Elite life
Bangladesh (Bangladeshi Recipes)
Meals in Bangladesh begin with hand washing since the right hand [Muslim custom] is used to scoop food into one’s mouth. Because no other eating utensils are used, meat and vegetables are cut and cooked in small pieces. The left hand may be used to pick up a water glass or handle a serving spoon. Hosts often choose to serve rather than eat with their guests. They place food on the plates, since it can be awkward for individuals to serve themselves with their left hand. Meals end as they begin, with hand washing.
Ingredients:
1 lb fish
½ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic
¼ cup oil
¼ cup diced onion
2 or 3 green chilies
1 tsp salt
Tomatoes (optional)
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Cooking Instructions:
Saute the onion in oil. Now add garlic and fry until it turns gold-brown. Throw in the spices and fry for another 5 minutes or so. Place the fish in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Pour in some water so as to just cover the fish. Add the chili and tomatoes. Cover and cook at a medium heat. When done add the cilantro and cover for a few minutes before serving.
Ingredients:
1 cup diced eggplant
1 cup diced pumpkin
½ cup diced potato
½ cup diced radish
3 cups chopped spinach
½ tsp Panchforan
½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard paste or powder
1 red chili, halved
½ tsp sugar
salt
2 tbsp oil
Cooking Instructions:
Place chili and panchforan in heated oil. As the seeds brown, add in the potato and radish. Fry for about 2 minutes. Now put in the pumpkin and eggplant, frying for a further 2 minutes. Add the spinach and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in turmeric, salt, sugar and mustard and pour in ½ cup water. Cover and cook on a low heat until radish and potato are soft. It may be necessary to adjust water content as this is meant to be a “dry” dish.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 handfuls very fine vermicelli
4 cups milk
1 pint whipping cream
1 handful raisins
3 tbsp sugar
4 almonds peeled and thinly sliced.
Cooking Instructions:
Melt the butter in a pot at a low heat. Break up the vermicelli and stir into the butter. When it turns gold-brown add the milk and stir increasing the heat until it boils. Add the sugar, raisins and almonds. Cook for 10 minutes at a low heat. Pour in the cream and cook for a few more minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Chill vermicelli in the refrigerator. Serve.
Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
1 small onion
3 medium carrots
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick, crumbled
2 cloves
4 black peppercorns
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp light vegetable oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp kosher salt (or to taste)
Cooking Instructions:
Wash the rice in cool water, squeezing gently with your fingers, until the water runs clear. Put the rice in 2 cups of cool water to soak for 20 minutes. Strain soak water into saucepan and heat. Leave rice to dry in strainer. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. While rice is drying, chop onion finely and set aside. Dice carrots and set aside. Measure spices. When rice is dry, heat oil over medium high flame in heavy, oven-proof skillet or casserole dish. Add spices. When spices become fragrant, add butter and onions. Cook until onions are tender and light golden brown. Add carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring very gently for 5 minutes. Add salt and heated soak water, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until water on top of rice has boiled off. Cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes at 350 deg. F. Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
Ingredients:
2 cups long grain rice
3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons warm milk
3 medium onions (peeled)
4 cloves garlic (peeled)
3/4 inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds
2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
13 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1 1/2 pound boned lamb meat (from the shoulder) cut into 1 inch cubes (you can substitute beef or chicken easily)
1 cup plain yoghurt
5-6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 inch stick of cinnamon
1/6 of a nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and at room temperature
Cooking Instructions:
Wash the rice in several changes of water. Drain it and put it in a large bowl. Add 2 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix and soak for 3 hours. Put the saffron threads in a small, heavy frying pan set over a medium flame. Toss the threads about until they turn a few shades darker. Put the warm milk in a small cup. Crumble the saffron into the warm milk and let it soak for 3 hours. Cut two of the onions in half lengthwise, and then cut the halves into fine half-rings. Set these aside. Chop the remaining onion very coarsely. Put this chopped onion, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of the almonds, and 3 tablespoons water into the container of an electric blender. Blend until you have a paste.
Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a 10 inch non stick frying pan over a medium high flame. When hot, put in the onion half rings. Stir and fry them until they are brown and crisp. Remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them out on a plate lined with paper towels. Put the raisins into the same oil. Remove them as soon as they turn plump - which happens immediately. Put the raisins in another plate lined with paper towels. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons almonds into the oil. Stir and fry them until they are golden. Remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them out beside the raisins. Set aside for use as the garnish. Now put the meat cubes, a few at a time, into the same hot oil and brown them on all sides. As each batch gets done, put it in a bowl.
