Pishima r Chicken

Pishima, my  late Father in laws sister has come to visit, to stay for a few days with us. She and my 
Ma in law  were up to their stories, discussion wound round the streets of Lucknow and the narrow lanes of Agra and I was all ears.....Pishima and her siblings were very naughty...stories said it all.

Aarti Pishi From London

It was a huge house we lived in, remember ? she said to Ma, surrounded by greenary. We had a
 long Varandah (Patio) and rooms spread out on all sides. Now these children don't believe us when they have KFC in between  their fingers, that we weren't allowed to haveMurgi ( chicken) at our place. Our childhood was absolutely different and the present " Macdonald" generation wont believe it when we say that
 no non-veg was ever cooked inside the kitchen, even onion-garlic wasn't allowed entry. Non-veg ( that too only fish preparations) was always cooked outside, that too in the far end of the courtyard !

Utensils kept aside separate and after eating men were to cleanse themselves before entering the house.
We were upper class Brahmin's and had "Narayan" so this had to be done.

Pishima continued with her story....Once my eldest cousin decided that he would cookMurgi ,as he had heard from his other friends that it tasted delicious. We kids were all asked to keep it a top secret, none of the elders were to know or else we would be thrashed properly. Very excitedly we four little ones agreed to it. It was great fun to keep a secret!!

Now, the decision was easy to make but where in the hell would we keep the live chicken? Earlier dressed chicken was not heard of and one had to buy a Whole Live Chicken !!

Now it was decided that the chicken would be hidden in the store where coal was kept. In those days,
 gas stoves were unheard of and coal  ovens were used in the kitchen for  cooking. So my elder brother bought a chicken  and kept it locked till evening as he arranged for other things.The chicken was to be had at dinner.

Now all was done top secret and we got down to eat. Fathers seat was moved away from ours so that he would not notice that we were having chicken. We very happily were having our food , chatting excitedly, giggling away......when suddenly mid-way through the meal Babu ji (We called him that lovingly) asked in his deep voice.....the food is delicious , but why haven't I been served that dish.....pointing to the chicken !!!

All of us became serious at once. The munching stopped all at once and there was pin drop silence ....

Babuji broke the silence....breaking into a laughter.....
Ha Ha ha ha.........and you kids thought I wouldn't know what was going on in my own house, he said laughing.

We were spared the spanking that night, but Ma made us all remove our clothes and take a bath after that dinner, in the freezing temperatures of Lucknow winter!!

Aarti Pishi with niece payal mukherji

 Pishima with Nephew Soumitra Chatterjee

Unlike today, old memories were never photographed. Memories need to be captured I feel. If you don't write it down you'll lose some of it.

Doi Diye Murgir Kalia :

Murgi (chicken)...........................1,cut into big size pieces

Onion Paste.................................of two medium onions

Ginger Paste................................1 tbsp

Garlic Paste.................................1 tbsp

Yoghurt.......................................500 grams

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder........1/2 tsp

Green Chilly Paste.......................2 tsp or as per taste

Salt..............................................to taste

Bay Leaf......................................2

Clove...........................................2

Cinnamon.....................................2

Green Cardamom.........................2

Desi Ghee.....................................4 tbsp

Refined Oil...................................1tsp

Sugar...........................................1/2 tsp 

Turmeric Powder.......................1/2 tsp

Method :

Heat the Desi ghee in a deep pan and add the Bay leaves,Cinnamon, Cardamoms, Cloves in it.

Almost immedietely, add the Onion-Ginger- Garlic-Green chilly pastes. Stir to fry all of them well till the ghee rises to the top.

Add salt and the Mangsho. Cook till all are reddish.

Now add a little water to the Yoghurt and beat well. Add this yoghurt and mix all in.

Put a lid and allow the murgi to cook on low flame.

When the chicken is soft serve it with rice or roti. But before you do so kalia must have its bright red colour. For that heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan.In it add 1/2 tsp sugar and caramalise it. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder to it.

