Chaler Payesh

Bengali cuisine is a culinary style originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, which is now divided between Bangladesh and the West Bengal state of India. Other regions, such as Tripura, and the Barak Valley region of Assam (in India) also have large native Bengali populations and share this cuisine. With an emphasis on fish, vegetables and lentils are served with rice as a staple diet.

Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle (yet sometimes fiery) flavors, and its spread of confectioneries and desserts.

In a daily meal it is likely that some of the courses might get missed, for instance the 'Shak', the additional course, Chutney and Papor. In some cases, the dessert might be missed as well. The courses overall are the same at home or at a social function (e.g. marriage feast). Rice, which is the staple across the meal gets replaced by 'luchi' or luchi stuffed with dal or mashed green peas. The replacement is a relatively recent phenomenon and has been seen in practice only from about the early 20th century.

Payesh is a form of Indian style rice pudding or kheer or ari payasam which is often made in our houses.  It is a tasty and flavorful bengali dessert. Chaler payesh is a tasty bengali dessert which is prepared during all auspicious occasions in Bengali families. This payesh is made with jaggery and lots of nuts.

Gobindobhog is a rice variety which is cultivated in Bengal which is sticky and aromatic with a buttery flavor.  This rice variety is used in the preparation of chaler payesh.  But I couldn’t find the rice variety here, so used basmati rice instead.  You can also make use of any short variety of rice like jeera rice.  If you can find gobindobhog rice in your area, I would suggest you to use this rice variety to get tasty flavorful payesh.

Check out the recipe below and enjoyyy the flavors.  

Ingredients

1/4 cup basmati rice, (In this payesh bengalis normally use Gobindobhog rice)
4 cups full-fat milk
1/2 cup Jaggery
2 bay leaves
3-4  cardamom
1/4 cup chopped mixed nuts ( cashew nuts , almonds and pistachios)
  
Method:













1. Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

2. Heat the milk in a deep non-stick pan with bay leaves and cardamom, boil on a medium flame for 8 minutes.

3. Add the rice, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 20 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

4. Add the jaggery, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4 minutes, while stirring continuously.

5. Switch off the flame, discard the bay leaves and add the mixed nuts and mix well.
   

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve chilled.

Hariyali Aloo Tikka

Tikka is a type of South Asian food, found predominantly in Punjabi cuisine, and usually served as an appetizer. It is also known as teeka or teekka. "Tikka" refers to a piece of meat, such as a cutlet. The popular dish chicken tikka is made of chicken cutlets in a marinade. Vegetarian varieties are also popular. A westernised version, chicken tikka masala, a curry, is a widely popular dish in the United Kingdom. The marinade used in the preparation of chicken tikka is also sometimes called tikka; it is made from a mixture of aromatic spices and yogurt. Paneer prepared in a tandoor is also known as paneer tikka. Tikka prepared with meat is known as Kebab. The major ingredient in vegetarian tikkas is potato. The tikka or kebab is deep fried. Kebabs are a popular dish in Mughlai cuisine.

This Hariyali Aloo tikka  recipe is sure to be loved by people of all age groups. This easy-to-make recipe doesn't take much time in its preparation. These baby potatoes, onions, and capsicum are marinated in Coriander, Mint, garlic, ginger, and green chilies. And finally grilled in oven for 10-15 minutes at 180 degree. You can serve it with any raita or some salad. If you're a spice lover, then you can customize this recipe by adding more chilies as per your preference.

Ingredients:

1 cup Coriander Leaves
1/2 cup Mint Leaves
1 small Garlic Clove
2 chopped Green Chilies
1 inch piece of Ginger
1/2 Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Cumin Seed Powder
1 tbsp Gram Flour
9-10 pieces Boiled Baby Potatoes
Onions chopped into big pieces
Bell Peppers chopped into big pieces
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind coriander leaves, mint leaves, garlic clove, green chilies, ginger, lemon juice, salt, cumin seed powder into a fine paste.

2. Mix roasted gram to the coriander paste and coat the potatoes, onions, bell pepper with the coriander marinade.

3. Place the vegetable in skewers and grill it in a Pre-heated oven at 180c - Keep rotating the skewers in between till it gets slight black edges.

The Hariyali Aloo Tikki is ready to be served hot.

Foxtail Millet Upma

In India, foxtail millet is still an important crop in its arid and semi-arid regions. In South India, it has been a staple diet among people for a long time from the sangam period. It is popularly quoted in the old Tamil texts and is commonly associated with Lord Muruga and his consort Valli.

In China, foxtail millet is the most common millet and one of the main food crops, especially among the poor in the dry northern part of that country. In Southeast Asia, foxtail millet is commonly cultivated in its dry, upland regions. In Europe and North America it is planted at a moderate scale for hay and silage, and to a more limited extent for birdseed.

For our 108th #Foodiemonday Bloghop event, We are back with #Millets recipes, and here I have tried an Upma from Foxtail millets. It was a power pack breakfast for us. We enjoyed this Upma with plain curd, as you can serve it with White coconut chutney. Check out the simple yet healthy recipe of this Foxtail millet upma. Enjoyyy:)

Ingredients

    1 cup Foxtail Millet
    1 Onion   
    1/4 cup Carrot, chopped
    1/4 cup Green beans (French Beans), chopped
    1/2 tsp Mustard seeds   
    1/2 tsp Cumin seeds   
    5-6 Curry leaves, finely chopped
    1 tsp Ginger, grated
    2 Green Chilies, finely chopped
    1/4 tsp Turmeric powder   
    1 tsp Cooking oil   
    1 tsp Ghee   
    2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
    Salt, to taste

Method:

 1. Steam the carrots, beans and cauliflower with a little salt and set aside.

 2. Heat oil in a medium size saucepan that has a light fitting lid; add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. Add the chopped onions, curry leaves and sauté until the onions are tender and the color changes to light pink.

 3. Add turmeric powder, green chilies, millet and salt. Stir for about a minute on medium heat until you get a roasted aroma of the roasted millet.

 4. Add 2-1/2 cups of water to the above mixture and cover the pan with a lid. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed by the millet and feels cooked and looks grainy.

 5. If uncooked, sprinkle more water and simmer a little longer. Once done turn off the heat and allow the mixture to sit covered for 5 minutes. Gently stir in the steamed vegetables, the ghee and coriander leaves until well combined.