Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori / Mishmash with Cauliflower Leaf Stalk

Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori 

Going through the photos lying in my album, I found so many pictures - time I sorted and shared them. These pictures of the Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori were clicked long back but never got a chance to be on the BlogSpot.

I sat looking at the pictures and then…

‘Why?’ cries the picture.

My consolation words, “nothing was written about you, so it stands where it is”.

“Didibhai, give me the chance to be shared with others”, say the pictures.

I thought over the words of this Cry-baby. Sitting there it may get into oblivion, so better show-off the texture, colour and the way of preparation using my thoughts and words.

Bengalis don’t like to throw away even the peeled skin of so many vegetables. Aloo-r khosha/potato skin, lau-er khosha/bottle gourd skin, kancha kolar khosha/green banana skin, and so many other peels are chopped and cooked into chorchoris or batas/paste in most Bengali kitchens.

The other day a friend told me, “I was served with the potato peel chorchori at a Bengali friend’s home and it tasted wonderful. If you have the recipe, can you share it with me?” A soft smile crossed my lips and then the sharing and…

We have so much to learn from one another and what the harm in owning up and speak out loud and say, “I’ve learnt this from so and so”. Every day is a learning day, be it in whatever field it may be.

Winter comes and the season brings with it fresh cauliflowers. Phulkopir dalna is a very common dish in my home. So also Aloo Phulkopir bhaja, phulkopir singara/samosa, phulkopir pakora, gobi paratha and…

Some childhood reminiscences: During winter the hens kept in the huge enclosures were fed with phulkopir saag and danta/cauliflower greens. They pecked with their beaks and even fought with their mates for their share. The cows were also given the greens and then they sat chewing the cud. At times the parrots nibbled the leaves, but not to their liking, they loved the Kundrus, that too the red ripe ones. Common pets, the dogs and cats were least bothered about the vegetable. As I write this I wonder how nice my childhood days were. Living in big houses with large Uthuns/open cemented space, and how we played Kumir danga/Land and the crocodile. My sons get this luxury in their Didas and Thammas house. Change has made all the difference.

Time I got out of this natter and do justice to my Cry-baby…phukopi dantar chorchori…or else will not come out of its shell again.

Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori with Rice

For the Kopir danta chorchori:

Separate the greens from the stem and the cut out thin strips from the stalks of about 2 inches long. Wash and keep it aside for that’s the main stuff of this dish -- should be about a medium bowl full.

Other ingredients:

Mustard seeds: 2 tbsp

Potato 1: Cut into mini dices

Pumpkin: about 150 gms cubed

Tomato 1: cubed

Green chilli: 3-4

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp.

Red chilli powder: ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar to balance the taste

Preparation:

Put the pieced stalks, potato, tomato and pumpkin and some water, about 1 cup, and pressure cook it for 2 whistles or till the stalks are soft but with the crunch.

Make a paste of mustard seeds, 2 green chillies, a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric.

Now heat about a tsp. of oil in a wok. Once it is hot add the 2 remaining slit green chillies and give a stir. Soon add the contents from the pressure cooker and stir again to mix well.

Add the turmeric and red chilli powder. Once the boil comes add salt and sugar and let it cook. Add the mustard paste and mix well and cook till the pumpkin and the potatoes give a body to the Chorchori and let the water dry completely. Now it is ready to be served. That’s one of the magic of Phulkopir danta.

© gouriguha 2013

Bata Mach, Piyaj Koli aar Aloo-r Jhol (Fish Curry)

If I say it is ‘Bata Mach and Piyaj Koli Returns’, this will be the truth. Earlier I had posted about Bata Mach Sorse Diye. But this preparation is a bit different in taste and smell and of course the way it is cooked. And Piyaj Koli is already in my list of earlier posts Piyaj Koli aar Aloo bhaja. 

Bata Mach is really very tasty and can be cooked in different ways, I mean use different spices and try out the different tastes. Always there’s space for innovation as Cooking is no Rocket Science and if there is a fault, it hardly makes a difference. Isn’t it?

