Shorshe Begun (Eggplant in Mustard Sauce)

Lau Bishori (Milky Bottle Gourd Curry)

Ingredients for Lau Bishori:

Lau - 250 gm 
Potato - 250 gm
Milk - 250 ml
Nigella Seeds - 1 tsp
Nigella Powder - 2 tbsp
Ginger Paste - 1 tbsp
Green Chili - 4-5 nos
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Enough Water 

For flavour: 
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder / 2 tbsp Lemon Juice / 2 Lime Leaves 

Process for cooking Lau Bishori:

1. Peel the Lau and Potato, and cut them into cubes. 
2. Pour oil into a cooking pan. Once it is hot, add Nigella Seeds. Wait till it releases its aroma. Add Green Chilis. Now add Lau Cubes and them Potatoes. Stir well for 5-7 minutes.
3. Add Ginger Paste and mix well with Potato+Lau cubes. Then add Salt. Mix well. 
4. Add enough water to cover Potato+Lau cubes. Cover it with a lid. Let it boil for 10 minutes -  till the water gets dried up. 
5. Meanwhile boil Milk. Add Nigella Powder to the boiled Milk. Mix well. 
6. Pour this milk to the pan. Fold well. Let it boil once again and adjust the Salt. Cook for few more minutes to have a thick gravy. In the meantime add Ghee and any of the flavour mentioned above. Mix well. Turn off the heat. Set the pan covered with the lid until you serve.   

Lau Bishori is ready. You can have it with steamed Rice. 

Koi Maach'r Paturi (Steamed Koi Fish)

Ingredients for Koi Maach'r Paturi:

Koi Fish - 4 Nos.
Mustard Oil 
Mustard Seed - 3 tbsp
Rice - 2 cups
Pumpkin Leaves - 3
Onion Slices - 1 cup
Green Chili - 4-5 Nos.
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Water

Process for cooking Koi Maach'r Paturi:

1. Soak Mustard Seeds in water for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile wash the fishes, Pumpkin leaves and Rice separately. Set them aside.
3. Take Mustard seed in a grinding bowl and add Turmeric Powder, Salt and Green Chili to it and grind them together. You need to make a fine paste. 
4. Mix Onion slices with the Paste. Coat the fishes with Mustard Paste. Pour few drops of Mustard Oil. Wrap each fish with pumpkin Leaves tightly. You can use a cotton thread to wrap the fish.
5. Now keep Rice in a deep bottom frying pan. Add 3.5 cups of Water to the rice. Once it starts boiling, the water level will be reduced. Now place the wrapped Fishes on the top of the rice. Cover the pan with a lid. Medium heat is required now. 
6. Turn off the heat. Koi Paturi is ready. 

Have you noticed, the rice has got yellow colour? You can serve Koi Paturi with that rice. Don't throw away the Pumpkin Leaves. You can grind it with 1 Green Chili and little Salt. 

Lau Chingri (Bottle Gourd Curry with Prawns)

Ingredients foe Lau Chingri:

Grated Lau (Bottle Gourd) - 2 cups
Prawns - 20 pieces
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - pinch for frying the Prawns and later to mix in the curry as per you taste 
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Paste - 2 tbsp
Green Chilis - 4-5 Nos
Mustard Oil for cooking

Process for cooking Lau Chingri:

1. Grate the Bottle Gourd very well with a slicer.

2. Wash the prawns and marinate it with turmeric powder salt.

3. Heat oil in a cooking pan. Fry the prawns till it turns golden brown and keep it aside.

4. Add cumin seed to the hot oil. Add turmeric powder, ginger paste, cut green chilies and salt; stir for 1-2 minutes. Add grated bottle gourd.

5. Cover the pan with a lid for 5-6 minutes and remove the cover. Stir it well and cover it and let it cook for 4-5 minutes more.

6. Remove the lid, add the fried prawns and mix it well. Allow it to cook till the excess water is gone. Add salt to taste. Mix it very well and turn off the heat. 

Chana'r Jilipi - a Bengali dessert

Another lovely sweetly festival (Bengali New Year) is just round the corner. And you know, the celebration is not afar. The actual celebration will start from 14^th April. I prefer to celebrate such moments with something that is made at home.

