CURRY AND SPICE

Tessa... Oh dear Tessa... the girl who is supporting me in our Cristine's absence is very nice but giving me a lot of tension... there comes her message ... ma'am coming today evening... after an hour... ok ma'am tomorrow afternoon... and maam's head turns into a hot furnace.... This home has two men... one of whom does not even understand that the mother is in a soup... entirely the mother's fault... this is not a wise mother so an inevitable comparison gets unavoidable.... Ipsita's 14 years old son cleans and cuts banana blossoms too for her... he so much likes authentic Bengali food that S aunty makes it a point to send him whenever she goes traditional and authentic... and asks for a feedback... he is a good cook in making I may tell you... the monkey at this home will not even take his fork and spoon from the kitchen... the not so much of a Bengali uses spoon and fork for a hilsa... a severe insult to the silver queen.... but you cannot do anything... here is an indulgent mother who spoilt her monkey... Amidst such a mess.... the husband who was on leave yesterday adds fuel to the hot furnace.... in his noble wish to help his loving wife he overloads the washing machine with shirts without opening the buttons, mixed white stuffs with coloured ones and I do not even know how much of detergent he added or how he had set the timer! The wife got on her nerves and screamed ..... you will not walk beyond the kitchen door ... Coming back home after a week, he did not really expect or deserved such a treatment... My readers know I do not like anyone poking in my way of managing home.... either you take my instructions or you stay away... Anyway, we made up everything over two cups of evening tea and some store bought chicken popcorns.... Yes, I can have chicken as small bites, in tikkis and in Oriental preparations... batter fry... toss in some sauce ... add some chopped spring onions and yum... such shares can wait... there are better people for this... Let me go ahead with a healthy, authentic Bengali one today as this GOTA SHEDDO ! This recipe calls for a dal and few selective vegetables cooked whole.... This is not our family recipe as we are from East Bengal [now Bangladesh] and this dish is authentic of West Bengal... I do not always understand the divide as my mother was born in this side of the border... I love 'posto' and do add a bit of sugar to veggie dishes! This is not the actual time for a GOTA SHEDDO .... it is a part of Saraswati Puja ritual among the people of West Bengal origin! Though it was never made in our family... it used to come from our neighbours a day after Saraswati Puja perhaps... Of all the dishes of GOTA SHEDDO I had.... I loved the one I had at our couple friends' home in Mumbai... the couple I was so willing to speak about.... my way of paying homage to a couple who did what very few can or will do! Meet Partha Dey & Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh.... a perfect example of how one can stay grounded being at the top! There is a Houston connection to this story which is unavoidable or avoiding which will be very very wrong! A GOTA SHEDDO is not a perfect share talking about all of them .... then the prime focus is on a Chutu / Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh... who played a mother hen to a group of bachelor guys and my husband.... what was my role?... of a "dhyarosh".... who could do nothing.... mind it we were all in the same age group....

I am God fearing.... though not the excess of it... So I am at the liberty to do this GOTA SHEDDO at anytime and I find it to be a very healthy option that can be had with or without rice.... The way I "masalatised" it.... one can have it with rotis too! I really do not know what these two sets of couples eat at present... Does the Houston part eat cured salmon with grilled asparagus? I have to ask.... so far as I believe nothing ... not even a Houston environment & weather can make an Amit Bhaduri leave "pathar mangsho and Foster Beer" ever... this Geologist... ex-Presidency & Mumbai IIT pass out cannot get away with his love for mutton.... the big thing is that the person who did not know how to pour a glass of water from a bottle, grills chicken in his backyard... Do not expect anything more from him.... his wife ..... the sister like Ujjayini Bhaduri... is a spoiler like me.... till date I could not understand why this girl.... a Clinical Psychologist from the Calcutta University never went to work but dedicated her entire being to build a happy home... she does not love her S didi much but a better homemaker than her S didi .... The hospitality I received on my 2009 visit to Houston proves it all.... they themselves were new there then ..... that too after a "rajoshik" life in Mumbai, Libya and Balik Papan .... pampered by 4-5 helps.... Now they seem to be happy there with a daughter.... a year older than our monkey and a younger son! This Amit Bhaduri and a wonder called Partha Dey had been friends in school, high school and then stayed together for few years in Mumbai... How does T feature here? Well, Partha was in our school for a year and then shifted to another school.... Somehow T and Partha developed an unbreakable bond ..... and later T did his high school with these two guys.... There are many each year who top from the IITs... not all of them can be a Partha Dey... the first in batch both in IIT and IIM Kolkata sits high up in a ladder... but do not look down at anyone... does he lack self pride? Nope.... he told me once... you know S... I am overly qualified for my job.... this guy is born with a natural talent.... he did not have to acquire anything.... He will not brag around saying that Sundar Pichai was his roommate... who did not gel well with him and eventually changed his room in the second year... A Partha Dey who received my unnecessary calls even when he was in a meeting with the likes of KV Kamath or Chanda Kocchar.... no we are not in a relationship... haha... that high profile person is a ferociously go getter and focussed... else one cannot reach there where only about 100 Indians within India reach! He has a wife... Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh ..... how do I introduce her? Well, she is a born mother.... guardian.... she perhaps used a lipstick and eye-kohl only once in her life ..... on her marriage day.... yet she knows which one is how and gifted me my first Revlon lipstick! She does not touch alcohol but knows about all flavours of spritzers... she is accommodating to some extent.... So immediately after her marriage she played the mother to the bachelor boys like Amit and gang and as and when my husband visited.... without any irritation.... she is a near perfectionist in whatever she does... Each year... some one or the other tops the university and goes abroad on National Scholarship but not all of them can be a Madhuchanda! .... The couple hates it if my husband is in Mumbai and stay put in a hotel... The not at all romantic husband T got stationed at home for 21/2 years as soon as his wife got pregnant.... so you know I selected a good host body for myself! So after 21/2 years of homestay... we were in a soup... besides a Sanak Chottopadhay, a Dibyendu Banerjee or our father .... this couple called Partha and Madhuchanda literally gave shelter to my husband for 3 long months saving him from having vada pao everyday... No this high profile couple do not go to club or play golf ... they cannot digest food... most of them.... they love to travel... Chutu is attached to a couple of charitable organisations and does not wish to speak on it... They are God fearing... donates and gifted us a book on Sri Aurobindo! I could not repay 1/4 of what they have done for us.... They are blessed with a daughter 11/2 years younger than our monkey! Where did Partha inherit his down to the earth nature?... I believe from his mother.... Kakima is a short, frail lady who gave birth to three jewels... yet never boast of it.... she does not know the meaning of the word bragging! Its more than a year now I have not met her... have to! Partha's big brother stays somewhere there in the other side of the river in the East Coast... that green zone I hear... there... haha... his big sister was my neighbour for a couple of years... if Partha says that his didi was the best in mathematics among the siblings.... she is a jewel too... Chutu does not wear a makeup but walks for 10 hours to reach home in the Mumbai flood.... walks down from level 22 to reach office when the lift does not work... changes five autos on way to office .... although in a high profile job.... she maintains her own car though .... nose matters! Yet T says Chutu sacrificed her career for a Partha Dey.... she worships her home.... the people around!

This space is yet small to speak on people with such persona.... On my month long stay at their Mumbai home two times within a year... I saw how well organised Chutu was when I knew nothing.... I learnt gradually but I have a brother who is still spoon fed.... when he craves for phuchka.... the wife has to go and get it while he watches Formula1.... all because of the mother.... Anyway, I loved Chutu's family recipe of GOTA SHEDDO which has a bit of spices too! It perhaps uses skinned urad dal.... but I used green moong... In fact I used whatever ingredients were available locally.... hence the use of snow peas instead of "motorshuti".... in supermarkets we do get peas in a pod... but frozen... so I bought some snow peas... No I am not trying to imitate anyone.... two Bengali bloggers will have some similarities... most of the time I even miss who is posting what.... I see after posting mine.... no way do I regret that.... For a person like me who refuses to think... it is impossible to know the pulse of the readers.... so I will post what I have decided for the Day.... and not look here and there! Whoever clicks the link and takes a look at the blog post is my potential customer... haha... I do not earn a penny from my blog... something is wrong with my pin... cannot install Google Adsense .... no point doing so either... if not you are a big name.... so I consider my blog a passion.... better than starting to give "gyan" since morning till midnight! I used green moong, medium sized potatoes, spinach, eggplants, snow peas and hyacinth beans.... few spices, green chillies, mustard oil to drizzle.... it does not remain a GOTA SHEDDO right? haha... the tongue is worshipped here!

INGREDIENTS :
Green Moong Bean : 1small cup
Spinach : 3-4stalks [palak]
Snow Pea :7-8
Hyacinth Bean : 6-7 [sheem]
Potato : 3-4 medium
Egg Plant : 3-4small
Green Chilli : 2-3 [optional]
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2-3tbsp to drizzle on top [mustard oil for us]

PROCEDURE :

Below are the ingredients I used.

Wash and soak the green moong beans in hot water for 45 minute to 1 hour. Wash the rest of the vegetables thoroughly... specially the roots of the spinach. Though we are not supposed to cut the vegetables.... we can discard the roots of the spinach stalks.

Add the green lentil along with the water and whole potatoes in a pressure cooker.... add some salt...

Close the lid and pressure cook at low heat up to one whistle! Let the lid open naturally.

Take a deep bottomed vessel.... add the boiled dal and potatoes, hyacinth beans, snow peas, spinach stalks, eggplants, all the spices, green chillies, turmeric and some salt to it. Add 1 coffee mug of water.

Cover with a lid... keeping it little crack open. Slow cook until done! This may take some 1/2 an hour to 35 minutes. Check in between... Keep the heat at lowest.

Once done transfer the entire content to a serving bowl and drizzle some mustard oil atop.

Enjoy with or without rice!

There was a time when the mother had a tough time feeding me bitter gourd .... or say any kind of vegetables except for the ones which had some fish, fish heads or some small prawns! That the son of this house does not want to eat vegetables might be a trait inherited from his mother .... so I can be still hopeful about the son that in future his taste buds may adapt to having vegetables. With that hope this mother still mixes the veggies with the dal in such a way that he is not able to separate them from the dal and rice! Be it deboning a hilsa or turning the veggies to a paste for a sixteen year old is a tedious job referring to the boredom of doing it for so many years. Then I cannot stop doing it because I am my mother's daughter.... No, I do not agree to what our mother did for us .... spoon feeding..... however I fail to take lessons from her mistakes .... a comparison comes when I see a boy two years younger than mine so responsible and obedient! Mine till date leaves back his lunch box to water bottle to pencil box at school and never looks for them the next day.... Comparing two kids is not good but it saddens me at times! I remember my friend Rupa Roy once told me that one day she noticed that her son Deepro was not willing to share anything with them.... so for the next few days she got snacks and shared among other family members without giving anything to him. Deepro got the message and the lesson.... I call this wise parenting!.... This boy had / has that level of maturity that a forty year old may not have! Age and wisdom may not be inter-related, even at forty we may not learn how to behave and speak in public .... some do not even understand being gentle and nice to others is a quality .... it would remain the greatest regret of my life!.... Thinking of this I so much wish to constantly give vocal tonic to the son..... on how he should learn to behave and how he should treat a girl! I am planning such conversations post his examinations if only he allows me too! He also has to choose his associations wisely.... wrong associations do not help to grow good qualities in you..... he has to know how to deal with people.... we represent our family after all! We do not have a problem with our son having a girlfriend but he should know how to behave with her even when we are not watching!..... With all such speculations deep inside, I deboned hilsa for him even yesterday at 3 pm.... I could not serve them lunch before that.... I am a silly and foodie..... so could not wait till Cristine's return and headed to the Indian market on Thursday evening.... I got hilsa / ilish , alphonso, season's first potol / pointed gourd! From the pictures below you will know how desi I am .... and mind it those are not "morphed" pictures made and used to spread hatred and tension throughout the country.... some people have eye problem without having high powered glasses as mine! I have really made my circle very close.... what does not attract me or make me happy should be kept at a distance.... in public! At the moment I am focussed on the son's future besides happy blogging.... With a literal high nose.... I do not want a mediocre life for him ..... I have a severe guilt of not been able to make my mother happy academically .... had I have listened to her I may not have reached heights but would have been a daily passenger to that college in Bagula everyday or may have managed a transfer towards Kolkata by now.... that I live in a nation with five star ambience has nothing to do with me.... its all the husband's credit ..... he is qualitatively much higher than me! Even his teen was hurtful .... he faced all challenges of being a poor father's son.... of not belonging to a pedigreed family..... of not abiding to the rules of looking like a "raj putra"..... what we call a handsome guy! His courage made him accept all odds and use them as a weapon to be an achiever.... sitting on his "choupaya" on their asbestos roofed rented home.... he told his friend and confidant "I will achieve everything for which I have been dejected"! That confidant saw the spark in his eyes and did not spare a second to target him as a potential suitor ..... bagged him sooner for she knew he will make it.... haha..... I should not go beyond this.... he will not like it ..... he does not like social media..... he does not even know when his profile pictures get changed! The problem is when the bond of friendship is so strong ..... romanticism takes a backseat ..... it is a problem .... more so when the wife is a Bollywood fan! So you know even if my man or men do not touch bitter gourd in any form .... not even a STUFFED BITTER GOURD..... I do not mind.... they know there will be a meat dish for their parathas.... bitter gourd comes for the wife and Cristine! Even Bollywood may not eat bharwa karela .... I keep Bollywood near to me.... it nourishes my dream world.... but it cannot be my friend.... "Tumhare paas gari hai, bungla hai, motor hai.... aur mere paas? ek motor hai nau saal purana.... aur ek kiraye ka makaan.... 3100 sing dollar bharna parta hai har mahine mein 1150 sqft ke liye...".... Jokes apart, to earn in crores requires hard work.... the ladder to go up was / is never easy! I remember I participated in a television contest back in Kolkata prior to a Durga Puja.... God! it was a total pain... they invaded my home with camera and full set up... took a preliminary interview... then I along with others had to shoot in a non AC studio which was a furnace! So boring was the long make up hours and takes and retakes.... I was losing and suddenly in the final round when we had to light the maximum number of lamps within a minute... I won and got the first prize... oh terrible.... 10,000 rupees was the prize money ..... after six months they gave us about 4-5 thousand deducting the taxes.... "S boudi jitey gyachen 10,000 takar prothom puroshker" had no more a thrill by then .... uff! Perhaps "Aajker Durga" was the title! So, you know you have to work hard to carry a "Harrods" ..... I do not mind and go and make negative comments when Times Of India shares a picture of Karina with a caption that her bag costs more than an average man's car.... she earned it!.... I will neither go and share a cheese cake with a cherry compote for her... I am a fan who will remember her as a "Chameli" or "Geet" in Jab We Met .... The later is a film I never get bored of.... I am happy when I buy stuffs for my home... be it "ilish, alphonso, mutton, katla or potol".... the ilish and katla were not pleasantry big.... but fresh! Look at the brothers of the mutton shop ..... I am happy here.... people do not batter each other in the name of religion! These guys complimented me.... "sister your voice is so sweet... as of a nightingale .... that of a school goer'.... I burst into laughter.... and said I loved when people told me this up to a certain stage.... now at 47 it embarrasses.... specially when I receive a call from a stranger.... "hand over the phone to any elder".... come on!

Besides this STUFFED BITTER GOURD , I also have a wish to blog on my mother's recipe of "ucche chingrir chocchori" that she learnt from her mother! Be it a "macher tok with radhuni bata" or "ucche chingrir chocchori" .... I had it in our family.... did not see it in the husband's side of the family..... the mother-in-law did not have time for heirloom, time consuming dishes.... the lady with a literal high nose only gave importance to "aar, pabda, ilish, patha".... anyway by 12pm she had to lock her door and go to neighbourhood homes or restaurants! The paa-in-law's life was spent to meet ends till the son went to the sea to support him.... even after that he did not swim in luxury .... he is the one who never complained about his son and always felt his burden and tried to save his money! A father who polished his kid's shoes even when they were in high school..... got cigar packets for the son until a newly wed wife said this is wrong.... and she started getting it for her lazy moron... She was indulgent .... he visited home for four months in a year after a hard work.... These guys spend as long as 48 hours without sleeping on board.... money does not come for free.... that a mariner has a wife at very port has 1/4th truth in it.... I have not payed my tribute to "our" community.... the mariner's community as yet.... more on it and how a newly wed got a packet of cornflakes instead of a gold flake should come up later! This Indian vegetarian sides called STUFFED BITTER GOURD will be loved by my paa-in-law, my mother who loves "neem pata bhaja with ghee" and the late father.... I dedicate this dish to them.... No, my mother-in-law may not have it.... she only has... "raner patha, aar er lyaja, ilisher peti, rui-katlar gada o peti".... She told the newly wed me to keep all the boney fish pieces for me and the father-in-law and give the good ones to her and her son.... her daughter did not ever fancy food.... She categorically said that those who eat "charapona" builds an empire.... I answered that it is a quality to stay within limits and build empire with one's hard earned money..... Anyway, if a reader sees that I am going to blog on a vegetarian side STUFFED BITTER GOURD and yet goes and hits the like button on an "ilish bhaja and khichuri"blogged on some three months back .... I consider it as an insult.... if you do not like my move .... stay away or you are at the liberty to unlike my page! Its high time that I emphasise that my blog comes first ..... and the profiles at different forums were created to promote the blog leaving the personal Facebook profile .... I strongly felt that a like on a food photograph is not helping my mission.... I am not a photographer with qualitative photographic skills! Click the recipe link if you may or stop doing anything that hurts! Unlike the page if you find CURRY AND SPICE unworthy of your likes.... Likes indeed bring joy but that should come from one's heart and for my recipes and not to be conjoined with any other issues.... I do not accept it! Anyway.... my beef eater men always have a meat sides on days of veggies like bharwa karela.... I just wonder people who love cows so much.... why they cannot respect other animals! Do cows and goats have pedigree and non pedigree issue.... I humbly ask as I am an illiterate! People have so much knowledge.... they only lack compassion..... wisdom.... at least in public! To please myself and the like minded people I got this "rajanigandha".... after many years.... the grand father used to grow.... Tell me what song comes forth with the sight of this flower?

"Rajanigandhi, kamini, hashnuhana"..... one fine evening... in the dark one snake fell on my mashimoni's head... they come where these flowers grow... they say! I was standing at the back else people would know by now that there was an S who died young! This is an easier way of stuffing a bitter gourd with the potato filling... I have cut them half. For the rest please follow the recipe! I know blogging on a "rogrogey pathar jhol" or adding the recipe link down there may stop some people sharing nonsense on their stream or get me some 40-50 likes .... why should I? It gives me no high but irritation.... even if there are 2 likes.... it should be genuine! By the way, for the people of this island.... I had stuffed bitter gourd at Jessi's .... its somewhere in the Little India area and I simply loved it! May be I will ask for their recipe on my next visit!

INGREDIENTS : [for the potato filling]

Potato : 1big [wash, boiled, peeled, mashed]

Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp

Dry Mango Powder : 1/4tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Cumin Seed : 1/3tsp

Green Chilli : 2 [washed, chopped]

Salt : As Required

Oil : 2-3tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [final product]

Bitter Gourd : 4-5 [cut two ends, half, wash]

Onion : 2big [peeled, washed, sliced]

Dry Red Chilli : 2

Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp

Fenugreek Seed : 2-3 pinches

Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp

Garam Masala Powder : 1/3tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1tsp

Salt : As Required

The Potato Filling

Oil : 2-3tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Scoop out the seeds and flesh of the halved bitter gourds and marinate them with salt and turmeric for about half an hour!

Heat oil in a wok and fry the halved, marinated bitter gourds in batches! Transfer them onto tissue papers

Temper the same oil with cumin seeds! Add the chopped green chillies, stir 2-3 times!

Add the boiled potato, rest of the spice powders, salt as required.

Fold in well and stir cook for about 3-4 minutes.

The filling is ready, transfer to a bowl!

Once cool, fill the centre of the bitter gourds with a generous amount of potato filling!

Arrange them on a serving plate!

Heat 2-3tbsp oil in a clean wok and temper oil with dry red chillies, fenugreek and cumin seeds!

Add the sliced onion and stir fry them till golden brown. Add all the dry spice powders, the remaining turmeric powder and salt as required!

Cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Sprinkle little water, else the spice mixture will burn!

Once done, spread the spice mixture evenly atop the stuffed bitter gourd / karela. Enjoy it with flat breads or with a serving of dal & steamed rice!

