Author: Rita's Recipes

Hello, I’m Rita, the home cook behind Rita’s Recipes — a food blog where I share traditional Bengali and Indian recipes alongside family-favourite breads, cakes, and cookies. I grew up in a Bengali household where cooking was part of everyday life. Many of the dishes I share are authentic home-style recipes — light fish curries, seasonal vegetable dishes, lentils, and classic Indian comfort food that have been passed down through generations. At the same time, baking has always been part of our family table. Here you will also find simple homemade breads, soft cakes, and cookies that are easy to make with everyday ingredients. My goal is to preserve traditional flavours while making recipes clear, practical, and accessible for cooks around the world — whether you are new to Indian cuisine or looking for reliable home-style cooking. Thank you for visiting, and I hope my recipes bring warmth to your kitchen.

Spicy Eggplant ( Masala Baigan)

There are so many varieties of Eggplants ( Aubergine /Baigan ) available. The big variety of Aubergines / eggplants are great for roasting and making Bharta, or just a Bengali style salad ( Begoon Pora) with sliced onions, chopped green chilies , mustard oil, and salt. The small round variety of eggplants / aubergines / baigans are great to make Bharwa Baigan (Stuffed Eggplants) with.

To make the Spicy Baigan I like to use the long Eggplants, also known as the Japanese Eggplants, as these have fewer seeds and tastes better.

Spicy Baigan / Masala Baigan, is a tangy and spicy dish and goes very well with Rotis and Parathas.

Eggplant or Baigan

How to cook

Gather all the ingredients. Wash and cut the eggplants. Heat the oil in a pan or wok or Kadaai. Add the Ingredients for tadka/ seasoning, stir till the Chillies brown slightly. Add the eggplants and stir a little. Add the rest of the dry spices again stir fry till the raw smell goes. Add water and cover and reduce the flame. When the Eggplants are cooked and soft, boil off the extra water, it should have a little gravy but not watery. Sprinkle some chopped Cilantro before serving.

ingredients

  • Eggplant / Baigan /Begoon/Aubergine 350 gms
  • Dried Mango powder / Amchoor 1 tsp ( You can use 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice instead of amchoor.)
  • Turmeric powder / Haldi 1/4 tsp
  • Chilli powder / Mirchi powder 1/2 tsp
  • Salt /Namak 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander powder / Dhania powder 1 tsp
  • Cumin Powder / Jeera Powder 1 tsp
  • Mustard oil, or any other Oil. 2 tablespoon
  • Green chilies slit in the middle. 2
  • Water 1/2 cup

For the Seasoning /Tarka

Asafetida / Hing 1/4 teaspoon

Cumin seeds?/ Jeera sabut 1/4 teaspoon

Red dry chilli/ Shukha Mirch 2 pieces

Prepping

  • Wash and cut the Eggplant into 2inch pieces, keep aside
  • Gather all the spices, keep the seasoning spices in 1 plate and the other spices on another plate.
  • Chop some cilantro / Coriander leaves, about 1 tablespoon.
  • slit 2 green chillies

Method

  • Heat a pan or wok or kadai, add the oil and wait a bit
  • Add the Hing, red chilli, and then the Jeera seeds,
  • Once the Jeera seeds turn brownish, add the cut eggplant pieces and stir fry till the edges are a bit brown
  • In a small bowl mix 1 tsp of Amchoor, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp Haldi powder, 1 tsp Dhania powder, 1 tsp Jeera powder with some water. Keep the rest of the water for later.
  • Once the eggplant pieces are slightly brown add the spices paste to the wok and stir well
  • When the raw small of the spices go away add the remaining water to the pan stir, and cover with a lid, lower the flame.
  • Let the eggplants simmer till they are soft and cooked.
  • The water will dry, need a little gravy but not much.
  • Take it off the flame and transfer the eggplant to a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.
Add the seasoning /tadka to the pan
Stir fry till the edges of the eggplantare little brown
Add all the spices and stir fry .

