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 

Bombil Pakoda / Lote Macher Bora / Bombay Duck Fritters

Bombay Ducks / Bombil / Lote is one of my favourite fish… Today we have made crispy Bombil Pakoda. This dish can be eaten with dal rice, or eaten as a starter. 

Serve this dish with green chutney and onion slices. 

Ingredients 

10 pieces of big size Bombil, clean deboned and cut into half. 

1 tsp Ginger - Garlic paste 

1 tsp Lemon juice 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Red Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp Carom seeds 

6 tbsp Gram flour 

4 tbsp Rice flour 

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take the Bombil pieces, and rub little salt and 1/2 tsp lemon juice on the bombil pieces. Take a bowl, sieve the gram flour and rice flour together. Add the remaining lemon juice, salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ginger- garlic paste, carom seeds and little water at a time to make a thick batter, beat the batter well. Heat oil in a pan, once the oil is hot, keep the oil on medium flame. Dip the bombil pieces into the batter and fry them in hot oil until golden brown in colour. Remove the bombil pakoda on a paper towel. Serve the crispy bombil pakoda with green chutney and onion slices. 

Drumstick - Potatoes and Mung Dal fritters cooked in Mustard and Poppy seed paste gravy

 

Munger Daler Bora diye Alu ar Shosnerdata r shorshe - posto r Jhal / Drumstick - Potatoes and Mung Dal fritters cooked in Mustard and Poppy seed paste gravy. 

This dish comes under Niramish ranna / vegetarian cooking where no onion and garlic is used. 

The look of the dish may not be fancy, but this is a rustic regional dish from Bengal. These kind of dishes are still made in rural villages or in the state of Bengal, but are gradually losing its identity outside the state, as now a days many don’t cook or don’t prefer to eat … specially our next generations to come. I remember my mother use to make it often, but now we too rarely make it.. as we avoid mustard paste for health reasons.. once in a way it’s good to enjoy with hot steamed rice. This dish is eaten during lunch. 

For the Mung dal fritters 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Mung dal washed and soaked in water

1 small piece of Ginger 

1 Green Chilli 

Salt to taste

Mustard Oil to fry 

Method 

Coarsely grind the mung dal, ginger, green chilli and salt together without adding much water as we need a thick paste. Remove and keep the paste aside for 15 minutes. Beat the paste well. Take a pan, add oil, let the oil heat, add very small quantity of the paste into the oil, with the help of a tsp, repeat the process until the pan is filled, shallow fry the fritters until golden brown in colour from both the sides. Remove and keep the fritters aside. 

For the Mustard Poppy Seed paste 

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Poppy seeds 

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1 Green Chilli

Method 

Add all the above ingredients into a grinder and grind all the ingredients into a smooth paste adding little water at a time. 

For the Gravy 

2 Drumsticks cut into 1 1/2 inches pieces 

1 Big Size Potato cut into cubes 

1 small size Tomato cut into cubes 

2 Green Chillies slit

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Mung Dal fritters 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp Nigella seeds

Mustard - Poppy seed paste 

2 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method 

Take a iron skillet, best cooked in iron skillet, add 1 1/2 tbsp oil, once the oil heats up, reduce the flame, add the Nigella seeds, let the seeds crackle, add the tomato, let the tomato sauté for a minute, add the potato cubes and the drumsticks, continue to sauté for a minute, add salt to taste and turmeric powder, stir and continue to cook for another minute, now add the mustard - poppy seed paste, stir and cook for few seconds, add 1 cup of water, on low flame, cover and let the gravy cook until the drumsticks and potato cubes are cooked, add the fritters and continue to cook, if the gravy has dried up then only add little water, the gravy shouldn’t be too watery or too dry. Once done drizzle the remaining oil and sprinkle some coriander leaves before serving .

Caponata

Its a classic Sicilian starter or a side dish. 

The sweet and sour dish is eaten with bruschetta,  meat or fish, rice or pasta. It’s a type of vegetarian relish, some add fish to the dish. It’s made with egg plants , bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, olives, capers etc. Apart from the vegetables white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar is added for the tanginess and honey, raisins or sugar is added to the dish for sweetness. Some time pine nuts are also added. Each house has their own variant of making Caponata. This dish is eaten when warm, room temperature or cold .. this dish can be cooked a day prior and refrigerated and eaten the next day. 

