khatta Meetha iLLish / Hilsha

                                      
                                                             

khatta Meetha iLLish / Hilsha

khatta Meetha iLLish / Hilsha - Yesterday night we celebrated Onam Festival at one of my Malayali friend’s house at Bangalore. They requested me to cook Bengal famous Hilsha in a kerala style for Onam.  

Originally Onam is veggie fest, but when one Bengali will celebrate any fest fish or non-veg should be there. Is it not?  So we both me & my Mallu friend gone out to buy Hilsha fish and bought  it from the nearest super market, but till that time I did not know what I will cook and what ingredients is required, but I have little bit idea about Kerala fish recipe.

Bengali can’t think hilsha recipe without mustard sauce / paste.  I asked my friend’s wife to give 5 tsp mustard seeds and the below mentioned ingredients.  After finish our dinner believe me my friend said only word ‘Awesome’ even I too felt it was really awesome.

Thanks to my mallu friend for given that opportunity and I am dedicated this recipe to all Keralite.  Happy Onam!

Ingredients:

1 kg Hilsha fish
3 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/4th tsp turmeric powder
1 small onion chopped or sliced
3-4 pieces of medium kokum or dried Garcinia / Kadampuli
3 tbsp of mustard oil or any vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp mustard powder
salt to taste
2 tsp sugar
Handful of curry leaves
2 cups of water

Method:

Soak the kokum / Kadampuli pieces in 1/2 cup of warm water. You can use Tamarind paste as a substitute.

Add mustard seeds. Once it crackles, add the fenugreek seeds and fry for few seconds.

Add kashmiri chili powder, coriander and turmeric powder. Mix well and fry for 2 minutes. Don’t let it burn.

Now add the kokum pieces and water. Add the remaining water also. Mix well and cook till it starts boiling. Add salt to taste.

Now add in the Hilsha / illish fish pieces. Cover and cook on a slow flame.

Once the fish gets cooked and the gravy gets a thick consistency, sprinkle the mustard powder and two spoon sugar. Mix gently and cook for a minute. It will be semi thick gravy and it is ready to serve with Kerala or plain white hot rice.

Author : Manna Majumder

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Sheem-Bori Chorchori

            

Sheem-Bori Chorchori

Sheem-Bori- chorchori (Hyacinth bens and sundried lentil dumplings )  is a very typical Bengali dish. chorchori  means when you combined 2 or 3 vegetable with  mustard paste and  Bori (fried lentil dumplings)  with aromatic spices, the dish called chacchori.  But here I did not use mustard paste for this recipe. You will hear about various types of charchori all the time in Bengali cuisine and  is very flavorful and unique in taste.

Chorchori has a wide range from pui chorchori (Malabar spinach medley ), Sojne chorchri (Drumstick Medley),  Palong Shaak-er Chorchori (Spinach  medley) to sheem chorchori (Hyacinth bens medley).

Ingredients:

200gm Hyacinth bens / Mangetout (Sheem) (Washed)

1 or 2 Green Chillies

3-4 tablespoons of Oil : Sunflower oil/ Mustard oil (preferred)

Bori(sundried lentil dumplings): 10-15 pcs

Turmeric powder (Halud/Haldi): 1 tea-spoon

Red chili powder : ½ tes-spoon

Methi seeds(Fenugreek seeds) / Panch phoron– 2 pinch

Bay leaf -2 piecies

Coriander leaf

Sugar: 1/2 tea-spoon (optional)

Water

Salt to Taste

Method:

Dice the sheem in small pieces and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the bori until they start getting little red but make sure they are not burnt.

Now add some more oil and add  the methis seeds / Panchphoron to fry little bit. Also, add the dry red chilies and bay leaf at this time.

Then, add both sheem along with turmeric powder, chili powder and salt and mix well to cook by itself. Put a lid over the frying pan to cook and soften faster.

Cook in low medium flame/low medium heat and check regularly for 15-20 minutes whether the vegetables have softened well.

Now add the fried bodi and mix well with little water to just cover them and again put a lid over the frying pan to cook and soften faster. Add the sugar and mix them well. Keep it on the heat and keep mixing until it stuck at the base.

The food is now ready. Garnish with coriander leaf and served.
Author : Manna Majumder

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Maan kachu Bata

Maan kachu Bata

Maan kachu Bata (MALANGA COCO / BIG TARO ROOT) is one of the favorite and mouthwatering dish in Bengali households recipe. Bata is essentially some paste which are very simple, and easy to digest. You will hear about various baata’s all the time in Bengali cuisine.

