BENGALI STYLE TOFU DHOKA CURRY

The sky seems to play hide & seek; few minutes back a cool breeze swept off my hairs, it was cloudy. Right now, its bright, windy. This is exactly the kind of weather I love, San Francisco weather seemed like this, bright, shiny past evening! Gloomy sky causes me discomfort, physically; what medical science says don't know, depression gets me headache! I have love-hate relationship with rain, its definitely poet's muse! When we romanticise with nature, everything around; we don't think about ordeal of unfortunates, how they cope with fury of nature, with life itself. Though left-leaned, I can't think like hardcore leftists! I never could consider Moon a burnt roti like the Bengali revolutionist poet! Marxism is a justified concept in theory, difficult to put into daily usage! Aim of Humans is to progress, to make use of one's potential, communism doesn't allow one to flourish! If I speak on it's behalf, it would mean I don't want son to achieve heights! Thats not true, I want him to fly higher! Humans have to achieve as per abilities, help those with lesser abilities live decent! May be the utopia I believe in is functionally impossible.

Where was I? Okay, I told earlier, I enjoy walking in daylight, my skin darkened, yet. Another reason for skin darkening is highly chlorinated water of swimming pool. I walk in day time because I have been asked by medical expert, I have vitamin-D, C, Calcium deficiency. Post child birth, I had iron deficiency too. I think these are common among South Asian women; or Asian women?

Vitamin-C supplements are pricey, what about having Gooseberry / Amla regular? At this age, keeping well internally is important! If I had this realisation 15 years back, I need not have to take 4 different tablets each day of year!

I ain't healthy eater, I am an Indian, I can't survive on soups & salads; I have measured carbs, couldn't quit it. Keto diet doesn't suit me, protein causes stomach upset! I am too protective about my kidney, intestine, negative thoughts about them are killing! Then my perennial tendency of constipation makes me feel my bladder to rectum would rot any day! If I am not an unromantic, who is? My fear mongering self made me one! To keep myself in track, I need music, reads! To live life, we have to have certain kind of creative escapades!

Sometime back, Cristine served porota, green moong dal, the garnish of onion & green chilli makes the difference though I didn't add butter. In morning, I made porota / flatbreads for man, Cristine knows well, yet. She gets hurt, I asked her to fry mine. I cooked my brunch too, thatte idli in microwave oven. At night, I would have rice.

Who to blame for not availing coveted belly shape? I can't hit gym I dislike! My low intensity workouts, my food intake mismatch! I have achieved lot, not the goal. Compared to majority of Singaporean girls, I am still over weight.

Yesterday, I enjoyed the sugarcane juice, the kueh varieties felt greasy! But why? All this while, I thought they are steamed. In other shops, they didn't feel this greasy until date. Thats bit of disappointment I carried back home yesterday!

Before travelling to India, I had this meal at 4 Fingers. I don't remember which local flavour fried drumlets had, loved! The milk in matcha drink caused me discomfort, dairy is an issue. Milk, Sugar-free matcha tea suits me better! May be I had it at Don Don Donki! 

A lifetime isn't enough to explore food varieties Singapore has in offer. Then, I work on budget! I eat out at least five days in a week, I don't work! Perhaps, I am not in habit of limitless spending, so don't know the scenario had I been a working woman! Savings is important in life!

I don't know if menopause is cause of my irritative state these days, I get restless easily, loose concentration! It feels pathetic when people consider my concern for son, missing him, meaningless; don't take me seriously! In any mental state, I can cook, I enjoy time in kitchen without any interference. On such a day, last week I was trying vegan Roshogolla using Tofu, failing which I even tried Tofu Lyangcha, gulabjamun, nothing worked! I ended up cooking a curry, BENGALI STYLE TOFU DHOKA CURRY! Dhoka here isn't betrayal but tofu cakes! I kept the curry vegan, gluten-free, addition of cinnamon-green cardamom-cloves powder, garnish of ghee makes curry, a Bengali, vegetarian dalna! I usually don't waste things unless required!

