TEL KOI (Climbing Perch in oil.) ( KOU TELA Rasa)

TEL KOI (Climbing Perch in oil.) ( KOU TELA Rasa)

A very popular recipe cooked in many different ways 









INGREDIENTS
.
Koi fish 6 No ( 8 count), live ones, cut and dressed , slits made on both sides and marinated with salt and turmeric .

mixed into a paste the following
2 heap tsp cumin ,
 2 heap tsp coriander ,
 3/4 level tsp turmeric 
1 level tsp red chili powder ,
 1 level tsp green chili paste (optional), 
salt; 
1/6th level tsp sugar, 

PROCESS

Saute the fish at high heat in little oil , 2 - 3 min on each side . Don't fry .

Add 60 to 75  ml mustard oil , heat to smoking and remove to cool a bit. Add the spice paste, and fry on low heat till oil comes out sprinkle water to prevent burn out .
Add 75 ml water .Lay the fish one by one on the pan . Cover and boil for 5 min. Turn the fish and open boil to drive out most moisture .
Garnish few green chili .

One variation I make with coriander and black pepper paste and no other spices

Eat with hot rice

SEI ILISH MACHHER JHAL WITH GINGER (That lish fish jhal with ginger )

SEI ILISH MACHHER JHAL WITH GINGER (That lish fish jhal with ginger )

As a marketing man one must know the expressed need of customers. But a successful marketing man must understand the implied need of a customer. And if you can understand the implied need of wife, sky is the limit for your success as a    marketing guy.

So when my wife said “Can you cook Sei ( that)  ilish jhal , you used to cook in Motijhil days in Calcutta and also cooked few times in 90s before you set sail to Korea ?”

“Yes of course “ (without knowing what is yes of course)

So to understand the implied need , I had to cross examine like a lawyer and could understand what she meant .

So here it is

INGREDIENTS

Ilish fish (4 to 6 pieces) ( the quantity of other things will remain same irrespective of the fish pieces). You can use any oily fish like Aarh Boal  pabda salmon  herring,  cord etc etc ) . Smear fish with turmeric and salt. (this turmeric is extra)

Extra virgin mustard oil 3 tbs + 1 tbsp (EVOO most welcome too) ( oil is same for cooking up to 10 pieces)

Sunrise mustard powder or Korean Mustard powder 2 heap tsp.  Or grind and filter yellow or black or combo 4 tsp heaped).

Full fat (6 % ) curd 2 heap tbsp.  ( u can use non fat curd also)

Ginger paste 1 level tsp

Red chili powder 1 level  tsp

Turmeric powder 11/2 level tsp

Green chili hot 4

Dry red chili 2

Kala jeera (nigella) 3/4^th level tsp

PROCESS

Soak mustard, red chili and turmeric powder in water for 30 minutes

Whip in the curd and required salt into the mixture and make it very smooth.

In a Kadhai add 3 tbsp. oil and start warming (don’t take to smoking), add kala jeera and red dry chili . Continue heating till foaming starts and take to full heat.

Add the fish, gently sauté for 2-3  minutes

Add ½ cup water bring to boil.

Add the spice curd mix green chilis,  ginger paste and mix well bring to full boil while continuously stirring. (This is important to get that creamy consistency). Cover and reduce heat.

  After 3-4 minutes turn the fish, cover and continue heat for 2-3 minutes .

Add 1 tbsp mustard oil / EVOO and heat for 1-2 minutes .

Dish is ready for rice 

THE FRIED TYANGRA FISH JHAL , WITH A PING

THE FRIED TYANGRA FISH JHAL , WITH A PING

Please ignore the word PING, it is related to some computer jargon. I liked it so used it.

THE RECIPE

Here no preamble, I am trying to put a very traditional Bong recipe with a variation. Here I will use fried fish, normally raw fish is used. You can use raw ones also). You can use any fish of your choice. I will be using weak spices and no medium spice like cumin, strong spice like methi seeds  , fennel or garam masalas. Will keep the flavour of fried red chili paste as dominant smell (don’t get confused between smell ,taste and flavour , they have different meaning all together  )  and supplemented with  very weak spice of coriander powder.  The tempering will be also with a weak spice, the kala jeera, (Nigela) .

