Murgir-r Patla Jhol aloo diye / Bengali style Chicken curry with potato in thin Gravy

Serve : 3-4

Ingredients

1. Chicken with bone (cut into medium size pieces) – 750 gm.

2. Potato (cut into halves) – 4

(medium)

3. Onion (thinly sliced) – 2 (large)

4. Tomato (chopped) – 1 (medium)

5. Ginger paste – 1 table spoon

6. Garlic paste – 1 table spoon

7. Whole Garam masala (Cinnamon – 1″ stick, Clove – 3, Green cardamom – 3)

8. Bay leaf – 2

9. Dry red chilli – 1

10. Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon

11. Red chilli powder – 1.5 teaspoon

12. Garam  Masala powder – ½  teaspoon

13. Salt to taste

14. Cooking oil (preferably mustard oil) – 5 tbspoon

15. Chopped Coriander for garnishing.

Procedure :

1. Clean the chicken pieces and then marinate with turmeric powder salt and 2 tbspoon of oil for minimum 30 mins.

2. Smear the potatoes with salt and turmeric powder.

3. Heat 3 tbl spoon of oil in a large frying pan or kadai over medium flame. Shallow fry the potatoes into it and keep them aside.

4. Now add whole garam masala, bay leaf, dry red chilly (break them into halves)  into the remaining oil.

5. Then add chopped onion and fry till it turns golden brown. Sprinkle little amount of salt while frying the onion. Then add the ginger and garlic paste and cook till the raw smell of the masala goes away. Add the tomatoes and cook till tomatoes become mushy and the oil separates,

6. Now add marinated chicken, give it a good stir and cook for couple of minutes. Cover and cook for 3-4 mins.

7. Then add fried potato, mix well and cook until oil separates from the mixture.

8. Then add enough amount of hot water so that both chicken and potatoes dips well into.

9. Let the water comes to boil, check for salt and add if it is needed.

10. Then cover the pan with a lid and let it cook over medium flame.

11. Switch the gas off as the chicken becomes tender and gravy thickens as per your desire. I like this gravy to be little watery, that’s why it is called “Jhol”.

12. Now give it a standing time of 5-6 minutes and then serve hot with steamed rice.

- Enjoy your Meal -

Bhapa Shorshe Chingri: Steamed Prawns in Mustard, Poppy and Coconut bath.

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)

1. 18-20 medium sized fresh shrimp  - shell removed and de-veined (may leave the tail and head on)

2. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

3. 3-4 tablespoon  mustard seeds  (combination of both yellow and black)

4. 3 tablespoon white poppy seeds

5. 6 Green chillies - more for garnish

6. 1-2 tablespoon yogurt, drained and whisked  or cream of coconut

7. 5 tablespoon pure mustard oil

8. 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut

9. 1/2 tsp sugar

10. salt to taste

Method:

1. Shell, de-vein and wash shrimps. Pat them dry. Sprinkle some salt and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and allow them to marinate for about 15-20 minutes.

2. Soak the mustard & poppy seeds, in a few tablespoon of warm water (just enough to cover the spices) for about half an hour.

3. Grind the mustard & poppy seeds into a smooth paste with splashes of water. Do not make it runny. Remove to a bowl or tiffin where the recipe will be cooked.

4.  Now add the yogurt or cream of coconut, if you are using, half of the chillies and the grated coconut to the mustard and poppy paste.

5. Stir in the salt & sugar in this paste. Stir in half of the mustard oil. Coat the marinated shrimp with this paste and allow it to sit for 15 more minutes.

Process of steam cooking :

1. You have to have a container (we use the stainless steel container with a tight fitting lid) which can be cooked in and with a tight fitting lid.

2. Place the spice coated shrimp/prawn in the container. Add the rest of the mustard oil and the rest of the hot green chillies (slit them) and stir them in. Close tightly with a lid. If the lid is not very tight, cover the container with a foil and fit the lid in.

3. In a water bath: Place tightly closed container in a water bath, with water coming 1/3 was up to the sides of the container. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked and opaque.

or

4. To cook in the microwave, combine everything together as above in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a lid and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from microwave, stir everything and again cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the shrimps are cooked through, are pink and curled. The cooking time will vary will the power of the microwave.

Serve hot with rice.

