16 June

সবাইকে জামাইষষ্ঠীর শুভেচ্ছা ||

Today in Bengal, Jamai Shasti is being celebrated. Jamai means son-in-law and Shasti means the sixth day of shukla paksh according to the Hindu calendar. This festival is predominantly celebrated in West Bengal.

The legend behind this festival goes like this - there was once a very greedy woman who used to eat up everything cooked in the house. When asked, she blamed it on the cat. The cat being close to Goddess Shasti, complained to Her about this. In order to teach the woman a lesson, Goddess Shasti hid all the children of the woman. Being punished, the greedy woman performed rituals before the Goddess and prepared delicacies in order to please her. The Goddess was eventually satisfied and decided to return all her children. Since then all women started performing the Shasti puja for the welfare of their children.

Just like every other Bengali festival, food is the most important part of the festival. The mother-in-law cooks a lavish feast for the son-in-law. Non-Vegetarian dishes dominate the platter with fish taking the obvious centerstage. 

But on this occasion, I am going to talk about a very versatile recipe today. You can use practically anything to go with this recipe - eggs, fish, prawn, paneer or even vegetables. Among vegetables this works wonderfully well with Potol (Pointed Gourd). I have made this infinite number of times and even made it for my office colleagues who loved it like crazy, so I know this little family recipe is a winner.

Unlike other Bengali Egg curries which has potato, this particular recipe is made without any potatoes. Its a rich, flavorful, sweet and spicy curry which needs very little time to whip up and tastes out of the world. This recipe is curated by my mom and took me a lot of time to perfect. Though it has a super simple ingredient list and procedure, the key to making this curry is frying the onions in the optimum way. It transforms the taste of the dish totally, if you do not fry the onions correctly. The other important thing is addition of jeera powder. I had started cooking this curry when I went to US and didn't have much experience in cooking. My mom would explain and guide me with the recipes over skype and I used to try and create something edible in my kitchen. For the longest time I would not add that small pinch of Jeera powder and always ended up wondering why this curry didn't taste as tasty as my mom's version. Very recently, one day when I saw my mom making this curry I discovered that the magic ingredient was that small hint of Jeera powder. It made the flavors bolder in the curry. And when this is done with seafood it takes this to a very different level. So even if it is your mom, they rightly say, chef's don't always give away the whole trick to a dish! My mother used to say the same about my grandma, so I know it :D.

You can make this with poultry eggs as well, but hasher dim (duck eggs) really take the taste of this dish a notch up. Duck eggs are pretty much just like chicken eggs, except they are larger and richer. They're higher in fat and lower in water content. The taste is more richer and creamier. It is a family favorite for us. Unfortunately in Pune it is very difficult to get Duck Eggs where I stay. Now a days though BigBasket is having the option but it is like super super expensive. I remember last time I visited Kolkata, I had bought a dozen Duck eggs from a villager lady in the local market and it was Rs.12 per egg as compared to Rs 6 for a poultry egg. Here is it almost 3 times the price in BigBasket. But when you have a special occasion like Jamai Shasti, you feel all too generous and feel like going gourmet. 

So here it is a lovely rich Egg curry to make for all those dinner times when you want to relish a delicious egg curry without much hassel. The whole recipe gets done in half an hour's time and thats one more reason I love it so much.

Check out a few festive recipes for Jamai Shasti from my blog

• Kakrar Jhal || Crab Curry
• Bangladeshi Mutton Tehari
• Dhakai Morog Polao
• Dak Bungalow Chicken
• Morich Mutton
• Bread Malpua
• Fulkopir Malaikari with Paneer || Cauliflower with Cottage Cheese
• Macher Matha Diye Moong er Daal
• Narkel Diye Cholar Daal
• Gobindobhog Chaler Payesh

Ingredients :

• Wok
• Pressure cooker
• Knife

Procedure: 

1.  Boil the eggs. I used a pressure cooker for the same. Keep a bowl in the middle of the cooker. Fill some water in the cooker, till 1/4th bowl is immersed.  Wash the eggs and smear some mustard oil all over the eggs. Place these eggs in the bowl and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Let the pressure die out then open the lid and put the eggs into an ice bath. 

Tip: Applying mustard oil on the egg surface prevents it from cracking during boiling in a cooker.

2. Remove the shells and make a few cuts on the egg surface. Coat these eggs with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Shallow fry the eggs for a couple of minutes till it gets a little color on the surface. Keep aside.

3. Slice the onions and slit the green chilies.

4. Take a wok and heat refined oil. When hot temper it with whole jeera. When fragrant add the sliced onions. Cook on medium heat with cover on. Keep checking occasionally and add a dash of water if the onion starts sticking to the wok. Fry the onions till they are soft and oil separates.

Tip: Frying the onions is the key in this recipe. It should be fried till fully cooked and oil comes out.

Note: If you are using this recipe for vegetables like Potol (pointed gourd) or Paneer, then temper with 2 cardamom and 1/2 inch cinnamon bark. Replace refined oil with mustard oil.

5. Add the dry masalas now - red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, jeera powder. Add the sugar and salt. Add the slit green chilis. Cook for 5 more minutes till the masalas are incorporated.

6. Add 2 cups of warm water and give it a good stir. Add the fried eggs. Cover and cook till done.

Serve warm with steamed white rice or Indian Flatbreads.