Aam Kasundi

Kasundi is a very popular mustard pickle used in Bengal and it is made by fermenting mustard seeds and spices in a mud pot. In modern times it’s highly used as an accompaniment with the chops, cutlets and various fried snacks. It’s also used in cooking. Traditionally it’s was made with lots of rituals and many restrictions were followed while making the Kasundi. Now it is made at home with ease. There are many spices added to the Kasundi. Apart from traditional Kasundi there are now many ways and ingredients used in making the Kasundi. 

Here I have made Aam Kasundi. 

Ingredients 

1 big size Raw Mango washed, peeled and cut into small pieces 

4 Green Chillies 

2 small pieces of Ginger

1/4 cup Yellow Mustard seeds 

1/4 cup Black Mustard seeds

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Sugar 

1/4 cup Vinegar 

Normal temperature boiled water depending on the requirement

Method 

Take a grinder jar, add yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, green chillies, raw mango pieces, ginger, salt, turmeric powder and sugar. Add vinegar and water little at a time blend it into a fine paste. The paste has to be of dropping consistency. Take a glass jar, pour the Kasundi paste. Close the lid and keep it in the sun for few days. Check the Kasundi every day, incase if you find the salt is less than you can add salt. Stir it with a clean dry spoon. 

Malai Tangdi Kabab

Now the best way to enjoy restaurant food is to make it at home, one of my favourite restaurant dish is Malai kabab... I had 6 pieces of chicken tangdi at home. So marinated the chicken tangdi. Since the kababs are made in tandoor and we don’t have at home, we can give a smokey flavour by burning a charcoal piece and placing it on a small plate and placing the plate on the chicken pieces and pouring little oil over the charcoal and closing the bowl with a lid, before grilling the chicken pieces. 

This dish can be had as a starter. Garnish the Kabab with onion, mint, tomato and green chutney. 

Ingredients 

6 Chicken drumsticks 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1/4 tsp Fresh Green Chilli paste 

1/4 tsp White Pepper Powder 

3 tbsp Fresh Cream 

4 tbsp Hung Curd 

1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala powder 

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

1 tsp Butter 

Onion rings, Mint leaves and tomato for garnishing 

Method

Take a bowl, add the curd, ginger, garlic, green chilli, lime juice, salt,  pepper and garam masala and mix well, add the chicken tangdi. Rub all the ingredients well. Marinate it for minimum 2 hours. The longer it’s kept it’s better. I had kept it for 8 hours. Now add the cream and the mustard oil and keep it for another 2 hours. 

Preheat oven at 200 degrees celsius. Place a aluminium foil on the baking tray. Place the marinated chicken drumsticks on the foil. Add some marinated juices, put the tray in the preheated oven and grill it for 15 minutes, remove the tray and turn the chicken pieces, add the remaining marination and grill for another 15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, apply butter on the chicken tangdi. 

Serve hot garnished with onion rings, mint, tomato and green chutney. 

Raw Mango Jam

I had got a good quantity of Raw mangoes to make various types of pickles... after cutting the mangoes into desired pieces, the seeds of the mangoes and some scraping from the mangoes remained... I was in two minds, either to make raw mango squash or Jam... finally decided on making the Jam... 

Home made Jams are best as no preservatives are used... 2 main ingredients are used Raw mango pulp and sugar... 

There are optional ingredients that can be added to enhance the taste like Cardamom pods, Red Chilli flakes, garlic, Bacon mince etc. 

If you love pork, you must add fried bacon mince or fried bacon pieces into the Raw mango jam and have it with toasted bread... it’s yum... 

Here I had used 15 mango seeds and 1 cup scraping from the raw mango, to which I had added 2 cups of water, 1 tsp of Rock salt, 1 tsp of turmeric powder for the colour and 2 crushed Cardamom, pressure cooked it and strained the pulp through a wire-mesh strainer.

