#bengali – Reetika Mitra https://reetikamitra.com Fooding Around Sun, 05 Oct 2025 07:32:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://reetikamitra.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-icon-32x32.png #bengali – Reetika Mitra https://reetikamitra.com 32 32 Gondhoraj Chicken (Chicken with Gondhoraj Lemon) https://reetikamitra.com/mainstays/gondhoraj-chicken-chicken-with-gondhoraj-lemon/ https://reetikamitra.com/mainstays/gondhoraj-chicken-chicken-with-gondhoraj-lemon/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2025 05:40:10 +0000 https://reetikamitra.com/?p=7306 The word “Gondhoraj” translated, simply means king of fragrance. Gondhoraj lemon is the special ingredient in this recipe. This particular lemon is predominantly found in West Bengal but quickly becoming popular in other parts of India. I was pleasantly surprised to find it on the Blinkit catalogue and it turned out to be really good. This fragrant lemon has been used in Bengali kitchens as an ingredient to dishes and also served on the plate to be squeezed into the food as per the individuals choice and taste.

The dish visually looks a bit toned down and plain to the eyes but the taste more than makes up for the lack of eye appeal. The combination of Gondhoraj lemon with chilli is a marriage made by the food gods. You simply can’t go wrong with this assortment. This is an easy and quick recipe. Other than the Gondhoraj lemon, the other ingredients are pretty straight forward and easily available. Most Bengalis would like to team this with Luchi or steamed rice but I feel this dish would go equally well with parathas and appams. I wanted to share this recipe post the Navratri period since it can be a nice non-vegetarian dish for those who would like to try something different.

 

 

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Gondhoraj Chicken (Chicken with Gondhoraj Lemon)

★★★★ 3.3 from 1119 reviews
  • Author: Reetika Mitra
  • Prep Time: 15 Mins
  • Cook Time: 20 Mins
  • Total Time: 35 Mins
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Description

The Fragrance of Bengal

Ingredients

  • 800 gms Chicken
  • 1 Tbsp Ginger paste
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic paste
  • ½ Tsp green Chilli paste or 1 tsp finely chopped green Chillies
  • 4 Tbsp heaped, thick Curd or Yoghurt
  • 2 Tbsp Gondhoraj Lemon juice
  • 2–3 Tbsp Oil (or Ghee)
  • 1–2 Bay leaves
  • 2 dry whole Red Chillies
  • 10–12 whole Black Peppercorns
  • 2 medium sized Onion, grated to a fine paste or finely chopped
  • ¾ Tsp Coriander powder
  • ¾ Tsp Cumin powder
  • ½ Tsp Garam Masala powder
  • 1 Tbsp Ghee
  • 1 Tsp Sugar (to balance the taste)
  • 5–6 Kaffir lime leaves
  • Salt according to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and pat dry the chicken. Marinate it with the ginger paste, garlic paste, yogurt, green chilli paste, Gondhoraj lemon juice and salt. Keep aside for 30-60 minutes.
  2. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, temper with bay leaves, dry red chillies and the whole black peppercorns. Add in the onion paste. Sauté till the raw smell goes away and turns light golden brown in colour.
  3. Next, add in the marinated chicken along with the coriander powder and the cumin powder. Stir well cover and cook over medium-low heat. Cook for about 18-20 mins, stirring the chicken at regular intervals. While cooking, if the chicken starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, you may add ½ cup of hot water to it.
  4. Once the chicken is almost cooked, add the ghee, sugar, garam masala powder, kaffir lime leaves. You may add some more of the Gondhoraj lemon juice if you want out here. Do taste the gravy and add according to your preference.
  5. Cook for another few minutes until the chicken is fully done and is cooked through. Turn off the heat. Serve with steamed rice, luchis, parathas or even appams!

