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. 

Sambal stuffed Mackerel Fry

This is one of the Peranakan / Nyonya recipe that comes from the Peranakans, who are the descendants of early Chinese migrants settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia. 

This is a very easy recipe and can be eaten with hot steaming rice.

Here I have use the ingredients available in my kitchen as normally fresh Turmeric and shallots are used in the recipe but since I didn’t have them, I used powder turmeric and onion. 

P.S. - Belacan is a hardened block of shrimp paste, made from tiny shrimp mixed with salt and fermented used in Malay cooking.

Sambal Paste

Ingredients

1 medium size Onion chopped

4 Garlic Cloves

3 Fresh Red Chillies or 2 tsp Fresh Red Chilli paste

2 Lemongrass stalk

4 Dry Red Chillies

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Sugar - (I didn't use)

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Belacan - Shrimp paste or 1 tbsp Fish Sauce

1 tsp Tamarind pulp

3 to 4 tbsp of Water

1 tbsp Oil

Method 

Add the above ingredients except oil in a grinder and grind the ingredients into a fine paste. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the sambal paste and stir and cook the paste for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep the paste aside to cool.

    

For Fish Fry

Ingredients

4 Mackerel - Slit on both the sides of the back bone

Sambal paste

1/4 cup Oil for shallow frying the fish 

Method

Take the fish. Stuff the fish with one tablespoon of sambal paste on each side of the cut. Take a pan, add oil and heat the oil. Shallow fry the fish on medium low heat till cooked on both the sides. Remove fish from pan. Serve the fish with hot steaming rice.

Bhindi Gosht ka Salan

Okra - Meat is a simple recipe from Pakistan and India. In Hyderabadi Cuisine the same recipe is made with more souring ingredients added to the dish. This is mainly a summer dish as the best time for okras to grow is summer, even though now a days it’s found all round the season. This is a medium gravy dish. There are many ways to make it. This dish can be enjoyed with Paratha or Roti.

Ingredients

650 grams Mutton cut into medium pieces

250 grams Okras wash, cut the top and bottom and slit from center

3 medium size Onions chopped 

1 small Tomato chopped

2 Green Chillies slit

Some chopped Coriander leaves for garnishing 

1 tbsp Garlic and Ginger paste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder spicy 

1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1 tbsp Coriander powder

Salt to taste

1/2 cup Oil

1 1/2 cups of water 

Method

Take a pressure pan. Add 1/4 cup oil. Let it heat. Add the okras and let it cook till fried. Remove the okras and keep it aside. Add the remaining oil in the pan. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala powder,coriander powder and salt. Sauté the powder masala in oil for few seconds on low flame. Add 2 tbsp water so that the masala doesn’t get burnt. Add the onions, tomato and ginger - garlic paste. Stir and sauté it for a minute. Add the meat and sauté it till the oil separates from the masala. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and let it cook till the meat is tender. To save on time, cover the pressure pan and give 3 whistles. Let the pressure realises. Open the lid and stir. Add green chillies and okras. Stir and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with roti or paratha.

Kacha Aamer ar Kacha Laal Lonkar Chutney

Due to the intense heat in Mumbai, going into the kitchen and cooking is a big noooo.... The only food I cook is very basic  simple  dal and rice or just some curry to have it with rice and that’s it. Only dish I prefer the most is dal and rice with with some Pickle or Chutney. Here is a superb recipe of Green Mango and Red Chilli Chutney that can be kept for 5 to 6 months in the fridge and it goes well the dal - rice or any fried starter or paratha. In Bengal, Kacha Aamer Chutney is made with panch phoron seasoning and flavoured with roasted panch phoron powder. Taking inspiration from the authentic traditional recipe here is my innovative version of the Chutney.. 

