Tag: fish

A Platter of Vegetarian Kebabs
Originating in the coastal countries of the eastern Mediterranean area, kebab is a versatile dish made by roasting and grilling pieces of meat, fish, and vegetables, over a skewer or a spit. The dish quickly spread in popularity and consumption throughout the nations of the Middle East, and then central Asia. The kebab traces its historic roots to before the 17^th century B.C., and even the ancient Greek poet Homer mentions an erstwhile archaic dish resembling the same, and enjoyed all over his country in his works. However, a Turkish script by Kyssa-i Yusuf which dates back to around 1377, first properly mentions the culinary concept of the word, which is derived from the Persian language, and literally means “fry”, and sometimes “fry and burn”. Legend has it that the kebab was invented by medieval Persian soldiers who grilled meat on their swords over open-air fires in the battlefield. It quickly gained favour of both the classes and the masses, being served as the royal fare in various Islamic states over the ages, and as a much sought after and easily accessible snack or main course dish for many commoners, and the trend continues even today.

Although lamb is the traditional choice of meat for making the kebab, there are many variants available in different meats and vegetables all over India due to religious constraints and direct or indirect dietary restrictions. Indian kebabs, whether they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, have a unique and popular flavour of their own, owing to the wide spectrum of masalas (spices) and herbs native to the subcontinent. Apart from the numerous Indian innovations in the art of kebab making, the sheesh, shammi, tikka, and shawarma, original types of kebabs are also available everywhere, and can be found easily in small roadside eating joints as well as in top notch restaurants and hotels. The cities of Lucknow and Hyderabad are famous all over the country, owing to their thousands of decades-old, local eateries and food establishments which sell different types of primarily meat kebabs, ranging from tunday to kalmi and tangdi to reshmi, and have thus contributed a lot to culture, food, tourism, and economy.

While you can get non-vegetarian kebabs from anywhere, the vegetarian types are a rarity to find outside one’s house, and they are generally overpriced in the restaurants they are available in. Vegetarian kebabs can be easily made at home, with simple ingredients, and less elaborate methods than their non-vegetarian counterparts. This article will provide you with three novel recipes, all made wonderfully by my favourite chef in the world, my grandmother, for these lesser known variants, namely, shalgam ke kebab, kela chane kebab, and chukandar ke kebab.

Shalgam ke Kebab (serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients needed:
- 7-8 bulbs of turnips
- 2 tablespoons of roasted besan (gram flour)
- Finely chopped onions
- Finely shredded coriander, chilli, and ginger
- 2 medium sized boiled potatoes
- Salt to taste
- 1 small teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Vegetable oil
Steps required:
- Thoroughly wash the turnip bulbs, and then carefully peel their outer skins off.
- Put the skinned turnips in a pressure cooker and steam thoroughly.
- Once the turnips cool down, mash them and drain out the excess water.
- Mash the boiled potatoes and mix them with the turnips. Add coriander, chilli, ginger, and onion to the mixture and be careful to make it consistent with dough.
- Add garam masala and salt accordingly.
- Make small balls of the prepared dough and flatten it into small cutlets or flattened disc shaped portions.
- Shallow fry on a tawa (pan) until the kebabs are thoroughly cooked and are a rich golden-brown in colour.
- Top with sprigs of coriander and rings of onion. Serve hot, with a chutney of your choice.
Kela Chane ke Kebab (serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients needed:
- 5 clean green unripe bananas
- 1 bowl of soaked chana dal (gram beans)
- Finely chopped onions
- Finely shredded coriander, chilli, and ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1 small teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Vegetable oil
Steps required:
- Make sure to wash the bananas thoroughly with fresh water before beginning. Once they are clean, steam them in a pressure cooker with their skins intact.
- Steam the dal separately to a soft consistency.
- Once both ingredients cool down, peel the bananas, and mash together with the dal to make a dough.
- Add garam masala and salt. You can also add other spices such as red chilli powder if you prefer.
- Shallow fry on a pan.
- Garnish with sprigs of coriander, and serve with onions and chutney.
Chukandar ke kebab (serves 4-6 people)

