I have written about the Durga Pujo at the Chorbagan Chatterjees earlier in my Mahabhog series, I am sure you must have enjoyed my post on the delicious Bhetki Maacher Niramish Ghonto that’s offered to the deity on Nobomi. To know more about the Chorbagan Chatterjee Barir Durga Pujo, read this inspiring post by Subhadip on his blog.
But when I was told about the Niramish Chingri Malaikari, the piece de resistance of Nobomi bhog at the Chatterjees, I cannot deny that I was taken aback.
Niramish Chingri Malaikari ? I had questioned. Cynicism stark in my voice.
Yes, had come the matter-of-fact response, no onion (no garlic), yet delectable.
I politely promised to give the recipe a try.
It took me a couple of weeks to muster the courage to try the Niramish Chingri Malaikari, classics are not meant to be fiddled with, I had reasoned with myself, confident that the recipe w-ould far from be able to recreate the magic of a malaikari.
The outcome though was sublime. I was happy to stand corrected and there was not an iota of doubt left in my head – yes, I hadn’t planned for more than one recipe per family. But this absolutely warranted an exception.
In the tenth post of my Mahabhog series, I have recreated Niramish Chingri Malaikari, yet another heirloom recipe of the Chorbagan Chatterjees, following the exact steps detailed to me by a member of the family.
Niramish Chingri Malaikari. Luscious king prawns. The sweetness of coconut milk. The earthy warmth of ginger. The perfume of whole spices. Food heaven !!!
Enjoy !!!
If you are keen to learn what is served to the deity in the various bonedi barir Pujo as part of their bhog, do stay tuned for more !!
And if you haven’t already, here’s my posts on what’s in the bhog offered to Maa Durga.
1. Shibpur RoyChowdhury Barir Kolar Borar Payesh
2. Sabarna Roy Choudhury Barir Pui Chingri
3. Chorbagan Chatterjee Barir Niramish Bhetki Maacher Ghonto
4. Bhawanipur Nandan Barir Chandrapuli
5. Girish Bhawan er Chhanar Kalia
6. Rani Rashmoni Barir Perakir Payesh
7. Shovabazar Rajbarir Pokanno
8. Sheorafuli Rajbarir Rajeshwari
9. Jorasanko Daw Barir Balushahi
PS – Please do not reproduce the content without appropriate permission.
Chorbagan Chatterjee Barir Niramish Chingri Malaikari
Ingredients
- 12-15 king prawns
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 one inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamom
- 4 tbsp oil
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
- sugar to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- De-shell and clean the prawns carefully, keeping the tails intact. Rub the prawns with a little salt. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a frying pan till smoking hot. Cool the oil. Add the prawns and fry till light golden (be careful not to over fry the prawns). Keep aside.
- Add 2 tbsp ghee to the same pan, add the bay leaves and lightly crushed spices, sauté till the spices release their aroma.
- Take yogurt, ginger paste and Kashmiri red chili powder in a bowl, give it a hearty mix. Lower the flame and gently pour in the yogurt-ginger mix, add a sprinkle of salt, saute until oil starts to release from the fried masala. (Splash a little water if the spice mixture is getting a bit too dry)
- Now add the milk and coconut milk while stirring continuously. Allow the curry to simmer for 10-12 odd minutes.
- Throw in the fried prawns, add the sugar . Cook till the gravy thickens a bit. 5 minutes or so over a medium flame. Adjust seasonings.
- Finish off with a dollop of ghee and a sprinkle of garam masala powder.
This was divine, and so easy to make! Loved it. This is now going to be a regular recipe for me. Felt I was eating some fancy caterer’s malaikari at a biye bari or something!