FAVOURITE BENGALI RECIPES

SOME OF THE BEST BENGALI COOKERY LINKS -

Calcutta biryani is the best!

It is spicier, and uses potatoes, which absorb the delightful flavours in the stock.

This biryani originated from the Awadh royal family, which migrated to Calcutta when the great gourmet Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was deposed by the British in 1856. His team of cooks came with him and so did the biryani. In Calcutta the biryani also entered common households, which could not afford meat every day, so some of the meat was replaced by potatoes.

This came to be known as the 'Calcutta Biryani.’
Ingredients for Chicken or Mutton Biryani for 15 persons

Rice Dehradun 2 kgs
Mutton or Chicken 4 kgs
Potatoes 1.5 kgs
Peanut oil 3/4 kilo - only for chicken biryani, no oil for mutton biryani
Ghee 3/4 kilo - only for mutton biryani, no ghee for chicken biryani
Onions 300 gms
Ginger 140 gms
Garlic 140 gms
Dalchini - cinnamon 10 gms
Small size elaichi - cardamom 20 gms
Cloves 10 gms
Javetri - mace 10 gms
White pepper 10 gms
Jaifal - nutmeg 1 pc
Kewra water 1 bottle 20 ml
Zafran kesar 1 gm
Milk 1 litre
Water 16 cups
Mawa 100 gms
Aloo bokhara plums 20
Salt 15 tsp or 75 gms
Wheat flour aata Half kilo
Dahi, plain or sour 250 gms
Almonds 100 gms
Cashews 100 gms
Mitha ittar 1 tsp
Method
Wash and soak rice two hours. Make a muslin potli with the whole garam masala. Simmer garam masala potli in water for 20 minutes. Fry sliced onions golden brown in ghee, keep aside. Remove half the ghee. In the remaining half, add mutton, juice of ginger and garlic, and curd and fry till mutton turns golden brown. Add the milk, the spiced water with the potli, and salt. Cook on low heat till tender. Meanwhile fry halved peeled potatoes in ghee till golden brown. Also fry almonds and cashews till golden. Remove mutton from fire and strain off mutton stock. Fry the mutton pieces on tawa in ghee till dry on both sides. Whip malai or mawa with a little stock and mix into the stock along with saffron, kewra water and ittar. Sauté rice in remaining ghee for 7-8 mins till no longer lumpy. Grease a degchi with ghee and line with half the rice. Gently pour over half the mixed mutton stock. Scatter half the aloo bukhara plums, and half the fried almonds and cashews. Place mutton pieces and halved fried potatoes on the rice. Cover with remaining rice. Place remaining aloo bukhara plums. Gently pour in the remaining mixed mutton stock. Cover, seal with dough. Put on dum for 30 mins. Scatter fried onions and remaining almonds and cashews on the rice, and serve with raita.

CALCUTTA'S FAMOUS PRAWN MALAI CURRY

Prawn Malai Curry, recipe kindly given by epicure Jyotirmoy Niyogi
This is the height of Bengali sea food

Recipe Ingredients
500gms Prawns
1/2 cup Coconut milk
1/2 cup Onions chopped
1-1/2 tsp ginger paste
20-30gms Paste of mustard seeds
2-3 Green chilies chopped
1 tsp Turmeric
Bay leaves
1 inch size cinnamon 2 pcs
6 green cardamoms
4 cloves
Sugar 1 tsp.
5 tbsp Mustard Oil
1-1/2 tbsp. Ghee
Salt to taste
Recipe Instructions
1) Clean and de-vein prawns and apply a bit of turmeric & salt on the surface.
Saut? them slightly until they turn red.
2) In a pan heat the oil and add the bay leaves followed by cardamom & cloves. Then add the onions, sugar, & fry the chopped onions until pale golden brown. Now add the ginger paste, turmeric, green chilies, and mix well.
Then add the saut?ed prawns into the pan. Mix well so that the prawns are coated with the masala.
3) Next add the coconut milk to the contents of the pan cover and cook for 10 minutes till the gravy has become thick. Add the ghee, keep covered for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with rice or loochis.

REMINISCENCES by Jyotirmoy Niyogi

have been away from Kolkata for almost four decades. I do visit occasionally but on these visits I am invited by my numerous relatives and friends to have a meal at their place and it is impossible to accomodate all. You can imagine how person B will feel if I go to person A & C's home and not his. So I have leaRned to live with it. But I do make it a point to have atleast one eating out expedition in my busy schedule.

