We are very happy to publish a mouth watering recipe from our new guest, Pamela Mazumder. Pamela had posted the chingri maach with shorshe naarkel bata recipe at the Cook Like a Bong FaceBook fanpage. We were so happy to find such a wonderful recipe that we decided on publishing this post in our site. Thanks Pamela for sharing this recipe.
We have had couple of other guest posts in our blog. If you are interested in sharing your recipes please do mail us.
Ingredients:
- Prawns (Chingri Maach): 8-10 large ones (shelled, cleaned properly with the head and tail intact)
- Coconut scrapped (Narkel kora): 3-4tsp
- Mustard seeds (Sarse dana): 5-6tbsps
- Green chilies (Kancha lanka): 8-10
- Turmeric powder (Halud guro): A pinch
- Mustard oil (Sarser tel)
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- make a paste of the coconut, mustard seeds and 5green chilies
- Take the prawns in a bowl and add the paste to it
- Now pour a generous amount of mustard oil and salt to taste and mix well
- Transfer the marinated prawns into an oven proof bowl and allow it to cook in a microwave oven for 20-25 mins at 180′ Celsius
- Serve hot garnished with slit green chilies and with steamed rice.
Hot Tips- It is very important to take out the vein from the back of the prawns, to know how to de-vein the prawns have a look at this video.
Further Reading – Bhapa chingri, Chingrir Malaikari
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Ask any Bengali what adda means, the answer will be unanimously a lazy evening, a large bowl of puffed rice and plate full of beguni. If you have never tested or tasted this pleasure, then you should do this evening. I am sure that the begunis bring out loads of more lost stories from your heart than you really intend to spill 
.
When I had posted a little note on the Cook Like a Bong Facebook fanpage requesting for entries as guest posts in our blog, Arundhuti from My Saffron Kitchen was the first to reply. I was more than happy to accept this offer from such a dear friend. Arundhuti is an excellent person and you can dig into her blog to have great ideas for your next meal.
A darling ally and a plate full of begunis, what more can I wish. Here’s the quick and easy recipe of beguni straight from Arundhuti’s kitchen.
Deep fried aubergine fritters
Ingredients:
- Eggplants (baingan) – 1 large, cut into thin slices
- Gram flour – 1 cup
- Refined flour – 1/4 cup
- Onion seeds – 1 tsp.
- Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp.
- Baking soda – 1/2 tsp.
- Salt as per taste
- Enough water to make a thick batter
- Oil for frying
Preparation:
- Mix together the gramflour, refined flour, onions seeds, red chilli powder, baking soda, salt and water.
- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan. Lower the heat.
- Dip the eggplant pieces in the batter and then fry in hot oil till they are cooked and golden brown in colour.
- Drian excess oil and serve hot.
Read more at Arundhuti’s blog.
Further readings – Lotiya Vada, Macher dimer Vada (Roe fritters)
If you like this post, please consider linking to it or sharing it with others. I’ll love to hear your comments too. You can also Subscribe to BengaliCuisine by Email, or Subscribe in a reader ]]>It so happened that I used to wake up late (I still do:P) and then need to rush without grabbing a proper breakfast. But, this had a bad toll on me and my health. I felt that pre-afternoon hunger and sluggishness. So, I made it a point to have a good and wholesome breakfast. You can check some of the quick breakfast recipes.
The four main reasons to skip breakfast, what I have learned from family and friends are:
- I don’t have time
- I really don’t have time
- I seriously don’t have time
- I’m skipping breakfast to lose weight
You can either set your alarm just 15min earlier or rush to the office with the hungry tummy aching to have some food. I chose the first option, nothing is better than to have a healthy breakfast and plan for a good day. Now, if your reason to skip breakfast is solely to shed some pounds, then beware skipping breakfast has a reverse effect on your weight loss plan. This is a good read on skip breakfast, get fat.
