Punti Maccher Chorchori

I had a Bengali lady who worked for me for many years. Some time she would share her village stories with me. They did not have bathrooms at their place in the village so they all had to bathe in the river. On the way to the river they had to cross small streams. They use to carry gamcha (that is a cloth to wipe the body after bath). As they lack money... while on the way back home the village ladies usually use their gamcha to catch small varieties of fishes from the streams. One of the fish is called Punti Maach. They are called the swamp barb or chola barb or Puntius chola, in English. They are tropical freshwater fish. They are mainly found in streams, rivers, swamps and  shallow water. Since my maid lacked money, normally they would cook this small fish with potatoes and onions, either season with panch phoran and make jhal (spicy gravy) or season with nigella seeds to make Chorchori adding some vegetables of the season which grew in the nearby fields. Another dish which is made is Punti Maacher tak. The dishes were  served with hot steaming boiled rice.

I found this fish being sold by a local fisher woman after a very long time which was caught from the nearby river. It was a task cleaning this fish, but the end result was delicious.

Ingredients

* 500gm Punti fish cleaned and marinated with 1 tsp Turmeric powder and Salt

* 1 big size Onion chopped

* 3 big size Potatoes cut into wedges

* 1 big size Tomato cut into wedges

* 250 grams medium size Brinjal cut into wedges

* 4 Green Chillies slit

* Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing (optional)

* 1 tsp Ginger paste

* 1 tbsp Mustard paste

* 1 tsp Cumin powder

* 1 tsp Turmeric powder

* 1 tsp Chilli powder

* Salt to taste

* 1 tsp Nigella seeds

* 1/2 cup + 1/2 tsp Mustard Oil

Method

Take a wok, add 1/2 cup oil. Fry the punti maach in batches till golden brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. In the the same oil add the nigella seeds and let it crackle. Add the  green chillies, onion, potatoes, brinjal and tomatoes. Stir fry the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, cumin powder, chilli powder, ginger and mustard paste. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of water, stir and cover the wok. Let it cook on medium heat until the vegetables are tender and the gravy has almost dried up. Open the lid and check the vegetables. Add the puti mach and continue to cook for a minute. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp of Mustard Oil. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)

Mie Goreng or Bakmi Goreng is a very popular dish of Indonesia. This is very commonly found in Malaysia and Singapore at roadside food stalls or in restaurants. It means fried noodles which is spicy and flavourful.

Mie goreng are traditionally stirred fried made with yellow wheat noodles, shallots, onions, garlic, vegetables, eggs, meat, seafood, soy sauce and sambal oekel. However,there are many variations. Authentic mie goreng uses fresh ingredients and spices. Garnish the dish with tomato, chillies, cucumber or fried shallots. Server it hot. 

This dish was introduced by Chinese immigrants in Indonesia, and then got influenced by Indian immigrants from Malaysia and Singapore. I got this recipe from one Malay Aunty at my friend’s during my trip to Singapore last year. 

Ingredients

* 1 pack of Egg Noodles ready to use or cook the dry noodles following the packet instructions....

* 1 Onion cut into cubes

* 2 Garlic chopped

* 1 Carrot cut into half and sliced

* 6 to 8 French Beans cut into long strips

* 1 small bowl of 3 coloured Capsicum cut into cubes

* 1/2 cup Cabbage shredded

* 1 bowl of chopped Bok choy or Spinach

* 1 Tomato deseeded and cut into half and sliced for garnishing

* Few Cucumber sliced for garnishing

* 2 Birds Eye Chillies sliced for Garnishing

* 1/2 cup of boneless chicken cut into pieces

* 8 to 10 Prawns cut and cleaned

* 2 Eggs beaten with a pinch of salt

* 1/2 cup Sambal Oelek paste

* 4 tbsp Indonesian Asian Sweet Soy Sauce — kecap manis or Soy Sauce with 2 tbsp of palm sugar added to the sauce

* Salt to taste

* 1 cup Vegetable stock water

* 5 tbsp Oil

Method

Take a wok, heat a tbsp of oil, add the eggs and stir fry the eggs. Once done remove it. Add another tbsp of oil, on high flame stir fry the prawns. Remove and keep the prawns aside. Add another tbsp of oil. Now add the chicken pieces and stir fry the chicken, once done remove and keep it aside. Add the remaining oil in the wok. Add the chopped garlic and stir fry it for few seconds. Add the carrots, onion, beans and capsicum, stir for few minutes, add the cabbage and spinach. Continue to stir the vegetables on high flame for a minute. Add the prawns, chicken and eggs. Stir for a minute. Add the noddles, Sambal oelek paste, soy sauce, salt and stock water. Toss the noddles and the other ingredients well for a minute.

