Bengali Egg Curry - Dimer Dalna

Dimer Dalna

The eggs in this Egg Curry are sometimes halved before simmering in the tomato gravy. It is, however, more conventional to leave them whole when cooking them in the Bengali way. After hard-boiling and peeling, the eggs are slit vertically five to six times around the circumference, so that the gravy penetrates through to the core.

Shrimp Steamed in Mustard Coconut Sauce

Chingri Sorshe Narkol Bhape

The microwave oven has simplified life in more ways than one. No longer do I just heat left-overs or use it for defrosting frozen meat. We made this dish in a stainless steel bowl in a pressure cooker before the days of the microwave oven and it took 10-15 minutes along with another 10 minutes for the pressure to dissipate. In the microwave oven, it took exactly 4 minutes from oven to table!

Mustard oil may be a new cooking medium for some people, but the people in the state of Bengal in India almost exclusively use it for all their everyday cooking. It is available in most Indian markets and it is advisable to consult the store owner for the most pungent flavored mustard oil available in the store.

Extremely easy to assemble, the most difficult part is probably blending the mustard seeds into the finest possible paste. To remove some of the bitterness from the mustard seeds, it is necessary to cover them with salt and soak in tap water for 2 hours or so. Then drain and rinse the seeds in a tea strainer in several changes of water to remove the excess salt. I prefer to mix in the coconut milk powder (also available in Indian/Asian markets) after the mustard seeds have been blended to get the maximum flavor of coconut which also helps to tone down the pungency of the mustard seeds. The coconut milk powder makes the sauce thick and creamy.

Vegan 3 Ingredient Rum and Raisin Ice Cream

Vegan Rum & Raisin Ice Cream

Here's another banana-based ice cream and it's Rum & Raisin this time. To make this vegan dessert that requires no cream, sugar or ice cream maker, I used a teaspoon of rum and some raisins I'd pre-soaked to soften and plump them up. Today I brought out my immersion blender which is what I'll stick with from here on because it worked the best for making this type of ice cream. It cleans up the easiest, compared to a blender or food processor.

For a non-alcoholic dessert use rum extract instead of dark rum.

Microwaved Yellow Potatoes in 4-1/2 minutes

Yellow Tharkari

These amazing potatoes are so easy and quick to make in the microwave oven. Left-over Burger King french fries which taste terrible the next day, were diced and cooked in the microwave oven in exactly 4-1/2 minutes. They're already salted, so there's no need to add any more. Frozen Ore-Ida hash brown potatoes also work to cut down the preparation time which makes this a "jhatpat" (instant or quick) potato recipe.

These potatoes taste great with chapatis/tortillas or with steamed Basmati or other long grain rice.

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.

Vegan 3 Ingredient Maple Walnut Ice Cream

3 Ingredient Ice Cream

Bananas are the secret ingredient in this vegan dessert that requires no cream, sugar or ice cream maker. I didn't think the Coffee Almond Crunch ice cream could be improved upon, but was feeling guilty to have avoided the circuitous route outlined by the originators of this delectable dessert. 

So the blender with the small container was retrieved and I blended the heck out of the frozen banana slices until it liquified, froze it again, stirred the walnuts into it and froze it until it was served. I was expecting it to be creamier because all that air had been blended into it, but to be honest, I think the blender step was redundant. 

3 Ingredient Ice Cream - Coffee Almond Crunch

Coffee Almond Crunch Ice Cream

Get ready for a new dessert experience! There is no cream or any dairy product in this ice cream and it also has no added sugar. That makes it diabetic-friendly which makes me very happy. I saw this concept on Pinterest some time ago but only today got around to trying it out. It uses just 3 ingredients, is very simple to make and tastes really good! But best of all, there's no need to haul out that ice cream maker.

Burmese Shrimp Fried Rice - Pazun Htamin Kyaw

Pazun Htamin Kyaw

This recipe was inspired by Promilaa Bhatia's post on the Burmese Food Lovers' Kitchen in Facebook. Her delicious vegetarian recipe was modified to add shrimp for us non-vegetarian folks. The modified recipe is provided here with her permission and blessing.

As in any other fried rice recipe, it is best to use day old rice that has been refrigerated overnight so that the rice absorbs all moisture. I've used Basmati rice, but jasmine or any other long-grain rice would work just as well.

