Pua

What should my first dish be? There was no hesitation in deciding that it had to be a sweet dish. It meant that it had to be 'Pua' which is an all time favourite dish for my entire family. My four year old nephew loves this dish, but eats Pua only if it is called Banana Pakoda. Munchkin this is for you.

Pua


The major difference between this recipe and the recipes of pua/malpua available elsewhere is that this Pua contains sugar & doesn't need to be dipped in sugar syrup.







Ingredients:

• Milk :500 ml

• Sugar :300 gms

• Maida(Flour) : 250 gms

• Kismis(Raisin) : few pieces

• Cardamom powder : 1/4 tsp

• Desiccated Coconut : few slices

• Banana : 4-5 nos

• Oil for frying

Method:
Boil milk and cool. Add sugar to the milk and let it dissolve. After the sugar is completely dissolved add the maida to the milk. Mix well so that you get a very smooth batter. There shouldn't be any lumps in the batter. The batter should not be very thin. If the batter looks thin add some more maida for a thicker batter. Let the batter rest for half an hour. Meanwhile chop the raisin & the coconut slices. After half an hour add the raisin, cardamom powder, coconut and mashed bananas to the batter & mix well.

Heat oil in a kadhai. Pour a ladle of the batter in to the kadhai. The pua will puff up like a puri. Cook on low heat till both the sides turn golden brown.

Pua can be had on its own or with Rabdi. Pua is also a good accompaniment for mutton curry.

Tip:

Do not keep the batter for a very long time after adding the bananas. If you do not want to make pua out of the entire batter add bananas only to that portion of the batter that you will use.

Arikonch ke Tarkari (Marinated sun dried Colocasia leaves, steamed and cooked in mustard gravy)

“Arikonch” Colocasia leaves are too common in any maithil house to be prepared a good curry item. In fact it is a kind of shrub that crops up near household premises in villages. Colocasia leaves have two different categories, Normal and Wild. One should be careful enough in choosing the leaves, as the later one gives an itching sensation in the mouth.

One can see the diversity of cooking method in making Arikonch. Marinated leaves are sun dried, steamed/deep fried and finally cooked in the gravy. This is perhaps one of its type dish where different cooking methods are used together.

Ingredients:

Arikonch (Colocsi Leaves) : 6 in nos.
Besan: 100 gms
Mustard seed: 50 gms
Onion: 100 gms
Garlic: 50 gms.
Mustard oil : 50 ml
Red chilly powder. : 15 gms.
Coriander leaves: for garnish
Lime juice: one lime
Tomatoes :Optionl
Salt : as per taste.
Turmeric: 5-7 gms

Preparation:

Wash, clean and trim Arikonch leaves.
Make thick paste of besan without salt.
Apply it over the leaves and stick one leaf over another ( maximum 3 leves)
Now roll it and sundry for 2-3 hrs.
Make smooth paste of mustard seed and chop tomatoes.
Cut onion and crush garlic

Cooking:

Steam the rolled leaves for 20 minutes.
Slice it in roundels.
Heat oil in pan. Add tempering of mustard seed.
Sauté and sweat onion and garlic
Add tomatoes, and cook it for some time followed by mustard paste.
Put water deriving the mixture to thin pouring curry texture.
Lastly put Arikonch slices and bring it to boil.
Finish the dish with lemon juice. Garnish and serve.

Baigan Aaloo aur Adauri ke Milauni.

Baigan Aaloo aur Adauri ke Milauni.

This is one of the lunch time favrouite dish in mithila goes well with bread and rice both. It is a mixed veg preparation with dumplings (Adauri). The compulsory body ingredients of this dish are Brinjal, Potato and Dumplings , however some people add white Raddish, Carrot, Tomatoes, Couli flower etc. a tempering of PanchFodan ( a combination of five spices ie Tori, Jeera, Methi, Mangraila or Kaluanji and Saunf ) adds extra flavour to the final product. All the vegetables are partly cooked separately first then mixed together and brought to boiling point.

Ingredients:

Brinjal: 200 gms.
Potato: 150 gms.
Carrot: 100 gms
Tomato: 50 gm.
R. Oil: 20 ml.
Panch fodan ( Black mustard, Cumin, Fenugreek, Sweet fennel, Nigella) : 3-4 gms.
Coriander Pd: 10 gms.
Garlic paste: 10 gms
Salt : as per taste.
coriander leaves: 10 gms.

Preparation:

Wash and cut the brinjal and tomatoes into dices.
Boil Potatoes with jacket, Peel and break into pieces.
Cut carrot into dices and parboil.
Separately fry dumplings (Adauri) and take them aside.
Chop garlic fine

Cooking:

Heat oil in a pan and add the tempering of Panch fodan. When spices start crackeling add garlic chops and saute .
Put in Coriander Pd and Red chilliy pd ( optional) and fry till the flavour of raw masala goes off.
Add tomatoes and sweat it with a pinch of salt.
Now you can fry brinjals in the masala for a while.
Later put in potato mash and mix it well with the other ingredients. You can also add the boiled carrot and fried dumplings at this stage.
Stir and mix the ingredints well.
Add water and allow it to boil first and then simmer for 10 minutes
Serve hot with a topping of chopped coriander leaves.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Thadia Saagak Teeman

Thadia Saagak Teeman: Pure vegetarianA very easy preparation which could be taken well with chapati and rice both and equally rich in nutritius value as Red spinach is the great source of Iron and Lentil has high Protien content. The dish could be compare with French Puree with the only difference that Purees are liquidised while Teeman is Ghontod (a way of manual churning). One can also bring the variation in the dish by adding Paneer (cottage cheese) or some other non-veg items like Shrimps/Prawns etc which will make the dish very palatble.

