Lau-er-tarkari Ilish Macher Matha Diye/Lauki Curried with Hilsa Fish Head

Lau/Lauki/Bottle Gourd, is a Simpleton among vegetables. The look is good – the skin is smooth with a light green colour and the inside is white. As I compare the Lau/Lauki, a mesmerizing thought of a Nursery Rhyme of my kiddy days flash across my mind. And then come the words that had long been forgotten… go and reverberate says my mind as I look at my lau/lauki…

And remembering I say it in a lyrical tone…

Simple Simon met a Pieman,

Going to the fair,

Says Simple Simon to the Pieman,

Let me taste your ware… and I carry on…

All these thoughts because I’ve named my Lau/lauki as Simpleton, otherwise I would’nt have repeated those lines here…are you bored? No ‘Cooking ab bhi baki hai mere dost’, so just stay on…

Ha ha ha, jokes apart I’m back to my recipe.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Usually on Sunday’s love to cook Fried Rice...and what more my favourite Kosha Mangsho (see here) tastes so good. As I was going through my food album, saw this picture of Vegetable fried Rice and thought, “why not post this recipe for today”.

I had some carrots, french beans and capsicum. Thought that could make for the day’s dish. When I had cooked this dish there were no external tears for onion...hope you understand what I mean...

Now onions make us cry...soaring prices and for its scarcity in the market. That’s what politicians in our country want from us...cry for some reason or the other...

Think of politics and politicians and the food tastes bland. So I’m on my move to write down about my Fried Rice.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice: 2 cups

Carrots: 2

Capsicum: 2

French beans: 6-7

Onions: 3-4 (medium size)

Cooking oil: 3-4 tbsp. I’ve used refined groundnut oil.

Salt: to taste

Sugar: 1 ½ tsp

Preparation:

Cook the rice and drain the water. Be careful the rice is not over cooked. For this be careful ... the pinch of the grain between the two fingers can feel the minute hardness in the middle... when the water has to be drained and the rice spread out on a open plate.

Next chop the vegetables into small pieces.

Slice the onions into thin long pieces.

Now heat about 1 tsp oil and toss fry the carrots for a minute and take it out. Do the same with the chopped capsicum and french beans.

Next add the rest of the oil and fry the onion till it becomes translucent. To this add the rice and mix it up. Add salt and sugar and mix well for a couple of minutes over low flame. Soon add the vegetables and give a good mix.

Serve hot.

Dimer Kari (Bengali way)/Egg Curry : Revealing the funda of the Anda Curry

New Year and Winter and my First Recipe of 2011

When winter is harsh, people cry and pour words against the cold and the chill. When summer comes and the scorch of the sun bites, then hot words are spelled from the mouth. When the rains go on pouring for days together, soreness is exhibited in thoughts, words and deeds. But for sure January brings with it the cold of the season to its full.

And in this year I write out my first recipe of 2011...Dimer Kari/Dalna or you can say the very Egg Curry/Anda Curry...the Anda bringing out its funda in the curry.

Eggs are very useful, can cook so many items. No question of the first coming of the chicken or the egg at any juncture when the egg reaches the kitchen. And in my kitchen as I cook this curry, I am more concerned of finishing it up and serve it...as everyone is hungry at home.

To cook egg curry:

Eggs: 4

Onion: 2 medium size

Tomatoes: 2 medium size

Garlic: 5-6 flakes. If you want that garlic-y extra aroma a couple of extra flakes will do no harm.

Ginger: 1 inch piece

Haldi powder: ½ tsp

Red chilli powder: ½ tsp. Can add more if you want it hot and spicy, your choice, take it.

Bay leaves: 2-3

Salt: of course to taste

Sugar: a pinch or two to balance the taste

Cooking oil: mustard oil 2 tbsp. Choose your oil for use, again left to you.

First stage preparation:

Boil the eggs in water, cool and then remove the shell.

Make a smooth paste of onion, ginger and garlic.

Wash the tomatoes and chop it into tiny pieces.

Next stage:

Heat oil in a kadhai/wok/any cooking vessel.

Put in the boiled eggs and fry them lightly. Take them out and keep aside.