Other similar curry recipes from my blog are EGG CURRY......A COASTAL INDIAN TOUCH, MUSHROOM & SOYA KHEEMA CURRY, ALOO POTOL ER DALNA, MACHER TOK / SOUR FISH CURRY, MUTTON KOFTA MALAI CURRY, DUM KA MURG, CHOLE PANEER

INGREDIENTS :

FIRM TOFU : 100 GM [I USED TAU KWA]

POTATO : 1

CHOPPED CORIANDER : 1 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

DRY MANGO / AAMCHUR POWDER : 1/2 TSP

GINGER PASTE : 1 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

CORN FLOUR : 1 TSP

BAKING POWDER : 1 OR 2 PINCH

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1 TSP [OPTIONAL]

OIL : 1 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

So, I failed Tofu roshogolla / pantua / lyangcha. I took 360* turn, made

Bengali style tofu-potato curry, plain rice would suit it, even chapati!

Heat 1 tsp oil in wok, temper with 2 pinches of cumin seeds, chopped, washed green chillies, give a stir.

Add washed, crumbled tofu, salt, 1/4 tsp each of turmeric-cumin- coriander powder, 1/2 tsp dry mango powder, salt. Stir cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add cornflour, baking powder, 1/4 tsp sugar, stir cook for 2-3 minutes. Take down, shape into a square. Cut small.

Peel, wash, cut potato into cubes. Marinate with salt, turmeric. 

Heat more oil in wok. Fry potato cubes, tofu squares in batches. Take out.

Prepare a spice paste with ginger paste, remaining turmeric-cumin-coriander & red chilli powders, salt.

Temper remaining oil with remaining cumin seeds, bayleaf. 

Add spice paste. Stir cook for 2-3 minutes adding 1tbsp water. 

Add fried potato pieces, fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 & 1/2 coffee mug of water. Bring to boil.

Lower heat, simmer for 4-5 minutes, add sugar, tofu squares, washed, slitted green chillies. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

Garnish with washed, chopped coriander leaves. Switch off gas stove, transfer to serving bowl. Have it hot, warm with choice of main!

 

FAMILY STYLE WINTER FISH CURRY

 3:58 pm Thursday; there ain't hard & fast rule that I need to write blogpost every week; I do it to unwind, what else to do? I can't believe I did not write blog for 8-9 months! I remember once poet Srijato told "I knew I cannot do any job, face interview board; I only can write; keep writing"! Anindya,lead singer of Chandrabindu told similar. I feel same, problem is their ability to play with words, vocals is great, I am average. I couldn't get ready a manuscript, approach a publisher, material is ready, my entire blog is material, lazy enough to format it. This personal space is dear, writing blog perhaps has become obsolete. As long as I am allowed to, let me. 

I am just back from RKM, it's Sarada Maa's birthday! Celebration started early morning, would continue until night. I forgot, my friends notified, I hurriedly went! Last year I couldn't, I was just back from hospital. Again on 1st January, I be there! I met someone most unexpectedly today after years, tragedy struck this family, they had to shift back to India for time being! I felt happy, they were on my mind always! Let me see if they allow me to share the pictures taken together. Many people we meet at different junctures in life, some leave strong mark in our hearts, this happens to me! I am getting old, I find it difficult to hold emotions, wish I could be strong, carefree like my men!

The spider webs on face have everything written about me, I hum Bollywood romantics with same emotion as I did decades back, time flies! I am romantic genre, can't survive without Tagore, Gulzaar Saab, even Ghalib! Our mother loves academically sound boys & girls too much. I share fondness for Bollywood with her, the man! When a toddler, I had to play Bollywood songs to make son eat, sleep; he did not stick to that later!

There is noise around, the swimming pool is under repair. I cannot tolerate noise, it's 5pm, they are wrapping up work, let me connect headphone, I can't stay without music. I listen to Southern Indian, Local Chinese songs when at marts without understanding lyrics. Trust me, I foot tap enjoying the music. Do not think of sequence of a song while listening, get lost in melody; else how would you soak in essence of music! Music in heart, Romance to me is like standing in middle of Orchard Road in heavy downpour wearing sari without anyone watching except one! That someone would notice me from opposite of road, come, hold my hand tight. That's isn't man, neither son; I am sure my man would utter "idiot", go for meeting straight, son would say "lame mumma ekta, tokey bhenge felbo", go watch television! This is what novels, movies since teen makes out of you at fifty five! Perhaps, there ever wouldn't be born another Gulzar, Tagore, Sunil Gangopadhay; I haven't met Nillohit, Sataru o Jolkonya's Sataru, the man at Derbyshire[?] who Jane Austen wrote about. If I try to initiate such discussions with Bossy, he would stop me in first sentence, ask me to go shopping next day, say that he wants to watch CNBC, Vir Dass, Fox Crime, Asian Network instead! I told he no more remains my best friend!

