Hilsa Curry With Eddoe (ilish mach e kochu muhki)

Ingredients:

Hilsa (Ilish Mach): 4 pieces
Eddoe(Mukhi Kochu): 2: peeled and cubed.
Green Chilies: 4-5, slit longitudinally(according to heat preferences)
Turmeric: 1-2 tsp
Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp
Salt
Sugar: 1/4 tsp
Kalo Jeere/Kalonji/Nigella Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Mustard oil: 6-7 tbsp

Method:

Clean the fish well, and remove all the scales. Wash it well, under running water, and then pat it dry with a paper towel. Coat the fish pieces with turmeric and some salt. Keep aside.

Heat mustard oil in a non stick pan. Don't substitute mustard oil, with any other oil, as it lends to the signature taste. So when you buy Ilish Mach, ensure you also have Mustard Oil with you, on stock. Once the oil has just about started to smoke, carefully place the fishes in the pan, and shallow fry them, on moderately high heat. Ilish Mach tends to splutter, so keep a splutter guard handy. Turn the fishes after about frying them for 3 minutes per side, so that they are evenly fried on both sides.

 Remove the fishes from the oil, and add in the diced Mukhi Kochu. Fry them lightly and then keep aside

In the same oil, add in Kalo jeere and the slit green chilies. Let them splutter.

Meanwhile, make a paste of red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and around half a cup of water, in a bowl. Once you get the aroma of green chilies, from the oil, add this spice mixture. Mix well. Add in the fried Kochu, and cover and cook at about medium heat, till the Kochu is almost cooked.

Add in the fried Ilish Mach carefully in the gravy, and cook uncovered till the Kochu is totally cooked, and the fish has soaked up the gravy well. Reduce the gravy, so that it not too watery, but not too thick.

Check for seasonings ! Remove from Fire .

Serve hot with some steamed Basmati Rice.

Spicy Chicken Ball

Ingredients:

1/2 kg boneless chicken pieces, cleaned and washed

1/4 kg onions finely sliced

8-10 fresh green chillis

5-6 dry red chillis 

15-20 garlic flakes

3″ piece ginger chopped

small bunch coriander leaves, chopped

4 tbsps coriander seeds

1 1/2 tbsps cumin seeds

2″ cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

5-6 cloves

20 cashewnuts

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Heat a tbsp of oil in cooking vessel. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamom, red chillis and cashewnuts and stir for a minute till a nice aroma emanates the whole kitchen. Be careful not to burn the spices. Cool.
2. First grind the roasted ingredients along with ginger, garlic and green chillis to a coarse paste. Next add the chopped raw onions, coriander leaves, chicken and salt and grind further to form a smooth paste like shown in the picture above.
2 Add a tbsp of oil to the ground mixture and mix thoroughly before shaping into small lemon sized balls.
3 .Heat oil for deep frying. Once its piping hot, reduce flame to medium and place these balls in the oil and fry them to a crisp, golden brown color.
4.Serve hot with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Catfish Curry

Ingredients:

Catfish (Shingi Machh) - 3, cut into pieces

Cauliflower - 1/2, cut into florets

Sheem or Broad Beans - 4, cut into half

Bori or Bengali lentil balls - 10-12

Panch Foron or Bengali five spice - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilli - as per taste

Ginger Paste - 1 tsp

Red chili powder

Salt, Turmeric

Bay leaf

Mustard Oil

Method:

Smear salt and turmeric onto the fish. Fry lightly in mustard oil and keep aside.

Take half a cup of water and mix the kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Keep aside.

Heat the mustard oil and then lightly fry the marinated fish. Fry the bori too.

Add panchforon, bayleaf and slit green chilli to the hot mustard oil of the same pan.

Add the chopped vegetables and stir fry for 1 min. Next add the masala water and stir to cover the vegetables.

After 3-4 minutes, add 2 cups of hot water. ( The dish would be soupy  it is a machh er jhol, so be liberal with the water.)

When it starts boiling, add the fishes immersed in the soup and cook covered for 10 minutes over low heat till the vegetable is cooked.

Add the fried bori and mix carefully. Boil for 1 more minute

Keep covered for a standing time of 10 minutes. 

Serve  with hot steamed rice

Cauliflower Pulao

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1 (cut into florets)

Basmati rice – 2 cups.

Onion – 1 (chopped)

Garlic paste – 1/2 tsp.

Ginger paste – 1/2 tsp.

Turmeric powder – 3/4 tsp.

Red chilly powder – 1/2 tsp.

Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp.

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp.

Salt to taste.

Sugar – 1/2 tsp.

Raisins – 50 grams.

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp.

Bay leaves – 2.

Oil – 4 tbsp.

Ghee – 2 tbsp.

Cinnamon – 2 sticks.

Cardamom – 4 (crushed)

Clove – 6.

Water – 2+3/4 cups.

Green chili 4

Method:

Wash and soak the rice in water for 20 minutes and drain well. Marinate the rice with 1/2 tsp.of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Wash the cauliflower florets and by adding 1 tbsp.of salt soak the florets for 20 minutes and transfer to a colander. Marinate the florets with 1 tsp.of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep aside.

Heat 4 tbsp.of oil in a frying pan, add the florets and fry for 2 minutes. Remove pan from the heat,keep aside. Place the pressure cooker on heat, add ghee. Add whole garam masala (cinnamon,cardamom,clove), bay leaves and cumin seeds. When the cumin looks light brown add chopped onion and fry till light brown. 

Add the rice and fry for 2 minutes. Add ginger,garlic,masala powders (turmeric,chilly,cumin,coriander) and 1 cup of water. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cooker from heat. Add water,salt,sugar,raisins , cauliflower florets and green chili. Mix gently. Place the cooker on medium heat and cook for 4 to 6 minutes (one whistle).

Remove the cooker from the heat, allow it to cool naturally for 5 to 6 minutes. Release the pressure.

Delicious Cauliflower Pulao is ready, serve hot.

Jhinge,Alu Posto (Ridge Gourd and Potato)

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd – 500 grams (peeled and washed)
Potato (large) – 1 (peeled and cut into small cubes)

Poppy seeds – 50 grams.
Onion – 1 (chopped)
Ginger paste – 1/4 tsp.
Garlic paste – 1/4 tsp.
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Nigella seeds (kalonji) – 1/2 tsp.
Chilly powder – 1/4 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar – 1/4 tsp.
Green chilly – 2
Ghee – 1 tsp.
Oil – 4 to 5 tbsp.

Method:

1.Cut ridge gourd into small pieces, keep aside. Immerse potato cubes in water for 5 to 6 minutes, drain and keep aside. Using a mixer grinder, grind the poppy seeds into a powder. To this add 1 cup of water and green chilly. Now grind the poppy seeds into a smooth paste. Transfer it to a bowl.

2.Heat 3 tbsp. of oil in a frying pan, Fry the potato for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from oil. In the remaining oil fry the ridge gourd for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the ridge gourd with oil to a bowl. Clean out the pan.

3.Heat 1 tbsp. of oil and ghee in the same frying pan, add nigella seeds. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add onion, fry till it become light brown. Add ginger- garlic paste,turmeric,red chilly,sugar and 1/2 cup of water, saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add poppy seeds paste, saute for 3 to 4 minutes Add fried potato and ridge gourd, saute for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and salt, stir and cook on slow flame with stirring continuously. When the water is dried out and oil separates remove pan from heat. Cover and give 10 minutes standing time.

4.Now ready serve hot