Burmese Bottle Gourd Broth - Buthi Hinjo

Buthi Hinjo

Burmese meals almost always include a bowl of Hinjo (soup) or Hinga (sour soup). These soups are composed of different vegetables in very light and clear broth. Unlike a soup course in a Western meal, Hinjo is not served as a first course. It is sipped throughout a Burmese meal because it serves to wet and cleanse the palate so that the distinct tastes of salty, sour, bitter or sweetness can be better enjoyed. Water is rarely served at a Burmese table; Hinjo is served in its place.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

3 cups water + 2 cups chicken broth (vegetarians use 5 cups water)

1 tsp. shrimp powder (vegetarians use 1 heaped teaspoon julienned nori)

1 Tbsp. fish sauce (optional)

1/2 bottle gourd/lauki, peeled and cubed (seedless cucumber works too)

1 small onion, diced

1 cup romaine lettuce, shredded

salt to taste

Lime, cut in wedges

2 green onions, sliced thin

Directions

1. Divide lettuce and green onions between 4 bowls & set aside.
2. Bring water and chicken broth to a boil and turn heat down to med-low.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until lauki is soft.
4. Ladle soup over lettuce in the 4 bowls (lettuce will wilt in hot broth).
5. Serve with wedges of lime.

Minced Meat with Red Beans & Potatoes

Rajma with Keema & Alu

I saw a recipe on a food blog for minced meat cooked with garbanzo beans, but couldn't find it again. It didn't matter because there were no garbanzo beans in the house. A can of red beans, smaller in size than kidney beans, inspired me to make Rajma which I pumped up with minced meat and diced potatoes.

Rajma is a one-pot vegetarian meal that is usually made with kidney beans and without meat. Canned beans drastically reduce the time it takes to cook the beans. As the beans cook and break down, they serve to thicken the gravy and impart a creaminess to it. 

This stick-to-the-ribs comfort food is ideal for rainy and cooler weather. 

Ingredients:
1 lb. minced lamb or beef

1 (14 oz.) can red/kidney beans, rinsed in several changes of water & drained

1 russet potato, diced

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

1 tsp. cardamom pods

1/2 tsp. whole cloves

1/4 tsp. shah jeera/cumin seeds

1 large tomato, minced

2 large onions, peeled and minced

10 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. ginger paste

2+ tsp. Kashmiri mirch/paprika/chili powder

1/2 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder

1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder

2 cups beef broth, set to a simmer

salt to taste

1 tsp. ghee

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat and sputter cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise and cumin seeds.
2. Add onions, garlic and ginger paste and stir-fry until onions turn translucent.
3. Stir in tomatoes, coriander-cumin powder & Kashmiri mirch.
4. Simmer until tomatoes break down and oil resurfaces.
5. Add minced meat and potatoes and stir-fry until meat browns.
6. Stir in garam masala powder and beef broth, bring to a boil and lower heat to medium-low.
7. Adjust salt to taste, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes until gravy reduces to about 1/2 cup.
8. Garnish with ghee, remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish

Serve over steamed Basmati rice or with naan or chapatis.

Chili Chicken

Chili Chicken
(with ground chicken)

GrandBoy #3 spent the evening with us last week and we had 'walking tacos' made with ground chicken. 'Walking tacos' are a salad of taco meat, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, julienned cucumbers, mild salsa, et al, that are mixed well with crushed doritos. Each person is handed a package of doritos which is crushed in the bag. The chips are topped with taco ingredients and mixed well right in the bag. The idea is that each person is able to walk around and enjoy the bag of 'walking tacos'. It's a great on-the-go dinner that is fun to eat.

There were only three of us for dinner that day, so there was half a package of ground chicken left that I froze to use later. The entire package of ground chicken was browned with onions, garlic and tomatoes, and at that point half went into the 'walking tacos' and half was frozen.

Today, all I had to do was add the sauces, peppers, green onions and quickly stir-fry it for dinner.

Tilapia Fillets Cooked with Slices of Raw Mango

Tok Maach

This dish is to die for! In Rangoon (Burma/Myanmar) this was made with whole Topshe maach (Mango Fish). I used filleted fish pieces which is not the same at all! Mum used to make it with Topshe maach, potatoes and wedges of green mangoes. A Bangladeshi market opened up in our neighbourhood and I found frozen raw mango in packages. I used about 10 slices in a pound of fish and it came out too tangy. Perhaps the unsweetened, dried mango slices in Mango Fish are a better bet or the amount of raw mango slices should be cut down drastically and ground to a paste before adding to the gravy.

Stir-Fried Spinach & Potatoes

Palang Shaak Alu

I’ve noticed that if spinach is cooked uncovered, it retains its bright green color. Omit ghee to make this a vegan dish.

Roasted Split Mung Beans with Chayote Squash

Bhaja Mooger Dal Squash Diye

Toasting split, yellow mung beans just until golden brown in a dry skillet gives these lentils a deep & rich flavour. It takes about the same amount of time for the julienned chayote squash and lentils to cook. The ghee can be omitted to make this a vegan dish.

Corn Salsa II

A popular accompaniment to an Indian meal is a chopped salad of cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, green chilies and cilantro tossed with lime juice and salt. I added corn kernels and green onions to the mix and came up with this colorful salad.

