Tilapia Maacher Jhaal

Tilapia is the common name for the Cichlid fish. It is a fresh water fish and one ugly geezer!!LOL!!! But it is one tasty fish. But beware of the numerous fish bones. I love chewing on the middle bone of fishes but even I find it difficult to chew on the bones of this one. But yet I manage. The way I chew fish bones will put a cat to shame.
The basic criteria behind any fish dish is the freshness of the fish. If it is fresh you can simply have them fried. And god forbid if you land up with the not so fresh ones you can get to know them by the very smell while frying. In Bangla wee say that a fresh fish is “mishti” which also means sweet . In the fish sense it means it is absolutely fresh. Whatever kind of gravy you make, the actual taste comes once you put the fish in the gravy and simmer for some time.
The jhal is a spicy yet light mustard based gravy. I have mentioned this a number of times and am reiterating it again : whenever you are grinding mustard always add a pinch of salt to avoid the paste becoming bitter.


Ingredients

4 Tilapia fish (tossed in some salt and turmeric)
1 small tomato, sliced
Salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric powder
For the paste
4 tbsp black mustard, soaked
Pinch of salt
3 green chillies
For the tempering
¼ tsp kalonji/nigella
2 green chillies, slit

Toss the fish in salt and turmeric and keep aside for half hour. Make the mustard paste with a little water.
Heat some mustard oil. Fry the fish lightly and keep aside. In the same oil add the kalonji and chillies. Add the sliced tomato and saute till the tomato is soft. Add the mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder and fry till oil starts leaving the sides. Add ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Add fish pieces and simmer for 10 minutes. Drizzle some raw mustard oil on top.

Chingri maacher jhaal

It was very difficult for me to write this post. I mean how can Ii not salivate while writing? How can I not stop writing and go whip up some prawns? But it is work and it has to be done.
So in Bangla the word “jhaal” generally refers to a mustard based gravy. “Jhaal” also means hot and spicy. In this dish i have used mustard along with poppy seeds and coconut. And these three make an awesome combination. I also use the same masala with potatoes and it also turns out lip smackingly good. Also add lots of green chillies. And you have both kinds of “jhaal”.
I have used the larger variety of prawns. You can use any you can lay your hands on. Now about mustard. Do use yellow mustard seeds as the black seeds are more pungent. Cooking in mustard oil also imparts a certain unique flavour. Moreover it has been established that mustard oil is healthier option.


Ingredients

250 gms prawns tossed in some salt and turmeric
½ cup grated coconut
3 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
2 tbsp khus khus
5 green chillies
¼ tsp kalo jeere/kalonji/nigella seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar
½ cup mustard oil


Toss the prawns in salt and turmeric for about 15 minutes. Soak the coconut, mustard and khus khus in lukewarm water for some time. Now add a pinch of salt and the green chillies into it and grind into a smooth paste. Heat the mustard oil to smoking point. Add the prawns and sauté for a minute. Drain the prawns and keep aside. Add the kalonji in the same oil. Once it starts spluttering add the coconut paste and cook on low heat. Add the salt, sugar and turmeric and cook till the oil starts to separate. Add the prawns, fry for a minute and add ½ cup of water. Once it comes to a boil, lower the flame and simmer till done. The gravy will thicken. Garnish with some coriander leaves.

Sorse Posto Chingri

It is prawn time again.
One thing I have learnt from my little culinary journey around the country is that we are most comfortable with the palette we are born with. Since childhood we are brought up on a certain style of cooking. Sure we love to try out different cuisines but then we always come back to the food from our childhood. Also i am sure genetics has a large part to play in this scheme of things. A South Indian might try out chole bhature and hakka noodles but he always finds solace in his regional food. A Bengali, likewise. Might enjoy idli and dosa a lot but will always crave for “maach bhaat”.
On our recent trip to Goa we gorged on Prawns and se fish. Totally loved the vindaloos and prawn masala fry. But finally my heart yearned for a typical Bengali preparation of prawns with mustard and poppy seeds. The thing about Bengali cuisine is that we use powdered masalas very sparingly. We let the food do the talking. The natural essence and flavour of the food is allowed to shine through instead of being swamped under lots of dhani, jeera and garam masala. In this dish too the main taste is of the fresh prawns supplemented by the mustard and poppy seeds. No other masalas.

