Rui Rosa (Rohu In A Rich Gravy)

I discovered this recipe long time back in a cookbook soon after I got married. Instantly had fallen in love with the dish because of its simplicity. Nothing much was needed for the recipe except everyday cooking ingredients but the brilliant flavour of the dish surprised me when I tasted it, never expected it to be so delectable. Hubby was genuinely impressed with my culinary skills and I was happy with my achievement considering that I was a beginner then and quite a novice inside the kitchen. Gradually it became one of my signature dishes and I made it often while treating guests, now it's one of the most requested fish preparations of my son and I happily oblige his request. You can use Rohu, Katla or even Bhetki (Barramundi) for this dish. Here's the recipe...

Rui Rosa

Rui Rosa

Rui Rosa

Rui Rosa

Rui Rosa

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 gms of Rohu/ Katla/Bhetki (Barramundi) pieces
• 2 large onions pasted
• 2 tsp ginger paste 
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 3-4 whole dry red chillies
• 3 green cardamoms
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2-3 slit green chillies
• Salt and sugar to taste
• Mustard oil as per requirement
• 2 tblspns Ghee/clarified butter

Procedure:

Wash and clean the fish pieces, pat dry and smear with turmeric and salt. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed skillet and fry the fish pieces golden brown. remove and keep aside. Now in the same skillet add some mustard oil and splutter the whole garam masalas and dry red chilli. Add the onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a few minutes. Add salt and sugar a pinch of turmeric powder and kashmiri red chilli powder. Add a cup of warm water, put the fish pieces into it and bring to a boil. After a few minutes add the vinegar and slit green chillies. Let it simmer for 2 minutes more, turn off the heat, give some standing time and serve....

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa (Jumbo Prawns Steamed With Mustard Paste And Topped With Grated Coconut)

Mustard Paste is an integral part of Bong cooking specially the fish and prawn preparations. So when I saw these fresh jumbo prawns in the fish market on Sunday morning the first thing that came to my mind was Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa. A traditional Bengali delicacy famous for its exquisite taste, the tangy mustard and mild coconut flavour is loved by all Bongs sitting in any corner of the world. Cooking time is only 10 minutes and you are ready to get amazed by the sheer awesomeness of the dish....Here's the recipe..

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 750 gms Jumbo Prawns or medium sized Lobsters with head intact
• 3 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 tsp posto/ khuskhus/poppy seeds
• 7-8 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 coconut grated
• Mustard oil as per requirement
• Salt to taste

Shorshe Narkel Diye Chingri Bhapa

Procedure:

Wash and clean the prawns in hot water. Soak the mustard seeds and poppy seeds in water with some salt and 2 green chillies for 1 hour. Now make a smooth paste in the grinder and keep aside. Take an airtight steel container and put all the ingredients including the prawns except the grated coconut. Mix well. Sprinkle half of the coconut on the prawns, keep aside the rest. Now close the lid of the container. Take water in a big bowl or flat bottomed skillet. Place the container in such a way that the water level remains under the level of the lid. Now cover the skillet and let the prawns get cooked in steam for 7-10 minutes. Take out after some time and top it with the rest of the grated coconut....serve with steamed rice....

Tyangrar Jhal Shorshe Bata Diye (Tyangra In A Spicy Mustard Gravy)

Bong's passion for fish is not limited to Rohu/katla, hilsa or prawns only. The range is wide and varied and one such fish is Tyangra, a freshwater fish belonging to the catfish family. The monsoon being the breeding season I was lucky enough to get hold of the bigger varieties with eggs. I have always been fond of fish roe specially of tyangra, hilsa and rohu. The fish tastes better without the addition of any vegetable to the dish and mustard is the most befitting flavour that mingles perfectly with the taste of the fish. A tempering of nigella seeds and green chillies escalates the flavour further. To add texture to the gravy I used some finely chopped onions with mustard paste which you may do without if you want. Tastes heavenly with steamed rice this Bong fish preparation is a must try for all fish lovers....here goes the recipe...

Tyangra r Jhal Shorshe Bata Diye

Tyangra r Jhal Shorshe Bata Diye

Tyangra r Jhal Shorshe Bata Diye

Tyangra r Jhal Shorshe Bata Diye

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 750gms Tyangra fish ( do not take the too small ones) 
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 2 tsp black mustard
• 5-6 green chillies
• 1 big onion finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kaalo jeere/kalaunji/nigella seeds
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp deghi mirch powder
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil as per requirement

Procedure:

Soak both yellow and black mustard seeds with salt and two green chillies for an hour and make smooth paste. Wash the fish and smear with turmeric and salt. Heat oil in a skillet and fry the fish well on both sides. Take them out and temper the same oil with nigella seeds and three slit green chillies. Add chopped onions and fry them golden. Add turmeric, red chilli powder and salt, keep stirring. Add a cup of water and the mustard paste. Wait for the boil to come, add the fish, wait for the gravy to thicken. Turn off the heat and sprinkle a few drops of raw mustard oil....serve hot with rice.