INGREDIENTS

*Fish : Tengra/Tyangra/ kantia (in Odiya) and of Batasio family, like BATASIO BATASIO  , 9 pieces , 500 grams ( in rainy season chose the pregnant fish in full term)

* Potato 2 medium cut to half-moon 12 mm thick

* Tomato, 2 inch long, cut to 4 or 6 pieces

* Red chili powder 1 heap tbsp. (hottest or mildest , your choice)

* Coriander powder 2 heap tsp

* Mustard powder  2 level  tsp, ( Korean make or Bong make ,)  Or if not available, grind 3      level  tsp mustard , soak in water and filter .

* Chopped onion 1 cup (US cup of 8 oz or 240 ml approx.)

* 4 cloves garlic smashed and chopped

* Nigela ( kala jeera ) 1 level tsp

* Dry red chili 2

* Turmeric – 1 tsp level

* Green chili, broken, 4

* !/3 tsp sugar

* Oil Mustard 3 tbsp + 2 tsp (olive pomace will do or any white oil) (over and above required for sallow frying)

* Oil for frying the fish

PROCESS

Soak coriander powder, mustard powder, chili and turmeric powder in water and leave aside for 30 minute

Clean fish, marinade in salt and turmeric. (This turmeric is extra over what is mentioned above)

Sallow fry the fish to light brown on both sides ( CAUTION : The cat fish skin may explode violently  so as soon as you add fish cover it and when you turn over , cover immediately )

In the same oil add potato and fry , till brown spots develop. Keep aside

Make up the oil to 3 tbsp , heat and give nigella and red chili tempering , add smashed garlic. After 30 seconds add the finely chopped onion.

Sauté the mix to make it slightly translucent, it should not be fried and more towards raw. If you are tempted to make it light brown to brown, don’t do it. I will give you same fish recipe with fried onion and strong spicing system

Add the soaked spice, stir fry till a little oil appears. Add the potatoes, salt and fry for 1 min

Add I cup ( 180 ml ) water and the tomato .

Add 1/3rd tsp sugar (this is to taste not to sweeten)

Bring to full boil, cover and reduce heat .

When Potatoes are almost done add the fish and boil for 5 min, add raw mustard oil .

Done . 

MACKEREL FRY (fish fry)

MACKEREL FRY

I often fry fish with a tasty aromatic coating. But the coating is applied on a semi-fried fish. If you feel the fried fish smells too fishy, then apply the final coating on the raw fish and fry.

This is a very conventional fish fry except that I have used a bit of roasted sesame and groundnut powder.

INGREDIENTS

Mackerel 4 nos ( or any other fish with or without bones).

Oil for sallow frying

For the marinade

Lemon juice 30 ml

Ginger juice 1 tbsp

Salt and pinch of turmeric

For the coating

Cumin powder 2 tsp heap

Coriander powder 1 tsp heap

Red chili powder 1 tsp or more

Turmeric 3/4^th tsp

Mustard powder 1 level tsp (optional)

 Garlic smashed and chopped fine 2 tsp

Green chili 2 chopped fine

Mustard oil 2 tsp ( in the coating mix)

Roasted sesame 1 heap tsp and roasted ground nut 8 seeds , ground to a paste or powder

Salt

Sugar 1/4^th tsp

Besan 1 tbsp approx. ( as needed for the consistency)

Corn flour 1 tsp level

Rice flour or suji 1 tsp

PROCESS

Clean the fish and make slits

Mix the fish with salt, turmeric, lemon and ginger juice. ( grind ginger and squeeze the juice).

Mix separately the spice powders meant for coating, mix in chopped garlic and green chili, mustard oil, sesame and groundnut paste/powder. Add corn flour and rice flour, add little water so that the dry powders are soaked. Add besan and make thick batter either by adding more besan or water.

Coat each fish with batter so that the slits are filled and nothing is outside the fish surface.

Take oil in a frying pan for sallow fry. Heat oil and fry two or one  fish at a time on slow heat. Flick the fish and fry.

Now apply the coating again on the fried side, so that there is a thick layer of about 3 mm.

Now with a spoon collect the hot oil from the frying pan,and keep sprinkling on the applied coating so that the coating gets solidified

 Reverse the fish and apply the coating to the other side and follow the above procedure .

The frying shall be carried out on low heat so that the fish is done by the time the coating is fried and light brown

Eat as a snack or with hot rice, ghee or butter, green chili.

The chili hot, coating goes well with rice 

FRIED BATA FISH IN MODIFIED BESARA SPICING

It has been ages since I could open my blog or yours, thanks to the very slow Internet deep in side Sahara deserts. Back home on a short vacation and trying to make up in kitchen and reading missed blogs. 