All of us in the family love eggplants but me and the husband are allergic towards it a bit........ So I need to choose the right kind from a wide variety of eggplants we get here! The less seed ones are ok for us.... my problem is less ... only the seeds of a certain ones cause mild itching.... Next step is to cook it for a longer period with fair amount of spices that helps us to have it peacefully! We cannot leave having eggplant unless it attacks us severely .... One of the reason for visiting the Arab Street joints here is for the love of eggplants .... the choice of varied dishes on eggplants.... the Turkish tea and yes the desserts. Whoever visits us from elsewhere... be it the family or friends.... we make it a point to take them there .... the ambience is too ordinary.... nothing to praise .... I am not even able to use the toilet.... but the food is too good.... Beirut is my favourite of all.... Yes, I am a bit choosy.... if the lamb is smelly I am gone! Besides the breads, I keep wondering how their simplistic rice dishes taste so well... is it the influence of Hookah that makes me feel so? Haha... I could have shared the picture of me having Hookah but I will not do that here... may be some day in the right place / forum! Adding different kinds of pictures here is a hired idea .... I respect people's likes and dislikes .... unlikely to mix milk and ghee together... when I am in full consciousness!... I am not in the habit of observation in most cases! What I do not like is forceful matches.... and yes masked people! I see a couple of around .... though I am a Bengali... I will not show undisputed allegiance to any particular community... I have seen spoilers in each communities including mine... I feel best where I stand... The not so angelic me believe each word of the next door elderly woman back in Kolkata... S mingle with people from different communities... it helps! Though I get pissed off when she continuously brags of her three daughters living in New York and Cleveland respectively ..... then you have to admit that they are independent, self sufficient women.... two of them did not even marry! Anyway, I do not have a problem if anyone fingers at me for giving big talks without earning a penny.... I have a severe problem if anyone forcefully tries to associate my name with any particular group or a person... I love to be just me .... sharing the love for food with my readers! I have no problem with successful people.... I am only severely allergic to be anyone's pet.... I urge those readers to unlike my page who purposefully went and hit a like for the word 'Sunday'.... without any love for the "mutton" I cooked and shared! My parents and the dear husband had been my peepal tree for life .... I do not need any more! I jumped onto blogging without any homework ... did not know anyone around except for few people in Google Plus without whom the CURRY AND SPICE Blog would not have been possible.... No, I do not wish to be clicked with them in public either.... relationships cannot be forced!.... The readers are not to be blamed.... they do not know that between a "Sunday" mutton curry and "Mom's" chicken curry... there are at least ten people for whom my blog is alive today.... not all of them are Bengali! However small the steps are... how much of a non-entity it is .... it is there and is mine .... I have my own set of readers and I am happy that they have accepted my bharwa karela..... I am trying to edit those Sunday and mom and 'robibars' looking back at the blog archive..... I am not here for any match game.... I respect people for their qualities but hate to be at anyone's mercy.... I really do not know how words like mom / maa / mother / baba / father gets patented.... I write all these rubbish just to make myself crystal clear to my readers..... and I cook a TOASTED PANEER ON A TOMATO-ONION-EGGPLANT VEGGIE dish with lots of spices.... else we cannot have... I am not a chef at an Arabic joint! The paneer pieces are spared from being spicy.... they are just marinated with black pepper powder and salt ... thereafter toasted in butter!

To blog on this TOASTED PANEER ON A TOMATO-ONION-EGGPLANT VEGGIE was not on my plan today.... I thought of something else! A couple of people around have their birthdays today! Then I had to deliver few messages to certain people.... doing so I will not go Bengali today... not at any cost! Fools are usually headstrong.... and for the wrong reasons! There is a message for those who in front of my eyes had Beef Quesadilla but consider cow as the only creature to be protected! Off course... it is my concern.... I do not want my dear ones to be a hypocrite like me! Another message... to some.... do not consider my decency as my weak point! Rest, I cooked this vegetarian sides, clicked just like that! I am not happy with the pictures... it had to have some pickle, salad and flatbreads! Then I went ahead after scrolling back for the picture for five minutes... Oh! I have quite a few pictures ready to be shared! Will it suit the May Day affair?.... "mid week to abhi dur hai... hai na?".... The son's examinations starts tomorrow.... I can only share a "beguner ghyat" for you now... you bless him or not! .... Cristine is due this evening.... I have to clean her room to lessen the guilt of having mutton on a May Day .... yes, thats how hypocrites work! I asked my father-in-law once... "sharadin barite boshey thako.... party office giye to boshtey paro... panch minute to lagey".... I ask him to go and sit in the local party office.... he refuses saying I cannot accommodate with the present lot! He cannot.... a dedicated party worker like him cannot.... if there is an AC machine at his home.... it is for his wife... he refuses to! So... you know this world is full of people like me... big mouth... inside blank .... better we do some "garma garam" roti and enjoy this "jogakhichuri" but tasty vegetarian delight TOASTED PANEER ON A TOMATO-ONION-EGGPLANT VEGGIE!

INGREDIENTS :

Eggplant : 1big.... I prefer the purple one
Paneer : 7-10 cubes
Tomato : 1big
Onion : 1big
Green Chilli : 2
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp
Dry Mango Powder : 1/2tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1/3tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1/4tsp
Salt : As Required
Butter : 1tbsp
Oil : 2-3tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the vegetables. Discard the two ends of the eggplants and cube roughly... they are going to melt!

Wash and chop the tomato and green chillies.

Peel off the skin of the onion, discard the two ends, wash and slice.

Heat oil in a pan and temper with cumin seeds and halved dry red chillies!

Add the onion slices and the chopped green chillies ..... stir at high heat till translucent!

Add the eggplant cubes and tomato, fold in well.... cover and reduce heat to minimum!

Marinate the paneer pieces with black pepper and little salt and keep aside for 5 minutes.

In another pan, heat some butter.... Toast the paneer pieces until all sides are little brown. Take out.

Open cover of the other pan... we will see that the veggies are half mashy. Add all the spices and fold in well.

Cover cook for another 3-4 minutes until all the ingredients are nicely incorporated and the veggie turns to a "ghyat".... mishmash kind of a consistency.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Arrange the toasted paneer atop and pour the leftover butter if any!

Enjoy with roti /ruti / paratha / porota but hot and fresh!

The date 1st May lost its significance long back for people like us .... what best we can do is stop making a mockery of it .... We spend it as just another holiday is acceptable ..... what stunned me was a post I came by.... a "supposedly" educated person eating cake in a renowned bakery.... its fine... me too baked a cake on the same day.... the caption was terrifying.... what was it? "Celebrating May Day at so and so bakery".... I was so hurt.... at least for the sake of the struggle.... we should not be so inhuman..... the wrong was not having a cake but associating it with the word May Day.... I mean thats how I felt.... I cannot accommodate with 1/3 of the world these days.... the happy loner does not regret it either.... people too find me intolerable! Let us leave it at that and see why I have decided to blog on the PINEAPPLE ORANGE PISTACHIO CAKE today!.... Well, besides other celebrations.... it was Arup da's birthday... he will not spare me for feeding him a "beguner ghyat" on his birthday! Why I have to bother about that?.... I have developed a "I don't care" attitude as I proceed towards "senile hood!".... Well, we should never forget what people had done or do for us! This renowned Eye Surgeon ..... Dr.Arup Bhaumik spares me the ordeal of the procedure of getting his appointment on our 20 days visit to Kolkata. The mumma and her son gets their eyes checked almost for free without any hassle... Why do not I see an eye specialist here?... the miser me will not spend few hundred dollars for one visit so long a saviour called Arup da is there... it is not covered in our medical insurance.... my husband is not the director of Petronas... though working at its sister concern for 15 long years had given him a lot... like the necessary shield while crossing the Gulf Of Aden as a sailing Captain! I cannot open my mouth further! This is one reason why he had to stay three long months at Mumbai to get a new job of his choice.... a Partha Dey always asks him to go for big, renowned concerns and not to change job every two years! Coming to Dr. Arup Bhaumik .... its a long association.... after shifting to Barrackpore in 1995, life seemed dull.... even after moving from a two roomed rented home to a big... two storied one .... the mother and her two kids were not happy... it felt moving backwards to us... the only things we found there better than Dumdum were "dada-boudir biryani" and one Dr. Debasish Bhattacharya's eye clinic!.... Later he along with a young group of eye surgeons including Arup da established the Disha Eye Hospital group / chain with its head quarter in Barrackpore! Its been two decades now that my entire family from the mother and father's side are under his medical care and my in laws too! It was in 2007, we shifted to our present home and our mother discovered that Dr. Arup Bhaumik is our neighbour... I land at Kolkata airport on a night. Next morning, on her way back from the "bazaar" holding two heavy bags... S is seen shouting... "Paramitaaa".... Paramita comes to her balcony... "arey oporey esho S"..... "nago koto kaaj jano to".... "P to Barrackpore palabey... kobey jabo Arup der kachey?".... and the mother son duo gets their eyes checked without any appointment... while the procedure requires a 20 days of prior appointment.... My mother or paa-in-law can get the appointment but the couple says it is not required!.... They might had an anniversary too yesterday.... I am that person who respects people's privacy... if no notification of a birthday or an anniversary comes.... I will not go public with the wish... I will message.... There are a couple of celebrations going on around.... an eggless, moist, not so sinful PINEAPPLE ORANGE PISTACHIO CAKE for all of them... though I mention of one Arup da! No, I am not in a relationship with him either...haha... I am just trying to keep myself away from anything or anyone who are hurting my entire being.... for the rest I do not have any problem... leave me alone... I will get back to you from time to time! By the way... the mentioned couple has a daughter and son.... the daughter could be an aspiring model with a 5'9'' height and fashion sense but she is majoring in Economics at the Delhi University presently and the son is a year younger than mine .... all these kids went to school together and now our son lands in Kolkata and heads to Barrackpore.... weirdest creature on earth!

A cake on Arup da's birthday is still not ok... a meat or fish or to be precise a "mutton biryani" would have been a perfect share! Then, when I say I do not wish to hug tight any particular person or group in public, I mean it! There are others around me who are having celebrations.... some are pure vegetarian.... I spent a considerable amount of time with some of them.... I will not see if they belong to the saffron brigade or not.... I know I am not and never can be!.... Our Cristine is back and I am in a good mood except for the tension of the son's examinations and his weirdness.... Yesterday, me and my friend Piali peeped into his holding area to wish all the kids their best. Piali's daughter came to us and what did our son do?.... turned his back at me and was chatting with a friend.... then declared if mumma stays back... I will not write the papers!.... That I was caught and softly scolded by the headmaster and the senior school coordinator was not an issue .... I broke rules but do you know I had to hear the questionnaire from Tinni.... Piali's daughter?... Not that all sons are rebels... my men are. I tell my husband had you been this and that's husband... a divorce would have been inevitable within six months! Piali and me had a good time together and we had tea and onion rings, samosas too! That cutting chai without sugar did not cause me acidity... thank God baba! We love tea infusions and at times I tear some fresh mint leaves and add... ahh bliss! I even cooked "bhola bhetki" ... got super elated to get some fresh ones and that "dhuduler khosha".... a hard core Bengali who is not in the right mood always ....

This match-match social media game robbed the "me" off "me".... truly! A red flower with hues of yellow... a blue dot right up and a green thin line below.... what is it... oh! Good Morning message... which is less of a Good Morning wish and more of what I do not know.... I find them lifeless... useless... better to plan having more onion rings tomorrow when the son writes his paper! Let the world play match games among themselves leaving me... I will kiss all but in my own time.... not that anyone waits for my kiss.... do you? Then think this vegetarian, egg free PINEAPPLE ORANGE PISTACHIO CAKE is for all of you to share! I am a poor baker but I bake for my family on a regular basis... with simple ingredients and share only those that comes out well!

One more thing.... I / We do not know who you have around or who mean what to you and vice-versa! So we will not give the judgement "yeh aaurat fekti hai... woh to uski pyaer chatti hai pakka".... In reality it may not be so... we may be taking into account a lot of things... where some may be left out and some may be taken in for the day.... Let us understand and accept that in the virtual world following anyone closely does not lit our gas oven... so lets keep it at that! What I do not forget are the small gestures... who came to meet me when my father expired or who stood up for me even when I was not seen around! I will not care if that or those persons are Bengali or not... What do you say? .... I believe I am always right... haha!

Would You like to have a look at any of my previously shared cake recipes... they are simple!

MATCHA TEA CUP CAKE

INGREDIENTS :

Refined Flour : 1coffee mug
Baking Powder : 1/3tsp
Pineapple Juice : 11/2medium cup [I used fresh]
Orange Juice : 11/2 medium Cup [I used fresh]
Condensed Milk : 1small cup
Sugar : 2tbsp
Vinegar : 1tbsp
Cinnamon Powder : 11/2tsp
Yellow Food Colour : A Pinch
Pistachio : 2-3tbsp chopped
Oil : 1small cup [I used a canola-sunflower blend]

PROCEDURE :

I have not taken the stepwise pictures properly... pardon me... most of the time I forget.

I peeled both the fruits, cubed and washed them. The seeds of the orange cloves have to be removed...

I used the blender and not the juicer for extracting the juice. If you are using tinned juice, you need to lessen the amount of condensed milk to be used.

Then I strained the juices ....

Add the freshly extracted juice, condensed milk, sugar, oil, yellow food colour, vinegar in a clean blender.

Pulse for 2-3 minutes with intervals.

Take the refined flour and baking powder in a bowl and mix well.

Add the fruit mixture to it and fold in very well. Add the cinnamon powder and the chopped pistachios.

Preheat oven to 180*C.

Pour the batter to a greased bake proof bowl. Yeppie.. my 2:90 cents bowl survived the heat.

I use the convection method of a microwave oven for all my bakes. So I placed the low rack inside the oven first and then the cake tin atop it.

On my machine it took some 35-36 minutes for the cake to be done! I felt may be the use of eggs would have made it fluffier... it was more towards moist and the family was happy!

So, what I feel is that this Chinese Gizzard Shad belongs to the Ilish family, yet lack that unique taste of the ilish from Padma or Ganges! When the ilish / hilsa swims towards the river to lay eggs... that is when it gets tastier to suit the Bengali taste buds as they say. I am not the right person to give you the correct information except for what my tongue says. The uniqueness of its taste as the ilish of Padma or Ganges offer, no other source can offer.... not even Kolaghat-er ilish can. So, my destination for ilish will again be redirected to the Bangladeshi stores.... Do you think I go there only for the Bengali stuffs? Not really you see.... I go there to relive my childhood.... everything from a "gondhoraj lebu" to a "chanachur" gives me that feel. Not all from my generation will understand what I mean by this "nostalgic feel".... either they will laugh at it or will not at all feel what I mean.... That is ok... but I like those who will not use French beans in a "Panchmeshali torkari".... not at any cost.... even if they do they will not associate the word "authentic" with it! Such people are diminishing in number but I can feel connected to such endangered species.... Only these people can carry forward the legacy and tradition of a "slowly moving towards extinction" era.... If we do not have a mind or depth within us to understand that ..... we can at least refrain from insulting such feelings. Even a TOK JHAL ANAROSH ILISH O BHAJA MOSHOLA MURGI cannot be called authentic Bengali.... they are just recent developments or experiments with a traditional main ingredient. I am still not feeling happy to blog on this combo deal today.... I am doing it for the people around! I will be happy when I blog on "ucche chingrir chocchori" sometime next week hopefully.... I will not wait for a weekend! I can see this hilsa with pineapple is quite a rave at the Bengali themed restaurants.... I went through two recipes on this roughly.... one is a video of Chef Rongon Neogi and the other is a blog post of the famous Rownak Jahan.... They both have a different take on anarosh ilish .... So I know since this is not an authentic Bengali dish or as we learnt in the likes of Ashapurna Debi's books.... we can do it our own way.... and I did exactly so! For the Bhaja Moshola Murgi, I did not even consult anyone.... I thought I always marinate it with Punjabi masalas.... why not try our kind of "tatka bhaja mosholar guro"...... I could not take the picture of the chicken nicely.... the cloudy sky was the spoiler, a Saturday busy morning too can be or may be a chicken is bound to look dull beside a hilsa.... haha! Saying so I am not trying to take a dig at anyone.... there is a tailed creature at this home... who grabs a chicken leaving aside hilsa .... I still believe he has a "belly connection" with me given he loves hilsa eggs and its meat too if only mumma debones it! You see, I do champion Padma / Ganga r ilish but will go for shad too at times... as I need to buy a salmon, lamb, prawn or cod for the men and save too for a yearly visit to Gahonaz or Jayeeta Dasgupta.... I have lessened the number of visits to them... my daughter-in-law will hardly wear what I love .....

A TOK JHAL ANAROSH ILISH O BHAJA MOSHOLA MURGI though not authentic Bengali are done with everything Bengali.... I meant ingredients.... with which most of you can identify with. Like most of my readers did not even understand that dish with "kechki maach diye aloo peyazkoli".... they will also not when I blog on "kechki macher chocchori" or "loti shutki".... I will do them for my own satisfaction and for some like minded people who have grown up watching the family veterans cooking wonders with jackfruit seeds to raw banana skin.... who have not managed to forget and can take pride in them! I have a partner in Cristine and to some extent the husband too complies.... for the son there is a mumma and an Ipsita aunty too who sends him roast chicken often.... You can see in the pictures below how the day went yesterday... S cannot have those giant chicken legs.... she cooked it for you all.... she tasted tearing a little and had it with "anarosh kancha lonka bata".... At night, the son's share of hilsa was kept back as Ipsita sends his favourite... he can have meat at every meal! Post dinner S felt Chinese Gizzard Shad is good for deep fries.... they are smaller in size and lack that oil in them.... for an anarosh ilish, we must go for ilish / hilsa! The CURRY AND SPICE kitchen is not only about desi cooking.... smoothies do happen but for the junior... else he will not have dates and nuts individually.... His daddy will not touch smoothies.... he can have packets of cigars and black tea in an empty stomach! S also prepares "noodles er chocchori" in her kitchen.... too very scared to share it on her blog... she does not wish to be thrown out of this island too soon.

S still loves her "ankher rosh" besides an Ayataka or Olong tea .... primitive huh?.... Though I am not among the clientele of little sister Debarathi Bhattacharya's Shaukh.... she knows my preferences.... she sends me "shukto to khosha chocchori" cooked by her mother in Cristine's absence. Kakima.... an widower stays here from April to November each year at her citizen son's and at her daughter's place! I respect relationships, maintain those which means to me and discourage any attempt of those who rush with it! Relationship building takes time... it is not an one day affair! I do not cause breathlessness to these girls or their family enquiring about who else they are mingling with.... its their life .... why should I bother? So long we exchange "chocchori" without hurting our ego or sentiments.... I am fine.... This Ipsita, Debarathi or Padma know me and will not drag me into any kind of associations I am not comfortable in.... they know I best enjoy dates with myself.... be it at an ordinary cafe having tea with "biskut" or reading a book lying on the couch! .... One such day I was so much lost within me that I was oblivion that the back ground wall I was clicking is a black and green contrast... ok ok... I realise I am a sinner if I click in front of greens.... damn it this condo has so many beautiful locations down and I click sitting on our sofa all the time.... Sitting on a sofa is less of a sin for me than sitting in front of some greens.... "arey yaar itni observant hoti to life mein kuch ban na jati?".... I regret of been robbed of my simplicity by the social media.... but the best I can do for people having problem with me is distancing myself as much as possible from those who are not comfortable with me..... Rest I cannot help.... I love black or any soft tones, nature, music, books, silly clicks, headphones, serenity, kids, long brisk walks and hate unnecessary talks and attention, crowds, fear stage and limelight.... millions in the world might be like me, so I cannot help it.... I do not intentionally play match game with people I am not meant to.... there is 100% truth in it! Let us get back in track and talk food and stay tuned with the food world! These two hassle free dishes TOK JHAL ANAROSH ILISH O BHAJA MOSHOLA MURGI are really very simple to do and quick too if we can consider the marination period for the chicken... By the way, if you have a rebel kid at home who hates vegetables ..... lure them with a big meat piece and look at the plate.... a snake gourd and coconut veggie is eaten without a noise! We also had a "panchmeshali torkari" and "aam dal" along side!

INGREDIENTS : [for the Bhaja Moshola Chicken]

Chicken : 8-10 big pieces
Lemon Juice : 1/2small cup
Onion Slices : of two big onions
Turmeric Powder : 11/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 2tsp
Garlic Paste : 1tbsp
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Cumin Seed : 2tsp
Coriander Seed : 2tsp
Mustard Seed : 1tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 4-5
Fenugreek Seed : 1/2tsp
Cinnamon Stick : 2-3 two inch length
Green Cardamom : 2-3
Cloves : 3-4
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3tbsp +4tbsp [I used mustard]

INGREDIENTS : [for the Tok Jhal Anarosh Ilish]

Hilsa / Ilish : 6 pieces
Fresh Pineapple Cube : 1medium cup
Green Chilli : 5-6 [choose yours]
Garlic Cloves : 2
Ginger Paste : 2tsp
Nigella Seeds : 1/4tsp [kalonji / kalo jeera]
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp + 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Green Chilli : 2 [slitted]
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Oil : 5-6tbsp [always mustard oil for us]

PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the BHAJA MOSHOLA MURGI first.

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies and grind to a coarse powder.

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and make slits on them.

Add the dry ground coarse spice powder, lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and 3tbsp oil to the chicken pieces. Rub and mix very well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, I marinated overnight.

