Chilli chicken from my childhood ... with lots of chillies and no Capsicum

 

( If you are a vegetarian, you can make this recipe with paneer or cauliflower. )

I do not claim this recipe of the Chilli chicken as authentic or perfect or even the right way to make Chinese chilli chicken. When young, this is the way chilli chicken was made not only at our house but also the ones that we got from restaurants.
Having said that, I must say that eating out was not something that we did much. One of the reasons is me ... I was painfully shy and could not imagine sitting in a public place and eating ... no matter however good the ambience or the company.
It nearly killed me when people, who were mostly strangers to me,  would walk up to our table and talk to Bapi and Ma.
I would never accompany my parents or relatives to any wedding ceremony invitations just because of that terrifying thought of sitting among a huge number of people and eating. 
This continued till I left home for studies. At the hostel and the PG where I stayed, I slowly came to realise that if I did not loosen up, I would stay hungry. Which I did on most days.
Now, while I have changed a lot and do go out with groups to eat out, I still come back home with just a few nibbles and an empty stomach.

So, the only solution was to bring home or call for a takeaway. Which Bapi sometimes did. Like most Bengalis, there would be the fried rice and chilli chicken combination. And a beautiful chicken bharta,  that I so miss these days.
The chilli chicken lived up to its name. It would have lots and lots of green chillies, fried along with the onions ... which were both crunchy as well as sweet.
The chicken pieces would be with bones ... which is why I loved it so much ... and have a thick coating that would have soaked up the sauce by the time we sat down to eat ... giving it a slightly soggy yet delightfully sweet and sour taste.
Sometimes the chicken chunks would be red in colour and Bapi would exclaim "Colour!Again!" and get up to drain the red oil into the kitchen sink.
I loved to soak a piece of tandoori naan, that came with the bharta, into that reddish, sweet and sour oily sauce and chew on it ( I told you I am a complete desi when it comes to food).

Later, after I landed in Pune, I came across the new version of the Chilli chicken .... boneless, small pieces, deep fried to a chewy chunk, not a trace of green chilli and horror of all horrors, loaded with big chunks of capsicum!
Why the dish has capsicum is a question that has stayed unanswered to me still. You will get a few, soggy and limp slices of onions too. But you will have to search for a decent piece of chicken from under those big chunks of capsicum.
After trying to search for a good chilli chicken in Pune, I finally gave up. Sadly, even today, there is not a single restaurant in Pune where I can ask for a good Chilli chicken.
So took it to making it myself.

I do not make it too often though, especially as it is only for myself at most times. But if I am making Chinese, I do make these. On the bone for family; boneless for guests.
This time I made it with chunky, chicken thigh pieces ... ideal pieces for a juicy yet dry dish. And shallow fried the chicken, instead of deep frying it.
Pretty quick to make.
You can fry the chickem pieces and store in the fridge, covered of course, and toss it with the rest of the things just before serving.
While they are the perfect accompaniment to a fried rice or a Hakka noodles dish, they make great starters or finger food too for snacks.
Pair them with some good wine or a cocktail for a light evening fare.

Need :

Chicken - 250 gms, chopped into small pieces
Corn flour - 3 tbsp
Maida / Apf - 1 tbsp
Baking soda - a small pinch
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Green chilli sauce - to taste
Crushed black pepper - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 big, cut into cubes
Green chillies - 6 to 8, chopped
Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves, chopped
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cooking oil - 4 tbsp

How I make it :

Marinate the chicken pieces with vinegar + a little salt + soy sauce + ginger paste + garlic paste  for around half an hour.

Then add the corn flour + maida + baking soda + black pepper to it and mix well.

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in an open, flat pan.
Carefully let in the chicken pieces and shallow fry, a small batch at a time, and remove on a paper  napkin.

Add the rest of the oil ( if needed ) to the pan and add the garlic.

Fry a little and then add the green chillies + the onions + the chilli sauce.
Adjust salt + sugar.

Add the chicken pieces and toss well on high heat.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

Ps: I did not realise I had already ranted about the capsicum thing in one of my earlier posts ... i.e. the quick stir fried Chilli chicken. Try that too.

