Spicy stir fried prawn...

 

Who doesn't love a quick recipe? I always prefer a quick delicious dish for a weeknight dinner. And I choose fish or seafood for that, as the cooking time is much less compared to other proteins. Last week I tried this quick, easy, ready in a jiffy spicy stir fried prawns to go with some steamed rice. The spicy prawns were perfect to go with both stir fried noodles and plain rice.

Pan seared fish with spicy coriander pesto...

We all need quick easy recipes for weekdays meal. Specially in hot and humid country like ours, spending long hours preparing and elaborate cooking is really stressful. Here is one such easy recipe that can be a instant hit. I had some bhetki or betki fish in the freezer and was not sure what to prepare with that. 

Batabi lebu makha...

Batabi lebu known as pomelo in English is a citrus fruit with a thick green outer covering. The pulp inside may be yellowish white or pink in color, when ripe tastes sweet. But some may taste sour and bitter. This vitamin C rich citrus fruit is loaded with goodness. It's good for our skin, hair, as well the high potassium content is good for the heart too. This anti-oxidant rich fruit is great for fighting urinary tract infection. One can eat the pulp of the fruit directly or fresh juice can be prepared.

Peyajkoli diye tyngra mach er jhal..

Exploring the affair of fish and Bengali would be nothing less than an epic. The varieties of fishes we eat is almost endless. And the way they are prepared also varies from one household to the other.  If you don't eat fish and rice everyday then there is a big question about your true 'Bong' blood. Fortunately or unfortunately I do fall in that category, and my other family members curiously ask me if I don't eat fish and rice for lunch and dinner then what other alternatives do I have? No it's not that I hate fish or don't like them, it's just I like to consume all other kind of proteins to keep a balance. And who wants to eat the same fish curry and rice everyday, at least not me. The commonest of common fish one cook in a Bengali kitchen is either Rohu or Katla, typically made into a simple jhol (curry) or sorse bata jhal (semi gravy with mustard paste). It surprises me how one can eat the same curry everyday without complaining. I try to eat fish at least thrice a week and that too of different varieties. As winter is offering us its bounty of vegetables, I love to combine the fishes with the goodness of the veggies too.

Whole mung bean curry..

Dal or lentil along with rice and roti is an usual affair in every Indian kitchen. A wide variety of lentils are consumed and preparations vary from region to region. My family is no exception, almost everyday or the other I prepare dal. To make sure it doesn't get boring I use all the different varieties of lentils I know and also try to prepare them in different ways to bring variations in the menu. I already have different recipes involving lentils on my blog, here is another one to add to the list. This time, I have made a whole mung bean curry.

Chingri macher bora...

Who doesn't like fresh juicy sweet shrimps? So when I found some in the market few days back, didn't take long to buy a bagful. I wanted to keep it simple to enjoy the flavorful shrimps to the fullest. I was juggling with different recipes, finally an easy shrimp balls recipe came to my mind. It is a tweaked version of a traditional Bengali style shrimp ball recipe.

Macher dimer bora...

Bengalis are known for their inclination towards fish. A Bengali meal is incomplete without fish in it. No part of the fish is thrown out, be it the head or the gut or the bones. Different dishes are prepared using different parts of the fish. Mach er dim or fish roe is no exception and considered a delicacy in Bengali cuisine.

Pressure cooker chicken curry...

I prefer to spend the weekends either relaxing with my family or just to have some precious me time. Doing nothing and sitting with a cup of coffee or tea is such a bliss, a rare thing that happens but I look for those priceless moments. Throughout the week following a routine is so tedious, and repeating the mandatory chores is so irksome. So I make it point to switch off the alarm on my phone for the weekends,though the body clock always betrays me and I end up tossing and turning on my bed at 5 in the morning while the man and the kid sleep peacefully. I mostly tip toe around the house and sip the hot cup of tea alone and enjoy the perfect me time. Yes we do go out, meet family members, party with friends but also enjoy the rejuvenating lazy weekends.

Postor Bora..

