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 - 

Creamy Moong Daal

Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 3-4
Time : 15 mins

Ingredients

½ cup moong dal roasted
1 ½ cups water to cook dal
2 tsp - Ghee
½ tsp cumin / jeera
1 to 2 green chilies chopped
1 tsp ginger grated or cut into small pieces
A pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp of turmeric / haldi
Salt as needed
¾ cup water (little more or less)
1/4 cup milk
Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Procedure :

1. Wash and cook dal until soft with 1.5 cups water, turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker or a pot.
2. Add ghee to a hot pan, allow cumin to crackle. Add chilies, ginger & asafoetida. Fry for 30 secs.
3. Pour little water and dal. Stir and cook till it begins to bubble.
4. Turn off heat. Add milk and stir. 5. Garnish with Coriander leaves.
6. Serve with hot steamed rice or phulkas.

Healthy Mixed Vegetable Stew

Preparation Time : 10-15 minutes

Cooking time : 15-20 minutes

Servings : 4

Level Of Cooking : Moderate

Taste : Mild

Ingredients :

Carrots 1 inch cubes 2 medium

Potatoes 1 inch cubes 1 medium

Cauliflower 1/4 small

Frozen Green peas 1/2 cup

Cabbage chopped 6-7 outer leaves

Spinach / Palak Leaves 6-7 (optional)

Onion sliced 1 medium

Celery chopped / Onion Flower stalks 1 big - cut into 2 inches length

Refined flour (maida) 1 1/2 tablespoons

Vegetable stock / Water - 3-4 cups

Oil 2 tablespoons

Salt to taste

Little Sugar for flavouring

Black peppercorns crushed 7-8

Milk 1/2 cup (Can replace with coconut milk for more authentic taste)

Boiled Macaroni (optional) - If serving for children then for some added fun.

Procedure :

1. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add onions and sauté till transluscent. Add celery / onion stems and continue to sauté for a minute.

2. Add refined flour and stir quickly for 10-15 secs, add a little water so that the flour does not burn.

3. Add potatoes and saute for a min or so, then add all the other veggies (except spinach), saute for a min.

4. Add vegetable stock and salt and sugar. Cover and cook for eight to ten minutes or till the vegetables are done. If adding spinach, add now and mix.

5. Add freshly crushed black peppercorns and mix.

6. Add milk / coconut milk and let the mixture come to boil.

7. Add boiled macaroni.

8. Serve hot with garlic bread or bread toast or Bun.

- Enjoy Your Meal -

Black Rice Kheer !

One of the yummiest Kheer I ever had and made.. My mother-in-law's recipe !

Black rice - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 ltr
Sugar - 1/3 cup or as per personal choice
Cardamon powder 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Salt - 1 pinch

Clean and soak the rice in 3 times the amount of rice for about 4-5 hours.  1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cup as per the rice quality. Use exact measurement as we will use the soaked water as it has a lot of nutrition.

One soaked pressure cook the rice with the same water, bay leaf and salt for 6-7 whistles. Leave it till the pressure leaves.

Boil the milk and reduce it to around 3/4th of the quantity or even half. The more it reduces the more tastier it will be. You can add the sugar in the milk itself once boils and keep aside.

Open the lid of the cooker. Add the milk stirring constantly and bring to a light boil till the Kheer comes the required consistency. Keep it just a little  liquidy when you switch of the flame cause once it cools.. It will become slightly thicker. Add the cardomom powder and your Kheer is ready.

Do make and let me know how it tasted. A definite try. 

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 ! -