Chicken Kosha (A Bengali Take on Chicken Achari)

There was a time I used to be intimated to use mustard oil in cooking. But, over time I have understood how to cook with this humble but pungent ingredient.
If it is cooked properly - this oil can make anything taste divine and the golden hue that the dish gets on completion is a sight sent from heaven...... yes, that how I feel.

People who have disliked mustard oil - did not even know that this stuff was cooked in it and they lapped it up with the parathas that this dish was served with. Well.......... that a big compliment in itself.
In Bengal - they make a dish called 'Kosha Mangsho' which a layman calls as Chicken Kosha. I just gave it a twist by making it with the pickling spices.
It is still very much a Bengali dish I feel - as it has the use of mustard oil.

Ingredients

For Marination

2 pounds chicken - I used boneless skinless thighs cut into 2 inch pieces.
1 teaspoon kalonji/onion seeds
1 tablespoon mustard oil (mustard oil is preferred - but, you can use any oil that you are comfortable with)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1  teaspoon ginger garlic paste

For Achari Masala

5 green cardamoms
5 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf/tejpatta
1 tablespoon fennel seeds/saunf
1 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
5 to 6 dries kashmiri chili (you can add more or less as per your spice preference)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida/hing

For Curry

1 tablespoon mustard oil (mustard oil is preferred - but, you can use any oil that you are comfortable with)
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf/tejpatta
2 big oinions - finely chopped
2 big tomatoes - chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup beaten yogurt.
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
chopped cilantro for garnish

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces with all the ingredients mentioned under the 'for marination' tab and let it sit for 1 to 2 hours in a refrigerator.
In the mean time - dry roast the ingredients under the 'for achari masala' tab one by one except the asafoetida. Be careful to roast them on a low medium flame and do not burn the whole masalas. Once they are cooled down, grind it to a coarse powder in a grinder. over and keep it aside.
In a kadahi or saucepan or Pan - add 1 tablespoon of mustard oil and let it come to smoking point. Then lower the heat. To this add 1 cinnamom piece and 1 tejpatta. Now add chopped onions and fry till they turn a golden brown. Now add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and mix till the raw smell goes off. Then add chopped tomatoes and saute till the oil leaves the sides of the pan. Now get the pan off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of yogurt. Mix well. Keep it back on the gas stove and keep mixing - be careful that the yogurt does not curdle. Now add the masala powder and salt as per taste and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water and the chicken pieces. Cover and let it cook for 20 to 30 minutes on medium flame. Check if the chicken is cooked. Adjust the salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with roti or rice.

Bengali Comfort Food Thali

There is this foodie group on facebook that I am a part of. An amazing group of people who know their food and are willing to share. There was this week when everyone there was practically cooking Bengali food or talking about Bengali food. And thats it..... I started craving for some Bengali food myself.

I have never tasted Bengali food in my life - except the famous roshgollas :) - so cooking Bengali food was never done by me before. It was a challenge and I thought lets start small and make some comfort food.

I would not call this authentic Bengali food - firstly cos its not cooked in mustard oil and secondly, cos I have tweaked the recipes a lil bit to make it mustardy and my style too.

We had - Begun Bhaja, Fish in Mustard sauce, Bhaat and Masoor Dal tempered with Panch Poran.

Panch Poran is the mix of spices that is used in most Bengali cooking - its equal parts of cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds & fenugreek seeds all mixed up and stored in an airtight container.

Recipes for all the above food is here
Begun Bhaja - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/begun-bhaja.html
Masoor Dal - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/masoor-dal-with-panch-poran-seasoning.html
Fish in mustard Sauce - http://merakitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/fish-cod-in-mustard-sauce.html

Fish (Cod) in mustard sauce

Ingredients

500 grams Cod fillets (boneless)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 big onion - roughly chopped
1 tomato - roughly chopped
4 green chillis - roughly chopped
1 inch ginger - roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ajwain /carom seeds
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon dhania jeera powder
salt to taste
2 tablespoons mustard oil (I used vegetable oil)

Method

Cut the cod fillets into 1 inch pieces. Marinate in the next three ingredients and let it stand for 15 minutes. In a frying pan, add 1/2 tablespoon oil and fry the cod pieces till you get a nice sear on the outside. Remove and let it sit in a plate.
In the same frying pan, add the rest of the oil. When it gets hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the onions and fry till they turn a nice golden in color. To this add the ajwain, tomoato, green chillis and ginger and saute for about 10 to 15 minutes till the tomatoes get all mushed up. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhania jeera powder and salt and cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes. Let this mixture cool. Once the mixture is cooled, bled it to a paste in a grinder/blender. Add it to the frying pan along with 1/2 cup water and let the mixture boil. Be careful to keep the pan covered as this mixture will splutter. After about 5 minutes, lower the heat and add the seared fish pieces. Mix carefully and cover and let the mixture simmer on medium heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve hot with phulkas / lucchis (puris)/ Dal & Bhaat (Rice)

I do not know if this is the most authentic way of making the famous Bengali fish in mustard sauce, but this was my quick version. 
Moreover, Bengali's, use Rohu/Hilsa or other river fish to make their curries. I had cod in my fridge and hence used that.

Masoor dal with panch poran seasoning

Ingredients

1 cup masoor dal (the red/orange colored lentils)
1 onion - thinly sliced
1 dried red chilli
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons panch poran
2 tablespoon mustard oil (I used vegetable oil)
salt to taste

Method

Wash the lentil in warm water about 4 times. Add 2 cups of water and the turmeric powder and pressure cook the lentils for about 3 whistles. Once the pressure is released, mash the cooked dal and keep aside.
In a sauce pan, add the oil. When it gets hot, bring the heat to a medium and add the panch poran and let the mustard splutter, be careful not to burn it. Add the dried red chilli and sauce for 10 to 20 seconds till it puffs up. Add the sliced onions and fry till they turn a nice golden color. To this add the cooked dal and salt and let the mixture come to a boil. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy with warm white basmati rice.

Begun Bhaja

Ingredients

1 big eggplant/brinjal (the one used in making bharta)
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
oil for frying

Method

Cut the eggplant in about 1/4 inch rounds. In a spice grinder, mix the salt, turmeric and mustard seeds and make a fine powder. Cover each eggplant slice with the spice powder made. let it sit for about 1/2 hour. In a frying pan, add oil to fill about 1/4 inch. When it gets hot, add eggplant slices one by one, do not overlap them. Fry till they become a nice golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel and they are ready to eat.
If you are conscious about the oil, you can shallow fry them too.
These should be consumed as soon as they are made - if you let them sit after frying, they become soggy.

Authentic Begun Bhaja is fried in mustard oil and the eggplant is just coated with turmeric and salt before frying. Since I was not using mustard oil - I ground mustard seeds and covered the eggplant with it to get the pungent taste of mustard oil.