Fish is a staple diet for most bongs. Hence trying to make up for the fish I did not get to eat. Only fish I got to eat in the desert were shrimps, some fish stakes, flown in from the  Mediterranean  coast, 1800 KM away

This fish, Bata is one of my favorites . It is small and extremely bony but very tasty . I decided to try a fried version with a very well known spicing of Odisha , called the Besara. 
THE RECIPE.
 The besara is cooked with vegetable or a combo of vegetables, fish or dry fish. The spicing is simple . a combination of cumin and mustard paste and a sour note is added through dried raw mango ( called ambula or amsi) , very sour lime or tomato. Traditionally it is dried mango . This is a temple version without garlic or onion and tomato is also not permitted in temple version. Green chili,, red chili powder and turmeric is used as usual.
In a non vege version ( with or without fish) , garlic paste is added to the spicing . The final product will have a curry consistency and may be runny. Here I have dried up the spice to stick to the fish.
INGREDIENTS 
Bata fish ( any fish , small or big will do ) 2 pcs cut to half 
cumin powder 3 tsp
mustard seeds 4 tsp wet ground and filtered 
garlic 6 cloves  paste 
Red chili powder (hot) 1 tsp or more 
green chili 4 
Turmeric powder 1 tsp.
Tomato , one medium , grated to a pulp.
Mustard oil ( preferred) or any other oil 

PROCEDURE 
Marinade the fish in turmeric and salt, keep aside for 30 min.

 ( The lioness share is on the left and the lions share ( the tiny one) is to the right )

Shallow fry the fish to brown on both side. ( one can use raw fish if a Besara curry is made). I like it surface fried and bit hard fried.

Mix the cumin,  chili , turmeric powder, garlic and mustard paste , with 5-7  tbsp water and set aside.
Add 3 tbsp fresh oil or the left over oil from fish frying and heat
Add tomato pulp and fry for few minutes,

 then add the spice mix, green chili  and salt. 

Immediately add the fish , mix , lower heat and cover.

Stir gently from time to time. When the oil starts to come out , remove from heat .

Serve with steamed rice. 

As mentioned earlier, you can make a runny curry ( Jhol ) with all types of vegetables and dried mango as souring agent ..kokum or sour lime is also good . 

FRESH LOITA FISH JHURI BHAJA (Fresh Bombay duck, Bombil, Bumla, Bummili dish))

I am back here partially after a long gap. Of course will be back with full force by the end of the month. I am presenting this recipe for my non-vege friends and there is no vege version for this. I learnt this traditional fish recipe only few months back.

The Fish is called Bombay duck generally and if you read Wikipedia , you will know how the name was coined. It has nothing to do with Peking Duck.The other names are Loita in Bong, Bummili in Kerala, Bombil in Marathi and Ushnish in Chinese :-). The biological name is Harpadon nehereus. 
This fish is mainly consumed as dry fish having a extremely powerful odor which I could not appreciate so far. The fish in its whole form looks frightening. 

The fresh fish is generally cleaned by the vendor else it is quite easy to clean, chop the head, pull the gut out, make pieces  and it is done. Look at Indian stores in Canada , EU and USA, you may get dressed, frozen ones.

THE RECIPE. This recipe doesn't use any aromatic spices but only few ingredients like onion, garlic and red chili powder. The aromatics are avoided to get a unique flavor far from the flavor of day to day fish dishes. The basic method is to continuously stir the fish pieces and at the end almost all moisture is driven off and it becomes a paste in oil. 

INGREDIENTS

Loita, ( Bombil, Bombay duck, Harpadon nehereus) 500 gms dressed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces.

Onion 300 gms, chopped fine

Garlic 1 whole pod, chopped fine ( 3-4 mm) 

Green chili 6 , chopped.

Tomato 1 medium ( optional)

Red chili powder 3 level tsp , extra hot

Turmeric 11/2 tsp level.

Mustard Oil 100 ml. preferred ( any other smell less oil). ( Don't get scared , 100 ml is nothing  compared to the rice, bread, potato, topioca etc we eat....Ok 75 ml ( 5 tbsp ) will do))

PROCESS
* Heat oil and add chopped garlic , stir to very light brown and add all the chopped onion.
* fry to very light brown and add tomato and green chili.
* reduce heat and keep frying till the tomato is soft and melting.
* add red chili powder and turmeric stir well for 1 minute.
* add the fish, salt and mix thoroughly.

* Reduce heat,  Keep stirring from time to time, and the fish will disintegrate.
* Caution: Dont add water, the fish will release enough water
* Keep stirring and it will become a paste 
* continue stirring till oil comes out or most of the water dries out.
Eat with hot rice ..divine indeed...

