Sorso Bhaate Maach (Bengal) Fish in Mustard Gravy.

To be honest I have never eaten Bengali food (other then the yummy Bengali sweets). So when I got to know that Regional Cuisine of India is Bengal this month, I kept thinking hmm, what can I submit? I know Bengali’s love fish. I thought this is the best time for me to use the fish in the freezer (hubby dear doesn’t like fish, so I rarely get a chance to make it and since he is traveling on work…it is time to defrost the fish). I also know that mustard is a favorite spice and both mustard seeds and oil are used widely in Bengali cuisine.

So, I went about searching for a good recipe, instead of looking online, I went through the many cookbooks that I treasure in my kitchen. This recipe is adapted from Camellia Panjabi’s 50 Great Curries of India. In the book she says that this is the dish-célebré of Bengali cuisine, and the preferred dish is bony Hilsa(Tenulosa Ilisha). The traditional recipe imparts a rather strong flavor, so she has improved the dish with the inclusion of tomato and little lime juice. You can use fish such as Cod, Halibut, Turbot or Monkfish. I used Tilapia fillets for this recipe.

Serves 2 - 4

Ingredients:

• 1lb 5 oz piece of fish
• 1 ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2oz/60g fresh grated coconut
• ¾’ ginger
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 green chilies (or more)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 -1/2 red chili powder
• 5 tbsp oil (I used 1-2 tbsp)
• 3 tomatoes pureed (I used 1 cup tomato sauce)
• Juice of ½ lime
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves

Method:

Wash the fish thoroughly. Smear each piece with a little salt and leave for half an hour.
Toast poppy seeds for 2 minutes on a griddle on low heat. Then pound in a motor and pestle, with a little water. (I toasted the poppy and mustard seeds together and did the next step).
Grind together the crushed poppy seeds, the mustard seeds, turmeric, coconut, ginger, garlic, green chilies, onion, coriander, cumin, red chili powder and 1 ¼ tsp salt, along with ½ cup water, to make a paste.
In a large frying pan heat the oil over moderate heat and fry the spice paste for 6-7 minutes, stirring continuously and adding a little water at a time (up to ½ cup) as and when required.
Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3 minutes adding 2/3 tbsp water of required. Then pour in 2 cups water and the lime juice and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat. Adjust seasoning.
Add the fish pieces and cook until done. Sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves when serving. This dish traditionally eaten with rice.

Tuna pinwheel

Click: FLOUR

By September 2008, my four year old will be in kindergarten. The thought of packing her lunch scares me. It got to be something that can be eaten easily, is tasty and appealing to the eye and, of course, delicious. Hmm! Sandwiches are an easy option – easy to make and easy for a kindergartner to eat.

So other than those good old chutney sandwiches, what else? Tuna came to my mind as that is what I eat when I need something quick on the run. Here is a healthy tuna sandwich, sans mayo but with spices.



Ingredients:

• 1 onion sliced
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• Pinch of fenugreek seeds (optional)
• 2 cans of tuna in water (drained)
• 3-4 sun dried tomatoes in oil chopped
• Few sprigs of coriander leaves chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp of coriander powder
• Salt to taste

Method:
Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds. Within a few seconds it will emit its aroma, add the sliced onions and sauté till translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes are mushy and the oil starts to separate. Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes and turmeric, chili and coriander powders. Add the drained tuna and salt. Saute till the moisture from the tuna evaporates. Add the chopped coriander leaves. Let it cool.


To make the pinwheel
Take the slice of bread and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Remove the crust. Spread the tuna mixture on the bread and roll it.

Alf’s Shammi Kebabs

When we lived in Mumbai, every Sunday evening, my father would take the whole family for an outing. All of us would look forward to the outing. My father would enjoy the cool evening breeze and just wind down from the chaos of the weekday. My mum would take a break from running the house. My brothers and I would look forward to eating at a restaurant or better still, chowing down some delicious street food. Popular choices in the Colaba area in Mumbai were Bade Miya for some yummy baida (egg) parathas, Kailash Parbat for some cold pani puri and Delhi Darbar for some awesome Indian Chinese or Mughalai food. Delhi Darbar was one of my favorite joints for Mughalai food.

