Tel Koi

It was Sunday again and husband in the mood of buying fish. He returns with the prized fish koi and their size was extraordinary. I personally cooked such big ones for the first time. Full of goodness koi has a distinctive taste. Easy and healthy "tel koi" was cooked.

Ingredients
Koi fish 6
Onion paste 2tbsp
Garlic paste 2tsp
Ginger paste 2 tbsp
Tomato paste 1tbsp
Raisins 50gms
Whole cinnamon 1 inch stick
Whole cardamom 2
Whole cloves 4
Bay leaves 2
Mustard oil 4tbsp
Turmeric powder2tbsp
Cumin powder 1tsp
Black pepper powder 1tsp
Salt
Sugar
Slit green chillies 6

Process
Clean, wash abd pat dry all the fish. Cut slits on both sides of the fish to enhance flavour. Rub salt and turmeric over the fish.
Heat oil and fry them in batches.
In the remaining oil add a tsp of sugar. When its red caramallised add the whole spices alongwith the bay leaves.
Add all the ground masalas and saute for a while. Add the powdered spices with a cup of water.
Fry till the oil separates. Add greenchillies, raisins ,salt and sugar.
Add all the fried fish and a cup of hot water. Cover cook in sim for 10mins.
Put off gas and rest it covered for 10 mins more.
Serve with steaming rice. And to enrich it more u can add a spoon of desi ghee before serving.

Delectable, beneficial koi fish makes occassions remarkable.

Golden fried prawns

Husband brought home some real good tiger prawns and looked happy as ever. Sons love them so it has to be  Crispy Golden Fried Prawns. The coating will be crunchy and the flesh of the prawn will be juicy thats the criteria for this dish....

Ingredients
HeadlessTiger prawns 8 pcs
Cornstarch  100 gms
Refined flour 100 gms
Salt
Black pepper powder 1/2tsp
Lime wedges
White oil 200 gms

Process
Clean,devein and wash prawns, reserving the tails.
Pat dry.marinate with half of the pepper and salt.
Mix half of the cornstarch and flour with water,salt and the rest of the pepper powder in a medium bowl.
In a shallow dish dry mix the other half of the cornstarch and flour.
Heat oil in a kadhai.
First coat the prawns in the dry mix.
Then dip them in the batter and deep fry the prawns in batches.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges and chilli garlic sauce.

As a starter its great.
Its tempting and lipsmackingly good.

Gule macher jhol

The heat this year is killing. Being a mom of two schoolgoer boys I have to look to their tummy's health. So light beneficial fish stu for lunch to go with soft rice,as they fly to their fields to play.
These lively variety of fish looks like eel can be kept in a fish bowl or big utensil for few days. Just Expert hands have to catch them and prepare them to be cooked. Otherwise get it cleaned in the fish market itself. Boosting the blood and our eyes 'Gule maach' it is....

Ingredients
Gule fish 250 gms
Potatoes 2
Greenchillies 4
Bori of urad dal 100 gms
Tomatoes 1
Cumin powder 1tbsp
Black pepper powder 1tsp
Turmeric 2tsp
Mustard oil
Salt

Procedure
Clean the fish and marinate with salt and turmeric. Shallow fry the fish in batches in mustard oil.
Heat 1tbsp of mustard oil in a kadhai. Fry the boris or vadis and keep aside. If needed heat anther spoon of oil now.Fry potatoes cut in wedges add tomatoes and all the ground spices mixed with half a cup of water. Saute till oil separates.
Add  250 ml of warm water and let it boil.
Add the fried fish and the slit green chillies. Cover cook in sim for 10 mins. Add the fried boris and put off the gas.Stand covered for 10 mins.

A very nutritious soup which nourishes the body is ready to be savoured with rice. Some children who are fussy with fish, don't worry give them the  runny soup omitting the fish. Its equally helpful. 

