Mutton Curry / Mangshor Gravy

In earlier days, in most of the Bengali households, Sunday meals were always mutton curry … Mangshor Jhol and rice… I am sure many houses still makes it… but somehow due to the health reasons, nowadays we rarely have red meat at home… today after a long time made mutton curry, a bit different from the regular mangshor jhol… I added the marination as per my mood… marinated the mutton and slow cooked it… 

For Marination 

Ingredients 

500 grams Mutton pieces 

1 big size Onion sliced 

3 tbsp Onion Birista 

5 Garlic cloves 

1 small piece of Ginger 

1 Green chilli

1/2 cup Hung Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

1/2 Fennel seed powder 

3/4 tsp Garam Masala powder ( ground cloves, cinnamon and green cardamon)

1 tsp Chilli powder 

4 to 5 Almonds soaked in water and peeled 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method 

Grind the birista, garlic, ginger, green chilli  and almonds with very little water into a paste. Take a bowl, add mutton, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, fennel seed powder, hung curd, ground paste, sliced onion and mustard oil, mix all the ingredients together, cover and keep it aside for 3 to 4 hours. 

For the Mutton Curry 

Ingredients 

Marinate Mutton 

2 Cloves 

2 Green Cardamom

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

Few Pepper corns

1 Bay leaves 

1/4 cup Mustard Oil

1 tsp Ghee

Salt if required 

1 tsp Sugar

1 big or more cup of Hot Water 

Method 

Take a wok, add mustard oil, let the oil heat up, lower the flame and add the ghee, add sugar,  bay leaves, cloves, green cardamom, pepper corn and cinnamon. Let it crackle, add the marinate mutton, on medium  low flame, cover and cook the mutton and keep adding little hot water stir the mutton occasionally until the mutton is cooked. Add more water as required for the gravy, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and switch off the flame, serve with rice, roti, paratha etc. 

#muttoncurry #indiancuisine #foodie #foodpic #foodlove #foody #cookingathome #foodlover #foodphoto #yummy #foodcoma #foodpassion #recipe #tasty #recipeoftheday #foodblog

Ilish Macher Bhappa

After a long time we managed to get Ilish from an online cold storage. We were very thrilled, after all it’s called the Macher Raja... King of Fish in Bengal, as it’s the tastiest fish. The fish was delivered whole, we had to clean and cut the fish... and I love cutting the fish. So quickly got into action, geared up with the cutting tools, cut the fish and made Bhappa Ilish - one of the classic traditional dish made with Ilish. 

 

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Ilisha Fish

1 Garlic Cloves

4 to 6 Green Chillies as per the spiciness you require 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli Powder - Optional 

1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut  -  optional 

2 - 3 tbsp Mustard seeds 

1 tsp Poppy seeds - optional

2 tbsp Curd 

1 1/2 tbsp + 1//2 tsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

To make a paste, add mustard seeds, poppy seeds, coconut, 2 green chillies, garlic, salt and curd in a grinder and grind all the ingredients with little water into a paste. Strain the paste. Take fish pieces and apply salt chilli powder and turmeric powder on the fish, pour the paste and mustard oil on over the fish and coat the fish well with the paste. Add slit green chillies. Close the container and steam the fish for 10 - 15 minutes or add water in the pressure cooker, place the cooker stand and place the closed container inside the cooker and pressure cook with 2 whistles. Once done, drizzle the remaining mustard oil and serve it with hot steamed rice. 

Chicken Tikka

Chicken tikka is a popular dish found in India.

The word tikka means small bits or

pieces.

 Small pieces of boneless chicken are marinated with spices, curd, lemon and salt. The marinated chicken pieces are then skewered. It’s then grilled over hot charcoals. It’s served with green chutney, onion and lime. 

For Marinating the Chicken pieces- 

500 grams medium size Boneless Chicken pieces 

Juice of 1 medium size Lemon 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger paste 

1/2 tsp Chilli paste

1 medium size Green Capsicum cut into cubes

1 medium size Onion cut into cubes 

1 medium size Tomato deseeded cut into cubes 

1/2 cup Hung Curd

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Tikka Masala 

1 tsp Kasuri Methi - optional 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Marinate all the above ingredients together and keep it for 5 to 6 hours 

To Grill the Chicken Tikka

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken 

Little Chaat Masala to sprinkle 

Onion and lemon cut into pieces for garnishing 

Method 

 Skewered in the vegetables and chicken pieces one after the other into the wooden skewer. Place it on a tray and grill it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 240 celsius, remove and turn the skewer, grill for another 15 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with Chaat masala and serve it hot with green chutney, onion and lemon. 

