Quick & easy Indian Banana Pancakes - ( Bengali banana Malpua)

About the recipe:

Pancakes emerge out, in varied forms and tastes to tickle your taste buds from across the coordinates of our Indian Subcontinent. Every family has its own secret, well kept and revered variants to amuse you at the dining table. 

Here is one from my Ranna Ghor; which you can cook in a jiffy with some humble bananas that may have ripened a bit too much to your liking! Or if you are too tired to chew the staple chapatis. You know what to do!!! Pancakes :-P 

Serves: 2-3
Cooking time: 15-20 mins
Preparation time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

1. Refined flour / Maida / white flour - 250gms

2. Sooji  / Semolina - 50gms

3. Ripe bananas - 2 nos. - medium sized

4. Pasteurized cow's milk - 100ml (1 cup)

5. Water - 50ml (1/2 cup)

6. Sugar - 50gms

7. Elaichi /  cardamom powder - 1 tsp

8. Refined vegetable oil - 4 tbsps

9. Raisins / kismis - 10gms (optional)

10. Salt - to taste - 1 tsp

11. Saunf - 2 tsps (optional)

Methodology:

1. In a bowl; add maida, sooji, sugar, cardamom powder, salt, saunf and raisins. Mix well.

2. Mash bananas well separately then add to the mixture. 

3. Slowly add milk to the batter and mix such that no lumps are formed. Add the water and mix again.

    The batter is ready.

4. Heat 1 tbsps oil in a non stick pan / tawa. 

5. Take a big spoonful of batter and pour it in the middle of tava; quickly spread it in circular manner to a form a round-ish and not too thin pancake.

6. Let it cook and then flip it over to cook the other side. Pour few drops of oil on top or edges if required during the process. The edges would turn a nice light brown and the aroma shall get your salivary glands working.

7. Slide it out and keep it aside.

8. Repeat the process for remaining batter.

9. Serve the banana malpuas hot or chilled, alone or along with a spicy accompaniment :-) :-) 

Tips:

1) Do not make the batter too runny or thin. Use a spoon to scoop out some batter and watch how it falls when you pour it back. It should have the consistency like that of cake batter.

Baingan Bahar - hyderabadi style (Begun bahar / brinjal curry)

About the recipe:

Brinjal / egg plant is one of the most common vegetables at the home of an Indian family. Curries and recipes of this vegetable are indeed sought out for.
Taai jonne aajke aami ei shadharon sobji ke niye ekta phata phati recipe likhechi.
Aasha kori shobar bhaalo laagbe...

Serves: 4-5
Cooking time: 30 mins
Preparation time: 15-20 mins

Ingredients:

1. Brinjal / egglant/ begun - 1/2kg (6-7 small sized ones)

2. Onion - large - 1

3. Tomato - large -1 (I used 3 small as I did not have a large one)

4. Ginger paste - 2tsp
5. Kaju or cashew - 25g or 5-6 nos
6. Raisins or kismis - 25g or 7-10 nos
7. Bay leaves or tej patta - medium sized - 2
8. Dalchini or cinnamon bark - 1 inch stick
9. Refined oil - 5 tbsps
10. Haldi or Turmeric powder - 2 tsps
11. Jeera  / Cumin powder - 2 tsps
12. Whole cumin seeds or gota jeera - 1tsp
13. Mirchi / red chilli powder - 2 tsps
14. Salt - 3 tsps or as per taste
15. Sugar - 3 tsps or as per taste
16. Green chillies - 2 (slit longitudinally)
17. Water - 1cup 0r 100ml
18. Milk cream - for garnishing - 2tbps

Methodology:

1. Clean brinjals well, slit them lengthwise in halves.

    Preferable not to detach completely for a more aesthetic feel :-) .

2. Smear the brinjal/ begun/ egg plants with 1tsp haldi, 1tsp salt and 1tsp sugar. Keep aside for 15mins.

3. In a grinder jar; add the tomato, onion and 2tsp ginger paste and make a smooth puree or paste.

4. Heat 4tbsp oil in a non stick kadai or wok for 1/2 min.

5. Add the marinated brinjals and fry them well on medium flame. Take out and keep aside on tissue paper.

6. In the same kadai; Add whole cumin seeds, tej patta (bay leaves), dalchini (cinnamon stick) and let it crackle.

7. Add the tomato-onion-ginger paste to this and saute for 1min on medium flame.

8. Add 2 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp haldi powder, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp salt (or as per taste) and 2 tsp sugar. Saute well for 4-5 mins till oil separates from masala. 

   (Bhuna masala imparts delectable taste always to the dish so do that saute-ing well!)

9. Ensure masala does not stick to the kadai. Add few drops of water if required.

10.Now add the fried brinjals to this mixture in kadai and mix carefully. Saute for another 1 min.

11. Add 50ml or 1/2 cup water and cover the kadai with a lid. Let it cook for 3-5mins on low flame.

12. Lightly crush the cashew.

13. Uncover the kadai; add the slit green chillies, kaju and kismis. Mix them gently.

14. Switch off the flame. Garnish on top with milk cream and cover the dish. Let it stand for 5 mins.

15. Serve it as a tantalizing accompaniment with hot steamed rice or naan, roti and paratha.

Aamar ranna ghor thekey, Begun bahar suddhu aapnar jonney !

Tips:

1) If you do not have ready made milk cream, take out the cream directly from the cow milk at home and whip it up for your dish.

2) This dish does not require much oil; so if you are ready to be a bit alert and patient; you can reduce the oil even more for your purpose. Happy tip for the health conscious people.