Take out the chicken pieces 2 hours before cooking.

Heat 4tbsp oil in a wok. Fry the onion slices crisp, excuse me some of mine got little more brown... not desired. Take them out.

Temper the same oil with the cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves and place the chicken pieces gently without the marinade.

Cover cook at low heat for 1o-12 minutes one side.

Open cover and turn over. Cover cook at low heat the other side for 8-10 minutes.

Add the marinade and fold in well. Cook covered at low heat till the gravy dries up.

Once done, arrange in a serving tray and garnish with crispy fried sliced onion. It goes best as a starter or with cumin rice / pulao.

The TOK JHAL ANAROSH ILISH is oh so quick.

Wash the fish pieces. Marinate with salt and turmeric powder.

Wash the pineapple cubes. Peel and wash the garlic cloves, wash the green chillies too.

Take the pineapple cubes, green chillies and cloves in a blender and blend to a paste.

Heat oil in a wok and and lightly fry the fish pieces in batches. Take them out once both sides are light brown.

Temper with the nigella seeds and dry red chillies. Add the ginger paste, salt and rest of the turmeric powder. Fry for 2 minutes.

Add the pineapple paste now and fry all together for 2-3 minutes.

Add a big cup of water and bring to boil.

Add the fish pieces after the gravy has boiled for a minute at low heat.

Cook at low heat for 4-5 minutes turning the fish pieces in between. Add the slitted green chillies then.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with piping hot steamed rice.

Ankher Rosh or Sugarcane Juice is a childhood favourite..... "laal shalutey mora ankh guli chokhey bhashey...".... On my monthly or bi-monthly visit to Shyambazaar with the mother, we would have either a glass of Ankher Rosh from the shop at "Town School er Goli" or Mango Shake from that Juice Centre in front of the National Variety Store .... The Kolkata style Mango Shake has milk powder, mango pulp and sugar in it.... and what did Ankher Rosh had? Well, only the juice and sugar may be... I do not remember! Now-a-days I do not even dare to have any kinds of drinks from the roadside joints neither do I allow the mother .... I categorically tell her to avoid.... I do not excuse myself for this change in me either.... In fact I do not see much of these "Ankher Rosh Wallas" in the Kolkata streets these days.... who either were stationed at a particular location or moved around ringing a bell attached to their "thyala gari". However, our health conscious mother had this weakness for outside juices.... may be because a wonder called a mixer-grinder-juicer entered our home quite late.... till then only "doi er ghol" and "lebur shorbot" happened at our home! Once it arrived.... I used to prepare mango shakes on it! The brother never accompanied us to such shopping ventures... he hated.... he utilised the time calling all his neighbourhood friends and create ruckus at home.... gifting more work for me and mani..... Yet, we got "Malanchar fish / chicken cutlet, Amritar Doi & Chitrakut or Sen Mahasayer Darbesh or Fariyapukurer Telebhaja for him"...... I never thought he will grow up in to such a responsible son though I do not like his over protective nature when it comes to the mother!.... Now that I wish to get the mother here in the island... he gives conditions that someone has to assist her both ways.... I say come on.... our mother brought up us single handedly, daddy only knew his office and friends .... a very much independent lady who has the energy of a 35 year old at 70.... off course I am very proud of it!..... Referring to Ankher Rosh or Sugarcane Juice, I am talking about the early 80's to mid 90's Kolkata! .... Besides an occasional Ankher Rosh, there was a regular Ankh or Sugarcane Sticks story.... During the season.... we had a fixed "Ankh wala" visiting our neighbourhood.... On our school holidays or even when we were at school.... mani would buy sugarcane sticks for the three of us.... daddy never had it in fear of the ordeal of tearing it. It was only during special prayer meets that she would tear the skin and cut it into pieces.... a real tough job using a "boti"..... Cristine does the same for me with a knife.... so thankful I am to her! In those days.... the teeth were strong.... now I cannot even think of having sugarcane from scratch.... I either buy the juice or if I prepare the juice at home.... Cristine cuts the sticks for me.... We should always give due credit to people!

This island sells Ankher Rosh / Sugarcane Juice just the way it was sold in the 80's Kolkata.... no extra add ons.... then why did I name it ADA LEBU DIYE ANKHER ROSH?.... In between Kolkata and this island.... there is one place where I had Sugarcane Juice just this way... with added lemon juice and ginger extract!.... "Akki Mumbai janta hai ki woh mujhe bahut pasand hai".... I loved the big bad city of Mumbai back in 1999.... Chutu asked T to take me to Crossroads.... Oh my God! Kolkata was way backward then.... I was lost standing in front of a Ritu Kumar studio.... now you have a Satya Paul at Kolkata too! A girl from the northern part of Kolkata will definitely find 1999's Mumbai far ahead of it.... and it is till date... Now tomorrow's Kolkata will jump onto me with choicest words.... I do not care at all.... I cannot pretend! Then I found Kolkata very "centric".... we had to go to the Park Street area for every thing.... specially for the "humble" North Kolkatans.... South Kolkatans always take an upper hand in all matters... though the major part of historic Kolkata is on the Northern part! Anyway, at times I do ask the husband... "let us shift to Mumbai... we can buy a flat at Kandivali East or Navi Mumbai with our savings....".... Boss says "S .... you have not seen this island in 1999.... commuting to office will be very tough for me... be it in a car or in the train.... life expenses are same while the salary will be less... no point".... Well he is right! 1999's Mumbai was much developed... the financial capital of India after all.... even in places as far as Borivali.... there were a beeline of restaurants and they met my standard of cleanliness.... specially the Gujarati ones... they were all vegetarian and oh so clean!.... Though I like these kinds of food like dhokla, khakra or thepla... I cannot digest a heavy dose of them.... I think Bengali stomachs are not made for too much of gram flour consumption... we prefer rice flour... but I loved their concept of cleanliness compared to the standard of normal eateries in Kolkata... If Kolkatans accept the truth, they will agree with me.... commoners cannot visit themed restaurants every other day... Anyway, I was super elated to have "machi free"... haha... fly free ADA LEBU DIYE ANKHER ROSH in Mumbai.... I still remember the taste.... Perhaps people of this island consider sugarcane auspicious... I find it planted at almost every home or at the roadside! After my workouts, I do have sugarcane juice from this uncle's shop... I cannot have it often.... sugarcane has so high sugar content... its very good if you are not a diabetic.... always go for fresh fruit juices instead of those soda waters... no Rujuta Diwekar has not offered me a job in her office.... since she prescribed mangoes for even the diabetics... mango loving "petuks" like me and Joy were the first to hit a like on her post... Today I had a monthly appointment with my doctor.... the sugar level has dropped .... I am happy and asked old doctor Chang... "can I have dates doc?".... He said weekly once or twice 2-4... I was so happy that I sat with a big Murtabak and Ginger tea at a food court.... Oh! I have grown old my readers.... I could have half of it... the rest I packed for Cristine.... The ginger tea was too sweet to my taste bud... I am not used to anymore.... so I had my own in the evening... sugar free... flavoured Darjeeling with ginger & lemon! While having that bliss called Murtabak which is like our "moglai porota".... I got ample time to think on the surrounding.... what to do with some overbearing people? Ok fine.... I will ignore.... may be they are quite younger than a veteran like me.... Then I thought of calling Ramdev Baba.... can you please teach me some mudras on how to swing in air without any support? I mean I cannot sit under a tree and get clicked.... standing reveals I am a dwarf.... bored with the sofa.... just seeking advice for an alternative pose! Before sharing any picture in the social media, I have to check with the profile pictures of at least hundred people, even of people who have not changed their pp for years.... my question is why so? So silly... I never claim myself to be a saint.... but I stopped visiting "Kapila Ashram" that famous juice centre of north Kolkata near Bina cinema hall after 1991.... because I have started practicing self restraint at a young age... do you?..... because I hate to be at anyone's mercy.... to be anyone's second thought.... I do not look like a queen but I have chosen those people in my life who will treat me as a queen! Off course I am loaded with a stupefying amount of egoism! Rest who I keep how far and near is up to me just as some people should learn to what length they can go to insult people... no text book offers this lesson.... not even a Deepak Chopra! .... I am too self-respecting to be a "hyangla".... I am a greedy only when it comes to food... be it "shutki, ilish, patha".... I am too skeptical about hitting a like on most of the posts around.... this brainless does not get the meaning and hence gets allergic to.... I love to play match game with very few like this uncle of the juice centre... he looks good in a black and white t-shirt!

Cristine could not prepare the ginger-lemon tea properly.... I need to show her the right amount... It is a Monday evening here.... the son has his Biology examination tomorrow.... the mother cannot guide him on it, neither he will allow nor his mother's Biology teacher could teach the subject properly.... he was more interested in eyeing the girl students' shirt button ...... and was extremely biased that a teacher cannot be!.... Ask my buddy Nabendu Saha who told me "S after the 10th boards... I will take him to an undisclosed location and hit hard".... haha... my friend Nabendu Saha is a magician... you can check his Face Book page Magic360degree.... Not all girls are willing to entertain such nasty creatures ... neither all boys have the ability to score high in class.... so are they liable to discrimination? Some teachers I really cannot respect in life!.... Why I had to mention this all of a sudden?.... because this space is meant for my life's tales.... because "majority" of girls have to face tumulus storms at every turn of their lives.... because not so academically sound boys are victims in a classroom!.... I took Nabendu's name because the handsome loves my husband a lot... he always says that he knew T will go far because the 22inch frame is too courageous... he dared to take up a fight in the football ground with the he-man of our class Sujit Shukla who was a Karate Champion! I remember the incident and burst into laughter.... off course my husband was the loser but he never lost his spirit... rest I cannot go public with! Now that he has a wife and kid... I ask him to stop it... "heropanthi bandh kar nehi to cigar... chai chor kar Twinkle ki husband ki tarha kheera juice peeney lago aur gym jao".... no he will stick to his "porota-mangsho" and will not touch ADA LEBU DIYE ANKHER ROSH though he loved homemade juices once... it is for the rest of the three in the family... The readers need to stop being nice to me and force me to proceed to the recipe! Some other day I will tell you the story of another Biology teacher... she started as my colleague in a new bee school, then went to be a Full Bright Scholar and now is the Principal of Garden High School, IISER Kolkata!.... Ratna di are you there? .... Not all teachers can be called a teacher... they either build us or break us... By the way "kya aap bhi pan parag ke shaukin hai?".... then stop... Sujit Shukla an addict left us a couple of years back!

INGREDIENTS :

Sugarcane Sticks : 3-4 [If you get cleaned, cut... your labour is saved]
Lemon Juice : 1/4small cup
Ginger Extract : 2tbsp
Sugar : 2-3tsp [optional]
Black Salt : 1/4tsp
Water : 1big cup

PROCEDURE :

We need to take out the hard skin of the sugarcane sticks. Then we will wash them and cut into smaller cubes. We will discard the harder segments in between.... Wash again.

The normal juicers may not help us to extract the juice of sugarcane cubes. I used a blender / grinder.

Attach tight the cover and blend at hight speed for 3-4 minutes with intervals.

We have to pass it through a strainer little by little.... we will extract maximum of the juice as we can.

Now add the lemon juice, ginger extract, sugar, black salt and water.... Stir till the water dissolves. Strain again before pouring on to glasses....

Serve chilled adding one or two ice cubes in each glass.

Yes, I will go Bengali today... its Tagore's birthday.... though Tagore is not an one day affair for us... just that the aura on and around his birthday is little more stronger.... If you say so there had been a number of poets, writers, lyricists, painters who followed him and deserve acclaim in their respective fields .... who had / has the versatility as him?.... who had / has a clear understanding of each of the human emotions?... who else did care so much for what is going on in our hearts.... and take the bigger responsibility of soothing it too!.... As they say, Tagore is a part of our life.... he exists so long as we do .... He is relevant at all times.... As of me and like many.... his words are kind of music to my ears.... "onar protita shobdoi jeno shurer murchona hoye kaney bajey"...That I am referring him as Tagore is giving me a feel of guilt.... he is "gurumoshai, gurudeb, thakurmoshai" to us!.... Since, English is the means of communication with my readers .... I compromise a bit but for the recipe... it has to be Bengali.... ok a sweet.... easy and with few ingredients.... BEET ER SANDESH.... I am a diabetic does not mean I will not prepare sweets and desserts for the family.... going further... it does not mean either that I will not taste one or two! So weight watchers & diabetics.... pick one or a maximum of two and enjoy.... old doctor Chang allows me to! Below are my home grown "togor phool".... they have a mild scent though they do not bloom everyday.... I just clicked out of joy few days back.... let me pay him a tribute with it!

Our maternal grandmother had a "thoka togorer gach" just beside her "tulsi mancho".... that special variety of "togor" with a maddening mild fragrance was not seen anywhere in Kolkata... In this island, I perhaps spotted at one landed property on my walk... I dare not ask for a "dal".... branch... out of fear.... they may unleash their pets after me.... the sweating me looks terrible while at walk.... Anyway, coming to Tagore we have a long association.... the father got all his volumes once I was in the middle school... My brother used to read only "feluda"... and "Sayyid Mujtaba Ali".... what made him a fan of the later I do not remember .... Then, you see we went to a "Benglish" medium school.... so celebration on this particular day was mandatory! Many a memory is rewinding.... no, I do not wait for anyone's permission on what to write and what not to!.... Our classroom had 30-35 students and all memories are intertwined ... Did I mention the name Nabendu Saha on my previous post?... It was for the students like him or a Saubhik Sengupta that such dates are still relished... be it a recital or a play... they grabbed the lead roles in their own right... Saubhik left our school in class 7 .... let me spend few more words on Nabendu! He had been an actor per excellence... some of us thought he would follow that line... may be in the theatre world if not in films as such... such expressive he was... He perhaps was taking voice modulation lessons from Srabanti Majumder or Jaganaath Basu & Urmimala Basu.... This guy told me repeatedly... S stop singing with your high pitched voice.... it sounds horrible, it is not for songs... your voice suits for "Sruti Natok".... that my voice is not suitable for songs but for audio drama.... He so much insisted to take me to Srabanti Majumder for voice training classes and I refused.... wish I could go back in time and grab such offers! "Kolkata Ko er Bangla Natok".... "Kolkata Kho te khobor hoto na?".... They were a craze... now I do not go public with such tales.... some people are saying all these from years back.... if I repeat in public... I will be called a copy cat.... Let me compile here! Not all of my readers know that any "true heart Bong" have grown up on these.... There were no social media picture posting and all then.... listening to Jagannath Basu or a Soumitra Basu was soul stirring... I told mani... "I wish to meet the owner of these romantic voices." Anyway, we did not have an idea that Nabendu was learning magic tricks secretly until he owned a magic company... I did not even know till last year that his family owns the restaurant Kasturi at Free School Street... its his uncle's... that I was a part of a Bengali food group owned by his cousin who owns the Ami Bangali restaurant and now Nabendu himself has a fast food joint at Lake Town... forgot the name... You see, I lack the energy or desire to WhatsApp the brother... why did you like Sayyid Mujtaba Ali bhai?.... or ask Nabendu... what is the name of your food joint?... He gave us an open invitation and we are yet to visit... My Kolkata trips are too very busy.... Just few years back, my friends Rupa and Kana would set out in the morning on this particular day to attend the special programmes on Tagore.... they would ask me to join... I was ready with my silly excuses... no my help will come after one hour.... I have to finish cooking before the son comes back from the school... etc. etc...... They would scold me hard... but I lived the life of a single mother then... I am yet to finish all of Tagore's volumes.... The mother keeps on saying.... take all the books the daddy got for you.... I read so less these days... got so slow.... why? Is there a lack of concentration? There was no dearth of love and attention in doing this less sugar sweet BEET ER SANDESH though!

Besides all these.... I am on with my silly clicks! I did a 10k on Sunday evening at a moderate speed... After that I have not done any exercise till today.... I am sitting at the son's school and forcing my friend Piali Maitra.... to have fries and fritters.... Yesterday, I got some health food for her... we are having a good time at the school canteen.... we do not talk any excess.... if anyone talks too much to my ears, I go totally blank after five minutes .... I do not even get what the other person is saying... However, I do not get tired talking to the senior.... Once he is back home.... I have to relay everything and his reaction is like... "cut short S"! Do you think my men had "aloo chola?".... no they are not so "lokkhiti".... Cristine prepared their lunch today.... an Oriental kind of fried rice that they love! This girl Piali is doing a Ketogenic diet in this heat and at this time of tension... I am discouraging that.... so will take "luchi & aloor dom" for her today ..... I am kind of jealous towards beautiful women! I will buy some idly for myself from the canteen.... I hope you get the reason for my immeasurable midsection! Its pretty hot and I am craving for more and more fruits with high water content.... I am craving so much so that I clicked some unripe Chikku / Shobeda and Jamrul / Water or Java Apple.... and is in the thought of stealing some once they are ripe... haha... Oh my God... people here eat all that I grew up eating.... "jamrul, kamranga, shobeda, batabi lebu".... You say Goat Milk, Feta Cheese is healthier.... I drank goat milk in the mid 70's... There was a home in the neighbourhood of the maternal grandfather.... who had a big Java Apple tree and they domesticated goats... I drank the freshest milk of it.... In those days... the entire neighbourhood was like a big family... I remember who I called what... "tungtung dadu"... who played a guitar.... "chyangra dadu" who looked young.... "jamrul didu"..... would this generation value all these?

Have you seen so small fruit bearing trees?... both Chikku and Java Apple trees are big in general. I was surprised and they come to my notice only! Anyway, a BEET ER SANDESH does not require so many things... only some homemade chena / paneer .... beetroot juice, little of sugar and green cardamom powder. I added very little ghee too. You can garnish it with anything.... I used sliced almond! That sweet shop in Kolkata, The Hindustan Sweets makes offbeat sandesh / sweetmeat with beetroot, carrot or even brahmi shaak [hear say].... Its in South Kolkata.... so not possible to go and have.... I heard they do it in collaboration with the Jadavpur University! So, I really do not know how others prepare a BEET ER SANDESH.... I did not go through any recipe on it! You remember I prepared baked beetroot yogurt, I went ahead with these sweets with the excess of beetroot juice and absolutely followed my own idea on it! Below is how simply I did this vegetarian sweet. The senior and junior both love their lady's handmade sweets.... I remember, last month the husband was on his way to the neighbouring country when I packed these sweets for him .... He said he loved and his accompanying Australian colleague loved it too.... So, S is not that bad cook either!

Fine, when you can take out two hours from your valuable time.... try my recipe of BEET ER SANDESH.... If all of a sudden you have a crave for dessert?.... This Hangla Hneshel .... a Bengali food magazine shared a quick dessert recipe from the "Thakurbarir Rannaghar".... The kitchen of Tagore household was / is well known... here goes the recipe... Mix together some sweetened yogurt and "Rabri".... break some "gulabjamun".... "roshogolla" and "sandesh" and add to the yogurt cup.... cook in the oven at grill option for ten minutes.... I mean I gave you a rough description as I forgot to save it ... I may do it and have only two spoons of it... it seems too sweet to me! Now, you decide which one to do when... No, sharing with you another recipe which adds no credit to me does not prove my innocence... I am not anymore... I felt it may help some though instead of keeping a variety of sweets in the refrigerator, I will prepare a fresh batch with few ingredients and less sweet.

INGREDIENTS : [for the chena / homemade paneer]

Fresh Milk : 2litre [ I use Meiji]

Lemon Juice :4-5tbsp

Ice Cube : 3-4

INGREDIENTS : [Final Assortment]

The freshly made chena / paneer

Beetroot Juice : 1small cup

Sugar : 1/4small cup

Ghee : 1/2tbsp + 1/2tbsp

Green Cardamom : 1/2tsp

Almond Slices to garnish or as you wish

PROCEDURE :

Pour 2 litres of milk in a heavy bottomed vessel.... Switch on gas oven and bring the milk to boil.

Add the lemon juice, give a stir and switch off gas. The milk will curdle. Add the ice cubes immediately and cover till it cools down.

Take a thin, white cloth and place it on a bowl. Pass the curdled milk through it!

Tie the cloth on your kitchen tap. Let the excess whey pass through . We are not preparing roshogolla so we need not worry much. Look at me when I prepare roshogolla, the face seems same as it happened on my mathematics examination day...

Anyway, after 45 minutes or so take down the chena / paneer / cottage cheese and mash for 5 minutes.

"Warm" 1/2tbsp ghee on a pan and add the paneer to it. Stir for 3-4 minutes and switch off gas.

In a clean wok add the sugar and beetroot juice ..... bring to boil. Boil till the amount reduces to 1/4th.

Add the cooked chena / paneer / cottage cheese and the green cardamom powder.

Fold in well and stir cook for 7-8 minutes. Add the remaining ghee and fold in well.

Transfer to a plate sna let cool a bit. Knead well for 6-8 minutes.

Take out small portions and shape as you desire. I garnished with almonds.

