Thekera Dia Maasor Tenga

Ingredients:

1. Fish - 1 cleaned catfish, cut to about 3/4 inch pieces.
	(I use catfish. It is supposed to of the 'Maagur" family.
	Other fishes should be ok. Even very small fishes)
2. half teaspoon turmeric
3. Few green chilies - depending on the strength of the chili, 
cut to small pieces
4. "PansPhoran" - about one teaspoon of the mixture of fenugreek
		seeds, black "jeera", fennel seed.
5. Oil - Anything goes, but for authencity use mustard oil!
6. salt
7. The most important thing - Thekera ( I dont know what it is
called in English. It seems to be a Assamese speciality. Even my
Bengali friends dont know about it). Of course you can always use
lime juice or tomoato to give the sourness. But I am picky about my
"Thekeraa diaa Maasar Tenga"  :-)


Process:

1. Put the "thekera" in a cup of water. Generally one piece of
"thekera" is good for one cup of water. So depending on how much
gravy you want, use that many pieces. Keep for about 1/2 hour.
2. Mix the turmeric and salt with the fish. If you are using chili
powder instead of green chili, you can mix it too.
3. Fry the fish in oil lightly. Remove from pan. If the fish breaks a
little, dont worry, it will add to the gravy
4. In the same pan, heat some more oil and put the ""PansPhoran"
mixture. Put green chilies. When fried, put the cup of water with
"thekera"
5. Add extra cups of water (depending on the number of "thekera"
used)
6. When the mixture comes to boil, add fried fish and reduce flame
7. Let it simmer for some time(10-15 minutes). Let the juice of 
"thekera" get cooked.
8. Serve with white rice.

Xoriohor Maasor Jhol  (Fish Curry with Mustard)

Ingredients:

Fish - 1 lb. cleaned catfish, cut to about 3/4 inch pieces. (You can use carp, trout etc. also) ,half tsp turmeric, two green chillies, cumin+corriandar powder 1tsp, one chopped onion, 1 tsp mustard seeds, corriandar leaves 1/2bnch, 2 tsp yougurt, 2 cloves garlic, pinch of ginger, 2 tbsp water, salt. 3. 1 tbsp cooking oil.

Preparation:

Mix the ingredients (2) together into a fine paste. Marinate the fish pieces in this paste for about 30 min. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet or large pan. Fry the marinated fish pieces for about 5 min. Add the rest of the paste and cook for another 20 min. Serve over rice. You can add tomatoes to add volume.

Masor Jhol   (Conventional Fish Curry)

Ingredients:
1. Fish - 1 lb. cleaned catfish, cut to about 3/4 inch pieces.
2. half tsp turmeric, cumin+corriandar powder 1tsp, salt
3. two green chillies, chopped, 1 chopped onion, minced garlic+ginger
4. 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, chopped green corriander
5. two tomatoes, sliced.

Preparation:
Coat the fish pieces with the spices in (1).
In a skillet or wide pan heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the fish pieces for
about 2 min on each side. Remove and drain.
In the remainimg oil, saute' cumin+mustard seeds, garlic+ginger and onion,
added in that order. Now add sliced tomatoes. Cook for 5 min.
Add the fish pieces and simmer for about 10 min.

Goes well over rice.

Kamrupi Biriani

Ingredients needed are:
RICE 3 cups (for 6) long grain, non-stick
GREEN PEAS (for 6) 100-200 grams
YELLOW TURMERIC POWDER    1/2 t.
GREEN CARDAMON  6-8 WHOLE CASHEWS 20     
BLACK CARDAMON  4 GARLIC 2 WHOLE FLOWER         
WHOLE CLOVES    10-15 GINGER  4 INCH PIECE
CHICKEN         4 BREASTS GREEN CORIANDER  1 bunch  
OIL vegetable cooking only ONE ONION (big)
EGGPLANT  5 SMALL       BROCCOLI  1 SMALL HEAD
POTATO    4 PARBOILED   ONION     1 LARGE, SLICED LENGTHWISE

OIL : vegetable cooking only

1. Cook the rice in two portions: 
(a) 3/4 as plain white rice; 
    -add a little oil (1-2 t. oil)
    -add the green (4) and black (2) cardanoms
     (smash green and black cardanoms)
    -add whole cashews (make two pieces each)
    -add water as appropriate, then flame on
    -take the cooked rice off to a plate

(b) 1/4 as yellow rice;
    -add a little oil (1 t. oil)
    -add 4 whole cloves
    -add water as appropriate
    -add the 1/4 t. yellow turmeric
    -take the cooked rice off to a plate

   After the rice is done, mix the two types (a) & (b) together
   and divide into two portions (1/4 and 3/4).  Put aside.

2. Preparation of ingredients:

(c) take the bunch of green coriander;
    -cut into half lengthwise
    -one half from root cut into one inch pieces (c)1
    -other half cut into one and a half pieces (c)2
    -do not mix (c)1 and (c)2

(d) take the ginger;
    -use a mortar and pestal to mash
     (cut into tiny pieces is other option)

(e) take the garlic;
    -use a mortar and pestal to mash
     (cut into tiny pieces is other option)

(f) smash green (4) and black (2) cardamom together

   Do not mix (d) and (e), and do not mix (f) with (d) (e)

(g) cut the onion into long size

3. Preparation of Peas:

(h) fry 100-200 grams peas in little oil
    -no ingredients needed

4. Preparation of Vegetable:

(j) eggplant and small head broccoli;
    -cut lengthwise bite size (will be show how)
    -cut eggplant into bite size (will be show)

(k) choose medium size potato;
    -wash and cut into bite size (lengthwise), boil
     and peal the skin (or peal before boil)

  Put oil in a frying pan (little more), warm up the oil, put onion,
  put five whole cloves, put half (c)1, put 1/4 of (d) 1/2 of (e)
  1/2 of (f) fry for a while, (will be shown).  Now put (j) stir
  and cover until done. 

  Take (j) off from the frying pan and fry (k) in the same oil.
  If oil is not enough, put a little as needed.  After (k) is
  fried and done add (j) and stir carefully.  Cover for a minute
  or so in a low flame.  Then the fry is ready to serve.


5. Preparation of Kamrupi Biriani:

(l) choose skin chicken;
    -burn the skin (light) over flame (important)
    -now cut the chicken into 2 inch pieces
    -take half of (d) half of (e) and half of (f) to
     coat (or mix) the chicken
    -put oil in a frying pan (large) and warm up
    -put 1/4 onion and half of (c)1 on oil and fry
     until reddish-yellow
    -put coated chicken, put five whole cloves, fry accordingly
     (need to cover to cook well) at relatively low flame (important)
     add salt accordingly before covering
    -chicken is about to done, just before 2-3 minutes or so,
     add 1/4 of (d), half of (c)2, and fried peas
    -low flame and put 3/4 rice on chicken and mix
    -cover for a while (this is Kamrupi biriani, ready to serve)

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Last modified: August 11, 2000