Less Green, More Lean

PRAWN AND HOG PLUM (AMRA) CURRY
Ingredients:
500g large prawns 
250g hog plum (amra)
2 tbsp cumin paste
1½ tbsp ginger paste 
½ cup coconut paste 
½ cup chopped onions (fried)
1½ tsp dry chilli powder 
¼ tbsp turmeric powder 
½ tsp sugar 

Method:
Boil sliced hog plum pieces in salt water. Wash, clean and then prepare the prawns in a bowl with turmeric and salt. Then gently fry them off in a pan. One-by-one roast off the spices in a pan till they open up. Add in the coconut paste, and leave for 3 minutes. Then, add in the prawns and stir, followed by the amra pieces. Add water, close the lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the sugar before taking it off the heat. Serve.

KOI MACH WITH MUSTARD AND TOMATOES
Ingredients:
500g koi 
1Cauliflower
3 tomatoes tomatoes (sliced) 
2 tbsp mustard paste 
1tbsp jira paste 
½ tbsp ginger paste 
½ cup mustard oil 
1 tbsp dry chilli powder
2 pieces cinammon 
½ tbsp turmeric powder 
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Wash, clean and prepare the koi with salt and turmeric and then gently fry it off in a pan. Fry the pieces of cauliflower with salt, as well. One-by-one roast off the spices in mustard oil, in a separate pan. Add in the mustard paste and leave it for 3 minutes. Add in a small amount of water, close the lid and let it simmer till it comes to boil. Add in the fish, tomatoes along with the fried pieces of cauliflower. Add a little bit of mustard oil before taking it off the heat. Serve.

MUTTON KEEMA -POTOL PUR
Ingredients:
250g potol 
300g mutton keema
½ tbsp jira paste 
½ tbsp ginger paste 
½ cup coconut paste 
½ cup onions (chopped) 
4 cloves garlic (chopped) 
½ tbsp dry chilli powder
4 chillies (chopped) 
¼ tbsp turmeric powder 
Salt (to taste)
For the beshon batter -
3 tbsp flour  
1½ tbsp rice (uncooked) 
Salt (to taste)
A pinch of sugar
Procedure:
Peel and slice the pointed gourd (potol), and carve out their insides with a spoon. Grind the insides into a paste. One-by-one roast off cinnamon and cardamom in a pan till they open up. Once done, add in the chopped onions and garlic and fry. Add in the remaining spices along with the coconut paste. Add in the mutton keema, close the lid and let it simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. Once cooked, take it off the heat and use them as a filling for the potols. Dip them in the beshon batter and fry them off. Serve.

RUI FISH CURRY
Ingredients:
8 pieces rui 
2 tbsp mustard paste
1tbsp cumn paste 
½ tbsp ginger paste
2 bay leaf 
A pinch of black cumin
3 green chillies 
2 tbsp raisin paste 
1½ tbsp dry chilli powder 
¼ tbsp turmeric powder 
Salt (to taste)

Procedure:
Wash, clean and prepare the rui with salt and turmeric and then gently fry it off in a pan. One-by-one roast off bay leaves and black cumin in a separate pan. Add in a small amount of water, close the lid and let it simmer till it comes to boil. Add in the fish, along with the raisin paste. Leave it for 15 minutes.Add the chillies and a sprinkle of garam masala before taking it off the heat. Serve.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Food prepared by Shaibal Saha, Crafts and fashion designer
Food styling: Aparna Paul
Special thanks to Renuka Saha for helping us out with the photoshoot and compiling the menu