Tastes best when served with Rice

- Enjoy Your Meal - 

Spicy Mutton Curry / Pathar Mangsho'r Jhol

Cuisine : Indian

Serves : 3 - 4

Ingredients :

For Marination :

1. Mutton - 500gms with bone

2. Fresh Dahi / Yogurt (Not sour) - 2-3 tbsp

3. Tumeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

4. Salt - 1 tsp

For the Curry :

1. Mustard Oil : 4-5 tbsp

2. Bay Leave - 2 nos.

3. Green Cardamom - 2 nos.

4. Cinnamon Stick - 1.5 inch stick

5. Onion Paste - 4 tbsp

6. Sliced Onion - 1 small

7. Ginger/Garlic Paste - 1.5 tbsp

8. Everest Meat Masala - 2 tsp

9. Warm Water - For Gravy

10. Kasturi Methi / Coriander Leaves - For garnishing

11. Garam Masla Powder - 1/2 tsp

12. Potato : Cleaned, Cut into half.

13. Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

14. Haldi Powder - 1/4th tsp

15. Dhania Powder - 1 tsp

16. Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsp

17. Salt as per taste

18. Sugar - 1 tsp.

Method :

1. Clean the mutton properly, strain and marinate with the items mentioned under marination. Refrigerate for atleast 2 hours. Take out 30 mins before you start cooking.

2. Fry the potatoes with a sprinkle of salt in the mustard oil till golden brown and keep aside.

3. Add the sugar to the same oil and with till it caramelises and bubbles up.

4. Add the bay leaves, Cinnamon stick and cardamom. Saute for 10-15 secs and add the sliced onion.

5. Once golden brown, add the onion paste and fry till it changes colour. Once done add the ginger garlic paste, Chilli Powder, Dhania Powder, Jeera powder and a little salt. Saute the masala for 5 mins and add the everest meat masala powder. Add a little water so the spices dont burn. Mix well and saute till the raw aroma of the masala subsides.

6. Now add the marinated mutton to the masala and mix everything well and cook uncovered for 2-3 mins.

7. Now cover and reduce the flame to medium. Keep stirring in between and cover and cook for about 10 to 12 mins till the mutton is half cooked.

8. Now transfer all into a medium pressure cooker, add warm water as per consistency desired. Mix well and check for salt and spice. Keep the fried potatoes on top. cover the cooker and cook for 2-3 whistles on high. Leave the cooker aside till the steam subsides completely.

9. Once ready open the cooker, add some crushed kasturi methi or chopped corriander leaves and the garam masala.

10. Serve hot with Rice, Roti, Rumali Roti, Naan, Lachha Paratha or Plain Paratha.

- Enjoy Your Meal -

Maacher Kaalia / Spicy Bengali Fish Curry

Macher Kalia (spicy and rich fish curry) is one of the most favorite dishes from Bengali cuisine. Rui Mach or Rohu fish is suppose to be one of the regular staple diets of every Bengali household. Rohu is easily available in any Bengali fish market and also it is one of the most affordable fish you can find.

Preparation time : 15 mins

Cooking time : 30 mins

Serves : 4 - 5

Ingredients

1. Rui  Mach / Rohu Fish 7 - 8 pieces (pieces should be little around 1" thick)

2. Potato 2 big (cut into quarters length -wise)

3. Onion Paste 3 Tbsp (In authenic Kalia - Onion Juice is used but I don't like to waste the remains so I add all of it.)

4. Ginger  paste - 1 tbsp

5.  Garlic Paste - (1/2 tsp - Optional)

6.  Tomato 1 large finely choped or grinded  into a paste.

7.  Turmeric powder - 1/4^th tsp

8.  Chilli powder 1 tsp (You can adjust as  per taste.

9.   Jeera Powder - 1 tsp

10.  Salt & Sugar according to taste. (I like it little sweet so as to get the spicy, tangy and sweet - all three flavours together. Sugar actually brings out the taste).

11.  Whole Jeera - 1 tsp

12.  Bay leaf 2

13.  Dry red chilli 1

14.  Mustard oil 6-7 table spoon

15.  Kasuri Methi Leaves - 1 tsp crushed          (optional)

16.   Garam masala powder few pinch              (optional).

17.  Corriander Leaves for Garnishing.

Recipe

1.Clean & wash fish. Marinate with salt       and turmeric powder. Keep Aside.

2. Wash potato pieces and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Fry potato quarters to golden and keep aside. In the same Kadai, fry fish pieces to nicely golden. Take out from oil and keep aside.

4.To the same oil, add sugar and let it caramelize, add whole jeera, dry Chilli, and bay leaf. Now add the combination of onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, jeera powder and 1 tsp of salt. Fry until raw smell disappears. Keep stirring, so the masala doesn't burn otherwise the gravy may turn bitter. Cook until oil separates from the spice.

5.Now add tomato paste. Cook until raw smell of tomato is gone and oil is separated.

6.Add potato and salt. Mix well. Cook few minutes over medium heat. Add 1 and half cups hot water (water as per the gravy consistency you want). Bring to boil. Cook covered for 4-5 minutes over low heat or until potato pieces are cooked properly. Now add fish and cook for 2-3 minutes.

7.Turn off heat and add kasuri methi & garam masala powder. Sprinkle some strands of Coriander leaves, cover with a lid & leave it for a few minutes standing time before serving.

8."Macher Kalia" is ready and tastes heavenly with steaming hot plain rice.

- Enjoy your Meal ! -