The one thing I would always order was their Mutton Shammi Kabab. It came with 2 big patties and was a starter on the menu, but it was a meal for a kid like me. It was a beautiful blend of whole spices and mincemeat, which was then dipped in egg batter and fried. The egg batter made it crispy on the outside, and the mincemeat was smooth and luxurious inside. I tried many different recipes to get something similar to the Shammi Kabab at DD. But nothing came close.

When I was in India about a year or so ago, Alf, an old friend, invited me over to her place for lunch and to catch up. She and I were in college together and many a time we would hang out at each other’s place and sometimes even have an impromptu cooking session. We would just go about putting spices and whatever ingredients were available to us at that time. Most of the time, we were delighted, or rather surprised, by the new invention. At lunch, in spite of her hectic schedule, there was Chicken Biryani and these fabulous Shammi kebabs. I was pretty sure that she bought these kebabs from some restaurant and asked her, “so where did you buy these kababs from?” She replied, “I made them.” My eyes popped, as these were home made and tasted just like the ones I had at DD. I had to get the recipe from her. It’s been almost 2 years since, and I have made these countless times. Each time I made them, I remember having the kebabs at DD and I can’t thank my friend enough for her delicious recipe. Thanks Alf, these are just too good…

Alf’s Shammi Kebabs


Ingredients

• ½ kilo lamb mince meat
• 2 tbsp Masoor dal
• 2tbsp Chana dal
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 2 potatoes chopped
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp red chili powder (reduce the spice to your liking)
• 1” cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• ¼ tsp peppercorns
• ½ cup or more of fine semolina/rava
• 2 eggs beaten
• Coriander chopped

Method:
Wash mince and let it drain in a colander. Wash the lentils.

In a pressure cooker, mix all the ingredients except the coriander and rava. Add ½ cup of water and salt and let it cook for 5-6 whistles on a high flame. Reduce the heat and let it cook for another 5 minutes or so. Let it cool.

Open the cooker and check if there is any water, cook/bhuno till the water evaporates and the mixture becomes dry. Stir continuously. Empty it on a plate and spread the mixture to cool it. Add the chopped coriander. Smash the mixture with a potato masher or your clean hands (the best tools in the kitchen). There should be no lumps or trace of the potatoes and tomatoes. Now roll to the preferred size. Coat the kababs in semolina/rava and dip it in the beaten egg and shallow fry it till golden and crisp. Serve hot.

Sukhi Aloo matter Kheema

Ingredients

• 1lb beef mince meat
• 1 big potato quartered
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 big onion chopped fine
• 3-4 green chilies slit vertically
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 cardamom pods
• 3-4 cloves
• 2, 1” piece cinnamon
• ¼ tsp peppercorns
• 1” ginger crushed
• 3-4 cloves of garlic crushed
• 1 can of chopped tomato/3-4 tomatoes
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 1-2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method:

In a pot, heat the oil, add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and bay leaf. Within a few minutes the cardamom and bay leaf will start turning brown.

Add the potatoes, sauté till the potatoes begin to have brown specs on them and till they are ½ cooked. Add the chopped onion and green chilies. When the onions start to brown, add the mincemeat. Keep stirring constantly and break any lumps that form - it is important that you break the lumps.

