Chingri Peyaz Chorchori - Prawn Onion Fry

This is my mom in law's recipe, She does it with Eggs too, which is equally delicious. Have it with roti, paratha, ir as topping of your bread. or simply with plain rice.

Ingredients

• Prawns - 200 gms
• Onion - big, 4
• Green chilli - 6-7
• Kalojire / Kalonji Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Oil 
• Salt, Turmeric
• Sugar - a pinch
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Clean and devein the prawns. Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric and keep aside for some time.

Add mustard oil in a pan. When it is hot, add kalonji seeds / kalo jire and chopped green chilli. 

Add the roughly chopped onions with turmeric, salt and red chilli powder.

Stir fry for 30 seconds, then add the marinated prawn and mix well.

Continue frying till prawns are cooked and onions are soft, covering the prawns in a mashy layer. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar and chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with plain rice.

Dim Kuchi Bati Chorchori

The idea of this dish came from a recipe posted in one of the FB group by 'Suchitra Sen'. Original one was in the form of a' Rosha', almost a dry dish,, but I prefer to do it in bati chorchori style. Previously I made the prawn Bati Chorchori and we have a family recipe of egg bati chorchori too, but that is of whole boiled egg. The chopped egg version lends a different taste altogether in this dish. Ideal to have it with Paratha, but it will go well with rice too.

Ingredients

• Eggs - 4
• Onion - 1
• Potato - 1
• Capsicum - 1
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Green Chilli - 2
• Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp
• Coriander leaves - a handful, chopped
• Salt, Turmeric
• Mustard Oil

Chop all the vegetables longitudinally. Finely chop the ginger and garlic.

Boil the eggs and remove shell. Let it cool.

Chop the white portion of the boiled eggs longitudinally too. Keep the yolk in tact.

In a pan, heat mustard oil. Then add the chopped onion, fry for 30 seconds, then add the chopped green chilli, ginger and garlic and fry with a pinch of salt.

Add chopped potato with salt and turmeric. Stir a little.

Add a cup of water and chopped egg whites. Let it boil with a cover.

When the potatoes are half cooked, add the chopped capsicum and a tsp of tomato ketchup and continue cooking.

When potatoes are cooked, adjust the seasoning. Add chopped coriander leaves and the whole egg yolks. 

Carefully stir once or twice and remove from heat. Add a spoonful of mustard oil. Keep covered for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy with rice or paratha.

Ka(n)krol Bharta - Teasle Gourd Bharta

Nowadays market is full of bright green colored Kankrol or Teasle gourd. Though not very fond of this vegetable, I bought it to include them as seasonal veggie into our diet. Was bored of having it part of the veggie meal, so tried something new where I steamed them a bit, mash it with some other ingredients and then saute lightly. It came out really well.

Ingredients

• Kankrol / Teasle grourd - 6
• Coconut Milk - 2 tbsp
• Poppy Seed Paste - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Paste - 1 tsp
• Green Chilli - as per taste
• Mustard Oil - as required
• Fresh Coriander leaves for Garnishing
• Salt, Sugar - a pinch

Slit the Kakrols to half, then boil / steam them with a pinch of salt. Scoop out the seeds and throw them away. 

Mash them using your hand. Add mustard oil in a pan, when it is hot, add the Kankrol mash with a pinch of salt. Saute a little.

Add green chilli paste, poppy seed paste and mustard seed paste with salt and mix well.

Then Add the coconut milk, . Mix this with mashed kankrol. 

Stir continuously with a wooden spoon till it is dry. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar (optional). 

When the mixture starts sticking to the pan, remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with plain rice.

Veg Raita

An ideal accompaniment to hot Indian Curry Dishes, this vegetable Raita can be had as a dip on summer days.

Ingredients:

• Cucumber - 1
• Curd - 1 cup
• Onion - 1
• Capsicum - 1
• Black Salt,
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 pinch
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Peel and chop the cucumber. Chop the onion and Capsicum. All vegetables should be chopped to the same size.
Add salt, red chilli powder, Cumin powder and sugar to the curd and mix well. Now add all the chopped vegetables and stir in light hand.

Cover and put in refrigerator for at least an hour. When ready to serve, sprinkle the coriander leaves and some Cumin powder at the top and serve.

Gandharaj Ilish Bhapa

Ah... finally this is a winner. I have these good quality Hilsa sitting in my fridge and I have some Gandaraj Lebu - (Kaffir Lime) too,, which needs to be used immediately. So made Jugalbandi of these two otherwise awesome ingredients, and the end result is just WoW !!!

Ingredients:

• Ilish fish/ hilsa - 6 pc
• Mustard seed - 4 tbsp 
• Poppy seed - 3 tbsp 
• Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Kalojeera/ kalonji/ nigella seed - ½ tsp 
• Green chilly - according to taste
• Red chili powder -½ tsp 
• Turmeric powder
• Mustard oil
• Gandharaj lebu zest - ½ tsp 
• Gandharaj lebu pata / leaves - 3-4
• Gandharaj lebu rash/  juice - 1 to 2 tsp 
• Fresh cream -2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Blend mustard paste, poppy seed paste, grated coconut, kalojeera, green chili paste, red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder. Mix with mustard oil and gandharaj lebu ( kaffir lime) zest.

Marinate the fish with this mixture and set aside for 30 minutes. 

Now heat the pan with some more mustard oil. Place the marinated fish piece onto it and pour all the masala over the fish. 

Put the flame low, cover and cook till the fish is done. If require, sprinkle a splash of water.

When the fish is well cooked add fresh cream and gandharaj lebu  juice. 

Then tore the gandharaj lebu leaves in to pieces and slightly mix them with the gravy.

Put off the flame and cover with a lid and give 10 minutes standing time so the fresh flavors of kaffir lime get mixed with the fish.

Serve with plain rice.

Mango sweet and sour Jam

 I love the sweet and sour taste of my pickle and like to have some during meals. This jam is a perfect choice for that and best part it, you can refrigerate it for long.

Ingredients

• Raw mangoes - 2
• Sugar - 1 cup, depends on the sourness of mango
• Green cardamom powder (elaichi powder) - a pinch
• A pinch of salt
• Bengali 5 spice / Panch Foran - 1 tsp
• Dried red chilli - 1
• Raisin - 1 tbsp
• Roasted jeera / cumin powder - a pinch

Wash the mangoes thoroughly. Then Cook the mangoes in the pressure cooker with 1/2 cup of water for about 4 whistles. After the cooker has cooled down take out the mangoes and let them cool. Squeeze the pulp out of the mango in a bowl. Discard the seeds.

In a clean pan, add 1 tsp of oil. Then add the panch foran / Bengali 5 spice with whole red chilli and let it crackle. Add in the sugar with the mango pulp and cook it till the mixture become thick. Add the raisins.

Adjust the sweetness according to your taste. Add in the cardamom powder. Wait till the mixture cools down. Sprinkle roasted jeera powder and store in a clean jar. Keep in the refrigerator.