appayanrice-recipies

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Appayan Rice Recipies

POLTA PATAR BORAR SHUKTO

Appayan rice is a true companion to all traditional and modern Bengali recipes. Here, we would begin sharing the recipes that truly complement our rice, be it Minikit, Banskathi or Dudheswar.

As all traditional Bengali meal begins with tento or a bitter dish, we begin our series with Polta Patar Borar Shukto (a medley of vegetables with the most bitter leaves of the pointed gourd vine).

Prep time 20 mins =< Cook time 20 mins =< Resting time 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

For polta patar bora

⦁ 20-25 tender polta pata or pointed gourd leaves washed and drained
⦁ 1/3 cup motor dal
⦁ 1 tbsp rice flour
⦁ salt to taste
⦁ oil for frying.

For the shukto masala

⦁ 1.5 tsp panchforan
⦁ 1 tsp radhuni
⦁ 2 bay leaves

For shukto

⦁ 1/2 tsp panchforan
⦁ 1/2 tsp radhuni
⦁ 2 bay leaves
⦁ 1 tbsp white sesame seeds or posto
⦁ 1 tbsp ginger paste
⦁ 3 tbsp oil
⦁ 1 tbsp ghee
⦁ salt to taste
⦁ sugar to taste
⦁ 4 potol or pointed gourd peeled and cut into long halves
⦁ 1 medium sweet potato cut into 1.5” long pieces
⦁ 1 medium brinjal cut into 1.5” long pieces
⦁ 1 medium green banana cut into 1.5” long pieces

METHOD

For polta patar bora

1. Soak the motor dal for 2-3 hours. Wash, drain and make a smooth paste with minimum water. Give it an enthusiastic whip.
2. Finely chop the polta pata. Add the chopped leaves to the motor dal paste. Add the rice flour and a little salt.
3. Give it all a good mix. Add a splash of water if needed to make a thick batter
4. Heat oil in a kadai. Take a small amount of the batter and release carefully into the oil.
5. Fry the bora till golden brown. Repeat for the rest of the batter. If you want to drain the excess oil, keep it on a kitchen towel.

For the shukto masala

Lightly dry roast the panchforan and 2 bay leaves. Turn off the flame and cool before adding the radhuni. Grind all of it to a coarse powder.

For the shukto

1.Soak the sesame seeds in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain, make a fine paste with a little water.
2. Fry the brinjal pieces till light brown (you can use the left over oil from frying the fritters, if not enough, add 2 tbspn of oil in it. Keep it aside.
3. Add the remaining oil in the kadai, add 1/2 tbsp of ghee, when smoking hot add 1/2 tsp panchforan, 1/2 tsp radhuni and the bay leaves. Allow the spices to splutter.
4. Throw in the raw bananas, sweet potatoes and pointed gourds. Sprinkle a little salt, sauté for about 8 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add 1/3rd the ginger paste (keep the rest aside for later use) and sesame seed or posto paste, continue to cook for another minute or two.
6. Add 2.5 cups warm water, cover and cook till the vegetables are almost done .
7. Add the fried brinjal, sprinkle in half the prepared shukto masala and cook till the vegetables are tender.
8. Throw in the palta pata fritters, add a sprinkle of sugar, adjust seasonings. Simmer over low flame for another 5-7 minutes. Once you get the desired consistency, switch off the flame.
9. Add the remaining ginger paste, the rest of the shukto masala and a generous dollop of ghee. Cover and keep aside.
10. Allow it to cool to to room temperature. Serve with Appayan steamed rice .

MUG DAL- LAU DIYE

After the bitter in a Bengali meal comes Dal. Lentils in Bengali cuisine are myriad. Not only the types of lentils but the various way one cooks a single type of lentil can be mind blowing. Though all the varieties such as mug, musoor, cholar, motor, biuli are readily available in a Bengali kitchen, today we select mug or moong. Cooked raw it is said to be soothing for your tummy while the same dal when roasted dry before cooking turns your dish into a heavy on your digestion affair, though truly delectable to the palate. Today, we choose a simple recipe – mug dal-lau diye (a symphony of moong dal/green gram with bottle gourd).
Prep time 5 mins=< Cook time 20 mins
Ingredients
⦁ 1cup mugdal or moongdal
⦁ 1 small sized lau / lauki / bottlegourd peeled and cut into medium cubes
⦁ 1 tsp panchforan
⦁ 1 tsp turmeric powder
⦁ 2 bay leaves
⦁ 1 dry red chilli
⦁ 3 green chillies slit
⦁ ½ tsp ginger paste
⦁ 1/2 tbsp mustard oil
⦁ 1 tsp ghee
⦁ ½ tsp sugar
⦁ salt to taste

METHOD
⦁ Soak the dal for about half an hour. Rinse well and drain.
⦁ Transfer the dal to a pressure cooker, add the lau cubes and a sprinkle of turmeric powder and a pinch of salt. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups of water, cook till 2 whistles on medium heat. Allow the steam to release on its own.
⦁ Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan. Throw in the panchforon, bay leaves and dry red chilly. Allow the spices to splutter.
⦁ Carefully pour the cooked dal and lau into the pan. Add warm water till you get the desired consistency. Add the ginger, sprinkle in the salt and sugar and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
⦁ Adjust seasonings. Finish off by adding the ghee.