Kon Bilahir Poora Pitika

Pitika is a delicacy each Assamese love. Lot of other vegetables, fruits and even a few variety of Fishes are eaten this way.  

Some Assamese Terminologies:

1. Kon Bilahi: Cherry Tomato

2. Poora: to grill on open flame

3. Pitika: to mash

Kon Bilahir Poora Pitika: Grilled Mashed Tomato

Cherry Tomatoes are so very tasty, particularly the home grown organic ones. 

For this Pitika, just remove the stems and wash them whole. 

Ingredients: 

1. Cherry Tomato tastes best but any ripe Tomato can be used 

2. Salt to taste

3. Fresh Green Chilly to taste. chopped 

4. Raw Mustard Oil a few drops, depending on the amount of Tomato you are using

5. Fresh Green Coriander leaves, chopped

Method: 

 Put Tomatoes through skewers and place on flame. Ideally it should be done on hot coal made out of fire wood. But in a kitchen of a city home this can be the best option.
Keep rotating the skewers so that the Tomatoes are grilled evenly.
For this Pitika, I love using home made bamboo skewers like the way they do in the villages for this Pitika. (Check the pictures) 

Remove the skin of the Tomatoes. Do not wash as it was already washed before grilling. Let the flavour of grill remain. 

Now Mash adding Salt, Mustard Oil, Chilly and fresh Coriander.
Your Kon Bilahir Poora Pitika is ready to serve.

Palak Corn

(This amount Serves 6)

The two main Ingredients are:

1. Corn Kernels, 1 cup 

2. Spinach, one big bunch. Wash and chop.

Other Ingredients are:

3. Tomato 1 big, cubed

4. Onion 2, make a paste

5. Ginger paste 1 tsp

6. Garlic paste 1 tsp

7. Green Chilli to taste. chopped or Red Chili powder

8. Butter 3 tbsp

9. Salt to taste

10. Jeera powder 1 tsp

11. Dhania powder 1 tsp

12. Fresh Cream for garnishing

Method: 

Heat little butter, add Spinach, Tomato and Green Chilli . Stir adding little Salt. cook on low flame. Both Tomato and Spinach will give out water. Stir occasionally. Cook this way for barely 3 to 4 minutes. 

Take out and let it cool. 

Grind the Spinach+Tomato in a grinder and keep aside. 

Heat Butter on low flame, add onion paste and fry till translucent. Add Jeera powder, Dhania powder and stir well. If you use Red Chilli powder instead of Green Chilli, then add at this point. 

Finally add Corn Kernels, Ginger paste, Garlic paste and keep stirring. Fry this way for about 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the ground Spinach+Tomato paste. Keep stirring. Add little warm water if needed. Cook for some more time. 

Check Salt. Add more Butter if you prefer. The gravy should neither be too thick nor thin. 

Palak Corn is ready to serve. Serve garnished with fresh Cream.  

Naa jwng Jinka Wngkhree

Naa jwng Jinka Wngkhree is a Bodo delicacy. Jinka can be seen grown in almost all the homesteads of Bodo villages during Spring season. It is a delicious wngkhree, my personal favourite too. 

Hence, even living in a city couldn't deter me from growing this vegetable on my terrace vegetable patch. Here are a few pictures of my terrace garden growing Jinka.   

Common name: Ridge Gourd 

Bodo name: Jinka

Assamese name: Jika

Hindi name: Torai

Scientific name: Luffa acutangula

Some Bodo Terminologies:

1. Naa: Fish

2. Naa Kursa: Fish Kuria Labeo

3. Wngkhree: Curry

4. jwng: with

Naa Kursa is probably the most favourite fish of the Bodos. Jinka and Naa Kursa is definitely a wonderful combination and turns out very tasty.  

Ingredients: 

1. Naa Kursa 2, cut into pieces

2. Jinka 3, cut into thumb size pieces

3. Potatoes 2, cubed (opptional)

4. Onion 1, make a paste

5. Ginger paste 1 tsp  

6. Garlic paste 1 tsp 

7. Green Chilli paste to taste or Red Chilli powder

(I used Red Chilli powder for this curry)

8. Salt to taste

9. Turmeric

10. Mustard oil

11. Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

(couldn't garnish as I  didn't have Fresh Coriander for this wngkhree) 

Method:

Fry the pieces of fish smeared with Salt and Turmeric. Keep aside.

