Chicken Parmigiana

It is a classical Italian dish. It can be served along with Pasta or one can have it as the main dish with good Italian wine.


Ingredients
• Egg – 1 
• Bread crumbs – ½ cup
• Boneless chicken breast – 2
• Red pasta or home made tomato sauce – ½ cup
• Mozzarella cheese – ½  cup 
• Parmesan cheese grated – ¼ cup 


Method
1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Take a medium sized baking sheet and grease it lightly.
2. Pour egg into a small bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl.
3. Dip chicken pieces  into egg, then roll it over  bread crumbs.
4. Place coated chicken  on the baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the chicken is  pink and juices run clear .
5. Pour ½ of the pasta sauce or homemade tomato sauce into a baking dish. Place chicken pieces over sauce , and cover with remaining sauce.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan cheeses  on top.  
7. Put it back into  the preheated oven for 20 minutes .

Chicken Roast

Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1kg 
• Garlic paste – 4 tbsp 
• Ginger paste – 4 tbsp 
• Onion paste – 2 tbsp
• Tandoori masala – 2 tsp 
• Garam masala – 2tsp 
• Chilli powder -2 tsp or as per taste 
• Lemon – 6 tbsp 
• Curd – ½ cup 
• White oil – 6 tsp 
• Kashmiri mirch for colour and flavour
• Salt to taste

Method :

Marination
Cover the chicken well with salt, oil, curd, ginger garlic paste, onion paste, lemon juice, red chilli powder, garam masala, tandoori masala and kashmiri mirch for colour and flavour.
Use a knife to make slits on the chicken pieces which will help the marination cover the meat well on the inside as well.
Marinate at least for 12 hours but in case of a hurry, marinate for minimum 30 - 40 minutes. The longer chicken is marinated, tastier and juicy and juicy  it would be.

Roast/Grill
You can grill the chicken in an oven or roast it in a barbeque. 

If  you are using an oven, preheat at 200 deg Celsius.  You can put a piece of aluminium foil on the wire rack to save yourself from cleaning after wards. Make some perforations in the foil for gravy to seep through. Place a tray half-filled with water below the wire tray. This water helps in keeping the moisture in the chicken while it is baked and grilled. The surface of the chicken will not get hard. 

Put the chicken on the wire tray covered by perforated aluminium foil and. Bake it at 250 deg for about 45 mins. Turn over the chicken  ,  not more than 2 to 3  times.  Use a silicon brush to  oil the upper parts of the chicken , every time the chicken is turned over.  Put the oven to grill mode for 10 mins and turn both sides.

The chicken will turn red and you can check  if it is cooked using a fork.  Adjust the time accordingly.

For garnishing, one can use  lettuce leaves, onion wedges, baked potato etc. I have used baked cherry tomatoes and asparagus .

Serve hot after sprinkling some lemon juice, and garlic bread.


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Salmon Fish Cake with Parsley

A very easy and healthy party food - Salmon Fish Cake with Parsley

Ingredients

• Potato, diced in small cubes - 450gm
• salmon fillets - 350gm
• parsley - 1 bunch
• egg(beaten) - 1
• pepper powder - 2 tsp
• lemon juice - 2 tsp
• medium sized onion - 1
• olive oil/refined oil - 4 tsp
• flour - 4 tsp.

Method

• Boil potatoes and fish fillets. 
• Drain the excess water and mix them into a fine mash. 
• Add chopped onions, pepper powder, salt, 2 tsp flour and lime juice to a mash and mix it well. 
• Now shape the mixture into balls and flatten it. 
• Refrigerate for half an hour. 
• Dip the balls in beaten egg and roll it in bread crumb, then shallow fry in olive oil or refined oil .
• Serve with mayonnaise or mustard sauce.

This recipe was published in Hangla Hneshel, a Bengali Food Magazine.

