Poila Baisakh is just around the corner, and Bangladeshis are getting ready to celebrate their new year with gusto. The occasion marks the first day of the Bengali calendar. It will be celebrated on 15th April and we all know how celebrations and food go hand in hand in Bengali.So besides wearing new clothes and spending time with family and friends, Poira Baisaf is all about eating.
Families cook with great splendor and feasts are meticulously prepared, serving authentic Bengali dishes. If you’re wondering how to set up your Poila Baisakh table this year, we’ve got some great recipes for you.
Chital macher muitha:
The word Muitha is came from the Bengali word Mutho (মুঠো aka fist). Simply put, Muitha is a Kebab or Fritter shaped like a mutho. Also, while shaping it, we take out the filling and shape it with the help of our palms to give the exact shape of the Mutho.
Now comes Chital Macher Muitha or Mutha, this particular fish is used to make muitha due to the texture of the fish. Note that you can also make muitha using Aar Maach. Traditionally, it is added to gravy after making Muitha. Now that I have covered Macher Muitha in detail, let me tell you that Muitha is a Bengal delicacy. Well, for those of you who don’t know the Ghoti-Bangal branch of the Bengali language, people with roots in Bangladesh (now settled in India) are called Bangal. Likewise, Bengali people who are rooted in West Bengal (or India) are called Ghoti. Some recipes are considered as Bangal special or Ghoti special and Muitha is a Bengal recipes. Although over time, these differences are now almost non-existent.
Chingri Paturi/Prawn Paturi :
Chingri aka Prawn is a family favorite for various reasons. Having said that, both my husband Mehebub and my daughter Pasta love prawns, I prefer them because it is relatively easy to cook. With Prawns, you can make many beautiful dishes like Malaikari, Prawn Achar, Daab Chingri, Paturi and many more. I store and cook prawns regularly at Debjanir Rannaghar. Those who read my blog regularly must know that there are several prawn recipes on my blog. In fact, shrimp is a (almost) part of my everyday cooking. In this post, I will share the recipe of Chingri Paturi, a Bengali specialty. If you are Bangladeshi, Paturi needs no further introduction, however, if you are not, here is some information about Paturi. Paturi is a dish in which seafood, poultry or vegetables and cheese are mixed and steamed with typical signature Bengali spices in mustard, coconut paste, poppy seed paste, mustard oil and green chili, steamed to perfection in a banana leaf bag .
Chingri Paturi is a steamed delicacy in which prawns marinated in mustard, coconut and poppy seed pastes are steamed in a banana leaf wrap along with green chili and mustard oil (not to mention salt and turmeric) and the end result is nothing but Holy. This is actually an iconic Bengali delicacy. Bangladeshis love seafood cooked in mustard sauce, and Chingri Paturi, a mustard-based dish, is, needless to say, an absolute favorite among Bangladeshis. Banana leaves are abundant in Bangladesh and this particular leaf is perfect for steaming.
Lau Chingri recipe:
Lau Chingri (Gourds cooked with prawns) is a typical Bengali delicacy without onion and garlic. This is a typical ‘Ghonto’ (Ghonto is a Bengali term that describes a dish of mushy vegetables cooked with a little ginger, ghee and sugar, at least according to Bengali food writer Prajna Sundari Devi). Bangladeshis are known for their fondness for non-vegetarian food. However, our vegetarian cooking is just as rich and influenced by the cooking of Bengali widows who were not allowed to eat non-veg years ago and sometimes even now. The story of Gopal is indeed funny, and Bangladeshi vegetarian food is also very rich, but it is a pity that we cannot say that the widow back then was good at everything!
Bhapa Chingri :
They come home with fresh pink prawns and coconut. I must say I was delighted to see the prawns. The quality is really good. Also, Bhapa Chingri is an easy recipe. Bhapa means “steam”. You don’t need to fry the shrimp in this recipe. I usually make a paste of coconut butter, wasabi and plain tofu, with wasabi oil and green chillies to marinate the prawns, then steam the prawns for a few minutes. To make Bhapa Chingri, you can steam prawns in a pressure cooker. You can choose to steam the marinated prawns while cooking the rice, or you can reheat the prawns in the microwave. I prefer to make Bhapa Chingri with whole prawns and headed and peeled. However, you can also use marinated prawns or prawns.
Bhetki Macher Dum:
Bhetki Macher Dum has nothing to do with cooking at Dum. This is the typical Bengali dish of the Gauthi family, and for some reason it is called dom.This is a typical Bengali dish from the Ghoti family and for some unknown reason we call it dom. I think it’s because we use mustard oil, dry red chillies and Kalojire (Kalonji) which are also used to make Bengali Aloor Dum. One thing I have to mention here, we use boiled onion paste in making Bhetkir Dum.
