Prawn Posto

Its a Bengali dish,using 'posto' also known as poppy seeds with prawns.I love prawns,and I think every Bengali does,dab chingri or the very famous prawn malai curry,whatever it maybe,we like it and it cooks faster than any other sea food,I suppose.

Okay,so here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

Prawns 250 gm.

Potatoes 1 cup,cut into small pieces.

Posto or White Poppy seeds 1/2 cup,smooth paste.

Sesame seed 1/2 cup,smooth paste.

Onion paste 1 tablespoon.

3-4 green chili paste.

Panch phoran (cumin, fenugreek, brown mustard seeds, fennel and nigella seeds) 1 teaspoon.

1 whole dried red chili.

Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon.

Mustard oil 1/2 cup.

Lime Big one (Gondhoraj) juice 1 tablespoon.

Salt and Sugar to taste.

Method:

Marinate the prawns in salt and turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a skillet and add the onion paste and saute.Then add the potatoes and the marinated prawns and let it cook for a while.

Add hot water and let it simmer,then add salt,sugar and turmeric powder.

When the water is dried up,take it off from heat.

Take a bowl,mix posto paste,sesame paste,chili paste,mustard oil and little turmeric and make a smooth paste.

Heat oil again,then add the paste and saute until the oil is released.

Add back the prawns and saute to mix well,add little water if required.

Put the lid back and let it cook for a while.

Lastly,add the lime juice and Serve hot with rice.

Spice Cookie!

My sweetheart (Mother) suddenly,popped a question this evening,"You like Cookies or Cake more?" and then,I saw that smirk on her face and I very well,understood what she had actually meant!

So I simply showed her a thumbs up and replied "Cake more!",heading to the kitchen.But,unfortunately I dint have any fruit nor crush or syrup,literally nothing special to bake a tasty cookie.

But did I not mention,when you have nothing,you have everything?And then somewhat magically,the jar full of cinnamon sticks stood out in the kitchen rack as if indicating 'USE ME! USE ME!' and I instantly got the idea 'why not use spices?'.

So here is the recipe for all of you.

Ingredients:

3 cup all purpose flour.
1 cup unsalted butter,softened.

1/2 cup brown sugar.

1/2 cup granulated sugar.

2 medium sized eggs.

2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

1 teaspoon baking soda.

2 teaspoon hot water.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

1 teaspoon ground ginger.

3/4 teaspoon ground clove.

A pinch of ground green cardamom.

Method:

Preheat oven to 175 C.

Use hand or electric mixer to cream together butter,granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Then add vanilla extract.

Dissolve baking soda in the hot water and add it to batter.

In another bowl,whisk flour,salt and spices together.

Add the dry mixture to the wet and beat at a low speed for 30 seconds.

Drop a big spoonful on an ungreased pan or on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges are brown.

Cool for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them into jar.

You might notice that they are not evenly shaped,but does it matter if it tastes better?

*smiles*