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Spicy Eggplant ( Masala Baigan)

There are so many varieties of Eggplants ( Aubergine /Baigan ) available. The big variety of Aubergines / eggplants are great for roasting and making Bharta, or just a Bengali style salad ( Begoon Pora) with sliced onions, chopped green chilies , mustard oil, and salt. The small round variety of eggplants / aubergines / baigans are great to make Bharwa Baigan (Stuffed Eggplants) with.

To make the Spicy Baigan I like to use the long Eggplants, also known as the Japanese Eggplants, as these have fewer seeds and tastes better.

Spicy Baigan / Masala Baigan, is a tangy and spicy dish and goes very well with Rotis and Parathas.

How to cook

Gather all the ingredients. Wash and cut the eggplants. Heat the oil in a pan or wok or Kadaai. Add the Ingredients for tadka/ seasoning, stir till the Chillies brown slightly. Add the eggplants and stir a little. Add the rest of the dry spices again stir fry till the raw smell goes. Add water and cover and reduce the flame. When the Eggplants are cooked and soft, boil off the extra water, it should have a little gravy but not watery. Sprinkle some chopped Cilantro before serving.

ingredients

Eggplant / Baigan /Begoon/Aubergine 350 gms
Dried Mango powder / Amchoor 1 tsp ( You can use 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice instead of amchoor.)
Turmeric powder / Haldi 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder / Mirchi powder 1/2 tsp
Salt /Namak 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder / Dhania powder 1 tsp
Cumin Powder / Jeera Powder 1 tsp
Mustard oil, or any other Oil. 2 tablespoon
Green chilies slit in the middle. 2
Water 1/2 cup

For the Seasoning /Tarka

Asafetida / Hing 1/4 teaspoon

Cumin seeds?/ Jeera sabut 1/4 teaspoon

Red dry chilli/ Shukha Mirch 2 pieces

Prepping

Wash and cut the Eggplant into 2inch pieces, keep aside
Gather all the spices, keep the seasoning spices in 1 plate and the other spices on another plate.
Chop some cilantro / Coriander leaves, about 1 tablespoon.
slit 2 green chillies

Method

Heat a pan or wok or kadai, add the oil and wait a bit
Add the Hing, red chilli, and then the Jeera seeds,
Once the Jeera seeds turn brownish, add the cut eggplant pieces and stir fry till the edges are a bit brown
In a small bowl mix 1 tsp of Amchoor, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp Haldi powder, 1 tsp Dhania powder, 1 tsp Jeera powder with some water. Keep the rest of the water for later.
Once the eggplant pieces are slightly brown add the spices paste to the wok and stir well
When the raw small of the spices go away add the remaining water to the pan stir, and cover with a lid, lower the flame.
Let the eggplants simmer till they are soft and cooked.
The water will dry, need a little gravy but not much.
Take it off the flame and transfer the eggplant to a serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

January 20, 2025January 21, 2025

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Authentic Bengali Shorshe Chingri Recipe | Mustard Paste Shrimp

Chingri or Shrimp with mustard paste is spicy dish with a distinct taste of mustard, it is an easy and quick dish to make and is delicious eaten with some boiled rice. You can use any kind of Shrimp you have, big or small. In this recipe I have used medium sized shrimp.

Jump to Recipe

*How to make the mustard paste:

Soak 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds in half a cup of water, (or you can take half yellow and half black mustard seeds if you like more pungent flavour of mustard) . Drain out the water with the help of a sieve before grinding .

Put the mustard seeds into a grinder with 1 green chilli and a pinch of salt, add 2 tablespoons of water and grind it into a thick paste. Then use the amount given in the recipe.

If you don’t have a grinder that can grind with liquid you can use a coffee grinder. For the coffee grinder you have to Grind 3 tablespoons of mustard seeds first into a powder and then soak it with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water for at least 15 minutes,to make a paste before using it

The Shrimp or Chingri

Whether you use small shrimp or the bigger ones, the first thing we do is clean and wash them very well. First remove the shell keeping the heads and the tail on. Then cut out and discard the antennas and the legs. Or you can discard the whole head. Along the centre back of the shrimp’s body you will see a black line, make a slit along the line and remove the thin black thread like thing. Now wash the shrimps thoroughly. Drain out as much water as possible and sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder on the shrimps, rub the salt and turmeric powder all over the shrimp and cover and keep aside . OR you can buy already cleaned Shrimps which you only need to wash and add the turmeric powder and salt to it.

