Pui Dana Diye Chingri

Bengal had always been the land of invasions. Dutch, Portuguese, Muslims and the British – everybody had ruled over this state at one point of time or the other. These invasions had a great impact in the social and economic arena of the state. The culinary field was not left behind. The indigenous Bengali cuisine had been influenced by these invaders. In spite of these influences there are some recipes which can always be called as authentic Bengali recipe. One such is the pui-er dana diye chingri maach (Malabar spinach seeds with shrimps).
This recipe is a typical Bangal style recipe and is cooked with a concoction of few spices to retain the green and fresh smell of the seeds. I have used fresh shrimps to prepare this recipe, but you can also use chingri shutki (dried shrimps) too. While using the dried shrimps, fry it similarly as when using the fresh shrimps.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup Malabar spinach (Pui) seeds
• ½ cup small shrimps
• ½ cup thinly sliced potatoes
• ½ cup thinly sliced pumpkin
• 1 medium sized onion, julienne
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 4 tablespoon mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation

• De-vein and clean the shrimps
• Heat 1 ½ tablespoon of mustard oil in a wok, as it turns piping hot, add the shrimps and stir fry till they turn a little hard, keep aside
• Pour in the extra oil and sauté onions, add the garlic paste
• Drop in the potatoes and pumpkin as the onions turn translucent, cook for sometime
• Season with the spices and salt
• Add the pui seeds and cook till they soften
• Add the shrimps and cook for 2-3 minutes more
• Take out of flame and serve hot with warm white rice

Hot Tips – It is very essential to clean the shrimps properly. While frying the shrimps, just don’t let the shrimps turn too hard, else the shrimps will turn chewy.

Chilli Chicken

 

After The Mainland China Cookbook was delivered last Saturday, I was just trying to find that opportunity to prepare something from it. Though I prepared crackling spinach, but before I could even get a chance to take a snap, it was all finished.
Last night prepared chilli chicken. Chilli chicken is probably the most popular Chinese dish prepared in IndiaJ. According to Mr. Ranjit Banerji, one of our very active users of the  page, chilli chicken and chicken manchurian is the innovation of the famous Nelson Wang, the founder of China Garden restaurant in Mumbai. It seems almost everybody can relate to this juicy and succulent Chinese preparation. From roadside stalls to fine-dining Chinese restaurants, chilli chicken finds it place everywhere. During my school days, I remember our favorite party-time combo was fried rice and chili chicken.
The Mainland China cookbook has the Keong style of chilli chicken documented. I have made a little variation to this dish to add the extra hint of greens in this saucy Chinese dish.
Ingredients:

• 200gms of Boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 egg
• 2 heaped tablespoon of cornflour
• ½ cup capsicums, cut into 1” triangles
• ½ cup onions, chopped into 1” squares
• ½ tablespoon of Ginger-garlic paste
• 6-7 green chilies, chopped
• 2 ½ tablespoon dark soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup of spring onions, chopped to 1” sizes
• Few spring onions finely chopped for garnishing, optional
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Dissolve half the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of soya sauce and one beaten egg
• Mix this with the chicken, marinate for ½ hour
• Stir fry the chicken till the outside turn crispy, remove from the wok and soak the extra oil in a kitchen paper
• Heat oil in a wok, as the oil turns smoking hot add the capsicum and onions. Stir well till the onions turn translucent. Add the green chilies
• Dissolve the extra cornflour in the remaining soya sauce, and pour it in the wok, stir
• Add the fried chicken and spring onions, and adjust the seasoning
• Cook till the chicken is evenly coated with the sauce
• Serve hot with noodles garnishes with chopped spring onions

Hot Tips – You can keep the chicken in the marinade for longer hours, but then refrigerate it.

Chingri Bhapa in Microwave

 

The availability of a particular food builds up its niche in the local cuisine. So, has been the case with shrimps and prawns in Eastern Indian cuisine, especially in Bengali recipes. There are many rivers flowing through Bengal and that makes the fresh catch so popular in all Bengali cookings. Be it the simple rohu curry or the much coveted steamed Hilsa, it seems we Bengalis cannot complete a meal without fish. And, if that fish spells shrimps there can’t be a happier fellow.
While cooking fish seems to be a rather difficult task for those who are new to the kitchen techniques, the veteran ladies find it comforting to get hold of a simple fish curry, which will tickle the senses when served. This shrimp recipe in microwave is definitely for all (read the newcomers and pros in kitchen). While the chingri bhapa or steamed shrimp takes much longer to cook on your stoves it’s just a matter of six to eight minutes in the microwave. I assure you, anybody can cook this one.
Ingredients:

• 250gms deshelled and deveined shrimps
• 6 tablespoon of mustard seeds paste
• ½ cup fresh and thick coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 4 /5 green chili, slit from middle
• 4 tablespoon mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Clean the shrimps thoroughly and put in a microwave safe bowl with alid
• Put in all the ingredients and  mix well
• Place the bowl in a microwave oven and cook covered on microwave high (100%) for 6 -8 min or till the shrimps turn a little hard
• Serve hot with warm white rice

Hot Tips – Instead of putting the shrimps in a bowl you can also use a pulpy green coconut, put everything inside and cook on microwave medium for 8 – 10mins.
If you are health conscious then you can just cut down the amount of oil and also take out the husk from the mustard seeds paste.
This microwave preparation goes to MEC: Gravies and Curries hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons. And also to Anyone Can Cook hosted at Taste of Pearl City.

Apple Crumble for your Valentine

 

• Rosemonde Gerard

• 2 apples, peeled, stoned and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoon butter
• Vanilla ice-cream or fresh cream for serving (optional)

• In a thick bottom flask take the chopped apples and mix well with ½ cup icing sugar
• Stew the apples over low flame with occasional stirring
• The apples should become soft but not totally pureed
• Place the apples in an oven proof pan
• Mix the remaining sugar with the all-purpose flour and butter until it looks like bread crumps
• Cover the cooked apple with the flour mix
• Preheat the oven to 150°C
• Place the pan in the middle rack of the preheated oven and cook for 30 min or till the upper layer turns light brown
• Take out and serve hot with fresh cream or vanilla ice-cream

This recipe goes to Cooking with Fruits event hosted by Smita of  Tastebuds, also to Bake-off event . As this recipe is very easy to prepare and requires few ingredients, I’m sending it to Any One can Cook under the categories FB and WLI. This apple crumble is on its way to Monthly Mingle: Food for your loved ones hosted at Paulchens Food Blog?!, the event being the brainchild of Meeta of Whatsforlunchhoney.