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.

Chicken Bhuna

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• This is a Bangladeshi Style Chicken Bhuna, which means Chicken stirred and cooked in Masala Curry. It is a semi dry dish. Since it is a Bangladeshi dish, Mustard oil is used which gives a pungent flavour to the dish. It is eaten with Paratha or Bread and Salad. 
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• Ingredients 
• 750 grams Chicken pieces 
• 1 tbsp fried Onion 
• 1 medium size Onion finely sliced 
• 1 medium size Tomato sliced 
• 1 tbsp Garlic - Ginger and Chilli paste 
• Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
• 1/2 tsp Chilli powder 
• 1/2 tsp Cumin powder 
• 1/2 tsp Coriander powder 
• 1/2 tsp  Pepper powder 
• 1/2 tsp  Garam Masala powder 
• 1/2 tsp Sugar 
• Salt to taste
• 1 Bay leaf 
• 1 stick Cinnamon 
• 1 small stick Cardamom 
• 2 Cloves 
• 3 to 4 Pepper corn 
• 1/4 cup Curd 
• 1/4 cup Water 
• 3 tbsp Mustard oil 
• 1 tbsp Ghee 



Method
Heat oil in a wok till the smoking point. Lower the heat. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and pepper corn. Sauté it till it crackles. Add the sliced onion, saute it till light brown in colour. Add the garlic - ginger and chilli paste. Sauté it for a minute. Add the chicken and stir fry it till light brown in colour. Add the curd, cumin powder , coriander powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder and pepper powder. Stir, cover and cook till for 2 minutes or till the oil starts to separate from the chicken. Add the sliced tomato, salt and sugar. Stir and add water. Cover, cook till the chicken is cooked and the water dries up a bit. Drizzle ghee from top. Garnish it with fried onions and coriander leaves.  Serve it hot with bread or paratha and salad. 
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Fish Quenelles (Dumplings) with Spaghetti Baked in Marinara Sauce....

Quenelles are popular in France usually made with fish,meat and at times are vegetarian too. They are light and fluffy dumplings and are made by adding eggs,cream and herbs into fish or meat. The oval shape of the dumplings are formed using a spoon. It is then poached in salt water and then baked or cooked in various types of sauce. It can be served with pasta or spaghetti...

Here is my recreation of the dish with ingredients available in my kitchen...

Ingredients

8 medium cubes of Any white Boneless Fish

2 Egg Whites

2 Whole Eggs

1/2 cup Fresh Cream

2 cups of Marinara Sauce

1 cup of Mozeralla and Cheddar cheese mix

Few leaves of Fresh Thyme

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 packet of Spaghetti

Method

Take a big pot of water and let it boil. Once it starts to boil add salt and reduce the flame and let it simmer. Take a food processor or chopper. Cut the fish cubes into smaller pieces and add it into the processor or chopper. Give couple of pulses. Add the egg whites, salt and pepper corn and blend it. Add the whole eggs, cream and thyme. Blend it once more. It will be a creamy batter. Keep it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Take a spoon full of the batter and try to give it a oval shape. Drop it in the simmering water. Poach it for 4 minutes and once done will float in water. Once cooked drain it out on an absorbent paper and keep it aside. Don't discard the water,  boil the spaghetti in the same water and drain the spaghetti. Take a baking tray. Add olive oil, 1 cup of marinara sauce and boiled spaghetti and toss it. Arrange the Fish quenelles on the spaghetti. Pour the marinara sauce over it. Sprinkle the cheese and bake it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Serve it hot.

Simple Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

1 kg ripe Tomatoes 

1 tetra pack Tomato purée 

2 Garlic cloves chopped 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp freshly ground Pepper powder

1 Bay leaf 

2 fresh finely chopped Basil leaves

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Give a slit on the tomatoes. Blanch them in boiling water and as the skin starts to peel, remove them from the water, cool it in cold water and peel the skin out. Lightly blend them in a blender. Add the oil into the pan, heat it. Add the garlic. Sauté it until translucent. Add the tomatoes,tomato purée,bay leaf and salt. Simmer it on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the basil leaves and pepper powder, reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes until the sauce becomes thick. Sauce is ready to use.

Pomfret Tikka Masala Fry....

This dish can be eaten as starter or side dish. I have made this dish with my easy peasy homemade tikka masala powder. It is spicy and mouthwatering. Sprinkle with chat masala. Serve it hot with salad and lime.

Marinate the Fish - Stage 1

Ingredients

2 Big or Medium Size whole Pomfrets clean and slited sideways.

1 Lime

Salt to taste

Method

Marinate the fish with lime juice and salt for an hour.

Marinate the Fish  - Stage 2

Ingredients

Pomfrets

3 tbsp  Tikki Masala powder

Method

Apply the masala powder on the fish properly and let it marinate for 4 hours or more. 

For Frying the Fish

Ingredients

Marinated Fish

1/4 cup Rice Flour

Oil to deep fry the fish

Salad and lime to garnish...

Sprinkle of Chat masala

Method

Coat the fish lightly in rice flour and deep fry it in hot oil till cooked and crispy. Sprinkle with chat masala. Serve it hot with salad and lime.

Quick Homemade Tikka Masala Powder 

Ingredients 

1/4 tsp Coriander powder 

1/4 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Garlic powder 

1/4 tsp Ginger powder 

1/2 tsp Onion powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1/4 tsp White Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/4 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Corn flour 

Method 

Add all the above ingredients in a grinder and grind it together, so that all the above ingredients blend well together. 

Carrot and Beetroot Bread....

This bread is an experiment in my kitchen. I have used whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and semolina to make this bread. This bread is good for making sandwiches or you can just eat it with cheese spread. It has a mild flavour of garlic and rosemary. It is soft in texture. It Is good for children as it has veggies too.  Please do give it a try. 

Ingredients 

350 grams Whole Wheat Flour 

250 grams All Purpose Flour 

100 grams Semolina 

1 small Carrot grated 

1 small Beetroot grated 

Few Fresh Rose Mary leaves 

2 Garlic Clove grated 

2 1/4 tsp Dry Yeast 

2 tbsp Sugar 

1 tbsp Rock Salt 

1/2 tsp Chilli flakes 

150 Ml Lukewarm Water 

250 Ml Water 

2 1/2 tbsp Olive oil 

Method 

Take lukewarm water in a cup and add sugar and yeast. Stir and leave it to rise. Take whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and semolina in a mixing bowl. Add salt and chilli flakes. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the carrot, beetroot,  garlic and rosemary. Mix it together. Add the yeast water, water and 1 tbsp olive oil in the mixing bowl. Mix it and start kneading the dough. Knead it for 5 minutes. Add a tbsp of oil and continue kneading it for 10 minutes more. Take a portion of the dough and try stretching it. If it stretches, then the kneading is done. Transfer it into a greased bowl, cover and let it rise double in size. Punch the dough and knead it for a minute. Apply oil on your palms while handling the dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Take 2 greased medium size bread loaf tins. Take a protion and shape up the dough to fit it into one bread loaf tin. Repeat the same process for the other dough. Cover and let it rise double in size. Spray the dough with water. Bake it in a pre heated oven at 190 degrees celcius for 30 - 35 minutes. In between while baking, spray the bread with water.  Remove it from the oven, brush the top with butter. Let it cool a bit. Remove the bread from the mould. Cool it completely on a cooling rack before slicing.