Methi Malai Matar(Methi diye matarsuti)

We eat out quite often. Most of the times, if I like something, I start searching for the recipe. I first tasted this dish during my husband’s posting in Punjab. I had this at a small restaurant in Bhatinda and my search for the recipe started immediately. That’s how the Methi Malai Matar came into my recipe repository! After some searching and trial and error, I finally settled on this recipe. It has a creamy taste and texture, yet spicy and aromatic too. Any time I make this dish, my friends end up asking for the recipe. It is delicious.

Ingredients:

Onion – 1 big (chopped)

Cashew nuts – 12 nos (soaked in warm water)

Curd – 2 tbsp

Green cardamom – 2 nos

Cinnamon – 1 inch stick

Cloves – 2 nos

Salt – 1 tsp

White pepper powder – 1 tsp

Kasturi methi – 1 tbsp

Green peas – 1 cup (boiled)

Paneer – ½ cup (optional)

Cream – 1 cup

Milk – ½ cup

Water – ½ cup

Oil – 1 tbsp
Green chilli  - 1 or 2 as per taste

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp white oil and add green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Add the chopped onion and sauté till soft and not brown. Take it off the flame and allow to cool. When cool put it in a blender along with cashew nuts green chilies and curd. Blend it to a fine puree.

Heat the pan and sauté the paste. Add salt and white pepper stirring continuously to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add half cup warm water along with the boiled green peas. Crush kasturi methi with your hand and add it to the pan. Add the paneer (optional) at this stage. Lower the heat and gradually add the milk stirring continuously. Similarly add the cream slowly stirring continuously. When the gravy turns thick, transfer to a serving dish. Serve with naan, roti or paratha.

Motor Shutir Kochuri (Green Peas Kochuri)

I love cooking , especially for my kids, and with their active help sometimes over the weekends and vacations. Bengali's love to eat, feed others and cook. My cooking is very special cause i learnt it not only from my parents who were  originally from Bangaladesh, but also from my mother -in-law who is from west bengal ,India.


Ingredients:

Refined flour – 300 gms

Ghee / Oil – 4 tbsp

Water – 4 ½ tbsp

Green Peas – 500 gms shelled

Asafoetida – ½ tsp

Chilli powder – ½ tsp

Cumin-chilli powder – 2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Sugar – 2 tsp – or to taste

Oil – for deep frying

How I prepare the kochuri:

1.    Cumin-chilli powder: Roast 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 red chillies on a griddle till they are crisp to the touch. Grind to a fine powder.

2.    Combine the refined flour, 1tsp salt, 2 tbsp ghee / oil, water and knead into a stiff dough. Refrigerate for 2 hrs.

3.    Grind the peas to a fine paste.

4.    Heat 2 tbsp ghee / oil in a wok.

5.    Lower the flame and add the asafoetida.

6.    Add the pea paste, sugar, salt to taste and chilli powder. Mix well and cook for 5-6 min on a low flame, stirring all the while so that it does not burn.

7.    Add the cumin-chilli powder and cook for another 2 min.

8.    Remove from fire and keep aside.

9.    Divide the dough into equal portions, each the size of a medium lemon.

10. Shape each portion into a disk about 2 inches in diameter.

11. Make a well in the middle, add adequate stuffing and cover it.

12. Roll each into a disc about 3 inches in diameter.

13. Deep fry on a low flame till golden brown in colour.

14. Drain excess oil and serve hot

Papad Ki Sabzi

Ingredients:

Minced mutton – 250 gms (minced thrice)

Kashmiri red chilli – 30 gms

Roasted Besan – 25 gms

Green papaya paste – 20 gms

Garam masala powder – 5 gms

Papads – 8 nos (cut into quarters)

Desi ghee – 25 gms

Ginger paste – 15 gms

Garlic paste – 15 gms

Bay leaf – 1 no.

Mace and Cardamom powder – 5 gms

Sliced Onion – 100 gms

Beaten curd – 60 gms

Almond – 20 gms

Cashew nut – 20 gms

Fresh cream – 10 gms

Almonds sliced – 10 gms for garnishing

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Green cardamom – 2 nos

Cloves – 4 nos

Salt – to taste

Sugar – ¼ tsp

 Oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

Soak the Kashmiri red chillies in warm water for 10 min and grind to a fine paste. The mutton should be very finely minced.