Before everything burns add to the kalia .

Enjoy !!

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Holi Especial

Holi is a festival of colour. We have a special menu, simple but different. Every year its different from the previous occasion. This year, among other things were Palak Mutton, Dahi Bhalle and Bhetki Fish in coconut Gravy.

Organic  bright colours, baloons filled with coloured water and water guns lights up this festival and brings one and all together. Holi or Dol  in Bengali is not only a festival of colours but also of sweets. If you love Indian sweets then there are quite a few like Malpua, Gujjia, Gulab Jamun etc that are traditional and a must.

At our place,  in a holiday mood my couch potato hubby will lock himself up in his room and sleep,sleep sleep !!
He will pamper himself with a heavy meal after a good cleansing scrub.

Palak Mutton(Saag Wala Ghost) :

Ingredients:                                                               Method Of Preparation :

Mutton...........................................500 grams            Blanch the Spinach leaves in hot water      

Spinach..........................................1 bundle                 and Remove immedietely and soak in a 

Onions,large.....................................3,sliced               bowl of chilled water. This will stop the 

Garlic Paste......................................1/2 tsp                cooking and retain its green colour. Put  

Ginger Paste.....................................1/2 tsp              in a blender&make a paste. Keep aside.

Curd................................................2 tbsp                   Marinate the mutton in curd, 1/2 tsp 

Tomato Paste..............................1 small tomato     haldi powder,cumin powder, coriander 

Oil...................................................3 tbsp                     powder for half an hour.                
                                                                                       In a kadhai/wok heat oil and saute                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Desi Ghee........................................1 tbsp                   the sliced onions till reddish Then add gar               

Salt.................................................as per taste           garlic&ginger &saute. Add the tomato                                 

Turmeric Powder.............................1 tsp                 paste &cook till  everything is well cooked. 

Red Chilly Powder...........................1/2 tsp             Next add the mutton along with all the 

Cumin Powder...................................1/2 tsp            marinade              
                                                                                      Fry very well till the mutton is reddish. 

Coriander Powder.............................1/2 tsp           add water when ever the mutton looks 

Garam masala Powder.......................1/4 tsp          dry so that the spices don't burn.

                                                                               Add the ghee , some water, cover and cook till                                                                                          

                                                                               mutton is cooked. Add the spinach once the 

                                                                               mutton soft.                  

                                                                               Another easy way of doing this dish is to                                                        

                       transfer the mutton and spinach into a pressure                 
                       cooker & to pressure cook.
                         This dish can be served with Roti, naan or
                         Paratha.                           

Dahi Bhalla :

Dahi Vada is known as Dahi Bhalle in Punjabi n Urdu , Doi Bora in Bengali. It is a variety of the famous Indian Chaats. In this chaat the Vadas/Bhalles are soaked in water and then transferred to beaten curd.

Ingredients :

For the Vadas :

Urad daal...................................1 cup

Salt............................................as per taste

Ginger........................................1-inch piece

Cashew nuts................................2 tbsp,chopped

Green Chilly................................2 finely chopped

Refined Oil................................for deep frying

For the Dahi :

Youghurt/ fresh Curd...............................1 kg,beaten

Salt.........................................................to taste

Sugar......................................................1 tbsp

Garnishings :

Green Coriander-Mint Chutney

Sweet Tamarind-Date Chutney

Roasted Cumin Powder

Red Chilly Powder

Green Chilly Finely Chopped

Green Coriander Leaves Finely Chopped

Chaat Masala

Method :

Soak the dal overnight and then grind to a paste. Do not use too much water while grinding. Beat the dal well with hand to make it fluffy. Add the ginger, salt, cashewnuts, green chilly and  then deep fry the vadas in hot oil. Then immedietely soak the vadas in warm water or warm milk (I use milk as it add to the flavour). 

Then after 2-3  minutes squeeze out the water or milk by pressing between your palms.

