Christmas Fruit Cake

fruit cake

Preparation Time : 1 hour
Baking Time : 1 hour

Ingredients :

• All purpose flour / maida : 2 cups
• Melted butter : 1/4 cup
• Baking powder : 1 tsp
• Baking soda : 1 tsp
• Egg : 4
• Sugar : 1 cup
• Vanilla essence : 1 tbsp
• Fruit cake mix : 1 lb

Note : You can also use dry fruits.

Procedure :

1) Take two large mixing bowl. In one bowl take all purpose flour / maida,melted
     butter ,baking powder and baking soda. Knead them well for 30 minutes.
2) In second bowl take egg , vanilla essence and sugar. Beat it for 10 minutes with
     a blender.
3) Add flour to the beaten egg. Mix them well.
4) Add fruit mix to the batter and mix them well.Make a thick batter.
5) Now prepare cake pan by greasing it with butter all over or place a parchment
    paper.
6) Pour the cake batter to the pan and press it to make the top even.
7) Bake it in a preheated 300 degree F  oven for about 1 hours. Check with an
    inserted tooth pick after 50 minutes and remove it as soon as it comes out clean.
8) Let the cake cool completely before you remove it from the pan.

    Make and enjoy fruit cake for Christmas.

Mochar Ghonto / Bengali Banana Blossom Curry

mochar ghonto

Preparation Time : 45 minutes
Cooking Time : 35-40 minutes
Serves : 4-5

Ingredients:

• Mocha or Banana Blossom : 1 medium
• Potato : 1 medium cut into small cubes
• Whole Red Chillies : 1-2
• Bay leaf : 1medium
• Panch phoron : 1/2 tsp
• Green chilies : 2
• Gobindo bhog rice : 2-3 tbsp
• Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp
• Corriander powder : 1/2 tsp
• Ginger paste : 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder : 1/2 tsp
• Peanuts : 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala Powder : 1tsp
• Sugar : 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar : 1 tsp
• Ghee : 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil/ mustard oil : 3-4 tbsp

Procedure :

1) First clean and wash mocha and chop them very fine.Soak them in water
    with little turmeric powder.Soak rice in water for 5-10 minutes.
2) In a kadai or pan heat oil and then add strained rice and fry till all the rice
    stick with each other and its colour will become golden white.Take out
    rice from oil and keep aside.
3) In the same oil fry cube potatoes and fry it till golden brown. Take them
    out from oil and  keep aside.
4) In the remaining oil add bay leaf ,panch phoron,green chilies and fry them
    for 20 seconds.
5) Now add strained mocha and add salt and turmeric powder,mix them well.
    Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes in medium heat.( You can also
    pressure cook mocha and use boiled mocha.)
6) Now add cumin powder,corriander powder,ginger paste,kashmiri red chili
    powder ,mix them well.Cover and cook till raw smell of masala goes away.
7) Now add potato pieces,peanuts and fried rice with 1/4 cup of water ,stir it.
    Cover it and cook till potatoes and rice becomes soft.You will notice oil starts
    separating.
8) Spinkle garam masala powder,sugar and ghee. Mix them well .And cook for
    another few minutes.Turn off the heat.

    Serve hot with steam rice.

Mutton Curry

mutton curry

Preparation Time : 15 minutes + marination time
Cooking Time : 1 hour

Ingredients :

• Goat meat : 2 lb
• Yogurt : 2 tbsp
• Onion paste : 1 cup
• Garlic paste : 1 tbsp
• Ginger paste : 1 tbsp
• Red chili paste : 4-5
• Green chilies :4-5
• Salt to taste
• Coriander powder : 1 tbsp
• Sugar : 1 tsp
• Mustard oil :6-7 tbsp
• Ghee(Clarified butter) : 2 tsp
• Garam masala powder : 1 tsp

Procedure

1) First make a smooth paste of onion, ginger, garlic 

    and red chilies all-together.Now in a large bowl 

    put the paste , yogurt, coriander powder and salt 

    to it. Mix them well.  Marinate the meat pieces in 

    this paste. You can marinate it overnight to get 

    best results or you can keep marinated for at least 

    couple of hours.

2) Now heat mustard oil in a kadai or heavy bottom 

     pan. Add marinated mutton pieces and cook on 

     high heat for about 10-15 minutes. Now make 

     medium heat and cook till the oil separates.
3) Make warm water in a seperate pan .
4) Now transfer the mutton in pressure cooker.Add 

    warm  2 cup of water ,garam masala powder ,

    sugar,green chilies and ghee. Mix them well.

    Now cover the lid and cook till mutton becomes

    soft. Turn off the heat and give some time for the
    steam to release on its own.

 Serve with hot rice or Bengali mishti pulao.