Celebrate Pahela Falgun at home with traditional Bangladeshi recipes

Celebrating Pahela Falgun is a tradition deeply rooted in the Bangladeshi psyche. This year, welcome the arrival of spring with an intimate house party. Invite friends over for easy laughter and long, unhurried conversations. Complete the celebration by serving the most authentic Bangladeshi dishes. And to help you do just that, here are a few recipes to get you started.

MUSTARD FLOWER OMELETTE

Ingredients

½ cup mustard flower

3 large eggs

1 tbsp chopped onion

¼ tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp chopped green chilli

1 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

Method

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients. Beat well with a fork. Put a frying pan on low heat and add one tbsp butter. When the butter is melted, add eggs and move the pan around to spread them out evenly. When the omelette begins to cook and firm up but still has a little raw egg on top, ease around the edge of the omelette with a spatula, then fold it in half. When it turns golden brown, remove the pan from the heat and slide the omelette onto a plate.

Image

PUMPKIN FLOWERS STUFFED WITH PRAWN

Ingredients

12 pumpkin flowers, stems intact with stamen removed

200g prawns, shelled and deveined

2 egg whites

1 cup potato starch

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 garlic clove, finely diced

1 lime

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Pinch salt and pepper

Method

Pound the prawns in a mortar and pestle into a fine paste. Add the fish sauce, garlic, salt and pepper, knead well for 2 minutes. Take a teaspoon of paste and carefully stuff each pumpkin flower. Coat each flower with egg white, then dust each flower with potato starch until dry and shake the excess starch off. In a deep saucepan or wok, add the oil and bring it to 180 degrees Celsius.

Fry the flowers until crisp, not allowing them to go brown and place on an absorbent paper towel. Place the flowers on a long platter and garnish. Serve as a shared entrée with a squeeze of lime.

Image

NIMKI

Ingredients

2 cups white flour

½ tsp kalojeera (fennel)

4 tbsp ghee

½ cup water

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, kalojeera, and ghee. Now add water to it and make the dough. Keep it aside. Cover with a wet cloth for 15 minutes. Roll the dough into thin chapatis. Cut them into shapes of your choice with a knife. Now heat oil in a pan. Deep-fry the nimkis on low heat till they turn light brown and crispy. When done, remove from heat and set aside on a paper towel to drain oil and cool. Store in an air-tight container so that it lasts longer.

Tip: Make sure you fry nimkis on low heat. If the flame is high, the nimkis will turn brown quickly and will remain raw and soft inside.

Image

COCONUT LADDU

Ingredients

2 cups coconut, grated

2 tbsp ghee

¼ cup of desiccated coconut for coating the ball

2 cups sweetened condensed milk

½ tsp cardamom powder

Method

In a saucepan, heat ghee and add coconut, stirring continuously for 4-5 minutes. The coconut will soon start to get fragrant. Do not overheat, otherwise the desiccated coconut will change colour. Add condensed milk and mix well with the coconut. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. The mixture will get a fudge-like consistency. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Form small balls with the coconut mixture. Roll the balls onto the desiccated coconut to form a coat. Optionally, you can garnish with slivers of almonds or pistachios.

ROYAL SAFFRON TEA

Ingredients

1 bay leaf

2 pods of cardamom

½ inch cinnamon stick

2 cloves

¼ tsp fennel seeds

A pinch of nutmeg powder

1 cup liquid milk

½ cup water

10 saffron strands

2 tsp black tea

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp powder milk

1 tsp hot water

Method

Heat a tawa with all the whole spices and roast on low heat for 2 minutes to release the aroma. Crush them slightly and set aside. Heat your teapot or pan with liquid milk, water, crushed spices, nutmeg powder, ground tea and a few saffron strands on low to medium heat. Boil it until the milk thickens and the tea releases its colour. In your teacup, put sugar, powder milk and 1tsp hot water, whisk it to make a creamy paste. Pour your boiled tea into the cup using a tea strainer. Stir it and garnish with saffron.

Compiled by Mannan Mashhur Zarif