Peper shukno torkari (curried green papaya)

Submitted by: Mala D

Green papaya is used quite a lot in Bengali cuisine. This 

recipe is one among many from my husband's childhood favourites, made tastier by the fact that the papaya in question was mostly stolen from the groundfloor neighbour's fabulous kitchen garden. Who then, got the whiff & sent his children upstairs for lunch! Some neighbourly relationship;-))

Ingredients:
Green papaya: 1 medium-sized,abt 350 gms
Potato: 1 large
Green chillies: 2 nos
Ginger: 1/12 inches
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Bayleaf: 2 nos
Cardamom: 4-5 nos
Cloves: 3 nos
Cinnamon stick: 2 inches
Salt: to taste
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Redchilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Sugar: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp

Method:
Peel & cut the papaya into big pieces, remove the seeds & the pith, wash properly. Now grate it finely.
Peel & chop potato into small pieces, wash & drain properly. Grate the ginger.
Heat  the oil. Pound the cardamoms roughly, add to oil along with cumin, bay leaves, cloves & cinnamon. Toss and now add grated ginger & chopped chilli pieces. Add the potato pieces & fry well. Now mix in the grated papaya. Saute a while & then add salt, sugar & spices. Mix well, cover & cook till done. Serve with hot rice.

Bhindi diye Maangsho (Bhindi Gosht)

Submitted by: Mala D

Muslims make it a point to include different kinds of veggies to their meat dishes, the reason being, it brings the best of both worlds to the eater & becomes a balanced & fulfilling meal. In fact I remember reading somewhere that in Hindu cuisine, this practice came from the Mogul influence as Hindus would strictly keep non-veg & veg dishes seperate. Well, we should always adopt the best practises from where ever we may find it:-))



Ingredients:
Fresh mutton: 500 gms,medium cut
Lady Finger/okra: 250 gms
Onion: 1 large
Ginger: 2 inches
Garlic: 4 cloves
Tomato: 1 medium
Yoghurt: 1/2cup/150gms
Oil: 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder: 2-1/2 tsp
Corriander powder: 2 heaped tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/2tsp
Salt: to taste
Sugar: a pinch


Method:
Wash the mutton throughly & drain all water. Keep aside.
Make a smooth paste of the onion. Finely grate/mince the ginger & garlic. Wash the lady fingers & cut of the tips from both side & keep them whole.
Now heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan & lightly fry the bhindis & keep aside.
Heat oil in the pressure cooker/large vessel & add some salt. Now fry the onion paste till lightly browned. Add ginger-garlic paste & fry some more. Add chopped tomato & fry till oil floats. Increase flame to high & sear the mutton pieces on all sides, this seals the juices. Reduce flame & bhuno(fry) really well, stirring from time to time. Add salt , red chilli, corriander & mix well. Whisk the yoghurt & add to the mutton. Stir & keep frying till the oil again leaves the side of masala (total frying time about 20 minutes). Check the seasoning & if it's sour then only add a pinch of sugar otherwise no need.
Add two cups of water, the gravy is medium-thick. Close the lid & bring in full pressure till 2-3 whistles. Lower flame & cook for about 15 minutes. Close flame & let cool. Now gently add the fried bhindis & cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add garam masala. Tastes good with both rice & chapati.

Note: you can also make this curry with potato/bottlegourd/beetroot. The dry form of this curry can be made with torai/bittergourd.

Lau Khoshar torkari (curried bottlegourd peel)

Submitted by: Mala D

Sometimes looking at the fresh, smooth green peel of the bottlegourd, it seems such a waste to throw it away! At such times, this recipe comes handy as Bongs don't like wasting any edible part of any veggi. I still remember the delicious curry my didu (granny) made using potato peels & roasted poppyseeds(not paste). Even in those old times, our grandmothers knew the nutrient qualities contained in the peels & didn't just throw them away. How this new generation misses their conventional wisdom & their homespun recipes:((