Here is something from my diary about a day in Kolkata last winter:

Started early on 28th. morning with my daughter & went to Kumartuli where I had spent my childhood & early youth. This is the area where the famous "Kumor" community lives & work. They are master artists who make idols & statues of clay. Along with them there are craftsmen who make decorative items from pith. We spent some time watching them work & since Saraswati(Goddess of learning) puja is coming soon we saw fantastic idols of Saraswati being readied. Went in to the intricate lanes & bylanes to locate the house we used to live in. This part of Kolkata is full of ancient buildings of the rich men of past. Grand mansions of Victorian & Gothic styles complete with statues & wonderfully crafted window shutters & remains of the stained glass windows. I was transported to the time where as a child I had walked down these streets with my beloved uncle in the evenings, sounds of Sarengi, Ghungoors, Kheyal, Thumri & Ghazals wafted out of these houses so did the fragrance of Ittars. Vendors sold garlands of fresh Jasmine & the Kulpiwallah did his rounds. Finall reached the river & sat on a pier. The fresh cool wind blew over the flowing waters of the Ganges. Boarded a steamer & after changing at the Howrah station pier reached Babu ghat. From there we began our trip to Imperial Kokakata leaving behind the feudal part at north. Walked in the mellow sunshine past the Eden gardens, Governers' house, Supreme court all grand colonial buildings. Then enterEd Dekker's lane to see the hundreds of street food vendors dishing out delicious food & thousands relishing these. Walked to Esplanade totally dehydrated & to relive my adventures(or misadventures?) got in to the sleaziest bar Saqi. Ordered a beer for me & a soft drink for my daughter, the waiter drew my attention to the fact that a bottled soft drink would cost me Rs50/- No waiter in Delhi would do that though. So we shared the beer & walked to Aminia for lunch. Again here while looking around to find a table the management informed me that we could sit in the airconditioned dining hall & the price of food is the same!

We had a wonderful meal of Biriyani, Mutton Champ, Aminia special mutton curry & rounded off with Phirni. I am very glad to report that Aminia has maintained the quality of its food & sad that our visit to Royal restaurant wasn’t very satisfying, the quality has taken a nose dive very sad indeed

Among other gems of north Kolkata I always visit the following two to satisfy my sweet tooth:

The hallowed portal of Nakur Chandra Das & Girish Chandra Ghosh's shop for the best Sandesh that Kolkata ever produced. Don't except the fancy looking stuff here, just authentic Sandesh that probably hasn't changed since my great grand father's days. The "Jal bhara Talshansh"... a type of Sandesh moulded in the shape of the kernel of the Palmyra fruit that that mysteriously hide a drop of either Kewra flavoured syrup or highly aromatic Nalen Gur(jaggery made from the sapping of date palm trees). We are patrons for four generations now !!!

The next stop is only 100mts away the ancient establishment of Subodh Mullick. The Rabri is to die for and the Roshomalai(small rosogollas in sweetened reduced milk) is fantastic.

BAEL SHERBET

This is the best summer drink in my opinion

Bael(Wood apple) juice 1kg

Sugar 600 gm

Citric acid 5 gm

Potassium metabisulphate (preservative, omit if consumed same day or next day) 3 gm

Wash and cut the wood apples into two pieces. Extract the pulp and strain it to remove the seeds.

Mix sugar, citric acid and two glasses of water in wood apple juice and bring to a boil.Let it cool and strain it through a muslin cloth and add potassium metabisulphate. Fill in clean bottles and refrigerate

VEGGIE STUFF

Kancha lanka, yoghurt & mustard paste is a potent combination which many Bengali households indulge in. The yoghurt tames the fierce mustard tang I think. But for me a few drops of mustard oil in my macher jhal just before serving and a few drops of tears from the tang is all about good eating.

If you have seen the excellent TV film Picku by Satyajit Ray made for the French TV the gardener cum guard eats rice & dal and bites a green chilly... while his eyes shed tears Picku asks him why he eats some thing that pains him... he says Bhalo lage... that means it feels good.

Coriander was used in Bengali cooking so the green leaves with its aroma should not have been missed out by Bengali gourmets.

A good dish of steamimg Shorshey Pabda(a delicate river fish cooked in mutard gravy) has two shades of green in its yellow gravy. These are crushed coriander leaves and green chillies.

While cooking the Begun Pora that is fire roasted whole brinjal we make slits and stuff a clove of garlic in each slit before placing it on flame.

You may try what we call Neem begun. Take a handful of young Neem leaves and deep fry them, keep aside. Cut a brinjal in to small cubes, smear with salt. Heat oil, add a bit of panch phoron and then add the brinjal cubes. Cover and fry, when done mix the fried Neem leaves. We eat this often at lunch specially in March/April.

MASOOR DAL

This again a typical Bengali preparation, easy to make.

Recipe Ingredients

250 grams Masoor dal

125 grams Oil

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric paste

1 teaspoon Chilli paste

1 large Sliced onions

10-12 small Pearl onions

1 tablespoon Ghee

1 teaspoon Garam masala

Salt (As per taste)

Soak dal in water for half an hour. Drain. Then wash dal thoroughly in several changes of water. Spread dal thinly over a large thali or plate and leave until half-dry.

In a karai or pan heat the oil. Add the sliced onions and fry till lightly browned. Add turmeric and chilli paste. Fry for a few minutes and then add dal. Stir well.

Fry the dal over a medium fire stirring continually. When dal begins to change colour, add the pearl onions and continue frying. Keep handy approximately 2 cups water and sprinkle a very little at a time over the dal so that it does not catch at the bottom of the pan. Add salt and sugar to taste.