Add another 7 tablespoons oil to the frying pan and turn the heat to medium. When hot, put in the onion-garlic-ginger-almond paste from the blender. Fry, stirring all the time, until the paste turns a medium brown color. If it sticks slightly to the bottom of the pan, sprinkle in a little water and keep stirring. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pan. Add the yoghurt, a tablespoon at a time, stirring well between each addition. Now put in 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 2/3 cup water. Mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. While the meat is cooking, put the cloves, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg into the container of a spice grinder or a clean coffee grinder. Grind finely.
When the meat has cooked for 30 minutes, add all the spices from the spice grinder as well as the cayenne and mix well. Cover again and continue to cook on low heat for another 30 minutes. Remove cover, raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring all the time, until you have about 3/4 cup of thick sauce left at the bottom of the. Turn off the heat and spoon off as much grease as possible. The meat should be pretty well cooked by now. Spread out the meat and sauce in the bottom of a heavy casserole. Cover and keep warm. Preheat oven to low-moderate, 300 degrees.
Bring 3 1/2 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons salt to it. Drain the rice and rinse it off under running water. Slowly, scatter the rice into the boiling water. Bring to a boil again and boil rapidly for exactly 6 minutes. Then drain the rice. Work fast now. Put the rice on top of the meat, piling it up in the shape of a hill. Take a chopstick or the handle of a long spoon and make a 1 inch wide hole going down like a well from the peak of the rice hill to its bottom. Drizzle the saffron milk in streaks along the sides of the hill. Lay the pieces of butter on the sides of the hill and scatter 2 tablespoons of the browned onions over it as well. Cover first with aluminum foil, sealing the edges well, and then with a lid. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven. If left in a warm place, this rice will stay hot for 30 minutes.
Just before you get ready to serve, quarter the eggs lengthwise. Mix the contents of the rice pot gently. Serve the rice on a warmed platter, garnished with the eggs, remaining browned onions, raisins and almonds.
Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. powdered milk
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cup warm water
1 cup shortening--enough to fill 1 inch deep in frying pan
Cooking Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix flour with baking powder, salt, and powdered milk. Pour in warm water and mix to form dough. Knead dough by hand until it is soft but not sticky. Cover with a cloth and allow to stand for about 15 minutes. shape into balls about 2 inches across, then flatten by patting and stretching the dough with hands and fingers until the dough is flat and round. If preferred, a rolling pin may be used instead. Melt shortening in a heavy frying pan, and heat for frying. Add dough, fry one side, then turn. Fry bread until it is golden brown on both sides.
Ingredients:
Fish 1 kg
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Onion paste 1/2 cup
Ginger paste 2 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Coriander paste 1 tbsp
Cardamom 6
Cinnamon, 1" 2 pieces
Salt 2 tsp
Ghee (oil) 3/4 cup
Green chilli 6
Kewra (Eng?) 2 tbsp
Sugar 1 tbsp
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Cooking Instructions:
Use large fish for korma. Do not cut the fish into too small pieces. Except for the green chillis and kewra, add all the rest of stuff into the cooking dish. Mix well. Heat covered in low heat. Turn over the fish once (be careful). When the water has almost dried up, add the green chilli and the kewra heat for another half hour in very low heat. When the oil begins to float on top, you are done.
Ingredients:
Fish (preferably small, cut into small pieces) 1 cup
Sliced onions: 1/2 cup
Chilli powder/paste (red) 1 tsp
Turmeric powder/paste 1 tsp
Onion paste 2 tbsp
Ginger paste 1/8 tsp
Pepper paste 1/4 tsp
Shredded dhania leaves (cilantro) personal taste
Onion leaves 2 tbsp
Oil 1/3 cupSalt 1 tsp
Tomato (tomatoe for republicans) 2 medium
Ingredients:
Works best with small fish. Out here in the land of non- Bangladeshi fish, try shrimp or any fresh-water fish cut into very small pieces. After heating the oil add all the powder/paste spices and fry for a couple of minutes. You might add a little bit of water if you are using powders only. Make sure you don't burn the spices. (Include the onion pastes). Add the shredded onions and the fish. Add 1/2 cup of water and the salt. Cover the dish and medium-hi heat. When the water has almost evaporated, add tomatoes, cilantero, and the onion leaves. Heat under low-medium heat till the oil starts to float.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup red lentils
1/2 green capsicum, diced
1 cup hot chicken stock
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 head cauliflower, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup sultanas
1 grated carrot
1 1/4 cups tomato puree
1 tspn curry powder
Cooking Instructions:
Microwave lentils and stock in covered bowl for 5 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes (or cook classically). Add the vegetables and sultanas. Stir throught he tomato puree and curry powder. Cook on 100% power for 8 minutes, or on stove top for 30 minutes. Allow to stand for 3 minutes before serving with herbed rice.
