Dimer Halwa (Egg Halva)

There are plenty of recipes available of this delicious dessert. But try this easy one.

Ingredients:

8 Eggs
1c Sugar
1/4 cup Ghee
1 can Evaporated milk (400ml or 2 cups )
1 tsp Elachi (cardamom) powder
1/2 tsp Egg yellow food colour
1 pinch of Saffron
1 pinch of Salt

Process:

Mix it all up and blend
Add 1/4 c Golden Sultanas (raisins)

Cook it in a pan over medium to high heat on cooker, stirring constantly. Try with a little higher heat and when it starts catching at the ballroom of the pan, lower the heat gradually until it doesn't catch anymore. You will have to be patient. It will look too slushy initially but don't stop stirring and cooking until it thickens and becomes grainy consistency, will take about 15-20 minutes.

Some people add powdered milk to thicken the milk. Since I used evaporated milk, there is no need for it but if you want you can add 1/4 cup of powdered milk to enhance the taste.

Garnish with 2 tbsp shredded Pistachio nuts.
Serve warm.

Fish with Kasundi

1 Elish or 2 Mackerel cut into pieces (any fish will do but oily fish is better) 

1 tbsp Veg oil

1 tbsp Mustard oil

1/2 cup chopped Onion

1 tbsp Garlic paste

1-2 tsp Salt (to taste)

1 tsp Holud (Turmeric)

1/2 tsp Jeera (Cumin)

1/2 tsp Dhaniya (Coriander)

1/2 tsp Morich (Chilli).

2 tbsp Kasundi sauce (available in Bengali shops) 

4 green chillies

Cook for 5 minutes with a little water.

Add the fish pieces

Mix well

Add 1 cup of water and mix

Bring to simmer

Cover and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

Garnish with some green Dhaniya (Coriander leaves)

Chicken Chow Mein

6 Servings

Egg Noodles (6 portions): Put in the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes, drain, toss with 2 tsp Sesame oil and set aside. 

Chicken (1/2 kg) cut in thin strips. (deboned thigh meat is better) 

Marinade for 1 hour in Soy Sauce (2tb) + Sesame Oil (1tb) + Sugar (1ts) + Corn flour (2tb)  

Stir-fry Chicken for 6-8 minutes or until cooked and set aside.  

Vegetables:

1 Red Capsicum, cut in thin strips

1 large Carrot, cut in thin strips

1 Onion, cut in thin strips

1 bunch Green Onion, cut in 2 inch long strips (only green parts)

1 handful of Beansprouts

1/2 Cabbage, cut in thin strips

1/2 Lettuce shredded

1 Bok Choy, cut in small pieces

Stir-fry the vegetables in high heat:

Heat 1 Tb Oil

Fry 4 cloves of chopped Garlic and add all the vegetables, add the following ingredients: (you can mix all of these in a cup in advance) 

Soya Sauce (2TB) + Sesame Oil (1TB) + Sugar (1TS) + Oyster Sauce (2TB) + Chicken Seasoning powder (2TS) and stir-fry for 6-8 minutes. 

Add the stir-fried chicken and the noodles and cook together for 5 minutes stirring and tossing constantly.  

Picture: Halal Chicken Seasoning powder available in Asian shops. 

Thai Green Curry with King Prawn

Ingredients:

Large King Prawn 500 g

Thai Green Curry Paste 1 tbsp

Lemon Grass powder/paste 1 tsp

Garlic Powder 1 tsp

Thai Fish Sauce 1 tbsp

Palm Sugar 2 tsp

Coconut Milk 400 mil (1 can)

Thai Basil leaves - a few, chopped 

Mix it all up except the Prawn and cook on medium heat for until the sauce is thickened (about 10 minutes) 

Add the prawn and cook until the prawns turn pink (about 10 minutes)

Serve with Jasmine Rice. 

Sweet & Sour Baked Fish

Courtesy: Monira Chowdhury

Whole Tilapia fish gutted, cleaned & scored (fish of your choice) 

Marinade & Glaze:
3 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 Tbsp soy
1 Tbsp Lemon juice or rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Garlic & Ginger combined paste (or 1/2 Tbsp each garlic and ginger)
1 Tbsp lemon grass paste (optional) 
1 Tbsp Palm sugar (crushed or fine)
Pinch salt (to taste)
Fish cavity filling:
4 Round Cut lemon slices (1 small lemon) 
4 whole Garlic cloves
Spring (green) onion (sliced 1 inch length)
1 Red chilli cut in half lengthwise

Garnish 
Finely sliced red chilli 
Finely sliced spring (green) onion

1) Mix marinade and pour on fish, rubbing inside and put fish and sauce into a baking dish 
2) fill inside cavity of fish with ingredients, any excess that won't fit into the cavity add to marinade in the dish 
3) bake covered in foil 200c 30 minutes 
4) drain cooked marinade sauce into frying pan and reduce into a glaze consistency (5 minutes) 
5) re-pour over served fish and add garnish 
Serve with Jasmin Rice

Shabji-Daal

It’s a guilt-free meal in itself, all the nutrients and no fat.

Red Daal (Lentil) 1 cup

Water 3 cups

Salt 1 tsp

Holud (Turmeric) 1 tsp

Veg stock cubes 2 (or 1 tsp seasoning)

Green chillies 4

Garlic powder 1 tsp

Vegetables:

Any mix of these: Tomato, Leek, Capsicum, Carrot, Green Onion, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peas, Spinach, Zucchini, Cucumber, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage.

Cook the Lentil for 20 minutes, then add the vegetables and cook for another 15 minutes.

Garnish with red chillies and green herbs.

Fish & Veg Malay Curry

Use any vegetable of your choice, here I used ‘Mishtikumra’ (Pumkin or Butternut squash)  and ‘Begun’ (Bringal or Eggplant) cut in small pieces.
 
Make the Sauce:

1 can Coconut milk
1 can hot water
1 tbsp Palm Sugar
1 tbsp Penang curry paste (or any Thai Curry Paste)
1 tsp Garlic powder
¼ cup Fish sauce
1 tbsp Soya sauce
2 Veg Oxo cubes - crushed (or 1 tsp of any seasoning)
 
Mix the Veg and Sauce in an ovenproof dish make sure sauce covers the Veg
Cover and place in the Oven: 200c/1h (30 minutes for cauliflower, broccoli, peas, leek, carrots, Zucchini etc.)
 
Two Fish Filets chopped and coated with 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp curry paste and fried. (can add any other fish, prawn or nothing at all)
 
Take the dish out of oven, add the fish, garnish with some green herbs, red chillies and crushed peanuts. 
 
Health Tips: Some recipes demand liquid as this one, but you don't have to eat it, just fish out the goodies using a slotted spoon and use the leftover sauce to create another dish or freeze it for another day!