Rui Macher Shukto

 

            Ah!! My favorite Shukto in a new avatar - a non-veg version cooked with Rui Mach (Rohu Fish). So here is my version and my first try at preparing this traditional Bengali delicacy with Rui Mach. You may add any other fish pieces too. 

                It is a yummy dish that is tempered with Bengali five spice - panch phoron and finished off with some mustard paste, milk, ghee and roasted panch phoron powder. It is simply divine and a must try recipe for all fish lovers. 

           Shukto in general is a traditional Bengali cuisine and a great comfort food for most Bengalis. It is prepared with a medley of mixed veggies in many ways. You may add other veggies like raw banana, drumstick, potato, pumpkin, etc. No menu is complete without this dish. 

          Each household has their own secret way of preparing it and is served with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a full course meal. So check out a step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this non-veg. version of shukto. 

• 2 pieces of Rohu Fish
• 2 cups mixed veggies, cut lengthwise (radish, carrot, raw papaya, eggplants, bottle gourd)
• 1 small bitter gourd, cut lengthwise
• 8-10 bori / vadi (dried lentil dumplings)
• 3-4 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2-3 bay leaves 
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (five spice)
• 2 green chilies, slit
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. mustard paste / kasundi
• 1 tbsp. ghee

Dry roast & grind - 

1 tbsp. panch phoron

1 tsp. radhuni (celery seeds)

          Dry roast and grind the panch phoron and radhuni into a fine powder. Keep aside.

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

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish till light brown in colour. Drain and keep aside.

 

          Fry the bori in the same oil till golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Then fry the bitter gourd pieces till light golden and keep aside. 

          Temper the same oil with bay leaves, red chilies and panch phoron. Sauté for a few seconds. 

           Add the chopped veggies and stir fry on a high flame for 2-3 minutes. 

          Add the fried bitter gourd, salt to taste and green chilies. Simmer, covered, on a low to medium flame till the veggies are almost done. 

          Now add the fried fish and the fried bori. Cook further till done. 

          Add the milk, mustard paste and ghee. Give it a stir and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

          When done, add 1 tsp. of the ground spice powder. Cover and keep aside for 4-5 minutes. Serve with hot steamed rice. 

                    Dry roast the panch phoron and radhuni.

                     Grind into a fine powder. Keep aside.

Marinate the fish pieces with a pinch of salt & turmeric powder for 10 minutes.
Heat oil & fry the fish till light brown in colour. Keep aside.

 Fry the bori in the same oil till golden in colour. Drain & keep aside. 

        Then fry the bitter gourd pieces till light golden & keep aside. 

Temper the same oil with bay leaves, red chilies & panch phoron. Sauté for a few seconds. 

     Add the chopped veggies & stir fry on a high flame for 2-3 minutes. 

Add the fried bitter gourd, salt to taste & green chilies. Simmer, covered, till the veggies are almost done.

                Add the fried fish & the fried bori. Cook further till done. 

   Add the milk, mustard paste & ghee. Mix well & simmer for 1-2 minutes.

When done, add 1 tsp. of the ground spice powder. Cover & keep aside for 4-5 minutes.

                      Serve with hot steamed rice. 

Veg. Pulao

        Veg. Pulao is a one pot comfort meal with the goodness of some mixed veggies. Just some raita, any side dish (opt) and papad is all that need to enjoy this yummy dish. It is a very easy and a quick recipe when you are in no mood to dish out a full course meal. It is a great satisfying delicacy that can be had for brunch, lunch or as a lunch box meal too. 

          A great substitute for plain steamed rice or jeera rice, it is mildly flavoured with whole garam masala (including mace and nutmeg) along with some homemade garam masala powder and some chopped coriander-mint leaves.

          I have added some chopped nuts and fried onions too, for some crunch. It is purely optional. So do give it a try when you want a simple no-fuss meal and enjoy with your loved ones. 

• 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
• 1 & 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 cup mixed veggies, chopped (beans, cauliflower, peas, carrots)
• 2-3 tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 green cardamoms 
• 1" cinnamon stick 
• 4-5 cloves
• 1/2 mace
• pinch of nutmeg powder
• salt to taste 
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• handful of coriander-mint leaves, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tbsp. chopped almonds & pistachios
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp. fried onions (opt)

          Heat ghee in a pan and temper with cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and mace. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the chopped veggies and all the dry spices. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the drained rice and mint-coriander leaves. Continue to stir fry for 2 more minutes.

         Add water and green chilies. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow it to rest for awhile before opening the lid of the cooker. 

          Garnish with chopped nuts, fried onion and coriander leaves. Serve it hot with raita and some side dish.

Ilish Macher Shukto

          Ah!! My favourite Shukto in a new avatar - a non-veg version cooked with Ilish Macher Matha (Hilsa Fish Head). So here is my version and my first try at preparing this traditional Bengali delicacy with Hilsa Fish Head. You may add any other pieces too. It is a yummy dish that is tempered with Bengali five spice - panch phoron and finished off with some kasundi, milk and ghee. It is simply divine and a must try recipe for all fish lovers. 

