Mochar chop banana blossom appetizer What to remove from the banana blossoms: Beneath every bracts lies

s the ordered rows of yellow-tipped small florets, which looks highly appealing. Remove the pinkish inedible hard fibre like small petals or casing at the stem base and the hard stigma from each florets as shown in the photo. The innermost conical part: While doing so a stage will be reached when it is no longer possible to peel off the blossoms, chop off the innermost conical part and use it in your recipe or make fritters with it as I did here. To remove the bitterness of mocha: Boil the mocha or banana blossom in water which has a healthy volume of lemon juice or tamarind extract in it. Most of the chefs boil it in diluted milk to make it more soft (as told to me by one of the budding professional chef) Ingredients: Flower of Banana (or Mocha): One Potatoes (mashed): 3 big sized Green chilies (chopped):4-5 Cumin seeds: 1 tsp Cardamoms: 2-3 Scraped Coconut and peanuts: 1/2 cup Cumin powder: 1 tsp Ginger (chopped):1tsp Garam masala: 1 tsp Sugar : 1/2 tsp Salt to taste A mix of cornflour and breadcrumbs: 1/2 cup Oil for deep-frying Method to Prepare: Collect the florets of the flower, tear out the middle stem (stigma) of the florets and finely chopped the florets in batches. Boil the florets in water with lemon juice or tamarind extract or try it with milk for 10 minutes. Strain the florets in a strainer and discard the water, squeeze extra water out of it by hard pressing, it will become pulpy. Keep it aside. Heat some oil in a pan and temper it with cumin seeds. Add the chopped mocha or banana florets and saute for sometime. Next add the peanuts or grated coconut along with cumin powder, garam masala, ginger, salt and sugar to taste. Lightly stir fry for few more minutes and remove from the heat. Mashed thoroughly the potatoes and mix it with salt and finely chopped green chillies. Divide it into six portions, flatten them like patties and give a bowl like shape. Filled the bowl of mashed potatoes with stir fried mocha or banana blossom in the centre and wrap it along so that the mocha is well secured inside it . Give them your desired shapes and dust each of the mochar chop / cutlet with cornflour and breadcrumbs mix, deep fry them in sufficient oil till they become golden brown in color. Serve the hot mochar chop / banana blossom appetizer with kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) or any sauce of your choice. Few things to note while extracting the banana blossoms:

Oil your palms well, specially the finger tips and nails, otherwise the sap or juicy extract from the blossoms will blacken the fingers , the black marks will eventually disappear in 2-3 days. Oil the knife too if you are chopping the florets for the same reason stated above. After removing the florets, directly put them in a bowl of water as they are quick to oxidize.

Mangsho ghugni / Mutton keema curry with peas Ingredients

1/2 kg Minced meat (keema), washed thoroughly in a steamer by keeping a large bowl underneath and later squeeze out the excess water. For marination: 2 tsp Turmeric powder 2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Red chilly powder 2 tsp Green chilly paste 2 tbsp Mustard oil 1/2 Lemon For the gravy: 3 big Onions, finely chopped 6-7 Garlic pods, finely chopped 2 tsp Ginger paste 2 ripe Tomatoes 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilly powder 1 cup Green peas, shelled 2-3 Bay leaves 2 cups Water(approximately) 1/4 cup fresh Coriander leaves, chopped 1/2 cup Mustard oil (to bring out the best taste in this dish use mustard oil, else use vegetable oil) Home made Garam Masala for this mutton curry: 1 inch cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 2-3 cloves and pinch of nutmeg powder. Grind all these spices in a coffee grinder into a powder. Keep aside for later use.

Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Heat mustard oil in a pressure cooker, wait till it reaches smoking point and add bay leaves, garlic and saute for few seconds. Immediately add onions and fry till transparent. Add minced meat and cook on high flame by stirring occasionally. Fry till the excess water goes off. Add red chilly powder and continue frying the meat. Add chopped tomatoes and simmer meat over medium flame until it leaves oil. Add ginger paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Heat water in a microwave bowl and pour in the pressure cooker. Adjust salt and close the lid. Let the first whistle come on high flame, then on low flame cook until 3 whistles. Switch off the burner and let the steam pass. Then open the lid of the cooker and add green peas, garam masala and fresh coriander leaves and cook for another 10 minutes.

