Mangshor Jhol with special Masala

 

Cooking mutton on a Sunday was once upon a time quintessential in Bengali household.. now due to health reasons people avoid red meat. Today after a long time made mutton curry (mangshor jhol) with a special spice blend (garam masala) that I made at home. 

Here is the recipe 

For the Garam masala 

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon Cumin seeds 

1 tsp Coriander seeds 

1 tsp Fennel seeds 

1 tsp Caraway seeds 

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds 

1 tsp Pepper corn

1 tsp Poppy seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp Radhuni (Wild Celery seeds) 

4 Cloves 

1/2 tsp Kabab chinni 

1 Mace flower 

1 Star Anise 

1 small piece of Nutmeg 

3 Green Cardamom 

1 black Cardamom 

2 inch Cinnamon stick 

5 Dried Kashmiri Chilies broken into pieces 

1 Bayleaf 

Method 

Dry roast all the spices on a medium low flame until an aroma releases. Switch off the flame and let the spices cool down in the same pan. Grind the spices into a fine powder. You can store the spice powder in a dry airtight container. 

To marinate the Mutton 

Ingredients 

750 grams Mutton pieces 

6 Garlic cloves 

2 inches of Ginger 

1 Green Chilli 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Grind the ginger, garlic and chilli into a paste. Add all the above ingredients into a bowl and mix all the ingredients together and keep the mutton aside for 1 to 2 hours. 

To make the Mutton Curry 

Ingredients 

Marinated Mutton 

Paste of 1 small Onion 

1 Medium size Onion sliced 

1 or 2 Green Chillies slit 

2 Potatoes cut into chunks 

1/2 cup of Curd beaten 

1 tsp Coriander seeds 

1/2 tsp Kashmiri Chill Powder 

1 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala spice blend 

1 Bayleaf

1 Green Cardamom 

2 Cloves

1 inch Cinnamon stick 

1/2 tsp Sugar 

Salt to taste 

3 tbsp Mustard Oil 

1 tsp Ghee 

Method 

Add oil in a pressure cooker pan, let the oil heat until smoking point, reduce the flame and let the oil cool down a bit, add the potatoes and fry until lightly browned in colour. Remove the potatoes, In the same oil add the bayleaf, cloves, green cardamom and cinnamon, sauté for few seconds, add the sliced onions, sauté them until translucent, add the onion paste, continue to sauté for a minute, add the salt, coriander pd,  coriander powder and Kashmiri chilli powder. Continue to cook until the oil releases. Add the beaten curd and the spice blend powder. Let the masala cook for another minute, add the marinated mutton, on a low medium flame let mutton cook well, stir the mutton occasionally, add little water in between so that the masala doesn’t burn, let the mutton cook 60 percent, then add the potatoes, continue to cook, add sugar and ghee, stir and add a cup of hot water, stir and let the gravy simmer, add more water incase more gravy is needed and continue to cook until the mutton has cooked well. Switch off the flame. Incase if cooking in a pressure cooker, then after adding water, put the pressure cooker lid and cook until 4 whistles. Switch off the flame and wait until the pressure releases. Serve hot with rice and salad. 

#bengalicuisine #muttoncurry #lunch

Sapla diye Boroli Maach

 

Sapla / Water lilies / saluk  is  seen in abundance during the monsoon season. The stem of water lilies are very popularly eaten as vegetable in villages. Seeds on frying are eaten as puffed-grains called Makhana. 

The cooking process is very simple. The fibers from the stems are peeled off and the stems are cut into pieces. The stems can be cooked into Fritters, stirred fry or cooked with fish or hilish head. 

Today I have cooked Sapla with Boroli Maach. 

This dish is eaten with steamed rice. 

Boroli or Barred Boril (Barilius barila) fish is normally found in clear streams in the foothills, it is found in abundance in the mainstream of Torsa and Teesta. Like hilsa, flock of Boroli swim against the river current. They are mainly spotted in April-May before monsoon or October-November after monsoon. This fish is a delicacy for the North Bengal people. This fish is called  as ‘Teesta’s hilsa for its heavenly taste. This small size fish can be cooked in many ways, with mustard paste, fried or can be cooked into curry. 

I was extremely happy to source these indigenous ingredients … as I had never eaten the Sapla and Boroli fish earlier. 

Here is how I have cooked Sapla Diye Boroli Maach 

Ingredients 

250 grams Boroli Maach

1 bunch of Water lilies / Sapla

1 medium size Potato cut into wedges

1 Onion sliced 

2 to 3 Green Chillies slit 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/4 cup Mustard oil 

Method 

Clean and wash the fish. Marinate the fish with salt and 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder. Clean and cut the sapla into pieces. Take an iron wok, add mustard oil. Fry the fish, remove the fish and keep them aside. In the same wok, add potato, onion and green chillies, stir fry them for 2 to 3 minutes. Take a bowl, add salt, cumin powder and remaining turmeric powder, add 2 tbsp of water and make a paste. Pour the paste into the wok, stir for a minute. Pour 1/2 cup water. Stir and cover the wok. Let the potato cook until tender. Once the potato is cooked, add the sapla and fish. Stir gently and cover the wok. Let it cook for another 2 minutes. It’s ready to be savoured with steamed rice. 

Taler Pitha / Palmyra fruit Steamed Cake

 Palmyra fruit / Taal / Tardgola  / Sugar palm 

The palmyra fruit is eaten while the outer covering is still unripe during summers… once the fruit is riped then the inside of the fruit becomes yellow and pulpy from inside. In Bengal it’s said in the month of Bhadro (August) tal fruit becomes ripe, it is used to make different types of dishes like pitha , fritters, kheer, luchi etc. This dishes made from Tal are offered to Lord Krishna on Janmashtami day in Bengal. 

