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.