Potato Prawn Curry

In Bengali cuisine the most popular Prawn dish is probably the 'chingri maachher malaikari' (prawns cooked in thick coconut milk). While I like to make malaikari a lot, nowadays I like to make other variations of prawns that are simple and quick. Here is one that is very simple and easy for beginners. 

Ingredients:
medium to big prawns about 15(I have used head-on ones)
oil 1tbsp
onion (sliced)
coriander powder 1tsp
green chillies 1-2
salt
turmeric powder 1.5 tsp
potato cubed (2 medium potatoes)

Recipe:

• Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric
• Heat oil in a pan
• Fry the prawns carefully keeping the heads intact. Set them aside
• Add some oil to the the same pan. I like to keep the residue, as it gives a nice smell of the prawns
• After the oil is hot, add the potato cubes. Add some salt and turmeric, fry well on all sides
• Add sliced onion, chillies, salt, turmeric and coriander powder to the potatoes
• Fry it for sometime then cover and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring and sprinkling water from time to prevent potatoes from sticking to pan
• After oil separates from the potatoes, add prawns
• Add 1.5 cup of water, mix and cover. Cook for 2 minutes or until done

Serve with rice.

Egg Chicken Roll

Street food is a big part of Indian culture. The city I come from Kolkata, has a rich history of street food. The variety of food available roadside is mind-boggling, which can range from light fares for breakfast and snacks to full-fledged meals for lunch or dinner. One of my favorite snacks that is quintessentially Kolkatan is the egg roll. You will be amazed to see how many variations of this mouthwatering delicacy have been concocted. Starting from egg roll to egg chicken, double egg, double egg chicken, egg mutton, egg paneer and so on. Today, I am going to share the egg chicken roll recipe that is a slight variation from the original egg roll. Also, this is an easier and quicker method where I have used a few store bought items. 

Ingredients:
Kawan Paratha
Eggs beaten well with salt (2 eggs per 3 paratha)
Onion (thinly sliced)
Green Chili (chopped) 
Sheekh kebabs (I have used Mezban chicken Kebabs)

For the sauce:
Maggi hot and sweet tomato ketchup (can be bought from any Indian grocery store)

Maggi Tamarind sauce

Lemon

Black Salt & Black Pepper

Recipe:

• Cook the chicken kebabs for 7/8 minutes on medium heat
• Prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients
• Fry the Parathas first, kawan parathas don't need additional oil. Set aside
• Add oil to the pan. Put 1/3rd of the beaten eggs
• Put one paratha on the egg before it's fried so egg sticks to the paratha
• turn the paratha stuck with the egg, fry till crisp
• Put one kebab, sauce and onion slices on the paratha
• Roll and serve

  

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Irish Soda Bread

Since I am a little reluctant of trying Bread recipes partly because of the time and the mess, here is an easy one for you. I came to learn about this recipe from Ina Garten of Food network http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/irish-soda-bread-recipe.html, tried this my way adjusting the proportion for 4. To my surprise it came out pretty okay the first time. Here is the recipe for you.


Ingredients:
1.5 cup all-purpose flour (I took half flour and half wheat Aasirvaad whole wheat atta)
1 tbsp sugar

1/3 tsp salt
1/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp oil (you can skip this if you like)
3/4 cup buttermilk

Recipe:

• Knead the mixture in a soft dough with the help of a wooden spoon
• Then knead by stretching and folding in a floured work surface
• Shape it like a loaf
• Bake for 50-60 mins at 375F or until achieve slightly brown crusted top

Let it cool down before serving

Butternut Squash Soup

For some reason unlike my husband, I have never come to love anything that tastes like pumpkin. Last weekend when I asked him to do the grocery I should have imagined spring is around the corner. He came home with this butternut squash that I wish tasted as beautiful as it looked. Knowing my aversion toward pumpkins he announced, "Don't worry, you don't have to cook this, I will". Although he is a well-intentioned fellow, unfortunately, it didn't happen.

Thinking what could I do to make it taste 'not' like pumpkin, I came up with this recipe, which turn out to be pretty yummy!! To go with it, I made Irish Soda bread. I followed Ina's recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/irish-soda-bread-recipe.html , only with my own proportions. you can find the bread recipe here.

