Crab Curry

I am back...after more than a year. This time I really hope I will post more often than I did before. Today we got crabs, which were cooked by my mom, and they were so delicious that I decided that I had to put it here. The crabs were huge and so tasty. This is a Bengali style curry and spicy. Do not grind the red chillies to avoid a spicy gravy.

Ingredients:
Crab: 2kgs
Onion: 4 medium
Potato: 3 medium
Ginger: 1 1/2 inch
Garlic: 15 flakes
Tomato: 2
Red Chilly: 4
Bay Leaves: 4
Corriander Powder: 2tsp
Cumin Powder: 2tsp
Turmeric Powder: 2tsp
Garam Masala powder: A pinch
Salt: As per taste

Method:
1. Clean the crabs well.
2. Apply salt and turmeric powder to the crabs and keep aside.
3. Soak half of the the red chilly in a bit of water so that it makes grinding easy.

Cooking

4. Chop half of the onions and all of the tomatoes. Cut the potatoes in big chunks. 

5. Grind the rest of the onion, ginger, garlic and the soaked red chilly to a fine paste.

6. Fry the potatoes in a bit of oil and keep aside.

7. Fry the crabs and keep aside.

8. In hot oil, add the bay leaves the rest of the red chillies.

9. When they splutter, add the chopped onion and saute lightly.
10. Add the potatoes and let it cook a bit.

11. Then add the paste and bhuno by sprinkling water. (To bhuno means to fry spices and/or meat over a medium to high heat.)

12. Next add the chopped tomatoes and saute a bit.

13. Then add the turmeric powder, corriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Bhuno a bit more.

14. Add water to the mixture and let it boil. Once it starts boiling, add the crabs.
15. Cover it and let it cook for at least 15 minutes.
16. When the mixture thickens, add the garam masala powder and cook for two more minutes.

Khichidi with Labra

Last night my mom came home. We all suddenly had the urge to eat khichidi. With khichidi we normally eat an omlette or fish fry. Yesterday, since I was making khichidi, I thought of making Labra as well.

Labra is a mixed vegetable usually eaten with khichdi by Bengalis during Durga Puja bhog. We go to the Pandals set up for the Puja and relish the Labra Khichidi combo.The recipe for Labra I got from my mashi (my mom's sister). I think she is a wonderful cook, and this is her recipe. The Labra should be made with slightly more oil than normal, and the preferred oil is mustard oil,though any oil can be used. 

The Khichidi is more tasty if it is of a watery consistency. 

Ingredients for the Khichidi:

Roasted Moong Dal: 1 cup

Rice: 1 cup

Cauliflower: around 100gms

Carrot: around 100gms

Potatoes: around 100gms

Green Peas: 1/2cup

Cumin seeds: 1/2tbsp

Bay Leaves: 2-3

Green Chilli: 2-3

Ginger grated: 1tbsp

Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp

Sugar: a pinch

Salt: as per taste

Ghee/Oil: as required

Method:

1) Dry roast the moong dal and wash. Roast the dal till you get the wonderful aroma of the dal. Make sure that the dal does not burn.

2) Wash the rice and the dal and drain.

3) The vegetables need to be cut in big pieces so that they don't melt while cooking.

4) In a bit of ghee or oil, slightly fry all the vegetables and keep aside.

5) In a deep dish, heat ghee or oil. Add the cumin seeds.

6) When they begin to splutter, add the bay leaves, grated ginger and 

 green chilli.

7) Fry for some time, then add the dal and the rice.

8) Add enough water to cover the dal and rice.

9) When it looks creamy, add the vegetables, turmeric powder, salt and sugar.

10) Cover and cook. Keep checking, stirring and adding water when required. 

11) The more water you add,the bigger the grains will become.

12) Once the dal has melted, and the rice looks as cooked as possible, the khichidi is done.

13) Serve hot with a little extra ghee for added taste, or wait for the Labra.