It tastes best when had warm and fresh.... however we can refrigerate the BEET ER SANDESH up to 2 days!

Well, an "ucche-chingrir chocchori" or "lauer khoshar jhuri" or "mulo-begun diye shutki" would have been a perfect share today had I been celebrating Mother's Day! She or the daddy, both loved the above kinds of humble dishes.... as was cooked in very very middle class families like ours. Not that they did not / do not like a pizza or similar kinds once in a while... if only their kids get it for them.... else our mother is that kind who would prepare "kochuri-aloor dom"... "kasha mangsho".... cut some ripe mangoes... may be the daddy would get some "roshogolla-sandesh" from the store but would never order a pizza or its kinds ..... It was when the daughter started earning.... and much later the son that readymade outside food besides "mishti doi-roshogolla, chop-shingara" got an entry to our home.... Even a chop or a shingara or a roll or phuchka were restricted .... not that we could have them whenever we wished to! The mother's perennial complain continued "tor baba to Park Street er restaurant e khaoalo na konodin, DumDum e ekta bari kiney dilona amai".... the daughter had a prompt answer ready .... Mani, he did not ever bother or question how many sarees you bought in a year.... which ranged from 25-40 in number or what you do in the kitchen or from which pick-pocketer you got so good training.... hahaha.... The brother or his mother will not spare me for spilling the bean though I do not see any wrong in it... seemed very cute to me ... both the deed and the complaint.... the complainant was too! To our mother... the area ranging between Nagerbazaar & Chiriamore is the best place to live in at the Kolkata suburbs.... she still laments for DumDum, neither is willing to sale her home at Barrackpore......... This island will neither forgive me for cooking Bok Choy with "shorshe lanka narkol bata"..... They may throw me out .... but trust me it went well with this "Bangali Jibba".....

This happens when I do not wish to travel five metro stations to get fresh, Indian "methi shaak or palong".... I do not know why people get so cruel showing me pictures of "katoar data"...... I crave so much so that I asked the mother.... "katoar data radhley?".... She makes an awesome curry with "kochi data-aloo diye chingri".... a curry which has fair amount of red chilli paste... that has been flavoured with wild celery seeds paste added towards the end! However, we get the normal "data" here and S will cook "data aloo diye rui-katlar jhol"..... only when she gets a decently fresh "rui-katla" in the market.... till then let her cook something like this ALOOR BHANGA CHORA JHOL and serve it with some dalpoori and yes, there definitely are some meat sides for my men most of the time... but today my men has to accept a platter that "Apu-Durga or Kangali's Maa" could provide.... Abhagi could not even provide this much for her son... only "fyana bhaat".... no, our society does not allow a dalit anything better than that.... I am no exception, I will do a post on "aloor jhol" and serve my child a mutton curry for lunch.... I accept what I am.... not a justifiable being, not willing to focus on anything or get focussed, not a sane person by any means... I just go by my instincts!

I called the Mother yesterday! No, I did not wish her neither will she know that today is her day unless we tell her... but she knows which plant needs what fertiliser! She, at 70 takes an up Sealdah local at 4:30 am in the morning from Barrackpore station and travels 100km to see her 90 year old mother carrying along "chanachur to petticoat" for her..... takes the return train to Barrackpore at 11am and travels another 100km to reach home by 1:30pm.... Why?.... no her brothers are not morons that they do not give our mother any entry or do not buy their mother anything! Our grandmother is a well off woman who always loved to get her stuffs from Kolkata that has to be got by her eldest child! Why our mother has such a hurry to return back?.... aww "Shiprer maa " will come by 2pm.... then who will water her plants in the evening or may be she has the responsibility of a make ahead preparation of biryani for her son's lunch box the next day.... not that the son or his wife wants her to! I am watching two extremes in our family for long.... extremes are not good! See, I am not forcing our son to take a "doi er phota" on his examination days.... he will not accept and I do not have the patience of our mother to persuade! This mother of ours do not like potatoes, more so after she was diagnosed with diabetes.... but Bengali snacks of "luchi / porota with aloo" was / is very common in her kitchen.... because we love it. It is common in my kitchen too.... I am a diabetic, so I always make slits on the skinned potatoes or prick with a fork and microwave them at high for 3-4 minutes depending on their number.... doctors say so! Since yesterday, I do not know why this "Apu-Durga" of Pather Panchali or "Kangali" of Abhagir Swargo are shrouding my mind.... the senior often utters that quote where Durga? tells her mother that she finds the "patishapta?" of rich homes smelly.... ask me why? they were made of kheer stuffing.... I cannot summarise for you now... I have to read it again..... this space will not allow... nor you all are interested.... neither I am our Bengali teacher Iva Dutta Miss who had the ability to bring tears to her students' eyes while teaching Abhagir Swargo... it was in our syllabi.... Now, not all students in her class broke into tears.... come on they had to save their eyes for the exotic evenings.... I so often wonder why I had to be so integrated, so dedicated, so honest towards souls that did not ever matched mine... souls that did not ever care to take a look at the depth of the ocean within me.... I can see I had to pay a heavy price for my stupidity.... Integrity may not have any value ... one should be proud and selfish enough to settle their own lives so much so that they can be their own support!.... Iva Miss had high hopes on me.... I could not give her anything in return.... became a distracted mind forever.... Youngsters.... you should not be so stupid and must exercise control over your minds and life.... else you will see everyone have walked past you.... and you are standing alone with a lost soul.... There is no viable justification in losing your mind for anyone or anything.... no one cares! Do not put your entire being to a pair of feet which may throw it like a damaged football! If you see a Kangali around do not forget to help.... he only wished for few pieces of wood to fulfil his mother's last wish to reach heaven .... As of me I could not be a good mother as I wished to be.... I could not make my son read classics till date... introduce him to the world of Bengali literature.... the guilt is on! Coming to the dish today, ALOOR BHANGA CHORA JHOL, 'Apu, Durga or Kangali's" parents could not even afford green peas for them.... I just roughly thought, I will go very simple today.... I actually tried to recreate the roadside kind of potato curry.... I ended up with a taste nearly so.... I used roughly chopped boiled potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, spices... everything thrown in.... water added... boiled and done... Some may get upset with me serving the potato & green pea curry on a red and white bowl.... Well, to my defence I would say this picture was taken a couple of months back, not that I have grown any wise now... except for few more white streaks and deeper lines on the forehead! What is more important is that this island is not only about tall buildings.... else an 85 year old would not have cleaned your table or the tables of the food courts would not have been filled all day through... "shadharon manush"... commoners are a majority here too..... problem is we see around through our coloured glasses which may not give us the correct picture at all times! For a platter like ALOOR BHANGA CHORA JHOL served with dalpoori.... a tea or coffee is a must! I could not name the dish correctly.... how does it matter if the taste is too yum.... I can guarantee that!

Would you wish to check one more heirloom, Bengali Potato Recipe from my blog?... Here it is.... click the heading....

NOTUN ALOOR DOM

INGREDIENTS :

Potato :4-5 medium sized
Tomato : 1big [washed, roughly chopped]
Green Chilli : 2 [chopped] + 1[slitted]
Green Pea : 1/4small cup
Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Dry Mango Powder : 1tsp [aam choor]
Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Oil : 2tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the potatoes and make slits all over or prick with a fork. Take on a plate and microwave at high for 3-4 minutes. Once cool, take off the skin and roughly chop.... no precision is required in this dish!

Add little salt to the chopped potatoes and mix well.

Heat oil in a wok and temper with cumin seeds. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir for a minute or 2. Add the turmeric, chopped green chillies, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Fold in well and keep stirring till the tomato pieces melt.

Add the roughly chopped potatoes and fold in well. Add one big cup of water. Fold in well and cover cook at low heat for 3-4 minutes.

Open cover, mash few potato pieces with the back of your ladle. Adjust salt, add the dry mango powder, green peas and the slitted green chilli. Fold in well and let cook at low heat for 1-2 minutes.

We prefer curry in the potatoes.... so do not let it dry... add little water if it tends to dry.

I however have the feel that freshly ground coarse cumin-coriander-red chillies would have given it the perfect roadside feel. A Bengali household do not use dry mango powder often.... I however feel the roadside stalls use it!

I served the dish with dalpoori.... you can have with roti, paratha, poori and yes it goes well with toasted bread!

Well, yesterday I was at home.... we are not grounded at the school canteen if the kids are having examinations for the entire day! .... The daddy drops and the mumma goes to collect her weirdo.... chats for half an hour with her beautiful friend and other parents if any! I asked my friend Piyali.... "it cannot be so that all the mothers except you and me are working.... "porikkhar shomoy to ektu ashtey parey.... during exam they can come at least!".... My flat nose is really getting bigger poking in every other matter.... The senior hates it.... says it is absolutely unnecessary... more so in this island that is so safe.... All the kids are calling the cabs by themselves and going home..... Then, I cannot manage with memories you all know.... a lady with 4'9" height stands in front.... who did not watch television during our examinations .... sat under a tree for four long hours during her married daughter's examinations too.... Her son did not agree to go to the examination hall without her where she waited in a tea stall outside dominated by males! Thinking of the wrinkled face, I cannot sit at home! We could not fulfil her wish ..... I can at least follow her footsteps.... She is too tensed just as my paa-in-law is with their grandson's education.... given he is different from others since childhood! Take a look at the picture below.... while all the kids are assembled together and discussing the question paper, the tailed creature of ours was walking alone talking to himself.... I mean he talks to some selective friends ..... if the mother talks to his friends, he gets upset and says... "stop talking to strangers!".... Mumma tells the weird.... "my baby's friends are my babies too!".... that gets smile on his face.... Once he went to the 10th standard, mumma asked him to call his friends at home.... mumma wishes to treat them .... with her cunning wish to take forward her blog... "would you ask your parents to take a look at my blog"..... haha... come on I am not that selfish either.... my friends had free entry at our home... I would love to! I am preparing all these fries and fritters as a practice.... I want him to behave normal and call his friends home... as I did.... Not all of them did come though.... may be because we did not live in a "posh" neighbourhood or I was not worth to be in touch with.... For the most of the rest, our two roomed rental home was open! I do not usually cross roads with people who avoid me! When some people cash on that and enjoy taking a dig at my weaknesses or pain, I wonder why should I spare them?.... Most of the time I try to ignore thinking they must be unhappy souls in their own lives, so it gives them pleasure to prick others.... No, I am not targetting the food blogging world or the people I know personally or any celebrity .... There are people who pens silly melodrama every other day, as irrelevant as mine... not every writer writes readable stuffs! Anyway, some of my friends frequented so much so that our entire neighbourhood knew me and T are going to marry at a time when we did not have in our wild dreams that T & S can ever marry! Our society till then did not accept that a boy and a girl can be very good friends sharing many a thoughts and feelings under the Sun! Oh yes, see our school uniform colour and the son's matches.... This is wow...... round and round I see you at each turn.... the earth whispers!

I have become an expert clicking my men from the back.... they hate been clicked and seen in social media.... Only when we go for a trip, I manage some and share to their utmost disgust.... Anyway, do you think I am sharing a BANGALI FISH FRY O MOONG DAL NARKOL DIYE DHOKA BHAJA just to show off my love for my men?.... Nope, yesterday the ICSE board results were out, messages are pouring in from Kolkata... my friends' kids faired well.... percentage ranging from 86% to 97%.... feeling happy for them... boys and the girls both.... I have a problem only with those who have a problem with mine.... I have located those.... No, I do not expect from strangers.... It is a crime to discriminate kids who you know.... and also to those you do not know... be it a boy or a girl.... I definitely cannot keep considerable amount of space in my heart for such people! Anyway, early morning I discovered that my friend Kana Dasgupta did not message me... I called her, woke her up and enquired... My Mimo is a very obedient son.... very much naive unlike mine.... well S aunty was expecting a better percentage from him.... though he has done pretty well! For all these boys and girls who I know will do good in life .... a share from this snacks platter of BANGALI FISH FRY O MOONG DAL NARKOL DIYE DHOKA BHAJA!

Today, the son does not have any examination.... mumma has time to jot down the recipes of the vegetarian and non-vegetarian snacks she prepared yesterday.... Getting ahead with a Bengali style fish fry recipe is a five to six hours of prep time for me.... I am myself very much worried about any kind of smell from the fish.... We usually use Bhetki fillet for fish fries! What if I only have some frozen Tilapia fillets at home? I will go ahead for sure.... Fresh Tilapia, specially the smaller, black variety is good to have. Problem is neither me or the husband fancy it. Tilapia first entered our home when the brother was diagnosed with jaundice in the 9th standard! The doctor prescribed tilapia curry for him cooked without oil.... I could not love it... so the mother did not get.... However, the daddy started loving it and had it in his last years... I had big tilapia fillet first at sister like Ujjaini Bhaduri's home in Houston back in 2009... I was a Kolkatan then..... a "tyangra, aar, pabda, kajoli, boyal, bhola, batashi, koi khaoa Bangali"..... I was skeptical giving a nod! The "chuno mach" loving Ujjaini said try S didi.... you will not feel anything, trust me! They were then only three months into that land... she was like me scared of that "gol chakti" and had to wait for the weekend when her husband will drive her to the Indian market! I enjoyed a "Hemanta / Manna" at Amit's car.... got excited to see senior Reagan's palace in their neighbourhood... yet was sad.... "hyarey Robider mudi dokan nei to rey ektao".... "kancha lanka kintey jetey gari bar korish?"..... Thank God they lived in a duplex which were not located 200 mts away from each other! One palace... then another at "shei konai.... majkhaney ekta paan-birir dokan nei".... call me a jealous or what, I am too scared of ghosts.... haha! This little sister is happy there with her family now.... shares pictures of produce from her garden! No, S didi is not jealous, she lives in a land who loves rice, aam, kathal as she does and it has a "mudi dokan" every 200mt. Only that the rent of a duplex there and that of a 1400 sqft. flat here is same ..... and if you are a foreigner you have to pay an extra stamp duty to buy a flat in a condominium! Foreigners are not allowed to buy Government owned properties ever... Sigh! Anyway, a BANGALI FISH FRY O MOONG DAL NARKOL DIYE DHOKA BHAJA today has other reasons too.... done with tilapia got it the Kolkata fish fry feel to me... you can go ahead! If the Principal of the son's school who hails from that "bahargaon" can have a meal with "rice, dal, sabzi, bhaji" from the school canteen, why cannot I have a tilapia?.... He is a wonderful person, seems to me so.... he too caught me last week ..... I was running after my son. He stopped me... "Tell me how can I help you?""No, nothing as such... the son did not look back at me... I want to see his face before he gets in"... He said "I am a parent too, I can feel you.... but your son is trying to convey you a message... to trust him... he can take care of himself! We are there to take care of them.... Go and sit in the canteen!" What do I see in the canteen? Piali's daughter sitting beside her mother [it could be a father too!] and doing the last minute revision .... she would go only when the final bell rings! I got the message from the Principal Sir... he does not speak with a "shupuri" inside his mouth! The illiterate me is like"itaner ingraji ami bujhina..."..... Coming to the trust factor, I had a fight with the husband day before yesterday.... My request was / is please message me once the son gets into the room on days I am not accompanying. He did not do that and till the afternoon he did not take my phone calls ... a fight was inevitable.... Why I cannot trust anyone with regards the son? I have my own defences.... I did not freak around dumping the son at home, did not go for work while he was away at the sea ... I could have managed at a school.... I had a very happy life though.... so do not ask me why?.... Then I prefer a stress free zone at my home... so some snack-tack for the man too.... most of the time he speaks right... he respects the wife's wishes and does not get beef inside this home, the wife does not get pork too.... the son got a big Mac at home last to last week.... mumma was angry.... if she does not stop you from having, please listen to her request! I thought if I am serving snacks at dinner, there should be some rice, so you see cumin rice in the picture! Ahh, that was a wrong idea.... two big fish fries and two to three cooked dal fritters did not make any room for rice... it will be eaten today! I tend to fry the coated fish for more time.... they may seem to you over fried.... it does not affect the taste trust me! Let us do it! Your family will be happy as mine. The senior was so happy that he opened a new wine bottle at 10pm.... the wife could not shoulder or share financial responsibilities with him.... this is her way of saying.... "Thank You Boss.... for giving me a home which I can call mine!"

INGREDIENTS : [for the steamed lentil fry]

Split Moong Dal : 11/2 medium cup
Grated Coconut : 1 small cup
Cumin Seed : 1/2tsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 11/2tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Asafoetida : 2pinch
Sugar : 2tsp
Salt : As Required
Turmeric : 1tsp
Water : As Required
Oil : 2tbsp + 150ml

INGREDIENTS : [for the Bengali Style Fish Fry]

Fish Fillet : 6-8 [I used Tilapia]
Lemon Juice : 1/2small cup
Ginger Extract : 2tbsp
Garlic Extract : 3tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1tsp + 11/2tsp
Chaat Masala : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 2tbsp
Bread Crumbs : To coat each fish fillet we need 1/4 small cup of it
Refined Flour : 1medium cup
Water : As Required
Salt : As Required
Oil : As Required to deep fry

PROCEDURE :

Let us do the BANGALI FISH FRY.... the name Bangalir Fish Fry would have suited the most, then I am not big brother Google's much loved sister... step sister perhaps. A small time food blogger like me has to struggle for a place in the search engine thingi.... it hardly helps though and I do not care.... I love to pen down my thoughts however poor my language is and to cook... so I have a blog... thats it!

I used frozen tilapia, so we need to defrost it!

We have to cut the fish fillets into squares or rectangles... The spares can be used for macher chop later.

Wash and marinate the fish fillets with lemon juice, ginger and garlic extract, 1tsp black pepper powder and little salt for 1 hour. I just strain the ginger-garlic paste to extract the juice. My garlic changes to green once made to a paste .....

After an hour, discard the marinade! Marinate the fillets again with black pepper powder, ginger and garlic paste, chopped green chillies and salt.

Fold in well, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Prepare a paste with refined flour, salt. Mix the bread crumb, red chilli powder and chaat masala together.

Take the marinated fish fillets, one at a time. Dip into the paste and then coat well with the crumb mixture. Repeat.

Once done, they look like this.

Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for an hour before frying. You can refrigerate till the next day!

Take out before frying. Remove the cling wrap. Heat oil and fry in batches. Mine is a smaller wok, so I fried one at a times.

Once both sides are fried well, place on to tissue papers before serving to get rid of the excess oil. The frying process requires adjusting the heat as and when required!

Let us prepare the pure vegetarian MOONG DAL NARKOL DIYE DHOKA BHAJA now. Usually, at Bengali homes, Dhoka... that is cooked and fried lentil is done with chana dal and made into a curry. Trust me and try it as a snack.... you will love!

At first, we will soak the dal in water for 2 hours.

We will take it in a blender and blend it to a smooth paste. Out mothers always do a coarse paste in "shilnora"..... I am not my mother, Cristine is not "Shiprer Maa"....

Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan and temper with asafoetida, cumin seeds, chopped green chillies!

Add the grated coconut and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Once done, add the split, yellow moong dal paste, ginger paste, salt, turmeric and sugar. Fold in well and we need to continuously stir it. Add little water if required. We will cook until the sides come out clean.

Transfer to a box and level. Rest for an hour to set in.

Take out and turn onto a plate or board. Cut into desired shapes.... I am poor with diamond cuts, so I go with squares!

Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the lentil cakes in batches.

Transfer on to tissue papers before serving!

Serve both hot and fresh with salad and "Kasundi".... a Bengali mustard and raw mango sauce. I arranged for some cumin rice because it was night time!