Ingredients 

3 cups of grated Green Mangoes ( Washed, Peeled and then grated )

1/2 cup Red Chilli Pepper paste ( Red Chilli Pepper is a variety of red fresh chilli which is less spicy, cut them into pieces and remove excess seeds, add them into the grinder and make paste)

1 and 1/4 tbsp Ginger grated 

1/2 cup White Vinegar 

1/3 cup chopped Seedless Dates 

1/4 cup Raisins 

2 tsp Roasted Panch Phoron powder 

2 cups Sugar 

1 tsp Salt 

1 tsp Nigella seeds

2 Bay Leaves 

2 Dry Red Chilli cut into small pieces 

2 tbsp Mustard Oil 

2 cups of Water

Method 

Take oil in a pot, add oil, let it heat up. Add the nigella seeds, bay leaves and dry red chilli pieces. Stir and cook until the nigella seeds crackles. Add the green grated mangoes, stir and cook for few seconds. Add ginger, dates, raisins and salt. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the red chilli pepper paste, sugar, vinegar and water. Let it cook and simmer on low flame till the sugar syrup thickens up and looks glossy. Add the roasted panch phoron powder. Stir and let cook for few minutes. Switch off the flame. Let it cool, store the mango and red chilli chutney in a dry glass bottle. Serve the Chutney with dal - rice or it can be eaten as an accomplishment  with any fried starters or paratha. 

Panch Phoron is equal portions of Nigella Seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Celery Seeds, Cumin Seeds and Fennel seeds. As Celery seeds are not always available every where, use Mustard seeds instead of Celery seeds. 

Makli Sukha Masala

Last week I was holidaying at Alibaug - home stay, where you can buy the ingredients of your choice and get the dishes cooked. The men folk were going to the market, I was very excited to join them. We visited the fish market where there were varieties of sea fishes. We got squids and pomfrets from the market. We fried the pomfrets and here is the recipe for Squid Sukha Masala.. 

This is simple squid dish from the costal belt of Maharashtra. It’s a dry gravy dish. Here I have not ground any coconut and masalas, but made it in the simplest way. It can be eaten with rice or chapatis. 

Ingredients 

500 grams of cleaned and cut squids

3 medium size Onions cut into half and sliced 

1 Tomato cut into cubes 

2 tbsp Ginger and Garlic paste 

2 Green Chillies cut into half lengthwise 

Few curry leaves 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

2 tbsp grated fresh Coconut 

1 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 tsp Turmeric powder 

2 tsp Konkani garam masala or any fish masala 

4 tbsp Tamarind juice 

4 tbsp Oil 

Method 

Take oil in a wok, let it heat. Add the mustard seeds, let it crackle. Add the green chillies and curry leaves. Then add ginger garlic paste. Stir and cook for few seconds. Add the onions and fry  till the colour of the onion changes. Once the colour of the onions changes to pink, then add the tomato, turmeric powder, Konkani garam masala powder and salt. Stir and cook till the onions becomes soft and tender. Add the squids, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Cover the wok with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, on medium high flame let it cook till the water from the squid has dried up. Now add the tamarind juice. Let it cook for a minute. Add the grated coconut, stir it and let it cook for another minute. Switch off the flame.  Remove the squids into a serving bowl. Garnish it with coriander leaves. Serve it hot with hot steaming rice or chapatis. 

Raus (Rawas) Macher Tok Jhol

Summers are in and last few days was quite happening for me. Today since back to normal life, wanted to make a simple Bengali style fish dish with raw mango for lunch. This dish goes well with hot steaming rice. 

I have used baby rawas. It’s a tangy medium curry dish. 

Ingredients 

4 pieces of Baby Rawas whole cleaned and marinate with 1/2 tsp of Turmeric and Salt

1 medium size Onion sliced 

2 medium size Potatoes cut into wedges 

6 to 8 wedges of peeled Raw Mango 

2 Green Chillies slit

1 tsp chopped Coriander 

1/2 tsp chopped Garlic 

1/2 tsp Nigella seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1 1/2 tsp Sugar 

Salt to taste

6 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Mustard Oil

Method 

Take a pan, add 6 tbsp oil. Once the oil heats up then add the fish. Fry the fish until golden brown from both the sides. Remove the fish. In the same pan add nigella seeds, chopped garlic, green chillies and sliced onion. Stir and sauté it till the onions becomes light brown in colour. Add the potatoes, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mango wedges and stir once more. Add 2 cups of water,  turmeric powder, chilli power, sugar and salt. Stir and cover the pan. Open the lid and check if the potatoes are tender.  Add the fish, add 1/4 cup of water. Cover and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Open the lid and drizzle 1/2 tsp Mustard oil  and garnish with chopped Coriander leaves. Enjoy it with hot steaming rice. 

