BORI ALOO DIYE TATKA RUI ER JHOL

I will be visiting Kolkata next month and what you see above was cooked in our Kolkata home last January. Once I reach there, I crave for what I grew up eating. I exactly try to recreate those heirloom Bengali dishes, when the mother is there she does the same. This time I think I will be going for fifteen days, while I will be busy with few more repair works, a bit of shopping.. the momci will cook and feed me stuffs similar to "laushak diye chara pona".. Some ask me in an unbelieving tone .. "what is your work there?" Ok, on each visit I think I am done for two years now, then I get the report this and that has broken. I do not know how cyclone fenni could affect my locked home, a glass door which had to be repaired repeatedly lay shattered in an empty home, there are cracks all over the walls, even the concrete structures need love and care. The weird husband considers it a saleable property now, refuses to fund for it's repair but to me its my home.... within limited funds, I keep repairing it. Kolkata is not a place where you get quick & proper service even after paying. I got some breezing updates from the brother and his wife though that Kolkata now has some apps for spring cleaning the homes etc. As of now, I will not deploy such agencies, so long I have a Khokon Sardar or Rizia, I will not.... I need to buy sarees too right? 

This time I have to settle all these, chimney cleaning services... this & that, I told my friends and relatives I may not be able to arrange meets this time, next year again. I will give priority to meet my "mashimoni" who had undergone a life saving surgery hopefully, the loving "Hindmotor er boromami" who lost her husband! While I will be busy making calls and pleading with a Khokon, Nirmal, Alam or the maintenance office, the mother will cook similar kinds of fish curries like this BORI ALOO DIYE TATKA RUI ER JHOL for us. Once I am on my way back to the airport, the brother will take her back to their no fancy palace. This is the plan as of now although I do not wish to make prior plans anymore.. I wanted to celebrate my parents' half century, get them together here one more time... all went haywire. Now, I think we should get the in-laws and our mother every alternate year. Although she is getting bored in the confinery, she is enjoying her stay, going out with me and did say that my "diabetic roshogolla" tasted like any neighbourhood sweet shop in Kolkata!

I am soon to share the recipe with you all. You will not even feel that this does not have sugar in it, stevia does a good job but please do not have it on a regular basis.

The situation is such that I cannot concentrate in the blog these days given the son is having holidays, the mother is here who should be given company although she is a happy loner. I enjoy sharing my daily chores including what I cook that I cannot stay away from it for long. I do not have to spend long hours outside for some fruitful job, better I engage myself in what I enjoy doing. Coming to the dish, I am going to share with you all the recipe of this non vegetarian fish curry BORI ALOO DIYE TATKA RUI ER JHOL.... an authentic Bengali dish with fresh Bengal Carp. I insist on the word tatka / fresh because it matters the most, you will not enjoy this curry prepared with frozen fish. We do get fresh carp here coming from the two different neighbouring countries, however I do not get the taste of Bengal in them. 

We did evolve ourselves now, increased the power of acceptability else there was a time Kolkata told "Andhra er chalani rui amra khaina".... Now Kolkata markets are flooded with carps from Andhra Pradesh, what else can you do if the water bodies are sold to promoters and we get to see tall constructions in them. A part of my family are still having fresh fish from the "Churni nodi ba Ganga".... I do not have time to visit most of my close relatives but the blood relation is an undeniable fact, there is a hidden wish to travel to the Barasat wet market at least once during my stay and get some fresh produce .... we did not really grow up on "bherir maach"..... 

Anyway, you will not like the picture, my infrastructure at our Kolkata home has spoilt, Cristine is not there to assist. Few details are missing in the pictures, there had to be the "daler bati, lebu, lanka, peyaz". Yet, I wished to share the recipe using these pictures, they are precious.... the bori / dried lentil balls / dal vadi were given by the mother and I got a pretty good quality fish that day.... the husband too travelled with me last December some of you may remember.... he is not fond of smaller variety of fish unless they are deep fried and served with a wine variety or "dal-bhaat." This particular authentic Bengali fish curry is to be served only with steamed rice. You can see we also had "gajor+aloo+peyazkoli bhaja" and the priceless "hansher dimer jhol" on that day.

INGREDIENTS :

RUI / KATLA / BENGAL CARP : 5OOGM [gives you 8 standard sized pieces]
POTATO : 2MEDIUM SIZED
DAL ER BORI / DAL VADI / DRIED LENTIL DUMPLING : 8-10
GINGER PASTE : 11/2TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 11/2TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP + 1/2TSP + 1/2TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 11/2TSP
GREEN CHILLI : 2-3 [SLITTED]
SALT : AS REQUIRED
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP [We can also use nigella seeds]
BAY LEAF : 1MEDIUM
OIL : 5-6TBSP [We use mustard oil always]

PROCEDURE :

Get the fish cut by the seller. Clean and discard the scales, wash 4-5 times under running water.

Drain all the water and rub well some salt and 1tsp of turmeric.

Keep aside for 10-15 minutes before we start to fry them.

Peel and cut the potatoes half. Cut smaller again lengthwise. If you are a diabetic, wash and prick the unpeeled skin of each with a fork. Take them on a plate and microwave at high for 2-3 minutes [should remain firm]. Once cold, peel off and cut into desired shapes.

We will wash and rub the potato pieces with some salt and 1/2tsp turmeric powder just 5 minutes before frying them, else they turn black.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the potatoes in batches. Take out once they are light brown.

Fry the dried lentil dumplings for a minute and take out.

Now fry the fish pieces in batches until light brown, do not deep fry.

Take 1/2tsp turmeric, salt, ginger paste, cumin powder, red chilli powder in a bowl, sprinkle a little water and mix well.

Temper the same oil with the cumin seeds and a bayleaf. Add the spice paste and stir for 2 minutes.

Add 2 coffee mugs of water, give a stir and bring to boil.

Add the fried pieces of potatoes and cover cook at low heat for 3-4 minutes.

Open cover, add the slitted green chillies and the fried fish pieces. Let boil at low heat for another 3-4 minutes uncovered.

Add the daler boris now and boil for a minute.

We should be done. Enjoy hot with piping hot plain rice.