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Paanch Misali (Panch Mishali Torkari) – Bengali Mixed Vegetable Curry

Paanch misali torkari is basically a Bengali Mixed vegetable dish. Paanch means Five, so it means a mixed vegetable using Five Types of Vegetables. My mother and my grandmother would make this dish to use up the few leftover vegetables, like there is 1 eggplant, and a couple of potols, and a small piece of pumpkin, and some other vegetables they would cut these up add a potato and make Paanch Misali , a traditional. vegetable recipe. In the Paanch Misali Torkari recipe below I have used the 5 basic ones that are easily available in the markets. This dish needs only a few spices and very little oil and is Vegan. The vegetables I have used are Pumpkin ( Kumro), Ridge gourd( Jhinge), Pointed gourd (Potol), Eggplant (Begoon) and Potato (Aloo). When I lived in the US , I would use Bottlenut Gourd instead of Pumpkin, Eggplant, Zucchini, Potato, and the stalks of Broccoli, sometimes I also added a few leaves of Kale or Mustard Greens.

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Ingredients in pictures

Potol or Pointed gourd is partially peeled and then cut in halves then in quarters.

Kumro or Pumpkin is diced after the thick rind is removed.

Jhinge or Ridge gourd. Peel off ridges, then peel some off the thick green skin and then cut it lenght wise and then into pieces.

There are various kinds of Eggplants ( Begoon) available in the market I have used the Japanese long eggplants. Rinse and then cut them lengthwise the into pieces as shown in the photo. You can use any other variety of eggplants if these are not available.

Potatoes or Aloo are Peeled and washed and then diced.

Spices for Phoron/ Tarka /seasoning the OIl before adding the vegetables.

Paanch Phoron ( 5 spices), Hing ( asafoetida), and Dry red chilli.

These are the spices to add to the Vegetables. They are Sugar, Salt, Turmeric powder, and mustard oil or any white oil. You can add Chilli powder too, it definitely adds a zing.

Tip to making this Paanch Misali Torkari

Paanch Misali torkari is simple and easy to cook and yet it is so delicious. The main trick of making this delicious dish is to NOT ADD ANY WATER to the vegetables. They are cooked on low heat with a fairly tight cover. The vegetables used release enough water to cook them. As the vegetables cook on low heat, the water from the vegetables becomes steam and rises up , the steam condenses on the lid and the water drips back into the pan or wok so there is enough water for the vegetable to cook.

After adding the seasoning the vegetables are added, and also the spices. Vegetables are stir fried for a few minutes and the covered with a well fitting lid.

As the vegetables cook on low heat, the steam rises and condenses on the lid. The drops of water formed drips back into the wok.

Traditional Bengali VegetableGood Substitute (Australia, USA, UK & Other Countries)
Potol (Pointed Gourd)Zucchini or small summer squash
Jhinge (Ridge Gourd)Zucchini or yellow squash
Kumro (Pumpkin)Butternut squash, Kent pumpkin, or sugar pumpkin
Begun (Brinjal)Eggplant (Aubergine)
ShalgomTurnip
BarbotiLong beans
Mulo (White Radish)Daikon radish

Note: Traditional Bengali recipes are wonderfully adaptable. If you cannot find every Bengali vegetable, use fresh seasonal vegetables that are similar in texture. The flavour may vary slightly, but the essence of the dish remains the same.

We can add more vegetables to the Mixed vegetable, some others that i often add are Sonje danta. (moringa fruit) , White radish ( daikon)

few Broad beans or Long beans, sometimes I have added a few Kale leaves too. Need not be only 5 types of Vegetables.

Paanch Misali (Panch Mishali Torkari) – Traditional Bengali Mixed Vegetable Curry

Paanch Misali (Panch Mishali Torkari) is a traditional Bengali mixed vegetable curry made with five seasonal vegetables, lightly spiced with panch phoron and cooked slowly without adding water. This simple home-style dish is healthy, naturally vegan, and delicious served with steamed rice.

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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Bengali , Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