Fulkopir Korma /Cauliflower Korma

Winter is here. Lot of winter vegetables are available in the market now. One can buy fresh aromatic cauliflowers in the market. Keeping in mind the season and its vegetables, here is my recipe. You may find the preparation different and it bring in a different taste.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower – 500gm
• Peas – 100gm 
• Bay leaf – 1 pcs
• Cardamom – 4 pcs
• Cinnamon  stick – 1 pcs 
• Ginger paste  - 2tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp or as per taste 
• Ghee – 2 tsp
• Oil – 2 tsp 
• Curd – ½ cup 
• Cashewnut paste – 2 tsp
• Coconut paste – 2tsp 
• Sugar 1 ½ tsp or as per taste 
• Salt – as per taste 
• Garam masala powder – ½ tsp 

Method :

1. Heat some oil in the kadahi.  Fry the cauliflower pieces for some time till it is light golden
2. Now, add  2 spoonful of ghee in the same oil and add 4 pieces of cardamom, 1 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf. Fry till the beautiful spicy aroma comes out.
3. Now add, ginger paste, red chilli powder, curd.  Fry it till the oil separates.
4. Now add, cashew nut paste, coconut paste. After 2-3 minutes, add cauliflower, peas  and keep stirring. Now add sugar, salt to taste, little bit of water.
5. Now check if the cauliflower is cooked. When it is cooked, and the gravy appears thick, add some garam masala, stir and keep it aside.
6. You can serve the cauliflower korma with Basanti Pulav 

Gupta barir Doi-Mach

This one is a very old and traditional dish cooked almost every other day at any Bengali household. I learnt this from my mother who learnt it from my grand mother.  I would call this preparation ‘Gupta barir  Doi-Mach'.

Ingredients:

• Rohu Fish – 4 pieces
• Onion – 2 (Grated and paste)
• Green Chilli -2
• Turmeric Powder -1/2 tsp 
• Red chilly Powder – ¾ tsp or as per taste 
• Salt – as per taste 
• Sugar – as per taste 
• Mustard Powder or paste  -1tsp 
• Curd – half cup 

Method :

1. Marinate the fish with turmeric powder and salt for about 5-10 minutes
2. Heat mustard oil in a pan and then fry the fish and keep aside
3. Now put grated onion and green chilli pieces into the hot oil and fry till it is brown. Then, add onion paste into it. Also add turmeric powder, chilli powder, mustard powder / paste, salt & sugar to taste.
4. Keep frying in medium heat till the oil separates out from the mixture
5. Now add curd, and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes
6. Put the fish pieces into the pan and stir very carefully to cover the pieces with the spice on both sides. Cover  the pan with its lid
7. After about 5 mins  and your Doi-Mach (curd-fish curry ) is ready to be served hot
8. Please note that the curry may look oily because curd also releases a little bit of oily stuff

If you get fresh fish, then all the ingredients  can be mixed at one shot with the fish and then fried in the mustard oil.  If fresh fish is not available and you are cooking with frozen fish, then the above recipe works perfect.

Shukto

Shukto is probably the most authentic Bengali dish. The custom is that eating starts with rice and shukto. It is considered a very healthy food and also it frees up the taste buds which is very pleasing. Shukto can also be called a Bengali style vegetable stew or soup.

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd -1
• Sheem-4 -5
• Bori – 10 – 15
• Potato – 1
• Drum stick -2
• White radish -1
• Randhuni -1and ½ tsp
• Poppy seeds – 2tbsp
• Ginger Paste – 1 tbsp
• Sugar – as per taste 
• Salt – as per taste 
• Peas – 100 gm 
• Raw or green Banana – 1
• Green chilli –2 nos cut in fine pieces
• Mustard oil – 4 tbsp
• Milk -1 cup
• Water -1/2 cup 

Method:

1. Wash all the veggies and cut it properly.
2. Heat mustard oil in a kadahi  and fry Bori in medium flame and strain oil.
3. Now fry the vegetable pieces separately and keep aside.
4. Temper remaining oil with Randhuni. Also add cut chili pieces.
5. Add ginger paste and cook for 1-2 minutes and add poppy seed paste and again cook for around 2 minutes.
6. Add salt and sugar as per taste and cook again for 1-2 minutes. Now add little milk and water to the spice mix and bring it to boil.
7. Put all the fried veggies along with raw drumstick into the hot oil and cover the kadahi with a lid.
8. Cook for around 8 – 10 minutes in low flame or till the veggies are properly cooked.
9. Check the water level and if required add some more water because shukto should have sufficient gravy.
10. Shukto is ready to serve. It is served with plain rice.

