Breakfast Event by Aayana Eventus - Review

Hello,


It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But in our daily hustle and bustle we often skip breakfast. Even on Sundays we sometimes feel lazy to cook breakfast. 

Although we Bengalis often have singaras (samosas) and luchis but other traditional delicacies like Koraishutir kochuri, Machcher kochuri (fish kochuri) etc are seldom made at home.

But Aayana Eventus is bringing back traditional Bengali breakfast in a big way. They are organising healthy, homemade traditional Bengali breakfast at large housing societies.

Last weekend of January I was invited to one such event organised by Aayana Eventus at Megha Mallar. I was surprised to see some well known but hard to find Bengali delicacies like Koraishutir Kochuri with Aloo Dum, Machcher Kochuri with Dhaniya (coriander) Chutney, Mangshor Ghugni, Jilipi (Jalebi) and the star of the show Alejhelo. Alejhelo is a rare Bengali sweet which Rabindranath Tagore had lovingly renamed as Poribondho. Chicken sandwiches, muffins as well as complimentary tea were also available there.

The platter contains Koraishutir Kochuri,
Aloo Dum, Salad, Mangshor Ghugni
and Machcher Kochuri with chutney

This platter contains chicken sandwich,
 muffin and Poribondho

With this initiative Aayana Eventus is promoting home grown entrepreneurs as the food is made by home chefs. 

The prices are also very nominal so it doesn't burn a hole in your pocket.

 The two amazing ladies, of Aayana Eventus, who are leading this fabulous venture are Nilanjanadi and Gargidi.

Nilanjanadi

Gargidi

The food was scrumptious. It was piping hot, which was a delight in the cold winter morning. The Koraishutir Kochuri with Aloo Dum was delicious and reminded me of the ones my mom makes. Although some shops sell Koraishutir Kochuri, this was far better as it was homemade, healthy and made with love. Moreover it was at a fraction of the price we pay at restaurants.

Koraishutir Kochuri

The Machcher Kochuri was mouth watering. I am very particular about the quality of fish that I am served and I often criticise restaurants if they don't serve good quality fish. I was pleasantly surprised to find the quality of fish to be really good. The Kochuri was paired excellently with the dhaniya chutney, which was super tasty. I found out that aamada was added to the chutney to give it a twist. 

Machcher Kochuri (Fish Kochuri)

There was a combo of Koraishutir Kochuri, Aloo Dum and Jalebi which served as a complete breakfast meal. They had the option of packing the breakfast as well. 

The mangshor ghugni was yummy as well. We often have ghugni at home or from outside but mangshor ghugni is a delicacy which we rarely get.

The most unique item was Aelojhelo. It is a Bengali sweet which originated in Purba Banga (Bangladesh). Rabindranath Tagore renamed it as Poribondho. As you can see in the pictures the two sides are pinched closed which resembles the wings of a fairy, hence Poribondho. It was delicious and not too sweet which I found to be perfect.

Poribondho (Aelojhelo)

The chicken sandwich unlike the ones we get in shops was very filling and yummy.

Overall it was a very pleasant experience on a sunday morning. The food was fresh, delicious and homemade. This is an amazing initiative which promotes home chefs and gives them an opportunity to share their talent while helping them financially. On the other hand it provides healthy delicious food at extremely nominal prices.

So if you are interested on organizing such a breakfast event in your society please get in touch with Aayana Eventus

Gargidi - 9051096043

Nilanjanadi - 9831431195

CAULIFLOWER MANCHURIAN (GOBI MANCHURIAN)

Hello,

    Cauliflower Manchurian or as it is popularly known Gobi Manchurian is a well-loved Indochinese dish. This dish is very popular amongst Indians specially who are vegetarians. My version of this recipe is a very easy one, although the list of ingredients might look a little bit scary but these are quite easily available and doesnot cost much either. So you can easily prepare this dish with your fresh local produce. This will be much more healthier than buying it from a restaurant.

Since my mom nowadays is not allowed to eat outside food so I am trying to make healthy versions of my mom's favourite dishes. Cauliflower has some great nutritive value - It helps to fight cancer, boosts heart health, it is low in calories etc. So it is a great vegetable to include in your diet. However if your uric acid levels are high or you suffer from any kidney diseases then you should check with you doctor before having cauliflower.


Anyways, I hope you like my recipe and do try it out :)

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 medium cauliflower (gobi) cut into small florets
• 1 medium bell pepper cut into thin strips
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 Tbsp ginger garlic chilli paste
• 1 Tsp Onion Paste
• Chopped Green Chillis as per taste
• 3 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp Cornflour
• 2 Tbsp Rice Flour
• Water as reqd
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil + Oil for deep frying
• 2 tbsp Tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp Chilli sauce
• 1 !/2 Tbsp Vinegar
• Pinch of Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Red Chilli Sauce
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Chopped Spring Onions (both white and green parts)
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Chopped Chives
• Salt to taste

PROCEDURE :

• Cut the cauliflower into small florets and par-boil it in salted water for about 10-12 minutes.

