Hot on Hilsa - Bhapa Ilish

Ingredients to cook Bhapa Ilish

Hilsa Fish - 6 pieces 

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp (for marination)

Black Mustard seed - 2 tbsp 

Green Chili - 6 (3 for making mustard paste, 3 for adding to gravy)

Salt - 1 tbsp ( 1 pinch for marination, rest is for making paste)

Mustard Oil - 1 tsp (yes, it is must if you want the traditional flavour... to be spread on top of Hilsa fishes)

Water - as per your requirement (to make the paste, to boil the marinated fish pieces)

Process to cook Bhapa Ilish

1.Soak the black mustard seeds in a cup of water. Add salt and green chilis. Add little water. Make a smooth paste with it by a blender. Keep the paste inside the blender bowl.

2. Take the Hilsa fish pieces. Spread salt and turmeric powder on them. Rub them carefully. Keep them aside for marination... for just 10 minutes.

3. Place the fish pieces in big size bowl. Pour entire mustard paste over the fish pieces. Make sure that the paste covers all the fish pieces.

4. Cut few green chilis. You have to cut them vertically. Place them in the fish bowl.

5. Take lots of water in a pressure cooker. Place it in an oven. Heat the water for 2-3 minutes.

6. Reduce the heat. Place the fish bowl inside the pressure cooker. Cover the cooker with its lid. Allow it to cook for 7-10 minutes.

7. Take out the bowl. Check if the fish piece is soft. If not, cook it once again for few minutes.

Flip over all the fish pieces one by one.

8. Now add little mustard oil on the fish pieces. Keep the bowl covered aside for few minutes.

Once it becomes cool, you can serve it with hot rice.  

Dudh Pabda - brings back the nostalgic memories of my childhood!

Ingredients I used to cook Dudh Pabda: (For 2 person)

Pabda Fish- 2 (I got two large size fish,.. approx 9 inches longer :-))
Milk - 1.5 cups ( Although 1 cup is enough. I got 2 two big size fishes, Much gravy was required for that. So I used 1.5 cups milk)
Paste made of Mustard Seed + Green Chili - 2 tbsp
Whole Green Chili - 3 (or more as per your requirement)
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp (Optional, I used because I wanted to have yellow gravy, otherwise the gravy would get off-white colour.)
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp (Optional for making more dark color)
Nigella Seeds - 1 pinch (Optional, I didn't use.)
Salt
Water
Oil

Process I followed to cook Dudh Pabda:

1. Well, wash the fish pieces under water. You don't need to pat-dry it. Spread salt and Turmeric Powder and rub well. Keep it aside for 5-10 minutes. If you are not using Turmeric Powder, then marinade the fish with salt only.
2. After that heat oil in a deep-bottom frying pan. Add Nigella seeds. Wait till it splutters. If you are not using Nigella seed, kip it. Add slit green chili to the hot oil.
3. Did it splutter? If yes, add Mustard seed+Green Chili paste. Fry well.
4. At this stage you can add Red Chili Powder. Otherwise skip it.
5. Mix milk with 1 cup of water. Reduce the heat and add the milk+water to the boiling gravy.
6. Does it start boiling? If yes, place fish pieces in the pan. You don't need to stir the fish. It will automatically be cooked in the boiling gravy.
7. Dudh Pabda will be ready within 4-5 minutes. Then you have to remove the pan from the heat.
8. After that keep the pan covered  for next 10 minutes.

You can garnish it with fresh Coriander leaves. It can be served with hot steamed rice. 

Click-Share-Eat or Only Eat?

….You are at a fancy restaurant. If you are social media addicted, the very first thing you might be going to do is doing “check-in’ via Facebook to let your friends know where you are dining. Then you place an order of food you like to have.

 
Daab Chingri @ Oh! Calcutta


The next thing you would do.… you wait for the food to arrive. If you are with dining partners, you are probably in chit-chat with them. If you are alone you are probably telling yourself ”Knock-knock” joke. Your joke perhaps to complete as the food is now placed in front of you.

And now your fingers go click-click... right? And after getting the perfect shot (you seem to be satisfied with the click) you instantly share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc, and finally you dig in to food… hmm?

If the above scene is true, I am sure, you are kind of a guy like “I can’t eat if I don’t take photo”. … But imagine a scene, the moment you begin taking picture of food, the waiter staff prevents you from doing so… would you be offended? Ask yourself. 

If you are not like above, I am sure you consider it as the height of bad manners. You may think it is plain rude as it irritates fellow diners.

You might have learned that some restaurants in US have banned taking picture of their food. In US many restaurateurs are allowing their customers to take the photograph in the kitchen. Sometime the staffs of restaurants shoot the photo and deliver it to the customer via mail, before customers pay their check. But they don’t allow the customers to take photo in the dining area.

Tamang Gaang, New Delhi

In India too, taking photograph of food in a fancy restaurant has gone from awkward to mainstream... If there is a rule banning trigger-happy photographers in restaurants in India? Would it actually work in India? Banning people from taking pictures will be a foolhardy decision?

