Plagiarism of another kind

These days plagiarism is so common, that if you come across any site with your pictures and copied recipes, you feel angry. You may even write to the website / blog author for disciplinary actions but on second thought you feel, are those sites really worth of a second look and we seem to only add to their blog traffic.

When I started my blog, I did not know much about plagiarism and related actions to be taken. But as time went by, I came across several sites where my pictures and posts are copied verbatim without giving due credit to my blog.

Initially I did not know what to do, and wrote to those sites, some have removed the copied posts and pictures and some sites still carry them. It seems these people do not have enough decency to acknowledge your hard work and Plagiarism has become a daily affair to them, what we call in Bengali "Jol Bhaat" (meaning a simple case like water and rice).

So these days, if I see my pictures in some other blogs & website, I really do not care anymore.

But imagine, if you see your picture being published in a leading newspaper (that too a leading Bengali Newspaper, Ananda Bazar Patrika) without your consent and giving due credit, I bet you will get flustered and angry.

original picture

Last Saturday�s 28-Aug-2010 edition of �Utsav� (A supplement of ABP), carried an article on �Posto�, titled �Emon Gotimoi Ghorsoyar rannaghore aar dwitwiyoti nei� by Goutam Chakraborty. My picture of Aloo Jhinge Posto was published in that article as a "Posto" dish.

The picture has been modified in such a way that the recipe name and my blog�s name was removed from the picture to look like an altogether different picture.

I have already written to the Editor of the leading Daily and awaiting clarification from their end.

So my fellow bloggers, besides keeping a tab on blogs and websites, start keeping a track on your local newspaper, maybe you'll find yourself in my position in coming days....

You can check the following links too...

Plagiarism - Once Again

Caught in the Act

Plagiarism - Be Aware!!!

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Kara Sev - Indian Cooking Challenge, June 2010

Kara Sev was chosen by Srivalli as the Indian Cooking Challenge recipe for June. It's one of my favourite snack. There was a bhujiya shop near my school, where they used to sell varieties of bhujiya, ganthiya, chanachur, etc. While waiting for the bus, I used to watch the karigaar preparing these sev.

It was intriguing, as the person used a deft hand in pressing down the thick besan mixture on a big ladle with holes directly over oil, frying the sev in hot oil and immediately taking them out.

Thanks to Srivalli, finally I had the chance of preparing these savoury and crunchy sev. If the ladle (with holes) is not available, one can use the murukku press. Kara sev is quite easy and require very less time to prepare. I chose the first recipe as stated by Srivalli.

Ingredients:

• Gram flour (Besan): 2 1/2 cup
• Rice Flour (Chalguri): 1 cup
• Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
• Coarsely ground black pepper: 1 tsp
• Crushed garlic (optional): 2 pods
• Ghee: 2 1/2 tsp
• Cooking Soda: a small pinch
• Salt to taste
• Oil, to fry

Procedure:

1. Take a bowl, sieve gram flour and rice flour together, mix well and make a pit (hole in the middle).
2. Add chilli powder, pepper powder, salt, crushed garlic, ghee and cooking soda and mix thoroughly with hands (It should resemble bread crumbs).
3. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Take one portion of this mixture, sprinkle water, knead like puri dough.
4. Heat oil in a kadai, use a ladle with lot of holes (Kara Sevai ladle / sev maker). Put some dough on the ladle and rub directly into oil (It will look like split string).
5. Deep fry in oil till the sev are well cooked and golden brown on all sides.
6. Drain excess oil, cool and store in an airtight container.

Peyaji

Peyaji is an all time favourite snack. Peyaji / Onion fritters are usually served as an evening snack, perfect accompaniment with tea / coffee in a rainy afternoon, generally served with �muri� (puffed rice) and kancha lonka (green chilli).

This post was long due, here is the recipe for Peyaji. Enjoy these crispy fritters as the weather is just perfect.

Ingredients

• Onion (Peyaj): 2
• Besan (Bengal gram flour): 1 cup
• Plain Flour (Maida): 1 cup
• Green Chillies, chopped: 2
• Red chilli powder: a pinch
• Baking Soda: a pinch
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Peel, halve and finely slice the onions and chop green chillies.
2. Take a mixing bowl, take the sliced onions, chopped chillies & salt and mix thoroughly.
3. Add a pinch of baking soda, red chilli powder, maida & besan and mix well.
4. Add a little water and mix thoroughly so that the onions are coated with the besan and stick to each other (add more water if required but avoid excess water).
5. Heat oil in a deep bottomed kadhai; add few drops of heated oil in the besan mixture and again mix well.
6. Scoop some of the onion-besan mixture and release in the oil (be careful not to crowd the pan or else the pakodas will stick to one another and will remain uncooked inside).
7. Fry the onion fritters in medium heat, turn and cook till crisp and golden brown on both sides.
8. Drain out excess oil. Repeat until all the batter is used up.
9. Place the onion fritters in a serving plate with ketchup and serve hot with tea /coffee.

