PRAWN & CHICKEN NOODLES

NOODLES IS TOO MUCH OF A FAVOURITE!

I do not even require such frills in a noodle dish; prawns & chicken, this & that! I / We love our noodle bowls the desi way, to be precise the very middle class Bengali way using potatoes, onion, eggs! Well, in the present day, I would love a burnt garlic tossed noodle dish too! We cannot have our noodles overpowered by too many sauces & ingredients! The reason why I cook our preferred style of noodles! I wish to cook it regular but rice, chapati, dal, fish, meat, veggies; that is Bengali style meals come in between! Ever since the son went to his college & I started doing an intermittent fasting, I keep thinking I need not shop for raw materials every week, I mean fish, meat & vegetables! The amount of dry ingredients we store at home, we can make spaghetti one day & noodles on the other, a litti one day & dal-bata-churma on the other, radhaballabhi thereafter! Another day, I can cook a khichuri! I can have a choice of vegetarian meal for few days, the man needs non-vegetarian food regular! Like some communities, I can have potatoes as the only vegetable option but I do not allow myself! Also it is wrong to have too much of potatoes! The wide array of choice vegetables I must have!

FEELING FESTIVE, I THOUGHT OF ADDING SOME FRILLS TO OUR OTHERWISE REGULAR NOODLE BOWL!

I am not sure about the son, he used to order local noodles too whilst his stay with us, now too he must be! But my otherwise "foreign" man, who loves his steaks & sashimi with chopsticks & octopus fries too, would ask me to cook noodles with lots of eggs, onion, potato with a hint of vinegar! I may add the crunch of fresh spring onions to that! Our mothers did add carrots & green peas to noodles during the winters! You know people, some weeks I have to skip doing "Bengali Bazaar Ghat" & cook a noodle bowl or "roti-prata" or "khichuri-aloor dom" for the family! The idea is not to save money, it is also about cooking & serving fresh & hot! The son is young, mumma loved serving him a variety of food! We do not need too much of food given our age! The thing is I love to cook, the blog is going through updates, our kitchen is always busy, chirpy, happy! Your's truly has few interests in life; cooking & a bit of music!

WHAT IS THIS PRAWN & CHICKEN NOODLES?

It is common to add chicken & prawn in the making of a noodle bowl! Here in South East Asia, they heavily do it! I added chicken mince instead of boneless cubes & totally de-shelled the prawns! The son was not around when I made it, he would not eat a prawn with shell! A little bit of shell in prawn enhances it's taste! I would not touch a prawn whose black, long thing from it's back & the dirt from it's head are not removed! I avoid having prawns outside unless it is completely clear of shells! I like a prawn dish here, an Oriental way of cuisine perhaps; where a de-shelled prawn is blanched, tossed in selective sauces & served! The man's company's Dine&Dance yearly party is approaching towards the end of November, I look forward for the seven course Oriental menu! But this gluten-free, non-vegetarian noodle dish PRAWN & CHICKEN NOODLES borne out from my mind! You can see in the stepwise pictures how simply, with few ingredients I cooked it!

Few other similar recipes to try from my Blog are : NOODLES..... A DESI TOUCH, FUSILLI FRUIT BOWL, MIXED SAUCE NOODLES!

INGREDIENTS :

NOODLE : 300-350 GM

CHICKEN MINCE : 200 GM

PRAWN : 200-250 GM [MEDIUM SIZED]

CHOPPED SPRING ONION : 2-3 TBSP

CUBED ONION : A BOWLFUL

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

MINCED GARLIC : 1 TBSP

MINCED GINGER : 1 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP

SOY SAUCE : 2 TBSP

VINEGAR : 2-3 TBSP

SESAME OIL : 2 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

The following is how I prepare the noodles! I do not boil them but soak in hot water, a little of salt & oil added to it for 3-4 minutes! Thereafter, I I strain & wash it well, toss in a little of oil!