The fruit is peeled, the pulp is extracted and then strained. Sugar and pinch of salt are added to the pulp and then simmered. The pulp can be stored in the fridge for further use. Since Janmashtami is just around.. today we made Taler pitha / Palmyra fruit steamed cake. It’s a sweet dish. Milk and sugar is used to make the dish, but I have used condensed milk to give richness to the taste. 

Ingredients 

1/4 cup Rice flour 

1/4 cup Semolina 

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Baking powder 

1 tsp + 1/2 tsp broken Cashews

1 tsp Raisins

1/4 cup Grated Coconut 

1/4 cup or more Condensed Milk as per the sweetness 

1/2 cup Palmyra fruit Pulp

1/4 cup Ghee

Method 

Take a bowl, add rice flour, semolina, salt, cardamom powder, baking soda and baking powder. Mix all the ingredients together. Add ghee, condensed milk and the pulp. Mix well. The batter has to be thick and dropped consistency. Add 1 tsp broken cashews and raisins, mix well. Pour the batter into a greased container. Sprinkle the grated coconut. Gently mix the batter. Add the remaining broken cashews. Steam the batter for 25 minutes or until done. Insert a toothpick to check. Once done cool the Taler pitha and enjoy. 

Hilish Macher Mata diye Kochur saag / Taro Stem with Hilish Head

 

Taro stem is a popular ingredient in Bengali cuisine… each part of Taro plant is consumed in Bengal… the roots, the stem, the leaves and the stolons… it can be cooked with either fish head, prawns or made vegetarian. Some taro varieties produces a slime that can cause irritation - itching, pain, burning or swelling in the mouth and throat or even vomiting. While cutting the taro stem if the skin is too itchy then you must avoid eating that taro,  it’s best to boil the taro stem with salt and turmeric and drain the water out completely and add little lemon juice at the end.. 

Cooking the taro stem with hilsa fish head is a delicacy. This dish is served with steamed rice. 

Wet Paste 

Ingredients 

1 small piece of Ginger 

4 Green Chillies 

10 Garlic cloves 

1 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/4 cup Water 

Ingredients 

Grind all the above ingredients together into a paste. 

Hilish Maacher mata diye Kochur saag 

Ingredients 

1 Taro stem

1 Hilsa Fish head 

2 Green Chillies slit 

Wet paste 

Salt to taste 

1 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1 Bay leaf

1 Red dried Chilli 

1/4 cup Mustard Oil 

Method 

The outer part of the taro stem or the outer fibre is pulled out and then it’s cut into small pieces. It is then boiled with a cup of water, salt to taste and 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder. We can cook the stem in a pressure cooker, give 1 or 2 whistles. Once the pressure releases, open the cooker and drain / squeeze all the water out completely. Clean and rub the fish head with little salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Take a wok, add mustard oil, let the oil heat up. Reduce the flame to medium and add the fish head into the wok. Fry the fish head until golden brown from both the sides. Remove the fish head and keep it aside. In the same oil, add the cumin seeds, bay leaf and dried red chilli. Sauté for few seconds. Add the wet paste. Add the salt, remaining turmeric powder, chilli powder and green chillies. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the fish head, cook the fish head for a minute and break the fish head into small pieces. Add the boiled taro stem into the wok, stir, add sugar and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the water evaporates completely and the dish becomes mushy. Enjoy the dish with steamed rice. 

#bengalicuisine #Hilsa #tarostem #delicacy #nonvegetarian #sidedish 

Kara Kuthiraivali - Ravai Pidi Kozhukatta

 Kara Kuthiraivali - Ravai Pidi Kozhukatta - 

This traditional dish is from Tamil Nadu - Kongunad region. In Andhra it’s known as Kudumulu. In Karnataka it’s known as Kadubu. In Kerala it’s known as Pidi Kozhukattai. This dish is usually made during Ganesh Chaturthi or during occasion… family gathering. Usually made with rice. The rice flour is cooked in hot water with spices and salt. Then once the dough is easy to handle, the Kozhukatta are usually oval shaped and moulded by hand (Pidi) and then steamed. A very healthy comfort steamed dish that can be eaten for breakfast. 

There is a sweet and a savoury version of Kozhukatta. We are making the savoury version. 

Here I have made Kozhukatta not with rice flour but with semolina and barnyard millet mixed in equal portion. 

This can be had for fasting and can be good substitute for rice. This dish can be served with coconut chutney. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Semolina / Rava 

1/2 cup Barnyard millet / Sama 

Few Curry leaves 

Few chopped Coriander leaves 

2 to 3 chopped Green Chillies 

1 small piece for Ginger Grated 

1/2 cup Grated Coconut 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 tsp Chana dal

1 tsp Urid dal 

Pinch of Asafoetida 

2 cups of Water 

2 tbsp Oil 

1 tsp Ghee 

Method 

Take a wok, add 2 tbsp oil, heat the oil. Reduce the flame. Add the chopped chillies, ginger, curry leaves, urid dal and chana dal. Sauté, add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Sauté for few seconds. Add the water. Add salt, let the water simmer. Add the coconut and stir. After few seconds add the washed semolina and sama millet. Stir as the batter shouldn’t form a lump. Stir and cook until it forms a soft dough.. once cool. Switch off the flame… and cover the wok and wait until the dough is easy to handle. Take a steamer, on the top vessel, brush some ghee or place a banana leave. Apply ghee or oil on your palm. Take small portions and shape the Kozhukatta with the help of the palm. Place the Kozhukatta into the vessel. Steam the Kozhukatta for 10  minutes. Serve them hot with chutney.