Bhoger Mangso--- একটি নিরীহ নিরামিষ পদ

নয় নয় করে নয়মাস কেটে গেল চেন্নাইতে। পুজোটাও শেষ। হুদহুদের বুদবুদও নজরে এলোনা। এত একঘেয়ে সবকিছু!!! প্রিয় শহর অামার, তোমায় দেখতে ইচ্ছে করে। তা হঠাত্ বাংলা হরফ কেন? অামার এক সুদূর বাংলাদেশবাসী বন্ধুর অাবদারে অার অামার অাদরের বাংলাভাষার অভাব মেটানোর ব্যার্থ প্রয়াসে। এমনিতে বাংলার বাইরে থাকতে ভালই লাগে, তবে যদি কোন "ছায়া-সুনিবিড় শান্তির নীড়" হত, তবু "একখান কথা সিল", কিন্তু এই কাঠফাটা দিনে অার যাই অাসুক কাব্য অাসেনা। কাব্য অাসেনি, তাতে কারোর (পড়ুন He-man) কিছুই যায় অাসেনি; তবে এই অধমের জন্য দুটো জিনিস এসেছে। কিছু crochet hooks অার একটা PENTA X5 camera। অনুগ্রহ করিয়া মাথায় রাখিবেন, দ্বিতীয় বস্তুটি He-man দেন নাই। মা-বাবার থেকে পাওয়া। এটাও পাওয়া হত না, যদি না ওনাকে ৭ টি দিনের জন্য অামায় চেন্নাইতে একা রেখে দূরে পাড়ি দিতে হত। অার অামিও এই ক'দিন অসম্ভব কুঁড়েমি করে কাটিয়েছি। বলতে গেলে অাড়াই বছরের জমিয়ে রাখা কুঁড়েমো ৭ দিনে complete করতে হয়েছিল, ভাবা যায়!! মোক্ষম কাটিয়েছি সময়টা। 

অামার পেটুক মশাইয়ের কলরব, যাই হোক, থামার নয়; ফেরার পর তাঁর অভিনব idea ছিল, এবারের দুর্গাষ্টমীতে নিরামিষ অাহার করা হবে। Mind it নিরামিষ--- অর্থাত্ no পিঁয়াজ রসুন। কলকাতায় থাকলে সারাদিন ধরে মায়ের হাতের লুচি, ভাজাভুজি, অালুর দম, পনীর (যদিও এটাকে নিরামিষ কেন বলে লোকে অামার মাথায় ঢোকেনা), পোস্ত....সে এক এলাহি ব্যাপার হতো। কিন্তু এখানে অত কিছু একা হাতে করা? Just impossible!!! তাহলে? মেনু কি হবে??? কি অার? “নিরামিষ খাসির মাংস" ।

অাহা অত অবাক হওয়ার কিছু নেই। যুগ যুগ ধরে বেচারা নধর কচি পাঁঠাগুলোকে বলি কি অার সাধে দেওয়া হয় পুজোতে? গরুর দুধ অার বলির পাঁঠাকে অামিষ বলে কোন অাহাম্মকে(হাজার হোক গরু এই অাহাম্মকদেরই মা)? তাহলে তো অারশোলাও পতঙ্গ পাখী।

তো যেটা বলছিলাম, নিরামিষ মাংস...বা ভোগীর মাংস ভোগের মাংস। রান্না করার অাগে যথারীতি অান্তর্জালের সাথে জড়াজড়ি করা গেল (অনেকদিন পর করলাম, কারন রেসিপিটা মনে ছিল না পুরোটা)। যারা মাংস বস্তুটি পিঁয়াজ রসুন ছাড়া শুনেই নাক সিঁটকায়, তাদের এখনি টাটা.... অার যারা অামার মত বীর; বাকিটুকু পড়ার, বানানোর অার খাবার জন্য সাদর অামন্ত্রণ।

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খাসীর মাংস- ৫০০ গ্রাম

অালু- ২ টো বড় (৪ টুকরো করে কাটা)

অাদা বাটা- ২ চা চামচ

হলুদ- ১ চা চামচ

দই – ২-৪ টেবিল চামচ (ভালো করে ফেটানো)

ধনেগুঁড়ো- ৪ চা চামচ

চিনি- ২ চা চামচ

কাঁচা লংকা- ৪ টে (বাটা)

সরষের তেল- ২-৩ চা চামচ

ঘি- প্রয়োজন মত

নুন- স্বাদ মত

গোল মরিচ- ৮ টা (optional)