Tikka Masala Powder 

Ingredients 

1 Black Cardamom 

4 Green Cardamom 

3 to 4 Cloves

1 small piece Cinnamon 

1 tsp Pepper Corn

2 tbsp Coriander Seeds

2 tbsp Cumin seeds

10 Red Spicy Whole Dry Red Chillies 

10 Kashmiri Dry Red Chillies 

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder 

1 tbsp Dry Mango Powder 

Method 

Roast the whole spices 2 minutes on a low medium flame. Cool the spices and add the turmeric and dry mango powder. Grind all the ingredients into into a powder. 

Kerala Meal - Prawn Fry, Okra and Egg Curry, Cabbage and Carrot Thoran and Moru

I have been blessed with few good friends who are family to me more than friends.. These recipes have been shared by one such friend... who belongs from Kerala, and I thank my Almighty, who has always provided me the opportunity to make good food even though we are homebound 🙏🏼

One of the recipe - Okra and Egg curry is from her Aunty’s Kitchen. Here are the recipes that I made for one of our meal. Here I have adjusted the spices as per our taste.. 

Fried Prawns 

Ingredients 

1 bowl of cleaned and shelled Prawns 

1 small piece of Ginger crushed 

3 Garlic Cloves crushed

Few Curry Leaves 

1/2 tsp Pepper Powder 

Few Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder 

1 tsp Vinegar 

Coconut Oil for shallow frying 

Method 

Take a bowl, add prawns, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder, ginger - garlic and vinegar. Mix all the ingredients and marinated for an hour. Take a pan, add oil, add few fenugreek seeds, now add the prawns and fry until golden crispy fried. Add the curry leaves and switch off the flame. 

Vendakka Mutta Curry / Bhindi and Egg

Ingredients 

6 Eggs boiled with little salt and cut into halves 

200 gram Okra chopped into big pieces 

1 medium size Onion sliced 

3 Green Chillies slit

4 to 5 Garlic cut into big pieces 

Juice of 1/2 lime. 

Few Curry leaves 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 Green Cardamom 

1 piece of Cinnamon 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/2 tsp Pepper Powder 

1/4 tsp Chilli Powder

2 cups of Diluted Coconut Milk 

1 cup of Undiluted Coconut Milk 

1 tsp Vinegar 

3 tbsp Coconut Oil 

Method 

Take 1 tbsp oil in a pan, heat it up, add the Okra and little salt. Cook the okra until it is light brown in colour. Add lime juice to the okra, stir and keep the okra aside. Take a pot, add 1 tbsp oil and once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds. Sauté the mustard seeds until it crackles, then add the onions and let cook for 2 minutes, add the green chillies and garlic. Sauté for another minute. Add the curry leaves. Continue to cook until it turns brown in colour. Remove all the masala and keep it aside. In the same pot, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, reduce the heat, add the crushed fennel, cinnamon, jeera and cardamom, coriander powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and chilli powder. Sauté for few seconds. Add diluted coconut milk, add little salt and boil the curry, as the curry begins to boil add the fried Okra.

Now place the egg pieces in the curry. Continue to cook, stir the curry gently, now add the thick coconut milk and add the fried masala and vinegar into the curry. Switch off the flame. 

Cabbage and Carrot Thoran 

Ingredients 

1 cup of Finely chopped Cabbage 

1 small Carrot finely chopped 

1 Onion chopped

2 Green Chillies slit

Few Curry Leaves

1/4 cup Grated Coconut 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Vinegar 

2 tbsp Coconut Oil 

Method 

Add coconut oil in a vessel, let the oil heat up, add mustard seeds and onion, stir fry until the onion pieces are translucent. Add grated coconut, green chillies, curry, salt and turmeric. Cook the masala until the oil release. Add the cabbage and carrot, cover the vessel and cook on a low flame, stirring it occasionally until the vegetables are cooked. Add the vinegar and switch off the flame. 

