MACHER JHOL

All types and all kinds of fish always bring happiness to every Bengali. This curry is simple yet flavourful, authentic but traditional Bengali dish for everyday's menu. Actually, sweet water fish (Rohu, Carp, Bhetki) works best for this kind of light and tasty fish curry.

INGREDIENTS:
6 Steaks of Rohu Fish (washed and cleaned)
1/2 Cauliflower (taken florets only)
1 Large Potato, cut into slices
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Nigella seeds (kalonji)
A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 tbsp Garlic paste
1 tbsp Ginger paste
1 Tomato (chopped)
2 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango Powder (amchur)
1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala
1 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
1/2 cup Mustard Oil
1 tbsp finely chopped Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Marinate all fish steaks with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and little salt. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok to smoking. Fry the fish steaks till golden brown. Now take out all fish pieces from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same oil, add bay leaf, a pinch of asafoetida and nigella seeds. Saute for few seconds. Then add onions in it. When onion gets translucent, add ginger and garlic pate in it. Fry for another 3 minues. Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and dry mango powder in it. Stir for another minute.

Add tomato, salt and green chillies in it, fry till tomato gets soften. At this point, add cauliflower and potato in it. Cover the lid and stir occasionally, till Potato and cauliflower get half cooked and coated with the spices nicely. Add 3/4 cup of warm water in it. Let it boil. After 3 minutes add all fried fish pieces in it. Cover the lid and cook for another 2 minutes.

Lastly, add shahi garam masala, clarified butter and chopped coriander leaves. Remove from heat and mix well.

Macher jhol is now ready to serve with steamed rice.

Linking this to Dish Name Starts M @ Learning to Cook

SWEET POTATO (YAM) DUMPLINGS

It is an extremely delicious traditional dessert not only from Eastern India, but in Bangladesh also. Bengali sweets offer an unlimited choice. Among them, 'pithe-puli' (dumplings) are truely favourite among Bengalis. The speciality of this dumplings, made by rice flour, sugar, jaggery and coconut/khoya. Before serving, always they dipped into a sugar or jaggery syrup. This dumpling is closely associated with Bengali festival of 'Makar Sankranti'. 

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb Sweet potato/Yam (parboiled and mashed)
4 tbsps Rice Flour
1 Cup Grated Coconut
1/2 Cup Condensed Milk
3 Pods of Cardamom (coarsely pounded)
1/2 lb Date Palm Jaggery / Molasses
1 Cup Water
Oil for deep frying


METHOD:
Mix grated coconut, condensed milk and coarsely pounded cardamom in a frying pan. Heat on medium flame, stir continuously for 5 minutes. Switch off heat and keep aside this coconut filling.

Knead mashed sweet potato with rice flour well. Make a smooth dough.

Divide 16 equal portion from this dough. Give a round shape of each ball. Form a cup shape with a ball and stuff with the coconut filling inside. Finally, seal the edges and mould into half moon shape with your palms to form dumpling.

Make a syrup with 1 cup water and date palm jaggery. Keep it heating on low flame. When syrup gets slightly sticky. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the meantime, Heat sufficient oil in a wok for deep frying. When oil is enough heated, put few dumplings in it and fry on medium high flame. Fry till dumplings turn lightly brown.

Quickly and gently add all fried dumplings into jaggery syrup. Set as it is for a couple of  hours.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.


TIPS: If date palm jaggery is not available, may add fried dumplings in sugar syrup. Though, it is
          not the trend.

BANDHAKOPIR GHONTO / CABBAGE STIR FRY

There are several types of 'Ghonto' in Bengali cuisine. Actually Ghonto means dry fry vegetables. This is a semi-dry dish, no water used here. My 'Ma' used to prepare it as a 'niramish' (veg) dish. She never added onions and garlic in it. Even though, it was exceptionally tasty. Adding a little lemon juice to the end, enhances flavour of this dish. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin B2 and vitamin C, after all it is a low calorie food.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cabbage (finely chopped in very thin slices)
2 Medium Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 Medium Tomato (Chopped)
A Handful of Green Peas (frozen)
1 tsp Panch Phoron (a combination of five seeds i.e. mustard, cumin, fennel, nigella and fenugreek)
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 tsp Grated Ginger
1-2 Green Chillies (cut in slits)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala
1 tbsp Lemon juice
3 tbsps Oil
1/2 tsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)
Salt to taste


METHOD:

Heat oil in a wok, fry the potatoes till golden. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Add panch phoron and bay leaf in oil. After few seconds add tomato, green chilli and grated ginger in it. Saute till tomatoes are nicely mashed up. Now add green peas, stir about a minute.

After that add turmeric powder,  coriander powder and red chilli powder. Stir till spices leave oil. Now add cabbage gradually and mix well with all spices. Add salt, mix again and cover with lid. Occasionally keep stirring for 3 minutes. (Do this process on medium heat)

Now add potatoes, again mix up well. Stirring and covering helps in cooking the cabbage faster. After 2 minutes, potatoes and cabbage get fully cooked. Add sugar, lemon juice, shahi garam masala, roasted cumin powder and clarified butter in it. Mix all well and remove from heat.

Now it is ready to serve with dal-rice or roti.

TIPS: Grated coconut also can be mixed, at the time of mixing dry spices.
             Adding little lemon juice, increase its flavour, though it is not the trend.
            Cabbage should not fry for a prolonged time, for best result cabbage should be
            sliced thinly and cooked for 4-5 minutes.

REFRESHING JEERA LEMONADE

It is so simple and perfect for hot days, when you don't feel to do much. This great refreshing drink makes you feel cool in the hot Summer. Honey adds some more flavour in lemonade.