for the Phoron/ tadka/ seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp Asafoetida ( Hing) powder
  • 1 piece Dry red chilli ( lSukhno Lal lonka)
  • 2 Tablespoon Mustard oil ( Sorsher Tel )
  • 1/2 tsp Paanch Phoron Paanch Phoron – Mix 1 Tablespoon of Methi (Fenugreek) seeds, and 2 Tablespoons each of Jeera (Cumin) seeds, Kalo Jeera ( Nigella) seeds, Mouri ( Fennel) seeds, Radhuni ( Celery) seeds. If you can’t find Radhuni use Mustard seeds instead. Store in a small container. Usse some for the Paanch Misali, and the rest can be used later.
For the Torkari/ vegetables
  • 1 medium size Potato ( aloo)
  • 2 long ones Eggplant ( begoon) ( i used the long thin variety also called the Japanese Eggplant )
  • 2 pieces pointed gourd ( potol)
  • 1 piece Ridge Gourd ( Jhinge)
  • 300 g Pumpkin (Kumro)
After peeling and cutting the vegetables they all together weighed 900 grams. So I have used spices accordingly.
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder/ Holud/ haldi.
  • 3/4 tsp salt / Noon / Namak
  • 1/4 tsp Sugar/ Chini
  • 1/4 tsp Chilli powder / lonka gudo / mirchi powder( optional, but recommended)

Equipment

  • 1 Kadai or Wok or A saucepan
  • knives and peeler

Method
 

Prepping
  1. Peel and dice the Aloo (Potatoes)
  2. Peel and cut the Jhinge (Ridge gourd )
  3. Chop the Begoon ( Eggplant )
  4. Partially peel and cut the Potol. (Pointed gourd )
  5. Peel and dice the Kumro ( Pumpkin )
  6. Try to keep the amount of each vegetable about the same.
  7. Wash the vegetables and drain out the water.
How to make the Paanch Misali
  1. Heat a wok or pan which can hold the vegetables.
  2. Add the 2 Tablespoons of Mustard oil, when it is hot add the 1/4 teaspoon of Hing ( Asafoetida ), then the Dry red chilli.
  3. When the chili browns a bit add the 1/2 teaspoon of Paanch Phoron ( 5 spice mix)
  4. After a minute or 2 add the vegetables to the Wok / Kadai.
  5. Add Salt, Sugar, Chili powder, Turmeric powder then cover the vegetables with a lid that fits well. We need a lid that will not allow much steam to escape.
  6. Lower the heat to low
  7. Once in a while Open the lid and stir the vegetables
  8. When opening the lid do it in a way that the what that has condensed on the lid falls back into the wok. We do not add water to cook these vegetables in the Paanch Misali, if you add water the taste is not the same. Kepp repeating the covering , then opening the lid after a few minute and stirring till the potatoes and other vegetables are soft and cooked
  9. When the vegetables are cooked, take off the lid and stir- fry well till all the water is dry.
  10. Now your Paanch Misali torkari Is ready to be served. Serve with Hot Cooked rice.

Notes

We can add more vegetables to the Mixed vegetable, some others that i often add are Sonje danta. (moringa fruit) , White radish ( daikon) few Broad beans or Long beans, sometimes I have added a few Kale leaves too.
One of the secrets to a good Paanch Misali is patience. Resist the temptation to add water. The vegetables slowly release their natural juices, creating a light, flavourful gravy while retaining the individual taste of each vegetable. This traditional Bengali technique gives the curry its unique character.
 

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Authentic Bengali Shorshe Chingri Recipe | Mustard Paste Shrimp

Chingri or Shrimp with mustard paste is spicy dish with a distinct taste of mustard, it is an easy and quick dish to make and is delicious eaten with some boiled rice. You can use any kind of Shrimp you have, big or small. In this recipe I have used medium sized shrimp.

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*How to make the mustard paste:

Soak 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds in half a cup of water, (or you can take half yellow and half black mustard seeds if you like more pungent flavour of mustard) . Drain out the water with the help of a sieve before grinding .

Put the mustard seeds into a grinder with 1 green chilli and a pinch of salt, add 2 tablespoons of water and grind it into a thick paste. Then use the amount given in the recipe.

If you don’t have a grinder that can grind with liquid you can use a coffee grinder. For the coffee grinder you have to Grind 3 tablespoons of mustard seeds first into a powder and then soak it with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water for at least 15 minutes,to make a paste before using it

The Shrimp or Chingri

Whether you use small shrimp or the bigger ones, the first thing we do is clean and wash them very well. First remove the shell keeping the heads and the tail on. Then cut out and discard the antennas and the legs. Or you can discard the whole head. Along the centre back of the shrimp’s body you will see a black line, make a slit along the line and remove the thin black thread like thing. Now wash the shrimps thoroughly. Drain out as much water as possible and sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder on the shrimps, rub the salt and turmeric powder all over the shrimp and cover and keep aside . OR you can buy already cleaned Shrimps which you only need to wash and add the turmeric powder and salt to it.

