A winter afternoon means a little sunshine, a little laziness and the hope of a good meal. Food at this time should offer warmth, aroma and depth of flavour that comfort the body and satisfy the mind. Narikeli hash – duck with coconut – is one such dish with a royal taste. With its tender meat, thick gravy and the mellow flavour of coconut, it makes the whole table feel festive on a winter afternoon. Narikeli hash with rice is a familiar yet ever-new pleasure of Bengali cooking. Here is the recipe.

First heat oil in a karai and add onion. When the onion softens slightly, add ginger-garlic paste, salt and mustard and stir well. When the mixture has fried a little, add turmeric, chilli, cumin and garam masala one by one and keep cooking. Then add a little water and put in the duck meat, cut into small pieces.

When the meat is cooked, mix in green chillies and grated coconut. Cover the karai, lower the heat and leave it to steam for a while. Finally dissolve a tablespoon of milk powder in water, sprinkle it over the karai and take it off the heat. Your narikeli hash is ready. Serve it with hot rice.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.