Spread all the squeezed vadas on a serving dish.

Beat fresh yoghurt  very well to make it smooth. Add salt and sugar.

Now spread the yoghurt on the vada well. Use the whole yoghurt to cover the dish. Sprinkle Red chilly powder, Chaat powder, Roasted cumin powder, Tamarind-date chutney, Green chutney, finely chopped green chilly and coriander ......You can use all or any as garnishing.

Serve.

Dahi Bhalle

Bhetki In Coconut Gravy :

Bhetki in coconut Sauce

Ingredients :

Bhetki fillet....................................10 pieces

Onion..............................................1small

Ginger............................................1/2 inch piece

Green chillies...................................2

Tomato.............................................1 small

Coconut Milk...................................1 tetra pack

Turmeric powder............................1/2 tsp

Kashmiri red Chilly Powder........... a pinch or two(for colour)

Salt....................................................as per taste

Sugar................................................1/4 tsp(optional)

Garam masala powder.................1 pinch

Desi ghee..........................................1 tsp

Method :

Heat 4 tbsp refined oil in a pan. Lightly saute the fish fillets in oil and remove.Frying too long will harden the fillets. If you wish, you can add raw fish fillets to gravy.

Make a paste of the onion, ginger, green chillies, tomato and add this paste to the oil .Cook frying till oil rises and the paste is cooked.

Next mix 2 tbsp water to the dry spices in a bowl and add to the pan. Mix well.

Cook stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Next add the fish and the coconut milk and mix.

Put a lid ,cover and let cook for five minutes. Remove cover and mix.

Serve hot with plain white rice.

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Indian Myna

Kolkata may have fallen off the map for nature lovers. It's a wonder that this heavily polluted city with shrinking greenary and almost no water body is still attractive enough for enough guests that fly thousands of miles to visit us every year and it proves that we humans have not succeeded entirely in driving these avians away from our city.

Its heartening to read about Big Bird Day, an annual one-day census of avian life. The census was to give bird lovers and conservationists an idea of the diversity of species still present in these urban areas and what can  be done to save bird habitats so that we can protect all existing species of birds. If birds do not find food sources and safe places for building nests how will they survive. Humans will loose the joy's of observing bird life and so the need to increase awareness. The construction boom in and around the city has spelt doom for avian existence. The dwindling population of the common Mynah like the house sparrow is worrisome as trees are almost non-existent in our concrete jungles. These birds that used  to nest in ventilators and airconditioners  are dwindling in numbers. Also urbananisation has pushed us away from mother nature. Green areas are only visible in patches. I have been fortunate to have spent most of my life living in places that have a lot of vegetation and have been fortunate to be able to watch nature from close quarters. Observing nature has given me great pleasure.

In the past years that I have lived in Kolkata I observed birds from my window as they went about doing their own business-foraging for food, indulging in courtship or preening . Some of them  crying out to others to draw attention. I have a common crow that visits my kitchen window for a biscuit every morning and a pair of Mynah who keep knocking on my dinning room windowpane till I feed them Haldiram's Bhujia !!!

Birds that love to have only Sev

These birds seem to be making do with a few green patches but their numbers have reduced and they are dieing a slow death.

Papdi Chaat :

For Papdi :                                                                          

1 cup Refined Flour (Maida)

1/4 tsp Bishops Weed/carom Seeds

1 tbsp Ghee or oil

Water for kneading

1 cup oil (for deep frying

My Haldiram Bhujia Friends

Common Myna
Pic by My Friend Partho Chatterji

How to Make Papdi Chaat :

This is an appetizer or a snack that is every Kolkatan's favourite.

Everything is available in packets now days in the markets. All you need is to get them home and assemble them. This dish doesn't need any finery or finishing. 

Most Chaat-walas on the street of Kolkata would just spread the papdis on a newspaper or paper dish. Throw all ingredients in a bowl and toss together. Then spread  the mix on the papdi. Top with Sev and serve. But at home I do it differently.

