Fulkopi Chingrir Torkari / Bengali Style Cauliflower and Prawns Curry

Last night we wanted to eat the hottest chicken curry in town. For us...it�s generally the Poulet Piquante...but it was already half past 9...too late to order!! So after much discussion, at 10:00P.M in the night we agreed to have the rustic village style chicken curry.  Within minutes, I was all prepared in my kitchen to make the red hot chicken curry. Thankfully the chicken thawed quickly and hubby chopped the onions, garlic and ginger.  The process and the required ingredients of this particular curry is very simple but the rustic nature of the process is what it makes drool worthy!!Then hubby left the kitchen and I slipped almost 8 African chillies into that curry with a generous amount of Kashmiri red chilli powder!! Red hot...smoking hot!!! My chicken curry, which took me to prepare almost 1 hour, looked rather sinister in its final form!!

Red and velvety smooth and with a generous amount of oil floating on top of the curry...we became more hungry just by looking at it!! The only downside was...we did not have naan!! Hubby ate with plain rice and I went for my usual whole wheat chapatti!! With some fresh cucumber and onions...dinner was finger licking good!!

Fry the potatoes.

Fry the cauliflowers.

Fry the prawns.

Temper the remaining oil with whole garam masalas.

Add chopped onions to them. Cook until golden.

Add the ginger - garlic paste and cook until the onions become golden brown.

Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the oil separates.

Add all the spices except garam masala powder and cook for 2 minutes.

Add water to make the gravy and cook until almost all the water is evaporated.

then add all the fried cauliflower and potatoes.

Add water, salt and put cover. Cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through.

When the cauliflower and potatoes are all cooked add the prawns and simmer until the gravy reaches your desired consistency. Finish off with garam masala powder and coriander leaves.

As for the Cauliflower Prawns Curry, this is another rich curry from Bengali. Cauliflower, potatoes, prawns...all good things in one pot!!! You can make this curry with big Tiger Prawns, but I like to cook with smaller ones. Not the tiny � winnies....but I always go for the medium size. I don�t like the idea of highlighting prawns in this curry; rather I want them to be hidden between the cauliflower and potatoes, so that in every bite you will have some prawns as tiny bunches of surprise!! I like it that way!!!

Fulkopi Chingrir Toraki / Bengali Cauliflower and Prawns Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower � cut into small florets

2 medium potatoes � peeled and cubed

250gm small prawns

1 medium onions � chopped

1 medium tomato � chopped

1 tbsp ginger � garlic paste

1 medium cinnamon stick

3 cloves

3 green cardamoms

1 bay leaf

3 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

Some chopped fresh coriander leaves

2 tsp ghee

2 tbsp oil

Method:

Sprinkle turmeric powder salt over the cauliflower florets, cubed potatoes and prawns. Marinate them for 10 minutes.

Heat oil and shallow fry the cauliflower florets and cubed potatoes in separate batches until they turn golden from outside.

In the same oil fry the marinated prawns for 2 minutes and keep aside.

Add more oil to the kadai if required and temper the oil with cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamoms and bay leaves.

Saute for half a minute and add the chopped onions to them.

Stir and cook the onions till they are slightly golden.

Now add the ginger � garlic paste and cook the onions till golden brown.

Then add the chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle some salt over them and cook the tomatoes till the oil starts to separate at the edges.

Now add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Mix them well and saut� until the raw flavour of the spices are gone.

Next add � th cup of water to them and let them cook till the water is almost evaporated leaving a nice smooth gravy.

At this point add another 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil.

As soon as the water starts to bubble add in the fried cauliflower and potatoes.

Add salt as per taste.

Cover and cook till the cauliflowers and potatoes are nicely done.

Then open the cover and add the fried prawns to them.

Give them a good stir to mix well and simmer on medium flame until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Finally sprinkle the garam masala powder and coriander leaves over them and put off the flame.

Serve hot with plain rice.