Ingredients needed:
- 7-8 beetroots
- 2 tablespoons of roasted besan (gram flour)
- 2 boiled potatoes
- 250 grams of paneer
- A few whole clean leaves of cabbage
- Finely chopped onions
- Finely shredded coriander, chilli, and ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1 small teaspoon of garam masala powder
- Vegetable oil
Steps required:
- Steam the beetroots thoroughly after cleaning them.
- Mash the beetroots to a dough-like consistency. If necessary, add a little bit of boiled potatoes as well. Add roasted besan to this mix.
- In a separate bowl, mash potatoes and mix them with paneer chunks.
- Add coriander, chilli, ginger, and onion to the beetroot dough.
- Make miniature balls of the paneer and potato mix after adding salt and garam masala to it.
- Wrap them in a leaf of cabbage.
- Encase this in an even layer of beetroot dough. Make it firm with more besan if required.
- Shallow fry on a pan until the kebabs are thoroughly cooked.
- Cut the kebabs open from the centre, top with coriander, and serve hot with chutney.
December 27, 2014
Healthy Bites!!

Fat makes you fat. It is as simple as that. So if you want to be fit, exercise regularly and maintain a balanced healthy diet.

It’s true that maintaining a diet is tough and requires a lot of determination, but if you put your heart to it, you will manage. You will succeed. Fight your unhealthy cravings. Even if you slip, don’t give up the diet all together. A slip here and there is Okay (but this does not mean you will make a habit of it). Exercising regularly is a must!

Do not stress about being fat. Stressing about anything is never a good thing. In order to help yourself to stick to the diet, try and make your meals attractive and appetizing. Make smart food choices. If you can put down the ‘ghee ka ladoo’ and munch on a juicy fruit instead, congratulate yourself. It is the baby steps that count.

Jump-start your day with a healthy breakfast. Never skip your breakfast. Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Do not starve yourself. Fill in the gaps with bite-size healthy snacks. Eat at frequent intervals but keep your portion in mind. Hydrate yourself throughout the day- drink 8 glasses of water. Have a light lunch. End your day with a low calorie yet filling dinner – so that your tummy doesn’t start rumbling in the dead of night.

*Healthy Breakfast*

Dalia Upma with Vegetables

Time taken: 16 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 3 cups broken wheat dalia, 1 medium onion (chopped), 2 carrots (diced), 1 small capsicum (diced), ½ cup corn kernels, ½ inch piece grated ginger, 3 slit green chillis, a pinch of asafoetida,a pinch of turmeric powder, ½ tsp mustard seeds, a handful of curry leaves, 2 tsp oil, 2 cups water, chopped coriander (for garnish), 2 tbsp lime juice, salt (to taste)

Method: Roast dalia in a pan on low flame until light brown in colour. Remove from pan and keep aside. Heat the oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, asafetida and curry leaves. When mustard seeds splutter, add grated ginger and slit green chillis. Add chopped onion. Stir. Then add other diced vegetables. Stir for about 5 minutes and add dalia. Season with salt and turmeric. Add 2 cups water and put in pressure cooker till dalia is soft and crumbly. Blend in the lime juice and top with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

*Healthy Lunch*

Tomato Fish

Time taken: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the main prep- 4 medium-sized pieces fish fillet (any firm fish fillet), 2 onions (finely chopped), 1 green capsicum (cut into julienne strips), 2 green chillis (slit vertically), 2 inch piece of ginger (cut into julienne strips), handful of mint leaves (chopped), salt (to taste)

For the sauce- 1 onion (chopped fine), 4 tomatoes (chopped fine), 4 cloves garlic (crushed), 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp arrowroot powder, ½ cup water, 2 tbsp wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp oil, salt (to taste)

Method:

For the sauce- To make the sauce, simmer the tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt and chilli powder together for 20 minutes. Sieve the sauce and discard the tomato skins, then return the sauce to a clean pan. Heat the pan again, stir the sauce. Mix the arrowroot powder and water to a smooth paste. Add it to the tomato sauce, along with the wine vinegar and sugar, stirring continuously till the sauce thickens.

