Sunetra's Peyajkoli Maach -- Fish with Spring Onion

If you have been reading me for a while you know that I do not have a personal profile on FB. I have my own reasons for that. And anyway I am a late bloomer so I might get on finally when I am the last one standing. I did my eyebrows only in the late twenties so I still have a chance. I am that kind of a person.

I however have a Page for my blog on FB which you can checkout by clicking on the Facebook icon on the top left column of this page. If that confuses you click here. When I started that Page I did not have a clear direction in mind. It was just one more thing which I did and then never logged in again. Recently however I do engage in a lot of discussions there. It is interesting to throw out ideas amongst like-minded people even if that means discussing one's lunch.

In one of these discussions, Sunetra(whom I do not really know) said her husband made a peyaajkoli rui for her. That sounded darn interesting. The next thing you know I have bought a fresh striped bass from the Asian Market, a bunch of vibrant green peyajkoli(green onion/scallion) and am asking Sunetra (whom by the way I still do not know) how to make a peyajkoli rui.

Sunetra (who btw also does not have a clue about me) very kindly writes down all the steps and shares the recipe right there on the message thread. I make it with the fresh striped bass. Peyajkoli Maach turned out to be really delicious.The fresh taste of the green onions mingled with the spices and fish. It is a delight. I cannot be thankful enough to her for giving us a nice lunch. It is a dish I am going to make again...and again...and again until I get tired of peyaajkoli.

Thank you Sunetra, whom I still do not know and go IPO FB.

Peyajkoli or green onions (or scallion or spring onion) is a very winter thing for me. Like cauliflower and tomatoes and dhonepata it reminds me how good a warm sun can feel and how reading a book wrapped in naphthalene scented quilts is one of the many joys of life. Usually with Peyajkoli I make either a vegetarian aloo-peyajkoli or a chingri diye peyajkoli like my Mother did. So this recipe with fish was definitely a new and loved dish.

I did a couple of new things while cooking fish this time which I also think might help you.

I broiled the fish.Usually for a Bengali style gravy I fry the fish. Taking a friend's suggestion I broiled it in my toaster oven. It turned out perfect and with 90% less oil. Win-Win.

Second my onion paste sometimes tends to get bitter. So I boiled the onions and then made a paste. No bitterness and the paste could be stored for a week.

If you are not a fish eating glutton but still want to make this dish, skip the fish, up the potatoes, add in some cauliflower and taste the vegetables in season. Sunetra says you can also do it with eggs. If you eat fish then of course you have no reasons to dither.


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Peyajkoli Maach/ Fish with Green Onion

Striped Bass (or any other sweet water fish) - 4 steak size pieces cleaned and scale removed.
Rub fish with turmeric and salt. Keep aside for 20-30 mins. Then fry in hot mustard oil. I usually shallow fry the fish and at times even broil them in the oven at 400F (toaster oven settings). The latter really works well even for rui etc. For shallow frying about 3-4 tbsp oil is required while for broiling in the oven just 1-2 tsp is good.

Chop two bunches of green onion in 1" pieces. Chop a medium sized potato in long thick slices.

Make onion paste. Sometimes my onion paste made in the grinder gets bitter so I boil and then make a paste of the onions. This also stays well for a week in the refrigerator.

If you have oil remaining after frying fish, use the same else heat some more.

Temper the oil with
1/4 tsp of kalo Jeera/kalonji
and 4 green chili slit at top.

When spices start dancing add about
4 tbsp of onion paste followed with 1/4tsp of sugar.
Fry the onion paste till it starts browning and there is no raw smell.

Add about 1 tsp of ginger paste. Fry for a minute.

Next add a tomato finely chopped. Fry the tomato till the tomato becomes all mush and oil starts separating from the masala.
Add three quarters of the chopped green onion and potato slices. Fry till the green onion starts wilting.

Add
1 tsp of coriander powder
3/4 tsp of Cumin powder
1/2 tsp of red chili Powder (optional)
Sprinkle a little water and fry the masala for few minutes along with the green onion and potato.