Ingredients 

3 Long Eggplant cut into cubes 

1 Yellow Zucchini cut into cubes 

1 small Red Bell Pepper cut into half and sliced 

1 Onion cut into half and sliced 

1 Celery stalk sliced 

5 to 6 crushed Garlic 

4 tbsp Green Olives sliced 

Few fresh Parsley for garnishing 

2 tbsp Capers or Pickled Green Peppercorn 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper corn crushed 

4 tbsp White wine vinegar or Red wine vinegar 

3 tbsp Tomato sauce 

1 tbsp Honey 

2 tbsp Olive Oil 

Method 

Sprinkle little salt and drizzle little oil on the egg plants and zucchini, grill the vegetables at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Keep them aside. Take a pan, add the olive oil, add the onion, garlic,  bell pepper, and celery, sauté until the onions are lightly browned. Add the olives, capers or pickled pepper corn, tomato sauce, white wine or red wine vinegar, honey, salt and crushed pepper. Stir and sauté for few seconds, add the grilled egg plants and zucchini. Stir and cook for another minute. Sprinkle fresh parsley. Let the dish come to a room temperature, serve the dish with bruschetta. 

Chingri Posto Narkel Diye Paturi

 

 Chingri / Prawns with posto and narkol bata (poppy and coconut paste) wrapped in kola pata (banana leaves) - Chingri Posto Narkel Diye Paturi. A side dish that goes well with rice. Here is my version that I make at home at times…

Ingredients to marinate the Prawns 

300 grams medium size cleaned and deveined Prawns 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients above ingredients together and keep it aside for 15 minutes 

Ingredients- For the paste. 

2 tbsp Poppy seeds

Few small pieces of Coconut pieces peeled 

1 small piece of Ginger 

3 to 4 Garlic cloves 

2 Green Chillies 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into fine paste 

Ingredients for the Chingri Paturi 

Marinate Prawns 

1 medium Onion sliced 

Few Coconut pieces sliced 

3 to Green Chillies slit

Wet paste 

Salt to taste if required 

1/2 Red Chilli powder 

2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Mustard oil

2 medium size Banana leaves washed and gently warmed up the banana leaves over low flame. 

Method 

Take a bowl, add the marinated prawns, wet paste, red chilli powder, 2 tbsp mustard oil, coconut slices, onion slices, salt if required. Mix all the ingredients well. 

Place the glossy side of the banana leaves on top.. of each other in a crisscross manner. Transfer the prawn mixture on the banana leaves. Wrap up the banana leaves and tie the leaves with a thread. Take a pan, add 1/2 tsp mustard oil and spread the oil all round the pan. Place the parcel into the pan. Cover the pan, on a medium low flame, cook the parcel for 5 minutes, change the side of the parcel and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, repeat the process once again. Once done, open up the banana leaves and serve the dish with hot rice. 

#prawns #coconut #bananaleaves #paturi #poppyseed #bengalicuisine #food #foodie #foodpics #foodblogger #foodphoto #recipe #sidedish #nonvegetarian 

Gima Saag / Dime Saag e Bora / India Chickweed/ Bitter Cumin fritter

 Gima Saag / Dime Saag (Indian Chickweed / Bitter Cumin grows wild mostly near small water bodies like lakes, ponds, streams etc.. and also grows wild on land.. it grows round the year, but grows more during monsoon. Many of us must have seen this weed growing in our pots and garden, but generally we pluck them out. Next time grow them and enjoy as a side dish. It belongs to carpet weed family. It has medical properties and is bitter in taste. It has healing properties to cure constipation, indigestion, skin problems etc. It’s used as vegetable in rural Bengal. The leaves are used for cooking. Mostly it’s not very popular in urban cities.. sometimes sold by villagers in the market but commonly consumed in the rural areas where there are open lands and water bodies.

 I was fortunate to source this weed from a nearby field that’s situated near the banks of river Ulhas that is few minutes away from my place.. my Didi (house helper) was very sweet enough to get it for me. God bless her. 

We make stir fry, flitters, mashed or sabji out of this weeds. 

