Jhinge Chingrir Patla Jhol (Light Soupy Prawn curry with Ridge Gourd)

11:08 AM


Often I wonder how uncomplicated life was when we were kids. Everything from our daily needs to entertainment options all were straightforward and non fussy. Sometimes too many choices take out the pleasure of life and leave us wanting more. And most of the time we do not even have idea what it is that we really want, something in us just keeps on telling don’t settle for anything less as something better awaits us somewhere. And the way of life we are used to now, never gives us the chance to stop or think that whether we really want the best of everything.

I grew up in Santiniketan, a very humble small university town (not so small anymore) in Bengal. Where people did their job lovingly and found joy in gardening in their free time. Life was easy and slow paced. People actually stopped to admire the first bloom of spring flowers or the beautiful evening sky. Most of the evenings my father came home by 6:30 and we all had our simple homemade evening snacks together. There was no price tag, competition or status symbol attached to anything we ate, we wore or where we lived. We hardly had any shop selling anything in the vicinity. To buy the barest necessity we actually had to cycle 3 kms to the nearest local bazaar in Bolpur.

Sunday mornings in the beginning of every month was meant for grocery shopping. The day before Baba would drop the maskabari fardo or monthly grocery list to ‘Adwaito Shop’ selling all grocery needs on his way back home. On Sunday morning an orderly would come with the driver to drop 3-4 huge jute bags full of lentils, flours and various spices. Then he would take the long list of vegetables Maa would require for the week and will leave for the market. Some days when Baba decided to do the vegtable and fish shopping, he would take all three of us brothers and sister to accompany him. We looked forward to this once in a month outing to a quaint dusty market in our mufassal town and loved our treat of local made ‘Mitu’ ice cream on our way back Back then they sold only flavoured popsickles like chocolate, milk, tutti frutti etc. We loved choosing from the tiny list they hung in front of their shop. Even Maa loved that small treat that we brought home for her. The almost melted ice cream always brought smile on her face. That smile always is priceless just like those simple pleasures of life.

We had very few choices back then. For entertainment we only had one TV channel, DD 1,and many of you could relate to that wait for Wednesday night chitrahaar which almost was the only window to latest movies back then. Going to school meant either cycling for 3 kms on each side or walking for a km to catch the school bus. But we dint mind either option as with friends we found enough joy in walking together through that dusty path. Maa always packed our Tiffin with something homemade and nutritious otherwise we went out to buy a packet of Dadu’r spicy Jhalmuri. Nothing much yet we miss those moments.  I really am not trying to dwell in the past. All I want to point is that having ‘more or better’ is not what makes us happy and we seem to be forgetting that very soon.

The recipe of this very light soupy prawn curry is one of the few uncomplicated joy of life left. Which will definitely make you believe ‘life is beautiful’.

Jhinge Chingri’r Jhol

Ingredients:
Prawns (medium size): 250 gms (cleaned and de-vained)
Ridge gourd: 2 mediums
Potato: 1 medium
Onion paste: 2 tbsp
Ginger paste: ½ tsp
Cumin powder: ½ tsp
Coriander powder: ½ tsp
Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
Cloves: 2 pieces
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Tomato: 1 medium
Green chilies: 2-3; depending on your heat quotient
Oil: 1 tsp+ 3-4 tbsp
Garam masala powder: 1/3 tsp
Salt

Method:
Mix the cleaned prawns with salt and turmeric. Keep aside.

Wash the potato and ridge gourds under running water, peel and cut in long wedges. Keep aside.

Mix the ginger paste, cumin-coriander powder with 1/3-cup water and keep aside.

Heat 1 tsp oil and fry the prawns for a few seconds till they turn pink. Don’t fry for long as that will make the prawns hard and chewy. Drain and take out on a platter. Keep aside.

Pour the rest of the oil in the same pan and temper with cumin seeds, cloves and slited green chilies. Once they start to splutter add the potatoes. Mix in a pinch of salt and turmeric and fry for a minute on medium heat. Now add the onion paste and the whole tomato. Stir and fry the spice till oil start to separate on the sides. Now add the spice mixed with water. Fry again on medium till oil comes out.

Now with a spatula prick and mix the tomato. It should be soft and cooked by now. Fry briefly till the tomato mixes well in the spice. Add 2 cups of water, preferably warm. Adjust the seasoning by adding salt and sugar if required and cover. Let it come to a boil and then mix in the ridge gourds. Cover and let it cook on low for 5-6 minutes or the gourds are soft and almost cooked.

Now it’s the time for the prawns, mix them in and check the seasoning again. Cover and let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Finally sprinkle some garam masala powder and give it 2 minutes of standing time for the flavour to amalgamate well.

Serve hot with steamed white rice.

A Homemaker’s notes:
If the ridge gourd you are using is not very fresh then you might like to fry them briefly before hand. Like THIS. (I cooked the Hilsa while in Bangalore and the vegetables there were really dry).

The consistency of the gravy should be really soupy and runny so please adjust the water accordingly. The gourds that I used here were from my Maa’s garden and released a lot of juice while cooking.

