When the mustard oil starts boiling, release the fish into the hot mustard oil with extreme caution. Fry one side of the fish for about 3-4 minutes and then turn the pieces.

Fry the other side also for the same time till the fish becomes golden brownish in color. When the pieces of fish attain a firm contour you may remove from the frying pan and keep them aside.

Dash some black cumin in the container and vegetables (tomatoes, onions, parwal) to it. Cook till the vegetables become soft.

Add spices (turmeric powder and coriander powder) to it. You will get a typical essence (mustard oil and vegetables) which will make you spellbound.

You will feel the ambience of a typical Bengali cuisine. Add the pieces of fish into the vegetables and cook well till the fish mixes with the vegetables.

Add about 1 cup of water so that the fish boils well along with the vegetables and get the perfect contour of a typical Bengali fish soup. You may add slit green chillies to it.

Enjoy the rohu fish soup along with steaming rice. Recipe and image: swetawriter RELATED RECIPES Mango chamandi Homemade peanut butter South Indian fish curry with tamarind Spinach and mango shorba Chicken noodles soup Ingredients: 1 - rohu fish (a medium sized sweet water carp fish cut into equal pieces after being scaled and cleaned) Mustard oil for frying 1 tsp - turmeric powder Black cumin, a pinch 1/2 tsp - coriander powder 1 - tomato, medium sized, chopped into smaller pieces 2 - green chillies, slit 2 - parwal (deseeded and cut into quarter pieces) 1 - onion, medium sized, chopped into smaller pieces Salt according to taste (less)

When the mustard oil starts boiling, release the fish into the hot mustard oil with extreme caution. Fry one side of the fish for about 3-4 minutes and then turn the pieces.

Fry the other side also for the same time till the fish becomes golden brownish in color. When the pieces of fish attain a firm contour you may remove from the frying pan and keep them aside.

Dash some black cumin in the container and vegetables (tomatoes, onions, parwal) to it. Cook till the vegetables become soft.

Add spices (turmeric powder and coriander powder) to it. You will get a typical essence (mustard oil and vegetables) which will make you spellbound.

You will feel the ambience of a typical Bengali cuisine. Add the pieces of fish into the vegetables and cook well till the fish mixes with the vegetables.

Add about 1 cup of water so that the fish boils well along with the vegetables and get the perfect contour of a typical Bengali fish soup. You may add slit green chillies to it.

Enjoy the rohu fish soup along with steaming rice. Recipe and image: swetawriter RELATED RECIPES Cream of carrot soup Mango chamandi Homemade peanut butter South Indian fish curry with tamarind Spinach and mango shorba Ingredients: 1 - rohu fish (a medium sized sweet water carp fish cut into equal pieces after being scaled and cleaned) Mustard oil for frying 1 tsp - turmeric powder Black cumin, a pinch 1/2 tsp - coriander powder 1 - tomato, medium sized, chopped into smaller pieces 2 - green chillies, slit 2 - parwal (deseeded and cut into quarter pieces) 1 - onion, medium sized, chopped into smaller pieces Salt according to taste (less)

Curdled cow?s milk called chenna is first kneaded thoroughly with powdered sugar and crushed blackberries and made into small balls and garnished with sliced almonds. Makes: around 15 Blackberry Sandesh.

Ingredients: Blackberries 4 – 6 Cow?s Milk 1/4 Gallon (around 1 Lt) or Whey 1/2 Cup or more Confectionery Sugar 1/4 Cup Green Powder a big Pinch Blanched Sliced Almonds to Garnish Method of preparation: Whisk yogurt in half a cup of water till smooth. Bring the milk to boil in a heavy bottomed pot on a medium flame.

Stir continuously till the milk starts bubbling to avoid scorching. Once the milk boils, switch off the heat and stir in yogurt little by little.

Add more yogurt if required and let the milk curdle completely. Pour the curdled milk in to a muslin cloth lined strainer and then wash the curds under cold running water.

Hold the muslin cloth tight and squeeze off the excess water. Hang the collected curd for an hour or two to remove excess moisture.

The hung curd should have little moisture and is called chenna. In a mixing bowl, crush the black berries thoroughly with sugar and cardamom powder.

Add this mixture to the chenna mixture and knead thoroughly with palm for 5 ? 10 minutes to bind the chenna mixture and to make it quite soft and smooth without sticking to the hands. Make soft small lime sized balls out of the kneaded chenna mixture.

Garnish the blackberry sandesh with sliced almonds. Serve blackberry sandesh chilled and finish them in a day or two.

Notes: Make sure to hang the chenna well so that there is not too much moisture. Suggestions: You can freeze the chenna mixture for couple of minutes if there is too much moisture after hanging it.

Adjust sugar according to your preference. You can also use few tablespoons of lemon juice to curdle the milk.

Variations: Check other Other Names: Blackberry Sandesh (less)

Keep aside for 30 minutes. Heat up a pan, mix in 1 tblsp oil, shallow fry marinated fish from both sides until slightly browned.

Take off and keep aside. Heat up remaining oil, mix in mustard seeds, kalonji, whole dry red chillies and bay leaf, stir fry for a few minutes till seeds crackles, mix in ginger, garlic paste and stir fry again for a moment.

Mix in cut onion and stir fry until slightly brown in colour. Mix in mustard paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, stir fry masala nicely until oil starts separating.

Adjust water and salt, bring to boil and then mix in shallow fried fish, put green chilli slits on top. Stir fry on a slow flame until fish get cooked and oil starts floating on top of gravy.

Take off and decorate with cut green coriander leaves (less)

Heat up oil in a pot and when very hot fry the potatoes lightly and drain. Then fry the florets of cauliflower till they turn a little brown.

Remove and keep it aside. Take off the oil.

In the same pot heat up ghee and mix in the bay leaves and the whole garam masala and stir fry for 30 seconds. Mix in cut onion and fry till golden in colour.

Mix in the masala powders and stir fry for a minute taking care that the masala does not stick to the bottom. Mix in a tblsp of water if necessary.

Mix in the potatoes, cauliflower and the tomatoes. Stir fry for a while.

Mix in a cup of water, cover and stir fry over medium heat. Stir from time to time.

Take off from heat up when the vegetables are cooked and nearly dry (less)

Soak poppy seeds in one cup warm water for fifteen to twenty minutes. Remove and grind to a fine paste.

Heat up mustard oil in a pot till it just reaches smoking point. Remove, cool and heat up the oil again on medium heat.

Mix in kalonji and stir-fry briefly. Mix in potato pieces and stir fry on medium heat up for five minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix in the poppy seeds paste, stir and mix in half cup of water, cover and stir fry on low heat up till the potatoes are almost done. Take off the lid, mix in salt, sugar and slit green chillies.

Continue to stir fry for a minute more or till potatoes are completely cooked, stir in desi ghee and serve hot (less)

Drain. Take off skin and fibre, if any, and mash.

Sieve the flour and the soda, rub in the ghee. Mix in to the sweet potatoes.

Knead well. In case the mixture feels soft, mix in a little more flour.

Make lime size crack free balls and stuff one raisin in each. Heat up oil in a kadai.

When the oil begins to smoke, take off the heat, put in a few balls at a time. Put on medium heat up again and fry till golden brown.

Remove and put the balls in the syrup and keep aside for a few hours. Serve warm or cold (less)