Doi potol / Dahi Parwal - A Bengali pure Vegetarian recipe

Potol / Parwal / pointed gourd is a summer vegetable with good source of carbohydrates, vitamin b and vitamin c. We, Bengalis love potol and there are a variety of dishes with this vegetable. Doi Potol or Dahi Parwal an authentic Veg recipe of Bengali Cuisine which use minimum spices and yet it tastes yummylicious.

Preparation Time: - 15 min

Cooking Time: - 25~30 min

Servings: - 3~4 persons

Ingredients:-

1. 8 pieces of Parwal
   
2. 2 Bay leaves
3. 1 ½ tsp Cumin seeds
4. ½ tsp Asafetida (Hing)
5. 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder (You can have more according to your taste. You can even use the usual red chili powder. I prefer Kashmiri one for nice colour and mild taste)
6. ½ cup curd/ yogurt
7. 2 tbsp ginger paste. You can smash ginger or can use the paste available in market.
8. ½ tsp Turmeric powder (optional)
9. 2 green chili slit horizontally
10. Sugar and salt to taste
11. 7~8 tbsp mustard oil ( If you want to cook the authentic Bengali way then use Mustard oil but you can use any vegetable oil also)
12. 2 tsp Ghee
13. 12~15 pieces of Raisins
14. 2 tbsp Garam Masala
15. 1 Cardamom
16. 1 inch cinnamon stick

Preparation:-

1. Peel the Patal as shown in the picture and keep aside.
   
   
   
2. In a bowl make a paste of Curd/Yogurt with little bit of sugar and Garam Masala. Beat it nicely. Keep aside.
   
3. Heat 5 tbsp oil in non-stick Kadai and fry the Parwal. Since I was using a medium sized Kadai I had to fry in two stages - 4 pieces each. Keep aside.
   
   
   
   
4. Pour the rest of oil in the same Kadai and heat it in high flame.
5. Lower the heat to medium and add bay leaves, green chili, cinnamon stick, cardamom, asafetida and cumin seeds.
   
6. When the cumin seeds splutter pour 1 tbsp ghee. Wait for few seconds
7. Add ginger paste, turmeric powder, salt and Kashmiri red chili powder.
8. Pour the curd mixture and stir well.
   
9. Add the raisins and mix
   
10. When the oil starts separating from the mixture and the whole thing becomes dry add about ½ cup of water.
11. Turn the burner to high and let it simmer.
12. Add the already fried Parwal.
13. When the water starts boiling lower the flame and cover the Kadai.
14. Continue cooking for about 12~15 min.
15. Check if the parwal is cooked fully when the mixture becomes dry.
    
16. Add the ghee, sauté for 1 min and switch off the flame.
    

This one is a side dish for rice as well as fried rice / Puri / Luchi.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Parshe Macher Teljhol - Spicy Mullet curry

Parshe (mullet) is a fish found both in sea as in fresh water. The fresh water ones are tastier. It is quite a popular fish in West Bengal and Bangladesh. There are many recipes of Parshe but this one is an authentic Bengali dish used to be prepared in olden days. Surprisingly it does not take much time to prepare and is tasty like heaven. Without wasting much time here is it

Preparation Time: - 10 min

Cooking Time: - 20 min

Servings: - 3~4 persons (Actually it depends upon the consuming power of the people)

Ingredients:-

1. Parshe fish – 6 pieces
   
2. 1 small onion chopped
3. Green Chilies – 2 silted
4. Red chili powder – 1 tsp (optional – I did not use but you can use as per your taste)
5. Turmeric Powder – 2 tsp
6. Mustard Oil – 6 tbsp ( Since this is authentic Bengali cuisine I prefer mustard oil but you can use any vegetable oil if you do not like the smell of it)
7. Chopped coriander leaves - few
8. Salt to taste.

