Steamed Hilsa fish in mustard sauce ( Shorshe Ilish bhape)

About the food:

Hilsa fish, or Ilish, as known in Bengali, is at the pinnacle of delicacy among the fish loving Bengalis. This is a river fish and has a distinctive taste.This dish is a traditional dish, extremely delicious and is very easy to make. But just beware, it uses mustard, which could be little too hot for the inexperienced. Try this dish, and you would never forget the taste. Cook it in mustard oil for best results.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

8 -10 cut pieces of Hilsa
6 tbsp mustard oil
2 tbsp black mustard seeds
6 tbsp white mustard seeds
4-5 green chillies, split through the centre
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
salt

Method:

1. Mix the mustard seeds , grind them to make a paste. You can dry grind them and then add water to make a paste. Add salt according to taste, the turmeric powder and cover it in a bowl and set it aside.

2.Clean the scales from the fish pieces and wash them well.Put them in a microwave-able container.
If you are not using a microwave, put it in a metal tin, coat it with oil and place the fish pieces.

2.Pour the mustard seed paste on top of the fish, making sure the fishes are well covered. If needed, add a little water and mix well. Take care not to break the fishes.

3.Pour the mustard oil and the mix the green chilles to the container.

4.Seal the container with a lid or cling film. If using a microwave, cook for 20 mins at 850 C. Keep a watch, as cooking time may vary.

For non-microwave cooking, put water in the pressure cooker, and set the container inside, on the top of an inverted bowl. Steam for about 10mins.

5. Take the container out and check that the fishes are soft and succulent.Serve it hot with plain basmati rice.

Clear chicken ball soup

About the food:

This is an original recipe of mine. My 4 yr old son is crazy about chicken soups, and if given his way, can have them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.I had to think hard to add variety to his 'chicken soups'. I leafed through by cookery books, searched the net, and then this recipe came to my mind.

In this recipe, the chicken balls are succulent, the apricots give a sweet and twangy taste and the ginger gives a spicy flavour.It is an extremely healthy and versatile food, your kids would love the soft and succulent chicken balls, you can have it as a light meal or you could serve this in a party. The best part of this dish is that it is extremely easy to cook! You cannot expect anything more for a dish.So, let's go ahead!

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

500 gms boneless chicken breast pieces
1 bunch of spring onions, chopped
1 tbsp of ginger paste
1/2 inch root ginger, finely chopped
6-7 dried apricots, chopped finely
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp black pepper powder
salt
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cornflour
vegetable oil
1 ltr water or chicken stock

Method:

1. Chop the chicken pieces and using a food processor/mixer mince them finely to a thick paste.
Take them out in bowl, add the ginger paste, onion powder, black pepper powder, cornflour and salt. Mix them together and leave it for 20 mins.

2.Wet your both palms with some oil, and make small balls from the mixture. Line them it a plate, taking care that they do not touch.

3. Heat a deep pan and add they butter. Put the black peppercorns, chopped ginger, spring onions and apricots. Fry for 5mins over a low flame. Add 1 ltr of water or the chicken stock, add salt and let it boil. One by one, lower the chicken balls into the boiling water. Cover and let them simmer over a low flame for 20-25mins.

4. Scoup off any fat from the surface, and serve hot with garlic bread.

Chicken Rezala

About the food:

Rezala is a typical Bangladeshi dish, which has the just mix of sweet, sour and hot flavours. It is a rich dish, absolutely delicious.Try this dish, it will never fail you. for the original flavour, this dish should be prepared using ghee only, but I do a healthier option. I cook it in vegetable oil, and mix the ghee, less amount than when cooked only with it, to the pan.

