Shorshe Ilish

Ilish or Hilsa is not just a fish to a a Bong, it's an emotion to us. And having Shorshe (mustard seeds) ilish with steamed rice, flavoured with kancha lonka (green chili) is the ultimate goal of Bong-life. The "Bhat-Ghum" afterwards is inevitable. This Ilish (Hilsa) travelled all the way from Kolkata to Mumbai to satiate my longing for Kolkata Ilish. 

Moreover, this ilish (Hilsa) traveled all the way from Kolkata to Mumbai to satiate my longing for Kolkata Ilish. And the credit goes to my better-half for this. 

Ingredients:

• Ilish fish - 6-7 pieces 
• Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
• Poppy seeds or posto - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard oil - 2 tsp 
• Dry red chilli - 2 
• Nigella seeds (Kalo jeera or kalonji) - 1/2 tsp
• Green chillies - 4-5
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Salt to taste

Process:

1. Soak mustard and poppy seeds in water for about 20-30 minutes. Remove from water, add two green chillies and blend to a paste, keep aside.

2. Heat mustard oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fish pieces adding salt and turmeric. 

4. In the same pan, add little more mustard oil and add dry red chillies along with nigella seeds and saute for a few minutes and add mustard paste along with salt and turmeric powder, saute for a new more minutes and add water. Let it boil for about 3-4 minutes. 

5. Once boiled, add the fish pieces and simmer for 2 minutes. Enjoy with steamed rice. 

P.S. The recipe video is there on my Instagram and Youtube pages. Do check it out @romisrecipe

Kucho Nimki - Bengali Savory Treat

Kucho Nimki is a typical small diamond shaped cracker, and a very popular savory treat from Bengali Cuisine. Made in small batches in a Bengali household. They are a quintessential teatime snack. This is a classic savory dish which is cooked with just a few ingredients. 

Ingredients:

• Maida - 2 cups
• Vegetable oil or ghee - 1 tsp
• Nigella seeds  - 1/2 tsp
• Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
• A pinch of Salt 
• Luke warm water
• Oil for deep frying 

Process:

1. Take two cup of maida and add oil / ghee, baking soda, nigella seeds and a pinch of salt. Mix well and add luke warm water slowly to make a smooth but tight dough. It should take a 10 minutes of kneading.

2. Divide the dough into 3-4 parts, take one part and roll it out like a paratha (1mm thickness). Use a knife to cut long strips and then cut diagonally (ref to the video)

3. Heat oil for deep frying and then add the nimkis into the hot oil. When the nimkis turn golden, take them out of the oil and place on a paper napkin. Let them cool down to room temperature and you can store them in an air tight container for at least a week.

P.S. The recipe video is there on my Instagram and Youtube pages. Do check it out @romisrecipe

Ghugni ~ An Iconic Bengali snack

Ghugni is a curry made of white peas or chickpeas. Different variations of this dish use different types of peas, such as black gram, green peas or white peas. Ghugni is often served with luchis as breakfast or kachoris in the roadside tea stalls. It is very popular amongst all the other street foods in Kolkata. This white chickpeas ghugni is often made during Durga puja or any other festival times in Bengali households. Ghugni is widely enjoyed as a spicy and tangy evening snack and most beloved one for Bengalis. 

Ingredients:

• White peas - 1 and 1/2 cup (200 gram)
• Mustard oil - 2 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cardamom - 2 crushed
• Clove - 3-4
• Bay leaves - 2
• Dry red chili - 2
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
• Onion - 2 (finely chopped)
• Ginger and green chili paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut - cut into slices
• Salt to taste
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Bhaja masala - 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind pulp / puree - for garnishing

Process:

1. Rinse and soak the white peas over night. Then boil them adding water and salt. The Peas should be soft but remain unbroken. Once done, strain the dal and reserve the water for later.

2. Heat oil in a small pan and add the coconut slices and fry until they are golden brown. Remove and keep aside. 

2. Now in a kadhai, add mustard oil and ghee, once hot, add dry red chili, bay leaf, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and cumin seeds. Once they stars crackling, add onions and fry for few minutes. 

3. Add the ginger and green chili paste along with tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft. Meanwhile make a paste of all the powdered spices adding water and add it to the pan. Mix everything and fry until the smell of raw spices are gone. Add a splash of the reserved water and continue frying. Once the spices have started releasing the oil, add the boiled peas and fold it with the spices and cook for 2 minutes. 

