Pabdar Tel Jhaal
Ingredients:
Pabda fish:4-5
Few pinches of salt.
Mustard oil for frying the fish(approx 1/2 cup)
1 tsp  turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2-3 green chilies, slitted
1 whole red chili
Salt as per taste
2 cloves of garlic,chopped
1/2 tsp panch phoran(Bengali five spices)

Method
Clean the fish and if it’s large then cut it into half, otherwise let the small fish remain as it.

Marinate the fish with turmeric powder and salt.

Heat oil,fry the fishes.

Fry them well till they become golden.

Remove the fishes from the oil.

Temper the remaining oil with panch phoran,garlic and chilies.

Take a cup or little more water.

Mix turmeric,salt and red chili powder into the water.

Add it to the oil.

Add the fishes when the gravy starts boiling.

Cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from the flame.

Serve it with hot steamed rice.

Teel Dhyarosh(Okra cooked in sesame paste):

Ingredients:

Okra:200-250gm

White sesame paste:1 cup(in 1/4 cup water)

White sesame seeds(dry roasted):1/2 tsp

Green chili paste:2

Whole green chili:2,slitted

Bengali five spices(panch phoran):1/4 tsp

Mustard oil:3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Clean,wash and cut okras into small pieces.

Heat oil and temper with panch phoran and green chilies.

Fry okra pieces with pinches of salt.

Add the sesame and green chili paste when okra becomes soft.

Cook till the paste coats the okra pieces nicely.

Remove from the flame.

Garnish with dry roasted sesame seeds.

Serve hot with roti or chapati. 

Red Lentil Fritters In Gravy (Musur daal er borar jhaal):

Sharing my mom's recipe!
Ingredients:
For Bora:
Red lentil:1 cup,soaked in water overnight) (for 6-8 bora/fritters)
Onion,grated:1,medium
garlic paste:1/2 tsp
Green chili paste:1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Dry roasted cumin powder:1 tsp
Coriander leaves,finely chopped:1 tbsp
Mustard oil:1/2 cup or little more

For the gravy:
Potato:2,medium,cut them longitudinally
Onion,sliced:1,medium
Tomato paste:1,small
Ginger-garlic paste:1 tsp
Red chili paste:1/2 tsp or as per your taste
Turmeric:1/2 tsp or little more
Whole Garam masala(cinnamon+green cardamom+Clove):Each 1
Bay leaf:1

Method:
Soak the daal in adequate water overnight.

Drain the water.

Make a paste of the daal in a mixer with salt-dont make it too smooth.

Add grated onion,garlic paste,dry roasted cumin powder and finely chopped coriander leaves to the daal paste;make a batter by 

stirring it continuously.

Heat oil in a pan and fry medium sized boras(approx 6-8 pieces) till they become crispy and light brown in colour.

Drain the oil and keep them aside.

Temper the remaining oil with whole garam masala and the bay leaf.

Fry the potato pieces till they turn golden.

Remove from the oil.

Fry the onion slices till they become transparent.

Add the tomato,ginger-garlic paste and saute till the water evaporates.

Add turmeric,salt and red chili paste and 2 cups of water.

Add the potato pieces when the gravy starts boiling.

Add the boras when potato becomes soft.

Simmer for another 5-6 minutes.

Remove from the flame.

Serve with hot steamed rice.

Butter Chicken

Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken cut into 1½ inch pieces:400-500 grams or,
Chicken on bone cut into 4-5 pieces
Butter: 2 tablespoons
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Marinade Thick yogurt: 1/2 cup
Ginger paste: 2 teaspoons
Garlic paste: 2 teaspoons
Red chilli powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Mustard oil: 2 teaspoons

Makhani gravy: 
Tomato roughly chopped:3-4,medium
Butter: 4 tablespoons
Green cardamoms: 4 
Mace 1 Tsp
Ginger paste: 1 teaspoon
Garlic paste: 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder (deghi mirch): 1 teaspoon
Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) roasted and crushed:1/4 teaspoon
Honey: 1 tablespoon
Fresh cream: 3 1/2 tablespoons 

Method:

Prick the bonelewss chicken pieces all over with a fork or give shirp cut to chicken on bone. 

Place them in a large bowl and add the salt, red chilli powder and lemon juice and mix well. 

Cover the bowl with a lid and set aside to marinate for thirty minutes in a refrigerator.  

