#Beguni (Battered and fried eggplant) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

banglalocalin · 9 months ago

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Buy Bengali Pulses Online- A Comprehensive Guide

Incorporating Bengali pulses into your meals isn't just about choosing the right ingredients—it's also about embracing traditional and modern cooking techniques. Bengali cuisine is known for its intricate preparations and distinct flavors, which are often achieved through specific cooking methods. Understanding these techniques can help you make the most of your pulses and create dishes that honor the rich culinary heritage of Bengal. For more information visit Buy Bengali Pulses Online.

One popular Bengali dish is Dal, a staple that varies in preparation across different households. Cholar Dal, made with split chickpeas and aromatic spices, is a festive favorite, often served during special occasions and with fried rice or luchis (deep-fried bread). The preparation involves tempering spices like cumin, bay leaves, and dry red chilies in ghee, adding the dal, and simmering it with a touch of coconut and sugar for a sweet and savory balance. Another variant, Mung Dal, uses green gram and is known for its light, nutritious profile, often prepared with a simple seasoning of cumin and turmeric.

Khichuri, a comforting rice and pulse porridge, is another quintessential Bengali dish that highlights the versatility of pulses. It's a one-pot meal that combines rice with yellow or green gram pulses, seasoned with turmeric, ginger, and sometimes vegetables like potatoes and peas. Khichuri is especially popular during the monsoon season or during religious fasting periods, offering warmth and nourishment.

Lentil fritters or Dal Pakkoras are a delightful way to use pulses creatively. The batter, made from soaked and blended pulses mixed with spices and herbs, is deep-fried to create crispy, savory snacks. They can be enjoyed as appetizers or paired with chutneys for a flavorful treat.

Pulses and Vegetarian Dishes

Bengali cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, with pulses playing a crucial role in providing protein and nutrition. Dal Tadka, where cooked pulses are tempered with spices, and Beguni, fried slices of eggplant dipped in a spiced gram flour batter, are examples of how pulses and vegetables are harmoniously integrated into meals. These dishes showcase the Bengali knack for balancing flavors and textures, creating a satisfying and wholesome dining experience.

For a more modern twist, you might try incorporating Bengali pulses into fusion dishes. For example, using Masoor Dal (red lentils) in soups or salads can add a nutritious punch while retaining the essence of traditional flavors. Chana Dal (split chickpeas) can be used to make protein-rich patties or added to grain bowls for an extra layer of texture and flavor.

Nutritional Benefits of Pulses

Beyond their culinary versatility, pulses offer numerous health benefits. They are an excellent source of plant-based protein, making them a valuable component of a vegetarian diet. Pulses are also rich in dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Additionally, they are packed with essential nutrients such as iron, potassium, and folate, contributing to overall health and well-being.

For those interested in maintaining a balanced diet, pulses can play a significant role. Incorporating a variety of pulses into your meals can provide a range of vitamins and minerals while adding depth to your diet. For example, Black Gram (Urad Dal) is known for its high iron content, while Green Gram (Moong Dal) is praised for its low calorie and high protein profile.

Cultural Significance

Pulses hold a special place in Bengali culture, not just for their nutritional value but also for their cultural and traditional significance. Festivals, family gatherings, and daily meals often feature pulses in various forms, reflecting their importance in communal and celebratory settings. The preparation and sharing of pulse-based dishes are often accompanied by rituals and customs that highlight their role in bringing people together.

For those interested in exploring Bengali culture further, understanding the role of pulses in traditional festivals like Poush Sankranti and Durga Puja can provide deeper insight into their cultural relevance. During these festivals, special dishes made with pulses are prepared to honor deities and celebrate the changing seasons.

Online Resources and Communities

In the digital age, there are numerous online resources and communities dedicated to Bengali cuisine and pulses. Recipe blogs, YouTube channels, and social media groups offer a wealth of information and inspiration for cooking with pulses. Engaging with these communities can provide valuable tips, recipes, and support for your culinary endeavors.

For those new to Bengali cooking, online cooking classes or tutorials can be an excellent way to learn the techniques and traditions associated with pulse-based dishes. Many chefs and cooking enthusiasts share their expertise through online platforms, making it easier to master the art of Bengali cuisine from the comfort of your home.

Sustainable and Ethical Sourcing

As you explore the world of Bengali pulses online, consider the sustainability and ethical aspects of your purchases. Many online retailers offer organic or ethically sourced options, which can align with your values and contribute to a more sustainable food system. Look for certifications and labels that indicate environmentally friendly practices and support for fair trade.

