Simple Recipes from Various Sources

Deepayan Sarkar (ed)


First some basics.

Boiled eggs

This is semi-trivial, but it is not always easy to avoid the shells breaking too early.

  • Place eggs in a pan and cover them with cool water (up to 1 inch over if possible)

  • Cover the pan and bring water to a rolling boil over high heat

  • Once water is boiling, boil on medium heat for 7 minutes more (for hard boiled eggs)

Steaming / boiling vegetables

This is not a recipe per se, but a guideline for times appropriate for vegetables when boiling or steaming (by which I mean either actual steaming in a steamer, which I have never actually done yet, or cooking something in oil on low heat).

  • Potato - 15 mins

  • Onion - 15 mins

  • Broccoli - 5 mins

  • Carrots - 5 mins

  • Capsicum - 5 mins

Fried Rice

Start with cooked rice that is non-sticky. Preferably long-grained (e.g., basmati), add a little oil while cooking, and drain the starch. Don’t overcook.

Heat olive / sesame oil on high flame.

Add the following, keeping flame high, and basically stirring continuously:

  • chopped garlic (20–30 seconds)

  • optional: mace and star anise

  • chopped vegetables, e.g., carrot, peas, beans, capsicum (2 minutes)

  • 2 eggs whisked (scramble and mix with vegetables)

  • vinegar, salt, optionally soya sauce, etc.

  • cooked rice

  • pepper powder

Mix well, but not for too long (~2 minutes), as otherwise rice will become dry.

Pasta

This is not exactly traditional, and may seem overcooked to some, but works well with the pasta we get.

  • Boil water (in final non-stick cooking pot), adding salt

  • Add pasta, boil for 10 minutes

  • Add carrots diced into small pieces - 2 mins

  • Add cut broccoli florets - 4 mins

  • Drain water, but keep a little in

  • Add olive oil, pasta sauce

  • Optional: add other pre-cooked inredients (minced meat, mushroom, etc.)

  • Stir for a few more minutes, adding water if necessary

  • Optional: add vinegar, barbecue sauce, oregano flakes

Brown rice

  • Use a non-stick pan with a tight lid

  • 1 cup rice - rinse well - put in pan and add slightly less than 2 cups water

  • Bring to a boil, and then immediately put on simmer and close lid tightly

  • Set timer to 35 minutes. DO NOT open lid in between.

  • When done, open the lid to check (should have steam holes). If done, remove excess water if present, otherwise, cook longer.

  • Turn off heat, but keep rice covered for 10 more minutes to steam

Chicken stew

Source: genius kitchen

Step 1: prepare boiled chicken and broth

  • Marinate around 0.5 kg chicken with ginger garlic paste and salt

  • Fry for 2 minutes, add water, bring to boil, then simmer for around 45 minutes

  • Separate chicken from broth and slice into smaller pieces

Step 2: prepare stew

  • Heat oil 1/4 cup

  • Add diced onions 1 cup and saute for 2 minutes

  • Add
    • diced tomatoes (optional)
    • minced garlic (4 / 5 cloves)
    • thyme 1 teaspoon
    • bay leaf 2
    • salt 1 teaspoon
    • pepper 1/2 teaspoon
  • Fry for a minute, then add chicken broth

  • Add
    • diced potatoes (4)
    • sliced carrots (2 cups)
    • boiled chicken
  • Simmer around 30 minutes

Mutton stew

  • Requires
    • 500gm mutton
    • garlic
    • carrots diced
    • tomato puree
    • vinegar
    • salt, pepper
    • potatoes
  • Heat oil in pressure cooker

  • Add
    • sliced onion
    • garlic paste / crushed
    • carrots
    • spring onion
    • tofu
    • But not yet potatoes / tomatoes
  • Cook for ~5 mins

  • Add mutton and stir fry till all sides slightly fried

  • Add
    • vinegar or wine
    • tomato sliced / pureed
    • a little water
  • Cook for ~10 mins

  • Add
    • water 1 to 1.5 liter
    • 2 tsp salt
    • maybe one small potato diced (for the stew)
  • Pressure cook on low heat for one hour

  • Let cool, take off lid, add diced potatoes and optionally ground pepper

  • Cook on low heat for 20 mins

  • Add butter at end

Paneer

  • Mix the following in a bowl and make a paste with warm water:

    • ধনে 1 tsp
    • জিরে 1 tsp
    • নুন 0.5 tsp
    • গুঁড়ো লঙ্কা 0.5 tsp
    • আদা রসুন বাটা 1 tbsp
  • Heat oil and add mix to it. Saute.

  • Add paneer, and optionally tomato puree. Cook until done.

