Mocha Chingri / Banana Blossom with Prawns

I never claim that I always cook the original dish rather my cooking style is always fusion oriented. Yes I love to experiment. I read a lot about food and how it was done. I talk about food with my mother, mother- in- law, friends, foodies et al. But when it comes to cook a dish in my kitchen, I cook it in my way according to my family's and my taste. And I always love to leave a sign of myself by giving a twist in that dish. And that becomes my signature special dish. Just Kidding. Like here the original Mocha Chingri is cooked with kucho chingri/Shrimps (as I heard from others), but here I used Bagda Chingri/Prawns. And it really comes out well. The part this dish I didn't like is the taste of the Mocha/Banana Blossom. I bought a peeled pack from the hyperlink market. But it was not that fresh and when it was cooked it took quite a long time to chew and munch and the jaws got strained. So remember to use a fresh one. Sometimes Mocha/Banana blossom tends to be found bitter too. So before buying one verify it. Now don't ask me how!!! I always go to the market and rely on the vendor like a blind one. Yea I know, I have a long way to go and to learn so many things.

If  you want to about the Nutritional value of Mocha/Banana Blossom, read here:

"Nutrition: Banana flowers, similarly to bananas are an excellent source of potassium, plus vitamin’s A, C and E. According to research at the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, which studied the flowers of musa paradisiaca, banana flowers have tremendous nutritional value, being a good source of fiber and protein. The flowers contain a class of phytochemicals known as saponins. Saponins lower LDL ,or bad cholesterol, boost our immunity against infection and are thought to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. They also have antioxidant activity and so can reduce our risk of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease. Banana flowers are also an excellent source of flavonoids. These phytochemicals found in many plant based foods help prevent damage to DNA cells by neutralizing free radicals. They also help lower cholesterol, are anti-inflammatory, anticancer and anti-aging."

Source:http://food-nutrition.knoji.com/banana-flowers-or-banana-blossom-culinary-uses-and-nutritional-value/

Ingredients:

Mocha (Banana Blossoms) - 1 Medium size/ 2cups (I used store bought ready to cook packet)

Bagda Chingri/Prawn- 11-12

Bayleaf - 1 medium

Whole Garam Masala- 1-2 (Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon)

Ginger  Paste- 1 tspn,

Cumin Powder - 1 tspn

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 + 1/2 tspn

Coriander Powder- 1tspn

Salt and Sugar as per taste...

Ghee - few drops

Oil - As per requirement

Method:

1. If you are using the whole mocha/banana blossom them you have to remove the blossoms after peeling away the outer leaves and clean. Then you have to take out a stem inside and chop finely. (See HERE how to peel a banana blossom)
2. Boil the chopped mocha for 15mnts adding little bit of salt and 1/4 tspn  turmeric powder.
3. Strain the excess water and reserve.
4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a Kadai or in a pan. Fry the Prawns and keep it aside.
5. Heat  oil (if you have some extra oil left from the prawns use that by adding little bit more if required) in the same Kadai/Pan.  Add bay leaf and the garam masala.
6. Add the blossoms, mix well and fry for 2 minutes on medium heat.
7. Add ginger paste, turmeric powder and the cumin powder (dissolved in very small amount of water). Fry for 2-3 minutes.
8. Add the Prawns/chingri, salt, and sugar. Mix well and add in 1/4 cup of water. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until most water dried out.  Add few drops of ghee and serve hot with rice.

Note:

1. The best is to use kucho chingri/shripms when you make Mocha chingri.
2. Always use the fresh Mocha/ Banana Blossom, it tastes much better than the Peeled store bought packs and I am telling you from my experience.

