Begun Basanti - Eggplant in Mustard and Yogurt Sauce

Begun Basanti

My sister, Rene, introduced me to this eggplant dish. Use any kind of eggplant. Just make sure they are cut in uniform pieces. Even the smallest eggplant, left whole or cut in half, work really well here. I love Japanese eggplant because they taste so good. I used Greek yogurt and whipped it with besan to keep it from separating in the hot oil.

Ingredients

4 Japanese or long eggplant
4 + 2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. paprika/Kashmiri mirch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. kalonji/nigella seeds
1 green chili, minced
1 cup thick yogurt
1 tsp. besan or gram flour

Onion-Garlic-Tomato Paste

1 tsp. oil
1 medium onion, quartered
6 cloves garlic
1 medium tomato
1/2 tsp. sugar

Mustard Paste
1 Tbsp. black mustard seeds
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 green chili, diced

Garnish
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. garam masala powder (cinnamon, cloves & cardamom)
1 tsp. mustard oil
3 green chilies, sliced into circles or slit
cilantro, minced

Directions

1. Cut eggplant in 2" lengths and cut each segment in half lengthwise.
2. Toss eggplant pieces 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Soak mustard seeds in water for 1/2 hour, drain and blend with salt and green chili to a smooth paste.
4. Bring a cup of water to a boil and blanch quartered onion, garlic cloves and tomato until skin on tomato splits.
5. Remove skin from tomato and blend it along with oil, sugar, blanched onion and garlic to a smooth paste, reserving water.
6. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil and fry marinated eggplant until golden brown and soft.
7. Remove eggplant from oil and set aside.
8. Add remaining oil to skillet and temper with nigella seeds and minced green chilies.
9. Add remaining turmeric powder and paprika to hot oil along with onion-garlic-tomato paste and stir-fry until oil resurfaces.
10. Add reserved water from blanching onion to skillet.
11. Beat yogurt with besan and mustard paste, and add to skillet.
12. Return eggplant to skillet, stir well and bring gravy to a boil.
13. Garnish with sugar, garam masala powder and chilies.
14. Stir, sprinkle with cilantro and transfer to a serving dish.

Serve as a side dish with hot, steamed rice.

Creamy Yogurt Cake

 

Yogurt Cheese Cake

A creamy, practically guilt-free cheese cake that substitutes cream cheese with yogurt. I followed a Burmese video to make the cake. I was impressed with how delicious the cake turned out considering the minimal number of ingredients used.

Burmese Chicken Biryani - Danbauk

Danbauk

Perfectly paired with Tomato Raita.

Tomato Raita

The only unusual ingredient used is Oriental curry powder - I used S&B brand.

S&B Spicy Curry Powder

The recipe looks tedious but is no different from any other biryani.

Chicken Rezala with Saffron

Chicken Rezala with Saffron

Perfect for entertaining, this chicken dish was marinated and simmered in the same skillet. The only bit of work was blending the paste comprising Greek yogurt, almond slivers, deep-fried onions and raisins.

Everything was combined in the skillet and left at room temperature to marinate for 2-3 hours, then slowly simmered over medium heat for 25-30 minutes until oil floated to the surface. It's the creamiest, most succulent chicken preparation that I have had in a long time. I have Mum to thank for introducing me to this dish.

Onion and Tomato Raita

Onion and Tomato Raita

Raita is a cold salad, often served with a festive Indian meal, that helps to mellow the heat in spicy dishes. A dressing of Greek yogurt cools the body. 

A salsa of diced onions, tomatoes, green chilies and cilantro is dressed with Greek yogurt that is cooling to the body. Unlike a salad which is eaten as a first course, Raita is eaten along with other components of an Indian meal.

Reshmi Chicken Wings

Reshmi Chicken Wings

These melt-in-the-mouth, fall-off-the-bone chicken wings were marinated overnight in salt & pepper, oil, and Greek yogurt whipped with ginger and garlic pastes. It's a quick and easy dish to serve at lunch or as a starter to a more elaborate Indian meal.

Meijer's Fresh Chicken Wings

They started with a 2 lb. package of chicken wings which were segmented into drummettes and wings. I saved the wing tips for noodle soup later in the week. The wings came out meaty and juicy and were ready to serve in 30 minutes, after being marinated overnight.

The recipe was inspired by one on Facebook which I adapted to my liking. I've added specifics regarding ingredients and oven settings using American weights and measures. 

It's Poila Boishak or the Bengali New Year and these wings were a great starter to our celebration dinner for my husband and me.

Shahi Palak Murgh - Royal Chicken & Spinach

Chicken & Spinach Fit for a King!

A quick and easy chicken and spinach curry that goes well with steamed rice or chapatis/tortillas. Using Shan's Chicken White Korma masala eliminated the need to come up with a similar blend of spices and flavours. Why waste time reinventing the wheel?

Chicken Rezala - Boneless Chicken in Yogurt Sauce

Chicken Rezala

Mum made her rezala with bone-in, golden browned chicken which I've replaced with boneless, skinless chicken thighs to cater to the taste of people in my household. There are umpteen different recipes on the internet for this dish, some more complicated than others. I'm all for easy cooking, so please excuse me if you don't consider this the authentic way to make rezala.

In keeping with the white and creamy appearance of the gravy, the chicken pieces are not browned and white pepper powder adds a tinge of spiciness without darkening the look. If you prefer to use bone-in chicken, double the amount of chicken and increase the cooking time.

Cauliflower in Yogurt Sauce - Doi Phoolkopi

Doi Phoolkopi

It's hard to keep cauliflower from turning to mush when it's cooked in a gravy base. Today I learned a new trick from the internet food blogs, to microwave the florets for 3 minutes and allow them to soak for 15 minutes in the hot water. The texture remains firm after cooking in the yogurt sauce. Another trick I learned today was to add a teaspoon of besan (chickpea flour) to the Greek yogurt while whipping it, which prevents the curds separating from the whey when it's heated.

To save some cooking time, a can of Del Monte's sliced potatoes came in handy in place of the russet potatoes I would have otherwise used.  

To give this dish a taste of Kashmir, the ground spices consist of Kashmiri mirch (paprika) along with powdered ginger and fennel seed powder.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani

Biryani is a delicious and wholesome combination of rice, layered with meat or vegetables and potatoes, cooked with aromatic spices and garnished with deep fried onions. Making a traditional biryani is a long and complicated process which was beyond my comprehension until my brother who is a wonderful cook, allowed me to watch him produce outstanding results using a very simple process. I came back home after that weekend in Toronto and tried it without the same success.

Chicken Biryani Plated

My brother cooks the chicken on the stovetop, cooks the rice in a rice cooker and pours the chicken and all its juices over the rice and sets the biryani aside until dinnertime. His biryani tastes simply awesome, but I was not able to replicate it. 

My way is to cook chicken and potatoes in a big saucepan, cover the top with Greek yogurt, top it with rice that has been soaked and strained well, add chicken broth in proportion to the rice, bring it to a boil and then cover and simmer it over low heat for 25 minutes. It sounds complicated, but is really easy to do.

Varieties of Ready-Made Birista

Birista or deep fried onions are an essential garnish for both pulaos and biryanis. They're easy to make but is a tedious and long process. Much easier to pick up a bottle or package of birista at the oriental markets.

Shan Pilau Biryani Mix

Recipe on back of package

The recipe that follows was inspired by the recipe on the back of the spice mix with a few modifications which were made to simplify the process. 

Simple Salad

Serve this biryani with a simple salad of diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, green chilies, salt and lime juice. Or accompany the biryani with one of the following raitas.

   

Fuji Apple Raita

Tzatziki or Cucumber Raita

Tzatziki Meatloaf Rollup

Tzatziki

We  recently had gyros-in-a-kit which came with a serving of tzatziki. Just take a look at the nutrition facts for tzatziki...there isn't a better and more delicious condiment for those of us who are watching our carb intake! By making it at home, I was able to cut down the calories per serving to 18 calories, sodium to 20 mg., cholesterol to 2 mg., total carbs to 1.5 g and sugars to 0 g. This I did by using fat-free Chobani Greek yogurt.

Chobani Greek Yogurt

But what is tzatziki, you ask? It's a staple in Turkish, Greek and other Mediterranean cuisine, made simply by combining yogurt with garlic and cucumber, along with a few other seasonings. In Indian cuisine, it's called cucumber raita. The rich and creamy texture of tzatziki is perfect for dipping raw vegetables, to serve alongside biryani or pulao, grilled meats like kebabs or to use as a sandwich spread. 