Ingredients:
For the filling:
- Potato (Alu): 3 large, boiled, peeled and mashed
- Onion (Peyaj): 1 medium size, chopped
- Tomato: 1 medium, chopped
- Green chili (Kancha Lanka) : 2, chopped
- Coriander leaves (Dhane Pata): ¼ cup chopped
- Salt to taste
For the wrap:
- Wheat Flour (Maida): 2 cup
- Water
Preparation:
- Make a dough using the flour and prepare parathas
- Mash the boiled potatoes, add the other ingredients and mix well
- Once the parathas are ready put a generous amount of the filling mixture and roll the parathas
- Cut each roll into two from the middle and serve hot with tomato sauce, lemon juice and salad
Hot Tips – I have used parathas for the wrap you can use chapattis too. You can also use the left over rotis or parathas from last night to prepare the wrap. The filling can also of your own choice of vegan or meat, check the egg roll post for more ideas.
Further Readings – Breakfast with eggs, Mumbai Frankie roll
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As far as I remember, my mom had always told me, breakfast is the main food of the day; you should have your breakfast like a king. At home, of course that was maintained, but when am away I am always out of ideas to what to have for breakfast. Cornflakes and milk then becomes the best option. I am sure this happens to most of you.
On most weekends I wake up late and my breakfast becomes the luncheon. This was an easy and simple breakfasts come lunch I had on last Saturday, I hope you like it too. I had some rice left from last night and added some colorful vegetables to make it a sumptuous meal.
Ingredients:
- Rice (Bhat): 1 bowl
- Peas (Mator shuti): ½ cup
- Sweet corn (Bhutta): ½ cup
- Cauliflower (Ful kopi): 1 few florets cut into very small pieces
- Potato (Alu): 1 small, cut into small squares
- Oil (Tel): 2 tablespoons
- Cumin seeds (Jeera): ½ tablespoon
Optional –
- Cashew nut (Kaju badam): 5/ 6
- Raisins (Kismis): 10 /12
Preparation:
- Wash all the vegetables well. Heat oil in a wok and throw in the cauliflower and potatoes
- Fry till they are half cooked and put in the peas and sweet corn, continue till the vegetables are cooked
- Keep aside the vegetables and pour in just a dollop of ghee to the wok
- Add the cumin seeds, as the seeds start sputtering, add the vegetables and rice
- Cook over low flame till the vegetables and rice are mixed well
- Garnish with cashew and raisins (if using) and serve hot
Hot Tips – If you want to add any other seasonal vegetables then go ahead and use it. The more the colorful the food, the more your kids will love it. While mixing the rice and vegetables together take care so that the rice grains do not break. You can have this with some side dish like Dimer malpua, Chal Diye Alu Dum.
Further reading – Fried rice in microwave, Jeera Rice
Sending this recipe for Scrumptious Delights From Leftovers hosted by PJ.
If you like this post, please consider linking to it or sharing it with others. I’ll love to hear your comments too. You can also Subscribe to BengaliCuisine by Email, or Subscribe in a reader ]]>If you are searching for a change of taste from the varied Indian cuisines served in Bangalore restaurants, Fava, the Mediterranean restaurant may be the best choice. Fava, as sous chef, Vijay David explained is a bean which became a part of the Mediterranean diet as early as 6000 BC.
The Restaurant with Sous Chef Vijay David
Fava is located at UB City. If you are aware of the place, all you need to do is climb up the stairs to the fountain and the restaurant is just behind it. I went to Fava a week back to enjoy a lunch voucher I received from Food Lovers Magazine. As the voucher claimed it was a “three course” meal with starters, main course and dessert. I arrived quite late in the afternoon but the restaurant was still running busy. UB City being a hub for the top companies in Bangalore, the restaurant had a mixed crowd of office goers taking a break from their work as well as some families with kids.
I was sitting alone with the big menu card in hand. The soft music playing soothed my worn out soul from the long journey (UB City is quite far from the place I live in Bangalore). The menu for al a carte was quite big. The restaurant serves all types of Mediterranean food, but they specialize in Lebanese and Italian cuisine- steaks, grills, medzzes and many more.
I picked up the hot yogurt chicken and corn soup as the starter, grilled chicken and vegetables for the main course and tiramisu for dessert. After a wait for a little while I got a bowl full of hot piping soup to start with. One gulp of the soup and it felt like heaven. The soup was thick and creamy and it took me an eternity to finish.