Bagda Chingrir Malaikary/ Malaykari

Do you know what the difference between Bagda Chingri and Galda Chingri is? If you are a Bengali you must be laughing at me. But to be frank I didn't know the difference until I hit the fish Market in Kolkata. Being a Bengali it must be an utter shame not knowing religiously about the fishes on which you live soulfully.  Before my marriage I was a meat lover and a choosy fish lover. But after getting married to Kolkata I was introduced to the wide range or variegated species of sweet water fish. I never knew that there was such a huge fish family exists with so many different names and tastes.  And when I moved to USA for 6 years I totally enjoyed the sea food. Starting from clams to scallop, squid to octopus, salmon to shark, shrimp to lobster whatever it is, I enjoyed exceedingly each and every bite of it. After coming back again to Kolkata I then come to know about the difference between the Bagda Chingri and the Galda Chingri.  I recognize and remember  in this way- The small headed prawns which are mostly know as Tiger Prawns are called Bagda Chingri in Bengal. And those with the big heads, famous as Scampi are called Galda Chingri in Bengal. Both are famous and both cannot be beaten in taste. But if you ask me I prefer the Bagda Chingri or the Tiger Prawns much. The big heads now don't enrich my taste buds much.

When it comes to Bengali cuisine, Chingri dishes are one of the indispensable parts of any ceremony or festive occasion. Bengalis are voracious Chingri/Prawn lovers and their kitchens are always ready to welcome Chingri at any time. Though many suffer from the Chingri/Prawns intake allergies, Chingri is still largely accepted to the crowd. Being one of the major Bengali delicacies Chingri Malaikari/Malaykari is most commonly cooked in the Bengali kitchens. But apart from Malaikari chingri , Bhapa Chingri, Dub Chingri, Shorshe Chingri, are very famous too. And Coconut or coconut milk pairs with Chingri most of the time in its exotic and delectable way.

What is the original recipe of cooking Chingri malaikari, it's hard to explain. Sometimes it's been seen the use of only coconut milk, not the use of grated coconut. Sometimes both are used. Sometimes the Mustard paste will be omitted. So there are many versions and variations on cooking a particular dish. I shared how I prefer to cook and how my family enjoys devouring it. I always prefer to cook which taste wise will be blissful. So here is the recipe of Bagda Chingrir Malaikari/Malaykari. 

Ingredients:

Badga Chingri/ Prawns: 12-13 medium size

Onion - 2 big sliced

Ginger paste-  1 table spoon

Tomato- 1 small

Yoghurt- 2 table spoons

**Mustered Paste- 2 table spoons (pls check the notes below {a})

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

**Coconut Milk- 1 cup (pls check the notes below {b})

Turmeric Powder- 1/2 + 1 tea spoon

Cumin Powder- 1 tea spoon

Coriander Powder- 1 tea spoon

Red chilli Powder- 1/2 tea spoon

Whole Garam Masala- 1-2 (Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon)

Salt and Sugar as per to taste.

Mustard Oil- 4 tbspn + 2 Tblspn (More or less)

**Water- 1/2 cup (pls check the notes below {c})

Ghee- 2-3 drops (optional)

Method:

1. Mix 1/2 tspn turmeric powder and 1/2 tspn salt with the Prawns.

2. If you are using readymade mustard powder then soak the powder for 10mnts in water and then add the yoghurt, mix it well and reserve. (Pls see the notes below how to make your own mustard paste).

3.  Heat 4tblspn oil and shallow fry the Prawns and reserve.

4. If you have enough oil then no need to add oil. But if you don't have then add 2 tblspn oil.  Add Garam Masala and then the sliced onion. Fry till the onions turn brown. Add tomato and ginger.

5. When the Tomato is well blended with onion add the grated coconut. Fry them for couple of minutes more and then add the mustard yoghurt paste. And all the powdered masalas. Sauté nicely until the whole gravy commingled well.

6. Add water (Pls see the notes below how to make mustard paste at home) and bring in to boil. Add the Prawns and cook more 5mnts more. Add salt and sugar. This dish tends to taste little bit sweetish. So when you will add sugar be generous but not that much enough to turn it in to a sweet dish.

7. Add the coconut milk (Pls see the notes below how to make  coconut milk at home) and cook on high flame until the gravy turns semi thick. Add ghee and serve with rice or pulao.

