Tripura Mutton Curry

Tripura is one of the seven sister states of the North East. Located close to the border, the food of Tripura has a strong influence of Bangladeshi cuisine. The tribal cuisine shares similarity to those of the others in the North east- simple non veg stews with fresh local ingredients.

It is a tall task to find the ingredients for an authentic meal outside the state. Primarily, the fermented fish, Berma, which is a staple in most dishes.

However, my search for an authentic recipe from Tripura that I could recreate, I landed on a vlog. At first sight it seemed like every other Meat curry. But the play of ingredients created something that looked and smelled familiar but tasted unique! Spicy and delicious, I know this recipe is going to be  a weekend staple at my place now! 

Ingredients:

Mutton                     1.2 kg

Onions                     3, sliced

Garlic                       2 whole pods, chopped

Ginger Paste             200 gm

Mustard Oil              300 ml

Bay Leaf                   1

Potatoes                     4

Coriander pd              3 teaspoon

Cumin pd                   3 teaspoon

Turmeric pd               3 teaspoon

Red chilli pd              2 teaspoon

Whole red chillies     8

Water                         500 ml

Paste 1: 2 onions + 10 green chillies

Paste 2: 4 green cardamoms + 4 inch cinnamon stick

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the potatoes with some salt and turmeric, till crisp and golden. Drain and keep aside. Fry the sliced onion till crisp. Add the mutton, bay leaf, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Saute for five minutes. Add the ginger paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Mix in Paste 1. After two minutes, add the chopped garlic. Stirring at regular intervals. cook till the water dries up. Adjust the seasoning. Heat the water in a pressure cooker. Add the meat, potatoes and whole red chillies. Mix well and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Release the steam and add Paste 2. Pressure cook for another 2 whistles and leave to cool. Serve with some steamed rice for the perfect Sunday Meal!

Stuffed Karela

Karela or the bitter gourd is not a veggie that turns up often on search engines. I haven't found too many people enthused by the idea of having karela for lunch. And the few who do, have it mainly for the health benefits it has to offer. Not for love of the vegetable. 

I genuinely do love karela. This puzzles as well as aggravates Mum. She absolutely abhors Karela. But love for her only child forces her to dish it up week after week! But there is only one way she deigns to consume it. Stuffed and deep fried. Health benefits be damned!

My grandmum makes this amazing bitter gourd curry with coconut and garlic. But nothing will induce mum to eat that. This recipe was handed to her by one of their neighbours. So for years these were referred to as Chandel Aunty Karelas!

These aren't as bitter as the other recipes. And the tangy, spicy filling is really quite addictive. Throw in a handful of french fries on top, and even kids will have a go!

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd                 6

Onions                          2

Ginger garlic paste        2 teaspoon

Garam Masala              1/2 teaspoon

Pepper powder              1/2 teaspoon

Dry Mango powder      1 teaspoon

Coriander powder         1 teaspoon

Salt                                to taste

Turmeric powder          1/2 teaspoon

Chickpea flour              2 tablespoons

Method:

Scrape the ridges of the karela. Slit it vertically and discard the seeds. Rub a little salt and turmeric inside and out. Leave in the sun for an hour. In the meantime, prepare the masala. Grate the onions, add salt and leave for 20 minutes. Squeeze the onions well to drain out all the water. In the drained onions, add all the rest of the ingredients, except the chickpea flour. Wash the karelas well and pat dry them with a kitchen towel. Fill the prepared masala into the cavity of the gourd. Now prepare a thick paste with the chickpea flour (besan), a little salt and water. Use this paste to seal the edges of the stuffed karelas. Heat oil in a wok and lower the karelas sealed side down. Cook on medium heat. You can choose to deep fry these. Or shallow fry them covered , turning them frequently to ensure they are well browned on all sides. Enjoy with some rice and plain yellow dal!

Cheese Straws

I was not a skinny child. Far from it really. The culprit though was Mum. She is an amazing cook and kept me interested in food by dishing out a wide variety of delicious home cooked food. An expert of most cuisines, her passion lay with baking. It was no coincidence then that I always had a tempting array of cakes, cookies and crackers to snack on. Even the extra miles Dad made me run weren't enough to dent the sunshine of Mum's baking! 

One of my favorite things to munch on were these twisted golden delights. Cheese straws! Aahh! The very name was enough for my tastebuds to conjure the crisp-buttery-melt-in-the-mouth-cheesiness. Every batch Mum baked would disappear in minutes, even as the melted cheese scalded my tongue. I never could wait for them to cool down! 

Its not just me, but Hubby darling as well. The first time I made them, he insisted that these Cheese Straws become a pantry staple. And they do have to make an appearance at every party I host. Served plain in bowls or with a choice of dips, these go down fabulously with kids and adults alike. And when you snuggle with a book and hot tea on those wintry afternoons, these little twists will keep you good company! And when you run out, they are easy enough to bake on demand :) 

Ingredients:
Cheese          50 gms
Butter           50 gms
Flour            1 cup
Salt              1/2 teaspoon
Milk             1/2 cup
Pepper          1/2 teaspoon
Oregano       1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Method: Sift the flour and salt together. Grate the butter and cheese into the flour and mix lightly. Adding a little milk at a time, mix it into a smooth dough. Do not knead. Divide and flatten into two halves. Cover with clingfilm and freeze for an hour. Unwrap and roll out  to a thickness of 1 cm. Like a thick roti. Sprinkle with the pepper and oregano. Cut into strips and twist. Preheat the oven to 180 C and bake for 15 minutes till crisp. You can vary the flavours by experimenting with the herbs you sprinkle on top. And do try to wait for them to cool before you take that first bite!