Ingredients for the Labra:

Pumpkin: around 100gms

Cabbage: around 100gms

Raddish: around 100gms

Potato: around 100gms

Raw banana: around 100gms

Cauliflower leaves: around 50gms

Sprouts: 1/2 cup

Paanch Phoron: 1tbsp (Fenugreek seeds, Nigella seeds, Mustard seeds, Fennal seeds and cumin seeds)

Ginger grated: 1tbsp

Red chilli: 3-4

Green chilli: 2-3

Bay Leaves: 2-3

Turmeric powder: 1tsp

Cumin seeds: 1tbsp

Coriander seeds: 1/2tsp

Salt: as per taste

Sugar: 1tsp

Oil: as required

Method:

1) Wash and cut all the vegetables into big oblong pieces.

2) In a little bit of oil, fry all the vegetables, except the cabbage and sprouts. Keep aside.

3) Dry roast the cumin seeds and the coriander seeds till it does not have the raw smell. Grind to a fine powder and keep aside.

4) In hot oil, add the red chilli, bay leaves and paanch phoron.

5) When they start spluttering, add all the vegetables, except the cabbage. The cabbage is added later as it becomes squishy very fast.

6) Mix well and then add the green chilli, grated ginger, salt, sugar and turmeric powder. 

7) Mix and fry well for sometime, sprinkling a bit of water if and when required.

8) Add enough water to cover the vegetables, and cover and cook.

9) When the vegetables are nearly cooked, added the cabbage and cook.

10) When all the vegetables have nearly melted and are squishy, add the cumin-coriander powder, mix, and remove from the flame.

Serve hot with the khichdi.

Aloo Jhinga Posto/Potato & Ridge Gourd with Khus Khus

Posto or khus khus or poppy seeds is found sometimes in Bengali cooking. Since childhood, we have been eating "Aloo jhinga posto", but I never attempted to make it. I thought it was too difficult. Turns out, it is very simple. This is another recipe I got from my mom. She always uses Panch Phoron in this dish. Panch Phoron is a blend of five spices in equal quantities, that is very commonly used in Bengali cooking. The five spices included are:

Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)

Nigella seeds (kalonji/kalo jeera)

Mustard seeds (rai/shorshe) or Wild Celery Seeds (radhuni)

Fennel seeds (sauf/mouri)

Cumin seeds (jeera)

Adding onions in this dish is optional because many people feel that adding onions makes the dish a bit sweet.

Ingredients:

Ridge Gourd/Jhinga: 2

Potato: 1 (diced)

Onion 1 medium (chopped) optional

Posto/khus khus: 3tbsp

Green Chilli: 2

Panch Phoron: 2tsp

Turmeric Powder: a pinch

Salt

Oil
Method:

1. Grind the posto in the mixer for a bit, till the seeds break a little. Then add a little bit of water and the green chillies and grind to a smooth paste.

2. In hot oil, saute the potatoes and then keep aside.

3. In the same oil (add more if needed), add the panch phoron. When it starts popping and crackling, add the onion. Add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.

4. Saute this till the onion looses its colour. Add the potatoes and cook for a while.

5. When the potatoes are half done, add the jhinga. The jhinga cooks faster than the potatoes, which is why it is added after the potatoes are half cooked. Cover and cook. Add water if required.

6. When the vegetable is cooked, add a little water and bring to a boil. I prefer this dish dry, but it can have some gravy if needed.

7. Add the posto paste and cook for around 3-5 mins. The posto paste should not be cooked for a long time as it can turn bitter ruining the whole dish.

8. Serve hot with rice.

Red Leafy Veggie

Ever since I have come to Chennai, I have not seen too many of my favourite leaves. The only leaves I have seen are the ones I don't know. So I was very happy to come across one of my favourite ones...The red leafy kind. I bought the last bunch and called my mom to ask her how to make it, and I proceeded to do the same. It tastes good with quite a bit of garlic in it. Very simple to make.

Ingredients:

Red leaves: 1 bunch if it is big or 2.