Ingredients

  • Chingri or Shrimp. 200g
  • Sorshe tel or Mustard Oil 2 to 3 Tablespoons
  • *Sorshe bata or *Mustard Paste 1&1/2 Tablespoons
  • Noon or Salt 1/2 tsp
  • Holud or Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
  • Knancha lonka or Green chilies 2 slit

Method

  • In a microwave safe dish arrange the shrimps or chingri maach.
  • Add the Mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder, and slit green chillies. Pour in the mustard oil.
  • Mix all the paste etc with the shrimps well. All the pieces should be covered with it. If you want extra gravy you can add 2 tablespoons of water. I usually don’t because there is water in the paste.
  • Cover with a plastic wrap and put it in the microwave . Cook on full power for 3 minutes, then take the dish out of the microwave, take off the cling wrap and flip the shrimps. Put the wrap back on and pop the dish into the microwave again for 2 minutes.
  • The Shorshe Chingri or Shrimp in mustard sauce is ready. Serve with some plain boiled rice.

Authentic Bengali Shorshe Chingri Recipe | Mustard Paste Shrimp

This is flavourful shrimp dish, Chingri or Shrimp with mustard paste, is quick and easy to prepare. Soak mustard seeds, grind with green chilli and salt to make the paste. Clean and season the shrimp with turmeric and salt, then mix with mustard paste, turmeric, salt, green chilies, and mustard oil. Microwave for a delicious meal.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 5 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 2 persons
Course: Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Bengali , Indian, Bengali., Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 200 grams Shrimps or Chingri Cleaned and washed
  • 3 Tbsp Mustard oil or Shorshe tel
  • 1&1/2 Tbsp Mustard Paste or Sorshe Bata
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Turmeric powder
  • 4 or 5 whole Green Chillies slit the chillies

Equipment

  • 1 Grinder
  • 1 microwave safe dish with lid

Method
 

  1. *How to make the mustard paste:
  2. Soak 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds in half a cup of water, (or you can take half yellow and half black mustard seeds if you like more pungent flavour of mustard) . Drain out the water with the help of a sieve before grinding .
  3. Put the mustard seeds into a grinder with 1 green chilli and a pinch of salt, add 2 tablespoons of water and grind it into a thick paste. Then use the amount given in the recipe.
  4. If you don’t have a grinder that can grind with liquid you can use a coffee grinder. For the coffee grinder you have to Grind 3 tablespoons of mustard seeds first into a powder and then soak it with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water for at least 15 minutes,to make a paste before using it
preparation steps
    Whether you use small shrimp or the bigger ones, the first thing we do is clean and wash them very well. First remove the shell keeping the heads and the tail on. Then cut out and discard the antennas and the legs. Or you can discard the whole head. Along the centre back of the shrimp’s body you will see a black line, make a slit along the line and remove the thin black thread like thing. Now wash the shrimps thoroughly. Drain out as much water as possible and sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder on the shrimps, rub the salt and turmeric powder all over the shrimp and cover and keep aside . OR you can buy already cleaned Shrimps which you only need to wash and add the turmeric powder and salt to it.
      How to make the sorshe chingri
      1. In a microwave safe dish arrange the shrimps or chingri maach.
      2. Add the Mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder, and slit green chillies. Pour in the mustard oil.
      3. Mix all the paste etc with the shrimps well. All the pieces should be covered with it. If you want extra gravy you can add 2 tablespoons of water. I usually don’t because there is water in the paste.
      4. Cover with a plastic wrap and put it in the microwave . Cook on full power for 3 minutes, then take the dish out of the microwave, take off the cling wrap and flip the shrimps. Put the wrap back on and pop the dish into the microwave again for 2 minutes.
      5. The Shorshe Chingri or Shrimp in mustard sauce is ready. Serve with some plain boiled rice.
      Instead of Microwave
      1. If you do not want to use the Microwave, you can just steam it.
      2. Mix all the ingreadients with the shrimp in a container with a well fitting lid.
      3. Heat some water in a Wok or a pan with a lid adn steam it for 10 to 15 minutess depending on the size of the Shrimp.

      Notes

      1. Clean the Shrimp very well before cooking
      2. The microwave should be on lower Power level, otherwise the fish will become rubbery.