For the fish- Heat the oil and fry the chopped onions until soft. Remove onions from the pan and set aside. Add the fish and salt to the same oil and brown the fish gently on both sides. Add the previously fried onions to the pan along with the slit green chillies, ginger and capsicum. Pour the tomato sauce over the fish pieces. Cook the fish for about 5 minutes then take the pan off the fire. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve hot with jeera rice.

*Healthy Snack*

Chicken Shake ‘N’ Bake

Time taken: 1 hour 10 minutes (including preparation time)

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 2 medium sized chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), 1 tsp soya sauce, 1 tsp prepared mustard, 2 tsp teriyaki sauce, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, salt (to taste)

Method: Cut the two chicken breasts into four pieces and pound each one to an even flatness. Place the chicken pieces into a large zip lock pouch. Add all the sauces into the pouch and seal it up properly. Shake the bag, allowing all the sauces to blend together. Keep the pouch in the fridge for half an hour. Heat your oven to 350 degree Celsius. Get the bag out of the fridge and once again, shake it vigorously. Then place the chicken pieces in a foil tray and bake for about ½ an hour, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. You can flip the pieces over once, for even browning. Your Chicken Shake ‘N’ Bake is ready.

*Healthy Dinner*

Grilled Sandwich

Time taken: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 4 large slices whole wheat bread, 1 medium onion (chopped fine), 2 medium tomatoes (chopped fine), 1 capsicum (chopped fine), ½ tsp jeera-dhania Masala, ¼ tsp ground pepper, 16 pieces low-fat paneer cubes (1 inch x 1 inch, crumbled), 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp butter, salt (to taste)

Method: Heat 1 tsp oil in a non- stick pan. Add onion and tomato. Cook them to a pulpy consistency. Add the powder masala and salt. Blend well. Then add the crumbled paneer. Stir. Adjust seasoning to taste. Lightly butter the bread slices and place them buttered side down on a plate. Then, heap the paneer mixture evenly on 2 of the open slices (buttered side remains down). Use the remaining 2 slices to cover the lower slices, like a sandwich, making sure the buttered side is on the outer side facing up. This sandwich can be toasted in a sandwich toaster, or simply put onto a hot pan to brown. On a pan, toast the slices to a crisp golden brown on one side, then flip over, to brown on other side. If you are using a pan, you may need to seal the inner edges by lining the inner side with a few drops of water before it goes onto the pan. In a sandwich toaster, remove from toaster when golden brown. Cut each sandwich into two triangles.

Stay Fit. Stay Healthy.

December 13, 2014
Fish Mania !!!

Two years ago I got married to my lovable Bong boyfriend and the very next day, I was introduced to this favourite cuisine of every bong family – “Mach Bhaat “.Its a tradition in the families to love Fish . I was a little scared as I just couldn’t tolerate the smell of it, few might relate to my situation .Bengali’s are just crazy about fish and I was just the opposite. They can write their own food bible about their favourite food “Mach “.If you ever had interacted with a Bengali, within a few minutes of your conversation you will know the love they have for Fish.I have seen crazy Bong friends of mine in alien cities travelling to every nick and corner of the city… Guess what? Just to have mach bhaat. Gosh! I can write loads of stories about their fish mania, For instance, its a tradition in Bengali families to judge a would be son-in laws character by letting him buy a fish and the quality of the

fish he buys determines his character (Its true. I am dead serious). The only thing which can deviate a Bengali’s mind from fish is football (May be politics sometimes).Its not easy for a bengali to live without mach a single day and for some even one single meal. When I started cooking after marriage I had this huge challenge in front of me of not having fish and still cooking it.But I took up this challenge and
have made so many recipes thanks to my mother-in-law and sometimes you tube too. You wont believe I started liking fish and now, eat it for every single meal. This is how crazy you can be when you marry a Fish Maniac. Its lovely to pen down my initial cooking days – horror stories which eventually turned out to be fairy tales and bring a smile on my face every time I recollect those memories. Today I am
going to share a two of my favourite fish recipes which I cooked for my first anniversary party and they turned out to be a big hit. I hope it rocks your parties as well.

