Gretchen’s notes:
The wonderful and talented Rupa is actually a big part of the reason that this project exists in this form!
We were trying to figure out a realistic way to share recipes from our friends, but we’re thousands of miles apart from all of the women on this site, so we can’t just pop over to their houses, film them cooking, and write down the recipes we saw them making. Asking them to write out their recipes for us was next to impossible too, thanks to complications like different units of measurement.
But then we remembered that a couple of years ago, after we left India, Rupa had sent us a video showing how to make one of her recipes. We tried to recreate it in Costa Rica, and despite not being able to find a few of the ingredients there, it was delicious!
That’s when we realized that we could use that concept as the foundation for this site. The women involved share their recipes by filming them, and then we use those videos and my professional cooking experience to write out recipes. This gives you the option of following along with the video, reading the recipe and cooking that way, or some combination.
So thank you, Rupa, for the inspiration! And now, onto the first of her recipes on the site. (Many more to come, we hope! Remember that your donations help fund these recipes, so please donate or share this project so you can keep seeing more authentic Bengali recipes from Rupa.)
Ingredient Preparation
The potatoes and eggplant should be cut into big chunks. Imagine a large bite-sized piece, then double that. This allows them to break down a bit over the cooking time and still be nice and hearty at the end. (If the pieces are too small, they may just kind of melt away.)
Can You Make This Vegetarian?
Yes! To create a vegetarian version of this dish, you can just leave out the prawns entirely and proceed with the recipe as written. Another option is to substitute nice hearty mushrooms for the prawns. Use something that can stand up to this preparation, like big chunks of portobello or crimini mushrooms. Avoid anything too delicate, like enoki mushrooms or chanterelles.
Substitution Options
Mustard oil: substitute an equal amount of any neutral oil, such as vegetable oil or canola oil. It won’t have the same flavor, but you may not have much of a choice if you’re in the US, since the FDA disapproves of mustard oil.
Green chili: feel free to use what you like depending on your spice tolerance and what’s available locally! Heat things up with jalapeños, keep them mild with green bell peppers, or use another pepper of your choice.
Lau shak: this is the leaves of bottle gourds. Sadly, you probably won’t find it at your local grocery store in the US or Europe. Substitute Swiss chard or kale.
Red chili powder: to reduce the heat of the dish, substitute paprika powder instead. You’ll get the same coloring effect and some nice flavor without making the dish super spicy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mustard oil (see Substitution notes – substitute neutral oil like vegetable or canola)
- 2 cups prawns (about 20 medium prawns)
- 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin
- 1/2 cup halved green chili (see Substitution notes – use whatever chili you prefer!)
- 3 cups lau shak, sliced (see Substitution notes – substitute Swiss chard or kale)
- 3 cups potatoes, cut into large pieces (about double what you would consider large bite size)
- 4 cups eggplant, skins on, cut into large pieces (about double what you would consider large bite size)
- 1 heaping teaspoon red chili powder (see Substitution notes – substitute paprika powder if you don’t like spicy food)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons large-crystal sugar (or half as much if you’re using granulated sugar)
- 1 tablespoon flour
Instructions:
Heat a large, deep pan over medium heat until hot. Add the mustard oil. Once the oil is spitting hot, add the prawns. Fry on one side in the hot oil for 20 to 30 seconds, then stir to turn all the prawns over and cook the other side.
Immediately add the salt and turmeric. Stir and cook for a few seconds, then add the cumin and stir again. Add the green chili pieces and stir.
Add the sliced lau shak, the potato chunks, and the eggplant. Stir to combine everything, mixing from the bottom to bring the prawns and hot oil up and get everything evenly combined.
Add the red chili powder, and continue stirring to combine everything. Cover to keep the moisture in, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Add the water, stir again, and add the sugar. Stir everything to combine, then cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top, mix to combine, and cook for another minute or two.
Serve garnished with fresh red onion and cucumber slices.
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