Ingredients

250 gms prawns
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 tbsp yellow mustard
3 tbsp khus khus/poppy seeds
3 green chillies, slit
½ tsp kalonji
½ tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of sugar
½ cup mustard oil

Marinate the prawns in the salt and turmeric powder for some time. Soak the mustard and poppy seeds in hot water for half an hour. Grind it to a paste along with some salt.
Heat the oil. Sauté the prawns and keep aside. In the same oil ad the kalonji and green chillies. Add the mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder. Cook on low flame till the oil separates. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the prawns and sugar, cover and cook till the oil floats on top.

Sorse Chingri /Prawns in Mustard sauce

What is the height of your fish obsession? Mine is a bit funny and weird. Staying at 11,000 feet it is very difficult to get hold of fish. Even if I am able to get some it is mostly “rahu”. For a Bengali those ice packed days old rahu is merely pedestrian fare.
Although Delhi is just 50 minutes away by flight yet it seems like a different universe. Home reminds me of all the delectable fish dishes prepared regularly. My mom keeps the fridge stocked with at least five different varieties of fish which keep getting changed every ten days or so. When she came over to visit me I pestered her into getting at least five kilograms of fish. Those were the best two weeks I had relishing fish after such a long time. Then again came a season of fishless drought.
So when I went home for a week to celebrate Durga Pooja my main objective was to get some fish again. I brought back 7 kgs of fish and I had to ditch most of my clothes at home so that I don’t have to pay for excess baggage. My friends laughed at me. I relished the yummy fish. Bengali genes, you see!!!
This is one of the dishes I prepared from that cache !!


Ingredients

250 gms prawns, cleaned and marinated in salt and turmeric
5 tbsp yellow mustard
1 large tomato
A pinch of salt
2 green chillies, slit
½ tsp kalonji/Nigella seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
¼ cup mustard oil

Soak the mustard seeds in warm water for half n hour. cut the tomato in four large pieces. Make a paste of mustard seeds and tomato adding a pinch of salt while grinding.
Heat mustard oil to smoking point. Lower heat and add the prawns. Saute for a few minutes and take them out. Add slit green chillies and kalonji to the same oil. Add the mustad seeds paste, salt, sugar and turmeric powder. Cook on low heat till the oil starts leaving the sides. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the prawns, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Kathal ki sabzi

Kathal ki sabzi

The Bengali word for raw kathal is “Enchor”. It s also called “gaach patha” wherein “gaach” means tree and “patha” means mutton. So it was a way of saying that when cooked properly the kathal dish tasted like mutton..a mutton that grew on trees.

I remember my grandmother cooking kathal in this very manner. My grandfather was always the one to prep things before my grandmother entered the kitchen. He would sit down early morning with his “bothi” ( a traditional cutting and chopping implement) and he would diligently cut all the vegetables required for the day’s cooking. He would even slice the green chillies and keep them handy.

Cutting kathal is an art that has to be mastered. It is extremely messy and sticky. You need to liberally oil your hands and knives otherwise you end up with white sticky, gluey stuff everywhere. 

Then there are certain parts of the kathal that need to be thrown away as they are unpalatable. Once you have finished with the cutting part then there are various steps to the cooking part. Kathal does not cook easily. So it is important to pressure cook it first. Then you can actually prepare it the way you cook mutton. “Gaach Patha” like I said!

Ingredients

1 small raw kathal, cut into pieces

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 bay leaf

2 dry red chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 onions, grated

2 tomatoes, grated

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbso cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

Pinch of sugar

Salt to taste

1 tsp ghee

½ tsp cardamom powder

¼ tsp cinnamon powder

1 cup mustard oil

First pressure cook the kathal for one whistle.

Heat the mustard oil to smoking point. Fry the kathal pieces in two batches till they are golden brown. Keep aside. 