ছোট এলাচ- ১৫ টা (পনের) বাটা, এর থেকে ১ চা চামচ অালাদা করে রাখতে হবে.....কোন কৃপনতার জায়গা নেই, ১৫ টাই লাগবে (ঠিক এভাবেই লেখা ছিল site টা তে); অামি কম করে দিয়ে দেখেছিলাম একবার, trust me ভালো লাগেনি।

প্রথমেই জানিয়ে রাখি, এই রান্নায় বান্নার পরিমানই বেশী। সবশুদ্ধ ১ ঘন্টা ১৫ মিনিট সময় লাগবে marinate করতে। মাংসটাকে অাগে সরষের তেল অার হলুদ মাখিয়ে ১৫ মিনিট রেখে দিয়েছিলাম অামি।এরই মধ্যে অাদা-লংকাবাটা, দই, ধনেগুঁড়ো ও এলাচ বাটা একসাথে মিশিয়ে নিই। ১৫ মিনিট পর এই pasteটাই মাংসের সাথে ভালো করে মাখিয়ে minimum ১ ঘন্টার জন্য refrigerator এ রেখে দিই।

এবার pressure cooker এ ঘি টুকু গরম করে তেজপাতা অার গোটা গোলমরিচ ফোড়ন দিয়ে, অালুগুলো ভেজে নিতে হবে, এই ৩-৪ মিনিটের মত। অালু ভেজে অামি তুলে রাখি না, বরং ওরই মধ্যে মাংস দিয়ে দিই। সুবিধাটা হল, মাংস কষানোর concept টা এখানে একেবারেই নেই। মাংস, নুন, চিনি সব একসাথে দিয়ে মিনিট তিন চারেক এর মত নাড়াচাড়া করেই জল দিয়ে দিতে হবে, মাংসটা কখনই ভাজা যাবেনা। এবার pressure cooker বন্ধ করে দিতে হবে। মাংস সিদ্ধ হয়েছে বুঝলে নামিয়ে নিয়ে বাকি এলাচগুঁড়োটা ওপরে ছড়িয়ে দিতে হবে। ব্যস্

সহজ তাই না? অাররররররে এতক্ষন বাংলায় লিখতে তো বেশ ভালোই লাগল!! যা:, শুধুশুধুই ভয় পাচ্ছিলাম... অাসব অাবার....

Chicken Rezala- Bengali style

I first tasted this recipe when I was in Bhubaneswar. (are you laughing at me?, well I have a solid excuse) When we heard that Siraj restaurant had opened a branch there, which was in kolkata already, all the (well, most of all) members of IOP drove towards it. Mainly the bongs those who were used to miss kolkata style biriyani. 

But it was not the first time of visit. Me and Sam loved to go Siraj at least once or twice in 15 days...just for the kababs and biriyani. Then one day we ordered mutton rezala. And BUMB!! I found what did I actually missed...why didn't I ever tried this menu from other restaurants? It was really amazing. I felt so stupid. 

Once upon a time (It was around 1998-99, I can't remember the time clearly) I was in standard 7 or 8, Baba (my father) declared that he was going to make a new dish called "mutton rezala". My father also can cook well and my mother had learned many of dishes from him after their marriage. Every Sunday baba loved to prepare chicken or mutton dishes and it became a tradition for many years in our tiny nuclear family. Even still now he cooks when guests come. Of course he doesn't do all alone, maa helps. We had a cook book of Bela Dey and Lila Majumder at that time, and most of the experiments were based upon it. After my marriage baba gave me that book. This rezala-recipe was that book's child. So, when the dish was almost done, baba found a soupy texture. But according to him mutton or chicken dishes should not be soupy, it should has thick gravy (a type of myth you can say). He didn't ask anybody, and added some ararot(arrowroot) powder in it. Now you can imagine how thick and glue like texture we had found!! The taste was really good but the whole thing went so wrong that I never tried to try this recipe. Maa and me had so much faith on him, that we never opened the rezala page from that book. 

But now situations have changed. I love to prepare and experiment different kinds of dishes. Though the daily "thor-bori-khara" food preparations snatches my all enthuse. I found Priyanka Panigrahi's video from YouTube... and tried that. It was really very easy and all the ingredients were so easy to gather. Though I didn't follow the same. I was very much sure and satisfied that the whole thing went well. And when my guinea-pig returned from office and I seized  him towards my pressure cooker (the thing was there) without a little hint; he took a look, grasped the fragrance, and shouted out with full volume.... "yes!!! REZALAAAAAAA"