Chitol Muitha

Ingredients
Chitol fish boneless 250 gms
Boiled potato 150 gms
Onion paste 2tbsp
Tomato paste 2tbsp
Ginger paste 1tbsp
Garlic paste 1tsp
Coriander powder 2tsp
Cumin powder2tsp
Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp
Clove powder 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder 1tsp
Turmeric powder 2tsp
Black pepper powder 1tsp
Green chillies 4
Sugar 2tsp
Ghee 1tbsp
Mustard oil 4tbsp
Salt

Procedure

Mix the potatoes and half of all the pastes and powdered spices to the boneless Chitol fish. This will look like a dough.
Boil enough water in a deep pan. Make small balls with the fish mixture and boil them in batches of 2minutes each. Drain them aside.
In a kadhai heat mustard oil. Fry the fish balls in batches and drain.
Heat the residual oil. Add red chilly powder. Fry all the remaining pastes till oil separates. Add all the dry powder spices alongwith 2tbsp water. Saute this till oil separates.
Add sugar and  salt.
Mix the fish balls in the masala and saute for a minute. Add 2cups water. Cover and cook for 5minutes.
Pour in the ghee and let it rest covered for 5minutes.

Serve with steamed rice or parathas.
This again is an East Bengal   delicacy and tastes very much like desi chicken. The gravy has a unique taste which lingers and is very satifying.
Chitol fish 'pety' or tummy part can be prepared as kalia or curry. 

Aar fish kalia

Ingredients
Aar fish or any big fish 500 gms
Onion paste 1 cup or 150 gms
Garlic paste 1/4 cup or 10 gms
Ginger paste 1/2 cup or 25 gms
Sour curd (in lassi form)
Turmeric 2tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder 1tsp
Grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves or tej patta 2 pcs
Green chilly 5
Mustard oil 2tbsp
Hot water 2cups or 250 ml
Sugar 1tsp
Salt 2tsp

Procedure

Wash, clean and pat dry fish pieces.
Marinate with a little turmeric,salt and chilly powder. Heat mustard oil in a kadhai or deep pan. Wait till the bubbles in the oil subside. Fry the marinated fish in batches and drain.
In the remaining oil add bayleaves.
Add the sugar till light golden colour. Add the kashmiri red chilly powder and immediately add all the pastes and saute till the water evaporates.
Add the curd in lassi form and cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and turmeric and cook till oil separates from gravy.
Put all the fish pieces in the gravy and add the hot water.
Simmer covered for 6 mins in sim gas.
Add slit green chillies and nutmeg powder and rest covered for 10 mins.
Serve with rice or any type of rotis.

This tastes great with bengali sweet pulao which has lots of raisins in it.

Dry chilly garlic chicken (Kolkata Jimmy's Kitchen Style )

Ingredients
Desi or regular chicken 500 gms
Juice of 1onion
Garlic paste 1tbsp
Ginger paste 1/2tbsp
Chopped garlic 1tbsp
Chopped green chilly 1/2 tbsp
Dark soya sauce 4tsp
Refined flour 1cup
Sugar 2tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Vegetable oil 2cups for deep frying the chicken.

Procedure
Cut the chicken in 1 inch pieces.Clean, wash and pat dry. Marinate with the onion juice, ginger and garlic pastes. Keep aside for 1hr.
Place flour mixed with little bit of salt on a plate. Heat oil for deep frying in a wok or a deep kadhai.
Dust every chicken piece with flour nicely on all sides. Fry in batches and drain in kitchen tissue.
Heat 1tbsp oil. Add chopped garlic and chillies to the oil. Cook in high till the garlic is just fried. Add fried chicken pieces along with soya sauce, sugar and salt. Coat the chicken well till glossy.
Put off the heat and serve at once.

It is very good as a starter or with gravy pan fried noodles.
Tastes best if cooked chicken with the bones.

Jimmy's Kitchen Kolkata serves this dish. Many of us are nostalgic and swear by their dry chilly chicken.
I tried to recreate this, for my family and it won hands down.

Fowl curry

Ingredients
Desi chicken 500gms
Chicken eggs 5
Peeled whole Potatoes 5
Fried onion slices ground 1cup
Garlic coarsely ground 1tbsp
Ginger paste 1tbsp
Raw papaya paste 1cup
Green chilly coarsely ground 4
Sour curd 1/2 cup(in lassi form with 1/2 cup water)
Roasted whole cumin seeds 1tsp
Turmeric 2tsp
Red chilly powder( kashmir) 2tsp
Cinnamon stick 1 inch
Mustard oil 1tbsp
Sugar 2tsp
Salt
Hot water 4 cups