What is food? something we take when we feel hungry? or something we can't resist even if we are full? or as my nine year old is prompting me " Ma, food is something we need to take for growth and energy" (her science class influence of course).

I think food is beyond and above all these definitions. It's not only calms down the hungry rat rumbling inside our stomach but much more than that. Food is something that satisfies our soul, it's a memory that lingers throughout our life, a taste from childhood, an aroma that triggers thousands emotions, that evokes the memory of someone very close to you, making them and the moment immortal.

Lentil with lime leaves...

Yesterday I prepared a simple dal for lunch, a typical Bengali lentil soup, but something that turned it special. The dal was flavored with the leaves of Gondhoraaj lebu. Gondhoraaj literally means king of aroma and it is native to Bengal. These are somewhat similar to kaffir lime. From a welcome drink to main course to desserts, these elongated thick skinned large limes work wonder. Usually these limes are cut lengthwise into wedges and served along with Bengali meals, either a simple dal or a spicy bowl of mutton curry, it uplifts every single dish.

Fish in mustard sauce...

Fishes are an integral part of the daily diet of people of Bengal. The geographical attributes of Bengal is the reason behind fish being the part of the cuisine. Being a state with many rivers running through it, multiple fresh water ponds and lakes along with a  long coastal region, fishes are available in abundance. So from ages we Bengalis' are eating various kind of fishes and now it's a  part of tradition and most of us can't think about a meal without fish. Today I'm sharing a quintessential Bengali dish and an all time favorite in my family, Sorse bata diye pabda mach, which translates to Pabda fish in mustard sauce.

Doi ilish...

The sun hiding behind the clouds, thunderstorms, the aroma of rain drenched earth and the pitter patter of raindrops on the window...Monsoon, the relief from the scorching heat of summer is a much awaited season in India. Monsoon is extremely important to people of this subcontinent, it irrigates and sustains the crops, it nourishes the greens around us, fills up the water bodies.

To be very honest, sometimes I do not enjoy rain much. I complain about the puddles of water on the road during daily commute, I get irritated with water logged streets and overdose of rain, but monsoon has it's own charm. And being a foodie I relate everything to food, and Monsoon is no exception. The cooling rain and a lazy afternoon with some crispy pakoras and a cup of hot tea is nothing but bliss.  

The reason I can overlook all the negative sides of this season is a fish, the Hilsa, the fish no Bengali can resist. Hilsa and monsoon are synonymous to me. As mangoes are to summer, hilsa are to monsoon. The silver shiny fish is the king of all. Taste, texture, flavor nothing compares to it. So for this monsoon special event I made a very simple but traditional hilsa recipe, doi ilish,  i.e. hilsa cooked in a yogurt and mustard gravy.

The ingredients are very simple and easily available. Fresher the fish, tastier will be the dish. The recipe calls for black mustard paste. To make black mustard paste, soak the mustard seeds for at least an hour in water and grind with a pinch of salt and green chilies.

Things needed to make Doi Ilish:

• Hilsa fish cut into steaks: 4-6
• Yogurt: 100 gm
• Black mustard paste: 1/4 cup
• Green chilies: 4-5
• Kalojire/ onion seed: 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil to cook

Steps of making Doi Ilish:

1. Beat the yogurt with a little water and keep aside.

2. Smear the fish pieces with salt and turmeric powder, let it rest for 15-20 min.

3. In a kadhai or Indian wok, heat mustard oil (3 tablespoon), when the oil is hot, fry the fish for 1 min on each side. Take out from pan and keep aside. Do not overcook,

4. In the same oil add kalojire (onion seed/kalonji), green chilies, as it splatters add the yogurt. Cook over low heat for 4-5 min. Add the mustard paste and the fish pieces, add salt. Cover and cook for 10 min.

This post will be part of the the Monsoon special event  of  Kolkata food bloggers.

If you like to get regular updates from me go to my Facebook page and click on the Like button. You can also follow my blog on NetworkBlogs. Thank you..!!!

Coconut Chutney...