Supporting brands that prioritize ethical sourcing and sustainability not only benefits the environment but also helps promote fair practices within the agricultural sector. By making informed choices, you can enjoy your pulses while contributing to a more responsible and sustainable food chain.

Conclusion

Buying Bengali pulses online offers a wealth of opportunities to explore and enjoy the rich flavors and nutritional benefits of these essential ingredients. From the convenience of shopping to the variety of products available, online platforms make it easier to access high-quality pulses and related products. By understanding traditional cooking techniques, exploring modern recipes, and considering sustainability, you can enhance your culinary experiences and celebrate the vibrant heritage of Bengali cuisine. Embrace the convenience of online shopping and discover the diverse world of Bengali pulses, enriching your meals and expanding your culinary horizons.

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#Buy Bengali Pulses Online

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vsplusonline · 5 years ago

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COVID-19: The return of the tea time snack

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/covid-19-the-return-of-the-tea-time-snack/

COVID-19: The return of the tea time snack

It is 3.30 pm. Shreya N assembles rice flour, grated coconut and cumin, then puts water to boil. As she mixes the ingredients, she thinks about her grandmother, and how she too would go through the same routine putting together her piece de resistance, the ‘star appam’. “It was indeed the star at the tea table whenever it was made,” she says. Decades later, it is back on the dining table.

The current lockdown to tackle COVID-19 has brought the resurgence of the 4 o’clock tea, a ritual lost over the past few decades. Kitchens now stir to life in the afternoon, as people call their grandmothers, mothers and aunts for old family recipes. The dining table is the heart of the house once more.

While teatime has been hijacked over the years by cappuccinos and cookies, till a few decades ago, home cooks experimented with local, and often home-grown, ingredients to whip up inventive snacks.

Unnakkaya

In Kerala for example, besides the ubiquitous pazhampori (banana fritters), unniappam and parippu (lentil) vada, most families have their own snack recipes. Rahul Prasad, from Kozhikode, says the ‘muttayappam’ (a savoury pancake) his mother makes is a unique combination of rice flour, eggs, coconut, shallots and green chillies, which he hasn’t eaten anywhere else.

Love letter (Elanji)

Ingredients

Sugar — 1/2 cup

Coconut — 1 cup

Maida — 1 1/2 cup

Water — as required

Method

Mix the maida with water to make a batter (thin dosa batter consistency). Pour it just as you would a dosa on a heated pan. As it gets cooked, spread coconut and sugar mix and intead of flipping the dosa, roll it. Take off pan and serve hot.

The building blocks are often similar. A Malayali snack worth its salt must have coconut, jaggery and banana or jackfruit, says Sunitha Menon from Kanjiramattom. She’s making unnakkaya for tea, a delicious fusion of banana, coconut, sugar and ghee. The ‘love letter’ (also known as elanji) has also resurfaced: this is a wrap filled with sweet, grated coconut. Then there are the ‘madhura puffs’ (also known as pugada), a fried snack filled with grated coconut and sugar, popular in North Kerala in the 90s.

Meanwhile, Shobhana Subramanian from Chennai experimented with the very traditional, yet much-loved ‘ribbon pakoda’. She sought help from her mother-in-law, who is an expert in the dish. “She made the dough and I pressed it in the mould. The pakodas turned out really well — crispy and delicious,” says Shobhana. To get great results, she says, the mix of besan, rice flour and roasted and powdered urad dal should be perfect. “It is then seasoned with salt, chilli powder and asafoetida, and kneaded with a generous quantity of butter and heated oil.” Ideally had with a cup of filter coffee, this pakoda is an ever-green snack.

Ragini Kumar from Bihar is rediscovering two of the State’s favourite teatime snacks, spongy rosogullas and samosas stuffed with a spicy potato mash. Over the phone, from her home in Patna, she talks about how evening tea was a ceremony in Bihari families. Stating that while the rosogullas and samosas were staples, everyday, “There was always an additional namkeen, (a savoury preparation) or a sweetmeat such as ‘thekua’, a deep-fried biscuit made of flour, with flower motifs impressed on it, and ‘khaja’, a deep-fried flaky pastry.” The namkeens could be ‘ghugni’, stir-fried green gram or ‘nimki‘, deep-fried diamond-shaped short eats.

