Kolkata Fish Fry

 

Kolkata Fish Fry 

It is one of the Bengali Delicacy made during occasions and celebrations. Normally mostly at home fish fry / mach Bhaja is frying the fish with salt and turmeric, but the marinated fish that is crumb coated and deep fried is made very rarely at home. Bhetki or Telapia is used for this dish. This dish is served with Kasundi and Onion. 

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Boneless Fish Fillets cut into rectangular or square shapes

Juice of one small Onion Paste 

1 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ginger Paste

1/2 tsp Chilli paste 

Juice of 1/2 Lemon 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder

1 Egg beaten with little salt 

3/4 cup Bread Crumbs

Oil to Fry 

Method

Marinate the fish with lime juice and salt, keep it aside for 15 minutes. Then add onion juice, ginger - garlic paste, chilli paste and pepper powder. Let it marinate for at least an hour. Take the bread crumbs on a plate. Take a marinated fish fillet, dip it in egg and coat the fish with bread crumbs, repeat the process by dipping the fish in egg and again coat it with bread crumbs. Shape the fish properly from the sides. Heat up the oil, on a medium low flame fry the fish until golden brown in colour. Remove the fish on a paper towel. Serve hot with onion and mustard sauce / Kasundi.

Vegetable Chops

 

This year Durga Pujo and Pet Pujo both are to be celebrated within the four walls of our home. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Thanks to the technology that there are live streaming of rituals, performances and zoom adda from any part of the world that you are situated in. 

As this year pet pujo is at home.. hence I made vegetable chops without onion and garlic to cherish the memories of the last year Durga Pujo .. it is served with Kasundi and salad 

Ingredients

1 cup grated Beetroot

1 cup grated Carrots

2 grated Boiled Potatoes

1 or 2 chopped Green Chillies

1/2 tsp grated Ginger

Few Raisins

Few broken Cashew nuts 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Bhaja Masala powder ( 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds, 1/2 Coriander seeds and 1 dry red chillies - Roast it and grind it in a grinder)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 Bay leaf

2 tsp Ghee

4 tbsp  Corn flour or Maida  + 1/4 cup or little more Water mix to make a slurry 

1 cup Bread crumbs 

Oil to fry 

Method

Take a pan, add Ghee, let it melt, add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, green chillies and grated ginger. Sauté it for few seconds. Add the cashew nuts and raisins, sauté until the cashews turn light brown in colour. Add the beetroot, carrot, potato, sugar, salt, cumin powder and garm masala powder. Stir and cook all the ingredients together until the ingredients binds well. Add the bhaja masala and mix the ingredients again. Switch off the flame, remove the mixture into a plate and let it cool down. Take lemon size portion from the mixture and give the ball a oval shape, repeat the process. Take the slurry and the bread crumbs. Dip the chops into the slurry and then coat the chops with the bread crumbs, repeat the process one more time. Heat up the oil in a wok, add the chops into the oil, fry the chops on a medium flame until golden brown. Remove the chops on the paper towel. Serve the chops with salad and Kasundi. 

Fried Achaari Paneer Sticks

 

Since the festivals are round the corner, here is a very simple and easy vegetarian starter you can make at home. This recipe that I created calls for few ingredients which most of us have at home. This dish can be enjoyed with ketchup and mint mayonnaise dip 

To Marinate the Paneer Sticks

Ingredients

6  Paneer strips - Paneer cut into 3 inches  length and 1 1/2 inches thickness 

4 to 5 tbsp spicy Mango Pickle Masala including the oil of the pickle masala or chilli pickle masala for more spiciness 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Panch Phoran crushed (Equal portion of Nigella seeds, Fennel seeds, Wild Celery seeds or Mustard seed, Cumin seeds and Fenugreek seed)

6 inches 6 Bamboo Skewers

Method

Take a bamboo and insert the paneer strip gently into the stick, till the tip. Take a bowl, add crushed panch phoran , salt and the pickle masala into the bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Apply the masala on the paneer strips and keep it aside to marinate while we make the batter and proof the batter. 

To make the Batter 

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour / Maida

2 tsp Dry Yeast

1 cup and more as required Lukewarm water

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar 

Method 

Take a rectangular container, add 1 cup lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Mix all the ingredients together. Keep it aside until the yeast rises. Now add a cup of flour and salt into the same container, mix the flour into the yeast water, add the remaining flour and mix the ingredients together into a smooth thick batter, while whisking add extra water only if required. Keep the batter aside to rise. 

