Bengal Special Macher Paturi (Steamed Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaf)

With my homemade Kashundi ready, I had to put it in use immediately as I was too excited to try out my newest homemade venture. I had got some fresh banana leaves the previous day while going in search for a bakery store nearby and I knew perfectly what to do with the leaves and the freshly made Kashundi. Fish plus Kashundi plus Banana leaf is a match made in heaven (as said by one of the admirers of this dish) and so it was. Zingy, tangy, and spicy all packed into one small parcel of banana leaf delicately wrapped and carefully roasted on stove top to infuse the most amazing flavors of mustard and fish juices and the smoky flavor of the leaf! Bliss!

Ingredients

4 pieces of fish fillet (I used Rohu but this dish tastes best with Hilsa or Bhetki)

2 tsp kashundi for each parcel

2 tsp mustard oil for each parcel

Fresh coriander leaves chopped

Salt to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

Slit green chillies

2 banana leaves 

4 toothpicks for sealing the parcel

Direction

Wash and clean the fish fillets and marinate with little salt and turmeric powder. Keep aside for 30 minutes. 

Wash the banana leaves thoroughly and then with the help of tongs, gently roast them on stove top till soft and wilted. If you are using a big banana leaf, you need to first cut it through the central rib and then again cut it through half so that you get 4 square leaves out of 1 whole big leaf. Keep the wilted leaves arranged on the kitchen counter and keep all the other ingredients handy. 

Take one fish and place it on the leaf. Put the mustard paste and salt and coat evenly. Add the oil and garnish with coriander leaves and slit green chillies. Repeat for the rest of the banana leaves. 

Now fold in the leaf as shown in the pictures below and seal with a toothpick.

Keep the fish marinated in this parcel for at least 30 minutes. If you have guests coming over for dinner or lunch, you can also keep these parcels ready the previous day and refrigerate. 

You can now either bake these parcels in the pre heated oven for 20 minutes at 175 degree celsius. Or you can place the parcels on a non stick/iron tawa or griddle and keep it covered on the lowest flame  for 10-15 minutes, turning in between. Serve hot with steamed rice with the individual parcels on the plate. It is best served off the leaf to enjoy maximum taste. 

 

Homemade Kashundi (English Mustard Paste)

Eversince I posted the Kashundi Paneer recipe, which was tried and liked by all, the most common querry that I was asked was where can we get Kashundi or how can we make Kashundi at home. Kashundi is actually nothing but simple mustard paste made with a few other ingredients in big batches and can be had either as an ingredient for some curries or in salads or in sandwiches or as a relish with fritters too. It is a very versatile paste and if you like the zing of mustard, you will want to add it to every other thing. However, the storebought Kashundi has a slightly different taste owing to all the preservatives and other additives to keep it fresh for months altogether. This homemade kashundi will have a shelf life of a few weeks to a maximum of 1 month and needs to be stored in a squeaky clean glass jar in the refrigerator. Ensure that you use a clean spoon every time you take it out and do not leave on the kitchen counter for too long once refrigerated. Lastly, do not stir or overstir the paste while using a spoon as this might turn the paste bitter. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup black mustard seeds (you can use either a combination of yellow and black or only yellow too; I had only black at hand)

3/4 cup water

5-6 green chillies

5-6 big fat cloves of garlic

2" piece ginger

2 tbsp mustard oil plus more for storage

Juice of 1 big lime (about 3-4 tbsp)

Salt to taste

Pinch of turmeric powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Direction

Wash and soak the mustard seeds and chillies in the water overnight. 

In a blender, add the drained mustard seeds, chillies, ginger, garlic, and lime juice and grind to a fine paste. Try not to add any water. If at all required, add just a tsp of water as and when required. Now add the salt, sugar, and oil and pulse till all combined well. Transfer to a clean glass jar with a tight lid and pour some mustard oil (1-2 tbsp) on top and store in the refrigerator. Please read the tips given  above for longer shelf life of the paste.

