Prawn Malai Curry

Prawn Malai Curry is an exotic Bengali dish. It can be served with rice, pulav or paratha.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

        

                                                                                                                                                                          

         Ingredients :

         King prawns : 10-12 pieces                         

         Coconut milk (thick) : 2 cups

         Ghee: 2 tbsp 

         Refined oil- 2 tbsp

         Turmeric powder : 1 tsp        

         Red chilli powder : 1 1/2 tsp

         Onion Paste: 1/2 cup

         Salt: as per taste

         Sugar : 1 tbsp

         Bay leaves : 3

         Cloves-5

         Green cardamoms ( crushed) : 3

         Cinamon: 1"

         Milk : 1/4 cup

         Fresh cream : 2 Tbsp

         Green chilli : 3

         Ginger-garlic paste: 1tsp

         Garam Masala powder: 1tsp

                                                                                                                                                                              

Method :

Clean the prawns. Devain them .Boil the prawns in 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 5 mins.Remove from water. Heat 1 tsp of oil and 1 tsp of ghee.Fry the prawns till they turn into golden red. Add  rest of the oil and ghee.
Heat it and add bay leaves,green cardamoms,cloves and cinamon. Add the onion paste with 1tsp sugar into it and fry till it turns golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry it till oil seperates.
Add milk,  coconut milk, turmeric (1/2 tsp), salt (as per taste) and sugar and red chilli powder. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the prawns. Cook for 10 mins. Add fresh cream, slitted green chillies. Cook for 5 mins. serve it.

Tandoori Basa fish

Tandoori Fish tastes like heaven and guess what, it is healthy. If cooked properly it becomes so soft that even any granpa can have it without having the teeth on ! With Basa fish the taste is out of the world.

You can make it a part of the main course or the starter. The first time I cooked it, all my estimates about how much we can eat at each meal just failed - we had it as starter, but wanted to repeat it in the main course as well !

Basa fishes are basically from Vietnam, I am sure it has made its way to all corners of the world. But not all stores might keep it, so better to google a bit about cosmo stores at your vicinity !

Down to business, I will cover the Ingredients, and a description of the cooking process. And, will leave garnishing to your imagination :) 

Ingredients:-
Basa fillet - 250 gm
Hung curd - 100 gm
Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp
Tandoori masala - 50 gm
Mixed herbs - 2 tsp
Chilli flakes - 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil / melted butter - 2 tbsp

1. Marinate the fish fillets with all spices and paste and keep it at least for 2 hours.

2. Brush the Microwave metal tray with oil and place the whole marinade in it.

3. Cook it in the oven in Grill mode for 10 mins.

4. Remove it and topple the fillets and cook it in the same Grill mode for another 10 mins.

5. Serve it hot with meyonise and salads.

 

Hilsa Mouli

Hilsa Mouli is a main course delicacy, which can accompany rice or pulao. A medium spicy dish, which would appeal to you if you like mutton rezala for that matter.
I personally used to hate fish, Hilsa in particular, but this dish has changed my opinion about fish !

Ingredients

Hilsa- 4-6 pieces

Chopped ginger- 1 tsp

Green chilli paste 3 tsp

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Tarmaric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coconut milk (thick) - 1 cup

Mustard oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - as per taste

Mustard (black) paste - 2 tbsp

Fresh cream - 2 tsp

Method 
Heat oil & fry the hilsa pieces for 5 mins.

Remove the pieces from oil before they turn golden.

Add all the ingredients into the same oil except coconut milk.

Saute till oil leaves the side.

Dilute 1/2  cup of coconut milk with 1 cup of water.

Now add fried hilsa pieces & cook for 10 min.

Close the lid.

Add rest 1/2 cup of coconut milk.

Cook for 2 mins.

Add 2 tsp fresh cream.

Cook for 5 mins.

serve it.

 

Rosogollar Payes ( Rasgulla kheer )

Rasgulla represents class of Bengali sweets to everybody. This dish takes it to another level - it can act as a sweet ending to any grand lunch/dinner - it will never let you down. Along with the sublime taste is the good looks (:-))... it is sure to create a classy first impression when you serve it.. chilled.

Ingredients

Rasgulla - 6-8 pieces

Milk - 1/2 lit

Sugar- 5 tsp

Green cardamom- 2 (crushed)

Kewra water- 1 tsp

Raisins- 6-8

Saffron- 1 pinch

Method

Boil the milk to thicken it to half in a kadai.
Stir it continuously.
Add crushed Cardamoms & sugar during boling for flavour.
Remove the Cardamoms after 5 mins.
When the milk becomes thickened,add Rasgullas.
Cook for 5 mins.
Remove from the flame.

Add Kewra water & Saffron.

Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Serve it chilled.

