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. 

Murgir Kofta Curry / Chicken Kofta Curry

 Murgir kofta Curry 

This is a simple Chicken Kofta Curry to be enjoyed with steamed rice or paratha. Here I have taken boneless chicken pieces and ground the chicken pieces into a paste to make the kofta. I have added the Chicken Koftas into the curry without frying. 

For the Kofta 

Ingredients 

350 grams Boneless Chicken pieces 

1 small size Onion sliced 

1 Green Chilli 

1 Garlic 

1 small piece of Ginger 

Few Mint Leaves 

Few Coriander Leaves 

1/2  tsp Cumin seed powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Take a food chopper or a grinder jar, add all the ingredients and use the pulse button on the mixer few times. Take a lime size portion of the Keema and make a ball. Repeat the process with the remaining keema. Keep the keema balls in the fridge. 

For the Wet Paste 

Ingredients 

2 small Onions sliced 

2 small Tomatoes chopped 

5 Garlic Cloves 

1 small size Ginger piece

1 Green Chilli 

Method 

Take a grinder jar, add all the above ingredients and grind all the ingredients into a paste 

For the Murgir Kofta Curry 

Ingredients 

Keema Balls

1 small Onion sliced 

3 Medium size Potatoes cut into medium size chunks 

1 Green Chilli 

Few Coriander leaves for garnish 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1 tsp Sugar 

Salt to taste 

2 Bay leaves 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

Wet paste

2 tbsp of Curd 

1 tsp Ghee

3 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a wok or a pot, add oil, let the oil heat up, reduce the flame, add the cumin seeds, green chilli and bay leaves. Sauté for some few minutes, until the cumin seeds crack. Add the onion and fry until light brown in colour. Add the potatoes, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wet paste, stir and cook the masala until the oil realises from the masala. Add the curd and all the dry powder masala, salt and sugar. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water, stir and cover the pot. Let the curry simmer until the potatoes are half cooked. Now add the keema balls. Let it cook until the potatoes and keema balls are cooked. Drizzle ghee and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with hot steamed rice. 

Gua Bao / Steamed Bao Buns stuffed with Sticky Chicken and Pickled Vegetables

 

Gua bao also known as Bao bun or Pork belly buns or lotus leaf buns are very popular all over China. It’s very popular street food of Taiwan.  It’s a complete meal, the soft fluffy buns are served usually with pork belly but it’s also served with chicken and pickled vegetables. 

For Steamed Bao Buns 

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour 

1 tbsp Active Yeast

2 tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Powder 

1/4 cup Lukewarm Water

1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk 

2 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take a cup, add the warm water, 1 tbsp sugar and active yeast. Stir and keep the yeast to rise. Add the milk and 1 tbsp oil in the yeast. Whisk the yeast. Take a bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and remaining sugar. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the liquid. Mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough for 10 minutes. If required add little more water, it should be a soft - stretchy dough. Apply the remaining oil on the dough, cover and keep it aside for 1 to 2 hours or until it rises doubled in size. Open the lid of the bowl, punch the dough and gently knead it for a minute. Roll out the dough into a disc, take a round cutter, and make medium size round disc. Remove the excess dough. Now fold the disc into half, and gently press the bun, with the roller. Repeat the process for other buns. Place the buns on a small butter paper, cover the buns and let the buns rest for 30 minutes. Take a steamer, add water and let the water boil. Place the buns into the steamer vessel along with the butter paper, keeping little distance between the 2 buns. Cover the steamer and let it steam for 10 minutes. Once done switch off the flame and open the lid, let the buns remain in the steamer for 2 minutes before removing the buns from the steamer. 

Pickled Vegetables 

Ingredients 

A small piece of Carrot cut into thin strips 

A small piece of Cucumber cut into thin strips 

A small piece of Capsicum cut into thin strips

A small piece of Red Cabbage sliced 

Few Coriander leaves 

2 tbsp White Vinegar 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients together and let it marinate for 2 to 3 hours 

Sticky Chicken 

Ingredients 

200 grams Boneless Chicken cut into pieces 

1 tsp Garlic minced

1/2 tsp Ginger minced 

1 tbsp Soya sauce 

2 tsp Red Chilli sauce 

1 tsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 tsp Fish Sauce 

1 tsp Vinegar 

2 tbsp Honey 

1 tbsp Sesame Oil 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp 5 spice powder 

1 tsp Roasted Sesame seeds 

Method 

Take a bowl and mix all the above ingredients, together, except sesame seeds, keep it for an hour. Take a wok, add the marinated chicken, and cook the chicken until the chicken has become soft and the juices has dried up. Switch off the flame. Add the sesame seeds over the chicken. 

To Assemble - 

Take a bun, add a tbsp spoon of the chicken in the middle of the bun, add some pickled vegetables and some coriander leaves or spring onions. Serve the buns and enjoy! 

DescriptionParchment paper, and place it on a tray, cover the buns and let it rest for 30 minutes. Take a steamer, boil the water in the steamer. Place the buns along with the butter paper into the steamer. Cover the lid and steam the buns for 10 minutes. Once done, switch off the flame and open the lid and let it stand for 2 minutes before removing the buns from the steamer. 

Grilled Pomfret served with Sautéed Vegetables - Mashed Potato and Butter Lemon Sauce

 

We enjoy having continental dinner once in a while. Let’s see how it’s made.. 

Butter Lemon Sauce

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Flour

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp dried Parsley 

Juice of 1/2 Lemon 

1 cup Milk

1 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Take a pan, add butter, let it melt, add flour, sauté it for few seconds, add milk little at a time and keep on stirring so that no lump forms. As the sauce thickens, add salt, pepper and parsley. Switch off the flame. Let the sauce cool down. Add the lemon juice and stir. 

Mashed Potatoes 

Ingredients 

2 big size boiled potatoes mashed 

2 tbsp Fresh Cream

1 tsp Butter 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

Method 

Add all the above ingredients into a bowl and mix all the ingredients very well. 

Sautéed Vegetables 

Ingredients 

4 to 5 medium size Cauliflower florets 

Few French Beans

1 medium size Carrots cut into thick strips

1 small size  Sweet Potato cut into thick strips 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tbsp Butter 

Method 

Take a pot, add water and salt into the pot, add the vegetables, let the vegetables boil until it’s cooked, drain the water out, take a pan, add butter, let the butter melt. Sauté the vegetables for a minute, add pepper powder and switch off the flame. 

For the Grilled Pomfret 

Ingredients 

3 Whole cleaned Pomfrets 

Juice of 1/2 Lemon 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp Garlic paste 

1 tbsp Butter or Olive Oil 

Method 

Marinate the fish with salt, pepper, garlic paste and lemon juice and keep it for 30 minutes. Take a grill pan, apply butter or oil on the grill pan, place the pomfrets. Cook the pomfrets until brown on both the sides. 

To Assemble - 

Take a plate. Place the grilled pomfret on the plate. Place some sautéed vegetables and some mashed potatoes. Pour the lemon butter sauce over the fish. Garnish with a piece of tomato and parsley..