Daab Chingri- Authentic bengali dish of prawns cooked in tender coconut shell

 DAAB CHINGRI is a yummy prawns curry flavoured with panch phoron and cooked in a tender coconut shell, i had this first at ‘Bay of bengal’ restaurant above K C Das in MG road and loved it years ago, and from then on it is one of must haves along with bhaigun bhaja whenever i have bengali cuisine. And it must delicacy to be made at home,  whenever  i get fresh and nice prawns. 

 Ingredients

• Prawns 500 grams (de-veined and cleaned)
• Tender coconut 2 (water removed and insides scooped)
• Onions 1 (ground to paste or you can also chop them finely and add)
• Ginger paste 2 tsp.
• Garlic paste 1 tsp
• Green chillies 5-6 (minced/ paste )
• Mustard seeds 3 tablespoons (soaked and made into a paste)
• Mustard oil 2 tablespoons
• Panch Phoron 1tsp (seasoning of equal amounts of cumin, mustard, fenugreek, onion seeds and fennel)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Red chili powder - 2 tsp
• Poppy seed paste 1tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Wheat dough for sealing

Method

1. Cut out the top of the tender coconuts with a fine knife in a small round shape and keep the cut out part aside. Make sure the green coconut is full of kernel. Pour the coconut water in a separate bowl. And scoop out the kernel.
2. Add salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder to the uncooked prawns and keep it in a cool place for 20-30mins.

1. In a frying pan heat mustard oil well till you see fumes, then cool it slightly. And season with panch phoron and lightly fry the prawns in it.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. The cooking time must not exceed 2 minutes. Remove the prawns and keep it aside to cool.
3. In the same oil now add onions paste and sauté well.
4. Add in the paste of ginger, garlic and sauté. Add mustard paste, green chili paste and poopy paste and cook another 2 minutes.
5. Add the coconut scraped coconut kernel and cook.
6. Mix in salt and finally add ½ of coconut water and cook for 2 mins.
7. When done, pour the entire mixture over the prawns and mix it well.
8. Make a soft dough out of a cup of atta.
9. Pour the entire prawn curry mixture into the big green coconut, place the cut out lid back into the coconut and seal the mouth with the atta dough.
10. In traditional way the coconut is steamed in a steamer. You can even bake it in an oven.(I have done both the methods, you can follow anyone)

Steamer Method:

Take a 5 litre size steamer and fill it half with water. Place the entire coconut inside and close the lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until steam comes out.

Oven Method:

Place the entire coconut inside a preheated oven. And cook at medium range for 10-15 mins (220 C)

When done take the coconut out and cut open the lid.

Serve Daab Chingri in the coconut shell as a side dish for rice.

 

P.S: if the green coconut does not have a soft kernel inside then while cooking the curry add coconut paste into the mixture. Without this there will not be any taste at all!

Chicken Tikka Kabab : Grilled juicy chicken chunks

Every non-veg eating punjabi will swear by chicken-tikka. These kababs are always boneless. Taste great if grilled on coals. These are served on a hot plate along with onion rings and any green salad. 

Ingredients:

• 300gms chicken boneless and skin less.
• 200ml hung curds/yogurt
•  ½ tsp toasted cumin seeds powder
• ½ tsp carom seeds powder
• ½ tbsp garlic paste
• ½ tbsp ginger paste
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½tsp garam masala
• 2tsp chilli powder
• 1 green chillies
• 1tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1tbsp oil
• Handful chopped coriander
• Salt as per taste
• Oil to baste

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients in the yogurt and blend well.
2. Cut the chicken into 2 ½ - 3 inches.
3. Put chicken in a large bowl and add spice mixture.
4. Apply the marinade well on the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.
   
5. Divide chicken among skewers leaving 1 cm space between cubes
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
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6. Grill in a pre-heat oven.
   