Preparation:-

1. Wash the fish thoroughly and coat with salt and 1 ½ tsp turmeric powder. Keep it for 10 min.
   
2. Chop the onion and keep it aside.
3. Take a non-stick kadai / woak and heat 4 tbsp oil in high flame.
4. When the oil starts foaming pour the fish and fry in low flame.
   
5. Use a different kadai /pan and heat the rest of oil.
6. Put one green chili and onion in it. Fry till onion turn golden brown.
   
7. Add ½ tsp turmeric and red chili powder in it. I did not use red chili.
8. Sprinkle some water and simmer for a while.
9. Pour 2 ½ cup water.
   
10. Cook till the water starts boiling and then pour the fish in it.
11. Continue cooking. When the gravy become thick add salt.
    
12. Continue cooking till the time oil visibly floating.
13. Switch off the flame and sprinkle few coriander leaves and a slitted green chili for garnishing.
    

Parshe macher teljhol is ready to serve now. Serve with hot rice and I am sure your family and guests will enjoy this dish a lot.

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Kumro Ghonto - A pumpkin potato medley

To me Ghonto is thick vegetable gravy with two or more vegetable cooked in authentic Bengali way. I prepared this dish for two reasons – one is we should eat veggies and more importantly seasonal veggies like pumpkin and secondly my son does not eat chola or chick peas alone. But he can eat it in ghonto. So I searched down the memory lane and found this dish which was a favorite in my grandma’s kitchen. She used to cook this during Durga Puja. In fact if you go to your neighborhood Durga Puja pandal you would surely had this dish in your child hood.

Preparation Time: - 15 min

Cooking Time: - 25~30 min

Servings: - 4~5 persons

Ingredients:-

1. 400 gm Pumpkin
   
2. 2 big Potatos
3. 4 tbsp Kalo Chola /Chole (Black Chana)
4. 3 tbsp Curd or Yogurt
5. 2 tsp Garam Masala
6. 2 tsp Panchforon (Bengali 5 spice mix) /Methi seeds /Nigela seeds – I used panchforon
7. 2 silted green chili (1 for garnish and 1 for cooking)
8. 2 tsp Turmeric Powder
9. 1 inch Cinnamon stick
10. 1 big Bay leaf
11. Pinch of Hing (asfotida) - optional
12. 2 tsp Roasted Jeera / Cumin powder
13. 8 tbsp Mustard Oil (Since it is a authentic Bengali dish mustard oil should be used but most of the time I use a 1:1 mixture of mustard and sunflower oil. If you do not like the smell of mustard oil then you can use any vegetable oil)
14. 1 tbsp Ghee
15. Salt and Sugar to taste

Preparation:-

1. Soak the chola overnight in little water.  Pressure cook with salt till it becomes soft.
2. Peel and chop the pumpkin and potato in cubes. The sizce of pumkin pieces should be bigger than the potatoes as pumpkin gets cooked quicker than potatoes.
3. Wash, drain and keep aside.
   
4. Heat a pan and add cumin seeds, roast in medium flame until light dark brown and fragrant. Then grind this and keep aside. You could add a red chili with the cumin seeds if you want more spice.
5. Beat the curd in a bowl and keep aside.
6. Take a Kadai/wok, pour 4 tbsp oil and fry the pumpkin and potato separately. Keep aside.
   
   
7. Use the same kadai and heat the oil in high flame. Then turn the heat to medium flame and put the panchforon, 1 green chili, bay leaf, hing and cinnamon stick.
   
8. When spice splutter pour the curd. Sprinkle turmeric powder and garam masala.
   
9. Add the already fried pumpkin and potato. Stir continuously and cook for 3~4 minutes.
   
10. Add chola and sufficient water.
    
11. Continue boiling for some time. Add salt and sugar when properly boiled.
    
12. When the gravy becomes thick as per your taste add Ghee and roasted Jeera mix prepared in step 4 - mix it well. This will enhance the aroma of the preparation. Sauté for one minute and switch off the burner.
    
