RAG Demo

Category: Food

  • Pakhala Bhata

    Pakhala bhata is cooked rice soaked in water, sometimes left overnight to ferment lightly, and it is the food Odisha turns to in the blistering summer. The state even celebrates Pakhala Dibasa on 20 March. Farm workers ate it for centuries because it keeps the body hydrated and cool, and it is offered at the Jagannath temple too.

    There are several styles: jeera pakhala with roasted cumin, dahi pakhala with curd and a tempering, and basi pakhala that has fermented overnight and turned pleasantly sour. The rice itself is bland, so it is eaten with strongly flavoured sides – fried fish, badi chura (crushed lentil dumplings with onion and mustard oil), aloo bharta and saga bhaja.

    At a glance

    RegionOdisha
    CuisineOdia
    DietVegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time5 minutes
    Total time15 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientscooked rice / curd / curry leaves / ginger

    Ingredients

    For the rice

    • 2 cups cooked rice, cooled
    • 3 cups water, at room temperature or chilled
    • 1/2 cup plain curd, whisked
    • 1 tsp grated ginger
    • 1 green chilli, finely chopped
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp chopped coriander
    • A few mint leaves (optional)

    For the tempering

    • 1 tsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 dry red chilli
    • 8-10 curry leaves

    Method

    1. For basi pakhala, put the cooked rice in a clay or steel pot, cover with water and leave overnight at room temperature. For instant pakhala, simply soak the cooled rice in water for 1-2 hours.
    2. Gently break up any lumps of rice with your fingers so the grains float loosely in the water.
    3. Whisk the curd with salt, ginger and green chilli and stir it into the rice and water.
    4. Heat the mustard oil in a small pan until it smokes, then lower the heat. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, then cumin, red chilli and curry leaves. Fry for 10 seconds.
    5. Pour the tempering over the rice and stir. Add coriander and torn mint leaves.
    6. Rest for 10 minutes so the flavours mingle, then serve in bowls with plenty of the water.

    Tips

    • Overnight fermentation in hot weather can go too sour; in peak summer 6-8 hours is enough.
    • Use a starchy local rice rather than basmati – the grains soften and give the water body.
    • Serve with a squeeze of lime and raw onion if you skip the curd.

    Serve with

    Fried fish or badi chura, aloo bharta and a slice of raw onion.

  • Shukto

    Shukto is the opening course of a traditional Bengali lunch, served with the first mouthfuls of rice to stimulate the appetite and, by old belief, cleanse the palate. It shows up at weddings, at shraddha meals and on summer afternoons, when its bitterness is thought to cool the body. Every family has its own mix of vegetables and its own balance of bitter and sweet.

    The taste is subtle rather than harsh. Bitter gourd sets the tone, while raw banana, sweet potato, drumsticks, brinjal and broad beans add softness and sweetness. The sauce is thickened with a little mustard and poppy seed paste and finished with milk and ghee, and the tempering of radhuni or panch phoron gives it a distinct aroma. Bori, sun-dried lentil dumplings, add crunch.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbitter gourd / raw banana / sweet potato / drumstick / milk

    Ingredients

    Vegetables

    • 1 small bitter gourd, thinly sliced into rounds
    • 1 raw banana, peeled and cut into batons
    • 1 small sweet potato, cut into batons
    • 1 drumstick, cut into 7 cm pieces
    • 1 small brinjal, cut into batons
    • 8-10 broad beans (sheem), stringed
    • 1/2 cup bori (dried lentil dumplings)

    For the paste and sauce

    • 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
    • 1 tbsp poppy seeds
    • 1 inch ginger
    • 3 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp panch phoron or 1/2 tsp radhuni
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Soak the mustard and poppy seeds in warm water for 20 minutes, then grind with the ginger and a pinch of salt into a smooth paste.
    2. Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the bori for 1-2 minutes until golden and remove. In the same oil fry the bitter gourd slices for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned; remove and keep aside.
    3. Add the ghee to the pan, then the panch phoron and bay leaves. Let them crackle for 15 seconds.
    4. Add the raw banana, sweet potato, drumstick, brinjal and beans. Stir-fry on medium heat for 5 minutes until the edges lightly colour.
    5. Add salt and 1 cup water. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still hold their shape.
    6. Stir in the mustard-poppy paste, sugar and the fried bitter gourd and bori. Simmer for 3 minutes on low heat.
    7. Pour in the milk and stir gently. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce is creamy and lightly thickened, then finish with a spoon of ghee.