Ingredients:

• Thadia saag/Laal Sag (red spinach) : 500 gms.
• Masoor daal (Lentil): 75 gms
• Green chillis: 3-4 in nos
• Fennel seed: 4 gmsDry Red chilli: 4 gms
• Mustard oil: 10 ml
• Garam masala Pd: 2 pinches
• Salt : as per taste

Method:

• Pick, clean and wash Thadia saag and reduce them to smaller in size if they are too big.
• Wash and soak daal for some time.
• Put together daal, saag and split green chillies with salt (as reqd) in a pressure cooker and let it cook till 4-5 whistles.
• When the pressure is removed churn the mixture well with a churner.
• Now heat oil in a pan and add a tempering of fennel & red dry chilli followed by the mixture of saag.
• Let it simmer for some time and adjust the consistancy and seasoning.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Daail-Jhinguni (Fried Ribbed Gourd cooked with Lentil and cereals)

Daail-Jhinguni (Pure Vegetarian)

This is one of the very popular vegetarian preparation of Mithila and goes well with rice or bread both. They say, one does not require to have another vegetable preparation along with Daal-Jhinguni as it serves the purpose of both as an one accompaniment. Some people even prefer relishing its flavour plain as a soup or starter.

Authentically, the preparation of this dish is very simple in which chopped ribbed gourds are fried before with the tempering of black mustard seedsand mixed well with Daal, but here one can put an extra flavouring of ginger paste which will simultaneously enhance the flavour of the dish. The little dark color of the dish that you are seeing is because of the addition of ginger paste.

Regarding the type and variety of cereal used you have a flexibility to choose any, but here i've used a blend of lentil and split gram in the proportion 2:1 respectively.

Ingredient:

• Ribbed gourd (Jhinguni) : 300 gms.
• Daal (blend of lentil and split gram) : 100 gms
• Ginger: 30 gms
• Black mustard seed: 1 tbsp
• Mustard oil: 30 ml.Seasoning: As required

Preparation:

• Wash, peel and cut Jhinguni and soak it in cold water.
• Pick, clean and boil daal with salt and turmuric.Make a paste of ginger.

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a pan/kadhai and add a tempering of mustard seed.
• Put ginger paste and fry till golden brown.
• Add Jhinguni and fry. Dont add salt at this time as the Jhinguni will start sweating.
• When Jhinguni is cooked and shrinkd in size add salt as per your taste and mix it with the cooked mixture.
• Now pour over the boiled daal in the kadhaai and simmer it for 5-7 minutes.Finish it up with garam masala powder and garnish with ginger juliens.

Karhi Badi

Karhi Badi (Chickpea Flour Dumplings in Yoghurt Sauce)



Karhi Badi is a dish to be prepared on special occasions. This dish is almost always prepared when the married daughter comes to her parents home.

Ingredients:

Badi (Chickpea Flour Dumplings)

• Besan: 250 gms

• Ajwain: 1/4 tsp

• Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

• Salt to taste

• Water: Few tbsp

• Oil for frying

Karhi

• Besan: 2 tbsp

• Dahi: 200 gms

• Water: 1500 ml

• Salt to taste

• Mustard Oil: 2-3 tsp

• Jeera: 1/2 tsp

• Hing: Pinch

• Whole Garam Masala: 2 bay leaves, 3 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 2" piece cinnamon, 2 dried red chillies

• Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

• Coriander powder: 2 tsp

• Red Chili powder: 2 tsp

Tempering

• Ghee: 2 tbsp

• Jeera: 1/2 tsp

• Whole Coriander Seeds: 1/2 tsp

• Dried Red Chillies: 2 nos

Method:

Badi:

Mix all the dry ingredients. Add enough water to the besan to make a thick batter without any lumps. Mix the batter vigorously with your hand to make the batter light. This is done so that the badis are soft in the centre after they are fried. Baking soda can be added to make the badis soft but i don't prefer it. The best way to check if the batter is light enough, is to put one drop of the batter in a bowl of water. If the drop floats the batter is perfect; if it sinks more effort is needed to beat the batter.
Heat oil in a karahi. Drop spoonfuls of the batter in the oil. Fry the badis on medium heat to a brown colour. Drop the badis in a bowl of water. After 5 mins remove the badis from water & keep aside.

Karhi:

In a bowl take besan. Add dahi to it and make a smooth batter. Add water to the batter and mix well. Add salt and keep aside. Heat mustard oil in a karahi. Add jeera & let it splutter. Immediately add the whole garam masala & let it crackle. Stir. Make a paste of hing, turmeric, coriander & red chilli powders with 2 tbsp water & add to the karahi. Fry till the oil separates from the masala. Now add the dahi-besan mixture and keep stirring continuously on high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil reduce to low heat and let it simmer for 5-7 mins.

Add the badis and simmer for 2-3 mins.

Tempering:
Heat ghee in a tadka pan. Add the jeera and the whole coriander seeds. Let it crackle. Put in the red chillies and stir. Pour this over the Karhi Badi.

Serve with steamed rice.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Ramruch

Ramruch is a preparation of Besan (Gram Flour) and is one of the most famous preparation in Mithila. I am yet to come across any other cuisine where Ramruch is being mentioned or cooked. Ramruch is one of the dishes served in almost all the auspicious occasions in Mithila.


