Bengali Chicken Stew

 

The most easy recipe and comfort food, that we most of us in Bengali household must have had as kids on a regular basis and even after growing up we enjoy having it with hot steamed rice..... specially in winters when we get varieties of fresh vegetables in the market and its also made on the days when someone in the family is unwell. It’s made with loads of vegetables like cauliflower, green peas, beans, carrot, potatoes, raw papaya, tomato, onion, ginger, garlic and chicken. We can replace oil with ghee.. then butter is not required. 

Ingredients 

500 grams Chicken pieces 

Few medium size Cauliflower florets 

1 medium size  Potato cut into cubes

1 medium size Onion sliced 

1 medium size Tomato chopped 

1 medium size Carrot cut into pieces 

Few cubes of Raw Papaya 

6 to 8 French Beans cut into pieces (Didn’t have)

Few Green Peas (Didn’t have)

2 Green Chillies (Optional)

4 Garlic crushed 

1/2  tsp Ginger paste 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tsp Sugar 

2 Bay leaves 

2 Cloves crushed 

2 Green Cardamom crushed 

4 Pepper corn crushed 

1 small Cinnamon crushed 

2 Cups Water 

2 tbsp Oil or Ghee 

1 tsp Butter (Optional)

Method 

Take a pressure cooker,  add oil, once the oil is hot, add the whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper corn), bay leaves, ginger and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds, add the chicken pieces and sauté until it changes its colour. Add the vegetables, stir for few seconds. Add the sugar, salt and pepper powder. Stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 cups of water, stir and pressure cook until 3 whistles. Let the pressure release. Open the cooker and add the butter. Serve the stew with steamed rice. 

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. 

Daab Chingri

This dish is one of the delicacy of Bengal.... The Prawns are cooked in the coconut shell. It’s generally made on occasions. The ingredients used in this recipe are almost same as prawn paturi or prawn bhappa... only difference here is, the coconut water and the coconut meat are added in this recipe and the cooked prawn gravy is filled into the coconut shell and grilled in the oven. 

There are different ways of making it.. many people add onion paste and  ginger paste while cooking the gravy... but I haven’t added these ingredients... Many a times after grinding the mustard, the dish taste bitter, to avoid bitterness, please strain the mustard paste. If you don’t have oven, it can be made in the pressure cooker. 

Ingredients 

500 grams big size Prawns, cleaned and deveined 

4 Green Chillies slit

1 Garlic clove

3 tbsp Tender Coconut Meat (Malai)

3 tbsp Mustard seeds 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 cup Coconut Water

3 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a grinder and add coconut meat, 2 green chillies, garlic, mustard seeds, salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 3/4 cup coconut water to make a fine paste. Take a strainer and strain the paste and add remaining coconut water into the paste. Take a wok, add mustard oil and let it heat up. Meanwhile add salt and remaining turmeric powder on prawns and mix the ingredients together. Add the prawns into the hot oil, let the prawns cook until it changes its colour, add the remaining 2 green chillies and continue to cook for few seconds, pour the paste and continue to cook for a minute. Switch off the flame, take the coconut shell, add the cooked prawn gravy into the coconut shell, cover the top part of the coconut shell with foil, grill the daab chingri at 180 degrees celsius for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven. Once done let the coconut shell cool down a bit in the oven, remove the coconut shell from the oven, remove the foil and serve the daab chingri with steamed rice. 

Incase Otg is not available, the coconut shell can be steamed in the pressure until 2 whistles. 

Pomfret Macher Tel Jhal

This is a quick and easy Bengali recipe to go with steamed rice. This dish is one of our family’s favourite dish, my mother use to make it. It’s supposed to be bit spicy and tangy.