Do you think such practice should be banned in India? Many of you think that you are paying for food, but why can't you take a picture of it?

What is the problem if you take a beautiful picture of food in a dimly-lit restaurant?
Meanwhile I took views from few chefs and restaurateurs based in Delhi. Their views are mentioned below: 

1. With days food photography is becoming a common phenomenon, but the chef can't accept because of food presentation; although if they don't allow visitors to take photography of food, they would probably miss the benefit of free advertising. 

2. Many people can manipulate the food presentation. 

3. If photographer uses Flash, it may go off at a table nearby. Fellow dinners may consider the photographer a unfeeling paparazzi. 

4. Visitor may not always be expert photographer. They may snap a blurry picture of the supper, so the snap would probably be rubbish, anyway. 

5. If photographer takes time in photography, it may make the food get cold. 

I vote "YES" for food photography in restaurants. I could conclude the article this way. But I would like to end up the article asking both the food lovers and restaurateurs...Would you shoot / allow shooting in restaurants?... Would you mind if restaurant authority get the food clicked and give it to you letter via mail or WhatsApp?  ...In case you yourself want to click, what type of shooting style can be allowed inside the restaurant? 

This time I am not so curious to know your shooting style.... It could be a phone holding ninja... stealth shooting... or  stand-on-the-chair type...But we all should make sure our photography doesn't make fellow dinners feel irritated...

Mutton Vindaloo - O mere Meat-wah!

Things required for Mutton Vindaloo

Mutton – 500 grams (for 2 people, medium size cubes)

Onion – 3 (Get it chopped very finely)

Sugar – 1.5 tsp (Else you can use juggery)

Curry Leaves powder – 1 tsp (I used Curry leaves powder which I made earlier, although it is an optional ingredient)

Salt

Oil – 4-5 tbsp (I used mustard oil)

Water

Now you need to make a paste before starting the cooking. Ingredients for paste:

Red chilis – 10

Cumin powder– 1.5 tbsp

Coriander powder – 1.5 tbsp

Black Pepper Powder – 1 tbsp

Poppy seed paste – 1 tbsp

Readymade Garam Masala – 1 tbsp

Ginger + Garlic Paste – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1.5 tsp

Tamarind Pulp – 1.5 tbsp

Vinegar or Lime Juice – 2 tbsp

Water – 2 tbsp (Add water considering that the paste should be smooth but not watery.)

How to make Mutton Vindaloo:

Your paste is ready. Now you get ready to marinate the mutton. Wash the mutton pieces carefully. Let it be for pat-dry for few minutes. Apply the paste on mutton and add both sugar and salt. Keep it inside the refrigerator for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, take it out of the refrigerator and keep it outside for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Add chopped onion to the oil and keep frying till onion looks translucent.

Now add marinated mutton. Keep stirring frequently for next 8-10 minutes.

Check if mutton pieces are sauteed well. Now you have to add water and curry leaves powder one by one. I first added 3 cups of water. Then I reduced the heat. Then I added curry powder and mixed well. Check the seasoning and adjust it if required.

I would like to suggest you not to add entire water at this stage. I kept adding water little by little.

Remember, Vindaloo is a SLOW COOKING PROCESS. For me it took almost 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES.

After first 1 hour, you have to adjust the consistency of the gravy. If you need more gravy, you can add little more water.

Once cooked, turn off the gas. Let it be on the pan for next 10 minutes.

You can serve Mutton Vindaloo with hot rice.  

Aar fish ( Long Whiskered Catfish) Curry

Ingredients required:

Aar Fish - 4 whole fishes
Green Chili - 6 (whole chili, spilt or chopped, as per your wish)
Tomato - 2 (Pureed)
Ginger + Garlic - 1 tbsp (Paste)
Powder of various spices (Turmeric + Cumin + Coriander + Red Mirch) - 1 tsp of each (I mixed all the powders with 2 tbsp of water)
Salt
Mustard Oil

You can get the recipe below:

Raw Turmeric Juice

I wanted to find a way to have raw turmeric. In my childhood I used to eat raw turmeric with liquid juggary (made of sugar cane). As sugarcane juggery is not available in the nearby market I live, in Delhi, i could not have raw turmeric for long time. So I was searching for recipe to have raw turmeric in a tasty way.

Raw turmeric juice is available in many local or branded grocery stores, but if I buy it, I have to consumer added sugar that I don’t want all the time. So I had to find a way to have it without consuming sugar. That is how the juice of (raw turmeric) came true.

Taste wise this juice may not be pleasant to drink, but whenever I drink it, I feel like I am drinking the juice of planet’s most powerful root that would allow my body to heal naturally. If anyone is suffering from body pain due to any accident or arthritis, cancer, alzheimer’s disease, they should drink this juice regularly as the juice can prevent or alleviate the body pain of the ailment. 

Ingredients required:

3 large size carrot

3-4 lemon (you can use orange)

3 raw turmeric

Lots of coriander leaves

Method I followed:

Peel and chop the carrot and raw turmeric into small pieces.

Prick the skin of lemon. Place it in tiny-hole grater to get the juice from lemon.