The chicken mince I washed & marinated with salt for half n hour & washed again! This helps to remove any raw smell from it! Then I marinated it with a little of salt & black pepper!

The prawns did I completely de-shelled, cleaned & washed thoroughly, marinated with a little of salt & black pepper!

Cristine cut, chopped, minced & washed all of the vegetables required!

I heated some oil in a wok & added the ginger & garlic mince! Neither I or Cristine can mince in the real sense! Giving a stir for few seconds, I added the marinated chicken mince, washed & chopped green chillies & stir cooked in high heat for 4-5 

minutes!

We would add the marinated prawns sans the marinade & stir cook in high heat for 2-3 minutes!

We would add the washed, peeled & cubed onions, soy sauce, crushed black pepper, vinegar, salt & stir cook at high for 2 minutes! We would add the washed & chopped spring onions and give a stir!

We would then add the noodles, sesame oil & use two ladles to mix the entire thing! We would then transfer it to a bowl, garnish with some fresh spring onions & enjoy!

LAU CHINGRI JHOL

 

PRAWNS & BENGALIS WALK TOGETHER!

Whatever little I know about Bengali Cuisine, our community is used to adding prawns of different sizes in varied dishes. In a couple of homes, of the different branches within the family; I have seen, even the smallest prawns are been added to this vegetable and that. Being a foodie, I would take the liberty to say adding a few prawns to the dishes does make a difference. Many a BENGALI RECIPE calls for adding prawns to enhance the taste of the dish; not really for the sake of the prawn itself as such! I remember a couple of such dishes with a number of vegetables, in which the family added very small sized prawns; so small that could not be de-shelled properly. I can guarantee you the taste. I have grown up knowing each size of prawns are meant for a particular kind of dish and we cannot mess with the "rule"! However, I do not follow ditto these rules. I have seen in the family, some are hell bound on doing a Hilsa curry with freshly bought green chillies; even if there had been a good stock of green chillies at home, just that they may be two-three days old. I will never take such pressures on me, not be this particular and stock piles of stuffs at home. Neither, I would want to waste a single green chilli or any vegetable; an important lesson learnt from the mother. Even, she did not mind using a day or two old green chilli in hilsa; trying to get along with the city life! But again; she could not come totally out of the spell of her family traits!

HOW AUTHENTIC BENGALI IS MY KITCHEN?

I am a bit away from the rigidity my family veterans still practice in the kitchen and household. I cook with what I have, but try to safeguard the essence of a recipe. Especially, if I am cooking BENGALI PANCHMESHALI / MIXED VEGETABLE; I will definitely not add zucchini or broccoli to it! This is how my BENGALI KITCHEN runs; based on simple rules and principals. I confidently claim that we need not run to the market for fresh green chillies if one has forgotten to get it along with the hilsa! I also have grown up watching how the family had been / still is particular about what to buy where from. Not others, but I can scold our mother why she had to get her cutter from Assam or the indigenous rice variety. Why could not she source stuffs locally! I think I am just right not been so rigid with my household, an influence of the home I got married to also works. The same rigidity causes irritation within too; when girls from other homes were taught to make a career, my family was busy perfecting a "pithe" or arguing with others how a dish be made or finding the fault in one's way of home making; accusing them of not been tidy or hygiene conscious! I am happy that I am not an extreme, neither my men will want me to be that way!

WHAT IS THIS LAU CHINGRI JHOL?

