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.

BENGALI STYLE CURRY PAKORA

 AFTER FEW ATTEMPTS, I GOT WHAT I DESIRED!

I am talking about the curry you see. It is not a Bengali Recipe, there is no harm cooking and having what is not authentically our's. I do try some that are not that much of a mismatch to our tastebuds. Because I did it for us, there is a hint of sugar in it. Today morning, I cooked a full Bengali menu to be delivered to a known family. Because they enjoyed having my food, I am in a good mood. It is not only about the money involved, satisfaction is when your client says they enjoyed the food sent. I did not go for my walk or swim and ate a plateful of rice.

In fact, the amount of rice is not that much, I added a boiled potato and dried lentils; that made the plate look bigger. Made flavourful with a tablespoon of ghee and a green chilli, such plates have always been my favourite.

The litchi season may be over, not tasting great anymore.

If I have used shredded coconut cooking for my client, I would keep a little to have with puffed rice sprinkling a little of brown sugar. I did not do intermittent fasting today, neither did any exercise, just wished to sit and relax after the food delivery. If I continue this, I may become an obese in no time. Tomorrow morning I must go out for a walk and then swim. Again I have to go out later in the day, I am planning a late lunch at the Saizeriya. It pains if I tie my hair, but I must tie when I am cooking for my client, forgot to wear the cap. Without Cristine's help, I    would not be done in time, she dressed the banana flowers required, also stuffed the pointed gourds. I would share the dishes in public.

LONELY SUNDAYS AIN'T PATHETIC, HOWEVER I DO NOT WANT THEM!

I could have gone out yesterday but I am a lazy self. Every Sunday we feel lethargic enough to go out somewhere. It feels at times we did not do much of outdoor activities with the son, he eventually have become home bound. We do not want him to be a party monger but he should have some solid, good friends around him. They should be close knit enough to be there for each other whenever required. He would be staying alone in a new city for the next two years. I may get panic attacks, what if he fall sick in the middle of the night? Each day, I read many a sad news, someone lost the partner, some the kids or a kid might have lost the young parents. I struggle to keep sane and end up eating the extra. My yesterday's lunch was heavy, I had my favourite mango+puffed rice at night. My today's lunch was heavy too, I am planning for two pieces of bread and omelette for dinner.

It is not easy to stay alone, eat meals alone. I keep telling the mother to complain less in life. She is pretty occupied which is good, neither the grandmother nor the mother ever complained of boredom or told they do not wish to live anymore. I love this. I wish to live longer together with the man, I want to witness the son's progress, roam around, travel far off. What I do not want in our lives are adventures; I have told the son this several times, not be a lone traveler ever or be too curious about the unknown, he has to live a normal life.

WHAT IS BENGALI STYLE CURRY PAKORA?

I have seen Kadhi Pakora and I have seen Mooru Curry, I wished to draw inspiration from the both, cook something similar with a Bengali touch. I have tried Kadhi Pakora earlier following a blogger friend's recipe. I tried foodaholic.biz's recipe of it in the google plus days. The family liked, even some of the friends. But in all these attempts, my curry was turning too thick. That flavour and taste of besan / gram flour I do not like. May be the pictures of mooru curry attracted me more, "doi er suruya" if I may call it. Fritters / Pakora I die for but it has to he hot and spicy. Keeping all these on my mind, I cooked this vegetarian, gluten-free yogurt & gram flour based fritter curry BENGALI STYLE CURRY PAKORA! I used a Bengali style tempering and one of our flavour burst dry roasted and ground spice powder. How lovely is that? Okay, the pakoras flattened because the batter got a bit watery, it proved good because it required less amount of oil to fry! I really enjoyed having the curry.