Moru Curry  / Curd Curry

This is the curd base curry from Kerala. There are many variations to this recipe.. in this recipe the curd is not cooked... there are many types of vegetables like ash gourd, bitter gourd, ridged gourd etc that can be boiled and added.. here I have used tomatoes. 

Ingredients 

2 medium size Tomatoes cut into cubes 

2 Green Chillies slit

1 small Onion chopped 

1 small pieces of Ginger finely chopped 

2 Garlic Cloves finely chopped 

Few Curry leaves 

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/4 tsp Mustard 

1/4 tsp Fenugreek 

1/4 tsp Carom seeds

1/4 tsp Fennel seeds

One Pinch Asafoetida 

1/2 tsp crushed Pepper Powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric Powder 

1 cup Curd beaten

1 tsp Coconut oil 

Method 

Take a vessel, add coconut oil, heat the oil, add the whole spices, asafoetida, onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves, salt and turmeric. Sauté until the masala release the oil. Reduce the flame and add the tomatoes, cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame, add the masala to the curd and mix all the ingredients together. Add freshly ground pepper powder from top. 

 

Watermelon Rind Barfi / Tarbuje ka Chelka ka Barfi

In this lock down state we should try to keep our mental state healthy, the best way is to keep ourselves busy and work on hobbies we love. We also have to eat proper food, since the whole family is at home, we need to make some delicious dishes that our family will enjoy.... Keeping in mind that simple ingredients which are easily available should be used, zero wastage policy should be taken into consideration. Try to use the complete vegetable including the vegetable peel and transforming the leftover meals into delicious recipes. 

There are many vegetable peels that can be eaten and can be made into delicious snacks or vegetable or sweets... like we can make Chutney out of the peel of bottle gourd, pointed gourd, ridged gourd, raw banana, water melon rind, peas etc. In Bengal we have many types of bata / mash  that are made with different vegetable peels like raw banana, pointed gourd, cauliflower stem etc. 

Some delicious fritters/ fry can be made with peels of bottle gourd, potatoes, water melon rind etc. Some sweet dishes too can be created with the peels of watermelon and green peas like candy, Halwa, barfi or kheer. Today we will make water melon rind Barfi... 

Ingredients 

Grated Watermelon Rind from 1 medium size Water Melon 

1/2 cup or as required Sugar

1/4 cup Water + Juice extracted from the grated Watermelon rind 

1/2 cup Milk 

2 Pinch of Salt 

1/2 tsp Cardamom powder 

2 tbsp Milk Powder

2 tbsp Almond and Pistachio flakes 

Few Saffron strands

Method 

Squeeze out the juice from the water melon rind. Add water, juice of grated water melon rind and sugar in a pan. In few minutes add salt and let the liquid simmer for a minute. Add 2 tbsp milk and continue to simmer. Strain the liquid out and pour the liquid back into the pan and let it continue to simmer until one string is formed. Add the water melon rind into the sugar syrup and continue to cook on low flame until the ingredients changes it’s colour to golden brown. Add the milk, cardamom powder, milk powder, few saffron strands and 1 tbsp of almond - pistachio flakes into watermelon rind. Continue to stir and cook on low flame until all the ingredients form into a lump. Pour in the mixture into a greased square mould, level the barfi evenly. Sprinkle the remaining saffron, almond and pistachio flakes. Leave the mixture to cool down. Cut the barfi into square pieces and serve them.  

Pyar Mohabbat ka Sharbat

It’s extremely hot... only way to cool yourself down is to have a cool summer drink and to get back into life. This is a very unique drink originally found in the lanes of Old Delhi during summers.. but now sold in many places. it’s also a popular drink during the month of Ramadan... 

This drink is an ideal drink for summer.

 This drink is a sweet rooh afza flavoured milk and adding watermelon pieces makes the milk more flavourful. 

To make a glass 

Ingredients 

1/2 Glass Milk

2 tbsp Rooh Afza Sharbat

2 to 3 Ice Cubes 

2 to 3 tbsp small Watermelon pieces 

Garnish with Dried Rose petals

Method 

Add rooh afza sharbat into 1/2 glass milk, stir the milk, add the ice cubes. Then add small pieces of watermelon and garnish it with dried rose petals and a cube of watermelon. Enjoy this drink with your family and friends... 