Ingredients

• Besan 500 gm
• Tomato (diced) 100 gm
• Coriander leaves 50 gm (for garnishing)
• Ghee 1 Tbl spoon
• Turmeric powder 1 tbl spoon
• Coriander powder
• cumins powder
• Red Chili powder
• Salt to taste

Preparation

• In besan add 2-3 tbl spoon of Ghee or any vegetable oil and mix it properly.
• Add pinch of Salt, turmeric and cumins seeds to the mix and mix it again.
• Add water and knead it properly. The mix should not be soft as it has to be boiled later on.
• Make Small-Small rolls of the mix more like a 1cm Radius cylindrical (around 10-15 cm long) shape.
• Cut tomato into small pieces and keep it aside.

Cooking

• Boil water in a deep pan.
• Boil besan rolls for 10-15 mins. When they are cooked they will start floating on the surface of boiling water.
• Take the cooked besan rolls out of boiling water and put them aside in a cold water vessel.
• Let the rolls cool down. It take around 5 mins for them to cool down so that they are ready to be cooked.
• Once the besan rolls are cooled cut them in small pieces (round ones).
• Heat oil (mustard oil or vegetable oil) in pan.
• Fry all the besan pieces in the oil till it turns red and keep it aside.
• In the remaining oil add some Asafoetida (Heeng) and Curry-leaves (Tej-Patta) for Seasoning mix (Phoran).
• Add masala (cumins powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric powder, chili powder), Salt and diced tomato to the mix.
• Cook it well till the masala mix starts to leave the pan surface.
• Add some water to make thick gravy.
• When the gravy starts to boil add the fried besan pieces to it.
• Cook for 10 - 15 mins on low-med flame.
• Keep it aside and then sprinkle garam masala first, then coriander leaves (chopped in small pieces).
• In a deep cooking spoon Add 1 tbl spoon Ghee and cumins seeds and heat it on flame so that the ghee is hot and cumin seeds are fried properly in it.
• Add that mix to the Ramruch Curry and cover it for 5 mins. This will bring aroma to the curry.
• Serve it as a side-dish and enjoy the taste.

One variation to this could be to add little bit of Tomato or Sweet Chili sauce in the spices while gravy is being prepared. This will add to the taste. Also in place of Asafoetida, Ginger and Garlic paste can be used.

Jhaua Baigan (Eggplant) ke Khatta Meetha Tarkari (Curry)

This is a very famous preparation of Eggplant (aka Brinjal) in Mithila. I recently had a chance to get a taste of it during my wedding. I liked it so much first time that I requested the person (who cooked it first time) to make it again for my Ek-Bhukt meal. Well this is a simple preparation and adds a different kind of taste to the meal. Those who love eggplant will love it for sure. Jhaua Baigan is the variety of eggplant which is thin and long. There are 3 varieties of this eggplant Green, Viotel and White (in some parts of the world).

Ingredients:

1. EggPlant (Baigan or Brinjal) 500gm (thin and long ones).
2. Tamarind (Imli) 100gm.
3. Jaggery (Gur) 100 gm
4. Cummins (Jeera) powder (1 tbs)
5. Coriander (Dhaniya) Powder (1 tbs)
6. Turmeric (Haldi) Powder (1 tbs)
7. Chilli (Laal Mirch) Powder (1/2 tbs optional)
8. Kitchen King masala (2tbs)

Preparation:

1. Cut Eggplant in half (in length) and then 4 pieces along the length so that they pieces are joined from one end.
2. Soak Tamarind in 250 ml water and leave that for 1 hr so that it is mixed with water. Drain the Tamarind seeds out of the mix and keep the mix aside.

Cooking:

1. Heat oil (mustard oil the best) in Pan for Deep Fry.
2. Deep fry Eggplant for 3-5 mins on medium heat.
3. Keep it aside after frying so that the excess oil is drained.
4. Heat small amount of oil in a separate pan.
5. When the oil is heated use Phoran mix(Panchphoran, Heeng, Tej Patta) etc for Seasonings. This will add some aroma to the food.
6. Add spices mix (Jeera, Dhaniya, Haldi, Mircha, Meat Masala ya Kitchen King (little bit)) to the oil and start mixing.
7. Cook for sometime till spices are cooked properly and do not stick to the pan anymore.
8. Mix Tamarind (soaked one and drained) and Jaggery and cook for 5 mins till starts boiling.
9. Add Egg plant (fried) and cook for another 5 mins.
10. Let the curry settle down and become little thick.
11. Add coriander leaves to that.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Goidila Pitthi:

This is an innovation which could be called the fusion of two local dishes only, Goidila ( a sauce prepared from green peas & flavourings) and Pitthi. Goidila is a kind of gravy / sauce which is usually taken with rice and chapattis. It gets its body from green peas paste and flavoured with Garam Masala.

Ingredients:

Basic Pitthi of 100 gms of flour

Green peas : 300 gms
Onion: 200 gms
Ginger Garlic Paste: 50 gms
Cumin Pd: 15 gms
Coriander Pd: 15 gms
Ghee: 10 gms
Tomatoes: 75 gms
Double cream: 20 ml
Hot Spices: large and small cardamom, bayleaf, clove, cinnamon stick.