To this oil add the bay leaves once the oil is hot.

About 10-20 seconds and then put in the onion, garlic and ginger paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Tip in the chopped tomatoes and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Now add haldi and red chilli powder, salt and sugar and cook the masala till the oil separates.

Add 2 cups of water and allow it cook over high flame. As the gravy thickens put in the eggs and let it cook in the gravy for a couple of minutes.

Done.

Now ready to be served.

Rice, rotis or parathas can be served with this egg curry.

Ilish-Begoon Shorshe aar Taak Diye - Hilsa and Eggplant cooked in Sour Mustard Gravy

I have been cooking and eating a lot of Ilish (Hilsa). For the last 4 weeks Hilsa is travelling all the way, every weekend, from the CR Park fish market to my home. Fed up with the regular Rui (Rohu) and with Ilish available in plenty simply enjoying the taste of it.

Last week I cooked Ilish-Begoon with Sorshe bata (mustard paste) and tentul (tamarind). This is a simple, quick and easy to cook dish.

All we need:

Hilsa pieces: 6 pieces. Rub with salt and haldi powder. (To get the best taste and flavour of Hilsa it is always better to remove the scales and wash the whole fish. Next cut it into pieces and don’t wash it again).

Begoon (Egg plant): 2 wash and then cut each one into half and then cut 3 pieces lengthwise from each half. Keep it aside.

Dry red chillies: 2

Mustard seeds: 1 ½ tbsp make into a paste along with 2 green chillies

Tamarind: Size of a small lemon soaked in water to extract the pulp

Haldi powder: ½ tsp

Red chilli powder: ¼ tsp

Salt: To taste

Sugar: As per individual taste

Mustard oil: Cook Hilsa in Mustard oil as it brings out a special flavour

Now it’s preparation time:

Pour mustard oil into the cooking kadhai/wok/pan. Once it is hot fry the Ilish pieces very lightly. Some people cook Ilish without frying for this fish has a special smell.

Take out the pieces and keep it for later use.

In the same oil break the red chillies into half and tip in. Once the strong smell of the red chillies starts spreading add the eggplant pieces and sauté for a couple of minutes. To this add salt, haldi and red chilli powder and stir for 3 minutes. Don’t let the eggplants get the brown coat on the outer sides.

Time to add the mustard paste and some water as this dish has running gravy.

Once it starts boiling add the tamarind pulp and soon add the sugar (to your taste).

Cover and cook till the eggplant is cooked.

Then add the fish pieces and after 2-3 minutes the dish is ready to be served.

Serve with hot rice and dal and enjoy your meal with the flavour and taste of Hilsa.

Chingri Macher Malai Curry with a difference

The chingris (prawns) were swimming in the huge earthen tub Balai had placed close to him. Balai, the machwala, our very own machwala (the fishmonger) who kept his stock of fresh prawns and bancha (live) magur for Baba. The big and small prawns moved about in the water and children, who went to the fish market, stood with backs bent at 45 degrees to see them...fear and excitement moving together in the euphoric trolley of childishness.

When the chingri was carried home in the cotton jhola...Ma stitched the jholas from the used and somewhat faded floral skirts and frocks of her little girls. Her little girls...never protested ...once the old ones were cut and stitched into user friendly items...there was a look beyond ...for new ones...and then...

The wait for the curry to be served would be like waiting for years. Ma would give instructions and Thakur (the cook) would follow obediently...she loved supervising. With chingri in the kitchen, it could be Chigrir jhol, Chingri Kosha, Chingri Bhapa, Chingrir Malai Curry, Chingri cooked with lots of onion and capsicum and tomato sauce, Chingrir boda. Thinking about all this my mouth salivates.

...and my recipe waits to be written down...my Chingrir Malai Curry with a difference...

                                Prawns - shelled and de-veined

Prawns – ½ Kg. shell and de-vein, wash properly, sprinkle some haldi powder and salt. Set aside to marinade.

Make a paste of 2 onions, 2-3 garlic cloves and about an inch length of ginger.

Coconut milk– ½ cup

Haldi, red chilli powder, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste, tej patta and whole garam masala.

And of course cooking oil.