If not this one, a medley with shredded bottle gourd and smaller prawns is one of the major identification mark of "Bengali Cuisine"! "LAU CHINGRI" was too regular in our home, also throwing in a bit of prawns in this and that dish is common in our family. Even though my brother got allergic to seafood later in life, prawns kept coming. He never was bothered about the food scenario at home, so long his little demands were fulfilled; that are potato fries on Thursdays; Puffed and Flatbreads almost every day and meat thrice a week. Our parents never were keen getting home meat often. I allow freedom when it comes to personal choice of food; neither of my man or the son would even care if they are asked to follow prescribed rules. My brother too eats what he wants when. The mother does not like it but she has to understand there is no other way for them to enjoy in that place so far from the city. They both earn enough but where to spend; outside our Barrackpore home is either "Jhumri Mashir Khatal" or "Mamur Mishtir Dokan" or "Tel Kol"! Anyway, about this NON-VEGETARIAN SEAFOOD DISH; LAU CHINGRI JHOL / a light CURRY with BOTTLE GOURD & PRAWN, is not a family thing! I might have taken the idea from somewhere and it clicked. We so loved it! It was done last year, in February when the circuit breaker / lockdown started. I was shopping locally and cooked whatever was possible! My family totally cooperated and we had spend together some good time. We are so missing our child, we have taken subscription of this and that to cover up  the void, not really party goers we are!

INGREDIENTS :

PRAWN : 500GM [MEDIUM TO SMALL SIZED]

BOTTLE GOURD : 1 SMALL SIZED OR 1/2 OF A MEDIUM SIZED

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 2 TBSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2 TSP

FENNEL POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 2 HALVED

BAY LEAF : 1

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

De-shell, clean, wash the prawns thoroughly, marinate with little salt & turmeric. Peel off the bottle gourd; cut half and then into smaller cubes. Wash and marinate with little salt & turmeric! Do not throw away the skin of the bottle gourd; cook this LAU ER CHOKLA BOTI; its yum.

Heat the oil in the wok and temper it with the bay leaf, dry red chillies and cumin seeds! Give a stir and add the marinated bottle gourd cubes along with the marinade. Give a stir and cook covered at minimal heat for 10-12 minutes. 

Uncover and add the prawns, discard the marinade[they say the prawn marinade is not good]. Stir cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the cumin+coriander+red chilli+fennel+the rest of the turmeric powders and stir cook for a minute.

Add the slitted green chillies and cover cook at minimal heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, add 11/2 coffee mugs of water. Cover cook at low heat for 7-8 minutes. Uncover, add the washed, fresh coriander, stir, cook for a minute and we are done! You can add salt to adjust, if only required!

Have it with steamed rice, you may try with chapati too! 

DATA ALOO CHINGRIR JHOL

Such meals, exactly this kind of meals make me happy these days. "ekta shaak, ekta dal, patla korey maach er jhol"..... The mutton quality here is such that one has to use a lot of spices to over power that smell while the Kolkata variety requires only "ada-lanka-roshun bata" on a normal day .... Yesterday, all day I was cooking pure Bengali, vegetarian dishes to take for my friend's family and the visiting parent.... a total of seven dishes including a fish curry. I should be able to share the spread with my readers sometime tomorrow hopefully. It was a tiring day though Cristine is always by the side, but at the  end of the day I was happy and not irritated. If you have studied my nature, I do not stress myself to please anyone, I only do it to that extent until when I can do it happily. To stress myself in the kitchen is a big no for me. The husband could not make it to the office yesterday for obvious reasons and I was just chit chatting with him while cooking. He is not the kind who would enquire what I am doing inside the kitchen all day, who I am cooking for.... Because I have not seen our father to intervene ever in household matters except for his sole decision to spend his retired life far from the city, I am at peace. After marriage, when I learnt to cook and tried my hands on Biryani occasionally while the husband was in town, the father-in-law was concerned about the gas consumption. It is obvious that Biryani making is time consuming and gas cylinders are precious in India. It used to cause me irritation because I have never seen all these at our home. However, it was the husband's father who I would ask for help for any odd job. So, one cannot get the best of both worlds. A couple's life is all about commitments and adjustments, I strongly feel its lot about respecting each other's personal spaces too. Else relationships are nothing but unnecessary burdens. Anyway, I have to wrap up quick today as I would be visiting a friend's home for a lunch session. I look forward to such meets if only the associates interest me..... I am so particular about my likes and dislikes.... my kinds should live an isolated life to avoid hurting people and displeasing her own self. If I am going to meet a friend's surviving parent, today is the best day to share one of the family recipe from my side of the family with prawns, overgrown / matured Amaranth stems [data] and potato, a non vegetarian, Bengali seafood dish DATA ALOO DIYE CHINGRIR JHOL.

