Indira Gandhi chicken

Seema Mashi's husband worked in Allahabad (PTI-press trust of india-journalist). Branch manager of the company-Delhi, Jaipur, Dhaka. When lived in Allahabad, worked by Indira Gandhi's husband (Firoz Gandhi) brother's wife (PTI was next to their flat). Famous people used to go stay there. Seema Mashi used to be friends with Firoz Gandhi's brother's wife. Seema was very interested in cooking so she used to go over to their house and ask what they were eating and learn cooking.

Recipes-in the notebook

1. Biryani:
Pathar mangsho (payer mangsho-less bones)-wash and put in saucepan with salt, put enough water to cover, then cover it.
 Adda batta, anise seed powder, onion batta (equal amounts)-put in cheesecloth and tie it, then put in saucepan.
Then heat saucepan on high, then simmer until done. then turn off, squeeze water from cheesecloth (naakra) into saucepan, and throw spices away.

Rice: put butter on saucepan, pan fry the rice with garam masala, then add water from the mangsho saucepan, then heat covered. When done, add one layer of rice, one layer of mangsho, one layer of rice, one layer of mangsho, etc...until done.


2. Pathar mangsho roll
Pound the long tendon of pathar mangsho (paye) until tender, then marinate with adda and onion for 1-2 hours. When done marinating, take out and roll each piece one by one and tie with a string. Do this for each piece. In a saucepan, put ghee, adda, piyage, fry,. Then add rolls, fry those. Then add water (not very much), salt and pepper and heat on high until mangsho is done.

All recipes have ghee, not too much spice or oil, and NO holudh. Very healthy. Parsi family so cooking has influence from them. 

Goat stew

Ma's maternal uncle's wife used to make this goat stew a lot. Ma used to go to uncle's house in the summer and aunt used to make the goat stew a lot in the evenings. It was fun to go there because it was relaxing. Aunt used to love Ma. She had blood cancer in 1994ish, then died 1 year later.

Mami used to dress sophisticated saris, always lipstick teep, lipstick and a little bit of shidhur, thick LONG braid, tall, very pretty. Mami was good at knitting, baking (pastries, cake-British/American recipes), loved to host parties/get togethers (esp since Mama used to work at GE). She also loved to paint (batik-originally Indonesian). Mami taught her two daughters how to do a lot of art and baking, cooking.

Mama always loved to keep a flower garden - full of dahlias (I still remember). Used to live in Dover Lane by Gariahat.

BUtter/oil (1 tbsp), jeera phoron, garam masala - on oil. Add garlic and onion, when translucent, add meat and water, when slightly brown, then add water, adda batta, salt, tiny bit of sugar, 1 large hatta full of vinegar (tahale tak mishti hoy), then cover pot and boil on high, then let simmer (~1.5 hours). 

Luchi/aloo bhaja

Aloo bhaja - fry small pieces of potatoes with salt and turmeric

Luchi:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
sprinkle of sugar
1 tbsp of oil

Mix with hands, add a little water at a time until dough is tight
Make small (2 inch) flat balls with the dough
Add a little oil (cooking spray) on counter and rolling pin; Use a rolling pin to flatten balls until thin
Heat oil (enough to deep fry) in a saucepan until boiling, then reduce to medium high heat
Fry flattened balls until swells, then flip (not more than a few seconds on each side)

*Bengali specialty - can also have luchi with sugar

Echore (jackfruit)

1 can of jackfruit
Remove from can, drain and wash with water
Cut into small pieces
Fry cumin (1/2 tsp) on oil
Add jackfruit pieces, add turmeric and salt and fry until brown (with cover)
Fry small pieces of potato separately (with salt and turmeric), then add to jackfruit (with cover)
Add cumin and coriander powder, and ginger, then sautee jackfruit on low heat with cover
When more or less done, then add a little water, leave on low heat until done, add ghee

Laoer tarkari

Long squash, peel, cut into very small cubes
1/2 tsp cumin - fry for a few seconds on oil (enough to cover pan)
Add long squash
Turmeric, salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger
Cover pot, leave at medium heat
When squash has sweated out water, then can uncover pot to let water dry out a little

Maach

Maach bhaja:

Cut salmon into pieces. Add salt, turmeric, a little garlic powder. Heat oil on medium high heat, then add pieces. Fry each side until done.

Maacher jhol:

Put in kalo jeera (black cumin seed) or paach phoron. Fry fish pieces but don't need to fry as much - half fry. Add jeera/dhone powder, ginger, 1 tsp turmeric, salt, water, cover on medium high heat, reduce to low heat when comes to boil.

Potol

Year round, Bengalis feast on various types of vegetable curries (tarkari). Plates are filled with heaps of lao (long squash), pepe (unripened papaya), beans, phulkopi (cauliflower), and begun bhaja (fried eggplant). Starting in the fall, though, the harvest season starts to taper off and fewer varieties of vegetables are available.



1. Potoler tarkari
2. Potol bhaja
3. Doi potol

Potol bhaja:

Cut head and tail of each potol. Half (hot dog style), add salt and turmeric. Fry in oil (enough to cover pan) on medium heat until brown.

Potoler tarkari:

Cut head and tail of each potol. Peel but leave some skin. Half each potol (hamburger style). Peel aloo and cut into small pieces (same size as potol) - if small, then melts into dish.

Add oil (enough to cover pan) and heat - when warm, add jeera phoron (whole cumin - 1/4 tsp), fry for few seconds, then add potol, 1 tsp turmeric and salt. Add potatoes when potol has been sauteeing for a few minutes. Add another 1 tsp turmeric and salt. Sautee on medium heat with cover. Stir frequently. When sautee is done, reduce heat to low and add powder jeera (cumin) and powder dhone (coriander). OR alternative: curry powder. Also add half tsp ginger. Continue to sautee for a few minutes. Then add a little water - enough to cover the vegetables, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let vegetables cook. Continue to cook until potatoes melt into curry. (takes about half an hour to cook)

Doi potol:

Same as above, but add 1 tbsp yogurt when adding powder jeera and dhone.