Today I made Flitters / Bora with Gima Saag 

Ingredients 

1/2 bowl of Gima saag leaves 

3 Garlic cloves chopped 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

4 tbsp Besan / Chickpeas flour 

2 to 3 tbsp Rice flour 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take only the leaves of the Gima Saag, wash it well, add salt, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies and garlic, rice flour and chickpea flour into the bowl, add very little water if required, mix all the ingredients together until all the ingredients binds together into a very soft sticky dough.. Heat oil in a pan, take small portions of the dough, flatten it and place the portions in the hot oil, fry the flitters until golden brown in colour from both the sides. Enjoy it hot with steamed rice.

Komro Pata Diye Ilish Macher Bhorta

 Komro Pata Diye Ilish Macher Bhorta 

Ilish Macher Bhorta is one of the favourite in our house… from the time my husband visited Bangladesh… mostly head and tail of the fish is used… one of the dish made with the head of the fish is chorchori… 

We had some pumpkin leaves growing in our balcony pot… we have used pumpkin leaves to make Macher paturi.. and chorchori… but the leaves weren’t enough to make either of the dishes… since Bhorta is one of our favourite.. used the pumpkin leaves in the Bhorta… 

Patients is the key word for Bhorta… as lots of fine fish bones  have to be removed .. but once made.. it will just vanish from your plate…: 

To marinate the Fish 

Ingredients 

Head and Tail of Ilish/ Hilsa fish 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Apply salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder on the fish head and tail.. 

To make the Bhorta 

Ingredients 

Marinated Fish head and tail 

Handful of Pumpkin leaves (can add more)

2 medium size Onion sliced 

2 or more Green Chillies 

2 Garlic cloves

2 Dry Red Chillies 

1/4 tsp Nigella seeds

Salt to taste

2 to 3 tbsp of Mustard oil

Method 

Take oil in a pan.. let it heat, fry the fish head and tail.. until golden brown in colour… remove the fish head and tail and keep it aside. Add sliced onion, garlic, green chillies and dried red chillies into the remaining oil in the pan. Sauté until light brown in colour, add the pumpkin leaves.. stir once.. move the sautéed onions and the leaves on one side of the pan, add the Nigella seeds, spread the onions in the pan, place the fish head and tail over the sautéed onions… cover and cook for a minute, open the lid and turn the fish and cook for another minute. Switch off the flame, let it cool a bit, take a grinding jar, add the head, tail, garlic cloves, green chillies, one dried red chilli, pumpkin leaves into the grinding jar. Don’t add any water.. use the pulse button and grind the ingredients coarsely… 

Remove the Bhorta on the plate.. here comes the test of your patients… time to remove the bones… once done add the sautéed onions and salt.. mix all the ingredients together.. the Bhorta is ready to be savoured with some hot rice… 

Macher Dimer Bora / Fish Egg Fritters

Fish eggs are a delicacy in Bengali homes during monsoon… as the fish sold in the market mostly comes with eggs.. we generally use Rohu or Catla fish eggs to make fritters / Bora or we make curry with fish egg fritters / Macher Dimer borar Jhol or Macher Dimer jhuri bhaja / Scrambled Fish Eggs or Macher Dimer bhapa / steamed fish eggs. 

More common recipe using fish eggs is Macher Dimer bora/ Fish egg fritters.. 

Rohu or Catla fish eggs are taken, chickpea, salt, onions, green chillies, garlic, coriander leaves (optional) are mixed well with the fish eggs. It’s deep fried. The fish egg fritters are eaten during lunch with dal and rice or as evening snacks. 

Ingredients 

1 cup Fish eggs / Roe 

2 tbsp Chickpeas flour 

1 medium size Onion sliced

2 Green Chillies chopped

2 medium size Garlic cloves chopped 

Coriander leaves (optional)

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder (optional)

Oil for deep frying 

Macher Dimer Bora r Video 

Method 

Wash the fish eggs, take the fish eggs in a bowl, add chickpea flour, chopped onions, green chillies, garlic, coriander leaves (optional), turmeric powder (optional) and salt. Mix all the ingredients together. Keep the batter aside for 5 minutes, meanwhile heat the oil. Once the oil heats up, reduce the flame. Add tbsps of the batter into the oil, on medium low flame fry the fritters until golden brown in colour. Serve the fritters with dal - rice or as snacks. 

