Loita Maacher Jhuri Bhaaja

Bombay Duck or Bombil  is Loita Maach  in Bengal. It is prepared in various ways at our place.This slimy, snake like fish when prepared tastes very good. I prepared it with brinjal (or potato can also be used)this time. Loita maach takes in a lot of water but this preparation is a dry dish so by the time its ready the quantity will reduce .Therefore for four persons I would recommend you buy 500 grams of Loita Maach.

Ingredients:

Loita Maach.........................................................500grams

Onion,chopped....................................................3,medium size

Garlic Pods,chopped.............................................5-6,pods

Green chilly,chopped.............................................4-5

Tomato,chopped...................................................1,medium

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

Turmeric powder..................................................1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder.................................................2 tsp

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

Mustard Oil...........................................................100ml

Loita Maach

Preparation :


Ask your fish seller to cut the fish into finger length pieces (4 inch pieces) for you.

Take 1/2 a cup of water and boil the fish.

Discard the water and taking a sharp knife make a slit to spread the fish apart to remove the central bone, the only bone.

Heat the mustard oil in a pan. For this dish, the oil is on the higher side as the dish is entirely based on oil and no water was used. If you wish to reduce the oil, then its entirely your choice.

Chop the onion, garlic, tomato and green chilly very fine.
Chop the brinjal or if you want to use potato instead, into small cubes.

Saute the garlic till golden and then add the chopped onion. Stir fry.

Add finely chopped tomatoes and green chilly and cook stir frying.

Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and stir continuously.

Add the brinjal pieces. Keep stir frying.

The fish will disintegrate and form a mash (Ghonto in Bengali). As water dries up, the fish will achieve a desired paste like consistency. Oil will separate .  It is also spicy(Jhaal in Bengali) as red chilly powder as well as green chilly is used.

This prepared jhuri bhaaja is served with plain rice.

Peas Paratha (Motorshutir Paratha)

Refined Flour(Moida Makha)

Peas Stuffing(Motorsutir Pur)


This is a wonderful, " Filling  " snack . Make it for breakfast or early dinner  and please everybody.                                                                                                              

Ingredients :

For the stuffing :

Fresh Green Peas ..........................................1 kilo(peeled)

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

Green Chilly....................................................2

Salt................................................................1/2 tsp

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

Asafoetida(Hing powder).................................1/4 tsp

Cumin Seeds(jeere).........................................1/2 tsp

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

Refined Oil......................................................2 tbsp

Grind the peas with green chillies and ginger to a fine paste using as little water as possible. Heat the oil in a pan and temper with whole cumin seeds and asafoetida powder.

 Then add the peas paste and stir fry till the mix is absolutely dry. Add the salt and sugar and red chilly powder. When the mix is ready the colour will turn brownish and start leaving the sides of the pan. When a nice smell  starts coming the stuffing is ready.....

For the dough:

Refined Flour...................................................1/2 cup

Wheat Flour.....................................................1/2 cup

Ghee/Refined oil..............................................4 tbsp,for the dough

Salt.....................................................................1/2 tsp

In a large mixing bowl take refined flour, wheat flour, salt and ghee and knead to a very soft dough with the help of water.

To Make the Paratha:

Now divide the dough into equal size balls. Also divide the peas filling into equal size balls. 

Next take a dough ball and shape it like a bowl. Put one ball of stuffing in it and seal the dough ball well so that the stuffing doesn't come out. Prepare all in the same process.

With the help of a rolling pin, roll out the stuffed dough ball and make a large paratha.
Heat a griddle and roast the paratha and then smear the paratha with oil/ghee and fry till golden. Serve hot with potato curry.

Peas Paratha(Motorsutir Parotha)

Potato Curry :

Potato..................................................................4,large

Asafoetida Powder...........................................1/4 tsp

Whole Dry Red Chillies......................................2

Turmeric Powder...............................................1/4 tsp

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

Sugar..................................................................as per taste

Green Chillies......................................................4,slit

Oil.........................................................................2 tbsp

Chop the potatoes into small squares . Keep aside.

Heat oil and temper with red chilly and asafoetida powder.

Stir a bit and then add the potato cubes. Stir fry a bit and then add turmeric powder, salt, sugar and stir fry the spices well to coat the potatoes.

Add 1cup water and  slit green chillies . Put a lid , cover and cook on low flame till the potato pieces are very soft and mushy.

Increase the flame when the potatoes are soft and mix. Crush some of the potato pieces with your laddle/spoon.

Put flame off and serve with peas parathas.

Potato curry is ready to serve.......

Potato Curry(Aloor Torkari)

Sorshe Posto Diye Chaana

Ingredients :

Cottage Cheese (Chaana/Paneer ).......................................250 grams cut into cubes

Poppy Seed Paste (Posto Bata)...........................................4 tbsp

Mustard Seed Paste(Sorshe Bata)........................................2 tbsp

Mustard Oil (Sorsher Tel).....................................................4-6 tbsp

Onion Paste (Peyaj Bata)......................................................2 tbsp

Tomato Paste (Tomato Bata)................................................2 tbsp

Green Chilly (Kaancha Lonka)..............................................4-6,slit

Turmeric Powder (Holud Guro).............................................1/2 tsp

Red Chilly powder (Lal Lonka Guro).....................................1 tsp

Salt (Noon)...........................................................................as per taste

Sugar (Chini).........................................................................as per taste

For tempering :

Red Chillies,dry.....................................................................2

How I Prepared the dish:

                    I  usually cut the cottage cheese into small cubes and then stir- fry them, but if you don't want to , then its fine to add straight away to the prepared gravy without frying.

                     In a wok, heat the mustard oil and saute the cottage cheese pieces lightly. Keep aside.

