Asian Style Steamed Pomfrets in Banana Leaves

This steamed pomfrets are healthy as no oil is added to the dish. I have used Asian herbs and spices for the paste. It gives a strong flavour and aroma to the dish. Serve this dish with hot steamed rice. 

For the Paste

Ingredients 

• 1 small Onion cut into pieces 
• 1 small piece of Ginger 
• 6 Garlic Cloves 
• 2 Red Dried Chillies 
• 2 Fresh Red Chillies or 1 tbsp Pickled Chillies 
• 1/4 cup Coriander Leaves chopped 
• 2 Lime Leaves 
• 1 Lemongrass stalk
• 1 tsp Shrimp paste
• Salt to taste 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a paste.

For the Steamed Pomfrets 

Ingredients 

• 2 Whole Pomfrets cleaned, slit and marinated with salt 
• Ground paste
• 2 Banana Leaves cut into medium size pieces and washed
• String 

Method 

Apply the paste on the Pomfrets. Let it marinate for 30 minutes. Take 2 to 3 pieces of the banana leaves and arrange them. Place the pomfret along with the marination on the banana leaves and wrap the banana leaves from all the sides. Tie it with a string. Take a steamer. Place the packed pomfrets into the steamer and steam the pomfrets for 20 minutes. Before eating cut open the strings, open up the banana leaves and serve it hot with steamed rice. 

Chatpata Murgh

This a very easy dish to make. It can be made in many ways. Here is my style of making this dish. This dish is a dry dish and can be served with paratha or roti and salad. I have used coriander stem paste as it gives out a strong flavour of the coriander. You can use any spice masala instead of the curry powder. 

Ingredients 

8 Chicken Legs

1 Onion coarsely ground

3 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Chilli paste ( 1 small piece of ginger, 6 garlic cloves and 4 green chillies)

2 tbsp Coriander stem paste 

Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing 

4 tbsp Curd 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 tbsp Curry powder 

1/2 cup Mustard Oil 

Method 

Add salt, turmeric powder, curry powder, ginger - garlic - chilli paste, coriander stem paste, curd and 2 tbsp of oil to the chicken legs. Rub the ingredients well to the chicken legs. Let it marinate for 2 to 5 hours. Take a wok, add the remaining oil and let it heat. Add the marinated chicken legs. Stir, cover and let it slow cook until the chicken legs are tender. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve it with paratha or roti and salad. 

Sticky Pork Belly

This piece of pork belly had been in my freezer for some time now. Even though I love pork, but I  don't cook it frequently in my house. I wanted to make crispy pork belly, but I found that the recipe was a bit lengthy, since my husband wanted to have fried rice, I thought this easy recipe was ideal to go with the fried rice. 

Pork belly is very popular and it’s a delicacy in many parts of the world. 

Here I have cooked Chinese style Sticky Pork Belly using star anise.  It’s very easy to make and extremely delicious. I love the sweet taste in it and the flavour of star anise. 

I followed kitchen Sanctuary's recipe... But I have made few changes in the recipe. 

For the Sticky Sauce

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce 

2 tbsp Rice Wine (Optional) 

1 tsp Garlic minced 

1/2 tsp Ginger minced

1 tbsp Green Chilli minced 

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Honey 

2 tbsp Oil

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl and keep it aside. 

To make the Sticky Pork Belly

Ingredients 

500 grams Pork Belly cut into pieces 

1 Star Anise

4 to 5 sliced Ginger

4 to 5 whole Garlic crushed

1 stem of Spring Onion cut into 2 inch’s and then cut into thin slices lengthwise 

Salt to taste 

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

1 cup Vegetable stock or Chicken stock

Sticky Sauce

2 tbsp Oil 

Method 

Take a wok and add  oil, add the Pork pieces and stir it on high flame for a minute. Add the brown sugar and salt. Stir it for another minute. Remove the Pork pieces. In the same wok add the stock, ginger, garlic and star anise, let the stock come to a boil. Add the Pork Belly pieces. Cover and let it slow cook till the liquid has evaporated completely. Continue to stir the Pork belly for a minute. Add the sticky sauce, stir and cook it till the sauce has coated well on the Pork pieces. Garnish with spring onions and few red chilli slices. Serve with fried rice or enjoy as a starter. 