Preparation time: 2 hrs
Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

1 kg skinless chicken pieces

For marination:
5 onions made into paste
4 green chillies, made into paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp ground Garam Masala( cinnamom, cardamom and cloves)
4 tbsp kewra water

For the curry:

2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
1/2 cup posto (khas-khas) paste
200 ml (1 cup) plain yogurt
vegetable oil
ghee
1 big onion, chopped into rings
salt
1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg (Jai phal)
1/2 tbsp ground mace (jayitri)
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the marination. You can mix the green chillies, ginger, garlic and onions together and make a paste in a grinder. Add these to the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hrs.

2.Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan. Fry the ring onions until lightly golden. Keep it aside.

3. You can use the same pan used to fry the onions, and no need to rinse the pan either.Heat 4 tbsp oil in pan. Add the marinated chicken in batches to the pan, and stir fry. Add the potatoes. Cook on a medium flame, so the chicken pieces do not burn.Add 4 tbsp ghee, nutmeg and mace powder, salt, lemon juice, kewra water and sugar and continue cooking until the oil separates out. Now, add the yogurt, 1 spoon at a time , mixing it well before adding the next spoon. Otherwise the yogurt would cuddle.Cover and cook over a low flame, turning between the time,for about 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked.Add the posto paste, mix, and bring the food to boil.

4. Remove from the flame, garnish with the fried onion rings and serve hot with Indian Paratha or Basmati rice.

19th century English chicken curry

About the food:

Of all the recipes I have accumulated so far, this recipe is extremely special. Indian curries had always been popular in foreign lands, particularly in Britain. This dish gives the taste of what a 19^th century curry in Britain was.

I got this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey’s ‘Ultimate curry Bible’ .She always wanted to know how a 19^th Century British curry would have tasted, and had gone in depths to do a research. She found that the most authentic curry was prepared at that time in London’s Oriental Club by Chef Richard Terry, which he claims to have learned from the ‘Native cooks’. The club catered for the officers from the East India Company, who highly approved the curry.

The recipe of the curry powder was found in the book ‘Indian Curries’ by Chef Richard Terry written in 1861.Terry used butter to cook, and the recipe was for mutton, which was cooked in an oven for 3 hrs. I have used chicken here, and have used vegetable oil in place of butter.

The curry powder could be prepared in advance and if stored in an airtight container, will keep for months. The Curry paste would keep for weeks, you have to store it in a refrigerator.

This recipe gives a reflection of us in the past, so dive in to have a taste of the past!

Preparation time: 11/2 hr

Cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken pieces, skinless

Vegetable oil or butter

4 medium onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

19^th Century British Curry Powder: (makes 7 tbsp)

2 tbsp ground turmeric

5 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp cayenne powder

1 ½ tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground cardamom seeds

½ tsp ground cloves

19^th Century British Curry Paste: (makes 350ml)

4 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp chana dal or yellow split peas

1 tbsp black peppercorns

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp brown mustard seeds

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

120ml (half cup) cider vinegar

6 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

Method:

1. Curry powder:

Mix all the spices together and store in a an airtight container.

2. Curry paste:

Dry roast coriander, cumin, chana dal and peppercorns in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and grind them to a powder. Put it in a bowl and add turmeric, cayenne powder, salt, sugar and vinegar. Stir to mix. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Stir fry the spices for about 5 mins, cool, store in a container and refridgerate.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the onions until they are lightly golden. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 1 min. add 2 tbsp curry powder and 2 tbsp curry paste and continue cooking for 3-4 mins. Add the chicken pieces, and mix well. Cook by turning the pieces over a medium to low flame until oil separates out. Add a pinch of salt and 3 cups of water, cover and simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked.

4. Serve hot with Indian Paratha or basmati rice.

Mediterranean roasted vegetable and chicken

About the food:

This is a Mediterranean dish, and could be an extremely healthy and filling dinner with a chunk of garlic bread. This is very easy to prepare, and you can vary the seasonings according to your taste. And you can also add your favourite veggies, and it tastes fantastically refreshing.