Oh! only an ignorant like me will know the pain of scrolling and scrolling your Google photo album and find out a photo you desire to blog on! Then you edit them and create three photos from two with a brain that always works in slow motion! I prefer to keep three main photos per post these days.... when we will not be there, people will know that there had been a family of three who ate, drank, merry and took life as it came! As you know, I suffered, still suffer from a condition or disease that drags me towards negative situations & thoughts.... so besides all the beautiful posts by the parents on their kids' achievements.... my eyes get drawn towards something else.... three IIT students take off their lives before their semester.... the son of a small time worker consumes rat poison not satisfied with his +12 results, the daughter of a mason committed suicide after been raped.... I have learnt to handle stress all by myself.... I remember all those sedatives did not help me... All the anger inside is channelised to the mother "chele-meye dutokey ki tairi korecho acholer tolai rekhe.... ektu chartey hoy.... shokto korey tairi kortey hoy".... Yes, I blame our mother for not making us strong enough to face life! I remember a college going daughter refusing to have muri / puffed rice or bread for a single day and the mother preparing ruti / porota / luchi almost every day.... I feel guilty very much.... a gift of a tusser sari or a gold ear stud is not enough to get rid of it.... but I got wiser.... I have to scold her when she feeds meat to her son 3-4 days a week or luchi as a breakfast each and everyday.... his cholesterol level is high, percentage of uric acid crossed the danger level.... Who listens to me? A majority of the Bengalis will do some exercise only after leaving West Bengal! You may call me anything, but Bengali stomachs are not made to digest meat every other day.... we do not have meat stews..... a lot of oil and spices goes in ..... I do not think I can go for a ketogenic diet ever.... an egg once a week makes my "pet joydhak" for that day! The very calm S speaks this rough at times these days..... courtesy..... the husband.... Yet, I thanked him yesterday for gifting a stress free life to our son.... he never sets targets for the son ..... always says let him be.... Yesterday, when I saw the picture of that boy in the hospital bed... who may not survive.... I broke down once the husband was back from office.... He said S, such incidents happened back then too.... there were no social media to highlight such news.... He says teens should learn to handle stress, parents should not push them to the edge either! Yesterday, my neighbour and friend in Kolkata.... an Eye Surgeon too.... Dr. Monalisa Pramanik shared a picture of her son's achievement in the ICSE examinations.... she has every right to.... Rochishnu scored 97.2% and I know he got it absolutely stress free.... in his own will and ability..... I know when me and Kana were talking.... we were lying to each other.... Mimo did score good but both me and Kana wished for a 92 % to 94%.... from him.... Neither me or Kana is a Rupa Roy.... we are just learning to be wise and so we will not put our kids in stress.... About our son, he will not allow any stress... and his father will show me the door if I put him in stress ..... I have the feel that our son will score something between 80-85% in most of the subjects .... in fact IG board confers grades.... well our son may not get an A+ in the nine subjects out of ten.... I may cry behind the closed doors but I will not compare him with others.... I do not want a divorce, I do not earn!.... I feel happy for my friend Debopam's daughter who scored a 94% in ICSE, I feel happier when his wife Sarnali says S..... I will always support her wish... whatever stream she pursues I will be happy! I am learning to be like them..... at some point neither me or Kana have to lie to each other.... we will become two wise owls.... At the moment, the face of that boy who consumed rat poison is haunting me.... the parents are not telling the truth .... they might have told him something derogatory.... not all kids are like mine..... "P.... do not play those shark games ok?".... he laughs out loud.... "if I have to die I will jump off the window ..... I will not waste time playing a game and then do it"... I thank the husband again... No, this GUR LEBUR SHORBOT is not for the husband.... packets of cigars have robbed him of his old likes, appetite I believe.... it is for those less fortunate struggling in the hospital bed with a damaged liver... I am a fighter's wife, wish I could preach his philosophy of life to such weak hearts!

Our mother never made this GUR LEBUR SHORBOT.... I remotely remember that I had seen my grandmother doing it when I was this little.... Did the "chatur shorbot" sellers sell this desi cooler in the Kolkata streets? I do not remember really.... I did not call the 90 year old lady either for the recipe of this summer cooler! I make it on my own, not often though because I am a diabetic.... Olong and Ayataka tea work best for me and wow! for the son too.... so much so that I stopped getting Iced Lemon Tea cans for him! He has become one of this island.... though prefers beef than a clam, squid or crab! He was 7-8 years old when his father took him to a Mac joint in Houston and bought him a big Mac.... he was 5-6 years old when the husband noticed that the boy goes and sits beside mumma in the prayer room.... he dogmatised him saying God is a myth! The son goes to the school, says it and gets badly beaten by a senior boy.... I got wild at the husband... why so early you had to? The answer was .... "you too had been calling him at times of prayer"..... Thereafter, I did not fill socks with gifts and chocolates.... once I did and the son said I know you did it... all my pleasure was gone! I am just trying to say.... kids should behave like kids when they are kids.... my son was never so. That is when one Dibyendu Banerjee says your boring husband never was a kid, hence.... and that bald headed... yesteryear Sunny Deol for us... calls him a "jethu".... only a romantic like me was left to marry him! That bald headed person had been always there for me.... err... for my husband's wife... at midnight in the airport, when our car met with an accident, for my father at the funeral ground... my husband only had to say... "S ke dekhish".... I am leaving for months... look after S! No, you will not see them on my social media friend list... social media photographs do not really prove anything! The husband is very protective of his "core group"..... says we had been there for each other without any personal interest! Anyway, whenever I am down... I am frequently so given my mental condition or disease, something is there to divert my attention! See, a beauty with wings graced our window pane.... may be early morning! No, I am not calling names, what if some PETA members read my post? I am keeping my cool thinking he or she might had loose motion.... the heat is such ..... it could not control! I clicked to complain at the office but then realised it is not a human job as does my neighbour above my floor back in Kolkata... That beautiful lady is so insensible that she considers my flat as her dustbin.... even when I stayed there.... Repeated complains to the management office had no solutions.... though the old paa-in-law goes and pays our maintenance bill regularly.... People use our parking lot for free.... and that her highness made a good dustbin of my balcony and AC machines.... Decency could never fight insensibility. Here, the management takes every complain seriously and takes immediate action.... work culture matters! Do not tell me that all women are victims.... that insensible lady's husband and parents are so gentle!.... I am another worse case.... with a flat but choosy nose I ignore people who I cannot get along with.... I accept that I am not accommodating! Till date I could not complete a can of 100 plus.... after a race, they do give one... I get it for the son... they will not give me a doi er ghol or GUR LEBUR SHORBOT! 100 plus is good, there is no harm in trying heirloom, desi Indian drinks either.... they can be better for Indian stomachs. I am that desi who prepares "Maan Kochu bata" in her kitchen.... a heirloom, no cook Bengali recipe with maan kochu / malanga coco, chilli-mustard paste, grated coconut and mustard oil.... May be I will blog on it after the big event of some of my readers is over.... at the moment they need coolers... lot of hydrating summer drinks.... that need not be expensive "badam shorbot" at all times.... this GUR LEBUR SHORBOT helps too.... not all of them live in big homes.... our Rizia Mashi does not take a single day leave, neither did my Chotu during these months! Anyway, I have to go for a simple share today because I have to clean my window panes.... Sir said Cristine will not do because those are open windows... I am not a Divya Bharati that media will go gaga on me.... if you do not see me around tomorrow .... do pray for my own.... Oh yes, you need not wait till tomorrow .... you can see me doing "ghonta pooja" in different groups... all for the blog.... For you who work out in the Sun.... say for a walk or run or play field games, or working indoor... this homemade desi drink works wonder to hydrate your system! Do try!

No, these sky scrappers do not say anything, only that we are a part of those cages of different sizes, in one you get "kochu bata to loti shutki" everything simple .... If you are sensible enough not to cause damage to my property in my absence.... you are most welcome!

INGREDIENTS :

Jaggery : 100gm [We get chemical free jaggery powder here, do you? then use]
Lemon Juice : 1/2small cup
Black Salt : 1/4tsp
Black Pepper Powder : 2-3 pinch
Water : 2 standard sized glasses

PROCEDURE :

Take the jaggery in a mortar and pestle and break into smaller pieces, you can do it with a rolling pin too! If you are using jaggery powder... this step is not required.

Take the smaller jaggery pieces in a container and add the water. Add the lemon juice too! Stir and keep covered. The jaggery has to dissolve completely.

Strain the jaggery water and pour in to another container. Add the black salt and black pepper powder. Stir well and pour into tall glasses.

Top with some ice cubes and enjoy sipping! If you are not a diabetic, have it everyday... no harm!

What did I mean by this "Coastal Style?"..... You see I have very little knowledge on Food History! Hence in most cases I avoid talking about it.... Earlier I had blogged on some meat / egg dishes of Malvani / Konkani origin ..... what I see mostly is that they fry a couple of spices along with onion, grated coconut in oil and then blend them to a paste before proceeding with the recipe. Now this may vary from one region to another depending on the most available ingredients there. Isn't it so that the Southern India or this island or the Barishal district of Bangladesh use coconut extensively in their cooking because of its availability? I remember this COASTAL STYLE MUTTON was done on a Saturday.... so neither stepwise pictures were possible nor an authenticity of any particular region or place could be maintained. You all know that most of the time I prefer taking rough ideas from around and go ahead with a recipe unless it is a heirloom, Bengali family recipe. Look at this home.... if someone is at home, the television is on 24/7! That someone who does not take interest in anything except politics, games, good movies or music of his choice is watching the Royal Wedding now! Ahh me too was jotting down certain points.... what makes the Queen accept such a decision of her grandson? Old age or she is trying to keep up with time?.... "shomoyer sangey cholun noyto pichiye porben?".... Her Highness did not allow her daughter to be with the man she wished to and now one from another nation, a cross breed, an actor, a divorcee ...... a commoner steps into her castle.... majority of her people may not be happy.... We are commoners, of another nation which has its own turmoils, so we will hardly have any interest in the royal wedding.... but I am happy for Prince Harry and support him .... I am his mother's fan till date and if he could take such a decision and stay firm on it, he off course is his mother's son..... who despite been a royal bride had a very compassionate heart towards the needy. As of the old queen, what she is doing or speaking does not represent her.... she is acting under pressure... trying to be with time! Of the similar kinds I see around, I only smile and whisper "I do not believe in what you say, so you need not be so good to me.... just be normal!" My whispers do not take shape.... I try to be good to the elderlies or a sense of responsibility works inside unless and until they rob me of my self-respect! So, whether the British Queen accepted it willingly or unwillingly, it is a welcome move. Right now its showing the wedding vows... that line that will make any Indian / South Asian mother go wild.... "will you forsake all others to remain faithful to your wife / husband?".... hahaha... do not take me seriously but its a truth.... both the mothers of a son or a daughter do not wish to leave control over their kids even after marriage ..... but they cook yum curries as this COASTAL STYLE MUTTON for their own! Now, I will not be surprised if today and tomorrow in one particular social forum there are shares on how cruel kids are these days to their parents... hihi.... good... at least "some" people do read my rubbish! You know S possesses an idle brain, so I was thinking what if Meghan's bridal makeup was in the hands of my teen hood friend from college.... Arundhati Chaudhury? She would have given some fillers to her cheeks... some red touch ups.... Till date I could not understand why do we have to be so skinny with boney cheek lines! My excuse to have more of "luchi, porota, bhaat"😆! Meghan must have that quality in her to rule the television industry there with a freckled face.... so it is not about the face everywhere.... she could not have made it in Bollywood unless she had been too lucky! Anyway, my above mentioned beautiful friend suffers from a condition of extreme obesity who stays alone... her well off parents expired.... she has proved that one can be single and yet happy! .... She is the teacher of a government run beauty institute.... She promised a makeover of my greys on my next visit.... no I will not spend 500 sing dollars on a Jean Yip package! Look at the lady down.... I did not see when the television switched to Colours from CNN.... I like the lady... below.... In the show biz world, she is not eager to show off her physical assets... she writes, speaks and acts on social issues! ... We do not expect a VS Naipaul style from a Mrs. Funny Bones... everyone have their distinctive style.... I love her wit... the way she resurrected her husband's life... haha I meant his choice of films! Guess the song... my favourite!... No, I will not show the hero's face... his fists are not in his control how much of a charitable person he is .... Oh! I adore Bollywood, the day I shared the fish fry and dhoka bhaja recipe, it was one of my heartthrob Madhuri Dixit's birthday.... I did not know and it felt good! A reminder once again... the below lady in black does not pay for my Jean Yip packages... I am that free willed person who decides on her own likes and dislikes ...

This COASTAL STYLE MUTTON may not be an authentic one.... I used the available spices in my kitchen and went ahead! I do slow cooking most of the time..... I am a stay-at-home and have enough time.... more so if you store enough energy having "aam / kola doi / dudh chirey / muri"..... puffed rice / flattened rice with milk / yogurt , mango or banana.... we call it "pholar" probably..... the daddy's girl this way.... this kinds were his "evening food".... I have got very irregular with my walks and exercise regime.... all toning gone.... I look like a football but do not forget to click or express my delight at the sight of such a small, fruit bearing "jamrul gach".... more so when it seems I cannot grow any fruit or vegetables on my balcony.... a kind of insect or may be caterpillars eat them.... only the "orchids, togor, patabahars" love me! Nothing comes for free in this world.... even the plants seek the love I show towards mutton and hilsa! There had been some kulfi making session too! I loved doing the super quick, no cook coolers..... this island gives you the freshest of fruits and yes, peace...... it is not ruled by a liar dictator.... a lady who does not know how useless she is! No, I am not abusing the woman kind.... for one I am here today! She cooks in less oil, loves fruits ... any kind, roshogolla and oh so patient and cool in any dreadful situation. The daughter loves everything unhealthy.... "chop, shingara, pantua, tel rogrogey patha o ilish".... and is impatient. Yesterday, the husband went for an invitation after I gave a nod.... he loves his wife come on.... he knows I will not go anywhere leaving the son alone at home at this moment.... I missed watching Raazi too... oh! its a Meghna Gulzar film and has to be different.... This girl Alia Bhatt will go far.... young, confident, natural actor who does not dump the face with makeup... like her too! The parents of the boy or the girl who would stand 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the son's class might have seen Raazi by now or partied hard this weekend or may not be.... but I am this way! If I have given birth to him, I should behave responsibly.... I am selfish enough to admit that he is the prime in my life.... the rest of the world comes next.... though I am not eager to prove it in the social media every other day.... So, the son got Mac meals for him and Cristine didi at night.... I told him to but our mother would not have allowed outside food during any examination. What did this primitive eat? "Ruti, peyaz, lanka" and what you call hash browns... I keep a frozen packet for the men.... I have once in six months.... I liked it.... "ruti-aloobhaja".... what else is required?

I am yet to settle on an Oshi Palav recipe ..... I do not have any friend in Uzbekistan.... I have to depend on big brother Google though it ignores its little sister.... it does matter but I do not bother. The way I name my recipes these days.... they are not to be chosen by the search engines it seems! Lets eat... drink.... merry instead! This COASTAL STYLE MUTTON can be done either with lamb or mutton. I used mutton though the senior prefers lamb and the later will take little less time to cook! I lightly fried all the spices used, grated coconut, onion, ginger and garlic in oil and then prepared a paste with all adding little water! The mutton off course had to be marinated for hours. What else is left but cooking it over slow fire?

By the way, if anyone from Kolkata is reading my blog post, do check with our childhood friend Nabendu Saha's food joint "FOODPATH".... the Laketown unit is relocating, the Sinthimore unit is active... just beside the PNB... our friend Swati Bhattacharya's daughter has already visited and gives a thumbs up both to the food and the ambience!

I have just updated the pictures of a previous blog post of PRAWN CURRY WITH RIDGE GOURD AND POTATO.... for us there is nothing like light curries in summer... be it fish, meat or mixed vegetables! Click the heading below for the recipe!

PRAWN CURRY WITH RIDGE GOURD AND POTATO

INGREDIENTS :
Mutton : 1kg [can be lamb too]
Garlic Cloves : 8-10 [peeled and washed]
Onion Slices : 1medium cup [peel, wash, slice the onion]
Ginger Slices : 1tbsp [peel, slice, wash the ginger pieces]
Grated Coconut : 1small cup
Cumin Seed : 1tsp
Coriander Seed : 11/2tsp
Fennel Seed : 1tsp
Black Peppercorn : 1tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 5-6
Cinnamon Stick : 3-4 two inch size
Green Cardamom : 3-4
Cloves : 3-4
Bay Leaf : 1big
Lemon Juice : 1/2small cup
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp +1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3tbsp +4tbsp

PROCEDURE :

If I cook mutton for lunch, I usually marinate it the previous night.... you can do it for at least 5 hours.

Wash the mutton pieces thoroughly under running water. Drain all the water.

Apply 1tsp turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, ginger paste and garlic paste to the mutton pieces. Rub very well. Refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 5-8 hours and take out an hour before starting to cook it.

Heat 3tbsp oil in a wok and add the ginger and onion slices, garlic cloves.... fry till they turn golden brown.

Add the black peppercorns, dry red chillies, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and the grated coconut! Fry at low heat for 2-3 minutes. Switch off gas and let cool.

Transfer the fried spices along with the remaining oil to the blender! Add little water and blend to a paste with regular intervals. Add more water if required.

Heat 4tbsp oil in a wok and temper with cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves and a bayleaf.

As they splutter, add the spice paste and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and little salt. Stir for a minute.

Add the mutton pieces without the marinade. Stir for 5 minutes at high heat. Reduce heat to minimum and add the marinade. Cover with a lid.

It will release a good amount of water and then to dry up it may take 35-40 minutes.... always to keep the heat at minimum. We will open cover and stir every 3-4 minutes to avoid the bottom to burn.

Once all the water dries up, add 11/2 coffee mug of warm water and fold in well. Cover cook for 8-10 minutes at minimal heat. We should be done.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with rice, roti, paratha. You can see a Bengali style climbing perch fish curry with cauliflower and potato "fulkopi aloo diye koi maach" and daal in the platter.

This is exclusively made for myself.... if I start preparing everything considering the tastebuds of my men.... I have to limit the cooking ingredients to meat, prawns, fish fillets and vegetables if any .... then it should be pakoras.... "badhakopir bora, fulkopir bora, dhonepatar bora, aloor bora"..... Milind Soman will never be friends with my men ..... even I do not give in to their demands else both would have conferred me the "Best Mom / Wife" Award by now! Our Filipino Cristine eats Shukto to this AAM PORA PUDINAR SHORBOT..... but the men takes a sip and says enough.... now I cannot add one cup of sugar to this healthy cooling drink and turn it into an unhealthy one! So, I am not so regular with it.... I made it last week just when Ipsita steps in with her version of Fish Fry.... she gave a thumbs up to this healthy summer cooler! She is not the kind who would allow fish fries in her kitchen much.... Last month I got a roast pot at a great discount .... that too at Isetan and I immediately got it for her... she would use it wisely.... else you would see me setting "doi, chana, dal for dhoka" on it.... for me only "hata, khunti, korai" works! Wise men knew it lo-o-o-o-ong before.... off course it is good to be "calculative" with your life.... you have only one! Anyway, how much of "hashi moshkora" you see me doing, I am not in a great mood! Even the husband says the son will get a mix of A and B grades.... mumma cannot be happy! No, I am not jealous with Piali or her daughter.... the teen who says after each examination in which subject she will get 95 percentile or in which 97! For her I get to know what is going on inside the examination hall.... so focussed, so sincere about her career and life! I like two kinds of women.... one who are good in academics.... courtesy our mother! The other kind is one who have physical beauty.... that has to be aligned with calmness and yes, fair amount of decency.... what they speak, how they act and represent themselves says it all.... Piali Maitra is one such and yes, she is a Bethunite! I tell her that it is a waste of resource that you never went to work! Now, I am also not the kind who many people may like... I give them that liberty just as I reserve "my right of way".... For this friend Piali, I took my favourite Instant Semolina Idli yesterday! I prepare the batter in minutes.... mixing together Eno, Yogurt, Semolina and few vegetables! I have few expert South Indian blogger friends.... I do not even know they would accept it as an idli or not! I packed the men's lunch boxes... they will just "manage".... their idea of healthy food is limited to chicken / mutton stew, light egg and prawn curries! My readers are not bound to accept what my men like at all times, I may not be accommodative but I do not lack sensibility totally as some do! See Piyali loved it with my homemade mint-yogurt chutney.... Tinni... her daughter had two.... this morning I had one with my black coffee! Piali aunty got some Kheema Curry for our son.... After the examination was over, I asked him to say thank you to aunty! A robotic voice says so! Aunty asked him how was the paper.... "I do not know!".... "Did you answer all the questions?"..."Everyone writes every thing!".... he is protective about his peers which is good but he does not speak to Tinni... may be because she talks on academics always... haha!

While chatting with her, I told her that I have really grown old! Last Thursday, Piali's husband was with me at the school and ahh... we talked only of our kids and this island! Gosh 😀! I am very open about my likes and dislikes... I told her... "he is so calm and decent Piali".... he is in fact our batch mate.... an alumnus of that Science College under Calcutta University located few stops before Sealdah.... of the Computer Science Department! "Jhinchak" boys scare me always! What would have been the scenario had my husband been there? Well, he would have told 'excuse me' at least five times in one hour and would have gone outside the school gate to smoke.... he would have totally bored the lady talking about world politics.... I will not be surprised if he discusses on the shares of his MISC, Petronas, Exxon Mobile in the world market with the lady... such a bore! He is comfortable only with few known ladies.... an equally boring wife is there to warn.... "do not cross limits".... "ami chyablami pochondo korina janoi to"..... The wife is good too! If it was idli yesterday, it is tuna sandwich today! I can go ahead with AAM PORA PUDINAR SHORBOT now, then I have to rush to pick up the son!