Fish Tikka

Tikka is a dish that can be eaten as starter or appetiser. Tikka can be made with meat, fish, panner or vegetable. It’s a popular dish of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

 The meat or fish is marinated with spices and lime or curd. The marinated meat or fish is skewered and cooked on a tandoor.  The pieces are brushed with butter or ghee at intervals. It is served with Coriander Chutney, Onion and Lime. 

Today I have made fish tikka. You can use any boneless fish. I have used Tilapia fish.  

Ingredients 

500 grams Any Boneless Fish Pieces 

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Garlic Paste

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Take a bowl, add lime juice, chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt to taste, ginger paste and garlic paste. Mix all the ingredients together. Add 2 to 3 tbsp of water. Mix the ingredients again. Add the boneless fish pieces and marinate the fish for an hour or two. Take a skewer, insert the fish pieces into the skewer. Place the skewers on the tandoor. Apply butter on the fish at intervals and cook the fish on both the sides. Garnish with onion, tomato and lime wedges. Serve with green chutney. 

Bread Upma

This dish is ideal for breakfast or evening snacks. Upma is a common dish made in South India and Maharashtra. There are many ingredients that can be used to make Upma like Semolina, Vermicelli, Broken Wheat etc. Bread is another ingredient that can also be used to make Upma. If you have leftover bread pieces, you can use them. 

Ingredients 

5 to 6 pieces of Bread cut into small square pieces 

1 small Onion chopped 

1/4 of the Green Capsicum chopped 

1/4 of the Carrot chopped 

1/2 Tomato chopped 

Handful of Green Peas - I didn’t have 

1 Green Chilli chopped 

1 small piece of Ginger grated (optional) - I didn’t use

Few Coriander Leaves chopped 

Few Curry Leaves 

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

Handful of Peanuts or broken Cashews - I didn’t use 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder 

Pinch of Asafoetida 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tbsp Fresh Coconut grated or Desiccated Coconut 

1 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take oil in a Kadai. Let it heat. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilli and asafoetida. Sauté it for few seconds. If you are adding peanuts or broken cashews, then add it now and sauté it for another few seconds. Add the chopped vegetables and ginger. Continue to sauté the vegetables for a minute. Add the Salt, Sugar, Turmeric powder and Chilli powder. Stir and add 1/4 cup of water. Let it simmer for few seconds. Add the bread pieces and gently stir all the ingredients together. Switch off the flame. Drizzle the lime juice and stir it once. Garnish the dish with coriander leaves and coconut. Serve the dish immediately. 

Chicken and Vegetable Pulao

 

When minimal assorted vegetables and a small quantity of boneless chicken are left in the fridge then this recipe is absolutely an ideal recipe for a quick lunch on a lazy hot day. 

Ingredients

100 grams of Boneless Chicken cut into cubes
1 medium size Onion cut into cubes
1 small carrot cut into oblique.
1 medium size Potato cut into oblique.
4 to 5 medium size Cauliflower florets
5 to 6 French Beans cut into 1/2 inches
1 small size Capsicum cut into cubes
2 Green Chillies silt
5 to 6 Mushrooms cut into halves
1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Kitchen king masala or Pulao masala or Curry powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Bengali Garam masala - 2 Green Cardamom, 2 Cloves and 1 small stick Cinnamon ground 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Curd beaten
1/2 cup Basmati Rice soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
2 whole Cardamom
2 whole Cloves
1 small stick Cinnamon
6 to 8 Pepper Corns
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 Star anise
1 Bay Leaf
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tbsp Ghee

Method
Take a pot. Add oil and ghee. Let the oil heat. Add the whole spices - cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, star anise, cumin and bay leaf. Sauté it and let the spices crackle. Add the chicken. Sauté it for a minute. Add the ginger - garlic paste. On a low flame continue to sauté for another minute. Add the onion. Sauté it for another minute.  Add the carrot, potato, cauliflower and french beans. Stir for a minute and let it cook on a low flame for 2 minutes. Add the capsicum and stir, add the green chillies and mushroom. Stir and let it cook for few seconds. Add the salt and sugar, stir it once. Now add the powdered spices - Kitchen Kitchen Masala,  coriander powder, cumin powder, Bengali garam masala,  turmeric powder and curd. Stir and let it continue to cook on low flame for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Add a cup of water. Stir and cover the pot. Let it simmer and cook till the water has dried up. Open the lid. Stir and switch off the flame. Cover the pot and let it stand for 10 minutes. All the excess water or moisture with dry up. Open the lid, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve the hot chicken and vegetable pulao with the salad. 