Fish Biryani !!!

Yes! I am discussing biryani with a twist . This dish is delight to have and very simple recipe to try at home. For a fish maniac its heaven on a platter.

Ingredients : 400 g Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes., 400g Bhetki fillet or Talapia Fillet (Both easily available in markets), 2 cups finely sliced Onions (Preferably red Onions),1 cup finely chopped onions ,1 cup chopped tomatoes, 1 tablesopon Ginger and garlic paste ,1 1/2 cup Whipped Yoghurt, 1/2 cup Coriander and mint finely chopped, 8 to 10 Small green chillies slit from one side, 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice ,2 to 3 black cardamom, 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks, cloves, black peppercorns, 1 /12 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chilly powder , 1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, Salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of rose water, Oil as required.

Servings : 4

Method :

Marination of fish :
Mix Lemon juice , ginger and garlic paste with all the powdered dry spices ( cumin , coriander , kashmiri red chilly , turmeric, Salt) . Apply apply the mixture to the fish fillets and keep it aside for 30 minutes so that spices get properly soaked into the fish for a even taste.

For Biryani Preparation:
Cook the basmati rice previously soaked in water until its half cooked. Once the Rice is done spread the rice in a flat tray so that it doesn’t get overcooked in its own heat.
Take a small deep pan add oil for deep frying and fry sliced onions till they are golden brown and keep it aside plating on paper napkins to strain extra oil.

For biryani handi preparation take a deep pan with a lid. Heat it on medium flame . Add oil in a generous amount, heat it for for 30 secs and then add whole spice ( black cardamom , cloves , cinnamon, black peppercorns). Stir it for 30 sec so that oil gets the spicy flavour and add chopped onions . Sauté it for 3 to 4 minutes, add – salt, turmeric powder, chopped tomatoes and sauté it for another 3 to 4 minutes until tomatoes separate oil. Now add whipped yoghurt and marinated fish. Stir it gently so that it doesn’t breaks fish fillets. Close the lid for 8 to 10 minutes and turn the gas on slow flame. Now to have layered biryani take out half of the cooked fish in a bowl . Spread the remaining
fish in the pan and add half of the rice quantity, layering it with half of the deep fried onion slices and half of the chopped coriander and mint leaves ,flavouring it with few drops of rose water. Repeat the same layering with the remaining ingredients and keep the deep pan on top of a flat tava ( Flat )pan on a medium flame for 5 more minutes. This process creates dum in the biryani giving a nice aroma to the dish.
Once done Plate the dish in desirable bowl or platter and serve it with love.I am sure you will please a fish maniac.

Doi Mach :

Another dish which is a delight to have, a traditional bengali recipe and currently my favorite “Doi Mach”. Fish cooked in yoghurt marination .

Ingredients : 8 pieces of Rui Fish , 2 medium sized onions , 2 to 3 chillies made into fine paste, 1 tablespoon garlic paste, 1 & 1/2 cup of whipped yoghurt, 1 cup Tomato purée,1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf, few green cardamom, little cinnamon stick ,cloves, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilly powder, 3 to 4 green chillies slit from one side, oil to cook, salt and sugar to taste , coriander leaves chopped for garnishing.

Servings : 4

Method : Marinate fish with salt , sugar, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and half of ginger and garlic paste and keep it aside for 30 minutes. Heat a pan , add oil and heat it for 30 seconds . Add bay leaf , whole spices and cumin seeds along with onion and chilly paste. sauté it for a minute and then add rest of the ginger garlic paste. Sauté the entire mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until onions turn transparent. Add tomatoes , salt, and dry powdered spices and stir it for another 3 to 4 minutes until it separates oil. Add the marinated fish and stir it gently mixing every ingredients well. Cover the pan with a lid and slow the flame and cook it like this for another 10 minutes. Open the lid if the fish is tender enough to eat , Switch of the flame plate the dish into a platter and garnish it with coriander leaves . Serve Hot with loads of love.

Happy Eating !!!

December 3, 2014
Essential Muscle Nutrients Which Are Found Only in Animal Food

Muscles are every much important for the human body as they perform several essential functions such as breathing and allow us to do physical labor. Every man today wants to have a body full of muscles so that they can look attractive and powerful. Muscles burns calories and so if you are planning to build a powerful body you need to pay special attention towards the food that you eat as the consumption of right food is very important. In order to build and later maintain these muscles there are some essential nutrients which your body requires and more importantly these nutrients are only found in the animal food. For the non-vegetarian people this is not a problem as they eat flesh but the vegetarian people look around for the replacement of this option. So they go for supplements which are available in the market today. These supplements are made up of artificial ingredients which causes harm to the body if you take it regularly. So it is recommend that if you want to build muscle and maintain your body, then you should start eating meat. Hereby we are mentioning some of the nutrients which are only found in animal food i.e. meat and are essential for muscle building.

Creatine:

Creatine is extremely important for the body and is one of the most popular supplements used for the muscle building. If your body has adequate amount of Creatine in it, then it not only improves the mass of your muscles but also the strength. Creatine forms the energy reserve in the muscles which helps in its maintenance. The energy in the body is provided by the Adenosine Triphosphate and the cells in the body have them in limited quantity. In the process of building muscles, people perform complex and vigorous exercises and so the amount of Adenosine Triphosphate in their body is not enough to last long. Creatine provides the phosphate in the cells and helps in producing the required extra energy. Although human body produces Creatine on its own but it is not enough and you need them in your diet. All the vegetarian foods are deprived of Creatine. So you should go for the meat and other animal foods.

Carnosine:

Carnosine is a dipeptide made with the help of the two amino acids. These amino acids are beta-alanine and histidine. Carnosine is highly popular as one of the wonderful anti-aging food supplement which stops the degenerative processes in the body and helps in maintaining the muscles. They are also required to keep your muscles in shape. When you perform intense workout the body releases lactic acid which stops the muscles from functioning normally and you experience fatigue. Carnosine is required as it helps in stopping the formation of this acid in the body by acting as a buffer. If the formation of the lactic acid is kept in check, there is no hindrance in the functioning of the muscles and you can carry out with your work with ease. This nutrient is only found in the animal food or else you will have to take supplements.

Animal Protein:

Proteins are the basic building blocks of muscles and they themselves are made up of amino acids. In total there are 21 essential amino acids required by the human body to synthesize proteins. Out of which only few of these amino acids can be produced by the body itself, rest all are provided in the diet. Those amino acids which the body cannot produce on its own are called as the essential amino acids. The best source of all these essential amino acids is animal food. Fish, meat and eggs have tremendous amount of proteins in them and they can easily compensate for the amino acids which the body requires. The proteins found in the plants lack some of the amino acid profiles and so the animal food is essential. Simply a vegetarian diet cannot provide you with the proteins that your body requires.

Vitamin D3:

Vitamin D3 is extremely essential for the human body. The proper functioning of the muscles and other body organs are very much dependent on it. There should be adequate amount of Vitamin D3 in the bloodstream. If your body is deprived of Vitamin D3, your muscles will decease and they will stop functioning properly. Although supplements are available to maintain the amount of Vitamin D3 in the body, the best source of this essential nutrient are fatty and the cod fishes. Moreover if you stay in such a place which receives less sunlight then you must start eating animal foods as the plants foods do not offers Vitamin D3.

Saturated Fats and Cholesterol:

Generally people believe that saturated fats and cholesterol are very much harmful for the human body and they are also the reasons for various dysfunctions in the body. So people opt for the low fat foods. But such food items have tendency to reduce the testosterone hormone in the body which is very much essential for muscle building and their maintenance. The testosterone hormone is required to increase the muscle mass and libido. The animal foods have large amount of saturated fats and cholesterol required for muscle building and that is why you should eat them.

July 1, 2014
Biriyani Galore

Be it the heavy rich biriyani in Arsalan or the seemingly light biriyani in Aminia or the just-perfect biriyani in Rahmania – EVERYONE loves a bit of biriyani.

When I joined college, I was literally in heaven. Park Circus is an area oozing out with old and new food places – an abode for food lovers (the fact that the food capital of the city, Park Street is a brief 7-minute-walk away simply adds a few feathers to its shiny blue cap).

Arsalan has been a favourite food joint to visit during the many lunch breaks for the past two years. There’s literally 2 Arsalans, 1 Shiraaz, 1 Kohinoor, 1 Zeeshan and other cheap beef biriyani places – all brooding near my college.

How you expect anyone to be in shape, I wonder.

Biryani, Biriyani, Biriani, Beryani, Beriani or Buriyani – however it is you may pronounce, you are bound to love it – it’s aroma, it’s flavor, it’s exquisite blend of the right amount of spices and the special place it takes you when you have your first spoonful…

Ah!

I’m getting hungry by merely thinking about it. So not fair.

Anyway, here are two recipes if you fancied cooking your Biriyani instead of a take-away.

Mutton Biriyani

Time: 3 hour 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the rice – 1 star anise, 500 gm basmati rice (washed & drained), 2 bay leaves, 2 black cardamom, 2 tsp black cumin seeds, 6 black peppercorn, 6 green cardamom, 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves, 1 tsp fennel, 1/4th jaiphal, 1 javitri, 3 tsp salt
For mutton marination – 1 kg mutton (cut in 2 inches pieces, preferably front leg part and avoid shoulder cut), 1 Tbsp garam masala, 1 Tbsp garlic paste, 1 Tbsp ginger paste, 3 Tbsp raw papaya paste, 4 Tbsp hung curd, Juice of 1 lemon, 1 Tbsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp salt
Other ingredients – 4 onions (thinly sliced), 2 tomatoes (chopped), 1/4 th cup milk (warm), Ghee, Saffron strands, Oil, Rose water, Kewra essence, 4 green chillies

Direction:

Marinating the mutton – To the mutton add the beaten curd, ginger-garlic paste, raw papaya paste, chilli powder, salt, lemon juice, garam masala. Allow the mutton to marinate for 3 hours.

Making fried onions or Barista –Slice 2 onions very thinly. Separate the slices. In a pan or kadai add oil and fry the onion slices till nicely brown. Take care not to burn them. Fry in small batches. Do not put all the slices at a time, that will lead to lumpy messy onions. Make sure all the onion slices frying are dipped in oil, if needed add more oil. Keep stirring continuously but gently for an even brown color. Take the fried onions out with a slotted spoon or ladle. Keep them on a paper-towel lined plate. This crispy brown fried onion slices are called Barista.

Cooking the mutton – Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. Add remaining sliced onions and green chillies. Cook, stirring continuously, till onions are light golden brown. Add ginger paste and garlic paste and mix well. Add marinated mutton and cook on high heat for seven to eight minutes. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Mix thoroughly. Stir in three cups of water, bring it to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered till mutton is almost cooked. Add tomatoes, salt, garam masala powder and fresh coriander leaves. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. The ghee would be separated from the spices and there should not be any watery gravy to the meat.

Preparing the rice – Use only good quality long grain Basmati rice. Soak the rice for 20 minutes in water. Wash well till the water runs clear. Drain all the water. In a small piece of cloth take cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, javitri, jaiphal, black peppercorn, shahi jeera, star anise and tie a knot to make a bag (potli). Bring 750 ml water to boil, add rice, bay leaf, salt and potli, cover and cook till rice is done 1/3rd. Drain the water & remove the whole masala potli.