Notes:

{a} How to make homemade mustard paste: Soak the 3 table spoons of  mustard seeds for an hour. Add 1 tspn poppy seed and a green chilli then grind it to a fine paste.

 If you are using a coffee grinder then don’t soak the mustard seeds. Just grind along with all adding few drops of lemon juice.

{b} How to make home made coconut milk: If you want to make fresh coconut milk , then first grate the coconut. Grind it and strain as much as milk out from the coconut. Keep that milk aside. Now take warm water and slowly add in the coconut and again strain out as much as milk you can. Keep the both the milk separately.

{C} Important: Where I used water you will use the warm water mixed coconut milk. Other procedure will be same.

If you are not comfortable with the mustard paste and the grated coconut then don't use them. Still the dish will taste scrumptious.
If you are not using Mustard paste then don't use the yoghurt. Instead of using a small tomato use a medium sized one.

Information on Scallop

In my last post I shared the recipe of Spicy Baby Scallop. After that I realised that I should have mention few information about scallop. As many of us are hearing about scallop for the first time. I never knew what a scallop was, until I found many recipes on scallop in the restaurants and in the blogosphere, searched about it what exactly it was and then tried and tasted it in my kitchen. Here in USA, I am lucky enough to get the shelled and cleaned scallops in the seafood section. That is a blessing in other sense. If anyone browses the internet, he/she will get a bunch of information regarding Scallop. Here I tried to accumulate the illuminating parts of scallop in hope to help my readers a little bit to save their energy.  Mostly the information is taken from the net and the sources are attached below. All the photographs are taken from Googleimages.com.

History of Scallop:- 

“The great scallop gained great prestige during the medieval era. Pilgrims visiting the shrine of St. James in Spain began to use empty scallop shells for both eating and begging. The scallop and its shell quickly became a symbol of this magnificent shrine with people using them to decorate their doorways as well as their coats of arms. In honour of the shrine, they were called the shell of St. James, now best known by their translated French name of Coquille St. Jacques.”

(Source:http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=105)

What is a Scallop?

Ans: A scallop is a mollusk (Invertebrate having a soft unsegmented body usually enclosed in a shell), same as clams and oysters. They are found both in bay waters and in the sea. They do not attach themselves to a permanent anchorage, but move themselves through the water by opening and closing their shells. As a result, the muscle that controls the 'hinge' of the shell is much larger than that of oysters or clams.

Many scallops are highly prized as a food source. The brightly colored, fan-shaped shells of some scallops with their radiating fluted pattern are valued by shell collectors. The name ‘scallop’ is derived from the Old French escalope, which means ‘shell’.

“Like the true oysters (family Ostreidae), scallops have a central adductor muscle, and thus the inside of their shells has a characteristic central scar, marking the point of attachment for this muscle. The adductor muscle of scallops is larger and more developed than that of oysters, because they are active swimmers; scallops are in fact the only migratory bivalve. Their shell shape tends to be highly regular, recalling one archetypal form of a seashell, and because of this pleasing geometric shape, the scallop shell is a common decorative motif. They also possess eyes with a lens and retina, which are more complex compared to other bivalves. Scallops cannot resolve shapes, but can detect light and motion.”
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scallop)

What are the food values?

Ans: “ Scallops are actually a very good source of a very important nutrient for cardiovascular health, vitamin B12. In addition to their B12, scallops are a very good source of omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of magnesium and potassium, three other nutrients that provide significant benefits for the cardiovascular system. Omega-3 fats keep your blood flowing smoothly by preventing the formation of blood clots. Magnesium helps out by causing blood vessels to relax, thus helping to lower blood pressure while improving blood flow. Potassium helps to maintain normal blood pressure levels.”