Fry the potatoes. Now add the bay leaf, dry red chillies and cumin seeds in the same oil. Saute the ginger and garlic paste.

 Now add the grated onions and fry till they are translucent. Add the grated tomatoes and potatoes. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. 

Now add all the dry masalas. Cook till the oil starts leaving the sides. 

Add the fried kathal pieces, salt and sugar and cook some more till the kathal is well coated with masalas. 

Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. 

Lower heat, cover and simmer till the potatoes are well cooked. 

Switch off heat and add ghee, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder.

Karela Chips

Karela Chips

People find it strange when I tell them that I love all things bitter. It is customary in Bengali tradition to have bitter neem leaves in the month of March-April. 

Neem is an effective way of keeping infections at bay, especially chicken pox. I remember my grandmother making “Neem Begun” every year. As spring sets in the neem trees sprout tender, green leaves. They are the bitterest of the lot.

 Every day my grandfather would pluck a bunch of these leaves and give them to my grandmother to cook. To balance out the extreme bitterness some “begun” or brinjal would be added. Both the neem leaves and chopped brinjal would be fried in hot mustard oil. It is an acquired taste but those who enjoy “neem begun” are die hard fans of the taste.

Another extremely bitter vegetable is the karela. There are many recipes where the karela is peeled and boiled to remove the bitterness. I find it extremely funny when people do that. I love the taste of karela. I can have it boiled, fried, cooked with other vegetables. Infact the bitter taste is an integral pasrt of the Bengali cuisine. Karela is used generously in dishes like “Shukto” and “Chapri Ghonto”.

This recipe is a very simple one. Fried karela goes very well with hot rice. However that soaks in a lot of oil. You can make this recipe with as less oil as you want. You can simply grease the pan with oil and drain any excess. I personally like drizzling some oil once the karela is cooked.

Ingredients

3-4 karela, sliced paper thin

Heat some oil in a pan. Toss the sliced karela in it. Spread it evenly all over the pan so that most of the slices are in direct contact with the pan. 

Put the flame on low and let the karela cook. Do not cover the pan. This process takes some good amount of time. After every 10 minutes toss the karela again and spread it out.

 After some time you can sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder on it. Cooked on lowest flame the karela takes about 30 minutes to be ready.

Malpua

Malpua

There are many ways to make malpua. You can make a simple batter of flour and aniseed in milk. 

You can also add dry fruits. 

You can add bananas. 

You can add coconut. 

You can make it as rich or as simple as you want.

Malpua is often made during festivals. For us Bengalis malpua is a must during paush shankranti. 

There are two variations of the dish. In one you make the pua and then dip them in sugar syrup. That is commonly called the “pua”. In the second variation sugar is added to the batter and then it is deep fried. This is commonly known as the “malpua”.

For me it is a good way of using up all the super black bananas lying around in the house. My kid refuses to eat bananas that are even a little mushy. This way I can camouflage the icky bananas and they make a very tasty dessert.

Ingredients

1 cup flour

½ cup soji

½ cup cashews

1 tbsp saunf/aniseed

¼ cup raisins

1 tsp cardamom powder

Milk to make the batter

For the sugar syrup

3 cups water

2 cups sugar

First of all make the sugar syrup. Boil the water and sugar till you get a single thread sugar syrup.

Whiz the cashews in the mixer for a few seconds so that you end up with some cashew powder and the rest are ground into small bits.

 Now mix together flour, sooji, cashews, raisins, saunf and cardamom powder. Make a runny batter with the help of milk. However the batter should not be too liquid. 

Now heat some oil. Pour spoonful of batter into the hot oil and deep fry.

Dip the hot malpua in the sugar syrup and take them out. Do not leave them in the syrup for too long.

Maacher Dimer Boda/Fish Egg Fritters

Maacher Dimer Boda/Fish Egg Fritters

Maacher dimer boda or fish egg fritters are another Bengali delicacy. During the monsoon season the fresh water fish start breeding. 

Those who know their fish can simply look at the fish and tell whether it has eggs or not. Some less knowledgeable might need to poke the fish’s tummy. 

