Golap Pitha

I have made these a while ago. The lady that I have learned from is my favorite of all the deshi people on youtube. Here is a shout out to Fouzia aunty. I have tried a lot of her recipes. Her techniques are very easy to follow and understand. I hope that whoever reads this also tries out a few recipes from her vlog on youtube. The taste and the presentation is very authentic and I am sure they will satisfy your deshi cravings. I have linked this recipe down below. For those of you who do not speak Bangla, it may help to watch the video as I have tried my best to explain the process of making the shape of the flower,  but it might have sounded a bit complicated when explained. Happy Cooking!

INGREDIENTS:

  • Flour – 1 cup
  • Milk- 1/2 cup
  • Egg beat -1
  • Olive oil- 1 Tbsp
  • Sugar- 2 Tbsp
  • Food color (optional) – Used to color the flowers

To make the Sugar Syrup:

  • Sugar-2 cup
  • Water- 1 cup

DIRECTIONS:

  1. In a saute pan, pour the milk and wait for it to come to a boil. After which you can turn off the stove and pour in the oil and the sugar making sure to whisk it in. Beat the egg and add it to the mixture. Lastly, add the flour and mix vigorously and wait for it to cool down.
  2. After the mixture is cooled, form a dough and roll them out into big thin rounds. Take a cup or a round cookie cutter and cut out three circles (3 circles will make one flower).
  3. Stack the three circles on top of each other. Press down with your pinky finger in the middle of the stacked circles to attach them together.  Make three cuts leaving the middle portion intact. Lift one piece by holding the ends of the piece and press down towards the middle indent bringing together the two ends of the piece to form a cone in the middle which will be the middle of the flower. Lift another piece holding it by the two ends pressing it down alongside the other piece. Keep lifting all the pieces by the two ends of them and pressing down the corners to make it look like flower petals.
  4. After you are done making the shape make sure to press all the corners together well enough so that it doesn’t come undone when frying. Trim out the excess from the corner to give it a much more realistic look.
  5. In a frying pan on low heat cook these flowers until they are golden brown. Do not rush this process, as you want the flowers to cook thoroughly.
  6. To make the sugar syrup – on a separate saucepan bring the sugar and the water to boil. After frying the flowers let it sit on a paper towel to soak up the oil. Place the flowers in the sugar syrup under medium heat for about five minutes. Take them out and serve them warm. The flowers should be slightly soft and crispy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4iX0XACHLw

 

 

Tuna kabab

 

Growing up these kababs were one of the staple dishes made in our house. My mom would always ask me to help her with these as she made them in large batches. She would never let me go close to the stove but always involved me in shaping and handling food like this. There would always be a large batch of them leftover afterwards. These store in the fridge really well, I would suggest storing them in the freezer after you’ve fried them in oil.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Canned Tuna in Water – 4 cans
  • Russet or golden potatoes – 4 to 5 medium-sized
  • Garlic paste – 1 Tbsp
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • Cumin powder – 1 tsp
  • Cayenne powder – 1 tsp
  • Coriander powder – 1 tsp
  • Ground black pepper – 2 tsp
  • Salt – To taste
  • Egg
  • Green chillies – 1 Tbsp
  • Onions (thinly sliced) – 1 cup
  • Cilantro – 1/4 cup
  • Oil – as needed

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Firstly, peel and boil the potatoes cutting them in halves. On a separate bowl cool the potatoes and smash them.
  2. Drain the water out of the canned Tuna and saute it in about 4 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic paste and saute for another minute. Mix in turmeric, cumin, cayenne, coriander, ground black pepper, and cumin powder. Cook it in the oil for 10 minutes.
  3. On a separate bowl pour the mixture and let it cool. Add salt, egg, green chillies, onions, cilantro, and the mashed potatoes. Mix everything well so that it is homogenous.
  4. Make them into a round-shaped patty according to your preference ( i.e. big, small, thickness). In a deep set saucepan, deep fry the patties in medium heat oil, making sure that both sides are cooked equally.
  5. Serve with rice or by themselves as appetizers.