RCI Bengal : Round Up Stage 1

Phew….finally the round up is done. Never did I think that I would slog in the blog world and work late into night to meet deadlines which were not even there. Is this why I took up blogging as a hobby, I lament. No I took it to run away from pressure and deadlines of the real world.

But what do I see, there are tough task masters here too and even without the fear of the pink slip dangling over my head I am bowing down to them. Why am I up late into the night, browsing recipes, reading bloggers who have sent me entries and whom I have not yet chanced upon, jumping from their RCI posts to others which catch my fancy, categorizing hoards of recipes, why oh why then ?

And I realize it's for the love all of them have shown in cooking for an event, for their enthusiasm in trying out something new which might not be to their liking, for their courage in buying unknown spices and giving them a place in their comfortable kitchen, for their effort in digging out authentic recipes and reliving memories.

Thank you all my dear friends for all the enthusiasm and the cooking. Thanks to Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine for strating the event RCI (regional Cuisine of india) and letting me host RCI-Bengal. Thanks to Vani and Rajitha for telling me, I could ping them if I needed help with the round up.

Photo Courtesy : flickr

Wiki says, "Bengali cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh". The style of food preparation varies across various regions of Bengal, from the hills in the North to the Plains by the Ganges, from the east Bengal Kitchen to the one in West Bengal.

For a history of Bengali Cuisine please refer to the article "Bengali Cuisine" from Wikipedia , I found the article very interesting and informative. For many of you who might not be aware of the history of Bengali cuisine, the various terms used and its delicate intricacies this article is a treasure. Even for those who are aware of the cuisne this article throws new light about the historical influences etc.

Edited To Add: In lieu of some of the comments etc. I would like to mention that RCI-Bengal was an event where Bloggers cooked and sent their version of recipes of Bengali Food, as they saw it.
Many of them might have adapted the original recipe to suit their taste, preference, local ingredients, whatever. So,this is not necessarily a compilation of authentic or original bengali cooking.



Now without further ado I will let you jump onto the recipes.
This is Part I of the round up with recipes in the following categories Rice, Veggie Side Dish, Dal, Complete Meal, Seafood, Meat and Eggs.
Part II will have Chutney, Dessert, Snacks, Drink and Non-Recipe write ups

Within each category the recipes are ordered in accordance to their arrival order at my Inbox. If I have missed anyone or any details of your recipes, please leave a note.


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RCI-Bengal Round Up -- Part I

The Rice

Bengali Royal Rice (Pushpanna) -- a flavorful Rice Dish from Anu Sriram at Chandrabhaga

Khichudi -- not just rice but a nourishing and tasty mix of rice, dal and veggies, a complete meal if you prefer it that way from SunshineMom at Tongue Ticklers

Bengali Prawn Pulao -- a pulao with rice, moong dal and prawns from DG at DG's blog

Ghee Bhat (Rice with Clarified Butter) -- rice flavored with cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon and ghee from Priyanka at AsanKhana

Bengali Ghee Rice -- one more rice flavored with ghee and spices from Nags at For The Cook In Me

Khichuri -- with a recipe straight from a Bengali friend this comforting medley of rice, lentils and vegetables is from Nupur at One Hot Stove

Khichuri -- a new take on the authentic Khichuri with a very different spice mix from Trupti at Recipe Center

The Veggie Side Dishes

Aloo Posto -- a simple yet bengali household favorite from Gaurav at Gastronome By Choice


Veg Chop Inspired Sabji -- inspired by the delicious Vegetable chop this novel sabji follows the same recipe that goes in making the stuffing for the chop, from Gauri at Guj Food Guide


Alur Dom -- her grandmom made a mean alur dom which was spicy and red hot, recreated for us by Mandira at Ahaar

Paneer and potatoes with panch phoron -- flavored with ground panch-phoron powder this unique new dish is from Linda at Out of The Garden

Begun Bhaja -- a Bengali hot favorite flavored with spices from Trupti at Recipe Central


Saak er Ghonto with Bori -- a very authentic recipe of greens with other veggies and boris made at home from MS at Food Travails


BandhaKopir Ghonto -- another authentic veggie dish of cabbage, potatoes and peas along with a vivid write up from Vineela of Vineela's Cuisine


Dhokaar dalna -- with another recipe from her Bong friend, this delicious & very traditional Bengali dish described as pieces of fried chana dal burfis in a delicious gravy, is from Nupur at One Hot Stove

Dum Aloo -- spicy aloo dum from Divya Vikram at Dil Se


Shukto -- a non-traditional adapted version of Shukto with her own distinct touch of coconut milk from Bhagyashree at Taste Buds.

