Prawn Curry In coconut Milk / Chingri Malaikari

  Chingri Malaikari

It was a big day at 54/5,Italgacha Road. Jamai (Son in law) was visiting for the first time after Didi's(Elder sister's)wedding. Undoubtedly he was the apple of every one's eye. His face dazzled with all the attention he was getting. It was a big fat gathering.

After taking a peek into all the rooms I slipped into one of the quite corners of the house to lie down and rest my tired aching bones. They were surrounded by my Uncles, Aunts and all. Some visitors from the neighborhood had also barged in to see the new Jamai.

My Jamaibabu was not from Bengali city,so most importantly everybody was asking 'Do you get fresh fish there ?' 

' What about our vegetables ?' Every question revolved around food. All these just reaffirmed that we Bengalees live and die for food !! If we know of a big meteorite heading towards earth we will spend all the time cooking and dining !

While the male members of my family kept him entertained, the female members were busy in chopping, grinding and cooking. It was a big deal and there was no stone unturned for this lavish lunch.

And when I say lavish I mean L-A-V-I-S-H!! The variety of food could easily outnumber the dishes of an restaurant. I could smell an amalgamation of Chingri Malaikari,  mutton kasha, Dal,tarkari,bhaja , pulao, payesh, rasgulla and what not.

It was impossible for me to stick to ettiquetes ..... I marched straight into the kitchen, picked up my Kansa tray ..... mine because it was gifted to me and hence belonged to me. Nothing attracted me more than the Mansha (Mutton kasha) and Chingri Malaikari.

Chingri Malaikari or Prawn Malaikari , is a very famous and popular Bengali dish served with white Rice or Pulao for lunch or dinner on special occasions.It is an “Elegant Bengali Classic” – that definitely sums up this dish. It is so delicious and is a special dish so we do make it in occassion.

Main attracking ingredient is  coconut milk, it is in many of the special Bengali cuisines. This particular dish is cooked in a spiced up gravy of coconut milk . Since life & it’s commodities in my childhood days was not canned or processed , my aunt and Maa had to press the grated coconut to extract the sweet white coconut milk.
Now, life is much easy and you just pick a can of coconut milk off the shelf of your grocery store. I guess this and the abundance of prawns, is also a reason why you would find Prawn Malaikari a part of the menu in most Bong parties in house.

N.B.

For today’s preparation get ½ lb of large prawns with heads on and ½ lb with heads removed. The reason for this being the prawns head being very very tasty adds a fourth dimension to this already delicious preparation. However if you are not very familiar around prawns, I would suggest you get only the ones with no head , as the prawn head has to be delicately cleaned.

If you want to though, go through the following steps to clean fresh prawn :-
Remove the hard shell, do not remove the tail, leave it on
De-vein the prawn, slit the back a little and take out the black thread thingy
For shrimps with heads, carefully remove only the front portion of the head the eyes etc., do not remove the entire head, you want to keep the liquidy thing inside the head.

What You Need

Prawns ~  12 the medium size, get fresh ones, see above why I got some with heads on
Onion ~ I made a paste of a large one and used about 5 tbsp of the paste (yipe, I noted the measure)
Garlic ~ 1 large clove coarsely chopped
Ginger ~ 1 tsp
Green Chillies ~ 6 slit
Coconut Milk ~ 1 can

[I bought one coconut to make milk from it and cook,but later AS USUAL I took the shortcut and used canned coocnut milk]
Mustard - 1/3 tsp

 
TejPata or Bay Leaves ~ 4 small
Elaichi or Cardamom ~ 4
Laung or Cloves ~ 6
Darchini or Cinnamon ~ 2 smallish sticks as in picture

Red Chilli Powder
Turmeric Powder
Salt
Little Sugar
How I Do It

Clean the prawns as explained earlier and mix it with turmeric and salt and keep aside for about ½ hour.

Heat oil in Kadai/Frying Pan.

Lightly fry the prawns so they turn golden in color, do not deep fry like other fish
As soon as the prawns turn a pale golden take them out .

Meanwhile grind the onion to a paste.
In the oil, add the chopped garlic.
As soon as the fragrance of the garlic rises, take out the garlic from the oil so that the oil is now garlic flavored but there is no garlic in the gravy.
Add TejPata or BayLeaves,the Elaichi, Laung & Darchini  ,musturd seeds.

Add the onion paste when you see the whole garam masala crackling
Continue frying the onion with a little bit of sugar till it turns brown in color or the oil separates from the paste
Add the ginger paste and cook the masala.
Stir and add the can of coconut milk
Add a little water (about 1/3 of the can) in the can, mix well and add it too.
Add Red Chilli Powder, very little turmeric powder and salt.
Add the green chillies
Mix well and cook the gravy.
When you see the gravy slightly bubbling add the fried prawns.
Simmer for 2 minutes before turning off the heat.