Preparation:

parboil green peas and make a small paste of it.
Prepare basic Pitthis of the flour and moisture
Make a paste of 50 gms of onion and slice the rest
Chop tomatoes

Cooking:

Heat oil or Ghee in a pan and add a tempering of Hot spices, when they start crackling add slice onion, sauté it for a minut or two and add Ginger , Garlic and Onion paste with a pinch of salt and turmeric.
Add pawdered masalas and cook it well on the flame.
When masalas are cooked add chopped tomatoes and mix it well.
Add the peas paste and fry it along with masalas for 2-3 minutes and dilute it with water to thin consistency.
Allow it to boil for 8-10 minutes (keep checking the consistency of the mixture. And add water accordingly. )
Now finally add Pitthis to it and cook it over moderate flame for another 8-10 minutes.
When Pitthis are cooked and the sauce gets a creamy smooth texture add the tempering of ghee and Cumin.
Garnish it with Double Cream and serve Hot.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Maus

Maus (Mutton Curry)



The best accompaniment for pua is maus (mutton curry). Preparing both these dishes brought back memories of so many holi celebrations. Holi was never complete without the standard fare of Pua, Maus or Kathal/Jackfruit Curry (for vegetarians) & Dahi Vada.






Ingredients:

• Mustard oil :3-4 tbsp

• Jeera : 1 tsp

• Whole Garam Masala :3 bay leaves, 4 green cardamon, 2 black cardamom, 2" piece cinnamon, 10-12 black peppercorns, 5 cloves, 4-5 dried red chillies

• Onions :6 medium sized cut into thin slices

• Garlic Paste :2 tsp

• Ginger Paste :1tsp

• Turmeric powder :1tsp

• Coriander powder :2tsp

• Red Chili powder :2tsp

• Tomato :1 big sized

• Mutton :1/2 kg

• Water for gravy : 500 ml

• Salt to taste

Method:

Heat mustard oil in a kadhai. Add jeera & let it splutter. Immediately add the whole garam masala & let it crackle. Now add the sliced onions. Let the onions turn to golden brown colour on low-med heat. Add the garlic & ginger pastes. Stir. Make a paste of the turmeric, coriander & red chilli powders with 2 tbsp water & add to the kadhai. Also add the sliced tomatoes at this stage. Mix well.

When the masala is half done add the mutton pieces. Increase the heat and fry the mutton pieces for 2-3 mins, stirring continuously. Lower the heat. Cover and cook. Keep stirring in between so that the masala doesn't stick to the bottom of the kadhai. Add 1-2 tbsp of water if the masala appears to stick to the kadhai. Add salt at this stage.

When the oil separates from the masala cook uncovered for 10 mins. Now add the hot water and bring to a boil. When the gravy reaches the consistency you want turn off the heat. Remove to a serving dish.

Aloo kaa Duum (दम-आलू)

Motivated by mithilacusine, recently, I tried to re-invent aloo-dum. My all time favorite aloo dum was appreciated by my family.

दम-आलू (Aloo kaa Duum) is a propularly known as Aloo kaa Rasgoolla. Typically it can be prepared with the recipie of Mutton, replacing mutton cube with the aloo (potato). Following are the ingradients that can be used to prepare aloo duum for a family:

Aloo: Baby size (400 gm).

Onion: 250 gms.

garlic: Two bigger piece.

Ginger: Size of index finger

Green Chilli: 6 pieces

Curry Leaves: 10 (if you want a unique test, not used in mithila but I like it).

Garam Masala: One tea spoon.

Coreinder Power: 1 tea spoon.

Black pepper Power: 1/2 team spoon.

Desi Ghee: 2 tea spoon

Salt, Turmeric Powder up to regular taste level

Method: Cut the onion in very fine piece and prepare garlic paste. Fry onion in karaahi (lohiyaa) till brown and put the garlic paste.

Fry the combination till smell of garlic hit your nose. Peel of the potato and make several hole using fork so that masala will pentrate into it to make it more tasty.

I dedicate this re-used to my family. This is evident from this
picture.

Put the neatly cleaned potato in the onion garlic mixture and mix salt, termeric , powder , garam masala. Fry this mixture for 3-5 minutes and put them in cooker. Let this mixture remain in pressure for 10 minutes.

Once pressure is off, put two teas spoons of desi ghee and your aloo dum is ready serve this along with daal and taruaa.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Chiraiyak Maus

Chiraiyak Maus: ( Squails with skin cooked in thick brown gravy)

“Chirai” aren’t the part of poultry birds like chicken, goose or duck but could be kept in the category of wild birds those are obtained by hunting and hence they are also known as Game Birds. Usually in India, the poultry or game bird preparations are made after fabricating the bird in Indian style which is removing the upper skin and then cooking it up in the gravy, but in Mithilanchal people prefer enjoying the meat with its skin only as it makes the meat to retain its own juice. Now here is the similarity in the fabrication style of bird with English dressing (Continental Preparation), as they also coincide on the same notion. In English dressing, poultry or birds are roasted for a short time on a high flame in order to burn their extra feathers, procedure is known as “SINGING” and the same method is followed in Mithila too. Here I’ve mentioned the preparation style of Chirai and the same could be followed up with other game birds too.

Ingredients:

Squail: 01 nos
Onion: 500gms
Ginger : 30gms
Garlic 30gms
Turmuric: 15gms
Red chilly Pd: 10gms
Coriander Pd: 30gms
Cumin pd: 30gms
Mustard oil: 60ml
Whole hot spices: large & small cardamom, cinnamon, clove, bay leaves.
Heeng ( optional) : 4-5 gms
Chopped coriander leaves : for garnish

Preparation:

• Wash and clean the bird and singe it over high heat.
• Make a paste of 100 gms of onion with ginger / garlic and slice rest of the onion.
• Cut the bird into Indian curry cut and marinate with salt, turmeric and little of mustard oil.