Do you want the same? You may then follow my way and you will need, 

• Chicken- large or medium pieces. I used 750 grams.
• Onion- 1 large, cut in round and thick slices
• Onion paste- 1 cup
• Ginger-Garlic paste- 2 tsp
• Green Chili- 2 or 3
• Sugar- 1/2 tsp
• Salt as required
• Cashew- 3 or 4 pieces
• Poppy seeds- 2 tsp
• Yogurt/Curd- 1 and 1/2 cup
• Bay leaves- 2
• Red chili- 2
• Green Cardamom- 5 to 6
• Cinnamon- 1"
• Cloves- 4
• Black peppercorn (whole)- 4 to 5 (I didn't use it, just because I didn't have it. So it is optional)
• Oil- 2 tablespoon
• Ghee- 2 to 3 tablespoon

Now the preparation-

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 cup curd for 10-15 minutes.

In the mean time make a paste of poppy seeds, cashew and green chili. Mix onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp salt with it. 

Now marinate the chicken with this paste and oil; leave it in refrigerator for 1 hour. 

Take the rest curd, add sugar, salt and very little water (if you think). Beat it well until it become very smooth. Keep aside.

And time for cooking-

Take a pressure cooker (you may use any deep bottomed pan). Add the ghee, let it melt fully, add the whole garam masalas i.e Bay leaf, Red chili, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorn. Let them splutter. 

Add the marinated chicken and cook for 10 minutes. Don't forget to stir. 

Marinated chicken after 1 hour

Add the beaten curd and onion; saute for another 1-2 minutes. 

Take the taste, if you need more salt. Add required water. Cover the cooker and cook until the chicken is fully cooked. It is done now. So easy right??

Coming up with Niramish Mangsho, Jeera Rice, Chanar Dalna and Karhai Mushroom... Keep in touch

Chicken Stew in easiest way

Hi, so after a long gap I am here again. In the mean time I was in Kolkata after 6 months. It was a really pleasant time I have spent with my parents. We bought a Barbie for my bonu (my cousin) as she got the first place in a talent exam (hopeless, I forgot the name) and the gift really made her happy. She asked me for a barbie last year, but then I had already left Kolkata. Now I am happy as I could keep my promise to the pretty little girl. We reached Chennai on 1st July and I became sick. Some kind of muscle pain pushed me back to complete bed rest for 1 week. Got a check up to Fortis Malar Hospital for 2 times and totally separated from computer. Doctor Anand even asked me not to sit. But now I am quite well and it is my first day with my laptop. 

But you know, it was truly spoken by  some wise that when a girl marries she exchanges the attentions of many men for the inattention of one.... in the time of my pain, I still had to attend my homemaking job :-/ . 

But the greater minds always forgive the lesser. I forgive him every time ;-) .

Well, I am not so much happy for Neymar's injury. Yes, I am a hardcore Brazil fan and after semifinal my heart is also injured.

from Google image

Hope he will get well soon. 

My most of the times now go with my new passion, Crochet. 



So everything is just going on. No spark, no charm, nothing at all. 



Now leave it. Put all your frustrations behind and it is time for a new (obviously the most stupid idea to call it a new) dish. Ta da.... presenting Chicken Stew.....

This is not my invention, the whole curtsy goes to my mother(IL). Sam loves it because it is very light for your tummy and I like it because it is very easy and less time consuming. 

All you need are ____

• Chicken - I used around 750 grams
• Potatoes - 4 peeled and cut into halves
• Cabbage - 2 leaves
• Tomato - 1 chopped
• Onion - 1 large
• Green Chili - 2 
• Beans - 2
• Capsicum - 1/4 th of 1

You may add any kind of veggies if you want. Oh I forgot to mention few more things..

• Butter - 1 tbsp (or more)
• Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Green Cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Cloves - 2
• Salt to taste
• Sugar- 1/4 tsp

You have to marinate your chicken pieces with ginger paste and Turmeric powder for 10 minutes.

Now follow all the steps like the picture. Okay let me guide you for 1st time. 

1. Take a pressure cooker. Add the butter, heat it, add green cardamom, cinnamon stick and cloves. Let the smell out but take care of the butter or it will burn.
2. Add all the veggies and stir them for 2-4 minutes.
3. Add the marinated chicken.
4. Stir them for another 4-5 minutes.
5. Add water (as much as you need your soup), salt and sugar.
6. Cover the cooker and cook until your chicken is done.

Please don't hesitate to share if you have another ideas.
Coming soon with Chicken Rezala (yummy!!!)