    Tips

    • Fry the bitter gourd separately and add it at the end so its bitterness stays in check and does not overwhelm the stew.
    • Stir gently with a flat spatula; the vegetables should stay in distinct pieces, not turn mushy.
    • Radhuni (wild celery seed) gives the most authentic aroma; if unavailable, a pinch of ajwain can stand in.

    Serve with

    The first course of rice at a Bengali lunch, followed by dal and fish.

  • Rasgulla

    Rasgulla is the sweet most associated with Bengal, and Kolkata confectioner Nobin Chandra Das is credited with creating the spongy version in 1868 in Bagbazar. Odisha has its own older tradition of rasagola linked to the Jagannath temple in Puri, and both states received GI tags for their versions. The Bengali style is whiter, springier and soaked in a thin syrup.

    A good rasgulla squeezes like a sponge and springs back, releasing syrup with every bite. The whole secret lies in the chhena: it must be made from full-cream cow milk, drained but still moist, and kneaded until perfectly smooth so the balls do not crack in the boiling syrup. They are served chilled or at room temperature, often in an earthen bhaar.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / lemon juice

    Ingredients

    For the chhena

    • 1 litre full-cream cow milk
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp water
    • 2 cups ice-cold water

    For the syrup

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 4 cups water
    • 2 green cardamoms, lightly crushed (optional)
    • 1 tsp rose water (optional)

    Method

    1. Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy pan. Turn off the heat, wait 1 minute, then add the diluted lemon juice a spoon at a time, stirring gently, until the milk splits into white curds and clear greenish whey.
    2. Immediately add the ice-cold water to stop the curds cooking further. Pour through a muslin cloth, rinse under running water to remove the lemon taste, and squeeze lightly.
    3. Hang the chhena for 30-40 minutes so it is drained but still moist; it should hold together when pressed but not drip water.
    4. Transfer to a plate and knead with the heel of your palm for 8-10 minutes until completely smooth and your palm feels slightly greasy. Divide into 12-14 small balls, rolling each between your palms until there are no cracks.
    5. In a wide pressure cooker or deep pan, boil the sugar and water with the cardamom on high heat until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is rolling.
    6. Drop the balls into the boiling syrup. Cover and cook on high heat for 15 minutes in an open pan, or for 1 whistle and 5 minutes on low in a pressure cooker. The balls will double in size.
    7. Turn off the heat. If using an open pan, sprinkle a few spoons of cold water over the syrup after the first 5 minutes of boiling to keep it thin. Let the rasgullas cool in the syrup, add rose water, and chill for at least 4 hours.

    Tips

    • If the balls crack in the syrup, the chhena was either too dry or not kneaded enough; if they dissolve, it was too wet.
    • The syrup must stay thin and at a rolling boil the entire time – thick syrup gives hard, chewy rasgullas.
    • Use cow milk; buffalo milk chhena is fattier and makes denser, less spongy balls.

    Serve with

    Chilled, two to a bowl with a little syrup, at the end of a meal.

  • Mishti Doi

    Mishti doi, literally sweet curd, is set in unglazed clay pots that absorb excess moisture and give the curd its dense, almost fudgy texture. Bengal's sweet-shop culture made it a fixture at weddings, annaprashan ceremonies and Sunday lunches, and the versions from Nabadwip in Nadia district and from Bogra in present-day Bangladesh are especially famous.