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsps fresh Lemon juice
2 tbsps honey
A Pinch of Black salt (optional)
1/2 tsp Jaljeera powder (Available in Indian grocery)
4 tbsps chilled water
12 OZ / 355 ml Soda (unsweetened and chilled)
Few Ice Cubes


METHOD:

In a bowl, combine chilled water, lemon juice, honey, black salt and jaljeera powder. Stir well till everything mix throughly.

Now divide this mixture into 2 serving glasses equaly. Pour chilled soda on those glasses and stir to mix well.

Serve over ice with a lemon slice to garnish.

Serves: 2

Sending to: Jagruti's and Shama's Know Your Natural Sweetness Series.

BAKED SPINACH HILSA / SHAD FISH

Illish Mach (Hilsa/Shad fish) is a Bengali's cuisine delight. There is Hilsa Paturi (Baked) or Hilsa Fish Bhapa (steamed) in Bengali's kitchen. Here, I modify little bit Hilsa Paturi by baking with spinach. It is so flavourful, tasty and full of vitamins, but very easy to make. It consumes very less oil and spices, but assuredly delectable.

INGREDIENTS:
1lb/454 gm Hilsa Fish (cleaned and washed)
2 cups Baby Spinch (washed)
2 tbsps fresh Mustard paste
1 1/2 tbsps plain unflavoured Yogurt (curd)
1 tbsp Sour Cream
3 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1/3 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp Buter (for greasing)
1/2 tsp Salt


METHOD:

Put spinach leaves on warm water for 2 minutes. Then drain water and set aside.

Marinate the fish with yogurt, mustard paste, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, sour cream, oyster sauce, red chilli powder, salt and oil. Refrigerate the marinated fish for 3-4 hours.

Grease a baking tray with butter. Place half of the spinach on the bottom of tray.

Arrange marinated fish pieces and green chillies on the above of spinach layer and followed by another layer with remaining spinach leaves on the top.

Cover baking tray with alluminium foil and seal it tightly.

Now place it on the upper rack of the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Switch off oven, keep it inside for another 10 minutes.

Now Baked Hilsa is ready to serve with steamed rice.

"This recipe goes to Sara's Event Cooking with Love Series, hosted at Torviewtoronto".

SOYA PANEER KOFTA CURRY

White gravy with kofta's are delicious to an extreme extent. Soya granules with cottage cheese, it is full of nutritious and flavourful. White gravy gives a creamy texture, while koftas are luscious. Enjoy this delectable dish. 

INGREDIENTS FOR KOFTAS:
1/2 Cup Soya Granules / Chura
1/2 Cup Crumbled Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
1 Boiled Potatoes
1 tbsp milk
4 tbsps Gram Flour
1/2 Onions (finely chopped)
1 tsp Grated Ginger
3 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil for frying

INGREDIENTS FOR GRAVY:
3/4 Cup Onion (chopped)
4 Pods of Garlic
2" long ginger (sliced)
1/3 Cup Yogurt (curd)
1 tbsp All Purpose Flour (maida)
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Shahi Garam Masala
1 tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves (kasoori methi)
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro
2 tbsps Sour cream
2 tbsps Oil
1 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
1/2 tsp Sugar (optional)
Salt to taste

METHOD FOR KOFTAS:

Boil soya granules with enough water, salt and milk. Drain water and squeeze out water from soya granules. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine soya granules, boiled potato, cottage cheese, gram flour, onions, green chillies, ginger, roasted cumin powder and salt. Mash and mix well. Divide mixture into 12-14 small round portions for making koftas. 

Heat enough oil in a wok for deep frying, Add 5-6 koftas at a time for frying. Fry them on high flame till them turn brown in colour. Drain in a paper towel. Follow the same process for remaining koftas.

Now Koftas are ready. Keep aside.

METHOD FOR GRAVY:

Grind onion, garlic, ginger and make a smooth paste.

Beat yogurt and flour together in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf in it, saute for a few seconds, then add grinded paste in it. Fry for 4-5 minutes, till it leaves oil.

Now add turmeric powder, stir well and add beaten yogurt in it and 1/2 cup warm water. When it starts boiling, add red chilli powder, dry frnugreek leaves, salt, sour cream and sugar (optional) in it. Stir well for 2-3 minutes.

Lastly, add shahi garam masala and clarified butter in it. Remove from heat. Add few chopped cilantro in it. Pour the gravy slowly on the koftas. Stir gently to make sure the koftas don't break.

Serve hot with pulao or chapathi or paratha or naan.

TIPS: Frying on low flame, will make koftas consume a lot excess oil.

         At the time of boiling soya granules, add milk to remove soya smell.

         Don't boil koftas with gravy, as they might break.

         Little touch of sweetness enhances the taste of the gravy. 

Sending this recipe to The Master Chef Contest

This recipe goes to Cooking with Love Series, hosted at Torviewtoronto

Linking to: Spotlight "Curries / Gravies" @ Recipe Junction & Cuisine Delights

BANANA AND MANGO SMOOTHIE

It's so refreshing and perfect during hot Summer days. Even so simple, it can be made in a flash. Banana gives a creamy texture and tropical fruit mango gives colour and flavour. It is simply nectareous.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Mango Pulp
2 Bananas
1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
2 tbsps Honey
1 tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
A pinch of Black Salt (optional)
12-14 Ice Cubes


METHOD:

Keep mango pulp in refrigerator for 2 hours before using.

Peel bananas and cut into chunks.

In a blender, combine mango pulp, banana, yogurt, honey, lemon juice and black salt. Blend till smooth. Add 8 ice cubes, cover and process until blended.

Pour into chilled glasses, garnish with remaining ice cubes. Serve immediately.

Serves: 2

Sending to: Jagruti's and Shama's Know Your Natural Sweetness Series.