Gandharaj Rui

'Gandharaj Lebu' holds a special place in Bengali household, Unlike a 'pati lebu' or lime, it has a thick green rind, and you can not extract its juice so easily. It doesnot offer a lot of juice either, but the fragrance received from those drops of juices are just out of the world. In an authentic Bengali lunch platter, you will definitely find its presence at the corner of the plate. I have tried cooking chicken with Gandaraj Lebu, it was awesome. During summer, I add the juice to our Lassi too. Not only the fruit, even the leaves has its own share of aroma and I always add the leaf at the end of my cooking. This fish dish is cooked just like that, it is a regular Rui machh er Jhol but the juice of Gandharaj lebu and torn leaves added at the end made all the difference. A complete bliss to have it with a plateful of rice.

Ingredients

• Rui / Rohu fish - 6 pieces
• Gandharaj Lebu - 1
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Onion Paste - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Paste - 2 tsp
• Green chilli paste - as per taste
• Whole green chilli - 2-3
• Lime -1
• Salt, Turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, Coriander Powder
• Sugar - a pinch

Marinate the fish with salt, turmeric, green chilli paste, juice of half of gandharaj lebu and lime.

Fry the marinated fish carefully and keep aside.

In the same pan, add some more oil, then add chopped onion. Fry a little, then add onion paste, ginger paste and green chilli paste.

Add all the masala powder, with a sprinkle of water. Fry thoroughly till oil comes out.

Add a cup of hot water, when it starts boiling, add the fried fish pieces. Cook till the fishes are done.

Once the fish is cooked and gravy thickens, add the remaining gandharaj lebu juice and a spoonful of sugar. Mix well. Add some slitted green chilli too. I have also added some torn gandharaj lebu pata and covered with a heavy lid.

Enjoy with plain rice.

Tutti Frutti Cookies

These buttery, sweet pretty cookies are perfect for a quick treat with a cup of tea or coffee. Of late, I have started baking cookies during weekends to make the supply sufficient for a week or so, to have it with morning tea or may be for a quick munch during the day. Sometimes I pack it for myself and hubby as small snack in office and for my kiddo's on the go snack for tuition classes. They donot take much time to prepare and I feel good that I am feeding my family something the ingredients of which I am quite aware of. The images are not very perfect, will upload fresh image next time I bake them.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour - 2 Cups
• Butter - 1 Cup
• Sugar - 1/2 Cup, Powdered 
• Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
• Tutti-fruitti candy - 1/2 cup or more

Using a hand mixture, beat the butter until smooth and creamy , then add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl seive the flour, mix tutti-fruitti and set it aside.

Gently stir in the flour mixture and tutti-fruitti into the butter sugar mixture just until incorporated and become a dough. 

Roll out the dough to form a log and flatten both ends, cover and chill the dough for at least an hour or until firm.  

Preheat oven to 180 degree C with the rack in the middle of the oven. On a lightly floured surface cut the dough from one flat end into ¼” thick rounds as shown below. Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy with your cup of tea or coffee.

Asian Style Roasted Quail

Have you had quail before? I havenot, so when Hubby brought these frozen little birds, I was wondering for a full day, what to do with them.  Then searched the net and found a rub, which I can use on my birds and finally roast them. The output is full of flavor and deliciously spicy. 

Ingredients

• Quail - 5-6 birds
• Ginger powder - 1 tsp
• Garlic cloves - 1 rbsp
• Black pepper sauce - 1 tbsp
• Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
• Red chilli Sauce - 1 tsp
• Soya sauce - 3 tbsp
• Oil for grilling

Combine all ingredients except quail and oil in a mixer bowl and then pour it over the quail. Keep refrigerated for 4-6 hours.

In a flat pan, heat the oil, then place the marinated pieces in a single layer. 

Cook over low heat turning often so as not to burn the bird. You need to be extra careful since the birds are very small. Roast till the bird is cooked through. I have not added any extra salt since the sauces alrwady contains sauces. YOu may please adjust the seasoning as per your taste bud.

Rosemary Pork Chops

Off late, we have started loving pork, specially the non fat variety. In this recipe, I have used lean pork chop which is cut into bite size pieces. I have used dried rosemary, since we donot have access to fresh rosemary in Kolkata yet. Nice change to a regular dinner menu, I have served this dish with my 'Cauliflower Mac N Cheese'. 

Ingredients

• pork chops - 500 gms
• Half pack Knorr Vegetable soup
• salt & pepper
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Paprika - a pinch
• Green Chilli - as per taste
• Garlic - chopped, 1 tbsp
• Dried Rosemary - 2 tsp

Season pork chops with salt, pepper and paprika.

Heat olive oil in a flat pan, then add chopped green chilli and fry quickly. Next goes chopped garlic.

Now add the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and brown them from all sides.

Pork chops might release some water. 

Fry till the water evaporates. Sprinkle rosemary and mix well. In a bowl, mix half pack of soup powder with water and keep aside.

 

Pour the soup water onto the chops, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

Cooking will depend on the thickness of the pork chop. Once they are cooked, there should be little gravy onto the chops. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot with your 'cauliflower Mac n Cheese'.

Sorshe Narkol Pabda

One more recipe to enjoy Pabda fish where the fish is cooked in a mustard coconut gravy. What a blissful Sunday !!!

Ingredients

• Pabda Fish - 4 pieces
• Coconut and Mustard paste - 3 tbsp
• Green chilli paste- As per taste
• Kalonji Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt, turmeric
• Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
• Mustard Oil

Marinate the fish pieces with salt and turmeric. Then fry them lightly. Keep aside.

Mix all the ground masalas in half cup of water. Keep aside.

In the same oil, add kalonji seeds. When it splutters, add the masala water and fry well. Add the ginger paste too.

Fry well till the water evaporates and oil comes out of the masalas. Then add the coconut, mustard and green chilli paste. Mix well.

After 1 minute, add 2 cups of hot water. Once it starts boiling, add the fried fish pieces carefully into the gravy.

Cook for 10 minutes over low flame. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve hot with plain rice.