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 25mins


Ingredients: (serves 4)


300 gms boneless chicken, cut into 1 inch by 2 inches pieces

vegetables:

1 yellow & 1 red bell pepper, cut in 1 inch squares
1 aubergine, cut in pieces with 1 inch thickness
2 courgettes, cut in circles with 1 inch thickness
10 small salad tomatoes
a small bowl of button mushrooms, cut vertically in thin semi-circular pieces
2 big onions, cut in chunky pieces

For marination:

4 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp garlic salt
2 tbsp onion salt
2 tbsp black pepper powder
salt to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Method:

1.Wash, drain and put all the cut vegetables in a big bowl. Mix it with the chicken pieces.

2.Put all the ingredients for the marination in the bowl and mix it well. Cover and let it marinate for about 2 hours. Refrigerate if the weather is warm.

3.Brush an oven tray with olive oil, and arrange all the ingredients in a single layer. Pre-heat the oven and cook for 20- 25 mins at 180 deg C. Keep a watch as not to burn the food and adjust the timing accordingly.

4. Serve it hot with garlic breads.

Ginger chicken

About the food:

This is a typical and a very popular chinese dish. But I must tell you that people from India might be very dissappointed by this dish, as initially I was. This dish does not belong to the Indian-Chinese cuisine, but has a perfect Chinese character. When I came to London, I was very upset with the Chinese cuisine, which had always been my favourite. But with time and experience I have come to realise that what we eat in India as chinese is completely different from what poeple in china eats. The chinese food here in London is more of chinese-chinese than of Indian-chinese taste. Once habituated, I have re-discovered my love for the Chinese cuisine, which is more authentic this time! Try this easy to make dish, and you will feel the same as me.

Ingredients (serves 4)

250 gms skinless & boneless chicken breast
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 egg white
1 tbsp Chinese five spices powder (a mixture of fennel, cloves, cinnamom, star anise and szechuan peppercorn)
1 big onion, cut in 3 inch stripes
1 bunch of spring onions, cut in 1 inch length
3 inch root ginger, shredded in long thin stripes
1 big bell pepper, cut in thin long stripes
1/2 tbsp black pepper seeds
black pepper powder to taste
7-8 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tbsp cornflour powder
salt to taste


Method:

1.Cut the chicken in 3 inch by 1 inch stripes. Whisk the egg white and the cornflour in a bowl to make a smooth mixture. Mix the chicken well with this mixture. Add the Chinese five spices to it ,cover and marinate for 30 mins.

2.Heat oil in pan.Stir fry the chicken, by tossing and turning on medium flame until the chicken is light golden in colour.Drain them on a kitchen tissue and set it aside.

3.Wipe clean the pan and heat oil again. Add the black pepper seeds and let it crackle. Add ginger, onion, mushrooms, spring onion and bell pepper. Stir fry on a low flame until they are tender. Add salt to taste.Add the chicken and keep on cooking over a low flame for a further 10 mins.Add 1/2 cup of water and cover and cook for further 10-15mins or until the chicken is tender. If you want to increase the gravy, add 1tbsp cornflour in a cup of water and add to the pan. Let it simmer, and the dish is now ready to serve.

Accompaniment: Best served with basmati rice.

Chicken curry with Bell Pepper

About the food:

This is not a very common recipe, and is very light and healthy. I learnt this recipe from my brother-in-law, who did study in hotel management, and is full of experimental recipes. I hope my readers like this recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4)

500 gms skinless & boneless chicken breast
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 tbsp whole garam masala ( Clove, Cinnamom and Cardamom)
1 big onion, diced
2 inch root ginger, shredded in small pieces
1 pinch of turmeric powder
1 big bell pepper, diced
1/2 tbsp black pepper seeds
1 big toamto, finely chopped
black pepper powder to taste
salt to taste


Method:

1.Cut the chicken in 3 inch by 1 inch stripes.