After the wholesome soup which felt panoptic enough to fill up the space for main course and dessert, I decided on waiting for a while, while I completed some of the pages of the novel I was reading. The table I was sitting was almost at the centre of the non-AC part of the restaurant, the UB city fountain was at my front and the huge cocktail counter of Fava at my back. Fava has an AC space too, but I opted for the non-AC part so to enjoy the sunny Bangalore afternoon.
The main course as was expected after the starter was another elaborate one with a big grilled chicken breast well garnished withgrilled vegetables and a bowl of sauce (not sure what sauce it was exactly, but it tasted great with the chicken). Fava offers both vegetarian and non-vegetarian “three course” meals and I am sure it would be a pretty hard task to choose from the various options for the meal. If you are visiting a Mediterranean restaurant for the first time, I feel its best to leave the choosing task on the people serving your food. Coming back to where I left the soft and juicy main course stole my heart. The gentleness of the non-spicy yet succulent dish was a feast. As chef David told me later they also specialize on cooking meat in its own juice, a technique he named which I can’t recall right now. They have duck cooked in low flame and kept to cook for twelve hours.
Fava has an exquisite collection of desserts to offer. I of course chose tiramisu, an Italian dessert consisting of layers of sponge cake soaked with coffee and brandy with mascarpone cheese and topped with grated chocolate. The cold and soppy dessert was a sinful pleasure.
Fava, a newly created restaurant by chef turned entrepreneur Abhijit Saha is a treat by itself. The ambience, soft music, the excellent food and above all the warmth of the people serving the food is an exotic experience.
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Bengalis or Bangali are branded with their love for fish. Be it the Bangals, who crossed the borders from East Pakistan, now Bangladesh and reached India or the Ghotis who actually lived in West Bengal even before the Indian partition in 1947. Bangals and Ghotis will shout in unison for their love for fish. Fish is like a part of the Bangali society, an integral part of the Bengali culture and cuisine, something indispensible. There can’t be a meal completed without the serving of a fish curry or at least a fried fish. But with our generations getting pretty lazy of cooking fish (rather the task of entering the kitchen) or too busy with the other important things in life; having fish has become a run to the nearest restaurants. Great Bong has something to say about this dying trait of Bangali.
Both my parents’ families are Bangal, and that makes me a pure BangalJ, and that is surely reflected in the ways I cook and the food I like. I am an avid lover of “shutki maach” (dried fish). I can barter my tooth and nails for a morsel of shutki maach cooked in dry gravy. When we talk about shutki maach, Bombay duck or loitta or lotiya maach can’t be left behind. This fish with its pungent smell when dried is a winner among all kinds of dried fishes. For those who have not tried having dry fish, I warn you, it’s not for the weak at heart.
Now, don’t get carried away with the dry fish, I’m not writing a recipe for shutki maach, but it’s a recipe for the crispy mouthwatering fritters made with fresh Bombay duck. This very soft and delicate fish looks divinely pinkish white when fresh and you can definitely identify it from other fishes sold because it is scale-less, and never have I seen it alive at the fish stalls (have you?). Though the wiki page on Bombay duck claims it to be a pungent smelling fish, I would rather disagree to it. Loitta even lacks the fishy smell unlike other fishes sold in the markets.
This morning when I put up a small note on the Cook Like a Bong Facebook fan page for the loitta vada post, I never thought that the fish was so popular every where. Within no item there were comments streaming on that little note. There are many ways loitta is cooked in different households, but apparently the lotiya bora being the most popular one. Its better if you get the fish fresh and cleaned from the market for the preparation, but if that is not possible then the canned fishes are always there.
Ingredients:
- Bombay duck (Loitta/ lotiya): ½ kg, cut and cleaned
- Onion (Peyaj): 2 medium size, julienned
- Green chili (Kancha lanka): 3/ 4, chopped into small pieces
- Gram flour (Besan): ½ cup
- Poppy seed (Posto): 2 teaspoon
- Rice Flour (atta): 1 tablespoon
- Oil for frying
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Boil water and steam the fishes till gently tender, transfer in a colander so that all the water gets drained out
- Mix all the ingredients excepting the oil to a large bowl and make small fritter
- Fry the fritters in shallow oil till both sides turn brown
- Drain out the excess oil from the fritters with kitchen paper
- Serve hot with sauce or with rice and dal
Hot Tips – If the batter seems too gooey then put in a little bit more of rice flour. The fish shouldn’t be over boiled; else the fritters will loose the crispiness.