Few other curry recipes from my blog can be BENGALI PUMPKIN LEAVES MOONG BEAN LENTIL CURRY, VEGETABLES & CHICKEN LIGHT CURRY, CAT FISH BENGALI CURRY

INGREDIENTS :

YOGURT : 250 ML

GRAM FLOUR : 2 TBSP + 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SLICED ONION : A MEDIUM TEA CUP FULL

CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAVES : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP FULL

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLIES : 1 TSP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLIES

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 + 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

CUMIN SEEDS : 1/2 TSP + 1/4 tsp

CORIANDER SEEDS : 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLIES : 2 + 3

DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP

GARAM MASHALA POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SUGAR : 1 TSP [YOU CAN SKIP]

BAYLEAF : 1

OIL : 4-5 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

I added together the cup of gram flour, washed and chopped coriander leaves and green chillies, salt, turmeric. I had beaten it well. I heated the oil, and fried both sides of the fritters well. I took them out.

While frying the fritters, I had beaten together 2 tbsp of gram flour, the yogurt, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, 2-3 coffee mugs of water using a hand beater. 

After the fritters are done and taken out, I tempered the remaining oil with the cumin seeds, 2 halved dry red chillies and a bayleaf. I poured the spiced yogurt  mixture to the wok and gave a stir.

I cover cooke it at low heat. As it started to boil, I added the dry mango powder, the garam masala, slitted green chillies and let it boil more.

Meanwhile, I dry roasted the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and 2-3 dry red chillies for a minute and ground to a coarse powder.

After about 10-12 minutes of boiling, I added the fritters to the boiling curry and then the dry roasted ground spices. I had taken it down after 3-4 minutes of boiling.

It is to be had with steamed rice.

                          

MY STYLE GREEN CHICKEN CURRY

I FORGOT HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TOLD MY READERS ABOUT MY FIGHT TO STOP HATING CHICKEN!

I can only say it was a miraculous come back starting to eat chicken again with a pleasant mind. Chicken came regular, for few years I was unable to have the chicken curry I was cooking. I had been always a mutton lover, also enjoyed the Sunday's chicken curry whilst watching Sherlock Holmes and few others. Doordarshan had given us good watches one after another. Why does time pass this fast I do not know. But I had been a dilli-dallied self in a fast paced world, I relished life I think! I have eaten the food I enjoyed, I have read the books I wanted. Everyone would have something unread, unversed that he or she might have wanted to cover in a lifetime but couldn't. I think we need not bother about that part much, one lifetime is too short to get to do all that we want. At times, I do want to re-watch my favourite serials from the Doordarshan era. Not only we watched the serials but also the documentaries like Bharat ek Khoj I liked, I was fond of Jonny Soko and his flying Robot, WWF. Watching Knight Riders and Remington Steel, I learnt about a rich country named America, not from the history books. Watching Jaws, I learnt about Hollywood. I started losing interest in the tele serials in the early noughties. They did not remain as good as what we watched in the 80's-90's. After watching Tamas you would not want to watch petty stuffs. Yes, I remember my chicken leg piece and some of them well. I forgot about most of them, when social media does a mention of them, I get nostalgic. What else to do sitting idle at home?

ON A BENGALI NEW YEAR'S DAY WE ATE HOME COOKED FOOD!

In fact, for a couple of years things are like this, we spend a special day as any other normal day, just that the man enjoys an extra holiday and I enjoy cooking and off course his company. You can blame it on me, I cannot mingle. I also do not get why people's lives are guided by the social media. The spontaneity of a relationship is lost and I got to be more like a snail. I get to hear the son too is kind of reclusive. Mumma wants him to have a warm & active friends circle without hampering each-other's academics. I made a late start today and want  to wrap up quickly. I was baking dates cup cakes to update an older blogpost, may be tomorrow. Yesterday, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch with Hilsa fish curry, Dried Bombay Duck fish and Vegetables Medley, Raw Mango-Red Lentil Curry. I forgot to click. Because it was our New Year, I asked the fish vendor brother for big cuts of the fish and I got wind, it is not always about misery. In the evening, we were planning to order pizza. Then I changed the plan and cooked our favourite noodles with potato, onion, green chilli, scrambled eggs, vinegar, salt, black pepper. 