Procedure

Clean, wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Marinate with half of all the pastes. Keep aside for half hour.
Boil eggs till done in salted water.
Make light cuts over the eggs and marinate with salt, turmeric and with little red chilly powder.
Heat mustard oil in a big kadhai or pan. Deep fry the potatoes with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Keep aside. Shallow fry the eggs for a minute and keep aside.
Add sugar in the hot oil and let it caramalise till golden. Add all the pastes and saute till oil separates.
Add marinated chicken and fry till the spices coat all the pieces well. Saute for 10 mins with sprinkle of hot water so that the spices do not burn. Till the oil separates.
Add curd, cinnamon stick, roasted whole cumin, turmeric,fried potates,salt and saute till another 5mins.
Transfer this curry to a pressure cooker and add the remaining hot water. Cook in high till 2 whistles.
Simmer low for 10 to 15 mins.
Put off the gas and wait till it cools down and opens easily.
Just before serving add the fried eggs and reheat for 1min.

Serve this curry with chapatis, naan, rumali rotis or hot rice.
Diced onions, green chilles and lemon wedges as a salad is a must.

The word fowl has a British feel. Popularly used during the Raj period. Even today in kolkata some restaurants address chicken as fowl.

Prawn Kadhi

Ingredients
Prawns 400 gms
Sour curd 250 gms
Onion paste 2 tsp
Garlic paste 1tsp
Whole mustard 1/2 tsp
Sugar 2tsp
Red chilles or ripe green chillies 4
Vegetable oil 1tbsp

Procedure
Devein, clean and wash prawns.
Heat oil. Shallow fry prawns and keep aside.
Add onion and garlic paste to the remaining oil. Saute till oil separates.
Add prawns and cook till prawns are done.
In a blender blend curd, sugar and salt together.
Add curd to the prawns.
Heat oil for tempering. Add mustard seeds and chillies and let it splutter.
Add this to the curd and prawns. Mix well and cook for 1min.
Rest covered for 5 mins.

Rohu Fish with raw mango

Ingredients
Rohu fish 500 gms
Raw mango 1medium
Potato 4
Onion paste 1tbsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Whole cumin 1/2 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Green chilly 5
Sugar 1tsp
Mustard oil 2tbsp
Salt

Procedure
Wash, clean and pat dry rohu fish. Marinate with salt nd turmeric.
Heat oil in a pan or kadhai. Fry the potatoes and fish in batches. Then add whole cumin in the remaining oil. Let it splutter.
Add onion and garlic pastes. Add turmeric and saute with little water, till oil separates.
Add pitted sliced mangoes with the skin. Add the fried fish and potaoes.   Carefully mix with the spices.
Add 1cup hot water,slit green chillies, sugar and salt.let it simmer covered for 10 mins.
Rest covered for 10 mins.
Turn off the gas.

Serve with plain rice. Best for summer meals.

Prawns with mawa

Ingredients
Medium Prawns 500 gms
Mawa or khoya 200 gms
Onion paste1tbsp
Ginger paste 1tbsp
Nutmeg powder1/2tsp
Pepper powder1/2 tsp
Turmeric 1tsp
Red chilly powder 1/2 tsp
Milk 1/2 cup
Green chillies 5
White vegetable oil 1tbsp
Sugar 1tsp
Salt

Procedure
Wash, clean and devein prawns. Heat oil in a pan.  Shallow fry the prawns and drain aside.
Add all the pastes in the remaining oil and fry till the oil separates.
Mix all the powdered spices in half cup water and add to the pan. Wait till the oil separats.
let it simmer. Add prawns and green chillies.  Adjust seasoning with sugar and salt. Cover nd cook for 2 mins.
Add grated mawa and the milk. Mix well and put off gas.
Rest covered for five minutes.

Serve with light pulaos, jeera rice or boiled basmati rice.

Rohu fish with yoghurt and lime juice

Ingredients
Rohu 500 gms
Sour yoghurt 250 gms
Sugar 2tsp
Turmeric 2tsp
Lime juice 2tsp
Green chillies 5
Mustard oil 2tbsp
Flour 2tsp
Salt

Procedure
Wash, clean and pat dry the fish pieces. Marinate with salt and turmeric. Heat mustard oil in a pan or kadhai, lightly fry the fish in batches.
Take a microwave safe bowl with proper lid. Beat well the curd with the flour, lime juice, sugar and salt. Marinate the fish with curd mixture and place in the bowl. Add the slit greenchillies and the remaining oil after frying the fish. Rest for 5 mins.
Put in the microwave oven and cook in high power for 4 to 5 mins.
Rest for 10 mins.
Enjoy this simple fish with clean flavours during summers.
Warm rice goes very well with this.

