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5 Bengali Recipes by Rumki Paul

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Bengali food that originated in the region of West Bengal situated in the eastern subcontinent of India is rich and varied in its platter starting from snacks to main courses to sweets. The kitchen not only marks an important spot in a Bengali household but also probably remains the busiest section of the house since dawn.

Rumki Paul, a cook, writer, and photographer of Rumki’s Golden Spoon, was born in India in a small town in Assam in the realms of the great Brahmaputra river and has spent most of her childhood there in an amalgamated culture of Assam and West Bengal. A series of events led her to start food experiments later her husband encouraged her to start a blog after observing her deep passion for cooking over the years. Since then there has been no looking back.

Rumki shares her 5 Bengali recipes that very well go along the festive season:

Bengali Fish Fry Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For 1st marination

For 2nd marination

For the coating of the Bengali fish fry

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. First, cut each of the fish fillets into two rectangular pieces and wash it thoroughly. Then pat dry them with kitchen tissue or towel.
  2. For the first marination, add 1 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice and rub on each piece evenly. Then cover the fish pieces and keep them aside for 30 minutes.
  3. Now take a jar of a grinder and add 1/4th of a medium-sized onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger, 2 green chilies, 40 grams of washed coriander leaves, and close the lid. Pulse the whole content into a smooth paste.
  4. Pour the paste into the fish fillets and mix them evenly for the second marination. Cover the fish pieces and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Now crack an egg into a bowl and mix ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper into it. Mix it thoroughly.
  6. Pour the egg mixture and ¼ cup all-purpose flour into the marinated fish fillet and mix it for a thick coating and the masala can stick to the body of the fish fillets.
  7. Take 2 cups breadcrumbs on a plate and add ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper powder into it and mix it well. Keep it aside.
  8. Crack two eggs in a shallow plate and mix ¼ teaspoon salt in it and keep it aside.
  9. For the coating, put the fish fillet (Step 6) into the egg mixture and then place it on the breadcrumbs and coat it evenly either with a spoon or using a dry hand. Then again put the coated fish fillet into the egg mixture and coat it once more with breadcrumbs.

Note: Always handle breadcrumbs with dry hands or else with wet hands they will stick to each other and make lumps.

  1. Place the double-coated fish fillet on a flat surface. Take a knife or scraper and push against each side of the coated fillet for straight edges and perfect corners. Then press it on the top gently for the flat top and bottom.
  2. Repeat the whole process with the rest of the fillets and keep them aside on a clean dry plate or tray. Now refrigerate the shaped Kolkata fish fry for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator so that the coating gets set. This step is important to avoid any crack during the time of deep frying the fish fry.
  3. Take a deep pan and add enough oil to deep fry the Bengali fish fry. 175°C-190°C is the perfect temperature for the oil to fry the Kolkata fish fry.
  4. Once the oil is hot enough, add the coated fish fillet into the hot oil and fry them over medium flame for 2-3 minutes evenly till crispy and golden brown in colour. Don’t overcrowd the pan and turn the fish fry carefully. Drain the Bengali fish fry from oil and keep them on a tissue-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
  5. Repeat the process with the rest of the coated fish fillets and fry them.

Mutton Kosha Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250 ml

To marinate the mutton

For the Ginger-garlic paste

For the spice paste

Other ingredients for the mutton kosha

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Wash the mutton pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl. I have used fresh goat meat for the recipe.
  2. To prepare the marination masala, take a jar of a grinder and add chunks of 2 onions into it. Add either 1 tablespoon chopped or paste of ginger-garlic into it. Then close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste.
  3. Add ¼ cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, and 1 teaspoon salt, one by one into the jar and close its lid again. Pulse it for another few seconds to prepare the masala.
  4. Add the masala paste over the mutton pieces and pour 1 tablespoon of mustard oil on it. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Then cover the bowl with cling film or with a plate and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Overnight marination is preferable for the best result.
  5. Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled 12-14 large garlic cloves, 1-inch diced ginger, 2-3 green chillies, and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
  6. Add 2 diced tomatoes into a jar of a grinder and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
  7. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add ¼ cup mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
  8. Add 3 bay leaves, 6-8 cloves, 6-8 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 2-inch cinnamon stick, and 3 dry red chillies into the pan and let them crackle.
  9. Add the thin onion slices into the pan and cook them over medium flame for 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to caramelize the onion. Cover the pan and cook it on medium-high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and lightly golden. Stir in regular intervals.
  10. Add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste (Step 5) into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it in medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until the raw smell disappears and the masala releases oil.
  11. Add the tomato paste (Step 6) into the pan and cook it on a medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until the masala gets cooked thoroughly and releases oil.
  12. On the other hand, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1½ cumin powder, and 2 teaspoons coriander powder into it. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix it thoroughly to make a smooth paste of it.
  13. Add the paste to the pan and mix it thoroughly. Cook it on a medium flame for 5 minutes. Stir in between at regular intervals.
  14. Now add the marinated mutton pieces (Step 4) into the pan and mix them nicely with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it on high flame for 20 minutes until the mutton pieces release water.