Heat oil and sauté the finely minced mutton along with the Kashmiri chilli paste, mace and cardamom powder, garam masala powder, papaya paste, sugar, salt and roasted gram flour in a heavy bottom pan. When you smell nice aroma it is done. Keep aside to cool.

Apply water along the edges of one face of the cut papad.  Fill about 20 gms of the mince mixture and cover with another piece of papad. Seal the edges properly. Likewise prepare the other papad pieces. Place it on a clean plate and cook for 45 sec in the microwave oven.

Heat ghee in a pan and add the bay leaf, clove, green cardamom, cinnamon and sliced onions. Once the onions turn brown add the ginger and garlic pastes, salt and sugar. Sauté for 5 min till all the ingredients are well blended. Keep aside. When cool add beaten and cook on slow fire. Add almond and cashew nut pastes along with fresh cream and simmer. When cooked, remove from fire and spread on top of the previously prepared papad triangles. Garnish with sliced almonds.

Sorshe Begun (Brinjals in Mustard)

As a baby like almost everybody else I hated vegetables.  My mother was a adventurer when it came to cooking. Her adventures with North Indian cuisine convinced her that onion and garlic added greatly to the taste and substance of most recipes.  I remember once, when we were served Sorshe Begun, my brother and I sat looking distastefully at the hated vegetable glistening with oil, covered in a brown mush of ground masalas. I remember remarking too, that they looked like drowned rats. My mother turned on me with contained fury, telling me not to talk rubbish and not to insult my food. As the years rolled by we got used to eating this vegetable, and later on I started loving it. Here is how I make the Sorshe Begun.

Ingredients:

Brinjals – 250 gms (small)

Mustard paste – 25 gms

Mustard Oil – 50 gms

Kalo jeera (Nigella seeds) – ¼ tsp

Green chillies – 2-3 slit lengthwise

Turmeric powder – 2 tbsp

Chilli powder – 2 tbsp

Sugar – to taste

Salt – to taste

Water – 40 ml

Method:

Wash the brinjals and pat dry with a kitchen towel and then cut into quarters length-wise.

To make mustard paste soak the mustard seeds in water for 10 minutes and grind to a coarse paste with 2 green chillies and ¼ tsp salt.

In a bowl take the turmeric and red chilli powder and make a paste with some water and keep aside.

Heat the mustard oil to a smoking point add nigella seeds  and slit green chillies, then add the brinjals and the soaked powdered masala and brinjals.  Cook on low hear till the brinjals are done Add mustard paste and sugar and cook for 2-3 min. Turn off the flame and add a little mustard oil and check the seasoning. Serve hot.

Guava Jam

Sandip, my brother-in-law was invited to his friend's farm house on the outskirts of Kolkata. His friend gave him freshly plucked ripe guavas from his garden for me. I made Guava Jam for Sayoni, my niece. Here's how I make it.

Ingredients:

Ripe Guavas - 2 kgs

Sugar - 4 cups

Guava tree

Water - 4 cups

Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Method:

Cut the guavas into quarters. Put them in a pressure cooker with the water and cook until tender. Them liquidize to form a puree. Strain the puree to separate the seeds and take the strained liquid in a heavy bottom pan. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Heat the liquid gently stirring constantly till it is reduced to about 1/4. Add the lemon juice and give it a good stir. Store in airtight containers. 

Note: You have to test if it is done or not by taking a spoonful of the jam in a dish. If water leaves the sides it's not ready. If you reduce it too much it will become too thick to spread on your toast.

Thai Chicken Cakes

Take ½ kg chicken mince in a bowl. To it add 1 lemon grass finely chopped with outer layer removed, 2 tbsp finely chopped spring onions, 1 egg (whisked well), some finely chopped green chillies, 2 tbsp finely chopped root ginger, 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves, salt to taste and 2 tbsp oil . Knead well with your fingers and add 2 tbsp fish sauce. Add about ½ cup bread crumbs and knead well.

Now take a greased baking tray. Wet your hands with water, take some mince mix, make small balls and arrange them on the greased baking tray. Flatten the balls a bit and put the tray in preheated oven for 10-12 min or until the cakes are lightly browned and cooked through.

Serve hot as a snack with sweet chilli sauce, lime wedges, shredded spring onions and red chillies. It also makes light and healthy supper when served with green salad. You can also do them in small bite sized pieces. They are ideal on cocktail sticks served with sweet chilli sauce on the side. 