Dahi wali Lauki / Bottle gourd in a light curd based gravy

 Summer is on us with full force. And quite suddenly too.
Just as we were gearing up for spring, the days started to get hotter. It is just a phase, we said. Will be gone in a couple of days. Others agreed. A few looked up at the sky and mentioned it has been cloudy for a while. It will cool down as soon as the clouds cleared, they said.
Only, there were no clouds.
The sun only became angrier with days. Holi saw a scorching day ... the little children had to call it quits much before afternoon had set in.
The heat spread out in a haze and worsened as the day went by.
By ten o'clock in the morning, it is so hot these days that I fear to step out into the balcony to hang out clothes to dry.
Our little luxury of eating breakfast in the little balcony has been mercilessly taken away from us. Now all I can do is sip my cup of tea in the morning cool, water the plants, fill the brid bowls and bath and get inside as soon as I can.
I miss watching the trees all around in the morning sun .... shining in their  new leaves. It is still spring for them and they will have to go through their normal changes as nature has directed them to. They cannot hurry and keep up with global warming.

This morning, as I sat in my swing with my cup of tea, I looked out as usual, the vision skimming the top of the hugest trees ans settled on the eucalyptus afar. There was an eagle sitting at the top, calling out in its high pitched whistle, that started from a low note and ended on a shrill high.
Two crows came by for a drink of water, but seeing me flew away.
I know they will wait on a nearby branch and be back as soon as I leave ... so I don't feel guilty.
And as I sat there, in the cool early morning breeze, I saw a rush of yellow pass by from my right, and fly on in my line of vision.

And I was back in Dadu's house, in an instant. 

A little girl of around eight or nine, standing on the low sill of the welded wrought iron window frame of the huge French windows of the drawing room on the upper floor, clutching on to a few other to stop from falling, looking earnestly out, as if searching for something.
Her eyes scanned the scene outside .... the dark, deep pond ... with its chairs of red cement on the ghaat,  gleaming in the strong sun, the Bok phool tree that bent over into the waters instead of standing up straight, the bamboo grove beyond it, the coconut grove on the left  and the mango orchard on the right.

"Ora shob shomoye aam gaache thake. Ora khub shy tai lukiye thaake. Oder ke dekhte pawa khub lucky!"
That is what Didi had said once.
So she keeps her eyes on the mango trees, where they stay hidden as they are very shy ... as Didi had said. But could not sight even one.
It has been a long while and she could feel the heat from outside on her face. Soon the house helps would come by to shut all the windows before noon set in. She desparately wanted a glimpse of the bird before they came. Or she will have to wait for evening or the next day again.
And then, just as she was about to give up, she saw a splash of yellow dart by and disappear into the nearest mango tree.
It might come out again to fly to the other trees.
Her eyes lit up, she broke into a smile and turned around and ran through the door to the top of the stairs.
"Didi! Diidiiiii!!!", she shouted from there.  "I saw it!! I saw the Holud Bosonto pakhi!! Come.  quick!!"
She had to show it to Didi too.
She could not think of enjoying anything without sharing it with her only Didi, even if it meant the rest of the brood of cousins rushing in too.
If she were to be lucky by sighting the shy, evasive bird, Didi had to see it too. Didi had to be lucky too. After all her exams were around.
"Diiiidiiiiii", she cried desperately.
And Didi came.
Just as she always did whenever that little girl called.

But not now.
Not anymore.
Not even when her favourite cousin, 'the not so little anymore' girl looks up at the sky and calls out "Didi!"

Do the people who turn into stars hear us call out to them?
Do they come down to us?
Do they give us a little pat of assurance and we still don't get to know it?

 Today's recipe is a light dish that will keep you cool as well as full.
And healthy too.
Perfect for this scorching summer.

Need :

Lauki / Lau / Bottle gourd - 1 big sized, cut into small cubes
Curd - 2 cups
Besan / Bengal gram flour - 1 tsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli [powder - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 pinch (use crushed compound form )
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Water - around 4 cups
Salt - to taste

How To :

Make a mix of the curd + besan + a little haldi powder + red chilli powder + salt + water.
It should be of runny consistency but not too diluted. 

Heat the oil in a kadahi / deep wok.
Add hing + jeera.