Even my sophisticated man loves this version of noodles. Below was my today's first meal. Making of that Bajra Roti / Pearl Millet is pretty tough. If I mix it with wholewheat flour, we still enjoy. But a gluten-free version with the millet alone is a strictly no for the rest at home. 

I too did not find all of that work worthy enough, with a dysfunctional thyroid gland, it is not okay to have millets. I am making my kitchen devoid of excesses. Henceforth, I would stock only Barnyard Millet among the millet varieties, only few varieties of lentils and beans Bengalis were known to eat decades back. Those who eat fish and meat, they need not eat that much of Bean protein. Instead vegetables are better to have.

WHAT IS MY STYLE GREEN CHICKEN CURRY?

I cooked this last November but the clicks done at the night time were not making me happy. I again cooked it last December, 21st day time and clicked. Either the son arrived on that day or the next day to spend few days with us. I think of those few days and miss him more. That is because he doesn't talk to us often and I do not work that I can make up that void. I have tried several times to make my men feel this but in vein. So I cook this and that. 

The entire morning was spent on this. I had to swim less, my God Family was hungry. I had to write a blogpost, the mind was looking for a thriller to watch. In the morning only I chose to blog about an easy recipe without needing to sort the stepwise pictures. I am not a machine and all day, at all times I would not be in the same mood. I found this non-vegetarian, gluten-free meat curry, MY STYLE GREEN CHICKEN CURRY as a perfect share for the day. To be on the safer side, I would tag it my style because I do not store kaffir lime leaves or candle nuts at home. Our marts do stock "Tom Yum" or "Thai Green / Yellow / Red Curry"spice packets, I feel lethargic needing to be this organised before cooking a dish. I cooked this recipe with whatever was available in my kitchen, that gets the best out of me.

Few other similar blogposts can be the following; DHONEPATA BATA TYANGRA MACH, BEET GAJOR ALOO DIYE MUTTON, GURO MOSHOLAI MUSHROOM BROCCOLI

 INGREDIENTS : 

CHICKEN : 1 KG [MEDIUM CUT]

BABY CORN : 7-8

GREEN CHILLI : 6-7

FRESH CORIANDER : A HANDFUL

FRESH MINT : 8-10 LEAVES

SKINLESS ROASTED PEANUT : 1 TSP

LEMON GRASS : 2 STALKS

GARLIC PASTE : 2 TBSP

ONION PASTE : 2 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 2 TSP

LEMON LEAF : 2

LEMON JUICE : 3-4 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash well the chicken under the running water, drain the water. Marinate it with salt, the lemon juice, half of the ginger+garlic+onion pastes. Keep aside for an hour.

Prepare a paste with roasted peanuts, washed and chopped coriander & mint leaves and green chillies. Discard the stem end of the baby corns, cut half and wash.

Discard the outer layer of the lemon grass & wash, cut into pieces the softer, young portion and crush a bit.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the crushed lemon grass. Give a stir and add the rest of the onion+ginger+garlic pastes+salt. Stir fry at low heat for 2-3 minutes, add the marinated chicken and keep stir frying at medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to the minimal and cover.

Keep checking the wok every 7-8 minutes, give a stir. After some half an hour, remove the cover and add the baby corn pieces and the green paste. Fold in well. Add 1 & 1/2 coffee mugs of warm water.

Cover cook at minimal heat for 12-15 minutes. Remove the cover, add the lemon leaves, stir cook for 2-3 minutes. We should be done.

                                                                                                         

SPICY VEGETABLES AND CHICKEN SOUP

I COOKED AND DID THIS FEATURE SOME TWO YEARS BACK!