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Tastes best with Tikona Paratha/ Roti/Butter Naan/Ghee Rice and a colorful salad.

Calcutta Mutton Chaap Ingredients

8 : Rib chops (mutton lamb or goat. I have used goat here) Marinade 3 tbsp : Raw Papaya (grated) cup : Yogurt 1 tbsp : Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp : Garam masala (check the note) 1 tsp : Red chilli Curry / sauce / gravy -

1 : Red onion (sliced) 1 tbsp : Minced ginger and garlic 3-4 : Green chillies 1 tsp : Garam masala 1 tsp : Cumin powder 1 tsp : Red chilli powder tsp : Turmeric powder 2 tbsp : Chickpea flour 2 tbsp : Almond paste 2 tbsp : Melon seed (charmagaz) paste 2-3 tbsp : Ghee Few threads of Saffron soaked in warm water Salt to taste Sugar to taste One or two Bay Leaf Few drops of kewra water (Screwpine essence) Few drops of Rose water

Instructions Preparing the meat : 1. Wash and cut the ribs into half. With a meat tenderiser, beat the meat to make it more tender. But do not over do it. If you do not have the meat mallet then you can use the back of your steel spoon too. But this step is important and this ensures the even cooking of meat and it will be able to absorb all the flavours and spices. Marinating 1. Mix the marinade in a bowl, apply the marinade generously over the ribs and refrigerate it for at least 34 hours. I wrap it with a cling film and refrigerate overnight. 2. Bring the ribs / chaap to room temperature and sprinkle some salt over it. You will find that the ribs absorb all the marinades. Cooking 1. In a flat fry pan, add one teaspoon of ghee and heat it. Fry the sliced onions till it becomes translucent, also add the green chillies, minced ginger and garlic. Do not brown it. Cool it and make a paste in the mixer. 2. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of ghee, warm it and slowly add the rib chops along with the marinade (which clinges to the rib chops ) 3. Braise (bhuno) it on high flame for 5 minutes. 4. Add the Onion, ginger-garlic paste now and keep braising it on medium flame. Add the chickpea flour too. 5. Next add the spices (garam masala and make a paste of turmeric powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder) and keep braising on medium flame.

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Sprinkle salt over it and few dashes of sugar. It will add nice caramel color to the meat. By this time meat should leave enough fat. If it is not, then add few drops of ghee. 7. Once you are satisfied with the color of the meat and braising (bhuno) is done, check the seasonings and add the almond and melon seed paste. 8. Mix it well. Stir in the saffron water, bay leaves, Kewra water, rose water, cover the pan tightly and simmer the chaap on low heat till done. 9. Once it is cooked, remove the bay leafs and close the lid for sometime before serving. 10. Serve the mutton chaap with rumali roti or saffron rice or with mughlai biryani. Notes Garam masala few shah mirch (white pepper) + tsp shah jeera (caraway seed) + few black pepper + 1 mace (jayitri) + tsp coarsely pounded nutmeg (jayphal) + one black cardamom + one inch cinnamon sticks + one star anise (phool chakra) Information regarding caraway seeds / shah jeera on wikipedia is incorrect.