Add the chopped lauki and stir fry on low heat for a while.

Add haldi + salt + red chilli powder.

Fry well, cover and cook till lauki is done.


Remove cover and add the dhaniya powder.
Mix well.

Now add the curd mix, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add chopped coriander leaves, switch off heat, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes.

Serve warm or cool.

This goes very well with both rice as well as rotis.

Stay cool with light, healthy food.
And enjoy summer!!

Ps: Here are a few more dishes made with the Lauki or Lau to keep you cool this summer.

Dimer Porota or Dim Parota or Anda Paratha or Egg stuffed flatbreads

 

So, the man comes back from sub zero temperatures with a chest full of congestion and a suitcase full of laundry. And my days started and ended with chores and all the more chores. Not to mention tending to a sick man who turns into a five year old when it comes to illnesses.

Making soups, light food, especially those that would slide down easily a painful throat, ... like the sabudana ki kheer, khichuri, vegetarian pishpash, etc. was all that I cooked.
Thankfully, Pune's cool weather helped ... it had suddenly turned very cold for a few days ... the temperature dipped as low as 10 degrees at night .... and the dryness helped in healing the respiratory infection quickly enough.

But I lost my mojo to blog. Even though I had some pictures ready to post, I did not feel like writing. Not only did I have anything fruitful in my mind, but also the very effort to sit down and make a post was too much for me.
I would be drained by the end of the day and somehow faced the evening only because I looked forward to a little low light, some good ghazals and my knitting, that gave me company through the evenings ... before I stepped into the kitchen to make dinner.
I have started a new book too ... only it is taking time to finish as I cannot read as fast as I used to earlier ... blame it on my weak hands and shoulders and also my housework.

Thankfully, B is already on the mend and I can go back to my routine and life.
So I may be able to start posting regularly now ... fingers and toes crossed.

I had made this Dim parota one of the mornings, when B was away, for myself.
This is one filling breakfast that sustains you through half the day easily. Back home, Ma would make this for me when she did not have anything else at hand .... namely on vegetarian days.
Now, I often make it when we are going out in the weekends and it keeps us full till lunch.
Very quick to make, it is one of my favourite breakfasts.
And dinner too ... when there is nothing in the fridge or when I am too lazy to cook.
All you need is some ready atta and some eggs.

Do not confuse this with the Moghlai porota ... that is entirely different.

I love the Dim parota with ketchup and sometimes add a little kasundi to the ketchup too.
But tell you what ... if you have good quality green chillies ... the kind that hits you with a bang! and shakes the living daylights out of you, then you need no ketchup, no kasundi  .... or for that matter nothing at all.

I added some chopped coriander leaves too.
Just the well chopped onions + green chillies + coriander leaves is all that is needed.
The dough was whole wheat atta + a little maida (6:4).

This Dimer paratha needs just a few drops of white cooking oil to crisp it up. And that will be possible only when you have a well seasoned tawa or a non stick tawa.
I use my good old well seasoned cast iron tawa.

Need :

Atta + Maida - ratio 6:4 , kneaded with a little salt+cooking oil
Chopped onion
Chopped green chillies
Chopped coriander leaves
A little freshly crushed black pepper
Eggs
Salt - to taste
White cooking oil

How to :

Make small balls of the kneaded dough and roll out a roti.

Mix the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, to the eggs and beat well.

Heat a tawa and place a roti.

Turn it over after half a minute.

Now pour in a little egg mixture and fold the roti from both sides ... like in the picture.

Place a cover and cook on low heat for a minute.

Remove cover, flip it over and apply a little oil.

Press with a spatula and fry it on high heat, till golden brown on both sides.

Serve hot.
Makes for a great evening snack too.
This is a great way to use leftover rotis too. You can either fold them with the egg mixture as above, or layer one roti with the mixture and then lay another roti on the top. Cover and cook for a while and then add oil to fry.

I love to add some chopped sausages or ready chicken or mutton kheema to the mixture too and pair it with some soup, for a more filling meal that is perfect for hearty dinner.

Enjoy!!

