Spicy Prawn Bowl

Spicy Prawn Bowl is a dish which acquires its taste from covered slow cooking in a skillet without the addition of any water. The flavour of the spices gets mingled to perfection with the prawns to result in a superlative deliciousness that has to be savoured to understand. Monsoon is here and it’s the most apt dish to accompany your plate of hot steamed rice. This dish uses mustard paste to give a touch of tanginess to the palate. You will need large or jumbo prawns with head intact for this dish. Try this and see what magic it creates at the lunch table on a rainy day…..

Aloo Posto (Potatoes In Poppy Seeds/Khus Khus Paste)

Today I’m posting a dish which can be called the soul-food of Bengal. 'Aloo Posto' or Potatoes in Khuskhus/Poppy Seeds Paste is some thing with which I’m sure every Bong can connect with. Whichever part of the world may a Bong live in, he/she is bound to have a soft corner for ‘Aloo Posto’. A Bengali platter is never complete without it. It’s one of the easiest and simplest of dishes that I know of but the taste …can any vegetarian dish beat it in taste? It’s without onion and garlic, requires the minimum of ingredients but those who haven’t tasted it must make it today to fall in love with the quintessentially Bong ‘Aloo Posto’.

ATypical Bong Platter of Aloo Posto, Masoor Dal(Lentils), Plain Rice

#Summer Cooler Recipe 4 ~ Kancha Aamer Chutney/Kacche Aam ki Chutney (Raw Mango Chutney)

Summer Cooler Recipe 4:

‘Knacha Aamer Chutney’ or raw mango chutney is an all time Bong favourite. A lunch or dinner accompanied with a fingerlickingly delicious chutney specially on Sundays is what we call a Bong signature meal. Our family is no exception to this. Whatever delicacies may I cook, a chutney/aumbol/tok  and mishti doi must mark the end of our Bong meal. I am sure most of you love raw mango chutney too. So here I am with the recipe of raw mango chutney the Bong way…..

Fish Pakoda~A Super Delectable Snack

Happy New Year to all my readers…lets start this year with something crispy, munchy and blissful. Very suitable as winter bites these crunchy fish pakodas are a delectable snack any time of the day. Moreover quite hassle free they do not need a dip in the egg or a roll in the bread crumbs, can be prepared with rohu/katla/seabass/prawns… the choice is yours. It’s a perfect dish to entertain your guests.

Fish Pakoda

Tomato Khajur Aampaapad Chutney (Khejur Aamshottor Chutney)

During the winter months this is a must accompaniment with lunch at home specially in the weekends. Though much loved for its perfect combination of sweet and sour taste with an extra bit of tickle for your tongue because of the addition of dry red chilli, it’s pretty easy to make and gets ready in a jiffy. The zing attributed to the dish comes mainly from two ingredients dates/ khajur and aam paapad or aamshotto, the Bong name given to dried leather of mango pulp and sugar syrup. I always have a stock of aamshotto handy in my fridge for this chutney and for those depressing times to eat just like that. Often having just a slice of aamshotto uplifts my mood. So whenever I chance to go to C.R.Park I pick up quite a few of them.

 

Tomato Khajur Aampaapad Chutney

Vegetable Croquettes/Chops

Vegetable Croquette or Bhegitabil chop as we Bongs lovingly call it is a recent request from a very dear friend. She wanted a very easy and simple recipe. So Reshmi the simplest way to make this delectable, all time favourite snack is here for you. Though I knew the main ingredients but always have this habit of calling up Maa to ensure them. I followed the process she told me over the phone. Beetroot, carrots and potatoes are the vegetables generally used for the stuffing, but you can add other veggies like beans, peas if you desire. These crispy, delish croquettes are a delightful nosh with a cup of tea in the winter evenings with the obvious accompaniment of Bong Adda….

