Showing posts with label Bengali Ranna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bengali Ranna. Show all posts

Sunday 3 March 2024

Kolkata style Chicken Cutlet ( Fowl Cutlet)


 

Fowl Cutlet is one of the street food of Kolkata and also one of the popular dish that’s sold in the Cabin style restaurants.. where each wall of the old cabin restaurant has some story to tell.. This dish is also made during occasions… 

The chicken cutlets are made with chicken mince or boneless chopped chicken pieces, spices and coated with egg and bread crumbs. It’s fried in oil until golden brown in colour and served with salad and mustard sauce (Kasundi). 


Ingredients 

1 cup Chicken Mince

or Boneless Chicken pieces 

Half Onion taken from 1 small Onion 

1 small piece of Ginger 

4 Garlic cloves 

1 Green Chilli 

1/4 cup Coriander and Mint leaves 

Juice of 1/2 Lime

Salt to taste 

1/4 Pepper powder 

1/2 Garam Masala (Ground 1 Green Cardamom- small Cinnamon-2 Cloves)

1/2 tsp Bhaja Masaala (Roasted Cumin- Coriander- Red Dried Chilli ground into powder) 

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Bread Crumbs 

Oil to Fry 



Method 

Take a chopper or a grinder, add the chicken mince or pieces, lime juice, onion, green chilli, ginger, coriander and mint leaves, garlic, salt and pepper powder. Blend the above ingredients together. Take the paste out into a bowl. Add the garam masala and Bhaja masala into the paste. Mix the ingredients together. Take 1/2 of the bread crumbs in a plate, beat 2 eggs with little salt. Take a lemon size portion from the chicken paste. Roll the portion on a greased plate to give a cylindrical shape. Then with the help of the bread crumbs flatten the cutlets into diamond shape or oval shape. Repeat the same process. We get around 7 cutlets. Now with place one cutlet on the chopping board and with the help of a knife shape the edges well. Repeat the same process with all the remaining cutlets. Now dip one cutlet into the beaten egg and then coat the cutlet with the remaining bread crumbs. Repeat the same process with the remaining cutlets. Take a pan, heat the oil, until medium hot. Place 2 to 3 cutlets into the pan as per the space of the pan. Fry the cutlets until golden brown in colour from both the sides. Serve the chicken cutlets with salad and Kasundi. 



Friday 12 January 2024

Duck kosha / Hasher Mangsho kosha


Winters are the best time to make duck meat.. though the meat is not commonly eaten now a days as the meat is expensive. Earlier days I remember we use to get duck eggs or swan eggs when we travelled to Kolkata, but nowadays it’s not available. It’s a delicacy preparing duck meat. The duck meat is paired with chitoi / sara pitha or chaul er ruti/ rice chapatis.
 


Ingredients 
To marinate the Duck 
500 grams Duck 
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Method 
Apply salt and turmeric powder on the meat. Keep the meat aside for 1 or more hours to marinate. 

Ingredients 
For Spice paste 
Salt
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp Chilli powder 
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 
1 tsp Cumin powder 
1/2 tsp roasted Cumin and Coriander powder 
1 tsp Meat masala powder 
2 to 4 tbsp Water 

Method 
Mix all the above ingredients together and make a paste. Keep the paste aside. 

Wet paste 
Ingredients 
1 small Onion 
1 medium size Tomato 
1 Green Chilli
1 small piece of Ginger 
5 to 6 Garlic Cloves 
2 Coriander stems 

Method 
Grind all the above ingredients together into a fine paste. 