To serve the noodles, garnish it with tomato, cucumber and chopped red chillies. Serve hot.

Dimer er Bati Chorchori

Bati Chorchori or Dobka as it was called in my house was very frequently made dish by my mother. There are lots of type of Bati Chorchoris... some are made only with vegetables combining of carrot and potato  or bitter gourd and potato or pointed gourds and potato... there are Bati Chorchori made with prawns and potato and like this one with egg and potato... tomato is optional.. so is onion in the vegetarian version. You can add onions in the non vegetarian version. The dish is made with nothing but only salt, turmeric and mustard oil.. may be in some household they add seasoning like nigella seeds or panch phoran. The spiciness comes from fresh green chillies. It’s the simplest of the recipe, but the taste is divine. Bati Chorchori was cooked in a Bati or a bowl and hence the name has derived. All the ingredients are added together and stirred and then water is added to cook the vegetables. It’s then covered and left to cook till the vegetables are tender. Lastly to enhance the flavour mustard oil is drizzled. Coriander leaves were not added in the actual recipe, but it’s optional. It can be enjoyed during lunch with steamed rice or for breakfast with poratha. 

Ingredients 

4 Boiled Eggs cut into 4 pieces 

3 Potatoes cut into small cubes 

1 Onion chopped 

1 Tomato chopped 

3 Green Chillies slit 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

3 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a bowl or a wok. Add 2 1/2 tbsp mustard oil and let the oil heat up. Then add onion, green chillies, potatoes, tomato, eggs, turmeric powder and salt. Stir it, add around 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover and let it cook. Open the lid and check if the potatoes have become tender. Drizzle 1/4 tsp of  mustard oil and switch of the flame. Serve the Bati Chorchori in a bowl and drizzle remaining mustard oil on top. Serve it with hot steamed rice or porata. 

Pur Bhora Komroni

These are stuffed Pumpkin Fritters. Normally in Bengal we have pumpkin pieces dipped into gram flour batter and deep fried. Here I have added a stuffing between the two pumpkin pieces, then dipped it into the batter and fried. I have added prawns in the stuffing but prawns can be omitted... for vegetarians. This dish goes well with hot steaming rice.

For the Stuffing
Ingredients
* 10 pieces of Prawns
* 2 tbsp Mustard seeds
* 1 1/2 tbsp Poppy seeds
* 1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut
* 1 Garlic
* 1 or 2 Green Chillies as per the requirement
* Salt to taste

Method
Add all the above ingredients into a grinder. Avoid water, if required then add a tbsp of water and continue to grind. Grind it into a coarse thick paste.

For Komroni
Ingredients
* Pumpkin cut into 30 square thin pieces
* Stuffing
* 3/4 cup Rice flour
* 3/4 cup Gram flour
* 1/4 tsp Nigella seeds
* Salt to taste
* Mustard Oil for deep frying

Method
Take a bowl, add rice flour, gram flour, salt and nigella seeds. Add water little at a time and whip into a thick dropping consistently. Keep the batter aside. Heat the oil in a pan. Meanwhile take a pumpkin piece. Apply the stuffing onto the pumpkin slice. Take another pumpkin piece and cover the stuffing. Press the pumpkin slice from top, so that while frying the pumpkin pieces don’t open up. Repeat the process with other pumpkin pieces. Take the pumpkin pieces, deep it into the batter and fry it until golden brown from both the sides. Eat it hot with hot steaming rice.

P.S. I have not peeled the pumpkin, but you can peel it. Try to cut it into a thin slice.
Fresh Coconut is preferable, if you don’t have then use desiccated coconut.