Vegetable Croquettes

Kolkatar Singara ~ Samosa Bong Style

The Bengali New Year or Poila Boishakh is just round the corner and this is a special recipe for the special occasion. Also it will complete one year of my blog. This is the first one in the series. ‘Kolkatar Singara’…. does this stir up any pleasant memory in your mind? Well, it does for me. A Bong at heart I can never erase these wonderful gastronomic experiences in Kolkata during my younger days there. Singara is a Bong name for samosas, a triangular Indian pastry with mainly savoury stuffing of spiced potatoes, peas etc., but the flavour is strictly Bengali. The stuffing, taste, texture everything is just out of the world, a class apart, incomparable with any samosas I have tasted after that.

Alu-Phulkopir Singara

Spicy Prawn Curry (Chingrir Jhal)

All the seafood lovers out there this is one prawn dish I’m sure that you would love to try!! This dish is always a winner, makes a match made in heaven with plain steamed rice. Texture, color, flavour you name it, this is superlative in each. So quick and easy, it’s a foolproof recipe and ready within half an hour together with the preparation time. So what are you waiting for? Rush to your kitchen if you have some prawns in your freezer, make this delectable spicy prawn curry and enjoy the bliss of having awesome food with every morsel.

 

Spicy Prawn Curry

Railway Mutton Curry

This is my hundredth blogpost and contains a very special recipe ‘The Railway Mutton Curry’. The recipe is special in the sense that it’s not the typical Bengali mutton curry we generally make on Sundays. Moreover, this mutton curry brings to mind the train journeys of childhood, the immense fun, awesome food, the call of the hawkers, making new friends on each journey, beautifully green countryside strewn with paddy fields, quivering ponds and mud huts,  you may say, as a whole the journeys were celebrations in themselves.

Railway Mutton Curry

Chicken Kosha (Spicy Bhuna Chicken)

How about an awesome chicken dish today after two consecutive postings of vegetarian dishes? Chicken Kosha is a Bong culinary treasure that has caught up with the rest of the world as has its mutton counterpart. It’s a favorite any day especially if you have luchi/puris or paranthas (Indian Flat Breads) on your mind as the choice of bread. Delectable is the least you can say about this dish! It is rich in color, texture and flavor, even a great dish to enchant the entire spread if you are hosting a lunch or dinner.

Chicken Kosha

Doi Golda (Lobsters In Rich Creamy Yogurt Sauce)

Sunday is the day of making a special dish for lunch. Sonny awaits with expectations of something new, different and delicious. He suggested a few days back, “Maa  why don’t you make a special prawn dish this Sunday?” I pondered, yes has been a while I made a prawn dish. Went to the market in the morning to try my luck in getting some fresh large prawns for lunch. Had come across an awesome prawn recipe quite a few days back and was dying to give it a try. But the fish market disappointed me. Couldn’t find any large prawn, only some stale small ones lying with one vendor. Suddenly something caught my eye. At one corner was a boy about fifteen years of age, selling some minnows along with some fresh medium sized fresh water lobsters or Indian scampi heaped at one side. Walked up to him and after a good bargain bagged a kilo of those lobsters. Though my recipe needed tiger prawns, I couldn’t resist buying them to see how things turn out.

Doi Golda

Mutton Stew

There was a time, during my childhood days in Kolkata when the panacea to all illness seemed a hot steaming bowl of mutton or chicken stew. “Oh my God you are running a temperature!! Caught a cold didn’t you? Have Crocin now. Will make you mutton stew today….” my Maa used to say. At other times Baba used to ask, “What happened? You are looking pale!! Not feeling well?…Take rest…Will bring some chicken from the market and Maa will make you chicken stew…don’t have anything else…you’ll be okay in no time.” I waited eagerly for that deliciously wonderful stew cooked by Maa. So lovely were those days of being nestled in the warmth of love and care of parents…..and the sheer magic of home remedies!!

Mutton Stew

Masala Egg Kosha

It was Republic Day, a National Holiday, drizzling since the night before, a cold and overcast day in the National Capital. Nobody were out of their houses unless absolutely necessary. Nothing much to do except listening to the patriotic songs being played on the loudspeakers and watching the parade on tv. This kind of weather always prompts something ‘eggilicious’ in my mind, a dish that’s not too elaborate, a bit spicy to infuse a zing to the palate and pep up the gloominess around.

