Puti Mach Tok Jhal

Puti Mach-er Tok Jhal
 

Ingredients:

250 gm Puti Fish ( Spot-fin swamp barb )

2 tbsp Mustard paste

5-6 Green Chill

1 tsp Menthi seeds

Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

½ tsp red chili powder

1 Medium tomato

1 tbsp dry mango powder (Aam chur powder)

Cooking Procedure:

Take good pieces of fish. Wash it and pat it dry . Then marinate with turmeric powder and salt.

                              Shallow fry the fish and keep it aside.

Make a paste of mustard seeds. Heat oil in pan then add menthe seeds and green chilly to crackle in oil. Now add the tomato slice. Fry it for minutes. Pour the above mustard paste. Add salt, turmeric powder , red chili powder and aam chur powder. Stir well with water. Lastly add the fish. Cover the lid for 5-10 mins. Serve it hot with rice.

Tetor Dal / Bitter Gourd Lentil Soup

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Moong Dal

1 medium tit korola/ 100gm Uchhe (Bitter Gourd)

½ inch Ginger

1 pinch mustard seeds

3-4 pieces lemon leaf

½  tsp Turmeric Powder

Oil 3 tsp mustard oil (you can use refined oil).

Salt as per test.

 Methods:

I use Moong Dal. Dry roast the dal and then boil the dal(in pressure cooker minimum 7-8 whistle ). Meanwhile cut the Bitter Gourd into thin round slices, season them with salt and turmeric.

In a wok heat oil . Add mustard seeds. Fry until the seeds change color (about 15 seconds).  Now add and  fry the Bitter Gourd slices for few minutes. Make and add a paste of the Ginger, next add the turmeric and cook for few more minutes. Add the cooked dal, water and mix them well. Adjust the taste with salt and add the lemon leaf. Boil it for few minutes and Drizzle some mustard oil on the top if you wish.

Creamy Egg Curry

Ingredients

Eggs                        4 nos.
Fresh Cream          100ml
Tomato                   2 medium sized
Garlic                       4 cloves
Refined oil              4 tbspn
Cumin seeds           1 pinch
Turmeric Powder   ½  tspn
Red Chilli powder  ½ tspn
Green Chilli             4 nos
Kasoori methi         ½ tspn
Salt and sugar to taste

Method

Boil the eggs, peel the cover and add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt.

Wash and blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 4 minutes(or the tomatoes can be cooked in microwave for 4 minutes with out water) . Grined the boiled tomato puree is ready and keep it aside.

Make the garlic paste and slit the green chilli.

Mix the red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garlic paste amnd make a paste of the same by adding three to four tbsps of water.

Heat oil in Kadhai. Fry the eggs and keep them separately. Add the green chillies and cumin seeds and stir fry briefly. Add the mixture and continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes in a medium heat. Now add the tomato puree and cook it till the oil is getting separated.

Now add the eggs, stir well on a medium heat. Add sugar and salt. Mix well and add the cream and 2-3 tspn of water and cook it for another few minutes on low heat.

Lastly ,You can add the kasoori methi, stir lightly and serve hot.

Mourala Macher (Mola Carplet Fish)Paturi

 

Mourala Macher (Mola Carplet Fish)Paturi

 

This is a typical East Bengal Dish and Mourala fish (Mola Carplet) is a small variety of fish. Bengali's are primarily rice eaters and this dish is best with plain rice.

 Ingredients:

Fish (Mourala) 500 grams
Onion 1 large,pest

Garlic  2 flakes pest
Mustard Oil 4 tbsp
Green Chilly 5,finely pest
Mustard Paste 3 tbsp
Red Chilly Powder 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1  tsp
Salt  per test
Coriander leaf for garnishing.

Method:

Clean the fish and wash well. Drain water and keep aside.
In a bowl, take the fish, onion, green chilly, mustard paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and add 2tbsp mustard oil. Mix all together well.
Heat a pan/ kadai and add little water.  Boil the water for 2 minutes. Reduce the flame and add all misture of the bowl into the water. Drizzle some more mustard oil on the top.
 Cover and cook till the water dries up. Remove from fire.
Put the contents of the kadai into a small tiffin box and close the lid tight. Place this tiffin box on a large bowl of boiling water, cover and steam for 10 minutes. After that the paturi is ready to serve with white plain rice.