The sweet chutney and curd drizzled over a bed of Papdi and topped with various other  tid-bits make this dish a delicious Chaat. Various combinations can be used in this preparation.

Spread the Papdi's on a dish. Top with Boiled potato, cut into very tiny cubes. 

You can add boiled Chick peas, Peanuts, Thick Papdi, Thick Sev .......whatever you like.

Beat fresh curd well and add salt and sugar to it as per your taste. Drizzle it all over .

Next drizzle some chutney. You can make date-tamarind sweet chutney with jaggery  and  also green chutney with mint -coriander and tamarind.

Top with sev.  Zero number sev is best for garnishing papdi chaat. Its very fine. You can add crumbled papdi as well.

Some ladies add finely chopped  green chillies and coriander leaves.

How to make Papdi:

Just in case you decide to make the papdi yourself..........

Take a mixing Bowl and put all ingredients in it and knead to a stiff dough.  Cover and keep the dough for 15 minutes.Then make equal size balls from the dough.With a Rolling pin make small rounds and keep aside on a dish.On each round make small cuts with a knife all over. The small rounds called Papdi will not soak up a lot of oil because of this.  Heat the oil in a deep pan and when hot  fry the papdi's on low heat, pressing with a spoon while frying. When golden remove and cool. The crisp Papdi's can be stored in an air-tight container for quite some time.

I often prepare Sev at home and store. They are very easy to prepare and I will tell you all about it in my future note. If not in a mood to make a chaat you can serve them as a snack 

with your tea or coffee. Not only my kids my mynas too are a big fan of my home made sev......ha ha ha.....

My Favourite Papdi chaat shop

Pepper Prawn Curry

Pepper Prawn Curry

This dish is an almost exact of the South Indian dish "The Chettinad Prawn Curry"  as I remember but fearing that I must have missed out some ingredients I prefer to name it differently . Having  my children staying down south, I tasted the dish on my visits but my dish is not that authentic as I have twisted it to suit my tastes so I call it Pepper Prawn Curry instead . 

If only my friends reading my post would be kind enough to comment and let me know what they think ....

Ingredients Used :

Prawns..........................................................1/2 kg

Ginger Paste.................................................1 tbsp

Garlic Paste..................................................1/2 tbsp

Tomato Paste.............................................1medium tomato 
Potato...........................................................1.large,cubed

Onion.............................................................2,chopped

Green ChillyPaste........................................1tsp
Green Chilly,slit..............................................2

Peppercorns (Paste/crushed)........................10

Chilly Powder.............................................1tsp

Turmeric Powder........................................1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder......................................1 tbsp

Oil.............................................................6-8 tbsp

Salt...........................................................as per taste

Clean the prawns, d'vein and coat with salt and turmeric powder.

Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the prawns. When they change colour remove immediately.

Add  onion and saute. Add the potato paste and saute till the raw smell goes away.Then add the garlic-ginger-green chilly paste and cook.

Next add all the powdered spice and cook .

Add the chopped potato cubes. Mix all and add 1/2 cup of water and let cook. When the potatoes are very soft add the  green chilly's and fried prawns. Put a lid and cook for 2 minutes till the prawns are nicely done.

Serve with chapati/Pulka/ roti.

Enjoy !!

Pepper Prawn Curry

Dheki r Saag

Dheki R Saag

 Dheki R Saag Dim Diye :

This is the Non-vegetarian Preparation :

The saag looks quite like fern and come in bundles in Kolkata.
You will need two bundles.
Remove the stems and discard. Break off the soft top portion of the stem and the leaves and chop them. Wash the saag very well and drain off water.

Chop two medium size onions, 2 pods of garlic, 1 inch piece of ginger, 2-3 green chilly's .

Non -Veg Preparation

In a wok, heat 2 tbsp refined oil and when it heats up, break two eggs and scramble them. Remove to a dish when done.

