The change in weather sometimes also means feeling under the weather. On such days, the heart (and stomach) yearns for something simple but tasty. To battle such days of ‘I don’t know what to eat,’ here are five quick-to-make, batch cooking-friendly, savoury bata (paste) recipes with ingredients that are usually available in every home.
Kalo jeera/ Kalonji bata
An Indian kitchen without kalo jeera (nigella seeds) sounds as improbable as it is in reality. This easy-to-make and storable kalo jeera bata is extremely helpful for days when you are down with the weather and the taste buds are MIA.
Ingredients:
- Kalo jeera: 8-10 tablespoons
- Crushed garlic cloves: 2 tablespoons
- Slit green chillies: 2-3
- Dry whole red chillies: 2
- Mustard oil: 3-4 tablespoons
- Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
- Salt
Recipe:
- Dry roast the nigella seeds and dry whole red chillies for 5-8 minutes on low flame. Keep stirring to avoid burning
- Let the kalo jeera and red chillies cool down. Make a smooth paste with one teaspoon water, lemon juice, 1 green chilli and a pinch of salt
- In a non-stick pan, add mustard oil and heat well. Now add the crushed garlic cloves and saute until golden brown
- Add the green chillies and cook for another 2 minutes
- Add the kalo jeera paste and keep cooking on low flame, uncovered for about 5-6 minutes or until any excess water has soaked and the corners are leaving the pan
- Check seasoning, drizzle some mustard oil from top and have with gorom bhaat
Tip:
- You can batch cook and refrigerate this paste in a glass container with an extra helping of mustard oil for 2-3 days
Kalo til bata
This simple bata (black sesame seeds) will reign over your whole bhaater thala. Trust us!
Ingredients:
- Kalo til / Black sesame seeds: 10-12 tablespoons
- Mustard oil: 4 tablespoons
- Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
- Finely chopped green chillies: 1 teaspoon
- Slit green chillies: 3-4
- Dry whole red chillies: 2
- Salt
Recipe:
- Dry roast the sesame seeds on low flame until golden
- When cold, make a paste with lemon juice, a pinch of salt, one green chilli and 1 teaspoon of mustard oil
- In a pan, add mustard oil and heat well. Now add the dry red chillies and saute well
- Add the sesame seed paste, slit green chillies and keep sauteing on low flame for 6-8 minutes or until the nutty smell is near gone. Be careful from surface burning
- Check seasoning, add chopped chillies, add some more mustard oil and team with piping hot rice
Shorshey, narkel and posto bata
You can have a dollop of this delicious paste with plain rice, or make a fritter out of it.
Ingredients:
- Yellow mustard seeds: 2 teaspoons
- Black mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Grated coconut: 8 tablespoons
- Poppy seeds: 3 tablespoons
- Finely chopped green chillies: 2 teaspoons
- Salt
- Mustard oil
Recipe:
- Add the mustard seeds, coconut and poppy seeds in a blender with the required amount of salt and some mustard oil. Make a smooth paste
- Add the chopped chillies and mix
- Sprinkle some mustard oil from top and the bata is ready to dig in
Posto bata
This evergreen culinary classic needs no introduction, at least not to a Bengali!
Ingredients:
- Poppy seeds: 8-10 tablespoons
- Finely chopped onion: 1 large
- Finely chopped green chillies: 2 teaspoons
- Salt
- Mustard oil
Recipe:
- Soak the poppy seeds in lukewarm water for 2-3 minutes
- Make a smooth paste of the poppy seeds with a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon mustard oil
- Add the chopped onion and green chillies with the poppy seed paste
- Check seasoning, add some mustard oil from top and it’s ready
Shukno lanka bata
Bland food? Add some chilli paste. Feeling cold? A smidgen will have you sweating! But beware, this spicy, hot and tangy bata recipe should only be had in small portions.
Ingredients:
- Whole red chillies: 6
- Green chillies: 2
- Lemon juice: 8-10 tablespoons
- Finely chopped onions: 1 large, 1 medium
- Crushed garlic: 4-5 cloves
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Mustard oil: 3 tablespoons
- Salt
Recipe:
- Dry roast the red chillies, garlic cloves and onion for 6-8 minutes on low flame. Keep stirring continuously
- Allow the ingredients to come to the room temperature and make a smooth paste adding green chillies, lemon juice, sugar, salt and mustard oil
- Checking seasoning and adjust according to spice tolerance
- Store in a glass jar, scoop out just a bit and have with rice, roti, paratha, ramen or almost anything you like, even as a pizza sauce