          Shukto in general is a traditional Bengali cuisine and a great comfort food for most Bengalis. It is prepared with a medley of mixed veggies in many ways. No menu is complete without this dish. Each household has their own secret way of preparing it and is served with hot steamed rice at the beginning of a full course meal. 

• 1 Hilsa fish head, cut into half
• 2 cups mixed veggies, cut lengthwise (raw papaya, potato, radish, carrot, raw banana)
• 1 small bitter gourd, cut lengthwise
• 8-10 bori / vadi (dried lentil dumplings)
• 3-4 tbsp. mustard oil
• 2 bay leaves 
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. panch phoron (five spice)
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, slit
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. kasundi / mustard paste
• 1 tbsp. ghee

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

          Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish head till light brown in colour. Drain and keep aside. Fry the bitter gourd till light golden and keep aside. 

          Temper the same oil with bay leaves, red chilies and panch phoron. Sauté for a few seconds. Add the ginger and bori and fry till light brown.

           Add the chopped veggies and all the dry spices. Mix everything well and stir fry on a high flame for 2-3 minutes. 

          Add 2 cups water, fried bitter gourd and green chilies. Simmer, covered on a low flame till the veggies are half done. Now add the fried fish head and cook further till done. 

          Add the milk, kasundi and ghee. Give it a stir and simmer for a minute. Serve  with hot steamed rice. 

                         Panch Phoron Spice (mustard, cumin, fenugreek, nigella & fennel)

                        Bay leaves, Bori (dried lentil dumplings), dry red chilies & ginger.

Vegetable Stew - Kerala Style

       
          This kerala style vegetable stew is generally had with appams. It also tastes great with idiyappam too. It is very simple to make and light on the stomach. The creamy texture from the coconut milk gives it a rich flavour with a slight hint of sweetness. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 1 cup mixed vegetables (fresh or frozen), chopped 
• 2 cups thin coconut milk
• 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 leaf mace (javitri)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1" ginger, sliced
• 2 fresh red chilies, slit
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp.  pepper powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the cinnamon, cardamoms, mustard seeds and cloves. Add the ginger and garlic. 

          Sauté till they changes colour. Add the onions, curry leaves and fresh red chilies. Sauté till the onion is translucent.

          Then add the veggies followed by salt and pepper. Give it a  mix. Add the thin coconut milk and simmer on low flame for 2-3 minutes.

           Add the thick coconut milk. Give it a stir and take off the flame. Serve with a sprinkle of pepper powder and a garnish of coriander leaves.

                          Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms 
                          and mace. Sauté till it stops crackling.

                                Add the ginger and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds.

                                Add onion, curry leaves and chilies. Sauté till translucent.

                                  Add the mixed veggies followed by ....

                                  ......salt and pepper. Sauté for a minute.

                   Add thin coconut milk & simmer for 2-3 min. on low flame. Add thick 
                   coconut milk & switch off flame. Stir well. Serve, garnished with pepper
                   powder and coriander leaves.
                      

Thai Coconut Milk Soup

           Coconut Milk in general has a lot of health benefits. It is good for diabetics, is good for the heart and helps in lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. It also aids in digestion, weight loss and relieves constipation. So there is nothing like having this refreshing Coconut Milk Soup - Thai style. It is simply divine. 

         

           Both healthy and nutritious, with the goodness of mixed vegetables, it can be served as a one-pot meal all by itself. To make it more wholesome, some boiled noodles can be added to go with it.

           It is a very simple, easy to make and a light soup which can be easily made at home. So get going and make this delicious soup by checking out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 stock cube
• 2 & 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup each of mixed sliced vegetables (baby corn, mushrooms, carrots, beans, cauliflower, green peas)
• 1-2 lemongrass (bottom half), crushed
• 8-10 sliced galangal (Thai ginger)
• 2 fresh red chilies, slit
• 8-10 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 lime leaf, thinly sliced to garnish

           In a pan, bring the water, lime leaves, lemongrass, stock cube, sliced galangal and chilies to a boil. 

          Add all the veggies and salt. Cover and simmer till the veggies are soft. Then add the coconut milk and pepper powder and let it come to a boil.

          Switch off the flame and add the lime juice. Garnish with the sliced lime leaves and enjoy this refreshing soup as a light meal.







Note - 

1. For a non-veg. version, you can add boneless chicken or prawns.
2. It can also be had with rice.

                                All the chopped veggies.

                         Lemon grass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, red chilies & stock cube.

                In a pan, bring water, lime leaves, lemon grass, stock cube, sliced galangal 
                and chilies to a boil. 

                                 Add all veggies & salt. Cover & simmer till veggies are soft. 

                                 Add coconut milk & pepper powder & let it come to a boil.

                         Switch off flame & add lime juice. Garnish with sliced lime leaves
                         and enjoy this refreshing soup as a light meal.