Now add about 3/4 cup of warm water, salt to taste and let the gravy simmer and come to a boil. Once the potatoes are cooked and you have tasted and adjusted the spices slide in the fried fish pieces. Add the rest of the chopped green onion. Let it cook in the gravy for few more minutes. Switch off. Keep covered and serve warm with white rice.

Mera wala Chai...

I often complain about how I want to drink my tea in peace.

In fact I complain so much that if BigSis makes a card for me listing a few things that I love-- right there at # 1 is "Mommy loves to Sleep" and # 2 is "Mommy wants to drink tea in peace". She has REALLY given me a card and two like that. I don't know if she is trying to get a message across---child psychologists would know better--- but that is the impression even you will get if you stayed 24x7 with me for at least a fortnight. For days fewer than that I strive hard to make an impression.

But in reality I think the day I have my tea to myself I will not know what to do with it.

A cup of tea with two little hands dunking Marie in it is "Mera wala Chai" and I want it to remain that way. Sniff.Sniff.

Here goes a little hand

Didi is not one to be left behind

Dunk...chomp...chomp

In a rush...marie slips into chai

Ajwain wali Chicken --Chicken with Ajwain

When I was younger, nubile(not), nymph like(not) I adored guys who wrote mushy love letters and chose white befuddled pigeons as their choice of courier. Mailman were passe. In between they would have saved the world, brought justice, developed six packs and delivered hot kisses.

Now I am in love with Dads who stay calm, rock solid and raise foul mouthing hormonal girls, trying to bond with them without losing an oz of coolness while in the background a wife who has been unfaithful is dying.(The Descendants)

Compared to the latter, the former looks like cake walk.

When I was younger, nubile(not), nymph like(not) I never thought of ajwain as anything but an after meal digestive which soothes a tummy that has had too many kochuri or alur chop or phuchka as the case maybe.We called ajwain -- "Joan"-- not "Joanne" mind you.We bought sachets of spicy and dusty "joan" on local trains in anticipation of a heavy meal. We drank Joaner Arok (also known as Aqua Ptychotis) in gulps after every wedding reception and talked of it with as much reverence as reserved for Joan of Arc. Ajwain or "joan" was then intermingled with our life---only in a different way.

Now I use ajwain for making a chicken.It was an accident, a stupid one, the ajwain. I used it to temper the hot oil in which the chicken will be cooked. I nodded at the sharp, strong taste that a teeny spoon of that seed can bring. I won't say I am in love yet. But it is a different beginning for sure.

Now let me tell you about the stupidity. I adapted this recipe from Anjum Anand's "Sindhi Lamb Curry" which uses Caraway seeds aka Sha jeera. In a rush I read it as Carom seeds aka Ajwain. I hesitated a moment wondering whether I should go ahead but then I took heart from the delicious looking kadhai jhinga cooked with ajwain and went ahead.I spiked up the hotness, used chicken and just called it ajwain wali chicken.

By the time I realized that the recipe had neve ever asked for Ajwain, the deed had been done and a new recipe born. For the original recipe replace the Ajwain with Sha Jeera.


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Make a paste of
5 cloves of garlic
1" of ginger
5-6 hot green chili

In a bowl marinate almost 2lb of skinless chicken pieces with
1/4 cup yogurt(well beaten)
1&1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp carom seeds/ajwain
5 green cardamom ground
ginger-garlic-chili paste
salt

Heat 3 tbsp oil for cooking in a saucier

Temper the oil with
1/2 tsp of carom seeds/ajwain,
4 dry red chili crushed,
1 small bay leaf,
1 black badi elaichi
and 5 green cardamom lightly crushed.
Now add about 2 cup of sliced onion and fry till onion is golden. Next add 2 tomatoes finely chopped. Add about 1 tsp of Red Chili powder. Add little salt. Cook till tomatoes are all mushed up and oil starts separating from the masala.

Next add the chicken along with the marinade. Fry the chicken for at least 20 minutes at low-medium heat till you see the chicken has lost its raw color and has started browning. Now sprinkle a little water, add salt to taste and cover and let chicken cook. Remove cover and stir in between. Do not add any more water.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove cover and continue frying the chicken till the masala releases oil on the surface. Add fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice and serve.