7.  Keep turning regularly, until browned in spots and just cooked through for about 10-15 mins.
8. Baste with oil at intervals to retain the juiciness of the chicken.  
9. When  done well serve hot with onion rings, lemon wedges and a fresh green salad of your choice.
   

Tangdi Kabab : Juicy grilled chicken drumsticks

Tangdi Kababs are juicy chicken thigh pieces marinated in a mixture of yogurt and spices and grilled on coal or in an oven ...

Ingredients

• Chicken drumsticks 2
• 2 tsp Lemon juice
• Ginger-garlic paste 2 tsps
• Green chillies 2 small 
• Yogurt 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsps
• Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Chaat masala powder 1/2 tsp

Method : 

1. Clean and remove the skin from the drumstick and make 3 to 4 deep incisions. Apply lemon juice and keep aside.
2. Remove stems from the green chillies and chop them fine.
3. Hang yogurt for fifteen to twenty minutes to drain off excess water.
4. Mix yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and chopped green chillies.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Marinate chicken drumsticks with mixture and refrigerate for one to two hours.
6. Cook the chicken drumsticks in a pre-heated oven at 180° C for fifteen to twenty minutes or till completely cooked. Turn the drumsticks a couple of times to ensure even cooking and colour.
7. Serve hot sprinkled with chat masala (optional)

Gosht shajan :Andra style preparation of succulent mutton pieces and drumsticks in a tangy gravy

Gosht Shajan

Drumstick is a pod of the ‘Drumstick tree’.  It is an exceptionally nutritious vegetabletree with a variety of potential uses. While the bark and roots are used in home remedies, the leaves, flowers and pods are various delicies. Drumsticks are called mugepalli in urdu, shajan in hindi, nuggekai in kannada and murungakai in tamil, muringa in malayalam.

Gosht Shajan is an andra style preparation of succulent mutton pieces and drumsticks in a tangy gravy.

Ingredients :

1. Mutton : 1/2 kg
2. Drum stick: 1, cut into pieces of 2 inches
3. Oil : 2 tbspn
4. Onions : 2 medium (chopped)
5. Tomato: 1 big (cut into pieces)
6. Tamarind puree/juice : 2 cups
7. Ginger- garlic paste : 11/2 tsp
8. Curry leaves: 1 spring
9. Green chillies: 3 slit
10. Cloves: 3
11. Cinnamon: 1 inch
12. Chilli powder/paprika: 5 tsp
13. Coriander powder: 2 tsp
14. tumeric powder :3/4 tsp
15. Salt as per taste

Method:

• Wash mutton well and marinate using red chilli powder, tumeric powder and salt for 20 mins.
• Heat oil in a cooker and cloves and cinnamon
• Add curry leaves and green chillies and them splutter
• Add onions and fry till they trun pinkish brown and add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the smell of paste goes away.
• Add the marinated mutton to the onions and fry
• Add more chilli powder if you require the gravy to be spicy (optional)
• Add coriander powder add tomato pieces and cook
• Once the juices are released add the tamarind juices and pressure cook till 5 whistle
• Open the cooker once it cools, check for salt and add if needed.
• Add the drumsticks and pressure cook for 2 whistle.
• Open the cooker and garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot steamed rice.

SHAMI MACHLIWALI : Fish Cutlets

You will enjoy these fish cutlets and they will add real zing to your parties

Ingredients:

SHAMI MACHLIWALI 

1. 3 large pieces of seer fish (you can use any fish)
2. 1 Egg
3. 1 Bread slice
4. 1 tsp Garlic paste
5. 1 tsp Ginger paste
6. 1 Cup Bread Crumbs
7. 1-2 Green Chillies
8. 1 tbsp Corn Flour
9. 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
10. 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
11. 1 Bunch of Coriander Leaves
12.  Salt to taste
13.  Oil for shallow frying

Method

• Apply turmeric powder and salt to the fish. And wash it.
• Steam the fish by placing it over boiling water pan in a sieve. Remove the bones and skin and gently mash it using hands.
• Soak the bread slices in water and squeeze the water out. 
• In a bowl add red chilli powder, garam masala powder, ginger-garlic paste, corn flour, coriander leaves, green chillies, bread slice and salt
• Mix the ingredients well.

