A Homemaker's Diary: Fish and Seafood

Baking Supplies n Kolkata

Shapla Chingrir Torkari

9:13 PM

Water Lily stem and Shrimp curry

I have written about water lily or Shapla (Nymphaeaceae) in two other posts with two different recipes (Shaplar Bhyala and Shaplar ghanto) before. Today while writing this recipe I decided to include the write-up that I posted on my Facebook page a few days back. It for a change was in Bengali where I wanted to describe how monsoon is experienced in rural Bengal. For people who do not read Bengali I have included a small English write-up in the same line. Hope you will enjoy it.

The recipe today is very simple but with a spectacular flavour that with every morsel will remind you of monsoon. Just a few pantry staples and a handful of shrimps that are easily available in this season. That is the merit of regional cooking, celebrating the seasonal flavours while retaining all it's goodness.

Fish and Seafood

Gandal patar bora ar macher patla jhol

8:16 PM

Fritters made of skunk vine (Paederia Foetida Linn) and light fish curry with the leaf paste

Uff dida ki baje gandho ei patatar, dur karo dur karo. (Oh Grandma what are these leaves? smell so bad. throw them away.), I curled my nose and looked away in disdain.

Dida who was sitting on the floor and chopping a small bunch of the smelly leaves looked up and smiled. Tomar jonyoi ranna hochhe Didibhai. Khelei dekhbe atodiner jwor pet kharap kamon thik hoe jay. (It is being cooked for you dear, a great herb for your stomach ailments).

That made my heart skip a bit. After weeklong suffering of diarrhea and surviving on a meager diet of Barley water and thin arrowroot biscuit I was finally allowed to have a proper lunch today. I was waiting for the meal since morning and was dreaming of some fish curry with steaming hot rice or at least a meal of dal, alubhate, and machbhaja (Rice, mashed potato, and fried fish).

But not this. I shook my head in denial, tears welled up in my eyes and I ran away from that kitchen.

Macher Dim die Alu Pataler Dalna (Fish Egg and Pointed Gourd Curry)

10:55 PM

I believe many variations of recipes were born just out of necessity. Necessity to adjust because of the unavailability of certain ingredients or necessity to quicken up the process.

Lau shak die Macher Morich Pora Jhol (Fish curry with bottle gourd stems)

4:34 AM

"Maa, what are you cooking today?"

I asked her while sitting on the dining table chair with a heavy thump.

She was cooking in my open kitchen with the sunlight reflecting on her sweaty face. It was 9 in the morning and I could see most of her cooking was done.

Which clearly disappointed me.

Pregnancy made me crave crazy things and on the last leg of that journey, Maa was there to indulge me and I was greedy enough to set the menu every morning. That day was different though. I could hardly sleep the night before and thought have missed my opportunity.

Macher Tel die Jhinge khosar bhorta

9:16 PM

The time sure is tough and at times heartbreaking. While we all stay home to fight this deadly virus, thousands of migrant workers started their journey to reach home. Just think of their plight. No work, no money and no assurance whether there would be any food the day after. The kids as young as 3-4 years old are there too and together they are walking, carrying their belongings to reach home which is 700-800 Kms away.

Mourola Macher Bati Charchari

9:18 PM

It's been almost 10 days that I haven't stepped out of the house. 9th day without any househelp and 4th day of the nationwide lockdown. But I am not complaining. Rather I find ourselves fortunate to have a roof over our head, food on our table and the opportunity to work from home when we need it the most.

Shutki mach or Bengali style dried fish curry

6:23 PM

'Aj Shutki Mach banachhi. (today am making dried fish curry)' she called out as we opened the gate to leave. Maa looked back and Dida waved smiling from ear to ear.

I had no clue what it was but could understand it must have been something very good as maa scrambled to gather her things after finishing classes in the college.

I was around 4 then. Often accompanied maa to her Mastergrad classes. While she studied, I was left in charge of her other batch mates or often in the common room where the professors indulged me in stories and toffees. I was a talkative kid and Maa was adored for who she was and also for how she strived to get her degree even after three kids.

