E n j o y t h e R e c i p e s

Dimer Jhol (Egg Curry) Ingredients: 4 Eggs, hard boiled and shelled 2 Medium-large potatoes 1 large onion, finely chopped 1" cube of fresh ginger, grated 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced 1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli 1 level teaspoon garam masala powder 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed (dhanya) 1.5 teaspoon turmeric powder (halood) 1 level teaspoon ground cumin seed (jeera) 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder 5 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt to taste 2 cups of warm water

Procedure:

1. Once you have gathered the ingredients peel the potatoes and cut each into 6 pieces. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot fry the potatoes for 4-5 mins turning them over from time to time. Take them out and place aside when they are done

2. Next make 2-3 small slits in each egg, coat with half of the turmeric powder and fry eggs in the remaining oil in the pan until slightly browned. You must continuously turn the eggs. When these are done set them aside.

3. In the remaining oil add the crushed chilli and the garam masala and fry for one minute (medium heat). Next add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute. After this you add the chopped onion and fry for 5 minutes, lower the heat to "low" and add the chilli powder, coriander and cumin and curry powder. Stir and fry for 2 minutes.

4. Now add to the pan the potatoes, salt and turmeric, turn up the heat to medium again and stir to coat the potatoes with the spices. Add the water and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer till the potatoes are almost done (10 min). Add the eggs and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are well done.

Serves: 4 people
Serving ideas: plain boiled rice and postho or just with roti

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Postho

Method: Grind half a cup of postho (in spice/coffee grinder) make paste of the ground postho in water Dice 3-4 potatoes Slice one onion In a pan heat 3 tablespoons of oil Fry onions until soft Add potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder Stir fry for a few minutes Add ground postho paste, stir Add salt to taste and a cup of water Bring up the heat to get it boiling Cover pan, lower heat, simmer til dry, stir occasionally Before removing from the heat sprinkle mustard oil Serve with rice and dahl (serves 4-6)

Variations:

You can use jhinge (or zucchini) with potatoes too to make ``jhinge postho''. Replace 4 potatoes with one or two onions to make ``piyanj postho''. Making postho with potatoes, onions and bori's will give you ``bori postho''. Replace the bori's with small besan bora's and you've made ``bora postho''. Leave out potatoes and onions altogether and add some green chiliies and onions while grinding the postho, make a paste and then cook the same way in oil as above to get ``baati postho'' . If you fry the postho some more after the water has evaporated at the end of cooking, you get ``bhaja postho''. If your postho paste is thick and course you can also make ``postho bora'' by moulding it into little cakes and frying them in hot oil. You can add postho to greens to make ``shak postho'' too. Finally, if you like you can make a paste of ground postho, spices, chilli, onion and mustard oil - place in a small bowl and place it in the pan you are cooking rice in during the last ten minutes of cooking this rice and when the rice is done you have a mildly cooked delicious ``kancha postho'' to eat with it.

Note: Postho (or poppy seeds) are a great source of calcium!

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Bangali Salad

Ingredients: 1/2 a cucumber, finely chopped 1 carrot, shredded 1 small beetroot, shredded (optional) 1/2 cup finely chopped radish (optional) 2 medium-small tomatoes 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped 2 green chillies, finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh corriander leaves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper juice from 1/2 a large lime few drops of mustard oil 1 teaspoon crushed peanuts (optional)

Procedure:

1. Place all the vegi ingredients in a large bowl
2. Add the seasoning and toss the salad until every thing is uniformly mixed
3. Sprinkle the lime juice, mustard oil and finally the crushed peanuts on top
4. Serve 15min later, preferably chilled

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Maacher Kalia

Ingredients: 2 large steaks of a firm fish like salmon or rohu 3 teaspoons turmeric powder 3 teaspoons salt oil for deep frying 3 medium sized potatoes 10-12 large cauliflower florets 1 large onion, finely chopped 2" ginger root , peeled and grated 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced 2 dried red chilli peppers 2 teaspoon panchphoran 1 teaspoon cumin powder 2 teaspoons corriander powder 3/4 teaspoon chilli powder 1 Tablespoon plain unsweetened yogurt 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 3 cups warm water

Procedure:

1. Cut each fish steak into 4 quarters as evenly as possible. Wash and drain the fish and place in a bowl; rub the pieces with 2 teaspoons turmeric powder and one teaspoon of salt and let sit about 15-20 minutes

2. Heat the oil for deep frying in a small deep vessel (like a karhai) at "medium high" heat. Deep fry the fish a few pieces at a time - 5 mins. each side and then set them aside

3. Peel the potatoes and cut each one into 4 long wedges. Wash the potatoes and the cauliflower florest, drain and set aside

4. Heat 6-8 tablespoons of the oil the fish was deep fried in in a large pan. When the oil is hot crumble the dried red chilli peppers into it and add the panchphoran. When the panchporan begins to sputter, reduce the heat to "low" and add the ginger and garlic and stir fry for 30 sec to a minute

5. Next add the onions and stir fry them on "medium" heat until they are soft and golden brown. Now reduce the heat to the lowest setting and add the remaining turmeric powder, chilli powder, corriander powder and cumin powder stir fry for 2-3 mins.

6. Raise the heat to "medium-high" and now add the potatoes and cauliflower. Stir fry for 5-6 minutes making sure they are evenly covered in all the spices. Add the yogurt and stir fry for another minute or two and then add water and bring it to boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to "low" and let it cook for 15 mins.

7. Now add the fish and stir once. Cover and cook some more until the vegetables are done. Sprinkle the garam masala and take off from the heat. Pour into a serving bowl, let it sit 10 mins. before serving

Serves: 4-8 people
Serving ideas: plain rice, and spinach for a starter.

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Saag Kumro

Ingredients: 3 cups peeled and diced pumpkin (kumro) 2 medium potatoes, diced but not peeled A bunch of fresh spinach), chopped 1/2 lb baby shrimp (peeled+steamed is ok) 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 dried red chilli 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon corriander powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder 2 tablespoons finely ground/grated coconut

Procedure:

1. First heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin and the turmeric, stir-fry these spices for a minute before you add the shrimp. Fry the shrimp for a couple of minutes and then take them out with a slotted spoon and leave aside.

2. Next break the dried red chilli and fry it in the oil for a minute before adding the potatoes and pumpkin. Stir fry these for a few minutes. Add the corriander, chilli powder and sugar and stir-fry for a couple more minutes.

3. Now add the chopped spinach and stir it in until the it slowly decreases in volume and blends in with the other ingredients (~3 mins). Now add the salt and sprinke a little water (3-4 Tbsp) cover and allow to cook under low heat until the potatoes are done.

4. Sprinkle and stir in the ground coconut and shrimp before turning off the heat, you may wish to save a little for the final garnish when you serve this dish.

Serves: 4-6 people
Serving ideas: serve with piping hot plain rice and borar jhal!