    The milk is reduced until thick, and sugar or nolen gur (date palm jaggery) is caramelised before it goes in, which gives the curd its pale brown colour and deep, toffee-like sweetness. It should be thick enough to cut with a spoon, sweet with only a gentle tang at the end. In winter many families make it with nolen gur instead of sugar.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / curd

    Ingredients

    • 1 litre full-fat milk
    • 1/2 cup sugar (or 100 g nolen gur in winter)
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 3 tbsp thick plain curd, at room temperature, as starter
    • Earthen pots or a clay handi

    Method

    1. Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and simmer on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides, until it reduces to about two-thirds.
    2. Meanwhile, put 1/4 cup of the sugar with 2 tbsp water in a small pan on medium heat. Do not stir; swirl the pan until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber, about 4-5 minutes.
    3. Lower the heat and carefully pour a ladle of the hot milk into the caramel – it will splutter. Stir until the caramel dissolves, then pour this back into the reduced milk with the remaining sugar. Stir until fully dissolved.
    4. Let the milk cool until it feels comfortably warm when you dip a finger in, around 40-45 C.
    5. Whisk the starter curd smooth in a bowl, add a ladle of the warm milk, mix, then stir it into the rest of the milk.
    6. Pour into earthen pots, cover with a plate, and leave in a warm, undisturbed place (an off oven with the light on works) for 7-8 hours until set firm.
    7. Once set, refrigerate for at least 3 hours. It will firm up further and taste less tangy when chilled.

    Tips

    • Soak new clay pots in water for an hour and dry them before use, or they will smell of raw clay.
    • If using nolen gur, add it only after the milk has cooled slightly, or the jaggery can curdle the milk.
    • A deeper caramel gives more colour and a slightly bitter edge; stop at amber if you prefer it mellow.

    Serve with

    Chilled, straight from the clay pot, after a festive meal.

  • Sandesh

    Sandesh is the most refined of the Bengali chhena sweets and comes in dozens of styles, from the soft 'naram pak' to the firmer 'kora pak', and from plain cardamom to nolen gur, mango or chocolate versions. Kolkata institutions such as Bhim Chandra Nag and Balaram Mullick built their names on it, and carved wooden moulds shaped like shells, fish and flowers are part of its charm.

    Unlike rasgulla, sandesh is not cooked in syrup. Fresh chhena is kneaded with sugar and cooked very briefly in a pan until it forms a smooth dough that leaves the sides. Too little cooking and it will not set, too much and it turns grainy. The homemade naram pak version below is soft, melts in the mouth and tastes clearly of fresh milk.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time40 minutes
    Cook time10 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmilk / sugar / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 litre full-cream cow milk
    • 2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 2 tbsp water
    • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (about 50 g)
    • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tsp warm milk (optional)
    • 8-10 pistachios, slivered

    Method

    1. Boil the milk, turn off the heat, and after a minute add the diluted lemon juice slowly while stirring until the milk curdles completely into chhena and greenish whey.
    2. Strain through muslin, rinse with cold water, and squeeze gently. Hang for 20-30 minutes until most of the water has drained but the chhena is still soft.
    3. Knead the chhena on a plate with the heel of your palm for 5 minutes until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and knead for another 2 minutes.
    4. Transfer to a non-stick pan on the lowest heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, for 5-7 minutes. The mixture will loosen first as the sugar melts, then dry out.
    5. Stop as soon as it starts to come together as a soft mass and leaves the sides of the pan. Do not let it brown.
    6. Transfer to a plate, add cardamom powder and saffron, and knead lightly once it is cool enough to handle, about 2 minutes, until smooth.
    7. Divide into 12 portions and shape into discs, or press into sandesh moulds. Top with slivered pistachio and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Overcooking is the most common mistake – take the pan off the heat while the mixture still looks a little moist; it firms up as it cools.
    • For nolen gurer sandesh, replace the sugar with an equal weight of grated nolen gur and cook a minute longer.
    • Keep sandesh refrigerated and eat within two days; it is best on the day it is made.

