Fish Mould for your Valentine !!!

Ingredients 

• Fish ( Rui/ Katla or Becti) 100gms
• Finely chopped onion  2tbsp
• Ginger- Garlic-Green chilly paste 2tsp
• Finely Chopped Coriander 
• Grated Carrot 4tsp
• Greenpeas 1/2 cup ( perboiled )
• One Small Potato boiled & mashed
• One Egg ( well beaten)
• Refined oil 2tsp
• Mustard oil ( very little)
• Butter to grease the mould
• Salt, a little sugar and a very little turmeric powder
• Fresh Lemon Juice 1/2tsp
• Two Cheese cubes ( grated)
  

Procedure 

• Marinate the fish with little salt, turmeric powder and shallow fry in mustard oil  and de bone the fish 
• Heat refined oil in a pan and fry onion till brown. 
• Gradually add Ginger-garlic-green chilly paste followed by mashed potato, fish paste, carrot, green peas
• Add a little sugar
• Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice
• Then add the beaten egg and mix them well . Your FISH-CAKE MIX  is ready
• Grease a mould with  butter
• Add the FISH-CAKE MIX and add grated cheese from top. 
• Cook for 20 minutes under pressure cooker
• Keep aside for another 5 minutes outside the cooker.
• Turn the mould upside down and garnish with Capsicum ( specially cut for Valentine's Day)
  

ভাইফোঁটার রেসিপিঃ দৈনিক স্টেটসম্যান ৬ই নভেম্বর, ২০১০

Doinik Statesman had requested me to send Six exotic recipes from this blog on the occasion of Bhaifonta.

Here are the items :

• Rui Macher Chatjaldi Pulao
• Murg Methi Malai
• Potoler Dolma
• Topse Macher Fry
• Bagda Chingrir paturi
• Mourala- Moutat

"FISH FOLDER".. my signature dish for RPlus channel

Last month I had the opportunity to share one of my special signature recipes with eminent singer and host Parama Banerjee in her well known cookery show" R-O RANNAGHOR" in  a widely popular Bengali TV channel RPlus. I was invited by RPlus channel to share an exotic and innovative Fish Recipe. It   was a nice experience to cook and spend an hour with one of my favourite vocalists Parama. I got nice gifts from the sponsors and was delighted by the cordial behaviour of RPlus channel.



Ingredients for making "Fish-Folder"

• For the Pan Cake Batter:
• Flour 1 Cup
• Egg 1 no.
• Milk 1/2 Cup
• Pinch of Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• Refined oil

• For the Pan Cake Filling
• Fish (Rui/ Katla) 200 gms. marinated with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.
• Grated Carrot 4tbsp
• 1 Potato (boiled& mashed)
• Finely Chopped Onion 4tbsp
• Finely Chopped Garlic 1tsp
• Grated Ginger 1tsp
• Lemon juice
• Finely Chopped Coriander
• Finely Chopped Green Chillies
• Garam Masala Powder 1/2 tsp
• Ghee 1tsp
• Mustard oil 2 tsp
• Sugar 1tsp

Procedure:

Boil the marinated fish  with just the right quantity of water, till there is no more water left in the vessel. De-bone the fish using your hands.  Add 2-3 drops of lemon juice into the fish and keep aside. Fry the onions in mustard oil till golden brown in a wok. Add the garlic, the ginger, the green chillies, and then fry for 5 minutes. Now add the finely chopped coriander leaves and the grated carrot, and finally the boiled and mashed potato.. Finally Add the de-boned fish. Saute for 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp sugar, salt (to taste), ghee and  garam masala powder. Spread the mixture on the wok so that it gets completely dried.

Now for the pancake, heat a nonstick frying pan and grease it with 1/2 tsp refined oil. Pour the pan cake batter with the help of a serving spoon and spread uniformly in a low flame. Turn upside down. Now place the fish filling inside the pan cake and roll it like a "Patisapta". Serve with "Cheese Yoghurt Sauce"

Becti Tef-flora (Bhetki paturi)

Ingredients:

• Becti fish, cut into 4 in. x 4 in. thick fillets
• Pui leaves or any other edible greens, excluding spinach (too soft!)
• KK's Green-fish paste : made by coarsely pasted mustard, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves, and a few spring onions.
• Salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, lemon juice
• Mustard oil for shallow frying

Procedure:

• Marinate the Becti fillets with salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice, and the KK's special green-fish paste for at least two hours.
• Take a wide-non stick (teflon coated) skillet, and grease it with 1 tsp mustard oil to allow seasoning.
• Place each of the marinated becti fillet inside a green leaf (preferably Pui leaf), brush it with 1/2 tsp mustard oil, and fold the leaf in a triangular fashion (much like a betel leaf). Ensure that the leaf doesn't open up by pricking through the folds with wooden toothpick (plastic ones may melt). Place these folded fish fillets, four at a time, on the non stick skillet. Apply high heat initially, and then shallow-fry over a low flame. Turn over when the lower face is cooked. Ensure that the interior gets fully cooked WITHOUT the green colour fading away.
• Serve with hot rice and mustard.