N.B.

Edited On 6/2/2012
For Coconut Milk this time my steps,no shortcut~

In a medium-size bowl, heat the water, do not boil.

Shread the coconut manually or in blender.

Place that in mixer and add 1 cup of the hot water.

Blend for 2-3 minutes.

Place a cheesecloth/very thin clean cotton cloth in a bowl.

Pour the blended coconut mixture into the cheesecloth and twist to extract the milk, letting the milk go into the bowl.

Return the coconut pulp to the blender and add the remaining 1/2 cup of hot water. Blend for 1-2 minutes, strain and press through the cheesecloth into the bowl.  
 In bowl,you will get coconut milk pure.

Chirer Polau / Breakfast with Poha

There is a big Champa(A yellow flower ) tree opposite our house. One of my favorite pass timeis staring at that tree.

One morning,it was certainly Saturday, when I was late  ......... I was woken up by a sound of rain from my sunset above window.The sky had turned grey and there was a mild cool breeze. It could rain any time. I hurried towards the terrace to see surrondings.... there were my husband still lying on bed.

The birds on the tree continued their loud chattering ..... I thought they were getting uncomfortable with the sudden downpour or may be their mothers were yelling at the disobedient ones asking them to get inside the nests. My imagination took wings till I saw some kids from our neighbourhood come out on the roads with umbrellas, splashing water at each other and jumping into small puddles of water. They talked loudly as they walked past our house. I felt jealous of them and wondered how liberal and good their parents were !!

I went inside and was thinking about how we used to make old newspaper  boats and was waiting for an opportunity to float them.

Those days of happiness don't last long.I had to grow up.

Now I have to make our breakfast.A simple one but crispy one I wish.I have open the jar with Poha/Chire and now I will make Chirer Polau.

Chirer Polau

What You Need

Thick Poha/ Beaten Rice - 1 cup

Dry Roasted Peanuts - a handful

Green Peas - 1/3 cup(Optional, I had some in my refrigerator)

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 2

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 small pinch

Salt

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Oil for cooking

How I Do It

  Heat Oil in Kadai/Pan.

  Add chopped green chilies to it and cumin seeds. When the oil is warm and begins to sputter add a pinch of turmeric powder.

  Add green peas and fry for one minute. Add the roasted peanuts too.

  In the mean time, wash Poha/Chire and drain the water completely and keep aside.Do   not wash again and again,it will get extra soft.

  Add the Poha.

  Add sugar and salt and mix well. Stir for one minute. Remove from heat.

  Garnish with chopped coriander.

Doi Maach/ Fish in Yogurt

 
I personally think that cooking at home daily is tricky. Because when we visit at restaurants we always try some special dishes or there are so many spices and ingredients available for Chef which are big No-No for home kitchen. AT home we have to try new dish with small ingredient a bit here and there. It is not easy which will water our taste buds with small changes.

But honestly home cooking is not so tough as I love it. I often hear my friends say they hardly cook and their cook does it all or if they are a young couple they just order home delivery. And when they do say that, there is a hint of pride for being able to afford a cook and an undertone of disdain for the very job of home cooking.

But there is something wholesome and warm about this whole cooking thing which the tequila does not bring.Its god that my mother ,aunt has made a warmth in family with their food everyday.This is the reason for what we all eagerly waited for meal. It need not be an elaborate meal always, you need not do it all by yourself.

 Doi Maach is a fish recipe with only special ingredient Yogurt.

Doi Maach or Fish in Yogurt Sauce is a typical Bengali dish which is light, easy to prepare and yet is a favourite as a dish you would serve your guests on those special occasions.

My husband says that I should do this without frying the fish. I however always lightly fry the fish and I am presenting here that version

 Doi Maach

What You Need

Fish(Rohu or Rui) – 8 pieces large
Onion ~ about 5 tbsp heaped
Ginger ~ 2 tsp paste
Yogurt ~ 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder ~ ½ tsp
Red Chilli Powder ~ ½ tsp
Green Chillies ~ 8 cut in slits

Whole Garam Masala
Elaichi or Cardamom~ 5/6
Laung or Cloves~ 5/6
TejPata or BayLeaves~ 3
Dalchini or Cinnamon Sticks ~ 1” stick

Salt
Oil
Sugar ~ 1tsp

How I Do It

Clean the fish pieces and lightly rub with salt and turmeric. Keep aside for half an hour
Grind the onion to a fine paste

In a bowl add 1/2 cup of yogurt/curd and add about 1/3 cup of water and beat till its smooth in consistency. Add, ½ tsp of red chilli powder, a little of turmeric powder for the color and beat.