Idli, dosa, uttapam are few items I often make for breakfast and my daughter's lunch box. To accompany the idli, dosa or uttapam my little one makes sure that I make some coconut chutney. Everyone in my family loves this coconut chutney. Easy to make, no cook, a complete hassle free delicacy.

The recipe I follow to make this coconut chutney is passed on from a good friend of my husband. My husband's friend Annu is from Kerala. I have heard so many stories of their college days, how the boys used to devour dosa and chutney from her lunch box and how skillful is A's mom at cooking finger licking food, specially dosa and idlis at home. Once I was making dosa and my husband told me about this recipe to make coconut chutney of her friend's. A e-mailed us the special heirloom recipe, and from then on I'm a big fan of this recipe. It's been more than ten years and I'm still following exactly the same recipe while making coconut chutney. So here it's for you all, a simple coconut chutney to go with dosa or idli. It also works great in between two slices of breads.

It takes hardly 10 minutes to make the chutney, the time consuming part is to scrape the coconut. To reduce the work load frozen grated coconut can be used, but I will recommend of using fresh coconut. To scrape the coconut I used my traditional Bengali coconut scraper (Narkel kuruni). I have grown seeing my mother, aunts using this and me too use this on regularly.

Ingredients for this chutney are very simple and easily available. The curry leaves are home-grown :) In many recipes, specially the restaurant style, chana dal (bengal gram) is added to this chutney, but I prefer without it. The process is also as easy as it could be, put all the ingredients in a grinder and make a smooth paste, and you are done.

Things needed to make Coconut Chutney:

• Fresh coconut (scraped): 1 cup
• Onion (diced): 1 tbsp
• Ginger (chopped): 1 tsp
• Yogurt: 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves: 12-14
• Green chilies: 2-3
• Salt to taste
• Water to grind
• Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
• Brown mustard and curry leaves for tempering

Steps of making Coconut Chutney:

1. Take all the ingredients except the brown mustard and curry leaves for tempering, put them in a grinder and make a smooth paste. Pour the chutney in a bowl.

2. In a pan heat oil, when hot add brown mustard and curry leaves, as it splatters switch off heat. Pour the oil and the seeds and the leaves over the chutney. Store chutney in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

If you like to get regular updates from me go to my Facebook page and click on the Like button. You can also follow my blog on NetworkBlogs. Thank you..!!!

Dahi vada...

Last weekend being Diwali, I came across so many delicious pictures of sweets and savories of different kinds in the popular social networking sites. Those added fuel to my craving for the mouthwatering motichur laddoos, irresistible samosas and so many more.  Lately I have been  intentionally keeping  myself away from the kitchen, though not completely but I have been avoiding anything that needed an elaborate cooking process. But the uncontrollable craving needed to be addressed. So I choose Dahi vada to quench it. For me that's the easiest one to make. So Dahi vada to celebrate a belated Diwali.

Dahi vada, is a popular road side chaat (snack) from India. It is basically deep fried lentil dumplings made from urad dal (split black gram), first soaked in water and then served with beaten yogurt and other flavorings. It is an absolute favorite of mine and my family.

To make soft and melt in mouth Dahi vadas keep in mind the following tips, use good quality urad dal (split black gram), soak the dal (lentil) for at least 6 hrs before making the paste, fry the dumplings over a medium high heat and most important of all beat the lentil paste with a whisk till your arm falls apart..... or else use an electric beater :)

Things needed to make Dahi vada:

For making the Vada (lentil dumplings):

(makes 16-18 vadas)

• Urad dal (split black gram): 2 cups
• Asafoetida (hing): a pinch
• Cumin seeds (crushed): 1 tsp
• Ginger paste: 2 tsp
• Green chili paste: 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil to deep fry

For assembling Dahi Vada:

• Yogurt: 4-5 cups
• Water: 1/2 cup-1cup
• Date-Tamarind chutney
• Roasted cumin and red chili powder: to sprinkle
• Black salt or chat masala: to sprinkle
• Fresh coriander: 1 tbsp
• Warm water: a pot full
• Sev or boondi: to garnish
• Sugar to taste
• Salt to taste

Steps of making Dahi vada:

1. Soak urad dal (split black gram) for 6-7 hrs. Wash well and drain the lentils. Make a smooth paste. The paste should have a consistency of thick cake batter.