Ingredients

Chingri or Shrimp. 200g
Sorshe tel or Mustard Oil 2 to 3 Tablespoons
*Sorshe bata or *Mustard Paste 1&1/2 Tablespoons
Noon or Salt 1/2 tsp
Holud or Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Knancha lonka or Green chilies 2 slit

Method

In a microwave safe dish arrange the shrimps or chingri maach.
Add the Mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder, and slit green chillies. Pour in the mustard oil.
Mix all the paste etc with the shrimps well. All the pieces should be covered with it. If you want extra gravy you can add 2 tablespoons of water. I usually don’t because there is water in the paste.
Cover with a plastic wrap and put it in the microwave . Cook on full power for 3 minutes, then take the dish out of the microwave, take off the cling wrap and flip the shrimps. Put the wrap back on and pop the dish into the microwave again for 2 minutes.
The Shorshe Chingri or Shrimp in mustard sauce is ready. Serve with some plain boiled rice.

Authentic Bengali Shorshe Chingri Recipe | Mustard Paste Shrimp

This is flavourful shrimp dish, Chingri or Shrimp with mustard paste, is quick and easy to prepare. Soak mustard seeds, grind with green chilli and salt to make the paste. Clean and season the shrimp with turmeric and salt, then mix with mustard paste, turmeric, salt, green chilies, and mustard oil. Microwave for a delicious meal.

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 5

Total Time 1 5

Servings: 2 persons

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Bengali , Indian, Bengali., Indian

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

200 grams Shrimps or Chingri Cleaned and washed
3 Tbsp Mustard oil or Shorshe tel
1&1/2 Tbsp Mustard Paste or Sorshe Bata
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Turmeric powder
4 or 5 whole Green Chillies slit the chillies

Equipment

1 Grinder
1 microwave safe dish with lid

Method

*How to make the mustard paste:
Soak 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds in half a cup of water, (or you can take half yellow and half black mustard seeds if you like more pungent flavour of mustard) . Drain out the water with the help of a sieve before grinding .
Put the mustard seeds into a grinder with 1 green chilli and a pinch of salt, add 2 tablespoons of water and grind it into a thick paste. Then use the amount given in the recipe.
If you don’t have a grinder that can grind with liquid you can use a coffee grinder. For the coffee grinder you have to Grind 3 tablespoons of mustard seeds first into a powder and then soak it with about 2 or 3 tablespoons of water for at least 15 minutes,to make a paste before using it

preparation steps

Whether you use small shrimp or the bigger ones, the first thing we do is clean and wash them very well. First remove the shell keeping the heads and the tail on. Then cut out and discard the antennas and the legs. Or you can discard the whole head. Along the centre back of the shrimp’s body you will see a black line, make a slit along the line and remove the thin black thread like thing. Now wash the shrimps thoroughly. Drain out as much water as possible and sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder on the shrimps, rub the salt and turmeric powder all over the shrimp and cover and keep aside . OR you can buy already cleaned Shrimps which you only need to wash and add the turmeric powder and salt to it.

How to make the sorshe chingri

In a microwave safe dish arrange the shrimps or chingri maach.
Add the Mustard paste, salt and turmeric powder, and slit green chillies. Pour in the mustard oil.
Mix all the paste etc with the shrimps well. All the pieces should be covered with it. If you want extra gravy you can add 2 tablespoons of water. I usually don’t because there is water in the paste.
Cover with a plastic wrap and put it in the microwave . Cook on full power for 3 minutes, then take the dish out of the microwave, take off the cling wrap and flip the shrimps. Put the wrap back on and pop the dish into the microwave again for 2 minutes.
The Shorshe Chingri or Shrimp in mustard sauce is ready. Serve with some plain boiled rice.