Now take carrot, turmeric, lemon juice and coriander in blender and process it very well. To make watery juice, you can add water.

Hyderabadi Haleem

Ingredients for cooking Hyderabadi Haleem:

Main Ingredients: 

Mutton (bone and boneless pieces) - 500 gm
Moong Lentil - 50 gm
Masoor Lentil - 50 gm
Urad Lentil - 50 gm
Black Gram Lentil - 50 gm
Oat / Barley - 50 gm
Dalia / Whole Wheat - 100 gm
Dried Rose Petal - 3-4 tbsp
Green Chili - 4-5 
Onion - 2-3 (thinly sliced)
Ginger + Garlic Paste - 5-6 tbsp
Ghee (Clarified butter) - 1 1/2 cup

Haleem Spices:

Green Cardamom - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Peppercorn - 1 tsp
Cloves - 1 tsp
Kebob Chini - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds
Black Cumin / Shahi Jeera
Sesame Seed 
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

For garnishing:
Coriander Leaves - 3 tbsp 
Onion Beresta - 1 1/2 cup
Cashew - 15
Lemon - 2 

Utensil:
Pressure Cooker - 2

Method for cooking Hyderabadi Haleem:

1. Mix all the spices mentioned in Haleem Spices List (except Turmeric Powder). Divide the spices mix into 2 parts. 
2. Heat 2 tbsp Ghee in a frying pan. 
3. Add half of the spices. Fry till you get a nice flavour. 
4. Add Moong Lentil, Masoor Lentil, Urad Lentil, Black Gram Lentil, Oat (or Barley) and   Whole Wheat (Dalia). 
5. Add Sesame Seeds. Keep stirring on very low heat for 5 minutes. 
6. Turn off the flame. Allow the lentil mixture to cool down. 
7. Now you have to grind the Lentil mixture. Take entire mixture in a blender. Add Rose Petals. Now blend it to a coarse product. 
8. Now you have to take 2 pressure cookers. 
9. Take 2 tbsp of Ghee  in one pressure cooker. Heat the Ghee and add rest part of the Haleem Spices. Saute till you get nice aroma from the spices. 
10. Add thinly sliced Onion. Stir till it becomes slightly golden in colour. 
11. Add Salt.  Add Turmeric Powder, Ginger Garlic Paste, Green Chili. Mix well. Cook till raw flavour of Ginger+Garlic Paste is gone.
12. Now add meat. Saute the meat for few minutes. Then add water. Enough water is required  to cover the meat. Put the pressure cooker lid on top. Meat will lose out moisture. 
13. Cook the meat on very slow flame till you hear 3 whistles. 
14. Turn off the flame. Wait till the meat cools down. Now remove big size bones and again continue to cook. This time the meat will start to fall apart. 
15. Place coarse Lentil Mixture in another pressure cooker. Add enough water (approx. 8-10 cups). Put the cooker on the medium high flame. Cook for 30 minutes. Now mash the lentil mixture with a masher. Make sure that no lump has been formed in the mixture. 
16. Now add this mixture with cooked meat. Mix well. Mash the whole mixture with your masher. 
17. Add Salt as per your taste. Add 1 cup of Ghee. Add fried Onion (Beresta) and few Cashew nut. Mix well. Keep mashing. You still cook on very low flame. Mash and stir regularly for 1 hour, till the stew looks like very thick and sticky. 

Now your Haleem is ready. Scoop the Haleem onto plate and serve garnished with choped Coriander leaves, few Cashew nuts and remaining Onion Beresta. You can add little Ghee on top. Now squeeze lemon. Serve it with Roti, Nun, or Chapati. 

Beetroot Poori

 ....So another beetroot recipe in a row!....

I am planning to making pooris of different colors,... filling with different vegetables such, carrot, spinach  leaves, tomato, beetroot, mint leaves, coriander leaves etc. For me, or say  my family, color in poori is something which we love to have too...

This time I am presenting the red color beetroot puree. Look at the picture. All the pooris have a very nice red hue from red, soft beetroot puree... And let see which color to have next...:-)

Ingredients:

1 medium size beetroot

2 cup of atta (white floor) for 3 persons

1.5 tsp of ajwain seeds

Salt and oil as per your requirement 

Method:

1. Have you peeled the beetroot? Now chop it into small pieces.

2. Take water in your pressure cooker and boil the beet pieces till you listen to 2 whistles.

3. Remove the pressure cooker from the oven and let the beetroot cool down.

4. Once they get cool, grind them into smooth puree. Take it in a bowl and set aside.

5. Take white flour (atta), salt and ajwain seeds in bowl. Mix them well. Now add beetroot puree and again mix well.

6. Now knead the dough to make it pliable and make small balls from the dough.

7. Now start rolling those balls. It is always fun to see how poori is puffed out. And I’m sure, you would love to see it. So roll all the balls with little thickness.If you make it thin, your poori would not be puffed out.

8. Heat oil in a frying pan. Now deep-fry them. Fry them one by one and remove from the oil. Serve the beetroot poori with curd or any spicy curry. 

For other beetroot recipes click here