Further Readings – Dimer Vada (Egg fritters), Macher Dimer Vada (Roe fritters)
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Aah, at last I started writing a post after such a long time. Studies, exams, shifting, travelling had taken away most of my time I had in the past month. The little I had for myself, I was too lazy to dedicate that for blogging. But, after preparing vermicelli payes this evening I was bent on writing the recipe. The pudding was an instant hit at home, it got over even before the pudding turned cold.
Vermicelli is a common ingredient in Italian cuisine. It is thinner than spaghettis but is used almost like pasta. While Italians mainly use vermicelli as a savory, in South Asian cuisine it is mainly used to prepare kheer or pudding. Vermicelli is called in different names in different parts of the Indian continent – seviyan in Urdu and Hindi, semai in Bengali, sev in Gujrati, sevalu or semiyan in Telugu, semiya in Tamil and Kannada. It is mainly prepared from semolina, but the one I used it was wheat flour vermicelli.
Ingredients:
- Broken Vermicelli (Semai/ Sewaiyan): 150gms
- Ful fat cream Milk (Dudh): 1 ½ litre
- Sugar (Chini): ¾ cup
- Clarified butter (Ghee): 2 tablespoons
- Raisin (Kismis): ¼ cup
- Cashew (Kaju badam): ¼ cup
Preparation:
- Boil the milk in low flame so that it reaches almost three-fourth of the original volume
- In a skillet or wok heat 1 ½ tablespoon of clarified butter, decrease the flame and fry the vermicelli till it turns golden brown
- Pour the roasted vermicelli to the milk and bring to boil
- Add the sugar and take out of flame after 5 to 7 minutes or till the vermicelli is soft
- Serve hot or cold garnished with raisins and cashews
Hot Tips – Vermicelli tends to get burnt very quickly so continue stirring.
Further Readings – She’reya, Mughlai Vermicelli dessert
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Kolkata is raging with heat waves. Not a drop of rain since a little shower last week. The mercury is rising every day, and it has become quite a tough job to keep the body cool. Choosing a meal that would keep the body in good health and also pamper your taste buds is definitely hard.
A healthy diet is very important to keep up with this heat, and to make the food least spicy is another crucial step. Alike winter summers to have its own set of vegetables flooding the markets. I love the small raw pumpkins during this time of the year. The only preparation I have ever tasted with green pumpkin though is this one. The fresh and green taste of the cilantros along with the softness of the green pumpkin makes this simple preparation a good treat. This particular recipe was inherited by mom from her mom.
If you know any other recipes of raw pumpkin please do let us know.
Ingredients:
- Raw Pumpkin (Kacha Kumro): 1 medium size, 300-400gms approx
- Potatoes (Alu): 2/3, cut into 2” squares
- Coriander leaf (Dhane pata):
- Nigella (Kalo jeera): 1 teaspoon
- Ginger paste (Ada bata): 1 ½ tablespoon
- Turmeric powder (Halud guro): ½ teaspoon
- Green chili (Kancha lanka): 3/ 4
- Mustard oil (Sarser tel): 2 ½ tablespoon
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Cut the pumpkin in 2” size square without peeling the coat
- Heat oil in a wok, and throw in the nigella seeds
- Add the potatoes and green pumpkin, cook covered without pouring water, add salt
- Once the pumpkin is half cooked put turmeric powder, ginger paste and the coriander paste
- Cook uncovered, pour some water if required
- Take out of flame and serve hot with rice
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With the end semester examinations knocking at the door steps, and also because I got a bit lazy I was unable to post for quite a long time now. Due to the Municipal elections in my state end of this month, my exams have been postponed and I’m back to blogging.
A few days back WaterBearer (as she likes to call her) sent me a mail with a wonderful yet simple recipe of strawberry chutney. As she writes in her mail, she learnt this preparation from her mother-in-law. If you are not Pepper Potts from Iron Man reading this post, I’m sure you love strawberries. You had posted another guest post from Soma, to read about that click here.
Here’s some facts about strawberries I didn’t know before I wrote this post:
- Strawberries are very rich in Vitamin C and a cup of these red juicy berries provide more than a day’s requirement of ascorbic acid.