June 10, 2024April 7, 2026

Rita's RecipesLeave a comment

Cholar Dal: A Traditional Bengali Delight

When I was very young, I remember helping my mother sometimes with the cooking. We would make Rotis or prepare a salad together. The first thing I learnt to cook on my own was when I was 12, and it wasCholar dal. It has been many years since I was 12. I have improved on the recipe. The recipe below is an improved version of the one I had made the first time.

Cholar Dal is a sweet and spicy dal. It is garnished with small pieces of fresh coconut. It is usuallyserved with Loochi ( Poori), or Parata or Roti.

Ingredients

Cholar Dal ( Split Chick Peas) 1 cup
Water 1 cup + 1/2 cups more
Salt 1 teaspoon
Sugar 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon oe less
Green Chili slit 2

Seasoning or Tarka

Ginger ground or finely grated 1 teaspoon
Dry red Chili. 1
Ghee 1 Tablespoon
Cloves 4
Cardamom 6
Cinnamon 1 inch stick broken into pieces
Bay leaf or Tej patta 1
Paanch Phoron* 1/2 teaspoon.
For Garnish 1/2 cup of Fresh coconut which has been cut into small pieces.

* To make Paanch Phoron or Five Spice mix : in a small bowl mix 1tsp of Jire /Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 1 teaspoon of Kalo Jire / Kalongi (Nigella Seeds,) 1 teaspoon of Mouri / Saunf (Fennel seeds,) 1 teaspoon of Radhuni( Celery seeds ) and 1/2 teaspoon of Meethi (fenugreek seeds). mix well . Use 1/2 teaspoon for this recipe and store the rest for another time)

Method

Wash the Cholar dal well 2 or 3 times. Then put it in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water. Cook it for at least 5 minutes from the first whistle. If you do not have a pressure you can boil the Dal in a saucepan. In this case you need to soak the dal for at least an hour before boiling it.

When the cooker cools down open the lid and check to see if the dal is cooked as desired. It should be soft so that it can be mashed with a ladle, but the grains should hold its shape.

Add 1 tsp.salt, 1tsp.sugar, and 1/2 tsp.Turmeric powder. Add the 2 green chilies (optional) and 1/2 cup water if needed.

Let it simmer for a while, about 4 or 5 minutes.

Now we have to give Tadka (Phoron) to the dal or season the Dal . there are 2 ways of doing that.

In a small pan or Kadai heat the 1 tablespoon Ghee. Add 1 Bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. Panch Phoron, 4 Cloves, 6 Cardamoms ,1 red Chili, and pieces of Cinnamon. Then add the 1 tsp.grated ginger. (It will splutter so be careful). Once you get the aroma of cloves and other spices add this seasoning to the dal.
Heat a kadai or a sauce pan big enough to hold the Dal. Add the 1 tablespoon of ghee. When it is hot, add 1 tej patta (Bay leaf). Then add 1 red chilli, 4 Cloves, 6 Cardamoms, and Cinnamon pieces. Next add the 1/2 tsp.Paanch phoron . Lastly the grated or 1tsp. ground Ginger (the ginger will splatter so be careful). pour the Dal in the cooker into the Kadai or saucepan with the seasoning or Tadka.

Simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes. Taste to see if salt is enough.

Heat some oil or Ghee in a pan. Add the coconut pieces and saute them. Then add them to the Cholar Dal.

This Dal is a rather thick, and tastes sweet and spicy and the coconut pieces add crunch. It goes best with Rotis, Parathas and Puris.

Homestyle Bengali Cholar Dal with Coconut & Ghee Tadka

Bengali Cholar Dal (Sweet & Spicy Split Chickpea Dal)

Servings: 4–6
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: ★★★★★
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A traditional Bengali cholar dal that is mildly sweet, gently spiced, and finished with coconut and aromatic ghee tempering.

Cholar Dal is a sweet and spicy Bengali dal traditionally served with luchi (poori), paratha, or roti. This is an improved version of the recipe I first cooked when I was 12 years old. The dal should be soft enough to mash slightly while the grains still hold their shape. Fresh coconut adds the final authentic touch.