I really do not know if this prawn curry recipe has travelled all the way from Comilla to Kolkata or not, I am just having it since childhood. This is exactly the copied recipe of what the mother used to do and I prefer it over "chingrir malaikari" any day. I know that today at my friend's home there will be a high end spread, even few years back the very thought used to delight me but these days I look for a "shukto, bhajabhuji, dal, loter jhuri"..... Oh! My God!I am totally under the family veterans' spell. I so could connect when my friend's parent told me last week about some personal preferences.... I tried to cook keeping that in mind. These are little gestures you must show people when they make an effort to touch your soul with some kind words. Taking care of the elderly generation should be kind of a sacred duty. Had I have been settled in Kolkata now, the sickly in-laws would not have required a cook, I would have send meals through my chauffeur but never would have stayed together. I would have preferred to stay in the same neighbourhood but not together, I cannot take instructions from someone else on what to do with my life and spend all my day talking "pee & poo colour"..... I will not wait each moment of my life for death like them, I will die a romantic doing everything I love doing.... spending enough time with my half soul "Neelohit" ...... it may so happen that at the edge of that brook in the midst of a wood, I may bid a goodbye to him trespassing to an unknown world where they say resides absolute peace.... my chosen number is 75.... rest is the Almighty's wish. Before that, I wish to discharge all my sacred duty towards my friend, my guide I am living with, say a sorry with a hug if I have done any wrong to him. "Neelohit" is a cult figure to me, invisible who can only be felt without whom I cannot survive I knew since my teens... "Sunil Babu" knew that, you must know too.

I so adore this particular parent of my friend.... full of life and positivity.... stays alone in Kolkata and always with a smile.... at least wears an infectious smile in public... love it. I am eager for a chat session, I am pretty busy in the morning you can see and do not even know if I can avail a free ride in Ipsita's car.... I do not like to make people wait for me. The kind I am, I would take an MRT ride to the nearest station, take a cab from there and may reach before Ipsita, this girl, my husband takes unnecessary hassles.... this island hardly requires a personal car. Anyway, my brother[s] has / have to have his / their meals with "shaak bhaja, pepe diye dal" today, let others try this light sea food curry DATA ALOO DIYE CHINGRIR JHOL with steamed rice. Earlier the father-in-law used to eat the curry sans the prawns, now totally barred given his allergic self.... even to most of the medicines. My side of the family has so many recipes with prawns.... it feels like bhai would say "amai feley tora chingri khacchish".... the in-laws hardly have any interest in food or anything per say. This is not called living.

INGREDIENTS :

STANDARD SIZED PRAWN : 500-600GM
POTATO : 1BIG SIZE
MATURED AMARANTH STEM / DATA : 4-5 LONG YARD? / STICK
GINGER PASTE : 1TBSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 11/2TBSP [IF FRESHLY MADE PASTE, THEN 2TSP]
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 2TSP
FENUGREEK SEED : 2PINCH
CORIANDER SEED : 2PINCH
WILD CELERY SEED : A PINCH
SALT : AS REQUIRED
KAFFIR LIME LEAF : 2-3 [OPTIONAL]
OIL : 4-5TBSP [I USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

It so happened that when the mother was here few months back, I got surprisingly fresh maturely grown  Amaranth Stems in the local market. 

I strongly felt I must grab it, with it some fresh prawns and in presence of the mother let me refurbish my memory on this particular prawn recipe I used to love so much. So I did and Cristine cleaned them all. With the leaves I prepared "shaak bhaja" ..

De shell, clean the prawns very well and wash them thoroughly. It is always suggested to clean and keep the head & tail portion of prawns for an enhanced flavour & taste unless you have a kid as mine.