Thereafter, I kept sharing this and that, getting this spicy soup recipe to the blog wasn't happening. It is CNY celebrations approaching in this island, this share should be appropriate. Thereafter, I can get something for our Saraswati Puja. Also, I believe to prove a point, we need not insult someone sitting right beside, specially if that someone is clueless about your tricks and plans. We need not hurt people without any valid reason. If you do that, I do not take it kindly. Anyway, we can take the liberty of preparing soups as per our taste buds, I do not get the energy to. I remember, though Cristine had cut all of the vegetables, washed them and also the chicken, I found the process pretty time consuming. You may laugh at it, because you have seen me cooking way more time consuming recipes. I think about two aspects; the purpose of my blog, the motto of my life. Yet, I have deviated much from that purpose, I blog about curry puffs, breads, etc. Cake baking, making of jam & jelly were always there in the family; I am baking cakes since the end of the 80's, our mother had been making jam & jelly since the early or mid 80's. At this home, we would never get away with the Bengali Cooking, as long as I am alive. Besides, I would be cooking recipes that attract me. I learnt to cook a variety because I was bringing up our boy on whose plate I wished to serve a variety of colourful food. I think I did a fair job, our mother too did a lot of cooking for us. The only difference is that our parents did not allow us a bit of outside food, I did not   apply such restrictions in our son's life. Ever since he went to the college, no such titbits / snacks come to our home on a regular basis. Last month, when he came I did get but he wasn't having them much.

IT IS A SUNDAY EVENING, I WOULD REMAIN OCCUPIED TOMORROW EVENING!

Yes, we can have dinner dates on a Monday evening. In this island, commuting is not an issue. To sit somewhere outside of your home, after the office is not a big deal. I do not even work, neither do I have a school going child at home. I have also learnt from our mother that once the kids are back from the school, mothers should not be loitering outside. They are to sit near their studying kids. Though a friendly person with a non-stop chatting ability and a love for it, our father would come straight home from the office. Only that, on Sundays, instead of taking us out, he would go here and there to play the bridge game. Neither I, nor my brother had much of complain about it. My only complain is that he never did dream big for his children, neither worked towards it, nor guided us towards it. You have to inspire your kids to surpass you. The warm, good, honest, a man of character is no more with us! Deviating from his happy go lucky nature, I expect our son to be an achiever, also be a nice human being like his maternal grandfather, have a meticulous, skilful mind like his paternal grandfather! Breads our father did not like, do not know if he would want soup with roti had he been alive. The mother enjoys soups, so does the mother-in-law. Though the father stayed in Kolkata since his college life, he could never belong to the city, Bangladesh ruled his heart forever. Our father's side and my mother-in-law's side carry Bangladesh in their hearts! He however loved various paratha / roti / tandoori roti with meat kebabs & tarka dal. I had to leave my family behind for a better future for our son. The son too left home to explore the world, we cannot expect him be around always. He does not talk regular to us is my hurt.

WHAT IS THIS SPICY VEGETABLES AND CHICKEN SOUP?

I do enjoy chicken clear soups with a dash of crushed black pepper. On that evening, I wished to prepare a desi style soup with the regular spice powders we use in the kitchen. Of course, it suited my taste bud, the rest in the family loved it too. I want the son to prepare this and eat with toasted bread. My readers would not believe that we are not clear about his regular intakes. I had a feeling on his last visit that he does not eat much of rice and curry, for a mother who loves to cook for the family, you know it is heart breaking. I fear what years of eating out would do to his health. Anyway, this non-vegetarian, thick bowl of SPICY VEGETABLES AND CHICKEN SOUP is sure to catch your fancy if you are fond of desi curries. In a case otherwise, adjust the amount of spices.

