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.

Whole Red Lentils and Prawn kebab

This recipe is good for snacks or can be served as starter. This can be served with Onions, lime and Mint - Coriander Chutney It’s easy to make with ingredients mostly available at home. This can be a good lockdown recipe for all the fish lovers.. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup Whole Masoor dal / Whole Red Lentils soaked for 4 to 5 hours 

18 to 20 pieces  of clean medium size Prawns 

2 small piece of Ginger

1 Whole Green Chilli

2 Garlic Cloves 

1 medium size Onion chopped 

1 Green chilli chopped 

1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves 

1 tbsp chopped Mint leaves 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Coriander powder 

1 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Amchur powder

Salt to taste

1 Egg

Oil to shallow fry 

Method 

Wash the masoor dal and remove all the extra water from the dal. Take a grinder jar, add the Masoor dal, prawns, ginger, garlic, whole green chilli, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, Garam Masala powder, amchur powder and egg into the jar. Don’t add extra water, grind the ingredients into a fine paste. The paste should not be of the dropping consistency or very watery. Remove the paste in a bowl, now add chopped onion, chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves. Mix the ingredients. Take a pan, add oil. Let the oil heat up. Take small portions from the paste with the help of a tbsp spoon and put it into the oil. Flatten the paste with the help of the spoon, fry until golden brown. Serve it with onion, lime and mint Chutney. 

Instant Suji Jalebi

If you have a sweet tooth like me and craving for sweets in this lockdown period, then try this instant Suji /  Semolina Jalebi and enjoy this with your family. This recipe is inspired from Nisha Madhulika ji’s Suji Jalebi recipe, with changes made in the measurement of all purpose flour and sugar, I have used turmeric as a food colour and add a bit of salt for the balance. 

For the Sugar Syrup 

Ingredients 

1 cup Sugar 

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

1 cup Water 

Method 

Take a pot, add the sugar and water, let it simmer until one string sugar syrup has formed. Switch off the flame and add lime juice. Keep it aside. 

For the Jalebi

Ingredients 

1 cup Fine Semolina 

1/2 cup All Purpose flour 

1/2 cup Curd 

1/2 tsp Turmeric for the colour or use 1/4 tsp yellow food colour 

1/2 tsp Baking powder 

1/4 tsp Salt

Ghee for frying 

Method 

Take a bowl, add all purpose flour, semolina, salt, baking powder, turmeric or food colour and curd, now add little water at a time and whisk the batter, until you get a thick dropping consistency. Keep the batter aside for 30 to 40 minutes. Take a pan, add ghee, let the ghee heat up. Take a piping bag, pour the batter into the piping bag, cut a small end of the piping bag. Once the ghee is heated up, reduce the flame to medium. Hold the piping bag straight at a distance from the ghee, rotate your hand to form a 2 1/2 swirls. Fill up the pans with jalebis. Fry the jalebis until crisp, and the colour changes to golden yellow. Remove the jalebis and drain out the ghee. Place the jalebis in the sugar syrup. Keep the jalebis in the syrup until the sugar syrup is absorbed. Remove the jalebis and serve. 

Jharkhand Cuisine

Jharkhand is a state where the natives follow simple lifestyle and their cuisine is rustic more connected to nature. They have basic cooking with simple ingredients, but the taste is delicious. The dishes are not commonly made at the restaurants, but still some of the dishes are popular like litti chokha, dhuska, pitha, malpua, thekua, khaja etc. Today we have made Dhuska, Aloo Rassa, Sattu Ka Sharbat and Dudhauri. 

Dhuska

https://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2017/06/dhuska.html?m=1

Aloo Rassa

https://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2017/06/aloo-rassa_28.html?m=1

Sattu ka Sharbat 

https://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2020/04/sattu-ka-sharbat.html?m=1

Dudhauri

https://www.suskitchenbysumitra.com/2020/04/dudhauri.html?m=1

Sattu Ka Sharbat

Sattu is used in the eastern region. It’s roasted Chana / Bengal Gram that is powdered. It have many health benefits, it’s cooling and good for stomach. Best time to have this drink is in the morning as it will keep you hydrated the whole day and also will energise you in the summer. 

For the Namkeen Sharbat 

Ingredients 

31/2 tbsp Sattu

1 tsp Sugar 

1 Lime Juice 

1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin Powdered

1/2 tsp Black Salt

Salt to taste 

Few chopped Mint and Coriander leaves 

Chopped Onions is optional 

Method 

Add the lime juice and little Water and stir the sattu well, add another cup of water, stir further, no lumps should remain. Add the sugar, salt, black salt and cumin powder. Stir it well the sugar should dissolve. Add the mint and Coriander leaves. Serve it. 

For the Sweet Sattu Sharbat

Just add water, sugar, lime juice and little salt and mix it.