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.
Kochi Pathar Jhol
This delicious Bengali dish, Kochi Patar Jol, is a light and flavorful curry that is sure to please. With baby goat meat and plenty of potatoes, this dish is easy to make and absolutely amazing. Tender kid meat is simmered in a flavorful sauce with spices such as onions, garlic and ginger, giving it a unique flavor. Potatoes add a pleasant, starchy texture that pairs beautifully with juicy goat meat.
Serve with rice or your favorite roti for a complete meal. Not only is this curry’s flavor tantalizing, but its light texture makes it an ideal choice for those looking for a meal that won’t overwhelm your stomach. Enjoy this delicious Bengali baby goat curry and savor the unique flavors of home-cooked Indian cuisine.
Ingredients:
- 750g Goat Meat (medium pieces; use Baby goat meat)
- 4 Potato
- 2 Onion
- 1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic Paste
- 2 Tomato
- 100g Curd
- 1 Tsp Garam masala
- 1 Tsp. Jeera /Cumin Powder
- 1 Tsp. Dhane/ Dhania / Coriander powder
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 2 Dried Red Chilies
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp. Sugar
- 2 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 4 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
- 1 Tsp. Ghee
Procedure:
- Wash and soak the pieces of kid meat.
- Prepare the marinade with half the turmeric powder, red pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, and even curd.
- Add the goat meat to the marinade and leave for 1.5 hours.
- I like to marinate my meat overnight.
- Coarsely chop the onion.
- You can make tomato paste or chop them up.
- Heat oil in a deep skillet and fry potatoes until golden brown (not fully done) and set aside.
- Add bay leaf, dried red pepper, chopped onion, and sugar to the same oil.
- Add remaining ginger garlic paste, salt, red pepper powder, garam masala powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder.
- Add the chopped/pureed tomatoes to the mixture.
- Add the marinated goat meat to the mixture.
- Transfer mutton to pressure cooker and add fries.
- Add enough hot water to the mixture and pressure cook over medium heat (requires at least 5-7 whistles).
- Open the lid of the pressure cooker when the pressure is completely reduced.
- If you are not using a pressure cooker, which I have used many times, cover the meat with water and slow cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Add hot water halfway through to keep the curry smooth.
- After 1.15 hours, check and simmer until the meat is tender.
- In this case, add the potatoes after one hour of cooking.
- Finally add ghee and mix with curry.
- Kochi Patal Jol is now ready to serve.It can be served with white rice.
Mutton Handi Kabab:
Coming to the lamb handi kebabs, I have already written that this dish is dominated by the flavor of the lamb itself rather than the spices.
Last time I made it, I grilled about 2kg of mutton. If you try this recipe, be sure to use very good quality mutton. Meat should be cooked in its own broth.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg Mutton with Fat
- 400g Onion
- 20-25 pods of Garlic
- 2-inches Ginger
- 2 Tbsp. Papaya peels
- 4-6 Dried Red Chili
- 2-3 Green Chili
- 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp. Dry Roasted Cumin Powder
- ½ Tsp. garam masala
- 1.5 Tsp. Salt or to taste
- 5 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Ghee
- 3 Tbsp. Fresh Cream
Procedure:
- Wash and dry the mutton pieces. There should be no water.
- Score the papaya stem and extract the gum.
- Grate the papaya skin.
- Take about 2 tbsp. Papaya peel and 1 tsp along with the already extracted gum. salt too. Mix them properly.
- Make a paste of 15 grains of onion, ginger and garlic.
- Dry roast the dried red chilies with 6 garlic pods.
- Roasted chilies and garlic pods make a paste as well.
- Pour half the mustard oil, red pepper, roasted garlic ginger paste and mint paste over the meat.
- Extract the onion juice and pour the onion juice over the mutton.
- Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Dry Roasted Cumin Powder, Bengal Garam Masala Powder and mix well.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the mutton overnight.
- Take the mutton out of the refrigerator when cooking.