• Let it cool and they marinate it with onion paste and ginger garlic and chilli paste for half an hour to an hour.
• Prep the other vegetables that are required. Roughly chop the ginger, garlic, spring onions, chives, bell pepper and chillis. You can use onions instead of spring onions.

• Now make a batter using the flour, cornflour and rice flour. Use cold water for the batter and season the batter with salt to taste. 
• Then coat the florets with the batter. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying and once the oil is hot slowly put the florets in the hot oil.

 

• Fry the florets in a low flame and once golden-brown in colour , take them out and with a paper napkin soak off the excess oil.

• For the sauce mix well the tomato sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, sugar, red chilli sauce and the chopped chillis together and keep aside.
• Now in a pan heat about 1/2 tablespoon of oil and add the chopped garlic and ginger once the oil is hot. Once it becomes golden add the white part of the spring onions and the chives (we will add the green part later).

• Then add the bell peppers and the sauce. Add the fried florets and stir well.

• This is a dry dish so once the sauce coats the florets and the veggies then the dish is ready. Serve hot with any sauce of your choice :) :)

Do try this dish and I am sure you will love it. 

Thanks for reading :) :)

For any queries and suggestions please do comment :) :)

Thank You 

PANEER TIKKA (The Healthy Way)

Hi,

I know I promised to be more regular however certain bad things happened as I got delayed in posting my recipes. My mum suffered from a heart attack on 20th of December 2014 which shocked me to the core. Later on as the medical investigations were carried out we found out she had high creatinine and uric acid levels, due to which she had gout attacks. The last gout attack kept her bed ridden for 3 weeks. Now, just as she was improving my maternal grandfather passed away on 23rd January 2015. This was a huge setback for me as he was a father figure to me and had practically raised me and was a huge source of strength and support for me.

So anyways inspite of the bad times life goes on and in order to make my mum's life style healthy I have decided to give some yummy recipes a little healthy twist :) So I decided to make Paneer or cottage cheese Tikkas in the oven in a healthy and less oil method. The key to this recipe is marination, the longer the better.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 LARGE GREEN BELL PEPPER
• 3 RED ONIONS 
• 2 TOMATOES
• 150g FRESH PANEER OR COTTAGE CHEESE 
• 11/2 TBSP OF SHEEKH KEBAB MASALA 
• 2 TBSP YOGURT
• 1/2 TBSP VEGETABLE OIL
• JUICE OF 1 LIME 

PROCEDURE:

• Put the sheekh kebab masala in the yogurt and mix well. as I was pressed for time I used store bought masala. If you are using store bought masala then you will not require any extra salt.
• Dice the vegetables and paneer in to big pieces and put them in a large bowl.
• Now marinate them with the yogurt spice mix, oil and lime jiuce. You can use olive oil instead of vegetable oil.Key to this recipe is marination. Since a tiny amount of oil is used the longer you marinate the better the flavours. You can marinate this overnight if you can or for at least half an hour to an hour.

• Preheat the oven for 10 mins. Line a baking pan with aluminium foil. this eases the process of cleaning. Then put the vegetables and paneer in wooden skewers and put them in the pan.
• Put it in the oven at 200 degree centigrade for 25 -30 mins, do check in between to achieve the amount of char you desire. 

• Remove them gently from the skewers when done and garnish them with onion rings and slit green chillis. Serve with mint chutney :)

Do try this recipe , as its a healthy alternative to the kebabs we get from restaurants. 

P.S. Sorry for the quality of the pictures as they were taken by my phone camera :)

CHICKEN HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the long gap of almost an year. I was engaged in all sorts of work including preparing for the MBA entrace exams. However during this period I reinvented my love for Bengali Cuisine and also started making chocolates and got a few orders as well. I will be creating an official FB page for the chocolates .  I do promise I have some delicious recipes coming up for Christmas as well as for parties, luncheons and dinners :)

So after almost an year here is my new post ..... a delicious chinese soup recipe which you will love to have during the winters. Chicken Hot and Sour Soup is something which we Kolkatans are quite familiar with. I personally love this soup it has different veggies, its slightly hot and its bit sour at the same time. This soup can be customised in different ways you can add different veggies and make it vegetarian or add different kinds of proteins to make it non-veg as per your choice. I have kept this recipe very simple and its extremely easy to make.

INGREDIENTS :-

• Onion Sliced 
• Ginger Chopped
• Garlic Chopped 
• Carrot Sliced
• French Beans Sliced
• Cabbage Sliced
• Green Bell Pepper Sliced
• Chicken Boiled and Sliced 
• 1 Egg Beaten
• 1 Tsp Cornflour
• 2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Vinegar
• 2 Chillis Finely Chopped 
• 1 Tbsp Oil (I used Sunflower Oil)
• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• Pinch of Ajinomoto (Monosodium Glutamate)
• Salt to taste 

PROCEDURE:-

• Chop the vegetables as finely as possible. The chopping is the key to chinese food. I didnot mention any quantities because you can use as much or as little as you want. Again you can you different veggies as well like chinese cabbage, sprouts, red / yellow bell peppers etc.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the ginger and garlic. fry them for a bit and add the onions and add the ajinomoto and fry them well. You can omit the ajinomoto is you want.

