Spicy Buttercup Squash Cookies

Need

1 cup buttercup (or acorn) squash – Roasted and mashed

1 ½ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup oats

1 ½ tsp grated ginger

2 tbsp grated coconut

2 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¾ tbsp coarsely ground black pepper

¾ cup dark brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

1/3 cup chopped raisins (dried cranberries taste great too), 1/3 cup chopped nuts (your choice)
[I use lots of chopped walnuts and flax seeds..'coz they are good sources of ALA (omega 3 fatty acids); toss in some chopped cashews ... which with the coconut are good stuff for lactating moms]

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup oil

¼ cup milk

To make

In a large mixing bowl, mix oil, honey, and sugar until frothy. Add squash and mix well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and add to the mixture along with the spices. Stir well until everything blends in well. Stir in raisins and nuts. Spoon onto cookie sheets spacing cookies 2 inches apart.

Bake for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven (375 deg F / 190 degrees C) until cookies are golden.

Bangali Tomato Chutney with a twist

Need

Ripe red tomatoes – diced 2 cups

Panchforan* – 1tsp

Dried red chili -1 whole

Bay leaf – 1 small

Sultanas – 12-15 pieces

Sugar -3 tbsp. (try it then adjust sweetness as per taste)

Oil – 1tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaf – fresh chopped – 1 tbsp

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Green chili – 2 slit lengthwise (optional)

Salt – 1 pinch

*Panchforan is a very Bengali spice mix. As the name suggests, it is a composite of 5 spices. There are 2 versions that are popular. For this you need methi (fenugreek seeds), shorshe (mustard seeds), jeera (cumin seeds), mouri (fennel/saunf seeds), and kalo jeera/ kalaunji (nigella seeds), mixed whole in equal quantities.

To make

Heat oil in a pan and splutter the panchforan with the red chili (broken in 2-3 pieces) and bay leaf.  

Add the tomatoes, sultanas, salt, and turmeric, cover and cook on high, till the tomatoes are softened.

Add sugar, chopped coriander, and green chilis and bring to a boil again.

Turn off the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice, and chill before serving after a lavish Indian meal. 

Chicken Fajitas

This is one quick recipe....super easy and superhit for sure. It's very hard to fail this recipe....if you give a little love to your magic wok :)
Serve as dinner with tortillas and some guacamole or tomato salsa, as a pasta side, or as a yummy burrito filling....and enjoy as everyone slurps it off their plates.
Here's how you make it!

Need:
250 gms Chicken breast pieces - diced or sliced into 2x1" strips
Capsicum/bell peppers - 2 medium - seeded and sliced 1/2" thick lengthwise
Onions - 2 medium - diced into 1" cubes
Cherry/grape tomatoes - 5-6 - halved
1 Jalapeno pepper - sliced
Black pepper powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 clove - chopped finely
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Honey - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

To cook:
Marinate the chicken in the juice of 1 lime, honey, salt, cumin, and black pepper for 20 mins
On a hot wok spray on some olive oil and saute the garlic till golden brown.
Now transfer your chicken with the onions to cook on med-hi heat for 2 mins.
Keep turning your chicken and add the peppers to cook for another 6 mins.
The honey will start burning if u don't give some love to your wok :) ...so no running 5 min errands while the fahitas cook!

Serve as suggested above ....or just pop something else with these good boys ....they're super

healthy :)

Here's a snapshot of some yummy vegetarian fajitas - added soya nuggets with all my veggies....enjoy!

My cuppa chocolate brownie - guilt-free

Here's my easy-peasy, guilt-free, instant choco brownie. The spark in this recipe is that in spite of it being extremely easy n convenient, it is super-healthy. This, with a cup of milk can be your kid's weekend breakfast. The whole deal is DONE in 5 mins or less; we don't need a whole lot of ingredients; n to top it all we can make it as healthy as we want it to be or as junkie as the party demands :) So...here we go

Need:
A big-enough cup
2 tsp butter (You can go up to 2 tbsp...for a very smooth n moist cake)
1 tbsp brown sugar (this makes a low sweet brownie...u may adjust sugar as per your taste)
1 egg
1/8 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Few drops vanilla essence/extract
Flour mix: Here's the trick....we need 4 tbsp of flour (or the likes) for this recipe. You can mix n match....feel free to experiment here....it only adds to the excitement. I am presenting here my healthy version:
3 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp rolled oats (large flakes)
[Alternatively you can use 4 tbsp all purpose flour to get that gourmet experience to serve in a party.]