Place the kadhai/wok on the burning stove. Add 1 cup of water. As soon as the water starts getting hot, add the marinaded prawns , cover and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. By now the water is completely dry, add 2 tsp of cooking oil and stir the prawns for another couple of minutes. Now keep it aside.

When I have a good stock of prawns, I marinade with salt and haldi powder, cook them in boiling water for a short time, about 3-4 minutes, put them out in a bowl to cool. This is then kept in the fridge for later use...can be added instantly for any dish as it is already cooked. I feel the flavour and taste remains much stronger than when it is fried.

In the kadhai pour some oil, quantity check is yours. Once it is hot add 2 tej patta (bay leaves), whole garam masala of cinnamon (dalchini) 2 sticks, cardamom (elaichi) 4 and cloves (laung) 4...beaten in mortar and pestle to break up roughly...and sauté. When the aroma of the spices start spreading add the onion, ginger, garlic paste and sauté for 3-4 minutes over medium flame.

Then put in 1 tsp haldi powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, and sauté again.

Next add salt and sugar and cook till the spices show sign of separating from the oil.

Add the coconut milk and some water and let this gravy cook over high flame for some more time.

Now add the prawns and watch out for your preferred thickness of the gravy.

Serve with rice, for that’s better.

As I had mentioned in the title, this curry is cooked with a difference. It was the sudden arrival of guests during the lunch hour which made me think of increasing the quantity to serve this curry to everyone without any complaint. I boiled 2 big potatoes, removed the skin and made small cues.

When the gravy showed signs of thickening, added the prawns and cubed potatoes. Cooked for another couple of minutes before transferring into the serving bowl.

Everyone relished the taste of the prawns...compliments for the cook... and it made no difference.

 
In a malai curry we don’t add potatoes, but you can in a situation like this...makes no difference. After all “Necessity is the mother of invention” isn’t it?

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. 

Pui Shaag - er Chorchori

Pui Shaag - er Chochori is a typical Bengali dish. Chorchori in Bengali - a medley of vegetables, cooked over low heat and not very spicy.

The Botanical name of Pui Shaag is Basella alba. It is also known as Malabar spinach, Red vine spinach, Creeping spinach, etc. This creeping or climbing spinach grows very fast, can also be grown in a flowering pot at home.

                                   Picture of Pui Shaag

My pui shag chorchori is a very simple recipe...can be cooked easily.

Pui shaag – 1 kg. The leaves need to be broken from the soft stem and chopped into small pieces. Cut the stem into 1 ½ length.

Kumro (pumpkin) cubed – 2 cups

Potatoes – 2, peeled and cubed

Eggplant (optional) – 1, cut into cubes

Green chillies – 2-3 slit in the middle

Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp and Poppy seeds – 1 tsp, made into a paste (This dish can also be cooked without adding mustard and poppy seed paste).

Panch phoron – 1 ½ tsp

Haldi and red chilli powder

Sugar (optional) – as per taste. The red fresh pumpkin adds sweetness.

Salt

Mustard oil – 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a pot or wok and as soon as smoke comes up add the panch phoron and as the crackling sound comes up add the green chillies. One minute and then all the vegetables along with the pui shaag goes in. Stir and cover. Cook for a couple of minutes. Next goes in the haldi and chilli powder soon followed by salt and sugar. Cover the pot and cook over low flame. The shaag and the vegetables releases water and the whole medley begins to cook in the pot...slowly.

Don’t let the pot go unattended. Open the lid and stir it from time to time. Before all the water dries up add the mustard and poppy seed paste and cook for another 3-4 minutes over high flame till the whole thing looks mushy.

Transfer into a serving bowl...serve, eat and get the taste of it.

The dish I’ve cooked is totally vegetarian. You can also add chingri (small size prawns) and fish head to this Chorchori to serve as a non-veg dish.

To add the prawns, first clean and devein the chingri, fry and keep it. For the fish head, the hilsa fish head adds a distinct Ilish (hilsa) flavour. But you can also add the Rohu fish head and even others. Clean the fish head, fry till it looks dark and crispy. The prawns can be added 2-3 minutes before the gas is switched off. For the fried fish head, break into small pieces before adding to the chorchori.