#fisheggs #roe #fritters #bengalidelicacy #monsoonsnacks #monsoonfood 

Shahi Murg Korma

 

This dish is a Mugal dish, it’s made in a rich creamy gravy with nuts and raisins and hence the name Shahi… this dish goes well with Paratha or Pulao. 

Marination 

Ingredients 

1/2 kg Chicken pieces boneless or with bones as desired 

1 tsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste 

1 small Onion Sliced,  Fried and paste 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

3 tbsp Curd

Method 

Mix all the ingredients together and keep it aside for an hour or more. 

For the Wet paste 

Ingredients 

5 to 6 Almonds soaked and peeled 

5 to 6 Cashews soaked in water 

6 Raisins 

2 tbsp Desiccated Coconut 

2 tbsp Fresh Cream

1/4 cup Milk 

Few drops of Kewra essence (optional) 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a paste.

 

For the Gravy 

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken 

Wet paste 

1 small Onion Paste 

1/2 tsp Ginger - Garlic paste 

1 Bay leaf

2 Cloves 

2 Green Cardamom 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

1/2 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste ( if required )

1/4 cup Curd beaten 

2 tbsp Cream 

3 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Add the ghee into a wok. Once the ghee heats up, reduce the flame, add the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, sauté until the spices crackles. Add onion paste, ginger - garlic paste and sugar. Sauté until light brown in colour, add the marinate chicken. Cook on medium low flame until the oil releases. Add the wet paste, cover and cook on low flame, stirring the chicken occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the curd and cream, continue to cook, until the chicken has cooked. If required add salt as per required. Serve the chicken with Pulao or Paratha. 

Shola Kochur Korma / Colocasia Esculenta - Taro Corms Korma

Shola Kochu can be cooked in many ways, it can be fried, bata/ mashed, cooked into gravy with fish etc. 

Today we are making korma with shola kochu. It’s a simple, yet delicious recipe. This can be eaten with pulav rice or paratha. 

Ingredients 

 8 round pieces of Shola Kochu after peeling 

1 medium Onion made into paste

1 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste

1 Green chilli slit

2 Cloves 

1 Green Cardamom 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

1 Bay leaf 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 cup Coconut Milk 

2 tbsp Curd 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

1 tsp Ghee 

 

Method 

Take the pieces of shola Kochu, poke the pieces with a fork. Pressure cook  the pieces of the shola kochu for one whistle. Remove the pieces from the pressure cooker.  Heat the mustard oil in a pan, fry the shola Kochu pieces until light brown in colour. Remove the pieces from the pan, in the same pan add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Let it crackle, add the onion paste, ginger - garlic - chilli paste, salt and sugar. Sauté the masala for a minute, add the curd, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and green chilli. Continue to sauté and cook until the oil releases from the masala. Add little water and cook the masala for 2 minutes. Add the shola Kochu pieces, let it cook in the gravy for another minute. Add the coconut milk and let the gravy simmer for another few seconds. Switch off the flame, add ghee and garam masala powder. Garnish with fried onions (optional) and a little coconut milk. 

Kakara Kosha / Crab Sukha (Bengali Style)

While driving towards the outskirts of Mumbai during the rainy season, we get to see land filled with water getting ready for the rice cultivation, small water streams and small water bodies flowing around.. there are lots of small fish and mud crabs that you get to see being sold by the locals which are freshly caught. They are great in taste. We managed to get  some mud crabs and cat fish. 

Here is a recipe of  Kakara Kosha. It’s a Bengali way of making crab Sukha..  

While cleaning the crabs, separate out the crab legs from the body, gently crush them. Keep the crab fat and eggs in separate bowl.    

Enjoy this dish with rice or paratha. 