Heat Oil in Kadai/Pan.
When the oil is sufficiently hot, add the fish and lightly fry till light golden. Take out the fish and keep aside.
Add whole garam masala.
When they start sputtering, add about 1 tsp of sugar and fry the onion paste till the oil separates and the onion turns a light brown
Add about 1 tsp of ginger paste and the green chillies and sauté well
Now take the Kadai/Frying Pan off the heat and give it a couple of minutes to cool
Add the beaten yogurt/curd and mix with the masala. If you add the yogurt directly when the utensil is on heat the curd may curdle so you need to do this.

Put back the Kadai/ Pan on heat.
Add salt as required .Add about 1/2 - 2/3 cup of water at this point. Depending on how much gravy you need you might need more or less water.
Simmer on low heat till the gravy comes to a boil
Add the fried fish pieces, they should partially submerge in the gravy.

 Enjoy this dish with white rice.

Aloor Chop / Fried Potato Patties

In Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake , one of the first images that consume you, is that of Ashima Ganguli tossing up jhal muri across the Pacific. You identify with her migrant pain, you realise that mixing jhal muri is something that makes Ashima feel closer home. Not to forget the pungent mustard oil, with its wasabi-like kick when used raw, and a key ingredient in jhal muri .

It's easy to Ashimas abroad. And it is even easier to find a clerical Borobabu, Ashokda , a typist Reenadi or a parar Tukai haunting their favourite roadside stalls for shingara , kochuri, roll, jhal muri and phuchka, chow mein, mishti, beguni, chop and cutlet, idlis and dosas , lassi and kulfis , jalebi and omriti . All that's needed are an 'Italian' style stall (made with fired bricks, of course), ability to stew in your own juice, a saturated disposition (shallow ones stay out) and an appetite for a disinfecting fire ordeal. Street food in the city is more than just culinary or gastronomic delight - it epitomises the 'kaalchar' and the very essence of this historical city that has embraced all. It's a social activity because you're enjoying a snack with other people on the street.
 
A South Kolkatan wouldn't mind travelling all the way to Salt Lake just to refute his colleague's claim that AE market's phuchkas are better than the ones served at Vivekananda Park. Likewise, a Salt Lake resident wouldn't mind travelling to Dacres Lane for the sumptuous chow mein and chilli chicken.
And what's miles when it comes to Putiramer kochuri or a brain chop? And how on earth can you be a daily passenger and not savour the extra-oily jhal muri served on locals?

Muri , Beguni , fuluri and alur chop  - the snacks that fed hungry mouths at home,at office,everywhere for Bengalees.

 Alur Chop 

What You Need

For the Chop/Patties

Potatoes ~ 4 Large
Onion ~ 1 medium chopped
Garlic ~ 3 cloves minced
Ginger ~ 1 tbsp minced
Green Chili - 4-5 chopped fine
Roasted Cumin Powder ~ 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder ~ to taste
Salt ~ to taste
Mustard Oil ~ a few drops(optional)

For Batter

Besan/Chickpea Flour ~ 1 cup
Rice Flour ~ 1 tbsp or Poppy Seed ~ 1 tsp
Baking Powder ~ 1/4 tsp
Salt ~ to taste
Water ~ 3/4 cup

For Frying

Plenty of Oil

How I Did It

The Patties

Boil the potatoes, peel the skin and mash them. Use your fingers or a masher.

Heat little Oil in a Kadhai/Pan. About 1-2 tsp should be fine.

Add the chopped garlic, minced Ginger, the green chillies and the onion.All of these should be chopped real fine so that you do not bite into anything but the potato when eating the chop.

Sauté till the onion wilts and is pinkish brown.

Add the Roasted Cumin powder and Red Chili Powder and saute for a minute.

Add the mashed potatoes.

Add salt and mix the masala well with the potatoes.Add a few drops of Mustard Oil to the potatoes if you want.
Make small balls of the mashed potatoes.
Flatten them between your palm .

Batter and Frying

Make a batter with the ingredients .  The batter should be tight as it has to form a coating on the potato patties.

Heat Fresh Oil in Kadhai/Pan. The patties would be deep fried so add enough oil.

Dip the patties in the batter, so that the batter uniformly coats the patties
Gently release the dipped patties in the hot oil .

Fry till both sides are brown.

Remove ,take care  so that the excess oil drains out.

Sprinkle some Chat Masala or kala namak/black Rock salt(beet noon) on the patties while serving

Muro Ghonto

Bengali kids  when they have not tasted anything beyond mother's milk ,at their Annaprashan or Rice Ceremony, an occasion to mark the intake of first morsel of rice by a Bengali baby, they are offered to suck Payesh and then presented with a silver plate with rice, dal, bhaja, maacher muro(fried fish head), fish curry, chaatni, mishti. A moment with the fish head is captured on either a film roll or a piece of digital memory .For fish loving Bongs anything fishy is "not fishy" but auspicious and might even bring good luck.

