আনন্দ নাড়ু - "Happy Balls"

It is a Bengali tradition during winter to eat “pitthe” – a group of sweetmeats made from coconut, rice flour, milk and molasses from date palm trees. These traditional recipes are usually complicated and time-consuming.

My mother-in-law taught me this quick and easy recipe so that her grandchildren could enjoy this winter treat while being simple for me to make anywhere.

Ingredients:

· 2 cups rice flour

· 1 cup desiccated coconut

· 1 cup sugar

· 1 cup cake flour

· Pinch of salt

· 1 tsp baking powder

· 3 Tbsp (1/4 cup) unpolished white sesame seed

· +- 1 cup milk

· Oil for deep-frying

Method:

• Mix all dry ingredients together with milk. The mixture mustn’t be too dry or too soggy. It is not supposed to form a dough.
• Make the mixture into small balls.
• The oil must be very hot before frying. You can test the temperature with a small sample of the mixture which should float to the surface.
• Fry till golden brown on all sides. Be careful, and lower the temperature when the oil becomes too hot and starts to burn the balls without cooking them on the inside.
  
• Place cooked balls onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.
  
• Enjoy and share with your loved ones.
• Good luck!

My Windowsill Garden

I thought I should share pictures of my beautiful garden which I will sadly have to leave behind as I relocate:

My tomato plant

My beloved chillies which add a "kick" to my cuisine.

I was unsuccessful at mass-producing beans, but I grew a few organic ones. My children don't like them anyway.

I do not only grow vegetables, but beautiful flowers like this Christmas Cactus.

I have Christmas Cactuses in red and purple as well.

Last but not least, the latest addition to my garden: The Aparajita. I bought these seeds with me from India. Sadly, I am relocating just as they start to bloom. At least I had the pleasure of one flourishing before I departed.

Grilled Dressed Sole

Marinade

Ingredients:

Ø 4 Medium sized sole fillets washed and dried

Ø 1 Tbsp of:

• Garlic
• Green chilli
• Basil pesto
• Tomato pesto
• Curry powder
  
• Cake flour OR bread crumbs

Use these ingredients to marinade the sole fillets and leave for 3 hours.

Frying

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp of cooking oil
• Ø 1 Tbsp methi seed

Heat the oil with methi seed and lightly fry the fish on both sides for approximately 2 – 3 minutes.

Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp of brown onion soup powder OR 2 Tbsp vegetable stock
• 1 Tsp of mustard powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of boiled water

Boil the water and mix all these ingredients into it while stirring.

Baking

• Arrange the fish in an oven-proof dish
• Pour the sauce over the fish
• Blanch green vegetables and decorate the dish.
• Grill for approximately 10 minutes (All ovens are not the same! Trust your own judgement)

I hope you enjoy this dish. However, if you do not, remember that we must accept that pain and disappointments are a part of life :-)

God Bless

Koolz’ Cardamom Chicken

The dish consists of 3 steps. The recipes for each step are shown. They are to be finally served together.

Chicken:

Ingredients:

• 4 Skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp Paste of Ginger and garlic
• 1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Mustard Powder
• 2 Tbsp Plain yoghurt
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Marinade the chicken by mixing all the above ingredients and leave for 3 hours.Bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes.

Veggies:

Ingredients:

A selection of fresh green vegetables of your choice and lentil sprouts.

Method:

Wash, dry and steam these vegetables.

Cardamom Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Butter or margarine
• 4/5 cup milk
  
• 2 Tbsp cake flour
  
• Pinch of salt
  1 tsp of freshly ground cardamom powder

Method:

• Melt the butter in a sauce pan over slow heat.
  
• Gradually stir the flour, mixed with salt into the melted butter until quite smooth.
  
• Add milk little by little while stirring constantly until the sauce is thick and smooth.
  
• Add cardamom powder

Finally

• Place the chicken breast on a plate and decorate with steamed vegetables and cover with cardamom sauce.
  
• Garnish with fresh herbs
• Enjoy!

Recipe: Grilled Hake con Plum

This Recipe has been certified by my son who loves it!


Ingredients:

• 4 Hake Fillets (Medium size)
• 4 Tbsp Brown onion soup powder
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of Turmeric Powder
• 1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil to fry
• ½ Tbsp Methi Seeds
  
• Boree
• Plums (4 if small, 2 if large)
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• Chillies
• Handful Basil
• 1 Tbsp Mustard Powder

Method:

• Wash and dry hake fillets
• Sprinkle salt and a pinch of turmeric powder and brown onion soup powder on fillets.
• Put 1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil in a frying pan along with ½ Tbsp methi seeds
• When the oil is very hot, place the fish in the pan. Fry the fish for a minute or two.
• Remove the fillets from the oil and place in an oven-proof tray.
• Add 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (depending on size) chopped finely onto the fillets as well as chopped green chillies.
• Fry Boree (derivative of gram dahl paste) in the same oil as the fillets.
• Once the Boree is fried, add to the fillets on the tray.
• Slice 4 plums (if small, or 2 big plums) and place on the tray along with the fish and Boree.
• Boil 3 cups of water. Add 2 Tbsp Brown onion soup powder to the boiled water and 1 Tbsp of mustard powder. Pour this water on top of the fillets
• Add salt to taste and a handful of basil leaves to the tray.
• Put the tray in the oven at 180°C and bake for 10 minutes.
• Serve with rice or with a salad.
• Enjoy and good luck!