Pabda soupy curry (Aloo Bori diye Pabda macher jhol)

I think Chennai is not situated in Tamil Nadu, not even in Earth. It has just changed its address in planet Mercury and all the Tamil people live here, wear monkey-cap, set fire and sit in front of it to make them comfortable when it is 35 degree centigrade outside after a 30 minute rain. Today its going to be 42 degree centigrade according to weather forecast. I can't look outside anymore. In my room there is another pathetic situation. AC is not working due to fuse problem from last 15 days and the house owner is another lazy masterpiece to call an electrician. Everyday we go to sleep after 3 PM at night when the eyelids deny to open, at least two times we change our sleeping position due to sweat and take minimum 5-7 baths daily. Our daily routine became disrupted. I fear to go to kitchen. Last few days I was only able to cook rice and boiled potato. Maximum times we are taking food from hotels and stopped to take breakfast and evening tiffin.

The day before yesterday we went to Spencer mall to spend 2-3 hours in an air-conditioned area and bought Pabda fish with some household things. Pabda or Pabo catfish is a native Bengali fish of Siluridae family are usually found in lakes and large rivers. I usually use mustard paste to cook Pabda but personally I like to avoid mustard paste though my mother(IL) loves to use it in any type of  fish curry. She can't trust that ginger-cumin paste also can work well. Whenever we go Kolkata, I have to take that typical fish curry in most of the times. So here when I cook for him, I use all the opportunities to make Sam a guinea-pig. But today I remember I have some "bori" in my stock. You know what bori is? Of course you know if you are a Bengali. It is sun-dried gram-paste dumpling. Different kinds of grams like lentil (masoor) or urad (biuli) are used to prepare this. My mother prepares many types of bori like Masala Bori, Hinger Bori, Chal kumror (White pumpkin) Bori, Posto (Kasakasa/ poppy, whatever you say) Bori, Masoor daler bori, Emni bori (using normal biuli paste) etc. still now in winter season when the sun is bright and days are dry. My father helps her. After dried up a part of these bori goes to Mamar bari (mother's maiden home), Masir bari (My Aunt's house), mother's gaaner didibhai er bari (mother's song teacher) and Itu kakimar bari (mother's best friend). After marriage I also get a large amount, which is enough for my one-year-stock. I can remember my grandmother's activity (now she is not active :-P), she used to give marriage of two "bori"s (one of them decorated with sindoor, another with dhaan-durba) and addressed them as "Buro-Buri" (old man and old woman) and later immersed them.

Whatever, today I prepared Pabda with bori. For this recipe you will need,

• Pabda Fish- 4, cut into half i.e. 8 pieces 
• Potato- 2, sliced
• Kalojeera/ Kolanji- 1/2 tsp
• Tomato- 1, sliced
•  Green chili- 5, sliced
• Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili powder- 1/2 tsp
• Ginger paste/powder- 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder- 1tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Sugar- 1/2 tsp
• Mustard oil
• Bori- 10/15 pieces

So, here we go...

Marinate the fishes with salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes.

Add oil in a pan, fry the boris and keep separate.

Fry the fishes and also keep aside.

Now add the Kalojira in that same oil, let them splutter. Add potato and tomato and fry.
Add green chilis, fry again.

If the potatoes became light brown colored and tomato is smashed add Turmeric powder, Ginger powder, cumin powder and sugar one by one and don't stop to saute. You may add little water here.

If the masala is done, add 3/4 glass of water.

Add boris, fishes, red chili powder and salt if the water is boiling. Now cover it, cook for 12-15 minutes in a low temperature.

I know it is very easy and simple recipe, you may not find it interesting, yes I know it well. Even Sam started to laugh when saw me writing here. Grrrrrrr.... Then what's the reason behind? I wanted to post my cooking snaps here.






Joking. See, when I knew nothing about cooking, even my talent was not more than boiling potato or preparing Maggie, and after marriage I had to stay far from families; I had to go through different blogs and pages. Of course my mother and mother(IL) and sometimes mom [my mumi, mama's wife, aunt (enough translation!!!)] helped me through phone, and I wrote them down. But my foodie tongue (muuah, just like me) was not satisfied with only those restricted menus and then Google became the final hope. I have read many blogs on cooking and thought to create one for me. Frankly speaking, I enjoy to talk here. No matter, whatever is the issue. May be someday I'll find another person like me who'll open my blog for simple rice preparation method. Hope to meet you soon. Tata....

Egg in masala curd recipe

Hello lots, back again. Blogging homemade recipe became an addiction. I love to share at least two (minimum) recipes with you. So here is another one...