You can also temper the oil with bay leaf if you like.

Tags:
prawn, shrimp, chingri, chinri, chingri mach, prawn recipe, indian light prawn recipe, indian fish curry, prawn with vegetables, how to cook prawn curry, curried shrimp, bangali chingri mach tarkari, bengali fish curry recipe, chingri macher jhol, small prawn, ridge gourd, jhinge, turai ki sabzi, halka jhol, patla jhol recipe, east indian fish recipes, bengali fish recipes.best ever prawn curry.

You Might Also Like

33 comments

  1. Loved every bit you wrote up there Sayantani..and love jhinge chingri..onek din hoye jhinge kheyechi ..eyi khane bhalo paba jaye na..hugs and smiles

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love this combo,curry looks so delicious..spicy and tempting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely post! We made me nostalgic ...
    Sotti amader chotobelar songe ajkerdiner koto tofat na?
    Nice recipe, perfect for a hot summer afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. an awesome glimpse into your childhood days... I know more is not more all the time!
    This jhol would want me to ask for MORE though! lovely prawn jhol...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Loved reading the post, such a beautiful childhood..and that wednesday chitrahaar, my friend had this notebook in which she would write down the song name, movie and actor, every week ! I grew up in Bangalore, which was then the pensioners' paradise and life was so slow and easy back then :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Jaya, Sangha, Somoo. thanks. guess we almost share the same nostalgia.

    @Arch, I have heard of those days from my elderly customers. they used to come, shop and talk a lot with me about the old lives that they miss so much thses days. I guess the Reva cars that they still drive tells the story of old life of Bangalore.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amar money holo ami tomar shongei ek shonge boro hoyechi....thanks for bringing back the beautiful memories...I was crazy abt Chitrahar...

    Jhinge chingri er jhol amar Ma r khoob priyo...Khoob bhalo laglo post ta


    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow yummy n delicious recipe,makes me hungry...

    ReplyDelete
  9. From your profile, I know you are not as old as I, but seem to be nostalgic about the good old days! The soup looks like a real comfort food.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Omg, the picture itself speaks a lot, simply mouthwatering here..

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was just telling the other day to my daughter how there used to be one TV channel and we would wait for each variety of programmes on diff time of the eve.Do you remember , even the TV shut down by itself I think around 10 pm after the nightly news.But these days TV never sleeps..its like a zombie !!
    Alu -Jhinge diye chingri maach or alu potol diye chingri maach aar tar sathe ektu gondho lebu...is a soul pleasing summer lunch:)
    Tomar write ups reminds me of my childhood spend in a place called BArajamda..in the Singhbhum district , a land of mohua trees and sauthals:)
    Btw..aami bhalo aachi.jodio ekhon o besh bhoye kore din ta r kotha bhable.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I can relate my childhood memories to yours,absolutely priceless.Prawn curry looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a lovely curry! I love shrimp and this with white steamed rice would me so happy.

    ReplyDelete
  14. How I wish I was a small kid again ! Beautiful post Sayantani :) and the prawn curry looks and sounds scrumptious !Never tried this combination before

    ReplyDelete
  15. When We tell our daughter how we didn't had any T.v, Phone etc. her eyes goes so wide....and what ??? comes out of her mouth......& Chitrahar was the best.....I always feel so many options are never a good idea, the importance of so many things is lost because they are so easily available....

    Prawn curry looks delicious....I'm slowly getting use to of making seafood & other non-veg. with veggies....:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello my dear!
    this is truly a beautiful post and a mouthwatering recipe! I heard so much about Santiniketan and hope we'll visit the place when we next go to Calcutta :-)
    Thanks for your message! I can't wait for the moment we will see our little tiger... 3-4 weeks from now :-)
    Take care,

    ReplyDelete
  17. Ahh the simpler times! U made me nostalgic both with your post as well as the recipe..In Odissa too..we have these light soupy curries as opposed to heavy masala curries! Thanks for posting :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Shubo noboborsho :) And this jhol once again makes me miss home. Jingha and chigri banatai hobe sometime soon!

    ReplyDelete
  19. the beautiful story made me nostalgic..

    ReplyDelete
  20. Never thought you could use ridge gourd in prawn curry as well..

    ReplyDelete
  21. Never thought you could use ridge gourd in prawn curry as well..

    ReplyDelete
  22. Delicious prawn curry sayantani. I can go over board to enjoy this curry :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Your post is absolutely nostalgic. I can almost sense the innocent childhood moments in your writing. Chingri with the vege. sounds great:) I am sorry I am late commenting..tied up very badly.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Loved your write-up...ar eei jhol ta dekhe amar choto belakar kotha mone pore jachi...

    ReplyDelete
  25. wow got to read your writeup afer long..such beautiful n simple use of words..i cud actually picturize the scenes! made me remember our lovely childhood too..

    ReplyDelete
  26. That heart-stopping moment when you reminisced of folks stopping to enjoy spring flowers or the beautiful evening sky! And how different cut of the pithy potato can lend a different edge to a 'jhol'!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Loved the simple recipe and the post !

    ReplyDelete

Popular Posts