Punti Maccher Chorchori

I had a Bengali lady who worked for me for many years. Some time she would share her village stories with me. They did not have bathrooms at their place in the village so they all had to bathe in the river. On the way to the river they had to cross small streams. They use to carry gamcha (that is a cloth to wipe the body after bath). As they lack money... while on the way back home the village ladies usually use their gamcha to catch small varieties of fishes from the streams. One of the fish is called Punti Maach. They are called the swamp barb or chola barb or Puntius chola, in English. They are tropical freshwater fish. They are mainly found in streams, rivers, swamps and  shallow water. Since my maid lacked money, normally they would cook this small fish with potatoes and onions, either season with panch phoran and make jhal (spicy gravy) or season with nigella seeds to make Chorchori adding some vegetables of the season which grew in the nearby fields. Another dish which is made is Punti Maacher tak. The dishes were  served with hot steaming boiled rice.

I found this fish being sold by a local fisher woman after a very long time which was caught from the nearby river. It was a task cleaning this fish, but the end result was delicious.

Ingredients

* 500gm Punti fish cleaned and marinated with 1 tsp Turmeric powder and Salt

* 1 big size Onion chopped

* 3 big size Potatoes cut into wedges

* 1 big size Tomato cut into wedges

* 250 grams medium size Brinjal cut into wedges

* 4 Green Chillies slit

* Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing (optional)

* 1 tsp Ginger paste

* 1 tbsp Mustard paste

* 1 tsp Cumin powder

* 1 tsp Turmeric powder

* 1 tsp Chilli powder

* Salt to taste

* 1 tsp Nigella seeds

* 1/2 cup + 1/2 tsp Mustard Oil

Method

Take a wok, add 1/2 cup oil. Fry the punti maach in batches till golden brown in colour. Remove and keep it aside. In the the same oil add the nigella seeds and let it crackle. Add the  green chillies, onion, potatoes, brinjal and tomatoes. Stir fry the vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, cumin powder, chilli powder, ginger and mustard paste. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of water, stir and cover the wok. Let it cook on medium heat until the vegetables are tender and the gravy has almost dried up. Open the lid and check the vegetables. Add the puti mach and continue to cook for a minute. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp of Mustard Oil. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)

Mie Goreng or Bakmi Goreng is a very popular dish of Indonesia. This is very commonly found in Malaysia and Singapore at roadside food stalls or in restaurants. It means fried noodles which is spicy and flavourful.

Mie goreng are traditionally stirred fried made with yellow wheat noodles, shallots, onions, garlic, vegetables, eggs, meat, seafood, soy sauce and sambal oekel. However,there are many variations. Authentic mie goreng uses fresh ingredients and spices. Garnish the dish with tomato, chillies, cucumber or fried shallots. Server it hot. 

This dish was introduced by Chinese immigrants in Indonesia, and then got influenced by Indian immigrants from Malaysia and Singapore. I got this recipe from one Malay Aunty at my friend’s during my trip to Singapore last year. 

Ingredients

* 1 pack of Egg Noodles ready to use or cook the dry noodles following the packet instructions....

* 1 Onion cut into cubes

* 2 Garlic chopped

* 1 Carrot cut into half and sliced

* 6 to 8 French Beans cut into long strips

* 1 small bowl of 3 coloured Capsicum cut into cubes

* 1/2 cup Cabbage shredded

* 1 bowl of chopped Bok choy or Spinach

* 1 Tomato deseeded and cut into half and sliced for garnishing

* Few Cucumber sliced for garnishing

* 2 Birds Eye Chillies sliced for Garnishing

* 1/2 cup of boneless chicken cut into pieces

* 8 to 10 Prawns cut and cleaned

* 2 Eggs beaten with a pinch of salt

* 1/2 cup Sambal Oelek paste

* 4 tbsp Indonesian Asian Sweet Soy Sauce — kecap manis or Soy Sauce with 2 tbsp of palm sugar added to the sauce

* Salt to taste

* 1 cup Vegetable stock water

* 5 tbsp Oil

Method

Take a wok, heat a tbsp of oil, add the eggs and stir fry the eggs. Once done remove it. Add another tbsp of oil, on high flame stir fry the prawns. Remove and keep the prawns aside. Add another tbsp of oil. Now add the chicken pieces and stir fry the chicken, once done remove and keep it aside. Add the remaining oil in the wok. Add the chopped garlic and stir fry it for few seconds. Add the carrots, onion, beans and capsicum, stir for few minutes, add the cabbage and spinach. Continue to stir the vegetables on high flame for a minute. Add the prawns, chicken and eggs. Stir for a minute. Add the noddles, Sambal oelek paste, soy sauce, salt and stock water. Toss the noddles and the other ingredients well for a minute.