You may try this one with paneer also. I did once with a good outcome but today I tried it with eggs and its fine :-) . Well, let tell you one truth; I had 4 boiled eggs already and wished to make a lunch them along with boiled potatoes, butter and rice. Obviously a lazy-day-lunch-idea. Lol... but when I woke up in the morning around 9.30 am (He, prepared morning tea, lovely boy, and announced his tummy isn't disturbing again) and opened the refrigerator, my "dimaag ki baatti jal gayi". There were already everything I need and decided to make this menu for our lunch. It tastes rich, but with very small amount of spices you need. Wanna try? Here are the ingredients.....

• Egg- 4 boiled and cut into halves lengthwise
• Onion- 1 and 1/2. Chopped
• Garlic cloves- 5
• Ginger- 1 inch chopped
• Curd- 1/2 cup (well beaten)
• Garam masala- 1/2 tsp but I used 1 cinnamon, 2 cardamoms and 2 cloves instead of masala powder
• Turmaric powder- 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder- 1/2 tsp
• Green chilies- 4-5 (or as per taste)
• Salt
• Oil
• Cashews- 8 pc
• Ghee- 1 tsp

Now take a pan, heat some oil, fry the eggs and keep aside.

Then add garam masalas in the same oil, and add onion, cashew, green chilies, turmeric, ginger and garlic after 30 seconds. You need to come out the fragrance, right? Toss them all for few minutes, let the onion become light brown. Off the flame and take 10 minutes rest. 

Come back, take out the fried ingredients from the pan, put in a mixer and make a smooth paste. Add little water if you need.

Put the past again in the remaining oil and saute for 3 minutes.

If oil comes out, add the red chili powder, salt and at last the curd. 

After mixing them well, add salt and 1 cup water; cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the ghee, cover it and let it cooked in a very low flame for another 5 minutes. 

You may find a beautiful texture like this. 










Now take the eggs in a serving bowl and pour the gravy on it.

Done!! 










You may serve it with hot rice or parathas. Garnish them with curd and coriander leaves.

If you try this, let me know how it was... Happy Sunny side... (not for me, its 40 degree outside)

Ladakhi non-veg Thukpa

Hello friends... Good to see u again. I hope you are all fine there...and don't ask me how am I, boiling in 42 degree centigrade at Chennai today. Just back from Ooty yesterday. Very soon I am gonna post that. But now, another cool recipe to fight back the heat. Very easy and less time consuming. It is one of Sam's favorite dinner menu. I made it once before but that was an experimental phase. Now I am damn sure, that I am a master ( :-p ) of this super-easy recipe. Joking....

Now what is Thukpa? Wiki says, " Thukpa is a Tibetan noodle soup, inspired from China. It originated in the eastern part of Tibet....Later it became popular in Bhutan, and in the states of Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, and some other parts of India." I tasted it first when I was at Bhubaneswar, Orissa. It was a very small shop at Chandrashekharpur that you can hardly find out its existence. But some did, and I found an interesting recipe to experience. Then I surfed Google and picked a recipe and added few more elements to get a better result. And here it is...

Ingredients:-

• Noodles- 2 handful
• Chicken- boneless 200 grams (more or less) 
• Egg- 2 or 3
• Onion- 1 sliced
• Carrot- 1 sliced
• Capsicum- 1/4 sliced
• Spring Onion- 7 or 8
• Cabbage- 2 or 3 leaves
• Green Chili- 3 chopped
• Coriander leaves- 1 small handful
• Ginger- 1 tsp
• Garlic- 8 cloves chopped
• Salt- as taste
• Lemon- half
• Honey- 1 tsp
• Soya sauce- 1.5 to 2 tsp
• Vegetable oil- as required 
• Water- 2-3 cups, add more if you need more soup

Now the method. I used rice noodles, but it is not necessary. Last time I did it with simple egg-noodles, and it went well. You need to boil it first with some salt and drain the whole water after that. Put some oil in the noodles, it (oil) will prevent it to become lump.

Make egg-poach in boiling water, take it out, and cut into small pieces.

Now heat oil in a large, broad mouthed pan, add chicken and fry it till light brown. 

Add onion, carrot, capsicum and cabbage to chicken, saute for 2-3 minutes.

Next add ginger, garlic, spring onion and green chili. 

Sprinkle salt, pepper, coriander leaves. Keep tossing for another 2-3 minutes. 

Add water and simmer for 3 minutes, squeeze lemon. Put soya sauce and honey. Add salt if needed.





Cover and cook for 10 minutes in a medium heat. If the chicken and vegetables are totally boiled, add the noodles and egg, cook for 2 minutes in low heat. And its done. 

It is a total dinner, you don't need any side dish. Just enjoy. And don't forget to tell me if you find it interesting. 

Have a good day....