Now heat 2 tbsp oil again and fry the garlic, ginger, onion and green chilly . Then add the chopped greens.
Add salt, sugar ,turmeric powder and red chilly powder.  
Mix . Cover and let cook on slow flame.
Let the saag cook in its own juices. When the saag softens , add the scrambled eggs and stir fry till dry. 
Remove and serve.

Ingredients :

Dheki Saag...................................2 bundles,chopped

Eggs...............................................2,beaten

Onion.............................................2,medium size,chopped

Garlic.............................................2 pods,chopped

Ginger...........................................1 inch,chopped

Green Chilly..................................2-3,chopped

Refined oil.....................................4-6 tbsp

Turmeric Powder........................1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder.........................1/4 tsp

Salt..................................................as per taste

Sugar................................................1/2 tsp

Dekhir Saag Dim Diye

 Aloo aar Begun Diye Dhekir Saag :

This is a vegetarian preparation .

Aloo Diye Dhekir Saag

Chop 2 medium size Onions, 2 pods of Garlic, 1inch piece of Ginger, 2-3 Green Chilly's.

Chop the saag and wash under running water. Drain off the water.

Make small cubes of 1 large Potato and 1 medium Brinjal.

Now heat 2 tbsp refined oil in a wok and fry the potatoes till golden and remove . Do the same with the brinjal pieces.

Now again heat 2 tbsp refined oil and fry the chopped onion, garlic , ginger and green chilly .

Add the powdered spices, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and sugar. Mix all well with a little water. Then add the fried potatoes and cover and let cook. 

Remove cover and add the saag. Let the saag cook in its own juices. When the potato pieces soften add the brinjal pieces and 2-3 slit green chilly's. Cook stir frying  till the saag mixes well with the soft potato cubes and brinjal .

Remove . Serve with plain rice.

 Ingredients :

Veg Preparation

Dheki Saag.............................  2 bundles

Onion...................................... 2 medium

Garlic.......................................2 pods

Ginger......................................1 inch

Green Chilly..............................2-3

Green Chilly,slit.........................2-3

Potato.......................................1 large

Brinjal.......................................1,medium

Refined Oil.................................4 tbsp

Turmeric Powder........................1/2 tsp

Red Chilly Powder......................1/4 tsp

Salt & sugar...............................as per taste

                                                       

                                                      

Echorer Dalna :

                    Most ladies who are representatives of the cross-culture diaspora in the US and an ambassador of our culture have been writing about Indian food and we do get slices of Indian life in their notes .They visit, and others get to know of their visit , food and culture but it takes much more than just a visit cause life is forever changing over here in India just as in other parts of the world. 

                    I do agree that Indians who have made their homes in other parts of the world but have remained entrenched in their indigenous roots haven't allowed anything to affect their "Bangaliana"  They think in Bengali  and may be more Bengali than me, but what brings a broad smile on my face is seeing an American talking about something as homegrown as Paanch Phoron and Dhone -Jeere !!!

                 While we in India wouldn't dream of making a "summer vegetable" in winter , they have  been cooking veggies packed in tins all around the year. Every vegetable chooses to be born at a particular time of the year , declared ma and you must not have it at other times.
She wouldn't dream of having Echor (Jackfruit) from a tin !!!

                   She has to have the pieces cut in a particular way, each piece a particular size, ingredients just right and cooked in a particular way. Growing up in Bihar, ma had the opportunity to experience life and natures beauty in every possible way. We plucked berries from the wild and even had a Wild Bear follow us one fine day, when we went into the jungle.....she says.
We plucked mangoes , washed them in the spring water and ate them sitting on a tree.
You won't have experiences like me to tell your grand-son , she says with a smile.....

                 Though Jackfruit is the National Fruit of Bangladesh, it is a hot favourite in West Bengal and it is prepared as a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian dish in every household.
In my kitchen we love both Niramish (Vegetarian) and  Amish (with prawns).
Kathal is also called Ganch Patha in Bengali and is therefore cooked just like patha(Mutton). The Niramish Echorer Dalna is cooked with Onion-Ginger-Garlic  or only with Ginger-Cumin-Ghee-Garam Masala where as the Amish Echorer Dalna is cooked with Onion-Ginger-Garlic and has Prawns in it.