To serve the noodles, garnish it with tomato, cucumber and chopped red chillies. Serve hot.

Dimer er Bati Chorchori

Bati Chorchori or Dobka as it was called in my house was very frequently made dish by my mother. There are lots of type of Bati Chorchoris... some are made only with vegetables combining of carrot and potato  or bitter gourd and potato or pointed gourds and potato... there are Bati Chorchori made with prawns and potato and like this one with egg and potato... tomato is optional.. so is onion in the vegetarian version. You can add onions in the non vegetarian version. The dish is made with nothing but only salt, turmeric and mustard oil.. may be in some household they add seasoning like nigella seeds or panch phoran. The spiciness comes from fresh green chillies. It’s the simplest of the recipe, but the taste is divine. Bati Chorchori was cooked in a Bati or a bowl and hence the name has derived. All the ingredients are added together and stirred and then water is added to cook the vegetables. It’s then covered and left to cook till the vegetables are tender. Lastly to enhance the flavour mustard oil is drizzled. Coriander leaves were not added in the actual recipe, but it’s optional. It can be enjoyed during lunch with steamed rice or for breakfast with poratha. 

Ingredients 

4 Boiled Eggs cut into 4 pieces 

3 Potatoes cut into small cubes 

1 Onion chopped 

1 Tomato chopped 

3 Green Chillies slit 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

3 tbsp Mustard Oil 

Method 

Take a bowl or a wok. Add 2 1/2 tbsp mustard oil and let the oil heat up. Then add onion, green chillies, potatoes, tomato, eggs, turmeric powder and salt. Stir it, add around 1 1/2 cups of water. Cover and let it cook. Open the lid and check if the potatoes have become tender. Drizzle 1/4 tsp of  mustard oil and switch of the flame. Serve the Bati Chorchori in a bowl and drizzle remaining mustard oil on top. Serve it with hot steamed rice or porata. 

Pur Bhora Komroni

These are stuffed Pumpkin Fritters. Normally in Bengal we have pumpkin pieces dipped into gram flour batter and deep fried. Here I have added a stuffing between the two pumpkin pieces, then dipped it into the batter and fried. I have added prawns in the stuffing but prawns can be omitted... for vegetarians. This dish goes well with hot steaming rice.

For the Stuffing
Ingredients
* 10 pieces of Prawns
* 2 tbsp Mustard seeds
* 1 1/2 tbsp Poppy seeds
* 1 tbsp Fresh or Desiccated Coconut
* 1 Garlic
* 1 or 2 Green Chillies as per the requirement
* Salt to taste

Method
Add all the above ingredients into a grinder. Avoid water, if required then add a tbsp of water and continue to grind. Grind it into a coarse thick paste.

For Komroni
Ingredients
* Pumpkin cut into 30 square thin pieces
* Stuffing
* 3/4 cup Rice flour
* 3/4 cup Gram flour
* 1/4 tsp Nigella seeds
* Salt to taste
* Mustard Oil for deep frying

Method
Take a bowl, add rice flour, gram flour, salt and nigella seeds. Add water little at a time and whip into a thick dropping consistently. Keep the batter aside. Heat the oil in a pan. Meanwhile take a pumpkin piece. Apply the stuffing onto the pumpkin slice. Take another pumpkin piece and cover the stuffing. Press the pumpkin slice from top, so that while frying the pumpkin pieces don’t open up. Repeat the process with other pumpkin pieces. Take the pumpkin pieces, deep it into the batter and fry it until golden brown from both the sides. Eat it hot with hot steaming rice.

P.S. I have not peeled the pumpkin, but you can peel it. Try to cut it into a thin slice.
Fresh Coconut is preferable, if you don’t have then use desiccated coconut.

Macher Kochuri

Since it is rainy season .... normally we feel like having fried stuff... and we associate fried dishes with this season... it was long in my bucket list to make Macher Kochuri... In Bengal since fish is the staple food.. we make various types of dishes with fish. My Ma use to make this... but since she is no more... I am making this after many years.. Here I have just rolled the dough and made simple kachoris, but my mother use to make 2 small disc out of the dough balls, then place the stuffing in the center of one disc. Then take the other rolled disc and place it over the other rolled disc. Then curl the edges of the disc, sealing both the disc together and then deep fry it. You can use prawns for stuffing too .... 

