Mutton Curry (Bengali style)

Sunday Special Mangsher Jhol from a Bengali Kitchen

Well, the basic difference between mutton curry and mutton kosha is, first one is  lighter, curry based and the latter one is goat meat cooked in a rich gravy. Bengali people get heaven on their plate when spicy goat meat curry (mangsher jhol) accompanied by piping hot rice is served on their plate on Sunday afternoon. So, scroll below for the recipe and enjoy the same way.

Cuisine: Bengali
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • Mutton, 500 gm, cut into medium chunks
  • Potatoes, 4, medium
  • Onion, 3 large
  • Garlic cloves, 8 , large
  • Ginger, 1 & 1/2 inches
  • Green chillies, 6
  • Coriander leaves, 1 handful
  • Tomato, 1
  • Yoghurt, 1 cup
  • Mustard oil, 3/4th cup ( for frying potatoes and the curry)
   Additional 2 tbsp for marinating mutton.
  • Bay leaf, 1
  • Dry red chili, 1
  • Cinnamon stick, 1 inch
  • Green cardamom, 2
  •Ghee, 1/2 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Sugar, 2 tsp, to balance the acidity and for colour

( There's a saying that mutton curry or kasha tastes best when salt and green chillies are used in perfect quantity. So, remember to taste before you serve.)
 

  Powdered spices:

  • Cumin powder, 4 tsp
  • Coriander powder, 5 tsp
  • Garam masala (all spice powder), 3 tsp
  • Black pepper powder, 2 tsp
  • Red chilli powder, 4 tsp
  • Turmeric powder, 4 tsp

Methods:

Step 1: Marination

  • The first thing that needs to be done the day before cooking. Wash meat well and keep aside in a strainer.

  • Make a paste of 2 onions, garlic cloves, ginger, cumin powder, coriander powder, 2 tsp garam masala powder black pepper powder.

• In a pan mix 3/4th of the paste and mustard oil, chopped coriander leaves, 4 green chillies slit from the middle, 2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chili powder, Yogurt.

  • Throw in the meat chunks in the mixture and marinate the meat for 25 mins. If you do not have that much time prick the chunks and marinate for atleast 15 mins. Keep the meat in fridge.

Step 2: Cooking

  • Cut potatoes, tomato and remaining onion as shown in the picture above. Pressure cooks potatoes so that those are 1/4th done and fry in oil until they are golden brown. Add salt while pressure cooking and a pinch of turmeric powder for that nice brown colour on the surface. Keep in a seperate plate when they are done.

• Now in the remaining oil add cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamoms, dry red chili. As they start leaving flavour. Add tomatoes, as you see the tomatoes are mashed well and oil has started separating, add the remaining turmeric powder, red chili powder along with sugar. Add onion and as it starts turning brown add the remaining of the paste used for marination. Saute for 2 minutes on low flame. Add 4 tbsp water to prevent from burning. As oil separates from the masala add the marinated meat and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.

• Now close the cooker lid and pressure cook on low flame. Remember the meat has been marinated the day before cooking, so it will not take much time to be done. So, check after 4 whistles.

• When you find the meat is cooked well and tender enough add the fried potatoes. Add salt according to your taste. Add water if needed and cook for two minutes. Turn off the flame. Chop the remaining green chillies. Take 2 tbsp curry in a bowl, mix ghee and a pinch of garam masala powder and pour the mixture in the curry. Stir well and transfer to serving bowl.

Serving suggestion: Serve with pipping hot rice along with sliced tomato, cucumber and onion.

You may also like:

Til Parser Jhal (Mullet Fish Curry)

Kathal Ki Tikki

<Follow @mondal107/

Facebook Button

Watermelon Fizz

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

•  Watermelon, 500 gm
•  Soda, 500 ml
•  mint leaves, 4-5
•  ice cubes, 6-7
•  honey, 4 tbsp
•  Black pepper powder, 2tsp
•  Chat masala, 1 tsp
•  lemon zest, 2 tsp
•  lemon juice, 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Deseed watermelon and scoop out the pulp. In a grinder put all the ingredients except soda. Add chopped mint leaves. Blend and keep side. 

