Winter veggies

SHEEM SHORSHE (HYACINTH BEANS WITH MUSTARD SEED PASTE)

This is a delicious Bengali side dish, easy to rustle up and goes well with rice. Sheem shorshe tastes heavenly when simmered in mustard paste until soft and tender. The fresh green beans, potato and mustard blend beautifully into an appetising vegetarian delight.

Ingredients

2 cup sheem (hyacinth beans), cut into pieces 

1 tbsp mustard paste

4 potatoes, cut into pieces

2 tbsp mustard paste

¼ tsp nigella seeds

½ tsp turmeric powder

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ tsp chopped garlic

5 green chillies, slit

½ cup water

Salt to taste

Method

Wash, peel and cut potatoes into wedges. Wash the beans. Snip off the ends and remove the strings on either side of the bean. Cut each bean into 2 pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add the nigella seeds and green chilli. Allow to sizzle. Add chopped onion and garlic. Fry until golden brown. Add potatoes and beans, stir for 2 minutes. Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt. Sauté for couple of minutes. Mix in the mustard paste. Add water and mix well. Cook on medium heat with the lid on. Cook until the vegetables are done; potatoes and beans should be nicely coated with the mustard paste. Serve with steamed hot rice.

LAU BORIR JHOL (BOTTLE GOURD WITH LENTIL FRITTERS)

Ingredients

1 medium size bottle gourd, peeled and cut into small cubes

10 pieces dal bori (lentil fritters)

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp coriander powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp ghee

4 slit green chillies

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil, Salt to taste

Method

In a small bowl put red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder garlic paste. To this add ¼ cup of water and mix well. Keep the spice mix aside. Heat oil in a pan, fry the boris until brown on both sides. Remove from oil, keep aside. In the remaining oil add cumin seeds, when cumin looks brown add tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the prepared spice mix, sauté until the raw smell of the spice dies out. Add bottle gourd and salt to it. Cook for five minutes. Now add 1 cup of water, green chilli and bori. Cook until the bottle gourd and bori are cooked. Remove pan from heat, add ghee on top, cover the pan and give 10 minutes standing time. Garnish with coriander leaves. Bottle gourd curry is ready. Serve it with hot plain rice.

SHEEM ER BICHI DIYE MACHHER JHOL (FISH CURRY WITH HYACINTH BEAN SEEDS)

Ingredients

1 fish fillet cubed, any sweet water fish

250g hyacinth bean seeds

2 medium onions sliced

1 tsp garlic paste, 2 tsp tomato paste

1 tsp red chilli powder, 1tsp turmeric divided

½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp coriander powder

3 tbsp oil; 2 cup water; Salt to taste

Coriander leave for garnish

Method

Cut and wash the fish. Marinate fish cubes with salt and half teaspoon of turmeric and set aside for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry the marinated fish until light brown and keep aside. In a medium pot, add oil and drop in the onion and chillies. Once the onions turn brown, add ginger, garlic paste and tomato paste. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, and red chilli powder. Add some water so the spices do not burn. After a minute, add bean seeds and stir for few minutes. Add water and fish. Cook till the fish and bean seeds are done and all flavours come together. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with steamed rice.

CAULIFLOWER PARATHA

This is an Indian flat bread prepared with whole wheat flour and stuffed with a very delicious and spicy cauliflower stuffing. It is made, especially by Punjabis. As with all stuffed parathas, the process for making this one also is largely similar and only varies in terms of preparation of stuffing. It goes well with simple raita or pickles.

Ingredients

For stuffing -

2 cup grated cauliflower

1 tsp red chilli powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp coriander powder

½ tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp amchur powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp ginger paste

2 green chillies, finely chopped

2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped

Oil for needed, Salt to taste

For paratha dough -

1½ cup whole wheat flour, 2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste, ½ cup water

Method

Grate cauliflower using grater. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add chopped onion, green chilli, and garlic paste, fry for few seconds. Mix in the grated cauliflower with some salt. Cook for few minutes. Then add all dry spices and mix. Cook till there is no moisture left in the mixture. Turn off the stove and lastly mix in chopped coriander leaves. Keep it aside to cool. 

Now take atta (flour), salt and oil in a bowl. Rub it with your fingertips. Then start adding little water at a time and knead the dough, it should be smooth and soft. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. 

After 20 minutes knead the dough once again and divide it into 6 balls and flatten it out. Dip one flattened disc into dry flour and roll into 4 inch diameter circle. Put stuffing in the centre, gather the edges and pinch it to seal it properly. 

Flatten it using your hand. Dip again into dry flour and roll into 6 inch diameter paratha. Heat the tawa on medium heat. Fry the paratha using little oil or ghee till they have golden brown spots on both sides. 

Remove it from the pan and repeat the same for rest of the paratha.

BEETROOT HALVA

Beetroot halva is one of the best desserts when served chilled. Halva is a dessert, mostly made using flour, semolina, lentils, nuts or grated vegetables like carrot and pumpkin. A halva can be prepared with or without milk. To give a rich taste, even condensed milk can be used.

Ingredients

2 cups greeted beetroot

3 tbsp sugar, 2 green cardamoms

1 cup thick milk (full fat)

2 tbsp ghee, ¼ cup mawa

Few broken cashews

Method

Wash beetroot under running water. Peel the skin and grate them. Bring milk to a boil. Stir and lower the flame for the milk to boil further till it thickens a bit. Heat ghee in a pan, add nuts. Fry until the cashews turn golden. Set these aside. To the same pan, add beetroot and fry until it turns aromatic for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the thickened milk and cook till the milk is absorbed completely. By then the beetroot also gets tender. Add sugar and cardamom powder. Stir well and cook until the moisture evaporates. Now add mawa and mix well. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with nuts. Serve hot or chilled.

Photo: Collected