Clockwise from top left:
Meatloaf
Tortilla layered with lettuce & tzatziki
Slice of meatloaf
Tzatziki Meatloaf Rollup

For lunch today we had meatloaf sandwiches for which flour tortillas were lined with lettuce, slathered with tzatziki and topped with a slice of meatloaf. It's the best sandwich I've had in a long, long time.

Chicken Rezala

Chicken Rezala

Mum's Rezala was always delectable. She made it with bone-in chicken pieces that were fried until golden brown and then marinated in whipped yogurt. Her chicken rezala was succulent and delicious! 

Mine is a lazy (wo)man's shortcut that still tastes very good. It involves massaging the yogurt marinade into the chicken and setting it aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. I prefer using Greek yogurt so that there is less chance that it will curdle during the cooking process. Adding a teaspoonful of cornstarch to the yogurt will thicken the gravy as the chicken simmers. Greek yogurt should be brought to room temperature before marinating.

A surprising twist to the traditional razaila recipe is to add ground white pepper. It adds a spicy heat and the white pepper keeps the gravy light-coloured and creamy.

Tuna, Chickpeas & Potato Salad

Tuna, Chickpeas & Potato Salad

Tuna salad, potato salad and chickpeas/garbanzo beans individually are among my favourite foods. Here, all three were combined with red and orange rainbow peppers to produce a refreshing salad when it's chilled and served for lunch. The dressing is composed of yogurt, mixed with ranch dressing and the salad is garnished with green onions.

Pomfret Doi Maach - Pomfret in Yogurt Sauce

Pomfret Doi Maach

Pomfret reminds me of our stay in Bombay (now known as Mumbai). At the time we lived there in the mid '70s, river fish like those found in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) were hard to come by. It was a huge adjustment to switch to ocean fish among which pomfret was the most palatable. The fishy aroma can be toned down by marinating pomfret in garlic paste.

Doi Keema Matar - Minced Meat & Peas in a Yogurt Sauce

Doi Keema Matar

A really easy minced meat curry made with ground lamb, beef or chicken and green peas that tastes great as a stuffing for pita pocket sandwiches or served over steamed Basmati rice or with tortillas/chapatis.

I use my pressure cooker whenever I can to cook meat because it takes less time and seals in all the flavors. If cooking this in a saucepan is more convenient, make sure to simmer over medium heat for at least 45 minutes in Step 10.

Ingredients:

1 lb. minced lamb, beef or chicken

1 cup frozen peas

½ tsp. shah jeera or cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 large black cardamoms

2 large onions, diced

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 (6 oz.) tub of Greek yogurt

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1/2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch or chili powder to taste

1 Tbsp. ginger paste

1 Tbsp. garlic paste

1/4 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder

1 green chili, finely diced

2 cups hot beef or chicken broth

salt to taste

1 bunch mint, minced

1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

1 tsp. ghee or butter

1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

1. Brown minced meat with salt to taste and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker over high heat and sputter shah jeera, cinnamon stick and cardamoms.
3. Add chopped onion, green chili and fry until onions turn translucent.  Do not brown the onions.
4. Add ginger & garlic pastes, turmeric and Kashmiri mirch, stir well and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add tomatoes, stir again and cook until tomatoes break down.
6. Add browned chicken, along with mint and stir well.
7. Turn heat off, add yogurt a tablespoon at a time and stir into chicken.
8. Return cooker to medium heat and simmer until oil resurfaces.
9. Add half the hot chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and bring to full pressure.  
10. Simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes, remove from heat and allow all the pressure to release.
11. Adjust salt to taste, stir in sugar and remaining hot broth and stir well.
12. Garnish with garam masala, ghee and cilantro and serve with hot basmati rice, naan or tortilla.

Chicken Rezala with Mint

Chicken Rezala with Mint

Legend has it that Chicken Rezala was born in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) by bawarchis (cooks) in the kitchen of the Nawab of Lucknow. It is an elaborate preparation involving the paste of poppy seeds & nuts, yogurt & ghee, among other ingredients.

