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.

Mutton Kasha (Bengali style)

Ingredients:
750 gms Mutton -Patha (small male goat) / Khashir mangsho:
7-8 tblsp oil (mustard oil)
2 & ½  tblsp turmeric powder
1 & ½ tsp red chili powder
1 & ½ tblsp Cumin Powder

½ tsp Coriander Powder
1 cup yogurt

3 pic potato (medium size)
1 &  ½  tblsp ginger pest
1 tblsp garlic chopped
2  tblsp garlic pest
1 tblsp onion chopped
3 tblsp onion pest
Cardamom-3-4 whole pieces
Cinnamon-2-3 small pieces
Bay leaf – 3 pic
Salt to taste
Methods:
Clean  and  wash the mutton pieces. Marinade the mutton with ginger and garlic paste, onion pest, turmeric, chili, coriander and Cumin powder with the 1 tblsp raw mustard oil and salt for ½ hour.
Peel the skin of the potato and cut the potato in two pieces. Rub the potato with turmeric and salt. Now fry the potato and keep it aside.
Heat up oil in a pan and add bay leaf, chopped garlic, chopped onion one by one and stir fry until translucent and soft. Now add marinated mutton pieces and beaten yogurt and stir fry on a high flame heat up for 8-10 minutes or stir well till mutton becomes absolutely dry and the oil separates (kashano in Bengali), it will also change color to a darker shade of brown. Add the dried up mutton in a pressure cooker and pour in 3 cups of water, close the lid and wait for 3 whistle  open the lid and put in the potatoes and again allow 2 more whistles. Add the cardamom / cinnamon powder 10 minutes before the mutton is served.
The dish should have fairly thick gravy when done.  Serve with hot Chapattis (Indian flatbread), Naans (tandoor-baked Indian flatbread) or plain boiled rice.