Black Forest Doughnuts
Ingredients
100 ml water
150 gm buttermilk
1 whole egg
60 gm butter
450 gm refined flour
60 gm sugar
5 gm salt
15 gm fresh yeast
Oil for frying
For decoration
Whipped fresh cream
Sour cherries
Chocolate shavings
Icing sugar
Cocoa powder
Method
1. Make a soft dough using the ingredients.
2. Allow the dough to rest for 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Once the dough has risen, place it on a floured surface and knead lightly.
4. Divide it into half, cover half the dough, so it does not form a skin.
5. With a rolling pin, roll out half of the dough to about 1/2″ thickness.
6. Cut with a round, sharp doughnut cutter
7. Place each doughnut on a piece on a floured surface.
8. Proof the doughnuts for 30 minutes.
9. Heat the oil; drop the yeast, doughnuts into the hot oil
10. Turn them over as soon as they become golden brown on the underside, then remove and place on a paper towel once they are ready.
11. When the doughnuts have cooled, garnish them with whipped cream, sour cherries and chocolate shavings
Bengali Fish Curry
Ingredients
Rohu (fish) 350 gm
Turmeric 2 tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Mustard oil ½ cup
Mustard or sunflower oil 4 tsp
Potatoes 3 Nos (medium size)
(peeled & cut into quarters)
Bay leaf 1 No.
Green cardamom 5 Nos
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Garlic paste 1 tsp
Chopped tomatoes 2 Nos
Turmeric ½ tsp
Coriander ½ tsp
Cumin ½ tsp
Yogurt 2 tsp
Chopped coriander twigs ¼ Bunch
Method
1. Wash fish well, drain all water and pat each piece dry with a paper towel. Lay fish in a flat dish.
2. Sprinkle turmeric and salt over the fish and mix well to ensure every piece of fish is coated with marinade. Set aside for 30 minutes.
3. When the fish has marinated, set up a frying pan on medium heat, to fry the fish. When the pan is hot, add oil and heat.
4. Fry fish pieces until they turn golden brown on both sides. Do not crowd the pan and remember to be gentle with the fish as it cooks quickly and can break easily. When fried, transfer them to paper towels to drain and reserve for later use.
Gravy
1. Put oil to pan fry potatoes till they are half-cooked and turn golden. Drain and keep aside on paper towels.
2. If there is some cooking oil left over after frying (fish and potatoes), use it in this step. Add more, if required.
3. Heat oil on medium flame and add the bay leaf, cardamom pods, and cumin seeds. Sauté.
4. Add onion paste, ginger paste, and garlic paste and fry for four to five minutes.
5. Now add the tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, cumin and yogurt. Stir. Fry this spice mixture until oil begins to separate from it forming a sheen on top of the mixture. This could take up to 10 minutes.
6. Add one to two cups of hot water and the previously fried potatoes to this mixture. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are done.
7. Now add the fried fish pieces to the gravy and stir gently. Cook for another five minutes to reheat the fish.
8. Turn off the heat and garnish the dish with fresh, chopped coriander leaves.
9. Serve with hot plain rice.