Continue frying the dal, sprinkling water a little at a time, as required, so that finally the dal is cooked but still remains whole and there is practically no gravy. The dal is done when it mashes easily between a finger and thumb. Remove from fire.

In a dekchi heat the ghee and then add the garam masala. As soon as the garam masala stops spluttering, pour over dal, stirring thoroughly. Reheat over a very gentle fire,if necessary.Serves : 6 Time : 25 mins..

MASOOR DAL2 Traditional dal

2 cups masoor dal

1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup oil

1 1/2 onions, chopped

1 head garlic, separated, chopped

1 (1-inch piece) ginger root, chopped

2 green chiles, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch coriander, chopped

Water

Rinse massor dhal thoroughly, until water is clear. In pot bring 1 quart water to boil. Add massor daal & a bit of turmeric.

Cook half way, about 10 to 15 minutes, add 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt. As massor dhal cooks, uncovered, water will evaporate and mixture will thicken.

Add more water to keep dal loose, like texture of thick cream. Take care so that it doesn?t stick to the bottom of the pot. When dal is soft, turn off heat. Heat oil in wok. When oil is very hot, add onions and cook until tender and translucent but not browned.

Add garlic, ginger and chiles. Continue to fry until onions are deep-yellow. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of garam masala & a pinch of sugar.

Do not allow spices to burn. Keep stirring until mixture starts to stick. Add tomatoes and green chillies. Cook until tomato softens.

Pour in pot of masoor dal and simmer to blend flavors. Taste and add more salt if needed.

To cut cooking time you can pressure cook the dal with turmeric first & then proceed with frying the onions etc?. I add a table spoon of Ghee to the dal before serving.

DAHI ALOO

A delicious potato dish cooked with curd, good for summer.

1. Medium potatoes ( 1/2 kg ),

2. curd ( 250 grams ),

3. 1 teaspoon white cumin powder,

4. 1 teaspoon turmeric,

5. 1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves,

6. 1 teaspoon chopped green chillies,

7. 2 teaspoon ground spices,

8. 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder,

9. Ghee

10.Salt to taste.

Fry the peeled whole potatoes in the ghee, on a low fire, until light brown. Remove from the ghee. To the ghee, add cunim powder and fry for one minutes. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, and curd and stir until light brown. Add the potatoes, salt and 1 1/2 to 2 teacups water and cook on a low fire until potatoes are tender. Mix chopped coriander, green chillies, and spices. Remove from the fire. Serve hot.

EASY TASTY GOBI SUBZI

This is simple dish for winter.

Cauliflower- medium sized, cut into medium size pieces

- Peas- ½ cup

- Potatoes- 2 cut into medium size pieces

- Ripe Tomato- 2, chopped

- Garam Masala (Cardamom pods- 2, Clove- 2 and Cinnamon sticks 2. All should be ground together)

- Bay Leaves- 2

- Chilli Powder- 1 teaspoon

- Salt to taste

- Turmeric Powder- 1 teaspoon

- Ginger Paste- 1 teaspoon

- Cumin paste- 1 teaspoon

- Sugar- 1 teaspoon

- Cooking oil- 5 tablespoon

Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a round bottomed frying pan. Lower the heat slightly and fry the potato and Cauliflower pieces Remove the Cauliflower and potatoes from the oil once they are brown in colour and tender.

Add the Bay leaves and wait until it sizzles. Now add the cumin paste, ginger paste, tomatoes, chilli powder, sugar and salt. Stir fry it for about 5 minutes. Finally add the fried cauliflower, potato pieces and the peas and thoroughly stir it again. Add ½ cup of water and cover the lid of the pan. Allow it to cook until the potatoes and the cauliflower pieces are well cooked.

Now in a different pan heat up rest of the cooking oil and add the Garam Masala in it and allow it to splutter. Now pour all the vegetables in this pan and allow it to boil. Once it starts boiling remove it from heat and serve it with hot rice and Dal.

NARKOL JHINGE

Jhinge is a vegetable very similar to zucchini & widely consumed in Bengal. This is a simple easy to make preparation....

1. 4 medium zucchini grated fine.

2. 3 to 4 of hot green chilies splitted

3. 1/2 a coconut grated.

4. Handful of coriander leaves, chopped.

5. turmeric and salt to taste.

6. 1 tsp onion seeds

On a large, deep, non-stick saucepan heat oil preferably mustard (3 tblsps) when hot add the onion seeds & the split green chilies.

Pour in all of the grated zucchini at once and start stirring. After about 5 minutes on high heat, sprinkle salt and turmeric and stir and saut? for a while stirring so that the zucchinis are not burnt.

Now cover tightly, lower heat, and steam for at least 8 minutes. No need to add water as zucchini releases enough water.