Ingredients:
Peels from a 700 gms Lau

Potato: 1 medium/small
Onion: 1 small
Garlic: 2-3 cloves,minced
Mustard oil/refined oil: 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Fried dal vadis: 4-5 nos
Nigella seeds: 1/2 tsp

Method:
Peel the skin from the lauki a bit thickly, ie the peel should contain little of the fleshy part of the lau. Wash & chop it into 2 inches long thin rectangle pieces. Peel & cut the potato into likewise shape. Wash & drain properly. Heat the oil, fry the vadis in them till done. Take them out. Temper the same oil with kalonji seeds & add the minced garlic, when it's a little brown add the chopped onion & fry a bit. Now add the lau peels & potato pieces. Toss well. Add salt,sugar & spices,mix well. Cover & cook on low flame. If needed keep sprinkling little water from time to time. Add the dal vadis when done. Serve hot with rice.

Note: you can also make this using 2-3 tbsp of posto paste while frying the vegetables or roasted poppy seeds (1 tbsp) while cooking it. If posto is not available then add a tbsp of mustard paste towards the end of cooking. There should always be variety in cooking even if you are cooking the same thing.

Aloo potoler torkari (Parval and potato curry)

Posted by: Mala D

To the Bongs, if the Hilsa is the queen of fish then potol is perhaps the king of vegetables, with jackfruit & cauliflower coming a close second. Bengalis love parval so much they even have it as a sweet!


Ingredients:
Parval: 250 gms
Potato: 1 medium-sized
Mustard oil/refined oil: 4 tbsp
Grated coconut: 75 gms
Poppy seeds: 2 tbsp
Green chillies: 5-6
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Nigella seeds: 1/4 tsp


Method:
Peel & cut the potato into small pieces. Peel the parval leaving one strip intact after each peel (just like you peel cucumber for salad). The peel can be stored & used later for chechki. Wash & drain them properly.
Dry roast the poppy seeds & then make a smooth paste with grated coconut & green chillies. Keep aside.
Heat the oil, drop mustard & nigella seeds. When they splutter add the aloo & parval & fry them well. After a while, add the paste & fry it, turning it softly so you don't break the vegetables. Add salt & turmeric & mix well. Ensure that the masala doesn't stick to the pan. Add a little water (2 tbsp), cover & cook on low flame. When done, pour 1 tsp raw mustard oil over it & keep it covered. Serve hot with rice.

Note: in the UAE poppy seeds (posto) is banned as a narcotic substance. Therefore, instead of posto, people add 1 tbsp of mustard paste towards the end of cooking:((

Sheem Paturi (broad beans in mustard paste)

Posted by: Mala D

Bengalis just love mustard, be it mustard oil or mustard seed's paste. Some times I wonder why is it that mustard is mainly grown in Punjab & UP, but (barring sarson da saag), is consumed mainly in the north-east!
This simple dish of greens gets it's oomph from the mustard paste:-)

Ingredients:
Sem(Pappdi/broad beans): 250 gms
Mustard seeds: 2 tsp
Green chillies: 4-5
Refined oil: 1 tbsp
Nigella: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Sugar: 1/4 tsp

Method:
Wash & soak the mustard seeds in water for about 1 hour.
String the beans & cut into two pieces each. Wash, drain & keep aside.
Make a smooth paste of mustard with chopped green chillies,1/4 tsp of salt & 4-5 tbsp of water.
Heat oil in a pan & temper with nigella seeds(kalonji). Add the beans & toss awhile. Add salt & turmeric, mix well,cover & cook till 3/4 done. Add sugar. Toss & then add the mustard paste. The beans should retain their bite ie al dente. The gravy should coat the beans & be a little runny. Serve hot with rice.

