Ingredients for making the Pitha

For making the batter

• Refined flour – ½ cup (60 grams)
• Semolina – 4 tbsp (40 grams)
• Rice flour – 2 tbsp (20 grams)
• Powdered sugar – 1 tbsp (20 grams)
• Baking soda – less then ¼ tsp
• Milk – 1 cup (250 liter)
• Ghee – 4 to 5 tbsp (for making pancakes)

For the stuffing

• Mawa – 1 cup (250 grams)
• Coconut powder or grated dry coconut – ¾ cup (75 grams)
• Powdered sugar – ½ cup (75 grams)
• Cashews – 8 to 10 (finely chopped)
• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Making of the Pati shapta

Take refined flour in any big bowl. Add semolina, rice flour, baking soda, 1 tbsp powdered sugar and milk into it and make a smooth batter. Keep the batter aside for 20 minutes. 

Prepare stuffing – Take mawa in a pan and roast in low flame by stirring constantly. When there is change is color and it releases good aroma, turn off the flame and add coconut powder, powdered sugar, cardamom and chopped cashews into it. Mix all ingredients really well.

Stuffing is ready; take it out in a bowl.

Place a nonstick pan or tawa over flame and preheat it. Pour 1 tsp oil over it and spread evenly. Now take 1 tsp batter and spread it over the tawa, thinly. Pour some ghee all around the pancake.

When it gets slightly brown in color from beneath, flip the sides and roast until it gets brown from the other side as well. When it’s roasted from both the sides, take it off flame and place it over a plate. Now likewise prepare the second pancake. Similarly prepare rest of the pancakes as well.

Place 1 or 1.5 tsp stuffing over the roasted pancakes and fold it in a roll. Likewise prepare rest of the patishapta. With this much batter 10 to 12 patishapta can be prepared. Scrumptious and mouth drooling Patishapta is ready. Whenever you feel like eating something unique and tasty then try making Patishapta.

Enjoy your favorite dish during the festive season or on special occasions.

Bengali Doi Murgi is Bengali Chicken Curry with Curd is a delicious delicacy of Bengali style chicken curry where chicken is cooked in a spicy yogurt sauce.

Ingredients for Doi Murghi

Spices for the marination chicken

• 1 kg Chicken Curry Cut
• 2 Potatoes Peeled and cut into quarters.
• 1 cup Yogurt
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Ginger Paste
• 1 tsp Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Salt

Spices for the gravy

• 4 tbsp Mustard Oil
• 3-4 Cloves Crushed
• 2 Black Cardamom Crushed
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 4-5 Dry Red Chillies
• 1 and 1/2 cup Onion Thinly Sliced
• 1 tsp Ginger Chopped
• 10-12 Cloves Garlic Smashed
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala Powder
• 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Kasoori Methi

Method to be follow for making the chicken

1. Take all the above listed ingredients in the bowl and add the chicken & mixed well.
2. Cover the bowl and keep in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Heat mustard oil in a pan,
4. Once the oil is hot, add cloves, black cardamom, bay leaves and dry red chilies.
5. Add onion and stirred fry for 4-5 minutes.
6. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Now add coriander powder. Bengali garam masala powder and red chilly powder and cook for a few seconds.
8. Add the chicken along with the marinade.
9. add salt as per your taste.
10. Cover the pan and cook on medium low heat for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
11. Remove the cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the gravy is slightly reduced.
12. Add kasoori Methi and cook for another minute to make the dish more aromatic.
13. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Please Notes

Traditionally the curry of this dish is kept thin but you can choose to make thick gravy. you can make it more aromatic with kasoori methi. its up to you weather you want to add or not. enjoy this traditional dish with steam rice.

Citrus Shatkora looks like a large knobbly lime and can be bought frozen as well as fresh from Asian supermarkets. It adds a lovely citrus zing to this rich curry and can be substituted with orange peel.

Ingredients for beef

• 2 tbsp oil for frying
• 2 nos Cinnamon stick
• 4 nos bay leaves
• 6 nos cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 no star anise for aroma
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• salt – to taste
• 2 nos chopped onions
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1kg/2lb 4oz tenderloin chuck or shoulder on the bone,
• 1 small shatkora, finely sliced rind
• 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp tomato purèe
• 2 roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 10 gms fresh coriander

Method of cooking

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed, non-stick saucepan. Add the whole spices (cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, star anise and fenugreek seeds) and heat gently, swirling in the oil to release the flavours, Add the seasoning
2. Stir in the onions, garlic and ginger pastes, continuing to stir and cook on a medium heat until the onions are slightly brown and just starting to change the colour. Add the meat pieces and brown all over in the spice and onion mixture, this will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes.(Bhunno)
3. Add enough water to fully cover the meat . Stir and bring to the boil before reducing the heat and simmering uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add a generous pinch of shatkora or orange rind slices to the pan and stir. Add the chilli powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin and garam masala. Stir in the tomato purèe. Add a little more water, cover with a lid and cook on a gentle simmer for 1½–2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes to reduce and thicken of the sauce.
5. Finally add the tomato wedges and fresh coriander leaves and simmer for a few minutes before serving to retain the flavor.

Please Note

Prepare the shatkora by cutting it into wedges and removing the pith and seeds. Cut a strip of peel into small slices. You only need the peel for this curry, set the rest aside for another usage. (Orange peel would be a good replacement if shatkora is not available.)

Ingredients for the Idli

• For the sambar:
• 1 cup – tur dal, washed and soaked
• 3 cups – mixed vegetables of 1-inch size each (carrots, French beans, drumsticks, potatoes)
• salt to taste
• 1-1.5 inch – ball of black tamarind, seedless, soaked in 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 tsp – haldi/turmeric powder
• 1 tsp – red chilli powder
• 4 tbsp – `sambar` masala
• 1/2 tsp – hing/asafoetida
• 1 – chopped ripe tomato
• 1/2 tsp – mustard seeds
• 1 sprig – curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp – jeera/cumin seeds
• 2-3 – dry red chillies
• 1 tsp – coriander/dhaniya powder
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp – ghee/oil
• For the peanut chutney:
• 1/2 cup – roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup – desiccated coconut
• 1 – small onion
• 1/4 tsp – peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp – jeera/cumin
• 1 small – red chilli
• 1/2 tsp – mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs – curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp – cooking oil

Making of Idli Sambar

• For the sambar: Boil the dal, mixed vegetables, and tomatoes after adding salt in a pressure cooker with just enough water to cover them.
• Cook up to 1 whistle on high flame.
• Open the cooker and reduce the flame to simmer.
• Add half (each) of the turmeric, red-chilli powder, asafoetida, and sambar powder.
• Strain the tamarind pulp into this mixture. Allow to simmer.
• In a pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds.
• When they splutter, reduce the flame and add the curry leaves, cumin, and red chilies.
• Then add the remaining half of all the powders and the coriander powder.
• Keep stirring, and add a little water to prevent burning at the base. Fry for 15 seconds.
• Add this to the simmering curry and let it cook for 5 minutes.
• For the peanut chutney:
• Grind the nuts, onions, coconut, cumin, and pepper to a paste with some water.
• In a pan, heat oil and add the rest of the chutney ingredients; fry well for a minute on medium heat.
• Add the ground paste, 2 tablespoons at a time, and fry well.
• Add salt to taste (even a pinch of sugar).

Please Note

You Can have the idli with three different chutneys as well, but it goes well with sambar, e.g Tomato, Mint & Coconut..