Jamaishashti Special

Jamai-shashthi is an occasion in Bengal where the mother-in-law prays for long life and well being of her son-in-law or Jamai.  Shasthi-ma is considered to be the goddess who takes care of the children and mothers worship her keeping a morning fast.

Courtsey: http://gobindaroy.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/jamai-sasthi.jpg

In my place Jamai-shashthi was never celebrated with any such fervor. There was no jamai in our family, as I have no pishi (father’s sister). We used to get new clothes. Ma used to tie a yellow thread and distribute fruits after her morning puja. That is what dida (father’s ma) taught her.

My mother did not know much about jamai-shashthi as she hails from Barishal, a place surrounded by rivers in East Bengal, now in Bangladesh. Barishali’s don’t have Jamai-shashthi.  It usually falls in June or the month of Jaishtha, which is the beginning of the monsoon.  Barishal by its geographical position is subject to devastating cyclones, originating over the Bay of Bengal. In those days small boats were the only means of transport. Often accompanied by surging waves, these storms would cause great damage and loss of life. This was the reason why Jamai-shashthi got banned in Barishal. 

However, we used to gather in mamabadi (mother’s place) if Jamai-shashthi was on Sunday or the immediate Sunday following. It was a grand feast day.  Breakfast was essentially luchi, alurdam with bonde/boondi and often accompanied by various sweets brought by mashis and mamas (mother’s sisters and brothers). Lunch was plain masoor dal, with jiri jiri alubhaja (fried shredded potato), fried fish, any leafy vegetable, patal/or any other curried vegetable, mutton, aamer chatni (mango chatni), doi, and mishti. After this grand lunch the only thing you can do is a sound sleep.

Gone are those days…

I was in Kolkata on this day in the first year of our marriage. Ma celebrated it with extra excitements. After the feast S was like- no eating for atleast a week. Anyway he never did that.

Now shashthi means a phone call from ma. I know her eyes are wet. Though she never says but wants us sometimes to be with her on such special days. May be sometimes we’ll be ma.

Not feeling to do anything today; blame it on monsoon moodswings. A story book and a blanket or some old friends, adda and coffee would be enough to make myself satisfied. But!!!!

So, returned to recipes to turn on my mood. Today I’ll give two special recipes of ma. I will not be able to make any of these today. Satisfying my taste buds remembering ma’s dish.

Kucho chingrir bada (small prawn pakoda)

Ingredients

1. Kucho chingdi/small prawns 500 gms
2. Fresh ginger paste
3. Jeera powder 2 tea spoon
4. Green chili paste as per taste
5. Red chili  powder as per taste
6. Salt as per taste
7. Turmeric powder 1 tea spoon
8. Besan/ Gram flour
9. Oil to fry

 Process

Put the prawns in hot water with salt. This will help to clean them easily. Wash them and remove the shells. 

Once cleaned put them in a mixer grinder. Roughly ground the prawns.

Now in a pan heat some oil. Add the ground prawns and all the above mentioned spices one by one. Cook till the mix dries up and releases oil.

Let the mix cool.

In the mean time add salt, turmeric, ajwain, little oil to the besan flour. To it add water in small amount of water constantly stirring the besan. The besan will not be too runny.

Now make small balls out of the prawn mix. Dip them in besan and deep fry.

Let me know if you loved it or not

Mutton ma’r mato (Mutton ma’s style)

Ingredients

1. Mutton 1 kg
2. 3 big Onion
3. 1 Tomato
4. 2 big potato
5. Fresh ginger paste
6. Fresh garlic paste
7. 2-3 garlic cloves
8. 2-3 green chili
9. Turmeric Powder 1 tea spoon
10. Red chili  powder as per taste
11. Salt as per taste
12. Tejpata
13. Cumin seeds/jeera
14. 2 table spoon lemon juice
15. Mustard oil
16. Fresh garam masala (Grind black and green cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves in a mortar and pestle with little water )
17. 1 table spoon Ghee

Process

Wash and clean the mutton in luke warm water. 

Cut onions and the tomato into 4 big pieces. Slit the chilies.

Keep mutton in a big bowl. Add onion, tomato, chilies, salt, turmeric, lemon juice, red chili Powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, tejpata and 1 table spoon mustard oil. Mix all the ingredients well and marinate for atleast 30 minutes.

Now cut potatoes into 4 equal pieces breadthwise.

In a deep-bottomed pan heat 2 table spoon of mustard oil. Add the potatoes, salt and turmeric and fry the potatoes in medium flame till they are half cooked.

Remove the potatoes and to that oil add jeera powder and crushed garlic cloves. I love this smell. To this add the marinated mutton and cover and cook and occasionally stir. 

Remember the essence of the dish is this part. The more time you cover and cook it in a low flame more tasty it will be. You will get the smell of the cooked mutton. At this time ma used to give me two pieces to taste whether it is cooked, whether something more is needed to add etc. I used to wait for this moment. 

Check whether the mutton is cooked or not. When it is half cooked and had released oil transfer the whole thing in a pressure cooker. Add the fried potatoes and hot water. The amount of the water depends on how much curry you want to keep. Mutton will also release water; so keep the amount less than whatever you need. Keep the flame low. After a whistle remove the pressure cooker from heat. 

Do not hurry to open it.  After it opens naturally add fresh garam masala and ghee and close the lid again. 

After 5 minutes open and serve the mutton with steamed rice.