2. Take four glasses and fill 2/3rd portion of them. Now fill the remaining 1/3rd with soda.

3. Sprinkle little chat masala, black pepper powder. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

It's a super-cooling recipe to beat the summer heat.

You may also like:

Chocolate Mousse

Chicken Burger Sandwich

Thandai Papaya Smoothie

Chicken in Red Sauce

Tweet

Chicken in Red Sauce

I find it a no fuss recipe...

Servings: 4
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken, 750 gm ( cut into medium pieces)
• Tomato, 2
• Garlic cloves, 6
• Red chilli flakes, 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder, 1 tsp
• Dry oregano, 1 tsp
• Lemon juice, 1 tbsp
• Butter, 1 tbsp
• Olive Oil, 3 tbsp (you can use refined oil)
• Cornstarch, 2 tsp, dissolved in 1/4 cup water.
• Salt to taste

Method:

1.Wash chicken well. Marinate with lemon juice, a pinch of salt, black pepper powder and keep aside.

2. Roast garlic on direct flame and cool them down. Cut tomatoes into halves. Peel garlic cloves. In a blender put tomato, roasted garlic, red chilli flakes and blend.

3.In a pan add 2 tbsp oil and then add butter. Oil will prevent butter from burning. Keep the flame lower. Add marinated chicken pieces, stir little and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken turns soft.

4.As the chicken turns soft, transfer them in a plate. In the same pan heat 1 tbsp oil and then the tomato-garlic paste. Season with salt to taste. As oil starts coming out from the edges of sauce, and chicken pieces. 

 5.Add dissolved cornstarch. Combine well and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the flame. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Serving suggestion: serve with Fried Rice . O:-) :-)

You may also like:

Egg tarka

Chilli Chicken

Doi Ilish

As the mass of dark clouds is covering the sky, it makes me remember of a recipe that I made at the commencement of this Monsoon, but din't get the chance to post that due to my study pressure. It was a Sunday morning my mother brought fresh hilsa aka 'Ilish'  from the market and I proposed to make this recipe-Doi ilish.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Hilsa fish /Ilish mach, 4 pieces
• Yogurt, 2 cups
• Mustard powder, 1 tbsp
• Mustard oil, 4 tbsp
• Ginger, grated, 1 tsp
• Onion, 1 small
• Green chili paste, 2 tbsp
• Green chili, whole, 1
• Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
• Coriander leaves, to garnish
• Salt to taste.

Method:

1. Clean fish pieces. In a bowl mix yogurt, mustard powder, turmeric powder, grated ginger, green chili paste, salt , 2 tbsp mustard oil. Cover the fish with the marinade and keep aside for 15 minutes.

2. In a pan heat 1 tbsp mustard oil. Slice onions and saute till they soften. Add hilsa pieces along with the marinade and lower the flame. Cook covered for 20-25 minutes. No need to add water.

3.Remove from flame and transfer to the serving dish. drizzle mustard oil on top and sprinkle chopped green chili. 

 Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with warm boiled rice.

You may also like:

Peanut potato pakora

Ridge gourd guacamole aka Jhinger Khosa bata

Tweet

Ridge gourd Guacamole (Bengali style) /Jhinger khosa bata

Guacamole is a salad or sometimes served as a dip, generally made with avocado and it tends to be little thick in consistency while mine is dry as it is popularly known as 'jhinger khosa bata' in Bengali cuisine. It is served with rice. Ridge Gourd has cooling properties that control our metabolism. This one I made this summer though posting now.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Skin of 2 ridge gourds
• Garlic cloves, 5
• Nigella seeds (kaalo jeera), 1 tsp
• Green chilies, 1-2
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Mustard oil, 2 tbsp

Method:

1.In a blender put together ridge gourd skin, garlic cloves, green chilies, 2 tbsp water or more if needed and turn into a smooth paste.

 2.In another pan heat mustard oil. Temper with kaalo jeera. As the favour releases pour the paste. Add salt, sugar, turmeric powder and cook for 5 mins on lower flame. It will turn semi-dry. 

