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A Taste of Diversity: Dell’s Culinary Cookbook Featuring Rachita Das
Rachita Das | Senior Analyst, Program/Project Management | Bengaluru, India
Originally Published: October 23rd, 2023
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Hi from a Probashi Bengali!
Hi! I’m Rachita Das. I’m what they call a “Probashi Bengali” which means I’ve spent most of my life outside of Bengal. I’ve moved around quite a bit and have experienced life in multiple cities across the country. Through this, I developed a deep passion for food and culinary experiences. Picking up new skills in the kitchen is both exciting and therapeutic for me!
This festive season, I am excited to share the recipe of a dish that is many things for me - tempting, nostalgic, comforting, and has a strong association with Durja Pujo, the “Moglai Porota."
A walk down memory lane!
Growing up in different parts of the country meant I had to get comfortable with change, and a lot of it, but two things remained constant – Durga Pujo and Moglai Porota. Durga Pujo is an important celebration for many Bengalis and my family is no different. I remember having Moglai Porota on all five days of the puja and this tradition continues to this day. I cannot imagine Durga Pujo without this gastronomical delight!
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The Dish: Kolkata style “Moglai Porota”
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Ingredients
For making mutton keema (the most important part)
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1. For Marination:
250 g Mutton keema (with fat)
1/4 cup Curd, beaten
Ginger Garlic Paste,
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Tender Coriander stems finely chopped
2. For Cooking Keema:
2 tbsp Oil,
Marinated Keema
1 Green cardamom
2-3 Cloves,
4-5 Black peppercorns
1 Black cardamom
½ tbsp fresh Mint leaves, finely chopped (you can skip this, I usually don’t use it)
50 g Mutton bones (taste of mutton lies in the bones)
1/2 cup Water
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3. For Making Dough:
2 cups Maida or All-purpose flour
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp ghee
Water as required
4. Moglai Porota Filling:
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
3/4 tsp grated ginger or ginger powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder + 1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Black pepper+ 1/2 tsp Black salt
Mutton keema
5. Egg Porota Stuffing:
2 Eggs
1 medium Chopped Onion
2 pcs Chopped Green chilies
3/4th Moglai porota masala
Salt to taste
“Generous amount of ghee for frying”
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Cooking Instructions
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For Marination
In a bowl, add mutton keema, curd, ginger, green chili paste, kashmiri chili powder, turmeric powder, tender coriander stems and mix everything properly.
Keep it marinated for 2.5 to 3 hours.
For Cooking Keema
In a pressure cooker, add oil once it gets hot, add marinated keema, green cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, black cardamom and sauté them nicely.
Add mutton bones (boiled in hot water, to eradicate any strong smell) and sauté them.
Add water and cover it with the lid and cook until 4 whistles.
Open the lid and saute the kheema well till water reduces, take out the bones and keep it for future use (in soups, stews, etc.)
For Dough
In a mixing bowl, add refined flour, salt to taste, powder sugar, oil, and mix well, water carefully to make soft to medium dough.
Apply oil over the dough and keep it aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour (the more, the better), after some time coat the dough with a thin layer of ghee and rest for another 45 minutes.
Once the dough rested well, cut the dough in lemon size balls and place into the tray and keep it aside for further use.
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For Masala
Take a small bowl, add Kashmiri chili powder, dry mango powder, garam masala, salt to taste and mix well. Keep it aside for further use.
For the filling
In a bowl, add coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger, tomato, onion, prepared keema, eggs, prepared masala and mix everything well. Keep it aside for further use.
For Frying
Take a shallow pan, add ghee (remember ghee gives a crunchy texture, but the heat needs to be managed well).
Make thin sheets of the dough (as thin as possible), place the prepared filling, folded like a pocket.
Prepare paratha place into the hot ghee and fry till the golden-brown colour into it (the thick side needs to be fried for a longer time, the folded side)
For Garnishing
In a serving plate, place prepared paratha cut into half, garnish with coriander sprig and tomato ketchup (Colonial Era after all)
Serve hot!
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Note for my vegetarian friends: You can replace keema with “Chana daal” or “Soya chunks”. There is no shortcut to this preparation.
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