2. Add crushed cumin seeds, salt, asafoetida, ginger paste and green chili paste to the lentil paste and mix well. Beat the lentil paste till it is fluffy and airy. 

3. Heat oil in a deep pan, when the oil is hot reduce the heat and put dollops of lentil paste and fry till evenly golden brown. Do not over crowd the pan, fry in batches.

4. While the dumplings are frying, heat a pot full of water. Add  a spoonful of salt in the water. Keep the water warm. No need to boil it.

5. When the dumplings turns golden brown, take out with a slotted spoon and keep on paper towel lined plate.

6. Dip the fried dumplings in the warm water.

7. In a bowl beat yogurt, water, sugar, salt, till smooth.

8. Just before serving, squeeze any excess water from the vadas and arrange them in a serving plate. Pour whisked yogurt over the vadas to coat them well. Garnish with date-tamarind chutney, roasted cumin-red chili powder, black salt or chat masala, chopped coriander leaves, sev or boondi.

If you like to get regular updates from me go to my Facebook page and click on the Like button. You can also follow my blog on NetworkBlogs. Thank you..!!!

Chili chicken...

Chinese food is extremely popular world over. And  I am sure many of you must have noticed that it tastes different in different parts of the world. Keeping the basic essence in place, Chinese restaurants all over the world modify their dishes blending it with locally available ingredients and  make it suited to palate of the local populace.

Chinese restaurants in my home town Kolkata, India is no different. One of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants in India is Chili Chicken. You can't find 'Chili Chicken' any where else other than India and  Indian restaurants outside the sub-continent. Chili Chicken is stir fried chicken pieces cooked in a spicy soy sauce based  gravy and is the most popular Chinese dish in India.

And Chinese food in India comes with something special, a bowl full of green chilies soaked in vinegar. I personally think my Chinese dinner or lunch is incomplete without that bowl of vinegar soaked chilies. It is very easy to make, chop fresh green chilies and soak them in white vinegar for 6-8 hrs. You can store that in an air tight glass jar for months.

I often make Chili chicken and other Chinese dishes at home. Not only we all love it,  they need very little cooking time too. The 'wok to plate' time being small for Chinese dishes,  makes it very convenient when you want to treat your family with something other than the usual fare but do not want to break too much sweat.

Things needed to make Chili Chicken:

• Chicken breasts: 2
• Onion: 1/2
• Bell peppers: 1 small
• Green part of the spring onion: to garnish
• Oil to cook

For Marination:

• Corn starch: 3-4 tbsp
• Egg white: of 1 large egg
• Vinegar: 1 tbsp
• Garlic (paste): 1 clove
• Light soy sauce: 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste (freshly ground)

For the gravy:

• Green chilies: 6-8
• Dry red chilies: 3-4
• Garlic (sliced): 2-3 cloves
• White part of the spring onion (finely chopped): 4 tbsp
• Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
• Rice wine (or sherry): 2 tbsp
• Chicken stock (or water): 1/4 cup
• Corn starch: 1 tbsp
• Dark soy sauce: 2-3 tbsp

Steps of making Chili Chicken:

1. Cut onion and bell peppers into triangles, keep aside.

2. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Cut into bite size pieces.

3. In a bowl mix all the ingredients for marination. Careful while adding the salt, as soy sauce itself is very salty. Marinate the chicken pieces in the mix for 15-20 min.

4. In a wok or deep pan, heat 2 tablespoon of oil, preferably peanut oil, or any vegetable oil is good. When the oil is hot fry the onion and bell peppers. Keep the heat high, cook till the surface turns brown and blisters appear on them. Do not overcook, the onion and bell peppers should remain crunchy. Take out and keep aside.

5. In the same wok add more oil if needed, when the oil is hot fry the marinated chicken pieces in batches. Do not overcrowd the wok or pan, keep the heat to high. Cook for 3 min. Take out and keep aside. Repeat till all the chicken is done.

