POT ROASTED AYER FISH

A Bengali meal is incomplete without fish. Fishes are prepared in the very nutritious and delightful ways in any Bengali daily meal or occassion. This is a particular dish of ayer fish, I innovated this luscious fish recipe , cooked in traditional onion-ginger-garlic and spicy sauce. A medium spiced juicy fish, very well goes with steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS:
400 gm Ayer Fish, cut in medium sized pieces (aar mach)
1&1/2 tsps Garlic paste
1 tsps Ginger paste
1 Medium Onion (paste)
1 tsp Black Pepper powder
2 tsps Lemon juice
2 tsps Soya Sauce
2 tsps Tomato Sauce
2 tsps Corn Flour
4 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash ayer fish nicely. Drain all water from it.

Marinate fish pieces with garlic, ginger, onion, black pepper powder, lemon juice, soya sauce, tomato sauce and salt. Keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok. Add fish pieces on it. Keep marinated spice mix aside. Fry both sides of fish pieces till golden. Remove fish from oil by using a slotted spoon. Keep those on a plate.

Now add the juice of marination in the same oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes, till spice leaves oil from the side of wok. Now dilute corn flour with little water. Now add corn flour in wok. Mix nicely. Cook for another a minute or two. Remove from heat.

Spead spices mixture on the fried fish pieces. Serve immediately with steamed rice or fried rice or pulao.

CABBAGE ZUNKA

Cabbage zunka is said to be a Goan or Maharashtrian or Konkani dish. Very similar in taste with South Indian Usli. After immediately my marriage, we were in Pune. So our food habit has lots of Marathi or Konkani influence, though we were brought up in Bengal. Really very delicious veg dish, can be served with dal rice. Tastes great! If you like chickpea flour in curry, then this is the delightful option to make this authentic Konkani dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Small Cabbage
1/2 Cup Chickpea Flour
Juice of a Lemon
3-4 Green Chillies
1 Cup Shredded or Grated Coconut
8-10 Curry Leaves
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
2 tbsps Coriander Leaves (finely chopped)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Dry roast gram flour for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Wash and chop cabbage in a very thin slices. In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup water with chickpea flour and mix it nicely to make a smooth batter.

Heat oil in a wok. Add mustards seeds in it. When it starts to splutter, add asafoetida and cabbage in it. Fold nicely. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Keep stirring occassionally.

Add chickpea batter and curry leaves in it. Fold well. Add 1/2 cup water in it. Cover and cook for 8 minutes on medium heat.

When all water evaporates and cabbages are tender, add salt, grated coconut, lemon juice and green chillies in it. Mix nicely.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add chopped coriander leaves. Switch off the heat now.

Serve immediately with chapathi or plain rice accompanying with dal.

MAAN KOCHU BATA (A SPICY PASTE OF MALANGA COCO / BIG TARO ROOT)

MALANGA COCO, is a edible root commonly used in tropical and subtropical countries, a similar in texture and appearance like big taro root. Biological name: Colocassia esculenta. A very ingredient can used in various dishes i.e. mashed, broiled, boiled or sauteed. The high content of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins make malanga root with high nutritional value. In Bengali we called it 'Maan Kochu'. A traditional and luscious recipe of epar bangla (West Bengal) and opar bangla (Bangladesh) is "mann kochu bata" (a spicy paste of malanga coco). Looks traditional but tastes divine with plain rice. Just try this amazing Bengal's flavour!!!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 kg Maan Kochu (taro root)
1&1/2 cup grated Coconut
3 tbsps Mustard Paste
2 tbsps Tamarind Pulp
1 tsp Sugar (as per taste)
5-6 Green Chillies
3 tbsps Mustard Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash malanga coco (maan kochu) thoroughly before peeling.

With a sharp knife, cut off the rough outer rind of the malanga coco. Slice it into pieces.

Grate or chop malanga coco nicely.

Grind grated malanga coco, grated coconut, mustard paste, tamarind pulp, sugar, green chillies and salt together. Grind till it turns a smooth paste. Pour grinded taro root in a bowl. Add mustard oil in it. Stir with a spoon and mix nicely.

Serve with steamed rice. Enjoy this scrumptious and mouthwatering Bengali delicacy on your lunch table.

Over to my blogger friends, for your lovely and precious comments...

VADAKARI - A SNC CHALLENGE # 4

I am very happy to take part of this interesting SNC event. A great going event started and organised by Divya Pramil from  You Too Can Cook Indian Food. This is a monthly event where two teams, 'South team' and 'North team' have to challenge each other with their regional dishes. 

This Month North team got a challenge to make Vadakari from Ramya. Same like South team got a challenge to make Rajasthani Ghevar with Rabri from Manjula.