Chicken keema

For approx 250g chicken keema

  • Finely chop 4 onions

  • Optionally chop 2 potatoes into small cubes

  • Heat oil and stir fry onion with ginger garlic paste (~5mins)

  • Add and stir until mixed well (~2mins)
    • jire (cumin) powder 1 tsp
    • dhone (coriander) powder 1 tsp
    • (kashmiri) lal mirch powder 1/2 tsp
    • salt 1/2 tsp
  • Add keema and mix. Ensure minimal clumping.

  • Add potatoes if desired

  • After cooking for approximately 5mins, add water to cover, bring to boil

  • Simmer covered on low heat for 15 mins

  • Add garam masala 1/2 tsp, vinegar 1 tbsp

  • Mix and stir for a minute and turn off heat

Spinach

  • Cut spinach. Rinse well and boil for five minutes.

  • Heat oil

  • Add onion and cook for a while

  • Add the following and continue cooking

    • ধনে 1 tsp
    • জিরে 1 tsp
    • নুন 0.5 tsp
    • গুঁড়ো লঙ্কা 0.5 tsp
    • আদা রসুন বাটা 1 tbsp
  • Add spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, till dryish and done.

Chana masala

Ingredients

  • 3 cups boiled chana

  • ginger garlic paste

  • 1 medium onion chopped

  • 0.5 tsp salt

  • garam masala 1.5 tsp

  • ground coriander 1.5 tsp

  • cumin powder 0.75 tsp

  • turmeric powder 0.5 tsp

  • tomato puree (half packet?)

Can experiment with chhole masala instead of the individual spices.

Heat oil, add

  • onion + salt (5 mins)

  • ginger garlic paste (0.5 – 1 mins)

  • masalas (1 min)

  • tomato puree

Raise heat to medium heat and add chana. Cook on low for at least 10 mins.

Mushroom

  • Wash and slice mushrooms. Dry wih a paper towel if possible (before slicing).

  • Heat oil and/or butter, add mushrooms, and cook for a few minutes. If the oil is not hot enough, the mushrooms will water out and steam. 5 minutes should be enough, stirring occasionally.

  • Add salt and pepper, continue cooking

  • When almost done, add some milk

Karela stir fry

  • Rinse the karela in water

  • Optional: lightly peel the skin

  • Slice the karela into thin round pieces.

  • Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan or kadai.

  • Add the karela slices and saute on a low or medium flame till the slices become lightly browned. Takes about 8–10 minutes. Stir in between.

  • Add

    • ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
    • ½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
    • ½ tsp cumin powder/jeera
    • 1 tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
    • ¼ tsp garam masala powder
    • ½ or 1 tsp dry mango powder/amchur
    • ½ tsp salt
  • stir and saute for 5–6 mins more on a low flame.

  • add 1 tbsp gram flour/besan and saute for some minutes till the rawness of the besan or gram flour goes away. takes about 4-5 minutes more.

  • garnish karela sabzi with coriander leaves.

grated carrot with green peas

  • grate carrots

  • heat oil, add a little kalo jire

  • add carrots and stir

  • add salt 1/2 tsp and stir to mix

  • cook covered on low heat, stirring occasionally, till done (15-20 mins)

Garlic Peas

  • olive oil - 1 tbsp - heat in pan

  • when oil is very hot,
    • add peas, stir fry for 30 seconds
    • add minced garlic (3 cloves) and
    • soy sauce - 1 tbsp
  • stir fry for 2 minutes, then add salt and pepper, optionally chopped coriander leaves. Mix and stir.

Snacks, desserts, accompaniments.

Poha

  • Lightly boil some chopped potatoes

  • Take poha, wash thoroughly, and put in colander to dry.

  • Put the following in heated oil and stir fry:
    • chopped onion - 1/2 cup
    • hing - pinch
    • mustard seeds - 1 tsp
    • curry leaves - 10
    • red chilly - 2
  • When onions light brown (should not take long), add potatoes, salt, and optionally turmeric. Stir.

  • Increase heat, add poha, mix well and stir.

  • Add lemon just before turning heat off (or at the time of serving)

Hummous

Mix the following in mixie

  • 400 gm canned chickpeas (খোসা ছাড়িয়ে)
  • garlic cloves - 2 crushed
  • salt 0.5 tsp
  • olive oil 4 tbsp
  • lime 3
  • coriander leaves, parsley (optional)
  • water or chickpea broth - 5 tbsp
  • paprika / chat masala

Can improvise

Cake

  • sugar – 1/2 cup (or even less)
  • oil – 1/2 cup
  • eggs – 2
  • vanilla extract – 2 tsp
  • aata – 1 cup
  • maida – 1/2 cup
  • baking powder – 2 tsp
  • hot cocoa – 2tsp (optional)
  • milk – 1/2 cup

Instructions

  • preheat oven to 175 C

  • mix sugar + oil + eggs + vanilla

  • add aata + maida + baking powder + cocoa and mix

  • add milk and mix

  • bake (till done? ~ 60 mins ?)


