Bhaja Mug Dal Diye Mach / Moong Dal Fish Curry

As much as I used to hate moong dal, I started loving them as soon as I discovered their beautiful nutty flavour and their potency to adapt with almost anything. It�s absolutely stunning. Even when you are not dry roasting them it gives a very earthy, raw yet subtle taste and flavour to the Dal.

 Just a little tempering with Bengali five spices and with an end note of a spoonful of butter �kancha muger dal� has become my go to dal recipe. You can never go wrong with it and its light texture makes it perfect for any day. But, dry roasted moong dal is different. Its nutty flavour developed from dry roasting makes that shy yellow lentil a dashing diva who flaunts her beauty seamlessly and shamelessly in every grand Bengali occasion.

Fry the marinated fish until golden.

Temper the reamining oil with whole garam masalas.

Add onions and cook until lightly golden.

Then add the minced ginger. garlic and chilli.

Cook until onions turn golden brown.

Pour the cooked dal and add the turmeric powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Add water (if required), fish and simmer for 10 minutes and then wait for the dal to thicken.

Finish off with garam masala powder and ghee.

Cooking Bhaja Muger Dal with fresh seasonal vegetables is always visually as well as soulfully pleasing, but it�s not the vegetables that had made us to look upon the moong dal the way we see it now...it�s the fish heads. And it�s needless to say that almost every Bengali loves this dish. But recently I read a recipe where the fishes were cooked with the lentils...and trust me...its beautiful. It�s like a very Bengali version of Daal Gosht...where we cook the fishes with moong dal, and I am loving it!!

Bhaja Mug Dal Diye Mach / Moong Dal Fish Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

� th cup of moong dal

4 thick pieces of fish

1 medium onion � chopped

4-5 fat cloves of garlic � minced

1 inch stick of ginger � minced

2 green chillies � minced

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 medium cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp ghee

Salt

Method:

Wash the moong dal and drain the water. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Then dry roast the moong dal on medium flame on a skillet or kadai until the lentils start to turn brown and you start to get a nutty flavour. Stir them continuously while dry roasting or else they will turn black and will taste bitter. It means your moong dals are already prepped, so now put off the flame and pour the dry roasted moong dal in a pressure cooker.

Add in 2 and � cups of water, salt, a little turmeric powder and cook the lentils on pressure until the cooker blows 4-6 whistles. Let the steam escape and then open the cover. Pour the cooked dal in a bowl and keep aside.

Marinate the fishes with turmeric powder and salt and keep aside for 12-15minutes.

In a kadai heat the oil and fry the fishes in them until they become lightly golden from outside. When done, take them out of the kadai and keep aside.

Temper the rest of the oil with cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaf.

Saut� them for half a minute to make the oil aromatic and then add the chopped onions into them.

Sprinkle some salt and sugar and cook the onions till they are lightly golden.

Now add the minced ginger, garlic and chilli and saut� the mixture for 2 minutes more or until the raw flavour of the garlic is gone.

Now pour in the cooked dal into the kadai and mix everything well.

If you feel the dal is too thick then add some water to make a thinner consistency.

Now add the cumin powder, coriander powder and mix them well with the dal.

Let the dal come to a boil and then add in the fried fishes to them.

Put cover and boil the dal for about 10 minutes more.

After 10 minutes open the cover and simmer the dal until it reaches your desired consistency.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

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

Give them a good stir and serve hot with plain hot rice.

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Kancha Aamer Tok Dal / Aam Dal / Green Mango Dal

In our home Tok Dal is always prepared with raw green mangoes. Although there are recipes to make this dal with tamarind pulp as well, the flavour imparted from mangoes can never be compared with tamarind. Both of them are different, and whereas the tamarind pulp only gives sour taste, green mangoes give Tok Dal a pungent aroma to go with. So, Tok Dal in our home is a very summer thing. The heat, the sweat and the unbearable rising temperature makes this Aam Dal much more appetizing and refreshing.

I like this particular lentil recipe a little on the sweeter side so I add a generous amount of sugar to balance out the sourness....but touch wood, some people really like their dal totally sour. My mother used to cook like that, and on that day I used to sit with the jar on of sugar and adjusted it accordingly.

Rub turmeric powder over the mango pieces.

Heat oil and temper it with panch foron / bengali five spices.

Add dry red chillies and saute for some seconds.

Next add the raw mangoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they turn a little soft.

Finally add the cooked dal, water, sugar(as per taste) and simmer until the desired consistency is achieved.

As per the Tok Dal, the lighter the other side dishes, the better the meal will be. So stick to a fluffy crispy potato fry and the your meal is ready!!!!

Kancha Amer Tok Dal / Aam Dal / Green Mango Dal

Makes enough for 4-6 people

Ingredients:

1 large / 2 medium green mango

� cup of masoor dal / husked red lentils

� tsp panch foron / Bengali five spices

2 dry red chillies

2 tsp turmeric powder

Sugar � as per taste

Salt

1 tbsp oil

Method:

Cook the masoor dal in a pressure cooker with some salt, water and 1 tsp turmeric powder. Cook the lentils until the cooker blows 4-5 whistles. Let it sit like that until the steam escapes and then open the lid. Pour the dal in a bowl and keep aside.

Cut the green mangoes in medium cubes.  You can peel the skin or you can keep them. If you are keeping the skin wash the mangoes really well before you actually use them for cooking.

Then cut them into nice medium cubes and sprinkle the rest of the turmeric powder over them. Rub them nicely with the turmeric powder to ensure even coating.

Heat the oil in a kadai and temper it with panch foron / Bengali five spices and dry red chillies.

As the spices start to crackle and sizzle add the cubed green mangoes to them.

Stir and cook the mangoes for 2-3 minutes or until they start to soften up.

Now pour in the boiled lentils and mix everything.

Add water as per your desired consistency. Traditionally Aam Dal has a very thin almost a broth like consistency. But you can make it a little thicker than that. Since it already has this very sour green raw mangoes, the thin consistency gives this dal a much light texture and flavour.

Add sugar as per your taste. You can keep the dal really sour or adjust the sugar and salt to balance it out a little to give it a sweet and sour taste. It�s definitely up to you. What I do is I taste and adjust the sugar and salt. When I feel the taste is just fine according to my taste buds, I stop.

So, when you feel the taste and consistency is perfect, put off the flame.

Serve hot with plain hot rice and some crispy fine potato fries. 

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Crab Curry Maharashtrian Style

Bengali style crab curry is always a hit in my house. Koshano is the real deal in that recipe. If you are good at that, you have almost mastered the art of Bengali cooking already. �Koshano� / simmering on slow flame, of course, irrespective of ingredients gives any dish the richness and spice, it requires to be a real delish affair. But I make Kakrar Jhal everytime we buy crabs...and since that recipe is a keeper (i.e. we realy like that curry the way it is prepared in our family), this time I decided to go for a change. And the result of that decision is this beautiful Maharashtrian Style Crab Curry.

This recipe includes coconut, which is a staple if you look at most of the Marathi recipes, but that in no way hinders the delectable taste of the crabs. The curry itself is very aromatic and tasty...and since ingredient wise the only difference is the addition of scraped coconut, this one is surely going to repeat itself in my kitchen soon.

Heat oil and add feneel seeds and cumin seeds.

Then add the sliced onions.

Next add the garlic, ginger, dry red chillies, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, hopped green chillies and chopped coriander leaves. 

Saute them until the onions are golden.

Next add the scraped coconut and fry them until the coconut starts to brown. After that them out of the pan and grind into a fine paste.

In a separate kadai heat oil and add chopped onions. Saute them until golden.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some salt over them.

Cook the tomatoes until they become completely mushy and the oil starts to separate.

Next add in the prepared masala paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.

Mix the spices and cook them for 2 minutes on low flame. To prevent the spices from burning you can add a little water to them.

Next add the crabs and water. Simmer until the curry thickens and the crabs get cooked from inside. Finish off with garam masala powder and chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Poila Boisakh is just round the corner, and although Kosha Mangsho is a staple on that day in most of the households, you can always take your chance with Crab also. Also, since, crabs get cooked in a jiffy; this delicious crab curry can be your pick if you want to stay ahead of time!!

Crab Curry with Coconut

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

6 medium crabs (cleaned and halved)

2 medium onions � chopped

2 medium tomatoes � chopped

5-6 fat garlic cloves � paste

1 inch stick of ginger � paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2-3 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

A handful of fresh coriander leaves � chopped

Salt

� cup oil

For the Masala / Spice Paste:

1 medium onion � sliced

4 fat cloves of garlic � roughly chopped

1 inch stick of ginger � roughly chopped

4 green chillies

3 tbsp scraped coconut

2 dry red chillies

1 small cinnamon stick

2 green cardamoms

2 cloves

1 small bay leaf

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

A handful of fresh coriander leaves � chopped

Method:

In a skillet heat 1 tbsp oil and add in the fennel seeds and cumin seeds.

As they start to sizzle add in the whole garam masalas, dry red chillies, curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves, sliced onions and roughly chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies.

Saut� and cook them until the onions are nicely golden brown.

Now add in the scraped coconut.

Continuously stir and cook the coconut until it turns into a light brownish colour.