Note:  The refrigerated marinated mutton pieces are cold. So, we need to put the flame in high at this stage.

  1. Whip ¼ cup yogurt thoroughly add into the pan and mix it well.
  2. Add salt to the pan and mix it well. Then cook it in high flame until the water has evaporated completely and starts releasing oil from the curry. It takes around 20-25 minutes to dry up the water of the mutton and start to release oil. Stir in between at regular intervals. Don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan.
  3. Now put the flame on medium and then add 1 cup hot water at a time into the pan and give a nice stir. Add green chilies to the pan. Cover the pan and cook it until the water has evaporated. Then again add 1 more cup of hot water and continue slow cooking. In this way, I have used 3 cups or 750 ml hot water during the whole process of koshano, I mean slow cooking.

Note: You can adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency of the gravy.

  1. Cook it until the mutton pieces get tender and juicy. Stir frequently on regular intervals or else the gravy will stick to the bottom of the pan. For me, it takes around 70-75 minutes to cook the mutton till tender and juicy.

Note: Remember the duration of cooking may vary due to the quality of the meat. Few mature red meats take longer to completely get cooked. So, keep your eye on it.

Kolkata Chicken Biryani

INGREDIENTS

1 cup = 250 ml

For the Kolkata biryani masala

For the beresta or barista

For the potato fry

For the chicken marination

For the biryani rice

Other ingredients for assembling

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Kolkata biryani masala

  1. Put a dry pan on the flame. Add the whole spices 1 black cardamom, 8 green cardamom, ½ teaspoon cloves, 2 inches cinnamon sticks, ½ tablespoon shah jeera, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kabab chini, 2 mace, and ½ nutmeg, one by one into the pan. Dry roast them over medium flame for 2-3 minutes until a nice aroma comes out of the spices. Then transfer them to a separate dry plate allow them to cool down completely before grinding.
  2. Take the whole spices into a small jar of a grinder and pulse it to a smooth dust-like texture.

Note: You can prepare the masala in advance and store it in an airtight container in a cool and dry place away from sunlight for 3-4 months.

For the beresta or barista

  1. Then slice the onions evenly and separate them with hands. Now put a pan on flame and add ½ cup oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add onion slices and fry it over medium flame till crispy and golden in colour. Then strain the beresta properly and transfer them to a tissue-lined separate plate. Don’t overcrowd the pan during the time of preparing beresta and stir it continuously or else it will not get fried evenly.

For the chicken marination

  1. Wash the chicken thoroughly before marinating and squeeze out the excess water from the pieces. Take the chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add ½ cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ½ cup beresta, 2 tablespoons garlic paste, 2 tablespoons ginger paste, 1 teaspoon kewra water, 1 teaspoon rose water, 1 tablespoon salt, ½ tablespoons Kolkata biryani masala and 1 teaspoon chilli powder, one by one into the bowl and mix it properly so that each piece can get coated evenly with the marination. Cover the chicken either with a plate or cling film. Marinate the chicken for at least 4-5 hours or you can refrigerate it overnight for the best result.

Note: You can adjust the amount of salt accordingly.

For the Kolkata biryani potato

  1. Take 3 good quality starchy big-size potatoes. Peel the potatoes cut them into halves and wash them thoroughly. Pat dry the potato pieces and marinate them with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.

Note: If you are using medium-sized potatoes, then take 5-6 potatoes, and no need to cut them into halves.

  1. In the same oil where beresta was fried, add the potatoes and fry them evenly till light golden colour. Drain the potatoes and keep them aside on a separate plate.

For the boiled eggs

  1. In a separate pan, add water and allow it to boil. Once the water starts boiling, add eggs to the pan cook it for 14 minutes, and switch off the flame. Drain the water and add cold water so that the eggs come to room temperature. Peel the eggshell and wash the eggs. Keep the boiled eggs aside.

For cooking the chicken

  1. Now it’s time to cook the chicken. Put the same pan on flame where beresta was fried or use the beresta fried oil for a better flavour of the chicken.
  2. Add the chicken pieces with marination and fried potatoes into the pan and cover the pan. Cook it over medium flame for 10 minutes. Then flip the pieces and cook them on low flame for another 15 minutes and then switch off the flame.