To make Duck kosha
Ingredients 
Marinated Duck 
3 medium size Potatoes with skin cut into big cubes 
1 medium size Onion sliced 
2 Green Chillies slit
Wet paste 
Spice powder paste 
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 
2 Green Cardamom crushed 
3 Cloves crushed 
1 small piece of Cinnamon crushed 
1 Red dry Chilli cut into pieces 
2 Bay leaves 
6 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method 
Take a pressure cooker, add the marinated duck meat, add a big cup of water. Pressure cook the meat for 2 whistles. Let the press release. Remove the boiled meat and the stock into a bowl. In the same pan, add the oil. Let the oil heat up. Add the potato cubes, fry them until light brown in colour. Remove and keep the potatoes aside. In the same oil add the cumin seeds, crushed cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, red dry chilli and bay leaves. Let it crackle, add the boiled meat, sauté for 2 minutes, add the sliced onions, sauté until golden brown in colour. Add the spice paste and wet paste. Cook the meat until the oil releases. Add the potatoes and continue to cook. Add little stock at a time and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender. Add the green chillies and add the last remaining stock. Cook for 2 minutes and switch off the flame. Serve the duck kosha with Chitoi pitha or rice chapatis. 

Monday 11 December 2023

Panch meshali Sabji r Chechki


 

Now this time of the season the market is flooded with winter vegetables - it’s fresh,  vibrant and adds special flavour to the dish … and we tend to buy varieties of vegetables… and then finishing them is a task specially when we have less members in the family. 

Here is a Bengali recipe that is very easy to make, with many varieties of vegetables and this absolutely pairs up with paratha, luchi, ruti for breakfast, snacks or dinner. 

Panch meshali means medley of vegetables.. and chechki means vegetables cut in small strips and stirred fried in mustard oil, tempered with nigella seeds and seasoned with just salt, turmeric powder and little sugar (optional) and I have used little ghee and coriander leaves for garnishing 

We make Alu Kumro r chechki, alur chechki, phulkopi alur chechki, badakopir alur chechki that goes will for breakfast… 

Here in this recipe I used cauliflower/ Phool kopi, Kumro / pumpkin, Carrot/ gajar and  French beans and Potatoes… 



Ingredients 

1 big bowl of vegetables -  Carrot, Potato and Pumpkin cut into small strips, small cauliflower florets and French beans cut into half.. 

2 to 4 Green Chillies slit 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp Sugar (optional) 

1/2 tsp Ghee (optional) 

1 tbsp Mustard oil 


Method 

Take a wok, add mustard oil, once the oil heats up, reduce the flame and add nigella seeds, once the seeds crackle, add all the vegetables and green chillies, salt and turmeric powder, stir and cook on low flame, sprinkle little water once in a way, cover continue cooking until the vegetables are almost tender, add sugar and continue to cook without the lid until the vegetables are cooked completely, drizzle ghee and sprinkle coriander leaves. Serve the dish with luchi, porotha or ruti. 

Thursday 16 November 2023

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 .

Tuesday 10 October 2023

Chandrapuli


 Chandrapuli 

It’s a quintessential Bengali sweet dish made with Coconut and Mawa. The name of this sweet derived from the shape of the sweet “Chandra” means shape of the moon.. I remember during my childhood days in Kolkata, there use to be a sweet seller visiting my Aunty’s house to sell sweets required for offerings to God. One of my favourite sweet that is mostly offered to God mainly during Durga Puja and Laxmi Puja and during other pujas too and then for our pet puja as Prasad.. 
There are many ways of making this sweet. Wooden moulds are available in the market to make this sweets. I am using a clay mould which I have inherited from my mother. Here is one of the easy way you can make this sweet at home.  

Preparation time - 15 minutes 
Cooking  time - 30 minutes 
Number of Sweets made - 14 pieces 

Ingredients 
1 small Coconut grated (around 1 cup) 
1/2 cup Mawa 
1/2 cup  Milk or Coconut Milk 
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 
5 tbsp  Sugar 
1/4 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Ghee for greasing 

Method 
Add the grated coconut, mawa, salt, cardamom powder and coconut milk in a grinding jar. Grind all the ingredients into a smooth paste. 
Add the paste into a non stick pan. Cook the paste on low heat. We have to keep stirring the paste. When the paste thickens, add the sugar and continue to cook. Continue to cook and stir further on low heat until the paste starts to leave the side of the pan. To check take a very small portion of the mixture, when the mixture begins to roll easily without breaking then the paste has cooked well. Remove the paste on a plate. Grease the Chandrapuli mould, with ghee. Take small portion of the mixture while it is still warm, gently press the mixture and shape the mixture with the help of the mould. Gently demould the sweet  and keep it on a greased plate.  Repeat the same process for the remaining mixture. Keep the sweet aside for 3 to 4 hours before consuming. 
We got 14 pieces as our mould was small. 