Procedure:
Melt the butter in the cup on high in a microwave - takes 20 secs
Mix in the sugar and vanilla
Add the egg and beat well
Gradually fold in the flour mix and cocoa powder
Now take your stirrer/spoon out and pop this awesome cup into the microwave oven. Cook on high for 1 minute. Allow standing time for another minute. Take out the brownie and test with a slim knife - if it comes out clean...we're done. Else add another 10 secs in the oven.
Now pop the brownie out on a clean plate ..... it comes out great!
To garnish: You may sprinkle on top some hot chocolate powder/ icing sugar and serve warm with milk/tea/coffee :)
[might consider tossing in some chopped walnuts and dried cranberries for added health benefits]
Enjoy!

Easy on tummy Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in mustard sauce)

While mustard maybe a "hard to digest" food for many. You know you get that mustardy hiccups even 2 hours after your yummy "shorshe bata" chorchori or mach lunch? My ma's one of those unlucky few. Ilish adds to the discomfort. But which real BENGALI can completely erase shorshe ilish off their menu? 

So here's my easy on tummy shorshe ilish recipe. All we do is replace some of the shorshe bata (mustard paste) with posto (poppy seeds paste) and also make sure we strain the mustard paste to get rid of most of the mustard husks..... DONE!

Here's the full recipe -

Need:

Hilsa pieces -8-10

Shorshe/ mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Posto/poppy seeds - 1tbsp (to fill in, since we're using very little mustard seeds)

green chili - 5-6 slit vertically

nigella seeds (kalo jeere/ kalaunji) - 1/2 tsp

turmeric powder - 1 1/2 tsp

mustard oil - 1 tbsp

salt

Prep:

Wash the fish, pat dry, and coat in turmeric and salt. Keep aside for 30 mins.

The easy on tummy magic paste: 1. Soak the mustard seeds in a little water with a pinch of salt for 15 mins. Make a paste with 2 green chilies, strain, adding more water if reqd. Discard the husks.

2. Soak the posto for 15 mins and make a paste.

3. Mix the two to get the magic paste for yummy shorshe ilish.

Cook:

Heat the mustard oil in a broad-based skillet on med-hi heat and add the nigella with slit green chilies. It will release an amazing aroma in about 1 minute. 

Smear the oil evenly on the vessel and arrange the fish in one layer. Cover and cook for 1 minute on each side.

Now pour you magic shorshe paste and add water and salt (use water based on how much gravy you need). Bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and allow a standing time of 10 mins. Serve with steaming white.

psst....I use a pinch of sugar to enhance the taste. 

Note: Traditional bengalis finish the dish with shorshe tel (mustard oil) poured on top. I skip it...'coz I have this too often :p

Spicy Cranberry Sauce

When it comes to fruits, I'm a big fan. If there's color...I love it more. Here's my spicy scarlet cranberry sauce recipe. I serve it as a chutney, dip, jam on toast, or just savor it as it is in all its glory :)

Need:
Fresh/frozen Cranberries - 2 cups
Navel Orange - 1 medium - chopped with skin (if you have any other variety grate the zest, throw the rest of the skin, and chop the pulp)
Rock Sugar (mishri) - 3/4 cup (you may use more or less based on how tangy or sweet you want the sauce)
[you could also use regular sugar]
Fresh ginger - 1 inch cube grated
Black pepper (for added kick) - 1 heaped tsp
Salt - 1 pinch


Preparation:
Take all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Stir often.
Turn the heat off when the cranberries are mushy and have popped. Cool. The pectin in the fruits will bring a gelatinous effect to the sauce.

psst....I like to use the sauce as is; you may strain using a coarse strainer if you want a smoother texture.....but honestly let the good stuffs be :)