Chole (Ghugni in Bengali Style)

Ingredients:
a. Chickpeas/Chole - 2 cups
b. Onion - 1 small(paste)
c. Onion - 1 small(chopped)
d. Green Chillies - 5 to 6 nos
e. Garlic - 4 small cloves (mashed)
f. Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
g. Red chilly dry - 2 nos
h. Bay leaf - 1 nos
g. Cinnamon -1 nos.
h. Cardamom - 1nos.
i. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
j. Red Chilly powder - 2 tsp
h. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
k. Oil
l. Tomato puree/sauce
Salt to taste.

Keep the chickpeas dipped in water for 6-7hrs so that they become soft.Drain the peas and wash them.Pour 500ml water in a pressure cooker.Put the washed chickpeas in the pressure cooker and cook for 6-7 whistles.

Take oil in a wok and heat it.Put cardamom and cinnamon in the oil and fry them till they turn brown.Take them out of oil.Add bay leaf and dry red chillies and stir it.Add chopped onions and chopped green chillies.Keep stirring til the onions turns to light golden color.Add garlic paste, onion paste and stir it.Add ginger paste,turmeric powder,cumin powder and red chilly powder.Stir them till oil separates.Add 1tsp tomato puree/sauce and stir it.Add the cooked chickpeas along with the leftover water which was used to cook the chickpeas in wok.You may pour some hot water if required.Simmer till the gravy thickens.Add salt to taste.

Serve with hot poori,bhature,veg pulao and chapattis.

Veg Momos

Veg Momo is a dish of Nepal but is well known in many parts of India.It contains very less oil and is thus very healthy.

Ingredients:

1. Flour - 2cups
2. Vegetable oil - 1tsp
3. Variety of vegetables (carrots,beans,peas,cauliflower)- finely chopped
4. Green chillies - 2-3 chopped
5. Onions - 1-2 small -chopped
Salt to taste.

For making dough:
Take flour.Add 1tsp vegetable oil to it.Add water to it.Add salt to taste.Knead well to get a smooth dough.Keep aside.

For stuffing:

Chop all vegetables into small pieces.Steam the chopped vegetables for 10-15minutes.Add salt to taste to the vegetables.Keep the boiled vegetables aside.This will be used as stuffings.

Make small balls from the kneaded dough.Press the balls gently and make round shape with roller.Put the steamed vegetable stuffings,chopped onions and green chillies in center.Fold the edges properly.Twist to seal properly.These look like dumplings.

Slightly rub oil on the steamer plates so that the dumplings donot stick to vessel. Put all the filled dumplings in steamer.Cook for 10-15minutes.

Enjoy veg momo or veg dumplings with spicy tomato chutney and veg clear soup.

Enjoy veg momo........................

Egg Devil (Dimer Chop)

Ingredients:

1. Boiled eggs - 2 (slit in between)
2. Eggs - 1 (battered)
3. Boiled potatoes -2 nos.(mashed)
4. Green chilles - 4-5 chopped
5. Onions - 1 small (chopped)
6. Garlic - 2 cloves (chopped)
7. Ginger - chopped 1 tsp
8. Oil
Salt to taste.

Take 2-3tsp oil in a wok and heat it. Add chopped onions and fry it till it turns golden.Add chopped garlic and ginger together and constantly keep stirring.Add mashed potatoes and mix well for 10minutes.Add salt to taste and keep aside.

Take some amount of prepared mashed potato in your hand and make a ball.Gently press the ball and flatten it into a round shapes each of about 1/2 inch thick.Put the slitted egg in the center and  cover it with more mashed potatoes such that all edges are properly closed to get a fine ball and press gently to an oval shape.Now dip each ball into beaten egg.Now cover each ball with bread crumbs such that full ball is well covered by bread crumbs.

Pour sufficient oil in wok and heat. Once you get perfect heated oil dip fry each balls till the balls turn into brown.Take each ball out of the wok and place it on paper towels to soak extra oil from the balls.

Your Egg Devils are ready........Enjoy with tomato ketchup or mint paste......

Grated Chayote Squash with Coconut (Squash er Ghonto)

Ingredients:

1. Chow chow in Tamil/Chayote in English/Squash in Bengali - 2 nos medium sized (grated)
2. Coconut -1/2 cup (grated)
3. Potato - 1 nos medium(diced into small cubes and slightly boiled. and fried)
4  Bay leaf - 1 nos
5. Green Chillies - 5-6 nos(chopped)
6. Dry red chilly - 1 nos
7. Fried pea nuts
8. Reisins
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Ghee - 1tsp
12. Sugar - one pinch
13. Oil
14. Cinnamon - 1nos
15. Cardamom - 1 stick
16. Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Salt to taste.

Paanch Poron(Special spices mix)

1. Cumin seeds - 1/4th tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/4th tsp
3. Sweet cumin seeds - 1/4th tsp
4. Fenugreek seeds(methi)- 1/4th tsp
5. Black cumin - 1/4th tsp
  Mix the contents to get a special spices mix. (Do not make powder)

Peel the squash nicely. Wash thoroughly and slice it. Grate the slices and keep aside. Heat 4-5 tsp oil in wok. Put cinnamon and cardamon in oil till they turn brownish. Take them out of the oil. Add bay leaf and dry red chilly in the oil.Add Paanch Poron (special spices mix).Stir well till you get a sweet smell. Add green chillies,ginger paste and grated coconut.Stir well for 1 minute.Add turmeric powder and cumin powder.Keep stiring til oil separates.Add grated chayote and potatoes. Stir well till it gets cooked.Add salt to taste.Now add fried peanuts and resins.Stir well. Add ghee and a pinch of sugar to it.

Serve with hot steamed rice and pulses.