Lift cover, stir, taste for doneness and add 1 tblsp sugar (or more if desired; this dish is supposed to be sweetish). Now turn heat to medium high, add the grated coconut and stir and fry until oil floats up to the top and almost all of the water evaporates. This may take 5 minutes or more.

Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice.

GREEN PEAS KATCHORI

With the onset of winter sweet green peas are available in plenty. This is one of my very favourite stuff that we often eat at Sunday brunches.

- 250 gms. Green Peas

- 1 cup White Flour

- 1 Cup Cooking Oil

- 1 inch piece Ginger

- 4 Green Chilis depends on how hot they are.

- 2 tsp Aniseed

- 0.25 tsp Asafetida

- 0.25 tsp or to taste Salt

- Cooking Oil as reqd for deep frying

1. Sift flour (Maida) and add 1/4 tsp salt. Rub 2 table spoon of cooking oil and knead to a soft dough adding little water as required. This is the same type of dough that you make for rotis or puris.

2. Grind peas, ginger, green chilies, aniseeds to a fine paste. I use an electric mixie to do the job. Make sure that it is a nice smooth paste. Stray unmashed peas may cause a blister while katchoris are being fried & oil will get in to.

3. Heat one table spoon of oil and fry asafetida for about 20 seconds. Add the ground peas paste and salt. Fry well till the paste is cooked & easily come off the edge of the pan.. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

4. Divide dough into 8 balls. Press each ball in the center and fill in the peas mixture. Close the opening and flatten. Roll into round pancakes.

5. Heat about 1-1/2 cup of cooking oil. Deep fry one at a time. Reduce heat and fry till golden brown. Drain and remove and serve hot.

6. Serve with Dum Aloo & tomato chutney.

PAKORA SABJI

A twist added to Pakoras... make a subzi withem !!!!

250gms Potato

2 Onions, sliced

2 tsp Ginger-garlic paste

1/2 tsp Ajwain (Tychotis)

Salt To taste

1/2 cup Besan

1 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Annardana (Pomegranate seeds) Powder. It works wonders but omit this if not available.

Oil For frying

Handful Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Cut the potato into long pieces.

Make a thin batter of besan, salt, ginger-garlic paste, ajwain seeds adding little water. Add 1 tsp of oil and mix well.

Marinate potato pieces for 15 minutes.

Heat oil and deep fry the potatoes. Keep aside.

Heat 2 tsp of oil, add onions and saute till brown. Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, annardana powder, garam masala and mix well.

Add the potatoes and toss well. Lower the flame and simmer for another 5- 6 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with paratha or chapati.

CHHANAR CHUTNEY

Paneer

Mustard seeds

Red Chilli paste

Sugar

Salt

Cut paneer into long sticks like french fries. Fry these lightly in ghee/oil. Remove paneer sticks and add mustard seeds to the ghee.

Just as the seeds begin to splutter add the fried paneer sticks, saute for a while, add tamarind paste, a little red chilli paste, salt & sugar. Add a little water and reduce the heat, stir and cook till the gravy sticks to the paneer sticks.

This simple delicacy with no costly ingredients has simply disappeared from Bengali kitchens.

EGGS

DIMER JHOL

One of the best dishes on a rainy day - have it with steamed rice.

4 Eggs, hard boiled and shelled

2 Medium-large potatoes

1 large onion, finely chopped

1" cube of fresh ginger, grated

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli

1 level teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed (dhanya)

1.5 teaspoon turmeric powder (halood)

1 level teaspoon ground cumin seed (jeera)

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

Salt to taste

2 cups of warm water

Procedure:

Once you have gathered the ingredients peel the potatoes and cut each into 6 pieces. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot fry the potatoes for 4-5 mins turning them over from time to time. Take them out and place aside when they are done

Next make 2-3 small slits in each egg, coat with half of the turmeric powder and fry eggs in the remaining oil in the pan until slightly browned. You must continuously turn the eggs. When these are done set them aside.

In the remaining oil add the crushed chilli and the garam masala and fry for one minute (medium heat). Next add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute. After this you add the chopped onion and fry for 5 minutes, lower the heat to "low" and add the chilli powder, coriander and cumin and curry powder. Stir and fry for 2 minutes.

Now add to the pan the potatoes, salt and turmeric, turn up the heat to medium again and stir to coat the potatoes with the spices. Add the water and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer till the potatoes are almost done (10 min). Add the eggs and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are well done.

Serving ideas: plain boiled rice and postho or just with roti

QUICKY EGGS

Eggs

Onions

Mustard paste

Hard boil three eggs, shell and cut into halves. Heat oil in a pan and

deep fry egg pieces. Drain and keep aside. Thinly slice two onions and

fry till golden brown. Add two teaspoons of mustard paste, one

teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of turmeric powder. Stir well and add

half a cup of water. Bring it to boil, put in the fried eggs and season with salt. Reduce the heat and simmer for some time. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and serve hot with steamed rice.

STEAMED EGG CURRY

This one is a typical Bong recipe

4 eggs

2 potatoes

2 onions

2 green chillies

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp ginger paste

? tsp garlic paste

Pinch of garam masala powder

1 tsp sugar Salt to taste

Whisk eggs in a dish. Add salt, chopped onion and green chillies.

