Kajali Maacher Tel Jhol - A light BENGALI CURRY with a River water Catfish.

Kajali maach is called Gangatic Ailia in English.

It’s a delicate river water fish, which is super tasty. Don’t be intimidated by the size of it. And don’t think it’s a baby of a bigger fish. This fish grows to this size. The backbone is easy to manoeuvre and eat. And a trip to ER is not required after eating this! So give it a try if you can. Cheers!!
We start with making the MASALA MIX –
In a bowl, put in half a tsp of fresh ground turmeric, followed with salt and red chilly powder to taste and a pinch of sugar. Using a green chilly, mix the masala with a bit of water and let it bloom, covered.
Now on medium heat, put in a flat bottomed pan and heat 4 tbsp of good mustard oil.
Temper the hot oil with a dry red chilly, a green chilly and ½ TSP of kala jeera /Nigella seeds.
Once the flavours sing through, add salt and turmeric marinated fish. Arrange the pieces in a neat fashion.
These fishes are delicate, so don’t try to move it around in the pan. It will easily break apart.
Now pour over the masala mix, and tilt the pan till all fishes get coated in the masala. Pour over more water. This is a ‘jhol' recipe. It is going to take a lot of water.
Cover and simmer the fish, on the lowest heat for 10 mins.
Meanwhile, chop some coriander and green chillies to taste.
Put in a handful of coriander leaves, and 2 slit green chillies. Swirl the pan around and taste to adjust the seasonings. Add salt and green chillies, more or less according to your taste buds.
Now in that masala bowl, add ½ TSP of maida (APF) in some water. Mix it well so that no lumps remain, and pour it on top of the fishes. Swirl the pan to evenly distribute the flour water mix.
Simmer the curry on lowest flame for 5 mins. Switch off the flame and put in more corriander leaves. Rest it for 5 mins and serve hot with white steamed rice. Cheers!!

Bengal or Indian Carp, steamed with mustard and Corriander leaves!

Rui bhanpa, shorshe aar dhonepata diye.. (Bengal or Indian Carp, steamed with mustard and Corriander leaves)

This amazing recipe is passed on from one generation to another in my family. A lot of people, have asked me why do I have such a fondness for the simple Indian carp/ Rui maach. And today, I want to answer one and all why I feel the humble Rui is as much a great fish for consumption as is the jazzy cousin Ilish/hilsa. 

It’s my nostalgia from my childhood. Growing up in a war torn Ranchi; which wanted to be jharkhand, but still was Bihar; this was the only fish available to my family, and that too occasionally. Hence Rui was what my childhood meals were made of. And as if we share the same genes, it is a fish my son likes to indulge in too.. He is otherwise quite a fussy eater. 

This particular recipe has been passed to me from my mother in law. Again a nostalgic element here, if I am not wrong, this certainly was the first dish that my MIL taught me, some 11years ago. I am sure by now, any of my frnds and family have had it in my house parties. Today I am here to share this piece of extreme nostalgia with you all as well.. 

Recipe – 
Take 5 PC’s of Rui maach, and marinate it for 30 mins or more in a mix of salt and turmeric. 
Masala mix---
Start with 2 hot green chilly and a bunch of coriander. Grind it to paste. 
Now add 2.5 TSP of mustard powder, and let it bloom.
Meanwhile soak 2 TSP of poppy seeds in hot water and keep it ready for mixing. 
Combine all of the above ingredients in a mixie jar, and grind it into a fine paste. 
Add water, salt and a pinch of turmeric. Mix well
Add 2 TSP of curd and process it again.
The masala mix is ready. 

Now in a large bowl, which can be used inside a steamer, pour in a tbsp of cold pressed mustard oil. Smear it around the bottom. 
Now place the fishes in a neat fashion. 
Pour in the masala mix. 
Rub it on both sides of the fish. Top each fish with a slit green chilly. 
To seal the flavour, pour in more mustard oil on top. Take the pains of evenly distributing it on all PC’s of fish. 
Cover with a tight fitting lid, and put it on the steam for 20 mins. 
Yummy and healthy Rui Bhanpe is ready. 

Veitnamese Chicken & Rice, with my Twist!!