This is high content of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins make malanga root with high nutritional value. In Bengali we called it 'Maan Kochu'. A traditional and luscious recipe.

Traditionally bata always involves mustard paste, green chilies and a generous amount of mustard oil in it. Mainly freshly grated coconut also plays an important role kachu bata.

Ingredients:

250grm. maan kochu (Malanga coco / taro root)
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut

1 tsp. mustard seeds
2-3 hot Thai green chilies (I put some ripe red ones along with it)
6-8 garlic cloves (optional).
2 tbsp. mustard oil
Salt to taste
2 dry red chilies.

Maan kachu

Method:

With a sharp knife, cut off the rough outer rind of the maan kachu and wash thoroughly. Now slice it into pieces. Grate or chop maan kachu nicely. Take the grated taro root on a big strainer or colander and put it under running  water. Once you are done with rinsing squeeze out any excess water out of it. This step prevents the itching in the throat.

In a grinder make a past of mustard with dry red chilies with a pinch of salt and keep it aside.

Now grind grated malanga coco, grated coconut, together. Now again add the mustard paste and two green chilies and grind everything together to make a smooth paste. The paste will be thick and not slurry   Pour grinded taro root in a bowl.  Drizzle mustard oil in it. Stir with a spoon and mix nicely. Serve with steamed rice and enjoy this mouthwatering Bengali delicacy on your lunch table.

Note:  If you like garlic, add 6-8 garlic cloves while grinding all the ingredients together. 

Author : Manna Majumder

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Lal Shak / Laal Saag

Lal Shaak / Laal Saag

Lal shak / saag also called Red Spinach / Amaranth leaves / Chinese spinach. They are very rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium & iron. It is low in calories by volume, but high in protein per calorie. 374 mg calcium per 100 grm. It can be eaten as stir fry or in the soup. They are really very delicious.


                             
Traditionally, a Bengali full meal usually a lunch has to have a shak or leafy vegetable on the side, Lal shak bhaja or stir fried Red Spinach (Amaranths) is a simple recipe that is a favorite at home and served with Steamed Rice and Daal . Made very simply, it is just the garlic that gives a flavor that goes so well with the distinct flavor of these leaves.



Ingredients:

Lal Shak / Red Spinach / Amaranth leaves - 1 bunch
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp ( I use Mustard oil )
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Garlic cloves - 5, crushed

Green Chili- 2 pieces
3 pieces of hyacinth bean or small pieces eggplant(optional)
Salt - to taste

Ifyou don't like garlic, you can try this with a tempering of kalaunji / nigella seeds and dry red chilies or fresh green chilies.



Lal Shaak / Laal Saag- Bengali Recipe

Method:

Cleaned and chopped finely the lal shak / saag  and make small cubes of  hyacinth bean  or eggplant.
Heat oil in a wok  / kadahi. Add the whole red chilies (break them first or they might burst ) and  half of the crushed garlic.  Now fry hyacinth bean little and then add the chopped leaves and rest of the crushed garlic.
Stir well. Add salt and green chili, cover and cook. Remember to stir once in a while so that it does not burn. When it is done and all water had dried up, remove cover and give a final stir.

Serve hot. Goes best on the side with hot rice and dal.

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Pachan (পাচঁন)

                                            

Pachan (পাচঁন)

Pachan (পাচঁন) - শুভ চৈত্র পার্বন এর বাংলাদেশের নোয়োখালী জেলা-র একটি বিশেষ্ খাবার ৷ Pachan means a recipe with five different types of vegetables as per Bengali cuisine. Generally on Chaitra Sankranti (a Bengali festival) we have this recipe.  But we use more than five types of vegetables in that recipe along with Raw Jackfruit.  In this recipe I used 25-30 types of vegetable including neem leaf,bhrami shaak, kundru(telakuchi), tulshi pata (leaf), kancha Haldi (raw turmeric) , Roasted dried bean seeds & lots of regular vegetable. Spices used mainly Ginger paste, Black pepper paste / powder and Dhaniya paste/powder , Turmeric paste,Red Chili Powder, Bay leaf, Panch Phorn. Raw Jackfruit is one of the main ingredients for this recipe.

