Masoor Dal Bhorta /Bharta (Mashed Red Lentils - Bengali / Bangladeshi style)

 

          Masoor Dal Bhorta is a simple and an easy Bong / Bangladeshi homemade delicacy with an amazing yummy flavor. It is nothing but boiled and mashed red lentils, mixed with fried onion, garlic, dry red chilies and a handful of chopped coriander leaves. It is generally enjoyed with hot steamed rice or panta bhaat (fermented rice). 

     This is a great comfort food and if having with hot steamed rice, a drizzle of some raw mustard oil makes this dish pure divine. This dish has very few ingredients that are easily available in your kitchen so it can be made in a jiffy. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing recipe.

          This traditional dish is almost a lost recipe now and has its origin in the rural parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh where it is very popular. This recipe has a nice garlic flavor and the addition of raw mustard oil and lime juice gives a great punch to the dish.

           You need to savor it to believe how this easy to prepare dish can be so yummy and amazing. So when you are looking for something simple, go ahead and try this comforting and soulful dish of Masoor Dal Bhorta. 

• 1/2 cup masoor dal (Red lentils), soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 cup water
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 4 dry red chilies
• 2 onion, sliced
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp. salt or to taste
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp. lime juice

         In a pan, transfer the soaked dal, water, green chilies and 1 tbsp. mustard oil. Cover and simmer till it is almost cooked.

         Now add 1/2 tsp. salt and continue to cook till all the water has been absorbed. Keep aside. 

         Heat remaining oil and sauté the dry red chilies and garlic till they turn brown in color. Set aside. 

          In the same oil, stir fry one sliced onion till golden brown in color. Set this also aside and allow it to cool down slightly.

          Now add 1/4 tsps. salt and mash them well with your fingers. 

          Add the cooked masoor dal till and combine everything well. 

          Add remaining sliced onion, chopped coriander leaves, lime juice and the oil in which the onion was fried. Mix everything well. 

          Form them into balls. Enjoy with steamed rice and onion, green chilies and extra lime juice as accompaniment. 

         

In a pan, transfer the soaked dal, water, green chilies & 1 tbsp. mustard oil. Cover & simmer till it is almost cooked.

                      Now add the salt & continue to cook....

                     ....till all the water has been absorbed. Keep aside. 

Heat remaining oil  sauté dry red chilies & garlic till brown in color. Set aside. 

In the same oil, stir fry one sliced onion till golden brown in color. Set this also aside and allow it to cool down slightly.

         

                           Now add 1/4 tsps. salt. 

                      Mash them well with your fingers. 

                Add the cooked masoor dal till & combine everything well. 

Add remaining sliced onion, chopped coriander leaves, lime juice  the oil in which the onion was fried. 

         

                          Mix everything well.

                      Form them into balls. 

Enjoy with steamed rice and onion, green chilies and extra lime juice as accompaniment. 

         

Rui Macher Bhorta (Fish Bharta / Mashed Rohu Fish Curry)

 

          Bharta / Bhorta or mashed curry, be they of any veggie, lentil, fish, chicken or egg is very popular, particularly in Bangladesh and in West Bengal too. This is a great comfort food and goes best with hot steamed rice and with a drizzle of some raw mustard oil. The end product is just so divine and yummy. You may also relish it as a side dish with chapatti. 

          So check out this Rohu Fish Bhorta recipe that is so simple and takes very little time to dish out. It is a very easy recipe as very few ingredients are required to prepare it. This traditional dish is almost a lost recipe now and can be found in only few Bengali homes. Do give it a try by following a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing classic dish.

          In this recipe, fried fish is deboned and mashed along with sautéed dry red chilies, onion and garlic. This is then mixed along with salt to taste, mustard oil and chopped coriander leaves. Apart from Rohu fish, any other fish of your choice can be used. So when time is a constraint, this dish is the best option.

          However, there is another variation where the de boned and mashed fried fish is mixed with sliced raw onion, chopped green chilies, coriander leaves and mustard oil. Sometimes tomato, lime juice or / and kasundi are also used. Both ways it tastes just divine and is served with hot steamed rice. My choice would be the latter one.

• 4-5 Rohu fish pieces
• pinch of salt & turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp. + 1 tbsp. mustard oil
• 3 dry red chilies
• 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 green chili to garnish (opt)

          Marinate the fish with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes. 

          Heat oil in a kadai / pan and fry the fish till golden. Keep aside to cool. Then debone them and mash well. keep aside. 