2.Heat oil in pan. Add the black pepper seeds and the whole garam masala and let them crackle.Add the onion, ginger and bell pepper. Fry for about 5mins. Add chopped tomato and keep on frying. After 2 mins, add the chicken and keep on cooking over a low flame for a further 10 mins.Add the turmeric powder and season it with salt and black pepper powder.

3.Add 2 cups of water and cover. Keep it simmering over a low flame for 20 mins or unless the chicken is cooked.

4.Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best with basmati rice.

Chicken with Worcestershire sauce

About the food:

This dish is a fusion food, and could well be said of Mediterrean origin.

It uses worcestershire sauce, the discovery of which, though controversial, has been credited to England. It was first commercialized in England in 1837. The strong taste of the worcestershire sauce is drawn from a fermented fish sauce called garum, which was a staple of the Greco-Roman cuisine in the the Roman Empire.

At present it's popularity has grown immensely, and it is now used extensively in western, eastern as well as Cantonese cuisines.

I learnt this recipe from a friend of mine, who likes to experiment a lot with foods. This is an extremely easy to cook recipe, and goes very well as a dry snack, specially in a cocktail party.


Ingredients (serves 4)

500 gms skinless & boneless chicken breast
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 big onion, diced
1 tbsp garlic salt/garlic granules
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of turmeric powder
1 big bell pepper, diced
1/2 tbsp black pepper seeds
black pepper powder to taste
1/2 cup tomato puree
salt to taste


Method:

1.Cut the chicken in 3 inch by 1 inch stripes. Marinate it with the worcestershire sauce and garlic salt.Cover it and set it aside for an hour.

2.Heat oil in pan. Add the black pepper seeds and let them crackle.Add the onion and bell pepper. Fry for about 5mins. Add the marinated chicken and keep on cooking over a low flame.Add the turmeric powder and season it with salt and black pepper powder.

3.Toss and turn the chicken in the pan, and when they become golden in colour, add the tomato puree. Mix it well and carry on cooking until the oil separates.

4.Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best as a starter/ Dry snack served with drinks.

Chicken curry

About the food:

Chicken curry is one of the most common Indian dishes, and yet it is a delicacy. I remember my childhood days, when it was a coveted special item on the Sunday menus. We awaited the Sundays for this delicious meal.

It reminds me always of the funny event: me and my younger sister always resisted the idea that it could only be a Sunday dish, and our mom, frustrated arguing, threw a challenge. She can serve the meal everyday, until we got bored..we were over the Moon and accepted the challenge instantly. And then it so began..for months, until mom got fed up cooking the same dish again and again..but we sisters were going brave and strong! Needless to say, who won the challenge!

There could be many variations of this dish..you can vary amount of the spices to make it light (which mom obviously did..); you can make the gravy thick or watery, by controlling the water; you can make it hot or mild. The magic lies in your hand..go on, try this out, and let me know how you like it. Bon mange!


Ingredients (serves 5)

1 kg skinless chicken thighs and legs
3 tbsp vegetable oil
5 big onions, made into paste
2 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
4 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1 tspn whole garam masala ( 4 cloves, 4 cardamon pods, 1/2 inch cardamom stick,broken in pieces)
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
1 pinch of turmeric
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the chicken pieces and put it in a big bowl. Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and mix it well. Cover and set it aside for about 1 hour.

2. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the sugar and let it char. It will give a beautiful golden colour to the food. Next add the whole garam masala in the oil and let them crackle. Put the green chillies and fry a little. Put the chopped tomatoes, taking care, as it might splitter. Fry over gentle flame for about a minute.

3. When the tomatoes have formed a gravy, put the marinated chicken into the pan, taking care as it might splitter. Keep the heat low, and keep on frying. It would take about 15-20 mins, depending on the flame. This is the most timetaking and crucial part of the cooking. Keep on frying, often tossing and turning the chicken on low heat, until the oil separates out. Add the salt and turmeric.