For cooking the rice for biryani

  1. Wash the basmati rice for couple of times until the water gets clear. Don’t rub the rice during the time of washing it or else the rice grain may break. Soak it for exactly 1 hour not more than that and then strain the water completely with the help of a strainer.
  2. First, take a piece of cotton cloth or cheesecloth. Then add the whole spices 2 bay leaves, 2 black cardamom, 8 green cardamom, 2 teaspoons cloves, 4 inches cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons shah jeera at the centre of the cloth and tie it diagonally from the ends and make a bag so the whole spices cannot come out of it.
  3. Take a large pan and add 5 cups of water to it. Add the spice bag and 4 teaspoons salt to the water. Put the flame on high and allow the water to boil. Once the water starts boiling, put the flame on low and cook it for another 2 minutes so the water can absorb the aroma of the spice distinctly.
  4. Now discard the spice bag from the pan add the soaked rice into the pan and give a stir. Cook the rice till 65%-70%. Put the flame in high and cook it took exactly 4 minutes not more than that.
  5. Switch off the flame and strain the rice completely. Keep it aside.

For assembling all the ingredients for the layering of the biryani

  1. Take 3 tablespoons of hot milk into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of saffron into it. Soak the saffron in the milk at least for 20 minutes so that it can release its flavour and colour to the milk.
  2. On the other hand, take 3 tablespoons milk in another bowl and add 1 teaspoon rose water, 1 teaspoon kewra water, 3 drops meetha attar one by one into the milk and mix it well and keep it aside.
  3. Take a heavy bottom pan. Make sure the pan is completely dry. Take some melted ghee in a bowl and brush it at the bottom and sides of the pan. Arrange enough bay leaves at the bottom of the pan so the base gets covered completely.
  4. Take the chicken pieces and potato chunks out of the yakhni aka chicken gravy or broth and arrange them as the first layer for the Kolkata chicken biryani. Keep the gravy aside.
  5. Add 10 alubukhara in between the chicken pieces.
  6. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon Kolkata biryani masala and 2 tablespoons grated mawa on the top. Then add the reserved yakhni aka gravy on top of the chicken pieces.
  7. Make a thin layer of rice over the chicken pieces and yakhni. Spread the rice evenly and make sure no gap is there. Then sprinkle the rest of the i.e. ¾ teaspoon Kolkata biryani masala and 2 tablespoons grated mawa on top of the rice layer.
  8. Drizzle half of the amount of both saffron milk (Step 16) and fragrant milk (Step 17) one by one on the top.
  9. Again, spread rice evenly on the top and make a thin layer of rice. Sprinkle some ½ cup beresta aka crispy fried onions on the top.
  10. Again, spread rice evenly on the top and make the last layer of rice. Drizzle the rest of the amount of saffron milk and fragrant milk, one by one on the top. Place the boiled eggs (Step 8) on the top. Then drizzle 3 tablespoons of melted ghee on the top and sides of the pan.
  11. Seal the pan with aluminium foil or else you can make an atta dough and seal the lid of the pan.
  12. Switch on the flame and place the pan on a medium flame for 5 minutes. Then put the flame in lowest and cook it for another 30 minutes. Then switch off the flame but don’t disturb the pan for another 15 minutes.

Daab Chingri Recipe

Ingredients:

To marinate the Prawn
100 grams or 6 medium size Prawns (Chingri)
¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon Salt

For the masala paste
1 tablespoon Poppy seeds (Posto)
2 tablespoons Mustard seeds (Shorshe)
2 tablespoons grated coconut or young coconut flesh of the tender coconut
1-2 green Chillies, as per taste
5-6 tablespoons Coconut water

Other Ingredients
1 tender Coconut (Daab)
3 tablespoons Coconut milk
½ cup Coconut Water
3 green Chillies
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Sugar
¾ teaspoon Salt, as per taste
1 teaspoon Mustard oil, to pour into the tender coconut
½ tablespoon Mustard oil, to fry the prawns

Instructions:

Daab chingri on stove top

Note: Make sure that kadai does not get dry during the time of cooking. Check the level of water in between. Add water if required.

Nolen Gur Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Serving Instruction
Scoop out the nolen gur ice cream into a bowl or on a serving plate. Pour some nolen gur sauce or Jhola gur over the top for extra flavoring. Serve immediately and enjoy the salivating dessert with your family and friends.

Moderation is the Key to enjoying every meal!

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