Here is a simplified version of the same, taken up a notch with the addition of mint chutney, that is light, delicious and perfect for lunch with loochis (puffed bread) or hot Basmati rice. If mint chutney is not available, make your own by blending a bunch of mint leaves with cilantro stems, lime juice, salt to taste and a smidgen of sugar. This chutney goes well with Indian appetizers such as samosas or pakoras.

Cauliflower Stir-Fried with Yogurt

Doi Kopi

Whipped Greek yogurt adds a creaminess to simple stir-fries. Here cauliflower has been sliced in bite-sized pieces and stir-fried until it's cooked, but still crunchy. The secret is to soak the cut cauliflower in hot water and leave it to cool. This also saves cooking time, so this dish comes together quickly. 

I like to keep the ingredients simple, so the only spices used are fennel powder & Bengali garam masala powder comprising ground cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Black cardamoms are big cardamom pods that are easily removed from the dish prior to serving. Squeeze the tip of each pod to crack it so that the flavor penetrates the gravy without releasing the seeds. The small green cardamom pods are an irritant when they unexpectedly lodge in the teeth and are better served ground into a powder.

INGREDIENTS
1 cauliflower, sliced in bite-sized pieces 

2 cups boiling water, flavored with salt and turmeric
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 tsp. hing/asafetida powder
1/4 tsp. shah jeera/cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 black cardamoms
2 onions, diced

1 tsp. ginger paste

1 tsp. garlic paste

1 tsp. fennel powder

1 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder

1 cup Greek unflavored yogurt

1 green chili, diced

4 green chilies, slit & left whole

1 tsp. ghee

1/2 cup cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour boiling water over cauliflower and leave to soak until cold.
2. Heat oil, sputter hing, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and cardamom.
3. Add diced green chilies and onions & stir-fry until translucent.
4. Scoop cauliflower out of soaking liquid and stir into skillet.
5. Mix ginger & garlic pastes with fennel, garam masala powders and yogurt.
6. Pour over cauliflower in skillet and stir well.
7. Cover and simmer over medium heat until oil resurfaces.
8. Adjust salt to taste and garnish with ghee, whole green chilies & fresh cilantro. 

Serve with hot Basmati rice or any Indian bread.

Minty Chicken Curry in Yogurt Sauce

Dadu's Ceylon Chicken Curry

Mum used to make this scrumptious recipe of Dadu’s (Grandfather). He was a

gourmet cook and loved International cuisine as much as Baangal (East Bengali) food. The combination of mint, cilantro and yogurt gives this chicken curry a very unique flavour.

Fuji Apple Salad or Raita

A recipe for green apple raita on the Internet caught my attention because all of the ingredients are always available in our home. Flavorful Fuji apples, I decided, would work really well here and that turned out to be true. We try to avoid sugar in our household, so that was replaced with agave nectar. The garnish was another of my adaptations to the original recipe.

Raita is a common part of an Indian meal and is identifiable by its white yogurt dressing. This salad is usually made with cooked vegetables (e.g. boiled potatoes & fried okra) and uncooked vegetables (e.g. diced cucumber & grated carrots). Raita is served chilled and cools the palate during a spicy meal. Rather than serving it as a first course, it is eaten in between and after more spicy items and helps digest the meal.

I’ve used Greek yogurt which is much higher in protein than regular yogurt and is what I had in the fridge. Vanilla flavored yogurt (Danon Lite & Fit) also makes a good dressing for raita, in which case the sweetener should be omitted.

Basa Fillets in Yogurt Sauce

Basa Maach-er Doi Maach

Basa is also known as Mekong catfish and Swai. The latter has recently become available in mainstream grocery stores in our area. It is a white fish that has a more delicate flavor than catfish.

When I begin cooking a meal, I raid the fridge and lay out all the vegetables on the counter. Then items get paired with the three or four, sometimes five, dishes I plan to make. That's how half a red pepper or Kashmiri Mirch/Capsicum made its way into this fish dish. Half a container of plain Greek (or hung) yogurt was used in this dish and the other half in a Beet & Cucumber Raita.

In this way, every vegetable plays an important part in the meal and rarely, if ever, do I discard one because it's past its prime.

Tip:
Reduce and keep the heat on low before adding yogurt to the pan. Do not allow the yogurt sauce to boil as this may cause it to separate or curdle.