The ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom friend of the maturing sun’ as put forth by John Keats, heralds the arrival of the much-awaited festive season. Yes, we’re talking about Dashain. For 15 days, Dashain is celebrated for several reasons- religious importance, get-together and of course food! A triumph festival commemorating the victory of good over evil, Dashain is particularly a festival of a family reunion that people of all age groups look forward to. Everyone plunges into a festive mood as people return to their native place. A time when work and studies take a sidetrack while merrymaking and all-day soirees take over. Despite the diversity, many aspects remain common among the celebrants- eating, drinking and merrymaking.
Playing cards, dice, singing and dancing to traditional songs become a norm in every household. It is a common sight to see the elder folks drinking while savouring snacks that are particularly prepared for Dashain. High consumption of meat and vegetables during this season makes it a protein-filled festival.
As food represents togetherness, this blog serves as a perfect opportunity for those who have never tried their hands at cooking while simultaneously bringing families together and connecting them in multiple ways. In this blog, we present to you the recipes for snacks that you could prepare and enjoy in the comfort of your home.
SADEKO TORI ALU - Veg
INGREDIENTS:
Red potatoes-250gms
Onion-1 large sliced
Green chili peppers- 5
Mustard oil- 4 table spoon
Salt- as your taste
Mustard Seed- 1 tsp
Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
Roasted mustard seed -1 tsp (coarse ground)
Turmeric powder-1/4 table spoon
Lemon juice-1 table spoon
Method
After peeling, clean all the potatoes and put it in the presser cooker
Add 1 tea spoon of salt to it and add about a glass of water, let the potato boil in the cooker. When the potato gets boiled let it cool enough, to touch and cut them (1 potato into 4 parts)
Put the cut potatoes in a big bowl and keep aside.
Heat a pan on medium high flame and dry roast the mustard seed until it pops. Cool it and grind it into a coarse mix.
Take a medium sized karahi and add the onion, green chillies and the potato. Fry it in light heat.
Remove from heat and add the ground mustard seed and squeeze half a lemon on top.
Your Sadeko Alu is ready to be served on your plate.
SADEKO ALU with Fish - Non Veg
INGREDIENTS:
Red potatoes-250gms
Onion-1 large sliced
Tomato-1 large sliced
Garlic cloves- 2(finely chopped)
Green chili peppers- 5
Mustard oil- 4 table spoon
Ginger paste-1 tea spoon of
Salt- to taste
Fenugreek-1/2 tsp
Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
Roasted Sesame powder- 50gms
Turmeric powder-1/4 table spoon of
Cilantro- 1 table spoon (finely chopped)
Lemon juice-1 table spoon
Dried anchovies – 20gms deep fried
METHOD
Clean the potatoes and put it in the presser cooker.
Add 1 tea spoon of salt to it and add about a glass of water, let the potato boil in the cooker. When the potato is boiled, peel it and let it cool down and cut them (1 potato into 4 parts)
Put the cut potatoes in a big bowl and keep aside.
Heat a pan with mustard oil, add fenugreek seed, ginger paste, green chilies, chopped garlic, onion, tomato and turmeric and fry it until the onion sweats and the tomato wilts.
Now add this mixture along with the powdered sesame seed, salt and the fried anchovies to the potato. Mix and stir it well.
Sprinkle the chopped cilantro and squeeze the lemon on top.
. . . Sadeko Alu is ready to be served.
MATAR KO ACCHAR - VEG
INGREDIENTS:
Matar (DRY PEAS) 200gms (soaked overnight)
Kalonji 1/4th tsp
Mustard oil 5tsp
Turmeric ½ tsp
Red chili powder -1/2 tsp
Onion ½ finely chopped
Salt to taste
Green chilies – 4 finely chopped
Sesame seed roasted and coarsely ground 3tsp
Lemon ½
Coriander – finely chopped for garnish
Method
Boil the soaked peas for 15minutes on high flame. Drain the water and keep it aside.
Take a small heavy bottomed karahi on high flame. Heat the oil and as it heats add kalonji seed and let it sizzle for 20 seconds. Add the onion, green chillies and stir fry it for a minute or so. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and lastly the par boiled peas.
Stir and cook it for 3-4 minutes until the water dries up.
Remove from flame.
