Shutki Chingri Bhorta is a classic Bengali prawn paste (or Shrimp paste) recipe that originates from Bangladesh, prepared with Chingri Shutki or dried prawns/shrimps. This dish is an excellent accompaniment to steamed rice, and we mostly enjoy it as a main course.
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- Debjani's Note
- A typical Sunday at Chatterjee Alam's place!
- Chingri Shutki Bhorta
- Shutki chingri Bhorta at a Ghoti bari!!!
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tip
- Recipe Steps with Pictures
- Here's how I make Shutki Chingri Bhorta at Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Recipe Card
- Prawn Recipes
- Bhorta/ Bhate/ Makha recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Have you tried the Shutki Chingri Bhorta recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar?
- Here's the Chingri Shutki Bhorta Pin for your Pinterest Board!
Debjani's Note
Shutki Chingri Bhorta is an uncommon dish among the Ghoti community, but I am an exception as I hold it close to my heart. It's a regular part of our Sunday lunch, which is a time for our nuclear family to come together. We are a family of working parents and a supportive toddler. I am a full-time ESG professional and a food writer and content creator. My husband is an architect. We, like many other families, cherish the few moments we have to spend together in quality time. Although we would like to spend more time with our daughter, we often can't. That's why we reserve Sundays for just us. We crave a comforting family lunch, followed by an afternoon nap with our little one.
A typical Sunday at Chatterjee Alam's place!
As someone who frequently eats out for restaurant reviews, I crave homemade comfort food for Sunday lunch. My husband has always appreciated homemade meals, and our daughter enjoys spending exclusive time with us on Sundays. Cooking on Sundays is my preference, and I tend to make comfort food like boiled rice, daal, and a Bengali dish like Shukto or Shak bhaja, or Bhorta. Today, I want to share the recipe for Shutki Chingri Bhorta (Dried Prawn Paste), a well-known Bengali dish that pairs perfectly with plain rice.
Chingri Shutki Bhorta
The recipe is for "Chingri Shutki Bhorta," which includes dry fish, a favorite among the Bangal community. Even those who love traditional Bengali food like me enjoy eating this dish.
Shutki chingri Bhorta at a Ghoti bari!!!
Maa doesn't allow Shutki Mach in my home located in North Calcutta. During my college and university years, I would ask my friends to bring it for me. Nowadays, I make it myself and savor every bite with rice. Mehebub also enjoys his serving of Shutki Bhorta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dry fish is called shutki (শুটকি) or shutki machh (শুটকি মাছ) in Bengali. It is a popular traditional form of fish (after preservation) known for its strong smell and rich taste.
In English, shutki mach means sun-dried fish or dried fish. It describes fresh fish that has been preserved via salting and sun-drying.
For the fish to lose all of its moisture and have a long shelf life, the preservation process can take several days. The pungent, perhaps foul-smelling aroma of shutki preparation and cooking is noteworthy. But this fragrance is a little strange. After cooking, the odour disappears. Yet this form of preserved fish is all about acquired taste.
Shutki fish, or traditional dried fish, is a good source of concentrated protein, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids, so the answer is yes. However, opinions on some concerns are divided because, depending on how it was processed, it can occasionally include pollutants and have a very high sodium content.
Bhorta is a dish that can be made with vegetables, fish, or meat, and it is mashed or pureed. It is a unique dish in Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine. I personally love Bengali mash dishes, even though I am from West Bengal.
Tip
Chingri Shutki Bhorta, a popular dish from Bengali cuisine, is a mouth-watering delicacy we cook with some of the most basic ingredients. The primary ingredient in this dish is Chingri Shutki or Dried Prawn. However, the dish also includes other essential components such as onion, garlic, chili, and a few spices, which come together to create a taste that is both savory and spicy.
Recipe Steps with Pictures
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Here's how we cook Chingri Shutki Bhorta.
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This is how chingri shutki looks.
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Before cooking, thoroughly clean the dried prawns. After two to three rounds of washing under running water, wash the prawns in a bowl of water.
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Now use your hand to extract as much water as you can from the prawns.
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Roughly chop the onions.
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To prepare "Piyaj Beresta" (fried crisp onion), heat the oil in a wok and fry half of the onion until it is crisp. Set those aside.
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Now fry two dried red chillies with the stem in the same oil for a minute or until the chillies change colour. After removing the fried chillies from the oil, set them aside.
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Add the dry and cleaned prawns to the leftover oil.
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Sauté the prawns until all of the water has evaporated.
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Add two to three green chillies together with the remaining chopped onion, ginger, and also garlic paste.
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Cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes. If necessary, adjust the salt.
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Turn off the heat now and let the fried prawn rest for at least fifteen minutes.
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In a mixer grinder, combine cooked prawns, fried onion, fried red chilli, and a small amount of mustard oil and lemon juice.
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Prepare it into a smooth paste. You can also use Traditional "Shil Nora" or "Shil Batta" in place of mixer grinders.
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You can serve Shutki Chingri Bhorta with rice.
Here's how I make Shutki Chingri Bhorta at Debjanir Rannaghar!
Recipe Card
Chingri Shutki Bhorta | Dried Prawn Paste
Shutki Chingri Bhorta is a classic prawn paste recipe that hails from Bangladesh. It makes for an excellent accompaniment to steamed rice as a starter.
Ingredients
- 250 g Chingri Shutki/ Dried Prawn small size
- 4 Onion
- 1.5 tablespoon Garlic Paste
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Paste
- 3-4 Green Chili
- 3 Dried Red Chilli
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 2.5 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Clean dried prawns properly before cooking.
- Wash under running water 2-3 times, followed by washing the shrimps in a bowl full of water.
- Now strain water from the prawns using your hand, as much as you can.
- Chop onions roughly.
- Heat oil in a wok and fry half of the onion crisply to make "Piyaj Beresta" (fried crisp Onion). Leave those aside.
- Now in the same oil fry, two dried Red chilies with the stem on for a minute or till the chilies change color.
- Strain fried chilies from the oil and leave aside.
- Now add washed, dried prawns to the remaining oil.
- Start sauteing till the water evaporates completely and the prawns start emitting aroma.
- Add the remaining chopped onion, ginger, and garlic paste, and 2-3 green chilies.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes on a low flame.
- Adjust Salt if needed.
- Now switch the flame off and give the fried prawn a rest of at least 15 minutes.
- Take cooked prawns along with fried onion, fried red chili, and a dash of lemon juice, along with a little mustard oil, in a mixer grinder.
- Make a smooth paste of it.
- You can serve the Shutki Chingri Bhorta or Dried Prawn Paste as it is with rice. Else you can make small balls out of the paste as I did.
- Serve it with steamed rice with a side of green chili and a piece of lemon.
Nutrition
Prawn Recipes
Bhorta/ Bhate/ Makha recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Maach Makha | Bengali Fish Salad | Maach-er Bhorta
- Masoor Dal Bhorta
- Batabi Lebu Makha | Jambura Bhorta | Pomelo Salad
- Nona Ilish Bhorta aka Nona Ilish Bhuna Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Mawa Ghater Ilish Macher Lejar Bhorta | Ilish Macher Bhorta
- Posto Diye Laushak Bhate | Bengali Bottle Gourd leaves Mash with Poppyseed Paste
- Potol Bata aka Potol Bhate
Have you tried the Shutki Chingri Bhorta recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar?
Please share your experience with me, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Chingri Shutki Bhorta Pin for your Pinterest Board!
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
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