Now put off the flame and pour in this entire thing into a grinder.

Let it cool down a bit and grind into a smooth paste.

Keep aside.

In a kadai heat the rest of the oil and add in the chopped onions.

Cook the onions till they become nicely golden brown.

Now add the chopped tomatoes.

Sprinkle some salt over them and give them a good stir incorporate everything.

Then cook the tomatoes until they become all mushy and the oil starts to separate.

At this point add in the prepared masala / spice paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.

Pour in � th cup of water into the kadai and mix well.

Simmer on medium flame for 2 minutes or until the spices are well cooked and the oil has started separate.

Now pour in another 2-3 cups of water.

Adjust the salt and add in the crabs.

Give them a good stir to coat the crabs well with the curry and then put cover.

Cook covered for 7-10 minutes on medium flame.

Then open the lid and cook uncovered until the crabs are well cooked and the curry has thickened.

Finally sprinkle some garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves over the curry and put off the flame.

Serve immediately with plain hot rice.

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Macher Dopeyaja / Bengali Fish Dopiyaza

I was going through Bangladeshi Fish recipes, and there was a whole list going on with Hilsa there. It was like it�s never going to end. Its like they have this really a thing for Hilsa...well I can�t blame them either. And while there is a whole lot of fight over the Bagda Chingri and Padmar Ilish...I am more of a neutral, I play safe. I like both of them, and needless to say I devour them.

But seriously, with that long list whish had Sada Ilish, Nona Ilish, Jhuro Ilish and what not...the list was ridiculing me just by staring at me. Coz, of course...I have never heard of the names of most of those Hilsa recipes. And although I really wanted to have a taste of Nona Ilish, the opportunity never came through!! I don�t even know if any restaurants serve them in Kolkata.

Heat the oil and add half of the onions and cook until lightly golden. In a separate pan fry the rest of the onion until golden brown and keep aside,

In a bowl mix in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander powder with some water to prepare a smooth paste.

As soon as the onions caramelize pour in the spice mix with the chilli-ginger-garlic paste.

Cook the spices until the oil separates.

Now add the pices of fish.

Mix the fishes well with the curry. Cook them for 4-5 minutes then carefully turn over to cook the other sides. Cook the other side for 3-4 minutes, Then add some water and put cover. Cook on low flame till the fish is nicely cooked from inside and the curry thickens with the oil floating on top. Finsih off with the rest of the fried onions and chopped coriander leaves.

So you see, there was this recipe called Ilish Macher Dopiyaza and immediately I sat straight. Yes...that�s a recipe I can obviously give a try. Actually you can use any fish you want. But it�s more popular with shol fish, tilapia, rui / rohu and hilsa. The recipe called for cubed fishes, but you can use normal pieces as well...just be careful not break them into pieces while cooking. Otherwise, it�s a lovely fish recipe. One that gives me almost no stress and I can actually cook it for my guests. It�s rich, flavourful and easy-peasy!!! Perfect...if you are the host!! J

Macher Dopeyaja / Dopiyaza

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 pieces of fish

4 medium onions � thickly sliced

6 fat cloves of garlic � paste

1 and � inch stick of ginger � paste

3-4 green chillies - paste 

2 tsp turmeric powder

3-4 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

1 and � tsp coriander powder

A handful of fresh coriander leaves � chopped

� cup mustard oil

Salt

A pinch of sugar

Method:

Keep 2 tbsp oil aside. Heat the remaining oil in a kadai and add in half of the sliced onions.

Sprinkle some salt and sugar over them. Stir and cook the onions till they become lightly brown.

In the meantime, in a cup take � th cup of water and mix the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander powder.

Mix them well and prepare a thick paste.

As soon as the onions are lightly caramelized, pour in this spice mixture.

Also add in the ginger � garlic paste.

Saut� and cook till the spices and the ginger � garlic pastes are nicely cooked and you start to get a nice aroma. It will take around 2-3 minutes. Not more than that.

When the oil starts to separate add in the pieces of fish into the kadai and mix them well with the curry.

After 4-5 minutes, carefully turn over the fish.

Cook that side of the fish for 2-3 minutes.

Now pour in � th cup of water and put cover. Check every 2 minutes so that the fishes don�t stick to the bottom of the pan. If required add more water to the curry, but not too much.

In a separate pan heat the rest of the oil and fry the rest of the onions until golden brown. Once done, keep aside.

Cook in this way until the fish is properly cooked, and the curry has thicken with the oil floating on top of the curry.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Finish off with the fried golden � brown onions and a handful of the fresh coriander leaves.

Mix well and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Serve hot with plain hot rice / chapatti / paratha.

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