Sprinkle the roasted sesame powder and squeeze the lemon , stir it well and transfer the peas to a serving dish ,garnish it with chopped coriander and serve.
Enjoy your lip smacking matar ko acchar, which is best served when cold.
SPICY PORK BITS- Non Veg
INGREDIENTS:
Pork 250gms Bite size cut
Onion-1 small chopped
Tomato-1/2 chopped
Green chili – 5 chopped
Oil- 4 table spoon
Garlic paste 1tsp
Ginger paste 1.5 tsp
Salt- as your taste
Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
Dalle paste 1tsp
Roasted cumin -1 tsp (coarse ground)
Turmeric powder-1/4 table spoon
Water ½ cup
Method
Take a heavy bottomed skillet with oil on high flame and fry the onion.
As the onion turns brown, add the ginger garlic paste, tomato, salt, chilli powder, green chills, dalle paste and the pork. Stir and fry the pork until golden brown.
Add water, cover and cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
Open the lid and further cook the pork until the water dries up.
Sprinkle the roasted cumin powder, stir it thoroughly and serve.
BUFF BHUTTUN - Non Veg
INGREDIENTS:
350gms Smoked Buffalo meat
5tbsp Mustard oil
1 large red tomato
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
9 chopped green chilies
½ tsp Turmeric
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 large chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
1.5 cups of water
½ lime
Salt to taste
METHOD:
Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Fry onions for 5-7 minutes until lightly brown. Add garlic, ginger, green chillies and tomatoes to the cooker and let it cook for a few minutes.
Add the smoked meat, salt, turmeric and let it cook for additional 4-7minutes stirring everything together.
Add the water and pressure cook it on low flame for 45 minutes.
Once the pressure is released, cook the meat on high flame until the water dries up.
Remove from heat, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro leaves and squeeze lime on top before serving.
CHICKEN BHUTTUN- Non Veg
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg chicken, cut into small bite size pieces
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp chili flakes
1 tbsp dalle paste
1 tsp carom seeds
3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
5-6 green chilies sliced
6-7 pods garlic paste
1inch fresh ginger paste
2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
2-3 stalks of garlic chives for garnish
Salt to taste
5 tbsp mustard oil
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 large tomato chopped
METHOD:
First, wash the chicken and drain well.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed karahi over medium heat. Put the fenugreek seed and then the carom seed, as it pops, fry the onions for 5-7 minutes until lightly brown. Add garlic, ginger, green chillies, tomatoes to the karahi and let cook for few minutes.
Add the meat, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, chilli flakes, dalle paste and let it cook for additional 4-7minutes stirring everything together.
Cover the karahi and cook for 20minutes stirring occasionally.
Uncover the karahi and further cook the chicken on high flame until the water dries up.
Remove from heat, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro leaves and squeeze lime on top before serving.
ISHITA RAI DEWAN
For Ishita, food has always been an extensive affair, and this started early on at her home. It’s her family's favourite subject. Her father was a chef and she was exposed to a cooking-learning environment right since her childhood days from her parents as well as her grandparents. (You must definitely try her grandpa's Chicken Curry Rice!). Her torrid love affair with cooking and baking started early on at the age of four and has continued ever since.
After graduating as a nutritionist from J.D. Birla Institute, Kolkata and bypassing the cliché campus recruitment path, she started her journey as an entrepreneur. Food delivery and takeaway enterprise called ISHEE’Z KITCHEN was set up in 2014, which operated for four years.
Ishee'z Kitchen was a one-woman army kitchen which later went on to become one of Kolkata’s Favourite Soul Food Kitchen. Her specialities include the melt in the mouth Pork Chop Hawaii, a variety of homemade sausages and her customisable one-pot meals. Following which, she was appointed as the Assistant General Manager - Operations & Business Development for the Fresh Food Category comprising of Deli Café, Select & The Tuck Shop at Shell Technology Centre, Bengaluru from late 2018.
She returned home to Kalimpong in 2020 to continue and expand her venture. In the month of August 2020 she won the title of Lockdown MasterChef Competition organised by Rockvale Management College, Kalimpong. Social media links : Instagram : ISHEE’Z KITCHEN Facebook : ISHEE’Z KITCHEN
Content Copyright ©Ishita Rai Dewan / Photo Copyright © Praveen Chettri & Ishita Rai Dewan .
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