Kashundi Paneer (Cottage Cheese in English Mustard Gravy)

Last weekend was fun. Fun because we were mostly eating out and shopping. At the end of it, by Sunday evening we wanted to eat something simple and homemade. However, these days while cooking, I have to take note of what my baby is in mood for. She said paneer and so paneer it was. I had set out to cook the simple Bengali style Paneer in onion tomato gravy. But the unfinished bottle of Kashundi or English Mustard Paste, as more popularly known abroad, caught my fancy and I decided to create something interesting with it. I had about 3-4 tbsp of the paste and it was sufficient enough for the flavor. In case you do not have Kashundi available, you can also substitute it with fresh mustard paste. However, I would recommend using kashundi as it has a beautiful tangy zesty flavor which perfectly balances the zing of the mustard. The gravy was a perfect balance of tanginess, spiciness, and the subtle zing of the mustard paste. Try this recipe for a refreshing change with your regular paneer curry.

                                           

Ingredients

300 gms paneer, cubed

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (optional; Bengalis like potatoes in their curries)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 inch piece ginger, thinly sliced

2 tbsp tomato puree (use 1 tbsp puree if using fresh mustard paste with tomato)

3-4 tbsp kashundi (or 2 tbsp mustard seeds soaked and made into a paste with 1 large tomato)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 whole red chillies

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp good quality garam masala (optional)

Salt as per taste

Oil as required

Direction

Heat oil in a pan and fry the paneer cubes till slightly golden. Remove from heat and soak in warm water till further use. In the same oil, fry the potato cubes and fry till golden. Keep aside.

Add a little more oil if required and splutter the cumin seeds, dry chillies, and mustard seeds. Add the sliced onions and fry till translucent. Now add the ginger and fry for a couple of minutes till browned. Add the puree, chilli powder, and turmeric powder and fry till oil starts coming out from the sides. Now add the mustard paste or kashundi and mix everything well. Frying the paste for too long at this point may turn it bitter. Now add the fried potatoes and coat them well. Now with the help of a spoon, add 3-4 tbsp warm water from the vessel where the paneer is soaked. Stir and bring to a boil. Now add the paneer into the gravy and the soaked warm water as per your requirement for gravy. Add salt as per taste and bring it to a boil. Now cover and simmer the flame and cook till the gravy thickens to desired consistency and potatoes are cooked through. Check the seasoning and if desired, add a wee bit of garam masala to enhance the taste. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice or pulao. Mustard tastes best with rice and hence roti or paratha might not be a good serving suggestion.

                                             

Tip:

While choosing the english mustard sauce in place of Kashundi, make sure you pick the one which is more coarse in texture. The fine paste may not give the best results.

Shorsher Illish- Steamed Hilsa in Mustard Sauce (Microwave Version)

In Singapore, the one fish which I have learnt to make, and now quite good at it, is Hilsa or Illish as they call it in bengali. The supermarket next to my house sells fresh Milk Fish (as they call it here) from Philippines and is quite a tasty buy. The recipe that I am sharing here was taught to me by my bengali cook back in Mumbai. Although I never cared to try it there, it's a hit in my household now and surprisingly my baby likes it too! This dish has never failed me and I am sure it won't fail you too.

Ingredients

1 medium sized Hilsa fish, cut into medium sized fillets (approximately 6-8 fillets)

3 tbsp mustard seeds, soaked in water for around an hour

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1 medium sized tomato, chopped (you can replace this with 1 tbsp yogurt)

2-3 fresh green/red chillies, chopped 

1/2-inch piece ginger, chopped

1 tsp salt or to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

Coriander leaves for garnshing

1 tbsp mustard oil (please do not replace it with any other oil. You might skip it as well if you want an oil free version)

Direction

Take a clean medium sized microwave safe bowl. Wash and clean the fish and arrange it in the bowl in a single layer. Make sure there is no overlap. Add the salt and turmeric and rub it on both sides of the fish. Keep aside. 

Strain the soaked mustard seeds through a sieve for 3-4 times to ensure it is nicely cleaned. In a wet grinder, add the mustard seeds, onions, tomato, ginger, and green chillies (if you are using yogurt, you can add it now). You might add a little water as well. I didn't add any water as the tomatoes were quite juicy. Once the paste is done, pour it into the fish lined out in the bowl. With your hands, mix everything very well so that every fillet gets a fair share of the paste. Add the mustard oil gently over the fish fillets which have been arranged back in place now. Sprinkle coriander leaves. Take a cling wrap and cover the bowl nicely making sure there are no loose ends. Leave it like this for at least an hour (you can skip this step if you are pressed for time; else, if you are getting the dish ready for dinner, you can do it all and just put in the refrigerator and take out 1 hour prior to cooking). About 10-15 minutes before serving the meal, put the prepared bowl into the microwave and cook it on high for 6-7 minutes. Serve hot with plain rice.