Mochar Ghonto

Ingredients to cook Mochar Ghanto:

Banana Flower                                                                                1 

One medium sized potato                                                                Diced

Cumin seeds                                                                                   ½ tea spoon

Bay leaves                                                                                      2

Cumin and Ginger paste                                                                 1 tea spoon each

Turmeric powder                                                                             ½ tea spoon

Garam Masala paste(cardamom, cinnamon, clove)                        1 tea spoon

Grated coconut                                                                               ¼ cup

Oil                                                                                                    3 table spoons
Salt and sugar to taste

The recipe:

1. Once the florets have been cleaned, chop them into small size. Boil this with little salt till almost cooked. Remove water and keep florets aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and bay leaves, and once the seeds start to splutter, add the boiled mocha. Add turmeric powder and salt, cover the pan with a lid, and allow it to cook for 10 minutes on a slow flame.
3. In another pan heat some oil and fry the diced potatoes. Set it aside.
4. Open the lid of the pan in step number 2, add the mocha and gently cook it by tossing and turning it several times.
5. Add ginger, cumin, and chili paste and mix them well. Also add a spoon of sugar to taste.
6. Add the fried potatoes and cook till all the ingredients are soft and the water has dried out.
7. Add the grated coconut now and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Finally, add the garam masala mix.
9. Set it on a bowl and garnish with some more grated coconut on the top and a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter). This dish goes very well with rice.

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Tips:
1. This is the basic recipe but an interesting twist Saimoon puts on this sometimes is the addition of "daler bora" or lentil fritters. Since the mocha shrinks during cooking, adding daler bora to this dish does increase its volume and tastes good too.
2. When peeling the mocha, apply some cooking oil/mustard oil to your hands to prevent the sticky juices of the mocha from staining your hands.
3. If you are unable to get mocha where you live you can try this out with bean sprouts but you will agree it is a poor substitute for the uniquely Bengali flavors of mochar ghonto. 

Mishti Doi (sweet yoghurt)

Mishti Doi is synonymous with Bengal in East India. The Bengalis are famous for their sweet preparations and Mishti Doi is among their most well known desserts. Mishti Doi tastes great but is amazingly simple to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full cream/ whole milk
• 3-4 tbsps yogurt
• 250 gms sugar

Preparation:

• Boil the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan, on a medium flame till it is reduced to half its original volume. Stir frequently to prevent the milk from scorching. When done, cool the milk till it is just lukewarm.
• Put the sugar in another pan and heat over a low flame to melt. Allow the sugar to caramalize (brown). Remove from the fire when done, add the reduced milk to this caramalized sugar and mix well to blend.
• When the milk and sugar are thoroughly mixed, add the yogurt to the mixture and stir gently to mix.
• Pour into the desired container and keep in a warm dark spot for the Mishti Doi to set. The best taste results are achieved by setting the Mishti Doi in a earthenware pot.
• When the Mishti Doi has set and is firm, chill for a few hours and serve.

Chili Fish – Cod cooked Indo-Chinese Style

Chili Fish – Cod Cooked Indo – Chinese Style

Prep Time: 40 minutes (includes time to marinate the fish)

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 limes

1 inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

6 cloves of garlic

2 pounds cod fillets cut into 2 inch pieces

Oil for shallow frying

1 cup small red onions, quartered and then layers removed

10 green chilies, cut into 4ths length wise

1/2 cup light soy sauce

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method of Preparation

1. Place the cumin and coriader in a small blender. Add in the lime juice and process to a paste.

2. Add in the ginger, garlic and the continue grinding until smooth.

3. Mix the spice paste over the fish and coat the fish evenly and set aside for about 20 minutes.

4. Heat the oil in a large wider skillet and place the fish in a single layer and cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Make sure that the oil is very hot, but cook the fish on medium heat.

5. Remove the fish carefully and strain the oil and return to the skillet. Depending on the amount of fish that you are cooking, this stage might need to be done in batches. It is imporant not to crowd out the pan to ensure a good crisp texture.

6. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes until the onion turns lightly translucent.

7. Add in the fish and the green chilies with the soy sauce and stir lightly. Cook for about 3-4 minutes to allow the heat from the chilies to be released. Serve immediately!