6. In the same wok add a tablespoon of oil, when the oil is hot, reduce the heat and add dry red chilies and sliced garlic, cook till the garlic turns brown, take out the red chilies and garlic with a slotted spoon. In that oil add the white part of the onion and cook over high heat for 2 min. Add the fried chicken, reduce heat to medium and cook for 2-3 min. Add green chilies, mix well and cook for another 1 min. Add rice wine (or sherry), dark soy sauce, sesame oil, mix well. Add the fried onion and bell peppers. 

The chili chicken can be served like this, the dry version. Garnish with chopped spring onion and enjoy dry chili chicken.

If you like to have gravy in your chili chicken, then add chicken stock after step 6, and let it boil. Mix corn starch with some water. As the chicken boils add corn starch mix and switch off the heat. Garnish with chopped spring onion (scallion), only the green part, serve immediately.

If you like to get regular updates from me go to my Facebook page and click on the Like button. You can also follow my blog on NetworkBlogs. Thank you..!!!

Spicy fish curry...puNti macher jhal

I definitely love to experiment with different cuisines, but when it comes to soul food, it is always fish curry and rice for me,  that's a confession of a hardcore Bong. The list of fishes cooked in a Bengali kitchen is quite long, from exotic Hilsa to small  fresh water fishes like PuNti, Mourola etc.. Yes, you may not get these fresh where I live now, but the local Asian supermarket  which I consider a treasure trove, many a times helps to resolve the craving for my soul food. It has endless varieties of both fresh as well as vacuum sealed fresh water fishes. Whenever I go to the Asian supermarket, I look around the fish section. Looking for something that  looks familiar, I  then reach out to our ever reliable  friend google to find out more about the fish and then accordingly go for it. I have not been disappointed till now.

I found this packet of small fish in the local Asian Supermarket. It was labeled 'Mud Carp' shipped from Vietnam. The fishes looked like my all time favorite puNti mach. I tried my luck and bought one packet. After cooking the fishes I was delighted. It was exactly like the puNti I know. I made some crispy fried fishes to go with steamed rice and dal and I also made a spicy dry curry.

For the crispy fry, you need to clean up the fish first. Scale the fish, cut the fins and clean the intestine (the belly part). The fishes  being small, it  does take a bit of time. After cleaning, wash the fishes well, smear with some salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for 30 min.

Heat oil (preferably mustard oil) in a deep pan or kadhai. When the oil is hot, fry the fishes. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry till both sides are golden brown. Serve hot with some rice and dal.

I also made a spicy dry curry with these small fishes, a favorite of mine. We call it macher jhal in Bengali. It is a dry spicy curry. Macher jhal can be made in various different ways, with mustard paste, or with onion and tomato. I went for the onion-tomato way this time. And of course I used the mud carp for this. You can use any fish, carp, tilapia, swai, anchovies, cod, perch, prawns etc.

Things need to make macher jhal or spicy dry curry with fish:

• Fried small fish: 2 cups
• Onion: 3/4 cup
• Tomato: 1 large
• Coriander powder: 1 tbsp
• Red chili powder: 1-2 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
• Dry red chilies: 2-3
• Green chilies: 3-4
• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste
• Mustard oil
• Fresh coriander to garnish

Steps of making macher jhal or spicy dry curry with fish:

1. In a pan heat mustard oil, when the oil is hot add dry red chilies. Add finely chopped onions and cook till evenly brown.

2. Add tomato, sprinkle little salt, cover and cook till tomatoes are done.

3. In a bowl mix turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder with few teaspoons of water. Add the spice mix. Cook till oil separates.

4. Add the fried fish, salt, sugar, green chilies, and little water (1/4 cup). Cover and cook for 5-6 min. Uncover and reduce the gravy. Sprinkle chopped fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.

If you like to get regular updates from me go to my Facebook page and click on the Like button. You can also follow my blog on NetworkBlogs. Thank you..!!!