For the Stuffing

Ingredients 

• 250 grams of Rohu / Bhetki Fish -  Boil the fish with little salt, debone the fish and mash the  fish....
• 2 medium size Onion chopped 
• 5 Garlic Cloves minced 
• 1 inch Ginger minced
• 2 Green Chillies minced 
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Bengali Garam Masala powder 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
• Salt to taste 
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method 

Take oil in a pan, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies. Stir and cook for a minute. Add the sugar and continue to cook till the onions have become light brown in colour. Add the fish, salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garam masala powder and stir for few more seconds. Switch off the flame. Let the stuffing cool down. 

For the Kochuri

Ingredients 

• 3 cups All Purpose Flour / Maida
• Salt to taste 
• 3 tbps Ghee
• Stuffing 
• Oil for deep Frying 

Method 

To make the dough for the Kochuri, take all purpose flour in a bowl. Add salt and ghee. Rub and mix the flour together. Add little water at a time and make a semi hard dough. Knead it well. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into big lime sized balls. With the help of your palms flatten the dough and create a cavity in between the center of the dough. Add 1 tbsp of the stuffing in between the cavity.  Seal the sides of the dough together, make a ball and roll the ball into a medium size round disc. Heat oil in a wok, deep fry the kachoris one at a time. Once done remove the Kochuris on a paper towel. Serve it hot with aloor tarkari or enjoy it just like that... 

Fried Whole Pomfret served with Steamed Vegetables and Creamy MangoGarlic Sauce....

This time I wanted to try some quick vedesi khaana for my friend who came over for dinner at my place. This is a wholesome dish and is easy to make. The Creamy Mango Garlic Sauce an be made a day in advance and can be kept in the fridge. 

For the Creamy Mango Garlic Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup Ripe Mango Pulp
• Juice of one Lime 
• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil or Olive Oil

Method

Add all the above ingredients into a blender. Blend the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

For the Fried Pomfrets

Ingredients

• 8 medium size Pomfrets
• 2 tbsp Lime Juice
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Oil

Method

Marinate the Pomfrets with salt and lime juice. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. Add little salt into the all purpose flour and mix it. Take some all purpose flour on a plate. Take a fish and coat the fish with all purpose flour. Repeat the process with other fish. Take a pan, add oil. Let the oil heat up. On a medium flame fry the fish until golden brown from both the sides. Remove the fried fish on a paper towel. 

To Assemble the Dish

Ingredients

• Pan fried Pomfrets
• Creamy Mango Garlic Sauce
• Steamed Vegetables (Cut into long thick strips and steamed and toss it with a cube of Butter, Salt and Pepper - Carrots, French Beans and Potatoes)
• Parsley or Cilantro chopped
• Slice of Lime

Method

Take a serving plate. Place a fried Pomfret on the plate. Add some assorted steamed vegetables on the sides. Drizzle the Creamy Mango Garlic Sauce on the fish, sprinkle some parsley or cilantro leaves and garnish with a slice of lime. Serve it hot. 

Goan Chorizo Pizza...

Every time I land up making either Sausage Palau or cooking the chorizo with potatoes and eating it with pav. So this time thought of using Goan Chorizos for making the Pizza. The Chorizos in the pizza gives a lovely smoky flavour to the dish. 

Pizza Dough
Ingredients
250 grams All purpose flour
250 grams Whole Wheat Flour
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Dry Yeast
1 tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup Lukewarm Water
2 tbsp Olive oil


Take a mixing bowl. Mix both the flours and salt. Take lukewarm water. Add sugar and yeast. Let it rise. Add the yeast water and extra water little at a time to make a dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Add 1 tbsp oil and stretch the dough while kneading. Apply oil on the dough and let it rise double in size. Punch the dough, knead the dough once more and let it rest for 30 minutes.

For Chorizo Pizza Sauce
Ingredients
Purée of 6 big Riped Tomatoes
2 Medium size Onions chopped
1 Big Green Capsium chopped
4 tbsp Garlic Minced
25 pieces of Chorizos removed from the casing
1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Bazil
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Olive Oil

Method
Take a pan. Add oil, let it heat up. Add the garlic. Sauté it for a minute. Add the onions, continue to sauté till the onions turn pink in colour. Add the capsicum and continue to sauté for another minute. Add the Chorizo and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove around 4 tbsp of the cooked Chorizo and keep it aside. Add the tomato purée and let it simmer on low flame till the sauce reduces a bit and becomes thick and all the ingredients has incorporated well. Add the chilli flakes, dried oregano, basil and salt. Stir and cook for another minute. Switch of the flame and keep it aside.

