Muro diye Lau Ghonto(Bottle gourd curry cooked with Rahu Fish head)

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd: 2 large

Fish head: 1 medium (I used the head of a 2 kg Rohu fish. In kolkata, generally the fish mongers cut this in 2 pieces, length wise)

Ginger paste: 1.5tsp

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric:1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Bay leaf: 2

Dry red chili: 1

Green chili: 2-3

Oil: 2 tbsp (for fish based recipes, I generally use mustard oil and refined oil in 1:1 proportion)

Salt

Sugar: 1tsp
Garam masala:1/2 tsp
Ghee:1 tbsp.

Method:

Chop the bottle gourd  thin.
Smear the fish head with salt and turmeric. Keep aside for minimum 15 minutes.

Heat the oil and fry the fish head till golden brown on all sides; approx. 5-6 minutes. Drain and keep aside.



Now temper the oil with cumin seeds, bay leaf, green and red chilies.
Once they start to splutter mix the ginger paste, cumin powder and coriander powder. Cook on low till oil starts to separate at the sides.
Add ½ tsp turmeric and little salt. Always add less salt while cooking bottlegourd because the volume of this vegetable reduces  when cooked.

Break the fried fish head in 5-6 pieces.
Mix in the vegetables and cover.
Cook covered on medium till the juice dries up and the vegetables are soft.

Finally check the seasoning and add the sugar. mix and serve hot with white rice.

Railway Mutton Curry

Railway Mutton Curry is a dish of British Era.It was served in long -distance trains.British officers preferred the dish as it's easy to digest!!
Ingredients:

Mutton(medium piece with fat): 1kg
Sliced onion:2 tbsp
Onion paste:200gm
Ginger-Garlic paste:3 tbsp
Garam masala powder:1/4tsp
cloves:4-5
Cinnamon:1 inch
Green cardamom:5-6
Black cardamom:4-5
Bay leaves:4-5
Mustard oil:100ml
Salt to taste
Sugar:1 tsp
Turmeric powder:1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder:1/4 tsp
Roasted cumin powder:1/2 tsp
Coriender powder:1 tsp
4 pinches of garam masala powder
500 gm peeled potatoes,each cut into halves
Ghee:1 tbsp(optional)

Method:

Seperate the bone pieces & take in cooker with 1 litre water,add 2 bay leaves,1 tsp ginger paste & half tsp garlic paste & sliced onions.
Bring the mixture to boil on a low flame to reduce the quantity of water by half.
Remove & drain the stock.
Keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai, temper whole garam masala & bay leaves.
Add potato pieces & fry till they turn golden brown.
Remove the potatoes.
Add the onion paste with sugar till it turns golden.
Add the Ginger-Garlic paste, Turmeric powder, red chilly powder, roasted cumin powder & saute.
Add the marinated mutton & cook till the gravy becomes thick.
Add the stock & cook till the mutton is 3/4ths done.
Add potatoes & cook till the mutton becomes tender.
Gravy will be of pouring consistency.
Add ghee & garam masala & cook for another 5 mins.
Serve with steamed rice.

Easy Thai Red Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

1tbsp vegetable oil ...


500g (1lb 2oz) skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chopped capsicum
1 stalk fresh lemon grass ( you can use dried one )
1tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 cup boiled & chopped babycorn
200 ml coconut milk
2tbsp Thai red curry paste
1tsp light soy sauce
2tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra to garnish(optional)

Method:

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chicken.
Cook over a medium-high heat for 4-5mins, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is soft and browned.
Add the onion and garlic and cook for a further 2mins.

Add the cherry tomatoes, capsicum, baby corn, ginger, coconut milk and red curry paste. Stir in the soy sauce and coriander.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25mins, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced a little. Add dried lemongrass.

Serve it with steamed rice.

Chhana-aloor Dum (Dum Aloo Paneer)

Ingredients:

Mashed paneer:1cup
Boiled potato(cut into halves:6-8 pieces
Onion paste:2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste:1/2 tsp
Cloves:2
Green cardamom:2
Cinnamon:1/2 inch
Dry Kashmiri red chilly(whole):2
Dry Kashmiri red chilly powder:1/2 tsp
Ghee:2 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Sugar:2 tsp
Hot water:2 cups

Method:

Heat one & half tbsp ghee in a frying pan & add garam masala.
Add potato pieces when garam masala starts to splutter
Fry potato pieces till they turn golden & then remove.
Fry onion & ginger-garlic paste with sugar & salt.
Add mashed paneer when ghee starts removing from sides.
Add 2 cups of water & cook for 10-15 mins.
Add rest of the ghee(1/2 tbsp).
Served it with roti,paratha or luchi.

Banana Pancake served with grilled sausage

Ingredients

1½ cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1-1¼ cups milk
1 egg 3 tablespoons
butter or margarine
3-4 very ripe bananas, mashed

Method

1.Sieve the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.
2.Make a well in centre of flour, add blended milk and butter, and egg. Mix well.
3.Mash bananas with a fork, add to the mixture and fold in.
4.Cook pancakes in a pre-heated, lightly oiled fry pan until bubbles rise to surface.
5.Turn and cook other side.
6.Serve with honey or grilled sausage.
 