Dimer Dhokha

Dhokar dalna is a traditional food from Bengal.  It is actually made from lentil. However, my recipe for Dhoka is made from egg and potato. One can also call it  baked egg cake in a gravy. 

Ingredients:

For Dhoka
1. Potato -400 gm
2. Eggs – 8
3. Green chillies – 1tsp paste 
4. Cumin Powder -10 gm 
5. Ginger -1tsp(paste)
6. Coriander powder -½ tsp 
7. Turmeric powder -½ tsp
8. Garam masala – ½ tsp 
9. Salt – as per taste 
10. Black Pepper Powder -½ tsp
11. Oil – 50ml (for greasing)

For Gravy 
1. Panch  phoron * – 10gm
2. Onion Paste  - 2tbsp 
3. Ginger paste – 1tsp
4. Garlic Paste  -1tsp
5. Curd -50 gm 
6. Cumin powder -1/2 tsp
7. Coriander powder -1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
9. Sugar – as per taste
10. Salt – as per taste 
11. Garam masala – ½ tsp 

*5 spices : consisting of Cumin, brown mustard, Fenugreek, Nigella and Fennel seeds

Method:

For Dhoka 

1. Boil potato and mash it properly, there should not be any lumps. Add beaten egg.
2. Mix well and add all powder spices and pour in a greased baking tray and steam it for 20 minutes.
3. Take it out, cool it, cut it into desired shape and keep aside .

For Gravy 

1. Put oil in a pan heat it up, add panch phoran and temper it .
2. 2.Add  onion paste  ,ginger and garlic paste ,cook it .Add powder spices ,tomato ,salt ,sugar and cook it properly.
3. 3.Put baked pieces and cook it for some time to make it soft and juicy.

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Kumro Bhaate

I was cooking pumpkin in all sorts of Bengali styles, so why not a boiled pumpkin dish. In Bengali mashed steamed vegetables are called bhaate .The term literally means in rice and must have originated because very often these vegetables were traditionally steamed in the same pan in which the rice has cooked. The bhaate creates a delicious and a healthy accompaniment to plain steam white rice and daal. Try this dish for its simplicity and delectable taste. It is a healthy dish yet very palatable.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin – 200 g
• Potato -3 piece
• Mustard oil – 1 spoon
• Green chillies thinly sliced -2
• Salt – as per taste 

Method:

• Leave the pumpkin as large pieces. Put it in boiling water along with rice grains while cooking rice.
• After rice is done, take out the pumpkin pieces and let it cool a bit.
• Mash well with green chilli, mustard oil and salt.

Prawn Paturi

Paturi means cooking something wrapped in fresh banana leaves. Traditionally the wrapped parcel used to be placed inside the pan of steaming freshly cooked rice .The steam provided enough heat to cook the Paturi . I have done it differently. I fried the parcel or the wrap with a little oil in a frying pan 

Ingredients

• Medium sized prawns cleaned  - 1 kg
• Black mustard  seeds – 1tsp
• Yellow mustard seeds -1tsp
• Green chilies – 7 or 8 
• Shredded coconut –( fresh and frozen )
• Turmeric powder -1tsp
• Salt – as per taste
• Sugar – as per taste 
• Mustard oil – (This is one of the key ingredients of this recipe .So; please don’t substitute it with any other oil.
• Banana  Leaf ( cut to size enough for each parcel )
• Tooth pick or Kitchen twine 

Method:

• Wash the prawns and rub it with turmeric and salt.
• In a blender add mustard seeds, shredded coconut, 2 green chilies and a pinch of salt. Make a smooth paste of all these ingredients by adding very little water to it 
• Transfer the content in a mixing bowl and taste if the salt and sugar is properly balanced or not. Adjust them as per your taste.
• Now dip the prawns in this marinade so that each of them is well coated with the spice paste.
• Once it is done add 2 tbsp of mustard oil to it and let it rest for 15 minutes.
• Cut the banana leaves in to rectangular pieces .You can swipe them over the flame or can dip them in hot water for 2-3 minutes to make them more pliable.
• Rub little mustard oil on glossy sides of each leaves.
• Place 3 or 4 prawns along with mustard paste in the centre of the leaf. Place one full or half green chili on top of it and fold the sides by over lapping each other to make a parcel. Secure those by tying each of them with kitchen twine or with the help of tooth pick.
• If you have a steamer steam the parcels for 10 minutes or you can make them in microwave. Arrange the parcels in single layer in a microwave safe dish and cook it in full power for 10 minutes.
• Also you can fry  the parcel or the wrap with a little oil in a frying pan 