          In the same oil, fry the dry red chilies, garlic and onion separately. 

          Mix together the deboned fish, fried onion, garlic, dry red chilies, salt to taste, chopped coriander leaves and mustard oil. 

          Serve with hot steamed rice with a drizzle of remaining mustard oil for a great comfort meal. It tastes divine. 

                   Marinate the fish with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes. 

     Heat oil & fry the fish till golden. 

                             Keep aside to cool. Then debone them and mash well. keep aside. 

                                    In the same oil, fry the dry red chilies, 

                                    garlic

                                    and onion separately. 

                      Mix together the deboned fish, fried onion, garlic, dry red chilies, salt to

                      taste, chopped coriander leaves ....

                                  and mustard oil. 

                                   Form into round balls if preferred. 

                       Serve with hot steamed rice with a drizzle of the remaining mustard oil.

Thankuni Pata diye Rui Macher Jhol (Bong style Fish Curry with Centella Leaves)

 

           Macher Jhol Bhaat (Fish Curry & rice) is an integral part of Bengali cuisine. So check out this traditional homemade style Rohu fish curry with a handful of Thankuni Pata / Centella Leaves thrown in. These greens are not much popular. However, they have some medicinal properties that is very healthy for us. 

          The gravy is generally thin and is prepared using minimum of spices. Typically, veggies like, potato, eggplants, raw banana, raw papaya, pointed gourd, etc. are added. So a healthy mix of proteins, vitamins and fibre. It is popular in every Bengali household and is relished with hot steamed rice. 

         

         

         Thankuni Pata can also be found in the North Eastern regions of India and our neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to name a few. 

         Traditionally, these greens are used to make pakoras, chutney, stir fries, juice or salads. 

        As I was able to source these greens in one of the supermarkets here, I went ahead and dished out this simple fish curry where I added these leaves. It is perfect for our every day meals or for a comforting weekend lunch with your dear ones. 

• 4-5 pieces of Rohu Fish
• handful of Thankuni leaves
• 1-2 raw bananas, cut lengthwise
• 3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. mustard oil
• 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste

          Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 5-10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the ginger paste, roasted cumin powder and turmeric powder with some water and keep aside. 

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a kadai / pan and fry the marinated fish pieces till golden brown. Keep aside. 

          Heat remaining oil and fry the raw banana pieces slightly. Keep aside. Temper the same oil with nigella seeds and green chilies. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Now add the ginger paste and fry till the oil separates. Add the greens and sauté till it is withered. 

          Add 2 cups water (or as needed) and salt. Bring it to a boil. Add the fried fish pieces and simmer on a low to medium flame till the raw bananas are cooked well and the gravy reduced to a desired consistency. 

          When done, switch off the flame and drizzle 1 tsp. of mustard oil. Serve with hot steamed rice. 

Thankuni Patar Bora (Centella Leaves Pakora / Fritters - Bong style)

 

          Enjoy these yummy pakoras (fritters) made out of Centella leaves (Thankuni Pata in Bengali). These leaves have some medicinal benefits and are traditionally relished as pakoras, chutney, stir fries, juice or salads. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare these yummy fritters.

 

          This particular herb is not much known, but is popular in the North Eastern regions, especially West Bengal and also in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam & Thailand. 

          I found these greens in one of the supermarkets here and so decided to prepare some pakoras as a tea-time snack. They can be enjoyed as appetizers too, with kasundi or as a side dish with our daily dal-chawal. 

• 8-10 bunches of Thankuni Pata (Centella Leaves)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup gram flour
• 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 tsp. grated garlic
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• oil to deep fry

          Wash the leaves under running water and drain. Chop them finely and keep aside. 

          In a bowl take all the ingredients, except oil and mix them well. Add water, little at a time, and knead into a dough. 

          Heat oil in a pan. Shape round flat balls out of the mix and gently slide in the hot oil.

          Fry them in batches on a low flame on both sides till light golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with kasundi or any homemade chutney.

                                     Pick only the leaves.

                                  Chop them finely and keep aside. 

                  Mix all the ingredients, except oil. Add water, little at a time, & knead into

                  a dough. 

                     Heat oil in a pan. Shape round flat balls out of the mix and gently slide in

                     the hot oil.

                       Fry them in batches on a low flame on both sides till light golden in colour.

                                  Drain on a kitchen towel.

                             Serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with kasundi or any

                             homemade chutney.