Lau chingri (Bottle gourd and the spicy shrimp).

Lau chingri is a hot favorite dish in East Bengal. Basically this is Portuguese recipe. It is a combination of the sweet bottle gourd and the spicy shrimp.

                                                 

Ingredients:

Serves: 5

·     Lau (bottle gourd or lauki) - 1 small (about 750 grams)

·     150 g- Small Shrimps/Choto Chingri

·     salt to taste

·     1 tspn turmeric powder

·     4 tbspn of oil

·     1 tspn cumin seeds

·     1 bay leaf

·     2  whole dry red chili

·     1 tspn cumin powder

·     Coriander leaves for garnishing

·     Water as needed

Preparation:

Peel the vegetable and chop finely cut into 1 inch long thin strips.

Peel shrimp, wash thoroughly, rub salt and turmeric and keep aside.
Cooking procedure:

Heat oil in a kadai/ pan. Fry the shrimps and keep aside.

To the same oil, add jeera (Cumin seeds) / panch phoron, bay leaf and dry red chillies. Fry until the seeds change color (about 15 seconds).                    

Add the cut lauki, and mix. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.

Add turmeric, jeera (cumin) powder, green chilies and fried shrimps. Mix thoroughly and cover to cook further for approximately 8 minutes or until the vegetable is tender and cooked.

Take the cover off occasionally and stir. If the lau is fresh it will release water. The lau will soften gradually. No need to add water as the lau will cook in its own juice.

 Remove cover, add salt, and turn heat to medium-high to evaporate excess water.

Garnish with coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Bhapa Chingri (Steamed Prawn)

Bhapa Chingri

Ingredients

 

Tiger prawn about half ( ½)  kg., medium  size

Yellow mustard seeds 1 tbsp.

Poppy seeds 2 tsp.

2.5 tablespoons grated coconut

3-4 tablespoons pure mustard oil

Green chilies 3-4, slit

Pinch of turmeric

Salt as per taste

For the paste:

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds (white)

2.5 tablespoons grated coconut

3-4 hot green chili (or as per your taste)

Salt to taste

Preparing the paste:

Soak the ingredients for the paste in 1/4 cup of water for about 30 -45 minutes. Grind the mustard, green chili, poppy seeds and grated coconut with salt (Salt is added to avid the bitter taste of the mustard seeds) to make a thick paste (This paste is called “shorshe bata = mustard paste).

[Alternate way to make mustard paste : Dry grind the seeds (mustard and poppy) and then mix the powdered seed with about 3 tablespoon water, grated coconut, salt, and green chilies and grind it again for minute and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes.]

Wash and clean (remove scales) of the fish. To this mustard paste add a 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 tsp. mustard oil and salt. Your mustard sauce is ready. Add 3 cups of water in a pressure cook. Now place a ring in it. Take a pan and spread little mustard oil. Place the fish pieces on a single layer. Pour the mustard sauce liberally on the fish pieces so that all the pieces are coated nicely. Place the slit green chilies on top. Drizzle some more mustard oil on the top if you wish.
Now place this pan on the ring in the pressure cooker. Cover with lid and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles. Serve hot with rice.

In the microwave:

Coat an microwave oven safe container with mustard oil. Place the fish pieces in the bowl in one single layer. Pour the above mustard sauce over the steaks so the sauce covers all of the steaks completely. Add a few slit green chili peppers on the top. Drizzle some more mustard oil on the top if you wish.

Cover with a lid or with a plastic wrap. Cook for 3 minutes; take it out and stir the sauce (do not move the fish around). Put it back in the microwave, cover and cook for 2 more minutes. Uncover, take out, stir; cover and put it back and cook for 2 more minutes. Uncover and cook for 2-3 more minutes. (The cooking time may slightly vary with the power of the microwave). Adjust to your microwave.