Put whisked egg mixture in a greased (with oil/ghee) dish and cover.

Boil water in a pan and put the covered dish in it. Steam the eggs for few minutes until it sets. Leave for a few minutes and cut it into cubes.

Cut potatoes into cubes.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the potatoes and fry till light brown. Remove potatoes and add onion, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry for a few minutes. Add a little sugar to give it a golden colour. Add the fried potatoes. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Add salt to taste. When the oil separates from the spices add the egg cubes. Leave it for a few minutes. Stir in ghee and garam masala powder. Serve with rice.

PRAWNS AND FISH

PRAWN MALAI CURRY

This is the height of Bengali sea food

500gms Prawns

1/2 cup Coconut milk

1/2 cup Onions chopped

1-1/2 tsp ginger paste

20-30gms Paste of mustard seeds

2-3 Green chilies chopped

1 tsp Turmeric

Bay leaves

1 inch size cinnamon 2 pcs

6 green cardamoms

4 cloves

Sugar 1 tsp.

5 tbsp Mustard Oil

1-1/2 tbsp. Ghee

Salt to taste

1) Clean and de-vein prawns and apply a bit of turmeric & salt on the surface.

Saut? them slightly until they turn red.

2) In a pan heat the oil and add the bay leaves followed by cardamom & cloves. Then add the onions, sugar, & fry the chopped onions until pale golden brown. Now add the ginger paste, turmeric, green chilies, and mix well.

Then add the saut?ed prawns into the pan. Mix well so that the prawns are coated with the masala.

3) Next add the coconut milk to the contents of the pan cover and cook for 10 minutes till the gravy has become thick. Add the ghee, keep covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with rice or loochis.

DAB CHINGRI MALAI CURRY (Prawns Cooked in a Green Coconut Shell)

Bengali Cuisine at its Finest

Recipe Ingredients

Small Prawn - 600 gms

Onion Paste - 80 gms

Milk - 120 ml

Coconut Milk - 80 ml

Cumin Paste - 2 tsp

Green Chilli Paste - 2 tsp

Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp

Poppy Seed Paste - 2 tsp

Cashew Paste - 2 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 lemon

Salt - to taste

Oil - 100 gms

Fresh Coriander Leaves - 15 gms

Whole Green Coconut - 4 nos

Preparation :

Completely shell and de-vein the prawns, wash in cold water.

Rub with lemon juice and salt and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Taken oil in a handi and add onion paste. Bhunno (simmer) till oil leaves the sides. Add ginger paste. Stir.

Add poppy and cashew paste and bhunno till it smells of roasted nut. Add cummin and green chilli paste.

Cook for 2 minutes and add milk and coconut milk. Simmer for about 15 minutes till gravy is set.

Add the prawns and simmer till cooked.

Add the water of green tender coconut and reduce to pouring consistency. Add salt to season.

Cut the ends of the green coconut and preserve the shell of the head for covering.

Pour the curry into the shell and cook for 20 minutes on a water bath, immersing the stuffed green coconuts till half water level.

Serve hot in the shell garnished with fresh coriander leaves.(Serves - 4)

FISH IN GREEN GRAVY

A neo Bengali preparation...

Recipe Ingredients

Fish-4 Thick Stakes of any sweet water fish (preferably Bhekti or Rohu)

Garlic-6-7 thick cloves (crushed)

Ginger paste-1 Tsp

Sour cream or thick yogurt-1 cup (beaten)

Green coriander leaves-1 bunch

Green Chili-5-6

Turmeric powder-1 Tsp.

Whole Garam Massala:

(green cardamom [2], cloves [4], cinnamon [1"], black pepper corn[8-9])

Mustard oil-as needed (could be substituted with any other edible oil as well)

Salt-to taste

Smear salt and turmeric powder over the stakes and leave them for 30

minutes. Heat oil in a woke, when it stars smoking lower the heat and

fry the fish, if the fish is very fresh, they could be lightly fried,

otherwise fry till the turn deep golden. Soak them on absorbent paper.

Pound the Garam Massala coarsely and add to the oil, when it

starts spluttering add ginger and garlic. [Actually more Garlic could be used if you like the taste].

Saut? till they turn golden, turn the heat low and add sour cream, cook it over very low heat.

Grind the coriander leaves with two cloves of Garlic and 4-5 chilies. Add a little water to the sour cream if necessary. When oil leaves the side add the fish stakes and adjust seasoning. cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the coriander leaf paste. Cook over low heat for 5 minute. Slit the remaining chilies add to the curry and cover. Serve hot with steamed rice.

DOI MACHH

This is a typical Bengali fish recipe.