Topse Maach Bhaja / Topse Maacher Fry

Topse Maach or Mango Fish is very popular in Bengal. It has several long, slender filaments below the pectoral fins. This fish of the Ganges is highly in demand. This fish comes during March to May during the mango season, hence it’s called the Mango Fish.

It’s know for fish fry / fish fritters , which is marinated, dipped in Gram flour batter and deep fried. It’s served for lunch, it’s an accompaniment with dal and it is served during occasions.

To Marinate the Mango Fish

Ingredients

500 grams Topse / Mango Fish cleaned

4 to 5 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Green Chilli - Onion paste (1 small piece of Ginger, 6 Garlic Cloves, 3 Green Chillies and 1 small Onion)

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 Turmeric powder

Salt to Taste

Juice of 1 small Lime

Method

Take the fish in a bowl and add all the ingredients and apply it well on the fish. Keep it aside and marinate it for an hour or 
more.

For the Topse Bhaja

Ingredients

Marinated Fish

1 cup Gram flour

2 tbsp Rice flour

1 tsp Poppy seeds

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method

Take a bowl, add gram flour, rice powder, poppy seeds, nigella seeds and salt. Mix the ingredients well. Now add the marinated juices of the fish and little water at a time to make a thick batter. Mix it well. Keep it aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile take a wok or a pan, add oil and let it heat. Once the oil heats up, dip the fish in the batter one at a time and gently put it in the oil. Fry 3 to 4 fish at a time on a medium low flame. Fry it till crispy brown in colour. Remove the fish on a paper towel. Serve it hot with dal and rice.

Chatpata Murgh

This a very easy dish to make. It can be made in many ways. Here is my style of making this dish. This dish is a dry dish and can be served with paratha or roti and salad. I have used coriander stem paste as it gives out a strong flavour of the coriander. You can use any spice masala instead of the curry powder. 

Ingredients 

8 Chicken Legs

1 Onion coarsely ground

3 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste ( 1 small piece of ginger, 6 garlic cloves and 4 green chillies)

2 tbsp Coriander stem paste 

Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing 

4 tbsp Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Curry powder 

1/2 cup Mustard Oil 

Method 

Add salt, turmeric powder, curry powder, ginger - garlic - chilli paste, coriander stem paste, curd and 2 tbsp of oil to the chicken legs. Rub the ingredients well to the chicken legs. Let it marinate for 2 to 5 hours. Take a wok, add the remaining oil and let it heat. Add the marinated chicken legs. Stir, cover and let it slow cook until the chicken legs are tender. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve it with paratha or roti and salad. 

Instant Fresh Turmeric and Ginger Pickle....

Turmeric is a root that can be found in the market through out the year, but the fresh ones are seen in winter. It is easy to grow in a container or a pot. It has many medicinal properties like anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and it’s antibacterial. It’s used for internal health related issues as well as applying on cuts and bruises.

In India we grind the dried turmeric roots into powder and use it in our daily cooking. We also add turmeric into a glass of milk and drink it. My father when he was alive, always wanted a piece of fresh turmeric with his meal... 

Recently my friend Rachana had had got fresh turmeric and ginger pickle with the paratha and I just fell in love with it... I got inspired to make this delicious pickle. 

Here is my version of the pickle...

To make the Spice powder

Ingredients

15 Guntur Chillies

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tbsp Coriander seeds

Method

Add the red chillies, coriander seeds and fennel seeds in a grinder. Grind the ingredients into a fine powder. 

