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

This kind of meals make me happy these days. "ekta shaak, ekta dal, patla korey maach er jhol"..... The mutton variety we get here needs to be cooked with lot of spices to over power strong smell while Kolkata variety requires only "ada-lanka-roshun bata" on a normal day .... Yesterday, all day I was cooking Bengali, vegetarian dishes to take for friend's family, visiting parent.... a total of seven dishes including fish curry. I would share them with my readers sometime tomorrow hopefully. It was a tiring day though Cristine is always by my side, end of day I was happy, 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 kitchen is a big no for me. 

The husband could not make it to office yesterday for obvious reasons, I was just chit chatting with him while cooking. He is not the kind who would enquire what I am doing inside 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 city, I am at peace. After marriage, when I learnt to cook, tried my hands on Biryani occasionally when husband was in town, the father-in-law was concerned about gas consumption. It is obvious Biryani making is time consuming, gas cylinders are precious in India. It used to cause me irritation because I have never seen all these in our home. However, it was husband's father who I would ask for help for any odd job. One cannot get the best of both worlds. 

A couple's life is all about commitments, adjustments, I strongly feel it's 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 associates interest me..... I am particular about my likes, dislikes.... my kinds should live an isolated life to avoid hurting people, displeasing own self. If I am going to meet a friend's surviving parent, today is best day to share one family recipe from my side of the family with prawns, overgrown / matured Amaranth stems [data], 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 having it since childhood. This is exactly copied recipe of what our mother cooked. I prefer it over "chingrir malaikari" any day. I know today at my friend's home there would be a high end spread, even few years back the 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 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 kind words. Taking care of the elderly generation should be kind of 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, wouldn't have stayed together. I would prefer to stay in same neighbourhood, not together, I cannot take instructions. 

I will not wait each moment of my life for death like my in-laws, I will die romantic doing everything I love doing.... spending enough time with my half soul "Neelohit" ...... it may so happen that at edge of brook in the wood, I may bid a goodbye to him trespassing to an unknown world where they say resides absolute peace.... my chosen number is 75.... the rest is Almighty's wish. Before that, I wish to discharge all my sacred duty towards my friend, my guide I am living with, say 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 adore this particular parent of my friend.... full of life, positivity.... stays alone in Kolkata, always wears a smile.... love it. I am eager for a chat session, pretty busy in morning you can see. I do not 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 cab from there and may reach before Ipsita, this girl, my husband takes unnecessary hassles.... this island hardly requires a personal car. 

Anyway, my father-in-law, 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 medicines. My side of family has 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 about anything. 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 :

When our mother was here few months back, I got surprisingly fresh maturely grown  Amaranth Stems in local market. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We enjoy it with nothing else but steamed rice.

CHICKEN PRAWN VEGETABLE SOUP

This was soupy curry that caught our fancy when I prepared it earlier in July. The mother was visiting us, she was only wanting to have light soups, this island styles having bit of noodles or rice in them as part of her carb intake. Like our mother, chicken in soups I like, I prefer doing it at home because I give them 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 family liked it, would not mind having served with garlic tempered rice. If they get to have good amount of chicken, prawns in one dish, they would tolerate vegetables. I think what made it seem too favourable to us are use of lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, 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, I went for my blood sugar check, it reached staggering height. I don't wish to be husband's burden, he is already overburdened with responsibilities.... he is no "Mithunda".... you know na that guy bought lorry for one relative, set some other business for the other. I am restrictive in this matter. History cannot repeat, I cannot put my son's future at stake.The guy is travelling, sent me picture below last Monday morning, I get tensed when he drives to neighbouring state, he has to provide me details at every stop. He isn't regular Facebook-er but a black tea aficionado, never with milk, sugar.

I think I have to tell all not to send any kind of sweets at this home, they come for my men but I cannot resist myself having them. I got the punishment yesterday at doctor's chamber. Let me prepare sweets at home. Out from chamber, my demoralised self had lunch outdoor. Late afternoon I had "samo rice, mushur dal porridge," at night we had the best meal... mumma made chicken with bell pepper. Our boy is having fencing lessons everyday, 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, have my own pleasure and luxury.... people can always have different notion.

I actually have series of fish and meat recipes in the kitty to share. I am unwilling to share prawn recipe I want you to prepare, all my earlier fish photos are in package of five or two I am unwilling to share at this time.... It is pleasure to end day looking at son's, his father's face who happen to be my ultimate security. For son or his parents, a soya sauce chilli chicken, non vegetarian soup CHICKEN PRAWN VEGETABLE SOUP any time of the day is welcome. If only he cared about mumma, think what gives her high. 

What gives me ultimate pleasure? Well, I keep telling son, if you have inherited the father's brain matter, do not waste it, do not get me average results.... your mother always 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 diabetic when brother refused to pursue further education after leaving college.... I am also my maternal grandmother's girl.... whose sons, specially the eldest and youngest of the three are business magnets, wellknown in 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 her youngest grandson is doing PhD in mathematics.....

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

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

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

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

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

Add freshly made stock. Bring to boil.

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

Add mushrooms, watercress, cook for 2 minutes.

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

You can have it as 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!