Few other similar recipes from my Blog you may like can be these; TOMATO EGG DROP SOUP, BENGALI STYLE CHICKEN STEW, PEPE BATA DIYE PATHAR JHOL

INGREDIENTS :

SHREDDED CHICKEN : ONE COFFEE MUG

CELERY STALK : 2-3

CHOPPED LETTUCE : ONE COFFEE MUG

SLICED CARROT : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

SLICED ONION : 2-3 TBSP + 1 SMALL TEA CUP

CUBED POTATO : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CUBED TOMATO : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SKINLESS GARLIC CLOVE : 4-5

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP

GINGER PASTE : 2 TSP

BUTTER : 1 TBSP

REFINED FLOUR : 2 TBSP [CORNFLOUR WOULD DO ALSO]

SALT : AS REQUIRED

TOMATO KETCHUP : 2-3 TBSP

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

METHOD :

It was a good idea to take vivid pictures of the steps of the making this soup. 

I had some chicken ribs lying in the freezer! I washed them well, took in a saucepan, added 2 coffee mugs of water and a little of salt. I had put the ribs for boil.

Once the chicken meat got tender, I took it down and let it cool. I had strained it to get the chicken stock.

Meanwhile, Cristine did cut and wash the vegetables, put them all in the pressure cooker; added 2 coffee mugs of water, the cumin+coriander+red chilli+turmeric powders, the ginger paste & some salt.

I pressure cooked it up to 4-5 whistles keeping the heat at the minimal. Once cool, I blended it in batches.

Listen folks, I am not in the habit of cooking soups regular, did not have the idea that the vegetables would release a lot of water. So, when you pressure cook them, add less of water.

I heated 2-3 tbsp of oil in a wok, added & fried 1 small tea cup of the onions.

I had shredded the boiled chicken and added to the wok. I had stir cooked for 3-4 minutes, added some crushed black pepper & the tomato ketchup. I stir cooked for another 1-2 minutes.

I had added the pureed vegetables to the shredded chicken stir fry and folded in well. 

Thereafter, I added the refined flour to the chicken stock, beaten well and added to the soup thats simmering. 

We would give a stir and adjust the salt only if required. I had let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes! 

Thereafter, I added the butter, gave a stir and took it down.

You may serve and have it hot with toasted bread or chapati.

BENGALI BHOLA MACH CHILLI MUSTARD CURRY

THIS WAS ON MY MIND FOR LONG!

I mean I was too happy to find Bhola Bhetki / Indian Jew Fish  / Indian Croaker Fish here; not frozen but fresh! Post pandemic, the supply got too irregular! Earlier, I used to get them locally too! Post pandemic, the local wet market does not remain the same; there were three fish vendors & two big vegetables shops! Now there are only one fish vendor & one vegetables shop; that wet market's meat shops I bought from rarely! In the floor above of this permanent wet market in our area, has a smaller market from where I buy chicken & vegetables regular, some days fish too from the three fish stalls that sell local sea fish varieties mostly! One day, I have to visit the big wet market at the Hougang Avenue 1, just beside my doctor's clinic! I have to check if I get Bhola Mach, Lote Mach there, it gets closed by the time I visit my doctor! There is no point buying from the Tekka market unless you are visiting there on a Saturday or Sunday morning! Hence, you would see me shopping from the local smaller market, Rajdhani Stores, Southern Indian stores! I miss here only my choice of river fish varieties! I come across some Thai or Myanmarese profiles where I see their fish markets filled with fresh, our kind of fish varieties, tyangra, pabda, bell, aar mach, koi, puti & few more! I wonder why they are not imported fresh here, a lot of Bengalis stay here who would not want to have those frozen river fish varieties!

I HAPPILY COOK A VARIETY OF RECIPES HENCE!

We actually do not mind having a Luchi-Cholar Dal, Bhature, Lemon Rice, Homemade Chicken Burger Meals hence! I cannot source enough variety & choice of fish to cook throughout the week! It is not a healthy habit to have mutton regular, that too is either lamb or mutton with too much of fat! Seriously, I enjoy a spicy kebab made with the cheapest variety of fish fillet! Only that, deep inside, I miss a freshly made macher jhol / fish curry made with my choice of fish! I get home from pomfret to sea-bass to salmon; Cristine, her Sir & the son love them! I have decided I would not accept any unknown fish & meat at this stage in life! I know how to cook a varied number of Bengali / Desi style vegetarian recipes, the problem is I cannot turn to be a full-fledged vegetarian! My brother gets upset or not, I like smaller prawns & vegetables dishes, Bengali style! Yesterday, our lunch was spinach+potato, egg curry & faux poppy seed bakes made with white sesame seeds; all Bengali style! I managed to click our dinner, ragi+refined flour flatbread, light chicken curry, raita!