13. Now the dish is ready. Garnish with a green chili or as per your choice.
    

That’s all folks. Serve hot with Luchi, Paratha or white rice / Khicdi and enjoy your meal. 

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.

Menu for Jamaishasthi - from my kitchen

Today is Jamaishasthi in West bengal. It is a gourmet treat for the son-in-law every year from his in-laws or 'Shoshur bari'- as they say in Bengal. Held in the Bengali month of 'Jaistha', Jamaishasthi is a social custom. The word Jamai (son-in-law)  suggests a relationship much closer to heart. The 'jamai' or the son-in-law is treated today with his favourite delicacies by his in-laws specially to ensure that he treats their daughter with due respect for the rest of the year. 

The menu includes special Bengali dishes such as 'various fish delicacies', 'prawn malaikari' & special jamaishasthi 'sondesh' or 'Rasogolla'. Lavish gifts are given to the son-in-law & he too in return gifts his mother-in-law with something special. For the day he relishes the attention he receives from his in-laws. The fast pace of life and the changing social norms has mellowed down the once very happening social custom among the Bengalis. 

Some of the recipes which befits the occasion are already presented in this blog. They are as follows:-

Peas Pulao with Bengali touch - Pure Veg

Cauliflower Potato fry - Phulkopi Aloo Bhaja

Cholar Dal - Durga Puja special

Chingri Macher Kalia - Bengali Prawn Curry 

Chicken Curry - Traditional Bengali Murgir Mangshor Jhol

Rasgulla / Rosogolla - Bengali syrupy dessert

 

 

 

 

Doi Chingri - Prawn in Creamy Yogurt Sauce

Yogurt or simple curd is an awesome ingredient as it enhances the taste and flavor of almost every preparation. Doi Chingri or prawn in creamy yogurt is a recipe which can be cooked very easily and with few ingredients. But the aroma ands flavor is wonderful. I generally do not get fresh prawn in Bangalore ands hence use frozen ones but recently I got a handful of really fresh and large prawn. I decided to prepare this dish for the blog.

Preparation Time: - 20 min

Cooking Time: - 25~30 min

Servings: - 2~3 persons

Ingredients:-  

1. 8~9 extra large prawns as shown in the picture.
   
2. 4 tbsp curd / yogurt
3. 1 small onion chopped
4. Onion paste made from another small onion
5. 7 tbsp 1:1 mixture of mustard and vegetable oil
6. 2~3 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
7. 1 green chili slited and another for garnishing
8. 2 tsp Methi (fenugreek) seeds soaked in ½ cup water
9. 1 tsp Cheese spread
10. Few coriander leaves for garnishing
11. Salt to taste

Preparation:-

1. First remove the shell, remove the central vein of the prawn and clean thoroughly. In case you used the frozen prawns then no need to do this as they are already peeled and deveined.
2. Use a blender to make onion paste.
3. Mix ½ of the onion paste and 1 tsp curd / yogurt and marinate the prawns in that mixture for 20 minutes.
   
4. Take a bowl and soak the methi seeds in water.
   
5. Take 4 tbsp oil in a non-stick kadai /frying pan. Heat the oil in high flame.
6. When the bubble settles put the prawns and shallow fry in low flame. Keep aside.
   
7. Pour the rest of the oil in same kadai /frying pan. Heat the oil in high flame.
8. Add green chili and the chopped onion in it and fry till they turn golden brown.
   
9. Pour the rest of curd, methi and onion paste in the kadai.
   
10. Sprinkle Kashmiri Red Chili powder on it.
11. Stir and mix well. Cook for 1~2 min.
12. Add the already fried prawn and salt.Add water if you require.
    
    
13. Continue cooking in low flame till the mixture dries up.
    
14. Add the cheese spread – stir well to mix.
    
15. Switch off the burner and garnish with a slitted green chili and few coriander leaves.
    

Serve this as side dish with fragrant rice (fried rice, Pulao, etc.) or Noodles. 

As always please feel free to comment, criticize and seek if any help is required. I am all ears.