- Add lemon juice and salt as needed and mix well.
- Take a deep-bottomed thick vessel or handicap.
- Rub the ghee into the utensil and heat the remaining mustard oil.
- Pour the mutton chunks with the marinade.
- Cover the skillet for about 1.5 hours, then add the chopped green chillies and start cooking slowly.
- Cook, checking halfway through and stirring with a spatula if necessary, until the mutton is tender.
- When the mutton is cooked, add fresh cream, mix well, and turn off the heat.
- Enjoy Mutton Handi Kabab piping hot with your choice of bread.
Bengali Mete Chorchori
Chorchori is a famous Bengali side dish. Chorchori is neither friend nor curry. This particular side dish is characterized by the cut of the ingredients (vegetable or animal protein).Bengali cuisine has dishes such as Chochori, Daruna, Gont, Jol, Jal, etc., where the vegetables are cut in completely different ways. Having said that, the potato chunks used in Chorchori are always different from those used in Jal.
Ingredients:
- 500g Mutton Liver
- 2 Potato (Big)
- 1 Tomato
- 2 Onion
- 2 Green Chilli
- 1.5 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 2 Tbsp. Garlic Paste
- 3 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Ghee
Spices
- 1 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Cumin Powder
- 1 Tsp. Coriander Powder
- ¼ Tsp. Asafoetida
- 1 Tsp. garam masala
Whole Spices for Tempering
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 6 Clove
- 1-inch Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Green Cardamom
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 Strands Javitri
Procedure:
- Wash the mutton rematon liver and cut it into small pieces (preferably small squares). Please see the image for reference.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes (preferably small squares). Please see the image for reference.
- Chop the onions and chop the tomatoes.
- Cut the green chillies.
- Heat the oil, sprinkle a little salt and turmeric powder and fry the potatoes. Wash the bars and cut them into small pieces (preferably small squares). Please see the image for reference.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes (preferably small squares). Please see the image for reference.
- Chop the onions and chop the tomatoes.
- Cut the green chillies.
- Heat the oil, sprinkle a little salt and turmeric powder and fry the potatoes.
- Once crispy, strain the potato chunks out of the oil.
- Temper the same oil with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, black cardamom and javitri.
- Add asafoetida to the oil as well.
- Simmer over low heat until the spices are fragrant.
- Now add the chopped onions and fry until the onions are soft.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the oil separates from the mixture.
- Add some salt to season the mixture.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, sugar, cumin powder and coriander powder.
- Mix well and cook until the oil separates from the mixture.
- Check and add salt if needed.
- Add green chillies and mix well.
- Add mutton liver chunks and mix.
- Cover the pot and turn the heat down.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the potato chunks, mix with a spatula, then add 1 cup of boiling water.
- Cover the pot and simmer until the liver is cooked through and the potatoes are tender.
- This takes about 10 minutes.
- Open the lid and put it on high heat to completely evaporate the moisture.
- It should be a slightly mushy dish which is the charter of chorchori.
- Once done, add Bengal garam masala powder followed by ghee and mix lightly.
Niramish Mangsho or Bhoger Mangsho
Mansho can’t become Niramish, right? Indeed, if you are Bengali or know Bengali, the term Niramish Mangsho is just an oxymoron. I call it meat. So why this name? Let’s talk about the famous Kalypujor Borger Mansho!
Ingredients:
- 1kg Mutton (medium size pieces)
- 500g Potato (cut into halves)
- 100g Ginger
- 300g Unflavoured Curd
To Temper:
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Red Chillies
- 10 Clove
- 2 inches Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Green Cardamom
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 1 Tsp. Asafoetida / Hing
Spices:
- 2 Tsp. Cumin Powder
- 2 Tsp. Coriander Powder
- 1 Tsp. Garam Masala Powder
- 1 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 2 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 2 Tsp. Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Salt or to taste
- 5 Tbsp. Mustard Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Ghee
Procedure:
- Wash and pat mutton pieces and marinate with 100g curd, 1 tsp. cumin powder, 1 tsp. coriander powder, 1 tsp. turmeric powder, ½ tsp. About 8 hours with red chili powder.