Preparing the saffron-milk – Take 1/4th cup warm milk in a cup and dissolve saffron strands in the milk. Cover and wait for 20 minutes. Add rose water and kewra essence in the milk. Mix well and cover. Keep aside.

Layering the biryani – Take a large heavy bottom pan with tight fitting lid. Add 2tbsp ghee to the pan. Melt the ghee on low heat. Turn and rotate the pan carefully so the ghee can coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Switch off the heat. Add a layer of cooked rice, then cooked meat pieces, sprinkle saffron water, add fried onion slices and ghee. Again add a layer of rice, then meat…go on like this till you are done. Top and bottom layer will be of rice. Cover with chopped pudina and coriander, fried onion and slit green chillies and juice of half a lemon. Put the lid on. Seal the pan with flour dough or aluminium foil, then put the lid. Keep the heat to lowest. And cook the Biryani in this ‘Dum’ process for 40 minutes. Make sure your pan is heavy-bottomed or the rice will burn. Or you can place a flat tawa then keep the pan on that tawa. After 40 minutes switch off the heat and let the biryani stand for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with raita and salad.

Fish Dum Biriyani

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 1 kg fish fillets-cut into 1.5 ” cubes, 2 Tbsp oil, 1 cup onions-grated, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 Tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1.5 tsp salt, 1 cup hung yogurt, 1 cup coriander leaves-chopped, Green chillies to taste-finely chopped, 1 tsp biryani masala, 1/3 cup browned onions

For the Rice – 2 cup rice-cleaned and washed, 2 tsp oil, 4 cloves, 4 peppercorns, 1 cinnamon-broken, 4 green cardamoms, 1 tsp salt, 3 cups hot water, Saffron or color mixed in 1 cup warm milk

Direction: Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add onions and ginger-garlic pastes. Stir fry till fat separates. Add the garam masala, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and yogurt and saute till fat separates. Mix in the fish and cook over high heat till opaque. Mix in the browned onions, coriander, green chillies and biryani masala. To make the rice, heat oil and add cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and cardamoms. When they darken a bit, add rice, water and salt. Mix well and cook till rice is tender but still holds its shape. To serve, put the fish layer at the bottom of the dish, cover with the rice and sprinkle the saffron-milk mixture. Keep in an oven or over low heat, over a tawa for about 15 minutes. Mix to break up the layers and serve.

Image and Recipe Courtesy – cooks.ndtv.com

June 9, 2014
Bengalis and their obsession with Fish

‘Mach’. ‘Dal’. ‘Bhat’. The three monosyllabic words represent a paradisiacal abode for the good people of Bengal. Bengal, being near the coast, is abundant in a variety of fishes and thus the emergence of a myriad of ever-popular fish delicacies has taken place.

It is said that a Bengali cannot live without his fish. Wherever he may go, however far he may travel, his love for fish –bag and baggage- travels with him.

Truth be told, this is just another stereotyped belief. Being a Bengali myself, I prefer ‘Tandoori Chicken’ over any fish dish. I’m just not crazy about fishes. As simple as that. But my brother, who lives in Peterborough, London, still has his ‘mach-dal-bhat’. Finding fishes from Bengal in a London market is a Herculean task. But when there’s a will, there’s a way. And there are millions and millions of crazy Bengalis like him all around the world. Another example is my friend Roon studying in Christ University, Bangalore. Every term break she escapes to Kolkata to fulfill and consume her quota of Bengal fishes. One Month. No Chicken. No Mutton. No Paneer. Just heavenly Fish.