Garlic: 1 pod

Green Chilli: 2

Red Chilli: 2

Turmeric Powder: a pinch

Salt: as required

Oil

Method:

1. Wash the leaves and pluck them from the stems. Then chop them finely.

2. Cook the leaves with half the garlic flakes (crushed), the green chillies, salt and turmeric powder, covered. Do not add water unless very dry because the leaves will give out water. Don't add too much salt, as these leaves have salt of their own.

3. When the leaves have reduced in size and the water has disappeared, turn off the gas and keep it aside.

4. Heat oil separately. Add the remaining garlic flakes (chopped) and the red chillies. Fry for a bit and then add the leaves.

5. Let this cook for around 5 mins. Serve hot with rice.

Happy Diwali

I want to wish all my blogger friends and their families a very Happy Diwali & a Prosperous New Year. I never make sweets. Actually to mention, never thought of it, so this time I decided to throw myself in sweet making. I searched blogs on the net and finally settled on Mysore Pak, Kaju Katli and Nimki which I had made and posted earlier. I would like to thank "My Diverse Kitchen" and "Art of Cooking" which helped me to make these.

A Meme and Doi Maach

I have not posted anything for a while as my mom is here in town and I am having fun going places with her. We went to the zoo the other day and my boy enjoyed himself. He loved to see the giraffes and his favourite elephants. He also sat on a tree...just like a monkey. Here are some pictures. The one on the left is with one giraffe. It is a bit difficult yo see it as it is standing very far. Wish it had come a bit closer. The picture on the right is the one on the tree. My baby monkey.




I was tagged by Jaya for this Bookish Meme. I have never done this before. I love to read, though with my naughty kid who makes me run around, it takes me longer to finish a book, than it used to.
As per the rules:
Pick up the nearest book
Go to Page 123
Now Find the fifth sentence
post the next three sentences
Tag 5 People and acknowledge the person who tagged you

The book nearest to me is "The Last Mughal" as I am reading that now. The sixth, seventh and eighth sentences on page 123 are:

6th: Despite his lack of Indian experience, Canning was quite clear that now was the moment to take the dramatic and historic step of deposing the Mughal dynasty, which had ruled northern India for more than three hundred years: Babur, the first Mughal, took Delhi while Henry VIII was just beginning his rule in England.

7th: Britain's Indian Empire, wrote Cannings, had never been so strong, so secure or so happy: "The last few years have seen not only an extension, but a remarkable consolidation of British power in India; its supremacy has become more uniform and unbroken even within the earlier limits of the Empire."

8th: For this reason, 'the preservation of a titular King Paramount of Hindustan has thereby grown to be a greater anomaly than ever', and he therefore decided, in agreement with Fraser's views, that no Mughal prince would now be recognised as heir apparent.

Now, I would like to pass this on to:

Suma

Skribles

Sudeshna

Solai

Kitchen Flavours

Now for my recipe. This is a very typical Bengali fish dish made with curd. This can be made with either Rohu or Katla and is best eaten with rice. This is very yummy. My hubby who is not a Bengali, enjoys this preparation a lot. So when he got fresh katla the other day, I made him his favourite dish. It was not spicy, so my son also enjoyed it.

First, I marinated the fish with around 150 gms curd and a pinch of turmeric powder for about half an hour. In very hot oil, fry the fish till it is three fourth done. Keep aside. Now, in hot oil, ghee (clarified butter), add 2-3 cloves, 2-3 green cardamons, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, and around 5 peppercorns. Saute for a few seconds, then add chopped onion and ginger paste. Cook till the onion becomes brown. Add the remaining 150 gms curd, red chilli powder, salt and enough water to cover the ingredients. When it starts boiling, add the fish to the pan, and simmer for about 15 mins, or till the fish is cooked.

HAPPY COOKING!!

Nimki, an award and thanks

I remember when I was a kid, my mom used to make nimki for my sister and me for snacks and we loved it. My sister loved it more when they were put in sugar syrup to make it sweet. Since we loved it so much, I thought that my boy would also like it, and I thought correct. He loved it. He was playing with two girls who are eight, and his dadda and among the four of them (one adult and three kids), they finished it. Yay!! It was very difficult for me to save some for a picture.