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Paneer Fulkopir Torkari / Bengali Cauliflower and Cottage Cheese Curry

One of the good things of childhood is that we love to eat foods in between their process. I loved teat fried dhokas before ma added them to the curry and fried fishes were my favourite before adding to the curry. So as per this rule we loved to eat raw paneer before frying and adding them to the curry.

In Kolkata Ma used to by Amul paneer and the come in sealed pouches. A large chunk of paneer stays inside those pouches and as a result the pouch always has a fat belly. Unlike my homemade paneer, Amul paneer has a slender, square polished body without any cracks here and there. And when Ma used to cut them with her sharp knife...my god...what beauty they used to become!! Small white squares of creamy heavenly bites. I loved to eat them raw. Just when mother cut them into pieces. Still now I do this thing. After making paneer when I remove the wet cloth from the slump of cottage cheese and prepare to slice them into pieces, I make a small cut for myself. What can I say!!! I love unseasoned paneer too!! This year I thought I would bring two pouches of Amul paneer from Kolkata to Abidjan...but amidst all other things I completely forgot about them.

Shallow fry the pieces of paneer.

Marinate the cubed potatoes with some salt and turmeric powder and shallow fry them until golden.

Marinate the cauliflower florets with salt and turmeric powder.

Shallow fry the cauliflowr florets until golden.

Temper the remaining oil afrter frying the potatoes, cauliflower and paneer with whole garam masalas.

Add the chopped tomatoes to them.

Cook the tomatoes till oil starts to separate and then add the minced ginger. Mix and cook for 1 more minutes. 

Add little water and add the spices. Cook for 2 minutes to ward off their smell.

Add the fried potatoes.

Add fried cauliflower florets, salt, sugar and water. Simmer till all the veggies are cooked and the gravy reaches your desired consistency.

When the potatoes and cauliflower is cooked from inside add the fried paneer pieces and green peas and simmer for 3-4 minutes more.

Taste and adjust the seasonings and put off the flame.

For Ma Paneer had only one use, when she made Niramish Paneerer Torkari. But then she started using paneer to the cauliflower curry as well. And you just need to try them yourself to realize how beautiful this combination can turn out.

Paneer Fulkopir Torkari / Bengali Cauliflower and Cottage Cheese Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower � cut into small florets

2 small potatoes � cut into cubes

A handful of green peas

200 gm cottage cheese / paneer � cut into medium cubes

2 -3 medium tomatoes � chopped

1 inch ginger stick � minced / paste

2-3 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

� cup oil

1 small cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 medium bay leaf

Salt

1 tsp sugar

Method:

Sprinkle some turmeric powder over the cubed potatoes and cauliflower. Rub them well over the cauliflower and potatoes and keep aside.

Heat half of the oil in a pan / kadai and shallow fry the paneer pieces in them. Once done take them out of the pan and keep aside.

In the same oil shallow fry the cubed potatoes and cauliflower until golden. Once done take them off the pan and keep separately.

In the same oil add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamoms and bay leaf.

Saut� for half a minute or until the oil becomes aromatic and then add the chopped tomatoes to them.

Saut� and cook the tomatoes till the tomatoes are cooked and the oil starts to float on top.

Add the ginger paste and mix in.

Next add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Mix them with the cooked tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes to ward off the smell of the spices.

Then add � cup of water and cook the curry through until all the water evaporates and the curry thickens in consistency. Do stir frequently during this time to create a smooth gravy and avoid any kind of burning.

Now add 1 and � cup � 2 cups of water according to your preference of the gravy.

Add salt and sugar.

Then add in the fried potatoes and cauliflower.

Give them a good stir and cover to cook them completely. It will take 6-8 minutes on medium flame as they are already half cooked from frying.

After 6-8 minutes open the cover and see whether the potatoes and cauliflower is cooked from inside. If not keep them cooking till they are done.

After that add the fried paneer pieces and green peas to the curry and mix them in. I have used frozen green peas. If you are using fresh green peas then add them a little earlier as they take a little time to get cooked.

Simmer on low for another 3-5 minutes.

Taste and adjust the seasonings and put off the flame. 

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