Grilled Herbed Basa(using grill pan)

Ingredients:
Basa fillets:4-6(3 inches each)
Salt: to taste
Lemon juice:1 tsp
Tandoori Masala:2 tsp
Butter:2 tbsp
Oregano:1 tsp
Dried Basil:1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder:1 tsp

Method:
Rub the fillets with salt, lemon juice, tandoori masala, pepper powder & keep it for 15 mins.
Heat the butter in grill pan.
Fry the both pieces till they turn into golden brown.
Sprinkle the herbs & cook for another 2-3 mins.
Serve it hot as starter.

 

Doodh diye Chicken(Chicken cooked in milk)

It is a very easy to cook dish,takes only half an hour.Capsicum's flavour makes it special.

Ingredients:

chicken-200gm

chopped capsicum-1

chopped green chillies-2

ginger paste-1 tbsp

chopped onion-2

whole black pepper-5

green cardamom-2

clove-1

cinnamon-1/2 inch

bay leaf-1

Dry red chilly-1

milk-1 cup

sugar-1 tsp

sat to taste

mustard oil-1.5 cup    




Method:




Heat oil in a pressure cooker & add bay leaf & garam masala & whole pepper.

Fry chopped onion & capsicum with sugar.

Add chicken & ginger paste & cook till oil removes from side.

Add milk & close the lead of the cooker & cook till chicken becomes soft.

Serve with rice or roti. 

Dakbanglow chicken curry served with Basanti pulav

Chicken DakBungalow curry is an Anglo-Indian dish which is quite  popular among Bongs. It consists of a whole egg, chicken on the bone &  potatos,cut into halves, cooked using garam masalas and results in a thick onion-ginger-garlic-tomato based gravy. I recreated the Chicken Dak Bungalow but gave it a twist by putting the chicken on a Dum(Steaming), which is cooking the curry in its own moisture thereby imparting it a different taste.

Ingredients:

•Chicken: 500 gms, on the bone.
•Onion: 200 gms.Paste.
•Garlic: 10 cloves.Made into a paste.
•Ginger: 1/2 inch slice.Made into a paste.
•Curd: 70-80 gms. Whisked.
•Vegetable Oil: 3 tablespoons
•Salt: To taste.
•Turmeric Powder:1.5 tsp
•Red Chilli Powder:1 tsp.
•Coriander Powder:2 tsp
•Cumin Powder:1.5 tsp.
 Egg: 2. Whole boiled.
•Tomato:2,Made into a paste.
•Salt: To taste.
•Ghee: 1 tbsp.
•Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp.
 Green Cardamon:4
•Cinnamon Stick:One 1 inch stick
•Cloves: 5-6
•Black Pepper:5-6.Crushed.
•Bay leaf:2
•Red Chilli:1
•Cumin Seeds:1 tsp.
•Potato:2-3,deskinned sliced into 2.Lightly fried.





Procedure:

•Mix all the above ingredients together and keep aside for 2-3 hours in the ope

•Fried Brown Onion Paste:First dice onions and fry in oil until golden brown. Then make the fried onions into a paste

•Heat the oil in a pan/wok.Once the oil gets hot, add the Whole spices.
•Wait for the spices to sputter and crackle. The end of which they will release the aroma.
•Add the entire contents of the marinade to the wok.
•Increase the oven to High Heat.
•Add the tomato paste.
•Braise the chicken properly so that the colour changes to golden brown.It should require 15-20 mins.
•Add the potato slices and the whole eggs. Also add the brown onions
•Stir the mixture properly for another 5 mins.
•Check for the salt and add more if required.
•Turn off the oven.
 For the"Dum":

•Transfer the entire contents into a container and seal it with a covered lid.Please note that the amount of moisture is important for the Dum, else the ingredients will stick to the bottom.
•Under low heat, let the contents cook for 45-50 mins.
•Remove the sealed lid and add Ghee and Garam Masala powder in the quantities mentiond above.
•Give the ingredients one final stir.

Basanti Pulav:
Half-cooked Basmati rice: 2 cups(Add half spoon turmeric powder to the water whil boiling the rice)
Cinnamon:1 inch
Cloves:4
Green cardamom:3
Bay leaves:2
Whole black pepper:4-6
Dry whole kashmiri red chilly:2
Cashew:10-12
Raisins:12-15
Salt to taste
Sugar:2 tbsps or as per your taste
Saffron threads:10-12(soaked in 3tbsps of warm milk)
Ghee:4tbsps
Kewra water:1tsp
Preparation:
Heat ghee & add all spices except saffron.
Add rice,cashew raisins & cook until suger melts down.
Add saffron & kewra water & mix well.
Close the lid & keep for another 5 mins.
Serve it.