Ingredients 

5 medium size Crabs cleaned 

Keep the crab fat / tomalley and crab eggs separately 

2 medium size Onions sliced 

1 big Tomato chopped 

5 to 6 Green Chilli crushed 

10 to 12 Garlic Cloves crushed 

1 medium piece of Ginger crushed 

2 Bay leaves 

1 Green Cardamom 

2 Cloves 

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 

1 tsp Ghee

1/2 cup Mustard Oil 

1/2 cup Water 

Method

Add salt and little turmeric powder into the crabs and mix them. Take 1/4 cup of Mustard oil, let it heat, on a medium flame stir fry the crabs until it changes its colour. Remove and keep it aside, add the remaining oil in the same wok, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves, stir, add the sliced onions, sauté the onions until translucent, in between add salt and sugar, continue to cook. Add the crushed ginger - garlic and chillies, stir and continue to cook for a minute, add the  chopped tomato, stir, add turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir and continue to cook, add Kashmiri red chilli powder. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the oil release. Add the crab fat and crab eggs if any. Stir and cook for another minute. Add the water, let it simmer, add the crabs. Stir and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the ghee and garam masala. Let it cook for another minute. Once done switch off the flame. Enjoy the crab bhuna with rice or paratha. 

Ilish Macher Lejar Bhorta / Hilsa Fish Tail Bhorta

There were 5 tail pieces of Hilsa fish left in the freezer. Usually as the tail part of the fish is thorny many people avoid eating the tail part. In Bangladesh they make various types of Bhortas. I had this recipe in my bucket list as I had heard from my husband about the Ilish  Bhorta when he had travelled to Bangladesh and I had randomly seen some few recipes on YouTube. It’s delicious, you can actually finish one whole plate of steamed rice with Ilish Bhorta. 

So here it is... 

Ingredients 

5 Tail pieces of the Hilsa Fish

2 medium size Onion sliced 

2 Garlic Cloves

2 or more Whole Dried Red Chilli 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 cup + 1/4 tsp of Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take the fish tails, apply salt and turmeric powder. Heat 1/2 cup oil, fry the fish tail until golden brown in colour. Remove the fried fish and keep it aside to cool, in the same oil now fry the onion and garlic until golden brown in colour. Remove the onion and garlic and keep it aside. In the same remaining oil fry the dried red chillies until brown in colour. Remove the chillies and keep it aside. Now very carefully remove the thorns from the fish tail and keep the fish meat aside. Now take the fried onion, garlic, red chillies, salt to taste and coriander leaves on a plate, mash all the ingredients together well, add the fish meat and mash the ingredients together. Transfer the Bhorta into a serving plate, drizzle with the remaining mustard oil and a fresh red chilli, serve it with hot steamed rice. 

Pomfret Macher Tel Jhal

This is a quick and easy Bengali recipe to go with steamed rice. This dish is one of our family’s favourite dish, my mother use to make it. It’s supposed to be bit spicy and tangy.

Ingredients 

1 big size Pomfret cut, sliced and cleaned 

1 medium size Tomato chopped 

2 to 3 Green Chillies slit

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds 

Salt to taste 

3/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 cup Mustard Oil to fry the fish

Few drops of Mustard Oil to drizzle  

Method 

Take the sliced pomfret pieces, apply 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt, heat the oil and fry the fish slices until brown in colour. Remove the fried fish pieces, keep it aside. Remove the excess oil and keep around 2 tbsp oil in the wok. Add the nigella seeds and green chillies. Sauté the nigella seeds for few seconds. Add the chopped tomato, salt and remaining turmeric powder. Stir and cook until the chopped tomato is mushy. Add a cup of water and let the gravy simmer. Add the fish pieces and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Switch off the flame, sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and drizzle little mustard oil over the gravy. Serve this dish with steamed rice. 

 

Chaman Olu / Cottage Cheese and Potato

It’s a Kashmiri dish that is made with cottage cheese and potato. It’s served with rice. It’s a very simple dish, yet very delicious.
I have adapted the recipe from Ms. Purnima Kachru’s cook book.
We enjoyed the dish with hot steamed rice.

Ingredients
250 grams Cottage cheese cut into medium size cubes
1 big  size Potato cut into thick roundels
4 Green chillies slit
1/2 tsp Turmeric  Powder
1/2 tsp Ginger Powder
1 tsp Fennel seed Powder
1 pinch Asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 Black cardamom crushed
2 Cloves crushed
2 Green Cardamom crushed
1 1/2 tbsp Curd
1 1/2 tbsp Milk
1/2 cup Mustard Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
1 1/2 cup Water

Method
Take a wok, add mustard oil, heat the oil. Reduce the flame. Fry the cottage cheese until the edges are golden brown in colour. Take a pot, add water, add salt and turmeric powder. Add the fried cottage cheese into the water. Now fry the potato roundels and add the potato roundels into the water. Add ginger powder, fennel powder, asafoetida and black cardamom. Place the pot on the gas stove and cook the ingredients on medium heat until the water reduces into half. Beat the curd along with the milk. Pour the milk - curd into the pot, stir the gravy constantly and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the gravy from the flame. Take ghee in a pan, let it heat, add the green cardamom and cloves. Sauté and pour the ghee into the gravy. Add green chillies to garnish. Serve the dish with steamed rice.