- Peel the potatoes, cut them in half, and dust the potatoes with a little turmeric powder.
- Mix remaining cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and red chili powder with 1 tbsp.
- Grind the ginger into a smooth paste.
- Keep a pan filled with boiling water handy.
- Fry the potatoes until golden brown and strain the potatoes from the skillet.
- Transfer remaining oil to a deep pan, add ghee and heat.
- The oil is tempered with bay leaf, red chili, cloves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, black cardamom and asafoetida.
- Cook for 1 minute, until tempering leaves a nice aroma.
- Add the sugar at this point and caramelize the sugar, being careful not to burn it.
- Add ginger paste to the mixture and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.
- Add a little water if the spices are sticking to the edges of the pan.
- Add the spice paste and a pinch of salt and simmer over low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- After mixing, add curd and continue to mix and heat for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens and releases oil.
- At this point add the marinated mutton to the mixture and start cooking over low heat
- stir in between.
- Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, and the water will come out of the mutton.
- Add the fries at this point.
- Reduce heat and cook mutton in water for 20 minutes, covered.
- Add 4 cups of boiling water to the mutton, increase the heat a little, and continue cooking the mutton with the added water.
- It may take an additional 15 minutes or more to properly cook the mutton with the pot lid on, depending on the quality of the mutton.
- Add boiling water .
- Add garam masala powder and 1 tsp. Ghee to end Niramish Mangsho.
Kosha Mangsho:
The origins of Kosha Mangsho are less clear, but there is one place in Kolkata that is considered a popular destination for the legendary delicacy. It’s Golbari. Located at Shyambazar Five Point Crossing, this place is over 95 years old and locals often say that Kosher Mansho originated from here.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg Mutton With fat (preferably Rewazi Khashi)
- ½ cup Grated Raw Papaya
- 8 Onion
- 2 tbsp. Garlic Paste
- 1.5 tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 3 Green Chili
- 200g Sour Curd
- 2 Tsp. Cumin Powder
- 2 Tsp. Coriander Powder
- 2 Tsp. Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- ½ Tsp. Asafoetida aka Hing
- 2 Tsp. Red Chili Powder
- 2 Tsp. Turmeric Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Sugar
- 4 Bay Leaves
- 4 Dry Red Chilies
- 4 Clove:
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 4 Green Cardamom
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 150ml Mustard Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Ghee aka Clarified Butter
Procedure:
- Wash the mutton pieces well and pat dry.
- Make a paste with 2 onions and finely chop the rest.
- Next, marinate the mutton pieces with 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon each of grated raw papaya, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder. mustard oil, a pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. Ginger and garlic paste and onion paste respectively.
- Add half the tofu.
- Mix everything together and let the marinated mutton rest for about 6-8 hours.
- Take the remaining mustard oil in a deep-bottomed pan and heat the oil thoroughly.
- Toss oil with bay leaf, dried red pepper and hin, add 1 tbsp. Cook until sugar dissolves and caramelizes.
- Add the chopped onions and fry until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté over medium heat for another 4-5 minutes until the oil separates.
- Add curd and mix well.
- Add the remaining turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chili powder and cook for an additional minute.
- add salt
- Then add the marinated mutton pieces to the spice mix along with the marinade and start cooking over medium heat.
- The next step is called ‘koshano’ in Bengali and means cooking over high heat without the addition of water, which requires frequent stirring.
- Cook over high heat for at least 4-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Check the gravy for salt and other spices, and adjust spices as needed.
- Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
- stir in between.
- No need to add water at this point as the mutton will release moisture.
- Cook until the mutton is soft but keeps its shape.
- Add chopped green chillies.
- Add 1 cup boiling water and simmer until gravy reaches desired consistency.
- Add ghee and bengal garam masala powder, simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes and turn off heat.
- Kosha Mangsho is ready.