Prawns with bottlegourd and milk

Ingredients
Medium prawns 300 gms
Bottle gourd or lauki 500 gms
Chopped tomato 1cup
Grated ginger 2tbsp
Slit green chillies 4
Whole cloves 2
Whole cinnamon stick 1 inch
Whole cumin 1tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder 1/4tsp
Black pepper powder 1/4tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Full cream milk or coconut milk 1cup
Ghee or clarified butter 1tbsp
Sugar 2tsp
Salt
Mustard oil 1tbsp

Procedure
Clean, devein and wash prawns. Marinate with a little salt and turmeric. Chop the gourd into small pieces.
 
Heat mustard oil in a skillet or kadhai, shallow fry prawns in batches and keep aside.
Add all the whole spices to the remaining hot oil. Soak the ground spices in half cup water and add to the oil.
Add the chopped gourd, mix thoroughly with the spices.
Add tomatoes nd chillies and cook for 2 mins.
Add the fried prawns.
Add half the grated ginger, and cover the vessel. Cook covered slowly for 8 mins or till the gourd is tender.
On high flame cook till thickened.
Add milk mixed wid a tsp of flour and simmer for 5 mins.
Add sugar, grated ginger, salt to taste.
Lastly add ghee
Rest covered for 5minutes.

Serve with hot rice or chapati and enjoy.

Fish Kabiraji

Ingredients
Bekti fillets 4
Onion paste 1tsp
Garlic paste 1tsp
Ginger paste1tsp
Pepper powder 1/2tsp
Green chilly paste 1/2 tsp
Lime juice 1/2 tsp
Bread crumbs 1cup
Eggs 4
Plain flour 4tbsp
Cornflour 4tsp
Salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Procedure
Clean and pat dry fish fillets.marinate with all the pastes, lime juice, salt and pepper. Keep in room temperature for half an hour.
Beat 1 egg with a pinch of salt and pepper. Coat each fillet with flour then with the beaten egg before coating with breadcrumbs.
Deep fry all the crumbed fillets till light brown and keep on kitchen paper for the oil to drain.
Beat the remaining eggs with salt, pepper and the cornflour.
With the help of a fork pour 1/4 portion of eggs in the hot oil.
A frothy omlette will form, place the fish fry on the omlette  and fold with it in the oil itself.
Drain oil and take out the kabiraji.

Serve with a fresh salad of onions, cucumber,carrots,tomatoes and green chilles, dressed with lime juice and mustard or kasundi.
Children can enjoy with tomato ketchup.

PS.
This is an authentic Bengali Fry mostly available in North Kolkata.
Can replace the fish fry with prawns, chicken breast fillets or mutton cutlets.

Prawn cocktail

Ingredients
Fresh medium prawns 200gms
Fresh cream 1cup
Mayonaise 1cup
Tomato ketchup 1/4cup
Tabasco sauce 4 drops
Sugar 1tsp
Salt 1/2tsp
Lime juice 1/2tsp

Procedure
Remove head and clean prawns thoroughly. Steam them or boil them with a cup of water. Drain them absolutely dry.
Mix all the ingredients nd add prawns.
Chill them in a big glass bowl covered in the fridge not freezer.

Serving options..
Serve in individual glass bowls or cocktail glasses, on a bed of icecubes.
In small lettuce cups
On toasts
On crackers
Accompanied with dinner rolls and soft butter.
Enjoy.

Steamed fish with ginger and oyster sauce

Ingredients
Fresh fish whole prefferably with less bones
Ginger jullienes 2tsp
Oyster sauce 2tbsp
Light soya sauce 2tsp
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder1tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Garnish-spring onions

Procedure
Clean, wash and pat dry the fish. In a tin foil wrap mix all the ingredients with the fish.fold the wrap leaving space for the vapours to form and cook the fish.
Boil water in the steamer. Steam the foil bag for 7to 8 mins in simmer.
Rest it in the steamer for 2 more mins.
Serve with boiled rice.