• When the onions become translucent add the vegetables and fry them. In a small bowl mix the soy sauce, vinegar and chopped chillis together. Then add the mix to the veggies.

• Then add the boiled chicken and stir well.

• Now add the chicken stock and let it simmer for a while. Add salt according to your taste. I used fresh chicken stock however you can use stock cubes as well.

• Mix the cornflour with water and slowly pour this mixture into the soup. This will thicken the soup so you can adjust it as per your need. I personally like light broths so I use it in small quantities. 
• Now as the soup thickens, beat the egg and add it into the soup. You can skip the egg if you want but it gives a good flavour to the soup.

• That's it this delicious soup is ready. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!! Do give me your feedback.

ONE POT FUDGY CHOCOLATE BROWNIES :)

Brownies are something which everyone loves and i simply adore fudgy chocolate brownies. But any brownie takes some effort to make. Now being a lazy person I try to look for shortcuts without hampering the taste and quality, so last Sunday I decided to make these one pot chocolate brownies.

INGREDIENTS:

• 250 grams Cooking Dark Chocolate
• 50 grams Unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar or as per requirment
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Cup Flour
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Essence

PROCEDURE:

• Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces.
• In a pot (I used a saucepan) melt the butter over a low flame and then put the chocolate pieces in. Stir well so that the chocolate does not have any lumps.

• Now add the sugar. Since i used dark chocolate I used 1/2 cup of sugar however if you use semi-sweet chocolate then use less amount of sugar.
• Now take the mix off the flame, if you feel the mix is too thick you can use some milk to adjust the consistency. 
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda together and add to the mixture. 
• When the mixture cools down a bit add 3 beaten eggs.
• Pour the mixture into a lined baking pan and bake for 35-40 mins or till done at 189 degrees. 

I hope you try out these yummy brownies which take little effort to make but are simply awesome to taste :)

ESPECIAL DE DURGA PUJA (DURGA PUJA SPECIAL) : SHASTHI

Curry De Pescado Especial De Mi Mama (My Mother's Special Fish Curry)

Well Maha Shasthi was a day filled with surprises and unlimited fun. Finally after a long spell of rain the sun shone with all its glory. My friends and I grabbed this opportunity and went to pandal-hopping. We started early in the morning and saw quite a few pandals. Each one had an innovative theme and elaborate decorations. We had an absolutely fantastic time as after a long time I got to spend the entire day with my friends.

Today's dish is my mother's invention. As i make a fuss when the same fish curry is served a few days in a row this dish was invented by my mother to stop me from fussing :) Do try this recipe out. :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 7-8 Pieces of Bekti or Pomfret Fish
• 2 Onions cit into rings
• 2 Onions chopped
• 2 Tomatoes chopped
• 1 Tbsp Garlic- Green chili paste
• 2 Tbsp Coriander leaves
• 3 Green Chilis
• 1 Tsp Tumeric powder
• 2 Tsp Red Chili Powder
• Oil for deep frying
• 1 1/2 Tbsp oil for the gravy
• Salt to taste

PROCEDURE:

• Fry the fish and keep aside. Use a napkin to saok up the excess oil. Be careful not to overcook the fish.

• Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion rings till golden brown in colour.
• For the gravy, heat oil in the pan and add the garlic chili paste and cook till golden brown.
• Then  add the chopped onions and cook till they are golden brown in colour.
• Then add the tumeric poer, red chilli powder, salt, green chillis and add a little water so that the masala does not burn.
• Then add the tomatoes and cook till oil separates from the masala.
• Finally add the coriander leaves. The gravy should be of a chunky consistency. 

• Now arrange the fish on a plate and pour the gravy on top of it. Garnish with thr friend onion rings and lime pieces.

ESPECIAL DE DURGA PUJA (DURGA PUJA SPECIAL) : PANCHAMI

PALAK MURG

Its Panchami and therefore as an added bonus a favourite chicken dish of mine - Palak Murg was cooked. This is a dish which is usually cooked by my mom but today I decided to try this on my own. To make it easier I made a few changes to my mom's recipe as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Chicken Breast cut into small pieces
• 1 small bunch of spinach leaves blanched and pureed
• 3 Tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 1/2 Tsp Garlic chili paste
• 1 Tbsp Onion paste
• 2 Tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
• 2 dried red chillis
• 1/2 Tsp Tumeric Powder
• 1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Mustard Oil
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

PROCEDURE:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic and chili paste. When it turns golden brown add the onion paste and the dried red chili. I make the garlic chili paste by grinding together garlic cloves and chili.

• Cook this for a few mins and then add the tomato paste. Now add tumeri powderc, red chili powder, salt and garam masala powder. Stir and cook till the oil separates from the masala and then add the chicken pieces.

• Cook on the low flame to make sure that the chicken is cooked. Since these are boneless pieces of chicken they do not take long to cook.

• Then add water and finally add the spinach puree and cook for a few mins. Serve Hot with rice or rotis :)