When I make food that helps me recall by-gone-days, even build some memories. Today’s takeaway generation has lost much of that.  It doesn't really leave much room for remembrance, do they? I try to collect the recipes from old cookbooks, Ma’s diary, faded handwritten notes scribbled by grandma – perhaps now ready to slip away. That is how some of the nostalgia survives.

Today’s Chana’r Jilipi Recipe I am sharing with you, was made by Grand Ma. 

Ingredients for making Chana'r Jilipi: (for 10-12 pieces)

For Jilipi:
Homemade Cottage Cheese / Casein (fresh made): 1 cup
Khoya Kheer / Mewa: 1 cup
Suji / Semolina: 2 tbsp
Refined Flour: 2 1/2 tbsp 
Baking Powder: a pinch
Melted Butter to mix Refined Flour
Green Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp 
White Oil for frying

For Syrup: 
Water - 3 cup 
Sugar - 6 cup 
Green Cardamom - 5-6

Method for making Chana'r Jilipi: 

1. Soak Semolina in 4 tbsp of warm water for 15 minutes.
2. Take Casein, Mewa in a mixing bowl. 
3. Melt Butter in a pan. Add Refined Flour. Mix well. Add this to Casein Mix.
4. Add soaked Semolina to Casein Mix. Add Cardamom Powder. 
5. Knead well. Make a smooth dough. 
6. Divide the dough in small equal size balls. Roll each balls in long strips. Give them coil shape like Jilipi. Leave them aside for 5-7 minutes. 
7. Meanwhile you can make Sugar Syrup. Take all ingredients (except green cardamom) in a deep-bottom aluminium pan. Wait till Sugar dissolves in the water. Add Green Cardamom. Stir well. Boil the Syrup till it gets 1-string* consistency. 

[1 String consistency* : Place one drop of syrup in between your thumb and forefinger. To taste the consistency you have to pull apart them gently. If only one thin thread is formed, it indicates that you have got 1-String consistency.]

7. Heat oil in a frying Pan. Fry those coil shaped Jilipi in medium hot oil until they become dark brown, but not too dark. 
8. Dip them into Sugar Syrup. Keep them in the Syrup for at least 3-4 hours. It will soak the syrup. 

Koi Fish Do Peyanja

Ingredients to cook Koi Fish Do Peyanja:

Koi Fish - 4 nos

Finely chopped Onion - 1 cup

Onion Paste - 1 tbsp

Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Ginger Paste - 1 tsp

Cumin Seed Paste - 2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Green Chili - 4-5 nos.

Finely chopped Tomato - 1 cup

Oil - 3 tbsp

Water as per your gravy need

Salt - as per your taste

Process to cook ingredients for Koi Fish Do Peyanja:

1. Heat oil in a cooking pan. Add chopped Onion and stir till it gets golden brown colour. Then add Ginger and Garlic paste. Cook for 1 minute. Then add Onion Paste and stir for 2-3 minutes. 
2. Add Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric Powder and Red Chili Powder. Add 2 tbsp of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, 
3. Now add Green Chilis, chopped Tomatoes and Salt. Stir until it releases water. 
4. Add fishes. Stir until the spices coats the fishes. Now add water. Cook till water gets dried and you will notice oil on top. Add 2-3 green Chilis. Fold once. Turn off the heat. 

Serve Koi Fish Do-Peyanja with hot steamed Rice. 

Kancha Golla

Ingredients to make Kancha Golla:

Full Cream Milk - 1.5 ltr.
Lemon Juice - 2.5 tbsp
Fresh Cream / Malai - 1/2 cup
Khoya Kheer - 1 cup
Nolen Gur / Sugar - 1 cup

Process to make Kancha Golla:

1. Boil entire milk in a deep vessel at medium flame.

2. Mix lemon juice with 1 cup of water.

3. When the milk comes to a boil add Lemon water into the milk slowly.

4. When the milk starts curdling cook for another 5 minutes and after that when you see green colored water separating from the curd remove the vessel from flame.

5. Now drain the water with the help of a clean cotton/muslin cloth and collect the Chana.

6. Run fresh water over the Chana for 5-7 minute to get lemon flavor out of the Chana.

7. Once you are done with the washing, bring together the edges of the cloth and tie both the end properly and place it in a plate and put a weight over the cloth for 15 minutes. 

8. After 15 minutes, place the entire Chana in a hot pan. Stir with a spatula. 

9. Add Fresh Cream or Malai. Stir again for 3-5 minutes.

10. Add Khoya Kheer and Sugar (or Jaggery). Stir continuously. Chana will now change its colour. It will get brown colour.