5 Vegetables Cooked in Coconut Milk

5 Vegetables in Coconut Milk

The people of Bengal in India cook a vegetable curry using a mixture of 3, 5 or 7 different vegetables. The vegetables are of different colours, texture and taste. In this dish I have used white potatoes & radish which have a firm texture and bland taste, orange sweet potatoes and green peas that are sweet and melt in your mouth, and purple Japanese eggplant with the skin on that are soft. A squeeze of lime at the end of cooking gives it a tangy flavour that goes well with the rich creaminess of the coconut milk.

All the vegetables are cut in cubes of similar size.

5 Lentils Stew - Panch Mishali Dal

Panch Mishali Dal
made with fresh vegetables

2nd Try made with frozen vegetables

Panch mishali dal is a welcome change from the simple dal that is served on a regular basis. There is a richness to this dish which comes from combining different varieties of lentils. Any combination of lentils that is available can be used. Because it is hearty and sticks to the ribs, this dish is best suited to cold and/or rainy weather.

Eggplant in Yogurt Sauce

Doi Begun

I used Japanese eggplants for this recipe, but any type of eggplant will do. During my years of cooking eggplant, I've noticed that if it is chopped prior to cooking, it helps retain its shape better if the pieces of eggplant are marinated in salt and set aside in a sieve in the sink for half an hour. Especially if the skin is left intact, eggplant tend to be somewhat bitter and the marination in salt eliminates this tendency. 

Greek yogurt imparts a creamy texture to the gravy in this dish. The yogurt should be taken out of the refrigerator and brought to room temperature before cooking. It also needs to be whipped well and added to the hot pan after reducing the heat to low, one tablespoon at a time and mixed into the gravy with each addition. The yogurt is added a tablespoon at a time so that it does not separate. Be very gentle when adding the yogurt so that the pieces of eggplant do not disintegrate.

Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Potatoes & Shrimp

Phool Kopi Alu Aar Chingri

This is a popular dish in Bengali households in India. Alu Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower) is a common item on menus at Indian restaurants and is a favourite vegetarian side dish. The addition of shrimp in this recipe takes it up a notch to satisfy the non-vegetarian palate. The shrimp can be omitted if you wish to serve Alu Gobi in its vegetarian form.

Taiwanese Style 3 Cup Chicken

3 Cup Chicken

In the Serving Bowl

Over the weekend, we had a guest from Taiwan staying with us and she mentioned this dish. I had seen it being made on TV and hunted down a recipe some time ago. Pauline and I shopped for the ingredients at the Asian market but we didn't get around to making it. 

Today we're going to a concert with friends and I've made this one-pot dish for dinner. We'll have it with steamed rice and a salad.

From what I gather, it's called 3 Cup Chicken because it uses equal proportions of dark sesame oil, dark soy sauce and wine (I used rice wine) for the sauce. It's really easy to make with very little preparation involved.

One recipe grabbed my attention because it marinates the chicken pieces in baking soda for 10 minutes and then thoroughly rinses the pieces under running water. It's incredible how beautifully soft the chicken becomes with this little trick.

I added some umami to the dish with the addition of a little Kecap Manis (sweet soy sauce). There's plenty of salt in the sauce ingredients so I didn't add any more.

Refrigerate left-overs because this tastes even better the next day!

Ingredients

1½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp. baking soda
20 slices ginger
20 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup rice wine
1/4 cup dark soy sauce (regular soy sauce is ok too)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1½Tbsp. kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

1 tsp. sugar

1 large bunch Thai basil

4 stalks green onions,  cut in 1” lengths

Directions

1. Mix chicken with baking soda and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Rinse chicken well under running water, mix with a little salt and oil & set aside.
3. Stir rice wine, soy sauce and kecap manis in a bowl and set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium-high heat.
5. Stir-fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
6. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides. 
7. Add remaining ingredients except basil and green onions.
8. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. 
9. When sauce reduces to ¼ cup & reaches a syrupy consistency, garnish with basil & green onions.

Serve over steamed rice.

Beli Mashi's Rogan Josh

Kashmiri Rogan Josh

2nd Attempt Using More Kashmiri Mirch

Beli Mashi (Mum's elder sister) wrote this recipe for me by hand, but I couldn't find it, so tried to recall from memory how she made it. It turned out so well, it was as if she was by my side while I was cooking it.

Gurkha Thee Pajun Chet

Squash with Shrimp

This uses the same recipe as KHAYUN THEE NGA CHAUK CHET but replaced eggplant with bottle gourd or gurkha thee (chayote squash).  

My Burmese Dinner

Burmese Dinner Last Night
Clockwise from top left:
Bitter Melon with Shrimp
Dinner is Served!
Green Beans
Chayote Squash with Shrimp
Fish Hsipyan with Pickled Bamboo Shoots
Steamed Basmati Rice

 The Bitter Melon with Shrimp and Fish Hsipyan with Pickled Bamboo Shoots dishes were recipes that were posted by members of the Burmese Food Lovers' Kitchen on Facebook. To protect their rights, I have provided a link back to their recipes on that group. If you wish to view their recipes, you may request to be added to the BFLK group by submitting a request here.