Chicken pakoda

 When I was young, we used to spend our summer vacations at my Ma's home.
The sprawling house used to be full of Mamas, Mashis, Meshos and their brood.
Our Mamimas would get busy not only in the kitchen but also in planning numerous trips for shopping and eating out with their visitng Nanadinis (elder sisters in law).
Our Meshos would have a great time getting all the attentions and having their favourite dishes on their  plates at every mealtime. 
Sons in law, after all, are born to be pampered.

Bapi, the quiet but adventurous one, would get hold of Boro Mama and arrange for the jaal fyala
(throwing fish nets into the pond in the mornings to get fresh fish ).
That was one huge event.
A few farm hands from any one of our villages, usually the nearest one, would be notified a few days before the vacations.
The fish nets would be checked. Discussions on what fish would be kept for the meals and what would be released back would be discussed.
We children ... not less than 12 or 13 in number ... would jump up and down on the grassy banks of the pond ... running after the fish thrown on to the banks by the fishermen.
We would then pick up the huge, slithery, jumping fish, shrieking when they slipped out of our hands with full energy, struggle with them and put them back in a bucket.

Sometimes a tortoise or two would get caught and be handed over to us.
We would feed them and play with them all through our holidays. And promptly forget about them after returning back home.
They were released back into the pond by the elders after we left .... I would come to know later.

Evenings would be filled with adda, singing, everyone gathering around, munching on tidbits ... mostly gorom tele bhaja like  the Beguni , shingara and  chops  brought in from the local shop in the corner, along with jhaal muri.
And the game of taash / cards.

Their would be much hollering and arguing, bets, winning , losing and sulking.
Mostly by the poor Mamimas, who lost to the sons in law of the family.
The Meshos would be jubilant. It meant adding to the growing list of dishes to be cooked by the losing team. 
But it is not always that the men won.
Boro Mami was an expert. As was Mejo Mashi.These two, nobody wanted as opponents.
Especially because when the men lost, they had to cook something for everybody. 
Anything.
That thought of spending time in the hot, old fashioned kitchen in the humid heat was enough to make them desperate to win ... by hook or by crook.
And by crook was the way that was usually taken.

But it was still not very easy for them and they often lost game after game.

After a point, the kitchen helps, who had to bear the brunt of the babus' presence in the kitchen, keeping up with their orders of cutting, mixing, grinding .... and at times cook too, protested.

So, it was decided that instead of cooking , the meshos would have to take us out for dinner or snacks, when  they lost a game.
Which was a fearful proposition, to them.
Taking that huge family out for dinner and managing them was not only a risk to reputation, but also there would hardly be a restaurant that would take in that huge, boisterous crowd, readily.
And god knows how big the bill would run to.

So, they would often call and get the food delivered.
And it was one such evening that Mejo Mesho had called in for Chicken pakoras.

And that was how I came to taste the chicken pakora for the first time.

I don't remember eating this pakora anytime again, at the time. But after leaving home, I have eaten the Chicken tikka a number of times.
And have made them too.
These pakoras of mine are more Punjabi in flavours, that tempt me to call them the Chicken tikka.
But I will call them pakodas due to that beautifully crisp coating.

Since I do not like the breast pieces of the chicken ... I find them too fleshy .... I keep wondering what to do with them and sometimes come up with the strangest and quickest of recipes.

And one monsoon evening, I came up with this. 
And instantly fell in love with it.
I had just bought a packet of Kitchen King masala powder by MDH and had added a spoonful to the
marinade.
And it made all the difference.
Succulent pieces of chicken with a crisp coating, some hint of spice and the beautiful flavours of the kasuri methi and Punjabi garam masala was what I got in the end.

Vegetarians can easily make this with the paneer, or boiled potatoes or cauliflower florets.

Need :

Breast pieces of the chicken - 150 gms, cut into small pieces
Buttermilk - 1 big cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp (preferably made at home )
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Maida / Apf - 2 tbsp
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Kitchen King powder - 1 tbsp
(if you do not have this, just add some crushed kasuri methi leaves + garam masala)
Salt - to taste
Oil - to shallow fry
Lemon juice - 2 tsp, use only if the buttermilk is not sour enough

How to :

Marinate the chicken pieces with buttermilk  + ginger garlic paste + salt + a little oil + red chilli powder + maida + rice flour + Kitchen King powder. 

