Prawn is a seafood that is found both in fresh as well as in sea water. These are basically a most popular variety of shellfish. The list of seafood recipes is simply incomplete without prawns. But mostly in a Bengali kitchen fresh water prawns are used to cook various dishes. The taste of any ordinary vegetable becomes extra-ordinarily good when it is cooked along with the prawns.
In a Bengali kitchen prawn is cooked in numerous ways and each and every recipe is no doubt delicious.Today I am going to share a trouble-free yet scrumptious prawn recipe which I have learned from my Mom.
Here comes the recipe:
Ingredients:
- Prawns (medium sized, even small sized shrimps can be used too) : 200 gm.
- Mustard Seeds Paste: 1 tbsp.
- Poppy Seeds Paste: 2tbsp.
- Onion: 2 Large (Chopped)
- Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp.
- Salt: To taste
- Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp ( adjust according to your choice)
- Green Chili: 3-4 nos.
- Mustard Oil: 1 tbsp.
- Water:1/2 Cup
Process:
- At first clean the prawns (de shelled, de veined and decapitated) . I kept the heads intact as I got very fresh sweet water prawns this time. Now marinate them with little salt and turmeric powder and keep them aside for 10 -15 minutes.
- Now take a bowl. Add the poppy seeds paste, mustard seeds paste, chopped onion, green chili, salt, red chili powder, mustard oil and water. Mix thoroughly and make a paste.
- Now take a wok or medium sized pan and add the paste into it first and then the marinated prawns. Mix the prawns with the paste very well.
- Then place the pan in the gas oven and cook it on a very low flame covered. Keep on cooking until the prawns turn into nice pinkish yellow color, become very soft and the gravy comes to your desired thick consistency.
- Turn off the flame. Pour ½ tsp of raw mustard oil on the top .
- Serve with steaming hot rice, garnishing with chopped fresh cilantro or coriander leaves.
- Trust me,it tastes heavenly.
Enjoy Your Food..!!
Hilsa Fish ( Tenulosa ilisha) is a species of fish in the herring family ( clupeidae) and a popular food fish in South Asia. It is considered to be one of the most wanted and scrumptious fish in the world.It is the most well-liked fish to Bengalis who call it “Ilish”and found in Indian sub continent ,especially in Bangladesh. Not only that but also, Hilsa is the national fish of Bangaldesh.
The most astounding feature of this fish is that it is a sea fish but lays eggs in the large river (sweet water) especially in Padma-Meghna-Jamuna delta at Bay of Bengal during their breeding season, in monsoon. For such nature it is regarded as Anadromous fish ( a zoological term) .During this time, these fishes are generally caught from the rivers.
However,Hilsa is also caught from the seas. But those caught from the sea are not considered to be as delicious as those caught from the rivers.
This fish carries a good economic value . Every year a huge number of hisa is caught and sold. It is very pricy in comparison with the other fishes.
Not only it is a favourite fish in Bangladesh but also it is an extremely high demanding fish among the Bengalis in West Bengal, India and all over the world. Therefore,monsoon has an inherent relationship with this fish and likewise we, the Bengali mull over the rainy season incomplete without ilish.
We abundantly take the pleasure of rainy season with different types of scrumptious hilsha preparations. I already shared few other recipes of this fish and today I am going to share another one.
Hilsha in Poppy Seeds And Mustard Seeds Paste.
Lets start discussing the recipe:
Ingredients:
- Hilsa Steak: 5/6
- Mustard Seeds Paste: 2 tsp.
- Poppy Seeds Paste: 2 tbsp.
- Yogurt (unsweetened): 2 ½ tsp.
- Mustard Oil: 2 tbsp.
- Turmeric Powder: 2 tsp.
- Salt: To Taste
- Green Chili: 2-4 nos.
- Water:1 ½ Cup.
Process:
- Wash and pat dry the hilsa steaks.Rub them with little salt, turmeric powder and ½ tsp of mustard oil. Keep it aside for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp of mustard oil in a wok and fry slightly both sides for the fish steaks and keep them aside. Don’t fry them for a long period of time for a better taste.
- Now take a bowl mix the poppy seeds paste,mustard seeds paste, salt, little turmeric powder, slitted green chili and the water and make a smooth batter.
- Now heat a separate kadhai or wok and pour the batter into it. Keep the flame medium and let it boil. After few minutes add the slightly fried hilsha steaks into the batter and lower the flame to minimum and cover the wok. Cook until fish steaks become soft and the gravy comes to your desired consistency.
- Check the seasoning. If required add little salt . You may pour ½ a tsp of raw mustard oil on the top of the gravy. Turn off the flame and serve with steaming hot rice garnishing with fresh cilantro or coriander leaves.
Enjoy Your Food....!!!