  This is very famous recipe from Bnagladesh Nouakhali dist on Chaitra Sankranti (summer special) day.

Ingredients:

500 grm raw jackfruit
1 bowl vegetables (pumpkin, ridge gourd, beans, carrot, brinjal, potato, raw banana, sweet potato, Bitter Gourd, drumstick, radish etc. – cut in small pieces)
Varity of Green leafy vegetable- (whatever is possible you can add)
Cholar Dal-er Bora(Bengal Gram  Fritters)
Roasted hyacinth bean dry seeds (sheem-r shukno bichi)
2-3 Green chillies
1 Bay leaf
1 Dried Red chilli
1/2 tsp Panch phoron (Bengali mixture of 5 spices)
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp dhania powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
Little ghee
Mustard Oil

Method:

Boiled the cut jackfruit pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt until just done. Jackfruit cooks very fast. Drain and keep aside.

Roast the hyacinth bean dry seeds (sheem-r bichi) then boil with salt until become soft , now peel the skin and keep aside.

Make the Cholar Dal-er Bora separately and soak in water for 3-4 minute to make them soft.

Heat oil in a pan. and one by one add the dry red chilli, bay leaf & panch phoron.
Let the aroma comes out of the spices.
Now add the cut vegetables (You can add as many types of vegetables as you want & green chillies into that pan.
Sprinkle little salt & turmeric powder & stir them well.
Cook covered for 12-15 minutes in medium heat.
Occasionally stir the vegetables so that they do not get burnt.
Now add the boiled the jack fruit pieces with all the spices & mix them well.
Stir for 4-5 min & add around 1/2 glass water or as required, it will be a little dry thick curry. Now add the boiled hyacinth bean seeds and daler bora and mix well.
Check for salt & spice. If require you can add 1-2 green chillies.
Spread 1/2 tsp ghee and graam mashala powder. PACHAN is ready & serve with hot rice or roti/chapati/paratha.

It tastes awesome & also very nutritious

Tip : when you cut a raw jackfruit, you'll see some sap got stuck to your knife. Place the knife over the flame of gas for a minute, then rub with newspaper, your knife will be clean.

Recipe By : Manna Majumder

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Prawns Golden Fry

                                                                      

Prawns Golden Fry

Prawns Golden Fry- A very delicious dish made with prawns marinated in a tasty battered paste and deep fried until golden in colour. Served with red chilli sauce. This is another quick and easy snack for the lazy evening or you also serve as an excellent side dish.

Ingredients:

500 grm prawns
200 - 250 gm of White sunflower or any Oil for Cooking

1 tbsp Ginger Paste
1 tbsp - Garlic Paste -.
1 Lime
1 tsp of Salt.
1 tsp of Green Chili Paste.
6 tbsp of Corn Flour
2 Eggs
1/4 cup of cup soda (or water)
20 grm butter melt
1/2 spoon black pepper powder
1/4 tea-spoon baking powder (optional)
1 spoon turmeric powder

 

Method:

Wash, shell and devein prawns, leaving the tails on. Sprinkle with salt and mix well.

Mix all the ingredients of marination (Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Lime juice, Salt & Green Chilly paste) in a bowl .

Marinate the prawns with mix and refrigerate for two hours.

For the batter - mix the corn flour, black pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt in soda (or water) with constant stirring leaving no lumps - once done mix the eggs until smooth. Now add the 2 tsp butter melt and mix it again.

Heat pan / wok. Add 4 cups oil and reheat.  Now take out one prawn and holding the prawns by the tails, dip into the batter, then drop into hot oil. Fry until golden, turning once. Drain. Serve hot. Deep fry it oil till golden brown. Repeat for the fillets and Serve it hot.

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Begun Posto (Eggplant in Poppy Seed Sauce)



Begun Posto(Eggplant in Poppy Seed Sauce)

Begun Posto- This is another traditional Bengali recipe. Eggplants are lightly sautéed and then cooked in the creamy poppy seed paste. It is  amazingly simple and tasty.

Ingredients

Small Eggplants- 400 grm

Whole Kala Jeera or Kalunji Seeds- 1/4 tsp

Poppy Seeds Paste-4 tsp

Water- 1/2 cup

Mustard Oil- 4-6 tbsp.