Add little salt and turmeric to it and keep aside. Peel wash and halve the potatoes. Cut each half into three equal pieces. Add little salt and turmeric to it. Discard the root ends of the amaranth stems and cut into finger length sizes. Very carefully peel off the fibre from it's skin.... very thinly... do not do away with the flesh. Wash and rub very little salt [it absorbs salt quickly, be careful].

Heat oil in a wok. Lightly fry the potato pieces in batches and take off. Fry the data / amaranth stem pieces and take off. Fry the prawns too in batches and take off. In all the three cases you will discard the marinade before frying.

Temper oil with the coriander + wild celery + fenugreek seeds. Prepare a spice paste with the rest of the turmeric + red chilli powder + coriander powder + ginger paste adding very little water. Add it to the wok. Never let the tempering to burn.

Keep stirring the spice paste at low heat for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to minimal and add 11/2 coffee mugs of water. Bring it to boil keeping the heat to the minimal.

Now add the lightly fried potato pieces and simmer at the lowest heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the lightly fried prawns and the amaranth stems, the kaffir lime leaves if at all using and boil for another 2-3 minutes. We are done.

We enjoy it with nothing else but steamed rice.

CHICKEN PRAWN VEGETABLE SOUP

This was the soupy curry that caught our fancy when I prepared it earlier in July. The mother was visiting us and she was only wanting to have light soups the island styles having a bit of noodles or rice in them as part of her carb intake. Just like our mother, chicken in soups is very welcome to me and I prefer doing it at home because I give them a vinegar bath for quite sometime, cook for a little longer period as per our taste bud. So, I thought let me try similar kinds at home using different combinations of ingredients. Yes, the rest in the family liked it and would not mind having such kinds often when served with something like garlic tempered rice. If they get to have good amount of chicken and prawns in one dish, they would tolerate the vegetables. I think what made it seem too favourable to us are the use of lemon grass, khaffir lime leaves and lemon juice in good amount. 

I do not know back from India why I have not done a non vegetarian soup with chicken, prawn, broccoli, mushrooms, watercress like this CHICKEN PRAWN VEGETABLE SOUP for a single day but I must now. Yesterday was the day for my blood sugar check and it reached a staggering height. I really do not wish to be my husband's burden, he is already overburdened with too much of responsibilities.... he is no "Mithunda".... you know na that guy bought a lorry for one relative, and set some other business for the other. Off course, I had to poke my flat nose and give a strong message as and whenever required that my husband is not a billionaire and I am no social worker neither we have a money plant. History cannot repeat and I cannot put my son's future at stake. Mr.T was not born to furnish the entire family branch, excuse me! Nope, I have no regrets speaking harsh, I do not start my day at Starbucks and end at Nando's neither the husband gifts me gold now and then depriving others.The guy is travelling and had sent me the picture below last Monday morning because I get too tensed when he drives to the neighbouring state, he has to provide me details at every stop. Nope, he is not a regular Facebook-er but a black tea aficionado, never with milk and sugar.

I think I have to tell all not to send any kind of sweets at this home, it comes for the men but I cannot resist myself having them. I got the punishment yesterday at the doctor's chamber. Let me prepare the family sweets my own way. Out from the chamber, the demoralised me had to have a pork & egg fried rice with some vegetables. Broccoli is not something we enjoy but we eat it as an accompaniment.  Thereafter, late afternoon I had "samo rice and mushur dal porridge," at night we had the best meal... mumma made chicken with bell pepper ..... our boy is having fencing lessons everyday  and the babai is not there to drive him back late night. My question is.... "when will you study after all these?"

Yes, I am having everything with millets but I have read that it is not good for people with hypothyroidism. You see, I have everything at a food court or food chain / joint.... the man cannot say I deprive others and have my own pleasure and luxury.... people can always have a different notion.

