Korolla Motorshuti Bhaji (Bitter Gourd With Peas)

Serves four to five people.

Ingredients:

• Korolla (bitter gourd) - 3 to 4
• Sweet peas - ¼ cup
• Sliced green chili - 4 to 5
• Chopped onion - 1 cup
• Ground turmeric - ½ teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon (as needed)
• Oil - ¼ cup

Preparation:

• Deseed the bitter gourds and the cut them into thin pieces.
• Clean them in water with a little bit of salt.
• Keep aside.

• Heat oil in a pan and fry the bitter gourds with turmeric and salt.
• Keep over medium heat and stir frequently until the bitter gourds become soft and tender.
• Note that fresh bitter gourds become soft quickly. Add a little bit of water if necessary.

• Add the peas, onions and green chili.
• Fry lightly until the oil starts to separate out.
• Serve hot with rice.

Shobji Rezala (Vegetable Rezala)

Serves three to four people.

Ingredients:

• Diced cauliflower - 2 cups
• Carrots (1" cubes) - ¼ cup
• String beans (1" pieces) - ½ cup
• Potatoes (1" cubes) - ½ cup
• Diced broccoli - ½ cup
• Sweet peas - ½ cup
• Red peppers (1" pieces) - ½ cup
• Green peppers (1" pieces) - ½ cup
• Green chili - 5 to 6
• Whole cumin - 1 tablespoon
• Chopped onion - ½ cup
• Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon
• Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
• Plain yogurt - 3 tablespoons
• Tomato sauce - 2 tablespoons
• Black pepper powder - ½ teaspoon
• Lime juice - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - as needed
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Oil - ½ cup

Preparation:

• Clean and dry all the vegetables thoroughly.
• Marinate the potatoes and cauliflower with a little bit of salt.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes and cauliflower lightly.
• Keep aside.

• Use the same heated oil to fry the onions and cumin.
• Stir in the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.
• Add the string beans and carrots.
• Stir in the chili powder, coriander, black pepper and salt with a little bit of water.
• Add the red and green peppers and broccoli. Fry them for about 2 minutes.
• Mix in the potatoes and cauliflower.
• Keep covered over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes.

• Break up the yogurt with 1 tablespoon of water and pour into the vegetables.
• Add the tomato sauce, lime juice and green chili, and stir gently.
• Add some more water if the vegetables are not soft and tender.

• Once the water dries up, sprinkle over some sugar.
• Let it simmer for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat.

Shobji Korma (Vegetable Korma)

Serves five to six people.

Ingredients:

• Diced cauliflower - 2 cups
• Potatoes (1" cubes) - ½ cup
• Carrots (1" cubes) - ½ cup
• String beans (1" pieces) - ½ cup
• Red peppers (1" pieces) - ½ cup
• Diced broccoli - ½ cup
• Chopped onion - ½ cup
• Ginger paste - 2 teaspoons
• Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Shredded cheese - 4 tablespoons
• Cinnamon powder - ½ teaspoon
• Cardamom powder - ½ teaspoon
• Bay leaf - 1
• Plain yogurt - 2 to 3 tablespoons
• Chopped green chili - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - 1½ teaspoon (as needed)
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Oil - ¼ cup
• Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Preparation:

• Clean and dry all the vegetables thoroughly.
• Marinate the potatoes and cauliflower with a little bit of salt.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the potatoes and cauliflower lightly.
• Keep aside.

• Use the same heated oil to brown the onions.
• Stir in the ginger, garlic and bay leaf and fry for 1 minute.
• Add the string beans, carrots and red peppers.
• Stir for about 5 minutes and add a little bit of water.
• Mix in the potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli.
• Keep over low heat.

• Break up the yogurt with 3 to 4 tablespoons of water and pour into the vegetables.
• Add the salt and stir.
• Keep covered for about 5 to 6 minutes.

• Mix in the cinnamon, cardamom and gently stir the vegetable.
• Sprinkle the sugar and cheese, and stir. Mix in the ghee.
• Cover the pan and turn off the heat.

• Serve hot after about 5 minutes with paratha or polao.

Pui Shak Diye Ilish (Hilsha With Pui Leaves)

Serves four to five people.

