Fried Cholar Dal, Luchi, Baingan & Pumpkin Bhaja, Tomato Oambal, Posto Charchari & Pantua - Special Bengali dishes for '' Durga Puja ''

1 cup cholar dal ( chana dal )
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoon mustard oil
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
5 dry red chillies
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoon thin slices of fresh or dry coconut
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Wash and soak dal in 1 1/2 cups of water for half an hour and boil with salt, and bay leaves till tender. Mash slightly and keep aside.

Heat 2 tablespoon mustard oil and add mustard seeds. When it crackle add fenugreek seeds, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, broken red chillies and coconut pieces. Fry on a low heat for 2 - 4 minutes.

Add mashed cholar dal and adjust salt. Cook and pour remaining mustard oil over it. Serve with luchi / rice.

2 cups maida ( flour )
1 cup suji ( rawa )
2 tablespoon rice flour
3 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Mix maida, suji, salt and 2 tablespoon oil and knead to a soft dough.

Mix rice flour and 2 tablespoon oil and keep aside.

Roll out maida dough into a thick round.

Spread the rice flour and oil mixture over it and make a roll again.

Divide into 25 - 30 portions and roll out thin round puris.

Deep fry in hot oil. Serve with cholar dal and tomato oambal.

1 large baingan
250 g red pumpkin
1/2 cup maida ( flour )
1 cup besan ( gram flour )
Salt to taste
2 finely chopped green chillies
A pinch of red chilli powder
Water for mixing ( approximately 3/4 cup )
Mustard oil for frying

Cut long thin pieces of baingan and thin squares of pumpkin. Smear with salt.

Make a batter of besan , maida, salt and finely chopped green chillies with water.

Heat oil and fry baingan and pumpkin dipped in batter. Serve hot.

500 g tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup grated jaggery
1/2 cup water
2 bay leaves
3 dry red chillies
2 tablespoon mustard oil
2 tablespoon kishmish ( raisins )
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Salt to taste

Dissolve jaggery in 1/2 cup of water.

Heat oil . Add mustard seeds. When it crackles add bay leaves, broken red chillies and kishmish. Saute on a low heat for 2 - 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and fry for 2 - 4 minutes. Add jaggery with water, adjust salt, bring it to a boil, cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 4- 5 minutes. Serve with rice / luchi.

20 small round potatoes
4 tablespoon poppy seeds ( khus khus )
1 tablespoon oil
4 dried broken red chillies
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup water
Salt to taste

Soak and grind the poppy seeds to a fine paste.

Heat oil. Fry the potatoes slightly brown.

Add red chillies and turmeric powder and fry for another 2 minutes.

Now add poppy seed paste and fry for 2 - 3 minutes. Add water and salt.

Cook on a low heat till potatoes are tender and gravy thickens.

Add lemon juice. Serve with rice.

200 g paneer
100 g khoya
1 cup milk powder
3 tablespoon maida
1 tablespoon extra milk for kneading
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon powdered green cardamom
Ghee for frying

Make a syrup of 2 string consistency of sugar and 2 cups of water. Add 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder into it.

Make a smooth dough of of khoya and paneer. Add maida , milk powder and remaining cardamom powder and make a soft dough. Add some milk if required. Divide the dough into 12 - 14 oblong portions.

Heat ghee and fry these oblong portions on a low heat till golden brown. Soak into sugar syrup. Serve hot or cold.