Moshla pora Mach Paturi /Spiced fish grilled in Banana leaf

6:59 PM

It's amazing how the human mind works. It's a mystery in itself the way it associates smells, colours, visuals and brings back the memory of some distant time you never even remember existed. but the most unsettling part is it's not always clear. sometimes it comes back in a flavour here, in a voice there Not that we ever complain but at times when you cannot put a finger on what it is, it could become really unsettling. As I always say giving tangible forms to memories is not possible and sometimes the memory is so faint that you do not even dare to try too hard.

Makhon shim er bhorta, Spicy Sword bean paste

6:23 PM

Food has a universal language. It runs as a common thread through all the realm of boundaries, ethnicities, religions and languages, and no matter where you are, a shared table never fails to bring people closer. Every time you offer food to someone, you show that you care without actually uttering the words.

My mother ran a successful Handicraft business (Read Bengal's very own Kantha). Her work required her to travel to remote villages where the rural women/ housewives did the embroidery. most of them uneducated and hardly ever have gone outside that small village. Maa had a wonderful relationship with them. They would come and sit on the floor, talk, laugh, share stories and anecdotes from their daily lives, They often would ask for maa's suggestions on many of their daily woes, and maa who was a mentor for them always took very good care of them.

Chingri Die Patoler Dolma

9:50 PM

On hot summer mornings when the Sun would go up and try to scorch us all alive, She would prevent us from going out.

'Kalo hoye jabi, tor maa ke takhon ki bolbo" (you will tan, what will I answer to your mother'), was her argument. An utter lie, as Maa would be the last person to worry about her kids turning a few shades darker in the sun. But there was no winning over Dida.

Chingri macher Dhokar Dalna

9:11 PM

Who you do not depend entirely on your family tree or upbringing. but there are certain traits that you are born with, some times inexplicable but that's what makes us unique. Often as parents, we ignore the early signs of what a person is passionate about and what makes them happy. and most often than not as a person you do not understand where your happiness lies. Blessed are those who at least gets to find it in their lifetime but my heart goes out to all those who never get an opportunity to find out their inner soul.

Niramish mochar ghanto ar mocha chingri

8:34 PM

It's September. It's supposed to be Autumn with it's clear blue sky dotted with pillowy white clouds.

But it's not.

Kajli macher Jhol

9:45 PM

I have never believed in cooking separately for the kids and once they crossed the age of 18 months they have been eating the regular food. But there were adjustments. Like no chilies, less spices, less oil, and absolutely no small fish.

Being a Bengali our meals are never complete without a dish or two of fish. But since we always encouraged the kids to eat on their own we had to omit these small river water fishes from our menu. Glad that this phase is almost over. The little girl now is enjoying the small fish curries with equal gusto and is often demanding for her share of mourola mach bhaja (crisp fried Indian anchovies).

Sorshe, Dharosh, Chingri or okra with prawn in mustard sauce

7:54 AM

Being a Bengali we use a lot of Mustard paste and being someone from coastal Midnapore we even use more mustard paste than any average Bengali household. The villages from where my parents hail from are known for fresh seafood and local produce. You go to the market early in the morning and the variety will amaze you. Foraging still is strong here like in any villages away from the Metro cities. People not only forage wild greens but for most families, the supply of protein comes from the rivers, ponds and waterlogged paddy fields.

Aam Shol recipe Snakehead Murrel cooked with Raw mango

10:52 PM

...Barisha Kantak hin, amrojoge sholumin

khara lon ghana dia kati

Randhilo Pankal Jhus, dia tentuler ros

kheer randhe jal dia bhati...

-Atha Khullana'r Randhan Arambha

Chandimangal Kabya

Bonik Khando

Am shol or Shol fish cooked with mango is a very old traditional dish of Bengal which even was referred in the 16th century Bengali Hindu religious text called Chandi Mongol Kavya. Chandi Mangal Kavya is one of the three important Mangal kavyas, the other two are Manasa Mangal Kavya and Dharma Mangal Kavya. Mangal Kavya which literally means Poems of Benediction were written in verses and for a long period of time these group of narratives were undocumented and narrated orally. Later in the Colonial era, they were written down by many poets like Mukundaram Chakraborty, Bijoy Gupta, Manik Dutta and many more.

