Satay Noodles

This is about turning a ordinary instant Ramen Noodle into a restaurant quality gourmet dish.

Ingredients:

1. Instant Ramen noodles (prawn or chowmein flavour) 1 packet
2. Ginger and Garlic shredded 1 tsp each
3. Peanut butter 1-2 tbsp
4. Chilli paste 1-2 tsp
5. Fish sauce 1 tbsp
6. Sugar 1 tbsp
7. Chicken (cooked on shredded) or Shrimp 1 cup
8. Cucumber shredded or shaved 1/2 cup
9. Carrot shredded or shaved 1/2 cup
10. Roasted peanuts 1 tbsp
11. Coriander leaves to garnish
12. Sesame seed 1 tsp to garnish

Process

• Boil water 2 cups of water
• Cook noodles for 3 minutes
• Drain
• Lower heat
• Add the accompanying seasoning that comes in the packet
• Add ingredients 2-7
• Stir and cook for 2 minutes
• Turn off heat
• Add Shredded cucumber n carrot 
• Decorate with couple of carrot and cucumber shavings
• Sprinkle the peanuts over
• Sprinkle sesame seed over
• Garnish with some coriander leaves and a splash of chilli sauce.

Bhuna Khichuri

Bhuna Khichuri is the ultimate comfort food for Bangali's in a cold or rainy day. If you are in UK, you are in right place for bhuna khichuri because it's cold and rainy almost everyday!

The proportions of ingredients are for 1 cup rice, which should be enough for two. To cook more, just multiply everything accordingly. 

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice. 1 cup > washed and drained
• Mung dal. ¼ cup > washed and drained
• Chana dal. ¼ cup> washed and drained
• Salt 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
• Bay leaf 1
• Cinnamon. 2 one inch sticks
• Cloves 2
• Cardamon 2
• Red chilli 2
• Green chilli. 2
• Potato.  175g (approx 1 large) > Peel & Cut in about 1 inch size roughly.
• Carrot. 175g (approx 1 large) > Peel & Cut in about 1 inch size roughly.
• Peas. ¼ cup
• Cumin seed. 1 tsp. 
• Ghee/oil. ¼ cup
• Ginger & Garlic paste 2 tsp. 
• Vegetable seasoning 1 tsp (or 1 veg oxo cube) to enhance the taste. If you don't have it, just increase the amount of salt to compensate. 

Process: 

• Put everything in the rice-cooker and give it a good mix.
• Add water until the level is about half inch above the rice. 
• Seal the pot with a tin foil, put the lid on top, 
• Turn the rice cooker on (don't forget to push the lever down!)
• Set the timer for 1 hour.
• That's it, it's done. 

To serve: Garnish with some fried onion and green onion.  For extra flavour, drizzle some ghee over. 

It's good to go on it's own, but goes very well with Dim Bhuna or Meat / Chicken Bhuna. 

Dim Bhuna

Simple and satisfying classic Bengali dish

Ingredients:

1. Eggs 6
2. Oil 3 tbsp
3. Onion 1 large finely chopped
4. Garlic paste 1 tbsp
5. Curry Powder 1 tsp
6. Garam Masala 1 tsp
7. Salt 1 tsp (or to taste)
8. Green chilli 2
9. Coriander leaves

Process: 

• Boil Eggs: Place them in warm water in a a sauce pan, they should be fully under water. Add some Bicarbonate of soda or Salt, it makes peeling easier. I like medium to soft boiled eggs, but if you like hard boiled, that's fine. It's all in the timing, look up YouTube on boiling eggs to your liking. 
• When they are ready, plunge them in cold water and let them cool a little, peel them, rub them with some Turmeric powder & oil and roll them around on a hot pan until they look golden yellow and red. 
• Bhuna masala: Fry the onion in oil for couple of minutes > Add all the rest of the ingredients (2-9) and some water. > cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
• Turn the heat off and add the eggs and coat them with the masala. 
• Sprinkle some fresh coriander leaves and some chilli flakes. 

Vegetable Biryani in Rice-Cooker

This is a great way to eat vegetables. Choice of vegetable is important. Root vegetables work best. Greens like peas, runner-beans goes well too. Vegetables like Aubergines, courgettes, tomato etc. will go mushy.  You want the texture of vegetables to be preserved. Because of all the varieties of vegetables, with spices, salt, sugar, lemon and seasonings, there will be burst of different tastes and flavour in each bite, who needs meat!

Its very easy to make, most of the time is spent in the preparation of the vegetables. Actual cooking takes an hour and you dont even have to be in the kitchen. Dinner will be ready in an hour. 

Vegetables: Roughly equal amount by volume. 

• Large Onion.
• Peas 
• Beans.
• Turnip.
• Button Mushroom 
• Potato. 
• Carrot 
• Butternut squash. 
• Sweet potato. 

Other Ingredients:

1. Biryani masala 1 tbsp (use any Biriyani masala of your choice) 
2. OXO cubes 4 (or any vegetable seasonings to taste)
3. Garlic and Ginger paste 1 tbsp each
4. Salt 2 tsp
5. Sugar 2 tsp
6. Lemon juice of 1 lemon or 2 tbsp
7. Oil ¼ cup
8. Ghee 2 tbsp. 
9. Rose water. ¼ cup
10. Saffron. Pinch. 
11. Coriander leaves 
12. Sultana ½ cup
13. Basmati Rice 1/2 kg
14. Green chilli 3-4
15. Coconut milk 1 can (1.5 cup)
16. Milk (enough to bring the liquid level ½" above the rice)
17. Food Colour
18. Fried onion (2 cups)
19. Peanuts or Cashew nuts. (1 cup)

Process:

• Mix the vegetables and ingredients no. 1 to 12 together, place them tightly in a medium size (10 cups) rice cooker. 
• Place the green chillies over the veg
• Wash & drain rice and spread them over evenly and press the rice down
• Gently pour the coconut milk over.
• Pour milk gently to bring the liquid level to rise about 1/2 inch above the rice.
• Place a aluminium foil over the pot and put the lid on it. 
• Turn  the Rice-Cooker on (press the lever down) and don't touch it for 1 hour. 
• After one hour open it sprinkle some food colour (optional) and gently mix the rice with the veg in the bottom.
• Cover and leave it for another 10-15 minutes
• Serve with fried onion and nuts sprinkled over.