Showing posts with label Hilsa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hilsa. Show all posts

Sunday, 15 April 2018


poila boishakh, nabonorsho, cake art, fondant
Poila Boishakh theme cake

Subho nabobarsho 1425…..poila boisakh means Bengali new year started today. This day obviously very special to all Bengali. Actually Bengalis are very fond of food and festival and we wait throughout the year for our famous Durgapuja. But we have lots of occasions to celebrate with some sumptuous food and rituals. Poila boisakh is just one of them. In Bengali we have a famous proverb “bangalir baro mas e tero parbon”(in 12 months Bengalis have 13 festivals) and Poila Boisakh is the first festival of the year. How we celebrate this day…..generally in Bengal in this day maximum shops start their new account with some puja, which is called khata puja and that khata (book of account) is very special, that comes with red cover and knot with a thread, called ‘kheror khata’. Now a days so many people stay out of Bengal for their jobs. So they always try to make a gathering with their Bong friends with some cultural programmes.
Nabo Borsho theme cake toppings created with fondant

Crafting Nabo Borsho theme cake



Nabo borsho themed cake art with fondant
Poila Boishakh/ Nabo borsho theme cake art

For the last 10 years I am also out of Bengal, even out of India. So we also celebrate our Poila Boisakh with some bong friends with some mouthwatering dishes. And this time I made a cake on Poila Boisakh theme, where I tried to present few stuffs related to the occasion. As the gathering was arranged with the famous pot-luck concept, along with my cake, there were many mouthwatering traditional Bengali dishes brought by my friends. The menu includes dimer devil, Bengali pulao, chicken curry, mutton curry, bhapa ilish, amer chatni. The food was well accompanied by famous Bong adda with card games (taser adda). Overall, it was a fantastic day spent with some adorable friends. We enjoyed it thoroughly.
nabo borsho special menu
Poila Boishakh menu; PC: KInjal Mandal

One of the pic in this post is taken by my friend Kinjal.

Subho Naboborsho!!

Sunday, 7 August 2016

Bengalis wait thrgoughout the year fir the rainy season for Hilsa or Ilish to arrive at the market. Hilsa is the most popular fish in Bengal for its aroma and flavor. Traditionally Bengalis stick to their Sorse Ilish (Hilsa in Mustard Gravy) or Bhapa Ilish (Steamed Hilsa) which really has no comparison with any other recipe when savored with hot steamed rice. But Hilsa in Curd Gravy is also becoming popular in Bengali kitchens. Earlier I have also tried Butter Hilsa. This time I was thinking of trying something completely different and came with the idea of preparing hilsa in continental style with herbs, olive oil, mayonnaise and cheese. This turned out to be really good and is an instant hit at my home. Find below the recipe and let me know how you feel about it.

Ingredients:

Hilsa fish – 2 pcs
Mayonnaise – 1 tbsp
Mozzarella cheese – 1 tbsp
Tomato sauce – 2 tsp
Mustard sauce – 2 tsp
Chopped parsley or any herbs as you like
Salt
Sugar
Olive oil – 2/3 tbsp

hilsa recipe in continental style
Hilsa with Herbs - a fusion of Bengali and continental flavors

Recipe:

Marinate the fish with salt and lightly fry it in olive oil, shift from the pan and keep aside.
Now take a bowl and mix mayonnaise, grated cheese, tomato sauce, pinch of sugar, mustard sauce and beat it very well.
In the same oil (in which you fried the fish), put this cheese – mayonnaise mixture and stir it occasionally for around 1 minute and add salt.
Now add that fried fish and add ¼ cup of water.
Wait for 2 minutes and sprinkle some chopped parsley or any other herbs and serve hot.
In this recipe I used dried parsley because at that moment fresh parsley was not available in my kitchen.
Serve with plain rice or any Indian bread.