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Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer or mutter paneer is one of the most popular paneer recipe amongst all the north Indian paneer recipes. Matar paneer is quite often made at home .So here is a simple and easy recipe for Matar paneer .This recipe is not restaurant style but at a simple homemade dish. Matar paneer goes well with parathas, naan and even steamed rice.

Ingredients:

• Green peas -1 cup ( Frozen )
• Sugar  - a pinch
• Paneer  -1 cup ,cubed
• Oil -2 tsp
• Ghee -2 tsp
• Cinnamon -1 inch stick
• Cloves -3
• Cardamom – 2 
• Cumin seeds – 1-1/2 tsp,whole 
• Black Peppercorns -8 -10 ,whole
• Onions -2 ,finely sliced
• Red chili powder -1/2 tsp or as per taste 
• Coriander Powder -1 tsp
• Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
• Ginger -1/2 inch ,finely chopped and crushed
• Garlic -3 cloves, finely chopped and crushed
• Green chili -3 
• Tomatoes -2 ,finely chopped
• Curd -1/2 cup
• Garam masaala powder -1 tsp 
• Cilantro leaves – chopped for garnishing (optional)
• Salt – as per taste 

Method:

Heat a pan and pour in the first part of ghee and oil .When smoking hot, deep fry the paneer pieces in oil until light golden colour. Remove from heat and keep aside. In the same oil, when very hot, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, cumin seeds and finally onions. Sauté until the onions are golden brown .Add the coriander powder, red chili powder, and turmeric powder .Remove from fire, allow it cool, and then grind the onion mixture to a smooth and thick paste .Heat the remaining ghee and oil. Add ginger, garlic and green chilies, sauté for 2 mins. Add the ground onion paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomatoes and sauté until the oil separate from it .Add the curd, peas, paneer pieces and salt. Allow it to simmer for 10 mins.
Add the Garam masaala mixture, a minute before removing matter paneer from the heat. Garnish with coriander (cilantro leaves), and dollop of salted butter or cream on top (optional).Served with parathas, naan or rice.

Litti Chokha

Bihar means ‘abode’ in Sanskrit. Litti Chokha the famous dish among Bihar and Jharkhand. Litti Looks like Bati (Rajasthani Bread) but a very small different. Litti is made up of roasted chickpea flour stuffed in dough. Chokha is prepared with different vegetables. It can be mashed potatoes or mashed eggplants and also mashed tomatoes. The three can be combined as well and chokha usually mixed with onions and spices. The dish is served in lunch or dinner. Litti Chokha is a very heavy dish .In Bihar Litti is also served with Tangy roasted tomato chutney along with Chokha. I learned this recipe from my mother in law. She was born and brought up in Bihar.

Ingredients   : 

For the Litti Dough

1. Atta -250 gm 
2. Besan (Gram Flour)- 100gm 
3. Ajwain -5 gm 
4. Salt –(According to taste)
5. Water 

For the Litti Filling 

1. Sattu (Roasted Gram Flour ) -250 gm 
2. Garlic -1Clove (Finally Chopped)
3. Ginger -50 gm (Finally Chopped)
4. Green Chillies -5 Piece (Finally Chopped)
5. Coriander leaves -1/2 a bunch 
6. Ajwain (Thyme) -1/2 tsp 
7. Mango or red chilli Pickle -1tsp or as per your taste 

For the Chokha

1. Brinjal -1 no (Whole)
2. Tomato- 2 nos (Whole)
3. Potato- 2 Pieces (Whole )
4. Amchur Powder -1/2 tsp 
5. Salt – (according to your taste )
6. Mustard  Oil – 1 tsp 
7. Onion -1 piece (Finally Chopped)
8. Green Chillies– 2 nos (Finally Chopped )

Method :

How to make Litti 

1. Mix atta and besan thoroughly. Add ajwain, salt and water .Knead into a soft dough and keep aside .
2. Mix sattu with onion ,garlic, lemon juice, Coriander leaves, green chillies and salt .
3. Divide dough into medium size loyias. Put a little sattu mixture inside and make a round balls .
4. Bake these balls /Litti in Tandoor or Oven .

