Mutton raan with fenugreek seeds

This was a greenhorn project (I never cooked any tandoori dishes before) fully from imagination. But I liked the end-product. This was done in a microwave-tandur combo oven. So I cannot guarantee the timings will be same on other systems.

Ingredients:
Lamb/goat raan (hind leg along with the buttock and the thigh) - 1 (~1Kg)
Ginger paste - 50 g
Cumin powder - 4 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder -  4 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Nigella seeds - 1 tsp
Green chilies - 8-10
Salt - 4 tbsp (or according to taste)
Oil/Ghee - 1.5 cup

Procedure:

1. Wash the leg and make shallow pricks on the outer surface with a fork.
2. Marinate it with oil, salt, ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder and red chili powder. Mix it well with your hands and and rub it on the meat for some time (10-15 minutes) and spread it evenly.
3. Make a small slit through the middle of the green chilies. Keep the stalk intact.
4. Now make some evenly spaced deep  (up to the centre) holes into the meat with a sharp and narrow knife.
5. Insert the green chilies into some of these holes (only the stalk should stick out). In others insert a few fenugreek seeds (3-4) and nigella seeds (6-8) with the back of a spoon or something blunt.
6. Keep at room temperature for at least 3 hours.
7. Put it in tandoor (convection)-microwave combi mode of your oven at 360 mW power and 180 C temperature for 45-60 minutes. I had to do trial and error here: initially I wrapped it in an aluminium foil and put it in tandoor only mode for 20 minutes. It dried up and was uncooked. So I applied some ghee on its surface and put it for another 20 minutes in combi-mode twice (remove the aluminium foil when using combi/microwave ) dabbing it with some ghee. At the end it was slightly undercooked inside and hence it had to be put in full microwave mode at 240 mW for 5 minutes.

Reasoning behind the recipe:

While ginger paste, chili, cumin and coriander powders are very common ingredients, the unique flavour of the dish came from the fenugreek and nigella seeds. The reason I thought of adding them was that these whole dry seeds give out the best of their fragrance when dry roasted. Both the seeds have very pleasant and delicious smell (roasted and powdered nigella seed is a very effective component of baits for pond-fish in Bengal). So whole seeds seemed ideal for roasted dishes. Also I did not want them to loose all the smell in convection and it should rather go into the meat - hence I buried them into the flesh. At the end, it turned out just the way I wanted.

Bengali version below:
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তন্দুরী রান 

এইটি আমার প্রথম তন্দুরী রান্নার অভিজ্ঞতা. কিন্তু শেষ পর্যন্ত বেশ ভালই দাঁড়ায়.

উপকরণ:

পাঁঠার পিছনের পা - ১ টি গোটা (১ - ১.৩ কেজি )

আদা বাটা - ৫০ গ্রাম

লংকা গুঁড়ো - ১ চা চামচ
ধনে গুঁড়ো - ৪ টেবিল চামচ
মেথি - ১ চা চামচ
কালো জিরা - ১ চা চামচ
কাঁচা লংকা - ৮-১০ টি
লবণ - ৪ টেবিল চামচ বা স্বাদমত
তেল বা ঘি - ১.৫ কাপ 

পদ্ধতি:

১। রান-টি জলে ধুয়ে পরিষ্কার করে নিয়ে একটি কাঁটা চামচ দিয়ে বাইরেটায় ফুটো ফুটো করে দিন।
২। ১ কাপ তেল বা ঘি, লবণ, জিরা গুঁড়ো, ধনে গুঁড়ো, লংকাগুঁড়ো রান-এর গায়ে ভাল করে মাখিয়ে দিন। যত বেশি সময় ধরে ঘষে ঘষে মাখাবেন তত স্বাদ খুলবে।
৩। এবার রান-এর গায়ে একটি সরু ছুরি দিয়ে সমান দূরত্বে গভীর কিছু ছিদ্র করুন (রান-এর প্রায় কেন্দ্র পর্যন্ত)।
৪। কাঁচালংকাগুলির মাঝখানে ছুরি দিয়ে একটি করে ছোটো ছিদ্র করে দিন।   রান-এর গায়ের ছিদ্রগুলির মধ্যে একটি করে লংকা ঢুকিয়ে দিন যেন শুধু বোঁটাটুকু বেরিয়ে থাকে। কিছু ছিদ্রে ৩-৪ দানা মেথি ও ৭-৮ দানা কালোজিরা ভরে চামচের পিছনদিক দিয়ে ঠুসে দিন।
৫। এই অবস্থায় অন্ততঃ ৩ ঘণ্টা রেখে দিন।
৬। এবারে তন্দুর-এ দিয়ে রান্না করুন। অবশিষ্ট তেল/ঘি একটি তুলি বা চামচ দিয়ে মাঝে মাঝে মাংসের গায়ে বুলিয়ে দিন যাতে শুকনো না হয়ে যায়। (আমি ইলেকট্রিক্যাল অভেন-এ রান্না করেছিলাম। এতে combi-mode-এ ১৮০ ডিগ্রী উষ্ণতায় এবং ৩৬০ মিলিওয়াট শক্তি-তে প্রায় ১ ঘণ্টা রান্না করার পরে মাংসের গায়ে চামচ দিয়ে ঘি বুলিয়ে দিতে হবে। শেষে ৫ মিনিট পুরোপুরি microwave mode-এ ২৪০ মিলিওয়াট শক্তি তে রান্না করার পর মাংস ভিতর অবধি সিদ্ধ হয়ে গেছিল।) মাংস সিদ্ধ হয়েছে কি না বোঝার জন্যে একটি কাঁটা চামচ ওর মধ্যে গেঁথে দিন। সহজেই মাঝখান পর্যন্ত ঢুকে গেলে বুঝতে হবে যে মাংস রান্না হয়ে গেছে।

Tomato chutney (টমাটো চাটনি, )

Chutney is something between a pickle and a desert. It is normally eaten after the main dish but before the desert. On an ordinary day, most Bengalees finish their meal licking a few spoonfuls of chutney (chutney literally means something to be licked and belongs to "chushya (चुष्य)" class of food). It is commonly sweet and sour and usually based on some sour vegetable. Tomato chutney is the most popular form of it. The base is tomato and sugar. The flavour is created by cumin, nigella, fenugreek, fennel and mustard seed, dry red chili and bay leaves.

The character of chutney can vary from  almost completely sour to tangy to completely sweet (by increasing the proportion of sugar).


Ingredients:

Tomato - 250 g (chopped into 8 pieces each)

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Paanch phoron - 1 tbsp

Dried red chili - 2

Bay leaves - 2

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Dried mango pulp (mango bar/ আমসত্ত্ব , आम पापड) - 50 g (optional) chopped into 1/2" cubes

Dried dates - 5-10 pieces (optional) with seeds removed and split into 2 - 4

Procedure:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.
2. Add red chilies, bay leaves and paanchphoron. 
3. After 20 seconds add the tomatoes.
4. Sauté the tomatoes until the skin starts coming off.
5. Add the dates and the dried mango pulp and sauté' for 1/2 a minute.
6. Add the sugar, keep mixing until it starts melting and dissolving into the juice of the tomato. (If you prefer the taste of caramelized sugar, then add the sugar before the tomatoes and let it melt and add the tomatoes as the sugar starts to caramelize).
7. Add two cups of water and the salt. If you want it to be tangy, add a little extra salt and squeeze some lemon juice into the dish at the end. If you want it to be completely sweet, skip the salt.
8. Bring it to boil, and keep it in low flame until the tomatoes are cooked. You may need to scrape anything sticking to the bottom once in a while. 
9. You may grind some dry roasted cumin and sprinkle it on top before serving. Garnishing with some chopped coriander leaves will also add flavour. 

NOTE: You can add many other fruits into chutney: grapes, chopped apple,  pomegranate, chopped pineapple go well with chutney. You need to add the pineapple early (while saute-ing ), whereas  the others are better added towards the end to keep them fresh.