Ingredients 

1 big size Pomfret cut, sliced and cleaned 

1 medium size Tomato chopped 

2 to 3 Green Chillies slit

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds 

Salt to taste 

3/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 cup Mustard Oil to fry the fish

Few drops of Mustard Oil to drizzle  

Method 

Take the sliced pomfret pieces, apply 1/2 tsp turmeric and salt, heat the oil and fry the fish slices until brown in colour. Remove the fried fish pieces, keep it aside. Remove the excess oil and keep around 2 tbsp oil in the wok. Add the nigella seeds and green chillies. Sauté the nigella seeds for few seconds. Add the chopped tomato, salt and remaining turmeric powder. Stir and cook until the chopped tomato is mushy. Add a cup of water and let the gravy simmer. Add the fish pieces and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Switch off the flame, sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and drizzle little mustard oil over the gravy. Serve this dish with steamed rice. 

 

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. 

Misti Aloor Pata R Chingri Macher Mathar Chorchori

This is a very traditional Bengali recipe that’s cooked only at home and not commonly found in restaurants... we had grown sweet potato in our balcony pot... after 4 months we got some sweet potatoes and sweet potato leaves... I was extremely happy... 

Prawn head Chorchori is made normally with Malabar spinach, potatoes, sweet potato. brinjal and pumpkin with fish head or prawns or small fish but since I got sweet potato leaves, I made the dish with this leaves and sweet potato... some brinjal too can be added to this dish. Fish can be avoided and can be made only vegetarian. Only turmeric, salt and Mustard oil is used to cook this dish along with some garlic, onion and green chillies. 

A plate of steamed rice and this dish is enough to satisfy our souls... this dish will taste more delicious if eaten on the next day... 

Ingredients 

1 big bowl of Sweet Potato leaves washed and cut into pieces 

1 big Sweet Potato washed and peeled 

1 big size Onion sliced 

5 to 6 Garlic cloves crushed 

4 to 6 Green Chillies slit 

1 bowl of Prawn head / after cleaning one kg of prawns or any small fish cleaned and marinated with 1/2 tsp turmeric and Salt. 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

4 tbsp  + 1 tsp Fortune Mustard Oil

Method 

Cut the sweet potato into medium thin strips.. in Bengali we say Shoru kore kata... it was fun to use the boti after a long time. 

Take a wok, preferably a iron wok... I used steel wok as I was cooking on induction-stove. Add 3 tbsp Mustard oil. Let the mustard oil heat up. Fry the marinated prawn heads until crispy. Remove and keep it aside. Add 1 tbsp of Mustard oil into the same wok. Add sliced onion, garlic and green chillies together. Stir fry the onion until soft and translucent. Add the sweet potato. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the salt and turmeric. Stir and add 1/2 cup of water. Stir and let it simmer for a minute. Add the sweet potato leaves. Cover and continue to cook until the water has reduced and the vegetables are  almost cooked. Open the lid and gently stir the vegetables. Add the prawn heads and stir it gently. Cover and cook for another 1 minutes. Open the lid and the stir it gently. Switch off the induction. Before serving drizzle mustard oil. Serve the dish with steamed rice. 

Macher Chop / Fish Chop

This is a popular dish of Bengal. It’s served during occasions / celebrations as starter or with evening tea / cha, when the family and friends comes together for an informal meeting / adda which is a quintessential part of Bengal. 

Macher chop is made with any big size fish like Rahu, Katla, Bhetki, Aar mach etc. the fish is boiled with salt and turmeric, deboned and mashed. Boiled potato is used for binding the mixture. Fish and the potato are cooked with spices and a lemon size portion of the mixture is taken, it’s given an oval shape, dipped in egg and coated with bread crumbs. It’s then fried until golden brown in colour. It’s served with mustard dip / Kasundi and tomato ketchup along with some sliced cucumber and onion. 