4.When chicken gets a golden colour, and the oil separates out, add 200ml (1 cup) of water. You can add more water, if you want, to make a less thicker gravy. Cover the pan and simmer for about 20mins, or until cooked. Toss and turn the chicken pieces in between to avoid their sticking to the pan.

4. Pour the curry to a serving tray and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

5. Serve hot.

Accompaniment: Best served with basmati rice.
Make the gravy a little thick, and it is great with Paratha, served with a dab of mixed pickle, which you would get in jars in the stores.

Shorshe Chicken ( Mustard Chicken)

About the food:

This is a classic Bengali dish, but beware friends, this food is not for weak hearted people. This is a food which is very hot. This uses mustard oil and seeds, which have a strong flavoury smell.For those who do not know, black mustard seeds are much more stronger than the white ones. I recommend, if you are cooking for guests, try it out for yourself sometime earlier, as I don't want to be blamed for your guests crying over the food. But believe me,if you do not mess up the mustard seed proportions, this dish is heaven!

I have a particular experience with cooking this food and messing it up. I was newly married at that time, and was just learning to cook. I invited my cousins to my in-laws' place, and have ventured cooking this dish. The proportion of the mustard seeds has gone horrendously wrong, I used only the black mustard seeds, about 7-8 spoons, instead of about 1 spoons, as far as I remember. The dish looked deliciously rich, with the chicken pieces floating on the mustard sauce.

What happened when everyone started eating was a nightmare.There was a sudden commotion, with someone running for the wash-basin, someone gulping jugs of water, someone crying with their eyes out, and someone chocking.

I was so utterly horrified at the result, that I could not gather myself to cook this dish once more for many years. And the most pathetic part of the story is, it's been more than a decade now, but my in-laws and my cousins never forget what a horrendous cook had I been, despite of so many goods foods I have served them later!

I believe you would definitely not have the same experience. Happy cooking and enjoy the food!


Ingredients (serves 5)

1 kg skinless chicken thighs and legs
3 tbsp Mustard oil/ Vegetable oil
5 big onions, made into paste
2 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
4 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1 big tomato, finely chopped
1 tspn whole garam masala ( 4 cloves, 4 cardamon pods, 1/2 inch cardamom stick,broken in pieces)
1 1/2 tbsp black mustard seed paste
4 tbsp white mustard seed paste
1 pinch of turmeric
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:

1. This dish is best prepared with mustard oil. The oil has a very strong smell, which adds the typical mustardy flavour to the dish. But you can go ahead with vegetable oil as well, if you prefer.

For making the mustard pastes, you can mix the black and white seeds together, either dry grind it, and then add a little water to make a paste; or you can wet grind them.

2. Wash and put the chicken pieces in a big bowl. Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and mix it well. Cover and set it aside for about 1 hour.

3. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, put the sugar and let it char. It will give a beautiful golden colour to the food. Next add the whole garam masala in the oil and let them crackle. Put the green chillies and fry a little. Put the chopped tomatoes, taking care, as it might splitter. Fry over gentle flame for about a minute.

4. When the tomatoes have formed a gravy, put the marinated chicken into the pan, taking care as it might splitter. Keep the heat low, and keep on frying. It would take about 15-20 mins, depending on the flame. This is the most time taking and crucial part of the cooking. Keep on frying, often tossing and turning the chicken on low heat, until the oil separates out. Add the salt and turmeric.

5.When chicken gets a golden colour, and the oil separates out, add 100ml (1/2 cup) of water. You can add more water later, if the gravy becomes too thick. Cover the pan and simmer for about 20mins, or until the chickens are cooked. Toss and turn the chicken pieces in between to avoid their sticking to the pan.

6.when are chicken are cooked, add the mustard seed pastes to the curry, and mix it well. Let it boil for a minute. your food is done.

7.Pour the curry to a serving tray and enjoy the meal.


Accompaniment: Best served with plain basmati rice.