Tuesday, February 3, 2009

BHUNJIA

Introduction to Bhunjia:
Bhunjia of Bihar must not be confused with ‘bhajia’ of other regions.
Bhunjia is a vegetable preparation, prepared by cutting thin slices of the vegetable and frying (not deep fry) them with jeera/ panchforan/onion, and light spices. The bhunjia is allowed to it get tender inside...and crispy on the outside. This is done by alternating sauté of the vegetable and covering the cooking vessel by a lid. Water is not used in this preparation at all. This process is called ‘bhoonjna’ in bihar, so the resultant vegetable being called bhunjia !
Owing to the crispy exterior and tender interior of the vegetable, the bhunjia is a favourite accouterment with rice and dal. Due to it being a dry preparation of vegetables, bhunjia is also packed in lunch boxes (along with puri/paratha) of kids as well as adults.


ü bhunjia
1. aalu ka bhunjia
2. parwal ka bhunjia
3. bhindi ka bhunjia
4. karela ka bhunjia
5. kacchaa kela ka bhunjia

Method of cooking:

1.Aalu (Potato) ki Bhunjia

Ingredients:
Potato – 3 medium sized
Mustard Oil (or any vegetable oil) – 4 tbsp
Panchforan- quarter tsp ( jeera can be used in its absence)

( note: Panchforan is a mixture of 5 seeds namely saunf, sarson, methi, ajwain and
mangraila and is kept as a mixture in bottles along with other masalas )

Haldi(turmeric)- half tsp
Red chilly powder- 1 tsp
Dhania powder-1 tsp
Jeera powder- 1tsp

1. Wash the Potato thoroughly, peel it off if desired. Most people do not peel off the potato for making bhunjia.
2. Cut the Potato into half along its length, laterally, and then cut each half further into 2mm thin long slices.
3. Heat oil in a karaahi/thick frying pan,
4. Into the heated oil, sprinkle the panchforan.
5. As the panchforan begins to splutter, put the washed potato slices also into the karaahi.
6. Increase the flame to high and sauté the potato for 2 minutes. Now put the powdered masalas into the preparation. Continue to saute for next 3 minutes.
7. Cover the karaahi by its lid, and reduce the flame to low. Leave it covered for 5 minutes.
8. Next, lift the lid, add salt to the preparation and sauté the vegetable on medium flame for 5 minutes. Then reduce the flame to minimum and cover the karaahi.
9. After 5 minutes, the kalchhi can be pressed against a potato slice to find if it has become tender internally. It usually gets tender by now, but if not then cover the lid again and keep it on low flame for some more time.
10. The bhunjia gets externally crispy as well as internally tender by now. It must be served hot with steaming rice and dal.



2. Parwal/Patal ki Bhunjia

Ingredients:
Parwal/Patal- 500 gm
MustardOil (or any vegetable oil) – 4 tbsp
jeera – half tsp
onion – 1 mediun size cut into thin long slices
Haldi(turmeric)- half tsp
Red chilly powder- 1 tsp
Dhania powder-1 tsp
Jeera powder- 1tsp



1. Wash the Parwal thoroughly, and scrub it with a knife to lightly remove only the upper hard part of the skin. cut off Parwal’s ends till 5mm. Then wash it again.
2. Cut the Parwal into half along its length, and then cut each half further into 4 thin long slices.
3. In a karaahi/thick frying pan, heat the oil.
4. Into the heated oil, sprinkled the jeera.
5. As the jeera begins to splutter, put onion into it and sauté it for 2 minutes, and then put the Parwal slices also into the karaahi.
6. Increase the flame to high and sauté the Parwal for 2 minutes. Now put the powdered masalas into the preparation. Continue to saute for next 3 minutes.
7. cover the karaahi by its lid, and reduce the flame to low. Leave it covered for 5 minutes.
8. Next, lift the lid, add salt to the preparation and sauté the vegetables on medium flame for 5 minutes. Then reduce the flame to minimum and cover the karaahi.
9. After 5 minutes, the kalchhi can be pressed against a parwal slice to find if it has become tender. It usually gets tender by now, but if not then cover the lid again and keep it on low flame for some more time.
10. The bhunjia gets externally crispy as well as internally tender by now. It must be served hot with steaming rice and dal.