To make the Paneer Sticks

Ingredients 

Marinated Paneer

Batter

Oil to fry 

Ingredients 

Take a pan, add oil, let the oil heat, reduce the flame. Take a marinated paneer stick, dip the paneer stick into the batter, coat the paneer strips well. Fry the paneer strips until golden brown in colour. Remove the fried paneer strips on the paper towel. Serve the paneer strips with tomato ketchup and mayonnaise dip. 

Grilled Lebanese Chicken with Lebanese Potato Salad, Green Peas Hummus and Pita Bread

Lebanese cuisine is wholesome and healthy, it consists of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, pickled vegetables, fresh fish, meat and olive oil. Most of the fish and meat are grilled and fresh vegetables are eaten in the form of salads. Various types of dish, dips, salad, picked vegetables, fruits and desserts are served in small quantity at a time, it’s known as mezze. On a regular basis a family can make 3 to 4 dish for mezze, but for functions and occasions mezze can consist of more than 25 dishes... 

Information - Net source

We enjoyed some Lebanese dishes at home...

Grilled Lebanese Chicken 

 

Ingredients 

1 kg Whole Chicken 

Juice of 1 Lemon

2 tbsp Olive oil for marination + 1 tbsp Olive oil for grilling 

4 Garlic minced 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder

1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder 

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes 

* 1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

2 Cloves ground

Method 

Take the whole chicken, apply all the above ingredients to the chicken and keep it aside for 4 to 5 hours to marinate. Take a pan, place the chicken and pour the remaining olive oil over the chicken. Grill the chicken in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 200 degrees celsius on one side, remove the tray and turn the chicken, grill the chicken on the other side for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the grilled chicken and serve it with salad. 

Lebanese Potato Salad

  

Ingredients 

2 medium size Potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes 

Juice of  1/2 Lemon 

1 small Onion sliced 

2 tbsp chopped Mint leaves 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tbsp Olive oil 

Method 

Boil the potato cubes. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain the water out and keep it aside for 10 to 15 minutes to cool it down. Take a mixing bowl, all the above ingredients and mix the ingredients well. Serve the salad immediately. 

Green Peas and Mint Hummus 

   

Ingredients 

* 1 cup Frozen Green Peas

1 tbsp Tahini 

1 Garlic Clove

1 tbsp chopped Mint leaves 

1 tbsp Lemon Juice 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

2 tbsp Olive Oil 

Method 

Thaw the green peas, keep a tsp of green peas aside. Take a food processor, add the green peas, garlic, salt, pepper powder, some chopped mint leaves, tahini, lime juice and 1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil. Blend the ingredients together into a smooth paste. Remove the paste into a bowl, drizzle the remaining olive oil, sprinkle some mint leaves and add some green peas over the hummus. 

Pita Bread 

Please click on the link below 

http://suskitchenbysumitra.blogspot.com/2016/06/pita-bread.html

Ajwaini Amritsari Fish Pakora

 

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• It’s Saturday night... time to spend some quality time with family... at the dinner table. Adda (formal or informal conversation) and food with some mocktails and cocktails to go with the flow.. very much required to bond with the family... 
• This is a popular punjabi starter.... best is ravas or telapia or basa... or any boneless fish can be used. Fish is marinated and kept for at least an hour. It’s then deep fried and sprinkled with chaat masala and served hot with onion, lime and chutney. 
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• Ingredients 

500 grams Telapia or any boneless fish pieces  

1 tsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1 tbsp Lime juice 

1 tsp Carom seeds / Ajwain 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Soda bicarbonate or eno for crispiness  - optional 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1/2 cup Hung Curd

3 to 4 tbsp Chickpea flour / Besan 

Oil to deep fry

For garnishing - sliced onion, lime pieces and chutney

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add in the curd, ginger - garlic paste, lime juice, carom seeds, salt, Kashmiri chilli powder and besan. Whisk all the ingredients into a smooth batter. Add the fish pieces, mix well and keep it aside for at least an hour. Add the soda bicarbonate, mix the ingredients together. Heat oil to fry, once the oil is hot, add the fish pieces into the hot oil and on a medium flame until golden brown in colour. Remove the fish from the oil and keep it on a paper towel. Sprinkle some chaat masala. Serve the fried fish with sliced  onion, lime and chutney .