When we were kids we were pushed into this barbaric activity (of eating fish head) with an incentive that devouring fish head especially the brain part of it would enrich our brains and also make our vision stronger."Khub buddhi hobe (You will have a high intelligence)", my Ma or Aunt would shout.

By the time we were teenagers and had lost sight to myopia and also lost faith in "more buddhi" when we saw veggie eating South Indians topping the IIT-JEE every year.

The deed was done, we were now fish head loving converts for life.

Muri Ghonto is a dry dish made with fried fish head (known as maacher matha or muro in Bengali), potatoes, very little rice and spices. Don't turn up your nose, it smells nothing but heavenly and tastes more so. If you haven't sucked onto a piece of fish head and pondered on the complexities of life while doing so, you have not lived a full life.

To eat and relish Muri Ghonto you need a long leisurely afternoon, enough time to deal with fish head pieces without being rushed, company that will let you sit cross-legged on your dining chair and rest your elbows on the table, people who will not make fun of your facial expressions and of course a nice nap afterward.

When I made this,my husband had with Rice,I itself.One of friends(Paku) called then and gave a great comment "Bhat diye bhat khli tora?"(Have you guys had rice with ric as side dish?)

Muri Ghonto

What You need

Fish Head (Rui/ Katla)

Oil

Bay Leaves
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Green Chilly
Onions
Ginger
Salt to taste
Ghee
Coriander powder
Garma masala
Red Chilly powder
Turmeric
Rice
Water
Potato
Prep: Wash and clean fish head, sprinkle salt and turmeric and let it sit for 15-30 minutes. I used half of a regular sized fish head for fish like Rohu or Rui. I have not used fish head of salt water fish or any other fish than Rohu for this dish ever and do not know how it might taste.
How I do it

Heat Oil in a Kadhai/Frying Pan

Fry the Fish head till its nicely fried. While frying try breaking it into medium sized pieces, kind that is easier to suck on but will not choke you. Remove and keep aside.

Fry 2 cut and cubed potatoes to a light golden, remove and keep aside

Temper the Oil with a large Bay Leaf, 2 green cardamom and a 1/2" cinnamon stick

Add the paste of one medium sized onion and fry till the oil separates and the onion has taken on a light brownish hue

Add 1-2 tsp of fresh grated ginger, 2-3 slit green chillies, 1 tsp of Cumin powder and saute the masala with a sprinkle of water for couple of minutes. Now add back the potatoes

Saute for a minute

Add 1 cup of uncooked and washed Gobindo bhog( a variety of rice).  Basmati Rice also works.

Fry for a couple of minutes and add the fried fish head pieces.

Add 1 tsp of fresh Garam Masala Powder, 1/4 tsp or less of Red Chilli Powder, salt and mix well.

Add about 1 cup of water and cover and cook at low heat.

Check to see if you need water in between, and stir in between.

Cook till the rice and potatoes are done. It should be moist but will not have a gravy.

Add Ghee on top.(Optional)

 

Mashala Egg / Egg Kosha

Saturday Mornings are a time of great relaxation for me. Here there are whole 48 hours given to me , to be used as I wish and that puts a lot of pressure on me.Because I starts thinking how can I utilise my 48 hours.

With such lofty ideas in mind I go to bed late on Friday. I just while away browsing the TV or laptop, justifying the "me time". Naturally I am not shining bright and happy when Saturday dawns.

I get up late and then I hyperventilate. I draw up lists, I draw one for the hub too, dividing up the chores to be finished which eventually means I can take a nap.

By the time I start cutting n chopping veggies, it is 10 and my husband still sleeps. No breakfast has been made, myself has been fed only tea and buiscuits and the house looks like a scene of volcanic eruption. In between all these he wakes up and  switch on the TV and tries to watch something.No meat and fish in refrigerator and no question of  bazar  (market) on saturday for husband,I pan to try out Egg.

A year back I was not interested in cooking, at all. I never even dreamt that cooking could actually be therapeutic. Now eating was another genre altogether, that I loved. I sincerely believed Eating good is therapeutic.

It is not that I didn't know how to cook, I knew the basic dal, bhaat, macher jhol and also noodles and chili chicken.And I knew Egg Kosha.

I started cooking after marraige, once I moved out to Kolkata ,I tried cooking.And now I think its in my blood which helps me a lot.

Today I will share my  Egg Kosha/Mashala Egg receipe.

What You need 

Egg ~ 4 boiled
Green Chillies ~ 2-3 slit
Ginger ~ 1/2 inch ,grated

Garlic~2-3 cloves

Onion~ 1 large one

Tomato ~ 1 diced

Corriander leaves
Salt

Oil  

Turmeric~pinch

Red Chilli Powder~ 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder ~ 1tsp

Corriander Powder ~1tsp

Garam Mashala~ 1 tsp

How I do it

Finely chop 1-2 onions, 1-2 garlic cloves, grate ginger.Now make a paste of them.