3.Bhindi (Lady’s finger) ki Bhunjia

Ingredients:
Bhindi - 500 gm
Mustard Oil (or any vegetable oil) – 4 tbsp
jeera – half tsp
onion – 1 medium size cut into thin long slices
Haldi(turmeric)- half tsp
Red chilly powder- 1 tsp
Chhoti ilaichi -1 (crushed.)


1. Wash the Bhindi thoroughly. Chop off Bhindi’s head.
2. Cut the Bhindi slices as 5 mm. thin round wheels.
3. In a karaahi/thick frying pan, heat the oil.
4. Into the heated oil, sprinkle the jeera and ilaichi.
5. As the jeera begins to splutter, put onion into it and sauté it for 2 minutes, and then put the Bhindi wheels also into the karaahi.
6. Increase the flame to high and sauté the Bhindi for 2 minutes. Now put the powdered masalas into the preparation. Continue to saute for next 3 minutes.
7. Cover the karaahi by its lid, and reduce the flame to low. Leave it covered for 5 minutes.
8. Next, lift the lid, add salt to the preparation and sauté the vegetables on medium flame for 5 minutes. Then reduce the flame to minimum and cover the karaahi.
9. After 5 minutes, the kalchhi can be pressed against a Bhindi wheel to find if it has become tender internally. It usually gets tender by now, but if not then cover the lid again and keep it on low flame for some more time.
10. The bhunjia gets externally crispy as well as internally tender by now. It must be served hot with steaming rice and dal.
















4. Kachcha kela ki Bhunjia

Ingredients:
Kachcha kela- 4 in no.
Mustard Oil (or any vegetable oil) – 4 tbsp
jeera – half tsp
Haldi(turmeric)- half tsp
Red chilly powder- 1 tsp



1. Peel off the Banana and remove its tail.
2. Cut the Banana slices as 5 mm. thin round wheels.
3. In a karaahi/thick frying pan, heat the oil.
4. Into the heated oil, sprinkle the jeera.
5. As the jeera begins to splutter, put the Banana wheels into the karaahi.
6. Increase the flame to high and sauté the Banana for 2 minutes. Now put the powder masalas into the preparation. Continue to saute for next 3 minutes.
7. Cover the karaahi by its lid, and reduce the flame to low. Leave it covered for 5 minutes.
8. Next, lift the lid, add salt to the preparation and sauté the vegetable on medium flame for 5 minutes. Then reduce the flame to minimum and cover the karaahi.
9. After 5 minutes, the kalchhi can be pressed against a Banana wheel to find if it has become tender internally. It usually gets tender by now, but if not then cover the lid again and keep it on low flame for some more time.
10. The bhunjia gets externally crispy as well as internally tender by now. It must be served hot with steaming rice and dal.


















5. Karela (bitter gourd) ki Bhunjia

Ingredients:
Karela (bitter gourd) - 2 medium size.
Mustard Oil (or any vegetable oil) – 4 tbsp
jeera – half tsp
onion- 1 medium size chopped into thin long slices
Haldi(turmeric)- half tsp
Red chilly powder- 1 tsp
Aamchur powder- 1tsp



1. Remove the tails from both side of karela till 5 mm length.
2. Cut the karela slices as 3mm. thin round wheels.
3. In a karaahi/thick frying pan, heat the oil.
4. Into the heated oil, sprinkle the jeera.
5. As the jeera begins to splutter, add the onion and karela wheels into the karaahi.
6. Increase the flame to high and sauté the Karela for 2 minutes. Now put the powdered masalas and aamchur powder into the preparation. Continue to saute for next 3 minutes.
7. Cover the karaahi by its lid, and reduce the flame to low. Leave it covered for 5 minutes.
8. Next, lift the lid, add salt to the preparation and sauté the vegetable on medium flame for 5 minutes. Then reduce the flame to minimum and cover the karaahi.
9. After 5 minutes, the kalchhi can be pressed against a Karela wheel to find if it has become tender internally. It usually gets tender by now, but if not then cover the lid again and keep it on low flame for some more time.
10. The bhunjia gets externally crispy as well as internally tender by now. It must be served hot with steaming rice and dal.

1 comment:

  1. mohita,

    have enjoyed making and eating your bihari recipes from the time they appeared on bawarchi. it was there that i first got to know about ¨Sattu¨

    thank you for sharing.

    glad to see many more recipes here.

    how about a recipe for litti/littee?

    ReplyDelete