4. Add salt and sugar and bubble on high heat for about 3-4 minutes until the curry loses its watery consistency. Add fried coconut and bhaja masala and give it a good mix. Remove from heat, cover and let it rest for 2 minute before serving. 

5. While serving, add chopped onion, green chilies and tamarind puree/pulp. Serve hot. 

P.S. The recipe video is there on my Instagram and Youtube pages. Do check it out @romisrecipe

CHANAR JILAPI

CHANAR JILAPI is a very popular Bengali sweet from India's eastern state of West Bengal. This is an Indian sweetmeat made with fresh cottage cheese from full cream milk, adding few more ingredients and shape into a "knot" followed by deep frying and soaking in sugar syrup. This is very popular Bengali sweet and can be found at any Bengali sweet shops in Kolkata. 

Bijaya Dashami ~ as the name suggest, "Durga Puja" is dedicated to Maa Durga and on the day of Dashami, we offer various types of misti to Maa before she returns back to her home. Dashami is the end of Durga Puja and according to Hindu mythology, on this day after a battle lasting over 9 days, we celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Ingredients:

• Full cream milk - 1 liter
• White vinegar or lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Powdered sugar - 1 tsp
• Milk Powder - 2 tsp
• Corn flour - 1 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Maida - 3 tsp
• Food color - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Sugar for sugar syrup - 1 and 1/2 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Green cardamom pods - 3-4
• Saffron strands

Process:

1. Boil the milk and add vinegar or lemon juice. Once the milk curdles up, drain the content through a clean muslin cloth. Tie the cloth and hang it for 2 hours so that the water completely drains away. 

2. Transfer the cottage cheese to a bowl and add all the mentioned ingredients (Maida, corn flour, powdered sugar, milk powder, baking powder and ghee. You can add food color also. Knead it well until the mixture turns into a smooth dough. 

3. Take out small portions of dough, roll out long ropes out of the balls and swirl them up in the form of jalebi / jilapi / jilipi (as you say). 

4. Heat ghee or vegetable oil in a kadhai on medium heat. Once the oil / ghee is sufficient hot, deep fry these prepared jilapis in batches. Keep aside.

5. For making the sugar syrup, in a pan add sugar and water and boil it until you get the desired consistency. Add crushed cardamom and saffron strands. It should not be a very thick in consistency. Once the syrup is ready, remove from the flame and soak the fried jilapis in the syrup for few minutes. 

P.S. The recipe video is there on my Instagram and Youtube pages. Do check it out @romisrecipe

BHUNA KHICHURI

BHUNA KHICHURI is a pure Bengali delicacy. Bhuni or Bhuna stands for frying. We fry both moong dal and rice along with other minimal spices and the end result is non-sticky pulau-like khichuri. It is the texture that matters in the case of this particular type of khichuri. Both rice and lentil must be well-cooked yet in shape, not broken. This is so popular amongst we Bengalis and a must to prepare during Durga puja. This authentic Bengali delight adds soul to the special Durga Puja Bhog. This is served along with various types of Bhaja-Bhuji (fried vegetables) and Labra (another delicious amalgamation of veggies slow cooked to perfection with a dash of panch phoron). We have enjoyed bhuna khichuri with Begun bhaja and Misti Kumro bhaja.

Ingredients:

• Moong dal - 3/4 cup
• Gobindo Bhog rice (you can use Basmati rice also) - 1 cup
• Ghee - 2 tsp
• Bay leaves - 2
• Dry Red Chilli - 2
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 10-12
• Ginger and green chili paste - 2 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Roasted cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Green chilies - 2-3
• Raisins - 10-12
• Water - 2 cup
• Freshly grated coconut - 1 tsp (optional)
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Process:

1. Dry roast the moong dal till it turns golden brown. Wash and drain the dal, keep aside.

2. Heat ghee in a kadhai, add bay leaves, dry red chilies and cumin seeds, roast for 2-3 seconds. Add cashew nuts and roast for a minute. 

3. Now add rice and moong dal along with ginger chilli paste and all the powder spices. Mix well and keep on cooking on low medium flame for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add raisins, green chilies and 2 cups of water (2 cups of water is for 3/4th cup of moong dal and 1 cup of rice). Add grated coconut. Mix, cover and cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes or until both rice and dal is completely done. 

5. Add cardamom powder to finish with. Serve hot with labra, or any bhaja. 

P.S. The recipe video is there on my Instagram and Youtube pages. Do check it out @romisrecipe