It is really a surprise for our mother to see her daughter having idli, dosa, appam and AAM PORA PUDINAR SHORBOT! Her daughter's eyes were always fixed at "Malonchor Cutlet" at all times on their monthly visit to Shyambazaar or a Chole Bhature will do! Unlike a desi girl, I did not like any sour thing like pickle or sambar except for our family recipe of "macher tok" during summers.... which perhaps is a cross breed of Assamese Fish Tenga and Comilla Cuisine.... I noticed Bongs getting surprised to hear of our "macher tok" which is different from some Midnaporean familys'"puti macher tok shorshe bata aam kuchi diye".... From there, the daughter now not only eats but loves pickle... the sour ones too and dosa, idli.... loves appam too much. The mother was accommodative when it came to food.... our parents hated non vegetarian food while on a tour... her staple on any tour were dosa, idli, aloo-matar & tandoori roti.... how she loves the last one! The daughter literally cried having vegetarian food for 15 long days.... the little brother would say "get some meat for didibhai".... Getting from there to here actually took three decades.... some old loves like "chop, shingara, cutlet" continues, while the new likes include mushrooms and tofu too.... though paneer rules.... but "paneer biryani tai boley?".... Kolkata loves Paneer Tikki, Matar Paneer but Paneer Biryani does not get through the Kolkata Airport.... "ek shart hai yaar.... paneer pulao / fried rice bhi chalega.... yaar biryani maat bulao.... Bahadur Shah ko maat uthao kabar se!"..... Never is it a dig but Biryani is an exclusive thing, never a commoner!... I wish to visit Lucknow for this purpose only.... the husband till date did not take me.... There should be no guilt blogging on a AAM PORA PUDINAR SHORBOT you see, neither these guys are bothered... they have pomfret curry for dinner.... bas "shod-bodh".... One raw mango and a fistful of fresh mint leaves is just fine for two standard glasses, I like it thick, so I did not add much of water to the summer cooling drink! The sight of it reminds me of the mint cooler sellers in Kolkata.... they were seen roaming in the non-Bengali speaking belt, Burrabazaar and the rest.... "pudiner shorbot Bangali kothai kheto?".... AAM PORA PUDINAR SHORBOT does not use mint leaves.... I grow them, so I use often.... I love its fresh flavours, not when it becomes an artificial peppermint... so different is the feel!

INGREDIENTS :

Raw Mango : 1 standard size
Fresh Mint Leaves : A Fistful
Sugar : 11/2tsp
Black Salt : 1/2tsp
Black Pepper Powder : 1/4tsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the mango very well and wipe dry. Switch on gas burner and place it atop.

We will keep it turning over to roast it evenly.

We will switch off gas and take the mango down on a plate once it is roasted very nicely on all sides.... the pulp will get soft. Let it cool.

Peel off the skin thoroughly.

I forgot to take the picture of the next step, either I was thinking of Arjun Rampal or of the son's board percentile!

Anyway take the roasted mango pulp in a blender discarding the seed! Add all the other ingredients to it! Blend at medium speed for 3-4 minutes with intervals.

Add a big cup of water to the blender. Blend for a minute.... we are done! Pour on to glasses, refrigerate and serve chilled!

Vegetarian Meals do happen at this home and I love the platter like this. Else, the men would not mind a "dal-aloo sheddo-ghee / makhon"..... or a serving of the humblest, no frill sandwich! They love sandwich for a reason... they do not have to give much effort while eating! Their lunch boxes do have sandwiches, not dinner! Dinners I love to serve my style unless it is a weekend and we are going out. Sandwiches and Burgers are something I am not fond of, each time I feel like throwing away the bun or bread and have the cutlet.... with some salad and dip.... I have noticed my men have all the veggies without growling of wraps.... Whenever I get for them... I ask the one at the counter to add all the veggies on display as much as possible.... from lettuce to corn.... My men are lazy enough not to open the wrap and separate the meat from the veggies.... thats too much of an effort for them. I usually get the wraps from outside.... preparing a Tortilla is not a big deal for me as is understanding Excel... problem is I totally fail to wrap it that nicely... "dur tar cheye ruti mangsho diye dei"..... else the men would have had fresh veggies without any "tya-fo".... We are not so regular at Vietnamese Joints... but we love their rice rolls filled with fresh veggies.... the senior wraps them so efficiently... those in the shipping industry do have good knowledge of world food... they travel extensively! Compared to that I have a very poor knowledge of the world.... food is more of family recipes to me.... I got to know about Sriracha Sauce recently and thinking to cut chicken in to strips and cook... toss in this sauce.... I do not wish to discard chicken altogether... it is healthier than many other things.... I also wonder how healthy is the dig we take at each other in the social media.... what I have learnt of late is pulling legs is not unhealthy unless we cross limits.... For some knowns, I try not to bother or be bothered at all... they have hurt me in every possible way ..... with actions, words, gestures.... in fact robbed me of my self respect.... Distancing from such people is a good solution.... then their are few hundred readers too who are my "Maa Lokkhi" or "Lakshmi Prasad".... I need them and I cannot have a meat share every other day! Then there is my "cow sympathiser" brother who needs "meat" at least thrice a week ..... It goes without saying that I love him but I have reservations on how he behaves in public.... be it in social media or on the road.... He learnt driving within a week and at a very young age...... he had a natural inclination .... but cannot keep his cool on the road.... what is that? I do not accept such gestures from the member of a decent family.... The senior at this home learnt driving at age 46 and I literally can sleep sitting beside him if he is in charge of the "gol chakti"..... if I am given the charge of it? The entire island is in mess... he says "lane change kor".... answer is ready... "amar shara gaye piprey kamracchey, beshi bolley bhiriye debo"..... so I am the best while at the kitchen.... shaping a AJWAIN YOGURT POROTA! You see we love a couple of people around, yet we cannot be with them.... I mean if the one is my kind I demand a lot in return.... loads of attention, empathy and nice gestures.... else let us change our routes.... They remain as a never to heal wound ... if one is wise one should know how to ignore it! This Indian flat bread that I named AJWAIN YOGURT POROTA was served with a Sliced Mushroom & Bell Peppers "mixed Bhaji".... my homemade "chalter achar" and those "blissful" fritters.... I wonder, the people in this island do not eat "chalta" but I hear there are a lot of it growing in the Pasir Ris area.... I love birds way too much, for such reasons.

An AJWAIN YOGURT POROTA is not a a Bengali thing.... but that triangular shape is always very much Bengali.... hence I named it so! I met a Punjabi mother at school.... parent of a girl from my son's class.... I liked her instantly.... Last week we were discussing on how inspiring their Oriental Mathematics teacher is.... she in public said ...... "my daughter used to get C in mathematics but he made her get an A grade in class ten".... However angry Bengali Mothers get with me, a majority of them fail to be like this.... Off course my kid always comes first to me but what is so wrong in accepting that others' kids may have a more informative brain than mine? No, Bengali Mothers will fight for that five marks that her kid got less which may not matter later in life.... many of them destroy the friendship which no one can mend ever except for themselves.... it hurts truly... Relationships do matter to me... I do not hang around with an Arjun Rampal at all times... The self centric me do not think of myself always and try to make out what actually went wrong between people! Anyway, I liked that bubbly Punjabi lady and also that Keralite nurse.... mother of two who died of Nipah virus attack attending a patient .... her heartrending note to her husband few hours before her death.... and the ruling party is busy dictating what we eat or wear!.... Earlier Governments of India did not gift us a paradise but they did not interfere in our personal lives in this magnitude! For these two ladies from two different states of India... "ek AJWAIN YOGURT POROTA banta hai yaaron".... The paratha lover wise man at home also deserves.... he says not to expect the son to be a Partha Dey..... he will do good later in life.... he perhaps will get an A* in mathematics and physics but not in the majority of subjects... It is then mumma comes through a post yesterday night that a Medico Student.... son of a MLA of the ruling party in India died of a heart attack.... they say may be of the stress.... it feels that the husband is right, the wife is not! Anyway, I cooked some Bengali Macher Chop and Basic Homemade Custard too yesterday.... in an urge to change the pictures of the blog posts done on the initial days of my blogging or for my men I do not know.... They tasted well.... there was very little leftover fish from the fish fry I made , managed only nine which may not look perfect as I am miser enough not to pour 500 gm oil for a deep fry and the utensils too may not be perfect... I cannot buy individually that suits the dishes I make... storage problem! About the photographs, it is not that I have learnt photography but they have improved... I am looking for an egg free custard recipe.... not because I wish to barge into someone's life & home but I do not like the idea of using eggs in desserts "at this home"..... We had the fish chop with "dal and aloo-fulkopir dalna" for dinner, you will have it as your tea-time snack!

I do not know why the Indian women do not take care about the plating of their own food.... Once I could eat double the amount of rice but now I am not supposed to.... Yet, the reason why my workouts are not fruitful is my wrong eating habit! Rujuta Diwekar may prescribe ghee, rice, paratha / poori but that includes extensive workout session... yoga... jogging... lifting weights.... how many of us can do it?... Oh I take so less weights and then two parathas does not make any sense... so the shapeless me hide myself in those few yards of clothing! Now see the salad has to come to my plate, a wise woman / man would have eaten the salad and a bowlful of yogurt for dinner... would not have looked at the carbs! When did I claim that I am wise? Leave it, today's share is a not so much of a Bengali kind if not in the shape of it, vegetarian, flat bread that I named AJWAIN YOGURT POROTA... I used carom seed, chaat masala and yogurt in the dough with refined and wheat flours.... without adding any water! Try it this way.... you will love... they are so soft!

I very much wish you to take a look at my basic custard and macher chop recipes with upgraded photographs! Just click on the bold letters below!

BASIC HOMEMADE CUSTARD

MACHER CHOP

INGREDIENTS :

Refined Flour : 11/2 coffee mug
Wheat Flour : 2 medium cup
Plain Yogurt : 2 medium cup [add more as we will not add water]
Chaat Masala : 1tbsp
Carom Seed : 2tsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 1tbsp [optional, I did not]
Salt : 1/4tsp
Baking Soda : A pinch
Ghee : 1tbsp + 1tsp for each porota / paratha

PROCEDURE :

Take both the flours in a wide mouthed bowl. To it add salt, chaat masala, carom seed and baking soda. Rub well for 2-3 minutes.

Once done, beat the yogurt thoroughly. Add little by little to the flour mixture and keep rubbing. Add more yogurt if required but not water.

Once all the ingredients are incorporated well, keep kneading for at least 10 minutes.

Once done, the dough look as below. Cover it with a moist, clean kitchen towel.

Open cover and knead again for 2-3 minutes.

Tear out small portions, smoothen between your palms. Take each ball at a time and make roundels. Fold it and again fold from the sides. Now roll to shape it big. Bengali parathas are usually triangular shapes... let me know if there are any other state or culture who does similar kinds.

I an very comfortable with this shape and hence. Heat a pan or tawa atop a gas stove.

Place one paratha / porota gently. Cook both sides little. Place another porota atop it and repeat the process. I usually prepare two parathas at a time. Turn over each 2-3 times to cook properly.

Now add ghee, 1tsp at a time and keep turning over each one to get them cooked properly. Repeat same for all.

We are done... Transfer to a serving plate. I served the AJWAIN YOGURT POROTA with a a Mushroom & Bell Pepper Veggie, "chalter achar".... Elephant Apple Pickle and some batter fried fritters! The lettuce salad was entirely for me!

Where to start from? Well, when the rest of the world prefers a relaxing weekend.... I reserve the Saturdays for some cooking.... I very much love doing something called "saptaher bag bhorti bazaar"... that is buying the weekly ration.... I usually do it on a Thursday and if mutton is on the list, it has to be Friday... get... wash and straight marinate, refrigerate till the next morning.... This Friday, the son had his examination.... Mumma did the blunder of going to the Indian Market on a Friday evening.... Its crowded with the Indian tourists and the local Indians... not necessarily they all pack their stroller with "kochur shak and data".... like Cristine's ma'am.... and make her strand in the rain.... On the weekend evenings that area gets so crowded that even taxis avoid that route .... booking one too becomes difficult.... Now, Cristine's ma'am could not fulfil her wish to drive her to the Indian Super Market on lazy afternoons till date.... I always tell her that she is a nice, young girl... she need not die so soon.... Kings do not bother how a kitchen or home is run... they sit in AC rooms and do meetings... they can have Herb Crusted Fish Fillets with Buttered Rice at every meal.... so I do not disturb such people calling them and ask to pick up the stranded us! Anyway, the "priceless""kochur shaak, data, nona ilish" did reach home and I was relieved of having "baked salmon" back to back for two consecutive weeks.... I mean I like it but not always.... more so when Debjani of Debjanir Rannaghar allures me with "nona ilisher bhorta".... I like this girl.... she has no prejudices... from Bacon Jam to Beef Kebabs to Shutkir Bhorta to Chicken Shashlik ... she eats them all! She actually is the true face of Kolkata.... Kolkata / West Bengal was never bothered of who eats what or who follows which faith.... the happy go lucky clan has always been happy with "chaier sangey ta... adda" and yes, at times back biting hard working people to hide their own laziness.... without thinking "9-5 apish" does not take forward an economy alone .... Now my Bengali readers will start biting my back... truth causes indigestion! Anyway, I like many of you just as Debjani but cannot utter your name.... it feels good to see Bengal in your kitchen... not influenced by people who called Kolkata "khyalcata" decades back, not worth living but visiting occasionally only at the "dakkhin" part.... Barrackpore? Where is it? Do humans live there?.... Oh yes, I am an egoist!.... Anyway, a "rui".... Bengal Carp" also came home yesterday... it was more or less fresh... how do you know? Check the eyes which should not be sinking, the gills should be ruby red and not brown... the skin should be tight, should not sink if you tap! The Rui is from the neighbouring country and I was born at the bank of the "Churni Nodi".... so I am "partly" happy.... Even in Kolkata, very few sell the yesteryear's "nodi-pukurer rui-katla-aar".... most of the supply come from the other states and "bheri"...... I got an ilish.... plans are on for a pulao mid week.... can someone cut off my tongue please? The Rui mach had eggs as a bonus though a fish's taste lessens as eggs form.... but this home loves it.... so there was a "macher dimer aam diye tok, mutton, begun aloo tomato diye nona ilisher torkari".... the "ilisher matha diye kochur shaak" has been postponed till Monday.... Cristine and me both got tired! What else was there? DATA ALOO DIYE MAACHER JHOL O KEEMA DAL..... All the "data" will come to me and Cristine.... and the son's fish pieces has to be deboned by mumma.... they have their mutton kasha and keema dal, so mumma can pamper herself without guilt.... The DATA ALOO DIYE MAACHER JHOL is a very authentic Bengali Fish Curry during summers.... the KEEMA DAL may not be.... I meant they may be done at few homes but not in ours.... A majority of the Bengalis cook keema with matar and call it "ghugni"..... Then, not all of the angels or prince on this earth can eat DATA ALOO DIYE MAACHER JHOL.... they are more likely to have the KEEMA DAL with naan or paratha or chapati.... even my son too! This evening mumma will make some luchi for their keema dal.... happy faces mean! There also was made some Raw Banana Kofta Curry, the pictures are to be updated...

What is mumma's pick?.... the "macher dimer tok" and "begun aloo tomato diye nona illish".... "nona ilish" is small sized hilsa rubbed with a lot of salt, turmeric, oil and sun dried may be! Ok, the mutton and fish curry, kofta curry too!

So, Friday evening was a lot of my kind of shopping including gondhoraj lebu.... may be I will prepare someday a "gondhoraj bhetki".... with seabass .... I do not have the recipe in hand, it hurts my ego to search Google for a Bengali recipe.... Then I am not my mother.... I believe there are always "far" better people / cooks than me around.... one is off course our mother! How was my Friday morning? I reached the school only to know Piali won't come! I had with me Egg Fried Rice and an Oriental Style Chicken with Cashew nuts for her!... It was not her fault, I do not check whatsapp messages often.... I was relieved to hand it over to her daughter finally! I did do a photo session with the dish the night before, but dropped the idea of blogging on it.... I felt Cristine did not cut all the chicken pieces evenly and batter frying the chicken pieces would have made them softer! Food Bloggers always try to be honest as much as possible.... Though Piali said it was good, I felt it should at least be like the Oriental Takeaway Joints in Kolkata and not like the Shyambazaar or Gariahat roadside kind of! I do edit my photographs but not to the extent of fooling my readers! I will do it and share when my tongue will be happy, I will not buy rice wine for it, neither will call it Kung Po Chicken.... for that you have to go elsewhere! I really do not have to get Indian stuffs, the men are so happy with such dishes, I can save the taxi fares too and buy gold jewellery or visit Gahonaz or a Chamba Lama every 6 months for my love.... tribal jewelry! .... Even my cousin sister who lives very near to my Kolkata home got into Saree business.... As a big sister I must mention her once in a while but not before visiting her to see her stuffs.... Her designs are little different than what I like.... the choosy me ask my mom and maa-in-law not to gift me a saree.... A Jayeeta Dasgupta, Lepakshi, Mrignayani, Manjusha are my favourite spots for sarees.... I like but do not always buy from Debarathi Bhattacharya's Shaukh and Byloom for the same reason.... they are a bit high end ..... I either cannot afford or I prefer soft cottons or tissues these days! Jayeeta caters to all kinds of clientele... Instagram is the place where I watch what I love in Jaypore, What My Sister Wore, Suta_Bombay ..... I simply love their props, presentations.... I think I can give some valuable inputs to my cousin.... I am too lazy to use the ideas myself.... For The rest, they are doing their best catering to the "choice" of their clientele I believe! I only get disturbed with people I expect from.... like my friends Nishi... Swati... Sushovita's profile pictures... "dur birokto lagchey like korbo na" ..... Oh where was I? Ok, angry with Piali, I sat for sometime at the school canteen.... Just then a friend of our son arrived late and got scolding from the head master! I got very upset, would the kid be able to write his examination peacefully? The head master was not wrong either! I was thinking however busy professionals the parents are, cannot they drop the kid at the school gate at least during examinations? There can be so many hindrances on the way even in this island! I remember during our Masters Examination, we had just shifted to Barrackpore.... our immensely cool brain mother was escorting four of us girls to the examination centre.... our auto broke one of its parts on the way! We were about to faint, while our friend Juthika cried "kakima ki hobey?" and fainted! The mother made her lie down on a tea stall bench ... stood literally in the mid of the road.... stopped each auto, the buses were over crowded and sent us one by one... she came later with Juthika..... and I could not make her happy with my results ever except for the Bachelor of Education one where 85% secures a first class, no big deal! I feel so bad not been in touch with any of my Masters or BEd friends except for one from the later! We all did from an university we did not wish to and then lost all connections! Now, that boy may stand better in life than our son, but he got stressed before his paper which could be avoided! Anyway, I could not sit in the canteen, went out and had a big dosa.... so the lunch had to be light.... plain yogurt with red grapes.... I love fruits and yogurt if the fruits are sweet and the yogurt's sourness is within limits.... my friends down southern India will get angry... never mind... a fish curry for you!

Before I discard the pictures of the Oriental cum Indian Style chicken, I shared with you its pictures. "Datar Jholey bhul tyamon paiba na"..... The "data" used are Matured / Overgrown Amaranth Stems.... can we call it so? Oh... my English... why I cannot improve it? At our times, the education system was such.... the good are always good.... what about us.... the mediocre? I am a burning example of how faulty it was.... I belong to a "Benglish School" who cannot speak or write English properly, have a master degree in a subject of which I have forgotten everything..... there are also people who have a master degree in English but makes five mistakes in one sentence.... it is as much as our personal faults as is / was the learning by rote system! If "dadu" can get control on the triggers.... many can enjoy the fruits of an amazing education system! So, you know why I cannot go to work, better I cook DATA ALOO DIYE MACHER JHOL O KEEMA DAL for you all! I feel cholar dal or Bengal gram goes well with chicken keema, hence I paired them.... So, here are two non vegetarian dishes at one place for you! I am not happy with the pictures, the serving bowls needed to be smaller, too much of white as the base... the "chatjaldi paratha" looks bad... I made two in a hurry on a Saturday afternoon just for the picture purpose, so excuse me.... There should be few things in life that I should be able to say "I can"... else whats the point living?

If you wish to have a look at my Stir Fry Paneer with upgraded photos, here it is....

STIR FRY PANEER

INGREDIENTS : [for the fish curry]

Bengal Carp : 8 steaks [rui / katla]
Matured Amaranth Stem : 3-4 sticks
Potato : 1big
Cumin Seed : 2-3 pinch
Fenugreek Seed : 2-3pinch
Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander Powder : 11/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1 + 1/2tsp
Ginger Paste : 2tbsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 5-6 tbsp [I always use mustard oil}

Nothing is as good if we can use fresh spice paste instead of the powders.... my blender is "komjori"... not so powerful!

INGREDIENTS : [for the minced chicken dal]

Bengal Gram : 1small cup [cholar dal]
Minced Chicken : 200gm
Sliced Onion : 1/2small cup
Minced Garlic : 1tsp
Ginger Paste : 1tbsp
Green Chilli : 2 -3 slitted
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2 [halved]
Bay Leaf : 1
Cinnamon Stick : 2-3 two inch sized
Green Cardamom : 2-3
Cloves : 2-3
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 1/2tsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp
Sugar : 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 4tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the fish curry first which is very authentic Bengali.

We usually use Bengal Carp for this curry, else small sized prawn. I used Rui / Rohu yesterday.... Wash the fish steaks thoroughly removing the scales. Rub with salt and turmeric and keep aside.

Peel the potato, wash it. Half it lengthwise, then again each half further into smaller pieces... vertically? or as you wish. Wash again and rub with salt and turmeric.

Discard the root end of the amaranth stems and the leaves too. Cut the rest into finger sized length. Remove the skin very thinly... the fibres actually.

Once done wash them and rub with salt and turmeric.

Take the ginger paste, dry red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt in a bowl. Mix well adding very little water. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Fry the amaranth stems lightly. Take down.

Fry the potato pieces till light brown and take down.

Fry the fish pieces in batches but not too brown.

Take down. Temper the existing oil with fenugreek and cumin seeds. Add little more oil if required. Add the spice mixture and stir fry for two minutes.

Add 1 coffee mug of water. Stir and let boil. Once it boils for 2 minutes or so, add the fried fish pieces and the potatoes.

Cover cook at low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add little more water if required. Remove cover to add the "data"....

Let cook for a minute... we are done. To be enjoyed only with steamed rice.

Now the Keema Dal with Bengal Gram Dal and Minced Chicken! Forgot to click the steps!

Soak the dal for an hour in water. Pressure cook at lowest heat up to 1 whistle adding little turmeric and salt. Wait to open normally.

Wash the minced chicken and marinate with little salt and turmeric.

Heat oil in a wok and temper with cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, green cardamom, cloves, halved dry red chillies, a bayleaf and minced garlic.

Stir for a minute and add the sliced onions. Fry till golden brown, then add the ginger paste, rest of the salt and turmeric.

Stir for 2 minutes and add the minced chicken. Fold in well and cover cook at low heat for 7-8 minutes.

Open cover and add the boiled cholar dal and the slitted green chillies. Fold in well and let cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Add the cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, sugar. Let boil uncovered for 1 minute or so. We are done.

Enjoy with naan, paratha or chapati!

The best thing about a Thepla is that we need not keep any vegetarian or non-vegetarian dish by the side.... we can just have it with a yogurt based chutney, some salad and pickle.... The "transformed" me do love it! You will see me having it solo or even with a "gathi kochur dalna"... arbi veggie... not required but no harm having either! Nonetheless to say, my men are "bread" lovers of any kind! I eat everything these days from thepla to rasam vada to this island's signature dish.... chicken rice! Then you can see I sit on the stationery bike and go as slow as possible!Take it from me it does not help.... I will never advice anyone to be as lazy and insincere as me. If you cannot go without carb, have it once a day and in less amount... exercise enough! The biggest concern of my parents about me was my obesity .... both parents were into sports including their son.... The father tried everything on me .... yoga to jogging to cycling.... In his mission to teach me cycling... he fell sick... I did not learn! I attended Ironman Monotosh Roy's yoga classes too.... amazing bodywork he had.... what skills! This girl never could stick to any form of exercise.... else yoga is the best gift you can give to your mind and body.... While the brother went for swimming classes, cricket classes in the evening escorted by his mother, the elder sister waited for them in the evening back from school.... she always "maintained" a good girl image which she may not be.... so she quietly had the food Mani plated for her before going... then sat on the balcony with her story books... Till the sunset she would be there... then she would get into all adventures... spoiling one container full of "chirey".... flattened rice to prepare "chirer pulao" or 500gm suji / semolina for a halwa! In return I got no appreciation from the mother but scolding for messing up her kitchen.... It was the daddy who shielded me and forced himself to eat an "jeopardised" upma leaving aside his favourite "aam-kola-dudh-muri-chirey." After all these drama, around 8pm I sat with some text books... just when all the "fuchka walas" to "ghugni walas" had to visit the neighbourhood.... Then it was the "khusbu" coming from our kitchen.... its almost 10pm... dinner time.... Food to me is always more attractive than learning a theorem... that took me here... "kuch kam ka nehi".... Look at the flowering plant... I just click them not knowing how to or at what angle... look below... what are those round leaves?... they are look alike watercress... can they be our "thankuni pata?" was what haunted me! I could not get the English name of it which grows in abundance without any care... makes for wonderful pakoras or is added to a light mixed vegetable curry what we call "shukto" when we had / have stomach upset! Bengalis usually have a weak digestive system... yet they have to have everything.... from biryani to "bhaja bhuji" to "rosha kosha".... You see, its a Monday evening and my "kochur shak" is cut and put for boil. Tomorrow I will sit at the son's school... may enjoy some dosa along with the friend.... Blogging is not meeting any target but I love sharing my thoughts and the food we eat at home! Our guest today is a Thepla... the original one is on the drier side! My METHI CARROT THEPLA has a boiled potato in it! Carrot is not a natural love for this family... unless it is a "gajar halwa" or a "gajar barfi".... Since childhood, all my eye surgeons had told the mother to feed me carrots for a better eyesight.... she in turn tried to convince me.... "look at the Punjabis mamoni... they eat raw carrot and radish... so most of them do not wear glasses".... mamoni gets more busy deboning a "charapona" at a tender age of 8.... waiting eagerly for the weekend to have "ghee shambar pathar jhol".... #Memories are beautiful and I do not go to anyone's door with it! So, I hate it when "shallow" minds make a mockery of it!.... I take five minutes to disconnect from people who hurt me or those who do not match my mental needs.... how much they try.... I will not be the same again.... "ghar tyara".... When do I blog on Ilisher Matha Diye Kochur Shaak?.... some day and that day there will be a mutton dish too by the side for my boy!

I remember I had thepla in Mumbai.... years before that I may have had it at school from the non-Bengali speaking friends... to be precise from the one named Jaya Gupta.... I remember this girl fed me amazing poha and bread upma! Her life story is not less than a Bollywood script. Coming from an authoritarian family.... she was forcefully married off at age 16.... just few months after our 10th board examination... She was sad.... me too was! Then we lost contacts and now when we got to see each other nearly after 25 years.... she is a mother of a married, professional daughter and a son who is on his feet too.... Thank God her professor husband helped her to continue with her studies.... She told me she did her studies alongside her kids.... and now she is a managerial head in an Automobile Company perhaps... She stays in Pune, the husband in Gujarat, the son in Delhi may be, daughter perhaps in Mumbai... she made it!... Thinking of these people I go ahead with vegetarian shares often.... A "thorer ghonto" was on my mind at first, but then I changed my mind... I do not cross boundaries .... people know what or who I respect or what or who I do not! I do not play "selfie"games in social media everyday either, people have so much time! .... Lets try to do a little bit for everyone around! This METHI CARROT THEPLA should cater to the taste buds of majority.... If Bianca and her likes can have tortilla, a thepla should be fine with some salad and the awesomely fresh chutney made with plain yogurt, mint leaves, coriander leaves and garlic. METHI CARROT THEPLA is an Indian, vegetarian flat bread.... not Bengali... so what? I have to learn and take hold over few more things that our mother never did.... No, I am not showing off... why should I? Can I perfect a Roti Jala or an Afgani Naan? The Thepla in my kitchen may not be so authentic, I added "bhaja mosholar guro" in the dough 😀!

Do take a look at my KANCHAKOLAR KOFTA CURRY with an updated picture... do it too, you will love!

KANCHAKOLAR KOFTA CURRY

INGREDIENTS :

FRESH FENUGREEK LEAVES : 200-250GM
GRATED CARROT : 1SMALL CUP
WHEAT FLOUR : 11/2 COFFEE MUG
GRAM FLOUR : 1/2COFFEE MUG
BOILED POTATO : 1 [PEELED AND MASHED]
CUMIN SEED : 2TSP
CORIANDER SEED : 2TSP
DRY RED CHILLI : 3-4
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
GHEE [CLARIFIED BUTTER] : 2TBSP + 1TSP FOR EACH THEPLA

PROCEDURE :

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chillies for 2 minutes at low heat. Let cool and grind to a powder.

Take the two flours, the boiled potato, the pre washed fenugreek leaves and grated carrot, the dry roasted ground spices, turmeric powder, salt in a wide mouthed bowl.

Mix well the mixture and add water little by little. Prepare a dough kneading it well for 10 minutes.

Add 2tbsp ghee and knead further for 5 minutes. Cover with a moist cloth for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove cover and knead again for few minutes. Tear out small portion and roll out round shaped parathas.

Cook both sides of the paratha till light brown and then cook each in 1tsp of ghee.

We, at this home enjoy them fresh with pickle, chutney and salad! The chutney on that day was made of plain yogurt, mint and coriander leaves, garlic clove and black salt.

What was I doing the last two days? Oh! a lot of silly things... as you know a lazy, stay-at-home does! It was Vesak Day holiday here day before yesterday.... at this home there wasn't any, the son had his economics examination and his father had to catch a flight! In spite of knowing that I have a condition that the doctors do not call normal, he could not wait for few more days for the son's examinations to be over. This tall, dark, severely underweight guy who happens to be my husband did not even say that he will be travelling this week.... I would not have stranded in the rain with an overflowing stroller then.... the son is happy with his salmon, prawn & chicken and mumma can manage with "muri-chirey-doi-aam-lichu-kathal".... My favourite summer fruits are in abundance here now.... Litchi too is coming from East Asia.... I am so happy... they all have high sugar content and I am not bothered at all. This guy dropped us at the school gate day before yesterday, went off... came back yesterday around midnight and now again going where?... Amritsar... only to come back over the weekend! So no "saptaher bazaar" this week... no it does not make me happy! I wished to sit with him and have the "Ilish Polao".... Instead, I chatted for long with Piali over some tea and paper dosa! This girl has her own set of friends but we get along well! I tell people not to depend on me, I cannot give much.... I am a lone wanderer... I am unable to be in a crowd for long! I loved watching people of this island in a holiday mood... going out, getting clicked and posting them too! Then, what was S doing? She is wishing to drape her summer cool cotton sarees and seek Cristine's mercy for a click but that has to wait for the right mood and time! Cristine is there with me in all my silly ventures. See, this year we again planted some pumpkin seeds.... last year in the greed of having some "kochi pata"... the plant never saw flowers and this woman is craving for some "kumro phool er bora".... I see some in the western world blog on minced chicken stuffed zucchini flowers! We love batter fried pumpkin flowers, so let me keep my fingers crossed! Tell me what we do not fry? If we get "dhonepata"..... coriander leaves in abundance.... I have to prepare DHONEPATAR BORA O CHUTNEY! If you cook so simple and quick stuffs, you have enough time to do more silly things.... like eating jackfruit and mango and then go down to sow the seeds at the condominium backyard😁! I did not even seek permission from the management office, do not even know they will grow or not, even if they grow.... the gardener may throw them not knowing! I repotted that indoor plant too, got the pot at a cheap price.... you know how I love black, white and anything that soothes my eyes! What do I get from all these? Nothing else but simple pleasures! How much the husband scolds that I am breeding mosquitoes and spoiling the owner's ledge, I give a deaf ear... I feed him some meat and fish dishes following my gardener friends' recipes instead! Our mother has a regret that her son-in-law never took interest in her garden! She would say that her daughter's new family is only interested in tea and "adda"! Leave that, we need not bring in topics that does not make me happy.... the veteran women in both the families could never get along because the two families are miles apart from each other in their ways!..... Better I tell you how happy I am to have six dhonepatar bora and a good amount of chutney with nothing else but rice, toor-mango daal, kasundi, achar.... "Bas zindegi choti hi sahi... dil kush rehna chahiye"...... Many of you might remember that movie and the song... "choti si hai baat, koi nehi janey".... we never know what is next! If you remember the song, you will also know the reason why "Tina and Rinki" could not make it in Bollywood.... their mother had already set a high standard! At the moment I am craving for that black & white Dhakai Muslin one of my most loved diva is wearing in that song, haha! The Kaash, Gardish, Rudali, Lekin, Dil Chahta Hai diva may not eat DHONEPATAR BORA O CHUTNEY at her home, they do not have the liberty to but I am humming her numbers and eating the Bengali Vegetarian Snack and Chutney with rice....

That is what the silly woman was doing yesterday! No, I am not playing match game with Rujuta Diwekar.... I planted them in the morning, when I got to see Rujuta's share of "folonto kathal gaach"... the heavily fruit bearing jackfruit tree... it was afternoon.... Her post definitely took me backwards .... the grandfather had two big which bore the juicy variety that we do not get here. I was helping my cousin to open her saree page too.... though she needs better people as guide! I also wish to introduce my long time college friend Atoshi Shyam to my readers.... she has just opened her Facebook page... Artesance.... too good at painting, she is a class danseuse too! During our college days, she also made to the front pages of the Statesman.... one of the very loving and leading students of Tanushree Shankar! She too got married at a very young age, shifted to Delhi, had a dance institute there and now a resident of Bangalore... she is taking contracts of painting walls... are you there Bangalore? What I do not like in the mother of two girls?.... her profile picture... haha.... She still is in touch with Tanushree Shankar... I love that celebrity dancer's dance form and yes, her elegance.... and her "saaarreees".... so you see with so much of "don'ts" in my life, I prefer being alone!

This recipe of DHONEPATAR BORA O CHUTNEY is actually our family recipe that may not match with other families. The mother used to do them on Thursdays during winter.... In those days, only in winter did Kolkata markets saw coriander leaves... ahh... what a smell / flavour! These two dishes are very easy to do.... though we have it the way you see in the picture.... the coriander pakoras / dhonepatar bora will go very well as a pure vegetarian snack with your choice of tea / coffee or whatever! The chutney is supposed to have a teaspoon of mustard oil added to it, I skipped so that my readers who prefer poori / paratha can have those with it... If you have a tastebud like mine you will love. In fact... I will prepare some instant, semolina idli to have with the chutney for lunch.... You see, I wished to represent our mother in today's share... she loved / still loves following the academically sound kids' stories, I discovered that I am doing the same... I am following the ICSE & CBSE results worldwide! If a girl with some physical difficulty secures high marks in boards, I will fry some DHONEPATAR BORA O CHUTNEY, sit with her and eat together.... may God save her eyes... she wishes to be an IAS officer! For the rest, I think there are better and closer people to take care and do the necessary! Leave me alone! Anyway, this is for the first time that I asked the husband to get us some Amritsar special food stuff... he did not give me any time to ask anyone from that region... I do not wish kulcha, we can make it if not so authentically! For the coriander chutney... Bengalis do try it adding a teaspoon of mustard oil.... a couple of Indian communities have their breads with their version of coriander chutney, so the western world can try!

Yesterday, I prepared Kolkata Style Egg Roll for the son's lunch.... I had to change the picture of the blog post too! Do have a look...

EGG ROLL

INGREDIENTS : [For the Coriander Pakora]

Fresh Coriander Leaves : 8-10 sprigs or a small colander full
Chopped Green Chillies : 2-3
Rice Flour : 1medium cup
Refined Flour : 1/4small cup
Gram Flour : 2tbsp
Baking Soda : A pinch
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Sugar : 1/3tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil to deep fry

INGREDIENTS : [For the Coriander Chutney]

Fresh Coriander Leaves : A cup full
Green Chilli : 2
Garlic : 2cloves
Nigella Seed : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Mustard Oil : 1tsp

PROCEDURE :

You might get surprised at the idea of adding nigella seeds in the chutney.... In our family it is done this way. In fact, our mother used to dry grind nigella seeds... she and me ate it with some ghee, green chilli and salt.... love it... the brother never fancied!

Anyway, discard the root ends and any spoilt leaf of the coriander! Wash taking on a strainer!

Take all the ingredients for the Coriander Chutney in a blender except for the salt and mustard oil.

Blend adding little water at intervals for 2-3 minutes till it becomes a smooth paste!

Transfer to a bowl and add the salt and mustard oil if you are having with steamed rice.... skip the mustard oil if having with breads!

For the coriander pakora / batter fries, discard the root ends and any spoilt leaves. Wash thoroughly under running water.

Chop the coriander leaves roughly, chop the green chillies small.

Prepare a paste like batter with all the three kinds of flour, baking soda, red chilli and turmeric powder, sugar and salt adding very little water at a time. Rest for 5 minutes.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and green chillies to the batter. While frying the pakora, I felt that the batter could accommodate some more chopped coriander. So, you should be careful.

Heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry! Once it comes to smoking point, reduce the heat!

Add small portions to the oil. We need to fry and keep turning the pakoras all the time and adjust the heat. They should be crisp without getting burnt.

Once done, we need to hold the perforated ladle / chakni hata for sometime, to get rid of the oil as much as possible.

Keep on tissue papers before serving.

In our family we usually had / have it with rice and dal, the husband do have some with beer.... so it can well be considered as a yum vegetarian snack, appetiser.

Kheer has a different meaning for the Bengalis than what it is meant among the non Bengali speaking Indians! For us Bengalis... Payesh and Kheer are two different dishes of dessert while the non-Bengalis call our payesh as kheer... I do not know about the rest of the eastern India. Correct me if I am wrong! Since childhood I have seen the veterans in the family calling boiled and reduced milk as kheer. Getting milk from the dairy farm everyday was a ritual... I always hated milk having as a drink specially because Bengalis then were in the habit of boiling the milk and having it warm.... I could never tolerate the sight of a glass full of it, neither the brother so far I can remember! However, I loved that chilled milk drink "milkos" and the ad... "milkos khele shakti barey".... I noticed that chilled milk does not cause me much indigestion, just that I cannot have milk as milk. So, every three days in a week, our mother had to do something with the "jomano dudh"... stored milk.... kheer happened then.... reducing the existing amount of milk to 1/4th by boiling is what the family veterans call kheer... they just added little sugar towards the end! There were no refrigerator to chill either... So, kheer to us is something near to rabri... woh! how much I wish to visit Hardwar or say the northern India for the best lassi, rabri and parathas.... We have not seen 1/4th of India.... Had women not been considered a commodity.... you would have seen me exploring alone with a tour group.... sit at the steps of "har ki piyari" in the evening and enjoy the amazing halwa swimming in "shudh ghee" or sit beside the ruins of Shaniwar Wada or Kothrud and laugh at the joke... "Bajirao-Mastani".... it was not love.... it was just a political marriage... The senile me is allergic to certain things in life... like mango mastani.... I know I will love every drop of it but I will not give it any entry at this home neither on the blog... I will prepare some AAM LICHUR KHEER for you instead taking ideas from around.... There is very less truth in a "Bajirao-Mastani" except for the fact that she was very good in the art of warfare.... hence a beneficial factor for Bajirao!.... When will women know that it is too derogatory to be anyone's second thought... so awful was / is our life... what was a harem?.... just a dairy firm...! Truth is in Guy De Maupassant's Mother Clochette... she lived a life with her head held high after been tormented mentally without requiring any support for the rest of her life... This short story did touch a chord deep inside.... as they always do and will do.... silly souls never grow up, never can let go! The last few months I was reading very less, its time to gear up!... While surfing, all of a sudden I realised.... its been long I have not read a very favourite author of mine.... Nobonita Deb Sen ..... I enjoyed / will continue to enjoy her style and also her take on life! She never did stay in the shadow of her estranged, world renowned husband.... he left her for once and she made a life of her own... she is an institution in herself... The Padma Shri awardee did not lose her sense of humour even after the bitter incident in her life.... read one of her books and you can see the reflection of her positive mind....

The husband is back home and this Bengali dessert AAM LICHUR KHEER was made right in time.... you know what.... I knew he will not get me ladoo from Amritsar! He is not in the habit of... he knows it is the wife's department! Anyway, I am not angry.... he went for a day and was stranded in the airport for the entire night day before yesterday! The wife was enjoying her kind of food... "muri-narkol"... "chives dumpling" as snacks! I am giving a serious thought to lessen the amount of biscuit intake... You can see below I am having a "dalia idly" with coffee this morning.... it is a 15 minutes affair in the microwave... mix together dalia, yogurt, little salt, 1/2tsp eno, little water, chopped chillies, coriander and onion... stand for 5 minutes and steam in a microwave for 4 minutes... enjoy! Has S turned 360*C....?... Nope, the rest of the shredded coconut and banana leaves were made to kiss the hilsa pieces... haha... I still cannot welcome the idea of using ghee and cardamom in hilsa / ilish... it is like a forced marriage "to me".... so "ilish pulao" has to wait till I can do it my way! Ghee and cardamoms and onions will go to the mutton and eaten with naan or pulao... so one meal or a two has to be clean... How do you like this arrangement?.... Anyway, AAM LICHUR KHEER has only 2-3tbsp of condensed milk and you are not having it everyday... so you need not worry! Litchi and ripe mango are naturally so sweet that we do not need to add extra sugar to any dessert made with them.... Moreover when we reduce milk... it gets sweeter! So, this fruit and milk dessert may not be so sinful! From morning to night... I do have to plan the meals... the very hard worker at office is very lazy at home unless he has to mend a spoilt bulb or tap... so I / we adjust at this point... he relieves me of playing the role of a mechanic and I spare him from entering my kitchen and crowd the small space! Besides, his underweight concerns me. Since morning he is tuned into a film on Raja Ravi Verma.... and I cannot help but multi task.... He was part of our syllabi.... very interesting persona was him.... the budding painters should read his life and work in details... not as part of a text! Let me share this easy but not quick dessert with mango, litchi and milk as your weekend fix! The process of boiling and reducing the milk does require patience and constant supervision.... The dessert tastes best when served chilled!