Note that the green leaf used here is edible, and so it can be consumed along with the fish unlike the paturi. Moreover the masala-tang, and the taste of the fish, along with the nutritional value is entirely preserved.

Shorshe Eelish

The hilsa or eelish is one of the most loved fishes to Bengalis and Bangladeshis. Found in the tidal estuaries in and around the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta, this fish can be eaten in a variety of forms - smoked,  fried, steamed, or even baked (inside leaves of the banana plant). These fish breed during the monsoon season, and are generally caught at the same time. Eelish eggs are a delicacy too.

1. Eelish fish
2. salt and turmeric to marinate
3. mustard oil
4. green chillies
5. mustard paste

Procedure :

 Marinate the fish steak with salt and turmeric powder. Heat the wok. Add 1 tsp mustard oil. And arrange the marinated fish steaks. Simmer for 2 mins. Add the mustard green chilly paste to it. Then add salt, and water. Boil for 5 mins. Add enough slit green chillies and 2 tbsp mustard oil. Boil for another 2 mins. Remove from heat.

Serve with hot rice.

Fillet-O-Fish N Chips

Ingredients

• Becti fillet-6 pc, cleaned, pat dried, marinated with 1tsp lemon juice,salt and pepper.
• 1 inch ginger, 8-9 cloves of garlic, one small onion, 6 green chillies and a hand full of fresh coriender leaves –coarsely pasted in a grinder
• an egg
• 2tsp corn flour
• bread crumb
• refined oil for frying

Procedure

Marinate the fillet with the ginger-garlic-onion-coriander-green chilly paste for at least half an hour. Then add the egg and the corn flour. Coat each fillet uniformly with bread crumbs by placing it between the palms. Deep fry and serve with french fries and tartar dip.

Try TANGRA this week end !!

• Tangra Fish : marinated with salt, turmeric powder and a pinch of red chilly powder.
  
• A fine paste made from black mustard and a few dry red chillies.
• Mustard oil.
• Panch forone.
• Finely chopped corriander leaves.
• Finely chopped tomatoes.
• Green chillies.
• Green peas
  

• Heat mustard oil and fry the Tangra fish till golden brown. Close the lid while frying. Keep aside.
  
• In the remaining oil add panch forone to splatter.
• Then add the tomatoes,green chillies and green peas.
• Add the mustard paste and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add a little water and then add the fried fish.
• Close the lid and bring it to boil on a slow flame to ensure complete cooking.
• Add 2tbsp Mustard oil and chopped corriander leaves on top.
• Serve with hot rice.
  

Topse-Fry (FRIED MANGO FISH)

" TOPSE "( aka MANGO fish) in Bengal is a delicious sweet water fish. It is abunduntly available in summer time when the mango is also available. The word TOPSE came from the Bengali word TAPAS which means SAGE. The fish is saffron in colour with lots of tentacles. In this way it resembles a sage. So it is called TOPSE.
TOPSE FRY is one of the exotic dish, specially served during the BENGALI NEW YEAR celebrations. It is pretty expensive.

Ingredients:
Topse mach ( MANGO FISH) : de-scaled and cleaned thoroughly, marinated with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder and lemon juice.
Green chillies, garlic and ginger (ground together into a coarse paste) required to marinate the fish.
For 4 pieces of fish 4tsp paste is required to marinate .
Gram flour (Besan) : well beaten in a pan with cold water to mke a thin paste adding salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, kalojeera and 1tsp kusksus (posto or poppy seeds).
Mustard oil for frying.

The fish is marinated with the chilly-garlic-ginger paste for at least 1 hour.
Heat oil in a pan and coat each fish in the batter (previously made from besan) and deep fry till golden brown.
Serve hot with mustard sauce as a snacks.