Gol Gappe - Indian Cooking Challenge, May' 2010

Gol Gappe, a popular street snack / chaat is known by different names in different regions, the most popular ones being Panipuri (Western India), Gupchup (Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar) and Phuchka (West Bengal). It generally comprises of a round & fried crisp puri, filled with a mixture of potato, onion & chickpeas dipped in tamarind water

The name Gol gappe (as known in Northern India) refers to the fact that crisp sphere (Gol) is placed in the mouth and eaten (Gappa) at one time, without biting. Pani means water in Hindi and Puri is the name of a type of Indian bread, prepared by frying dough in oil.

Gol gappes are served in varied ways across different locations. They are dipped in various types of flavoured water, like imli ka pani (tamarind in water), nimbu ka pani (lemon juice in water), pudine ka pani (mint in water) and even khajur ka pani (dates mixed in water) and served by folding a saal leaf in triangular cup sized plate made from dry saal leaves or pre-made small bowl of saal leaves.

Here in Kolkata, Gol gappe it is better known as �Phuchka� and you are sure to have your favourite Phuchkawala in every para / locality.

Phuchka, the very mention of which makes me reminisce my childhood years. I still relish those memories, customers holding the small plate and standing around the phuchkawala�s cart. He starts making one golgappa at a time and serving one to each individual.

He even remembered each customer's preferences & choice like choice of fillings, tamarind water�s consistency, etc. Even now, I don�t know how the phuchkawala kept the count of how many phuchkas were served even during serving an entire crowd.

I still remember, on my way back home from school, how I used to order my Phuchka Kaku to prepare that special filling of boiled potato, sprouts & masalas with extra red chili powder; the crisp phuchkas dipped in an earthern pot of spicy tamarind water (tentul-er jol) and served in a small plate made of saal leaves and finishing in a gulp, heavenly�Even as I am writing, my mouth is drooling with those thoughts�

Moreover it was fun when we were in a group and would compete amongst ourselves who will eat the most number of phuchkas.

Over the years, gol gappe / pani puri / phuchka which was a roadside treat, have found a place in the menu of restaurants, malls and even wedding ceremonies. These days there are several innovative ways of serving them, like in plates and the tamarind water in cups. They are even served with curd, chopped onions with sev sprinkled on top.

Thanks to Srivalli for choosing Golgappa as the Indian Cooking Challenge recipe for May� 2010.
A little effort of preparing Golgappa myself at home was a wonderful and fun experience.

Here is the recipe of Pani Puri / Gol Gappe

For making Gol Gappe

• Sooji / Semolina: 1/2 cup
• Maida / Plain Refined Flour: 1/2 tbsp
• Cooking Soda: 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

For Spicy Pani / Spicy Water

• Chopped Mint Leaves: 1 1/2 cups
• Chopped Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp
• Tamarind: 1/3 cup
• Ginger: 1"
• Green Chillies: 4 - 5
• Ground Cumin Seed (roasted): 1 tsp
• Kala Namak/ Black Salt: 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

For Filling

Potato Filling
Boiled Potato, finely chopped /mashed and mixed with salt and red chilli.

Lentil Filling

• Cooked Kabuli Channa / Peas: 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Chili powder: 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder: � tsp
• Garam masala powder: 1/4 tsp

Cook the channa or peas till tender. Then drain and cook with the masala till aroma comes out.

For Red Tamarind Chutney

• Tamarind: 1 cup
• Jaggery: 1/2 cup
• Sugar: 2 tbsp
• Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
• Dry Roasted cumin powder: 1 tsp
• Kali Mirch / Black pepper powder: 1/4 tsp.
• Cloves: 2
• Warm water: 2 cups
• Oil: 1 tsp
• Salt to tast

Method to prepare:

For Gol Gappe / Puri:

1. In a bowl, take semolina, plain flour & cooking soda; add salt and 2 tbsp of oil; mix and knead well to make a stiff dough (A bit stiffer than normal) .
2. Cover it with a wet muslin cloth and let it rest for 15 mins.
3. Pinch out very small balls and roll them into small circles and put the rolled out circles back under the muslin cloth for some time before frying.
4. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan / kadhai, release the rolled out dough, press the puffed puri a little with the back of a slotted spoon and deep fry the puris till golden brown (If rolled evenly, the puris will puff up as soon as they are released in the oil).
5. Drain oil and take the puris out from the pan / kadhai and put them on kitchen paper towel to get rid of the extra oil.

Notes: Allow the puris to cool properly before storing them in an airtight container or else they will become soggy.

Spicy Tamarind water / Pani

1. Extract pulp from the tamarind. Add mint leaves, coriander, ginger, chillies and dry roasted cumin seed to the tamarind pulp. Add little water and blend to a smooth paste.
2. Add salt and black rock salt to taste. Add water as required. Put it in the fridge to cool down.