Com ga – or veitnamese chicken rice! 
Start with trimming off the fat from a washed and dried whole chicken. 
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cut 500 GM’s of carrot into big chunks.
1 bulb of garlic, peeled.
A neat bunch of lemongrass- shoot and leaves
3-4 spring onions, roughly chopped.
Recently boiled water.
Salt and pepper
Cook, covered in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius, for 50 mins.
Save the chicken stock for soup. That’s a recipe coming soon! 
1.5 cups of sela basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 mins. 
In a hot pan, melt the the chicken fat, to produce 2 tbsp of melted fat. 
Saute soaked rice in the fat. 
Add ¼ cup of dry white wine.
Season to taste. 
Add 2.75 cups of water, enough for rice to soak up and be fluffy. 
Cover and cook for 15 mins. Ideally, I make the rice once I have given the chicken to cook in the oven. 
Once cooked through, season and garnish it with chopped onion leaves. 
White sauce, my twist to this recipe. 
A splash of olive oil in hot pan.
1.5 tbsp butter and 1.5 tbsp all purpose flour. Saute well.
Fry a minced mixture of 1 green chilly and 5-6 cloves of garlic along with it.
Now add fridge cold milk -start with ½ a cup and go on till a desired consistency is reached. 
With the flame off, add the juice of half a lemon to freshen up the taste. 
Plating up- 
A bed of rice
Over which the chicken rests
Pour over the hot white sauce.
Garnish with chopped onion leaves. 
Cheers!! 

3 RECIPES TOGETHER- Veg Bengali THALI

Thali is am Indian concept of food. Typically every part of India has a distinctive style of presenting it thali. Today I have put out my vegetable laden thali that my family and I enjoy a lot during these months of great pollution. 

Jhakia seeds that I use in one of my dishes are optional, but a great addition. It doesn't have any strong flavours, but the crunchy seeds from the hills of gharwal are really a delightful addition to the overall texture of the dish. 

Mishti Kumro chechki – 
1. Heat a tbsp of mustard oil to a good smoking point.
2. Temper a red dry chilly, until it turns brown.
3. Add ½ TSP of kalonji /kala jeera/ Nigella seeds
4. Optional but highly recommended – add ½ TSP of jhakia seeds. It gives a beautiful crunchy taste to the dish. Read more on this in the blog post. 
5. Once the flavours of the masala wafts out, put in  500 GM’s of Ripe pumpkin cut in long fine strips.
6. Mix well, and let it cook on low flame, but uncovered. 
7. Do remember to stir it every now and then. 
8. Adjust salt and put in a green chilly to get a beautiful fresh aroma. 
9. Sprinkle on some finely cut fresh coriander and serve hot. 
Kalo jeere diye jhinge alu - 
1. Heat a tbsp of mustard oil to a good smoking point.
2. Temper a red dry chilly, until it turns brown.
3. Add ½ TSP of kalonji /kala jeera/ Nigella seeds
4. Once the aroma releases out, add in some cubed raw Potatoes. Stir and cook for a minute in the hot oil.
5. Add salt and haldi, stir well and cook for a minute longer, covered. 
6. Now add cubed ridge gourd, and stir well. 
7. Cover and cook until the potoes absorb all water released from the gourd, and become soft. 
8. Garnish it with fresh cut corriander leaves and a slit green chilly. 
Radhuni diye daal- 
1. Heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil to a good smoking point.
2. Temper a red dry chilly, until it turns brown.
3. Add ½ TSP of Radhuni /celery seeds.
4. Once the Masala becomes fragrant, and attains a deep dark brown colour, add ½ TSP haldi mixed with a tsp of water and slit green chilly.
5. Stir and add 6 tbsp of boiled fmasoor dal/red split lentils. 
6. Boil the dal in the tempered spices for a couple of minutes before adding in some green chillies slit and corriander leaves For flavour and garnish.
7. Give it a final simmering time of a minute before serving it hot with plait white rice and simple vegetable curries! 
Cheers! 

Passionate Gin and Tonic

For tomorrow's midweek refresher, I have got you covered with an amazing cocktail recipe- Passionately gin and tonic. Its a twist on the ever popular combination of gin and tonic, and trust me; even if you substitute the passion fruit with other kinds of fruit, its still gonna taste amazing. Treat it as a blueprint, and fly high!!

And while you are at it, don't forget to like, follow and subscribe!! cheers!!

Passionate gin and tonic

3 passion fruit's pulpy insides
1 tbsp sugar
100 ml gin
100 ml tequila
1.5 cans of tonic water or soda water
A pinch of rock salt
A handful of fresh mint
1 sweet orange sliced.