Deem Makha Makha (Egg Masala)

Posted by: Priyaka A

This is an improvised and dry version of the Bengali deemer jhol. Ingredients for the main masala: Hard boiled eggs - 6 Onions - 3 medium sized, cut into long thin slices  Tomato (paste) - 2 medium sized Refined / Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp Ginger (grated) - 1 Inch long  Green Chilli (chopped) - 4 Red Chilli (dry & whole) - 2 Tejpata (Indian Bay-leaf) - 1 leaf Laung / Clove - 2 pieces Black pepper – 4 Green Elaichi / Cardamom (slightly crushed) - 3 Hing / Asafotida - 1/4 tbsp Haldi / Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tbsp Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp Coriander / Dhania powder - 1/4 tbsp Salt - to taste Serves – 3 to 4 people Method:  Marinate the boiled eggs (de-shelled) in little salt, haldi and red chili powder for 10 - 15 minutes. Take 3 tbsp of oil, heat the oil and fry the boiled eggs till they have a golden brown coating. Take them out and keep aside. (Poke holes with a fork on the egg for the masala to penetrate before marinating.) Use the remaining oil for making the main masala. Add hing, laung, elaichi, tejpata, green chillies, whole pepper , sliced onions and ginger and fry until dark brown in colour. Then add the tomato paste, haldi, whole dry red chilies, salt and continue to fry by adding little water to avoid the masala from getting burnt. Fry till the masala is well cooked and you can see the oil separate. Lastly, add the shallow fried eggs along with the red chili powder and dhania powder. Mix well and let it cook for another 5 minutes. You may garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot rice or paranthas.

Chaal Kumro Chingri (white pumpkin with shrimps)

Posted by: Mala D

Chaal kumro was explained nicely by another blogger Pratima D here,i just want to add that this vegetable is considered a "non-veg" item! On Kali Puja night, those who want to avoid an animal sacrifice, offer chaal kumro to the Goddess. This recipe is considered a Bong delicacy & is also cooked using Laou (bottle gourd) instead of white pumpkin but I feel it tastes better with chaal kumro.

Ingredients:
White pumpkin: 1/2 kg
Shrimps: 150-200 gms,medium-sized
Mustard oil/refined oil: 1-1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 2tsp
Red chilli powder: 1-1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Corriander leaves: a handful
Green chillies: 2-4
Nigella seeds(kalonji/kala jeera)

Method:
Peel & de-vein the shrimps, their heads should already be removed at the fish monger's. Wash properly & drain the water. Put them in a bowl & apply 1 tsp turmeric powder,1 tsp red chilli powder & 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well & keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, deseed & cut the white pumpkin into small pieces. Wash well & drain in a sieve.

Heat oil in a frying pan, add the shrimp, keep tossing for about 2 minutes & take them out. In the same oil, add kala jeera & sliced green chillies, when they crackle, add the white pumpkin. Toss them for a while, add salt & 1 tsp turmeric & 1/2 tsp red chilli powder & mix  well. Cover & cook it on low flame. Chaal kumro releases a lot of water so extra water is not needed. Keep checking from time to time. When it's 3/4 done, add sugar & toss around. Now add the fried shrimps & mix them with the curry. Shrimps cooks really fast, about 3-4 minutes in total time, so just cook the curry on a high flame to dry out the water if any. Dish out & garnish with chopped corriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.

Deem Begun

Recipe by: Mala D

I don't know why we Bengalis call the brinjal "be-gun" ie without any virtue/quality when this "crowned" vegetable is used so extensively in our cuisine--fried, roasted, boiled, curried and so on! To appeal to fussy eaters, it is even used in non-veg preparations. This is one such recipe, courtesy of my ma-in-law's friend, Mrs Roy from Chandigarh. No copy rights issue here!

Ingredients:

Begun (aubergine, eggplant): 1 big size, about 300 gms
Onion: 1 medium size
Egg: 1 large size
Green chillies: 2-3 nos
Ginger: 1-1/2 inches
Mustard oil: 2 tbsp
Desi ghee: 1 tsp
Bay leaf: 1 large
Cardamoms: 4-5 nos
Cinnamon stick: 1, about 2 inches
Cumin(jeera) seeds: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Turmeric(haldi) powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp


Method:
Cut the brinjal into small pieces, soaking them in a little water to ensure they don't turn dark. Wash thoroughly, drain & keep aside.
Chop the onion finely & grate the ginger. Heat oil in a deep pan till it reaches smoking point. Lower the flame & add bay leaf, cardamoms, cinnamon & cumin seeds. As they splutter, add chopped onion & toss them. Add grated ginger & fry for about a minute & then add the chopped brinjal pieces. Mix well. Add salt, turmeric powder & chopped green chillies. Cover & cook till brinjal turns soft. Now put on sim, & quickly break the egg over the curry & mix it really fast, ensuring it coats most of the brinjals. Increase the flame & keep turning the curry. Add the desi ghee & garam masala powder & coat it all over. Close the flame. It really cooks fast.
Serve it hot with rice/ chapati/parathas.

Chal Kumro with bhaja moong daal

Recipe by: Pratima D


Chal kumro, is not pumpkin and not lauki. It looks like a lau, but is darker green in color and is hairy on the outside. Petha, a north Indian sweet, is made from this. In the US it is available in both Indian and Chinese groceries.


Ingredients: 
Chal kumro: 1 lb

Yellow Moong daal: Half cup
Jeera seeds half tsp
Bay leaf: 2
Green chili slit in two: 2
Ginger: 1 inch
Jeera powder: 1 1/2  tsp
Haldi: 1/2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
Ghee: 1 tsp (optional)

Peel the chal kumro and cut it into rectangular pieces about an inch long. 
Roast the moong dal in a pan. Wash in cold water. Add 2 cups of water and boil. Once the daal is half cooked, add the chal kumro, salt, haldi, green chili and cook it till it is 3/4th cooked.
Make fresh Ginger paste and mix it with jeera powder. In a skillet heat the oil and add the jeera seeds, bay leaf, and ginger paste. Saute the paste until it is slightly brown. Add the fried paste to the daal and chal kumro. Add the sugar.  Cook it for about 2 more minutes, make sure the daal and chal kumro are cooked. Stop the heat, add one teaspoon ghee, mix it, cover with a lid. Serve with white rice. You can also have it with Roti.

Since there is no onion, garlic, tomato in this recipe, it is ideal for pure vegetarian and Santoshi Ma recipes.

Aloo Methir torkari - potato & fenugreek leaves dry curry

Posted by: Mala D


This is a popular subji in most Bengali households of course every family having their on take on it. My mom uses green peas in it & my mum-in-law uses brinjals: as a nod to these two special ladies, I have included both in my recipe!

Ingredients:
Potatoes: 2 nos.approximately 400 gms
Methi saag: 500gms
Brinjal(egg plant): 1 medium size abt 150gms
Green peas: a handful
Green chillies: 2-4 sliced
Mustard oil: 3 tablespoon or more (don't scrimp on oil as brinjal tend to absorb it,also mustard oil is good for health)
Turmeric powder:1 tsp
Salt:to taste
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: (sabut jeera) 1/2 tsp
Hing: (asafoetida powder) 1/4 tsp


Method:
Pick methi leaves & wash them repeatedly till water looks completely clear, now chop them finely.
Peel the potatoes & cut them into small size pieces. Chop brinjal into 3 inch sized pieces. Wash them well & drain them of water. Wash the green peas & keep seperately.

In a large-sized pan, heat oil till smoking point. Lower the flame & temper with hing & jeera seeds. Add potato pieces & sliced green chillies & toss for a while. Now add brinjal & mix them properly. Fry for 4-5 minutes. Add the turmeric powder & toss. Add chopped methi leaves & green peas & mix well. Add the salt & sugar. Cover with a tight-fitting lid & cook on low flame. If the curry gets dried, keep sprinkling little water from time to time. Should take about 8-10 minutes to cook. Close flame when the potatoes are done. Serve with yellow dal & rice. Also goes well with parathas.
Note-- children usually avoid having methi for it's slightly pungent taste. In such a scenario, add a handful of washed & chopped Dil leaves(soya/sua leaves), they balance out the pungency with their mellow taste. In fact in North India, sua-methi are always sold together!