Heat Oil in a deep bottomed pan/ Kadai

 

Add the onions,When onions  are well fired add garlic and ginger. Also add the spices -  1/2 tsp chili powder,cumin powder,corriander powder and 1 tsp salt.Mix well n saute.

Add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of turmeric, little salt and saute them. Then cover and cook the tomatoes at low heat. The juicy tomatoes will release a lot of liquid and will cook in their own juice. Every minute or so, remove the lid and give a good stirAdd diced tomatoes .One can also use tomato sauce/puree. 

Now add boiled egg.My advice is to cut 2 eggs half for better taste.Add about 1/4-1/2 cup of water and cook for a few more minutes.Sprinkle garam Mashala.Mix well in low heat.

Add some fresh corriander leaves.

Serve with Roti/Rice or Paratha.

Moong Dal er Bhaja Pithe/ Fried Lentil Sweet

My neighbors are very nice people. They didn't utter a word when I did not sent back the

 tiffin carrier which they gave me filled with golden pieces of KaNthal(Jackfruit) from their native village and some rosogullas in occassion of their new cutie baby boy.

My Ma had always taught us that a plate, bowl, whatever that had been filled with food should never be returned empty and so I feel obliged to reciprocate by sending back the plates with some edible items. And as I am so much Phankibaj(lazy and like shortcuts),that I could not make some thing which can be sent in tififn box.Actually I wanted to give them some home made sweets because I do not have anything lovely like those KaNthal to give them.

As I have told  that I am usually lazy and have no time to make Chana(Main ingredient for sweets), so this is a quick shortcut which I love. 

                                            Moong Dal er Bhaja Misti

What you Need

Moong Daal - 2 cups

Cardamom - 15

Sugar - 1 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil - for frying

How I Do It

1 . Soak Moong Daal for 3 hours. Grind finely.It should be paste ,not lot watery.
2.  Put a wide open pan on flame and add the finely ground moong daal to it.

3 . Add sugar and salt and oil and stir continuously till the moong daal become light yellow in color.Keep stirring the moong daal continuously else it may form lumps.

4.  Ground the cardamom and add to the moong daal.

5.  Remove to another dish and spread uniformly.

6. When cool, cut into desired shapes.

7. Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry till golden brown.

FootNote: Now I Use Mixer/Grinder to make paste for Soaked Lentils/Dal, Posto/PoppySeeds or other spices.But I still remember in my valuable memory that every morning my Pishi(Father's Sister) used to make paste with SheelNora-A smooth black nora of stone grating on  a pock marked slab of stone-Sheel, turmeric stained by use and age with a  rhythmic regular pressure of her hands.

          

Tomato Khejur Chutney

Tomato Chaatni was and is my most favourite dish. My memory of red tomato chutney made my MAA still glistens on the steel tiffin carrier . Tomato chaatni to me means a safe haven of home amidst strict life, new friends and a off mood that I didn't understand.

Later the Aamer chatney  pushed tomato chaatni to second place but a real sweetheart always has its own special corner.
My mother used to make tomato chaatni in simple way.
Later when I was trying my hand in cooking aftr marraige, she told me if you add some tamarind chutney to the tomato chaatni and that will be the secret to its tangy taste. And then I remembered my Kaki(Aunt)adding a little tamarind pulp to her tomato chutney too. How did I forget ?Wow,that pulp on the steel plate as I sucked them out clean.

More than just the tamarind pulp the sweet-sour-spicy tamarind chutney really lends a nice dimension to the tomato chutney and makes it delicious, so do try it next time. Khejur or dates is the perfect company for the tomatoes in the chutney and that is how it is almost always made in a Bengali home. The aam shotto or dried sweet mango slices is another delicious addition to the traditional Bengali Tomato chutney.

Tomato Khejur Chaatni/Chutney

Ingredients

Wash and chop 5/6 nice juicy plump red tomatoes in large-ish chunks, like say each tomato should be chopped in 8-10 pieces

Chop 20-30 pitted dates in halves or in thin slices,Make aam sotto diced in cube shape

Method

Heat Oil in a deep bottomed pan

Temper the hot oil with 2 tsp of black mustard seeds and 2 dry Red Chili. Cover with a lid to avoid mustard dancing around your kitchen. Note: You can avoid the Chili if you don't want spicy,as i don't like it.

When the mustard sputters, add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of turmeric, little salt and saute them. Then cover and cook the tomatoes at low heat. The juicy tomatoes will release a lot of liquid and will cook in their own juice. Every minute or so, remove the lid and give a good stir

Once the tomatoes are almost done, add the chopped dates, about 1/3 cup of golden raisins ,Aam sotto dices and stir well. Add about 1 tsp of ginger juice, grate ginger and squeeze to get the juice(Optional). Add about 1/4-1/2 cup of water and cook for a few more minutes till the tomatoes have totally disintegrated and thoroughly cooked to a soft pulp.