Red Chilli Pepper - Garlic Jam

It’s sweet, spicy and tangy. You can enjoy this as spread, marinate or dip. It can be kept in the air tight container for 5 to 6 months.

Ingredients

250 grams Red Chilli Pepper

30 Garlic cloves peeled 

250 grams  Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

300 ml Vinegar

Method

Cut the red chilli peppers and deseed the chillies but keep some of the seeds. Add the chillies in the chopper or food processor and pulse a few times. Remove the chillies in a bowl. Now add the garlic and mince it. 

Take a pot, add the vinegar and sugar into the pot. Cook until the sugar dissolves and starts to bubble. Add the salt, chillies and garlic. Let it simmer on low medium heat for another 30 minutes or until it thickens up. To check, take a small chilled steel plate kept in the fridge.  Pour a tsp of jam on the cold plate. If it crinkles and holds it is done. If not continue cooking and repeat the test. Once done cool it. Store the Chilli - Garlic Jam into a dry bottle and keep it in the fridge. 

Porabari Chom Chom

I am totally in love with this chom chom from Bangladesh. I had it when my husband had been to Bangladesh and had got this sweet dish for me from there. Greedy me, wanted to have more so tried making it at home. Some net search and the result was yum. 

This chom chom is very famous and were made at Porabari Tangail Bangladesh in earlier days. Now it’s know world wide. The taste is divine. It’s different from the normal chom chom we get in India. The actual process takes a very long time up to 3 to 4 hours and it naturally gets a golden colour. But to reduce the time, I have tried it differently and have caramelised the sugar first and then added it to the sugar syrup later to speed up the cooking process to almost an hour. It takes a long time to cook but it is worth the effort.

For the Caramel Syrup

Ingredients

1/4 cup Sugar

1 cup of Water

Method

Take a pot, add sugar and continuously stir on a low flame to make the caramel syrup. Keep a eye on the syrup as it can get burn very fast. As the colour of the sugar syrup changes and becomes caramel, add a cup of water and let it continue to simmer on low flame for a minute.  Remove it and keep it aside.

For the Sugar Syrup

Ingredients

2 cups Sugar

5 cups of Water

Method

In a wok, add the water and sugar, let the sugar dissolve and let the sugar syrup continue to cook till we make the chenna balls.

For the Chom chom 

Ingredients

250 grams Homemade Chenna / Cottage Cheese mashed

1 tbsp Fine Semolina

2 tbsp Flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

3 tbsp Milk powder + 2 tbsp dry Mawa mix together for garnishing

Sugar syrup

Caramel syrup

Method

Till the sugar syrup is being made. Take the mashed chenna, add the semolina, flour and baking powder. Mix and knead it very well till all the ingredients combines and binds well. With the help of the palm rub the mixture against the flat surface. Knead it well for 5 minutes. Take lime size portion and give it a longish oval shape. Repeat the process till all the chenna dough is used up. Add the chenna balls into the sugar syrup. Cover and let it cook for 10 minutes. Heat up the caramel syrup. Open the lid of the wok, now gradually add the caramel syrup into the sugar syrup and stir it. Let it continue to cook for at least an hour or till the sugar syrup becomes clear and the chom chom gets its colour. In between the cooking time once in a while stir the sugar syrup and remove the impurities that has formed on the sides of the wok. Once done, switch  off the flame and add 1/2 cup cold water. Let the chom chom  sit in  the sugar syrup till the sugar syrup completely cools down. Remove the chom chom from the sugar syrup and roll it in the milk powder and mawa crumb. Enjoy the  chom chom.