Rui Machher Jhaal Kalia - Spicy Fish Kalia

For every cooking style of the Bengali kitchen, you will find one we have tried with the Rui fish (grass carp). Be it jhole, jhaal, kormal or kalia rui can do it justice. Of the many different kalia recipes, this particular one is quite spicy and the resultant gravy has a very rich and suitable red color.

Rui Maccher Jhaal Kalia - Spicy Fish Kalia Ingredients

2 lb fish, cut into 3/4 inch steaks 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 large bay leaf 1 large onion, finely chopped 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped 4 green chili, slit down the middle 3 tbsp red chili powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp coriander powder 2 tsp salt 1/2 cup cooking oil, preferable mustard oil 1/4 cup yogurt 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Steps 1. Marinate the fish with 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp of salt and set aside 2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan over high heat 3. Fry the fish until golden brown (do note that the oil must be very hot or else the fish will stick to the pan). Set aside the fish 4. Trun down the heat to medium, and in the same pan, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf until it seeds start to splutter 5. Add the onion, garlic, and green chili and stir fry until the onions start to caramelize 6. Add the remainder of the spices along with 1/4 cup of water and fry the spices until most of the water evaporates 7. Add in the yogurt and stir fry until it starts to stick to the pan 8. Add the fish steaks turning them over so that both sides have a liberal coating of the spices 9. Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil 10. Sprinkle in the rest of the salt and the optional sugar (check for seasoning and add additional salt if ncessary) 11. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the gravy thickens

Dharosh Bhaji * Okra

This is a favorite recipe of mine and provides ample opportunities to improvise.

Dharosh Bhaji Ingredients

2 pounds of fresh okra cut into quarter inch slices 1/2 a medium onion very thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or sliced 1 tbsp of cooking oil 1 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp of pepper 1/2 tsp cumin (optional) 1/2 tsp red turmeric (optional) 1/2 tsp coriander (optional) 1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)

Steps 1. In a preferably non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. 2. When hot drop in the onion and garlic. Stir fry until garlic starts getting caramelized 3. Drop in all the spices and stir fry for a minute 4. Drop in the okra and stir until properly coated by the spices 5. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally. Your doneness will depend on your taste. My preference is to cook until the okra too gets caramelized.
Tomato Begun - Eggplant with tomato

There are many variations of eggplant and tomato. This is a simple one that appeals to the just home from work, nothing cooked, feeling hungry, and the eggplant needs to be dealt with now crowd. It may be short on steps but it is long on flavor.

Tomato Begun - Eggplant with tomato Ingredients

1 medium to large eggplant (cut to 1/2 inch cubes) 1 large tomato, diced 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1/2 tsp nigella (kalojira) seeds 1 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 finely chopped garlic cloves 1 tsp cumin powder 1/2 1 tsp chili powder Salt to taste Small bunch of cilantro, julienned

Steps 1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium to high heat 2. Add in the cumin, fennel, nigella and fennel seeds, stir fry until the seeds starts to splutter 3. Add in egg plant and tomato and stir fry8-10 minutes until the eggplant starts to soften 4. Add in the rest of spices and salt and stiry fry an additional 10 minutes or until the eggplant is completely cooked 5. Mix in the cilantro just before serving
Beef Tehari

Tehari is a rice dish with cooked with meat and is usually made very spicy. Unlike birianis, Tehari is usually cooked with vegetable oil. No yogurt or cream is used in the cooking of it. A very common Tehari dish is one cooked with beef. I present you one of my favorite Tehari recipes.

Sauteed Mutton Ingredients

Beef 1 kg (2 lbs) Onion paste 1/2 cup Garlic paste 2 tsp Red chili powder 1 tbsp Turmeric paste 1 tbsp Ginger paste 2 tsp Cumin powder 1 tbsp Coriander powder 1 tbsp Salt 3 tsp Onions 2 medium, thinly sliced Cinnamon 2 1/2 inch sticks Cloves 8 Cardamom 4 pods Bay leaf 1 medium Green chili 6-8 Oil 1/2 cup (or less) Rice 2 1/2 cup (preferably aromatics like Basmati or Kalojira)

Preparation

Cut beef into small pieces Simmer beef with the next 7 ingredients (pastes and powders) and 2 tsp of salt along with a cup of water until tender. This will be about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir occasionally to ensure that the spices do not stick to the bottom. You may add additional water if needed. In a large pan (large enough for all the rice and meet), fry the thinly sliced onions until almost golden brown. Add in the cinnamon, clove, cardamom and bay lead and fry an additional 4-5 minutes. Add in the previously cooked beef and fry over mediumheat until the oil floats to the top. Stir continuously. Add in the rice and fry an additional 5 minutes. Stir continuously. Add in 5cups of water, 1 tsp of salt and the green chili and bring to boil over high heat. As soon as it starts boiling, turn the heat to low. Give it a thorough stir to ensure no rice is sticking to the bottom. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Enjoy with a Bangladeshi salad.