The Bengali cuisine

Its been a while I have posted anything, and what is better than to start again with some food by your side. Since being a bengali, I have been getting a little nostalgic now that Durga puja is around (Oh! I so miss the smell of Shiuli flowers). Here I am, posting the recipes of the dishes I made the other day to commence the start of Durga pujo (throw in some dhaaks and shiuli in here!)

Copyright © DeekshaSarkar

Clockwise: Doi Begun (Yogurt aubergine); Chingri Paturi (Prawns cooked in banana leaf); Pineapple Chutney 

Doi Begun recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• Aubergine (round ones, thin slices)
• Yougurt
• Chilies (as per your requirements)
• Ginger (paste)
• Salt (for taste)
• Cumin powder
• Turmeric powder
• Coriander powder
• Oil
• Fresh coriander leaves

METHOD:

Cut the aubergine (one) into thin slices and marinate it with turmeric and salt and keep it aside. In a deep bottom dish, heat the oil, fry the aubergines. In the same oil left in the vessel, add the ginger paste. Put 2 teaspoon of cumin powder, 2 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. When the spices are mixed, add beaten yogurt (500gms) to the spices. Adjust the salt. Cover it and let it cook in low flame. After its been cooked, add the fried aubergines and fresh coriander leaves. Ready to savour.

Chingri paturi recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• Small prawns (cleaned and washed)
• Coconut (grated)
• Green chilies
• Mustard paste
• Turmeric powder
• Salt (for taste)
• Banana leaves
• Mustard Oil (compulsory)

METHOD:

Blend coconut, mustard paste, green chilies (2 nos.), turmeric powder (1 teaspoon) together. Note that 3 parts of coconut and 1 part of mustard paste should be mixed. Also add little water so that there is consistency and it doesn’t dilute. The mixture should be dry and textured. Add this mixture to the prawns with 2 tablespoon of mustard oil. Marinate the prawns and keep it for 20 minutes. Take a microwave dish, brush some mustard oil on the glossy side of the leaf and place it in the dish. Put the marinated prawns with the mixture in the dish. Add chilies. Close the banana leaf and microwave it for 10 minutes, full power. Serve hot.

Pineapple chutney recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• Pineapple
• Sugar
• Dry red chilies
• Cumin seeds
• Salt (for taste)
• Oil

METHOD:

Take a deep vessel, heat the oil and add dry red chilies (2 nos.) and cumin seeds. Add a pinch of salt. Take half the pineapple and blend it in the juicer and add it to the vessel. Let it boil. Add sugar (5 tablespoons or as per your sweet tooth). Chop the other half of the pineapple into thin pieces and add it. Let everything boil. Serve hot or cold, whichever way you like!

Stuffed Chilies

Tonight I was super late from work and the recipe which I am going to share is super easy and less time consuming and tastes great too. The recipe has been altered a little according to my convenience as I don’t like to get messy while cooking.

Note: This recipe originally belongs to capsicum but unfortunately the vendor beside my house had shitty capsicum so I settled for huge Chilies which is more or less the same. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Huge Chilies (3 nos.)
• Paneer (100 gms)
• Potato (1 big)
• Thin Sliced Tomato (1 no.)
• Ginger Garlic Paste (1 teaspoon)
• Jeera powder (cumin powder – 1 teaspoon)
• Dhaniya powder (Coriander seeds powder – 1 teaspoon)
• Red Chilli Powder (1 teaspoon)
• Turmeric Powder (1 teaspoon)
• Garam Masala (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (as per taste)
• Sugar (one fourth of a teaspoon)
• Oil
• Green Chilies (as per your needs)
• Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves

METHOD:

Boil the potatoes. Mash them. Add Paneer and mash and mix them together and keep it separate. Put the Chilies in hot water so that they become little soft (this is optional, you can use them raw as well). Take a round bottom vessel. Add Oil. Add Sugar and Ginger Garlic paste. Add the Tomatoes. Put all the spices (except Garam Masala) and saute. After the skin seperates from the tomato, add the mashed mixture kept aside. Cook till every thing mixes well. Add the Coriander leaves and Garam Masala. Turn off the flame. Keep the stuffing aside. Make a slit opening in all the chilies and take out the excessive seeds. Fry them in a frying pan. Shallow Fry. Take them out and soak the extra oil with tissue paper. You definitely do not want pimples the next day. Add the stuffing into the chilies and done! Ready to dig in. Serve with Indian breads.

Note: You can stuff the chilies and then fry it. I just do it the other way to avoid the mess while flipping the chilies. 

The stuffed Chilies, ladies and gentlemen 🙂

Such a quick recipe ❤

 

Dim Chochori (Omelette Gravy)

Being a Bengali, you just cannot avoid the ‘chochoris‘. Those who do not understand this, well its a dish of West Bengal, India, made of vegetables (all sorts) or fish or anything we bengalis can get hold of. Today, it was just the poor eggs’ turn who were left all alone in the fridge. Though I don’t reckon any dish by this name, but I find this word ‘chochori’ quite amusing, hence the name. We could have survived calling it just ‘Omelette Gravy’ as well.

Again, not much fuss. Easy to remember, and even if you don’t, you can always experiment (that might give us another recipe) 😛 Honestly, I like omelettes more than boiled eggs, I guess you must have figured that out already!

So, let the eggs roll here, shall we?

INGREDIENTS:

• Eggs (as many your hen lays, but I took just 4)
• Jeera powder (cumin powder – 1 teaspoons)
• Dhaniya powder (Coriander seeds powder – 1 teaspoons)
• Black Pepper Powder (as per taste)
• Red Chilli Powder (1 teaspoon)
• Turmeric Powder (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (as per taste)
• Sunflower Oil
• Dried Red Chilies Whole (2 nos.)
• Mustard Seeds (a pinch)
• Tomato Puree (1 tablespoon)
• Sliced Onion (2 small nos.)
• Sliced Tomato (1 small no.)
• Green Chilies (as per your needs)
• Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves
• Sliced Potato (1 no.)
• Chopped Garlic (5-6 cloves)
• Water (1 cup)

METHOD:

Make Omelettes (just eggs and salt) and keep it aside. Lots of it. Slice it. Broad slices or any way you want them sliced. No rules. Take a deep dish or Kadai, put some Oil. Heat it. Add Red Whole Chilies, Mustard Seeds and when they crackle, add the Onions and Garlic. Add the Potatoes and Green Chilies as well. Add salt (it accelerates the cooking of the veggies), Jeera Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder, Red Chili Powder and mix well. Low flame. When the Potatoes cook half way, add the Tomatoes and the Tomato Puree. Mix. Add Water. Cover and cook it till the potatoes are cooked (You can skip the cooking of potatoes by adding already boiled potatoes after the tomato step). When its cooked, add the Omelettes and Fresh Coriander Leaves, Mix it well and keep it for a minute or two on low flame, and TADAAAAH! you are ready to serve garma-garam! 

Tastes best with Roomali Roti or Naan (Indian Breads).

TIP: If you add a little milk to the egg while mixing, the omelettes will be fluffy.

Tempting much? 😉