“When the rest of India fasts [for Navratri/, we feast”, this line, which went viral on social media a few years back, perfectly sums up the spirit of Durga Puja. The festival is celebrated all over the country and especially in east India, and of course West Bengal—it is incomplete without ‘pet pujo’ (feeding your stomach). Bengali restaurants in Delhi are no less busy with much on offer. As Pujo kicks off from Shashthi (Sunday, September 28)—many do begin it off early from Panchami (Saturday)—The Morning Standard (TMS) coaxes restaurants to spell out the recipes of signature dishes so that Delhiites can step out of their homes to sample them, and replicate them after Pujo is over.
Kochur Loti Chingri (Fried Taro Stolons/stems With Prawns)
Ma Tara (CR Park)
Ingredients
Kochur loti, prawns – 500 g each
Mustard oil: 4 tsp
Kalo Jeera: As per taste
Onion and/or garlic paste: 2 tsp
Ginger paste (optional): 2 tsp
Green chilies: 4
Turmeric powder: 2 tsp
Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
Salt and sugar (to taste)
Grated coconut (optional but adds a lovely richness)
Method:
Prepare the kochur loti: Peel the fibrous outer layer of the kochur loti, cut them into pieces, and boil them in salted water for a few minutes to soften. This step is important to prevent any itchiness from the loti.
Fry the prawns: Marinate the prawns with salt and turmeric, then shallow-fry them in mustard oil until they are golden brown. Set them aside.
Create the base: In the same oil, add kalo jeera and green chillies. Once they splutter, add the chopped onion or onion paste and sauté until golden. Add ginger and garlic paste if using.
Combine and cook: Add the boiled kochur loti to the pan along with turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt. Mix well and cook on medium heat.
Kochupata Chingri Bata
(Aami Bangali, CR Park)
Ingredients
Fresh prawns: 500 g (deveined)
Mankochu (Taro leaves): 1 bowl (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder: 3 tbsp
Green chilli paste: 3 tbsp
Grated coconut: 3 tbsp
White mustard: 3 tbsp
Mustard oil: 4 tbsp
Green chillies: 4
Method
First, boil the taro leaves in hot water.
Marinade the fish with turmeric powder and salt.
Now, heat the oil in a pan. After that, add the prawns. Fry them properly.
Add grated coconut. Stir the mixture. Add white mustard, turmeric powder, and salt, and stir everything properly. Now, add the taro leaves and cook for a few minutes on a medium-to-high flame. Once done, garnish with the green chillies.
Kosha Mangsho
6 Ballygunge Place (Malviya Nagar)
Ingredients
Tender baby goat meat: 300 g
Onion: 250 g
Garlic: 2 cloves
Ginger: ½ inch
Cumin paste: 1 tsp
Green Chilli: 1
Turmeric: ¼ tsp
Bay leaf: 2
Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
Mustard oil 80 ml
Chopped coriander: 1 sprig
Small elaichi, cinnamon, clove powderered: 1 tsp and to be used whole while tempering
Method:
In oil, temper with small elaichi, cinnamon, clove and bay leaf.
Add chopped garlic, sauté until brown, add finely sliced onion and cook until the onion is golden brown in colour. Make a paste of ginger, cumin and green chilli. Mix with a little water, add
turmeric and red chilli powder. Add the above paste to the onion and cook until the masala is cooked. Add mutton and cook until tender. While cooking Kosha Mangsho, use very
little water, but you can sprinkle a little water on the sides occasionally till the
mutton becomes tender. Serve hot with loochi or paratha. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Kolkata Style Chilli Chicken
Chowman (GK 2, Gurugram)
Ingredients
Chicken (with Bone) 250 g
Corn Flour: 30 g
Maida: 10 g
Egg: 2
Refined oil: 70 ml
Green Chilli: 15 g
Ketchup 10 ml
Sugar: 3 g
Dark Soya: 15 ml
Light Soya: 5 ml
Spring Onion: 5 g
Method:
Take the chicken pieces and thoroughly clean them under cold water, then marinate them using cornflour, maida and egg. Heat a pan and add some refined oil. Once heated, add the pieces in the pan and fry them a little. In the same pan, add more oil if necessary, add one green chilli.
Now add dark and light soya, tomato ketchup, salt and black pepper, a little bit of sugar, and broth powder. Add in the fried pieces and toss them. Once done, place them on a plate and garnish using spring onion!
Mutton Biryani
(Arsalan, Rajouri Garden)
Ingredients
Basmati rice: 3 cups
Ghee: ¾ cup
Mutton: 300 g
Milk: 1 cup
Green cardamom: 3
Black cardamom: 1
Fennel seed: ½ tsp
Bay leaves: 3
Cinnamon: 1
Cloves: 3
Onion: 200 g (finely chopped)
Eggs: 3, boiled
Yoghurt: 3 tsp
Rose water: 2 tsp
Potatoes: 3
Keora water: 2 tsp
Lemon: ½
Dried plum: 2
Saffron colour: 1 tsp
Biryani masala ingredients
White cumin seeds: ½ tsp
White fennel seeds: ½ tsp
Cinnamon: 1
Brown cardamom: 1
Black pepper: 1 tsp
Cloves: 1 tsp
Nutmeg: ½
Mace: 1
Green cardamom: 1
For the marination
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp
And biryani masala
Method
Soak the basmati rice for 30 minutes. In a pan, roast the ingredients for biryani masala. Grind them in a mixer jar. Now, fry the chopped onions until they turn crispy. Put the saffron colour on the potatoes and boil them. Marinade the mutton with all the ingredients and the crisp-fried onions. Now, heat some oil in a pressure cooker and add the marinated mutton. Add the marination gravy and pressure cook them properly. Once it is done, separate the gravy and the meat.
Now, on a napkin, add the black cardamom, green cardamom, fennel seeds, and bay leaves. Boil it with the Basmati rice for 20 minutes. Once the rice is done, cool it for 20 minutes.
Now, in cooking, add some ghee. Place the marinated mutton, boiled potatoes, eggs, and the mutton gravy. Put one layer of rice and add the milk after mixing one tsp of saffron colour. Add some more ghee. Now, put another layer of rice. Pour rose water, keora water and mix with the Biryani masala. Add some more ghee. Seal the vessel with a thick layer of white flour. Cook it properly. Once the layer dries, the Biryani is ready.