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a thick bottom pan and add the tempering of whole hot spices, when start crackling add onion slice. Sauté and sweat with a pinch of salt. Add ginger/garlic & onion paste .
• Fry till light brown in colour.
• Add powdered masalas and cook for 8-10 minutes, till the raw flavour goes off. Add marinated meat and fry it along with the masala mixture. Add water just sufficient to cover up the meat.
• Let it simmer for 10 minutes till the flesh is tender. Top it with a spoon of Ghee and serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Variation:

• After singing cut the bird into little large pieces. Marinate it with salt, pepper, ginger paste , roasted gram flour, hung curd, heeng and turmeric. Roast it in Chulha (earthen oven) or sigri till the marinade is cooked well. Make a good quality brown gravy with rest of the ingredients, rest the roasted pieces in the gravy now.
• The dish will have a very smoky taste.

One can try out the same procedure with other game birds too like Titar, Bater, Ban Murgi etc.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Maara Sairso ke Jhor

Maara Sairso ke Jhor:(A gravy preparation of Maara fish with mustard seed)

Maara is a small sweet water fish having a size of 4-5 cms. They belong to the same family of Pomfret, having no scales on their body and a very shiny silver skin. They are so easy to cook that no deep frying is required while preparing it.

Ingredients:
Maara Fish: 300gms
Mustard seed: 50gms
Mustard oil: 50ml
Turmeric: 5gms
Salt: as per taste
Onion: 35gms
Garlic:10gms
Tomato: 50gms


Preparation:

• Wash and marinate the fish in salt and turmeric.
• make a paste of onion, garlic and chop tomatoes and keep it ready.

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a kadai, add a tempering of mustard seed, add onion,garlic paste and stir fry.
• Add mustard seed paste and cook it over a moderate heat. Add tomatoes once masalas are cooked.
• Finally add marinated fish and mix it well with other ingredients. Add water and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Innovation: Latpat Maara (small Maara fish cooked in dry mustard gravy)

Ingredients:
Maara fish: 400gms
Mustard paste: 100gms
Green chilly paste: 25gms
Salt: As required
Turmuric: 5gms
Onion Paste: 30gms
Mustard oil: 100ml


Preparation:

• Wash and marinate the fish in salt, turmeric and onion paste, make a paste of green chilly and mustard.

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a frying pan add marinated Maara fish, toss and stir fry for 5-7 minutes.
• Add the mixture of mustard and Green chilly paste and cook it well with fish for 8-10 minutes.
• Take out of flame, sprinkle raw mustard oil.
• Serve hot garnished with whole slit green chilies

Dokak Jhor

Dokak Jhor: (Oysters stew cooked with Onion and brown gravy)

Doka or Oysters are bivalve mussels. They belong to the same family of snails. Their body is made out of two kind of flesh soft and tough. The earlier one is the part of their body that always rests inside the shell while the later one is the front part which is outside the shell. Both the parts can be segregated and brought in different use, like the soft flesh can just be fried with onion and taken up as a good starter or accompaniment with cocktails.
One can also make very good broth or stew with Doka (the variation recipe I’ve advised below this authentic recipes that one can try out) In mithilanchal people consume Doka during rainy season as during that time they are found in abundance in paddy fields making them the best food for farmers.

Ingredients:
Oysters: 400gms
Onion: 150gms
Garlic: 20gms
Ginger: 20gms
Mustard oil: 75 ml
Coriander Pd: 25gms
Cumin Pd: 25gms
Red Chilly Pd: 15gms
Salt: A/R
Whole hot spices: Cardamom large & small, Cinamon, Bayleaf, clove
Chopped Tomato: 75gms Optional.

Preparation:

• Detach oysters from the shell, make a paste of Ginger, Garlic and slice onion
• Parboil the oysters and take it aside.

Cooking:

• Deep fry Parboiled oysters with a pinch of salt and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a thick bottom pan , add the tempering of Whole hot spices, when they start crackle, put Onion ginger, garlic and fry till golden brown in colour with a pinch of salt..
• Add powdered masalas now and fry till the raw flavor goes off, then add tomatoes cook it for a minute or two
• Add the fried oysters now and mix it well with the masala paste. Finally add water and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Serve hot finally garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Variation: Fresh Doka Stew

Oysters: 250gms
Onion: 50gms
Garlic: 20gms
Ginger: 20gms
Turmuric: 4-5gms
Salt: as required
Rice: 30 gms
Brandy(optional): 60ml
Coriander Leaf for garnish
Refined Oil: 20ml

Preparation:

• Detach oysters and parboil and chop it . Finally chop onion, garlic & ginger. Soak rice for 30 minutes

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a pan, put a tempering of Whole hot spices,
• Add onion, garlic,ginger chops. Sauté and sweat with a pinch of salt and turmeric,
• When translucent in colour add boiled chopped oysters and fry it over a moderate heat, add brandy and reduce.
• Add soaked rice and mix it well. Finally add water and simmer till the rice is cooked.

Serve piping hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Maara Sairso ke Jhor:

(A gravy preparation of Maara fish with mustard seed)

Maara is a small sweet water fish having a size of 4-5 cms. They belong to the same family of Pomfret, having no scales on their body and a very shiny silver skin. They are so easy to cook that no deep frying is required while preparing it.

Ingredients:
Maara Fish: 300gms
Mustard seed: 50gms
Mustard oil: 50ml
Turmeric: 5gms
Salt: as per taste
Onion: 35gms
Garlic:10gms
Tomato: 50gms


Preparation:

• Wash and marinate the fish in salt and turmeric.
• make a paste of onion, garlic and chop tomatoes and keep it ready.

