Recipe and Photo by Kolpita
Winter is here. With the onset of this season comes a variety of fresh vegetables, which taste the best for their seasonal presence. Veggies kept in cold storage and available throughout the year can’t match up to the taste of the fresh and delicious ones grown in this particular season. Fresh cauliflowers always bring back memories of Asthami back home in Calcutta, as this was the day when we would first eat the newly-arrived cauliflower. So, as I chanced upon some fresh winter cauliflowers, I could not resist making a traditional dish. A time-tested recipe, cooked in every Bengali household, nonetheless, here I present mine
Aloo, phulkopi, rui maachher jhol (Rohu cooked with winter cauliflowers and potatoes)
Ingredients
- 4-6 pieces of rui or katla, smeared with salt and turmeric,
- 2 small fresh cauliflowers cut into several florets,
- 2 medium-sized potatoes cut elongated,
- a little bit of nigella seeds, little bit of coriander seeds, turmeric, chilli powder and salt and mustard oil.
Method
- Fry the fish pieces marinated in salt and turmeric in mustard oil and keep them aside. In the same oil, or fresh oil, fry the elongated potatoes and keep them aside. Now fry the nigella seeds and the coriander seeds. Once they crackle, add the cauliflower florets and lightly fry them till the rawness of the vegetable vanishes. Now add the fried potatoes back into the wok and stir. Now sprinkle the turmeric and chilli powder, stir and add adequate amount of water for the ‘jhol’. Add salt and the fried fish pieces and cover lid. Slow cook for 15-20 minutes. Open lid to check the consistency of the jhol. Close lid and let the jhol simmer. Once it’s done, turn off the fire and serve hot with steaming rice.
JAN
2015