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Bengali version:
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টমেটো চাটনী
উপকরণ:
টমেটো - ২৫০ গ্রাম
চিনি - ১/২ কাপ বা স্বাদমত
পাঁচফোড়ন - ১ টেবিল চামচ
শুকনো লংকা - ২ টি
তেজপাতা - ২ টি
লবণ - ১/৪ চা চামচ বা স্বাদমত
আমসত্ত্ব - ৫০ গ্রাম (সম্ভব হলে)
শুকনো খেজুর - ৫-১০ টি
কিশমিশ্ - ১০-২০ টি

পদ্ধতি:
১। টমেটো গুলি ৮ টুকরো করে কাটুন।
২। খেজুরগুলি বীজ বাদ দিয়ে জলে ধুয়ে রাখুন।
৩। আমসত্ত্ব ১/২" পুরু ও ১" চৌকো টুকরো করে কেটে রাখুন।
৩। কড়ায় তেল গরম করে তাতে শুকনো লংকা, পাঁচফোড়ন ও তেজপাতা ফোড়ন দিন।
৪। ফোড়ন বাদামী হয়ে এলে (১৫-২০ সেকেণ্ড পরে) টমেটো কুচি দিয়ে দিন। টমেটো গলে গেলে চিনি দিন এবং চিনি গলে যাওয়া পর্যন্ত খুন্তি দিয়ে নাড়াতে থাকুন।  (আগে চিনি-ও দিতে পারেন, এক্ষেত্রে চিনি গলে গিয়ে বাদামী হতে শুরু করলে টমেটো দিন। অনেকে caramelized চিনির স্বাদ পছন্দ করেন)।
৫। এবার খেজুর, কিশমিশ্, আমসত্ত্ব দিয়ে খুন্তি দিয়ে মিশিয়ে দিন। মিনিট খানিক নাড়াচাড়া করুন।
৬। দু কাপ জল দিয়ে লবণ দিয়ে দিন।
৭। টমেটো সিদ্ধ না হওয়া পর্যন্ত কম আঁচে ফোটান।
৮। পরিবেশন করার আগে ১/৪ চা চামচ জিরা ভেজে গুঁড়ো করে ছড়িয়ে দিন। ধনেপাতা কুচিও ছড়িয়ে দিতে পারেন।

পুনশ্চ:চাটনীতে অনেক ফল-ই দেওয়া যায়। আঙ্গুর, বেদানা, আপেলকুচি, আনারসের কুচি জল ফুটে ওঠার পরে দিতে পারেন।

Ridge gourd with poppy seeds (ঝিঙে পোস্ত)

This is one of the simplest yet tastiest vegetarian bengali dishes. It is best eaten with rice and moong daal.

Ingredients:

Poppy seeds (Hindi: khas khas, Bengali: posto) - 2 tbsp

Onion (optional) - 1 medium (chopped into long thin slices)

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Bay leaves - 2-3

Green chili - 3

Ridge gourd - 500 g

Potato - 200 g

Cooking oil - 4 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Soak the poppy seeds in water for 1/2-1 hour and grind into a fine paste.Adding a pinch of salt helps in grinding. You may also want to grind a green chili along with it for enhanced taste.
2. Peel the the potatoes and chop them into into 0.5" cubes. 
3. Peel the ridge gourds (you may leave some skin) and chop them into 1"-2" long and 1/2"-3/4" thick pieces.
4. Heat 2 tablespoonfuls of oil in a pan and fry the potatoes till golden brown and keep aside.
5. Heat 2 tablespoonfuls of oil (use the oil left over from frying the potatoes, add more if needed), and add the bay leaves followed by green chilies and onions. Fry until the onions turn golden.
6. Add the poppy seed paste and keep stirring in medium heat for a minute.
7. Add the potatoes and the ridge gourd and add the turmeric powder. Mix until the poppy seed paste is evenly distributed. 
8. Add two cups of water and and salt to taste (1 tsp should be enough).
9. Cover and cook in low flame until the potatoes and the ridge gourds are done.

Lentil soup with golden gram ( মুগ ডাল, मुंग दाल)

Ingredients (for serving 4 people):

Moog daal (Golden gram) - 100 g(note - daal refers to the broken and husked lentils)

Paanch phoron - 2 tbsp

Bay leaves - 3

Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Onion (optional) - 1 medium (chopped into long thin slices)

Green chili - 2 (slit into two)