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a kadai, add a tempering of mustard seed, add onion,garlic paste and stir fry.
• Add mustard seed paste and cook it over a moderate heat. Add tomatoes once masalas are cooked.
• Finally add marinated fish and mix it well with other ingredients. Add water and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Innovation: Latpat Maara (small Maara fish cooked in dry mustard gravy)

Ingredients:
Maara fish: 400gms
Mustard paste: 100gms
Green chilly paste: 25gms
Salt: As required
Turmuric: 5gms
Onion Paste: 30gms
Mustard oil: 100ml


Preparation:

• Wash and marinate the fish in salt, turmeric and onion paste, make a paste of green chilly and mustard.

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a frying pan add marinated Maara fish, toss and stir fry for 5-7 minutes.
• Add the mixture of mustard and Green chilly paste and cook it well with fish for 8-10 minutes.
• Take out of flame, sprinkle raw mustard oil.
• Serve hot garnished with whole slit green chilies

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Maachh

Maachh: (Round fish, fried and cooked in Mustard gravy)



Ingredients:

Round Fish (Rohu/ Katla) 8 pcs. (on and across the bone)
Mustard seed 50 gms
Mustard oil 200 ml
Onion 200 gms
Garlic 50 gms
Tomato 75 gms
Fresh Coriander Leaves
Salt As required
Red chilly Pd 10 gms
Turmuric 5-7 gms
Lemon Juice Optional


Preparation:
Wash Fish and marinate it with salt, turmeric 50 gms of onion paste and lemon juice
Chop tomatoes, mince garlic, slice onion and make a smooth paste of mustard



Cooking:

Heat oil in a pan(Kadai), deep fry marinated fish and take it aside.Heat oil again and add the tempering of mustard followed by garlic paste and onion slice. Fry till light brown in color.Add mustard paste and fry till 7-10 minutes over moderate heat, later add tomatoes, stir fry for two more minutes. Add water as much as you require for the gravy.Let the gravy come to a boiling stage and finally put fried fish pcs, reduce the flame and allow it to simmer for 10-12 minutes
Eventually take it out and serve hot, garnished chopped coriander leaves


Variation: The excellent variation of Maach could be obtainedby adding 75 gms of additional mustard paste deriving a thick pouring gravy, topped with 20 ml of raw mustard oil.

Tamatar ke Chutney

This is one of those recipe which is easy to make and lasts long even at room temperature. This is one of the must have in mithila whenever there is a bhoj.

Ingredients

• Tomato Diced
• 1 Tbl Spoon oil
• Salt as per taste
• Sugar as per taste
• Dry fruits (optional)

Preparation

• Chop tomato in small pieces so that they cook easy.
• Dry-Fruits cut in small pieces (optional)

Cooking Method

• Heat oil in Kadai (Pan)
• Add Methi and green or red chili (cut)
• Add diced tomato, add salt, cover and cook on low flame.
• Keep stirring in between and cover again till the tomato is cooked.
• The important thing to keep in mind here is that the tomato should become paste and there should not be any remains in the pan.
• Once the tomato is cooked. Add sugar as per taste.
• Add dry-fruits if you wish to.
• Cook for another 5 minutes and the Chutney is ready
• Add chopped coriander leaves to it afterwards before serving.
• Serve warm or cold

A variation to this could be to fry chopped onions in the beginning and then add tomato to it. But then the chutney cannot be preserved for long. But if onion is not added to it then the chutney can be preserved for long even at room temperature.

Alternatively Jaggery or gur can be used in place of sugar.

मिथिला सम्राट :- Hari Nath Jha ( A Biography of Korthu Ratn Harinath Jha)

प्रतिभा एकटा अविरल वस्तु होइत अछि! जेकरा में जतेक तरहक से ततेक निमन व्यक्ति होइत छथि! व्यक्तित्वक परख प्रतिभा माध्यमेटा होययै! कला ककरो बपौती नहि, ओ त साधनाक वस्तु थिक! साधनाक बले कहल जाय छै जे बैजू बाबरा मंजिरा पिघला देने छला आ तानसेनक गीत सुनबा लेल जंगल सँ हिरण सब अबे छल ! एक बेर पबित्र भूमि  मिथिला में बरखा नहि भरहल छलै तखन राजस्थान सँ ध्रुपद गायक सब आबि मेघराग(बादलराग) गेने छल, तत्पश्चात चिक्कन बरखा भेलै! कहबाक भाव इ जे संगीत त जानवरोक पियरगर होय छै आ संगे अदभुत शक्तिशाली सेहौ होयै ! सुर कें जखन गायक/गायकी अपन कंठ दे छथिन त मौन, अह गद-गद भ जाय छै! आधुनिक मैथिली जगत में ऐहने अदभुत नाम अछि, श्री हरिनाथ झा जी !

मैथिली गायन, संगीतकार, आ ध्रुपद गायन सब क्षेत्र में अदभुत प्रतिभा सम्पन्न आदरनीय हरिनाथ झा जीक जन्म मिथिलाक दरभंगा जिला अंतरगत मधुप नगर कोर्थु में सन  6 जून 1967 कें स्वर्गीय बलराम झा आ रामदाय  देवीक परिवार में भेलनि! 

इ राज्कृत जनता उच्च विधालय, शिवनगरघाट(कोर्थु) सँ 1983 में माध्यमिक, 1985 में C.M  Science College,दरभंगा सँ I.Sc केला ओते सँ पदार्थ विज्ञानं सँ 1988 में स्नातक केला! 