Sunday 3 September 2023

Amara Diye Ilish Macher Tok


 Amara Diye Ilish Maacher Tak 

This is one of the recipe made Ilisha fish that is sour in taste.. the sourness is made either tamarind pulp, dried raw mango or the fruit of the season that is hog plum.. (Amara). I have added a tbsp of poppy seed paste too to enhance the taste of the curry… and to create new recipe from my kitchen with love.. Serve this curry with steamed rice. 


Ingredients 

4 slices of Hilsa / Ilish 

4 small size Hog Plum peeled 

2 Garlic cloves crushed 

3 to 4 Green chillies slit

1 Dried Red Chilli

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder 

2 tbsp Jaggery powder or Sugar

1 tbsp Poppy seeds paste 

3 tbsp Mustard oil 


Method - 

Marinate the fish with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt for 10 minutes. 

Add oil in a pan, fry the fish on both the sides until light brown in colour… or we can just use the fish without frying them. 

In the same pan, add mustard seeds and dried red chilli. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add the hog plum. Stir for a minute, add the green chillies and garlic. Stir for few seconds, add 2 cups of water, poppy seed paste, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and jaggery powder. Cover the pan and let the gravy simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on medium - low flame. Add the fish and let it simmer further for another 2 to 3 minutes. Once done serve the Hilsa curry with steamed rice. 

Monday 7 August 2023

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 

Wednesday 10 May 2023

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.

Thursday 4 May 2023

Bel er Panna

 


Bel er Panna / Stone Apple drink from Bengal.. 

There are many Stone Apple and Wood Apple Trees in Tadoba.. the fruits from the tree had fallen and we managed to get some of the wood apples and got one stone apple during the Jungle Safari.. given to us by one of the forest authority… 

Many people get confused between both the fruits… but both are totally different in texture and taste.. the wood apple is sour and the shell of the wood apple is rough, whereas the stone apple is sweet and the shell is smooth. The wood apple is used to make Chutney and Achhar.. the stone apple is use to make sweet Sharbot and Panna - summer drinks and murabba. 

The stone apple is very good for stomach and is very cooling for summers… 

Here is a recipe for the summer drink… 

Ingredients 

1 Stone Apple 

1 cup Curd

2 to 3 tbsp or more Sugar as per the sweetness 

1/2 tsp Black Salt

1 cup Water


Ingredients 

Break the stone apple into half, scoop out the pulp, take a bowl, add the pulp and a cup of water… mash the pulp well with water, remove the seeds and fibre from the pulp…. Take a blender, add the pulp, curd, sugar and black salt… blend until the sugar dissolves and all the ingredients have blended well together… the summer drink is ready.. add ice to serve or keep it in the fridge, cool the drink to enjoy… 

Monday 5 December 2022

Kodbel Makha / Wood Apple Mashed

 


Kodbel / Kotbel Makha.. / Wood Apple Mashed 
Some dishes are purely emotions.. specially when you eat them after ages… it’s nostalgic….. “shitkaler dupure… baranda ai boshe mridu rod khete khete kodbel makaha khao ar moja tai alada” (licking the Kodbel Makha with a book in other hand or enjoying the Adda in an winter afternoon in the balcony where soft sun kisses your skin is purely an emotion). I am sure many will relate with me.. 
Wood apple has a strong and a sharp aroma and it’s sour in taste.. it’s fleshy and sticky from inside.. 
It’s a cooling fruit hence helps in digestion and also has other health benefits. 
Some times we tend to get confused between Bael and Kodbel.. but both are different from each other in taste. Bael is sweet and mostly made into juice, where are Kodbel is made into makha / mash, chutney or Pickle because of its sour taste.. 
Ingredients 
1 Wood Apple cracked into half
1 Green Chilli chopped 
Few leaves of Coriander 
Salt to taste 
2 tbsp Sugar / Jaggery as per taste 
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Black salt 
1/2 tsp Roasted Red Chilli and Roasted Cumin powder 
3/4 tsp Kasundi (optional)
1 tsp Mustard Oil