It is said that when a fish is with eggs its taste deteriorates. The fish might look plump and weigh a lot but when you clean it you end up with almost half a kg of fish eggs.

 Now fish eggs are available only for a month or so during the breeding season. So even though the fish might not be as tasty yet the egg is highly valued. 

You can cook the fish slices with the eggs attached to them and make the usual gravies. 

You can make a fish egg gravy. 

And best of all you can have these fish egg fritters.

Ingredients

½ kg fish eggs, washed and cleaned

5 tbsp wheat flour

2 green chillies chopped

1 onion, chopped

Sal to taste

Mustard oil to fry

Wash and drain the fish eggs. Add the chopped green chillies, onion and wheat flour. Add salt according to taste. It will make a messy, gooey batter.

Heat the mustard oil to smoking point. Lower heat. Now add spoonful of the batter to the hot oil and deep fry.

Posto Batar Chorchori

Posto Batar Chorchori

For me posto/khus khus/poppy seeds is the magical ingredient in cooking. You can add it to basically any dish and enhance its flavour. It goes well with a variety of vegetables, chicken, mutton and fish. You can also simply make a paste, sauté it and have it with steaming hot rice. Some of my favorite posto dishes are potol (parval) posto, aloo posto, lau (bottle gourd/lauki) posto, sores posto maach, etc.

I am reminded of a childhood incident. When I was about 10 years old we had gone to an aunt’s house during the school vacations. My adorable aunt was so happy to see us. During lunch she asked me what I would like to have. Innocently I replied that I wanted to have posto bata, a very simple preparation. Everyone had a good laugh because I did not say chicken or fish. I still remember my aunt sitting on a sheel bata ( grinding stone), chuckling to herself and vigorously grinding away the posto.

With our fancy kitchen gadgets we find it so much easier to work around in the kitchen. However I have seen that anything ground on an old fashioned mortar and pestle tastes way better than when ground in a mixie. Maybe that to and fro process on a stone crushes the ingredients and releases their essential oil. Whatever the reason if you want it tastier do it the traditional way.

Ingredients

½ cup poppy seeds, soaked in warm water

1 onion, chopped fine

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp cumin powder

Salt and sugar to taste

1 tsp ghee

½ tsp red chilli powder

Soak the poppy seeds in warm water for half an hour. Grind to a smooth paste. Heat some mustard oil.

 Sauté the chopped onion till it turns translucent. 

Add the coriander and cumin powder. Fry till the masala is cooked. Add the poppy seeds paste, salt and sugar. Cook till oil starts leaving the sides. 

Once the mix is well cooked and dry switch off the flame. Heat the ghee and add the red chilli powder. 

Drizzle it over the posto batar chorchori. 

Garnish with green chillies.

Bandakofir Torkari

Bandakofir Torkari

Most people find cabbage to be a vary bland vegetable. I, however, love having cabbage. The Bengali preparation of bandakofir torkari is very aromatic and flavoursome. Once you make cabbage this way you will simply grow to love the vegetable. 

The best thing about Bengali cuisine is that the vegetables are not overpowered with spices and chillies. The taste is kept very basic and the aromatic spices are used sparsely. Even in this dish we are not using any coriander or cumin powder. The punch in the dish comes from a drizzling of ghee, cardamom powder and cinnamon powder at the very end.

Ingredients

1 cabbage, sliced thinly

2 potatoes, cubed

1 large tomato, sliced

1 cup green peas

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt and sugar to taste

1 tbsp ghee

½ tsp cinnamom powder

½ tsp cardamom powder

4 tbsp mustard oil

Clean and wash the cabbage leaves thoroughly. Slice them fine. Heat the mustard oil. Add the mustard seeds .Once they start spluttering add the cubed potatoes and fry them well. 

Add the peas, ginger paste and sliced tomato. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, salt, sugar and turmeric powder. Cover and cook on low flame for 5-7 minutes. 

Once the cabbage is wilted toss everything well so that the potatoes, tomatoes and turmeric is well mixed with the cabbage. Check the seasoning. 

