Steamed Hilsa a.k.a Ilish Bhapa

With the first rain drop of the season, the thing that comes to the mind of all Bengalis is Ilish. Being a bengali I think--

'Duh! Why haven't I posted it before, I have cooked it a million times and yet I hadn't'...Silly me! But it's better to be late than never...So the fish which is so famous that it's the national fish of Bangladesh is here cooked traditionally to get your mouth drooling.... I hope you enjoy it..

Ingredients:

Hilsa fish 5-6 pieces washed well.

Mustard Paste(Shorshe bata) 2 1/2 tablespoon.

Poppy seed paste (posto bata) 2 tablespoon.

Yoghurt (Doi) 2 tablespoon. 

Mustard oil (Shorsher tel) 4 tablespoon. 

Turmeric powder ( holud guro) 1/4 teaspoon. 

Green chilies 4-5 slit.

Salt to taste.

Water as required. 

Method:

First make a paste with mustard seeds, poppy seeds, 2 green chilies, yoghurt, turmeric powder, salt and add water as required. Do not add too much water or it will go runny, just enough to make a smooth paste.

Marinade the fish with the paste and let it rest for 5-10 mins.

Now,in a steel round tiffin box add the fish and cover it with the paste all over properly.

Add a generous amount of mustard oil and rest of the slit green chilies. 

Seal it with the cover.

Now, on a big skillet place a ring and place the tiffin box over it.Add hot water from the sides upto touching half of the sides of the tiffin box.

Turn on the heat and let it cook for 30 mins.

Once done, take it off the heat and serve it with hot plain white rice.

It's simple and 'minimal utensil recipe' as I like to call it...Tempting, isn't it? 

Sweet Betel leaves flavored Ras Malai

When summer knocks at our door what's better than a cool drink with tulsi seeds,like falooda or paan gulkand drink.I had posted a Ras Malai recipe sometime back if you all remember,it was flavored with pumpkin but this time its flavored with sweet betel leaves or better known as "MISTI PAAN". It sounds interesting isn't it? And it tastes even better. So without further ado let's see what the recipe is.....

Ingredients:


9 pieces rasgulla (pre-made,from the market.You can find it in cans too).

1/2 liter milk.

1/4 cup condensed milk.

1 market made sweet betel leaf or misti paan (generally consists of cherries,hint of mint,cardamom,fennel seeds,rose powder,gulkand but no chuna or even khoir).

Sugar to taste
.
Method:
Grind the misti paan in a blender.

Boil milk and condensed milk in a pan and add the paan mix and stir blending everything together.

Take it off the stove and strain it (*tip: I tried it for the first time so you will notice that I haven't strained,but I would suggest do strain it as it will bring smoothness and hint of flavor to it without the leaves every time disturbing your taste buds)

Now add the pre-made rasgullas and let it soak.

Serve when it cools down.

Try it and do let me know...Enjoy!

Mum's Birthday Part 1: Doi(Curd) Potol(Parwal/Pointed Gourd).

This was the 2nd main-course served with cumin rice and the stuffed bell pepper.

Ingredients:

Potol/Pointed gourd 6-7 pcs.
Sour curd 3 tbsp.
Onion paste 1 tsp.
Ginger paste 1/2 tsp.
Garlic paste of 2 cloves.
Cumin powder 1 tsp.
Coriander powder 1 tsp.
Cashewnut paste 1 tbsp.
Ghee 1 tsp.
Garam masala powder 1/4 tsp.
Whole garam masala.
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp.
Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp.
Green chilly paste 1/4 tsp.
Salt and sugar to taste.
Mustard oil for frying.
Curry leaves (optional).

Method:

Skin the gourd and slit it length wise slightly and marinade it with salt and turmeric powder.

Pour mustard oil in a skillet,and fry the marinaded gourd.Keep aside in a paper towel.

Reduce the oil in the skillet to just 1 tbsp and add the whole garam masala spices(clove,cinnamon,green cardamom,black pepper) along with curry leaves.

Add onion paste,ginger-garlic paste,and fry it slightly.

In a bowl of 3 tbsp of water add cumin powder,coriander powder,salt,sugar,curd,red chilly powder,green chilly paste,turmeric powder and mix them well into a liquid paste.

Add it to the skillet and let it cook.Then add cashew paste and cook until the oil is released.

Now add the fried gourd and water as required and cover it with the lid.

Let it cook until the gourd has softened.

Reduced the flame and add the garam masala powder and ghee.

Stir it one last time and serve it in a wide bowl.

Tastes good with hot rice or pulao. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Ras Malai

Indian,Bengali's love sweets.When we visit any relatives or acquaintance the first think that comes to the mind of a Bengali is 'Misti' (sweet savory) and that would generally be 'rasgulla'.

Its soft paneer(cottage cheese) balls immersed in sugar syrup.And there is a variety in it too.

'Ras Malai',it is similar to rasgulla but instead of being soaked in sugar syrup,it is soaked in sweet,flavored milk.

Today's recipe is a famous Bengali dessert Ras Malai with a twist.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin puree 250 gm.
4 tbsp clarified butter/Ghee.
1/2 tsp green cardamom powder.
A pinch of Nutmeg (Jaiphal) powder.
1 liter milk.
20 pieces rasgulla (pre-made,from the market.You can find it in cans too).
1/2 tsp saffron.
1 tbsp pistachio.
 1/2 cup condensed milk.
Sugar to taste.

Method:

Heat clarified butter/ghee in a large pan and add in the pumpkin puree and cook for a while.

Then add the milk and stir,mixing well.

Now add the saffron(soaked in little warm milk) and cardamom powder.

Add in the condensed milk,sugar and rasgullas and let it soak the milk.

Then add nutmeg powder and give a final slow stir,carefully so that the balls don't break.

Garnish it with blanched pistachio and let it cool down before serving.

Prepare it,and do let me know if you like it....Enjoy!

Prawn Posto

Its a Bengali dish,using 'posto' also known as poppy seeds with prawns.I love prawns,and I think every Bengali does,dab chingri or the very famous prawn malai curry,whatever it maybe,we like it and it cooks faster than any other sea food,I suppose.

Okay,so here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

Prawns 250 gm.

Potatoes 1 cup,cut into small pieces.

Posto or White Poppy seeds 1/2 cup,smooth paste.

Sesame seed 1/2 cup,smooth paste.

Onion paste 1 tablespoon.

3-4 green chili paste.

Panch phoran (cumin, fenugreek, brown mustard seeds, fennel and nigella seeds) 1 teaspoon.

1 whole dried red chili.

Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon.

Mustard oil 1/2 cup.

Lime Big one (Gondhoraj) juice 1 tablespoon.

Salt and Sugar to taste.

Method:

Marinate the prawns in salt and turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a skillet and add the onion paste and saute.Then add the potatoes and the marinated prawns and let it cook for a while.

Add hot water and let it simmer,then add salt,sugar and turmeric powder.

When the water is dried up,take it off from heat.

Take a bowl,mix posto paste,sesame paste,chili paste,mustard oil and little turmeric and make a smooth paste.

Heat oil again,then add the paste and saute until the oil is released.

Add back the prawns and saute to mix well,add little water if required.

Put the lid back and let it cook for a while.

Lastly,add the lime juice and Serve hot with rice.