I actually have a series of fish and meat recipes in the kitty to share. I am so unwilling to share a prawn I so want you to prepare, all my earlier fish photos are in a package of five or two I am so unwilling to share at the moment.... never knew five can have such a broader, wide perspective.... amazing thinking ability people possess, look at me! Its always a pleasure to end the day looking at the son's and his father's face who happens to be my ultimate security. For the son or his parents, a soya sauce chilli chicken or a non vegetarian soup CHICKEN PRAWN VEGETABLE SOUP any time of the day is welcome. If only he cared about mumma and think what gives her a high. 

What gives me ultimate pleasure? Well, I keep telling the son, if you have inherited the father's brain matter, do not waste it, do not get me average results.... your mother always has kept your interest, your well being at forth.... remember that. Who listens? The friends' daughters and sons have scored 95%-98% in almost all subjects. I am like "amar jiboney kichu chaina, amar number chai, academic records chai"..... I am my mother's daughter after all who became a diabetic when the brother refused to pursue further education after leaving college.... I am also my maternal grandmother's girl.... whose sons, specially the eldest and the youngest of the three are business magnets, quite known in the Nadia circuit.... even few years back she used to say "ora ayam-e pash korlo na, bank e dhuklona, amar dukkho"..... She is 90 up, she must be happy knowing that her youngest grandson is doing PhD in mathematics who does not want his father's huge property.... need to ask him if he can kindly transfer it to my account.... bad joke... lets cook and eat.

INGREDIENTS :

BONELESS CHICKEN STRIP : 250-300GM
DE SHELLED PRAWN : 200-250GM
MUSHROOM : ANY VARIETY
CHOPPED WATER CRESS : A BUNCH
BROCCOLI FLORET : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
SLICED ONION : 1SMALL TEA CUP
CRUSHED GINGER & GARLIC : 1TBSP
CHOPPED LEMON GRASS : 1TSP
KAFFIR LIME LEAF : 6-7
LEMON JUICE : 4-5TBSP [I REMEMBER I USED GONDHORAJ]
CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1TSP
VINEGAR : 2TBSP
SOYA SAUCE : 1TBSP
TABASCO : 1-2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash and drain all the ingredients well. Marinate the chicken strips and dressed prawns with vinegar and very little amount of salt for an hour. Drain the marinade thereafter. Add the broccoli, chicken and prawn, half of the lime leaves to a vessel with boiling water. Add some salt.

You can see we have got everything ready,  crushed ginger garlic to sliced onion. We would add the washed watercress and mushrooms in the last lap of the cooking.

After the chicken, prawn and broccoli has boiled for 5-7 minutes, strain and reserve the stock.

Separating the crushed and cooked garlic-ginger and lime leaves was a tedious job, did I need to?

Heat the oil in a wok and add the lemon grass pieces. Stir and add the sliced onion. Stir until they turn translucent.

Add the freshly made stock. Bring to a boil.

When it has boiled for 3-4 minutes, add the cooked chicken, prawn and broccoli. Add all of the lemon juice  and crushed black pepper.

Add the mushrooms and watercress and cook for 2 minutes.

Then add the rest of the lime leaves and tabasco, adjust the salt if required.

You can have it as a soup or enjoy it with plain rice or garlic tempered rice.

MOCHA CHINGRI

This was what I cooked yesterday night. Of all the unhealthy habits this family practice, one is eating our dinner late. When the people here finish off with their dinner, I have my evening tea session. Yesterday morning I felt I will go ahead with an authentic Bengali recipe with prawns, declared my wish asap in public. I had few pictures ready but looking at them I felt it is incomplete. I am not keeping well, caught with severe cough & cold, sore throat, so I had to go to the doctor, back home I had to take out the mother to get some gifts for the very few friends she has in Barrackpore and all of a sudden I was unwilling to share the previous pictures.