What happens to the bone?
Well good question...the bones will disintegrate into tiny pieces and you can feel it under your teeth, semi-soft..assure you , it wont get stuck in your throat..simply they cant pierce the strong throat muscle.
If you want to get rid off the central bone 
take a little water about 1/2 cup, add salt and boil the fish pieces.
( dont discard the water)
Take the fish out and remove the central bone simply by spreading apart.
Add the fish and the water used for boiling into fried onion etc and proceed.


FRIENDS
I haven't put my appreciation at your blog. That doesn't mean I haven't read. I read almost all of them. Now I will read one by one and get back to you..Missed you all really .,

LAZY FISH AND POTATO MASALA WITH VEGE OPTION ...SHORT BREAK

These days I am quite busy with some long pending work. I follow 4 D principle of Management , Whenever some work comes, try to  Dump , Delay, Delegate and lastly  Do it, in case you cant do the first 3 Ds..Gone are the days " Jo kal Karo, so aj" instead it is now new mantra Jo aj karo so kal... because we really don't have the luxury to advance any work , we are too packed up today ...So all 1st 3 D options are over for me during last several years..so I am doing it.

BREAK

Finally I managed a break with SOMEONE. She could manage a week's off. We are going to Bangalore for 3 days to attend a marriage and decided to go to Kerala for 4 days ...too little time though to see the wonderful Kerala..I have traveled a lot in Kerala in 70s and 80s ..We ( me and my brother's family) will just hole up in Munnar and Kumarakam. After that , most probably my paid holidays will be over and may have to travel to Japan, Korea or Europe ..( I hate winter out side India)..

So here is a Masala dry curry which was up my sleeves since Milano days, and now used it to get rid of some Sardines in the fridge. I am posting this , so that you  dont forget me ..as such my performance has been very poor, only 50 odd postings over 18 months ..:-( 

THE RECIPE 

This is a normal recipe except that it will take less time to make and you can use all types of fried fish or Liver, and also  any one vegetables like Potato, Parmal, beans, Paneer, Turnips, Yam, Arvi etc ( The firm ones). A dash of vinegar is added to make it tangy. I used a Malabar seasoning ( a secrete from SOMEONE) instead of Bong Panch Phodon and no Garam masala. Of course I used fried fish..I like fried Sardines, one can chew the whole fish along with bones.

INGREDIENTS

8 Sardines cleaned, marinated in Turmeric and salt, dip fried to brown. ( I had only 8 in fridge) 

1 Potato medium-large , cut into fingers ( 8mm X 8 mm and length , as large as the  Potato permits) 

For grinding 

1 tomato chopped 

1 onion medium chopped ( same size as the tomato)

6 cloves garlic chopped

3/4th inch by 3/4th inch ginger chopped

2 green chili chopped ( more the merrier) 

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped.

For grinding

For seasoning 

1/3rd tsp of Cumin and Mustard seeds.

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

2 dry red chili

Others

1/2 tsp cumin powder 

1 level tsp Turmeric powder ( you must have seen I use hell of a lot of turmeric )

Vinegar 1 tsp for marinating Potato

Vinegar 2 tsp for the gravy .

Oil 2-3 tbsp ( any oil of your choice but not ghee). ( other than oil, used for frying)

Optional... add as much red chili powder as you want  ( I added 1 tsp, extra hot red chili powder)

PROCESS

Fry the marinated fish and keep aside.

Grind all the ingredients to a uniform paste.

Cut Potato and soak in water and wash and drain dry..add 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vinegar and mix, leave aside. ( this will give a sourish potato to the core.) 

Fry the potato ( stir fry or deep fry if you are left with enough oil from fish frying) and keep aside.

NOTE: Just before adding potato to the pan, squeeze out the water . ( salt will release water from Potato)

Fried fish, Potato, seasoning and the paste 

Heat oil to smoking and give seasoning.

Reduce heat and add 2 tbsp water to quench the heat so that the seasoning doesn't burn out.

Add the fried potato, the paste, salt, turmeric, Cumin powder  and mix. Simmer covered  for few minutes  to cook the potato.

Add the fish, vinegar and mix. Simmer open pan till the oil starts appearing. 

Saut'e for few minutes and the dish is ready. ( Any excess water will be soaked up by potato..so dont waste time drying the dish,,,but if you want to go ahead and fry the mix further, that too is very yummy).

