*Jalebi(deep fried spiral shaped desert deeped in syrup )

Jalebis are one of festive sweets in India.In northern part of India it is served in breakfast also, but rest of India it is a desert.My husband loves this a lot,Today while talking with my in-laws,,jalebi topic came so i though of posting this recipe.It is easy but little tricky.Traditionally they ferment the dough over-night,but here I use yeast for doing the same thing but save some time.It can se served hot or cold.
Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:

Batter:

1. 1/2 cup All Purpose flour
2. 1 tsp besan (gram flour)
   
3. 1/2 tsp yeast
   
4. 1/2 tsp oil
   
5. 1/2 tsp sugar
   
6. About 1/3 cup of lukewarm water (as needed)

Syrup:

1. 1 cup sugar
2. 1/2 cup water
3. Pinch of cardamom powder
4. Few strands of saffron(optional)
5. 1 teaspoon of lemon juice(to control the cristalization)

Oil for frying
Squeeze bottle

Prparation:

batter:

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in luke warm water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Mix the al purpose flour,gram flour(besan),oil.
3. Pour the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and make a smooth paste.
4. Let the batter sit for 1 hour.Don't let it over ferment.

Syrup:

1. Boil the water and sugar together 10 minutes.
   
2. Add cadamom and safron to the water and switch off the flame.

Jalebi making procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.Test the oil putting a drop of batter.if it floats immediately then the oil is ready for fryingJalebis.
2. Pour the batter in a squeeze bottle as shown in the picture.You can replace the zip lock with a hole in it.But I always use the squeeze bottle.
   
   
3. When oil is ready squeeze the batter on hot oil making a spiral shape of 2-3 inch diameter.
4. When the Jalebis are brown on both sides then take it out of oil and deep in syrup for few seconds and serve hot.

Tips: If you like crispy jalebis then add 1 tbsp rice flour to the batter

*Kachori(lentil stuffed puff pastries)

Kachori is one snack that goes very well with tea or any time you can munch on them.They are delicious.I started making it going through internet 2 years back.Now I love Kachoris a lot,,specially with tamarind chutney It tastes awesome.I'm not a very big fan of deep frying,,and that always stays in the last option for me.But only for this savory snack I'm always more than willing to do some frying :).In any potluck if I have to bring the appetizer most of the time I choose to bring kachori.

To Make 10-12 Kachoris.

Ingredients for crust:

1 cup All Purpose flour ( maida)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup tbsp chilled water

Ingredients for filling:

1/4 cup yellow moong dal (Skinned mung beans )
1 teaspoon coarsely ground fennel seeds (saunf)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground coriander seeds (dhania)
1 teaspoon red chilly flakes
1/2 teaspoon mango powder (amchoor or you can add chat masala)

1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
1/2 teaspoon salt (as per your taste)
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons water
Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

To make crust:

1.Mix the flour, salt and oil very well.
2.Add the chilled water slowly, mixing with your hand as you pour. Make a very soft dough.
3.Cover the dough and let it sit for at least 15-20 minutes.

To make filling:

1.Dry grind the moong dal (Don't make it fine powder)
2.Mix 1 tbsp of oil and moong dal powder in a frying pan and roast on medium heat for about two to three minutes or dal changes color lightly, stirring constantly.
3.Turn off the heat. Add all the spices and mix it well and let the mixture cool off.
4.Add two tablespoons of warm water and mix it well.
5.Let it sit for 10 minutes and keep it covered.

To make the Kachoris:

1. Take the dough and knead it for a few minutes, and make 10-12 balls of equal size.
2. Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten the edges and make into 3-inch circle. Leaving center little thicker then edges around.
3. Place 1 teaspoon of filling in the center. Pull the edges of the dough to wrap the dal filling. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
4. Let the filled ball sit for 3 to 4 minutes before rolling. keep them covered the entire time.
5. Set the kachoris on a surface with the seams facing up. Using the base of your palm, slowly flatten them into about 3 inch circle.
6. Heat about 1 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. To check if oil is ready put a little piece of dough in the oil, it should sizzle and come up slow.
7. Fry them on medium-low heat. After they start to puff, slowly turn them over.
8. Fry until golden-brown on both sides. If the kachoris are fried on high heat, they will be soft and will not be crispy.

*Bhapa Pomfret(Steamed pomfret fish with mustard )

This dish is originally made with Hilsa fish and is a truly authentic Bengali dish and very close to all Bengali's heart.I'm not bengali but I have always lived in a multi cultural environment which let me try dishes from different places and pick my own choice.I love to try out new things in my kitchen always.Other wise life would be so boring.It adds a hint of spice to our life.As here in Toronto,I couldn't find Hilsa I tried this recipe with pomfret.I usually make pomfret with mustard sauce(curry style) but last week end I wanted a change and after hearing from my cousin that his wife makes awesome bhapa hilsa,I was even more inclined to make this dish.

So here goes the recipe......

Ingredients:

1.1 pomfret( I used 1-1.5lb size)

2.2 Pinch of Turmeric

3.2 tb sp Black mustard powder

4.1 tbsp white mustard powder(if you don't have white then you can just use black mustard powder,traditionally they use mustard paste.But I replaced it with powder as it is easy to get and use here in Toronto)

5.2 tb sp fresh grated coconut

6.4 green chillies(or as hot as you want)

7.salt

8.1 tsp mustard oil(Mustard oil has a distinct flavour which goes very well in this dish),if you don't have you can manage with vegetable oil too.

Preparation:

1.Wash the fish well and rub salt and turmeric.keep it aside for 30 minutes.

2.In a blender blend the coconut,green chillies,both types of mustard powders with very little water.So that the texture remains like a paste(not very runny)

3.Spread the fish in a box(I used the round baking dish) in a single layer.

4.Mix a pinch of turmeric in the coconut,mustard,chilly paste and pour over the fish so that the fish is coated well with the paste.

5.Pour 1 tsp of mustard oil on the fish and paste.

6.Now fill the pressure cooker with 1.5 inch depth water(make sure your fish box is taller than water level) and place the fish box inside the cooker.

7.Close the cooker with the whistle on top and cook for 2-3 whistles which may take around 30-35 minutes.

And it is done,,serve with steamed rice and it is a true smell of being at home away from home.I made it with bringal fry and some salad.Weekend lunches are all about relishing memories back home and relax.