These days, I store only one variety of millet flour at a time, next I would get Bajra flour! This works well for us, we cannot live in a world of millet made kebabs to curry, neither do I wish to discard them totally! Had I have known about them two decades back, our son need not have to survive on "chirey, muri, khoi, bhaat" for some three years! I miss that extremely busy life with him, how every day we travelled 22km+22km to & fro his school, I wished for some me time in that busy schedule! Today, I crave to see him, only once in a year I get to! It feels disgusted!

WHAT IS THIS BENGALI BHOLA FISH CHILLI MUSTARD CURRY?

This wasn't amongst our family fish until one day in my teens, our mother got it home! It was a winter morning probably, because the brother & moi loved the curry made with the raw fish & fresh coriander paste! Both fresh coriander & this fish was available during the winters in those days! In the present day, those we get throughout the year! The fish comes in different shapes & colour; I love the below variety, the picture is sourced from the internet!

I do not know why it is called Indian Jew Fish, it is Bhola or Poa in Bengali which is not exactly Barramundi or Asian Sea-Bass! May be they belong to the same Croaker family & are cousins! In the pre-pandemic times, Singapore wet markets sold them fresh & that made me happy! Now a days, they are rarely seen! I just do not get at least some choice of fresh fish! I dug out these pictures from the album, a gluten-free Bengali style fish curry done with a choice of fish; BENGALI BHOLA MACH CHILLI MUSTARD CURRY! Well, I went down for a swim, back home took a shower, did the afternoon prayer & ate a huge meal!

I love noodles so much so that at times I would have it tossed in some butter, salt, crushed black pepper! Adding the peanuts did not make me happy, the family never did! The mango Swiss roll tasted heavenly, that our daughter like Wisha got us last Saturday! These days, I do not mention in public who got us what or what I take for people, it might create pressure on others, send a wrong message I do not intend to!

Few other Bengali recipes from my blog are; SUGAR FREE LUCHIR PAYESH, CHINGRI ALOO PEPER DALNA, MUSHUR DAL ER BORA, BENGALI STYLE LIGHT CHICKEN CURRY

INGREDIENTS :

BHOLA BHETKI / INDIAN JEW / INDIAN CROAKER FISH PIECE : 7-8

BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 1 TBSP

GREEN CHILLI : 5-6 [CHOOSE YOUR'S]

CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 1 TBSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

KALONJI / KALOJEEREY / NIGELLA SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

I like this fish's orange-red variety that is not flat shaped but the elongated ones; that tastes better to me! It definitely belong to the Croaker family!

Cut half each fish, clean the stomach! It has a lot of scales, get rid of them well! Wash well, re-check if all of the scales are gone!

Marinate the fish pieces with salt & turmeric for some 10-12 minutes!

We need to soak the mustard seeds in water for 1/2 an hour! Strain, wash and blend the mustard seeds to a paste along with some salt, ice-cubes & the green chillies!

The salt & ice-cubes do not let the paste turn bitter! Do the paste only 5 minutes before cooking, else the heat of the mustard vanishes!

Heat the oil in the wok & lightly fry the fish pieces, take out! 

Temper the same oil with the nigella seeds & a bayleaf! Add the mustard paste and stir for half a minute! Add 1&1/2 coffee mug of water & bring to a boil!

After the curry has boiled for 2-3 minutes in low heat, add the lightly fried fish pieces, cover cook for 3-4 minutes!

Add some chopped & washed coriander leaves, adjust the salt if required & take down! 

It is to be enjoyed only with plain rice!