Dhokar Dalna ( Lentil Cakes In A Rich Spicy Gravy)

Dhokar Dalna (Lentil Cakes In A Rich Spicy Gravy) is special occasion traditional Bong dish be it marriage, sacred thread or even anniversaries and birthdays. Extremely delectable and flavourful this dish entices you with a gorgeous texture as well. I remember Dhokar Dalna being served at all the invitations we used to get in my childhood and how I looked forward to it among the other items. My Maa used to cook this so beautifully and perfectly, learnt it from her. This is a family favourite of mine. I try to make this whenever I manage to devote a longer time in cooking because it involves a lengthy process but the fruit of labour is always delish and pleasing.... Here's the recipe....

Dhokar Dalna

Dhokar Dalna

Dhokar Dalna

Dhokar Dalna

Dhokar Dalna

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 200 gms Chana dal/ Cholar dal (split Bengal gram) soaked for 7-8 hours
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 3 large potatoes cut in big dices
• 1 large tomato pasted
• 1/2 tsp kaalo jeere (nigella seeds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• 1 small pinch hing (asafoetida)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt n sugar to taste
• 1 tblspn ghee/ clarified butter
• Mustard oil as per requirement

Procedure:

Wash and grind the chana dal to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and temper with  hing, nigella seeds, half tsp garlic paste and add the lentil paste. Add salt and sugar according to your taste. Now fry the paste well until its firm and dries up. You can add a little bit of wheat flour for binding if you want to the mixture. Now remove it on a flat dish. Flatten it out slowly with the spatula so that the surface is even. Put another flat bottomed dish on it to make the mixture bind properly and let it cool for 45 minutes. After cooling cut the mixture in diamond or square shapes. Heat oil in the skillet and fry the lentil cakes very carefully because they are delicate and tend to break easily. Now for the curry add some more oil if needed and fry the diced potatoes golden brown, take out and keep aside. Add the whole garam masalas, bay leaf, wait for the splutter before adding the ginger paste, the remaining garlic paste and tomato paste. Saute well, add the powdered masalas, salt and a pinch of sugar. Keep stirring. Add the fried potatoes and 2 cups of warm water. Cook covered until the potatoes are done. Now add the fried dhokas or lentil cakes to the gravy. Turn off the heat and sprinkle ghee on top and let it stand for 10 -15 minutes covered before serving with steamed rice.

Maacher Dimer Borar Dalna ( Fish Roe Fritters In A Spicy Flavourful Curry)

Maachher Dimer Bora (Fish Roe Fritters) is a unique and a much loved dish by all Bongs across the globe... the crispy crunchy fish roe fritters are savoured also in a curry and this being the appropriate season for the availability of fish eggs you can use them according to your discretion the way you want to have it. It tastes just as fantastic every time. I've tried maacher dimer borar dalna for the first time and was ecstatic with the outstanding taste. Each one of us polished off a plateful of rice with only this delightful preparation and absolutely nothing else was required to supplement it. A fully satisfying whole meal it was. It's amazing how enriched Bengali cuisine is with so many variations to offer for a single dish....so enjoy my experiment with Maacher Dimer Bora ( fish roe fritters).....

Maacher Dimer Borar Dalna

Recipe:




Ingredients:

• Rohu Fish Roe (whole)
• 4 onions ( 2 pasted 2 chopped)
• 4 green chillies (2 slit 2 chopped)
• 1 tsp ginger paste 
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 2 tblspns chickpea flour for binding
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 cloves 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• Salt n sugar to taste
• Mustard oil as per requirement

Procedure:

First wash the fish roe well. Now toss in the chopped onions, green chillies, add the chickpea flour, salt and a little sugar. Mix well with hand. Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and fry the fish roe in small dumplings on medium heat. When both the sides turn reddish brown, take them out and keep aside. Now in the same oil add the whole garam masalas, wait for the splutter and add the onion and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a few minutes. Add the powdered masalas and salt, continue frying. Now add 2 cups of water. Wait for it to come to a boil before adding the fish roe fritters to the gravy. Let it simmer for a few minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the slit green chillies. Give at least 15 minutes standing time for the fish roe to soften and absorb the masalas and flavour perfectly before serving with steamed rice..... enjoy the bliss