For the marinade, mix together yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, chilli powder, salt and garam masala powder. 

Add the mustard oil and mix. 

Add the chicken and mix well so that all the chicken pieces are well coated with the marinade. 

Cover the bowl with lid and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for about two hours. 

For the gravy puree the tomatoes till smooth. 

Heat two tablespoon butter in a deep non stick pan on low heat. 

Add the green cardamoms and mace and cook till fragrant. 

Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for a minute.  

Add the pureed tomatoes, salt, red chilli powder and cook, stirring occasionally, for fifteen to twenty minutes. 

Open the lid and lightly grease the platform. Keep the chicken pieces, cover with the lid and cook till the chicken pieces 

are done.  

Add the roasted and crushed kasuri methi to the gravy and mix. 

Add the remaining butter and cook for a few minutes. Add the honey and cream and mix well.  

Cook for two minutes more. Add the chicken pieces and cook for three minutes. 

Serve hot with naan or paratha. 

Zafrani Ilish(Saffron flavoured Hilsa)

Ingredients:
Hilsa pices:4
Beaten curd:100gm
Saffron threads:1/2 tsp diluted in 1/2 cup of warm milk
Onion paste:2,medium
Turmeric powder:few pinches
Garlic paste:4 pods
Charmagaz seeds(Melon seeds) paste:2 tbsp
Poppy seeds paste:1 tbsp
Shah jeera:1/2 tsp
White pepper powder:1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder:1/2 tsp
Whole garam masala (cinnamon,cloves,cardamom):each 2
Green chili,slitted:4
Salt & sugar as per taste
Ghee:1/4 cup

Method:
Smear the fish pieces with salt and sugar.

Heat ghee and fry the fish pieces till they turn golden brown.

Keep them aside.

Temper the remaining ghee with shah jeera and whole garam masala.

Add onion-garlic paste and green chili and cook till ghee seperates from the sides.

Add charmagaz & poppy seeds paste,cook for few minutes.

Add beaten curd,both pepper powder with 2-3 teaspoons of water, salt and sugar.

Add saffron milk and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot with steamed rice or polao.

Paneer Rezala

Ingredients:
400gm paneer-cubed 

4 tsp onion paste 

1 tsp ginger paste 

3-4 brown/black cardamom 

1/2 tsp white pepper powder 

1 tbsp poppy seed paste 

2 tbsp cashew paste,diluted in 1/2 cup milk 

100 gm(approx 1/2 cup) beaten curd  

1/2 cup cream 

1 cup ghee+1 tbsp

Few drops kewra water or rose water 

Salt to taste

Method

Heat ghee in a pan ,cut paneer into large cubes and then fry them till they turn light golden.

Keep them aside.

Temper the remaining ghee with the cardamoms.
Add the beaten curd,cashew paste,poppy seed paste, ginger paste and salt and cook in low flame. 


Then add white pepper and 1 cup of water, or enough to make a thick gravy. 

Add paneer Simmer for a while. 

Add cream,kewra jal and  blend well. 

Remove from the flame and cover with a lid.

Serve with paratha or naan. 

Doi-Ilish 2(Fish Cooked in Yogurt Sauce)

I have shared a recipe of Doi Ilish few weeks back from a friend's kitchen.
Here is another awesome recipe of the same from another friend cum didi who has excelled in culinary art!
Please try this recipe and you will love it!

Ingredients:
• Hilsa: One, cut into steaks of desirable thickness (8-10)
• Curd/ Yogurt: 3 cups, well beaten and creamy
• Ginger paste: 3 heaped tablespoon
• Salt to taste
• Cardamom, Cloves and Cinnamon: 1 ½ tbs
• Whole red chilli: 2-3
• Raisins: ½ cup, soaked in sugar water
• Ghee: 2 tbs
• Salt: to taste
• Caramelized onions (optional)

Method:

Marinade the fish in half the yogurt, ginger juice and salt for about an hour.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat ghee and add the whole hot spices and the whole red chilies to it.

When they crackle, bring down the heat to a minimum and add the fish with the marinade; add the raisins.

Let the steaks simmer on low heat approximately 6-7 minutes on both sides, turn the heat down to the lowest possible degree and add the rest of the yogurt, beaten to a smooth creamy consistency. 

Remove from heat in the next two minutes.

Garnish with caramelized onions if you must.

Serve with Polao or 'Ghee Bhaat' !