koraishutir kochuri and aloo dum

OCTOBER 13, 2010POSTED IN: > APPETIZERS & SNACKS, RECIPES

...durga puja special recipes Maha Shasti te mochar chop, koraishutir kochuri ar aloo dum On a winter morning when the mist still lingers in the sky and the sun is playing hide and seek, you sniff something fresh, sweet and spicy in the air coming straight out of your kitchenyes you can not be wrong ! Its koraishutir kochuri for the breakfastyummm and certainly if you see someone buying lots of green peas in a winter morning bazar then definitely koraishutir kochuri is on the menu today. Yes winter is the season when these small well-rounded green beauties peeks from their pods and their fresh, soft texture and sweetness made everybody crazy about them. Just grease the freshly picked soft-shelled green peas with a dollop of butter and seasoned with salt and pepper or make koraishutir kochuri as demanded by everyone. What makes it stands out from the rest of the dishes is the unique combination of fried doughs and subtly spiced fresh green peas which makes it more delectable. But with the advance in food technology frozen green peas are available all the year round, so why wait till winter sets in ? If you are using frozen peas make sure you have thawed it well in advance so that it can keep its sweetness. Koraishutir kochuri or green peas kachori aka Bengali style. Ingredients: Green peas: 2cup Refined Flour: 3cups Green Chilies: 2 Ginger: 1 piece Coriander leaves (chopped): 2tbsp Asafoetida: a pinch Cumin seeds (coarsely ground): 1tsp Peppercorns (freshly ground): 1tsp Salt to taste Oil: 4-5tbsp (to deep fry) Method to prepare: Wash the green peas properly and grind them coarsely in a mixer. Finely chop the green chilies, peel the ginger and chop it.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan; add asafoetida, green chilies, ginger, coarsely ground cumin seeds, freshly ground peppercorns and coriander leaves. Mix them well and add salt to taste. Add the green peas and mix again. Take off from the heat and keep it aside. Knead the refined flour with 2tbsp oil, salt and enough water (lukewarm) to make stiff dough. Make small balls of the dough, flatten slightly and stuff a teaspoon of the green peas mixture. Shape it into ball and roll into 3 discs. Heat oil and fry each kachori till crisp and golden. Serve the hot green peas kachori with dum aloo or your choice of chutneys and pickles. To prepare the aloo dum: Boil the baby potatoes with little salt till they become tender. Heat some oil in a pan and temper it with dry red chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and asafoetida dissolve in water. Add the baby potatoes (after peeling them off) and fry them till golden brown. Add the ginger paste, turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and saute them for a while. Next add 1 cup of beaten curd and mix them well. Check the seasonings, adjust the salt and sugar. Simmer it for few minutes and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve the aloo dum with koraishutir kochuri or green peas kachori.

Doi murgi / tender chicken curry simmered in yogurt

Ingredients: Chicken (curry cut): 1 kg Curd : 3 cups Onion paste : 2-3 tbsp Ginger paste : 2 tsp Few pieces of cloves and cinnamon Bay leaf : one Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp Cumin powder : 2 tsp Garam masala powder: 1 tsp Poppy seed paste : 2 tsp Salt and sugar to taste Oil : 3 tbsp Method: Prepare the marinade by adding one cup curd, sprinkle some salt on it and add a spoon of red chile powder in a mixing bowl. Blend it well and keep it separate. Wash and clean the chicken and marinate it for at least an hour. Heat some oil in a kadhai / skillet and temper it with cloves and cinnamon. Add the onion paste and fry it till the onion starts browning. Next add the ginger paste and saute further for few more minutes. Now add the marinated chicken pieces one by one and cook it in high flame for few minutes (5-7 minutes) till the pieces of chicken starts to brown. Lower the heat and add the red chilli powder, cumin powder and sugar to taste. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Take off from the heat and let it cool for couple of minutes. In a bowl add the remaining two cups of curd, salt, garam masala powder and poppy-seed paste. Blend it well and add this to the chicken. Mix it thoroughly and cover the pan, simmer the chicken in yogurt on low heat till done. Adjust the seasonings and serve the hot doi murgi with plain steamed rice or any pulao / pilaf.

kosha mangsho and phulko luchi

OCTOBER 16, 2010POSTED IN: > POULTRY & LAMB, RECIPES

durga puja special recipes Navami te kosha mangsho ar phulko luchi Kosha mangsho or goat meat curry aka Bengali style usually meant for an elaborate Sunday meal with colorful family gupshups and it was the scenario in Bengali homes before chicken et.al invaded the Bengali kitchens. Bengalis prefer to add potatoes in kosha mangsho making it more interesting and their present several versions of it . People who love to savour the richness of kosha mangso still swear by Golbari kosha mangsho , a joint in Shyambazar which is very popular for its kosha mangso and ruti. Kosha mangsho or Bengali mutton curry

kosha mangsho or goat meat curry in Bengali style

Ingredients: Mutton (goat meat): 500 gm Baby potatoes: 4-5 Onion paste: 2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp Red chilli paste: 1 tsp

Cumin paste: 2 tsp Turmeric paste: 1 tsp Green chillies: 2-3 Cinnamon sticks: 2 Cloves: 5-6 Green cardamoms: 3-4 Black cardamoms: 1-2 Bay leaves: 2-3 Black peppercorns: 5-6 Mustard oil: 2-3 tbsp Salt and sugar to taste Ghee / Indian clarified butter: 1 tsp

