Durga Puja 2023: Add Meaty Delights To Your Pujo Celebrations With These Recipes

With Durga Pujo just around the corner, the excitement is building & preparations are at their peak. And how could any Pujo celebration be complete without lip-smacking delicacies and meaty delights. Joseph Manavalan, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Licious, three Pujo special recipes. Delight your family and friends with Bengali delicacies of Doi Maach, Shorshe Maach and Kosha Mangsho.

Doi Maach

 Ingredients:

• 1 Kg Licious Hilsa (cut into steaks or pieces, washed)

For marination:

• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp Red chilli powder
• Salt
• 2 tsp Mustard oil

For the curry:

• 3 tbsp Mustard oil
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2-inch Cinnamon
• 4 Cloves
• 4-5 Green cardamoms
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Hot red chilli powder, medium
• 2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 2 medium onions (ground to a paste)
• 1/2 kg Curd (whisked)
• Salt

Process:

For marination:

1. In a bowl add fish, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and a teaspoon of mustard oil to help the spices adhere to the fish. Gently massage the spices into the fish. Cover and keep aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
2. Now, whisk the curd well in another bowl and add the turmeric and red chilli powder. Keep aside.

For curry:

1. Heat a medium sized frying pan till hot and add the 2 tablespoons of mustard oil. Heat well.
2. Add the marinated fish pieces and fry them for a couple of minutes on each side till they are a golden brown around the edges.
3. When the fish is golden and 3/4 cooked through, remove them to a plate and keep aside.
4. Heat the same pan with the mustard oil once again and when the oil is hot, add the bay leaf, cumin seeds and whole spices, sauté on a medium flame until they are fragrant and change colour.
5. Now, add the onion paste and sauté it till it’s light golden brown, add the ginger and garlic paste and cook until it is light golden in colour and the oil has surface to the top.
6. Turn down the heat to medium low and add the whisked curd and spices (mentioned above) to the pan, stir gently and simmer the curd gravy for 10 to 15 minutes or until the oil surfaces and the gravy is a lovely rich mustard-golden-yellow in colour.
7. Add the pieces of fried fish, along with all their resting juices in the plate to the gravy and simmer it for another 10 minutes to gently poach the fish to perfection.
8. Squeeze over some lime juice. Serve the doi maach with hot steamed rice.

Shorshe Ilish

 Ingredients:

• 750 gm. Hilsa fish (cut into 6-7 pieces)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 7 large green chillies
• 100 ml. mustard oil + a few drops to finish
• 1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds
• Salt to taste

Process:

1. Marinate fish with salt and turmeric. Set aside.
2. Grind mustard seeds and green chillies into a paste, make sure it is not too runny.
3. Over a medium heat, fry marinated fish in mustard oil till golden brown. Set aside.
4. In the same pan, crackle nigella seeds, add mustard paste, turmeric and cook, add water.
5.  Boil, then simmer with fried fish for 5-6 minutes.
6. Garnish with some raw mustard oil, serve with hot steamed rice.

Kosha Mangsho

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg of Licious Bone-in Mutton (Shoulder Meat)
• ¾ cup thick yoghurt
• 5 tbsp mustard oil
• Whole Spices (cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves, green cardamom, fennel seeds)
• 600 gms sliced onions
• 1 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Bengali garam masala- 2 tbsp cardamom, 1 tbsp clove & 1 inch cinnamon (Ground together)
• 3 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp chilli powder
• 3 tbsp cumin powder
• 5 green chilies
• 2 tsp ghee
• Salt (to taste)

Process:

1. Wash and marinate the meat with spices including onion, ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt and spices.
2. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
3. Sauté sliced onions, then add garlic-ginger-chilli paste, Saute till golden brown.
4. Make a spice paste (add bengali garam masala, coriander powder, chilli powder, cumin powder and mix with water), add to the pan and stir.
5. Add marinated mutton, cover and cook for 90 mins on slow heat.
6. Whip and add yoghurt, cook until water evaporates.
7. Season with salt. Slow-cook until mutton is tender.
8. Finish with Bengali garam masala and ghee. Serve with Luchi.