Chingri Macher Paturi ......

Macher Paturi is a very popular dish of Bengal. It can be made with fish like Hilsa, Bhetki or Prawns. It is cooked in a banana leaf or incase the banana leaf is available then pumpkin leaf or bottle gourd leaf. The main ingredients for the paturi are fish and mustard paste which is wrapped into a parcel made with banana leaf and then steamed. 

Here is my version of making the paturi. 

To Marinate the Prawns

Ingredients

270 grams medium sized cleaned Prawns 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method

Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric powder and keep it aside for 15 minutes.

For the Paste

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds

3 tbsp shredded fresh Coconut or Desiccated Coconut

5 small Green Chillies

1 Garlic clove

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

3 tbsp Curd

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 to 2 tbsp Water 

Method

Soak the mustard seeds in water. Drain the water out.  Blend the mustard seeds and all above ingredients in a blender into a fine paste.

To make the Paturi

Ingredients

Marinated Prawns

5 Green chillies slited lengthwise

5 Red Chillies  (Optional) 

3 tbsp Mustard oil

Banana Leaves

Thread

Method

Take the wet paste in a bowl. Add the mustard oil. Mix it. Add the marinated prawns. Mix it with the paste. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Cut the banana leaves into rectangular pieces. To make it more pliable, slightly warm up the banana leaves over low flame for few seconds.  Apply mustard oil on the lighter side of each leaf. Place 6 prawns along with the mustard paste in the center of the leaf. Place one green and red chilli on top of it and fold the sides of the banana leaf by overlapping each other to make a parcel. Tie a thread around the parcel to secure it. Steam the parcels in a steamer for 10 minutes. Cut the thread to open the parcel before serving it. Seve it with hot steaming rice.