The modern jamai (or even a modern bouma) deserves a treat featuring modern flavours. If you are planning to celebrate Jamai Sasthi the traditional way but still want to do something unique, why not try your hand at a hatke recipe for the special lunch. It is the age of modern Indian cuisine, after all! So tie your aprons, get your ingredients, and assemble your kitchen tools — My Kolkata has four innovative recipes from MasterChef India’s Subhojit Sen, Dyuti Banerjee and Nayanjyoti Saikia.
Coconut-crusted Fish Roll stuffed with Vietnamese Chicken Curry by Subhojit Sen
This Vietnamese Curry Chicken in Fish Roll is Subhojit Sen’s take on Kolkata’s famous fish roll. According to the #cookgineer of MasterChef India Season 8, “This fish roll is a perfect starter that celebrates the traditional Kolkata-style fish roll but with a twist of Vietnamese flavours. I am sure all the jamais would love this and all the mothers-in-law will be happy to make something unique, yet easy.”
Ingredients
For Vietnamese Curry Chicken
- Boneless chicken cut in small cubes: 200gm
- Curry powder: 1tbsp
- Chilli powder: 1/4 tsp
- Medium onion: 1pc
- Garlic cloves: 4-5
- Chopped coriander leaves: 1tbsp
- Coconut milk: 100ml
- Cornstarch dissolved in water: 1tsp
- Sugar: 1tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Any white oil of your choice: 2tbsp
For Fill Roll
- Fish fillet (bekti): 5-6 pcs
- Lime juice: 1tbsp
- Desiccated coconut: 1/2 cup
- Egg: 1pc
Method
- To make the chicken filling, start by making a paste of onion and garlic
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the onion and garlic paste and cook until the oil separates, before adding curry powder and red chilli powder
- Toss in the chicken, salt and saute on high heat, add coconut milk and cook till the chicken is tender
- Next, add some sugar and cornstarch slurry. Saute till the gravy thickens
- Finally, garnish with chopped coriander and let it cool down a bit before putting it in the fridge for fast cooling
- Once cooled, take it out and prepare for the fish roll
- Marinate the fillet of fish with salt and lime juice
- Take some curried chicken and put it in the middle of the fish fillet. Roll it from one side to secure the filling in a roll
- In a bowl, break the egg and whisk it, and spread some desiccated coconut on a plate. Dip the rolls in the egg wash, and then in the coconut and coat well
- Deep fry and serve hot with salad
Shawrer Pulao with Aam Pora Mamsam by Dyuti Banerjee
A simple yet delish shahi pulao with a side of flavourful mutton — Jamai Sashthi will be sorted with this combination of two innovative recipes from MasterChef India Season 7’s Dyuti ‘Energy’ Banerjee. “These recipes require a bit of care, and love. The Shawrer Pulao is rich, yet very simple in its flavour profile. The Aam Pora Mamsam is my take on the Andhra Gongura Mamsam, because, why not?” said Dyuti about the dishes.
For pulao
Ingredients
- Buffalo milk malai: 1litre milk reduced to make malai (can be substituted with full cream cow milk)
- Kanakchur rice: 2cups
- Ghee
- Boiled buffalo milk: 2 cups
- Cinnamon: 2 sticks
- Cardamom: 6-8 pods
- Cloves: 3-4 pcs
- Mace: 1 floret
- Bay leaves: 3-4 pcs
- Onions: 2 medium, thinly sliced
- Green chillies: 4 (silt in half)
- Fox nuts: a handful
- Walnuts: as per your taste
- Red cherries, sliced and washed: 10pcs
- Dried apricots, chopped: 8pcs
- Almonds, blanched and slivered: 8-10pcs
- Pistachios, blanched and sliced: 3-5pcs
- Sugar: as per taste
- Salt: as per taste
Method
- To make the beresta, fry the onions till crisp. Set aside
- Wash the rice and strain it till well. Dry it on a plate under the fan. Once dry, mix the rice with 1tbsp of ghee, some salt and sugar to taste
- In a large pot, add 2/3 tbsp of ghee, temper the bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves. Add in the mace floret
- Add the rice to the tempered ghee, and fry till the rice turns a little translucent
- Add the milk and 1.5 cups of water, cover and cook on medium-high heat
- While the rice is cooking, fry the walnuts, raisins and almonds separately in ghee and set aside
- Once the rice is almost done, check for seasoning, add slit green chillies, add the fried onions, the dry fruits (except the pistachios), the cherries and half of the malai
- When done, mix in the rest of the malai by giving the pot a few vigorous shakes, and add the chopped pistachios. Your Shawrer Pulao is ready!