500 gms carp or similar fish, de-scaled and cleaned

100 gms of mustard oil or any other cooking oil

4 cloves

4 small cardamoms,

2 inch pieces cinnamon

2 bay leaves

2 onions,

1 inch ginger

1 small bulb garlic

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

100 grams of sour curds/yogurt

salt and sugar to taste

a few green chillies

2 tsp. clarified butter(ghee)

Clean and wash the fish pieces thoroughly, and cut into squares or rectangles of around 4 inches dimension. Wipe dry.

Apply 1 tsp. turmeric and a little salt to the pieces. Set aside.

Grind the onion, garlic, and ginger to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Beat the sour curds/yogurt with half cup of water till smooth and set aside.

Heat oil to smoking, lightly fry the fish pieces and set aside.

In the oil now, add the cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. Then add the ground paste of onion, garlic, and ginger. Fry lightly till the spices are browned.

Now mix the remaining one teaspoon of turmeric powder and the red chili powder with three teaspoons of water and add to the frying paste. Fry again. Keep stirring to prevent the spices from sticking to the pan.

Now add to this the beaten sour curds. Stir the mixture and add one more cup of water less if the yogurt has much water.

Now add salt to taste and a teaspoon of sugar or less if you want but the sugar is important. Add the green chilies and cook a while till the excess water begins to dry up and till the gravy comes to a boil.

Now gently add the fried fish pieces and let it cook on high heat till the oil separates and floats on top. Before taking off from the fire add the clarified butter.Serve with rice.

FISH BATI CHOCHORI

Again a typical Bengali preparation.

Recipe Ingredients

?1/2 kg fish like carp sliced.

?3 potatoes sliced.

?2 onions sliced.

?2 green chillies.

?1 tsp turmeric powder,.

?1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped.

?100 gms mustard oil, heated and cooled.

?Salt to taste.

Mix the onions, potatoes, chillies, turmeric and salt with the fish. Put all these in a pan with the mustard oil and just enough water. Cook on a low fire. Stir carefully without breaking the potatoes and the fish slices. Cook gently till the fish is cooked and browned. Remove from the fire. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

MACHHER JHOL

A hot Bengali fish dish in mustard sauce.

800 g fish fillet (Pollock, codfish or redfish), cut into 8 pieces

2 middle sized tomatoes, cut into 4-8 pieces

2 middle sized potatoes, cut into sticks (like French fries)

2 fresh chillis, finely sliced

3 teaspoons mustard powder

6 tablespoons water

150 ml water1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped or grated

3-6 tablespoons mustard oil

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons cumin powder

2 teaspoons rose paprika powder

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

salt

Wash and dry the fish. Mix mustard powder and 6 tablespoons water in a cup and put aside.

Put a pan (non-stick) on flame with mustard oil. Add chills, ginger, turmeric, cumin powder, rose paprika powder and chilli powder, keep stirring and fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and yoghurt and fry for another 5 minutes on medium heat (keep stirring) until paste becomes light brown.

Add 150 ml water and bring to a boil (keep stirring).

Add potatoes and mustard water and boil for 5 minutes (depending on the consistency of the potatoes), then add salt and carefully put the fish in the pan.

Put some of the sauce on the fish until it is covered. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes (lid half on) on medium heat until the potatoes and the fish are done. Make sure the fish is always covered with sauce.

Serve with Basmati rice and cucumber slices.

MACHHER KALIA

It is a Bengali recipe for fish in onion sauce, I have this from a recipe book.

one small salmon trout (1kg, or 800 g filet), head and tail removed and cut into "steaks" of about 6 cm

salt

about one teaspoon turmeric

3 middle sized onions, cut into 4-8 pieces

3 middle sized tomatoes, cut into 4-8 pieces

about 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped or grated

2 fresh chilis, stem removed and cut lenghtwise a few times

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons ghee or oil

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons natural yogurt

2 tablespoons mustard oil

150 ml water

1 tablespoon garam masala

Wash and dry the fish, bespread with salt and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and let it rest for a while.

Put a pan (non-stick) on flame with ghee or oil. Fry bay leaves and cumin seeds for one minute, then add onions and fry until they are golden brown. Keep stirring and add ginger, garlic, chilis and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and fry on medium heat.

Add tomatoes and yogurt and let it heat for another 3 minutes (keep stirring). Add 150 ml water and bring to a boil. When the sauce is boiling, reduce the heat, add a bit of salt and carefully put the fish in the pan. Put some of the sauce on the fish until it is covered. Cover the pan and let the fish simmer (not boil!) for about 10 minutes until it is done.

Let fish cool down a bit and drizzle mustard oil over it, then bespread with garam masala.

Serve with Basmati rice. Lime pickles or kela ka raita (banana coconut yogurt) are also good.

* A trustworthy unnamed food guru told me Bengalis usually like to make this dish with river carp instead of salmon trout.

MUTTON

DAL MANGSHO

Very simple & very filling

1/2 kilo mutton or chicken

Salt according to taste

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 medium onion chopped

1 cup dal chana pre-soaked for at least 4 hours.