Ingredients 

250 grams Rahu or Katla or Bhetki or any big fish with less bones.. boiled with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Debone the fish and mashed 

1 big size Potato boiled and mashed 

1 medium size Onion chopped 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

1 tsp chopped Coriander leaves - optional 

1/2 tsp Ginger paste 

3/4 tsp Garlic paste 

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Chilli powder 

3/4 tsp Cumin powder 

3/4 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/4 tsp Chaat Masala 

1 Egg beaten with little salt

3/4 to a cup of Bread crumbs 

1 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Oil for frying

Method 

Take a pan, add mustard oil, add the cumin seeds, let it crackle. Add the onion, chopped greeen chillies, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and sugar. Stir and sauté the ingredients for 2 minutes or until the onions become soft and translucent. 

Add the mashed fish, mashed potato, chilli powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Stir and cook the ingredients on low medium flame until all the ingredients bind together. We can add 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves - (optional). 

Take a small portion of the mixture, roll and check if it’s forming a ball. Remove the mixture from the flame and allow it to cool. 

Take 1/2 of the bread crumbs on a plate. 

Take lemon size portion from the fish mixture. Give it a oval shape, repeat the process. Now take a oval shape chop and dip it into the beaten egg, remove and coat the chop with the bread crumbs. Once when one round of coating is done, repeat the process of coating the chops with egg and bread crumbs again for the second time. Take oil in a kadai / wok. Let the oil heat up, on a low flame fry the chops until golden brown. Once the chops are fried, remove the chops on the paper towel. Sprinkle the Chaat masala on the chops. Serve the chops with cucumber, onion, mustard dip / Kasundi and tomato ketchup.

Amer Jhal Aachar

This is a spicy raw mango pickle from Bengal. It’s made without cooking, The pickle is with wet paste,  dry spice powder and mustard oil. This pickle can be eaten by rice dal, paratha or luchi.

Wet Paste

Ingredients 

3 tbsp Mustard seeds

10 Green Chillies

2 inches of Ginger cut into pieces 

1/2 cup Vinegar 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a paste.

Dry Spice Powder 

Ingredients 

2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tsp Coriander seeds 

2 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Nigella seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

5 Dry Red Chillies

Method 

Dry roast all the ingredients, cool it and grind the ingredients into a powder. 

Jhal Achaar 

Ingredients 

1 kg Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size pieces 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder 

2 tbsp grated Jaggery 

Wet paste

Dry spice powder 

1/2 tsp Dry Roasted Panch Phoran 

3 to 4 Roasted Dry Red Chillies 

Mustard Oil enough to soak the mango pieces

Method 

Take the mango pieces, add the turmeric and salt. Spread the mango pieces on a cloth and sun dry it for 3 to 4 hours. Heat the mustard oil and cool  the mustard oil down. Take the mango pieces in a bowl, add the salt, chilli powder, dry spice powder, jaggery and wet paste. Mix all the ingredients together very well. Add the mustard oil and transfer the pickle in a clean glass jar. Add the dry roasted panch phoran and roasted dry chillies. Keep it in the sun for few day. Keep a check, if required add more salt. Once ready the mangoes will become soft in oil. 

Aam Tel

This is a mango and spiced flavoured oil, that is used in Bengali Cuisine. This oil is used for mashes vegetables that we call bhate or used to flavour puffed rice that is eaten for snack.

Spice Powder

Ingredients 
1 tsp Panch Phoran
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Coriander seeds
2 Red Dry Chillies 

Method
Roast all the ingredients together and let it cool, dry grind the ingredients into powder.

 Aam Tel

Ingredients 
1 medium size Raw Mango washed, dried and cut into medium size cubes.
1/2 tsp Panch Phoran Roasted
4 Whole Red Dry Chillies Roasted
Dry spice powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 cup Mustard oil, heated and cooled down

Method
Take the mango pieces, add turmeric and 1 tsp salt, rub the mangoes well, spread the mango pieces on a clean cloth and dry it for 2 to 4 hours under the sun. Take all the ingredients and the mango pieces in a bottle. Keep it in the sun for few day. It’s ready to be used.

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. 

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.

Crispy Fritters made with home grown Spinach and Pumpkin flowers...