    Serve with

    On its own with tea, or as part of a mishti platter after lunch.

  • Luchi with Cholar Dal

    Luchi with cholar dal is the breakfast of Bengali festivals: Durga Puja mornings, Saraswati Puja, weddings and lazy Sundays. Luchi differs from a north Indian puri in being made with maida instead of wheat flour, and it should puff up into a pale, almost white ball rather than turning golden.

    Cholar dal is chana dal cooked until soft yet whole, then tempered in ghee with whole spices, bay leaves and slivers of fried coconut. A little sugar and a handful of raisins make it gently sweet, which is the Bengali style. Torn luchi scooping up thick, fragrant dal, perhaps with alur dom on the side, is a combination most Bengalis grow up waiting for.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time45 minutes
    Total time75 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / chana dal / coconut / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the cholar dal

    • 1 cup chana dal, soaked for 2 hours
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 3 cups water
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1/4 cup fresh coconut, cut into small cubes
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 green cardamoms
    • 3 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 1 tsp grated ginger
    • 1 tbsp raisins
    • 1 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • Salt to taste

    For the luchi

    • 2 cups maida (about 250 g)
    • 2 tbsp ghee or oil
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup water, approximately
    • Oil for deep frying

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked chana dal with turmeric, salt and 3 cups water for 2 whistles on medium heat. The dal should be soft but each grain should hold its shape.
    2. Heat the ghee in a pan and fry the coconut cubes on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove and keep aside.
    3. In the same ghee add cumin, dry red chillies, bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Once they crackle, add the ginger and fry for 30 seconds.
    4. Pour in the cooked dal, add sugar, raisins and the fried coconut. Simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Finish with garam masala.
    5. For the luchi, rub the ghee into the maida and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add water a little at a time and knead to a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
    6. Divide into 16 small balls. Smear each with a drop of oil and roll into a 10 cm circle of even thickness; do not dust with flour, which burns in the oil.
    7. Heat oil in a kadhai until a small piece of dough rises immediately. Slide in one luchi, press it gently with a slotted spoon, and it should puff within seconds. Flip after 10 seconds and remove while still pale. Fry all and serve hot with the dal.

    Tips

    • Uneven rolling stops luchis puffing – roll from the centre outwards with light pressure, turning the disc as you go.
    • Do not overcook the chana dal; mushy dal loses the texture that makes cholar dal special.
    • Keep the oil hot but not smoking; luchis should stay white, not brown.

    Serve with

    Alur dom or begun bhaja on the side, followed by a sandesh.

  • Shorshe Ilish

    Shorshe ilish is the dish that marks the monsoon in Bengal, when hilsa swim up the Padma and the Ganga to spawn and the fish markets of Kolkata fill with silver. Bengalis argue endlessly over Padma versus Ganga hilsa, but agree that the fish needs very little help: freshly ground mustard, green chillies, turmeric and a generous slick of raw mustard oil.

    The flavour is bold and nose-tingling. Black and yellow mustard seeds are ground with a pinch of salt and a green chilli so the paste does not turn bitter, then the oily, delicate fish cooks gently in it. It is eaten with plain steamed rice, picking carefully around the fine bones, and the leftover gravy mixed into rice is often considered the best part.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientshilsa / mustard seeds / mustard oil / green chilli

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 6 hilsa steaks (about 600 g), cleaned
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the mustard gravy

