Try your hand at preparing Bengali cuisine in all its different flavours sweet, sour and tangy

Chorchori

Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, u00bd inch cubesu00a0u00a0u00a01 medium sweet potato, u00bd inch cubesu00a0u00a0100 gm red pumpkin, u00bd inch cubesu00a0u00a0u00bc medium cauliflower, small floretsu00a0
1 medium brinjal, u00bd inch cubesu00a0u00a0u00a06-8 French beans, u00bd inch piecesu00a0u00a0u00a01u00bd tbsp oilu00a0u00a01u00bd tsp paanch phoronu00a02 green chillies, slitu00a06-8 fresh spinach leaves (palak), shredded
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00bc tsp turmeric powderu00a0u00bd tsp sugar
u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
Methodu00a0
Heat oil in a pan. Add paanch phoron and sautu00e9 till fragrant.
Add potatoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, cauliflower, brinjal and French beans and stir.
Add green chillies and toss well.
Add spinach to the vegetables. Add salt, turmeric powder, sugar and mix. Cover and cook till all the vegetables are done.
Note: To make paanch phoron mix equal quantities of cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, onion seeds and mustard seeds.



Notun Gurer Payeshu00a0

Ingredients
1 cup grated palm jaggeryu00a0u00a03 litres milku00a0u00a0u00a02 tbsp basmati rice, soakedu00a0u00a01 bay leafu00a0u00a05-6 green cardamomsu00a0 u00a0u00a010 almonds, blanched and slicedu00a0

Method
Boil milk in a thick-bottomed vessel. Reduce heat and simmer till it thickens slightly.
Add drained rice and stir. Add bay leaf, green cardamoms and continue to simmer on low heat till the rice is completely cooked.
Remove the bay leaf.u00a0 Add jaggery and almonds and simmer for further five minutes.
Chill and serve.

Sorshe Bata Ilishu00a0u00a0

Ingredients
1 medium (800 gm) hilsa (ilish), u00bd inch thick darnes (slices)u00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00bd tsp turmeric powderu00a0u00bd cup mustard seeds
2 green chilliesu00a0u00a04 tbsp oilu00a0u00a0u00a01 large potato, cut into fingersu00a0u00a0u00a0
u00bc tsp onion seeds (kalonji)
u00a0u00a0
Methodu00a0
Wash fish pieces and marinate with a little salt and turmeric powder and set aside for ten to 15 minutes.
Grind mustard seeds with green chillies to a fine paste using water as required.
Heat oil in a pan and lightly fry the marinated fish pieces on both sides till lightly browned. Drain and set aside on a plate.
In the same oil, fry the potato fingers till lightly browned. Drain and set aside.
In the remaining oil add onion seeds and sautu00e9 till fragrant. Add the ground paste and sautu00e9 for a minute. Add a cup of water and bring it to a boil.u00a0 Adjust salt and add a little more turmeric powder.
Add potato fingers and simmer till they are done.u00a0 Add fish, cover and simmer for two minutes.
Serve hot with boiled rice.

Chanar Pulaou00a0

Ingredients
100 gm cottage cheese (paneer/chana), 1 cm cubesu00a01u00bd cups basmati riceu00a0u00a02 tsp sugaru00a0u00a0u00a04 tbsp gheeu00a0u00a0
1 large onion, thinly slicedu00a0u00a01 bay leafu00a0u00a0u00a01-inch stick cinnamon u00a0u00a04-5 clovesu00a0u00a0u00a02-3 green cardamomsu00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0
u00a0u00a0
Method
Soak rice in four cups of water for half an hour. Drain, allow to dry and mix with sugar and one tbsp of ghee.
Heat remaining ghee and fry the cottage cheese till lightly golden, drain and set aside.
In the same ghee, fry onion till crisp and golden in colour. Drain on absorbent paper and set it aside.
Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and green cardamoms in the same pan and sautu00e9 for a minute. Add rice and fry, stirring for two-three minutes. Add three cups of hot water and salt to taste. Once the water comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook.
When the water is almost absorbed add fried cottage cheese cubes and cook further till the rice is done and dry. Before serving, sprinkle crisply fried onions on top.

WINNER Hiru Bhambhaney wins an autographed copy of 'chaat'

TIRANGA PANEER KABAB

Ingredients
3 medium onions, thickly sliced
3 medium tomatoes, thickly sliced
2 medium green capsicums, seeded, cut into chunks
For yellow kababs
8-10 paneer pieces, cut into 2 inch squares
4-5 tbsp hung curds
1 tsp black pepper powder (you can use a pinch of garam masala powder also for added flavour)
1 tsp amchur powder or lemon juice
1 large pinch turmeric
powder
Salt to taste
For red kababs
8-10 paneer pieces, cut into a 2 inch squares
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
u00bd tsp kasoori methi , optional
4-5 tbsp hung curds
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
For green kababs
8-10 paneer pieces, cut into a 2 inch squares
Grind to a chutney
1 small cup mint leaves
1 small cup coriander leaves
1 green chilli
1 inch piece ginger
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste.