Monsoon season is one the most celebrated seasons in Bengal because it brings with it the hilsa fish which can easily be called a Bengali's true love. So when fresh hilsa hits the market we couldnot resist ourselves and gave in to the temptation for a simple thin soup like recipe that mom always cooked. This 'jhol' consisting brinjals and chunks of pumpkin guarantees a satisfying lunch for a Bengali, and even others, on a monsoon afternoon.
Ingredients
- Hilsa piece - 6 pcs
- Pumpkin slices - 6
- Brinjal - 1, cut lengthwise
- Green chilli - as per taste
- Kalojire/ Kalonji Seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Salt, Turmeric - as per taste
- Cumin powder - 1 tsp
- Mustard Oil
Smear the fishes with salt and turmeric and then fry on both side for 30 seconds each. In Bengali, we call it 'Santlano'.
Add some more oil in the pan, then add slit green chilli and kalonji seeds.
Add the pumpkin slices with a pinch of salt and turmeric and fry for a minute.
Next goes the brinjal and fry for 1 more minute. Next add salt, turmeric and cumin powder and stir.
Add two cups of water and let it boil. Next add the fishes and mix carefully.
Cook over low flame till the vegetables are cooked thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning.
Remove from heat, then add some fresh green chilli. Keep on standing time for 10 minutes. Serve with plain rice.
I have this famous Bengali Cookbook - 'Benudir Ranna Banna', where some fabulous recipes are written with a cute story. Tried quite a bit of recipes from this book, and this Doi chicken or chicken cooked with curd is quite popular in my dining table. No fancy ingredients are required and you can cook it with very less oil too.
Ingredients:
- Chicken - 1 Kg
- Curd - 200 Gms
- Onion - 6, chopped
- Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
- Vinegar - 2 tsp
- Green Chilli - 6-7
- Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Salt, Sugar, Turmeric
Marinate the chicken with vinegar for 30 minutes. Then discard the liquid if any and marinate with curd, garlic paste, salt and a pinch of turmeric powder for 2 hours.
Fry the onions with a pinch of salt and sugar and keep aside.
In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp garlic paste and chopped green chilli. Before it turns brown, add salt and kashmiri chilli powder and a pinch of sugar. Splatter some water and fry till the water evaporates.
Now add the marinated chicken and stir.
Cook covered for 5 minutes stirring occasionally, then add half of the fried onions and mix well.
Chicken will release lot of water so donot add any water. Continue cooking till all water evaporates.
Add half cup of hot water if you want some gravy, the dish is on the dry side so adjust water accordingly. Once chicken are cooked, adjust the seasoning. Mix the remaining fried onion and serve.
Button Mushrooms, this cute little white beauties are a favorite in our dining table and hubby made sure that he brings it on every Friday so that I can make something during weekends. So this time, it is mushroom in white sauce, we all loved it too much, topped it onto pasta and enjoyed every bit of it.
Ingredients:
- white button mushrooms - 2 packs
- Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
- Butter - 1 tbsp
- flour (white) - 1.5 Tbsp
- milk - 1 Cup
- salt and pepper to taste
- Green chilli - 1, chopped (optional)
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil and then, add mushrooms. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms just begin to release their juices.
Add garlic paste and stir. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices and garlic is nicely cooked. Transfer mushroom/garlic mixture with juices to a bowl and set aside.
Wipe the pan and put it back onto heat. Melt the butter. When melted and beginning to bubble and foam, sprinkle flour over melted butter and whisk continuously to form a roux. Once the roux has darkened slightly, add milk a few tablespoons at a time, whisking smooth between each addition.
When all of the milk has been incorporated, add mushroom mixture back to the pan and bring to very slow simmer.
Add Salt and pepper to taste. I have also added finely chopped green chilli and a tiny sprinkle of sugar.
To serve, pour sauce over hot, cooked pasta or noodles and enjoy!!!
I have made something similar to this long time back and named it as 'Salt and Pepper Prawn'. Was trying to recreate the same with some Red Bell Peppers, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the change in taste.
Ingredients
- Medium Prawns - 500 gms, peeled and deveined
- Salt - As required
- Cracked black pepper - 1 tbsp.
- Corn flour - 4 tbsp.
- Butter - 1 tbsp.
- Onion - 1, thinly sliced
- Red Bell Pepper - 1 , thinly sliced
- Green chilli - 2-3 , thinly sliced
Combine cornflour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the prawns and toss well to coat all the prawns.
In a large non stick frying pan, heat the butter and then add the prawns in batches stirring occasionally. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes or until they turn pink in color.
In the same pan, add the thinly sliced onion. Fry till they become soft, then add chopped green chilli.
Add the chopped bell pepper with a pinch of salt and stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes. You may need to add some butter if required.
Add the fried prawns to the pan and mix well till the masala is coated well onto the prawns.
Adjust the seasoning and serve as snack or side dish.