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      FISH CURRY: Aar maacher kalo jire kancha lonkar jhol ( Catfish curry with nigella seeds and green chilies)

      Aar Maach is a variety of catfish. This fish does not have scales on the skin like the Carps (Rui, Katla, Mrigel) or Hilsa. It also has very few bones, which makes it easy to eat, especially for children. I like to use this fish when cooking for guests. They might not be comfortable with Rui or Katla (Carp) or any of the Bengali favourites like Iilish, Koi, etc. When I am cooking for my young grandkids this is the fish I love to cook.

      This curry recipe is very easy and quick. It serves as a Basic Gravy Recipe. Instead of Aar Maach (Catfish), you can use any fish you wish to eat. The fish can be big or small, with bones or without bones. To this gravy just add the fish you want, and you have a fish curry in a few minutes.

      How to make the Maacher Jhol

      1. Marinate the fish pieces
      2. Gather the ingredients
      3. Fry the fish pieces ( optional)
      4. Make the gravy, bring it to a boil
      5. Add the Fried or not-fried fish to the gravy
      6. Simmer the fish in the gravy for a couple of minutes and it is ready to serve.

      Ingredients

      It will take approximately 45 minutes to make this Curry, from marinating to serving. Serves 3 to 4 persons.

      • Aar Maach ( Catfish ) 500g
      • Kancha Lonka ( green chillies 0r the thai red chillies). 4
      • Kalo Jire ( Kalonji, Or Nigella seeds) 1tsp
      • Holud ( Haldi or Turmeric powder) 1/4 tsp plus 1/4 tsp for marinating the fish
      • Lonka powder ( mirchi or Chilli powder) 1/4 tsp ( optional)
      • Fresh tomato puree 1 cup. (or 1/4 cup of canned tomato puree)
      • Mustard oil (Sorshe tel) ( or any vegetable oil) 1/4 cup
      • Salt 1tsp Plus 1/2 tsp for marinating the fish
      • Water ( Paani). 1 cup

      The Aar Maach is cut into this kind of pieces, it can be filleted too, and then cut into pieces. Then marinated for 30 minutes with salt and turmeric powder.

      The pieces were fried a bit to hold their shape. This prevents them from disintegrating when put in the Jhol ( gravy).

      BUT, you can add the raw fish to the gravy if you want to use less oil.

      The ingredients used are: Tomato puree, Turmeric powder (Holud or Haldi), Nigella seeds (Kalo jire, Kanonji) , salt ( Noon, namak), Green chilies (kancha lonka), Mustard oil ( sorshe tel) and water ( jol,paani).

      Method

      • Wash the pieces of fish. Drain out the water as much as possible. Rub 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp of salt on all the pieces. Let the fish marinate for at least 1/2 hour. You can also marinate the fish in the fridge up to 3 hours if you are going to cook it later.
      • Slit the green chilies ( kancha lonka).
      • Chop the fresh tomatoes and put it in the blender and make a puree.
      • In a bowl mix the puree, turmeric powder ( haldi or holud), salt (Noon or Namak) and chilli powder( mirchi p ( optional), and stir it well and keep aside
      • Heat the oil in a wok, kadai, or deep frying pan. Make sure it is very hot, smoking hot. If you try to fry fish in oil that is not hot enough the fish will stick to the pan.
      • Drop a piece of fish in the hot oil. Flip it soon. Take it out of the oil in a minute. Keep it aside on a plate. Repeat this till all the pieces are fried. You may not want to fry the fish, in which case skip this step.
      • Now spoon out some of the hot oil so that there is only about 2 tablespoon oil left in the Pan.
      • Add the Kalongi or Nigella seed, and 1 green chilli ( kancha lonka) to the oil in the pan, this is the Tadka (seasoning)
      • After a minute add the tomato puree, turmeric, salt ,mixture to the tadka. Be careful it might splatter.
      • Keep stirring and frying till the oil bubbles can be seen around the masala. ( see the photo) below
      FRY TILL LITTLE BUBBLES OF OIL SEPERATES AROUND THE GRAVY MASALA
      • Add the water. Stir well. When the gravy starts boiling, gently drop the fish pieces (aar maach) into the gravy. Add the rest of the green chilies.
      • Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste to see if the salt is perfect.
      • Transfer the Maacher jhol into your serving dish and serve hot with plain cooked rice.