Dahi Hilsa

For those who like subtle taste, not to the spicy or sweet extreme, this is the dish !  One of the easiest and quickest non-veg dishes to cook, the taste is great and the dish fits in with rice, pulao or roti with the same comfort.

Ingredients

Hilsa fish- 4-6 pieces

Dahi - 1 cup

Onion paste - 3 tsp

Ginger juice - 1/2 tsp

Green cardamom- 2

Cinamon - 1/2 inch

Cloves- 2

Bay leaves - 2

Tarmaric powder- 1 tsp

Salt- as per taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Mustard oil - 1/4 cup

Ghee -2 tsp

Method

Wash the fish & rub the salt & tarmaric powder.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan & saute the hilsa pieces.
Keep the pieces aside.

Take another pan.

Heat the ghee.

Add bay leaves.

Add all garam masalas.

Add the onion paste & sugar.
Fry the paste till it turns golden brown.
Add ginger juice.
Add curd.

Mix it well.

Cook for 5 mins.

Add Hilsa pieces.

Cook for 10 mins.

Add ghee.

Serve it.

Mango Malai Kulfi

Mango kulfi is a delicacy that uses the best feature of summer - Mango - to chill your soul in summer. The rich taste and aroma of Mango when comes in the shape of kulfi that is sure to make it worth for the dessert.

Ingredients

Ripe mango pulp - 2 cups

Cow milk -1lit

Milkmaid - 1 tin

Dry fruits - 2 tsp

Method

Boiled the milk & thicken it to half.
Add half a tin of milkmaid to it.
Stir it continuously to avoid lump formation.
Bring it to room temparature.
Add the mango pulp.
Pour it in koolfi mould or in a container with a tight lid
Keep it inside the deep fridge for 6-8 hrs.
Serve it with dry fruits.



Potato Meyonise Salad

This continental dish can serve as a surprise in your Indian feast menu, easy to prepare but leaves a lasting impression. Serve it as a starter in summer, it is going to soothe the tastebuds before going for action in the main course !

 

Ingredients

Boiled potatoes -2

Chopped spring onions - 1/2 cup

Red mirch powder - 1 tsp

Tarmaric powder - 1 pinch

Salt - as per taste

Meyonise - 1 cup

Method

Cut each potato into 6 pieces. Prick it with a fork.

Mix it with salt, red mirch & tarmaric powder, spring onions & meyonise.
Keep it in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Serve it. (Isn't it easy? :-))

Caramel Castard

One of the most discussed desserts in my friend circle, everybody just loves it. I wouldn't call it the easiest to prepare, so would recommend a try on a smaller quantity for the first time. But once you prepare it, next time onwards it will be smooth I am sure, with cooking time about an hour.

Ingredients

Milk - 1 litre

Eggs - 4

Sugar - 2 cups

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

White bread pieces - 2

Method

Remove the brown edges of the bread and make a dough with 1 tsp of water.
Boil the milk and thicken it to half.
Add the bread dough to the boiling milk and stir it continuously for 10 mins.
After cooling, add 4 eggs and the vanilla essence to the milk and mix it well in a mixer.
Take a stainless steel container with a tight lid, sprinkle 1 tsp of water and sugar into it and heat it directly in the flame to produce caramel.
Pour the milk and egg mix into the container.
Take a pressure cooker and with a cup of  water.
Place the container into the cooker with a Grid.

Heat the cooker without the pressure regulator for 30 mins.

After cooling, take the container out of the cooker.

Keep the container in refridgerator for 4-5 hours.

Cut the castard into pieces and serve it.

 

Kheer Malpua

Malpua is a very popular dessert of Eastern India. It is very easy to prepare at home. I found it hit among all regardless of age because of its crispy yet soft feel, so to meet the demand (because, no one can eat just one !) after you start serving it, the number of Malpua you will prepare should be sufficient to feed everybody to their full-to-throat satisfaction ! And it will not take more than half an hour for preparing it !

Ingredients

Khawa - 1 cup

Flour - 1/2 cup

Sugar- 1 cup

Water - 1/3 cup

Kewra water - 1 tsp

Some paper towel (to soak extra ghee)

Method

Make a smooth paste of khawa and Flour in mixer without water.
Make small balls (8-9 in no.) of the mix.
Press it with your palms to make flat malpua just like "tikki".
Heat 4-5 tsp of ghee in kadai.
Fry both the sides of malpua in low flame.
When it turns golden brown, remove it from the kadai.
Soak the extra ghee with paper towel.
Boil 1/3 cup of water and add 1 cup of sugar to make a thick syrup.
Add 1 tsp of kewra water to it.
Add malpua to the sugar syrup.
Your malpuas are ready!
You can serve it hot or you can refrigerate it, it can be savoured bothways.