Spicy egg curry...

I was not in a mood for cooking anything elaborate, but again I'm not a dal-chawal person, so made my favorite Egg Curry, the Bengali way. It is quick, easy and yummy. We call it Dim Kosha in Bengali. Hard boiled eggs in an onion and tomato based thick gravy with loads of garlic and chilies. I am always a big fan of any egg dishes, boiled, poached, fried, omelet, curries...all are welcome.

This egg curry needs only a few basic ingredients, but first thing first, to make this curry you need to make hard boiled eggs. Now what's the big deal about that? Here comes a confession, there was a time when, everytime I used to make hard boiled eggs they used to crack. And even if they didn't crack, I found it difficult to peel them smoothly. With time I found few simple techniques that make the egg job much easier. The most common reason why eggs crack is temperature, we store eggs in refrigerator and if you put the cold eggs in hot water they will definitely crack. So take a deep pan filled with cold water, dip the uncooked eggs in the pan and heat over low heat. After 5-6 min, increase the heat to medium-high and let it boil, keep it boiling for 6-8 min. Remove from heat, transfer the eggs into cold water. Crack the eggs and peel. I'm sure you will be thrilled to get perfectly done eggs without any mess. Make sure you are using good quality fresh eggs. Store eggs in the egg carton or the egg counter on the fridge with the pointed end down.

So here is the spicy egg curry (dim kosha)I made for my lunch today.

Things needed to make Egg curry:

• Hard boiled eggs: 6
• Onion: 3 cups
• Garlic: 3 tbsp
• Tomato: 2
• Cumin powder: 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 2 tsp
• Red chili powder: 2 tbsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tsp
• Green chilies: 3-4
• Salt to taste
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Oil to cook

Steps of making Egg curry:

1. Boil eggs, peel them, smear with little salt and turmeric powder, keep aside. I like to prick the boiled eggs with a toothpick or fork, to ensure the eggs get all the flavors from the curry.
2. In a deep pan or kadhai heat a tablespoon of oil, preferably mustard oil. When the oil is hot fry the boiled eggs over high heat till the surface takes a nice brown color. Take out and keep aside.
3. In the same pan, add more oil (3 tablespoon), when the oil is hot fry the sliced onion to red. Make sure the onions are very thinly sliced.
4. As the onion takes a red color add the garlic. I like my garlic to be crushed than paste and I use my garlic crusher for this. You can use garlic paste or grated garlic whichever suits you. Mix the garlic and cook for 2-3 min.
5. Add chopped tomatoes. Discard all the seeds from the tomatoes and chop them fine. Add a pinch of salt, mix well, cover and cook for 5-6 min or till tomatoes are done.
6. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, kashmiri red chili powder and mix well. Cover and cook over low heat till oil separates.
7. Add 1/4 cup of hot water, salt and sugar as per taste and the eggs, mix well. Cover and cook for 4-5 min. Add green chilies. Serve hot with steamed rice or paratha or bread.

Spicy Egg Curry (Bengali style)

(Serves: 3-4)

Ingredients

Hard boiled eggs: 6

Onion (very thinly sliced): 3 cups

Garlic (crushed): 3 tbsp

Tomato (finely chopped, desseded): 2

Cumin powder: 2 tsp

Turmeric powder: 2 tsp

Red chili powder: 2 tbsp

Kashmiri red chili powder: 1 tsp

Green chilies: 3-4

Salt to taste

Sugar: 1 tsp

Oil to cook (preferably mustard oil)

Procedure:

1. Smear the hard boiled eggs with salt and turmeric powder, fry them and keep aside.

2. Fry the onions to red.

3. Add crushed garlic, cook for 2-3 min.

4. Add tomatoes, salt, cook till tomatoes are done.

5. Add dry spice powder, cook till oil separates.

6. Add water, egg, salt, sugar, cook for 5-6 min.

7. Add green chilies and serve hot.

If you like to get regular updates from me go to my Facebook page and click on the Like button. You can also follow my blog on NetworkBlogs. Thank you..!!!