Method 
Mash the green chilli and coriander together using the mortar and pestle.. then scoop out the pulp of the wood apple and continue to mash, now eventually add sugar, salt, black salt and roasted cumin and chilli powder and continue to mash.. then add kasundi and mustard oil and continue to mash until your mouth start to water and you can’t wait to lick the makha 😃

Saturday 26 November 2022

Radhuni - Jeere Bata R Shobji Diye Rui / Catla Maach er Jhol

Rahu Fish with Wild Celery -  Cumin and Vegetables 

This is a healthy dish made with Rohu fish or Catla fish , loads of Vegetables and with flavour of Wild Celery seeds.. enjoyed with hot steamed rice and lemon. Winter vegetable like radish, carrot, brinjal, onion stalk and flat beans with potato are preferably been used..  other vegetables like raw papaya, raw banana, beans, pointed gourd etc can also be used. 
This is my home style recipe where I add onions and garlic too.. we can avoid garlic and onion if we want.. tomato and ginger is used. 
Here I have made this dish for 2 people.. 




For the Wet Paste 
Ingredients 
1 medium size Tomato cut into pieces 
1 small size Onion cut into pieces 
1 small piece of Ginger 
5 to 6 medium Garlic cloves 
1 or more Green Chilli
1/2 tsp Wild Celery seeds / Radhuni 
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds or powder 
1/2 Turmeric powder 
1/4 tsp Pepper powder or 3 to 4 Pepper corn
Salt to taste 

Method 
Grind all the above ingredients into paste .



For the fish Curry 
Ingredients 
2 Rohu or Catla Fish pieces 
1 medium bowl of vegetables 
1/2 Radish cut into thick strips
1 small Carrot cut into thick strips 
1 medium size Potato cut into wedges 
1 long small size Brinjal cut into thick strips 
1 Onion Stalk cut into an inch length 
4 to 5 Falt beans cut into 2 halves 
1 or 2 Green chillies silt
1/2 tsp Panch Phoron 
Salt and little Turmeric powder for the fish
Wet paste 
4 tbsp Mustard oil 

Method 
Take 2 tbsp oil in a wok, heat the oil up, fry the fish with little turmeric and salt until brown in colour, remove and keep it aside. 
Add the remaining oil, once the oil heats up add the Panch phoran, let it crackle, add the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes, add the paste.. stir and cook the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, cover and cook the vegetables until soft. Add the fish and let it cook for another 1 minute. Serve the dish hot with hot steamed rice and preferably Gandharaj lemon…. 

Wednesday 16 November 2022

Mulo Saag, Sabji ar Chingri Macher Matha Diye Chachra

 

This recipe is shared by one of our “Annapurna”… yes I would call her Annapurna.. they are the actual people in most of our houses for whom we are blessed. They are always behind the scene.
She is the lady for whom we enjoy all the traditional meals each day in my brother’s house.. for the last 6 years.. 



Unfortunately as my brother has to move on to a different city.. so we will miss her immensely.. before departing, I had requested her to share one of the traditional Bengali recipe. She was so happy to share the following recipe - 
As winter is almost in, now a days the market is flooded with winter vegetables like flat beans, radish, radish leaves, brinjal, cauliflower, carrots etc. we got some vegetables from Market 1, C.R. park market as we get many vegetables that are used in Bengali dishes.. and got some prawns and other fishes too.. 
We used the prawns head for this dish… we can used fish offal like fish oil or small fishes or fish head to prepare this dish… 

