Machh er Matha Diye Khichuri - Khichuri with FIsh Head

I don't really recall from where did I get the idea from, may be from some recipe book or magazine or may be from the net, but the unusual combination caught my fancy instantly and I have given it a try. Oh boy... it was really delicious.

Ingredients

• Gobindabhog rice - 2 cups
• Mug dal - 3/4 cup
• Musur Dal - 1/2 cup
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Fish head - 1, cleaned and broken into pieces
• Green chilli - as per taste
• Turmaric, Coriander powder, Salt, Kashmiri chilli powder
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Bayleaf, Whole red chilli

Soak all the ground masalasa in a cup of water and keep aside.

Fry the fish heads with salt and turmeric and keep side.

In a pan, heat mustard oil and then add bayleaf and whole red chilli.

Add the onion after 30 seconds and fry well.

Then add the ground masala water and fry well till the water evaporates.

add soaked rice and two types of dal and mix well with the masalas.

Let it fry till the water evaporates and the mixture is dry and well coated with masalas.

Add the slitted green chilli at this point.

Now put everything in a pressure cooker with the fried fish heads.

Add 2 cups of hot water and put on the lid. 

Cook for two whistles. Let the steam subside naturally, then remove the lid carefully. If the khichuri is too dry, add some more hot water and boil for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning. 

Sprinkle some garam masala powder and a dollop of ghee and serve hot.

Formayeshi Murg

So holiday season is over and we all are back to the grind. I am talking about Durgapuja here, the grand celebration we had last week with family and friends, with new cloths, pandal hopping, endless chit chats and of course lots and lots of food. 

This chicken dish is prepared by me to feed my family during Puja and I was told that it must be different from a usual chicken curry. So I pulled my recipe books and magazines, browsed through and got a spicy juicy recipe with the name 'Formayeshi Murg'. The name itself is tempting enough to try out the recipe, so here it is, a rich chicken dish best enjoyed with roti or Naan.

Ingredients

• Boneless Chicken - 400 gms
• Garlic Paste = 2 tbsp
• Onion - 2, chopped
• Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
• Tomato = 1 , chopped
• Curd - 100 gms
• Poppy seed, Charmagaz, Cashewnut paste - 2 tbsp
• Green chilli, Whole red chilli, 
• Whole garam masala, Bay leaf
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• Salt
• Ghee

Marinate the chicken pieces with garlic paste and salt for 30 minutes.

Heat the frying pan and then add ghee and white oil. Now fry the marinated chicken pieces till golden brown.

In the same oil, ( add some more, if required), add whole garam masala and bay leaf and let it splutter.

Next add the chopped onion, ginger paste and chopped tomatoes, Saute and then add salt, cook covered. 

Now add the fried chicken pieces and mix well. Next goes the curd, poppyseed and cashew paste. Add green chilli paste too.

Next goes the kashmiri chilli powder mixed in water. 

Check if the chicken is cooked through, if require, you may need to add some water. Cook covered till chicken is done.

When the gravy thickens, check the seasoning. Sprinkle some cardamom powder and remove from heat. Serve with Roti or Chapati.

Nutella Brownie

Made this irresistible brownies with only 3 ingredients within an hour and your whole house will smell heaven when it is in the oven. 

Ingredients

• Nutella - 1 Jar
• Eggs - 2, at room Temparature
• All Purpose Flour - 1/2 Cup

Preheat your oven at 180 degree C. Line a oven tin with parchment paper and grease them well.

Scoop out the Nutella from the jar to a large mixing bowl. keep aside the jar to lick it later when the brownie is in the oven. :-D.

Break the eggs into the bowl. Stir it lightly.

Add the flour into the bowl using a strainer.

Mix all three ingredients using a hand mixture till it becomes a smooth, shiny brown batter.

Pour onto the parchment lined pan and then bake for 30 minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.

I get mine like this.

Let it cool down a bit, then refrigerate over night.Cut into squares and enjoy with your morning cup of tea. Pure bliss.

Thor Pulao-Banana Stem Pulao

We Indians are amazing in utilzing anything to its fullest extent. We don't like wasting any part of the food. e.g We don't only eat bananas, we eat its stem and flowers too. The flowers are processed in an elaborate way to make a delicacy known as 'Mochar Ghonto' and the stems, known as 'Thor' in Bengali, are processed and cooked in various ways. One of this is 'Chal Thor' or Thor Pulao. The goodness of Banana Stem with aromatic Gobindabhog rice and Ghee gives a divine combo and makes this dish a winner in the dinner table.

Ingredients

• Thor or Banana stem - 2 pieces
• Gobindabhog / aromatic rice - 1 Cup
• Ginger Paste = 1 tbsp
• Green Chilli - As per taste
• Cashew nut - 1 tbsp
• Raisins - 1 tbsp
• Whole garam masala - Bayleaf, Cinnamon, Cloves, Green Cardamom
• Ghee - 3 tbsp
• Salt, Sugar, Turmeric, 
• Coriander Powder
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• 
  

Cut the banana stem into thin strips and steam it lightly. Steaming is not required if the banana stem is tender. Keep aside. In a cup of water, add salt, turmeric, coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder and ginger paste and mix well. Keep aside.

In a pan, add ghee and when it is hot, add the whole garam masala. Let it sizzle.

Then add the banana stem and mix well. Fry for a minute or two.

Add the masala water and stir to coat the banana stems well.

Next goes the gobindabhog rice. Fry for some time till the rice become opaque.

Then add slitted green chilli and a cup of hot water. Cover with a heavy lid and cook on low heat till the rice and banana stem is cooked. Check the water, if required, give a splash or two. 

The water should be fully absorbed into the rice. When the rice and banana stem is cooked, add salt and a sprinkle of sugar. The dish should be a bit sweetish in nature. Add the dry fruits after soaking it in water for some time.

Mix it and keep covered for 10 minutes. Serve the delicious Chal Thor or Thor pulao as part of typical Bengali Lunch.

sending this post for Kolkata Food Bloggers' Durga Pujo special event:

Bori Aloo Bhate

This is a comfort food for us, where Bori or Dried Lentil Balls are fried and mixed with whole spices and served with boiled potatoes. A very humble accompaniment to Dal and Rice, or with a dollop of ghee and a pinch of salt over 'garam garam fena bhat or sedhya bhat' , we really relish this to the core. There is no exact measure of the quantity of the ingredients here, it all depends on your personal preference, like you can add as much or as little green chillies as you want, and / or dry red chilli, you can omit the onion, add more onions, add some garlic slices if you like, discard the coriander leaves totally, the possibility is endless. 

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2, boiled
• Bori - 1/2 cup
• Onion - 1, chopped
• Green chilli - 3, chopped
• Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Oil
• Kalonji Seeds / Kalojire - a pinch

Mash the boiled potatoes roughly with a pinch of salt. Fry the bori / lentil balls in mustard oil till golden brown and keep aside.

Add oil in a pan. Then add the kalonji seeds and after 30 seconds, add chopped onion and chopped green chilli. Fry for a minute.

Add the mashed potatoes and fry well for 2 minutes. Crush the fried bori roughly and add to the pan. Add salt if required.

Mix well and remove from heat. Add chopped coriander leaves and server with rice and dal.