To make the Pickle

Ingredients

250 grams Fresh Turmeric peeled and grated

200 grams Mango Ginger peeled and grated

100 grams Ginger peeled and grated

Spice Powder

Salt to taste

Juice of 3 Limes 

2 tbsp Split Mustard seeds

1 tsp Split Fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Asafetida

100 ml Sesame Oil

Method

Roast the split fenugreek seeds and split mustard seeds on a low flame for few seconds. Remove them from the flame and let it cool. Mix the split mustard and fenugreek with the spice powder.

Take the oil and heat it up. Once the oil is hot, lower the temperature of the flame. Add the mustard seeds and let it crackle. Add the asafetida and ginger. Stir and cook for a minute. Now add the grated mango ginger and fresh turmeric. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the spice powder and salt. Stir it together for a minute. Add the lime juice. Stir it well for few seconds. Switch off the flame. Cool the pickle and store it in a dry container. This pickle can stay for 6 months in the fridge. Enjoy the pickle with paratha or curd rice. 

Chicken Kachori....

Kachoris are very popular as snacks and can be enjoyed with hot tea. The stuffing can be anything of your choice and the outer cover is made with All Purpose Flour. It is deep fried and it is served with sauce or green chutney. 

Here I have stuffed the Kachoris with chicken mince.

For the stuffing

Ingredients

150 grams of fine Chicken mince

1 Onion finely chopped

1 Green Chilli chopped

1 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped

1 tbsp Mint Leaves chopped

1 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste

Salt to taste

1 tsp Garm Masala powder

(1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp Coriander seeds, 1 small Cinnamon stick, 2 Green Cardamom, 2 Cloves and 6 Peppercorns - ground together )

2 tbsp Oil

Method

Take oil in a wok, let it heat. Add the onion. Let it sauté till translucent. Add the ginger - garlic - chilli paste. Stir and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chicken mince. Mix it and cook for 2 minutes. Add the salt, garam masala powder, chopped chilli, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Stir and cook till the liquid from the chicken mince has dried up. Keep it aside.

For the Dough

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

Salt to taste

1 Egg

2 tbsp Oil

Method

In a mixing bowl - add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix it. Add the egg and little water at a time and knead it. Add 1 1/2 tbsp oil and further knead it into a medium hard dough. Apply oil on the dough, cover and keep it for 15 minutes. Knead it once more.

To make the Kachori

Ingredients

Stuffing

Dough

Oil to fry

Method

Heat the oil in a fry pan. Take a big lime size portion of the dough. Apply oil on the rolling board and pin. Roll it into a small 
disc. Add a tbsp of the stuffing. Bring the edges to the middle over the filling and pinch them together and seal the edges together, roll it once more into a small disc. Fry the Kachoris on a low flame till golden brown on both the sides. Serve it hot with tomato sauce or chutney.

Shami Kabab...

Shami kebabs are popularly eaten as snack or appetizer throughout India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is made from beef, chicken or lamb. It is made by boiling the meat,dal, whole spices, onion, ginger and garlic, salt and turmeric powder till the meat has cooked. Then it is ground into a smooth paste. Coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies are added to the paste. It's given a shape of a patti and it's shallow fried in oil. 

It's garnished with onion,lime and mint leaves. It is served with green chutney made out of coriander and mint leaves.

Ingredients

250 grams boneless Mutton pieces

1/4 cup Split Bengal Grams / Chana dal soaked for an hour

1 Onion chopped

4 to 6 Garlic cloves

1 small piece of Ginger

2 to 3 or more Green Chillies chopped as per requirement 

2 tbsp Mint Leaves chopped

2 tbsp Coriander Leaves chopped

1 Black Cardomom

1 Green Cardomom

2 Cloves

1 small piece of Cinnamon

6 to 8 Pepper corn 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Coriander seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 Egg

Oil for Frying

Method

Take a pressure cooker, add the mutton pieces, chana dal, onions, garlic, ginger, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, black cardomom, green cardomom, Cloves, pepper, salt, turmeric powder and 1 1/2 cup water into the pressure cooker. Close the lid and let it whistle 4 times or till the mutton has cooked. Let the pressure release, open the cooker and if any water is remaining, dry it up. Let it cool down completely. Then add the meat and the dal into a food processor, add egg and blend it until it turns into a smooth paste. Add the coriander leaves, mint leaves  and green chillies. Add salt and chillies if required. Blend it once more. Take a tray, grease the tray with oil. Apply oil on your palm. Take a lime size ball from the mixture. Roll it and flatten it a bit. Place it on the tray. Keep it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Take a fry pan. Add oil. Shallow fry the kababs very gently till golden brown on both the sides. Remove them on a paper towel. Serve them hot with green chutney, onions, lime and mint leaves.

