Misti Basanti pulao | Sweet Yellow Polao

A traditional and celebratory pulao recipe from West Bengal.

Cook Time- 40 mins
Served- 4

Ingredients:--

Govindabhog rice or Basmati rice - 2 cups
Cashew nuts- 2-3 tbsp
Raisin - 2-3 tbsp
Ghee - 3-4 tbsp
Sugar - 6-7 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Green cardamom- 3-4
Cinnamon- 1/2 inch stick
Cloves - 3-4
Bay leaves- 2

Method:-

Soak rice for 30 mins

Heat a pan with ghee .add cashew nuts and Raisin.fry it little. Then take out from pan. Keep aside.

Now add bay leaves  Green cardamom  cloves in to the ghee.once you get a nice aroma. Add soaked rice .fry it for a minute.
Then add turmeric powder , sugar ,salt to taste , fried cashews and raisins and give a nice stir.

Now take a cup add 3 and 1/2 cup water  , now add 4 tbsp milk powder and mix well with water....now pour this 3 1/2 cup milk into the pan... cover the pan.keep it on high flame for 3 mins then turn down flame to low fire for 20-25 mins or until rice (pulao) cooked well and rice soaked milky water completely.

Do not stir rice or pulao until it is cool down 30 - 40 %.

Serve misti Basanti pulao with kosa mangsho or alu r dom .

You can add 1tsp rose water into the milky water,if you want more fragrant Basanti pulao..

Note:--  2 cup Rice = 4 cups water. But I take always 1/2 cup less than actual measurements  as it gives best result..

Kolkata chicken Biriyani

After I left my home town I missed Biryani like any other Bengali. Whenever I went to visit  my hometown kolkata and definitely try kolkata famous biryani from Siraj ,arsalan and aminia.. I am lucky that these three famous biryani outlet just few minutes distance from my kolkata home..My hubby is a die-heart fan of kolkata biryani but we live in Pune ,here we didn't get kolkata style biryani..so I have no option to other than learnt kolkata style biryani and make it at home..almost once in a month I have to make biryani and my biryani loving family enjoy it .
 There is a large variety of biryani in India and I found each one has different taste and flavour. As a bengali I love kolkata biryani most..

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Cook Time- 1 hr 
Serve - 5
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Ingredients:--

Rice - 500gms
Chicken- 700 gsm
Potatoes - 2 , cut into two pieces 
Onion - 3 large
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp 
Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Curd - 1/2 cup
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp 
Chili powder- 1/2 tsp 
Coriander powder- 1tsp 
Cumin powder- 1tsp 
Biryani masla - 1-2 tbsp
Salt to taste 
Bay leaves- 2
Cinnamon- 1/2 inch stick 
Green cardamom- 2
Cloves- 3-4
Rose Water- 3-4 tsp 
Kewra water- 2 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Saffron - 1 tsp

Biryani masala:-
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Coriander seeds - 2tsp
Cumin seeds- 1tsp 
Cinnamon- 1/2 inch stick 
Cloves - 5-6
Green cardamom- 4-5
Black cardamom- 1
Caraway seeds / shahjeera - 1/2 tsp
Jaifol or nutmeg- 1/2 tsp 
Jaitri or mace - 1/2 tsp 
Black pepper- 1/2 tsp 
Bay leaves- 2
Kabab chini - 2/4 tsp 
Star anise- 1/4 tsp
 Dry roast everything till gets nice aroma .then grind to a fine powder. 

Method:--
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Soak rice for 30-40 mins
Heat a handi with enough water for cook rice. Add one bay leaf , 1/2 stick cinnamon,2 green cardamom,2 tbsp Salt and 1tbsp oil.
  Once the water starts boiling add soaked rice...cook till 80% done..then drain water properly..then spread rice on a broad plate or on a paper...let it cool

Marinate chicken with curd ,salt to taste  ,1tsp  black pepper 1/2tsp turmeric   1/2 tsp Chili powder,1/2 sugar for 1 hr or so..

Now soak saffron in a warm milk...keep aside..
If you don't have saffron then heat a pan with 1 cup milk ,add 1/2tsp turmeric  1tsp rose  1/2kewra water and 2 green cardamom. Boil for 2-3 mins.turn off Gas. Keep aside for future use.

Now boil potatoes in pressure cooker with turmeric and salt till cooked well. Then fry potatoes. Keep it aside.

Now heat a kadai .add 2 tbsp oil .add sliced onion .fry till well brown..then take out from kadai .place it on a paper towel..

 Then add ginger garlic paste and marinated chicken..stir it for 3-4 mins or till oil leaves the side of the pan.then add 1tbsp biryani masala and brown onion..stir well to coat the chicken with masala and onion  then add 1/2 cup water .give nice stir ..then turn down flame .simmer it for 20 -25 mins or the chicken cooked well.
When chicken become tender and gravy reduced. Add 1 tsp rose water and 1/2 kewra water.stir nicely...check seasoning..turn off Gas.

Now heat a heavy bottom pan. Add 1tbsp  ghee .now add 1/3 of chicken with gravy.then layering with rice .sprnkle 1tsp biryani masala  ,boiled potatoes. Spread 1tsp  rose water and 1/2 tsp  kewra water..Then layer with rice again. Sprnkle biryani masala ,1 tsp ghee.spread half of the saffron milk or flavour milk..then spread 2/3 of the chicken. Then final layer of rice .spread ghee .rest of the saffron or flavour milk

Now cover pan with lid and seal it with flour daugh..heat a tawa then place the biryani pan over it..slow down flame for 25-30 mins..

Eggless Banana Brownie

Yummy ,delicious brownie is a bit soft ,moist and chewey in texture..its little bit crisp on outside..i have here made brownie with banana..its banana brownie..Banana is a very good substitute of egg..if you want make eggless baking,you should go with banana.. generally we habituated to see choclate brownie but I have tried brownie without coco.. ohh yes, I also made this brownie in pressure cooker...

Cook Time- 40 mins 

Serve - 4

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Ingredients:--

Allpurpose flour- 1 cup

Ripe banana- 2

Baking powder- 1tsp 

Sugar- 1/2cup

Curd - 4tbsp

Soft butter - 2/4 cup

Powder sugar- 1-2 tbsp  for garnishing 

Method :---

Take a bowl add Banana. Then smash it.now add sugar, butter ,curd .tgen whisk it tl smooth. 

Then add allpurpose flour and baking powder  (pass through the sieve).mix well with wet ingredients and make a thick batter. 

Meanwhile heat pressure cooker for 2 mins on high flame. 

Now grease a cake tin with little oil or butter and dust with flour. 

Pour brownie batter in to the cake tin.put it inside the cooker. Close lid without locking it. 

Then turn down on low fire for 40 mins. Or till the toothpick insert the centre 

of the brownie and it comes out clean. 

Then take out from cooker. Wait for 6-7 mins to cool down it.

Cut it into sqares.sprinkle powder sugar.

If you use oven .preheat oven 180 c and bake it for 30 - 35 mins or till the toothpick insert the inside of the brownie and came out clean.