11. Once the Chana mixture becomes sticky, turn off the flame. 

12. Now make round balls of your desired size and shape out of the hot mixture. You have to make ball as soon as the mixture is cooked. If mixture cools down, it will become hard. You wouldn't be able to give any shape. 

You can garnish Kancha Golla with chopped dry fruits. 

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.  

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:

Mangsher Ghugni (Dried Yellow peas cooked with meat)

Ingredients for Mangser Ghugni:

Yellow Peas (Dried White Peas) - 1.5 cup
Chicken pieces - 1 cup (I prefer to use 1 inch long pieces  - both boneless and with bones. I cut the big size pieces with a kitchen scissor.)
Potato pieces - 1 cup 
Green Cardamom - 3-4
Cinnamon - 3 (1 inch long each)
Cloves - 3-4
Bay Leaf - 2 medium size
Onion - 2 (thinly sliced)
Garlic - 1.5 tbsp (I prefer to make paste.)
Ginger - 1.5 tbsp (I prefer paste form.)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato cubes - 1 cup 
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Chicken stock 

For garnishing: 
Lemon Juice - 1 (whole)
Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp 
Finely chopped Green Chili 
Finely chopped Onion 
Finely chopped Coriander Powder (Optional)

Method for Mangser Ghugni:

1. Soak Yellow Peas in water overnight or at least 7-8 hours. 
2. Drain the water. Place it in a pressure cooker. Add fresh water. Boil till to 2 whistle. 
3. Boil the potatoes following the same way.
3. Now you have to boil the chicken pieces in the pressure cooker till 3 whistle. Don't throw away the stock. It will be used later to make the curry. 
4. Heat oil in a pan. Add Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves and Bay Leaf. Wait till it releases nice aroma. 
5. Add onion. Fry till it becomes soft. 
6. Add Ginger paste, then Garlic paste. Fry till its raw smell goes off. 
7. Now take Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder in bowl. add little water and make a paste. Add it to the fried curry. Mix well. 
8. After 2 minutes, add Tomato. Spread little salt over it. Mix well together. 
9. Now add Chicken Pieces. Cook till it releases oil. 
10. Add Yellow Peas. Mix well. 
11. Now add Chicken stock. Cover the pan with a lid. Allow it to be cooked for few minutes. Check the seasoning. 
12. Now sprinkle Garam Masala Powder. Turn off the heat. Set the pan aside for 10 minutes. 

Your Chicken Ghugni is ready. For Garnishing, spread chopped Onion, Green Chili and Coriander Powder. Now squeeze a whole lemon on top. In place of lemon juice you can use tamarind water. 

Komola Kheer / Creamy Milk Pudding

Ingredients to make Komola Kheer: (for 2 persons)

Full Cream Milk 1 ltr
Khoya / Mawa : 1/2 cup
Sugar: 1 cup (or as per your taste)
Extracts from Orange: 1/2 cup
Diced Orange (De-seeded): 15 pieces (halves)
Process to make Komola Kheer:


1. Heat the milk. Make sure you have taken a heavy-bottom wide rimmed pot. Because your milk will rolling-boil. While boiling stir continuously. 
2. Now reduce the flame from high to medium. Stir until you see milk becomes thick. Stir continuously, otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pot. Milk would become half in quantity. It will take more than 1 hour. 
3. Add Khoya Kheer. Make sure you still keep stirring. Let it dissolve to the milk.
4. Add Sugar. You keep stirring. Sugar will dissolve to the milk. 
5. Add Orange Juice. Mix well. Turn off the heat. 
6. Transfer it to a different bowl. Cool to room temperature.
7. Add Orange pieces. 
8. Chill for 3-4 hours or more than that. 

Your Komola Kheer is ready. You can serve it chilled. 

