The Bengali New Year, or Poila Baisakh, is a joyous holiday celebrated with food, games, and family get-togethers.

Chef Kunal Kapur suggests a variety of simple-to-prepare savory and sweet dishes to add even more distinctive touches to your noboborsho celebrations.

Ghugni

Ingredients

For Boiling

• ½ cup of White Peas Dried (Post Soaking – 1 Cup/205gm)
• ¼th of an Onion
• 1 no of Green Chilli
• 2½ cups of Water
• Salt – To taste
• ½ teaspoon of Turmeric

For Bhaja Masala

• 3 pieces of Green Cardamom
• 1 tablespoon of Fennel Seeds
• 1 tablespoon of Cumin
• 1 tablespoon of Coriander Seeds

For Masala

• 3 tablespoons of Saffola Gold Oil
• 2 nos. of Dried Red Chilli
• 5-6 nos. of Green Cardamom
• An inch long Cinnamon stick
• 2-3 nos. of Bay Leaf
• 4 pieces of Cloves
• 1 tablespoon of Cumin Seeds
• ½ cup of thinly sliced onions
• 1 teaspoon of chopped Green Chillies
• 1 teaspoon of Ginger-Garlic paste
• ½ cup of potatoes (cut into small cubes)
• 1 teaspoon of Turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of Chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons of Cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon of Coriander powder
• 1 cup of diced Tomatoes
• Salt – to taste
• 1 no of slit Green Chilli
• A pinch of Bhaja Masala
• A pinch of Sugar
• 2 teaspoons of Ghee

For Garnish

• 4-5 tablespoons of Tamarind Water 
• Handful of chopped Onions
• Chopped Green Chillies – To Taste
• Handful of chopped Coriander
• Handful of Sev
• ½ of a Lemon

Preparation time: 70 mins

Serves: 4

Steps to follow

• Steam the soaked white peas into a pressure cooker along with a quartered piece of onion, green chili, seasoning, turmeric, and water till the first whistle
• Then reduce the flame and cook the white peas until another 4-5 whistles, while ensuring it does not get overcooked
• In the meantime, prepare the bhaja masala by adding all the masalas in a small pan and roasting them over a low flame. Once the masalas dry up and release their fragrance, transfer them into a grinder and grind to a fine powder
• Keep a count of cooker whistles, and upon reaching the required number of whistles, check the texture of the white peas and allow them to cool on the side
• To make the masala, pour Saffola Gold oil into a kadai and add in the whole red chilies, green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, and cumin. Stir it quickly and then add the sliced onions
• As the onions fry a bit, add in the chopped green chili and ginger-garlic paste and stir them for a few seconds
• Then add in the cubed potatoes and allow the onions to be lightly browned. This is the time to add turmeric, red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder and fry them
• Add in the tomatoes along with salt, continue roasting the masala for another 2-3 mins by stirring it constantly
• Then add the boiled peas only [without the water it was cooked in] to the above masala and cook for 3-4 mins until all the remnant water evaporates
• Add in a ladle of the [white peas] cooked water to form the base of the sauce, with some bhaja masala, and a pinch of sugar to balance the dish. Mix in a bit of ghee
• Plate it up and garnish it with chopped onions, green chilies, coriander, and drizzle a tablespoon of tamarind water. Sprinkle sev from the top, add a slice of lemon and it is ready to be served

Beetroot Cutlet

Ingredients

For Bengali Garam Masala

• 2 nos. of 1½ inch of Cinnamon stick
• 15 nos. of Cardamom
• 12 nos. of Cloves

For Beetroot Cutlet

• 4 nos. of medium-sized Beetroot (boiled and peeled)
• ¾ cup of medium-sized Potato (boiled and mashed)
• Salt – to taste
• A chopped Green Chilli
• 2 teaspoons of chopped Ginger
• 4 tablespoons of roasted and crushed Peanuts
• 2 teaspoons of roasted crushed Cumin
• Handful of chopped Coriander
• 1 tablespoon of Mustard oil
• 1 tablespoon of Kasundhi
• ¾ teaspoon of Bengali Garam Masala
• 2 tablespoons + 1 cup of dried Bread Crumbs
• Saffola Gold Oil – for frying

For Mustard Dip

• 2 tablespoons of Kasundhi
• ½ cup of Mayonnaise

Preparation time: 60 mins

Serves: 4

Steps to follow

• In a mixer grinder dry grind cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Remove and sieve the grounded masalas to use the fine powder and set it aside
• Make a beetroot puree by adding them into a mixer grinder. Pour and cook the puree for 8-10 mins till it turns into a thick paste
• Allow it to cool quickly by spreading on a plate. Then add the mashed potato, salt, green chili, ginger, peanuts, cumin, coriander, mustard oil, Kasundhi, garam masala, and 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs to the thickened beetroot paste and mix them properly
• Divide the mix into small balls. Take one of them, roll it, and then flatten it into a thick disc or tikka, coat it with bread crumbs, and press it gently. Keep it aside and follow the same step with the remaining balls
• Drizzle Saffola Gold oil on a pan and heat it, place the cutlets and fry them on both sides till they become brown
• Mix the mayonnaise and Kasundhi and serve it with the hot cutlets

Patishapta

Ingredients

For the batter

• 1 cup of All Purpose Flour (Maida)
• 2 teaspoons of Sugar

For the filling

• 3/4 cup of boiled Chickpea lentils (Channa Dal)
• 1 teaspoon of Cardamom powder
• 1/4 cup of Semolina (Sooji)
• 3/4 cup of Milk
• 1/2 cup of Jaggery (Gur)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of Saffola Gold Oil

Preparation time: 60 mins

Serves: 2

Steps to follow

• Mix the all-purpose flour and sugar to make a smooth batter and let it rest for 10 mins
• In the meantime, melt the jaggery in a pan. Then, add the boiled chickpea lentils and mix the cardamom powder. Add 2 teaspoons of Saffola Gold oil, mix it again, and set it aside
• Then grease a non-stick pan with Saffola Gold oil and heat it. Pour a ladle of batter into the heated pan and spread it, keeping it thick like a pancake. Reduce the heat, add a spoonful of filling in the center, and smear it
• Fold the patishapta in a half-moon shape and cook it till the outer layer turns faint brown
• Remove it from the heat and serve it warm

Allow these delectable sweets to bring seasonal cheer and happiness for the upcoming year to your gatherings. This Poila Baisakh, indulge in them and create the ideal fusion of sweet and savory moments with your loved ones.

Priyanka Dutta