But we enjoy having such fish curries together, although this FAMILY STYLE WINTER FISH CURRY recipe is from my side of family! Man, Son, man's mother prefer fleshy big fish, I make my man eat less boney smaller fish! I can't eat fleshy sea fish varieties, Cristine became Bengali under my influence. His father, sister, her man enjoy smaller fish. Our boy eats less boney fish if mumma de-bones. Mumma misses those exercises, mothers who experience empty nest syndrome would understand me. Bhai, Bidisha too enjoy, our Mother's man too enjoyed! Let me treat all of you academically supreme guys & dolls with a gluten-free fish curry recipe from our mother's, grandma's kitchen on behalf of our mother! Earlier, fresh coriander, Hyacinth beans were available only in winter, these days I cook it throughout the year but with smelt fish, we do not get fresh smaller freshwater fish here! Let me continue with "Chalte Chalte Yuhi Koi Mil Gaya Tha", to stay put with "Nonor Maa"!

                             

INGREDIENTS :

SMELT FISH : A COUPLE OF

HYACINTH BEAN : 6-7

SMALL EGGPLANT : 3-4

FRESH CORIANDER : A BUNCH OF

GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

NIGELLA SEED / KALONJEE / KALOJEEREY : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

Oil : 3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Clean stomach, head, scales of each fish properly! Wash thoroughly!

Marinate fish with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, 1 tbsp oil, keep aside for 10-12 minutes.

Discard root ends of coriander, wash taken in a strainer, blend together with green chillies.

Cut eggplants, Hyacinth beans, wash, marinate with salt, turmeric!

Heat oil in wok, temper with nigella seeds, bayleaf!

Add the marinated fish, Hyacinth beans, cover cook at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes.

Gently turn over, add eggplants. Cook covered at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add 2 coffee mugs of water, cover cook at low heat for 8-10 minutes.

Remove cover, add fresh coriander-green chilli paste, gently fold in, simmer at low heat for 2-3 minutes. You may also add slitted green chillies!

Enjoy warm with piping hot steamed rice!

BENGALI STYLE DUCK EGG POTATO CURRY

It is 1:30 pm local time! Until sometime back, I was unable to decide which recipe to share in blog! Okay, I had been productive too, baked vegan gluten-free scones. 

I wished to get it, may be on a later date! I came across mesmerising Bengali posts, got to be nostalgic. Now I am listening to old Bengali songs, I felt like sharing a Bengali recipe today, can't be otherwise! I cannot do mentions, they are many, integral part of our being! Okay, let us do one mention, if we can get it, our life is sorted; "jibon khatar proti patai jotoi koro hisheb nikesh, kichui robena... luko-churir eeije khyala...." The Bengali Music Industry then, now, both I love. The Bengali film industry faced a drought in the 80's & 90's, we detested, then comeback started with telefilms post 2000, thereafter some actors, directors came together, made us believe it hasn't died!

Why I reveal myself to world do not know. I love to write is true. I want to be cautious, next moment I asphyxiate if I do not exercise my right to expression! What I was at 15, I remain same at mid-fifties. The streets of Singapore, every lane, by lane are witness to my stupid self! I do not know if Bossy reads my stuffs or not, he never does any mention about what my heart spoke on posts, oblivious of what this world would think of me. That's the reason why he is dear, only that he fails to make the son behave normal with mumma. He has to talk to me regular! 

I decided to write a blogpost today also to save myself from wrath; I do not blame Bossy, often times I feel like calling him in office, say I am having pain here & there! Since last December, a serious fear made safe haven inside, some friends, family know! All of a sudden that fear subsided, something else creeped in! I let it stay, didn't deny! Life isn't only about give & take to me, I don't make business deals. Then emotional upheaval requires great amount of effort to handle.

My positive self feels if I have invited it, I need to deal with it! In extreme scenario, I would sell off my heart, kidneys; that finances my shopping, go frenzy shopping till I drop dead! There is no guilt inside, only a question, why, how? In all these, I feel I need some explicits coming from Bossy! I would call & say, "I feel Dr. V's stethoscope is not getting it, something is seriously wrong with my beats, it pains at times!" The explicits that would come to me over phone do not startle me anymore, they are required to handle an emotional disaster like me! 