Patisapta

Ingredients to make Patisapta: (15-17 pieces)

For Crepe: 

Refined Flour - 3 cups
Semolina - 1 cup
Rice Flour - 1 cup 
Milk - 3 cups
Date Jaggery - 1/2 cup

For Filling (Kheersa): 

Milk - 2 lts. 
Khoya - 1 cup
Date Jaggery - 1 cup
Coconut - 1 cup
Malai / Fresh Creme - 4-5 tbsp (optional)

Process to make Patisapta:


For Filling:

1. Heat the milk in a heavy-bottom pan in high flame. Once it starts roll-boiling, reduce the flame. Keep stirring until it becomes half in quantity. And your milk will become little grainy. Don't stop stirring. Otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pan.
2. Add Khoya Kheer. Stir well. 
3. Reduce the heat...on medium-low flame. Still keep stirring both bottom and sides of the pan. After 25-30 minutes you will feel that little more grainy. Then add Jagguery and again stir to mix it well to the milk. add Coconut and Malai. Mix well
4. You still stir until it becomes thick granular type khoya. Set it aside to cool to room temperature. 

For Crepe:

1. Take Refine Flour in a mixing bowl. Add Semolina and Rice flour. Mix well with your hand. 
2. Add 1 cup of milk first. Don't add entire milk at once. Mix well. 
3. Add Jaggery. And mix well. Then again add little more milk. The batter thickness should be like pancake batter. Set it aside for half an hour. 

Making Patisapta:

1. Heat a frying pan. Apply little oil to smear the pan. 
2. Pour  a ladle-full of batter on the pan. Tilt the pan. Move the batter with the back of the ladle. Actually you have to distribute the batter in a circle, but don't make it too thin. The batter would take 5-7 seconds to set. Don't flip over the sides. 
3. Now place little bit of the filling lengthwise at the center of the crepe. Fold the crepe. You will find little brown at the bottom of the crepe. Take it out. 
4. One Patisapta is ready. Now repeat the process to make more. 

You can serve it hot or cold. 

Deep-fried Katla Fish & Mashed Potato with Steamed Rice and Lentil

One piece of fried fish, mashed potato, yellow lentil with hot rice...it is a minimal Bengali meal we cook, when we have lack of time or energy to make a proper meal. Yesterday I was extremely tired after coming back from office. I was alone at home. And that was another point not to cook much for own self. So in such days what could be better than cooking one piece Maach Bhaja (fried fish), Alu Bhate (mashed potato), Musoor Daal (bowl-full yellow lentil) and Gorom Bhat (hot rice). 

Katla Fish deep-fried using the ingredients like:

Katla Fish pieces - 4 (washed thoroughly in water)

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 pinch

Mustard Oil for deep-frying

Process I followed:

1. Take the fish pieces and in a bowl. Spread Turmeric powder, chili powder and salt over the fishes. Mix well for marinade. Keep the bowl aside for 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil in deep-bottom frying pan. 

3. Add fish piece (one piece at a time) to the oil.

4. Deep-fry the pieces from both side. Take out from the pan and keep it inside the casserole. You can take it out late while having food. 

Mashed Potato as a side dish

Ingredients: 

Peeled, sliced and boiled potatoes - 4 (big size)

Salt (as per your taste)

Mustard Oil -1 tbsp

Red Chili - 2

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Onion (finely chopped)

Process for making mashed potato

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add cumin seeds, red chili. Fry for 1 minutes. 

2. Add onion. Fry it until it gets caramelized. Pour it on the boiled potato pieces. 

3. Add salt to the potato. 

4. Mash the potato in hand very well. 

5. Make mouthful balls with mashed potatoes. Your mashed potato is ready. 

I always love to see a mouthful mashed potato ball on the top of the rice. Here I kept one fried fish piece. You can vary the taste by squeezing a teaspoonful of lemon juice...poring a lump of ghee, Dhonia Chutney and nay-what-not. 
Here I'm telling you another way of mashed potato, or in case you don't like to add onion or if you don't want to make spicy one, or you are typically an additional taste enhancer; the process is here below:

Ingredients:

Peeled, sliced and boiled potatoes - 4 (big size)

Salt (as per your taste)
Pepper Powder - 1tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Butter / Ghee / Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Milk / cream - 1 tbsp

Process: 
1. Heat butter / ghee / olive oil in a pan. Add garlic paste. Stir for 1 minute.
2. Add cream or milk to oil. Mix well. 
3. Pour it into the boiled potato. Add salt and pepper to the potato.
4. Mash the potato in hand. Make mouthful balls.