Red Tamarind Chutney

1. In a pan, dry roast the cumin seeds and cloves and pound them into a coarse powder.
2. Extract the pulp from tamarind. To the tamarind pulp, add jaggery, sugar, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, roasted powder of cumin & cloves and salt.
3. Put the mixture in a pan and heat for 5 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and let it cool down.
4. Add warm water and adjust consistency, if the chutney becomes too thick.
5. Once the chutney cools thoroughly, blend in a blender to form a smooth paste.

Assembling & serving the Golgappe / Pani Puri / Phuchka

1. Poke a small hole in the center of the Gole Gappe and add a little portion of the filling (Remember not to stuff too much, or else the puri may break).
2. Add a little of the red tamarind chutney, dip the golgappa in the spicy water and gulp it down.

Notes: Alternatively you can mix small quantity of tamarind chutney & spicy water and pour over the stuffed puris and gulp down.

I like to experiment with the fillings. The whole idea of preparing this kind of chaat at home is that, you can mix your choice of ingredients or add anything which suits you best.

I used a filling of boiled potatoes & kabuli chana, mixed with chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut and masalas.

I added some home made dhokla, sprinkled chopped onions & sev on top and served with home made curd, spicy tamarind water and red tamarind chutney so that everybody can take their pick.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!

Rasmalai - Indian Cooking Challenge (Apr 2010)

Srivalli selected Rasmalai as our next challenge for the month of April 2010 in Indian Cooking Challenge.

Rasmalai is a delicious dessert consisting of sugary balls of cottage cheese (chhana in Bengali) soaked in sweetened and thickened milk, flavored with cardamom, saffron and garnished with dry fruits. It tastes best, when served chilled.

The original recipe was provided by Lavi. As always, I followed the recipe as stated by Srivalli and the Rasmalai turned out perfect.

Here is the recipe



Ingredients:

• Milk: 3 litres (2 ltr for making paneer and 1 ltr for making rasa / milk syrup)
• Maida (plain flour): 1 tsp
• Vinegar: 3 tbsp
• Water: 5 cups
• Sugar: 16 tbsp (8 for sugar syrup and 8 for rasa / milk syrup)
• Saffron: 3-4 strands
• Pista: 10 finely chopped
• Cardamon, crushed: 2 -3

Method:

1. Boil 2 litres of milk and let it cool thoroughly and rfrigerate the milk for 12 hours. Remove the thick layer of skin formed over the milk the next day (after 12 hours).
2. Boil the milk, when the milk starts to boil, add vinegar. The milk will curdle and paneer will start floating on top and the whey water will stay on the bottom of the vessel. Place a muslin / cotton cloth over a bowl, filter the paneer.
3. Pour 2 cups of water (to remove the sourness of vinegar), tie it well and let it hang for one hour until the paneer is completely drained of whey water.
4. Remove the paneer from the muslin, knead well for 5-10 minutes. Add maida to the paneer and make small balls.
5. In a pressure cooker, add 3 cups of water and sugar, bring it boil, add the paneer balls one by one and close the lid, simmer and let it cook for 15 minutes (until the balls become double in size). Press the paneer balls gently to drain the excess sugar syrup.
6. Prepare the thick and creamy milk syrup by boiling the milk and reducing to half of the original quantity. Add sugar, saffron strands and crushed cardamom to the milk and mix thoroughly.
7. Slowly release the paneer balls to the milk syrup. Pour the rasmalai in a serving bowl, cool and refrigerate. Garnish with pistas and serve chilled.

Sagu Biyyam Murukku / Sago Murukku - ICC for Mar' 2010

Sago /Sabudhana Murukku (a tasty savory snack prepared with sago, rice flour, besan flour and fried gram flour) was chosen by Srivalli for Indian Cooking Challenge for the month of March.

As Sri already challenged us to prepare murukku before, this was a little easy, though I have never prepared murukku with sago before. Stated below is the recipe by Srivalli.

Ingredients

• Rice flour: 2 cups
• Besan flour: 1/2 cup
• Fried gram flour: 1/2 cup
• Sago: 1/2 cup
• Oil: 50 gms
• Salt to taste
• Curd: 50 gms (half of half cup)
• Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp or as per taste
• Oil for frying murukku

Special Utensil: Muruku Achu

Method

1. Soak sago in buttermilk for 3 hrs (please ensure that you soak the sago well or else sago may burst while frying the murukkus).
2. Mix all the flour together, add salt and chilli powder. Heat 50 gms oil and mix to the flour.
3. Gradually add the buttermilk soaked sago and knead to a chapati dough consistency.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai for deep frying. Add the dough in the muruku achu. When the oil is hot, press down the dough directly in the oil as murukus.
5. Cook the murukkus on medium flame. Drain oil and store the murukkus in airtight container.

A few points to remember: Ensure that the sago soaked in buttermilk is soft or else it will burst while frying the murukus and also to cook on medium flame to ensure even cooking.

I didn�t make the usual round shape. The murukkus turned out real crispy, a perfect accompaniment for evening tea / coffee.


A little late in posting due to machine problem....Better late than never...