Truth, however bitter or painful, is always better than sugar coated lies! Expectations hurt, is an eternal truth, it is unavoidable is another truth!

I would not bother, disturb, approach anyone involved, I stay firm on my belief that one who wants me would find me. I may be proven wrong, yet! I can send them some beautiful blooms from our tiny space, share my plates, that says I care!

Let me cook & serve hot, fresh food on your plate. That I do well. On my 2023 visit to Kolkata, India, I cooked this Bengali Duck Egg-Potato curry, but I forgot to fry boiled eggs. That's signature Bengali, I deleted those pictures. This year, October, day of departure, I cooked this curry, rest of dishes our mother cooked, we all ate. Bossy ate duck egg curry at his parents' home. Duck prefers laying eggs in winter, also spoils quickly in hot season!

In our childhood, egg curry meant fresh duck egg curry. Until date, I want it! I read various theories about why Singapore doesn't sell duck eggs. In 2024, we hunted H-Mart perhaps for duck eggs in Boston, Ms. Bhaduri of Houston recommended us to. Bossy, his mother are egg lovers, I enjoy egg curry these days not loving sea fish. Now, my side of family says they eat chicken eggs mostly. 

Let's cook this gluten-free, non-vegetarian Bengali egg recipe; BENGALI STYLE DUCK EGG POTATO CURRY before I blabber more, I need to go for walk. I do not like sharing what Singapore cannot eat but a Bengali Food Blogger should have these recipes in collection!

INGREDIENTS :

FRESH DUCK EGG : 6-7

POTATO : 2

SLICED ONION : 4 TBSP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

GARLIC PASTE : 2 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 1 TBSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

CINNAMON POWDER : 1/4 TSP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/4 TSP

CLOVES POWDER : 2 PINCHES

TURMERIC POWDER : 2 TSP

CUMIN SEED : A PINCH OR TWO

BAYLEAF : 1

CINNAMON STICK : 1/2 INCH LENGTH 2-3

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

CLOVES : 2-3

SUGAR : 1 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 1 TSP [OPTIONAL]

PROCEDURE :

Wash eggs gently, boil in enough water for 10-12 minutes adding a tsp of salt. Switch off gas stove. Let it cool.

Peel, cut each potato into 4 pieces, widthwise, then lengthwise. Wash, Marinate with salt, turmeric. 

Remove shell from eggs. Wash, make slits on body, apply turmeric, salt.

Heat oil in wok, lightly fry eggs, take out. Fry potatoes, take out.

Temper oil with cinnamon stick, green cardamom, clove, cumin seeds, bayleaf! Add the washed & sliced onions. Fry until brown.

Add ginger, garlic pastes. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes! Add the cumin+red chilli+coriander+turmeric powders, salt. Add 2 tbsp water and stir cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add fried potatoes, fold in well! Stir cook for 2-3 minutes, add 2 coffee mugs of water. Cover cook at low heat for 10-12 minutes.

Remove cover, add boiled, fried eggs, washed & slitted green chillies; cover cook for 5 minutes at low heat.

Remove cover, add cinnamon+cloves+green cardamom powder, sugar!  Stir, let cook for another 2-3 minutes, we are done!

 

COOKER MADE CHICKEN CORIANDER STEW

 I LIKE THIN CURRIES USING MINIMAL SPICES!

For that we need fresh, good quality meat & fish varieties. We get freshest of the sea fish varieties in this island. Growing up having fresh water fish, I find sea fish smelly. I could still eat pomfret cooked by the mother, mother-in-law with lots of onion, garlic; since my pregnancy I cannot tolerate the smell of pomfret, instead started to love the small & tiny fish varieties I looked down at once. Mixed vegetables cooked with tiny prawns or deep fried Mola or Amudi Mach / fish can satiate my fish cravings, I do not need fleshy varieties. The man cannot have meals only with smaller varieties of fish. We respect each other's choices. We have not forced upon each other our respective family's preferences. We have built our home taking the good things from both sides. I never tried to feed the son my choice of bony fishes like Baby Carps, I feared to. His generation want boneless, fleshy meat, fish on their plates. At some point, even a decade back I liked to have cheesy stuffs in the restaurant. I remember, on our tour of Australia, I did like baked Salmon, that was only in 2015. Today, I cannot have such a meal, I may just order French fries or fruit filled crepes, butter corn cups, veg wraps, fried chicken, end variety of breads with Tahini & humus. As I say, every restaurant, hotels can provide me boiled potato, butter, a green chilli, salt and rice; no worries, we need to pack our bags just. That would happen once our son gets settled in life. Have roti-sabzi on tours, not Maggi soups please, that's too unhealthy!