Dried red chili - 2

Ghee or oil - 4 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Dry roast the daal until a strong fragrance comes out. You have to keep stirring and mixing to roast it evenly. Stop as soon as you start noticing some of the lentils getting brown (once you get the idea of the smell, stop a little earlier - just before it starts getting brown). This is the specialbengali/east indian step in the process and gives it a unique flavour, rest of India cooks it without frying.
2. Boil the daal in a pressure cooker (possibly with 5 cups of water). You can boil it in regular pot as well. But it takes a long time to get done. And if the water is hard, then it may actually get tough with boiling. So pressure cooking is your best option. Cook up to  two or three whistles depending on whether you like it a little grainy or totally mashed.
3. In a wok (usually a kadai) heat up the ghee or oil. Add the dried red chilies, bay leaves and paanch phoron and let it splutter for 20 seconds. Then add the green chilies and the onion.
4. Once the onion becomes soft and transparent or golden brown (depending on your taste), pour the boiled daal. Add turmeric powder and salt to taste.
5. Add more water if it is too thick. Bring it to boil and then take it off the stove.
6. Dry roast the cumin seeds (often done by holding it in a metal ladle over a low flame) to a dark brown colour. Then grind it into a coarse powder and sprinkle it over the daal. Adding dollop of butter or ghee at the end will enhance the flavour.
7. You may garnish this with chopped coriander leaves and serve. Daal is a the most popular side dish in most of India. In the east, where the rice is cooked plain (with water only, no salt or spices), it is mixed with rice in the plate to create a background taste and eaten with another side dish (usually a vegetable dish or fried fish) as the foreground.

Hilsa curry with eggplant ( বেগুন দিয়ে ইলিশ ঝোল )

 Ingredients:

Hilsa - 500 g (buy ~650 g - which should become ~500 g after cleaning)

Eggplant - 200 g (1 medium)
Potatoes - 2 medium (optional)

Green chili - 3 (slit longitudinally)

Nigella seeds - 1 teaspoonful

Turmeric powder - 1.5 teaspoonful

Red chili powder - 1 teaspoonful (or less if you want it less spicy)

Salt - according to taste

Hilsa is considered the King of Fishes in terms of taste. It takes minimal effort to cook but maximum effort to eat. Its flesh is very soft, has a lot of oil and a special strong smell which is considered so delicious that whatever way it is cooked, it tastes great. Actually, the only strong spice that goes with Hilsa is mustard, anything else will kill the special flavour of the fish itself. It is also one of the few fishes that do not always need to be fried before cooking.
But one must be very careful when eating Hilsa. It is said that every kilogram of Hilsa has 10,000 bones. The bones (especially in flesh around the spine) are vey small, so you can start chewing the fish and separate the bones in your mouth by feeling them and moving them between your teeth  slowly with your tongue. The bones in the belly meat are bigger and are better separated with fingers.

Procedure:

1. Marinate the fish with 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of turmeric, 1 teaspoonful of red chili powder for 15 minutes.
2. Chop the eggplant into ~3" long, ~1.5" wide and ~1" thick pieces. If it is a big one, first cut it crosswise into 3" long parts. Then take each part and have it lengthwise. Then make parallel 1" thick cuts lengthwise.
3. If adding potatoes, chop them into long thick pieces [ 1 crosswise cut, three parallel lengthwise cuts ( ||| ) and another two lengthwise cuts perpendicular to these three (=)] or about the same size as the eggplant.
4. Marinate the eggplant pieces with 1/2 teaspoonful of tureric powder and 1/2 teaspoonful of salt and 1 tablespoonful of oil. It tends to  absorb the oil fast. So mix these quickly (or add more oil) and evenly to give the eggplant pieces an even quote of the spices.
5. Lightly stir fry the eggplant pieces.
6. If using potatoes, lightly stir fry them too.
7. In whatever oil is left over (1 tablespoonful should be enough), add the nigella seeds as phoron. Within 10-20 seconds, add the slit green chilis. 
8. Add water after ~20-30 seconds. 
9. If you are using potatoes add them now and let cook until they are almost cooked. Then add the eggplant pieces and the marinated fish. Otherwise, add the eggplant pieces and the fish right away.
10. Cook until the fish is done (another 10 minutes in medium/low flame with cover) .
11. You may garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Odori Don - dancing-squid rice bowl (may look disgusting!)

I have never cooked or tasted this dish and I am not sure I would enjoy it (I did not like raw squid in my first attempt). There is a bit of neuroscience involved (remember Hodgkin and Huxley and the Squid giant neuron?). Posting it for the
novelty.