So friends, please try it at home. I'm sure, richness of cream or the tang of condiments would add a distinctive flavour to your mashed potato. Do let me know if you like this new recipe... :-)

Coconut Hilsa - Bengalis call it "Dudhia Ilish"

Ingredients for Coconut Hilsa

Hilsa Fish - 4 pieces
Coconut Milk - 1 cup
Green Chili Paste - 1 tbsp
Poppy Paste  2 tbsp
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp (optional, I used. If you want to see white color of the gravy, don't use turmeric powder.)
White Oil
Water
Salt and sugar as per paste

Process for making Dudhia Ilish

1. Heat oil in a Pan. Add Poppy seed paste to hot oil. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add water and then half of the coconut milk. Stir well. (At this stage I added turmeric powder)
3. Add salt, sugar, chili paste and then fish pieces.
4. Once it starts boiling, add grated coconut. Let it be boiled.
5. Meanwhile add rest of the coconut milk. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Take it out from the oven.

You can have Coconut Hilsa with hot rice. 

Mouri Potol

Things required to cook Mouri Potol (Pointed Gourd with Fennel Seed)

Potol / Pointed Gourd – 500 Grams

White Curd – 2 tbsp (If you need thick gravy, add one more table spoon)

Fennel Seed – 1.5 tbsp (You can grind the roasted fennel seed)

Ginger + Chili Paste – 1.5 tbsp (You can add more chili to the paste according to your taste)

Dry Red Chili – 2

Cardamom + Cinnamon + Bay Leaf + Cloves – 3 (Crushed) + 2 (Small Size)+1 (Big Size)+2

Shah Jeera (Black Cumin)- 1.5 tsp

Turmeric Powder + Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp +1 tsp

Salt and Sugar as per taste

Oil

Water

How to cook Mouri Potol

1. The very first job is making a smooth powder of fennel seed. Roast the fennel seeds in hot frying pan. Then keep it aside for cooling down. After that, grind the roasted seed in mixer grinder. But don’t use water. If you wish, you can make this powder in large amount for future use. If you add water, you can’t use it in future.

I make this dish very frequently, almost on every Thursday. So I kept the powder in an air-tight bottle.

2. Now we have to make the paste by mixing fennel seed powder, ginger, chili and little water. This time you can add more chili as per your requirement. Keep it aside.

3. Add sugar and salt to the white curd. Check if there is any lump in the curd. Add little water to the curd and beat well with little water.

4. Peel the skin of the Pointed Gourd. Sprinkle little turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt on them. Heat oil in a deep-bottom frying pan. Fry those pointed gourd till golden. Take them out of the pan and set aside.

5. Now we have to fry whole spices. Check if more oil required on the pan. Add whole spices i.e. red chili, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and at last Shah Jeera. Wait till it leaves a nice aroma. Now add the paste that you made with fennel, ginger and chili. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.

6. Reduce the heat, because now you are going to add the curd. Now add the curd. And don’t forget to stir continuously. Otherwise it would create lump. Do you notice oil separating from the curd? That means the curd is almost done.

7. Now add other spice powders i.e. turmeric powder, red chili powder. Add fried pointed gourd and mix well. Pour water as per your gravy requirement. After 1 minute, you must see the gravy boils. Add salt and sugar. Let it be boiled for 1 minute. Adjust the seasoning. Reduce the flame and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for next 5-7 minutes.

8. You can serve it with hot steamed rice. 

Brinjal in Curd (Doi Begun)

If you have any association with Bengali food, I am sure, you must have heard about Doi Begun, right? This item I learned from my mom. Mom probably leaned it from grand mom. That is how Bengali girls learn cooking.

This Bengali preparation contains Brinjal and curd as main ingredients. Its gravy should be thick and smooth. I prefer to add very little spices, so that it would not overpower the taste of Brinjal. Get the recipe here below. 

Ingredients for Doi Begun

Brinjal - 3
Curd - 3 tbsp 
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Seed - 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Green Chili - 3-4 
Water
Oil
Salt
Sugar

Taro Stolon with Prawns (Chingri die Kochur Loti)

What I used:
150 grams of Prawns
200 gram of Taro Stolon (kochut Loti)
4 green chilis (slit)
1 small size onion (chopped)
1/2 tsp of garlic paste
1/2 tsp of ginger paste
Turmeric Powder
Cumin powder
Mustard oil for frying the shrimps and cooking
Sale to taste

How I cooked:
1. Clean the Prawns.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry those prawns until golden brown. Keep them aside.
3. Remove the taro skin and take out the stem. Cut them 2 inch long pieces.
4. Boil them for 10 minutes. You can add tamarind paste to the boiling water. Take the stems out of the water. Keep the water aside.
5. Heat oil in the same frying pan. Add onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, salt and green chilli. Stir for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add taro stem and keep stirring in medium heat until you add the prawns.
7. After 3-5 minutes, add prawns. And let it be cooked for few minutes. But don't forget to stir.
8. Water will be coming out from the taro stem. Stop stirring if you find the water dries up.
9. Add tamarind water which you kept aside when you started cooking.
10. Let the curry be cooked until you find the water again dries up.
11. Your Taro Stolon curry is ready. Serve it with hot rice. 