Achari Machli Bhappa...

This is a fish preparation, very easy to make, spicy and scrumptious. You can serve this dish as a starter or have it as a side dish with hot steaming rice. The fish is marinated in fresh homemade achari masala. We all have left over oil from the pickle, and we discard them, but I use it up in creating other dishes, so here I have used achari oil from the pickle which gives extra punch to the dish. 

Ingredients

1 medium size around 500 grams whole Fish - Indian Salmon / Rawas,  Barramundi / Bhetki or Snapper / Rani Machli

2 tbsp Garlic and Green Chilli paste (4 Garlic and 3 Green Chillies)

6 Garlic cloves crushed

Juice of 1 Lime

1 small Tomato for Garnishing

Few Coriander Leaves chopped

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Coriander seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Carom seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

6 Red Chillies

1 1/2 tsp  Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Pickle Oil

 

Method

Clean the fish well, the fish has to remain in 1 piece. Give 3 slits on the fish. Keep the fish on a foil paper. Apply salt and 1tsp turmeric powder on the fish and keep it aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile add mustard seeds, coriander seed, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, carom seeds, fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 4 red chillies into a grinder and grind the seeds into a powder. That makes our achari powder. In a small mixing bowl add the achari powder, lime juice, garlic - chilli paste and oil, mix it and let it stand for 5 minutes, apply the achari paste properly all over the fish, push the crushed garlic into the cuts of the fish and add 2 dry chillies. Cover the fish with the foil paper. Leave it to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. Steam the fish in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees celsius or you can steam it in a steamer till the fish is cooked. Garnish it with coriander leaves and tomato. Serve it hot.

Shabji Diye Rui Maccher Patla Jhol

 

This is an old traditional dish prepared particularly when any member of the house is sick or if you want to cool your stomach down or prepared if anyone is in a hurry or travelling. This dish is loaded with vegetables and fish. It has a thin gravy / Patla Jhol. If you are unwell make this dish with less spices, more liquidy and avoid deep frying the fish. In Bengali cuisine as each dish has a different style of cutting the vegetables, in this dish the vegetables has to be cut big in size, in wedges or in big pieces and all the vegetables cut has to be in the same proportionate size. Any seasonal vegetables can be added like pointed gourd, raw banana, cauliflower, carrot, French beans, flat beans, potato,tomato, drum stick, raw papaya etc. Urid dal bori is fried and is also added to the Jhol.

Normally the spices are freshly ground into paste, but here I have used freshly ground powder. This is a very quick one pot meal served with hot steaming rice and lime wedges. Absolutely a comfort food... 

This recipe is a must try....

Ingredients 

8 pieces of Ruhi Maach 

1 big size Potato cut into wedges lethwise or big cubes

1 medium size long Brinjal cut into half and made into big pieces 

6 pieces of medium size Cauliflower florets 

1 Carrot cut into half lengthwise and then made into pieces 

1 Raw Banana cut into half lengthwise and then made into pieces

6 Flat beans cut into half horizontally 

1 tomato cut into wedges lengthwise 

1/4 cup Green Peas 

2 Green Chillies silted lengthwise 

1 tsp Ginger paste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Panch phoran 

2 Bay leaves 

1/2 cup Mustard oil for frying the fish and cooking

Method 

Apply 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt to the fish and keep it to marinate for 10 minutes. Take a wok, add oil. Let it heat well. Add the fish into the oil and fry it on both sides till brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. Remove the excess oil and leave 3 tbsp oil in the wok. Add Panch phoran, bay leaves and green chillies. Wait till the Panch phoran crackles. Add the ginger paste and sauté it for a minute. Add all the vegetables, stir and sauté it for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt and all the powder spices. Stir and cook for another minute. Add about 1 and 1/2 litres of water. Stir, cover and cook till the vegetable are almost tender. Now add the fried fish. If you are adding fried boris add it with the fish. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve it hot with hot steaming rice and lime wedges.