chingri malai curry (prawns cooked in coconut milk)

Ingredients:
500 gm prawns
1 cup of coconut milk
1 medium sized onion finely sliced
1 bay leaf
1 clove
2 green cardamoms
a small piece of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of fresh ginger paste
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp of red chilly powder
2 tbsp of mustard oil
salt & sugar to taste

Clean & wash prawns. Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, green cardamoms, clove, cinnamon. When it stops spluttering add onions.When the onions are light brown add ginger paste, red chilly powder & turmeric. Fry a little bit & add prawns.Fry a little bit & add coconut milk. Add salt & sugar.Bring to boil & take it out from heat. Its ready to serve. Do not boil it too much, the prawns will become hard & the taste will not be good. Best with rice.

Steamed Sweet Curd (Bhapa Doi)

Ingredients:
1 cup curd beaten
1 cup milk

1 tin condensed milk(sweetened)
4or 5 almonds blanched & sliced
9 or 10 pistachio nuts/ cashew nuts sliced
4 or 5 raisins
2 cups of water

Beat curd , milk & condensed milk till well blended. Add almonds, pistachios/ cashew nuts & raisins. Mix well. Pour the mixture into a 1 litre pudding mould. Cover mould tightly with grease-proof paper securely tight. Pour water into pressure cooker. Place the mould on the grid. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Then reduce heat & cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat & allow to cool naturally. Take out & uncover the mould. Let it cool in room temperature & then refrigerate till you serve.

Mushrooms with onions

Ingredients:
200 gms fresh mushrooms
2 green chilies chopped
1 small green capsicum cut into thin long strips
1 medium sized onion shredded into long pieces
5 flakes of garlic crushed
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
a pinch of sugar
2 cloves crushed
1/2 cup fresh curd beaten
salt to taste
 Wash & cut mushrooms into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add crushed garlic, cloves. keep it for 1minute.

Add onions & saute till they r light brown. Add mushrooms. Add coriander powder, chilly powder, green chilies, salt, sugar & cook on low flame till mushrooms are done. Add curd Stir fry till it dries & coat the mushrooms. Serve hot.

Mushroom with cabbage & onions

Ingredients:
1 pkt fresh mushroom (200gms)
2 medium sized onions sliced finely
2 green chilies chopped finely
1 small cabbage chopped coarsely
1" piece of ginger sliced finely
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1tsp garam masala
3/4 cup fresh curd
1 tsp ajwain(carom seeds) crushed
salt to taste

Wash & cut mushrooms in small pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add ajwain.keep it for a minute. Add onions, green chillies & ginger. Cook till onions turn brown.Add mushrooms & cabbage. Add chilly powder & coriander powder. Cook in medium heat till mushrooms are done.Add beaten curd, garam masala& salt. Cook till curd dries up & coats the mushrooms. Serve hot. You can have this dish with rice or chapatis.

Tom yum

Ingredients:

2 medium pieces of chicken cut into small pieces.

1 Red capsicum

2 red chilly peppers

6 pieces of french beans.

1 small carrot sliced finely

41/2 cup of chicken stock

2 lime leaves

1 stalk lemongrass slightly crushed

1tsp fresh ginger grated

1 tsp tamarind concentrate

2 mini corns

Fish sauce

Chilly sauce

salt to taste.

Wash the capsicums & cut into rings. Wash & cut the beans. Bring the stock, lime leaves, lemongrass,ginger & tamarind to a boil. Add vegetables & simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Add salt to taste. Add chicken pieces & cook till vegetables & chicken are cooked. Don't over cook it, it will spoil the taste. Season with fish sauce & chilly sauce. Serve hot.

Lauer halka tarkari ( bottle gourd curry)

1 small size bottle gourd
1/2 tsp of black cumin seeds
3 or 4 green chilies
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp of mustard oil
1 tsp of sugar
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Wash & cut bottle gourd into small square pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf and black cumin seeds. When it stops spluttering add bottle gourd pieces. Add turmeric powder and salt to taste. Add slit green chilies and sugar . Cover the pan. Let it cook in low heat. If the gourd is fresh it will give out its own water & it will get cooked in it.When the gourd is tender & cooked, take it out and garnish with some coriander leaves.

This recipe is also good & healthy in summers as its not spicy. You can have it with rice.

Kacha amer chatni ( Raw mango chatni)

Ingredients
1 raw mango
5 tbsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2tsp of panch forun (its a mixture of black cumin seeds,fenugreek seeds,fennel seeds, mustard seeds,cumin seeds)
1 piece of dry red chilly
A pinch of turmeric powder
2 tsp of mustard oil

Peel raw mango and cut into slices. Heat oil in a pan, when hot add panch forun & red dry chilly( make it into small pieces) When it stops spluttering add sliced raw mango. Fry a little bit, do not make it brown, add salt, a pinch of turmeric powder,sugar and 5 cups of water. Let it boil. When the sliced mango becomes soft,its done. After cooling refrigerate it. Serve cool.
We Bengalis have it after lunch. Its a summer dish. It keeps the body temperature cool in excessive heat.