Chef: Executive Chef, Avijit Deb Sharma, ibis and Novotel Bengaluru Outer Ring Road Bengali New Year recipes

1. Kosha Magsho

Ingredients Quantity

Mutton 750 gms

Medium size onion 3 nos

Bay leaf 3 nos

Clove 5 nos

Sugar 1 tsp

Medium halved

potato 3 nos

Garam masala

powder 1 tsp

Black pepper 10 nos

Green cardamom 4 nos

Cinnamon stick 1/2 inch

Mustard oil 100 ml

For the Marinade:

Cloves garlic 8 nos

Powdered turmeric 2 tsp

Coriander powder 1 ½ tsp

Yogurt (curd) 4 tbsp

Ginger 1 ½ inch

Powdered red

peppers 1 ½ tsp

Salt 1 ½ tsp

Method

* For marinating the mutton, bring together garlic, ginger, and onions. Grind them together in a mixer to make a smooth paste. Wash and clean the mutton. Add to it the ingredients for the marinade - yogurt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red pepper powder, some mustard oil, and half of the ginger/ garlic/ onion paste. Let it rest for about 2 hours in the freeze.

* Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a kadai. Fry the potatoes till they turn golden brown. Keep them aside.

* Now, for cooking the mutton, heat the remaining mustard oil in kadai. Temper it with the black pepper, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and turmeric. Also, add sugar to it.

* Add the remaining onion paste and fry for about 5 minutes. The oil will start separating from the mixture. Now add the marinated mutton. Cook at a low flame for about half an hour.

* Add 2 cups water (depending on the gravy required) and cover the kadai. Let the mutton cook for at least an hour now till the it becomes soft and succulent. All this while ensure that the flame is at its lowest.

* Now, add the fried potatoes and garam masala, and give it good stir. Let it cool for some time and then sprinkle freshly chopped coriander leaves.

* Serve hot with either steamed rice, maida luchi (pooris) or parathas.

2. Shukto

Ingredients Quantity

Potatoes cut in 1-

inch pcs 2 cups

Bitter Gourd sliced 1 cup

Plantain or

kanchkola cut in 1-

inch pcs 1 cup

Brinjal cut in 1-inch

pcs 2 cups

Drumsticks cut in 2-

inch pcs 2 cups

Bori or Vadi or lentil

dumplings 1 cup

Ginger Paste 1 tbl spn

Milk 5 tbl spn

Radhuni or caraway

seeds 1 tspn

Bay Leaf 2 pcs

Whole Dry Red Chili 2 pcs

Bengali Five Spice

or panch foron 1 tspn

Mustard Seeds 1/2 tspn

Ghee 1/2 tspn

Mustard Oil 100 ml

Sugar 1 tspn

Salt to taste

Method

* Peel the potato, plantain (kanch kola). Cut all the vegetables in 1-3-inch pieces.

* Fry the bori till browned and set aside.

* Also prepare the Shukto masala by heating 1 tspn of panch forn and 1/2 tspn mustard seeds in a pan and then powder this and set aside.

* Heat some mustard oil and add the ginger paste along with the sugar, some salt, whole dry red chilies, the radhuni or caraway seeds and the bay leaves. Saute for a minute.

* Add all the vegetables and saute in the above mixture. Then cover and shallow fry the vegetables for 7 mins by turning them from time to time. Add a cup of water then cover and cook for another 10 minutes over medium heat.

* Then add the milk and let the curry to simmer for 2 mins, add in the fried boris or vadis.

* Cook covered for 3-4 minutes more. Finally turn off the heat, add the ghee and the Shukto masala.

* Enjoy your bowl of Shukto with some rice.