Food from East India

West Bengal is most important state in eastern India. Bengali cuisine is a perfect blends of non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes in West Bengal. It is known as the land of Maach means fish and Bhaat means rice. Hear we will use panch phoron most popular in Bengali cuisine which includes spices like cumin, nigella, fenugreek, aniseed and mustard seed.

I will try to give some popular Bengali dishes.

Sukto, Hilsa(ilish) Paturi , Chingri (prawn) Maacher Malai Curry (Prawn with coconut milk), Luchi, Rasgulla, Sandesh, Bengali Cholar Dal and Pitha (cakes of rice flour ).

Shukto

Ingredient
1Broad Beans - 1/2 cup
Vani(lentil) - 1/2 cup
Bitter gourd - 1 cup
Tidge Gourd - 1 cup
Parval - 1 cup,
Drumstick - 4 nos
White pumpkin - 1 cup
Khus Khus - 3 tea spoon
Mustard - 1 tea spoon
Panch Phoron - 2 tea spoon
Whole red chilli - 2 nos
Coconut milk/milk - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tea spoon
Salt to taste.
Vadi (Paste of urad dal shhape like a round and dry in sunlight)

Directions

Cut the vegetables into sticks. Fry panch phoron & Red chilli and grind in dry position. Make a smooth paste of the khus khus and mustard. Heat oil in a kadai and saute vegetables. Cover for 5 minutes, then add the paste masala and stir for 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk/milk and salt. Add some water and cook till vegetables are tender. Fry vadi till golden brown and mix well  with shukto. Put the fried panch phoron on the top and little ghee. Serve hot.

Phulko luchi

Ingredient
Maida - 500 gms
Ghee - 1 table spoon
Oil to fry

Salt to taste

Directions

Sieve the maida with ghee and salt in a dish. Add cold water and make a stiff dough.Keep aside for an houre. Make round ball like shape. Roll out on an oil surface into thin round shape.Fry it in smoking oil till puffed up and turn the other side. Serve hot with Alu fry.

Alu fry

Ingredient

Potato - 500 gm

haldi - 1 tea spoon

Mustard oil - 2 tea spoon

Panch phoron - 1 tea spoon

Green chilli - 3 nos

salt to taste

Directions

Cut the potato into cubes. Heat the oil,put panch photon and green chilli and saute for 1 min. Now give potato,salt, haldi and little water. Cook till potato tender. Serve it with luchi.

Hilsa(IIlish)Paturi

Ingredient

Hilsa(Iilish)Fish - 500 gms
haldi - 1 tea spoon
green chilli - 6-8 piece(paste)
mustard seed - 2 table spoon
mustard oil - 2 tea spoon
salt to taste
banana leaf (cut to fold fish pieces)
thread (to bind the folded banana leaf)

Method

Wash the fish & make 4 to 6 pieces without taking head and tail portion. Make a smooth paste of mustard seeds and green chilli. Marinate the Hilsa fish with the paste,mustard oil and salt.Cut banana leaf to fold the fish pieces separately . Tie it with the thread around the fish folded in the banana leaves,brush oil outside. Put the folded fish pieces in oven at 350 degree Farenheit and grill both side for 15 mins. 

Alternatively you can do it in tawa at low heat.Put the folded fish on the Tawa for 15 mins at  one side and turn the other side for another 15 mins.Serve with Rice or Pulao. 


Chingri Maacher Malai Curry (Prawn with coconut milk)

Ingredient 

prawn - 500 gms(medium size)
onion - 1 cup (paste)
garlic - 4 tea spoon (paste)
coconut - 2 cup (paste)
coconut milk - 2 cup 
haldi - 1/4 tea spoon
whole gram masala - clove-8nos,cardamon-4 nos,cinnamon-2 sticks
white oil to fry
salt to taste

Method
Wash the prawn and mix well salt & haldi into it. Marinate for 15 mins. Heat the oil and shallow fry the marinate prawn for 1 mins in low flame and keep aside. Now put whole gram masala in the same oil for 2 mins. Add garlic & onion paste into it for saute. when oil start separating from the mixture add coconut paste and mix for few mins.Add prawn and mix well, salt to taste. Now pour the coconut milk and little water.Cook till the gravy becomes thick. Serve it with rice.