3.Serve with warm boiled rice.

Tweet

You may also like:

Hung curd chocolate mousse

Cheese Envelopes

Hung Curd Chocolate Mousse

Servings:2
Ingredients:

• Hung curd, 1 cup
• Bittersweet dark chocolate, 20 gm
• Icing sugar, 1/2 cup
• White Chocolate, 10 gm

Method:

1. Chop dark chocolate and melt in a double boiler. Keep aside and let the temperature come down a bit.

2. In a bowl beat hung curd for 6-8 minutes. Fold in icing sugar and beat for another 2 mins. Now fold in the melted chocolate.

4.Transfer to serving bowls or glasses and set in refrigerator for an hour.

5.Before serving top with grated white chocolate and garnish with cherry and cream biscuits of your choice. 

6.Serve chilled. 

Tweet




You may also like:

Thandai papaya smoothie

Mutton Keema Masala

Jeera Aloo(spiced potato curry)

Servings:2
Ingredients:

• Potato, 2 large
• Mustard oil, 2 tbsp
• Coriander powder, 2 tsp
• Cumin powder, 2 tsp
• Amchur (Mango powder), 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp
• Red chili powder,1 tsp
• Sugar,1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Green chilies, 2 
• Cumin seeds, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves),2 tsp
• Chopped coriander leaves, 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut potato into cubes and par-boil them. Marinate with cumin powder, coriander powder, mango powder, red chili powder, salt to taste, sugar, turmeric powder and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. In a pan heat oil, temper with cumin seeds  and let them release flavour. Add marinated potato cubes, combine well and cover with a lid. Cook on lower flame for 5 minutes.

3. Slit green chilies from middle and add 1/2 cup water. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and Kasuri methi. Serve.

Serving suggestion: with Roti, Dal-rice, Plain Paratha, Muli ka paratha.

You may also like:

Muli Paratha

Homemade Mixed Achar

Muli Dal Paneer

Muli Dal Paneer

One day when I opened my fridge found some leftover cottage cheese and a horse raddish, and was really confused how to utilize them. Then it suddenly struck in my mind to combine them with daland made this Muli Dal Paneer for dinner. The key ingredient of this recipe is Motor dal or Yellow split peas that is known to be a rich source of fibre and protien as well as minerals like phosphrus and potassium. This is tasty as well as health friendly.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• Yellow split peas( matar dal), 1 cup or 200 gm
• Cottage cheese or paneer, 150 gm
• Horse raddish, 1
• Coriander leaves, 1 handfull, chopped
• Onion, 1, sliced
• Garlic cloves, 4
• Ginger, 1"
• Coriander powder, 2 tsp
• Garam masala powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
• Mango powder(Amchoor powder), 1 tsp
• Green chillies, 4-5
• Bay leaf, 1
• Whole dry red chilli, 1
• Green cardamom, 2
• Cinnamon, 1"
• Mustard oil, 4 tbsp ( you may use Soybean oil)
• Salt to taste 
• Sugar, 2 tsp

Methods:

In a cooker add 1 and 1/2 cup water and dal and pressure cook peas with 3 whistles.  Wait for the pressure inside to release.Then open the lid and mash dal a little using a manual hand blender or a spatula.

Slice raddish and shallow fry in oil till they turn soft. Seasone with a pinch of salt. Keep them aside.

Blend together garlic, ginger, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, mango popwder and keep them aside. In a pan hat oil and temper the oil with bay leaf, red chilli, cinnamon and cardamoms. Let them release flavour and then add sliced onion. Saute them for a minute and seasone them with a pinch of salt.  Now as they start turning light brown add blended spices and then again saute for 2-3 minutes. Add sugar and salt according to your taste. 

Add 4 tbsp water and let the spices release oil. Slice paneer and add. Toss them in spices. Now add precooked dal and green chillies and combine with spoces. cook untill it turns thick . Now discard bay leaf and remove from flame and combine chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Roti or steamed rice.