When the meat starts to brown and the oil begins to separate, add the coriander, chili and turmeric powders. Sauté for a bit and add the can of chopped tomato, salt, lemon juice and tomato paste (if using). Sauté till the water from the tomato evaporates and the meat starts to become dry. Adjust seasoning and turn off the heat. Add the frozen peas and close the lid of the pot. The steam will cook the peas and retain the bright green color of the peas. Serve hot with parathas, roti’s or as I prefer, pav (indian bread)

Spaghetti con gamberetti e rucola (spaghetti with prawns and rocket)

Jamie Oliver is one of my favorite UK chefs. I like his food because his recipes are simple (most of the time), he uses fresh ingredients and his presentation is very rustic. I got this recipe from his book, Jamie’s Italy, and it is one of our favorite pasta meals at home. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any rocket leaves at home, so the photo is not as appealing.


Ingredients:

• 455g/1lb-dried spaghetti
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1-2 dried red chilies, crumbled
• 400g/14 oz peeled raw prawns
• 1 small wineglass of white wine
• 2 heaped tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes blitzed in a blender
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 handful of rocket, roughly chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 good glugs of oil in a frying pan and toss the garlic and chili. As the garlic begins to color, add the prawns and sauté them for a minute. Add the white wine and tomato puree and simmer for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain in a colander, reserving a little cooking water. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce, squeeze in the lemon juice, add half of the rocket, adding a little of the reserved water if you want to loosen the sauce a bit, correct the seasoning. Divide between 4 plates and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest and the rest of the rocket leaves.

Khichada

I grew up in Bombay (Mumbai). The best part of living in Bombay was having neighbors from all over India. On each festival, we would get different dishes from our neighbors. On Christmas, it would be the goodies made of marzipan, on Eid it would be Chicken or Mutton Biryani along with Sheerkurma. On Diwali, it was ladoos or pedas made of milk and ghee, to name a few.

The Bori would make Khichada for their special occasions. I grew up eating it in my Bori friend's house and I absolutely love this dish. It is a rich dish, very similar to the Pakistani Haleem. It is made with wheat, different lentils, rice and meat. This dish is believed to have originated in Iran and Afghanistan and brought to India by the Mughals. I guess the name Khichada must have come from Khichidi (a mix of everything).

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup wheat
• 2 tablespoons Toor dal/split pigeon peas
• 2 tablespoons Urad dal/
• 2 tablespoons Chana dal/yellow split chickpea
• 2 tablespoons Moong dal/Mung beans
• 2 tablespoons Masoor dal/red lentils
• 2 tablespoons rice
• 2” ginger
• 4 – 5 cloves garlic
• 450 grams Llmb
• 1 big onion sliced
• 1 big onion sliced and fried (birista)
• 3-4 green chilies (or more for added heat)
• Ginger garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder or Shan Haleem masala mix
• ¾ teaspoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons oil
• Salt to taste

For tempering

• 1 – 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 teaspoon jeera/cumin
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 2 -3 cloves chopped garlic

Garnish:

• Few sprigs of fresh mint and some lemon juice.

Recipe:

Wash and soak the wheat, lentils and rice in water overnight. In a pressure cooker or a heavy based pot cook the wheat, lentils and rice with a teaspoon of oil, ginger and 2 -3 cloves of garlic till soft about 8-9 whistles. Let it cool. Grind this mixture in batches in the blender with a little water. Keep aside.

In another pressure cooker or pot, heat the remaining oil and sauté one big onion and green chilies till they are translucent about 4-5 minutes. Add the lamb and turmeric, chili, coriander powder and garam masala (alternatively, you can add the Haleem mix in which case there is no need to add turmeric, chili, coriander and garam masalas). Add salt to taste and add 1-½ cups of water and cook till the lamb is tender around 4-5 whistles on high flame and 3-4 whistles on low flame. Mix the lamb mixture with the ground wheat. If the mixture is too thick add a bit of water and let it heat and blend for a few minutes.

Tempering:

In a vessel, heat the oil lower the flame and add the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the chopped garlic and turmeric powder. Add this to the khichada. Garnish the dish with fried onions, fresh mint leaves, lemon juice and a teaspoon of oil (if you are not dieting). Serve hot.