RAG Demo

Tag: Monsoon

  • Masala Chai

    Masala chai as India drinks it today is a twentieth-century habit. The British-run Indian Tea Association promoted tea in the early 1900s, and vendors at railway stations made it their own by boiling cheap CTC leaves with milk, sugar and spices. Now it is poured from kettles at every street corner, office and household, often several times a day.

    Good masala chai is strong, sweet and creamy, with spice that warms rather than overwhelms. Ginger gives heat, cardamom fragrance, and cloves, cinnamon and black pepper depth. The key is boiling the tea and milk together and letting the pot rise a couple of times, which tea-stall vendors do by instinct.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineIndian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBeverage
    Prep time5 minutes
    Cook time8 minutes
    Total time13 minutes
    Serves2
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstea leaves / milk / ginger / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup water
    • 1 cup full-fat milk
    • 2 tsp strong CTC tea leaves
    • 2-3 tsp sugar, to taste
    • 1 inch fresh ginger, crushed
    • 3 green cardamoms, crushed
    • 2 cloves
    • 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
    • 2 black peppercorns, crushed (optional)
    • 4-5 tulsi leaves (optional)

    Method

    1. Crush the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and pepper coarsely in a mortar. Crush the ginger separately.
    2. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the crushed spices and ginger and boil for 2 minutes until the water turns pale golden and fragrant.
    3. Add the tea leaves and boil for 1 minute until the liquid turns deep reddish-brown.
    4. Pour in the milk and add the sugar and tulsi. Bring to a boil.
    5. When the chai rises to the top of the pan, lower the heat and let it settle, then raise the heat again. Repeat 2-3 times over 3-4 minutes, until the colour turns a rich tan and the chai thickens slightly.
    6. Strain into cups and serve immediately.

    Tips

    • Add ginger before the milk; boiling raw ginger in milk can make it curdle.
    • Make a batch of chai masala powder (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, dry ginger) and use 1/4 tsp per two cups for convenience.
    • For 'kadak' chai, use an extra teaspoon of tea and boil longer after adding the milk.

    Serve with

    Parle-G or Marie biscuits, samosas, pakoras or bun maska.

  • 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.