                      In the motar and pestle, I grind the poppy seeds, white mustard seeds , onions, tomatoes separately to a fine paste.

                    In  the oil , add the whole red chillies and onion paste and saute well. Then add the tomato paste and saute till oil separates . 

             Next add the spices..... turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and sugar.

Also add the poppy seed paste and the mustard seed paste and saute.

Add a few table spoons of water while frying so that the spices don't burn.

                    When all are well done add the cottage cheese pieces ,1/2 cup of hot water and let it cook on medium flame.

This dish does not have a soupy gravy . All the spices stick around the chana and its a almost dry dish that goes very well with paratha and butter naan. I often serve it with whole wheat roti's as well.

Mourala Peyaji

Mourala Peyaji :

Mourala Maach.........................250 grams

Onions.......................................4,sliced lengthwise
Potato,large..............................cut into small thin pieces(like Aloo Bhaaja)

Mustard Oil...............................1/2 cup

Turmeric Powder.......................1 tsp

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

Green Chillies.............................4-5,slit

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

How its Prepared...... 

Clean the fish well and coat with salt and turmeric.

Heat the mustard oil in a wok and deep fry the fish in the oil.

Remove the fried fish and next fry the sliced onion in the same oil.

When the onion is reddish, add the spices, slit green chillies  and the potato pieces and fry well.

When potato pieces soften , add the fishes and mix.

When all are fried well ,remove to a serving dish .

Serve with rice or musur dal, lemon and rice.

Bhapa Rui (Baked Rui Fish)

For this dish, the most favourite fish of the Bengali's Rui is used.

Wash the fish pieces well and dry. I use flat "Peti" pieces  for this  preparation but you could add " gada" pieces.  Coat with salt and turmeric and leave for 10 minutes. 

Grind poppy seeds,  white mustard seeds, green chillies  to fine paste. In a mixing bowl, mix the poppy seed paste, mustard seed paste, hung curd, salt , green chilly paste , salt, mustard oil and turmeric powder.

Then coat the fish pieces with this mix. Add a couple of slit green chillies .

In an oven-proof bowl , spread the spice coated Rui Maach pieces. Top with the extra spice mix. Cover with an aluminium foil to seal.

Now , in a large pan over boiling water place the bowl of fish to steam. It should take close to 20 minutes .

You can use the OTG . Put water on the baking tray and on it put the bowl to bake.


Ingredients :


Rui Maach....................................................4-6 pieces
Poppy Seed Paste.......................................4 tbsp
White Mustard Paste.................................3 tbsp
Hung Curd....................................................4 tbsp
Green Chilly Paste.......................................2 tbsp
Salt................................................................as per taste
Mustard Oil....................................................2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder.........................................as required
Aluminium Foil...............................................1 sheet


Something xtra......


A pat on the doctors shoulder.....

Dr Ganesh Rak, a doctor from Pune's Hadapsar, celebrates the birth of a girl child by waiving off the entire maternity charges whenever a girl child is born in his hospital, in a bid to prevent female foeticide . His staff distributes sweets to all. He has waived all charges of 144 such cases as he is pained by the apathy shown to the mother when a girl child is born.

Mulo Diye Pui Shaaker Chachari :

Pui Saaker Chachari
Pic courtesy: chef Debashish Kundu

The scientific name for Pui Shaak or Pohi Saag is Basella Alba. Its other names are Climbing Spinach, Malabar Spinach Malabar Nightshade etc. Pui Shaaker Chorchori is a mixed vegetable preparation. A medley of various different combinations of vegetables, with fish head or shrimps.  Fortified with vitamins A&C, Iron & Calcium,  its low in calories but high in proteins and fibre.

This is a "summer " recipe if you know what I mean.....

Ingredients :

Pui Saak................................................................................300 grams

Mulo(Raddish).....................................................................2

Potato (Aloo)........................................................................4,medium size

Ridged Gourd(Jhinge)..........................................................2

Brinjal (Begun).......................................................................1 piece(1 phali)

Bengali Five Spice Mix(Paanch Phoron)...........................1/4 tsp

Dry Red Chilly(Sukno Lanka)..............................................2

Mustard(Sorshe)....................................................................1 tbsp

Green Chilly.............................................................................4

Ginger Paste(Optional).........................................................1/2 tbsp

Sugar........................................................................................1 tsp

Salt&TurmericPowder..........................................................as required(1/2 tsp each)

Mustard Oil............................................................................4 tbsp

Raw Mustard Oil(Optional)................................................2 tsp

Preparation:

Chop Potatoes and Pumpkin into medium size pieces with skin on.

Peel the Ridged Gourd and chop into pieces.

Chop the Brinjal into pieces as well. Also chop the Raddish into thin finger length pieces.

Carefully remove the thin skin of the Pui Saak and chop into finger length pieces.

All vegetables need to be ready and chopped into similar size pieces for even cooking.

Grind the Green chilly and Mustard to a fine paste together.

How to cook the chachari :

Heat the mustard oil and add the tempering of paanch phoron and dry red chilly (Break the chillies into two pieces).

When they splutter , add the pui saak and stir fry it a bit. When they soften add the other vegetables , salt and turmeric powder, cover and cook on low flame . 

The vegetables will release a lot of water and the vegetables will cook in it.  Remove cover when the vegetables are soft and water has dried up .Add sugar, mustard paste-chilly paste  and cook stirring .

You may add 1/2 a table spoon of ginger paste but that is optional.

Mix all well and then remove from the stove and add 2 tsp raw mustard oil on top but then that too is optional.

Avoid if you want to.

Rui/Katla/Ilish fish heads, fried can also be added. Prawns too can be added .