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.