So this off, I thought of treating myself with a pure Bengali meal, a three course. However dont forget that rice is the accompaniment of the first two!!
Today morning I was speaking to a family friend & I was telling her that I will write on Bengali Cuisine today. She said that she can write better than I will--of course, females in Bengal are given to more cooking than male ones & then she asked me about "Chitol Maacher Muitha"[a traditional fish preparation from Bangladesh, erstwhile East bengal] & when I told her, she said "Full Marks!! 10 on 10". :D
Traditionally a Bengali meal starts with something bitter, deep-fried bitter gourd, & then follows on to a curry, which is somewhat bitter in taste, known as "Shukto". After Shukto, comes "Dal". There are so many in the repertoire of Bengali cookery. From simple boiled Moongdal to Channa Dal with coconuts [Narkel diye chholar dal], Moongal with fish head[Maacher matha diye Moong Dal], & countless. In weddings, Moongdal with fish head is alltime favorite, of course, the theme has to be a Pure Bengali's dinner or lunch[even I like this dal!!].
Channa dal with coconuts [or Narkel diye chholar dal]is often served with Luchi[ a bengali deep-fried bread, made of flour] or sometimes Kachori[another deep-fried bread, often stuffed with peas, sometimes pulses etc] & I also like this dal too. This is heavily influenced by the "Edeshis" or the Bengalis who have been residents of Kolkata for centuries, whilst "Bangals" also have influence in the bengali cuisine. "Bangals" are the refugees from present Bangladesh[Formerly East Bengal/East Pakistan] who settled in India, around or post 1947, after partition of Independent India.
As a matter of fact, the food of "Edeshis" are oily & dry, whilst "Bangals" prefer to have a lot of "jhols" i.e. with thin gravy & less oily. I am being the descent of the latter i.e. "Bangals".
In some cases, an optional vegetarian course often follows the dal course. It is generally vegetables cooked in gravy or sometimes a dry preparation called "Chorchori".Sometimes, even with Poppy seeds paste, also known as "Posto".
Anyways, moving on to following course of the menu, it actually depends. Traditionally it is the fish course in various forms of cookery--deep fried, in curry, crumb-fried [thanks to the British influence in the Bengali cookery!!] & lots. Ideally, rohu[a fresh riverwater carp] is an alltime favorite for this course or else Hilsa[a local herring] if in season is preferred. Three words that fit well for fish are "Jhaal," "Jhol" & "Ambal"--Jhaal is a spicy curry, kind of dry, "Jhol" is the thin gravy & "Ambal" is a sour preparation. More than these three, we have Steamed too. The fish is marinated with mustard paste & then steamed. Another preparation is "Paaturi", quite akin to Parsis "Patrani Macchi". Fish is coated with some mustard paste, some spices & then covered with Banana leaf & tied with a string. Finally, this is steamed in a Chinese steamer & voila..Bengali's fish en Papillote!!!
Of all these, I love fish in Mustard gravy--Shorshe bata diye maacher jhol. It is so pungent, it can make you cry too...I made it for a colleague a couple of months, however, he could not have it ...
Now next course is Meat, in general it includes poultry too. Chicken, Mutton, or sometimes Beef, according to the occasion. Bengali's alltime favorite is Kosha Mangsho--a semi-dried preparation of Mutton, cooked with yoghurt, & an array of spices.
Murgir Jhol--Chicken cooked in a light gravy with potato signifies homestyle cooking. For Bengalis, specially for middle-class people, Sundays have been the "Mutton" days. No matter whether you have it throughout the week or not, "Mutton curry" is a must have for Sunday lunch. I remember, in my childhood days, no matter on other days but on Sundays & on festivals, I must have mutton, as we call in Bengali "Paanthar Mangsho". However, scenarios have changed--people are consuming less of red meat due to health concerns, but my grandfather used to have it everyday, at least 200-300 gm of mutton every day...
I am not done yet.There is one more--Prawns or "Chingri Maach".Numerous preparations--steamed, fried, in curry, dry-cooked & so many to go...chief one being "Chingri Malai Curry". I must tell you the Edeshis & Bangals have this age old fight between Chingri/Prawns & Hilsa!!!
Chutney is what follows the next course. It has to be balanced by Sweet & Sour concoction. Traditionally, tomato, raisins & dates are favorites amongst the "Chutneys"[not the western ones!!] or else papaya chutney, dried mango, raw mango & so many to go. In weddings, it is often served with a fried papad. Next being the obvious sweet..