The Dal


Chollar Dal -- the delicious chana dal garnished with cocnut pieces and cooked the authentic Bengali way is from HomeCooked at HomeCooked


Bengali Dal -- one more tasty take on dal with bengal gram from EasyCrafts at Simple Indian Food


West Bengali Mung Bean and Tomato Soup -- a mung bean and tomato dal with a perfect balance of flavours and fragrances from Lisa at Lisa's Kitchen

Vegetable Dal With Panch Phoron -- a unique & tasty dal flavored with Paanch Phoron from Zlamushka at Zlamushka's Kitchen

Tetor Dal -- a Dal with bitter gourd and yet not bitter from the ever creative Pooja at My Creative Ideas & An attempt to spread love by cooking

Bengali Red Dal -- a gorgeous dal from Maninas at Maninas: Food Matters

Cholar dal -- one more glamorous chana dal from Bhawana at Tastes of India


The Complete Meals



A Delicious Bengali Spread -- ... and this includes delicious Alu-Potoler Dalna (Potato Parwal gravy), Maacher Sorse Jhol (Fish in Mustard gravy), Ghee Bhat (sweetish Bengali rice Pulao), Porota (Flatbread), Lankar Achar (Green chillies pickle)and Patishapta (sweet flour crepe with sweet aromatic coconut filling and topped with Saffron cream). All this from none other than Asha at Foodies Hope


Saffron Rice and Bengali Egg Curry -- a spicy Egg Curry served with Saffron Rice from Namratha at Finger Licking Food

Phulko Luchi ar Aloor Dom with Misti Doi -- puffed up luchis served with spicy alur dom and sweet mishti doi from Srivalli at Cooking 4 all Seasons


Musuri Dal and Alu Posto with Bittergourd Bhaja -- a very comforting and everyday meal in a Bengali Home from Srivalli at Cooking 4 all Seasons


Narkol Bhath and Palang Saag Curry -- rice flavored with coconut and her own spinach creation with Paanch Phoron is from Vani at Mysoorean


Piaj koli, alu piaj tomatar tarkari and Masoor Dal -- a very delightful and homely bengali meal of Masoor Dal with a sabzi of scallions, potatoes and tomato from Nandita at Saffron Trail

Rui aaloo phulkopi,Moog dal served with Rice and Nikhuti Payesh -- Rui aloo phulkopi(carp fish cooked with cauliflower potao and peas),Moog Dal(split green gram cooked and tempered with cumin,bayleaf and red chillies) and Nikhuti Payesh(Cottage cheese Oblongs deep fried and served dipped in flavoured condensed milk) along with some beautiful write up from Saswati at Potpourri


The Egg

Egg Malai Curry -- a very novel & fusion Bengali recipe in the lines of prawn malai curry from Sra at When My Soup Came Alive


The SeaFood


Topshe Macher Bhaja (Fish Fry) -- a favorite in a wedding feast, this delicious batter dipped fry is from Jayashree at Spice and Curry

Doi Maach -- another fish delicacy from Dee and Chai at Two Sisters and Their Culinary Journey


Sorso Bhaate Maach(Fish in Mustard Gravy) -- a delicious fish dish in mustard, poppy seeds and coconut paste from My Comfort Food at My Comfort Food Network


Narkel Chingri -- a very tasty shrimp dish in coconut and mustard paste from Meera at Enjoy Indian Food


Fiery Hot Crab Curry -- this absolutely mouth watering and indeed fiery crab curry made for her family is from Arundhati at Bong Working Mom


Chitol muithas -- a very intricate and immensely delicious recipe made with a fresh water fish called Chitol from Mallika aka Eve's Lungs of The Wok of Life


Doi Maach -- delicious looking yogurt based fish curry from Mallika at Quick Indian Cooking

Maach Charchari -- a dry fish dish with potatoes and eggplants from Sandeepa of Bong Mom's CookBook

Alu-Kopi diye Macher Jhol -- a simple and light fish curry with potatoes and cauliflowers from Sandeepa of Bong Mom's CookBook


The Meat

Country Captain and Khichuri -- an Anglo-Indian chicken dish which originated in Calcutta and has stayed there is served with nourishing Khichuri by Maya at Konkan World

Mutton Rezzala -- a delicious and decadent meat dish from SJ of A Pinch of Spice

Murg Kalia -- a fiery looking chicken dish which she claims is easy-breezy from Sig at Live To Eat

CLICK: Che Guava

Hot summer afternoon
Shutters down tight, the fan whirring trying to stir the hot air around
The house silent, everyone is taking a siesta
The young girl, slowly creeps out into the backyard, her anklets making that faint tinkle
She looks up shading her eyes, the hot afternoon sun catching her jhumkas
She looks at the green above, hitches up her skirt and deftly climbs the tree
The green guavas wait for her touch
She plucks the ones that are smooth, green and not ripe yet, caresses them and takes a bite.
The sweetness fills her mouth but no she wants something more
She brings out rock salt and red chilli powder wrapped in a paper from her skirt’s waistband, dips the guavas in it and takes another bite.
Ahhhhhhh, this is bliss, the sweetness balanced with the sharp, hot and salty

Guavas my entry for CLICK : Au Naturel hosted at Jugalbandi to celebrate abundance and elegance in the produce aisle

As we celebrate nature's abundance let us be thankful for the food we bring to the table for the family in the face of the rising grain prices and food shortages. Learn to honor, respect and celebrate food.