Bhapa Ilish (Steamed Hilsa)

Ilish is the most popular fish to Bengalis. Ilish is an oily fish rich in essential fatty acids (omega 3 fatty acids).  Ilish can be cooked in an endless number of ways. In Bengal, ilish can be smoked, fried, steamed, baked in young plantain leaves (paturi), prepared with mustard seed paste, curd,  Begun (eggplant), different condiments like jira and so on. 

Ilish can be cooked in very little oil since the fish itself is very oily. I had shared the recipe for preparing Ilish Paturi in my earlier post. Here’s another very simple Ilish dish extremely popular with Bengalis. It is best prepared with fresh Ilish fish.

Bhapa Ilish

Ingredients:

Ilish (Hisla) – 5-6 pieces

Mustard seeds (Shorshe) – 2 tbsp (soaked in a little water for 10 min.)

Coconut (Grated)  – 4 tbsp

Green Chilli – 3 – 4 (for the paste)

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp (optional)

Mustard oil – 1 tsp

Salt  - to taste

Green  Chillies – 4 nos (slit)

Ilish Fish cut into pieces

Method:

Wash and clean the fish pieces, pat dry with kitchen towel and keep aside.

Grind the mustard seeds & green chillies with little salt to make a thick mustard paste (shorshe bata).

Grind the grated coconut separately. Some of my friends use poppy seeds in the paste instead of grated coconut. 

In a bowl take the shorshe bata, ground coconut paste and add the turmeric, salt to taste, 1 tbsp water and 1 tsp mustard oil. 

Mix well and coat the fish pieces nicely with this mixture. You can add 1-2 tsp of Kasundi to the mixture. This enhances the taste of the mustard paste.

Place the fish pieces with the paste in the bowl in one single layer. Add 4 slit green chili on the top. Cover with aluminium foil. Steam for 10 min.

Serve with fluffy plain rice.

Pudina Bhetki Fry& Kasundi

Mint Leaves

Method of preparation:

Take thick fillets of Bhetki Fish and marinate them with lemon juce and pepper. After 10 min wash the fish fillets in running water, dry in a kitchen towel and keep aside.

In a mixing bowl,  take 1 tbsp onion paste, 1 tsp each of garlic paste, ginger paste, green chilli paste, ¼ tsp  pepper, 1 tsp lemon juce, 2 tsp each of finely chopped  coriander and mint leaves , ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp sugar. Mix well and rub in the fillets with this mixture and keep aside for 10 min.




 Take some corn flour in a plate and coat the fish fillets with the flour. Keep aside.

In another mixing bowl make a mixture with corn flour, egg, a pinch of salt and two ice cubes. The mixture should be of a medium consistency. 




Dip the fish fillets in this mixture and deep fry in hot vegetable oil till golden and crisp. Serve hot with mustard sauce (kasundi).

Kasundi:

Kasundi is also known as Bengali’s  mustard sauce. This has a peaked sharp taste coming from the mustard seed and oil and green chillies, very hot and pungent. A little overdose of it can bring tears to the eyes. Kasundi is perhaps Bengalis answer to the Japanese wasabi. When raw / unripe mangoes are used to prepare this mustard sauce, it is known as aam kasundi or mango-mustard sauce. Normally readymade kasundi comes in bottles which are available over the counter. It is very easy to prepare it at home also. This is how I prepare Aam Kasundi.

Take 1 small piece of raw mango (green), 2 tbsp mustard seeds, 2 green chillis, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp turmeric in a grinder and mix it with 2 tbsp mustard oil to form a thick paste. You have to add some water to help make a uniform paste.  

Aamer Kheer (Mango Malai)

Ingredients:

Milk -1litre

Pista – 4 tsp (grated)

Powdered Sugar – 6 tbsp

Brown Cardamom Powdered – 2 nos

Saffron – 2 pinch

Mango Pulp – 2 cup

Khowa (Khir) -  100 gms

Desi Ghee – 3 tbsp

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp sugar with 3 tbsp water and then add the milk. Put in one tbsp ghee and let the milk reach boiling point. Then simmer and let the milk reduce to half. Add the remaining sugar, mix well and take it off the heat. Allow it to cool.

Take a separate kadhai and heat 2 tbsp ghee.  Add the khowa. Then add the mango pump and mix well. Add the grated pista. Mix well into a smooth paste. Now add the reduced milk to this mixture stirring constantly so that the bottom does not burn. Add cardamom powder and saffron to the kadhai. Let cool. Pour it into individual bowls, and chill in the refrigerator. Garnish with 1 tsp chopped mango while serving.