Add 1/2 cup of sugar, mix well, adjust for salt & sugar and then let the chutney simmer and reduce to a thick consistency

Now is a small tip. To make the chutney tangy add 1-2 tbsp full of a tamarind chutney to the tomato chutney. You can use a store bought one or make one of your own using tamarind pulp. This really gives the chutney a sweet-tangy taste instead of just sweet.

Before serving, sprinkle with dry roasted cumin powder or dry roasted and ground paanch-phoron powder.

 

N.B.Whenever you will make chutney,please remind me and send a sms or make a call.Or atleast a mail.because I really love chutney.I do.really.

Am I atheist or what I am

I was too busy with my real life ..

I had a tour at Vizag (Visakhapatnam) at Andrapradesh,One of my friends had a baby and other had her wedding,my manager's demand to deliver outstanding learning capability of a new technology, the husband had travel and I had No Time…Rush..rush...

This August is a month of celebration. It is also a time to take a breather from the pursuit of happiness and be happy with what already exists.Recently from some of my life's ups and down I have realized one truth.When you are shattered and don't have control over destiny, non-atheists like me pray. They pray with all their might, asking God to settle things, to make whatever is going wrong right, to solve the problem. God does not necessarily listen but all that praying lends courage to otherwise scared souls and you learn to survive, to take things in your stride and most of all to accept if you are unable to make the change.As time passes you realize that situations do not go on reverse and solve themselves, miracles don't happen but you just learn to accept whatever has been doled out to you and you try to make the best out of it. If Time does not heal it at least mutes the pain and that in itself is a miracle.


Now come back to merriment of life.As I have already told you,I have visited Vizag.Again with the mesmerizing beauty of nature I have realized 1 thing,wherever you go you will find a Bengalee family - man with a camera,woman with a side bag and their son in mafler and monkey-cap or daughter with dress's color matching clip in hair style.And I like it very much.


okay!Now its time for some debate.What are some common issues which keep running among us in all para adda(Every Bengalee locality has its own famous teashop and a wooen bench in front of that with some young and aged chatting there),ma-mashider(Mom-Aunts') get-together,Ratbhor asor (whole-night party)..


Ghoti or Bangal ?

Suman or Nachiketa ?

Nazrul or Rabindrasangeet ?

Ilish or Chingri ?

Bedouin or HotKathi ?

Coke or Thumbs-up?

Soumitro or Uttam ?
 
CPI(M )or TMC?


I wish this keeps flowing.Now tell me one thing.Answer me.If you are a film director and today is very important day in your dream project which demand your strong attention .At the same day you have something very important to do for your family too.Which will you decide?

Ilish Maacher Jhol

Knock,Knock

R you Ghoti or Bangal?

"Bangal"  is the colloquial term for people from East Bengal now a separate country called Bangladesh. "Ghoti" is the local term for people from West Bengal. These terms are mostly used in jocular fashion and indicates the ancestral roots of a family as to whether it went back to East Bengal or West Bengal.

There are two subtle things which shake their differences.One is ILISHA-CHINGRI(Good quality Ilisha basically found better in Padma river at Bangladesh,so its close to Bangals and Prawn is famous for Ghotis) and other is EastBengal-Mohonbagan football team.
 As I am a hard core female and as people say females arE not fond of soccer,So for me war is mainly who is better Chef?Bangals are very proud of their cuisine and expertise in cooking and even I have heard from some people that “Bangals” know to put even vegetable peels to good use the “Ghotis” know how to apply those to their faces.

But I am loving daughter of my parent ,My Dad is Bangal and Mom is Ghoti.And Mom is simple Chef with certain delicacy.Not only for that,I like food and love different ascent and style...

Today its about Ilisha  .The menu usually BengaleeS prepare is always ilish bhaja(fried Hilsa), ilish bhaape (steamed Hilsa) or shorshe ilish ( Hilsa in mustard sauce) during monsoon.

Years ago it was the day of Saraswati Pujo.In my home this was not only a vegetarian day but a day on which you ate Khichuri, bhaja, chaatni & such. The day didn't hold much of a prospect regarding food for me until my aunt's elder sister called and invited me over to their home for Dinner . I wasn't too enthusiastic about the food thinking it would be the same fare but the lure of her latest Sidney Sheldon was there and so I went.

