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Tag: Bengali

  • Kolkata Kathi Roll

    The kathi roll traces back to Nizam's restaurant near New Market in Kolkata in the 1930s, where kebabs on bamboo skewers – kathi – were wrapped in paratha so busy office workers could eat on the go. Today the city has hundreds of roll counters, and 'egg chicken roll' is ordered as casually as tea.

    A proper Kolkata roll uses a maida paratha cooked on a tawa with a beaten egg pressed onto one side, then filled with charred, tangy kebab pieces, raw onion, green chilli and a squeeze of lime. There is no mayonnaise and very little sauce; the flavour comes from the smoky meat, the flaky, slightly oily paratha and the sharp crunch of onion.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientschicken / maida / egg / onion

    Ingredients

    For the chicken kebab

    • 400 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into 2 cm pieces
    • 3 tbsp thick curd
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1/2 tsp chaat masala
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp mustard oil
    • Salt to taste

    For the paratha

    • 2 cups maida
    • 1 tbsp oil plus extra for cooking
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • Water to knead
    • 4 eggs

    For the filling

    • 2 onions, thinly sliced
    • 4 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 2 limes, cut into wedges
    • Chaat masala to sprinkle
    • Tomato ketchup (optional)

    Method

    1. Mix the chicken with all the kebab ingredients and marinate for at least 1 hour.
    2. Knead the maida with oil, salt, sugar and enough water into a soft dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
    3. Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill over a gas flame or under a hot grill for 8-10 minutes, turning, until cooked and charred at the edges. Alternatively, sear on a very hot tawa with a little oil.
    4. Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll each into a thin 20 cm circle, brush with oil, fold into pleats like a fan, coil it into a spiral and roll out again to 18 cm. This gives the flaky layers.
    5. Cook a paratha on a medium-hot tawa for 1 minute per side with a little oil until light golden spots appear.
    6. Beat an egg with a pinch of salt and pour it onto the tawa. Immediately place the paratha on top of the egg and press gently. Cook for 1 minute until the egg sets and sticks to the paratha, then flip and cook 30 seconds.
    7. Place the paratha egg-side up. Line the centre with chicken pieces, onions and green chillies, sprinkle chaat masala and squeeze lime over it. Roll up tightly, wrap the bottom half in paper and serve immediately.

    Tips

    • The paratha should be crisp outside and soft inside – keep the tawa at medium, not high, so it cooks through without burning.
    • Soak the sliced onions in iced water for 10 minutes and drain well for extra crunch.
    • For a mutton roll, use the same marinade with boneless mutton pieces pressure-cooked first, then charred.

    Serve with

    Eat straight away, wrapped in paper, with an extra lime wedge.

  • Kolkata Chicken Biryani

    Kolkata biryani descends from the Awadhi kitchen of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, who was exiled from Lucknow to Metiabruz in Kolkata in 1856 and brought his cooks with him. The famous potato is said to have entered the pot there, and today it is non-negotiable: Kolkatans will judge a biryani by its aloo as much as by its meat.

    Compared with Hyderabadi or Malabar biryanis, the Kolkata style is subtle. There is little chilli, the rice is long-grain and separate, and the aroma comes from mace, nutmeg, kewra water, rose water, saffron and ghee. A boiled egg is tucked inside each serving. Arsalan, Aminia and Royal Indian Hotel are the names locals argue over.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseRice
    Prep time45 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time120 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbasmati rice / chicken / potato / egg / yogurt

    Ingredients

    For the chicken

    • 750 g chicken, cut into 8 large pieces with bone
    • 1 cup thick curd
    • 1 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1 tbsp garlic paste
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
    • 1/2 tsp mace powder
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup fried onions (birista)

    For the rice

    • 500 g aged basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 4 green cardamoms
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 1 star anise
    • 1 tbsp salt
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon

    For layering

    • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
    • 4 boiled eggs, peeled
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 4 tbsp ghee
    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 1/2 cup warm milk with a pinch of saffron
    • 1 tsp kewra water
    • 1 tsp rose water
    • 1/2 tsp biryani masala or garam masala
    • 1/4 cup fried onions
    • 1 tbsp sugar (optional, traditional)

    Method

    1. Marinate the chicken with all the marinade ingredients for at least 2 hours.
    2. Rub potatoes and eggs with turmeric and salt. Prick the potatoes with a fork and fry both in the oil on medium heat until golden, about 8 minutes for the potatoes and 2 minutes for the eggs. Set aside.
    3. In the same pan add 2 tbsp ghee, then the chicken with its marinade. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is about 80 percent done and the gravy is thick. Add the fried potatoes for the last 10 minutes.
    4. Bring 3 litres of water to a rolling boil with the whole spices, salt and lemon juice. Add the drained rice and cook for 5-6 minutes until about 70 percent done – a grain should break with a firm white core. Drain immediately.
    5. In a heavy pot, spread half the chicken, potatoes and gravy. Layer half the rice over it. Add the remaining chicken, potatoes and eggs, then the rest of the rice.
    6. Drizzle the saffron milk, kewra water, rose water, remaining ghee and sprinkle the biryani masala, sugar and fried onions over the top.
    7. Seal the pot with a tight lid and atta dough, or a layer of foil under the lid. Cook on high heat for 3 minutes, then place on a hot tawa and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes (dum).
    8. Turn off the heat and leave sealed for 10 minutes. Open, gently fold from the sides with a flat spoon, and serve each plate with a piece of chicken, a potato and an egg.