Masala Egg Kosha

Bhetki Maacher Pulao ( Barramundi/Sea Bass Fish Pulao)

Barramundi Fish/Sea Bass Pulao or Bhetki Maacher Pulao is a recipe I tried for the first time. Though I have made Hilsa Fish Pulao before I was quite apprehensive about the outcome because Bhetki has a completely different flavour. I gave it a shot and the experiment came out to be astonishingly successful. This is such a brilliant, delectable, flavourful recipe that I’m not sure to have tasted something like this for quite sometime. You all will love it. Here’s the recipe…..

Bhetki Maacher Pulao

Bhetki Maacher Pulao

Bhetki Maacher Pulao

Bhetki Maacher Pulao

Bhetki Maacher Pulao

Bhetki Maacher Pulao

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 gms Bhetki/ Barramundi fish pieces
• 2 cups of long grained aromatic Basmati rice
• 4 onions thinly sliced
• 2 large capsicums/green bell pepper chopped
• 4-5 green chillies chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 green cardamoms
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 12-14 cashew nuts
• 15 raisins
• A pinch of yellow food color
• 3 tsp of cornflour powder
• Salt n sugar to taste
• White oil as per requirement

Procedure:
 

First wash the rice and boil it till 80% done. Spread on a flat dish and let it cool. Wash the fish pieces and smear them with cornstarch and salt. Heat oil in a thick bottomed skillet and fry the fish golden brown take out and keep aside. Now pour some more oil if needed and add the whole garam masalas and peppercorns. Wait for the splutter and add the onions. Fry until golden brown. Now take out some of the fried onions for garnish. Add the green bell pepper and fry. Add the cashew and raisins and sauté for a few minutes more before adding the rice. In the mean time take a pinch of yellow food color and stir it with 2 tablespoons of water. Keep aside. Now add the rice, salt and sugar and the food color. Mix all of them really well. Add the fish pieces, cover them with rice. Now put a lid on the top and let it get cooked for 5-7 minutes on low flame. Turn Off the heat. Remove the lid and again stir the contents very delicately so as not to break the fish pieces. Sprinkle the fried onions and again cover it to give some standing time before serving……

Steamed Shrimps ( Kuncho Chingri Bhape)

This is a fingerlickingly delicious Bong dish, can be done with jumbo prawns or medium sized prawns also but this time I chose to use shrimps to see how it turns out to be and the result was just too good. Generally this dish needs mustard paste but I use khus khus/ posto/ poppy seeds paste with it to give an extra edge....try this out.. its really simple and cooks within minutes...

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 500 gms shrimps cleaned and washed in hot water
• 2 tblspns black mustard seeds
• 2 tblspns yellow mustard seeds
• 3 tblspns Khus-Khus/ Posto/poppy seeds
• 5-6 green chillies
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tblspns mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Kuncho Chingri Bhape

Procedure:

First soak mustard seeds, poppy seeds/posto, 3 green chillies, and salt in a container for 1 hour in 1/2 cup water. Now make a smooth paste of these ingredients. In an air tight steel container put the shrimps, mustard/ poppy seeds paste, mustard oil, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, 3-4 green chillies and a little bit of water. Mix them all, tightly close the lid. Place the container in a large bowl with water and cover the bowl. Check that the water level must be below the lid of the container with the shrimps. Let it get cooked in steam for 7-8 minutes on high flame... your kuncho chingri bhape is ready to be savoured with steamed rice.

Fried Flattened Rice (Chire Bhaja)

When its raining torrentially outside and your heart crying for a quick snack to accompany a steaming cup of tea in the evening nothing can be better than Chire bhaja or Fried flattened rice. Here's the recipe of this delicious super fast Bong snack....

Recipe:

Fried Flattened Rice/ Chire Bhaja

Fried Flattened Rice/ Chire Bhaja

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Flattened rice/ Poha/ Chire
• 2 onions chopped
• 3 green chillies chopped
• 2 tblspns oil
• Salted peanuts a handful
• Bhujia
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

Heat oil in a wok and fry onions and green chillies. When onions are golden add the dry flattened rice, salt, peanuts. Continue frying till the chire is crispy. Now sprinkle bhujia, mix well and serve.