      This jhol is one that can be used with any fish. I have used Rui ( carp), Tilapia, Snapper, Perch. The method is the same as above. Once the basic gravy or jhol is made, you can add any fish of your choice. Simmer a few minutes to produce a quick and delicious Fish Curry.

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      Bengali Tomato Chutney Recipe: A Sweet and Tangy Delight

      We Bengalis like to end a meal with a sweet chutney. On days like Sunday or holidays after a meal of Mangsho, or Fish curry and a few vegetables, a Chutney is a must, and definitely if you are serving a Full Course Bengali meal to a guest the last dish will be a Chutney. In the summer months raw mangoes are the most popular fruit to use for chutney, but a few other sour fruits like Aamra (called Spanish plum or Hog plum) Koromcha (Bengal currents) ,Chalte ( elephant apple), Kamranga ( star fruit) are also great for sweet and tangy Chutneys.

      Since tomatoes are easily available throughout the year so Tomato Chutney is the easiest to make. Some tomatoes available in India are the ones with a thick skin, but another variety with thinner skin and are more juicy and tangy. The juicy ones are best for making the chutney, these are usually called DESI TOMATOES. In the US I used to use the canned plum tomatoes, which are already peeled, so all I had to do was chop them up. You could use the fresh lovely big red tomatoes that are available in the supermarkets for salads in the US if you want.

      Tomato chutney has just Tomatoes, Sugar, Salt a little chopped ginger ( this too is optional). Few extras like Raisins , Dates, or Aam satto (sheets of dried mango pulp) and also a pinch of chili powder makes it more interesting. In this recipe I have used Dates, with the Tomatoes.

      Ingredients

      • Tomatoes washed and chopped 3 cups
      • Sugar 1 cup to 1&1/2 cup
      • Paanch Phoron 1/2 teaspoon ( Five spice mix, consisting of Methi, Jeera, Saunf, Kaonji and Mustard seeds)
      • Haldi powder ( Turmeric powder) 1/2 tsp
      • Bhuna Jeera Powder ( roasted Cumin seeds powdered) 1/2 teaspoon ( 0ptional)
      • Salt 1 Tablespoon or less.
      • Dates 1/2 cup with seeds removed
      • Vegetable oil 2 tablespoons
      • Dry red chillies 1 ( optional)
      TOMATOES CUT INTO SMALL PIECES

      INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS CHUTNEY

      How to make the Chutney

      • Heat a wok or a sauce pan, add the OIL and wait for it to heat up really well
      • Now add the dry red chillies if you want to use it, wait for a few seconds then add the Paanch Phoron.
      • Once the spices in the paanch phoron gets slightly brown, add the chopped tomatoes and stir well
      • To this add the salt and sugar and the haldi powder . Cover, lower the heat and let the tomatoes simmer for a while.
      • After about 5 minutes, open the lid and check it, the tomatoes will soften and lot of liquid should be released from the tomatoes. Add the Dates and then cover with a lid again and let it simmer.
      • After a couple of minutes open the lid and let it boil down if there is too much liquid. The consistency should be a little runny not as thick as Ketchup. Pourable consistency. Taste to check the seasoning. You could add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter chutney.
      • Your chutney is done, sprinkle the roasted Jeera powder and take it off the heat.
      • Cool it before putting it in the fridge. Serve cold.
      • You can keep it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

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      Phulkopi aar Aloo torkari (Bengali Cauliflower and Potato Stir fry)

      Cauliflower or Phulkopi as it is called in Bengali, is easily available throughout the year, though I feel it tastes better in the winter. There are many recipes of cooking Phulkopi aar Aloo ( cauliflower and Potato) in India. This is an easy Bengali recipe, and it needs very few spices. The Main ingredient that gives this a distinct flavour is the use of a blend of 5 spices, called Paanch Phoron in Bengali. Paanch Phoron is a mixture of equal amounts of Mauri ,(Saunf in hindi and Fennel seeds in English), Jire ( Jeera in hindi and Cumin seeds in English), Kalojire ( Kalongi in Hindi and Nigella seeds in English) Radhundi ( Ajmod In Hindi and Celery seeds in English), and Methi(Methi in Hindi and Fenugreek seeds in English). I usually make a big portion of this mixture and store it in a glass jar, because I use it frequently in my recipes. Sometimes Radhuni is not available so we use mustard seeds in its place.