Kumro Pata Diya Chana Bhapa / Steamed Paneer with Pumpkin Leaves

Steamed Paneer is a Bengali vegetarian side dish. I have added pumpkin leaves, as pumpkin leaves are good for our health and when it grows in my balcony, then definitely it is good to use it in the dish. I have used homemade Aam Kasundi, but you can use mustard and any pickle masala oil incase Kasundi is not available.This dish is normally eaten during lunch. Serve this dish with hot steamed rice. 

For the Wet Paste 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup Fresh Grated Coconut 

2 tbsp Aam Kasundi or use 1 tbsp Mustard seeds and 1 tbsp any pickle masala oil 

2 Green Chillies  

2 to 3 Garlic cloves 

3 tbsp Hung Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a fine paste. 

To make the Steamed Paneer 

Ingredients 

250 grams Paneer cut into small pieces 

10 Pumpkin leaves chopped 

4 to 5 Green Chillies slit into half and then cut into pieces 

Wet Paste 

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

A big piece of Banana Leaf - optional 

Method 

Take a bowl, add all the ingredients in the bowl, mix all the ingredients together and keep it aside for an hour. Take a container with a lid. Lay the banana leaves at the base of the container, it’s optional. Add the marinated paneer into the container. Close the lid. Take a steamer, add water into the steamer. Keep the container into the steamer. Steam the paneer for 20 minutes. Once done, enjoy this dish with hot steamed rice. 

Baked Chingri Begun

This is a side dish made with prawns and brinjal. Though the wet paste made with mustard seeds and other ingredients are commonly used in Bengali dishes to make Jhal, Paturi, Bhapa etc, and even brinjal is a common ingredient used along with fish to make curry, here I have tried out the recipe in a bit different way... 

This dish can be made with other small fishes. 

You can serve this dish with steamed rice.

Ingredients 

1 medium size Bharta Baigan / Brinjal 

10 to 12 medium size  Prawns cleaned and deveined
1 small Onion or 1/4 part of the Onion

4 to 5 Garlic Cloves 

4 to 6 Green Chillies as per the spiciness you require 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut  

1 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Poppy seeds

1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

2 tbsp + 1 tsp Mustard Oil 

2 tbsp Curd (Optional)

Method 

Take the brinjal, cut the brinjal from the center horizontally leaving the end tail part of the brinjal intact. Scoop out the inner part of the brinjal on both the sides. Keep it aside. Now chop the scooped flesh of the brinjal and keep it aside. Take a grinder, add the onion, green chillies, garlic, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, coconut, turmeric powder and salt. Add little water and 2 tbsp of curd (optional), make a smooth paste. Rub little salt on the inner and outer parts of the brinjal.  Take a bowl, add the prawn, chopped brinjal flesh, coriander leaves, 2 tbsp mustard oil and the paste. Mix all the ingredients together. Now stuff the prawn stuffing on one side of scooped brinjal. Cover it with the other side of the brinjal. Tie up the brinjal with a thread. Keep the stuffed brinjal in the refrigerator for an hour, Remove the brinjal from the fridge.  Place the brinjal into a baking tray, pour the remaining mustard oil, and apply the oil on the brinjal. To bake, you can either bake it in a preheated OTG at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the brinjal after 10 minutes to cook it evenly or to bake it on a gas stove, take a wok, place a pressure cooker stand into the wok, cover the the wok for 5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid, place the tray on the cooker stand. Cover the lid and bake for 10 minutes on medium low flame, after 10 minutes turn the side then continue to cook for another 20 minutes with the lid covered. Remove the baking tray from the wok. Remove the thread, place the brinjal on a serving plate and open one side of the brinjal. Pour in the liquid of the baked brinjal and prawns. Garnish with coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve the dish with hot steaming 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. 

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.

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.