Ingredients
1 cup rice
2 tbsp split Bengal gram (chickpea)
2 tbsp skinned green gram or yellow moong dal
2 tbsp split green gram or green moong dal
2 tbsp pigeon pea or arhar dal
2 tbsp pink lentil or masoor dal
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup potatoes, cut into cubes
½ cup carrot, cut into cubes
½ cup tomatoes, cut into cube
½ tsp garlic paste
4 green chillies
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
3 dry red chillies
2 bay leaves
A pinch of asafoetida
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp garam masala powder
4-5 cup water
Chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the chickpeas and soak in water for 2 hours. Combine rice and all types of dals except chickpeas. Wash them properly. Soak using enough water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain the water and keep it aside. Heat the ghee and oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When seeds start to splutter add bay leaves, dry red chillies and cloves. Add onions, sauté until onion gets transparent. Add garlic paste and sauté until raw aroma goes away. Add potatoes and carrot, sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and mix well. Add all the spices and mix well. Add drained rice and dals. Mix well and 4-5 cups of water. Add salt and green chillies. Cover and cook till done. Garnish the panchadal khichuri with fried onions and coriander leaves. Serve hot with spoon of ghee. Food holds a special place in Bengali culture. While we do have our grand dishes, it is the simpler dishes that really steal the show. Not everyone has mastered Bengali cuisine, be it for lack of interest or practice or complexity. And so, the following recipes are just some of the popular dishes that are not only easy to make but also easy on the stomach. Try them out; they will most certainly not disappoint.
Ingredients
1 kg mutton pieces
2 tbsp raw papaya paste
4-5 tbsp oil
4 medium onions, chopped
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 cup yoghurt
2 tomato puree
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
4 green chillies
2 red chillies
2 green cardamoms
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the mutton pieces properly. Apply the papaya paste to the mutton and leave it for half an hour. Grind all the spice ingredients and make a fine powder. Heat oil in a vessel, add onion and fry for 1 minute. Then add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell goes off. Add yoghurt, tomato puree and salt. Fry for few minutes. Add the mutton and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for 20 minutes. Now add garam masala powder and green chillies to the mutton. Mix and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