Method to prepare: Wash the mutton (usually the goat meat) thoroughly and smear it with salt, turmeric powder, green chillies and mustard oil. Add a bay leaf to enhance the aroma. Heat some mustard oil in a dekchi / heavy bottom pan and fry the potatoes till golden brown. Take out the pototoes and keep aside. To the same oil add few bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, few cloves and cardamoms. Fry till it leaves an aroma. Put the onion paste and saute till they become translucent. Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for few more minutes. Next add the red chilli paste, turmeric paste, cumin paste and few green chillies slit down the middles. Add some sugar to taste and fry till the oil separates out. Add the muttons along with fried potatoes and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on slow heat for few minutes. Meanwhile pound some black peppercorns, a stick of cinnamon, few cloves and one or two black cardamoms. Add this to the mutton and stir, adjust the salt and if requires add little water. Water is required or not depends upon the quality of the meat. Cover the lid and cook on slow heat till done. Drizzle a spoonful ghee just before serving. Serve the hot kosha mangso with phulko luchi or pulao or plain simple steamed rice. To prepare the phulko luchi:

Phulko luchi / poori or deep fried fluffy and puffed Indian bread

In a mixing bowl take 3 cups of refined flour or maida and add a spoonful of refined oil with a pinch of salt. Mix well and knead it with lukewarm water or warm milk. Addition of milk makes the dough more soft and pliable. Make small balls out of the dough and roll it into a disc of 2 inch. Heat enough oil in a kadhai and put the rolled disc in it and fry till the luchi or poori begin to swell. Take out and blot with a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Make around 10 -15 phulko luchis and serve hot with kosha mangsho or anything of your choice.

Mochar ghonto / Stir fried banana blossoms

Print

Prep time
45 mins

Cook time
20 mins

Total time
1 hour 5 mins

Mochar ghonto or stir fried banana blossoms is a classic bengali dish whereby the chopped blossoms are stir fried in hot oil with bay leafs , garam masala and handful of shredded coconut and chickpeas. Recipe type: Main Cuisine: Indian (Bengali) Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 : Banana Blossom cup : Shredded coconut cup : Roasted desi chickpeas or peanuts or shrimps (if you are using it) 1 : Potato (medium, peeled and cubed into small bite size) 1 or 2 Bay leaf 1 Cinnamon sticks 2-3 Green cardamom 3-4 Cloves 1 tsp : Cumin powder A pinch of chilli powder A pinch of turmeric powder Salt to taste 1 tbsp : Sugar (or less according to taste) 2 tbsp : Ghee (clarified butter) Turmeric water or lemon to remove the bitterness

Instructions
1. After collecting the blossoms, chop them very finely. 2. Cut the inner white cone into quarter and chop it very finely. 3. Heat the water in a deep bottom vessel and add the chopped banana blossoms. 4. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric water or juice of lemon and stir it. 5. Let it boil for few minutes until the blossoms are soft enough. 6. Drain it on a mesh colander and run cold water over it. 7. Squeeze out the water from the blossoms. It should be dry enough. 8. Heat ghee in a pan and throw in some cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon and cardamom. 9. Fry the potatoes till they start showing some brown hues. 10. Add the dried banana blossoms, desi chickpeas or peanuts (whichever you are using). 11. Stir fry them on high heat for 3 minutes. Add the shredded coconut, cumin powder, red chilli powder (if using) and saute them for a while. 12. Sprinkle salt and sugar to taste. 13. Cover, simmer on low heat till potatoes are tender. 14. Add few drops of ghee, check the seasonings and serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes
Oil your palms well, specially the finger tips and nails, otherwise the sap or juicy extract from the blossoms will blacken the fingers , the black marks will eventually disappear in 2-3 days. Oil the knife too if you are chopping the florets for the same reason stated above. After removing the florets, directly put them in a bowl of water as they are quick to oxidize.