When you have vegetables growing in your small balcony, it’s happiness to eat your home grown vegetables. You can feel the freshness and taste of the vegetables. Here is a snack or a side dish recipe made with pumpkin flowers and spinach that had grown in our place. Fritter is crispy and delicious snack that can be made with different vegetables that are dipped in chickpea and rice flour batter. It is then deep fried until crispy and golden brown in colour.

Ingredients
10 to 12 small size Spinach leaves
10 to 12 Pumpkin flowers
6 tbsp Chickpea Flour
3 to 4 tbsp Rice Flour
1 Green Chilli finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Nigella seeds
1/2 tsp Poppy Seeds
Water as required
Oil to fry

Method
Take a bowl, add chickpea flour, rice flour, salt to taste, turmeric powder, nigella seeds, poppy seeds and green chilli. Mix the ingredients well. Add little water at a time and mix the ingredients into a batter. It should be semi - thick dropping consistency. Keep it aside for 5 minutes, meanwhile heat up the oil in a wok. Dip the pumpkin flower or spinach one at a time and fry them on a low medium heat until crispy and golden brown in colour. Remove the fritters on a paper towel and serve it hot.

Kumro Pata Diya Chana Bhapa / Steamed Paneer with Pumpkin Leaves

Steamed Paneer is a Bengali vegetarian side dish. I have added pumpkin leaves, as pumpkin leaves are good for our health and when it grows in my balcony, then definitely it is good to use it in the dish. I have used homemade Aam Kasundi, but you can use mustard and any pickle masala oil incase Kasundi is not available.This dish is normally eaten during lunch. Serve this dish with hot steamed rice. 

For the Wet Paste 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup Fresh Grated Coconut 

2 tbsp Aam Kasundi or use 1 tbsp Mustard seeds and 1 tbsp any pickle masala oil 

2 Green Chillies  

2 to 3 Garlic cloves 

3 tbsp Hung Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a fine paste. 

To make the Steamed Paneer 

Ingredients 

250 grams Paneer cut into small pieces 

10 Pumpkin leaves chopped 

4 to 5 Green Chillies slit into half and then cut into pieces 

Wet Paste 

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

A big piece of Banana Leaf - optional 

Method 

Take a bowl, add all the ingredients in the bowl, mix all the ingredients together and keep it aside for an hour. Take a container with a lid. Lay the banana leaves at the base of the container, it’s optional. Add the marinated paneer into the container. Close the lid. Take a steamer, add water into the steamer. Keep the container into the steamer. Steam the paneer for 20 minutes. Once done, enjoy this dish with hot steamed rice. 

Kheer Kamala / Kamala Lebur Kheer

This is a seasonal sweet dish from Bengal. It’s made with oranges. When the oranges are added to the reduced milk... it takes the dish to a different level. As this being my favourite sweet dish, after marriage when ever I visited my Ma during the orange season, she would make this dish along with alur dom and luchi or korisutir Kochuri. Ma Ke haat ka khana can never be forgotten. 

This dish is easy to make with only 3 ingredients, it taste heavenly.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 litres Milk

3 Oranges 

1/2 cup Sugar or more as per required 

Method:

Heat the milk in a thick-bottomed pan till it comes to a boil. Reduce the flame, and allow the milk to simmer, stir the milk occasionally until the milk reduces to half the quantity. Add the sugar and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more. Keep the milk aside. 

Meanwhile peel the orange, separate out the orange segments. Remove the skin, seeds and the fibres from the orange segments. Cut them into  small pieces. 

Once the reduced milk cools down, then add the chopped orange segments and pulp to the milk and mix it. Refrigerate the kheer. Server it cold.

Baked Chingri Begun

This is a side dish made with prawns and brinjal. Though the wet paste made with mustard seeds and other ingredients are commonly used in Bengali dishes to make Jhal, Paturi, Bhapa etc, and even brinjal is a common ingredient used along with fish to make curry, here I have tried out the recipe in a bit different way... 