Ingredients:
one medium butternut squash, cubed
oil
onion chopped 1/4th cup
ginger grated 1 tsp
butternut-squash soupSalt
pepper
thyme (fresh or dried)
cumin powder 1 tsp

Recipe:

• Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or a soup pot
• Add chopped onion to this, cook until translucent
• Add ginger, fry until ginger is cooked
• Add butternut squash, fry until light brown
• Add a little water, cover and let it cook. Check from time to time so squash doesn't get stuck to the bottom
• After squash is cooked well take it out and mash completely in a food processor
• Mix some water and strain. Don't take a fine strainer, then you will lose most of the vegetables
• Transfer back to the cooking pot
• Add salt, pepper and Thyme
• Add butter to your taste

Whole Trout

As a Bengali I have grown up eating fish and rice as primary food. We used to eat fish in a very particular way, whatever way you cook it, fry it first to kill the smell and making it little hard so can be handled without breaking. Then put it i some sort of gravy to make and keep it soft. Today while I cooked in a hurry, thought of sharing this whole fish recipe that I made almost in no time (well, I always cut and clean the fish right after I bring it from the store).

Ingredients:

Trout, whole (gutted and cleaned, I have separated the heads for a different recipe), 
garlic powder 1tsp, 
salt to taste, 
vinegar 1/4 tsp, 
yogurt (about 1 tsp for one whole trout), 
cumin powder 1/2 tsp, 
coriander powder 1/2 tsp, 
red chili powder to taste, 
sliced onion 1/4 cup, 
oranges or lime slices, 
cilantro

Recipe:

• ·      Make diagonal slits in the trout
• ·      Mix yogurt with salt, garlic powder, vinegar, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder. Marinate the fish in this mixture for about 2-4 hours in the refrigerator
• ·      Spray some oil in a baking tray, and preheat the oven to 375F
• ·      Stuff the fish with oranges, onions, cilantro
• ·      Cook the fish for about 25 mins., broil to get a crunch

Serve hot with white or brown rice.

Mushroom Asparagus Soup

While making dinner last night, I couldn’t resist the idea of sharing this original recipe, that came out so good. Although, after reading dozens of cookbooks, and recipe blogs, I am not sure how many of the recipes I can call completely original, as some recipes always make a mark and play like a tune in the head until you have learned playing that on the piano.

Here it is for you,

Ingredients:

White or crimini mushrooms
Asparagus
Onion
Ginger
Garlic
Oil
Thyme
Oregano
Salt
Black pepper

Recipe:

• ·      Blanch the vegetables in salted water. Strain, keep aside
• ·      Heat oil in a Dutch oven or a soup pot
• ·      Add onion, sauté until translucent, add sliced ginger and garlic, add salt and sugar to taste
• ·      Add the vegetables, saute for sometime
• ·      Put this in a blender and blend to a smooth paste
• ·      Strain and put it back to the stove on low heat
• ·      Add thyme, oregano and black pepper
• ·      Oh! Don’t forget the butter J

Serve hot with baguette or bread of your choice.

Which other day could I have chosen to start my blog. It’s March 8^th 2016. International Women’s Day. Back in the day when I was about to step into womanhood, remember celebrating 8^th March by hopping into one of those seminars where they would discuss how far women have come along despite centuries-long history of oppression. I still remember the emotion and pride we felt as part of the sorority.

As of today sitting in my couch I am thinking, what to make for dinner and when to pick up my son from school or to take him to swimming. Oh! Wait! The contractor hasn’t arrived yet. I booked this one through Amazon.com. Does this thing work at all? Man, otherwise I will have to go through the list of some twenty contractors that I obtained from this neighborhood mommy group, and call one by one to leave voice messages.

I am not sure if that young lady of yesteryears is frowning at me. It didn’t go that bad after all. Last Women’s Day I had a career that would be deemed prestigious by any standard. My short-lived corporate life was indeed joyous and taught me many things. Many of them I will carry forever with myself in this journey of life. Most importantly, leaving corporate work and joining household work was a conscious decision. I have enough work not to get bored but I don’t have any deadlines to meet, pursue my hobbies without restrictions, hell ya, I don’t mind this life at all.

Coming straight to the point now, why I wanted to start a blog in the first place. For years, I have been accused of tempting my friends with interesting and tasty recipes without following any cooking grammar. So I thought why not make it official. I couldn't resist the urge to share hundreds of recipes that I have inherited and improvised upon along with my hobbies for gardening and travel. Happy reading everyone!!