शिक्षाक  संगे-संग  इ अपन नैनापन रूचि संगीत दिस सेहो आगू बढला ! इ दरभंगा में खंडेवाल जी सँ संगीतक शिक्षा ग्रहण करैत छला, संगे-संग इ नुक्कर नाटक,इफटा,नेहरु युवा केंद्र आ  आकाशवाणी दरभंगा में तरुण-कुसुम कार्यक्रम में लगातार गाबैत रहला! तत्पश्चात इ दिल्ली आबि गेला, सन 1990 सँ 2001 धरि नीलम कैसेट नई दिल्ली में संगीतकारक पद पर रहला, आ कतेको कैसेट वा कलाकार क अपन संगीतक बल पर हिट बनौलेत! फेर टी- सीरीज में 2001 ई० में इ जट-जटीन   सन पारंपरिक मैथिली गीतक संयोजनक संगीत देलनि!

 

सन 2005 सँ अनवरत रुपे ध्रुपद गायकी में देश-विदेश  में अपन परचम  फहरा रहल  छथि ! इ ध्रुपद संगीतक  विधा ध्रुपद संगीतक  महान गायक  उस्ताद वसिफुद्दीन डागर स  ग्रहण केलैथ, इ  उस्ताद वसिफुद्दीन डागरक  शिष्य छथि! जे हिनका ध्रुपद गायकीक ज्ञान द रहल छथि !

आइ संप्रति इ दक्षिण अफ्रीका में रहि रहल छथि!

इ कोलकाताक मिथिला विकाश परिषद् दुआरा 2001 में मिथिला सम्राटक अलंकार सँ विभूषित कैल गेला जे हिनक अदभुत मैथिली सेवा लेल देल गेलनि ! छतीसगढ़ केर मैथिली मंच दुआरा विधापतिक गायनक "दादा फाल्के पुरस्कार सँ सेहो सम्मानित छथि!

किछ अन्तराष्ट्रीय आ और दोसरो मैथिली संघक सम्मान स सम्मानित छैथ, जकर जानकारी हमरा नै अछि.....   

हरिनाथ झा जीक, युवा अवस्था क फोटो 

 सवांद:- मनोहर कुमार झा, राजीव मिश्र 

  प्रस्तुति:- अपन मिथिला धाम 

  

Mithila Ratn Hemkant Jha:- Maithili Singer

मैथिली भाषाक चर्चित गायक हेमकान्त जीक जन्म दर्भंगा जिला अन्तर्गत शुभंकरपुर ग्राम में 1949 भेल छल। हिनकर पिताक नाम स्व. सूर्यकान्त झा आर मायक नाम पूनम देवी छलनि। हिनकर बाबूजी अपना समयक नामी अधिवक्ता छलाह । हेमकान्त जी लगभग 6000 सं ज्यादा गीत गेने छथि। हिनकर पहिल कसैट एस एम सीरिज सं निकलल छल जे बाद में नीलम कसैटक नाम सं प्रसिद्ध भेल। कालान्तर में हेमकान्त जी अनेको कम्पनीक लेल गीत गेलनि जेना टी सीरिज, टीप्स,एचएमवी, नीलम। हिनकर पहिल “सनेस” छल। सनेश क्यासेट बजारमे एलाकबाद मैथिली संगीतक दुनियामे तहलका मचौने छल । दुर्भाग्यवश, हेमकान्त झाकें दरभंगामे निधन भय गेल । हुनका ब्रेनहेम्ब्रेज भेल छल ।


५० वर्षीय गायक हेमकान्त मैथिली संगीत क्षेत्रक चर्चित नाम रहथि । मामा यौ कनि खैनी दिय सन चर्चित गीतक ओ गायक रहथि । हुनक सनेश , हिमरेखा, भौजी, चल मिथिलामे चल, सौगात, कखन हरब दुखमोर, ममता, सन दर्जन सँ बेसी एलबम निकलल अछि ।
मिथिलाञ्चलक कोनो एहन मञ्च नहि छल जाहिमे ओ आमन्त्रित नहि होइत छलाह । हुनक निधनकँे बाद सम्पूर्ण मिथिलाञ्चलमे शोक व्यक्त कएल जा रहल अछि । हेमकाण्त झाकेँ निधनसँ मैथिली आन्दोलनकेँ बडका क्षति भअ गेल। हेमकान्तकेँ आधुनिक मैथिली गीतकेँ जनजनमे पहुँचाबयबला व्यक्तिकँे रुपमे जानल जाइत अछि। हेमकान्तक निधन सँ गीत संगीत क्षेत्रके बडका धक्का लागल ।


 ‘एतेक बडका स्टार भेलाक बादो हुनकामे कनिको अहम नहि छल’।
  कहल जायत छै कि ‘रबीन्द्र महेन्द्र मैथिली गीत संगीतकें गाम गाममे पहुचौलथि तऽ हेमकान्त बजार विस्तार कएलन्हि ।’

Maithili Singer:- Gyaneshwar Dubey is Proud of Mithila

मूलत: गोड्डा जिलाक रहनिहार ज्ञानेश्वर दूबे प्रतिभा संपन्न लोकप्रिय गायक आ संगीत निर्देशक छथि जिनकर मधुर आवाज हृदय सं निकलैत अछि आ दर्शकक हृदय के आह्लादित कय दैत अछि।