CatFish er Maach Charchari

My love affair with fish started when we moved to this small township on the banks of the river Ganga sometimes in between my tween & teen years.

A small quiet town, far from the trappings of the city, still untouched by the glamorous modern world, peaceful and serene it was. Life was slow, mornings were not merely a time to just gulp coffee and rush, people had enough time in their hands to stop by for a quick chat on their morning market routine. Grocery was not just relegated to weekends, fresh veggies and fish were brought home every morning from the haat or local market, a place whose sole purpose was not just to sell but also build a community.

A little later in the day when the sun was high and the day had fallen into its pace to be broken only by the calls of the ghughoo (a kind of bird) in the mango tree, the odd fisherman with gleaming silver in his basket would do the rounds to sell his remaining catch. My Ma if not satisfied with the morning haul would call him over and haggle over the tangra, mourala or whatever he had on the front verandah. After much amiable chit-chat both woud be happy and the househelp would be called to settle down with the “boti” and fish in the back yard.
So most days, there would be at least two kinds of fish being cooked for lunch or dinner.

During the rainy season, when the river ran high, the house help’s little boy who would spend most evenings at our home under my Ma’s tutelage, would spend his afternoons at the river catching fish with his gamcha (a thin cotton towel) instead of breaking head over his fractions or algebra. His extra catch, mostly shrimp aka kucho chingri or small fish like khoira, punti would find home in Ma’s kitchen. They would be fried crisp and had with dal or a spicy dry dish made of them.

Eating so many varieties of fresh fish in all sorts of jhol, jhaal , charchari and what not every day, I fell in love with fish. I also fell in love with the small town which we had to leave eventually but my love for such small towns remain and I never feel at home in a big city.

The macher charchari is originally done with fish like tangra (smaller variety), mourala or other such small fish which are eaten whole with their head and tail on. When I can’t make myself to eat baked cat fish fillet any more, I fry the fillet and make a similar charchari with it. Tastes nowhere near but you got to compromise. On the rare occasions that I get good tangra from the Bangladeshi fish seller, I have a feast.
You can also try this with shrimp if you do not eat any of the above fish


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CatFish er Mach Charchari

What You Need

Cat Fish Fillet ~ I had about ½ lb. You can use fish like smaller variety of tangra, mourala etc. If you get cat fish nuggets you can use that instead of the fillet too.

Onion ~ ½ of a medium red one chopped fine and small
Garlic ~ ½ tsp of finely chopped garlic. Me not being a big garlic lover, I use even less than this
Ginger ~ 3/4” grated fresh

Potatoes ~ 2 small sized or 1 medium chopped longitudinally. (by small I don't mean the baby potatoes)
Eggplant ~ about 2 cups of cubed eggplants
Green Chillies ~ 4-5 slit. Get the hot Indian chillies and not the ones with a flat taste. If you don't get these use red chilli powder

For tempering

Panch Phoran ~ 1 tsp lightly packed
Dried Red Chillies ~ 2-3

Turmeric ~ ½ tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder ~ 1/4 tsp(optional)
Salt
Mustard Oil ~ DO NOT scrimp on oil, more the merrier

How I Did It

Wash & Cut the cat fish fillet in small bite size pieces. Mix with a little sprinkle of turmeric & salt and keep aside

Lightly fry the fish pieces till they are golden brown. For cat fish you need not deep fry but for other fish you need to deep fry. Remove and keep aside

Fry the potato pieces with a little turmeric till they are a light golden yellow in color. Remove and keep aside.

Temper the hot oil with panch-phoran, red chillies and garlic

Add the chopped onion and green chillies and fry till the onion is soft, and translucent

Add the cubed eggplants, add about ¼ tsp of turmeric and fry the eggplant.

When the eggplant turns a little soft add the potatoes. Saute with a little sprinkle of water.

Add salt, grated ginger and mix well. If you want extra hot add red chilli powder according to taste. Add about 1/4 tsp of dry roasted Cumin Powder. This is optional but lends a good taste.You may need to add very little water at this point. Cover and cook with intermittent stirring till the veggies are cooked. The eggplant will be very soft, tending towards mushy and the potatoes cooked by now.

Add the fish pieces and fry for couple more minutes. Add a little mustard oil at this point and give it a good stir

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves if the fish smell bothers you

Serve with steaming hot rice yet again



This is my second entry for RCI-Bengal