Please let me know how you feel. Happy cooking J

Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Hilsa or Ilish is the most popular fish for Bengalis. This is the national fish of Bangladesh. Bengalis wait throughout the year and look forward to the rainy season for Ilish. I think Hilsa is most popular for its aroma and taste and also very easy to cook. Nowadays Hilsa is not so pocket friendly but the positive thing is that this fish is very light weight. Bhapa Ilish or steamed hilsa is one of the most popular hilsa dish in Bengal.
Bhapa Ilish or Steamed Hilsa is a popular Bengali hilsa recipe
Bhapa Ilish (Steamed Hilsa)

Ingredients:

Hilsa belly piece – 2pcs
Mastered paste – 3tbsp
Salt
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Mastered oil – 3-4 tbsp
Green chilli – 2-3 pcs

Recipe:

Marinate the fish with turmeric powder and salt.
Now take a bowl and mix mastered paste, 2-3 tbsp mastered oil and salt.
Now take a stainless steel tiffin box and arrange the fish. Pour mastered mix over the fish. Put green chilli. Cover the box.
Then take a vessel and fill half of it with water and keep the tiffin box in the vessel.
Now cook it for 10 minutes.

Your vapa ilish is now ready. Serve with hot steam rice.

Try my other Hilsa recipes


Please let me know your feelings of relishing bhapa ilish or any other hilsa recipe with hot steamed rice with your near and dear ones. Happy cooking ... J

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Hilsa fish cooked with butter egg plant and mustard
Butter Hilsa

Ingredients:
Hilsa 2 round pieces
Brinjal long 4 pieces
2 tbsp curd
2 tsp mustard paste
Salt
Butter
Half sliced green chilli
Recipe:
Marinate the fish with salt. Heat butter in a pan and put the hilsa pieces and sauté it. Then take the fish out from the heat. Now, add brinjal pieces in butter and fry it in low flame till golden brown. Then add the fried fish pieces and little bit of water. Take a small bowl and mix mustard paste, curd, salt and add with the fish. Add sliced green chilli and cover it for 2-3 minutes. When the fish and the brinjal becomes tender, take out from heat. Serve hot with plain rice.

Saturday, 31 August 2013

Bengali fish hilsa cooked in mustard oil and curd
Hilsa in curd gravy

Hilsa or Ilish is the most popular fish for Bengalis. This is the national fish of Bangladesh. Bengalis wait throughout the year and look forward to the rainy season for Ilish. I think Hilsa is most popular for its aroma and taste and also very easy to cook. Nowadays Hilsa is not so pocket friendly but the positive thing is that this fish is very light weight. Learn how to cook Hilsa in curd gravy at home.

Ingredients:

Hilsa round pieces
Curd 100 gm
Sugar
Salt
Mustard oil
Green chilli
Red chilli powder (optional)

Recipe:

Marinade the fish with salt and keep aside for 5 minutes. Now heat oil in a pan and put the fishes for frying. Don’t fry it too much, just sauté it. Now take the fish out from heat. Add a little bit of water in the same oil, add sugar and salt. Mix well. If you want you can add a pinch of red chilli powder. Now put the fish in the gravy and add bitten curd with it in low flame. Cook for 2-3 minutes and when the gravy becomes thick take it from the heat. Garnish with green chilli.

Sunday, 18 August 2013

Hilsa cooked in mustard gravy, shorshe ilish, fish curry, ilish macher jhal
Hilsa in mustard gravy

Hilsa or Ilish is the most popular fish for Bengalis. This is the national fish of Bangladesh. Bengalis wait throughout the year and look forward to the rainy season for Ilish. I think Hilsa is most popular for its aroma and taste and also very easy to cook. Nowadays Hilsa is not so pocket friendly but the positive thing is that this fish is very light weight. Hilsa with mustard gravy (sorshe ilish) is an authentic Bengali dish and is very easy to cook.

Cooking time: 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
Hilsa: 2 round shaped pieces
4 tbsp Mustard oil
Salt
Kalinji seeds (onion seeds) - 1 pinch
Mustard paste - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Green chilli


Recipe:
Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder and keep aside for 5 minutes. Now heat oil in a pan and put the fishes. Don’t fry it too much, just sauté it. Now remove the fishes from fire and add a pinch of onion seeds in the same oil. When you start getting a nice aroma, add a cup of water, turmeric powder and salt and stir well. Now add thick mustered paste and put the fried fishes. Cover it with a lid for 2-3 minutes. When the gravy becomes thick take it out from the heat. If you wish you can spread a little bit of raw mustard oil as it enhances the taste and garnish with green chilli.
Serve with plain rice.
If you wish u can skip the frying process and use raw hilsa for mustard gravy.  Many people likes shorshe ilish in this process.