Being a Bengali it is so natural to eat Bhat/Rice with Macher Jhol/Fish curry. If it is less spicy the jhol/gravy can be running to mix well with the rice in the plate. The other day when a Dada of the Para/Neighbourhood came, he said “aajke ginni daroon macher jhol ranna kore chilo, macher jhol bhat, ki saad…” (today wife cooked fish curry. The rice and fish curry was such a good combo, so tasty…)

Bata Mach is neither a very small nor falls under the type of big ones. This fish is cooked as one single piece, means one whole. Pictures of this fish below:

Main ingredients:

Bata Mach – 6-8 in number

Piyaj Koli – 1 bunch cut into 1 inch length

Potatoes – 2-3 cut into half and then cut longish into 4 pieces from one half

Tomato – 1 cut into small pieces

Masala/Spices for the curry:

Dhania Powder – 2 ½ tsp

Jeera Powder – 1 tsp

Haldi Powder -1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder – ½ tsp or as per your taste

Ginger paste 1 ½ tsp

Mustard oil for cooking as this gives a better flavour.

Salt to taste

Making of the curry:

Fry the fish and keep it aside. In the same cooking vessel first add the piyal koli that has been washed and cut earlier. Stir for 2-3 minutes. The greens give a sweet smell. To this add the potatoes and the tomato pieces. Stir and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the ginger paste and salt and fry for 2 minutes. Add salt and the spices and some water. Mix all the spices with the veggies and cook till the oil leaves the sides. Pour in enough water (depending on the type of gravy you want) and cover the vessel and let it cook over a low flame. Before the potatoes get very soft add the fried fish. Don’t let the fish cook for a long time, only a minute or so and switch off the flame. Curry is ready to be served with hot rice. This preparation goes well with rice only.

© gouri guha

Khichuri aar Saraswati pujo

Khichudi Bhog  on Saraswati Puja

I can still recall those childhood days when Saraswati Pujo was celebrated annually at home. I feel life during my early days were different – not different in the sense that the sun did not rise in the morning, the sunset is very much here, seasons change with time, schools and students exist – but there was something so very sweet in life that is missing now.

Years have passed bringing with it many changes and I have also handled the change. Technology has brought about so many changes in our life.

Whatever may happen, the almanac will be bought to find out the dates and time of various occasions. Today is Saraswati Pujo. As a child I loved this day firstly because on this day no one at home told us to study, more so because this day is the day of goddess Saraswati the Goddess of Wisdom for the Hindus.

I think there is more Bengali fervor in this puja day. I remember how we got up early, bathed in warm water after applying haldi paste (mixed with oil), on the face, legs and hands. The previous day saw late night with all the preparations going on. We made colourful paper chains, paper flowers and shaped other paper designs to decorate the room where the puja was performed. Ma’s zari lined sari also was used for decorating the wall where the clay idol of the goddess was placed. The platform was made by joining two stools and then covering it with some brightly coloured table cloth. Flowers were there in plenty in our garden – marigold, tagor, joba – while tulsi, the thorny berry twig, and amer pallv was there at home, bel patta was brought from the neighbourhood tree. Sweets and fruits brought from the market the day before were all ready for the puja in the morning. There were many hands to help – some big and some small and tiny ones.

The purohit/pandit came to perform the puja rites. Incense sticks and the lamp were lit, and then the sound of the conch shell and the mantras filled the room - what an atmosphere it was! We siblings placed some of our books and note books near the goddess along with our pen and pencils. So it was a day off from studies. As I reminiscence those days, I cooked khichudi, begun bhaja, mixed vegetable curry and tomato chutney for this special day.

For the khichudi took 1 small cup bhaja (dry roasted) mung dal, I cup rice. Poured some ghee, about 1 tsp. to the cooking vessel. Once the ghee started to release heat added the dal and rice that had been washed earlier. Gave it a stir for a minute and a half and then added some haldi powder, dhania powder, red chilli powder, jeera powder, and stirred again. Then added some chopped tomatoes, potatoes and cauliflower florets which I had fried earlier and after a minute added salt and again a stir. Having completed the process in about 5 minute’s time, added 4 cups of water. After the first boil came added some sugar (optional), covered it and lowered the flame. In between removed the lid to mix…a little bit of opor neeche (up and down). By the time the water dried up, Khichudi was ready.

To go with it there was begun bhaja, a mixed vegetable curry and tomato chutney. What a meal it was, heavenly, maybe because it is thought to be a special bhog for a special day.

© gouri guha

Mur(d)i Ghonto (Bengali dish) – Curried Fish Head

This is not an everyday recipe. A Bengali household can relish Macher jhol everyday with gorom gorom (hot) bhaat (plain rice). And when the whole Rui (rohu) mach (fish) is brought home, carefully the Ginni (lady of the house) cleans the fish, separates the daily quota and puts the fish head in the deep freezer along with the remaining packets. On a Friday night, before sleep engulfs her, she chalks out her menu for the next day. She thinks of cooking mur(d)i-ghanto for the Saturday lunch, when everyone in the house is together for a sumptuous meal with some finger-licking dishes. She takes utmost care to cook her mur(d)i-ghanto and happy with the compliments that come her way.

