Sea food

CHINGRI MACHER KOFTA

Delicious deep fried prawn koftas served with a flavour coconut-onion gravy Preparation Time : 30 minutes Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

Prawns (kolambi/jhinga) 30-40 small Onions 2 large Green chillies, chopped 4 Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons Egg, whisked 1 Coconut, scraped 1/2 Salt to taste Bread crumbs 2 tablespoons Mustard oil 2 teaspoons + to deep fry Bay leaves 2 Ghee 2 tablespoons Cloves 5 Cinnamon 1 inch stick Green cardamoms 5 Turmeric powder 1 1/2 teaspoons Ginger 1 inch piece

Method

Shell, de-vein and wash the prawns thoroughly under running water. Finely chop one onion. Boil prawns in one and a half cups of water for two minutes. When cooked, drain and mince. Add salt, chopped onions, green chillies and coriander leaves. When the mixture is well blended, form into twelve-sixteen balls, dip in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs. Heat sufficient mustard oil in a kadai to its smoking temperature, cool it down, heat again and deep-fry the prawn koftas. Drain onto an absorbent paper and keep aside. Grind coconut with one cup of warm water and extract milk. Grind onion, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, turmeric powder and ginger into a fine paste. Heat two teaspoons of mustard oil in a saucepan. When it smokes, remove from heat and cool it down. Reheat and sauté bay leaves and ground masala for four to five minutes, stirring all the time and adding a little water to keep the spices from scorching. Gradually stir in the coconut milk extract and a little salt. Add the koftas and allow the curry to simmer for about ten minutes or till the gravy becomes rich and thick. Pour pure ghee on top just before serving.

BOMBIL HIRWA MASALA

Bombay ducks cooked in a green gravy - a Maharashtrian delicacy Preparation Time : 20 minutes Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Ingredients

Bombay duck (bombil) 8 Salt to taste Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Kokum petals 5-6 Oil 4 tablespoons Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon Onions, chopped 2 medium Garam masala powder 1/2 teaspoon Ginger 1 inch piece Garlic 4-5 cloves Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 3 tablespoons Fresh mint leaves, chopped 1 1/2 tablespoons Green chillies 6 Coconut, scraped 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons

Method

Cut head and tail part of bombil, slit them lengthwise and wash thoroughly. Apply salt and lemon juice and keep aside. Soak kokum in half a cup of warm water. Extract pulp and keep aside. Grind ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies and half cup of scraped coconut to a fine paste with a little water. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. When they change colour, add chopped onions and sauté till soft and translucent. Add ground paste and cook on low heat for three to four minutes. Add one cup of water and bring to a boil. Add kokum pulp, mix well and let the gravy simmer for two to three minutes. Add bombil pieces in the simmering gravy. Add salt. Simmer for three to four minutes to let bombil cook. Add garam masala powder and mix well. Serve hot garnished with the remaining scraped coconut.

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BHAPA ILISH

Hilsa fish steam cooked with a tangy paste of mustard and green chillies – a Bengali speciality Preparation Time : 20 minutes Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Ingredients

Hilsa (ilish) 1 kilogram Salt to taste Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Yellow mustard seeds 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon Green chillies 2-3 Ginger 1 inch piece Mustard oil 3 tablespoons

Method

Wash the fish well and clean it from inside. Cut into darne. Sprinkle salt and half of the turmeric powder. Make a smooth paste of yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, green chillies, ginger and salt. Take a pressure cooker. Add three cups of water and place a ring in it. Take a pan and place the fish in it and place the pan on the ring in the pressure cooker. Add remaining turmeric powder to prepared paste. Apply paste liberally on fish. Pour mustard oil on top. Adjust seasoning. Cover with lid and steam for eight to ten minutes. Serve hot.

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BENGALI FISH CURRY

A popular Bengali dish - fish cooked in mustard oil with ginger, garlic and mustard pastes Preparation Time : 40 mintues Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

Rohu fish, 1/2 inch slices 8 Lemon juice 2 tablespoons Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Salt to taste Mustard oil 4 tablespoons Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon Onion seeds (kalonji) 1 teaspoon Whole dry red chillies 4 Bay leaf 1 Ginger paste 2 teaspoons Garlic paste 2 teaspoons Onions, chopped 3 medium Mustard paste 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon Coriander powder 2 teaspoons Green chillies, slit 4 Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons

Method

Marinate fish fillets with lemon juice, half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and salt. Set aside for thirty minutes.Heat two tablespoons of mustard oil in a pan and shallow fry fish pieces on both sides until slightly browned. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside. Heat remaining oil in the same pan, add mustard seeds, onion seeds, whole red chillies and bay leaf, cook for a few minutes till seeds crackle. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and cook again for a moment. Add chopped onions and cook until slightly brown in colour. Add mustard paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and remaining turmeric powder. Stir and cook masala until oil starts separating. Add two cups of water and salt, bring to a boil and then add shallow fried fish. Add slit green chillies and cook on a low heat until fish is cooked and oil starts floating on top. Remove and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

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BANGDYACHE HUMMAN

Mackerels cooked in a tirphal flavoured coconut gravy Preparation Time : 25 minutes Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Ingredients

Mackerels 4 medium Coconut, scraped 1 1/3 cups Whole dry red chillies 4 Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Tamarind pulp 1 tablespoon Tirphal, pitted 10-12 Salt to taste Green chillies, slit 2 Kokum petals 3

Method

Grind coconut, red chillies, half the turmeric powder and tamarind pulp to a fine paste with sufficient water. Grind the trifal with one cup of water and strain. Use only the water. Cut the fish into four pieces each. Apply salt and the remaining turmeric powder and keep aside for fifteen minutes. Heat a kadai, put the trifal water, green chillies, ground paste and mix. Bring it to a boil. Add salt, reduce heat and simmer till the gravy is a little thick. Add the fish pieces and mix. Add kokum petals and cook for four to five minutes. Cover and take it off the heat. Rest for ten to fifteen minutes. Serve hot.

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BANGDA UDADMETHI

Split urad dal and methi dana add a special flavour to this mackerel gravy Preparation Time : 30 minutes Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Ingredients

Mackerels, seeded 6 large Coconut, scraped 2 cups Onions, sliced 4 medium Whole dry red chillies 8 Turmeric powder 2 teaspoons Oil 3 tablespoons Tamarind 1 lemon sized ball Rice 2 tablespoons Split black gram skinless (dhuli urad dal) 2 tablespoons Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1/2 teaspoon Salt to taste

Method

Cut each mackerel into four pieces, apply salt and wash after fifteen minutes. Heat one teaspoon oil in a pan. Stir-fry rice till it becomes dark brown. Drain. To the same oil add split black gram (urad dal) and stir-fry till browned. Drain. Add fenugreek seeds and black peppercorns to the same oil, stir-fry till fenugreek crackles. In a separate pan saute one sliced onion in two teaspoons of oil till golden brown. Add grated coconut and stir-fry till brown. Coarsely powder rice and black gram (dal) together. Grind stir-fried coconut and onions along with tamarind, red chillies and turmeric to a rough paste and keep aside. Grind fenugreek and black peppercorns to a fine paste. Saute the remaining sliced onions in the remaining oil till soft. Add ground coconut paste with five cups of water and salt. Add the fenugreek and peppercorns paste and bring to a boil. Add mackerels, ground rice and black gram dal powder to the curry. Stir and cook for three minutes or till the fish is done. Serve hot.

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