Ingredients 
2 bunches of Radish leaves cut into medium - small pieces 
Incase Cauliflower stems are available then the stems of the cauliflower can be cut into medium - small pieces 
1 Long Brinjal cut into medium long pieces 
1 medium size Radish cut into medium long pieces 
1 Big size Potato cut into wedges 
Few Flat Beans cut into 2 halves 
2 to 3 Green Chillies slit 
Few Prawn heads cleaned, washed and marinated with salt and turmeric 
1 tbsp Poppy seeds ground into paste 
Salt to taste 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp Chilli powder 
1/2 tsp Sugar 
3/4 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder 
1/2 tsp Panch phoran 
4 tbsp Mustard Oil



Method 
Blanch the Cauliflower stems and Radish leaves in hot water for few minutes. Drain the water out and keep it aside. 
Take a wok, add 2 tbsp oil, let it heat up. Lower the flame, to medium flame, add panch phoran, let the panch phoran crackle. Add the cut vegetables (flat beans, potato, radish and brinjal and cauliflower stems ), sauté the vegetables, cover the wok, stir occasionally and cook  for 5 to 7 minutes,  Add the radish leaves, stir occasionally, cover the wok and continue to cook for another 3 minutes until water releases from the leafy vegetable, add salt, turmeric powder. Stir, cover and continue to cook for another minute, add the chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Stir, cover and continue to cook. In another pan add 2 tbsp Mustard oil. Let the oil heat up, lower the heat, add the marinated prawns head and fry it until brown.  Add the green chillies and sugar into the vegetables, continue cooking until the vegetables are almost tender. Add the fried prawn heads into the cooked vegetables and add 1/4 cup hot water. Cover the wok and cook until the water has dried up and the vegetables are soft. Add the poppy seed paste, stir, cover and cook for another minute. Open the cover stir, and drizzle 1/2 tsp mustard oil, stir and transfer into serving bowl.. and enjoy with hot rice. 


Tuesday 5 July 2022

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 

Friday 20 May 2022

Aamer Bhapa Sandwich Sandesh


For a Bengali the day begins with sweets and ends with sweets… with every meal a piece of sweet is required and  “shesh pate misti chai”… at the end of the meal, a piece of sweet is savoured. But now the times have changed… eating sweets everyday doesn’t happen any more…  only on occasions… There are many types of sweets people enjoy… Sandesh is one of them… 

Sandesh is a type of sweet made with Channa / Paneer, that has originated in Bengal… and it’s the popular sweet of Bengal. Varieties of Sandesh are available at the mistano bhandar / sweet shops…. Rose Sandesh, kacha gola, jol bhora, kodapak, chocolate sandesh, malai sandesh etc. 
Here we will make Sandesh with Mango.. 
Summer means Mangoes in any form… be it icecream, barfi, laddu or Sandesh… 
Here we have taken full cream milk and have curdled the milk… to make the chana… at home…full cream paneer from the milk dairy  can be also used. The middle layer of the Sandesh is homemade mango Jam… and fresh homemade mango pulp is used on the top layer.. 
Condensed milk should be used less as we will also use mango jam… that will make the sandesh sweet. 
The end result will be delicious creamy  Sandesh with mango.. 


Ingredients 
250 grams or a cup of homemade Channa / paneer 
1/4 cup or as per the sweetness required Condensed Milk 
1/2 packet of  Amul Fresh Cream 
4 tbsp of Mango Jam
2 tbsp Mango pulp 
1/4 tsp of Ghee

Method 

Take a blender, add the paneer, condensed milk and cream. Blend the ingredients into a smooth paste, the paste should be of thick dropping consistency. Take a steel container, grease the container with ghee. Take half portion of the paste and spread the paste with the help of a spoon. Close the lid of the container and steam the container for 10 minutes. Once cool remove the container and open the lid. Now spread the jam on the first layer of the sandesh. Add the remaining paste over the jam and gently spread the paste.. add  blobs of  mango pulp on top of the paste.. with a help of a toothpick or a stick, spread the mango pulp. Close the lid and steam the sandesh for 20 to 25 minutes. Switch off the flame and cool the container, open the container and check. Keep the container in the fridge for an hour, to remove the sandesh from the container, slightly warm the base of the container, take a knife and run around the sides, cover the container with a plate, turn the plate, tap the container 2 to 3 times, the sandesh will be on the plate, take another plate and turn the sandesh, so that the top part of the sandesh will be on the top, cut the sandesh into square pieces.. enjoy  