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      Ingredients

      This is how the potatoes and cauliflower is cut.

      Cut the cauliflower into florets, if they are too big cut it smaller like in the picture above. Wash the cauliflower florets well and leave in a colander to drain off the water. Next peel and dice the potatoes, wash and keep aside.

      Spices needed are: Noon, (salt,namak ), Chini (sugar, shakkar ), holud (turmeric powder, Haldi ) Lonka (chilli powder, mirchi )

      And sorsher tel (mustard oil)

      For Tempering

      Sukhno lonka ( sukha mirch in hindi, dry red chilli), hing (hing in hindi, asafoetida), and Phanch phoron ( five spice mix).

      To Make the torkari, the cauliflower and Potatoes are lightly fried one by one.

      Then the oil is tempered or tadka? phoron is added

      The Fried vegetables are added back into the kadai and stirred with the dry ingredients, Salt , sugar, Chilli powder and Turmeric powder.

      After a couple of minutes of stirring, the water is added .

      The kadai is covered with a lid. Vegetables a allowed to cook slowly on low flame till done.

      After sauteeing the vegetables it will look like this, slightly brown at the deges.

      To make paanch phoron, add 1/4 teaspoon of Methi (fenugreek) seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of Radhuni (celery ) seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of kalojire ( Nigella) seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of mouri (fennel) seeds and 1/4 teaspoon of jeera (cumin) seeds in a small dry glass bottle. Shake it well ,then take and out and use as needed.

      Sometimes Paanch Phoron is available in the grocery store

      Phulkopi Aar Aloo Torkari (Bengali Cauliflower and Potato Stir fry)

      Phulkopi Aar Aloo Torkari is a simple Bengali-style cauliflower and potato stir fry cooked with paanch phoron and everyday spices. This comforting vegetarian dish pairs perfectly with rice, roti, or luchi and is especially popular during winter when fresh cauliflower is in season.
      Print Recipe
      Prep Time 20 minutes
      Cook Time 30 minutes
      Total Time 50 minutes
      Servings: 4 persons
      Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

      Ingredients
        

      • 250 Grams Cauliflower washed and cut into florets
      • 120 grams Potatoes peeled and cut
      • 1/4 teaspoon Hing
      • 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
      • 1/8 teaspoon Mirchi (chili) powder
      • 3/4 teaspoon Salt
      • 1/4 teaspoon Paanch phoron 
      • 1 piece Dry red chilli
      • 2 Tablespoon Mustard oil
      • 1 piece Green chilli slit ( optional)
      • 1 teaspoon Coriander leaves chopped
      • 1/4 Teaspoon sugar
      • 1/4 cup water

      Equipment

      • 1 kadai or wok. Or Pan

      Method
       

      1. Heat the oil in a wok or a Kadai, or a pan
      2. when the oil is smoking, add the potatoes, saute a couple of minutes, remove from the oil and keep aside
      3. Add the cauliflower to the kadai, saute till a little brown at the edges and then remove from the wok with a slotted spoon onto the bowl with the sauteed potatoes and keep aside.
      4. Some oil will remain, ( you may need to add a bit more oil, because sometimes the cauliflower absorbs a lot of oil.) to this oil add the Hing first, then red chilli and Paanch Phoron . This is for tempering the oil or Tadka/ Phoron.
      5. When the Paanch phoron stops spluttering and turns a bit brown ( be careful not to burn it), add the sauteed cauliflower and potatoes .
      6. Add Salt , chili powder, turmeric powder , Sugar), Slit green chilli, and stir so that all the vegetables are covered in the spices.
      7. Add the water and cover the pan with a lid.
      8. Add the water and cover the pan with a lid.
      9. Lower the heat and let it simmer, occasionally lift the cover and stir or the vegetables may stick to the bottom of the pan.
      10. The vegetables are cooked when the cauliflower and the potatoes can be cut with the spoon
      11. If the water hasn’t dried up when the vegetables are cooked, then increase the heat and let the water dry out.
      12. Stir fry for couple of minutes before taking the pan off the heat.
      13. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

      Notes

      1. This is a healthy version. If you fry the Cauliflower florets and Potatoes in a lot of oil, it tastes even better. 
      2. Cauliflower florets should not be very small, or they will not keep its shape.

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