Durga’s Bhoj

Festival season is around the corner with Durga Puja kicking off the celebrations. The festive period is a foodies' paradise with plenty of mouth-watering dishes to savour. From snacks to sweet dishes, Bengali food has something to offer to all food enthusiasts. Durga Puja is a four day festival which is celebrated with much pomp and splendor in West Bengal and Bangladesh. During this festival, Goddess Durga is worshipped. The festival is celebrated with fasting, feasting and worshipping. It is a time of great celebration in this day when special dishes are prepared. They are also known for some delicious delicacies unheard of in the other parts of the country. Here is a list of some recipes which are commonly prepared for Durga Puja:

Hilsa pulao

Hilsa pulao is very popular in Bengali cuisine. People in Bangladesh make various kinds of dishes with Hilsa fish. No matter how big or small the occasion is, a platter of Hilsha fish is always there. It is delicious itself but you can eat it with a veg dish and chutney.

Ingredients

8 pieces hilsha fish

2 cups aromatic rice

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tbsp onion paste

1/2 cup chopped onion rings

5 green chilli

2 tbsp yoghurt

4 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method

Clean and soak rice for 30 minutes and let the water drain completely. Wash and clean the fish and pat dry. Now in a bowl marinate the fish pieces with yoghurt and salt. Leave them for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add onion paste and fry till light brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for couple of minutes. When the oil starts separating from spices add the marinated fish into it and cover for sometime. Now open the lid and stir carefully. Then take the pieces out and place on a plate. Stir fry rest of the spices, which were in the pan and take the pan of the stove and keep the pan aside. Take a large pan and heat oil in it, add sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Now add salt, sugar, water and cooked spices, bring to a boil. When the water has started boiling, add the rice and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take half of the rice from the pan and place the fish pieces, slit green chillies, fried onion on half of the rice and cover the fish with rest of the rice. Cover the pan and cook on very low heat for another 10 minutes. Before serving sprinkle ghee on top.

Fish pakora

Ingredients

500 gm fish- filleted and cut into desired sized pieces

For marination

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

For the batter

200 gm gram flour

Water

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp crushed cumin

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp soda bi- carbonate

Oil for deep frying

Chaat masala

Method

Cut and wash fish. Add lemon juice and salt to it. Marinate for half an hour. Make a thick batter with water, flour, red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin, salt and soda bi-carbonate. Heat oil in a pan. Coat each fish slice with the batter and deep fry till crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle with chaat masala and serve hot.

Macher Jhol

Macher jhol is a traditional Bengali fish stew. It is in the form of a very spicy stew that is served with rice. Macher jhol is liberally seasoned with turmeric, garlic, onions and ginger.

Ingredients

500 gm Rui fish, cut into thick slices, diagonally

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

Grind together:

1 cup chopped onion

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp chopped ginger

2-3 dried red chillies

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1/4 cup mustard oil

1/2 tsp onion seeds

1/4 tsp cinnamon, broken in small pieces

4 cloves

2 green cardamoms

1 bay leaves

2 green chillies, slit lengthwise

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Wash fish and apply the 1/2 tsp salt and turmeric over all the pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the fish pieces in it, till golden colour. Lift the fish out of the oil, and keep aside. In the same oil, add the onion seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf, stir fry and add the ground paste. Saute till oil separates, then add the green chillies and stir fry a few times. Add the water and bring to a boil; add the fish then simmer for about 10 minutes. When it is done, remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Aloo Potol Posto

It is a quick, tasty and light preparation. Potol posto is cooked in thick poppy seeds and coconut purée with red and green chillis that gives it a hot and rich taste. The perfect amount of salt and sugar gives the beautiful dish a tangy yet fiery flavour.

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes, diced

5-6 pointed gourd, peeled and diced

4 tbsp poppy seed paste

3 tbsp mustard oil

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder, 2 green chilli

1 cup water, Salt to taste

Method

Heat mustard oil in a deep bottomed vessel. Add the potato wedges and the pointed gourd. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder and slightly fry them on medium flame. Now add poppy seed paste, chilli powder and mix the paste with the potato and the pointed gourd. Stir it for another 4-5 minutes on medium low heat. Then add water and cover it. Cook until the potato and pointed gourd become tender. Add the green chilli and sprinkle one teaspoon of mustard oil on the top of the curry. Turn off the flame and serve hot with rice.

Doi Fulkopi

It is a cauliflower dish cooked in spicy yogurt curry. This lip smacking curry is thick in texture and rich in flavours, wrapped in garam masala, cinnamon, bay leaf, ginger paste and chillies. It has the right amount of moisture that provides a balanced amount of spice to the dish.

Ingredients

250 gm Fulkopi (cauliflower)

4 tbsp curd

1 tbsp onion paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp garlic paste

2 green chilli paste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

3 tbsp onion slices

1/2 tsp sugar, 10-12 raisins

2 tbsp ghee, Salt to taste

1 tbsp coriander leaves

Method

Cut the cauliflower into small florets and wash them thoroughly. Now marinate them with curd, onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, sugar, salt and keep it aside for 20 minutes. Heat ghee in a pan and fry sliced onion till golden brown. Now add the marinated cauliflower and stir. Cover the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes. When the cauliflower is cooked, add raisins and remove from flame. Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve hot.

Brinjal with sesame seeds (til-er-beguni)

It is an easy Bengali midday food preparations that you could have with rice. Long slices of brinjal, battered and crisp fried, are a favourite addition to a meal. They can also make up an individual snack to enjoy with tea and muri (puffed rice).

Ingredients

1/2 cup gram flour, 2 tbsp sesame seeds

½ tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, -3 brinjal, thinly sliced, Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Method

Mix gram flour with water, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to create a batter. Dip brinjals in the batter to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds on each side. Heat enough oil in a pan. Deep fry the coated brinjal until crisp. Drain on kitchen towel, serve at once with rice and dal.

GOL PAPDI

Ingredients

½ cup wheat flour

1/3 cup jaggery, grated

½ tsp poppy seeds

1/4 tsp cardamom powder,

4 tbsp ghee

Method

Sprinkle the poppy seeds on a four inch diameter greased tray. Keep aside. Melt the ghee in a frying pan and add the wheat flour to it. Keep stirring until flour turns golden brown in colour. Turn off the flame. Add the jaggery and cardamom powder while the mixture is hot. Stir well so that the jaggery melts. Pour the mixture into the greased tray with poppy seeds, spread it evenly while still warm. When the mixture gets set, cut into diamond shapes. Gol Papdi is ready to serve.

Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed