Tomato Tentuler Chaatni (tomato tamarind sweet tangy chutney)

 

Chaatni, an almost staple dessert on Bengali lunch tables that have found a variety in many fruits, sometimes edible flowers. This one is quite simple and tastes deliciously spicy, tangy and sweet. All measurements are estimates as I cook eyeballing the quantities with my hands.

1 medium to large tomato, pureed

2 inch X 2 inch broken piece of tamarind pulp cake (preferably seedless kind), soaked in hot water

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

Red chili powder as per taste

1 tablespoon oil

Sugar to taste (note that it takes a lot to cross over the tanginess of tamarind to become a bit sweet)

1 pinch salt

Water

Drain the tamarind water and mash the softened pulp. You can take the seeds out if you used the seeded variety. Add little water and make a puree in spice grinder or blender.

Heat the oil and add bay leaf and mustard seeds, when they splutter add pureed tomato. Add salt and cook until tomato is cooked or oil has separated. Add pureed tamarind pulp, and some water and bring to a boil. 

Cook over high heat, adding water if needed, bring down the consistency to what you want. Add red chili powder and sugar. Adjust the 3 flavors tangy, sweet and spicy with red chili powder and sugar. Note - when you add sugar the consistency thickens and color of chaatni darkens. Enjoy!

Gajorer Halua (carrot pudding)

Growing up I never liked gajorer halua. I think my dislike was mostly because a vegetable is used in dessert and I never had it in a restaurant when I was a child. Restaurants didn't offer in their menu at least not where I grew up in eastern India. It was considered a homemade dish in the old days. I first had gajorer halua in the US in a buffet in Indian restaurant in Illinois. I loved their creamy version. It oozed out ghee from the sides. I decided to make it at home. Every improvisations turned out better than the previous one. Most recently I tried had heavy cream instead of milk, one spoon of warm halua felt like heaven melting in the mouth! You should try this version, recipe follows. Measurements are estimates, I casually cook using fingers, hands and fists to eyeball quantities.

All you need

4 big carrots washed and grated

8 oz heavy cream (you can use 6 oz from it and rest 2 oz can be whole milk)

2 table spoon ghee

1 bay leaf

2 green cardamom pods

1 tablespoon cashew halves or pieces

1 teaspoon golden or black raisins

a bit less than 1/4 teaspoon salt

sugar to taste (I prefer less sweet, about 4 tablespoon, believe me if want regular sweet taste it needs 6-7 tbsp or more)

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom saucepan. Add bay leaf, cardamom pods and cashews. Lightly toast them.

Add grated carrots, lightly fry it, coating with ghee and mixing well. Reduce heat if needed. Add salt, mix well, add heavy cream and raisins, and cook over medium heat. After 15 - 20 mins, raise the heat, add sugar to taste and stir until most of the liquid from cream has evaporated. Note that orange color of the halua darkens after adding sugar. It's done. You can garnish it with mawa or khoya crumbles or fresh grated coconut on top, but I prefer without.