Come lunch time, the table was laid out and we sat. There were hardly 2-3 covered serving bowls on the dining table and I felt forlorn, till Mashi(Aunt's elder sister) started serving. There was no Khichuri but plain white rice, dal, alu bhaja(potato fries) and a ilish er jhol( Hilsa in a light curry)

"How can you eat fish on Saraswati Pujo ?", I was aghast

"But Bangals have a tradition of eating Ilish on Saraswati Pujo, we absolutely must and if it is Jora Ilish(a hilsa pair) all the better", said Mashi. Wow, Bangals .

And then I saw Ilish with all that begun (eggplant), a Ilish Begun er jhol (Hilsa in a light gravy with eggplant) they told me.The simplicity of the curry bursting with flavor of soft brinjal, the taste of the Hilsa and the mustard oil was too much for me. It was absolutely delicious, it shifted Ilish's position from a special fish you would respect to a homely fish you could love.

I have been in love with this dish ever since.This is served with white rice for a homely meal.

Ilish Begun er Jhol/Hilsa & Eggplant in a light gravy

How I Do it
Wash and clean 4-5 pieces of Hilsa. Pat dry and smear with 1/4 tsp of Turmeric and salt. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes

Heat Mustard Oil to smoking in a Kadhai.

Gently slide the fish pieces into the hot oil. Beware of all the spluttering. Note: sometimes I sprinkle a little turmeric powder on the hot oil and then slide in the fishes to reduce the splatter

Fry the fish pieces to a light golden yellow on both sides. Try not to brown or burn them. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain them on a kitchen towel.

Since this is Ilish/Hilsa we will not throw away the oil and use the same oil for the jhol

Temper/Chaunce the oil with 1/2 tsp of Kalonji/Nigella seeds and 5-6 slit hot Indian Green Chilli

Once the spice pops add 1 long japanese eggplant washed & chopped longitudinally in length of 1&1/2" to 2"

Saute the eggplant till they are lightly browned and soft.

Add 1-1&1/2 cups of water. Add salt, a little turmeric and cook till the eggplants soften. Sometimes I will add a little corriander powder but mostly I don't

Add the fish pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes

The gravy will be light and soupy and tastes delicious with white rice.

Dhokar Dalna -the master piece of Bengali Cuisine

I always try to avoid things that are hard. Force me in a difficult situation and I will be fine coping with it and coming out stronger but given a choice I will try to avoid the difficult route.

Dhokar Dalna, the master piece of Bengali Cuisine has eluded me all these years. I love Dhokar Dalna, to eat that is, to cook, I always dismissed it as "too difficult". But I do it cause its yummy.

So I made it today, I wouldn't say total success, there are these small nuances that need to be taken care of next time. I am yet to get the right texture for the lentil paste to make the cakes and some of my dhokas or lentil cakes were cracking which shouldn't happen.

Dhokar Dalna, is one of the pillars of Niramish(Vegetarian) Bengali Cuisine, just like Shukto. The lightly spiced lentil cakes or dhoka are fried and then simmered in a gravy made with tomatoes and ginger, spiced with cumin and coriander. This dish traditionally is a purely satvik dish, sans any onion or garlic like most Bengali Niramish(vegetarian) dishes. Bengali widows were not allowed to eat onion or garlic and the Bengali vegetarian cuisine is mostly their contribution, that explains why it is satvik.

The dhokas are such a delight and the gravy is so fragrant that you wouldn't even miss onion or garlic in here. Enjoyed best with plain white rice, the dhoka sure brings joy, though it actually means "to cheat".

Dhokar Dalna

To Make the Dhoka or the Lentil Cakes
Make powder of 1& 1/2 cup of Cholar Dal/Chana Dal/Bengal Gram in mixer
or Soak 1& 1/2 cup of Cholar Dal/Chana Dal/Bengal Gram in water overnight and drain the water.

Now the grinded lentils + 6 green chili + little salt
to a fine paste. Add little water as required for grinding

Heat Oil in a Kadhai/Frying Pan. Temper the Oil with
3/4 tsp of Whole Cumin seeds/Jeera,
a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing,
1/2 tsp of sugar,
and 1& 1/2 tsp of Ginger paste.

Add the lentil paste/ground dal to this and cook until the mix comes off the sides clean. The dal should be cooked so that is moist and soft but not runny or hard. Note: This step is really tricky.You need to stir vigorously else the paste will stick to the sides and you need to be careful to remove the moisture without making it hard. Add little oil as needed to avoid sticking.

Smear a flat plate with oil and pour the soft dal mix on this. While it is warm, pat lightly with your hands to form a flat, slightly raised round structure

With a knife make squares or diamond shapes

Heat some more Oil and fry the lentil cakes till golden brown on both sides. Take care that they do not break

To Make the Gravy

Heat Oil in a Kadhai or any other thick bottomed pan

Fry 1 potato chopped in eights till golden, remove and keep aside.

