HOLIDAY FEAST

Since I got married and moved to Troy, New York with my husband, we only had relatives visiting us. But few days back, I decided it was time for us to invite people outside our family circle. So I threw a party for the first time inviting a few new friends we made here in Troy. Normally, we have a set menu for Bangladeshi parties which includes pulao, chicken roast, beef curry and some vegetable or salad. Somehow these didn't go with me (a euphemism for not knowing how to cook these dishes), thus I decided to go with something more homely and comfortable.

My mom often used this menu and I could see how much our guests enjoyed such a hearty meal. The menu includes:

1. Khichuri

2. Chicken curry

3. Fried rui fish

4. Begun Bhaji (Fried Eggplant)

Here goes the recipes, I hope you like it

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KHICHURI:

Khichuri is typically a lentil-rice dish, often made in Bangladesh during rainy season. Khichuri alone with a side salad goes a long way. During my stay in Japan, I often made it when I didn't feel like cooking. I used to throw almost anything and everything into the recipe and it never went wrong. But for the party, I kept it simple and classic. So I first added rice, lentils, chopped onions, and green chili to a pot and seasoned it with salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. After mixing it really well, I added water and turned on the heat to medium. Here the amount of water added is very crucial. If too much water, the rice will be overcooked and vice versa. Once the rice was completely cooked, I turned the heat off and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients: (for 8 servings)

5 cups          basmati rice

2 cups          lentils

14 cups        water 

1/2 cup        chopped onions

4 pcs            green chili

1.5 tsp          salt 

3/4 tsp          turmeric powder

3/4 tsp          red chili powder

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CHICKEN CURRY:

Chicken curry is the first go-to curry with khichuri. This experience was a little different since I butchered a whole chicken myself, along with removing the skin. It was really an "achievement unlocked" moment. To prepare the chicken, I  decided to marinate the chicken and leave it overnight before cooking it. I added all the ingredients to the chicken and mixed it really well. I will list the ingredients for the marinade below separately. I left the chicken in the refrigerator overnight. On the day of the party, I added oil in a pan along with cumin seeds, chopped onions and green chili. I fried them until they were golden brown. The reason I always wait for it to be golden brown is because of the aroma it gives out at that stage. I then added in the marinated chicken, tomatoes and a small amount of water. I left it on medium heat until the chicken was tender and cooked. 

Ingredients: (for 8 servings)

1 pcs      whole chicken

1/2 tsp   cumin seeds

1 cup      chopped onions

4 pcs       green chili

3 pcs       tomatoes

For the marinade:

1 tsp       salt 1 tsp       turmeric powder    1 tsp       red chili powder 1.5 tsp    cumin powder 1.5 tsp    coriander powder 1 tsp       mixed spices powder (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper) 2 tbsp    Greek yogurt

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FRIED RUI FISH:

The abundance of rivers in Bangladesh has led most Bangladeshi to adapt to a diet filled with fishes. One of these common fishes is rui fish. It is fried, added to vegetable curries and also to dal (lentil soup). It has been one of my favorites since childhood and the first fish I look for when I move to a new country. With khichuri, fried fish goes really well, especially hilsa fish fry. Since I had a huge amount of rui fish in my freezer, I decided to go with that. I first marinated the fish with salt and spices and left it in the fridge overnight. I then shallow fried them right before the guests arrived. Being my first time, it was a little difficult to understand if the fish was cooked through so I added a few extras for testing. To give it an extra kick and texture, I used the same marinade for julienned onions and green chili and fried them up used them as the topping. 

Ingredients: (for 8 servings)

10 pcs         sliced rui fish

1/2 cup       onions

6 pcs           green chili

2/3 tsp        salt

2/3 tsp        turmeric powder

2/3 tsp        red chili powder

2/3 tsp        cumin powder

2/3 tsp        coriander powder

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BEGUN BHAJI: 

Begun bhaji is basically fried eggplant, it is the perfect side dish for both a homely meal and a party meal. It is very easy and quick to prepare. It is another one of my go-to foods when I am too lazy to cook anything extravagant. I simply seasoned the sliced eggplants with salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder and shallow fried it on medium heat first and then in low heat if the eggplants are under cooked (doesn't happen that often). It is necessary to maintain the medium heat as eggplants cook really fast and if it doesn't get the crispy texture before the eggplant cooks, it will start to break.

Ingredients: (for 8 servings)

16 pcs         sliced eggplants

3/4 tsp       salt

3/4 tsp       turmeric powder

3/4 tsp       red chili powder

When these are put together on a plate, VOILA! we have a homely, delicious and hearty meal for the party.