1/4 tsp ginger paste

1/4 tsp garam masala

3 tbs vegetable oil

Fry the onion in oil till it starts to turn brown.Add the spices and meat and let the water dry.Then add the pre-soaked dal and 2 glasses of water.Cover and leave on low heat to tenderize.When both meat and dal have softened add ginger and gram masala.Garnish with fresh corriander leaves and chopped green chilli. Add a spoonful or two of Ghee. Serve with a dash of lemon. Its ok with both rotis and rice... I prefer rice tho.Enjoy.

SHORSHEY MUTTON

This is mutton cooked in a tangy mustard based gravy. It is a Bengali preparation.

Recipe Ingredients

20 gms oil

2 bay leaves

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste

200 gms chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped green chilies

400 gms mutton cubes

100 gms mustard, ground to a paste.

1 tsp red chili powder

? tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste

Hot water as required

Saut? bay leaves and coriander seeds in a saucepan. Add ginger/garlic paste, onions and green chilies. Saut? for four minutes and add mutton and salt.

Cook for ten minutes.

Add hot water and the remaining ingredients.

Cook till meat is tender.

SPINACH WITH MINCE

Similar to Sag Meat but tastier & the mint does some magic to this dish.

lamb mince, coarsely ground 750 gm

Cardamoms 2

Cinnamon 1? stick

Cloves 4

Coriander leaves 15 gm/1 tbs

Garam masala 2.5 gm/ ? tsp

Garlic paste 15 gm/1 tbs

Ginger paste 15 gm/1 tbs

Green chillies, chopped 3

Mint 15 gm/1 tbs

Oil 60 ml/4 tbs

Onions, chopped 90gm/6 tbs

Salt to taste

Spinach, boiled 60 gm/ ? cup

White pepper powder 2.5 gm/ ? tsp

Yogurt 240 gm/ 1 cup

Make a paste of the spinach, mint and coriander leaves in a blender. Heat oil in a kadhai. Crackle cloves, cardamom and cinnamon, add the ginger and garlic pastes and stir till the moisture evaporates. Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Stir in the mince, salt and white pepper. Stir-cook till the moisture evaporates. Add yogurt and cook till the liquid is reduced by half. Add the green leaves paste. Cover and cook till mince is done. Add garam masala.

;ALONG MANGSHO

Winter is fading away so is spinach, so tonight it is going to be this:

500 grams lamb meat on the bone. Choose a mix of loin, breast & neck cuts.

1 cup yogurt

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoon green chillies, chopped

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1\4 cup oil

500 grams spinach

250 grams fenugreek leaves (Methi) chopped

3-4 tablespoons ghee

1 medium onion skinned & thinly sliced

1-inch piece ginger, cut into juliennes

In a large glass or ceramic bowl combine yogurt, garlic, ginger, coriander powder, cumin seeds, garam masala, green chilies, chili powder and salt. Add lamb pieces and stir so that the yogurt mixture coats the lamb pieces. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the marinated lamb. Stirring constantly fry the lamb for 5-8 minutes or well browned. Add 1 cup of boiling water, cover and cook on low heat until meat is almost tender.

Add spinach and cook on medium-low heat until the moisture from the spinach has evaporated and spinach and meat is well cooked.

In a small frying pan, heat ghee, add sliced onion and ginger. Stirring constantly sauté until the onion and ginger are golden brown.

Transfer spinach & meat on to a serving dish and pour the fried onion and ginger on the top and serve. This called applying Todka. Pour a dollop of cream on it if you like.

Note: Fresh or frozen or even canned spinach works well. The spinach must be either finely chopped or pureed.

BRAIN MASALA

Typical north Indian food.

Mutton brain(blanched and cleaned) 2 nos. Soak it in water with a little turmeric added.

Curds 1/4 cup

Garlic 6 flakes

Onions(chopped) 2 nos.

Coriander seeds 2 tsps.

Garam masala 1 tsp.

Mango powder 1 tsp.

Coriander leaves As required

Red chilies 3 nos.

Ghee 3 tbsps.

Salt To taste

1. Grind to a paste all the ingredients except mutton brain, curds and coriander leaves.

2.Heat the ghee well in a karahi and fry the paste till it turns brown.

3.Add the mutton brain and fry for some time.

4.Add the curds and cook for 10 minutes.

5.If required you can add half a cup of hot water.

6.Garnish with coriander leaves.

7.Serve hot as a side dish.

CHICKEN

CHICKEN REZALA

Easy and Simple

One whole chicken

Two midsized onions

One tablespoon of whole black pepper

One tablespoon of cardamom, clove, cinnamon

Four tablespoon of blended ginger

Four cups of natural yoghurt

Two red chillies

Half cup of clarified butter.

Marinate the chicken pieces for half an hour in the yogurt. Heat

the ghee in the wok. Saute the whole spices and the chillies. Fry the

ginger paste and onions, add the chicken. Cook covered on medium heat for twenty minutes. DON'T ADD WATER.