    • 2 tbsp black mustard seeds
    • 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
    • 4-5 green chillies (2 for the paste, rest slit)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 4 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
    • 3/4 cup water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Rub the hilsa steaks with turmeric and salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Do not wash the fish again after marinating.
    2. Soak both kinds of mustard seeds in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and grind with 2 green chillies, a pinch of salt and 2-3 tbsp water to a smooth, thick paste. Grind in short bursts so the paste does not heat up and turn bitter.
    3. Loosen the paste with 1/2 cup water and the remaining turmeric, then pass it through a fine sieve if you want a very smooth gravy.
    4. Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a wide kadhai until it just begins to smoke, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the kalonji and let it crackle for a few seconds.
    5. Pour in the mustard mixture and the remaining 1/4 cup water. Add salt and bring to a gentle simmer on low-medium heat for 2 minutes; do not boil hard or the mustard turns bitter.
    6. Slide in the hilsa steaks in a single layer and spoon the gravy over them. Scatter the slit green chillies on top.
    7. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes, without stirring. Tilt and swirl the pan once halfway so the fish does not stick. The fish is done when the flesh near the bone turns opaque.
    8. Turn off the heat, drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp raw mustard oil over the top and keep covered for 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Do not fry the hilsa before adding it to the gravy if the fish is very fresh – steaming it raw keeps the flesh soft and the flavour clean.
    • If you cannot grind fresh mustard, use a good kasundi mixed with a little ground mustard, though the taste will be sharper and more vinegary.
    • For bhapa ilish, mix the same paste with the fish in a steel tiffin box, seal and steam over boiling water for 15 minutes.

    Serve with

    Hot steamed gobindobhog or sona masoori rice, with a wedge of lime on the side.

  • Kosha Mangsho

    Kosha mangsho means mutton that has been 'koshano' – stirred and seared slowly in its own masala until the oil separates and the meat turns deep brown. Kolkata's Golbari, a small eatery in Shyambazar, made it famous, and in many Bengali homes it is still the centrepiece of a Sunday lunch or a festive meal after Durga Puja.

    The gravy is thick, almost dry, and dark from long bhuna rather than from food colour. Mustard oil, whole garam masala, a touch of sugar to caramelise the onions, and plenty of ginger and garlic give it a rich, slightly sweet and pungent character. Potatoes are often added for those who like them, and the dish tastes even better the next day.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time105 minutes
    Total time125 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / onion / yogurt / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 1 kg mutton (curry cut, with bone)
    • 1/2 cup thick curd
    • 1 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1 tbsp garlic paste
    • 1 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tsp salt

    For cooking

    • 5 tbsp mustard oil
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 4 green cardamoms
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 inch cinnamon stick
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 4 large onions, finely sliced
    • 2 medium potatoes, halved (optional)
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp garam masala powder
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Mix the mutton with all the marinade ingredients and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
    2. If using potatoes, rub them with salt and turmeric and fry in 1 tbsp mustard oil until golden on all sides. Set aside.
    3. Heat the remaining mustard oil in a heavy pot until smoking, then lower to medium. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, then the sugar. Let the sugar melt and caramelise for 20-30 seconds.
    4. Add the sliced onions and fry on medium heat for 15-18 minutes, stirring often, until they are deep golden brown.
    5. Add the marinated mutton with all the marinade. Raise the heat to high for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, then lower to medium-low.
    6. Add cumin powder, coriander powder and green chillies. Cover and cook, opening every 5-7 minutes to stir and scrape the bottom, for about 45 minutes. The meat releases its own water; add 2-3 tbsp hot water only if it sticks.
    7. Once the masala turns dark brown and the oil floats at the edges, add the fried potatoes and 1/2 cup hot water. Cover and cook on low for another 30-40 minutes until the mutton is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
    8. Uncover and keep stirring on medium heat for 5 minutes until the gravy is thick and clinging. Finish with garam masala and ghee, rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Use meat from the shoulder or a mix with some fat and bone – lean leg pieces turn dry in the long bhuna.
    • To save time, pressure cook after step 6 for 3-4 whistles, then open and dry off the gravy on high heat.
    • The colour should come from patient browning of onions and meat; resist adding more chilli powder to darken it.

    Serve with

    Luchi, basanti pulao or plain steamed rice, with sliced onion and green chilli.

  • Chingri Malai Curry

    Chingri malai curry is the Bengali dish of choice for a son-in-law on jamai sasthi or for any guest worth impressing. The 'malai' refers to coconut cream rather than dairy, and some food historians link the name to Malay traders who brought coconut-based cooking to the eastern coast. Golda chingri, the big freshwater scampi with blue-orange heads, are the traditional prawn.