For the Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza dough
Chorizo Pizza Sauce
Cooked Chorizo
2 Cup or more grated Mozzarella and Cheddar..(Equal portion of Mozzarella and Cheddar to be taken)


Method
Grease a baking tray. Take the dough and with the help of the fingers, start spreading the dough on the baking tray. Cover the baking tray with the dough, the dough should be 1/2 inch or less in thickness. Sprinkle some cheese on top of the dough. Add and spread the Chorizo pizza sauce on the dough. Add the remaining cheese on top of the sauce. Then add the cooked Chorizo on top. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes till the cheese has melted and the pizza bread has cooked in a preheated oven. Remove it from the oven, cut into pieces and serve hot.

Dim Potol er Sohagi

When you have such loving friend cum neighbor (Taniya Mitra), it’s a bliss. She had made this dish and had send it across to my place. The dish was very delicious. Me and my daughter enjoyed it till the last bit. She told me it was her mother’s recipe. The name of the recipe "Sohagi" means love in Bengali derived due to the love for the dish and I am sure you will fall in love with the recipe too.  I got the recipe from her and made the dish again for my family. It’s a dry dish, which can be eaten with roti or paratha or luchi. 

Ingredients 

250 grams medium size Pointed Gourd - alternatively peeled and slit from center lengthwise. 

3 Eggs

2 medium size Onion coarsely ground 

2 tbsp Ginger - Garlic - Green Chilli Paste 

1 Green Chilli slit

2 medium size Tomatoes puréed 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

Salt to taste

1 tsp Sugar 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder 

2 tsp Cumin - Coriander powder 

2 Bay Leaves 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 small Cinnamon stick

2 Cloves

2 Green Cardomon

4 tbsp Mustard Oil

2 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Take the pointed gourds and add salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder to it. Rub the salt and turmeric powder well on the pointed gourds. Heat mustard oil in a wok. Add the pointed gourds and fry it till it’s light brown in colour. Remove the pointed gourds and keep it aside. Now in the same oil, add the cumin seeds, green chilli, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Stir it, till it crackles. Add the onions, stir and cook for a minute on medium flame. Add the ginger - garlic - chilli paste. Stir and continue to cook for a minute. Add the sugar, continue to stir and cook for another minute. Add the tomato purée. Stir and add the remaining turmeric powder, salt, chilli and cumin - coriander powder. Stir for another minute. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and stir it.  Add the pointed gourds. Stir for another minute. Add 1/2 cup of water. Stir and cover the wok with a lid. Let it cook till the water has almost dried up and the pointed gourds have cooked well. Add the eggs. Stir the eggs and continue to cook till the eggs have incorporated well with the masala and the pointed gourds. Add the remaining ghee and stir it once more. Switch off the flame. Sprinkle coriander leaves. Serve it hot with roti or paratha or luchi.. 

Adda ar Jeere Bata Diye Ruhi Maccher Jhol

As this summer is unbearable and going to the kitchen and cooking becomes difficult, here is a traditional simple Bengali recipe made with Rohu Fish and vegetables. The light - thin gravy is flavoured with ginger and cumin paste. You can add other vegetables like cauliflower, carrot, raw papaya, green peas,  broad beans and pointed gourd too. You can also add bori to your jhol. Serve the jhol with hot steaming rice and a piece of lime.

Ingredients 

6 pieces of Ruhi Maach marinated with salt and 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 bowl of mix Vegetables - 1 Potato, 1 small size Brinjal, 1 Raw Banana, 1 Tomato cut into wedges and 1 Drumstick cut into pieces 

1 Green Chilli slit

1 tsp Panch Phoran

2 to 3 Bay leaves 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

For the paste - 1 small piece of Ginger, 1 tsp Cumin seeds and 1 Green Chilli ground into a paste with 3 to 4 tsp water

1/2 cup Mustard Oil

Method 

Take oil in a wok, let the oil heat up. Fry the marinated fish until golden brown from both the sides. Remove the fish and keep it aside. In the same oil add panch phoran, bay leaves and green chilli. Let it sauté for a minute. Add the vegetables, stir and cook for a minute. Add the ginger - green chilli and cumin seeds paste. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the salt and turmeric powder. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water, cover the wok and cook till the vegetables are tender. Open the lid, add the fish and cook for another 2 minutes. Switch of the flame. Serve it with hot steamed rice.