How to make Chokha 

1. Bake Brinjal, Tomato and Potato. Peel mash and mix together .
2. Add  green chilli ,onion, salt, amchur powder and mustard oil 
3. Mix thoroughly to make chokha 
Serve with hot Litti and Desi Ghee .

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Potoler Dolma - Stuffed Parwal

There is a famous saying among Bengalis, "Baro Mashe Tero Parbon" which translates to 12 months 13 festivals. We are fun loving people so we need something all the while. Rath Yatra has its own significance it is the first step of our Goddess' journey to her parent's house where she is carried on a wooden Palanquin. The next in line is the Biswakarma Puja. The shopping has already started in most parts of India especially West Bengal. I think Shopping comes as the 14th festival for us. And we Bengalis earn to eat so all our festivals mean belly's delight. So I take this opportunity to share the first recipe of the festival season with a dish highly savoured by people in BENGAL -  "Potoler Dolma"

Servings: Count on no of Potols / parwals as you wish. May be 2 per serving.

Ingredients:

• Parwal : 8-10(as you need)
• Rohu or any kind of carp(Sea bass will also go) : 2-3 pieces
• Potato : 1(medium)
• Onion : 1(chopped)
• Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tbsp.
• Tomato : 1(medium)
• Green Chilli : 1 or 2(chopped finely)
• Bay leaf : 1 
• Garam masala : [Cinnamon stick : 1(1/2"),Cardamom : 2-3 pods, Cloves : 3 pods]
• Turmeric powder: 2 tsp.
• Coriander powder: 1 tsp. 
• Red chilli powder : 1-2 tsp.(optional)
• Salt to taste
• Oil: 2 tbsp.
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

For stuffing –

• For this recipe, take fish fillets. Cook the fish in boiled water with a tsp. of salt or pressure cook them for 3-4 minutes. Take them out, when cool, mash the fish pieces after separating the fish bones and skins. Don't throw the excess fish cooked water. Keep it.
• Cut potatoes in small chunks. Chop onion and tomato.
• Heat oil in a pan; fry the potato pieces with a pinch of salt. Keep aside. In the same oil, add bay leaf and all the whole spices under Garam masala.
• When they start to crackle, add chopped onions. When onions turn brown, add ginger-garlic paste, stir for a minute, and then add tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric, chilli and coriander powder. Add 2 tblsp. water in it and fry the masala well.
• Add fried potato pieces, mashed up fish and fish cooked water. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add little more water, about 1/3 cup. Season with salt and cover with a lid. 
• When potatoes are cooked and water dries up completely, give it a good stir and remove from heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

For gravy:

Ingredients

 Bay leaf : 1
 Whole Garam masala : 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cardamoms, 4 cloves 
 Onion : 2(medium, thinly sliced)
 Ginger : 1" piece
 Green chilli : 1 
 Tomato : 1(big) or 2(small)
 Turmeric powder: 2 tsp.
 Red chilli powder: 2 tsp.
 Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
 Coriander Powder: 1 tsp.
 Garam masala powder : 1 tsp.( grounded powder of cardamom, cinnamon & cloves)
 Salt to taste
 Oil : 2 tbsp.(for gravy) + 1 tbsp ( for frying the parwal/pointed gourds)

Method:

 Wash and clean the parwals. First scrape the whole skin of the parwals with a knife. cut one tip a little, right from the edge and the other tip little big, so that we can enter back of a spoon to scoop out the seeds from inside. Rub with a pinch of salt and keep aside for 5-10 minutes.
 In the meantime, you can prepare the filling. Recipe is given above.
 Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan, fry the parwals or Potols until lightly brown from all sides, keep aside. When parwals are cooled, stuff each one with the prepared filling. Carefully fill the parwals using your finger and try not to break them. Keep aside.
 To prepare the gravy, in the same pan, add little more oil for the gravy, when hot add bay leaf first, then cardamom, cinnamon & cloves together, when aroma comes out, add sliced onions and sauté them until they change colour, then ginger-green chilli paste and again sauté for 1 minute, then add chopped tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes turn soft. Then add turmeric, chilli and cumin-coriander powder and 2 tblsp. water and mix well with onion-tomatoes. Stir well until oil separates. 
 Now add stuffed parwal/Potols in the gravy and add 1 cup water. Season with salt and let it cook covered for 7-8 minutes or gravy has thickened and parwals are cooked. Lastly add powdered Garam masala powder, mix well in the gravy and remove from fire. 
 Potoler Dolma or Stuffed parwal is ready to serve. Enjoy this with plain rice or light Pulao.