 

Sunday 27 March 2022

Mutton Curry / Mangshor Gravy



In earlier days, in most of the Bengali households, Sunday meals were always mutton curry … Mangshor Jhol and rice… I am sure many houses still makes it… but somehow due to the health reasons, nowadays we rarely have red meat at home… today after a long time made mutton curry, a bit different from the regular mangshor jhol… I added the marination as per my mood… marinated the mutton and slow cooked it… 


For Marination 

Ingredients 

500 grams Mutton pieces 

1 big size Onion sliced 

3 tbsp Onion Birista 

5 Garlic cloves 

1 small piece of Ginger 

1 Green chilli

1/2 cup Hung Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

1/2 Fennel seed powder 

3/4 tsp Garam Masala powder ( ground cloves, cinnamon and green cardamon)

1 tsp Chilli powder 

4 to 5 Almonds soaked in water and peeled 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil


Method 

Grind the birista, garlic, ginger, green chilli  and almonds with very little water into a paste. Take a bowl, add mutton, salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, fennel seed powder, hung curd, ground paste, sliced onion and mustard oil, mix all the ingredients together, cover and keep it aside for 3 to 4 hours. 


For the Mutton Curry 

Ingredients 

Marinate Mutton 

2 Cloves 

2 Green Cardamom

1 small piece of Cinnamon 

Few Pepper corns

1 Bay leaves 

1/4 cup Mustard Oil

1 tsp Ghee

Salt if required 

1 tsp Sugar

1 big or more cup of Hot Water 


Method 

Take a wok, add mustard oil, let the oil heat up, lower the flame and add the ghee, add sugar,  bay leaves, cloves, green cardamom, pepper corn and cinnamon. Let it crackle, add the marinate mutton, on medium  low flame, cover and cook the mutton and keep adding little hot water stir the mutton occasionally until the mutton is cooked. Add more water as required for the gravy, simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and switch off the flame, serve with rice, roti, paratha etc. 


#muttoncurry #indiancuisine #foodie #foodpic #foodlove #foody #cookingathome #foodlover #foodphoto #yummy #foodcoma #foodpassion #recipe #tasty #recipeoftheday #foodblog

Thursday 26 August 2021

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. 

Wednesday 11 August 2021

Taler Bora / Sugar Palm Fritters

 


Taler Boras are very popular in Bengal during this month, specially during Janmashtami as it’s supposed to be favourite of Shree Krishna. Ripe sugar plum pulp is extracted and made into various types of traditional sweets like Taler bora, Taler luchi or pitha. The golden pulp of the sugar palm, wheat flour, all purpose flour, semolina or rice flour, sugar, salt and grated coconut is used to make the batter, which is then dip fried to make fritters.  Some people add mashed bananas into the batter. This can be enjoyed as snacks, but it’s so delicious  that you can’t stop eating until it’s over. 


Ingredients 

1 Sugar Palm

1/2 cup Wheat Flour 

1/2 cup Rice Flour 

1/4 cup Grated Coconut 

1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt 

Oil for frying 


Method 

Take a bowl, add wheat flour, rice flour, salt and sugar. Add the sugar palm as required to make a thick batter, whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the coconut, stir and mix the batter well. Rest the batter for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok, drop small portions of the batter into the oil. Fry the fritters until golden brown in colour. Remove the fritters on a paper towel. Enjoy. 

