Bhetki Macher Chop(Fish Chop) and lao Shaaker Chorchori

Life is very hectic for me these days and also I don’t find time to blog often or visit my fav blogs ,due to some personal reasons.My apologies to all well wishers, readers and faithful friends who love to visit here.
I will try to blog in future also but there are many other issues which I need to work on.Meanwhile friends enjoy your stay here and try recipes from here and let me know how it turns out.
This post, I dedicate to bhetki fish, one of our fav fish and this bhetki fish chops are regulars in biye Bari (marriages) in every Bengali homes.And of course there is lao shaker chorchori which is the greens of bottle gourd cooked with potatoes/pumpkins/ridge gourd.This is just perfect for any vegetarian starters.

So I start with Bhetki macher Chop First

Recipe Requirements

Bhetki fish fillet 6-8 or any white fish fillet /Tilapia fish fillet can also be used.
1 cup of bread-crumbs or lero in Bengali or enough to coat the fish fillet well.
3-4 tbs of corn flour
3-4 tbs of rice powder
1 lemon and take the juice out of it.
Onion/ginger/garlic paste 4-5 tsp or enough to coat well the fish fillets.
Green chilly paste 3-4 tsp (depend on the level of spice you want, add less for less hotness or you may use green Tobassco sauce also)

Pinch of soda powder
2 eggs
Salt as per taste

Marinating the fish fillet

Marinate it with garlic/ginger/onion paste and salt and green chilly paste ( this time,i was short of green chilly so added red pepper powder instead of, but I guess the original taste comes well with fresh green chilly paste )
Squeeze in the juice of lemon juice over it .let it sit there for ½ hour. (TIP-And if you are not in hurry marinate the fish fillet and store in refrigerator ,let it sit there the whole night and then other day fry them well.This way the smell of raw fish is also gone and it turns more soft.)
Now professional cooks usually don’t fry these fish fillets, they just go to the next step of rolling it over bread crumbs…..if you feel so do it.

I was little skeptical of eating fish like this ,so I just fried the marinated fish fillets for few mints or you may say just a splash of hot oil over the fillets …just to get rid of the raw smell.

Coating of the fish fillet
Now break two eggs in a bowl.
Mix in bread crumbs, rice powder, corn flour and pinch of baking soda and salt as per taste in a flat plate.The plate if flat helps even coating of the fillets.
Dip the fish fillets in egg first and then roll it over the crumb mixture, pat it well with the crumbs.let it sit there few mintues so that the coat is well soaked up.
TIP-If you feel just repeat this step after few mintues for double coating/crusting which is good for deep frying purpose.
Now roll other fish fillets like this.
Now heat up a kadai and oil upt half of the kadai for deep frying purpose.( that much of oil is required as fish fillets need to be deep fried right)

Let the oil heat up properly before you drop in fish chops to fry.Tip- you may drop some cumin seeds to check if the oil is properly heated or not.If the cumin seeds sizzles I oil ,the oil is ready for deep fry.

Frying the fish chops
Fry them well for 4-5 minst on both sides.Flame should be at med to low- med depending on the heat it transfers to the saucepan/kadai ,if you feel you may raise the bar ,but be careful ,you may burn the fillets while frying at high and the fish inside might turn out little undercooked which I am sure you don’t want.
Take out when it turns a nice golden-brown on both sides and have it with green coriander chutney or peanut chutney.
Note

measurementas mentioned here are approx.

And to other recipe for this post ,vegetarian chorchori with lao shak.
Lao Shaker Chorchori

Lao shaker chorchori
1 bunch green leaves of bottle gourds with tender twigs and branches.
1 medium size potato
1-2 ridge gourd (jhinge)
Few pumkin pieces (kumro)
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1tsp of red pepper powder (add more for more hotness)
1 -2 tsp of panch phoron (or can add kalounji/nigella seeds)
1 tsp of sugar
2-3 tbs of mustard oil

lao/lauki/Bottle gourd belongs to family cucurbitaceae.I have kept my lil ones pencil to show ,how wide and broad bottle gourd leaves are.This is the main ingredients.The twigs after being cooked taste kind of sweet and leaves much more flavourful.This Chorchori has a nice blend of other vegetables like pumpkin and ridge gourd also .

Method
Clean the green leaves of lao/lauki/bottle gourd, discard torn or wilted leaves. Clean the chopped leaves thoroughly in water 2-3 times to get rid of mud /sand if any.

Cut the tender twigs in 1inch long pieces also.
Heat up kadhai or any heavy bottom Pan/Wok, add mustard oil, add the panch phoron mix, and let it splutter.
Now add diced potatoes .Fry it for 1-2 mints at high and add ridge gourd/pumkin pieces.
Add turmeric powder, red pepper powder, salt, sugar.
Add the cleaned leaves n twigs of green bottle gourd.
Cook at high for 2-3 mints, lower the flames and cover the kadhai/Pan.
Cook the leaves till soft and deep-green in color.

Cook another 7-8 mints at low covered.
Take out when the vegetables are cooked thoroughly and somewhat mushy in texture and serve with warm cooked rice.
Note

you may add in radish also if you like them.

dont throw away the twigs while cleaning and chopping the leaves ,do add them they taste wonderful and are kind of sweet.
Happy Cooking Friends

Niramish Jhol(Veg Curry)

Have you heard about Tetris Effect?
Well those you are addicted to Video- games, I guess now play station etc...They must all know.
That game recently turned 25 years, quite a milestone right.In common term, the block game that used to be part of initial mobiles and handy, small, portable video-games.
When we were growing up, our main way of spending summer vaccation time was to play Tetris or Mario (remember the cute little chubby Mario ...walking down the tunnel,eating mushrooms etc on his way ,then jumping over the islands and castle,with a typical music playing at the background) eh! What I am saying these are the things of past now, with the advancement of technology and many more new inventions …there are many new ways to play and spend time...Recent is Play Station.
These remained things of past, as I don’t have that much of patience to play and pressing the remote buttons...Left-right-up-down…yeah age is catching up fast.
What were your preferred ways of spending summer time when you were growing up?
I would be very eager to know.