NOTE : This is a small quantity dish , you want to increase the gravy ? If you double the onion, increase Tomato by half . In this recipe , Tomato and the onion is of same size.

LIVER OPTION

Marinate Liver in salt and turmeric. After adding seasoning, add the liver and saute till the pieces change color. Then proceed with or without potato.

VEGE OPTIONS

As all of you know, Vege food is delicacy for all non vegees and true for me too. Most of these vege options are well tried when I was in Milano. ( The beautiful reception girl used to lend me a mixer-grinder to make huge quantity of this paste ..with a condition that I will treat her and her boy friend with Indian Vege dish once in a while. I was surprised that the girl and her BF had become veges...I was more than glad to make many  dishes for her and her BF..including Malabar or Chetinad paneer , Patato, Zucchini  etc  etc...you should have seen the girl eating with red chicks,  running nose and eyes and still asking for more....great satisfying moments of life...

Potato option 

Boil Potato , and cut then into chunks. soak the potato in salt and vinegar ( little) and fry to golden brown...proceed as above adding potato at the last moment.

 Paneer option

Same as above , cut the Panner into chunks, prick with fork, marinate in salt and vinegar , deep fry to spotted brown and proceed.

Other vegetables ( hard ones , haven't tried soft ones like Brinjal, pumpkin, ridge gourd etc)  

Cut the vege to 1 inch pieces, soak in salt and Vinegar and proceed,.

OK friends...I will be reading your blogs during my break ...please keep cooking , I believe cooking is a great stress reliever apart form the great satisfaction we get, when our near and dear ones give a smile and appreciate the taste ...It is so satisfying ( well we all know it, I dont have to say )

Happy cooking and I will miss you all for some time ...

MY RECENT ENCOUNTER WITH TIGERS (I mean tiger prawns, Bagda ChingDi)

The other day after finishing a marathon Prawn cooking session, I washed and cleaned the whole mess in the kitchen and thought, it was time to eat one piece before my wife makes a head count.

I picked up one prawn and was about to put it in my mouth, when suddenly the prawn smiled at me and said...

"Hi!!! thank you, I am so grateful to you!! I am so happy!! I never received such a nice treatment from any one during my last 100s of births."

" Hey I never met a talking Tiger prawn before".

" I am not a Tiger , I am a Tigress prawn".

" Sorry dear, now tell me why you are so happy!!"

" You human beings are very cruel and ruthless, people pull and tear off our heads alive, peel our skin mercilessly, then pull out our guts, which you call veins. Imagine some one doing it to you!! "

" But why you are happy ?"

"You are very considerate and affectionate. You treated us very kindly and delicately. I have taken some photographs and see for yourself."

You bathed us and arranged very nicely 

You took out your Red handled scissors, which you used on me once in Vietnam and many times in Korea and Kuwait. You positioned the scissors at the right place and cut off the front part of my head gently. You Bongs are very fond of chewing our heads ( Chhele byala theke tomra parents der matha chibote abyastho).

You cut off the pointed middle part of the tail so that it did not hurt any one. You inserted a knife very carefully from the front and scooped out some unwanted material and you were very careful about not to spill my yellowish brain.

With your delicate move , you cut through my scale from the top all the way to the tail  with the red scissors. And with that sharp Korean knife you removed my gut ( vein as known wrongly). You kept my skin in place with a slit on top.

You put us one by one in boiling salted water for 30 seconds and took us out one by one.Wao!! we came out of that water in crimson red attire.Why you don't saute us some times in oil and instead you put us in boiling water ?."

"Well when I remove your head and scale I saute you in oil else I put you in boiling water to solidify your semi liquid brain to a yellow mass, so that it doesn't flow out . Your brain is quite tasty. Moreover it imparts that crimson red color to your skin. You look so pretty and  yummy!!! 

"How sweet of you !!! I pray  that in all my future births , God sends me to you only."

The Tigress continued with " You know dud, I was bit apprehensive about the recipe that you would use..you naughty guy, you know many ways of cooking us..but when you decided to use Sharmistha's recipe from COOKA DOODLE DO, I was so over joyed. It really makes us very tasty with that little variation she had used. Give our regards to her and we will drop by her kitchen in future. Now eat me quickly , cant wait any more".

So that was the recent encounter with the Tiger prawns.

IMPORTANT NOTE

I cook with head and scales some times, to make the dish look good. The head is kept for chewing, a delicacy for all Bongs. To cook the head, it must be well frozen and preserved and not spoiled.The heads degrade very fast and not fit for eating always.

