BATI CHORCHORI for my Bestie

My Bestie and simply amazing fellow blogger, Priyanka,  had requested me, quite some time back, to post about Bati Chorchori.She is a foodie herself, so a request from her, was extra special for me. With both of us, now in two different countries, for the last few years, weekend meals have lost much of their meaning. Weeekends for Priyanka and yours truly, started off with a typical Girl's Evening Out, which stretched onto a Girl's Night Out or sometimes Girl's Night In, with loads of great food and loads of high spirits(well, literally). All our cribbing about the men in our lives, comparing our respective bosses to Miranda Priestly, washed down by rounds of Rum or Mojitos or Vodka or Dry Martinis, and food, food, food all the way. We even have our very own signature Midnight Salad. We used to whip up this particular salad, at her place, to accompany us, on our nightlong adda, till the dawn was almost cracking. Waiting with bated breath to rewind to those days. Even in my last visit to India, we made sure, we did all of that, to keep the good times rolling. Nostalgia !

Coming back to her request, Bati Chorchori, it was, for one of our weekend lunches, in Priyanka's honor. Bati Chorchori, Crispy Uchhe Bhaja and Mushur Daal with some Gorom Bhaat was our Saturday Lunch. Bati Chorchori with some random veggies, like Broccoli, Carrots,Potatoes and not to forget some Prawns. We were tired of steamed veggies, and Bati Chorchori seemed like a good idea, to prep these veggies. Priyanka had asked me to post about it after I had made it, so that she had an idea on my take on the classic dish. Well, I am guilty in this regard. I did cook it up, but writing about it, took a really long time. Sorry about that girl ! As I cooked up some Bong food, after quite a few days, her request came back to mind.

Bati Chorchori is something which I guess gets made in every Bong household, with their own variations. My mom makes it in her own signature syle, and MIL does it in her own. How do i make it. Well, the ingredients differ for me, but I stick to my Mom's basic Bati Chorchori to experiment with veggies, which the man isnt too fond of eating. Add in some Chingri Maachh(Prawn/Shrimp) and he loves the veggies. So Bati Chorchori saves the day. The name Bati Chorchori, literally translates to,"Cooking in a Bowl." The idea is to add in all the ingredients and the spices  and a dash of water and cover and cook. The steam generated cooks the veggies or protien, and its usually an easier dish to tackle. Bati Chorchori can be cooked up with Veggies, or even small fish, like Mourala or Anchovies or even Prawns. If Bati Chorchori is made with just Protiens, then it has a heady dose of onions and garlic and some chopped fresh tomato and not to forget some Shorsher Tel(Mustard Oil). Bati Chorchori with veggies is usually made without onions or garlic. Its the prawns which often do the trick. My mom makes her Bati Chorchori with some mustard paste and some prawns, and I stick to that, but I have adapted it to suit me.So go ahead, chop up some veggies and add in some mustard paste and cook up some Bati Chorchori.

BATI CHORCHORI: 

Ingredients: 
Large head of Broccoli: 1: Cut into florets and discard the stalks.
Baby Carrots: Cut lengthwise: 1 cup
Potato: 2 medium sized ones: Diced.
Mustard Paste: 2 tbsp
Red Chili Powder: 1 tsp
Tumeric powder: 1tsp
Salt: To taste
Green Chilies: 2-3 : chopped(adjust according to heat preferences)
Mustard Oil: 3-4 tbsp
Prawns: De-veined and Peeled and 1/4 cup: I did not have the smaller shrimps, so I diced the larger ones, so that they are almost the size of the veggies.

Procedure: 

In a large pan, add in the mustard oil, and once its hot enough, add in all the broccoli, carrot and potatoes. Stir fry for a few minutes.

Add in the mustard paste, chopped green chilies, the dry spices and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium heat, for around 5 minutes, till the spices lose their rawness. Add in a few splashes of water if you feel that the veggies are sticking to the pan, or the masala can get burnt.

Add in about half a cup of water. Mix well. Cook covered, till the veggies are almost done.

Add in the shrimps, mix well. Cover and cook, stirring frequently.

Cook till the prawns have turned pink and the water has dried up. If you feel that you have added more water, then just cook uncovered, after you have added the prawns. It will help dry out  the dish. Make sure that the veggies do not turn mushy, but are cooked through. Check for seasonings and adjust accordingly. This is a slightly spicy and dry dish.

Serve with some hot steamed Basmati Rice and Mushur Daal. I had also made some fries to go with it.

Bon Appetit !!!