Lau Chingri II - Squash Cooked with Ginger and Shrimp

Lau Chingri

This is a Bengali recipe that traditionally uses bottle gourd, which I often replace with chayote squash because it's more readily available. Zucchini also works well in this recipe.

Fish in a Light Onion And Tomato Sauce - Halka Maacher Jhol

Halka Maacher Jhol

Any fish, whole or filleted, tastes good dressed in this sauce. The light sauce requires some oil and just a few other ingredients. So if time is in short supply and dinner is due on the table in less than 30 minutes, this is the go-to recipe for fish.

Stir-Fried Russet and Sweet Potatoes Sprinkled with White Poppy Seeds

Alu Misti Alu Posto Bhaja

White poppy seeds (a.k.a. "posto" in the Bengali language) in its pasted form is commonly used with potatoes as in Alu Posto and many other vegetables (with or without shrimp). It's an expensive ingredient and tastes just as good when stir-fried vegetables are sprinkled with white poppy seeds. 

Here russet and sweet potatoes have been stir-fried and sprinkled with white poppy seeds. They add a crunch to the smooth texture of these potatoes. I've deliberately kept it simple so that the taste of the vegetables dominate this dish.

This stir-fry is light and delicious when accompanied by toasted tortillas or chapatis for lunch or served with steamed Basmati rice as a side dish at dinner.