for all of life's future lessons that I have planned for the girls.

"Remember that purple grape juice, the one that you spilled on my..., did you realize how it could have triggered global warming and war in Syria?" I would have droned.

LS with all her anger on her nose tip showed more composure than me.

While I am pretty generous with scolding my girls, I do realize that there is a lot to learn from them each day. Like the way BigSis is ready to take up harder tasks at school and the way she is comfortable facing a large crowd on the piano, scares me downright. When LS does her somersaults, stands on her head and tries to do cartwheels, I flinch and think how I can do none of those. They say children learn from their parents. It happens the other way too. Only I can never do cartwheels or play the piano. Ever.

Fish curry and those pretty painted cups are a gift from Mandira Maashi of Ahaar

This Fish curry which I have so generously named "The Indian Fish Curry" as if it is a representative of the 1.23 billion people in India, is a curry which probably no one has ever had or even heard of. But then it perfectly represents the country as it is not from east, west, south or north but is a dish which happened when I closed my eyes and started throwing things like tomatoes, mint, coriander from the refrigerator into the blender and then borrowed the tempering of tej-patta and methi seeds from my Mother's tomato fish curry. It is a blend. And a spicy, tangy one at that.

Also when I googled "Indian Fish Curry", my browser was flooded with curries from a lot of non-Indian sites shouting hoarse their best curry and some even claiming to be from Bengal. Couldn't be left behind I thought. If the world wants "Indian Fish Curry", I am all up for it.

I wish I could say this dish reminds me of "Desh ki Dharti" and smells just like the river that meandered right past my house. But nothing like that happens. Nevertheless it is a darn good curry and tastes beyond borders. And that river was a good 15 minutes from the house.

Fish Curry with tomatoes, mint and coriander

Buy Fish. Most important step. This is a versatile gravy and so you can choose almost any fish. Only not Hilsa. Never embarrass a Hilsa with "The Indian Fish Curry".
BTW I bought Tilapia from the Asian Market which was cut in steak pieces. I used about 6-8 of those steak pieces for this gravy.

Rinse the fish pieces. Pat them dry. Now rub them with salt, turmeric powder and leave them aside for 15-20 minutes.

At this point, which means 20 mins after the previous step, you are supposed to fry the fish. Fry in hot mustard oil. But thanks to my friend R, I no longer do this. I just broil the fish in the oven.
So drizzle some oil on the fish. Choose mustard oil if you wish. Then pop them in the oven to broil. I have a toaster oven which has a broil setting and 25 mins in there, the fish is done.
Of course your neighbor aunty from Kolkata will nod her head and say "tch-tch" and that nothing tastes like a fish fried brown in Shorsher tel. Smile and ignore.

Now to make the gravy put the following in a blender
1 cup of mint + coriander leaves(50% of each)
1 cup of pureed tomato OR 1 large tomato chopped
6-8 cloves of garlic
5-6 hot Indian green chillies
and make a fine paste

Heat some oil in a kadhai. Mustard oil should be good but any other will work. Few of you might disagree on that but what is "The Indian Fish curry" if there are no discords and disagreement.

Temper the oil with
2 Tej Patta/Bay leaf
few methi seeds, say about 15

Once the oil is flavored, add the paste you made. Fry the paste till oil starts separating. Unity in diversity.We all know that is what boosts the taste.

In a bowl take 2 tbsp of thick yogurt. To it add
1 heaped tsp of Coriander powder and 1/2 tsp of Kashmiri Mirch
Mix well.

Add this to the kadhai and saute for a minute at low heat.

Now add the broiled fish pieces and saute with the masala for a minute.

Add about 3/4th cup of warm water, salt and very little sugar to taste, 2 green chilli finely chopped and let the gravy simmer to a boil.

Once the gravy has reached a consistency which is not very runny, switch off heat. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves and cover the kadhai. Let the curry soak up the flavor.

Serve with rice or pulao.

Be ready to hear diverse opinions abut how good, or how bad or how ordinary it is. Also be ready to answer any questions about your before life, after life, price of fish, quality of fish and how Bunty's mother would make it way better.