Mutton Lazeez...!!!

Mutton Lazeez is an aromatic rich mutton recipe which I learned recently from one of my food lover friend. The “lazeez” is an Urdu Word and it means delicious. As the name implies it is a flavourful ,rich mutton preparation which you will surely favour to prepare as your weekend indulgence. Moreover it doesn’t take much of your time unlike other mutton recipes.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Mutton :800gm
•  Onions 5-6 medium 
• Ginger Garlic paste 2tsp 
• Cloves 5-6 
• Black peppercorns 1 tsp 
• Green Cardamom 4-5 Black 
• Cardamom 2 
• Cinnamon 1stick 
• Kashmiri Whole Red Chilies 3-4 
• Tomato Puree 1cup 
• Green Chilies 3no. 
• Red Chili Powder 1-2tsp 
• Cumin Powder 2tsp 
• Coriander Powder 2tsp 
• Nutmeg powder a couple of pinches 
• Ghee 3-4tbsp 
• Salt to taste.

Method:

• Heat ghee in a handi – add whole garam masalas and whole red chilies and let it splutter for a minute. 
• Now add finely sliced onions, salt and mutton – stir and mix well. Cook until onions and mutton are bhunnoed and ghee separates and gets the golden colour. 
• Now add ginger garlic paste and bhunno for 5 minutes. Now add tomato puree (while making puree, add and grind the green chilies as well), red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix well and bhunno till ghee leaves the masala. 
• Now add ½ cup of water (or more as required) to just cook the meat. Add more water if required so that the masala doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. 
• Cook covered on low heat until the mutton is tender and the masala is napped around it. 
• Once the mutton is cooked, add nutmeg and adjust the seasoning. Remove from flame and serve hot.

                                                                                                                   Enjoy Your Food...!

Butter Fish...Makhanwala Machchli....Machchli Makhanwala....!!!!

Butter Fish or Machchli Makhanwali is my little one’s one of the most desired fish preparations. I sometimes make this especially for her and  serve with some pulao or rice dishes. The procedure is not very complicated .It just needs few more ingredients than the other simple fish  recipes and that’s all. Any type of fishes can be used in this preparation, especially bhetki( Lates) or Surmai ( King Fish)are the best options. But I prepare it with any of the fishes according to the availability .This time I made it with Katla and the taste was immensely good.

Here is the procedure:

Ingredients:

• Fish Steaks: 5/6 (Washed, Pat Dried)
• Salt: 1 tsp for marinating fish + Cooking
• Turmeric Powder: 1tsp + ½ tsp.
• Red Chili Powder: ½ tsp (Adjust according to your choice)
• Sugar: ¼ tsp.
• Oil: 1 tbsp .White oil.
• Butter: 2 tbsp.
• Ginger Paste:1 tsp.
• Onion Paste: 2 tbsp
• Garlic Paste: ½ tsp.
• Tomato Puree: 3 tbsp.( I used store bought tomato puree, you may prepare it fresh)
• Cashew Paste: 2 tbsp.(Soak 10-12 nos cashew nusts in half cup of warm milk for 10-15 minutes and blend it in a mixer grinder to  make a smooth paste).
• Poppy Seeds Paste: 1 tsp.
• Yoghurt: 2 tbsp.( Whisk the yoghurt properly with little water and a pinch of flour to avoid curdling)
• Water: 1 Cup (warm)
• Cinnamon Sticks: 1
• Green Cardamoms: 2-3 nos.
• Cloves: 3-4 nos.
• Sha jeera (Caraway Seeds) :1/2 tsp.
• Fresh Cream: 1 tsp. ( Optional)

Process:

• Wash and pat dry the fish steaks and marinate them for 10- 15 minutes with little salt, turmeric powder and a 1tsp of white oil.
• Now take a deep bottomed vessel. Heat the butter first and melt it and then add 1 tsp of oil into it. Mix and once it becomes very hot, reduce the flame and fry the fishes on both sides slightly. But don’t over fry them. You can keep the fish without frying but personally as I don’t like to cook raw fish I always  fry them before adding them into the gravy. Take them out of the vessel and keep aside.
• Now discard the remaining butter-oil mixture in the vessel. Add some fresh butter and once it melts add 1 tsp of white oil and make it hot. Add the cinnamon sticks, cloves and the cardamoms. Fry for 30 seconds. Feel the fragrance and then add the caraway seeds. Let it splutter for few seconds.  Then add the sugar, fry till brown.
• Add the garlic paste, make a quick stir and add the tomato puree. Mix well. Add the onion paste and mix thoroughly. Add the salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix well. After 3-4 minutes add the ginger paste. Stir well and add the poppy seed paste, whisked yoghurt and the cashew paste.
• Cook until oil starts releasing from the sides of the pan. Then add the a cup of warm water into the vessel ,give a very nice stir . Increase the flame little and let the gravy boil for few minutes.
• Now add the fried pieces of fish and cover. On low flame cook until the fish steaks become very soft ,tender and the gravy becomes thick and coats the fishes well.
• The butter fish prepared in this way is soft like cotton and almost melts in the mouth. You may pour a teaspoon of fresh cream on top and then serve with Pulao or rice dishes.

                                                                      Enjoy Your Food...!!!

Rohu Fish In Mustard and Poppy Seeds Paste ....!!!

Cooking fish as a most important side dish while preparing lunch or dinner for the family is almost an each day job of a Bengali home maker. The eminent saying “Machhe Bhate Bangali ( Fish and Rice make a Bengali ) “ is so very apposite for us, the people of Bengal. Here I must talk about the importance of poppy seeds, mustard oil and mustard seeds in fish or any other vegetable preparations. These three ,predominantly the former two  (poppy seed and mustard oil) are very exclusive and widely used ingredients in a Bengali Kitchen which have the capacity to turn the taste of any ordinary preparation into a very luscious one.

Anyway, let’s start discussing today’s topic. I am going to share a simple Bengali fish recipe now. Rohu/katla Fish In Mustard and Poppy Seeds Paste Gravy. A very simple yet a scrumptious preparation which would go perfect when served with steaming hot rice.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Katla /Rohu Fish Steaks: 5/6
• Poppy Seeds Paste: 2 tbsp.
• Mustard Seeds Paste:1 tbsp.
• Green Chili:3/4
• Onion:2 medium ( thin sliced)
• Salt: To taste
• Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp.
• Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp ( adjust according to your tolerance)
• Tomato: 2 ( chopped)
• Onion Seeds( Nigella Seeds): 1 tsp . (Optional though)
• Water: 1 Cup ( Warm)
• Mustard Oil: 3 tbsp.

Preparation:

• Wash and pat dry the fishes. Now marinate them with ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt and 1 tsp of oil . Keep it aside for 5-10 minutes.
• Now heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil in a deep bottomed vessel and slightly fry the fish steaks on both the sides and take them out. Soak the extra oil using a kitchen tissue and keep aside.
• Then discard the fried oil and heat 1 tbsp of fresh mustard oil . Add the onion seeds and the green chili. Let them splutter from few seconds and now add the chopped tomatoes.
• Once the tomatoes become little mushy, add the sliced onions and fry until the onion slices become translucent. Add the poppy seeds paste and mix thoroughly.
• Mean while dissolve the mustard seed paste with little water and add into the vessel. Subsequently add the ½ tsp of turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder. Mix well and cook for few minutes. Then add a cup of the warm water into the spices mix dissolve thoroughly. Let it boil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add the fried fish steaks into it and cover and on low flame cook until all the water gets absorbed  and the gravy comes to a thick consistency. Taste the seasoning. If required add little salt and mix. 
• Turn off the flame and pour ¼ - ½ tsp of raw mustard oil on top and serve with steaming hot rice,garnishing with fresh cilantro/coriander leaves.

                                                                                                              Enjoy Your Food...!!!

Sorshe Posto Chingri...!!! Prawns In Poppy Seeds & Mustard Seeds Paste...!!!

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..!!

Hilsha In Poppy Seeds Paste & Mustard Paste...!! Sorshe Posto Ilish...!!!