Green Papaya Curry - Pep-er Tarkari in Bengali

Mrs. P asked me the other day how I cook green papaya at home. She had never tasted this dish before. There are many who have never cooked green papaya. The green papaya is good for health.

Green Papaya

There were many papaya trees in our house. Baba liked green papaya to be peeled and sliced in big sizes, boiled and served with rice during lunch time. The boiled papaya was mashed and served by adding few drops of mustard oil and salt. Boiled green papaya’s are good to get rid of constipation. With so many papaya trees, many were left to ripen but the naughty crows pecked the ripe papayas and made holes in them. So the work of the servant of the house was to let the bamboo ladder rest against the papaya tree, climb few rungs, reach up to the ones that were about to mature, cover with a piece of sack and tie it around it to keep it away from the wicked eyes of the crows.

I have planted some papaya trees in my home, the raw and the ripe ones my tenant is enjoying. Here in Delhi it’s really difficult to get good green papayas. But I do cook it at least once a month.

Coming back to my recipe, let me share it with all.

1 Green papaya. Peel, cut into half, discard the seeds and make small cubes. Wash and keep it.

3 medium potatoes. Peel, cut into cubes, wash and keep it

Jeera powder: ¾ tsp

Dhania powder: ¼ tsp

Haldi powder: ½ tsp

Red chili powder: ¼ tsp

Cooking oil: 1 ½ tbsp

Sugar

Salt

Cooking process:

Heat oil in a kadhai. Put in the potato cubes and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the papaya cubes and cook for some time. Once the vegetables start getting the pink coating, add the spices – jeera, dhania, red chili and haldi powder. Now add little water so that the spices don’t get burnt. Add salt and sugar and cook till the oil seperates. Add very little water, sufficient to cook the potatoes and the papaya. Cook over low flame till the vegetables are cooked and the water water has completely dried. Serve with plain rice and dal. Those who prefer rotis and parathas, take a helping and enjoy the taste of the Pep-er tarkari as said in Bengali.

Keema Tarkari – Minced Meat Curry the Spicy and Juicy way...

This recipe had been waiting for a long time to get a place in this spot.

I make sure whenever we get minced meat from the butcher, tell him what I want to cook – keema curry, tasty kebabs or simple meat meat balls. For keema curry, the minced meat is coarser than that for meat-balls and kebabs. It is the goat meat keema that brings taste to the keema curry...my choice.

How can I forget our regular butcher making keema in his own way. In small towns where I grew up the butcher’s chopping board was the trunk of a tree cut to the size of a low stool. He sat on his small low bench placing the piece of meat on the wooden board and with his huge knife he hit the meat constantly with the knife cutting it again and again from small to smaller pieces. Nowadays a butcher’s shop has a neat and tidy look and a machine to mince.

For the Keema curry:

Keema (minced meat): 500 gms

3 potatoes peeled, washed and cubed. 1 tomato washed and chopped into small pieces.

Make a paste of 3onions, 5-6 garlic flakes and 1 inch ginger.

3-4 tej pata (bay leaves), 5 cardamom, 2-3 cinnamon sticks, 4-5 cloves.

Haldi powder, red chilli powder (the heat that suits your taste buds), salt to taste, sugar ½ tsp and cooking oil (about 6 tbsp). I’ve used mustard oil. You can use the oil you feel comfortable with.

Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add the cubed potatoes once the oil is hot. Lightly fry the potatoes and take them out. Tip in the tej pata and half crushed cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. These spices will release their aroma. Now add the onion, ginger garlic paste and sauté. Lower the flame and cook the masala for 4 minutes. Once it is half cooked add the tomato. Within a short time the tomato will start giving out its juice. Time to add the haldi and chilli powder. Stir the masala regularly. After 2-3 minutes add salt and sugar and then add the keema to it. Cook till the masala mixes well with the keema and oil leaves the side. Add the potatoes and cook for a little time. Add water enough for the gravy. Pressure cook for 4-5 minutes. Open the lid once the cooker cools down and serve.

Eat and relish your keema curry with khasta parathas or Luchis (puris). Rotis will do and with rice the taste buds will tell the tale –yum yum yummy...