Kosha Mangsho

Bengali dry Mutton curry

Ingredients:
750 gms of mutton
4 medium size potato cut into half
4 tbs of mustard oil for frying potato
4 onions
For Marinadegarlic 10
ginger-1.5 inch
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilly powder
1.5 tsp of salt
4 heaped tbs yogurt
1tsp garam masala
For the tempering
10 black pepper
3 bay leaves
4 greem cardamom
5 cloves (lavang)
0.5 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp sugar
0.5 cup mustard oil

Preperation:Make a smooth paste of Garlic and Ginger, add little water if required.
Do the same with onions.
Marinate the mutton with Turmeric powder, salt, Coriander powder, Red chilly powder, Yogurt and 1 tbs of mustard oil, garlic-ginger paste and half of the onion paste.
Let it sit there for 2 hrs.

Dal Ghost

Mutton cooked in lentil

Ingredients:
500 gms mutton, cut into pieces
3 tbsp chana dal
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 tbsp curd
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 Bay leaf
1 inch piece cinnamon
2 onions
2 tbsp clarified butter or oil
A handful of coriander
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Soak the chana Dal for 1/2 hour
To the mutton apply the ginger garlic paste and beaten curd and then set aside.
Slice the onions finely
Chop the coriander

Mutton Nihari

Stew made from lamb. Also known as Nihari Ghost

Ingredients:
1 kg meat preferably lamb
2 tbsp refined oil
3-4 green cardamom
1 tsp whole cinnamon
2 black cardamoms
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup water
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp onions
3 tbsp yogurt
2 tsp gulab jal
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp nutmeg and cardamom powder
1/2 tsp saffron
salt to taste
few drops of itar
wheat dough for dum
fresh coriander and ginger juliennes and lemon slices – to garnish

Preparation:
Fry the garlic an onion and ground to a paste
Beat the yogurt to a thick paste
Soak the saffron in 2 tea spoon water

Bay Leaf

The bay tree is indigenous to Asia Minor, from where it spread to the Mediterranean and then to other countries with similar climates. According to legend the Delphi oracle chewed bay leaves, or sniffed the smoke of burning leaves to promote her visionary trances. Bay, or laurel, was famed in ancient Greece and Rome. Emperors, heroes and poets wore wreaths of laurel leaves. The Greek word for laurel is dhafni, named for the myth of the nymph Daphne, who was changed into a laurel tree by Gaea, who transformed her to help her escape Apollo’s attempted rape. Apollo made the tree sacred and thus it became a symbol of honour.

Spice DescriptionThe bay leaf is oval, pointed and smooth, 2.5 - 8 cm (1 to 3 in) long. When fresh, the leaves are shiny and dark green on top with lighter undersides. When dried the bay leaf is a matte olive green.

Anda Jholo

(Eggs in coconut gravy)

Ingredients:

Eggs (4 nos)
potatoes ( 1 large )
onions (1 large)
tomato (1large)
cumin seeds (1/2 tsp)
coriander seeds(1 1/2 tsp)
fennel seeds ( 1/2 tsp )
ginger-garlic paste (1 1/2 tsp )
red chilli ( 2 nos )
cinnamon ( 1 inch long )
turmeric ( 1/3 tsp)
cloves (2-3 nos )
small cardamon ( 2-3 nos)
bay leaves ( 1 no)
oil ( 4-5 tsp )
freshly grated coconut (3 tbs, optional)
chopped coriander leaves ( 3 tbs )
kashmiri chilli powder ( 1/4 tsp )
salt

Preparation:

Take a pan of water. Add the eggs along with a 1 tsp vinegar (keeps the eggs from cracking during boiling) and boil for 8-10 mins. Remove from fire and allow to cool.Break open and remove the shell. Put slits along the sides of the eggs.
Grind the coconut and coriander separately and keep aside.
Cut the potaoes into long pieces.