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....!!!

Potoler Dorma....!! Potoler Dolma....!! Prawn Stuffed Pointed Gourd Curry ....!!!!

The Bengali people can’t imagine a single merriment time without some special foods. Be it their new year, be it their wedding ceremony, be it any religious time or at home even Sundays are considered curtailed without the food indulgences. Yes, we love to cook, love to enjoy our exclusive moment to its full extent and take pleasure of our food in every possible way.

Today, I am going to share an elite vegetable preparation with a non veg twist which is considered as one of the most conventional and humble Bengali delicacies, Potoler Dorma/Potoler Dolma or Stuffed Pointed Gourd Curry. There are two deviations of this dish. One is the complete vegetarian version where fried pointed gourds are stuffed with smashed potato or paneer (cottage cheese) and the the in other variety fried pointed gourds are stuffed with fish ,prawns or even chicken.
I picked the prawn stuffing version this time. The procedure is little prolonged and time taking but the consequence will be so unparalleled and well that it worth putting time.

Here comes the complete procedure of making Chingri Pur Bhora Potoler Dorma or Prawn Stuffed Pointed Gourd Curry..!!!!!!

Ingredients:

• Pointed Gourds:
• Prawns(small sized, I used biryani prawns) :200 gm.(decapitated ,without tail,shelled, ,veined and washed , )
• Onions: 4 (2 chopped finely and make a smooth paste with other two of them).
• Ginger: 1 tsp. + 1 ½ tsp.
• Garlic: 1 tsp + 1 tsp.( Crushed)
• Coconut (grated): 2 tbsp.
• Tomato Puree: 2 tsp+ 2 tbsp.
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar:1/2 tsp.
• Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: 2 tsp.
• Mustard Oil: 2 tbsp for cooking
• White Oil: 2 tbsp (For frying the pointed gourds and the prawns)
• Water: 1 Cup
• Garam Masala Powder: ½ tsp.

Preparation:

• Wash and clean the pointed gourds at first. Then Scrape the whole skin of each of them with a knife. Then cut one end little, near the edge and the other end little big. The big cut helps to enter a spoon inside to scope out the seeds.
• Then rub the pointed gourds with little salt and turmeric powder and keep them aside for just 4-5 minutes. Heat little white oil in a pan and fry them .Once done, take them out of the pan and keep them on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.
• Now wash and pat dry the prawns. Marinate them with little salt and turmeric powder. Now fry them with little white oil until pinkish in color. Take them out of the pan and let it cool for sometime. Then mash them coarsely with hands. 
• Now heat 1 tsp of mustard in a pan. Add 1 tsp of crushed garlic and sauté till brown. Add the chopped onion, tomato puree, ginger paste, little salt and red chili powder. Sauté till the raw smell goes off. Now add the mashed prawns into it. Stir well and cook until oil starts releasing from sides of the pan. Sprinkle a very little water at this time and give a nice stir. Add the grated coconut and cook another 5-6 minutes on medium to low flame.
• Your prawn stuffing is ready now. Take them out of the pan and keep separately until it becomes cool.
• Now stuff each of the fried pointed gourds with the prawns and make them ready to be cooked into the gravy.
• Take a separate pan. Heat the mustard oil and add the sugar and fry till brown. Now add the garlic, fry little and add the tomato puree and onion paste together. Sprinkle salt, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder and mix thoroughly.
• After 5-6 minutes add the ginger paste and cook on medium flame till the oil start to release from the sides of the pan. Pour the water and cover. Let it boil for sometime. 
• Now uncover and add the garam masala powder and cover again for a while so that the aroma of it could be absorbed by the curry.
• Then add the stuffed pointed gourd. Lower the flame and instead of stirring it vigorously cook them very carefully. Once one side the pointed gourds is covered by the gravy turn them and cook the another side for few minutes more. 
• Your Potoler Dorma is ready. Turn off the flame and serve with steaming hot right. Enjoy this absolutely heavenly delish.

                                

                                                  

                                                                                       Enjoy your food...!!!