The other benefits of in taking scallops are:-

i) A Nutrient Team for Better Cardiovascular Health.
ii) Increases Heart Rate Variability-A Measure of Heart Muscle Function.
iii) Protection against Fatal Heart Arrhythmia.
iv) Help Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure.
v) Protection against Stroke.
vi) Eating Fish Daily Provides Substantially More Protection against Heart Attack.
vi) Choose Broiled or Baked, but Not Fried Scallops to Reduce Risk of Atrial Fibrillation (Heart Arrhythmia).
vii) Protection Against Cancer and Protective against Colorectal Cancer.
viii) Highly Protective against Childhood Asthma.
ix) Protection against Alzheimer's and Age-related Cognitive Decline.

(Source:http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=105)

How to clean a scallop?

1.Open up the shell. Begin the shucking process by inserting a knife into the side of the shell to pry it open. Set one side of the shell aside.

2. Release the scallop from the shell. Carefully slide the knife under the meat of the scallop to remove it from the shell. The meat should slide out easily.
3. Transfer the scallop meat to the plate. Carefully move the scallop meat from the shell and set it on the plate.
4. Remove the dark meat. Discard the dark meat from the scallop, leaving the white flesh intact.
 5. Remove the muscle from the scallop. This small piece of flesh can be found near the edge of the scallop; carefully remove it from the main section before preparing your recipe.
6. Rinse the scallop. Gently rinse the scallop under cold water and set on small plate. Now the scallop is clean and ready for cooking .

(Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2287427_clean-scallops.html)
Read more: HERE & HERE

How it can be prepared?

Scallops are a popular type of shellfish in both Eastern and Western cooking. They are characterized by having two types of meat in one shell: the adductor muscle, called "scallop" which is white and meaty, and the roe, called "coral", which is red or white and soft. Scallops are edible bivalves similar to oysters and clams. Thousands of recipes on scallops can be found in the net.

Tips for Preparing Scallops:

1. Wash thoroughly the scallops under cold water .

2. Scallops have a strong wild smell. To avoid it marinate and cook with flavoured spices.
 3. Scallops should only be cooked for a few minutes since exposure to too much heat will cause them to become tough and fibrous.

All pictures are taken from Googleimages.com.

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Spicy Baby Scallops

Being totally fagged out cooking of Catfish, Salmon, Prawns, Tilapia and Chicken I thought of trying out a new taste. Bought scallops for the first time and cooked in stir fried-Chinese style along with all the veggies and sauces. But it didn’t turn up that much tasty as the wild smell of the scallops somehow prevailed in to the whole dish and made us chuck down the food. Both my hubby and I decided not to try scallops for the second time. But again I bought scallops to take a last chance to give it a re-entry in my kitchen. I rendered it an indianised version and as I thought when I cooked the Spicy Baby Scallops, the plate was emptied in no time. It came out so tasty that now scallops are always welcome whenever we visit the fish market. Here is the recipe as follows:

Spicy Baby Scallops Ingredients:- Baby Scallops - 1 cup Potato - 1 medium size Onion - 1 medium size Garlic cloves- 2 - 3 Ginger – ½ inch long Tomato -1 medium size Green Chilli -1 Cumin seeds - ½ tea spoon Turmeric Powder - ½ tea spoon Coriander Powder - ½ tea spoon Cumin Powder - ½ tea spoon Chilli Powder- ¼ tea spoon Salt - As per your taste Sugar - As per your taste Oil - 3-4 table spoon Water - ½ cup Method:- Cut the Potato in to small cubes. Reserve. Paste the onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and the green chilli all together. Heat the oil and temper with the cumin seeds. Add the onion paste when the seeds start to splatter. Keep on frying till the oil starts to separate and the whole paste turns deep brown. Add all the other ingredients except the scallops and the potato. Add water sauté all together nicely in to a smooth, colourful paste. Add the potatoes and cook with a lid on till the potatoes get half tender. Add the scallops then and cook till the potatoes get fully cooked and the juice evaporates. (NB: if you feel more water is needed while cooking you can add as per your measurement.) Serve hot with Rice or Roti or bread.

Find out more information on Scallop- HERE ....