Chingri malai curry or prawns in creamy coconut gravy

Summary: Chingri malai curry or prawns in creamy coconut gravy is classic Bengali dish which becomes a star of many occasions and absolute family favourite

Ingredients

Lobster (or chingri/prawn): 4 pieces or 500gm Onion (medium): 1 Ginger : 1 stick Garlic: 4-5 cloves Scraped Coconut: 1 cup Green chillies: 2-3 Black Peppercorns: 1 tsp Cinnamon: 1 stick Black Cardamom: 1 Cloves: 4-5 Bay Leaves: 1 or 2 Cumin powder: 1 tsp Red chilli powder: 1 tsp Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp Diluted Coconut milk: 1 cup Concentrated coconut milk: 1/2 cup Mustard oil: 1 tbsp Salt and Sugar to taste Coriander leaves (chopped): 1 tsp A knob of butter

Instructions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Wash the lobster, de-vein it, and break the claws into long pieces. Smear it with salt and turmeric and leave for a while. In the meantime, dry roast the black peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and garlic on a tawa or griddle, till they leaves an aroma. Crush them finely in a mortar and pestle. To the scraped coconut add the green chillies, chopped onions, ginger and the freshly ground spice mix and blend them together in mixer to smooth paste. If requires add very little water during blending. Heat the mustard oil in a pan to its smoking point and saute the lobster for a minute. Remove it from the pan and to the same oil add the bay leaves and the above paste. Add the turmeric powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Fry on medium heat till the oil separates out. Add the diluted coconut milk, sugar, salt and simmer it for few more minutes. Add the lobster or chingri or prawn and cook for 5-8 minutes. For prawns it will be done in 2-3 minutes.

10. Check the seasonings, stir in the concentrated coconut milk and add a dollops of butter before serving. 11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with pulao /pilaf.

Bhoger khichuri Ingredients: Govindobhog or any fragrant rice: 1 cup Moong daal : 1 cup Green peas: cup Cauliflower: 5-6 medium florets Potatoes : 2-3 Tomato: 1 Turmeric powder: 1 tsp Chili powder: 1 tsp Cumin powder: 1 tsp Ginger paste: 2 tsp Green chilies( slit down the middle): 2-3 Bay leaves: 1 or 2 Cinnamon stick: inch, Cloves: 2-3, Green cardamoms: 2-3 Water: l Salt and sugar to taste Ghee :2 tbsp Method to prepare: Dry roast the moong dal till it leaves an aroma and the color changes to brown, pour some water over it, drain the water and remove the scum, keep the moong dal separate. Wash the rice and keep it aside. Heat some ghee in a cooker, and saut the potato and cauliflower florets lightly. Take them out and keep aside. Now put in the bay leaves along with daal and rice, add little salt, ginger paste and all the spices except garam masalas. Saut well. When the masalas are done, put in the tomato, green chilies, peas, potato and cauliflowers. Saut for few more minutes. Pound the garam masalas and put them in. Add the sugar and adjust the salt. Add water and stir it well once, so that it doesnt stick at the bottom. Close the lid and pressure cook for about 10 minutes.

Mutton Kosha (Mutton Curry)

Ingredients 600 gms Mutton pieces 200 gms Peeled potatoes 500 gms Sliced onions 10 gms garlic paste 10 gms ginger paste 5 gms green chili (slit) 300 ml tomato puree 5 gms turmeric powder 10 gms red chili powder 10 gms cumin powder 150 ml mustard oil

5 gms bay leaf 5 gms cloves 3 gms cinnamon 5 gms small cardamom 10 gms salt How to Prepare Semi-boil the potatoes. Take a pan. Add mustard oil. When it comes to a boil, deep fry the semi-boiled potatoes. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and clove. Add onion and saut it for a few minutes on a slow flame. When the onion turns golden brown, add ginger and garlic paste and slowly saut for a few minutes. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, Kashmiri chili powder, cumin powder and saut until the raw flavor goes. Add mutton to the pan. Stir continuously on the slow flame until the oil comes out of the chicken. Add some water to the pan and put a cover on the pan. Let the mutton simmer until the pieces become semi-tender. Slit the green chilies. Add the potatoes and chilies. Cook until you get the semi-thick texture. Add tomato purees and let it come to a simmer. Pour mutton curry in a bowl. Sprinkle dusted garam masala (a mix of cloves, cardamom and cinnamon). For garnishing, place a one slit green chili on the top. Serve hot with rice.