Once declared, I will not step back, we had to prepare our dinner too. Why not do a MOCHA CHINGRI, an authentic Bengali non vegetarian side dish?, the heart whispered. Then how? It was 12:30 pm and we have only two Southern Indian minimarts in the neighbourhood who do not stock mocha / banana blossom all the time. I was hell bound to prepare it. Who came to my rescue? Cristine! She has no problem to go out for shopping as many times she needs to, do not ever take a dig at her intentions... she is different than the usual, perhaps lost interest in human anatomy repeatedly measuring her maam's tummy, arms, thighs. She first went to the local minimarts who did not have banana blossom. She came back home, before going out with the mother, I requested her to finish off with the daily chores and the lunch that dimma prepared for the grandson and Cristine; then take the train to the Indian market to get it. I had to ask her to chop them, boil, the rest to be done by me because I had to be out. She did as per my instructions, clicked with her phone and sent me in WhatsApp too.

I cannot be pretentious ever, I cannot take undue credits, I had to say this, but the rest of the main cooking was done by me 7pm onwards. I cannot let the mother cook, I have to take credit of the final dish is true, then she has come here not to work, she does that in her own home. She is underweight, I am letting her to cook only for the grandson. She watches Bengali tele serials, live shows and cricket, goes out with me, chats with Cristine in broken English, in all praises of Cristine. I need to wrap up soon today, a friend is due to visit in the evening to meet the mother, I wish to prepare "cholar dal, chicken kofta curry, luchi" for her. What I wished to tell you is that both my men love prawn, they eat vegetable dishes that have prawns in it.... the son ate all of the MOCHA CHINGRI, the non vegetarian side dish I served him yesterday night for dinner. There may not be anyone left in the family after me to cook heirloom, Bengali dishes, let me cherish and treasure such moments.

INGREDIENTS :

MOCHA / BANANA BLOSSOM : 1BIG OR 2 SMALLER SIZED
PRAWN / CHINGRI : 500GM SMALLER OR MEDIUM SIZED
CHOPPED COCONUT : 1 OR 2 TBSP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2-3 
GINGER PASTE : 1TBSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
CINNAMON POWDER : 1/2TSP
GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/4TSP
CLOVE POWDER : 2 TO 3 PINCH
DRY RED CHILLI : 2
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
BAYLEAF : 1
SUGAR : 2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
GHEE : 2TBSP
OIL : 2-3TBSP [WE USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

The first step is to rub your palms with oil, take off each layer of the cover, tear off the blossoms.

Then from each flower, take off the transparent case and the hardest stigma.

Store them in a water filled bowl.

At one point we cannot take off the cover, we will chop it too along with the flowers after washing them. Our mother used to slice the inner most part and batter fry for us to have with dal.

We will chop and keep them in a water filled bowl, then strain.

Now we will transfer it to a pressure cooker, add 2 coffee mugs of water, some salt and 1/2tsp turmeric powder. We will pressure cook it unto 3-4 whistles at the lowest heat.

On cooling, we will strain it and squeeze, rub for a minute[chotkabo ek du minute]. Remember to rub the palms with oil.

We will clean, wash and marinate the prawns with some salt and turmeric for 5 minutes. We will fry them at low heat and take out.

We will temper the remaining oil with cumin seeds, bayleaf and dry red chillies. We will add the chopped coconut now and stir fry for 2 minutes. 

We have also prepared a paste with the cumin+coriander+red chilli +turmeric powders+salt+ginger paste+2tbsp water!

We will add the ginger paste now and stir for 2 minutes.

We will add the red chilli and cumin powders now and stir for 1/2 a minute.

We will add the boiled mocha / banana blossom, slitted green chillies now and fold in well.

We will add some water, fold in well and cover cook at low heat for 10-12 minutes checking in between.

We will open cover, add the cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves powders, prawns and fold in well. Cover cook again for 6-7 minutes.

Open cover, add the ghee and sugar, fold in well and continuously stir cook for 2-3 minutes at medium heat.

We have it with rice always! You can try with chapati too! What you see alongside are chicken, raw papaya & potato curry, sesame paste-broccoli!