When I started making it I realized that this needed maida (refined flour) and had to be deep fried. Now I got paranoid with the combination of maida and deep frying which are both not very good for health, so I substituted maida with atta (whole wheat flour). Also I used less oil for frying. Thought it might be different, but it was very much like what I ate as a kid.

Ingredients:

Atta (Whole wheat flour): 125 gms

Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tbsp

Salt: 1tbsp

Kalo jeere(kalaunji/nigella seeds): 2 tbsp

Water: as required

Oil: for frying

Method:

1) Mix the ghee, atta and salt together.

2) Add the kalo jerre and water, and knead into a dough just like we do while making roti.

3) Divide the dough into balls.

4) Flatten the balls and then roll them out in circles, dusting with flour when required.

5) With a knife, cut criss cross strips on the rolled out dough. They should be diamond shaped. I know mine are not good shapes, but that is the idea.

6) Heat oil in a kadai and fry.

7) Drain on kitchen paper.

8) If kept in an air tight container, it can last for up to 2 weeks.

I also wanted to thank Dibs for the Blogging Friends Forever award. She is the second person to do so, and I thank her with all my heart. I will always cherish it Dibs. I have already passed it on to 5 people earlier.

I received a lot of wonderful comments for my last post. I want to thank everyone for the kind words. This really encourages me to do better.

Mallai Chingri (Prawns in Coconut Milk)

This dish has been a childhood favourite. My sister and I love the way mom cooks it. I tried to make it my way, but it was not that good. Finally I asked my ma for the recipe and I made it. Even my baby loved it. This is again a Bengali dish and I think most of the Bengalis love it. I have not put the amount for the ingredients as it depends on the quantity of the prawns.

Ingredients:

Prawns (big medium or small)

Potato

Onion

Tomato

Coconut milk

Ginger

Garlic

Turmeric Powder

Red Chilli powder

Salt

Garam Masala powder (cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamon)

Method:

1. Wash, peel and devein the prawns. Chop the onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic.

2. In the hot oil, first add the ginger and garlic and fry for a minute.

3. Then add the onion and fry a bit more.

4. Next add the tomato. Fry a bit and then add the salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Fry till the smell of onion disappears.

5. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.

6. When it starts to boil, add the prawns.

7. Cover and cook on medium flame, till the prawns are soft.

8. Just 2 minutes before turning it off, add the garam masala powder and let it simmer.

This is best eaten with steamed rice.

Cabbage with Fish head

This is a typical Bengali recipe. Many people like it, and many don't because many people don't like fish head. I learnt this recipe from my mother. It takes time to make this dish. Made best with Head of Hilsa fish, but can also be made by Rohu or Katla

Ingredients:
Cabbage 1/2 kg
Fish head 1 big
Onion 1 (optional)
Tomato 1
Potato 1 (optional)
Green Chilly 2
Bay Leaves 2-3
Red Chilly 2-3
Cumin seeds a pinch
Turmeric powder
Cumin powder
Coriander powder
Red Chilly Powder
Garam Masala (Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Cloves and Cardamon ground together)
Salt
Method:
1. Sprinkle turmeric powder on the fish head and keep aside.
2. Meanwhile cut the cabbage, chop the onion and tomato. Dice the potato, slit the green chilly and make a paste of cumin, coriander, turmeric and red chilly powders with a bit of water.
3. Fry the fish heads till the fishy smell disappears. Break them in small pieces. Keep aside.
4. In hot oil, drop the bay leaves and the red chillies.
5 When they thurn dark, add the cumin seeds.
6. When the cumin seeds stsrt to splutter, add the potatoes. Fry lightly.
7. Then add the onions and fry till they lose their colour.
8. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
9. When the whole thing looks a bit cooked, add the spice paste and salt.
10. Then add the cabbage and cook covered.
11. When the cabbage is semi cooked, add the fish heads and mix well.
12. Cover and cook on medium flame.
13. Add the garam masala and cook for 2 more minutes.