West Bengal Special

1.Bhapa Illish



Ingredients

Hilsa (ilish)
1 kilogram
Salt
to taste
Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon
Yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds
1 teaspoon
Green chillies
2-3
Ginger
1 inch piece
Mustard oil
3 tablespoons

Method

Step 1
Wash the fish well and clean it from inside. Cut into darne. Sprinkle salt and half of the turmeric powder. Make a smooth paste of yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, green chillies, ginger and salt.
Step 2
Take a pressure cooker. Add three cups of water and place a ring in it.
Step 3
Take a pan and place the fish in it and place the pan on the ring in the pressure cooker. Add remaining turmeric powder to prepared paste.
Step 4
Apply paste liberally on fish. Pour mustard oil on top. Adjust seasoning. Cover with lid and steam for eight to ten minutes. Serve hot.

2. Rosogulla



Ingredients

For The Chenna
2 1/2 cups ( 1/2 litre) cow’s milk
2 1/2 cups ( 1/2 litre) buffalo’s milk
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Other Ingredients
1 cup sugar
Method
For the chenna
Combine the cow’s milk and buffalo’s milk in a broad and deep non-stick pan and bring to a boil.
Switch of the flame and wait for 1 minute, while stirring occasionally.
Add the lemon juice gradually and keep stirring gently.
Allow it to stand for ½ minute to curdle. It is completely curdled, when the chenna and the whey (greenish water) separate out.
Strain using a muslin cloth. Discard or store the whey.
Place the muslin cloth with the chenna in a bowl of fresh water and wash it 2 to 3 times.
Tie and hang for 30 minutes for the extra water to drain out.

How to proceed
Put 5 cups of water in a steamer or a pressure cooker, add the sugar and bring to a boil, while stirring occasionally so that the sugar dissolves completely.
Meanwhile, squeeze the muslin cloth to drain any more water remaining.
Place the muslin cloth on a flat plate, open it and knead the chenna very well using your palms for 3 to 4 minutes or till the chenna is smooth and free of lumps.
Divide the chenna into 16 equal portions and roll each portion into small balls between your palms.
Put the chenna balls into the sugar water and cover and steam for 7 to 8 minutes.
Switch off the flame and allow it to stand in the steamer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove gently into a bowl, refrigerate and serve chilled.

Handy tip:
If buffalo’s milk is not available you can make the recipe using 5 cups of cow’s milk


3. Mishti Doi



INGREDIENTS
1 liter full cream milk

300 gm palm jaggery

2 tsp curd

METHOD
Heat the milk in a heavy based pan and reduce it to 1/4th its quantity.

Heat the jaggery in a heavy saucepan and melt it down using 10 ml of water.

Add the jaggery to the boiling milk and stir well.

Cook for another 5 minutes and cool down to about 40 degree C.

Stir in the curd. Pour in the mixture into a terracotta or clay pot and keep in a warm place to set. Serve chilled.

NOTE: Make sure that the milk is not too hot when the curd is added.