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Shoshur Barir Sarshe Ilish (Mustard Hilsa – Bengali style)

Today I am going to talk about My silver beauty. I was born and brought up in Silchar, Assam. A place named Karimganj lied in the outskirts of the city which was walking distance from the Bangladesh border. May things come through the border, vegetables, PEOPLE and my very own famous silver beauty, PADMAR HILSHA ( for who doesn’t know, Padma is the branch of Ganges which flows through Bangladesh). The smell and taste of this species of HILSHA cannot be compared to any of its other siblings, if you haven't indulged yourself in this then believe me you have missed out on something in your life. Moving on, now we get into the part of how to make a delicious dish from the silver beauty. BANGAL (as people primarily of EAST Bengal, now most part in Bangladesh are called) cook it with onions whereas the people from WEST Bengal (are called Ghoti, it actually means metal water glass of a particular shape) do so without onions. Bengalis from West Bengal believe that  if they we add onion to the dish, the taste won't be that great, but the dish from EAST Bengal cannot start without onions. I belong to the onion clan (EAST Bengal), so from my childhood I have always had it with onions. And I got married into a family with origins in West Bengal. So the first time I saw the cooking of famous ILISH Bhapa (steamed Hilsa) from West Bengal, I was in a bit of a cultural shock, but it turned out to be a delightful  surprise, ate two pieces in no time. The taste made me forget about the etiquettes of a newly married woman. The taste is a bit different between the two but I am not the one to judge. I leave the verdict up to you. The recipe I am sharing with you today is the one without onions and i have named it "SHOSHUR BARIR SHORSHE ILISH"

Servings : 4 persons 

Ingredients :

• Mustard Oil
• Pachphoron ( 5 spices)
• Turmeric  powder
• Salt
• Chilli Powder
• Hilsa – 4 pieces

Method  :
The Hilsa fish is always washed first and then cut into pieces. This is done so that no aroma is lost. So take the 4 pieces and rub them with salt and turmeric. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Mix the mustard paste to ¾ cup water and set side.

( How to make mustard paste ?  
Just pour the desired amount of mustard seeds (6-7 tea spoons ) , pour little water (to cover). Use your mixie to  make  paste. Do not over mix or else it will turn slightly bitter. You can add some green chilly ( without seeds) to neutralise the bitterness. I generally make that and store the remaining in an airtight container in a refrigerator. It stays good for upto 2 weeks)

Heat the mustard oil in a pan or kadhai and lightly fry the fish pieces (1-2 minutes). Drain and keep aside. In the same oil, add the slit green chillies and ‘pachphoron’ or 5 spices ( pachforon is Bengali name of 5 spices mixture - the green of fennel seed, black-mustard and nigella seeds, golden fenugreek and buff-coloured cumin seeds). Once they splutter, carefully pour the mustard mix into the pan. Be careful not to add the black husk of the seeds. Add salt and turmeric and let it come to a boil.

Carefully place the Hilsa pieces so that the gravy covers them. Cover with a lid and let it simmer on medium flame.

Turn after 3-4 minutes and let the gravy thicken. Check the seasoning and if needed add more slit green chillies. (If  the green chillies are not very hot, add little red chilli powder. If you face the same problem add chilli powder but traditionally this is meant to be cooked only with fresh green chillies. This literally brings out the delicate flavour of Hilsa combined with the mustard paste. Alternatively if the chillies are very hot then don’t cut them, rather with a heavy knife smash the chillies and add to the gravy. This gives a very good flavour without making it hot).

Once the water is absorbed and you have very thick gravy, pour the 1 tsp oil over it. Mix well and serve hot over a bed of steamed white rice.

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