Ingredients:
750 g lamb, mutton or beef
500 g yoghurt
100 g ghee
100 g sliced onions
4 bay leaves 2 inch cinnamon stick
4 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Heat ghee in a pan, add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and cardamoms, and saute. Add sliced onion and fry for a few minutes, add garlic paste and chilli powder and saute. Add mutton and fry for a few minutes. Add salt and sugar to taste. Gradually stir the yoghurt. Put the lid on and leave to cook. If water dries up add a little water. Cook till water dries up and ghee comes on top. Serve hot with rice or parota.
Ingredients:
1 oz (25 g) channa dhal, split
8 oz (225 g) fatless stewing steak
1 brown cardamom, ground
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large clove garlic, chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Ghee or oil
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander or parsley
fine breadcrumbs
Cooking Instructions:
Soak the dhal overnight, then boil in twice its volume of water. Strain off any excess water. Put the meat, onion, ginger, garlic and spices through a mincer. Mix well and add salt to taste. Add the dhal to the mixture, and fry in a little ghee for 20 minutes. Add a *little* water if it dries up too much. Leave aside for about 3 hours or overnight to thicken and dry. The next day, or when ready, add the egg yolk, and, if it doesn't hold together, add gram flour to thicken or water to thin. Add fresh coriander or parsley. For Seekh Kebabs roll mixture in breadcrumbs to sausage shapes. Skewer them and cook over charcoal (best), under the grill, or fry in a frying pan. For Shami Kebabs, roll into balls, coat in breadcrumbs and deep-fry.
Ingredients:
2 lb boneless chicken
4 medium sized onions
2" ginger
8 cloves garlic
1 bunch of coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 tsp cummin (jeera) seeds
White pepper to taste (1 tsp.)
1 tsp garam masala
2 eggs
Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Mince the chicken. Grind all ingredients together except eggs and salt. Mix in the eggs and salt. Shape into sausages, put on skewers and cook over charcoal fire or in rotisserie till tender. Garnish with onions and lemon. For garnish: lemon and spring onions.
Ingredients:
Three eggs
One liter of full cream milk
Eight table spoon full of sugar (or adjust to suit your taste)
Twenty five grams of butter
One leaf of bayleaf
Pinch of powdered cinnamon
Blanched, finely chopped almond (optional)
Cooking Instructions:
Pour milk in a saucepan and add half of the sugar and the Bayleaf. Boil to nearly half its volume with occasional stirring to prevent the skin being formed. Allow to cool down. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, adding the remaining sugar in three steps. Add this and the pinch of Cinnamon to the milk and mix thoroughly. Cook, uncovered in a thick bottomed pan over medium heat until turns golden yellow. ALWAYS stir to prevent sticking and forming large chunks. Stirring is VERY important for good taste and small grains. The more you stir the smaller the grains. Add butter and go on stirring until the liquid portion is almost dried up, but be carefull not to overdry. Pour the haloa in a glass bowl and decorate with chopped almonds if you like. Serve when cools down.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 handfuls very fine vermicelli
4 cups Milk
1 pint Whipping cream
1 handful Raisins
3 tblsp Sugar
4 Almonds (optional) peeled and thinly sliced
Cooking Instructions:
Melt butter in a 4 qt pot. Break vermicelli into 3" pieces. Over low heat stir vermicelli into butter until it turns light brown. Pour in the milk and stir over medium heat until it boils. Put in the raisins, almonds and sugar. Continue to cook under low heat for 10 minutes. Add whipping cream and continue to cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and, when cool, chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 dry red chilli
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
4 medium potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red chilli
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Cooking Instructions:
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the whole dried chili and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the cumin and mustard sees until they start to sputter (abouy 2 minutes). Add the potatoes, salt, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Stir and cook over low heat until potatoes are done (about 15 minutes).