    The curry is mild, rich and faintly sweet. The prawn heads are left on because the fat inside them colours and flavours the gravy, and whole garam masala in ghee gives the warm aroma Bengalis expect. Unlike southern coconut curries it uses no curry leaves or tamarind; the balance is between sweetness, gentle heat from green chillies and the richness of coconut milk.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsprawns / coconut milk / onion / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the prawns

    • 8 large golda prawns or 500 g tiger prawns, shelled, deveined, heads and tails on
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil

    For the gravy

    • 1 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 3 green cardamoms, lightly crushed
    • 3 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon stick
    • 1 large onion, ground to a paste
    • 1 tsp ginger paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Rub the cleaned prawns with turmeric and salt and keep aside for 10 minutes.
    2. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a kadhai until smoking, then lower to medium. Fry the prawns for 1 minute per side until they just turn pink and curl. Remove; they will finish cooking in the gravy.
    3. In the same pan add the remaining mustard oil and ghee. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
    4. Add the onion paste and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until the raw smell is gone and it turns light golden.
    5. Add ginger paste, turmeric and chilli powder with a splash of water. Cook for 2 minutes until the oil starts separating.
    6. Lower the heat and pour in the coconut milk, stirring continuously so it does not split. Add salt, sugar and the slit green chillies and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes.
    7. Return the prawns to the pan. Simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes, spooning gravy over them, until the prawns are cooked through and the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
    8. Sprinkle garam masala and add a final teaspoon of ghee. Cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Keep the heads on and press them gently while cooking – the orange fat inside is what gives the gravy its colour.
    • Never boil hard once the coconut milk is in, or it will curdle and turn grainy.
    • Overcooked prawns turn rubbery; take them off the heat as soon as they are opaque in the centre.

    Serve with

    Plain steamed rice or ghee bhaat, with a slice of lime.

  • Aloo Posto

    Aloo posto is everyday Bengali food at its most comforting. Poppy seeds, or posto, became central to the cooking of the Rarh region – Bankura, Birbhum and Burdwan – in the nineteenth century, when opium cultivation under the British left the seeds cheap and plentiful. Families there still eat some form of posto almost every day.

    The dish is pale, creamy and nutty, with only green chillies for heat and a last drizzle of raw mustard oil for bite. Potatoes cut into cubes soak up the paste until it coats them thickly. It is eaten as part of a traditional lunch after a bitter shukto and before the dal, mixed into hot rice with a squeeze of lime.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspotato / poppy seeds / green chilli / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    • 4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
    • 5 tbsp white poppy seeds (posto)
    • 4 green chillies (2 for paste, 2 slit)
    • 3 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella seeds)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Soak the poppy seeds in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and grind with 2 green chillies and 2-3 tbsp water to a smooth, thick paste. Stone-ground on a sil-nora is traditional; a mixer works if you grind in bursts and scrape down often.
    2. Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a kadhai until it smokes, then lower the heat to medium. Add the kalonji and slit green chillies and let them sizzle for 10 seconds.
    3. Add the potato cubes and turmeric if using. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until the edges look lightly translucent but not browned.
    4. Add salt and 1 cup water, cover and cook on low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are just tender and most of the water has been absorbed.
    5. Stir in the poppy seed paste and sugar. Cook uncovered on low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently, until the paste thickens and coats the potatoes. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
    6. Turn off the heat and drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp raw mustard oil over the top. Mix lightly and serve warm.

    Tips

    • Do not cook the posto paste for long – once it loses its moisture it turns grainy and slightly bitter.
    • Add a few pieces of jhinge (ridge gourd) or onion along with the potatoes for the popular variations jhinge aloo posto and peyaj posto.
    • Poppy seeds are restricted for import or carriage in some countries; check before travelling with them.

    Serve with

    Hot steamed rice and masoor dal, with a wedge of lime.