Meanwhile you think, let me quickly write up this simple niramish Jhol, which is good for summer, and easy to digest also.
You get all the summer vegetables like parwal,ridge gourd,green papaya,green bananas ,brinjal and the end result is amalgamation of simple vegetables cooked in a very light gravy.






Recipe requirements
Serves 4-5
1 raw /green banana
Some slices of green papaya
2-3 ridge gourd
2 potatoes
4-5 wax gourd (parwal)
2tsp of turmeric powder
2 tsp of coriander powder
2 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of red pepper powder
Tej pataa -2
1 tsp of panch phoron
2 -3 green chilly Salt as per taste
1 tsp of sugar
3-4 tbs of mustard oil
2-3 tsp of ginger paste or gota ada chopped into small pieces






Method
Clean and chop the vegetables in equal size ,this helps cook evenly.
Now heat up a kadhai,add oil
Temper it with panch phoron ,tej patta and ginger paste
Add in all the vegetables fry them at mid-high for 5-6 mints
Tip- You may fry the parwal/wax gourd first and then take them out
Next you may add in potatoes and then rest of the vegetables like green papaya, banana etc..
Ridge gourd takes very few mints to cook.
Add in salt and all the dry spice powders like turmeric, red, coriander, cumin and little bit of water.
Add in sugar also , and fry them some more time or till the vegetables get coated well with the spices.
Now add in 2-3 cups of water. (TIP-at this time if you need to add brinjal/aubergine/eggplant do so) ,and one boil at high ,then lower the flame and then you cover it.
Cook for another 7 -8 mints or till the vegetables are cooked.
Take out when done,serve with warm cooked rice.







Note -
You may add in whole green chilly for extra bit of spice.
You may add in zucchinis/yellow squash or other vegetables when above vegetables are not available to you.
This gravy with vegetables stays good for 2-3 days when stored in refrigerator ,so if you wish you may make it in bulk and store it.

This is typical simple Bengali lunch meal.
On the right side is
First
Masoor dal bhate- pressure cooked dal without turmeric powder.
Mashed with green chilly, salt and mustard oil
Then is fried fish egg fritters recipe is Here
Then the Niramish jhol
And last a simple fish curry.
I am sure vegetarians can easily avoid the fish and it’s preparations like fish curry and egg fritters but can relish a simple jhol with rice.
This is easy on stomach and good especially in this hot summer months.


Happy Cooking Friends

Omelette'er Jhol(Omelette Curry)

How do you prefer eating omelette.With chopped onions/ginger/tomatoes/green chillies/cilantro or even in a typical frittata way.When I think about omelettes,it relates to Spanish Omelette,Indian Dhaba-style omelette ,which I must admit is very lip-smacking.
Omellete is thought to be originated in ancient Persia and the word comes from the French word lamelle meaning thin strip then it got abbreviated and became amelette.This later got changed to omellete when it made it’s way to Britain.
It is said that when British people came to India, they also brought their famous "Breakfast omelettes" with them.If you want to dig out more, then visit Here


Omelette is what we would be serving when our friends visit, especially during the evenings and it is a kind of customary in every Benagli home to serve Omelettes and Chai/tea with some fried papads.
Friends this is my father’s and father-in-law special way of eating eggs.They just love it with rice or even with rotis.
This is simple, quick and easy and also makes a great meal with rice.A very simple recipe for a lazy afternoon or when suddenly friends arrive, unannounced.

Omelette’er Jhal (Omelette Curry)
4-5 egss
2 -3 medium size onions+ 1 onion for omlette
3 gralic pods
1inch ginger

1 tomato
2 tsp of turmeric powder
2-3 tsp of red pepper powder
2 bay leaf or tej patta

Method
Chop all onions, ginger and garlic.
Now heat up a kadai/saucepan, add mustard oil (shorsher tel)
Add in cumin seeds(jeere)+ bay leaf, let the cumin seeds splutter.
Now add in chopped garlic,ginger (loson/ada)sauté for few mints
Add in chopped onions(peyanj).
Sauté for 3-4 mints till onions turn nice brown in colour.
Add in cubed potatoes fry them till they turn little brown, add in salt
Now add in turmeric(holod), red pepper powder(lal lonka goron) and little bit of water, lower the flame
Again fry them well till potatoes are evenly coated with spices.

Add in chopped tomatoes.
Add in water, now cover it and cook it at low till poatoes are soft.
Meanwhile the jhol/curry is getting ready,fry the omelettes, it’s easy I guess.
Drop your fried egg omelettes in to the curry and stop the flame.
Take out in a separate vessel.
Enjoy it with garam bhat or roti.
Note-

Omelettes soak the gravy much faster, so it would be great if you add little bit of more water while preparing the gravy.But if you dont like much gravy(kind of makho-makho in Bengali) then avoid it completely.
You may add in green chillies/Serrano pepper/jalapenos instead of red pepper powder.
Garam masala or gota moshla like cardamoms/cloves/cinnamon adds the special zing to it.
You may add in ghee on top when you are serving it,calorie-conscious may skip it.

Happy Cooking Friends