Cover and cook till the cabbage is done.  Switch off the flame. Add the ghee, cardamom and cinnamon powders. Mix well. You can garnish with chopped green coriander.

Sorse Ilish

Sorse Ilish

Do you know what is the reaction of a Bengali when he/she is presented with an Ilish dish?

Ufffff!!!

Ahhhhhhh!!!

Drool!!!!

This king of fish brings out the gastronomical connoisseur in us.  This is a feeling that cannot be expressed in words. 

When we cook Ilish for some guests it conveys what a great esteem we hold them in. When someone buys Ilish at the fish market he is looked upon with great respect and affection by people standing around him. And when the fish is cooked at home it is said that all the neighbourhood cats get into a frenzy because of the aroma. 

However this fish is not for the faint hearted. Only one born or bred in the Bengali way of life can tackle Ilish. This is because it is full of “kaanta”. And it is very easy to get one stuck in your throat. But if you get the trick of overcoming this obstacle then this is one of the most delicious fish you can ever eat.

Ilish is cooked in various ways. The Sorse Ilish or mustard preparation is one of the commonest and simplest preparations. I personally feel that it is the best way to bring out the actual flavour of the fish.

Ingredients

4 Ilish pieces

3 tbsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp khus khus

2 green chilies

1 potato, cut into wedges

½ tsp Nigella seeds/kalonji

1 small tomato, sliced

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

½ cup mustard oil

Apply some salt and turmeric to the fish and keep aside for half an hour. Soak the mustard seds and khus khus in warm water for some time. Make a paste with some salt and green chillies.

Heat the mustard oil to smoking point and then reduce flame. Lightly fry the fish pieces.

In the same oil add the Nigella seeds. Add the potato wedges and fry till the potatoes are golden brown. 

Add the sliced tomato and cook till it is mushy. 

Add the mustard paste and cook till oil starts leaving the sides. Add salt and turmeric and cook some more. 

Now add a cup of water and bring to a boil. 

Add the fish pieces, cover and simmer till the oil floats on top. Garnish with sliced green chillies. 

Kosha Mangsho

Kosha Mangsho

In Bengali the term “kosha” means to fry on high heat. This is a labour intensive process which requires some heavy arm movement. The more you saute the tastier it becomes. This is a favorite Sunday brunch in most Bengali households. When guests come over we make this dish with love and it is eaten with relish.

 However in this day and age consumption of red meat has gone done considerably. Even in my house with so many blood pressure patients we have mutton on rare occasions.

 So when it was time to plan my birthday lunch I opted for a simple Luchi Mangsho. This is another all time favorite Bengali combination. 

Although, to be honest, Bengalis can have Luchi/Puri with anything and nothing. We can eat Luchi with mutton, Aloor dum, jam, pickles, and if nothing else then sugar. Luci tatses great without any accompaniments too. So we can eat Luchi just like that!!

There I go again on a Luchi trip. Now back to the Kosha Mangsho!!

Ingredients

For marinade

1 kg mutton

1 cup yogurt

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 tbsp mustard oil

Salt to taste

For tempering

1 bay leaf

3 drry red chillies

4 peppercorns

1” cinnamon

3 green cardamoms

Other ingredients

2 potatoes, cubed

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 onions, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

1 cup mustard oil

Marinate the mutton with yogurt, ginger garlic paste, mustard oil and salt for at least 3 hours. It is preferable if you can marinate it overnight.

Heat the mustard oil in a pressure cooker. Add the bay leaf, dry red chillies, peppercorns, cinnamon and green cardamoms. 

Add the potatoes and fry on high heat till they are golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute.

 Add the chopped onions and cook till the onions are translucent. 

Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and the masalas are well fried. 

Add the marinated mutton. 

Now is the time for some arm movement. Keep the flame on high and saute stirring all the while. This is the Kosha method where the meat is braised on high heat. 

Add the garam masala and salt and keep stirring for about 7 minutes.

 The mutton and potatoes will be well coated with all the masala. 

Now add 1 ½ cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Garnish with chopped coriander.