Turmeric Powder- 1/4 tsp

Green Chillies- 2

Sugar and Salt as per test

                                         

Method

Cut the eggplants in circular round or half round shape and marinate the eggplants with pinch of turmeric powder and     salt.In a frying pan, heat the mustard oil till the fumes appear. Then add the Kala Jeera seeds and let it crackle.

Now add the eggplants and lower the heat to medium low. Fry the eggplants till they are dark on the outer side.

Now add the poppy seed paste and stir the eggplants. Add Salt, sugar  and green chillies .Let the ingredients cook for 10-12 mins.

 Serve the eggplants with Rice or Roti (Indian Flat Bread)

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Palak / Palang Saag

                                                                      

Palak / Palang Saag

Palang saag : Spinach Commonly called “Palak” or Palang saag” in India, this is the most commonly available leafy green. Easily available in all vegetable market. You can buy whole spinach or just the leaves. The whole bunch is cheaper but you have to sort the leaves, wash off the mud and finely chop the leaves before cooking.

Leafy greens called “Saag” in Indian languages are an important part of any diet in all regions. Green leafy vegetables provide important nutrients like iron, vitamins and minerals. They also provide protection against all kind of chronic diseases.

Spinach with egg plant and potato

Ingredients:

• 3 bunch spinach (washed and chopped)
• 1 piece medium egg plant (diced into small cubes)
• 1 piece small potato (diced into small cubes)
• 1 tsp Black jeera (kalonji)
• 2-3 green chilies
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp oil  

Method:

Heat oil in a deep wok. When the oil is fairly hot add the kalonji and 1 green chili. Fry the potato and sauté for 2-3 minutes and add the egg plants in the same. Add the spinach. When all the leaves have wilted and the water has evaporated add salt, turmeric. Keep cooking till all the water evaporates. Garnish with the rest of the chilies and serve with rice.

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Kachu-r Saag / Ghonto

Kachu-r Saag / Ghonto

Kachu-r Saag is an absolutely delightful dish, belongs to bengali cuisine. The method of cooking this dish differs slightly from home to home. Every home has their own touch on it. But the main ingredients are always the same. Colocasia or Taro which is also locally known as kachu in Bengal grows abundantly in the rural areas of India.It is cheap and easily available in the market in many parts of South east Asia and tastes great if cooked properly with the right ingredients. Be careful while chopping and washing the Taro(Kachu) stems as sometimes they might cause slight irritation or itching to your hands,as a precaution you can either use gloves or rub oil to your hands before handling the Colocasia/Taro(Kachu) stems.

                             
 Colocasia/Taro(Kachu) stems are a very good source of Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-2 and Vitamin B-6.They are also a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, Magnesium and Iron.  I hope that you will like this recipe.

 Ingredients:

 

2 to 3 bunch of edible Colocasia/Taro(Kachu) stems.

Tamarind paste

2 table spoon grated coconut.

1 bay leaf.

1 tea spoon fennel seeds

1 tea spoon ginger paste

100 grm pumpkin (Kumro)

1/2 cup roasted pea nuts. (you can use boiled whole chana / Black chickpeas)

1 tea spoon ghee.

1/2 tea spoon garam masala.

Salt as per taste

1/2 tea spoon sugar.

1/4 tea spoon haldi or turmeric powder.

1/4 tea spoon red chili powder.

1/4 tea spoon Jeera or cumin powder

 oil.

Method:

Wash the young and edible Colocasia/Taro(Kochu) stems properly and cut them in thumb size pieces. Boil slightly salted water in a pot and add the colocasia/Taro stems(Kochu) in the water. Add one tea spoon tamarind paste (optional) to avoid irritation.  Boil them for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain all the water and mash the boiled stems.

Cut pumpkin in small cube like pieces.

Heat oil in a pan or kadhai and fry the pumpkin cubes and keep aside. Now in the same oil add the bay leaf, red dry chili and fennel seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Now add the grated coconut and saute for 2-3 minutes and now add the boiled colocasia(Kochu) stems into the pan and stir for for couple of minutes. Also add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, ginger paste and cumin powder, salt and sugar and mix well. Water will start oozing out from the mixture, cook it in medium heat till almost all the water evaporates. Now add fired pumpkin pieces and roasted pea nuts and mix well. Cook for another 1 or 2 minutes, add ghee and garam masala, mix and remove from heat.

Serve hot with rice.

Kochu sag is also cooked with the head of the hilsa. In this instance, the whole chana, coconut and milk are not included in the ingredients