FOR LONG I DID NOT BLOG ABOUT A HOMELY BENGALI RECIPE!
I am craving to trust me, just not happening. These days, I do not have rice meals outside of home. I prefer having rice with family Bengali dishes. I have a couple of recipes to share from the family kitchen. What stops me may be the brother and his nephew's, our son's apathy towards rustic, homely food, be it Bengali or otherwise. The man would eat what appeals his tastebuds, he has no interest in food. My two sisters, the father-in-law, brother-in-law would eat normal Bengali Food. One of the two sisters, my brother's wife cooks well Dalia Khichuri, Chana Curry, I like. The mother-in-law is interested in big fleshy fish, hates vegetables, has no interest in the huge repertoire of rustic Bengali vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. If you want to have them, visit my mother's, the late maternal grandmother's, the father's side of the family living in various parts of Assam & Nadia district of West Bengal. My side of the family would get you unique recipes with "kharkol Pata, Shapla, Shaluk, Ol er Data, a variety of greens"!
I FEEL IRRITATED WHEN BENGALI FOOD IS IDENTIFIED WITH BIRYANI, MAHI POLAO, CHINGRIR MALAIKARI THESE DAYS!
It is such a dishonour to our granny's kitchen, the huge treasure trove of recipes they got from the other side of Bengal. I do not believe the original residents of West Bengal ate big prawns, bhetki fish, luchi, mohon bhog regular, that potato was the only vegetable they ate. My family doesn't consider potato a vegetable, its used as an enhancer in curries, in mixed vegetable dishes. What got pathetic with me is the unavailability of my kind of fresh sweet water fish in this island. I used to be a fish lover, I want supply of smaller varieties of sweet water fish, fresh, live. I have no interest in sea fish varieties. What to do? I would make fritters instead of fish curries with my rice plate.
I love fries & fritters / bhajabhuji / snacks with my tea / coffee or rice and dal.
WHAT IS TANGRA FISH ALOO EGGPLANT CURRY?
I rarely get this small fish variety fresh in this island's wet markets. When I see, I buy though it is difficult to cut the friskers with scissors, knives. The Bengali shops stock frozen fish packets, I do not buy except few varieties. On days I get my choice of sweet water / fresh water fish in the market, I would buy, clean, cut them, cook a choice of fish curry like this TANGRA MACH ALOO EGGPLANT CURRY. This non-vegetarian, gluten-free fish curry with rice would I enjoy having.
Few other regular Bengali Recipes from the blog are FULKOPIR DATA PATA DIYE BHETKI, CABBAGE FRITTERS / BADHAKOPIR BORA, CHOLA NARKOL DIYE KOCHU SHAAKER GHONTO, MISHTI CHIREY BHAJA
INGREDIENTS :
TANGRA MACH [SMALL FRESH WATER CAT FISH VARIETY] : 300-400 GM
POTATO : 1
EGGPLANT [SMALL] : 2
SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2
NIGELLA SEED / KALOJEEREY / KALONJI : 1/4 TSP
BAYLEAF : 1
TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2 TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 3 TBSP
PROCEDURE :
Ask your vendor to clean the stomach of each fish, cut the friskers, tail end. This fish does not have scales. Wash them few times. Marinate with salt, turmeric.
Cut the potato, eggplants, lengthwise, thin. We need not peel the skin of the potato. Wash them, marinate with salt and turmeric.
Prepare a spice paste mixing together the remaining turmeric powder + red chilli powder + cumin powder + coriander powder + required amount of salt + 1 tbsp water.
Heat oil in a wok. Fry the potatoes, eggplants, Tangra fish, each variety in batches, take out.
Temper the remaining oil with the bayleaf and nigella seeds. Give a stir, add the spice paste. Stir cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 coffee mug of water.
Bring the gravy to boil, add the fried potatoes and fried fish, also the washed & slitted green chillies.
Simmer at low heat for 5-6 minutes, covered. 2-3 minutes before taking down, add the fried eggplants. Stir, take down!
Enjoy with steamed hot rice. We also had tomato-red lentils, mutton curry, cabbage-potato sabzi Bengali style on that day.