Fish cutlet ingredient mixed 

• Make a lemon sized balls and flatten the ball slightly. 
• Beat the egg.



egg wash the cutlets 



Roll in breadcrumbs 

• Dip the cutlet pieces in egg and roll in breadcrumbs. 

 

Cutlets being shallow fried 

• Heat the oil slightly in a Tava.
• Shallow fry till the pieces turn brown. 
• close the lid and steam the fish for 2mins.

Serve them hot .

Fish cutlets 

HALAL- E- HALEEM : A famous Ramadan dish made of wheat, lentils and Meat.

Haleem is one of my favorite Ramadan dish. It’s an amazing combo of wheat and meat… This authentic dish is cooked slowly over heat for hours together. i have tried to be as authentic as possible, just used the blender for shredding mutton as I was short on time. This Haleem is the pakistani version which similar to hyderabadi haleem

Ingredients:

1. 750gms boneless mutton ( but I used with bones as the flavour is better )
2. 2 cups broken wheat ( you can use whole grains too)
3. 2 tbsp ginger paste
4. 2 tbsp garlic paste
5. 1 onion chopped
6. 2 medium size tomatoes chopped
7. 1 cup mixed lentils (urad daal (black gram 25gms), chana daal( split chick pea gram 25gms) and masoor daal (red gram 25gms) )
8. 2 tbsp red chilli powder
9. 1 tsp turmeric powder
10. ½ cup curds
11. 1 ½  tsp garam masala
12. ½  tsp black pepper corns
13. 1 tsp cumin powder
14. Whole spices  1 inch cinnamon stick, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 cardamoms
15. 4 green chilies, (slit in halves)
16. ¾ cup Ghee
17. ½ cup coriander powder
18. ½ cup mint leaves
19. salt to taste

For Garnishing:

• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
• 3 green chilies, thinly sliced
• 1 cup golden and crisp fried onions
• 1/2 cup Cashew nuts
• 1 lemon cut into 4 quarters

How to make Haleem:

• First wash and soak the cracked wheat for an hour.
• Wash and soak all the pulses together for an hour
• Then wash and clean the lamb, Mix the it with 1tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp of salt, red chilli powder,1/2 tsp garam masala powder and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder keep it aside to marinate.
• Boil the broken wheat along with the mixed lentils with 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 green chill, ½ tsp salt in 8-10 cups of water until its cooked completely and the water is almost absorbed by the wheat. (Keep stirring continuously, so that the wheat doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan)
• Use a daal gottini (a wooden masher) to mash the lentils and make into consistent paste.  (you can also use a blender)
• Leave the lentils to simmer on low flame, and keep stirring occasionally.
• Heat the ½ cup of ghee in another pan add the onions sauté, add whole spices, the remaining green chillies, 1/2 cup fresh coriander, ½ cup mint leave and sauté for a min.
• Add the mutton and sauté for 3 mins.
• Add the remaining chilli powder, turmeric powder and mix well.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, cumin powder, gram masala and coriander powder and sauté
• Add the Yoghurt and sauté, for another 10- 15 min or until a little oil starts to float on top.
• Add 3 cups of water and salt to taste and bring it to a boil.
• Once the mutton is well cooked, remove the mutton pieces and shred them ( you can use the blender also)
• To the simmering lentils add the mutton gravy and shredded mutton and mix well, adding a little of ghee at a time. Boil till all water if any evaporates.
• Do check the salt and add if needed.
• Let it simmer for at least 1/2 hour…keep stirring in between.
• Serve in a bowl and garnished with fried onions, cashew nuts and fresh Coriander and mint leaves.

















Authentic Haleem