Gharoa Murgir Jhol (Homemade Chicken Curry)

There is nothing like a homemade chicken curry for a Sunday lunch. Bengalis mostly make it on a Sunday afternoon, a pleasant and tasteful change after a week long feast of Fish. This change is especially welcomed by kids. Once a week, I make this and my baby loves to eat it with steamed white rice.

Here's what you need:

Murgi(chicken, cut small, washed clean), Pyanj bata(onion paste), Aada-Roshun bata(ginger-garlic paste), Aloo(one potato, peeled & cut halved), Kancha Lanka(green chili, slit), Gota Jeere(cumin seeds), Tel(oil, preferably mustard), Noon(salt), Halud(turmeric), one Tomato and Dhone Pata(cilantro, chopped finely).

How to Cook

1. Heat oil in a wok, add cumin seeds, let it splutter.
2. Add onion paste & slit green chili, fry till oil separates, then add the ginger-garlic paste.
3. Add potato, stir some more. Add the chicken. Fold all the paste and spices together.
4. Add salt & turmeric, stir. Squeeze the juice of a tomato, stir again.
5. Add water, cover & cook over low heat until done. There should be lots of water in the curry when done.
   
6. Garnish with cilantro and turn off the heat.
   

Karaishutir Kochuri (Fried Indian Bread with Stuffed Green Peas)

Today I am making this dish, so felt like writing it down at the moment. Karaishuti means Green Peas in Bengali and Kochuri is a kind of fried Indian bread. Almost all Bengalis make this dish at least once in winter time when green peas are abundant. Karaishutir Kochuri and Aloor Dom is something a Bengali can die for. Some other time I will surely give the recipe for Aloor Dom, but now get everything ready in your kitchen for Karashutir Kochuri. The recipe follows....

Making the Pur (Stuffing)

You will need, Karaishuti(Green Peas, puried), Aada(Ginger, grated), Kancha Lanka(Green Pepper, ground along with green peas when making the puree), Gota Jeere(Cumin Seeds), Sukhno Lanka(Dried Red Pepper), Chini(Sugar, one or two fistful), Tel(Oil) and Noon(Salt).

1. Heat oil in a wok, add cumin seeds and dried red pepper, let it splutter.
2. Add the green peas puree, grated ginger and salt.
3. Fry on low flame stirring continuously till cooked. When cooked, it looks dry and peas get separated(not lumpy). Takes about 20 minutes to cook.
4. At the end, add sugar, stir some more. On adding sugar, it will become dark green in color. Turn off the flame. The Pur is ready! Let it cool down.

Making the Kochuri

You will need Maida(All Purpose Flour), Moin(Teaspoonful of Oil), Noon(A pinch of Salt) and Tel(Oil for deep frying).

1. Mix together, flour, teaspoon of oil and salt with water to knead into a soft dough.
2. Make small(Ping Pong ball sized) dough balls, shape it into a cup. Put the Pur(Stuffing) inside, cover and roll into a ball again.
3. Roll out these stuffed balls with a Rolling Pin, into round flat disc and deep fry them in hot oil. They should puff up, turn, fry the other side and done!

Note:- If the Kochuris don't puff up when frying, then either the oil is not hot enough or there is a hole in the rolled out dough.

***** Instead of Kochuri you can make stuffed Porota(Paratha, Pan/Griddle fried Indian bread)****

Pics: Stuffed Paratha and the Pur(stuffing)

Mocha Aloo Tarkari (Banana Flower & Potato)

A good part of Bengal is blessed with banana trees, thus every part of the plant finds a place in Bengali food. Leaves are used in place of Plates; and stems (called Thor), flowers (called Mocha) and fruits are consumed as food. Cutting and preparing the Mocha before cooking the dish is very time taking. Here is the link to how Bengalis cut the Mocha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA2PbucleD

Cutting the Mocha

• Tear off one Purple Petal at a time, take out the florets underneath the petal. Discard the purple petal.
  
• Take out the Stigma and the Sepal, leave the stamens. Discard the stigma and sepal from each floret.
• Bunch together the florets and chop finely.
• Soak the chopped Mocha in a bowl full of water, with some salt & turmeric in it for 2-3 hours.
• Strain the chopped Mocha and pressure cook it with some fresh water for one or two whistles. Open the cooker, strain out all the water by squeezing the Mocha tightly (this water becomes very bitter, so discard it). Now, the Mocha is ready for further cooking. Phew!!
  

Slice thinly some potatoes and grate some ginger.

How to Cook

1. Heat oil, preferably mustard oil. Add some Jeera (cumin seeds) and one Sukhno Lanka (dried red chili), let it splutter.
2. Add the sliced potatoes and fry for some time, then add the ginger, fry some more.
3. Now add the Mocha, salt & turmeric.
4. Stir fry altogether until the potatoes are cooked, keep adding oil if required when stirring.

You can add grated coconut in this dish, most Bengalis do. But, personally I don't like it except for Chingri Malai Curry and Chholar Daal.