It’s Ganesh chaturthi today and my family just went out to some neighbor’s place for attending the Pooja and I am home alone, bored, have nothing to do…..though Mom cooked a lot of food like Fish curry in mustard, daal, palak, rice etc for her foodie son but this khurafat achanak knocked my door…..I just looked through all the kitchen cabinet and found a few dry fish still in there that I brought from Shillong …… Voila!!
I immediately took out the other ingredients I need and my mouth was already watering …in fact flooding ….
Bombay duck dry fish – 5 pieces about 300 gms
Onions : 3 medium – no so thin slices
Ginger : 2 inches, Garlic – 10 cloves, Tomatoes – 2 medium, Green chilies – 4 all grated together
Potatoes : 2 medium cut like potato wedges
Brinjal/aubergine : 1 small cut like potatoes above(optional)
French beans : 12 pieces 3 inches each cut into halves(optional) I like my food with greens
Salt : 1+1/2 teaspoonful
Cumin powder(jeera) – 1 teaspoonful, Dry coriander powder(dhania) : 1 teaspoonful
Red chili powder : 1 teaspoonful, Turmeric(haldi) : 1/2 teaspoonful,
Sugar : 1 teaspoonful (after all we are bongs we add sugar in everything
Mustard oil : 4 tablespoon (We like it oily and spicy)
Warm water : 1/2 cup
My way of cooking:
Dry roast the fishes for a few minutes on a flat wok and cut into 2 inches pieces leaving head and tail, those are not required and soak the fish pieces in warm water for about 15 minutes and drain the water out
In a wok heat the mustard oil till it become totally hot, add the potatoes and fry for 3 minutes stirring well and take them out
Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes add the fish pieces and cook for about 3 minutes …enjoy the smell … I love that
Add the brinjal and french beans pieces cook for another 2 minutes on high flame and add the semi fried potatoes
Add the grated ginger, garlic, tomato chili we kept aside
Add all spices like salt, turmeric, sugar, jeera and dhania mix well and cook on high for 2 minutes
Add half cup warm water, simmer the flame, cover the wok and cook for 5-6 minutes till everything gets cooked well
Uncover, cook for 2 more minutes on high till oil gets separated
Serve with hot steamed rice
I call this dish neighbor’s envy owners pride – the whole neighborhood will get the bad smell and only we will enjoy!!