Ingredients 

2 cups of Raw Mango pulp 

2 cups of Sugar or more as per the sourness 

Method 

Take the raw mango pulp and the sugar in a heavy bottom pot, on a low flame, let the pulp and sugar simmer, and occasionally keep stirring the ingredients. Occasionally keep cleaning the sides of the pot and remove the scum that forms on the top. Once the pulp reduce, thickens up and changes it’s colour, check if the jam is ready, take a small steel plate, keep it in the fridge and cool it. Take the plate and pour 1/4 tsp of the jam, if the jam starts to set then it is done. Cool it a bit. Take a clean glass bottle and pour the jam in the bottle and let it set in the bottle. Enjoy it with bread, roti or paratha.

Pangasius (Indian Basa) Maccher Aloo Pholkopir Jhol

Pangasius (Indian Basa) Maccher Aloo Pholkopir Jhol - Aaaahaaaaa ... it’s heaven having it with one plate of steamed Rice... it’s been some time that, I was craving for fish very badly ... yesterday my husband managed to order online from Fresh to Home and finally today morning it was delivered. Couldn’t wait... immediately cooked this fish the traditional Bengali way... The regional dishes are simple but always divine.
This curry can be made with any other fish like Rahu, Katla, Bhetki etc.. it can be made only with potatoes. Cauliflower can be replaced with pointed gourd...

Ingredients
500 grams Pangasius cut pieces, washed and apply turmeric and salt...
2 Medium size Potatoes peeled and cut into medium size chunks
1 Medium size Cauliflower cut into medium size florets
1 Medium size Onion cut into big pieces
1 Medium Tomato cut into big pieces
4 Garli Cloves
2 Inch Ginger cut into pieces
4 Green Chillies slit
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Ghee (optional)
1/2 cup Mustard Oil for frying the fish and making the curry

Method
Dip the cauliflower and potato in hot salt water for 5 minutes and drain out the water. Make a paste with the tomato, onion, garlic, ginger and 2 green chillies. Take a wok, add oil, let the oil heat up, reduce the heat to medium flame. Add the marinated fish and fry until light golden brown in colour. Remove the fish from the oil. In the same oil add the potatoes and cauliflower, add little salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry the potatoes and the cauliflower until it changes it’s colour. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and the 2 remaining green chillies,  stir and cook for a minute. Add the paste, sugar and little more salt to taste. Continue to cook for 2 minutes more. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and the garam masala. Here if you want you can also add red chilli powder, but I haven’t used it. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Now add around 2 1/2 cups of water.. let the curry simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Add the fried fish.... let it simmer for another 5 minutes more. Switch off the flame, drizzle ghee on top and serve it hot with steamed rice.

Whole Red Lentils and Prawn kebab

This recipe is good for snacks or can be served as starter. This can be served with Onions, lime and Mint - Coriander Chutney It’s easy to make with ingredients mostly available at home. This can be a good lockdown recipe for all the fish lovers.. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Whole Masoor dal / Whole Red Lentils soaked for 4 to 5 hours 

18 to 20 pieces  of clean medium size Prawns 

2 small piece of Ginger

1 Whole Green Chilli

2 Garlic Cloves 

1 medium size Onion chopped 

1 Green chilli chopped 

1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves 

1 tbsp chopped Mint leaves 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Amchur powder

Salt to taste

1 Egg

Oil to shallow fry 

Method 

Wash the masoor dal and remove all the extra water from the dal. Take a grinder jar, add the Masoor dal, prawns, ginger, garlic, whole green chilli, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, Garam Masala powder, amchur powder and egg into the jar. Don’t add extra water, grind the ingredients into a fine paste. The paste should not be of the dropping consistency or very watery. Remove the paste in a bowl, now add chopped onion, chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix the ingredients. Take a pan, add oil. Let the oil heat up. Take small portions from the paste with the help of a tbsp spoon and put it into the oil. Flatten the paste with the help of the spoon, fry until golden brown. Serve it with onion, lime and mint Chutney.