Bengalis love sweets [obviously there has to be exceptions!!!]--Rosogolla[a typical way how bengali pronounces] or Golap-jaam[A bengali spelling for "Gulabjamun"] or kaalo-jam[a dark cousin of the latter] or so many to go. I cant name all, for the sake of space...
Anyways, now coming to the topic, my cooking today. I was craving for a typical Bengali meal away from home. So I cooked today, "Ghee-Bhaat", steamed rice & then tossed with some hot ghee & little garam masala, with Chholar dal Narkel Diye [Channa dal with coconuts], followed by "Murgir Jhol", home-style Chicken curry with potatoes & for dessert?? You call it "Rice-Kheer", you call it "Payasam" or even "Rice-Pudding" but Bengalis love to call it as "Payesh". My mother sent me some fragrant small glutinous rice grown in Bengal [kind of Khao neow], known as "Gobindobhog rice", an excellent for sweet preparations so I am using this rice for "Payesh".The method I follow is handed over to me by my mother. Last night I started making it & then when I got up, I found that it is burnt--since I went to sleep!! :P
Anything else??perhaps I will miss the chutney & the sweet pan.
Recipes???It follows next.
Ghee-Bhaat
Ingredients:Steamed Basmati Rice- 200 gm
Ghee- 20 gmCardamom, Clove & Cinnamon stick- 1/2 each
Method:
1)In a pan, heat ghee & temper with spices. Add in the rice & cook until heated through.
Chholar Dal Narkel diye
Ingredients:
Channa Dal- 100 gm
Turmeric Powder- 2 gm
Ghee-20 gm
Cumin Seeds- 1/2 tsp
Whole Red chilli, dried- 2 no
Bayleaves- 2
Garam Masala powdered- 1 tsp
Salt- as required
Coconut, grated fresh- of 1/2 a coconut
Sugar-1 pinch
Method:
1)Soak the dal for around 2-3 hours & then boil in salted water with little turmeric powder until almost mashy.
2)Heat ghee in a small pan & temper with cumin seeds, red chilli whole & bay leaf. Add in the grated ginger & pour this tempering on top of the boiling dal.
3)Add garam masala powder in the dal, grated coconut & allow to cook for sometime. Adjust seasoning & add in the sugar. Finish off with a little touch of ghee if required. Serve hot.
Murgi-r Jhol
Ingredients:
Chicken- 1 no.
Mustard Oil- 15 ml
Garam Masala, whole- 2 gm
Ginger-garlic paste- 15 gm
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Cumin powder- 1tsp
Potatoes -2, cut into wedges
Tomatoes- 2, cut into wedges
Seasoning- as required
Water--enough to coat the chicken.
Method:
1)Cut the chicken into 12 pieces.Marinate with little salt & turmeric.
2)Heat oil in a Kadai/Wok & temper with garam masala whole followed by ginger-garlic paste & sliced onion.
3)Add in the powdered masalas & cook for some more time, till the oil floats on top.Add in the potatoes & tomatoes & coat well with the masalas & finally add in the chicken, till well-coated with masalas.
4)Pour in enough hot water, to cover the chicken & cook till done.
5)Adjust seasoning, & sprinkle some garam masala powder & drizzle some mustard oil, to make it a little pungent.
Paayesh
Ingredients:
Full cream Milk- 1ltr
Gobindobhog rice or any short glutinous rice- 40 gm
Mishri[Sugar Candy]- 100 gm
Green cardamom- 2 nos
Nuts & Raisins--2 tbsp[optional]
Method:
1)Boil half of the milk with bay leaf, till reduced to half. Wash the rice well & keep aside.
2)Once the milk is boiled, add the rest of the reserved milk & the rice & allow to cook until milk is reduced again and it is thick.
3)Add in the nuts & raisins, mishri & green cardamom. Allow to boil, keep aside & serve in room temperature or cold.
I small incident I will tell you.During my employment, there was a Banquet function, for bengalis & the menu featured a couple of bengali food. Since I am the only Bengali chef, I took the stupendous task of making fish chops[kind of croquette with mashed fish & potatoes & then crumb fried], chorchori[a mix-veg preparation, semi-dried] & Murgi-r jhol[as given the recipe].While I was making them, my Exe. Chef asked me, "Are you sure of what you are making??", I stared at him & he *edited* his comment by saying, "Anyways, its your food so you will know it better than I will!!!" & he went away..
Later I went to the guests to ask about how is the food...All said the food was excellent & I was over-proud when they said they had good food for the first time in the hotel...overwhelming :P
Anyways,after lunch???A long sleep may be...to rejuvenate & then strolling around....
Bon Apetit!!!
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