Mach-Patoler Dolma (Dorma)

This is my brother Abir's (Apu) favourite fish delicacies. He is a research scientist in a Biotech firm in Pune.
Ingredients:

Large Patol (parval): 4
Fish: 200 gms.
Onion : 4tbsp.
Garlic : 2tsp
Ginger : 2tsp.
Green Chillies : chopped (2tsp)
Garam Masala powder : 2tsp.
Ghee : 2tsp.
Raisin : 2tsp.
Cashew nuts : Chopped(2tsp)
Mustard oil
Salt
Turmeric powder
Sugar

Procedure:
Scrape the Patol lightly with the help of a scraper. Scoop the seeds out with the help of a long thin object like a knitting needle. Wash and shallow fry the patol in a wok till light brown in colour.
Marinate the fish with salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, and then boil the fish, with just the right quantity of water, till there is no more water left in the vessel. De-bone the fish using your hands. Keep aside.
Fry the onions in 2 tsp oil, till golden brown. Add the garlic, the ginger, the green chillies, and then fry for 5 minutes. Finally Add the de-boned fish. Saute for 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp sugar, salt (to taste), a pinch of garam masala, ghee, raisins and cashew. Spread the mixture on the wok so that it gets completely dried.
Now take each scooped patol and fill it completely with the fish stuffing. Heat the wok and pour a little oil. Arrange the patols slowly and cook in a low flame.
Serve hot with pulao/rice or simply as a snack.

Fish Croquette

My mother-in-law, Reba Mukerjee loves fish and this is one of her fish-delicacies which she learnt from her mother

Ingredients:

• fish (preferably rohu) : 250 gms (makes 12 pcs)
• onion (finely chopped) : 1 cup
• garlic (finely chopped) : 2 tsp
• ginger (grated) : 2 tsp
• green chillies (finely chopped) : 2 tsp
• tomatoes (finely chopped) : 3 tsp
• carrot (grated) : 1/2 cup
• capsicum (finely chopped) : 1/2 cup
• lemon juice : 1 tsp
• salt and sugar, turmeric powder (to taste)
• 2 eggs : well beaten
• refined oil : 250 ml
• garam masala
• bread crumb

Procedure:

Marinate the fish with salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, and lemon juice for 15 minutes. Boil the fish, with just the right quantity of water, till there is no more water left in the vessel. De-bone the fish using your hands. Keep aside. Fry the onions in 2 tsp refined oil, till golden brown in a wok. Add the garlic, the ginger, the green chillies, and then fry for 5 minutes. Now add the finely chopped tomato, and the grated carrot, and finally the capsicum. Finally Add the de-boned fish. Saute for 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp sugar, salt (to taste), and a pinch of garam masala. Spread the mixture on the wok so that it gets completely dried.
Now shape the dried mixture in any desired form with your hand, coat them with beaten egg and then with bread crumbs. Fry the croquette in refined oil till brown.

Serve as an evening snacks with salad.

Fish envelope

Ingredients:

• fish (preferably rohu) : 250 gms
• onion (finely chopped) : 1 cup
• garlic (finely chopped) : 2 tsp
• ginger (grated) : 2 tsp
• green chillies (finely chopped) : 2 tsp
• tomatoes (finely chopped) : 3 tsp
• carrot (grated) : 1/2 cup
• capsicum (finely chopped) : 1/2 cup
• lemon juice : 1 tsp
• salt and sugar, turmeric powder (to taste)
• flour : 500 gms
• refined oil : 250 ml
• baking soda
• garam masala

Procedure:

Marinate the fish with salt, a pinch of turmeric powder, and lemon juice for 15 minutes. Boil the fish, with just the right quantity of water, till there is no more water left in the vessel. De-bone the fish using your hands. Keep aside. Fry the onions in 2 tsp refined oil, till golden brown in a wok. Add the garlic, the ginger, the green chillies, and then fry for 5 minutes. Now add the finely chopped tomato, and the grated carrot, and finally the capsicum. Finally Add the de-boned fish. Saute for 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp sugar, salt (to taste), and a pinch of garam masala. Spread the mixture on the wok so that it gets completely dried.

Knead the flour with 4 tsp refined oil, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and some water. Cover the dough with a thin wet cloth for 1 hour. Make 12 small flour balls from the kneaded dough, and roll into the shape of thin puris. Place 2 tsp of the fish mixture inside each of the puris and fold. Deep fry these envelopes in refined oil over a low flame.

Serve hot with ketchup/chutneys as a snack

Fish Pulao

This recipe is a special one which my mother learnt from my grandma. My mother, Krishna Banerjee is an expert in making pulao (not by cooking in a pressure cooker but by adding water skillfully ... so that the excess water never ruins the pulao). In fact, my mother is also called the DRAUPADI of our family because of her expertise ... ("RANDHANE DRAUPADI" is a phrase used to praise some one who is an excellent cook).

Rui Macher Pulao (Fish-Pulao)

• Ingredients:
• Rui Mach(Rohu fish): 500 gms (cut into cubes, marinated with salt and turmeric powder)
• Basmati rice : 500 gms (soaked in water and dried for one hour)
• Ghee : 6 tbsp.
• Mustard oil : for deep frying the fish cubes.
• Garam Masala : cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, javitri, sha-jeera, sha-marich (roasted and coarsely ground)
• Kismis and kaju: as per choice.
• Ginger and red chilly paste : 2 tsp.
• Finely chopped onion : 1 cup.
• A few cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• Bayleaf

*I prefer a pinch of turmeric powder (an anticarcinogen) to any artificial colour ... since conventional permitted colour used to make pulao is 'Keshori rang' is nothing but METANIL YELLOW and is extremely toxic for the human body.

• Salt to taste.
• Sugar : 4tbsp.

Procedure :

Deep fry the fish cubes in mustard oil and keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp. ghee in a HANDI. Add chopped garlic, onion and fry till golden brown. Now add the ginger-chilly paste, a few bayleaves and 4tsp coarsely ground Garam masala. Saute for 2 minutes and add the fried fish cubes. Mix well and keep aside. Ensure that the fish cubes retain their identity ... that is they do not crumble.
In the same HANDI, add 2 tbsp ghee, 2 tsp coarsely ground Garam masala and the Basmati rice along with kaju and kismis. Fry them over a low flame. Add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Add water from top which is just sufficient to cook the rice (as a rule, keep the water level close to a couple of inches deep). Add the fish along with the masala mixture and sugar when the rice is nearly cooked. Do not stir.
Add the remaining ghee and garam masala. Close the lid of the HANDI.
Serve after one hour.

Mango-Mourala (Aam-mourala)

Ingredients:

• Green Mango : 1 large (grated)
• Green Papaya : Same quantity as that of the green mango (grated )
• Mourala fish : 250 gm. (cleaned, washed and marinated with salt and turmeric powder)
• Mustard oil for frying.
• Sugar : 100 gm
• A few red chillies and Mustard seeds for CHAUNK (phoron)
• Salt and turmeric powder

Procedure:
Fry the Mourala fish in hot mustard oil till crispy. Keep aside. In the same oil, add mustard seeds and red chillies to splatter. Add grated mango and papaya into it. Then add salt, sugar and a little turmeric powder. Now add water. Bring to boil. Then add the crispy fried fish on top of it.

Serve cool as a relish with rice on a hot summer noon.

Caviar d'Ganga / Rui Macher Dim bhaja

Caviar is obtained from the roe (egg !) of the sturgeon fish that is found in great abundance in the Caspian Sea. Today, caviar is also harvested from commercial fish farm that breed the mighty sturgeon under controlled conditions.

Traditionally, caviar is served with a hint of lemon juice -- and nothing else ! as an accompaniment to champagne and is perhaps one of the most expensive cocktail snacks that one can come up with!

In India caviar is difficult to get and frightfully expensive as well. However fish roe is nothing unsual especially in the riverine delta region of Bengal ( and neighbouring Bangladesh). The Ganga with its infinite variety of fresh and salt water fishes is a very interesting source of fish based delicacies and this is the genesis of our dish of the day : Caviar d'Ganges.


Ingredients for making fried Caviar d'Ganges :

• Fish roe : 250 gms.
• Salt : 1/4 tsp.
• Poppy seeds : 2tsp.
• Green chillies : 4tsp ( finely chopped)
• Turmeric powder : 1tsp
• Red chilly powder : 1/2 tsp
• Gram flour : 50 gms
• Mustard oil for deep frying.

Procedure:
Take the fish roe along with all ingredients, except the oil of course, in a large bowl. Mix lightly. Keep aside.

Heat the oil. Take small amounts of the roe mixture and drop into the hot oil so as to coagulate and form small, roundish clumps on coming in contact with the hot oil. Fry these clumps till they are golden brown. Do not make the clumps too large as this may cause the inner parts to remain uncooked.

Doi Rui

Ingredients:

• Rui fish-500gms.
• Fresh Curd-200gms.
• Whole Garam masala -3 pieces each of Cardamom and Clove and 2 inches of Cinnamon
• Ghee-2tsp.
• Mustard oil -4tsp.
• Bayleaf –2 no.
• Onion-1 large (grated )
• Garlic-10 pods. (finely chopped).
• Ginger paste-2tsp.
• Red chilly paste ½ tsp
• Green Chillies-5-6
• Kismis-a handful
• Salt,Turmeric powder
• Sugar—5tsp

Procedure:
Marinate fish with salt and turmeric powder. Heat oil. Fry the fish lightly once on each side and keep aside. In the same oil add whole garam masala and bayleaves. Then add garlic, onion and fry till brown. Add ginger paste. Saute for some time. Then add well-beaten curd along with salt, sugar, red chilly paste and kismis. Add a cup of water. Bring it to boil. Add the fried fish and green chillies.

Finally add ghe on top.

Serve with hot rice or pulao.