    Tips

    • Prick and pre-fry the potatoes; raw potatoes will not cook through during dum.
    • Use a light hand with kewra and rose water – more than a teaspoon each makes the biryani taste soapy.
    • Aged basmati absorbs less water and stays separate; new-crop rice tends to break.

    Serve with

    Chicken chaap or mutton rezala, with a cool raita and sliced onions.

  • Begun Bhaja

    Begun bhaja is the simplest of Bengali fries and one of the most loved. A plate of hot rice, dal and a slice of fried brinjal is everyday comfort, and begun bhaja is also one of the five fries traditionally served at Saraswati Puja and with khichuri on rainy days.

    Large round brinjals are cut into thick discs, scored, coated in a dry rub of turmeric, chilli powder, salt and a pinch of sugar, and shallow fried in mustard oil. The outside turns brown and slightly crisp while the inside goes soft and custardy. Some families dust the slices with a little rice flour or besan for extra crunch.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time15 minutes
    Total time30 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbrinjal / mustard oil / turmeric

    Ingredients

    • 1 large round brinjal (about 400 g)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp rice flour (optional, for crispness)
    • 5-6 tbsp mustard oil

    Method

    1. Cut the brinjal into 1.5 cm thick round slices. Lightly score both sides of each slice in a criss-cross pattern so the spices penetrate.
    2. Mix turmeric, chilli powder, sugar and salt. Rub the mixture evenly on both sides of every slice and leave for 10 minutes. The slices will release a little moisture.
    3. If using rice flour, pat a thin dusting on both sides of each slice and shake off the excess.
    4. Heat mustard oil in a flat frying pan until it smokes, then reduce the heat to medium.
    5. Place the slices in a single layer. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the underside is deep golden brown.
    6. Flip, add a little more oil around the edges if the pan looks dry, cover and cook on medium-low for 3-4 minutes until a knife slides through the centre easily.
    7. Remove onto a plate and serve immediately while the edges are still crisp.

    Tips

    • Brinjal soaks up oil quickly; resting the salted slices first draws out moisture and means they absorb less.
    • Covering the pan after flipping steams the centre so the slice is cooked through before the outside burns.
    • Choose a brinjal that is heavy and glossy with few seeds.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with masoor dal, or with khichuri on a rainy day.

  • Jhal Muri

    Jhal muri is the snack of Kolkata's streets, sold from tin canisters by vendors at stations, college gates and the Maidan. 'Jhal' means spicy, and the vendor's rhythm of scooping, shaking and folding it into a paper cone is part of the experience. It is eaten at any hour, most often with evening tea or during a long train ride.

    Unlike the tamarind-sweet bhel of Mumbai, jhal muri is dry and pungent. Raw mustard oil, sometimes with a spoon of oil from a mango pickle jar, coats crisp puffed rice, and chopped onion, green chilli, cucumber, coriander, boiled potato and peanuts add texture. A spiced masala and lime finish it. It must be eaten immediately before the muri softens.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietVegan
    CourseStreet food
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time0 minutes
    Total time10 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspuffed rice / mustard oil / onion / peanuts

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups muri (puffed rice), crisp
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 small cucumber, finely chopped
    • 1 small tomato, deseeded and chopped
    • 1 boiled potato, diced small
    • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 3 tbsp roasted peanuts
    • 2 tbsp chanachur or sev
    • 1 tbsp raw mustard oil (or mango pickle oil)
    • 1/2 tsp bhaja masala (dry-roasted cumin, coriander and red chilli, ground)
    • 1/4 tsp black salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp fresh coconut slivers (optional)

    Method

    1. If the muri is even slightly limp, dry-roast it in a kadhai on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it crackles. Let it cool.
    2. In a large bowl or steel container with a lid, combine onion, cucumber, tomato, potato, green chillies and coriander.
    3. Add the mustard oil, bhaja masala, black salt and lemon juice and mix well.
    4. Tip in the muri and peanuts. Cover and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds, as the vendors do, so every grain is coated.
    5. Add the chanachur and coconut slivers and toss once more.
    6. Taste and adjust salt or lemon, and serve immediately in paper cones or bowls.

    Tips

    • Mix only what will be eaten at once – the wet vegetables soften the puffed rice within minutes.
    • Pungent kachi ghani mustard oil is essential; any neutral oil makes it taste like a different snack.
    • Make a batch of bhaja masala by dry-roasting 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander and 2 dry red chillies, then grinding fine.

    Serve with

    A cup of hot milky tea in the evening.

  • 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.