पटना यूनिवर्सिटी सं साईंस आ लॉ ग्रेजुयेट ज्ञानेश्वर जी (आब सं ज्ञानू जी) के संगीतक शिक्षा अपन दादा श्री कान्तिप्रसाद दूबे जी सं प्राप्त भेल छलनि। श्री कान्तिप्रसाद दूबे अपन समयक भारतीय क्लासिकल संगीतक बड्ड पैघ विद्वान छलाह। बाद में, ज्ञानू जी पंडित प्रह्लाद मिश्रा जीक शिष्य बनि कय संगीतक शिक्षा लेलनि।

प्राथमिक प्रशिक्षण केर उपरान्त , ज्ञानेश्वर दूबे जी संगीतक एक्टा अति प्रतिभाशाली व्यक्तित्व श्री मोहिन्द्रजीत सिंह, जिनका आजुक कयकटा कलाकार के स्टार बनाबक श्रेय भेटल छनि, के सान्निध्य आ प्रभाव में एलाह। ज्ञानू जी संगीत संस्थान सं सेहो जूडि गेला आ वोकल क्लासिकल संगीत में डिप्लोमा प्राप्त केलनि। हुनका के परीक्षा में प्रथम स्थान लायबक लेल गोल्ड मेडल प्रदान कयल गेल छलनि। अतबा नहिं, लखनऊ में आयोजित प्रथम इन्टरनेशनल यूथ फ़ेस्टिवल में सेहो ज्ञानू जी के सर्वोत्तम गाययक पुरस्कार देल गेल छलनि।

दक्षिण अफ़िका के डरबन स्थित सीटी हॉल में गायन । संग में छनि गायिका पत्नी विभा दूबे

गजलक अपन पहिल अल्बम “जाम-पे-जाम” (टी सीरीज द्वारा रिलीज) आ “जाम-ए-गजल” (टी सीरीज) केर अभूतपूर्व सफ़लता के बाद ज्ञानेश्वर दूबे जीक नाम कम समय में ही नहिं केवल भारत वरन विदेशो में सेहो संगीत प्रेमीक बीच काफ़ी लोकप्रिय आ चर्चित भ गेलाह।


हुनकर अल्बम “ टना टन घंटी बाजय” (सीएमके म्युजिक),”पान येलइये मखान येलईये” (S.S.B.T Series), “चल चाहक दोकान में” (S.S.B.T Series), “सोलहे बरस में” (सुमित कसेट कम्पनी), “गोरकी कनिया”(अलंकार म्युजिक), “बाप रौ बाप” (INA Music) एवं “होली का हुड़दंग” (टी सीरीज) आदि सब उम्रक लोकक बीच काफ़ी लोकप्रिय भेल छल।

हुनकर भजन संग्रह में “जय बम भोले”(पीके कॉम्युनिकेशन),”चलो बुलावा शंकर जी का” (शिवा ऑडियो),” कांवर का घुंघरु बाजय” (टी सीरीज) आ “मां की महिमा”(अलंकार म्युजिक) आदि किछु चर्चित नाम अहि।

ज्ञानेश्वर जी किछु हिन्दी पॉप एलबम जेना “ ओ डार्लिंग” (टी सीरीज), “हॉट पैंट में” (इंडिया म्युजिक) आ “कमाल है धमाल है” (गौरव आर्ट इन्टरनेशनल) आदि के अपन मधुर आवाज सं सजेने छथि।


ज्ञानेश्वर दूबे जी बहुत रासे टीवी सीरियल आ फ़िल्म में सेहो गेने छथि जाहि में किछु महत्वपूर्ण नाम अहि-“ संकल्प” (हिन्दी सीरियल),”कैकयी”(हिन्दी सीरियल ), ” मृच्छकटिकम ” (संस्कृत सीरियल), आ “वासवदत्त” (संस्कृत सीरियल) आदि में पार्श्व गायनक संग संग धनपत मेहता प्रोडक्सनक हिन्दी फ़ीचर फ़िल्म “हम बच्चे हिन्दुस्तान के”, ”धारावी’ ( हिन्दी फ़ीचर फ़िल्म), टेलीफ़िल्म “ लाईलाज”, डी मेहता प्रोडक्सनक हिन्दी फ़िल्म “करोड़ों में एक”, भाग्यश्री आ हिमालय द्वारा अभिनित फ़िल्म “पायल”, फ़िल्म ‘कातिल कौन” एवं मोहिन्दरजीत सिंह द्वारा संगीतबद्ध हिन्दी फ़िल्म “गैरतमंद” आदि ।

ज्ञानेश्वर जी गीत गायनक अलावा हिन्दी आ मैथिली फ़िल्मक लेल संगीत निर्देशकक भूमिका सेही निभौने छथि। हिन्दी फ़िल्म “ तुझको पुकारे” (बलवंत शास्त्रीक), मैथिली फ़िल्म “ आउ पिया हमर नगरी”, “कखन हरब दुख मोर”, “घुईर के आओत बसंत” आ “सेनुरिया” आदि में हिनकर संगीत आ गायन श्रवणीय अछि। आइयो लोक “कखन हरब दुख मोर” में हिनका द्वारा गावल विद्यापतिक गीत बड चाव सं सुनैत अछि आ मॉने मॉन आह्लादित होयत छथि।
हिनकर नवीनतम हिन्दी भक्ति एलबम “ये मिथिला प्रदेश” छनि। वर्तमान समय में ज्ञानू जी एकटा आर मैथिली फ़िल्म “ बाबू जी” में संगीत दय रहल छथि।- भास्कर झा