Kheer r Kochuri/Bengali Mawa Kachori - West Bengal Special

Today finally we did, its our last post for a month of non stop blogging marathon, after going through 29states am taking you all to West Bengal. West Bengal is in the Eastern region of India and its the four most populous state.The roots of Bengali cuisine can be traced back to its origination in ancient Bengal, which comprised of the present day Indian states of Tripura, the Barak Valley of Assam and West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh.Fish and lentils served with rice find prominence as the staple food of the Bengalis. A typical Bengali fare follows a certain sequence of food which starts with a dish of bitter taste and ends with a sweet delicacy. A slightly elaborate Bengali meal starts with the first course or starter made from bitter vegetables or herbs, which acts as the starting bitter course. In West Bengal, it is followed by shukto, a thick soupy mixture of vegetables including the bitter guord (korola) in a ginger-mustard sauce. This bitter dish is savored at lunch but skipped at dinner. Rice forms the main component of the meal which remains constant throughout the meal. Bhaat (Hot steamed rice) is first served with ghee, salt and green chilli and shak(leafy vegetables). Then dal (pulses) is served along with different types of bhaja (fried vegetables)or bhate (bolied vegetables). Skillfully cooked items involving multiple vegetables and spices, called dalna, ghonto, torkari, chorchori, etc. is the next item. After this course, the ambol or tauk (chutney) is served which acts as the palate cleanser. It is a tangy-sweet delicacy usually made of pineapple, mangoes, tamarind, tomatoes, papaya or a combination of dry fruits and fresh fruits. Papor(papadum), a type of thin wafer made of potatoes, shagu(sabo) or dal is served as an accompaniment to the chutney. The next corse is the dessert. Doi (yoghurt) is served in its natural flavor or as the sweetened variety, known as Misti Doi (sweet yoghurt). Misti doi is typical to the Bengali cuisine.

No Bengali meal is complete without Mishti (sweets). Sweets form an essential part of the Bengali palate. A meal is considered complete with the serving of paan (betel leaves) which act as a terminal digestive.

Illish maach or Hilsa fish is the speciality of Bengal which is a universal favorite of the Bengalis. It is steam cooked delicately with mustard paste and green chilli to preserve its flavor and tenderness.

Fish is cooked in a variety of methods. A few common methods of relishing fish include frying the fish, fish cooked with gravy, steamed fish or fish prepared in combination with curd.Mustard oil is the preferred medium used for cooking Bengali dishes. This gives a unique flavor to the dishes. Traditional spices and condiments enrich the taste of the dishes. The essence of Bengali cooking lies in maintaining a delicate balance between the main ingredients and the seasoning. Even the humble pulse attains a remarkable taste and identity because of the typical phoron or flavoring added to it. The ever popular panch phoron (blend of five spices) is a distinctive element commonly used in the preparation of the Bengali cuisine. It consists of five elements in equal parts, namely cumin seed, nigella seed, fenugreek seed,aniseed and mustard seed or radhuni (wild celery seeds). Posto (poppy seeds) is another item which is extensively used in Bengali cuisine.Since i want to finish our long marathon with a sweet note, i prepared this extremely delicious kheer r kochuri aka mawa kachori, they came out simply delicious and its seriously hard to resist to it.

Recipe Source: Mix and Stir

Crust:
1cup All purpose flour
2tbsp Ghee
1/2cup Lukewarm water

Filling:
1/2litre Whole milk
5tbsp Sugar
1tbsp Mixed nuts (chopped)

Syrup:
1cup Sugar
1/2cup Water
1/4tsp Cardamom powder
Saffron few strands

Oil for frying

Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan in low flame, stir it occasionally.

When its reduces to 1/4of the quantity add the sugar, stir and cook until the mixture turns thick. Add the nuts and let it cool.

Meanwhile in a bowl, take the flour, ghee and mix, add the water gradually and make a stiff and smooth dough.

Keep the dough aside,cover it with a wet cloth, let it sit for 15minutes.

Make the syrup with sugar and water, once the sugar melts add the saffron and cardamom.

When the syrup is one thread put off the stove.

Knead the dough once and divide into 10-12medium sized balls, roll each ball as small circles, drop a tablespoon of filling in the center.

Seal the edges and wrap the filling, finish each balls in the same way, keep the filled balls aside for few minutes.

Heat the oil for deep frying, keep the flame in medium flame.Gently flatten the balls with your plam.

Drop the prepared kachoris in hot, fry them in medium flame.

Fry on both sides until they turns brown.

Dip the fried kachories into the syrup for a minutes, place it on  serving place.

Drizzle the syrup, sprinkle chopped dry fruits generously.

Once its gets cooled, arrange in air tightened box and enjoy.