Ingredients:

• Hilsha fish - 4 to 5 pieces (including head pieces)
• Pui shak (also known as Malabar Spinach, Basella Alba etc) - 500gm
• Chopped onion - 4 tablespoons
• Ground turmeric - ½ teaspoon
• Chili powder - 1 teaspoon
• Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Sliced green chili - 4 to 5
• Salt - as needed
  
• Oil - 4 tablespoons
  

Preparation:

• Clean the fish pieces in water and dry.
• Cut the pui leaves and stems into small pieces. Clean and keep aside to dry.

• Add oil in a pan and mix thoroughly with the onion, garlic, turmeric, chili powder and salt.
• Marinate the fish with this mixture.
• Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and turn on the heat.

• Once the water starts boiling, stir in the pui stems (not leaves) only.
• Keep covered for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Now add in the pui shak (leaves) and stir some more.
• After another 3 to 4 minutes, turn over the pui shak and mix in the green chili.
• Keep over low heat.

• Cook until the fish and pui shak are soft, and the gravy is thickened.
• Serve hot with rice.

Squash Bhorta (Mashed Squash)

Serves two to three people.

Ingredients:

• Peeled, sliced squash - 2 cups
• Chopped onions - 4 to 5 tablespoons
• Chopped garlic - 1 tablespoon
• Fried dry chili - 2 teaspoons
• Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - as needed
• Sesame oil - 2 tablespoons

Preparation:

• Boil the peeled, sliced squash in ½ cup of water in a covered pot.
• Add in the garlic when the water starts boiling.
• Let the water dry up and turn off the heat.

• Mix the fried dry chili, onion, coriander and salt in a separate bowl.
• Mash the squash thoroughly by hand and mix in to the bowl.
• Add in the sesame oil and mash further before serving.

Shobji Khichuri (Vegetable Khichuri)

Serves three to four people.

Rice Ingredients:

• Polao rice - 2 cups
• Masoor daal (lentil) - 1 cup
• Ginger paste - 2 teaspoons
• Garlic paste - ½ teaspoon
• Ground turmeric - ½ teaspoon
• Whole cumin - 1 teaspoon
• Bay leaves - 2
• Chopped onion - ½ cup
  
• Green chili - 4 to 5
• Salt - 1½ teaspoon
• Oil - ¼ cup
• Ghee - 2 tablespoons

Vegetable Ingredients:

• Cauliflower pieces - 1 cup
• Potato pieces - 1 cup
• Beans - ½ cup
• Sliced carrots - ½ cup
• Sweet peas - ½ cup

Preparation:

• Mix all the vegetables, except for the sweet peas, with a dash of salt and lightly fry in about 2 tablespoons of oil. Keep aside.

• Clean the rice and daal together and drain the water out.
• Mix with ginger, garlic, turmeric and bay leaves, and add 5 to 6 cups of warm water with salt. Start cooking over medium heat.
  
• Stir a few times.

• Once the mix starts boiling, add the fried vegetables, sweet peas and green chili.
• Cover and keep over low heat.
• Stir once again after 3 to 4 minutes and keep covered.
• Once the water dries up after another 5 to 6 minutes, keep aside over very low heat to keep it warm.
  

• Heat oil in a separate pan and brown the onions and cumin.
  
• Once fried, add them to the rice and mix thoroughly but gently.
• Keep the rice covered and turn off the heat after a couple of minutes.

• Mix in the ghee before serving hot.

Note: this dish can also be prepared without vegetables as plain khichuri.

Dim Shobjir Kopta (Egg Vegetable Kopta)

Serves three people.

Ingredients:

• Hard boiled eggs – 3
• Potatoes – 2
• Sliced green beans - ½ cup
• Chopped cauliflower - 3 to 4 pieces
• Chopped cabbage - 1 cup
• Beaten egg - 1
  
• Chopped onion – 2 tablespoons
• Chopped chili - 1 teaspoon
• Ground black pepper - ½ teaspoon
• Fried cumin powder - ½ teaspoon
• Chopped coriander – 2 tablespoons
• Crumbs - 4 to 5 tablespoons
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Oil - ¼ cup
  

Preparation:

• Boil the potatoes, cauliflower, beans and cabbage until soft, and then mash together.
• Mix them with all other ingredients except for the eggs, crumbs and oil.
• If the paste becomes too soft, mix in a little bit of crumbs.

• Cover the the boiled eggs completely with a thick layer of paste. Mold the layer along the shape of the boiled eggs.

• Start heating the oil in a pan.
• Dip the paste-covered eggs into the beaten egg and crumbs and fry for a few minutes.

• Once slightly cooled off, cut the eggs lengthwise into half and serve.