- They are low in calories and so for the health conscious people indulge without that sinful brain
- It’s very good for expecting mothers as 8 strawberries contain 20% of the folic acid required in your daily nutrition
- Strawberries are said to reduce the risk of cancer and heart diseases
Now, am sure I would eat more strawberries than ever before. J
Ingredients:
- Strawberries: 6 pieces, chopped
- White oil (Sada tel): ¼ spoon
- Sugar (Chini): 2-3 tablespoons
- Green chili (Kancha lanka): 1/ 2, chopped [optional]
- Mustard seeds (Sarse dana): 10-12
- Salt a pinch full
Preparation:
Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seed
- Throw in the chopped strawberries. Cover the pan till the strawberries soften. Stir gently from time to time
- Add the sugar, green chili and salt
- Stir till it becomes a thick jelly like substance. Remove from flame.
- Serve it on the side with rotis / parathas as a tangy chutney
As with most chutneys this one too can be stored in the refrigerator, so you can enjoy this rich and tangy preparation anytime you wish to.
If you like to send any recipes, please forward it to benaglicuisine[at]gmail[dot]com, preferably with one or more photos of the preparation. We would love to hear your suggestions and comments.
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Ma is probably the first word that comes out from every child. Whatever language you speak this word makes you remember just one person, the first lady who brought us into this world. Today is Mother’s Day. In India we never celebrated Mother’s Day (wiki has something else to say, though) before globalization struck, but still its just a day to celebrate and to remember the most loved woman.
Bison mother and child, Gorumara, North Bengal
While searching for some links, came across this Mother’s Day poem, hope you like it:
A Thousand Thanks
Mother’s Day brings to mindThe thousands of things you did for me that helped make me happier, stronger and wiser, because I had you as a role model. I’m grateful for all the times
you healed my hurts and calmed my fears, so that I could face the world feeling safe and secure. I’m thankful for all you showed me
about how to love and give– lessons that now bring so many blessings to me each and every day. Your sacrifices and unselfishness
did not go unnoticed, Mom. I admire you, I respect you, I love you. And I’m so glad you’re my mother! Happy Mother’s Day!
By Joanna Fuchs
Mom had been my first teacher, my strength, my best critic and I know my secret admirer . Last but not the least, ma had been the best cooking teacher I could ever get. My ma is the best cook I have ever seen. Though she prefers preparing Bengali dishes, she loves to experiment in the kitchen. Her kitchen is like her laboratory and ma the scientist in there. This blog is also an ode to the various dishes, particularly Bengali recipes that I have learnt from her and this post is a collection of few of her wonderful recipes.
Shukto – The first served food for any lunch in any typical Bengali household. The bitterness of the bitter gourd and the plethora of all the other vegetables is said to have a cooling effect to the body that serves as an appetizer.
Cholar Dal – This typical Bengali lentil preparation is best had with luchis on a lazy Sunday morning
Kachuri – A little deviation from the Bengali puris or luchis, these stuffed puris is an envy for all those who can’t use the rolling pin to make a perfect circle (including me)
Aamer Dal – A must have during the warm summers
Kanch Kalar Kofta – Raw banana always seem to be a bad option for any meal, but if you have this kofta, you’ll ask for more
Lau Chingri – A lovely medley of the vegetable and the most loved fish (Trivia: shrimps are actually insects)
Chanchra – Although most Bengali recipes have an influence from the ruling dynasties in Bengal, this typical Bengali preparation has been left untouched by any invader
Bhapa Chingri – A very easy to prepare mouth watering fish preparation
Patla Ilsiher Jhol – Hilsa is mostly prepared with muatard, but this non-spicy preparation stands its chance to be loved by anyone
Mutton Kasha – a Bengali menu can’t be over without mutton in it
Aamer Morobba – This is one of my most favorite dishes, I love it and have it almost throughout the year
Misti Doi – Sweet yogurt so as translate in English, but misti doi has its own magic spread over its taster’s tongues
Patishapta - This is a sweet dish prepared during the harvest festival
There are numerous other recipes that mom had taught me, and there’s loads more to learn from her. This one is a very short list of my favorite mom-taught recipes.
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