“In the hands of an able cook, fish can become an inexhaustible source of gustatory pleasures”

-Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin, ‘the Physiology of Taste’

Hence, I jotted down the three most popular and most celebrated fish dishes of Bengal:

Dab Chingri (Prawns flavored with ‘paanch phoron’ and cooked in a tender coconut shell)

Cooking Time – 30 to 40 minutes

Servings – 4

Ingredients – 1 cup Prawns ( peeled and deveined), 1 small tender coconut, Salt (to taste), ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp mustard oil, ½ tsp ‘panch phoron’ (a mixture of equal quantities of five spices: cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and onion seeds), 2 medium onions (sliced), 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 ½ tsp garlic paste, 4-5 green chilies (slit), ¼ cup coconut (scraped), ¼ cup tender coconut flesh(malai) chopped, whole wheat flour (as required)

Directions – Cut off an inch from the top of the tender coconut, drain the water and scoop out the flesh. Retain the top to act as a lid. Preheat oven to 220°C. Add salt and turmeric powder to the prawns. Mix and set aside. Heat mustard oil to smoking point. Cool slightly and add ‘paanch phoron’. When the seeds splutter add onions and sauté. Add ginger and garlic pastes, green chilies and coconut and continue to sauté for two minutes. Add one cup of water and stir. Add prawns and stir. Add coconut flesh and adjust salt. Transfer the mixture into tender coconut shell. Cover with the lid and seal with dough. Place in the preheated oven and cook for about twenty minutes. Open the lid and serve hot.

Shorshe Ilish (Hilsa cooked in mustard gravy)

Cooking time – 30 to 40 minutes

Servings – 4

Ingredients – 1 medium Hilsa (1/2 inch darnes), ½ cup mustard seeds, salt (to taste), ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2 green chilies, 4 tbsp oil, 1 large potato (cut into fingers), ¼ tsp onion seeds

Directions – Wash fish pieces and marinate with salt and turmeric powder and set aside for ten to fifteen minutes. Grind mustard seeds with green chilies to a fine paste using water as required. Heat oil in a pan and lightly fry the marinated fish pieces on both sides till lightly browned. Drain and set aside on a plate. In the same oil fry the potato fingers till lightly browned. Drain and set aside. In the remaining oil add onion seeds and sauté till fragrant. Add the ground paste and sauté for a minute. Add a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Add turmeric powder and salt. Add potato fingers and simmer till they are done. Add fish, cover and simmer for two minutes. Serve hot with boiled rice.

Doi Mach (rohu fish cooked in curd)

Cooking Time – 30 to 40 minutes

Servings – 6

Ingredients – 5 to 6 medium large rohu fish/bhetki, salt to taste, 2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 to 3 medium sized onions, 3 to 4 pods garlic, 1/3 tsp ginger paste, 4 tbsp of oil, 4 green chilies, 2 tbsp plain yogurt, 10 raisins, 1 bay leaf, ½ cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 3 green cardamom, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 cup water, 1 tsp sugar

Directions – Take the slices of fish and wash them thoroughly. Salt them and rub 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Set aside for 10 minutes. Cut Onions into big slices. Cut the garlic pods into pieces. On a hot skillet, heat 2 table spoons of oil. Add the fish pieces and fry well. Take the fish out and set aside. In the remaining oil fry the onion garlic and ginger for 2-3 minutes with 2 green chilies. Take them out. Cool them for a minute or so. Put the fried onion, garlic, ginger chilies back into a mixer and grind it with 2 table spoons of yogurt. Heat remaining oil in the skillet. Add raisins and bay leaf. Then add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom in the hot oil. Let it splutter, add the ground paste of onion, garlic, ginger and chilies. Stir it for 2-3 minutes. If it dries up may add a sprinkle of water. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder and 1 teaspoon of coriander powder. Keep stirring for 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and mix well. Let it simmer. Add salt to taste, sugar and the remaining 2 chilies. After it comes to a boil, add fish pieces and cover on medium heat. Keep cooking till the fish gets cooked through. Adjust salt and sugar according to taste. Serve hot with rice.

Picture Courtesy – corporate2kitchen, ahomemakersdiary.com

May 23, 2014