Nimak Para - Bengali Snack

What I used:
Refined flour - 150 gram
Ghee or clarified butter to make the dough
Carom Seeds
White oil for frying
Water
Salt

How I cooked:
1. Take flour in a bowl and add carom seeds, butter, salt and water and mix well.
2. Make the dough from the flour. Make small balls from the dough.
3. Drizzle few drop of oil on a flat surface which is specially used for rolling. Roll all the balls by a rolling pin. 4. Roll one ball into round circle. Them fold it from one end. Roll it once again to reduce its thickness. Now it is looking like a half circle. Fold it from one end and roll it again.
5. One triangles of Nimak Para is ready to fried. Make other Triangles following the same process. Make a few pricks on the surface of all Nimak para and set them aside.
6. Heat white oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat. Add those triangles to the oil.
7. Fry them from the both sides until they become golden brown in colour.
8. Drizzle some Amchur Powder from the top.
9. Serve it with tea.
10. You can store it for longer time.

Eggplant in Yoghurt (Doi Begun)

Eggplant in sweet gravy of white curd (Bengalis call it Doi Begun) is a lesser known dish cooked using minimal spices. As yoghurt gives the cooling effect, people prefer to have it in the summer. Many people in Bengal make it with a sweet gravy, but mine is light yet tangy.

Doi Begun is very easy to cook. The freshness of the ingredients would take you breath away. You can serve it with hot rice or chapatis. If you wish you can serve it chilled. For that you need to keep the Doi Begun in Refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Required ingredients:

4 eggplants
200 gram of white curd
1 medium size onion sliced
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tsp of cumin seed
2 tsp of salt
1.5 tsp of each powder (coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala)
Water for making gravy
Oil for cooking

Method followed:

1. Cut each eggplant into two equal size pieces. Spread turmeric powder and salt over those pieces and rub them well. Keep them aside for few minutes. 
2. Heat oil in a deep-bottom frying pan and fry those eggplant pieces properly and set aside. 
3. Now fry sliced onion in the same oil until it gets the color like golden brown. Once done, keep them aside. 
4. Set another pan on the oven and roast cumin seeds. Allow it to cool and them grind it into smooth powder.
5. Take yoghurt in a bowl and add roasted cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt to yoghurt and beat finely. Add little water if you want to make it little thinner. Keep it aside for few minutes. 
6. Heat the pan and pour half of the diluted yoghurt. Once it starts boiling, add fried eggplants. Then pour rest of the yoghurt on the top. Turn off the heat. Spread a pinch of  garam masala on the top. 
7. If you want to serve it chilled, keep it in refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

For other eggplant recipes click here

Papaya curry with grated coconut

Ingredients: 

½ portion of medium size Papaya

½ tsp of Nigella seed

4-5 green chilis (slit)

½ tsp of turmeric powder

½ tsp of red chili powder

½ tsp of garlic (minced)

1 small size onion (chopped)

1.5 cup of grated coconut

Sugar

Oil

Method:
 

1. You are ready with grated papaya, right? If not, grate it finely in a grater. Meanwhile you can grate coconut too as it will be used later.

2. Heat mustard oil in pan. As an option you can use white oil.

3. Add nigella seeds (kalonji) and 2 slit green chilis to the oil. When raw smell of spices comes out, add minced garlic and finely chopped onion and sauté them till onion and garlic become soft.

4. Now it is time to add grated papaya. Add them to oil and sprinkle turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt over the papaya. And mix them well.

5. Now make sure that you are cooking at medium heat. Reduce the heat and add rest of the green chilis and sauté for few minutes. Cover the pan with a lid.

6. After 5-7 minute, uncover the lid and check if the papaya is almost done or not.

Now add little sugar and then grated coconut. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

7. Papaya curry is done. Serve with hot rice.