This dish can be made with other small fishes. 

You can serve this dish with steamed rice.

Ingredients 

1 medium size Bharta Baigan / Brinjal 

10 to 12 medium size  Prawns cleaned and deveined
1 small Onion or 1/4 part of the Onion

4 to 5 Garlic Cloves 

4 to 6 Green Chillies as per the spiciness you require 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut  

1 1/2 tbsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Poppy seeds

1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

2 tbsp + 1 tsp Mustard Oil 

2 tbsp Curd (Optional)

Method 

Take the brinjal, cut the brinjal from the center horizontally leaving the end tail part of the brinjal intact. Scoop out the inner part of the brinjal on both the sides. Keep it aside. Now chop the scooped flesh of the brinjal and keep it aside. Take a grinder, add the onion, green chillies, garlic, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, coconut, turmeric powder and salt. Add little water and 2 tbsp of curd (optional), make a smooth paste. Rub little salt on the inner and outer parts of the brinjal.  Take a bowl, add the prawn, chopped brinjal flesh, coriander leaves, 2 tbsp mustard oil and the paste. Mix all the ingredients together. Now stuff the prawn stuffing on one side of scooped brinjal. Cover it with the other side of the brinjal. Tie up the brinjal with a thread. Keep the stuffed brinjal in the refrigerator for an hour, Remove the brinjal from the fridge.  Place the brinjal into a baking tray, pour the remaining mustard oil, and apply the oil on the brinjal. To bake, you can either bake it in a preheated OTG at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the brinjal after 10 minutes to cook it evenly or to bake it on a gas stove, take a wok, place a pressure cooker stand into the wok, cover the the wok for 5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid, place the tray on the cooker stand. Cover the lid and bake for 10 minutes on medium low flame, after 10 minutes turn the side then continue to cook for another 20 minutes with the lid covered. Remove the baking tray from the wok. Remove the thread, place the brinjal on a serving plate and open one side of the brinjal. Pour in the liquid of the baked brinjal and prawns. Garnish with coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve the dish with hot steaming rice.

Pork ar Tomato r Acchar

Pickle making is my passion, I love to develop new pickle recipes,  specially when it comes to non veg pickles adding up with vegetables...This is a Bengali style meat and tomato pickle. You can use any meat, here I have used pork. 

For the Masala

Ingredients 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Coriander seeds 

1 tbsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

25 Garlic Cloves 

2 to 3 small piece of Ginger 

10 to 15 Green Chillies depending upon the spiciness you require

Method 

Take a grinder, add the dry ingredients and coarsely grind into a powder. Keep it aside. 

Now grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies into a coarse paste without adding any water, keep it aside. 

Pork and Tomato Acchar 

Ingredients 

250 grams Pork meat + 125 pork fat cut into small pieces 

375 grams Ripe Tomato chopped into small cubes 

Dry Masala powder 

Wet Masala

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1 1/2 tsp Sugar 

1/2 tsp Panch Phoran 

1/2 cup Vinegar 

1/4 cup + 1/4 cup Mustard oil

Method 

Take a strainer, add the pork pieces along with the pork fat in the strainer, sprinkle and apply salt on the pork, keep it aside for an hour or two for draining out the extra water. Pour 1/4 cup mustard oil in a heavy bottom pan. Let it heat up, add the pork pieces and fry the pork until golden in colour on a low medium flame. Remove and keep it aside. In the same pan, add the panch phoran, sauté for few seconds. Add the wet paste. Add the remaining mustard oil. Sauté and cook the paste on a low flame until the oil separates from the masala. Now add the tomato pieces. Sauté and cook the tomatoes until the tomatoes have become pulpy and the oil has separated from the tomatoes. Add the pork, continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add the dry masala, salt, sugar, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the flame and add 1/4 cup of vinegar, stir and then add the remaining vinegar and stir, let the pickle cool down completely. Store the pickle in a dry glass container. This pickle can be preserved for 2 to 3 months in the refrigerator. 