The following recipes are distinguished by the setup: they all start with crushed garlic fried in olive oil + butter.

Stir-fried Green Beans

  • Trim end of green beans (around 300-400 gms)

  • Put in (already) well-salted boiling water for two minutes, drain, and put in cold water

  • Put a large skillet on medium heat, and add

    • 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp butter (until butter melts)

    • minced garlic (2 cloves) + 1 tsp red chilli flakes (saute for 30 seconds)

    • Add beans, continue to saute (about 5 minutes)

    • Add (optional) lemon zest (1 tsp) and season with salt and pepper

Stir-fried Broccoli

  • Cut broccoli into florets

  • Put in (already) well-salted boiling water for four to five minutes, drain, and put in cold water

  • Put a large skillet on medium heat, and add

    • 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp butter (until butter melts)

    • minced garlic (2 cloves) + 1 tsp red chilli flakes (saute for 30 seconds)

    • Add broccoli, stir continuously for about 1 minute

    • Season with salt and pepper

  • Variation: Before broccoli, add sliced dry mushrooms and stir-fry for 5 minutes.


The following are “traditional recipes”, in the sense that they are collected from family and friends, and not from the internet.

ডালবড়া

Source: Aloka Sarkar

  • মুসুরডাল - soak overnight

  • grind in mixie – যথাসম্ভব শুকনো, ফেটাতে হবে

  • Add
    • salt
    • খাবার (baking?) soda
    • কালোজিরে (optional)
    • গোলমরিচ (optional)
    • পেঁয়াজকুচি
    • ধনেপাতা কুচি
  • Deep fry

মুসুর ডাল / মুগ ডাল

  • Moong Dal - dry roast in pan under medium heat (be careful not to burn). Maybe a little for Masoor Dal as well (doesn’t seem to harm).

  • Optional: Fresh কাঁচা আম cut through the seed (কুষি), remove the seed (but not the layer around it) boil along with dal. Usually done with musur dal only. Needs sugar in the last step.

  • Add water and salt and boil till done, try to mash a bit. Keep aside (or start next steps when almost done, a little extra boiling is fine).

  • Heat 2 tbsp oil, heat, and add (in sequence)

    • 1 tsp cumin seeds as ফোড়ন. other seeds seem OK too (few seconds)
    • 2 tsp ginger garlic paste (10–15 seconds)
    • 1 whole red chilli
    • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder + hing (30 seconds)
    • chopped tomato (a few minutes, until soft)
    • thinly sliced karela (or something else, depending on how adventurous you are feeling)
  • Add boiled dal, mix well, add water and salt as desired, cook (at least 15 minutes if using karela).

  • Optional: Add 1 tsp kasuri methi and simmer for one minute

  • Optional: Add chopped coriander leaves at the end


The following recipes are my adaptations of something similar.

Sooji pie

  • Take sooji in a bowl and add enough water to just cover it. Optionally add a little ragi aata (and / or besan?). Cover and leave aside for at least half an hour

  • Add yoghurt, leave aside for at least half an hour more

  • Mix in

    • one egg
    • chopped onion,
    • tomato
    • water as desired
    • maybe a little crushed garlic (haven’t tried)
    • salt, other spices (oregano etc.)
    • whatever else you wish: sausage / chicken bits / …

Stir-fried chicken

Cut boneless chicken into small slices. Marinate with yogurt, ginger garlic paste, salt, and garam masala powder. I usually marinate for a few hours.

Put a large skillet on medium heat, and add

  • Generous amount of olive oil and butter (until butter melts)

  • minced garlic (at least 2 cloves) - 30 seconds

  • marinated chicken

Cook covered on low / medium heat, stirring occasionally. The chicken should let out water and steam initially, but the water should dry out in about 30 minutes.

Optionally, add

  • potato sliced (I prefer a Belgian fries style cut)

  • Onion thickly sliced

Cook for 10 minutes, then add

  • Sliced capsicum

Cook for 5 more minutes. Don’t overcook.

Chicken curry

  • Chop / grate onion

  • Heat oil, and add

    • onion
    • salt
    • red chilli powder
    • ground pepper
  • Add chicken

  • Add water if required

  • At the end, add a cap of vinegar

Baked chicken keema

Preheat oven to 200C.

Mix the following:

  • 400 gm minced chicken keema
  • two onions grated
  • ginger garlic paste
  • coriander leaves
  • capsicum thinly sliced
  • garam masala powder
  • one egg
  • bread crumbs (one toasted bread) or biscuit crumbs
  • soya sauce 2 tbsp
  • salt