Dim Kasha (Egg Kasha)

Dim Kasha (Egg Kasha)

Ingredients
Eggs - 6
Onions - 1 medium pest
Tomato - 1 small, chopped
Fennel Seeds (Mouri / Saunf) – ½ tsp
 Ginger - 1 tbsp pest
raw saunfTurmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Bay Leaf - 1 small
Green Chillies - 3-4, slit
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Green Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Mustered  Oil - 5 tbsp

Method
1.Boil eggs for 12-15 min with salt. Remove shell. Rub a pinch of turmeric and salt.
2.Make a masala paste of turmeric, chilli, and cumin powders in 3 tbsp water.
3.Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Fry eggs till lightly brown. Keep aside.  
4.Add remaining 2 tbsp oil and sugar. Heat until the sugar starts to turn brown.
5.Turn the heat to medium. Add Fennel Seeds , bay leaf and whole red chili. Fry for
30 seconds. Then add onion and ginger pest and fry on medium high heat for 4-5 min till oil come out. Add the masala paste and fry for 2 minutes.
6. Add chopped tomato. Fry for 3-4 minutes or till oil separates. Add fried eggs , salt, green chilies and about 2/3 cup water (see note below) and let come to boil.  Cook for 2-3 min on medium high heat. Remove the hit and  add the cardamom / cinnamon powder 10 minutes before served.

  Note: The gravy for this preparation is usually thick so do not add too much water. Adjust water as per your need.

Aloo Potoler Dalna (Potato and pointed gourd curry)

 This humble vegetable called potol in Bengali, parwal in Hindi and pointed gourd in English can be prepared in many interesting ways and aloo potoler dalna is one such delicacy from the Bengali cuisine.          

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 300 gms, diced
potol /parwal (pointed gourd in English) - 200 gms
Mustard Oil - 3/4 cup
Green Cardamoms - 2
Cinnamon - 1
Bayleaf – 1

Panch phuron- 1 tsp
Tomatoes - 4 tblsp, chopped
Salt to taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder- ½ tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Gincer pest-  1 tsp
Ghee- 1 & ½ tsp
Sugar- ½ tsp
Green Chili- 3 pieces (slit)
Salt – To test
Water - 1 cup

Aloo Potoler Dalna

                                                       
Method:

1.  Peel the potol and cut it in a round shape and potatoes  cut into a 8 pieces after peel.
2.  Heat the mustard oil in a kadai.
3.  Saute the potatoes and parwals.
4.  Drain the excess oil and keep aside.
5.  To the same oil, add, bayleaf and panchphron.
6.  Sauté for a few seconds and then add the ginger pest and tomatoes.
7.  Cook for 2-3 minutes.
8.  Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder,  jeera powder and sauté for a few  seconds.
9.  Add the potatoes and parwars Stir for a few minutes till oil come out and green chili.
10.  Add the water and lid the pan . cook till the potatoes are done and the water become thick.
11. Now add ghee and Cardamoms, Cinnamon powder .
12. Serve hot with white plane rice.

Aloo Gobi Korma (Potato and cauliflower)



Aloo Gobi Korma

Ingredients:

• 100 gm Green peas • 1 Small cauliflower • 1 Potato • 1 Big carrot • 3 tbsp Ghee • 1/2 tsp  Cumin seed • Ground nut and popy seed pest • Fresh coconut milk as required • 2 Green chillies, slit into long pieces • 1 Inch ginger, slit into long pieces • 1-1/2 tsp Coriander powder • 1pinch Turmeric powder • 2 bay leaf • 1/2 tsp sugar • 3 tbsp rose water • A pinch garam masala • Salt as required

How to make   Aloo Gobi  Korma:

• Wash and cut the vegetables. • Cook green peas and potato along with the salt and water until it is almost done. • Steam the cauliflower separately for about 5 minutes. • Heat ghee in a pan and add bay leaf, Cumin seeds to it. • When it is done, combine the entire pest with it and sauté until golden brown. • Combine all the powders with it and sauté for a while. • Add a little salt and all the cooked vegetables to it. • Pour coconut milk and sugar and keep it with high flame till gravy become semi thick. • Sprinkle garam masala powder and rose water. • Remove it from the heat and serve.