Notes

You may also add a bit of finely grated lemon rind at the very end of the cooking, just before switching off the flame. This will ensure a flavour burst of the Gondhoraj lemon. However, this is purely optional.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4

 

 

]]> https://reetikamitra.com/mainstays/gondhoraj-chicken-chicken-with-gondhoraj-lemon/feed/ 7547 Lau Dal https://reetikamitra.com/mainstays/lau-dal/ https://reetikamitra.com/mainstays/lau-dal/#comments Sun, 13 Jul 2025 05:25:40 +0000 https://reetikamitra.com/?p=7269 I owe the idea for this recipe to my mother. When I was a kid, my mother often made the Lauki dal at home particularly during the summer months. She used to say, it’s good for the stomach and has a cooling effect. The Lauki dal is a relatively common Bengali dish. There was another dal which was made at home using karela. Truth be told, given its bitter taste, I was not particularly fond of it but we were told it was good for the gut and with all the sweets we used to eat, the karela was a good antidote. As I grew up, I understood the nutrition benefits of both the lauki and the karela as vegetables. It so happens that both the lauki and the karela are made with moong dal. So, I decided to cook the same dal but with both the vegetables together. The bitterness of the karela gets balanced with the sweetness of the lauki so the dal has nice dual taste profile. One tip for the recipe, I have used Radhuni (wild celery seeds) which adds a typical Bengali taste to the dish. Radhuni is used in dishes like Shukto and is part of the famous Bengali Panchphoron mix. If you can’t get hold of the Radhuni, you can substitute it for Cumin seeds instead. On final tip, don’t forget to add one dollop of ghee for that extra flavour. This is one dish which appeals to the entire family and is a staple for the summer months.

 

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Lau Dal

★★★★ 3.5 from 823 reviews
  • Author: Reetika Mitra
  • Prep Time: 5 Mins
  • Cook Time: 15 Mins
  • Total Time: 20 Mins
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Description

The Summer Staple

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Moong Dal (split skinless green gram lentil)
  • 1/2 medium sized Lauki (Bottle Gourd), diced into 2 inch pieces
  • 1–2 Tej Patta (Bay leaf)
  • 2 dry whole Red Chillies
  • 12–15 Methi dana (Fenugreek seeds)
  • 1 pinch + 1/4 Tsp Haldi (Turmeric powder)
  • 1/2 Tsp Radhuni (Wild Celery seeds. You may substitute it for cumin seeds, if you cannot get them readily available)
  • 1 Tsp Ginger paste
  • 4 Green Chillies, slit
  • 2 medium sized Karela (Bitter Gourd), sliced into rounds
  • A few Moringa Drumsticks, cut smaller pieces
  • 1 + 1 Tbsp Oil
  • Salt to Taste
  • 1/2 Tsp Sugar
  • 1 Tsp Ghee

Instructions

  1. Pressure cooker 1/2 cup moong dal in 2 cups water with a pinch of turmeric powder. Cook until 1 whistle. Take off flame and allow to cool by itself.
  2. In a pan heat 1 tbsp oil. Fry the karela till golden brown and crisp. Take out and keep aside, ready to be used.
  3. Lightly saute the drumsticks as well and keep them aside as well, ready to be used.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp more of the oil. Add the tempering of bay leaf, red chillies, fenugreek seeds and radhuni (or cumin seeds) over medium-low flame. Add the diced lauki, saute and stir for a minute. Cover and cook for a minute or two.
  5. Next lower the flame and add ginger paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt. Stir over low flame, cover and cook over low heat for about bit. If need be, sprinkle some water so it doesn’t get burnt from below.
  6. When the lauki is semi done, add the dal from the pressure cooker. Pour some more water if necessary to get to your ideal consistency.
  7. When it starts boiling, lower the flame and cook for a few more minutes till the dal and lauki are cooked.
  8. Now throw in the slit green chillies add the fried karela, sauteed drumsticks and sprinkle the sugar. Give a good stir and cook for 30-40 seconds more.
  9. Lastly add the ghee. Mix well and switch off the flame. Serve hot accompanied by steamed rice.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4

 

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