Chalkumro Pata Die Chingri Macher Bati Tarkari/ Steamed Prawns with White Pumpkin Leaves
10:02 AM
For the last few days the newspapers and news channels are showing the heavy snowfall in US. Even some of you in blogosphere have talked about it and put pictures of your snow covered neighboring areas. I understand it makes life difficult but they look so lovely. The white snow covered trees, houses and roads, the sparkling and blinking sunlight on it, the frozen lakes, the brightly dressed people on road…oh I love winter, isn’t it very romantic? Then coming home to a cozy and comfortable corner, sitting by the fireplace with a book in your hand, sharing warm food with your near and dear ones, getting in bed and curling up under the blanket…this thought only makes me thank God for giving us so many moments to cherish.
This reminds me of thanking God for having friends and relatives around and being loved by them. Recently 3-4 months ago when I went to my Maternal Uncle’s (mama) place I realized it again. Though I consider them as my second family and we are very close but after marriage I hardly got any time to go there. Work and short break kept us away. Mostly mama came to Calcutta to meet us. This time when I reached with the baby so many people whom I know from my childhood came to meet us. They recalled so many things from my childhood days and now also know everything of our well beings. I was there for only a couple of days and could not attend all the lunch or dinner invitation we got. So they prepared food and sent them during meal time. .During such a day I tasted this amazingly tasty prawn dish. One of my distant relative got to know that am slowly trying to eat non veg and have started on prawns so they made this easy yet aromatic bati tarkari.
Bati tarkari in general is a way of cooking where all the ingredients are mixed and cooked either on steam or on stove top. It’s very easy and requires minimal work. I planned on doing this for a long time but something or the other always kept me away. What better time than to do it now when we were quite tired and craved something tasty, light and quick. Also don’t know why my backyard veggie patch is wilting. The small place contains 3 big and medium sized mango trees. Before the birth of the baby I sowed broad beans and white pumpkin there. Till now they were very healthy and were giving me lots of produce. But from last week don’t know what happened both of these plants are drying. This morning I cut a big branch of the white pumpkin plant and made bati tarkari with its leaves and danta chachori with the branches.
It’s a very easy recipe and vegetarians can make paneer bati tarkari following the same recipe.
We simply loved this dish. The greens and the raw mustard oil gave it a beautiful flavor. The prawns were cooked to perfection and the coconut gave it a nice sweet all-rounder taste.
Chalkumro pata die chingri macher bati tarkari (for 2)
Ingredients:
Prawns: 200 gms (10-11 pieces)
White pumpkin leaves: take the soft ones 8-9 pieces
Coconut: 1/3 cup
Mustard seeds: 11/2 tsp
Onion: 1 small
Mustard oil: 11/2 tbsp
Green chillies: 2 pieces or more as per your heat quotient
Salt
Turmeric
Method:
Clean and wash the prawns. Sprinkle some turmeric, salt and lightly fry them for a minute. Keep aside. you can also cook it without frying but hubby loves it that way.
Wash the leaves and dip in hot water for a minute and chop them coarsely.
In a blender make paste of coconut, mustard seeds and 1 green chilli.
Very finely chop the onion.
Very finely chop the onion.
Chop the other green chilli and mix the shrimps, spice paste, salt, turmeric and oil.
Now the cooking could be done either by steaming method or on stove top.
Method 1: steaming
Take a stainless steel tiffin box and rub little oil at the rim. This will help to open the box with less effort.
Pour the mix and steam on low for 15 minutes or till the prawns are cooked.
Method 2: on stove top
Pour everything in a heavy bottomed pan or kadhai and cover tightly. Cook on low till the prawns are cooked. This method will make the preparation as the prawns would be cooked in its own juice. Steaming will result in a very juicy and more aromatic consistency.
Serve warm with steaming hot rice.
It reminded us of home and in this festive season it provided us the warmth that we lacked staying away from home.
For a long time I wanted to sundry tomatoes.Yesterday I have put 3 medium tomatoes for sun drying. lets see how it turns out, planning to make something with them for this recipe marathon :-).