Cover and keep in the fridge for at least 5 to 6 hours.
I marinated at night and cooked for brunch, at around 11, in the morning.
Do remember to take it out at least half an hour before cooking.

Heat oil in a well seasoned, open pan.
You can use a flat non stick tawa or pan too.
Add the chicken pieces, cover and cook on medium heat.

Turn over only when one side has browned.
Do not over cook or the chicken will turn chewy.

Serve hot off the pan with a salad or any dip of your choice.

I had made these for some thoughtful friends, who had come over to give the paranoid me company, last week. 

Chopped up some cucumber, onions, green chillies and carrots, gave them a squirt of lemon and a dash of freshly ground black pepper powder and salt.
Finally squeezed half a pomegranate all over and a lovely salad was ready.

I had also made some plain parathas ... it was great fun to arrange the chicken pieces in them, heap some spoonfuls of salad , douse with a dip or ketchup, roll it up and munch on them as we chatted and laughed together.

These make for great finger food for parties, as well as to munch on with tea on a monsoon evening or a winter dusk.

Enjoy!!

Aam shorshe bori diye Pui shaaker data

When I asked on my facebook page yesterday as to what recipe would my readers like to see on the blog next, most answered "Niramish".
Or vegetarian.
I was a little surprised ... but happy.
Especially when Jhimly said "... your niramish are lip smacking."
Bengali cuisine has lots of vegetarian dishes, but making a vegetarian dish tasty is a little challenging.
And especially since I use very little masalas, I am very glad that people like my vegetarian recipes too.

The last week was a little nerve wracking for me.
B was away on work and I had much plans on how I will be using this free time ... making a long list of pending works, some stitching to catch up on, some non vegetarian recipes to be cooked and photographed, catch a few movies, have long baths, read, sleep,
load the dish washer exactly as I wanted to ... with nobody to correct me or rearrange it  .....  and so on.
Basically, to relax, do nothing and watch the days go by in slo mo.

But easier said than done. Given it is the worrier me.
Staying with a person, who works from home and is around you 24 / 7 has its own implications.
In ways one cannot even start to imagine.
One day into being alone and I got into the lazy mode. While that was my intention all along, not cooking at all or not making the bed or not doing the laundry and definitely not eating was never a part of my plans.
One more day and I got into the anxiety mode.
Double locked the doors and the balcony and stayed up like an owl the whole night.
On any other night, I would have happily settled down with a book.
Or let Jagjit Singh take over.
But not this time.

Even the littlest of sounds made me anxious.
I kept the lights as well as the tv running all through the nights.
And never slept a wink.
I even tried to calm myself down with some Phuchka for dinner a couple of nights.
Did not work much, I must say.
As for the rest of the days and nights ... I might as well not say anything at all.

But I did cook some dishes that I had in mind for long, to make posts.
Since I did not have to take care of a vegetarian meal too, I rustled them up,
clicked and then ate them as my lunch or brunch ... when I had thoughtful friends who had
come over to give me company.

But since my readers wanted niramish or vegetarian,  I am posting this vegetarian Bengali recipe first.

I have used the leaves and the stems of the Pui that I had planted last year.
With summer making its approach, this dish has a touch of raw mangoes too.
A few boris thrown in and it makes for a perfect accompaniment to your vegetarian summer lunch.

Need :

Pui / Malabar spinach leaves and stems - washed and chopped , around 250 gms
Raw mango pieces - depending on the level of tartness you like 
Bori / dried lentil dumplings - 6 to 7 pieces
Mustard seeds - 2 tbsp, soaked for around 3 hours ( I use a mix of black and yellow seeds )
Green chillies - 3
Nigella seeds / Kalo jeere / Kalaunji - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp
Potato - 1 medium, sliced
Onion - 1 medium, sliced
Salt - to taste

How to :

In a mixer, make a paste of the raw mango + mustard seeds + 2 green chillies.
Odiyas would add garlic, which I sometimes do too. But not this time.
You can try if you want to, though.

 Heat a heavy kadahi / wok.

Add the mustard oil and heat it well.

Add the boris and fry on low heat till golden brown.
Remove and keep aside.

In the same oil, add the kalo jeere + broken green chilli.