Temper the Oil with
2 small Bay leaf/Tej Patta,
3/4 tsp of Cumin Seeds/Jeera
and a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing(For better taste)

Add 1 tomato finely chopped and 1 tsp of freshly grated ginger. Saute till tomato is reduced to a pulp and there is no raw smell.
Add the potatoes . Add salt to taste and cover and cook till potatoes are ittle fried.
In some water mix
1/2 tsp of Corriander Powder, 1/2 tsp of  Regular Cumin Powder, 1/2 tsp of Red Chili Powder and a little turmeric to make a fine paste.
Add this paste to the Kadhai. and fry the masala at low heat.

Add water for gravy,not a large amount.

Adjust for any seasonings, add a little sugar. Add about 1/4 tsp of Garam Masala and gently mix.Now gently slide in the pieces of dhoka or the fried lentil cakes. Simmer for couple of minutes to let the dhoka soak up the gravy. Note:If like mine some of your dhokas are cracking do not add them to the gravy, rather place them on the serving dish and pour the gravy on them.

Serve with hot white rice.

My Spices-Some common spices I use

1.Garam Masala

Bengali Garam Masala is actually a very simple mix of 4 spices: Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon and Tej Patta. The Tej Patta as I have seen is abandoned many times in favor of the others.

This I use in two forms: Whole Garam Masala and Garam Masala powder

For powder form,I sometime buy it readymade or also make it at home.
Steps:Dry Roast 20 Green Cardamom/Elaichi, 10 Clove/Laung, a 2" stick of cinnamon, a small Tej-Patta.Grind to a fine powder in your coffee grinder.Store in an air-tight container for future use

2.Bhaja Mashla(Roasted Masala) 

My Kaki(aunt) uses it for sprinkling over most chutneys and also in vegetable chops.The Bhaja Masala is called so because the spices here are dry roasted and then ground.
Steps: 

To make this Dry Roast 1 tbsp each of Jeera (Cumin Seeds), Dhania (Corriander seeds), Saunf (Fennel Seeds), 6/7 Laung (cloves) , 6/7 Elaichi (Cardamom), 3/4 TejPata(Bay leaves), an inch & half of cinnamon stick and peppercorns according to desired hotness.

Then just dry grind it to a powder. 

3.Panch phoran

It is a classic Bengali spice blend typically consisting of five spices in equal measure. It is more Bengali than any other region of India.
The five spices that make up Panch Phoran are:

Fenugreek (methi) – the golden coloured bitter one
Nigella seed (kalonji) -- the jet black tiny one
Mustard seed or (rai or shorshe) – the black or brown flavored one
Fennel seed (saunf or mouri) – the greenish sweet one
Cumin seed (jira) – the buff colored strong one

In Bengal, the place of origin of this spice,sometimes a spice called radhuni is used in place of mustard seed.
“Paanch” is bengali for Five and “Phoron” means spice. Panch Phoran is used mainly for tempering, to flavor the hot oil before adding rest of the ingredients. The essence being tempering with Five Spices. It is usually never ground or used as a powder unlike other spices which are used both in whole and ground form. However dry roasted panch phoron is ground to make a powder that is sprinkled on chutneys. But it is NEVER used in powder or paste form in any other preparation.

Panch phoron is added to the hot cooking oil before adding any other ingredients thus flavouring the oil and releasing the aroma of the seeds and causing them to pop in the pan. At this point the other ingredients are added.

If you do not have Panch Phoran but have all the five spices that are needed for this just add equal measures of each to get your own Panch Phoran. You may use the methi in less proportion to the others.

4.Kalonji

 Kalonji is jet black. Kalonji....Karojeera...Nigella Seed-a part of my cuisine

 In Bengali cuisine it is almost as popular as Paanch Phoron and used for tempering, vegetable dishes, Dals, fish curries and some chutneys. It is one of the five ingredients of Paanch Phoron. It is also added to the dough while making Nimki a savoury fried dough. The flavor within the seed is enhances after it is baked, toasted or fried in a small amount of oil or juices of foods.
5.Biryani Masala  

I love that masala and use it for not only making Biryanis but in various other dishes.

Here is how I make Biryani Masala. I reduce the carraways seeds and increase the fennel as I like the sweetness of fennel and find cararway seeds too spicy. Also I forgo the star anise and add nutmeg powder instead of the whole.

Steps: 

Dry Roast 8-10 Green Cardamom/Elaichi, 8-10 Cloves/Laung, 2" stick of cinnamon, 1 small Bay leaf, 5-6 small bark of mace/javethri, 2 tsp of Fennel seeds, 1 tsp of Carraway seeds/Shah Jeera.

Put all of the above in a coffee grinder jar along with 1 tsp of nutmeg powder.

Grind to a smooth powder and store in an air tight jar

Use this masala for loads of stuff from adding a pinch to your pualo, adding to biryani to your chicken curry. I use this masala alternately with Garam Masala but when using this, use a smaller quantity.