I WOULDN'T DISCLOSE WHERE I WENT THIS MORNING!

Not everything is to be made public, not many would have interest in minute details of your life. I went out for some work, once it was done, I had a mushroom soup with garlic bread. 

Intermittent Fasting is not happening at this time, I am requiring to eat a little something in the morning. I did not understand the garlic bread slices would be this thick, one was good enough for me. The moment I saw the cream of mushroom soup was not freshly made but cut and served from a big packet, I got disappointed. The payment was made, I had to have. My lunch was washed puffed rice and beaten rice with an amriti / jangiri! I had few pieces of chiku / shabeda / sapota thereafter, a much loved fruit! If I over eat a little bit, I am having severe stomach issues these days. They say we should never fill our stomach full, they are right. Life is tough for food reviewers, not an easy job, health is at risk. We shouldn't criticise. Age does not allow me to be sarcastic these days. If you do not bother me, I wouldn't. I am pretty much occupied with the thought of the son's future, his health, safety and security.

Below are semolina nagori, a puffed bread variety from the Delhi side of India may be. I have learnt about it recently. I wish to blog about it after practicing few more times, there are a couple of existing recipes in the internet. We had the specialised puffed breads with air-fried potato!

My entire body and mind is demanding sleep, I decided to write a blogpost instead. Let us proceed towards the closure of this post today!

WHAT IS  COOKER MADE CHICKEN CORIANDER STEW?

I am extremely fond of fresh coriander, it's aroma is one of my mood enhancers. I love to add it in this recipe and that. Earlier, I have cooked  chicken with fresh coriander paste, I have a blogpost about it too! In the past few months, I came across light chicken stew done with  soft chicken meat, various spices, fresh coriander paste. One of those reels is of my favourite Bollywood choreographer, film director, producer Farah, I like this talented girl, her struggle to reach this fame definitely involves talent, such versatile she is, I like her bubbly self! I wanted to prepare, blog about this non-vegetarian, gluten-free, lean meat curry COOKER MADE CHICKEN CORIANDER STEW with potatoes. I am not fond of using a pressure cooker, I believe it spoils the taste of food. However, it is useful for the working men and woman. It is good for boiling tough vegetables, also for making stews and soups.

Few Light Stew recipes from the Blog are EGG STEW, STEWED RICE, BEET GAJOR ALOO DIYE PATHAR MANGSHO!

INGREDIENTS :

CHICKEN : 1 KG [I USED KAMPONG / COUNTRY CHICKEN]

POTATO : 2

FRESH CORIANDER : 250 GM

PLAIN YOGURT : 50 GM

GREEN CHILLI : 7-8

SLICED ONION : 2

GARLIC PASTE : 2 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 2 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 + 1/2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 4-5 TBSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

CINNAMON STICK : 2 ONE INCH SIZE

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

BLACK CARDAMOM : 1

CLOVE : 3-4

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Get the chicken cut from the vendor, small or medium, skin on or off as per your choice.

Wash the chicken pieces well, marinate with enough salt for an hour, wash again.

Marinate the chicken pieces with little salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, lemon juice. Keep aside for 40-45 minutes.

Wash and discard the root end of the fresh corianders, prepare a paste together with the plain yogurt, 4-5 green chillies.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, temper with a big black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf.

Add the sliced and washed onions, fry until golden brown.

Add the ginger-garlic pastes, 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt, fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cumin and coriander powders, stir cook for a minute. Add the marinated chicken pieces.

Stir fry at minimal heat for 3-4 minutes, add 3-4 slitted, washed green chillies.

Loosely cover, cook until water starts releasing. 

Peel, cube, wash the potatoes, add to the chicken. 

Add the fresh coriander, green chillies, plain yogurt paste too. Mix well, add two coffee mugs of water, fold in well.

Close tight the pressure cooker lid, cook at minimal heat up to one whistle, switch off the gas stove. 

After 10-12 minutes, open the lid, enjoy it hot and fresh with steamed rice or roti!

TANGRA MACH ALOO EGGPLANT CURRY

 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.