Heat oil, add Onion paste and saute for a few seconds on medium flame. Add Jinka, Potato, salt, Turmeric, Chilli and stir fry for a few more seconds. Cover and cook on low heat stirring occasionally. 

Add Ginger, Garlic paste and stir well. Cover and cook again. Jink will give out some amount of moisture which will make the vegetables tender in the mean time.

When water dries up and Jika is dissolved, add 3 to 4 cups of warm water. Cover and cook. 

Add the fried pieces of fish cover and cook again. 

Check salt. Gravy shouldn't be too watery nor too thick.  

Naa jwng Jinka Wngkhree is ready to serve. 

Chicken Spring Onion

A very simple, no hassle recipe to cook, yet tastes yumm. 

Ingredients:

1. Chicken half kilo, cut to bite size pieces

2.Spring Onion a big bunch, chopped fine

3. Garlic 8 pods, make a paste

4. Ginger paste 1 tbsp 

5. Green Chilli to taste, chopped

6. Garam masala powder 1 tsp

7. Salt to taste

8. Turmeric half a tsp

9. Oil 5 to 6 tbsp (Ghee is a good substitute)

10. Bay leaf 2 

(350g Spring Onion for 400g Chicken is correct amount)

Method: 

Heat oil, put in Bay leaf first then Chicken, Spring Onion and Chilli together. Stir well, add Salt and  Turmeric. During the entire cooking keep the flame on medium to low. Stir occasionally, cover and cook.
Add Ginger, Garlic paste when half done. Keep cooking covered on low flame. Chicken will be cooked in the water Spring Onion gives out.
Add Garam Masala powder when done, stir well. At this point you may add a tbsp of Ghee if you use oil. 

Chicken Spring Onion is ready to serve. 

Simple Paneer Bhaji

Its a very simple recipe, perfect when one has no time for any elaborate Paneer recipe. Yet it tastes great. 

Ingredients: 

1. Paneer 250 g, crumbled

2. Onion 1 big, chopped 

3. Tomato 1, chopped

4. Salt to taste

5. Sugar to taste

6. Refined oil 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat oil, add onion and fry for a few seconds. Add tomato and fry for a few more seconds. 

Add paneer, salt, sugar and stir well. 

Do this entire cooking on low heat. 

Stir cook well and check salt/sugar. Your Simple Paneer bhaji is ready. 

There are four more Paneer recipes here, you may check by clicking on the names: 

1. Palak Paneer

2. Paneer with Vegetables

3. Shahi Paneer 

4. Paneer Curry with Milk

Stir Fried Chicken with Bok Choy

Ingredients: For Marination

1. Chicken breasts 2

Cut into small pieces

2. Ginger paste 1 tbsp

3. Garlic paste 1 tbsp

4. Salt to taste

5. Soy sauce 1 tbsp

6. Refined oil 1 tbsp

7. Egg 1 

8. Corn Flour 1 and half tbsp

Mix and marinate all the above ingredients and keep for 2 hours. 

Ingredients for Cooking:

1. Bok Choy 1 big bunch

Wash, separate the stems from leaves. Make big pieces.

2. Garlic paste 1 tsp

3. Salt to taste

4. Refined oil 

5. Aji-no-moto a pinch (opp)

6. Green Chilli to taste, cut lengthwise 

Method: 

Heat oil, fry marinated chicken pieces in two batches. Chicken will be cooked while frying as it was tender after marination. Keep aside.

Heat oil, put in garlic, stir fry for a few seconds and add chicken, aji-no-moto, chilli.

Add the stems of Bok Choy, cover and cook on low flame. Add leaves of Bok Choy when stems are half done. Cover again, cook on low heat. 

Check salt. Bok Choy gets cooked in about 3 to 4 minutes. The Stir Fried Chicken with Bok Choy is ready. 

The left over marinade can be added to the chicken diluting with a little water if you want this dish with little thick gravy. 

You may check Chicken with Bok Choy which is with little thick gravy.