Treats for Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh is a festival when we particularly enjoy eating traditional Bengali dishes, like fish wrapped in edible leaves and prawns cooked with coconut. Here are two recipes by Nahid Sultana:

Ilish Paturi

Ingredients
Hilsa fish - 6 pieces
Plain yoghurt - 1/4 cup, drained
12-14 red chillies, ground into paste
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger paste - 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Mustard oil - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 6
Salt, to taste
Pumpkin, gourd or banana leaves - as required

Method

• Cut the fish into thick slices, leaving out the head and tail.
• Mix all the spices and the mustard oil with the fish and keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Put one piece of fish in the middle of two layers of leaves, with two tablespoon of the spicy marinade and one green chilli.
• Wrap the leaves around the fish and tie with a cotton string.
• Repeat the process for all the fish pieces.
• Heat a frying pan and put in the wrapped pieces of fish, cover with a lid.
• Cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
• Flip the fish pieces and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Check to see if the fish inside is cooked.

Remove from fry pan. Unwrap and serve hot with boiled rice. If you use pumpkin or gourd leaves, you can eat the fried leaves, too.

Note: If you wish, you can also steam the wrapped fish pieces, instead of frying.

Prawn Malai Curry

Ingredients
Prawns- 400 grammes
Mustard oil - 3 tablespoon
Whole cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar - 2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coconut milk – 1&1/4 cup
Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tsp

Method

• Marinate the prawns in turmeric.
• Heat the mustard oil in a pan, add sugar and cumin seeds.
• Add ginger paste, cumin powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder, and sauté
• Add the prawns and slit green chillies and stir for a few minutes.
• Add the coconut milk, cook for few more minutes and then add salt.
• Sprinkle garam masala and ghee on top of the curry before serving.

Here is a traditional rice biryani recipe by Taslima Begum:

Chal Biron

Ingredients
Parboiled rice - 500 g
Oil - 100 ml
Chopped onions - 40 g
Cumin paste - 1 teaspoon
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric paste or powder - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 3 pieces
Salt - to taste
Bay leaf - 2-3 pieces
Cardamom - 3-4 pieces
Cinnamon - 2-3 pieces
Water - 4 cups or 1 litre
Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

• Dry roast the rice with a little bit of salt in a frying pan or wok, stirring continuously.
• Soak the roasted rice in some water, until the grains puff up.  
• Put oil into a korai or saucepan and when warm enough, add chopped onions and fry until brown.
• Add cumin paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, green chillies and salt, and gently fry (bhuna) on low heat, stirring all the while.
• Completely drain the water from the puffed rice and add to the fried onion and spice mix.
• Stir the rice and spice mixture continuously. While stirring, add bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon to it.
• When the rice and all other ingredients are mixed properly, add about four cups of water, or as needed, to it.
• When the water boils down, add chopped coriander leaves. You can also add boiled vegetables, beans or chickpeas.
• Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about five minutes over a very low flame, or on a heat diffuser.

When the rice is cooked, serve hot with any kind of curry.

Translated by Maria Mohsin.
Photos: Courtesy

Treats for Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh is a festival when we particularly enjoy eating traditional Bengali dishes, like fish wrapped in edible leaves and prawns cooked with coconut. Here are two recipes by Nahid Sultana:

Ilish Paturi Ingredients Hilsa fish - 6 pieces Plain yoghurt - 1/4 cup, drained 12-14 red chillies, ground into paste Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon Ginger paste - 1/2 teaspoon Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon Onion - 1/2 cup, finely chopped Mustard oil - 1/4 cup Green chillies - 6 Salt, to taste Pumpkin, gourd or banana leaves - as required Method Cut the fish into thick slices, leaving out the head and tail. Mix all the spices and the mustard oil with the fish and keep aside for 10 minutes. Put one piece of fish in the middle of two layers of leaves, with two tablespoon of the spicy marinade and one green chilli. Wrap the leaves around the fish and tie with a cotton string. Repeat the process for all the fish pieces. Heat a frying pan and put in the wrapped pieces of fish, cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat. Flip the fish pieces and cook for another 10 minutes. Check to see if the fish inside is cooked. Remove from fry pan. Unwrap and serve hot with boiled rice. If you use pumpkin or gourd leaves, you can eat the fried leaves, too. Note: If you wish, you can also steam the wrapped fish pieces, instead of frying. Prawn Malai Curry Ingredients Prawns- 400 grammes Mustard oil - 3 tablespoon Whole cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp Ginger paste - 2 tbsp Cumin powder - 2 tsp Chilli powder - 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1 tsp Salt to taste Sugar - 2 tsp Garam masala - 1 tsp Coconut milk 11/4 cup Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tsp Method Marinate the prawns in turmeric. Heat the mustard oil in a pan, add sugar and cumin seeds. Add ginger paste, cumin powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder, and saut Add the prawns and slit green chillies and stir for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk, cook for few more minutes and then add salt. Sprinkle garam masala and ghee on top of the curry before serving. Here is a traditional rice biryani recipe by Taslima Begum: Chal Biron Ingredients Parboiled rice - 500 g Oil - 100 ml Chopped onions - 40 g Cumin paste - 1 teaspoon Ginger paste - 1 tsp Garlic paste - 1 tsp Turmeric paste or powder - 1 tsp Green chilli - 3 pieces Salt - to taste Bay leaf - 2-3 pieces Cardamom - 3-4 pieces Cinnamon - 2-3 pieces Water - 4 cups or 1 litre Coriander leaves, chopped Method Dry roast the rice with a little bit of salt in a frying pan or wok, stirring continuously. Soak the roasted rice in some water, until the grains puff up. Put oil into a korai or saucepan and when warm enough, add chopped onions and fry until brown. Add cumin paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, green chillies and salt, and gently fry (bhuna) on low heat, stirring all the while. Completely drain the water from the puffed rice and add to the fried onion and spice mix. Stir the rice and spice mixture continuously. While stirring, add bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon to it. When the rice and all other ingredients are mixed properly, add about four cups of water, or as needed, to it. When the water boils down, add chopped coriander leaves. You can also add boiled vegetables, beans or chickpeas. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for about five minutes over a very low flame, or on a heat diffuser. When the rice is cooked, serve hot with any kind of curry. Translated by Maria Mohsin. Photos: Courtesy