Have a great Sunday!!!
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18 comments
Delicious! Making my mouth water. How important is the pumpkin leaves? Can it be left out or substituted with something else?
ReplyDeleteyes Indo you can substitute it with normal pumpkin or bottle gourd leaves or anything of similar variety. if you don't get anything, skip it. it will taste great.
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious! Cooking with pumpkin leaves is new to me, how does it taste like?
ReplyDeleteThis is incredible- the first time I am seeing pumpkin leaves being cooked!
ReplyDeleteDear Sayantani
ReplyDeleteSimply awesome!! It has been ages I had chalkumDo pata!! Let me see if I can get some. KumDo and Lau pata are available. KumDo pata should work, what do u think?
Even if you dont soute the prawn, it will be Ok for bati chachaDi.
I have some small Mourola fish,,,I will do some chachhaDi today.
Reading the introduction and preamble was a great treat for me..I love to read these small small things/ incidents which touches ones heart.
Bhalo theko , ei bachhor-er baki ka din khub maja koro
Pumpkin leaves and Prawns !! What a combination , it looks delicious !!!
ReplyDeletequiet an interesting dish with prawns,using pumpkin leaves is really new,am sure must have been tasty too...and u have presented the dish very beautifully...and thanks for trying lollipops,am glad to know that u liked it,u made my day even more spl...thanks again...keep in touch
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons why I love the food blogosphere ... one of them is getting to learn about such wonderful, and new recipes! I would have never thought pumpkin leaves could be used in any way ... this is simply delightful!
ReplyDelete@PJ, white pumpkin leaves taste like any other shaag but has a wonderful smell.
ReplyDelete@Nupur, thanks for visiting my blog. Bengalis eat a lot of pumpkin and bottlegourd leaves with the branches.
we mostly cook chachadi or kind of charred dry curry.
@Ushnish da, kumro ba lau pata dieo habe tabe chalkumro patar gandhota ektu anyarakom. amader bariteo chingri mach bhaje na tabe ekhane /hubby pachomdo kare na bole ektu bheje nite hay. Mourola macher chachari o arek bengali delicacy. hope you will post it too.
@Kanchan and Sheetal. thanks that you loved this recipe.
@Sushma, thanks but thats the best part of food blogging got to know so many different dishes.
Would love to taste cooked pumpkin leaves.I am hearing about it for the first time.
ReplyDeleteSayantani, this post brings back all the nostalgic memories...mommy use to sneak pumpkin leaves in the curry, which I unknowly have:) This is a very very rare combo' sounds absolutely delicious.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing dish - I have never seen anything like it! Last summer the Hmong vendors were selling young pumpkin leaves and I didn't have any idea what to do with them, so I never bought them. Next summer, I shall try this!
ReplyDeletewow, Sayantani, what a lovely dish you've posted and the presentation is just awesome...bati charchari, katodin je khaini..tao abar kumro pata aar chingri diye..bookmark kare rakhlam..pata pele banabo ekbar..dekhete asadharon hoyeche
ReplyDeleteI tried your chal potol recipe. It turned out really nice and my in laws really liked it. I am gonna try the prawn bati tarkari as well. Will soon let u know how was it. Tomaar blog aami shob shomoi follow kori .. notun notun recipe shekhaar jonno.. Thanks for sharing.. It really makes my work easier to be a working woman and a more or less better cook.
ReplyDeletethanks Mummun for trying the chal patol. see I wont say that these recipes belong to me as they have been present in our culture for such a long time. I just love to cook and have some great recipes in our family. thats it. but am glad that you liked it. it gives me inspiration.
ReplyDeleteDear Sayantani,
ReplyDeleteI stay away from my home.I read your recipe and made it, When I had it with rice it was like simply fata-fati. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Well wishes,
Joydeep
You can grow pumpkins in a pot now as there are varieties for growing small spaces. I grow mine on a window sill just for the found leaves. Great recipe!
ReplyDeletethis is yummy...mouthwatering indeed..lovely space u have.thanx for stopping by..happily following you..will be happy if you follow me too..
ReplyDelete