When Echor pieces are cut just the size of mutton/meat pieces  then this preparation is called Echoer Kalia or Gaanch Panthar Kalia.


Echorer Dalna/ Gaanch Panthar Kalia


 Ingredients:



Kathal (Jackfruit)..................................................1small,chopped into cubes
Aloo(Potatoes)......................................................2,medium,chopped into cubes
Tomato,Grated/Curd.............................................1tbsp
Peyaj(Onion).........................................................1,large, finely chopped
Kacha Lonka(Green chilly)....................................3-4,slit
Ada Bata(Ginger Paste).........................................1 tsp
Rosun Bata(Garlic Paste).......................................1 tsp
Lonka Bata(Green Chilly Paste)..............................1 tsp
Gota Gorom Masla(Whole Garam Masala)
Clove......................................................................2
Cinnamon..............................................................2
Green Cardamom..................................................2
Tejpatta (Bay Leaf)...............................................3-4
Sukno Lonka(Dry Red Chilly Whole)......................3-4
Gorom Masla Gudo(Garam Masala Powder)...........1/2 tsp
Jeere Guro(Cumin Powder).....................................1 tsp
Holud Gudo(Turmeric Powder)................................1/2 tsp
Desi Ghee(Clarified Butter).......................................1/2 tsp
Noon(Salt)..............................................................as per taste
Chini(Sugar)...........................................................1 tsp
Refined Oil/Mustard Oil..........................................6-8 tbsp

Khaja Kathal er Echor is the best, claims  Ma.

Cut the kathal into cubes . Remove the thick outer covering surrounding the seeds in the middle and discard. Don't peel the outer covering too much or you will be throwing away the flesh.

You can add Kolai Daler Bori to the dish. Fry 6-8 bori's golden and keep aside.

Cut the potatoes into cubes as well. My  Ma and Mother in law would both insist that the size of the Kathal and Aloo  should be same but I suppose if you are cooking out of a tin the size of kathal is already cut for you. And then I hear it comes in brine so is salty. Please strain and wash and then use.

First of all on heating the oil I would fry the prawns if its a non-veg dish I am preparing but this time it was vegetarian.

Coat the kathal pieces with a pinch of turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt .
Now heat 4-6 tbsp oil  in a kadai/ frying pan and fry the kathal pieces till slight colour change is visible. When the pieces turn brown remove.

You can steam the jackfruit pieces to soften them before you start cooking the dish.
I sometimes do this, and I pressure cook the jackfruit pieces just for 1 whistle.

Now in the same oil (If the oil is less add some more) add the Phoron/ Tempering. Add the Bay Leaves, Red Chilly Whole and Whole Garam Masala, when the oil heats up. As soon as the tempering starts to splutter add the chopped onion and stir fry.

When the Onion is done , add the Tomato and fry till mushy and well mixed. Add Ginger paste, Garlic Paste , Green Chilly Paste. Stir fry well. Add Salt and Sugar . If you are using curd instead of grated tomato add it at this stage.

Now in a bowl , mix the Cumin Powder,Turmeric Powder and Garam Masala Powder together with a little water and add this powder mix to the kadhai.
Fry well till oil separates and rises to the top.

Add the Potato,slit Green Chilly and Jackfruit pieces (as well as the Bori) , enough water to cover the vegetables , put a lid, reduce the flame and let cook. When the vegetables are soft and the gravy thick add the fried prawns to the dish (If its a non -veg Preparation). Mix them in. Also add the ghee. Cover and leave for five minutes in the Kadhai/Pan.

After that remove cover and dish out. This is a dry dish with very less gravy.

Serve with Rice or Paratha.....

Echorer Dalna