Happy Snacking!!!

Aloo Begun Masoor Daaler Bori Diye Torkari ( Dried Lentil Dumplings in Potato And Brinjal/Eggplant Curry)

Summer's here. We generally avoid too much spicy and oily food to beat the unbearable heat, to keep stomach upsets at bay. All we need are a light daal, a simple veg dish, fish curry and rice. Today I have prepared a very light, simple and easy to make veg dish that gets cooked quickly but is very delicious and soul-soothing.

Recipe:

Aloo Begun Masoor Daaler Bori Diye Torkari

Ingredients:

• 3 large potatoes sliced vertically
• 1 brinjal/eggplant cut in big cubes
• 1 tomato chopped
• 12-14 masoor daal bori ( dried cone shaped lentil dumplings)
• Paanch phoron or five spices (a mix of whole fenugreek/methi seeds, fennel/saunf, kalonji/nigella seeds, black mustard seeds and radhuni/wild celery. If radhuni is unavailable you can substitute it with cumin seeds )
• 1-2 whole red chillies
• 2 tsp atta/wheat flour
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt n sugar to taste
• Mustard oil as per need

Procedure:

Heat oil in a karahi, fry the boris and take them out. Now in the same oil splutter paanch phoron and whole red chilli. Add potatoes and fry till golden, add brinjal, continue to fry. Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and a little sugar. Keep stirring. In a separate bowl take wheat flour and mix well in a cup of water and add it. Add more water if needed. Add the fried boris/dumplings. Cover with a lid and let it cook on a medium heat. After some time check whether the potatoes and boris are done. If tender and the gravy has thickened its ready to be served with steamed rice.

Tomato Chutney (plain) Bong Style

This is a chutney recipe of my mother, sweet, delicious a must after a Bong meal. It always features on our Sunday menu and the meal is incomplete without it. Its very simple and easy to make.

Recipe:

Tomato Chutney (plain)

Ingredients: 

• 500 gms red n ripe tomatoes chopped
• 7-8 tblspns granulated sugar
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 pinch turmeric powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tblspn mustard oil
• 1 cup water

Procedure:

Heat oil in a wok and splutter mustard seeds and ginger. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Fry the tomatoes till the raw smell is gone. Add water and let them get cooked. When the tomatoes become tender, add sugar. Now begin to stir, after sometime when the sugar melts, the consistency is thick and the chutney turns dark red, turn off the heat and let it cool. Your tomato chutney is ready to be served.

Strawberry Rosogollar Payesh( Rosogolla/Cheeseballs in Strawberry Kheer/Pudding)

This is a super delicious sweet dish from my kitchen....tried experimenting with strawberry and rosogolla or cheeseballs together and believe me it was just out of the world....

Strawberry Rosogollar Payesh

Ingredients:

•  Rosogolla 8 pcs cut in half
•  Full cream milk 750ml
•  Milkmaid ½ tin (200gms)
•  Sugar 2-3 tblspns
•  Cornflour powder 3tsps
•  Strawberry syrup ( I used Hershey’s) 3-4 tblspns
•  Strawberries as per need
•  Cashewnuts for garnishing(optional)

Strawberry Rosogollar Payesh

Process: 

Boil full cream milk with sugar in a wok…take out some milk n mix well with the cornflour powder…keep aside. When the milk gets a bit reduced add milkmaid n stir for sometime. Now add the cornflour mix…instantly the milk will thicken n become creamy. Add the strawberry syrup n stir mixing well…now put in the rosogollas cut in halves…refrigerate for 3-4 hrs till the kheer sets well n the rosogollas get well absorbed in strawberry kheer…serve chilled with chopped strawberries n cashewnuts…I swear it’ll be a dessert to remember… :)

Double Egg Rolls~ Street food (Kolkata)

One of the most popular Street Foods of Kolkata is 'The Kathi Roll' and no outing is ever complete without a double egg roll in hand for the Kolkatans. Presenting the recipe of that super delectable Double Egg Rolls that took the gastronomic world by storm in three simple and easy steps.....Try it out today...

 

Recipe:

Double Egg Rolls