Friday 6 August 2021

Ilish Macher Mathar Bhorta / Ilish fish Head Bhorta

 

This time my travel to Delhi was a bliss, as we could enjoy Hilsa to the fullest. My sister in law’s cook, belongs to a village in Sundarbans, where the Bangladesh border is very close by.  They make Bhorta with fish head at their home. This recipe has been shared by her.. 

We at home normally make Ilish head with malbar spinach / Pui Saag and vegetables or with kotchur loti / Taro Stolon or with Laau Saag / Bottle Gourd stem or with Cabbage etc. We as urban inhabitants don’t know many rustic dishes that are cooked in the villages. 

 It’s so scrumptious that just one plate of rice is required to finish the meal. 


Ingredients 

2 Hilsa fish head cut into 2 halves 

1 Big Onion sliced 

2 to 3 Garlic Cloves 

2 Green Chillies chopped as per your ability to eat spices 

Handful of Coriander Leaves chopped 

2  Dried Red Chillies 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

Mustard Oil to fry the fish 


Method 

Apply some salt and turmeric powder to the fish head. Take a wok, add and heat up the mustard oil. Add the fish head and fry the fish head until golden brown in colour from both the sides. The fish head has to be crispy fried. Remove the fish head and keep it aside. Reduce the oil and keep only 1 tbsp of mustard oil in the wok. Add the nigella seeds and dry red chillies, once the nigella seeds crackles and the red dry chillies are roasted well, remove the dry red chillies and keep it aside.  In the same wok add the onions and the garlic. Meanwhile once the red chillies have cooled down, crushed them. Sauté the onions until golden brown in colour. Once done, remove the Onions and garlic in a bowl,  add the crushed red chillies, chopped green chilli, coriander leaves and salt in the bowl, mix all the ingredients well. Take a mortar and pestle, add the fried head and crush them well into a paste. I have used a grinder to grind the fish head. Add the ground fish into the bowl, take out the thorns as much as you can, now mix all the ingredients very well with hand. Serve this dish with rice. It’s best eaten during lunch. 


Thursday 1 July 2021

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. 

Saturday 5 December 2020

Steamed Orange Cup Sandesh infused with Orange Jam




Since Oranges are rich in Vitamin C and very good for keeping  the cold away in the winters... here is a healthy Bengali sweet dish fusion with oranges and cottage cheese.. to celebrate any moment of your day. Sandesh is a Bengali sweet dish made from cottage cheese... to which I have added home made Orange Jam to enhance the flavour of the orange. 


Ingredients 

5 medium size Oranges cut into halves

250 grams Paneer / Cottage Cheese / Chenna

1/2  cup Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1/3 cup Condense Milk 

Method 

- Using a citrus juicer, remove the juice from the oranges, without damaging the orange peel cups.. incase citrus juicer is not available, then remove the orange segments from the orange peel cups and press the segments through a strainer to procure the juice, discard the seeds.. we should get around 2 cups of orange juice. Gently remove the orange pith from the orange cups. Blanch the orange cups in hot water to remove the bitterness from the skin. 

- Take a pot, add a cup of orange juice, sugar and salt, let the juice reduce on a low flame, stirring it occasionally until the juice reduces and thickens. Switch off the flame. Keep it aside. Once cool, the orange jam will thicken further. 

- Take a blender, add the cottage cheese, condensed milk and the remaining cup of orange juice. Blend all the ingredients together into a smooth paste in a blender. 

- Take a steamer, add water into the steamer, set the steamer plate,  arrange the orange peel cups on the plate. Pour the liquid into the orange cups. Add a tsp of the orange jam into each of the orange cups. Steam the orange cups sandesh for 15 minutes. 

- Remove the steamed orange cup sandesh from the steamer the steamer and cool them a bit, then cool the orange cup sandesh in the fridge, before serving  garnish the orange cups with orange jam, dried orange peel and some mint leaves.

-  This portion gives 10 Steamed Orange Cup Sandesh. 

#dessert #bengalicuisine #cottagecheese #orange #innovativecooking #delicious #yummy #foodphotography #foodie #recipepost #cookingwithlove #homechef #foodoftheday #recipeoftheday