The other important thing is, the typical prawn flavor comes from the scales and the head. I boil the prawn and keep the liquid as frozen cubes in refrigerator. I use it in Indian and Chinese dishes. If you are dressing the prawn at home i.e if you are removing head and scale at home, saute the skin and head for 30 sec in 1 tsp oil then boil them in water with  salt, few piece of ginger, onion garlic pod, and one or two green chili. Remove the head and skins and preserve the stock. You can use it later while cooking dressed prawn, Chinese or Indian. The flesh of prawn is almost tasteless and aroma-less.

THE RECIPE

We all know how to cook prawn in many ways. So I am not going into big details. I will make Malai curry. No matter how you cook prawn with coconut milk, gram masala , ginger, garlic onion etc , it will be alway great. This Malai Curry is a funny name. It has nothing to do with Malai. Prawn is being cooked with coconut in Malabar area  from time immemorial. Many say that the name has come from Malabar curry , which I don't think is correct. One popular theory is that the recipe was brought from Malay ( now Malaysia) by British to Calcutta then the capital of British empire. And over the years Malay curry has become Malai curry.

As shakespeare has said " whats in a name ? A prawn malai curry will taste like prawn malai curry no matter what you call"

I have many variations of Malai curry. But  I decided to use the recipe of Sharmistha  from COOKA DOODLE DO.  I had never used Tomato in Malai curry  before and also wanted to try out the  roasted garam masla powder and ghee as a post seasoning/ addition.

The variation that I had to do was to use the prawns with head and skin by the order ( not request) of my wife. Sharmistha has used dressed prawns.

INGREDIENTS
 Prawns (medium sized) -700gms ( undressed)
Coconut - 1/2 (cream and milk extracted as usual)
( I had to use packed coconut milk 150 ml, it must not be used in Malai curry , unless you get a thin Thai variety milk, not coconut cream.) 
*Onion - 1 medium size, finely chopped.
*Tomato - 1 medium- finely chopped
*Ginger paste - 1tsp
*Garlic - 1 tsp
*Bay Leaf - 1
*Whole Garam Masala - 3 elaichi; 2 cloves; 1 inch  cinnamon stick
*Haldi - 1 tsp
*Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
*Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1tsp
*Salt - to taste
*Sugar - a pinch
*Roasted and ground Garam Masala powder - ( made from equal proportion of cardamom, clove and cinnamon) 1 level tsp
*Ghee - 1 tbsp
*Green Chilli - 4
*Potato - 1 medium - diced into small cubes  (optional, normally not used in Malai curry ), sauted  lightly in little oil.)
*Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp
PROCEDURE
*Clean prawn as described above by the Tigress.

*Take 3 cups of water in a pan, add salt, 2 green chili broken, 2 cubes of ginger 1cm X 1 cm. 1 small onion cut to 4 pcs, 4 puds garlic halved. (If you are sure , you wont use prawn stock for Indo-Chinese dish , then you can add 1 bay leaf, 2 cardamom, 2 cloves and 1/2 inch cinnamon ).

Bring to boil and reduce heat , add each prawn as soon as it is cleaned. ( This is to stabilize and solidify the brain and impart uniform crimson color.) and remove within 1 min. Material used here are in addition to the ingredients given above.

 NOTE: Preserve the stock frozen in cubes for future use in dishes where you use dressed prawns). This stock is generally not necessary when you are using prawns with head and scales.

*Soak in 3 tbsp water,   turmeric,  chilli powder,  kashmiri chilli , salt for 15 minutes and make a paste

*Heat Karhai and add mustrad oil.

* Add 1 level tsp sugar and caramalize ( will become light brown molten sugar)

*Add bay leaf and garam masala seasoning

* Add finely chopped onions and fry to light brown

* Add garlic paste , saute for 30 sec and add ginger paste.

*.Add the Masala paste and saute; add Tomato and keep frying till  the Tomato melts and oil comes out.

* Add the fried potato and stir for 3-5 minutes on low heat..

*Add the coconut milk and 3/4 cup of water. Cook on low heat till the potato is almost done.

*Add the prawns, mix well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. If it is too thick add water to desired consistency 

* Add the green chillies slitted..

*In a skillet heat the ghee and put the roasted and ground garam masala and immediately put  it on the curry. Mix well and cover.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Sincere thanks to Sharmistha for this wonderful recipe. For details of this recipe visit

 http://cookadoodledo.blogspot.com/2009/04/chingri-machhaer-malaikari.html
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