Shutki Chingri Bhorta/Dried Prawn Paste :
Shutki Chingri Bhorta is not a typical dish cooked by the Ghoti community, with me being the obvious exception. I cherish this very much. I often make it as part of Sunday lunch. We are a nuclear family of working parents and a very supportive one. In addition to working full-time for the development department, Mama Bear is also a food blogger. Dearest dad is an architect. Our story is often like that of several other families eager to spend quality time together. However, we want to spend more and more time with our little ones, but we just can’t. That’s probably why our Sundays are just for families. Family lunches and comfort food are something we crave almost every Sunday at my house, followed by afternoons of sleeping with little munchkins.
Biye Barir Fish Butter Fry / Bhetki Batter Fry:
Biye Barir Fish Butter Fry (read Fish Batter Fry!) was a treat (among several others) that our ’80s (and even earlier) kids loved in childhood, and I don’t think millennials will. For them, if they are lucky enough to have this at their wedding reception, it is Bhetki Batter Fry! While frying Bhetki batter last Sunday, I was tempted to use the name Fish Fried Fish in my blog post. After all, biye bari special fish batter fried fish has long been known as butter fried fish in Bangladesh household and restaurant circles. They played badly with the names of a few dishes, one I already mentioned and the other was fried fish. All printed menus served during Bengali weddings have been renamed Fish Munia! It took me a long time to understand that they were referring to “batter” in Fish butter fry and they were referring to meunière munia!
Barishali Ilish:
Well, Ilish Borishali, India’s famous Hilsa delicacy, is named after a region in Bangladesh, Barishal didn’t originate there! Likewise, Manchurian chicken was invented by a Chinese chef, but he was from Kolkata, not China! Manchurian is the brainchild of Indian restaurateur Nelson Wang, who is of Chinese descent. No more talking about Manchurian Chicken because this article is about Barishali Ilish, not Manchurian. Barishali Ilish is a Hilsa preparation that is now very popular as part of the expanded Bengali cuisine. This dish is not a classic Bengali food, but it is almost a classic now. Given the typical ingredients used and how great they taste, Barishari Irish is a must-have and a must-have.This recipe calls for mustard, coconut butter, plain curd and mustard oil, and chunks of hilsa. You can’t go wrong with a fish curry (read Ilish mach) cooked in wasabi, coconut butter, plain curd and mustard oil. It’s obvious why all these ingredients work so well with Hilsa alone.
Parshay fish jhal with mustard butter / basically fish with mustard gravy:
Back to the Shorshe Bata diye Parshe Macher Jhal; it’s nothing more than fresh mullet boiled in mustard seed paste. The recipe is simple and requires very few ingredients other than the fish. I prefer to make mustard with a mixture of white and black mustard seeds. However, you can use either type to make a paste. You can even substitute mustard powder for the paste. Other than that, mustard oil is indispensable when making this dish. The spiciness of mustard oil adds flavor to this dish. To make Shorshe Parshe you need some green chilli, tomato and nigella seeds and salt.
Bhetki Paturi:
Come to my Bhetki Macher Paturi. Fish Paturi is an iconic Bengali fish dish in which Bhetki Maach is wrapped in banana leaves with mustard and coconut sauce. Then steamed over low heat, the end result is a melt-in-your-mouth Bhetki Macher Paturi. The recipe for this typical Bengali dish varies little among the different Bong families. However, I picked up some tricks from Rannar Thakur (traditional Bengali professional chef) who prepared this dish at his housewarming party in Kolkata. He told me that the 2 stage pickling played a big role in making the makhoner moto norom (soft as butter) Bhetki Macher Paturi! The first step is to marinate the fish pieces with lemon juice and salt for 1 hour. I improved plain lemon juice with Gondhoraj Lebu (lime) for a standout taste. The second step is to marinate the fish pieces in mustard coconut sauce and some spices for about 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Chingri Malai Curry :
This is a classic king prawn with coconut milk dressing! We Bang people are very good at changing names to facilitate our pronunciation. Chingri Macher Malaikari is one of the greatest examples of this name change game where Malaikari is actually “Maloy Curry”. Transform the prawn curry in coconut milk, native to Malaysia, into an iconic Bengali dish called Chingri Macher Malaikari. Chingri Malai curry is an iconic Bengali shrimp delicacy made with king prawns or prawns and coconut milk. Before going further with the recipe, let me tell you that this dish originated outside of Bengal and even in India. Yes, you read that right.