Since I am a part of Northern team, so very delicious and flavorful, a traditional South Indian style vadakari I made here with semi gravy. We enjoyed it too much, thanks a lot Ramya for this toothsome recipe.

Now lets move to this month's challenge VADAKARI.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR MAKING VADAS:
1 Cup Bengal Gram
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
4 Red Chillies
3-4 Pods Garlic
Oil as required
Salt to taste

FOR SEASONING:
1 tbsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Fennel seeds
1" Cinnamon
3 tbsps Oil

FOR GRAVY:
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Onion (paste)
1 Tomato (chopped)
2 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/3 tsp freshly grounded Garam Masala
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Water as required

METHOD:
Soak Bengal Gram for 1 hour. Drain the water completely.

Grind bengal gram along with garlic, red chillies, fennel seeds, 2 tbsps water and little salt. Make a coarse paste. Set it aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Put flat ball shaped portions in it.

Fry both sides of each vada till golden brown. Drain oil and remove from wok by using a slotted spoon. Keep aside. Follow the same process by making  the remaining vadas.

Then crumble the vadas for making curry.

Heat 3 tbsps oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds, cinnamon stick and fennel seeds in it. Saute for few seconds, add chopped onion and green chillies in it. Fry till onion gets translucent.

Now add onion paste and ginger garlic paste in it. Fry till onion leaves oil. Put chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt in it.

Fry till all spices leave oil from the sides of the wok.

Pour 1 cup water in it. When it starts to boil, add all crumbled vadas in it. Fold well. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add coriander leaves in it. Mix nicely. Remove from heat now.

Vadakari is ready to serve with warm steamed rice, appam, idlis or chapathi.

Well Ramya, I tried to do justice with your vadakari. Over to all of my friends for your lovely and precious comments.

Sending to: Ramya

AAR MACHER KUTTI BHAJA (SPICY FRIED AYER FISH)

'Ayer' is a silvery white fish and has a sweet taste. The meat of Ayer is succulent and flaky with very less bones in its body. So, not only me and my husband, kids also like it too much. Bengalis are generally fond of this fish and it can be cooked with various Indian spices. It is little spicy fried fish  (dry version) recipe, you can increase the spice level according to your taste. It takes just 15 minutes to make this heavenly palatable fish dish. Here is the recipe mentioned below:

INGREDIENTS:
300 gm Ayer Fish (aar mach)
1 Medium Onion
4 Pods of Garlic
1 Small Tomato (chopped)
2-3 Green Chillies (as per taste)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/3 tsp Red Chilli powder
2 tbsps Fennel seeds (paste)
1/3 tsp Freshly Grounded Garam Masala
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves
4 tbsps Mustard Oil (any oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash fish nicely and cut it in 4 equal pieces.

Sprinkle salt and little turmeric powder on the fish pieces. Mix nicely and set aside for 10-15 minutes.

In the mean time, grind onion, garlic, turmeric powder and green chillies together. Keep it aside.

Heat mustard oil in a wok. Put fish pieces in it. Fry till fish turns into light brown. Now drain out the oil and remove the fish from wok. Set aside.

Now add grounded onion paste, fennel seeds paste, red chilli powder and garam masala in the same oil. Keep stirring continuously and fry till spices leave oil.

Add chopped tomatoes and salt in it. Fry till tomatoes turn mushy.

Put fried fish in it. Fold well, so that all spices coat fish pieces nicely. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the heat now.

Enjoy this scrumptious aar macher kutti bhaja with cooked rice accompanying with dal.

SOJNE PHULER TORKARI (DRUMSTICK BLOSSOMS CURRY)

This is a typically Bengali recipe made with the blossoms of Drumsticks Tree (Moringa oleifera), is a very beneficial tree and these flowers also are widely used for medicines. Those blossoms are edible when cooked and are said to taste like mushrooms. Try this simple Bengali delicacy and relish its flavorful heavenly taste.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Bunches of Drumstick Blossoms (Sojne Phul)
1 Medium Potato
A Handful of Green Peas (frozen)
1/2 of a Medium sized Eggplant
2 Green Chillies (chopped)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/3 tsp Paach Phoron (mixture of fennel, cumin, mustard, carom and nigella seeds)
1 Medium Tomato (copped)
1/2 tsp Sugar (for flavor)
3 tbsps Mustard Oil (or any oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut potato and egg plant in small cubes. Remove the hard part of the stem from the bunches of drumstick blossoms.

Heat oil in a wok. Add panch phoron and a pinch of asafoetida, following by potato, green chillies and eggplant in it. Fry for 3 minutes.

Add turmeric powder, tomatoes and salt in it. Fry for another 3 minutes.

Now add peas and drumsticks blossoms and very soft part of stem in it. Mix nicely. 

Add sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat or till the gravy is almost dried up. Remove from heat.

Serve with steamed rice as a side dish.