KOFTA SUPTEME

This is a Bengali speciality... very delicious... do try it

All these should be mixed together and one and half inch dia Koftas (balls) to be made out of the mixture:

250 gms of shelled shrimps

250gms of Minced Chicken

2 Eggs nicely beaten

25gms of Currants(Kismis)

1 tbsp of Flour

1 tsp of salt and

1 tbsp of Chopped Green Chillies and Chopped Corriander leaves

1 medium sized of Potato to be peeled off and cut into cubes.

The masala:

2 medium sized Onions ground to a paste

1 tbsp of Ginger & Garlic Paste,

1 tsp of Turmeric powder,

1 tsp of Salt

1 tsp of Chilly paste.

100gm of vegetable Oil for frying and Cooking.

1 tsp of Garam masala Powder.

Methods Of Cooking

Heat the oil in a nonstick frying pan and fry the balls made out of the mixture till it turns to golden brown,.try to fry in slow flame so that it will be fried from all the sides.

Remove the balls and keep it aside.

Fry the potato pieces in the oil till golden brown

Add the masalas along with turmeric powder and salt except garam masala cook till the oil leaves the masalas.

Add 2 cups of hot water and add the Koftas in it and let it boil in slow flame for another 10minutes

Cover it with lid while boiling add towards the end add the garam masala and let it shimmer for sometime. Serve it with rice.

CHILLI CHICKEN CALCUTTA STYLE

Tangra Chinese Cuisine

1. One whole cornish hen cut in small pieces (with or without bone).

2. 2 tablespoons crushed garlic

3. Mushroom Soy Sauce

4. Chinese Rice Wine

5. Black Bean and garlic paste (sold bottled in Oriental groceries)

6. Flour or cornstarch

7. Cooking oil, preferably peanut oil

8. 2 cups of chopped scallions

9. Half cup chopped fresh green chilies

10. 1 envelope "Taste of Thai" chili pepper paste or bottled chili

garlic paste, both usually available in Oriental groceries.

11. 1 cup chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)

Marinate chicken pieces overnight in 1 tablespoon crushed garlic,

one fourth cup mushroom soy, one fourth cup wine and 2 tablespoons black

bean paste.

Heat half cup oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick skillet, dredge

chicken pieces in flour or cornstarch and shallow fry on a medium to

medium high heat until all sides are medium brown. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, fry scallions, chilies and garlic briefly,

add the chicken pieces, more soy, and diluted chili pepper paste

(1 envelope of the paste really has two inner envelopes, and for

1 cornish hen you may need only half of one of those inner envelopes).

Stir well to coat all the chicken pieces. Salt will most likely not be

necessary as most of the sauces, especially the soy, are extremely salty.

Cover and lower the heat to medium low and cook for no more than5 minutes. Uncover, stir well, add sugar if desired and mix well. Add

chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles.

[If this dish is not hot enough for your taste, ground red chili pepper may

be added at the end]

BIRYANIS AND PULAOS

KOFTA PULAO

Instead of chunks of meat this pulao is cooked with meat balls.

Recipe Ingredients

For the Kofta:

250 gms. finely minced mutton or beef

1 tsp. ginger paste

1-2 green chilies coarsely chopped

1 medium onion coarsely chopped

Handful fresh green Corriander leaves

? tsp. ground garam masala

1 slice of bread soaked and squeezed to remove water

? tsp. salt

For the Pulao:

1 ? cups of basmati rice presoaked

1 medium sized onion sliced

4-5 tbs oil

? tsp. ginger

? tsp. garlic

1 tsp. Cumin seeds

5-6 black peppercorn

5-6 cloves

? inch piece of cinnamon

1 Black cardamom

1 tsp. salt

? cup water

To make the Koftas:

Put the minced meat and all its spices to a grinder and grind well till all he ingredients are chopped well.

Form into small meatballs about 1-1/2 inch diameter and keep aside.

To make the Pulao:

In another pot heat the oil and saut? the onion till it starts to turn brown.

Add all the spices along with a little water to prevent it from burning. Mix well. When the water has dried add ? cup of water and add the meatballs carefully to it.

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes on medium flame to cook the meat balls. When the color of the meatballs has changed, add the rice and add water so much so that it reaches about 1.5 cm above the level of the rice. Cover and cook till the rice becomes tender and the water dries. Reduce flame to minimum and allow to cook for another 5 minutes in its own steam. Serve with Raita

CHOLAO

This is some thing like Pulao(Polao in Bengali) except that meat is not used.

Rice 650gms

Ghee 500gms

Cloves 6

Green cardamom 6

Sha jeera 5gms

Sugar 50gms

White pepper whole ½ tea spoon

Bay leaves 6

Curd 100gms

Ginger crushed 50gms

Salt to taste

Take just enough water to make stock for cooking the rice. Tie the crushed ginger with half of the condiments in a piece of muslin and place in a pot. Add water and boil. When done strain the stock. Add curd, sugar, salt to the stock.

Heat ghee in degchi, add rest of the condiments and rice. Fry for a while and then add the stock. Mix well, cover and cook as you do for pulao.

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FAVOURITE BENGALI RECIPES

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