Next, add the onions and fry on low heat for a minute.

Then add the potatoes and the turmeric powder and cover and cook till the potatoes are almost done.

Remove cover and add the chopped  pui leaves + stems.

Give a good mix cover and cook for around 5 minutes.

When the leaves are cooked, add the mustard paste + salt + the fried bori.

Cover and cook till everything comes together  and is done.

Remove cover and raise heat till all water dries up.
Remember to keep stirring.

Remove from heat and keep it covered for a minute.

 Serve hot with rice.
This pairs very well with Tauker dal, bhaat and Ucche bhaja on the side to make that perfectly light, summer lunch.
On non vegetarian days, you can add the Maacher bhorta or makha on the side too.

Enjoy!!

Mushur Dal Sheddho / Boiled Masoor Dal

To me, summer means a hardworking sun.
Summer means new leaves and fragrant flowers on the mango trees.
Summer means that light, soothing breeze from the pond, in the afternoons, when the fans did not work due to load shedding.
Summer means the sweet, ripe mangoes that were plucked in the morning and kept on wet sand, for us children to wake up  from our afternoon nap and bite into.
Summer means yellow, mango juice stains on white frocks.

Summer meant waking up to the fragrance of the Bel phool ( Mogra flower ) plants under Thamma's window, near her head.
Summer means evenings with a balmy breeze.
Summer means that beautiful smell of dry, thirsty earth when I watered our garden with a hosepipe.

Summer means light food.
Summer means Ma's watermelon juice.
Summer means the bunches of sweet Lichu (Lychee) that Bapi brought.

Summer means Thamma's achars and ambols.

Summer means Dadu's house and paanto bhaat.
With aloo sheddho, dal sheddho, maach makha, bori bhaja and shaak bhaja.
With a drop or two of achar er tel or pickle oil.
Summer means lying on the cool floor of red cement, polished with time, in Dadu's house after a lunch of paanto.
And listen to the repeated creaks of the old fan, that slowly lulls you sleep.

Summer is made of things memories are made of.

I can go on and on.
Though officially summer hasn't set in, not yet.
But the weather outside surely spells summer.
It is extremely hot and given Pune's dry and humid free weather, burning hot is more apt to describe it.
But nature still is in spring and the trees are still bare.
New, baby leaves are yet to come.

And in these days, all I crave is plain steamed or boiled food.
As light as possible.
Given my way of cooking, food can't get any lighter in my home. But I still cannot stand a tempering of spices, leave alone frying pastes and making gravies.
Which is why I am resorting to plain boiled food.

In the Bengali way of cooking, plain boiled food can be made extremely tasty.
If you have made friends with the mustard oil, then you have won the battle already.
And if not, there is always ghee.
One dollop and a boiled and mashed vegetable, with some green chilli mashed in, it tastes like manna from heaven.
You have to try it to believe me.

I make this dal sheddho a lot, both during summer and winter.
Red masoor dal is high in protein and is very healthy.
In winters, I use it to make vegetable soups.
Or just sip on its water when plain boiled , with a drop of ghee or butter and some freshly ground black pepper.
Does wonders to a sore throat.

In summer, I jazz it up with some raw chopped onions and green chillies.
A dash of mustard oil is all that is needed for fragrance and that kick, to take it to the next level.
If having it with the paanto bhaat, I keep it thicker so that it is easy to mash.
And for eating it with rice, I keep it slightly diluted.
Like I did this time, when I made it for lunch.

The recipe is fairly simple.

Need :

Red Masoor dal - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Onion - 1 medium, chopped into very small pieces
Green chillies - 2, chopped
Coriander leaves - chopped ( optional , I use only in winters )
Salt - to taste
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp
Water - 3 cups ( use the same cup used for measuring the dal )

How to :

Boil the dal with the turmeric powder + water + salt in a pressure cooker.

Remove and cool a little.

Add the chopped onion + green chillies + coriander leaves.
Add the onions only when the dal cools down.

Top it with mustard oil.

Serve warm with rice.

Here is a picture of my light, simple lunch with the Dal sheddho, some Dharosh (Okra)  bhaja  and some biulir daler bora.
Post on Dharosh bhaja is coming up soon.

Enjoy!!