Hara channa fritters

Winter evenings were for ‘hara channa’ fritters, made with dried green chick peas, rice flour batter and onions; the deep-fried snack is still a popular favourite. “The water chestnut halwa, no longer common, used to be made until a few decades ago. Nowadays it is had during a fast,” says Ragini.

The tea is also important, she adds, saying that “the flavour, colour and body of tea is an important conversation point.” Tea time was also when families dropped in to visit, hence a large spread was always ready. Ragini says the lockdown has given her ample time to discuss these recipes with family members. “One thing we all plan to have post lockdown when we meet is the puffed rice-peanut mix, at least in memory of the lockdown.”

At Sweena Karnani’s home in Visakhapatnam, teatime has become all about scarfing down traditional Marwari snacks. Food certainly comforts, she says, adding that her menu for the day is the Marwari traditional ‘ajwain pakoda chaat’, ‘pyaaz ki kachori’ and ‘gudd ki papdi’. Plucking fresh ajwain leaves from her kitchen garden, Sweena combines it with spinach to coat it with a batter of gram flour and spices. “This is then deep fried and served with yoghurt and tamarind chutney. This ajwain pakoda is a famous snack of Varanasi,” she adds.

Late afternoons are filled with the sizzle of ‘punugulus’ wobbling in the frying pan at Jhansi Tripuraneni’s kitchen. This Telugu short eat is served with crimson ginger chutney for that spicy twist. “Piping hot punugulus make for a perfect chai-time snack,” adds Jhansi. Traditionally made with a batter of rice flour and black gram, Jhansi says these can be tried with leftover dosa batter too.

Gunta punugulu

Among all the snacks Instagrammer Radhika Raja has tried out during the lockdown, the ‘gunta punugulu’ — “made with less oil, and so healthier” — is her favourite. “These are made with less oil and are therefore healthier. The lockdown has given me plenty of time to make different versions of this traditional snack,” says Radhika. She prepares it by mixing boiled sweet corn, grated carrot, green chillies in dosa batter, sprinkled with jeera (cumin), salt and pepper. The batter is poured in the iron cast skillet to be cooked over a small flame till the punugulus turn golden brown.

Sreeparna Sarkar relives her childhood in Kolkata through the Bengali snacks she has been trying out every day. The highlight of her experiments has been the ‘korai sutir kochuri’, a deep-fried kachori, stuffed with mildly spiced, asafoetida-infused green peas. “Nobody can make this as good as mom,” she sighs, but is quick to add: “but thankfully there is FaceTime!”

Eggplant coated with gram flour and deep fried. | Photo Credit: creative_streaks

The Bengali in her loves all things deep-fried, which she has been making with her mother’s help through video calls from Bolepur. Her lockdown teatime snack list includes aloo chop — mashed potato with spices, coated with egg and bread crumbs and deep fried in oil, fried ‘begunis’ (batter fried eggplant) and ‘peyaji’ (onion fritters).

Tekeli Pitha

Ingredients

Rice — 2 cups

Coconut — 2 cups, freshly grated

Sugar — Half cup

Salt — a pinch

Water as required

Method

Soak the rice for an hour. Wash and drain excess water and let it go semi dry. Grind to a fine powder. Keep the powder in a bowl covered with a wet cloth. Mix rice flour, freshly grated coconut, sugar and salt. Fill half a kettle with water and bring to boil. Place the rice flour mixture on the kettle lid and press gently. Cover it with a wet muslin cloth. Tie the ends and fold back to the head of the lid securing the mixture for steaming. Place the lid back on the kettle and let it steam on medium flame for 6-7 minutes. Remove the muslin cloth and take out the pithas and place it in a plate gently. Serve hot with tea.

Certain foods go beyond their scope; they kindle fond memories of home and relationships, says Jisha M R, a Malayali married to an Assamese, living in Delhi. When she first came across the ‘tekeli pitha’, she knew she had found love. “It looked like idli and tasted like puttu and since then, it has been my favourite,” she says. Pithas are primarily made from a batter of rice flour or wheat flour, which is shaped into a pouch and filled with sweet or savoury ingredients.

Tekeli Pitha

Tekeli pithas are essentially rice cakes steamed in a kettle or an earthen pot, from which it derives its name. Jisha aims to master the dish with help from her sister-in-law Malavika Goswami and mother-in-law Renu Goswami during the lockdown. “For me, food is about one’s family, emotions and experience,” she says.

(With inputs from Nivedita Ganguly and Priyadershini S)

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