Beetroot er Sandesh

May this Bijoya Dashami light up for you, the hopes of happiness, peace and prosperity !

Bijoya Dashami marks the end of Durga Puja. It is  celebrated differently across India. It’s the celebration of good over evil. In Bengal it is celebrated after the MA Durga idol is immersed. Young seeks blessings from the elders and share sweets. Men embrace (Kola - Kuli) each other, to wish Subho Bijoya. 

Beetrooter Sandesh 

This is a healthy sweet dish to be shared during Bijoya with your loved ones. 

Ingredients 

1 small Beetroot boiled and puréed 

1 cup Chana / Cottage cheese mashed 

2 to 3 tbsp Date Jaggery 

Ghee to apply on the sandesh mould

Method 

Take a pan, add the beetroot puree, on a low flame stir and cook the purée for a minute. Add the chana and continue to cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture has dried up a bit. Add the jaggery and continue to cook until it forms into a lump, and yet it is soft. Switch off the flame. Take the sandesh out on a plate. Let it cool down. Mix the sandesh dough well. Take the mould, apply ghee.  Take a small portion of the sandesh and shape up the sandesh with help of the mould. Remove the sandesh from the mould and serve. 

Home style Chicken Biryani made in Pressure Cooker

This is one of the way I make Chicken Biryani at home. A quick easy way to enjoy, when you crave for home cooked Chicken Biryani. This is a Bengali style Chicken Biryani.

Chicken Marination 

Ingredients 

750 grams Chicken pieces cleaned and washed 

1 small Onion paste 

3 to 4 Green Chilli paste

8 medium size Garlic Cloves paste

1 small piece of Ginger paste 

1 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp Bengali Garam Masala powder

( 3 Green Cardamom, 3 Cloves and 1 medium size Cinnamon stick ground into powder)

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tsp Red Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup Curd

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Mix onion, garlic, ginger and chilli paste together. Take a bowl, added a curd, ground paste, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and mustard oil. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the chicken pieces and marinate the chicken for minimum one hour. 

To cook the Rice 

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup of Basmati Rice washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes 

4 cups of Water

Salt to taste 

6 Pepper Corn

3 Cloves 

3 Green Cardamom 

1 small stick Cinnamon 

2 Bay leaves 

Method 

Take a pot, add water, salt, whole Garam masala and bay leaves. Let the water boil. Add the soaked rice. Let the the rice cook till it’s 50 percent done. Strain the water and leave the rice in the strainer. 

To make the Chicken Dum Biryani 

Ingredients 

Marinated Chicken 

Half cooked Rice 

2 big size Potatoes cut into big chunks 

1 medium size Onion sliced 

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

2 tbsp Biriyani Masala 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk

2 Pinch of Saffron 

1 tsp Kewra water

2 to 3 Drops of Mitha Attar

1/2 cup Mustard Oil

3 tbsp Melted Ghee 

Method 

Add the saffron into the milk and keep it aside. Take a pressure cooker, add oil. Let the oil heat. Rub salt on the potato chunks. Add the potatoes into the oil, add turmeric powder. Fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. Add the onion and stir fry on low flame until golden brown in colour. Remove half the fried onion and keep it aside. In the same oil, add the marinated chicken. Stir occasionally and cook the chicken for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add the Biriyani masala. Stir and cook for another minute. Add 1 cup of water. Let the chicken simmer for 5 minutes. Switch of the flame. Add the rice and spread the rice well. Drizzle the saffron milk on the rice. Drizzle the ghee. Sprinkle the fried onion and coriander leaves. Drizzle the kewra water and mitha attar. Put the cooker lid on. On a very low flame, let the Biriyani cook on Dum for 15 minutes , switch off the flame just before the first whistle. Let the pressure release. Open the lid and serve the Chicken Dum Biryani with mint Raita or any raita of your choice.