| Bengali |
 |
Bengal's greatest contribution to the food heritage of India is a magnificent spectrum of
sweets made from burnt milk and curd. 'Rasogullas', 'gulab jamuns', 'cham cham',
'malai
sandwich', 'chena murki', 'anarkali', 'rajbhog' - the list of mouth-watering delicacies is
endless. 'Mishti dhoi' or yoghurt sweetened with jaggery is a must in every Bengali home.
Guests are always welcomed with 'sandesh' or sweets made from burnt milk and 'singadas' or
crisp samosas. Besides sweets, the Bengalis eat fish with great relish and most of the
popular Bengali dishes are made from fish.
BENGALI KHATTI MITHI CHANA DAL
Sweet and sour chana dal
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
300 gms chana dal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp onion seeds
1/4 tsp ani seeds
5 whole red chillies
2 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup fresh coconut sliced into 2 cms long pieces
2 tbsps raisins
Oil
Salt to taste
Preparation:
Soak dal for 4 hours in water. Pressure cook till soft. Add turmeric, salt and sugar. Keep
aside. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek, aniseeds, broken red chillies, onion seeds,
bay leaves, coconut chips and raisins. Fry gently till golden. Pour the cooked dal into
the fried masala. Add enough water to cook and make into a thick gravy. Simmer and serve
with 'loochies' or 'puris'.
MACHCHI KI SARSORI
Fish in mustard oil
Serves: 4
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1/2 kg fish sliced
3 potatoes sliced
2 onions sliced
2 green chillies
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
100 gms mustard oil, heated and cooled
Salt to taste
Preparation
Mix the onions, potatoes, chillies, turmeric and salt with the fish. Put all these in a
pan with the mustard oil and just enough water. Cook on a low fire. Stir carefully without
breaking the potatoes and the fish slices. Cook gently till the fish is cooked and
browned. Remove from the fire. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Kashmiri cuisine is essentially meat-based. Lamb, goat's
meat and chicken form the basis of many a famous dish. The abundance of dry fruit like
walnuts, dried dates, and apricots also inspire the Kashmiri connoisseur to use them
lavishly in puddings, curries and snacks. Cottage cheese or 'chaman' as it is called, is
also a popular accompaniment to many meats and vegetables.
|