Bhetki Macher Paturi Recipe

1:39 AM

As the temperature and humidity is soaring almost on a daily basis, my ability and desire to enter the kitchen is decreasing. All I can think of is Panta bhat or something very very light and simple for our daily meals. Though Salads and broth type soups will make the most sense, but since my father does not eat anything other than Bengali food I have to find a way to balance all the needs.

Panta Bhat and accompaniments recipe

8:08 PM

So here are the promised recipes for the panta and few of it's many accompaniments. Guess I have written enough on my previous post about this meager meal so now let me delve into the recipes right away.

Here I have given an idea of how much of what is to be used. Giving an exact quantity is quite difficult. Follow your taste preference and you would be fine.

All the recipes given here are for 4 servings

Panta Bhat

Q. What kind of rice to use? Sundried or Boiled (seddho or atop)?

A: I have seen normal non-hybrid variety, boiled rice (seddho chal) lends itself better to the process of making Panta. They soften and disintegrate naturally and bring in a slightly tangy flavour. You can even use sundried rice (atop) but it has a distinct flavour which I personally do not like in my Panta.

Similarly, short grain rice is better for this recipe.

shim bichi die shol mach / Broad beans seeds and Channa striata curry

12:51 AM

Boimela or Kolkata Bookfair is something that makes Calcuttans nostalgic. Though I see how the bookfair is losing charm with every passing year but for us who grew up before the internet started selling everything we still love that quintessential smell of hard bound books. I belong to those who believe books are your best companions. Be it Romantic novels, adventurous stories or travel diaries it keeps you enchanted and loose sense and experience things that you never dreamt of.

Aam Sorshe Ilish -Hilsa with raw mango and mustard

11:23 PM

It's that time again.

It's that time again to smell the petrichor, to forget umbrellas and then chase the rain with your hair flying in all directions, to snuggle on the bed when the thunder storm roars outside, to splash in the muddy puddle with the kids and not feeling guilty about it, To feel melancholic under the overcast sky, to have moods wings and follow the rainbow for happiness, to walk aimlessly drenching in the untimely drizzle, to make paper boats and see it whirl down the drain, to gulp endless cup of masala tea and still feel thirsty...

And if you are a Bengali then to put a potful of bubbling khichuri on the stove and scour the market for the best Hilsa available.

Yes! It's monsoon again and we have a lot of catching up with our lives. It's time to slow down and smell the fresh moist air and follow our hearts-even only for a day.

Tel Koi (Climbing Perch in a spicy mustard oil gravy)

9:30 AM

"Mamon taratari kor, khub khide peyeche''(Finish it fast, am very hungry)...were her words when I last cooked this dish. I was trying to focus on the oil floating on the fish while she not so patiently waited on the dining table with her steaming plate of rice.

This was a regular scene during winter, when she would be in Kolkata for her work and around late morning she will want me to cook and learn something new. While the husband would bring home all the ingredients he fancied we would choose and fuss over which recipe to cook that day. Then she will clean the veggies and fish and will sit on the adjoining dining table and watch over like a hawk while I cooked.

These last two winters I avoided all the dishes that we cooked together. I haven't made boris, cooked shutki (dried fish) or made her famous dhonepatar pickle. But then the sonny boy just the other day reminded me how much he misses Didu's black sauce, his name for Maa's dhonepata pickle. And then again while doing our Sunday fish shopping he exclaimed with joy 'mumma oi dyakho Didur sei gache otha machgulo"...he is not yet 9 and lost her 2 years back still he remembers so much of her. This made me realise that I should keep doing the things she used to do with them or for them. That way she would live forever in their mind. so I have started doing gardening and painting projects with them like she did and also prepped for the black sauce and gache otha mach...while the pickle will be simmered tonight you note down maa's Tel Koi recipe. The way she cooked and loved it.