The ‘she’ in me is no way less interested. Last Saturday I cooked mur(d)i-ghanto.

Speaking of mur(d)i ghanto, the ‘d’ sound has its own effect in it. Not a tongue twister but the tongue helps in bringing the two sounds together...like the Kingfisher Ad...

Cookinh Mur(d)i Ghanto is easy. For this dish we need:

Fish head – 1 big Rohu head will do. Clean it properly, wash, rub it with some haldi (turmeric) powder and salt.

1 tomato, washed and cut into tiny pieces.

In the meantime peel two big potatoes, wash and dice them.

2 onions, 4-5 fat garlic cloves, 1 inch long ginger, all go together into making a paste.

Kick start the cooking process by placing the kadhai/wok on the stove. Pour oil enough to fry the fish head. Once done, this goes into waiting.

Pour out some oil from the kadhai into a small bowl for later use. There should be about 2 tbsp oil remaining in the kadhai.

Now tip in whole garam masala – cinnamon 1 inch stick, cloves 4-5, cardamom 4-5 – don’t beat them hard but a simple crush in mortar and pestle so that they are slightly broken. Tip them in the kadhai and soon the aroma of the grand Indian spices will start spreading all around. Add 2-3 bay leaves.

Add the onion, ginger, garlic paste and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Put in the tomatoes pieces. Soon the tomatoes will start breaking up and become mushy.

After having cooked for 6-7 minutes add the cubed potatoes. Cook till the oil separates from the masala.

In the meantime take 2 tbsp of raw rice and roast them in another pan. Once the rice starts hopping and popping around in the pan, pour them into the cooking kadhai.

Now break the fried fish head into smaller pieces, tip into the kadhai and stir cook for 2 minutes.

Add water (sufficient for the potatoes to cook), cover with a lid and let the curry cook over high flame.

Once the water dries up Mur(d)i Ghanto is ready to be served.

 

Savour this dish with plain rice or roti.
And let me know. 

Long Break...and Back with simple Lau Dal (Lauki Dal)

I’m not back with a BANG for, while writing, there was no noise except the tap tap tap of the keyboards and...slowly and noiselessly the blog space accepted my words and pictures...easy for friends to read and, of course, look forward to the encouragement I get from your precious comments.

This VIRTUAL blogging world is so different from the very REAL world we live in. Here we make friends with people whom we don’t meet in person, yet we get to know each other through our communication with words.

...and internet makes all this easy...

Science and Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. Even today children bring home from school their essay home work with the topic, “Is Science a Bane or a Boon” and many students pester their mothers for some valuable points and then mother’s trip back into their school days...

...the Aahh!!! and the Oohh!!! is beginning to crawl from the other end.

So just let me tell you about the Lau Dal recipe so that...

...unfinished sentence for the focus now is on the recipe.

This is a simple dish cooked so easily...can be a beginner’s delight. Call it Lau/Lauki/Bottle Gourd when cooked in different kitchens bring out the variety in taste.

The Recipe:

For this we need:

1 cup moong dal (dry roasted)

½ of a Lau (Lauki): Washed, peeled and cut into medium size cubes. Always wash the lauki/lau before peeling off the thick skin (the skin can also be cooked for a special tasty dish...a Bengali preparation) and cutting into pieces or grating (for kofta) it.

Panch phoron: 1 tsp

Haldi powder: ½ tsp

Salt

Sugar

Cooking oil

Water: 5 cups

Begin the cooking process:

Dry roast the mung dal till it turns dark pink. Wash 2-3 times.

Place the pressure cooker on the burning stove. Once it starts picking up the heat add 2 tbsp oil and let the smoke come up (don’t burn the oil).

To this add 1 tsp panch phoron and after the crackling starts in the pressure pan and the whole spices start giving out their (mixed) heavenly aroma pour in 5 cups of water and soon after add the washed mung dal.

To this add the haldi powder and the cubed Lau/Lauki.

Close the lid and cook till the pressure cooker hisses 5-6 times. Switch of the gas oven and let the pressure cooker cool down.

Open the lid and let the dal come to a boil. To this add salt and sugar (optional, but even then I feel you can add ½ tsp sugar). Let it boil for another couple of minutes and the dish is ready to be served with plain white rice, roti or paratha.

Wasn't it easy and time saving?
Serves 4-5 person
Cooking time: In total 20-25 minutes
Taste - very individual...and then the final points.