- Garnish with a few cherries, fox nuts and beresta, and get ready for the compliments!
For Aam Pora Mamsam
Ingredients
- Mutton: 800g
- Green mango: 2pcs
- Dried red chillies: 6-8pcs
- Green chillies: 4pcs
- Ginger: 2 inches
- Garlic: 10-15 cloves
- Onions: 2pcs, thinly sliced
- Cardamom: 12-15 pods
- Cinnamon: 7-8 small sticks
- Cloves: 10-12pcs
- Curry leaves: 10-15pcs
- Coriander: 1-2 sprigs
- Mustard oil: 2-3 tbsp
- Ghee: 2 tbsp
- Turmeric: ½ tsp
- Salt: as per taste
- Sugar: as per taste
Method
- Marinate the mutton overnight with turmeric, salt, ginger, garlic and chilli paste, and some mustard oil rubbed in at the end
- Roast the mangoes over an open flame or on top of an induction stove, till nicely charred. Make a smooth puree
- Boil the marinated mutton in a pressure cooker or pot till tender
- In a pan, add 3 tbsp of mustard oil, and 3 tbsp of ghee. Temper it with 3-4 whole cloves, two bay leaves, 4-6 roughly crushed cardamom pods, and 2 cinnamon sticks
- Add the sliced onions. Fry till golden
- Add ginger, garlic and chilli paste. Saute till cooked
- Add the aam pora puree, and saute till well incorporated
- Add the cooked mutton with all the stock, and let it stew.
- Once reduced, add crushed fried curry leaves, 2 tsp of ghee, chopped coriander, and some garam masala
- Check for seasoning, add salt and/or sugar as per taste
- Garnish with a few more fried curry leaves, and serve with the Shawrer Pulao or just with plain rice
Tropical Tart by Nayanjyoti Saikia
While the OG mishti doi, sandesh and rosogolla are mandatory for Jamai Sasthi, something new is always welcome to end the meal. If you want to add a tropical touch to your desserts, this tart from MasterChef India Season 7 winner Nayanjyoti Saikia is — in the words of the chef — “a refreshing dessert and perfect for the hot summer days!”
Ingredients
For the tart shell
- Flour: 60g
- Blanched almond flour: 40g
- Unsalted butter: 40g
- Cream: 10g
- Cold water: 1-2tsp
- Pinch of salt
For coconut filling
- Thickened coconut milk: 200ml
- White chocolate: 80g
- Agar agar powder: 2g (or 3g gelatin, bloomed in cold water)
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
For passion fruit compote
- Passion fruit pulp: 150g
- Castor sugar: 60g
- Water: 2 tbsp
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Make the pastry by combining both flours, salt and butter in a bowl. Mix it till it has a crumbly texture
- Now add cream and water and make a soft dough
- Roll the pastry to a 2mm thickness between two butter paper sheets, or on silicon mat, and place gently into the tart pan
- With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the pastry to fit the tart pan. Cover the tart pan with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Now bake the tart crust in a preheated oven at 175°C for about 18-20 minutes. Cool down completely.
- For the filling, cook agar agar powder, chocolate and coconut milk on a medium flame in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Keep stirring to avoid burning
- Once all the chocolate dissolves, pass the mixture through a fine sieve and fill into the tart crust immediately. Keep in the fridge for 10 minutes to set
- Add passion fruit pulp, sugar, salt and water in a saucepan and cook until it starts thickening.
- Drizzle this passion fruit compote on top of the set tart and enjoy!