For my non Bengali speaking, fish loving readers.... I wish to share the recipe of Rohu / Rui / Carp done with chilli-mustard paste.... done in the oven.... Bengalis do not need it... every family has their own recipe almost similar! Do click the below heading for recipe!

SHORSHE RUI

INGREDIENTS :

Full Cream Milk : 11/2litre
Ripe Mango : 2big sized
Litchi : 10-12
Sugar : 1tsp
Condensed Milk : 2tbsp
Kewra / Screw Pine Water : 1/4tsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp
I used chopped pistachios for garnish [optional]

PROCEDURE :

Pour the milk in a deep bottomed vessel and put for boil.

The dish needs constant supervision as we need to stir the milk every 2-3 minutes in the beginning and constinuously towards the end. We have to adjust the heat often from low to medium low.

After about 35-40 minutes, the milk will reach the below consistency.

We will boil it further for 10 minutes and be very careful as the milk tends to burn at this stage. Add the sugar and let boil for 2 minutes.

Add the condensed milk and switch off gas immediately. You can see I am not so particular while cooking.

Mix the entire content very nicely, remember we have switched off the gas.

Add the meera water and stir well again. Let the kheer cool.

While the kheer is cooling, de seed the lichees and tear roughly. Wash and keep on a plate.

Wash the mangoes, peel and take the pulp in a juicer or a blender. Plant the seed in your garden or in the neighbourhood.

Blend it to a puree that may take just a minute.

Add the already cool kheer and the green cardamom powder. Blend for 2 minutes.

Pour on to a big bowl or individual bowls and add the litchi pieces. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Take out and garnish with dry fruits!

If you cook and have the pleasure of dumping your stomach with fish kabiraji last night, you have to go ahead with a very light and comforting share today. The existing fish kabiraji pictures had to be changed, the family had to be fed, this impossible to measure tummy had to be pleased.... so I did! Thereafter, I felt that I should not have.... the son has his last for this season's examination tomorrow! After an entire evening of sweat, there was a verbal fight with the man... he says he is bored with the sight of food! The truth is that smoking is the cause of his loss of appetite... When the entire world is staging some love scenes, situation at this home is pretty hot... "khabena na maney? cigarette kheye kheye to petey, jivey chora porey gechey... mukhey ruchi thakbey ki korey"... In such a scenario, you know I am actually saying lovely-lovely to the "mad-in-love" people with a heavy heart!.... I need to keep my cool too as I am craving for a tour before the son's school starts in mid July and we are not settled with the place itself! I only said... "Boss... I do not wish to travel from one five-star ambience to another... you know you have to feed my soul"..... So, I have to cook light today at least, if I make him more angry, he books tickets for such tours.... 1day site seeing, 1day river cruise, 1 day amusement park, 3 days free bed and breakfast at a five star hotel... oh! I feel sick at the thought of it!... Anyway, the husband of this house is an excellent tour planner and gets the best deals as much as possible.... So I kept my cool and explained him .... "see dear, I do not have a boy friend / boy friends to spend some quality time, neither do I have a brain to earn some dollars.... let me cook what I wish to"..... Realising that with my "mashima nature & looks" I cannot have "hot" guys taking me out for a lunch by the sea, I got desperate and clicked myself without a touch up on the hair or at the corner of my eyes etc. etc. If you take a look at my blog profile, you can see vividly the silver lines, wrinkles, eye bags.... the me at present..... Shekhar Kapur have them all and I am his fan since "do naina ek kahani, thodasa badal, thodasa pani".... I got to see him in Instagram and followed immediately! So, me too is choosy you can see...... few of my chosen girlfriends are coming for lunch on Friday, the shares have to be as simple as this vegetarian curry TOMATO BHINDI.... I have to plan the menu.... Since I do not call guests so often these days ... I prefer keeping a wide spread for them.... from starter to dessert and I will buy the raw ingredients only from outside! What I do is that I start cooking a day prior, none has fallen sick till date... haha.... Anyway, I am not travelling to Kolkata this season... its too hot... I know they are upset.... just to say I miss you too! This picture was taken last year... that is a bit of Barrackpore... the mango tree from the mother's bedroom.... our snoring daddy had a separate bedroom and study... 😀.... How do you say which of the parent you love more? When I read a Maupassant or feel sad at Castro's death ... I am a daddy's girl ..... when I feel happy at the sight of pumpkin leaves... I am a mother's daughter.... but I am no where near her compared to her energy level or dedication.... she wears a cap and works on her plants in the Sun! I am angry why she does not grow fruits and vegetables... The sister-in-law's husband who is a good cook grows so many kinds of bonsai fruits and vegetables... a gardener comes and helps... like it... Our mother will not deploy one... she is too proud of herself! This TOMATO BHINDI is not an authentic Bengali recipe but done with regular Bengali spices and my old lady will love it! The husband does love bhindi like me, the brother need not eat meat everyday either in this heat... his wife is a no fuss girl, the rest of the family and friends should find it acceptable!

The pictures of this TOMATO BHINDI was taken last year, I usually do very Bengali dishes with Bhindi / okra, I have to be more regular with this too, its light on the stomach! Even I do not know what goes on within or what my next move would / should be.... so I scrolled and got this, then did the necessary edits to get three pictures from two! Its truly summer cool! We actually can do it anytime given the heat here and its regular supply .... but I prefer the Indian okras than the local ones because the former is soft, tender and young! No, I will not do it for my guests on Friday, I may go Bengali at large... I have to think and why not? when one of them Piali Maitra messaged in WhatsApp yesterday... S, your eyes are expressive! I went back to the distant abyss of time and remember... someone else told me "your eyes are not well defined but they speak... tomar chokh bangmoy".... Now, do not make up stories... he was an uncle kind of! Since yesterday, I am in front of the mirror at least 25 times .... only to discover four more grey eyelashes! The husband came home, I said "you know Piali told that my eyes are expressive!".... What was the answer? "kijani amar to choshma khullei bikot lagey"..... that he never gets bored when I talk about Piali and her likes is an altogether different issue! If I wish to sing with him "suniye kahiye sunte kehte baaton baaton mein pyar ho jayega".... he will react with a "khyak".... Except his sister... the rest in his family had a good dose of "neem pata o chirota" I believe.... they are unable to speak softly. Coming to the son, besides potato and eggplant, the rest of the veggies are either to be mashed with dal or made into a pakora! I am not bothered because he gets often what he loves... see below how he has gone after his father! Do not look at the couch, if people sleep, eat, sit on it 24/7, even a leather sofa needs an upholstery....within three years!

What I tell him is wait for us to take you to a proper restaurant, do not have Sushi from a normal joint, I am scared it may cause worms in your stomach, I read somewhere! Sushi must be had at proper places, but no he had to have it for lunch! Mumma largely remains a Bong.... so fond memories came alive at the sight of "patpata" .... jute leaves at some other blogger's space.... Mani used to prepare two dishes with jute leaves.... "patpatar bora o jhol".... very crisp fritters with jute leaves & rice flour and a very healthy curry with jute leaves with a tempering of crushed garlic.... jute leaves turn slippery "lutlutey" when water is added to it! "Patpatar jhol, bora aar dal, muchmuchey kechki maach bhaja".... my lunch is done... thats an unadulterated version of me! I will never be done with my silly talks, so let me finish sharing this little tangy, flavourful, vegetarian curry with tomato, okra and minimal spices TOMATO BHINDI and then sing along "baaton-baaton mein" with a very much yesteryear favourite actor.... He may not had the charisma that millions of girls would run for, I do not fall in the "millions of girls" category for few reasons, so any day is the right day to fall for him... with the next door boy image in Bollywood.... Amol Palekar... Hello Mumbai... I love you for so many of my loves and likes stay there... Amol ji eats TOMATO BHINDI or not, we usually have this kind of curries with steamed rice at our home.... but it should go with chapatis I believe!

Do take a look at my Fish Kabiraji recipe with updated pictures.... I was too tired to click the steps... the taste is near authentic if not the exterior... more or less ok! Just click the below heading!

FISH KABIRAJI

INGREDIENTS :

Okra / Bhindi / Lady's Finger : 10-12
Tomato Paste : 1medium cup [I make it fresh]
Green Chilli Paste : 2tsp
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder : 1tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Nigella or Cumin or Fennel Seed : 1/4tsp [I love experimenting with flavours when I do not go authentic]
Bayleaf : 1
Asafoetida : 2pinch
Ginger Extract : 1tsp
Lemon Juice : 1tbsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 3-4tbsp

PROCEDURE:

Wash the bhindi / okra and take in a microwave proof bowl. Add 2 cups water and a pinch of baking powder. The later helps to retain the colour of the vegetables.

Microwave at low for 4-5 minutes. Take out and immediately drain the water. I am scared of them getting discoloured actually. They should be al dente at this stage. Once cool, discard the stem ends!

Rub the bhindi / okra with some salt and turmeric. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok and temper with asafoetida, nigella or cumin or fennel seeds and a bayleaf!

Add the green chilli and tomato pastes and cook for 2 minutes or so. Add the dry spices and stir for another minute. Add a coffee mug of water and let it come to boil.

Once it has boiled for 2-3 minutes, add the marinated, al dente okras, salt as required and the ginger extract. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, stir well and take down. Serve hot and fresh with steamed rice or chapati.

Sweets and Desserts are always on making at this home and it never can happen that I will not taste them.... The result is that junior Chang got worried and increased my dose while his father.... my favourite Old Doctor Chang is tensed why my medicinal dose was increased... can anything be done to alter it? I urged "let it be doctor.... I can at least eat something.... else I have to cut off my tongue!" The senior of the two doctors is totally old school and hates too much dependence on medicine, he wants me to eat too.... he himself is too fond of South Asian food, besides his own cuisine!.... To go by his wishes what do I have to do? I need all six days of exercise.... walking and weight training.... That does not happen in my life... therein lies all the problems.... When it is time to go for an exercise, I feel like doing some cooking.... like yesterday when the time was perfect to go for some constructive exercise, I sat with "bori".... dal vadi.... sun dried lentil balls making session! Actually, it was in plan since morning.... before going to the son's school I soaked the dal.... came back and did the rest... If rain does not become a spoiler.... they should be on the blog in another 15-20 days. Last year's stuffed chilli pickle is due till date, I so much wish to blog on it. My readers will laugh at me to know that some of the earlier food pictures I may have to delete... why? I clicked them months back, they may not be authentic Bengali or of any place.... I did not click the steps and now only remember the main ingredients and not the entire recipe😅... Those who know me already, they will not be surprised! After I was done with the "bori"... the idea of an instant sweet popped up... I took no time to do this INSTANT ROSE FLAVOURED SANDESH.... I have some guests due, I start cooking one or two days prior! Usually, I keep two dessert options for guests.... hopefully to manage another one tomorrow.... There will be two starters with a salad... a seven item main meal including the chutney! My friends are not coming to me for food but I love that little bit of appreciation.... As I always say, there has to be something, at least one thing in us that we can take pride of... It is required specially when your credibility had been questioned, if so you must love yourself a bit more... haha... I wish... I wish.... I wish I had given it a serious thought earlier and be a lot more sincere with life... Then, there has to be some to sit at home and give big talks! Well, she does not talk big only, she is here to share such a quick fix sweet for you.... there is always a Rose Syrup, milk powder, paneer, ghee at home... so why not an INSTANT ROSE FLAVOURED SANDESH? Both the 'bori' and the 'sandesh' requires some use of your palm... specially the lentil balls.... beating the paste for about 20-25 minutes... the right arm is paining now.... did I ever care about a pain except for those injections?... For Bori / dal vadi we need to beat the lentil paste clockwise for quite sometime... the paste needs to be light just as in dahi vada or our rosh bora...

This INSTANT ROSE FLAVOURED SANDESH is really hassle free except for the kneading part... that too is a 10 minutes affair. All the pain is worth when you see smiles around! Besides these, I had some photo session with the watermelon popsicles.... you get to see when you click the heading / link! I got tired and the men had to have "kena porota".... the guilt will be on until I pack the lunch box with "ruti, kumror chokka and sandesh" tomorrow morning... When I enjoy at home, the skeletal structure sweats outdoor... he never asks for anything ... he deserves this little bit! Anyway, every now and then we are craving for coolers or something light on the stomach.... I sit and think about those who may be having their food once in a day for specific number of days, its tough... Then there are anniversaries, birthdays, me day, humtum day and yes "miracle" days too.... I feel both happy and concerned.... My concerns do not revolve around familial people only, I am not a robot. So, sharing a sweet recipe as yum as this INSTANT ROSE FLAVOURED SANDESH for all! I did not even prepare the paneer at home, just used a store bought one! The idea was instant and the action too thereafter! From scratch to the end, everything was done within an hour... for a sudden guest or for the people around... a little pain in the right palm is worth it! You may have seen me using instant mawa a lot, try it and you will not buy it anymore!

For the Watermelon Popsicles that I blogged on last year, below is the link.... just click the link for the recipe, excellent for hydration! ....

WATERMELON POPSICLES

INGREDIENTS :

Milk Powder : 1coffee mug
Full Cream Milk : 1/2medium cup
Ghee : 11/2tbsp
Sugar : 2tbsp
Concentrated Rose Syrup : 11/2tbsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp
Paneer : 100-150gm [cottage cheese / chena]
Chopped Pistachio to garnish

Good amount of love as a final touch...haha!

PROCEDURE :

Take the full cream milk, powdered milk, sugar, green cardamom powder and ghee in a wide mouthed bowl. Mix together everything very well.

Add the rose syrup and mix together well again.

Place the bowl in the microwave and microwave at high for 1 minute. Pause and stir with a spoon. Microwave at high for one more minute. Take out. We are ready with the base of the sandesh.

Transfer the content to a plate and add the paneer to it crumbling the later roughly.

Now sit at your favourite corner and start kneading with your right hand palm. We will do it for 10-14 minutes to get everything mix together well.

The dough will not remain sticky once kneaded well. Now we can shape the sandesh as we wish. I keep the moulds for rest and go for the easiest shapes. Our Cristine helps at the shaping stage always!

Garnish with almonds or pistachios before serving. It tastes best when fresh... but this home has to refrigerate it for lunch boxes and has to depend on people's mood before serving.... people have other interesting things to have like beer, wine, nuts, cigars and they "visit" home... hardly "stay".... You are not us, you are good homes.... you will refrigerate the INSTANT ROSE FLAVOURED SANDESH for an hour and have it!

That the primates in this family eat unhealthy is well known to the readers by now! This ALOOR PUR BHORA LANKAR BORA was a part of a meal including those yogurt porota and a healthy dish with mushroom-bell peppers, lettuce salad! At the best, I can do that much ... combine unhealthy dishes with the healthy ones! May you know that the sushi-sashimi & steak loving husband is revolting not only for me cooking too much but complaining that his wife cooks spicy as well! ... The son eats, our friends eat... only he has a problem.... I will not change till the son ventures out of home.... though I do not know how to live a single day without him.... The thought of the son having food outside everyday or cooking "dal sheddo-aloo sheddo-dim sheddo" for himself gets me into tears! Given the prolonged, mental illness I suffer from, I know I will spend sleepless nights thinking.... "did he switch off the gas oven properly?" It is the husband then who will be my support, come on trust me I consider him as my biggest confidant.... what I do not like is that he is turning like his father who thinks anything except "kancha lanka bata jhol" is bad for the stomach.... Every day the same boring food could not save their stomach either .... they live within 2 km from our Kolkata home.... but my mother has to come from Barrackpore to clean our home "each" time.... for the rest of the time while it comes to "claims".... people do not hesitate to say "its our son's home".... Each time I got "my" parents to stay with me for few days, my husband's parents got upset, felt insecure and they had to express it in front of the very "sensitive" me! So, I visit my in-law's home as a guest... "on duty" call.... with cooked and packed food, gifts, essentials and for some evening or morning tea & chitchat .... So, you must treat your daughter the best, who knows what is waiting for her in future....The otherwise quiet and decent me had the guts to say straight on face that I treat you the way you treat my parents.... neither do I allow my mother to poke her nose when it comes to discharging "duty" towards my in laws.... It is true that "their son" gifted me a good life.... So, I love a girl child but not at the cost of my son.... he is the "prime" in my life unless he is causing any harm to a girl! For imparting such lessons including not to fall for girls online in kinder chats and its likes ... I need to sit with him for sessions of vocal tonic.... for this I urged the rebel husband to arrange meetings with our rebel son 😰.... though he does not have a problem having mumma made vegetarian snacks ALOOR PUR BHORA LANKAR BORA!

I am not going ahead with meat and fish shares today too.... may be I am waiting for the occasion of "Jamaisashti".... In this 31/2 years of blogging, I made no special posts on Jamaishashti.... I find it very wrong with no "boushashti".... around.... I do not know about others... but in most Bengali homes... you can see clear the discrimination in behaviour towards the son-in-law and the daughter-in-law.... The discriminated treatment of the daughter and daughter-in-law is wide open in most cases .... what is very wrong with the daughter-in-law becomes perfect when it comes to the daughter.... Our mother is not allowed to do that... she got dependant on her son and daughter-in-law who are so dutiful that she herself does not complain "much".... A person who keeps herself too busy has no time for complaints either! Yet, I am unable to go ahead with a meat share for my little brother today too, he will always remain a "littler" to me.... I will always wish to see his Kimi and cricket shares on his stream.... because he is nothing else but that.... He and his likes have to understand the truth.... The truth is in the pictures below.... Just an hour back it was BBC News happening at this home... it was featuring some real life stories... of where?... well... particularly of the so called "India's enemy country".... Religious extremists on both sides are actually destroying the structure of their own country.... else everything else is just two sides of a coin.... Isn't this Child Labour a menace? Isn't the situation same in the entire sub-continent? Then why do we fight over the wrong issues? This boy Akhtar who was tortured to death at his master's house could be an Akhil too! The kids as small as them are sent to work out of poverty... who will teach their parents about birth control if we are busy spreading hatred based on religion? Are human lives any less important than the other species? I am not against the four legged "thingis"... oh! how beautiful are the eyes of a doe or how painful it is to see a caged bird! None of us or very few do pay attention to the need of the hour... it is not overdose of religion but the right amount of education that makes us wise humans.... Well, the moms are not in the picture... may be they were crying mad inside their homes...

Hundreds of Akhtar / Akhil / Ayesha / Ahana die tortured... that requires to be stopped.... You are not a "sit at home and giving big talks" kind of superfluous lady and you work silently for them just as a Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh of Mumbai does! The couple donate fat amounts to Pondicherry Ashram too.... There need not be any fight between a cause and one's own belief... if we can be wise! Watching BBC News made the atmosphere heavy... a Sunday morning and the television is switched off.... No, angels do not stay at this home... I just remember a teen boy and a girl walking towards a bank... the boy has to pay his sister's school fees... The girl says "T tor panjabi ta chera".... T your kurti is torn.... T said "the bank is not bothered about it... they want that money.... one day I will have fatter pockets".... Today, he is smoking B&H one after another! The now middle aged woman says.... once the son settles down .... we must do something to recover the lost pride.... We cannot die without contributing a little something to the society.... Can we? Thoughts and wishes are to be nourished alongside the regular household chores.... of which cooking is one.... So, the easy and yum recipe of ALOOR PUR BHORA LANKAR BORA is to be shared.... Besides weight watchers, every one else will grab at least two... This snack or appetiser is not an authentic Bengali thing, I named it so because it is done at this Bengali home often.... also I enjoy doing some "dushtumi" at times.... do not bother much about anything that does not harm others! We get a variety of chillies here, this been one... Do not ask me to name them.... I am not my expert friends. What I would say is that I use this big, fat, red variety of chilli for both pickle and pakoras. They are not at all hot, I discard the seeds too! So, they can be had by little growing up kids... I do not understand this part because I started feeding our son our kind of food at a very tender age! Do not feed them kichdi and porridge all the time.... they have tastebuds too! Lets do it and enjoy having! Keep yourself so busy, so occupied, so positive that you do not feel like destroying your life.... Why should that stage come in your life when you do not find anything interesting around? It does come for some.... but it has to be overcome.... What are you all doing today? We have a party to attend.... and I have to bake a cake!

By the way, my Coriander Poori recipe gets updated with new pictures.... Do have a look clicking the heading / link!

CORIANDER POORI

INGREDIENTS : [for the batter]

Gram Flour : 1medium cup

Rice Flour : 1/4small cup

Salt : As Required

Water : As Required

Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Sugar : 1/2tsp [optional]

Oil : 2-3 drops

Baking Soda : 2pinch

INGREDIENTS : [for the filling]

Boiled Potato : 2medium

Chat Masala : 1tsp

Dry Mango Powder : 1tsp

Carom Seed : 1/4tsp

Turmeric Powder : 2-3pinch

Black Salt : As Required

Lemon Juice : 2-3tbsp

THE FINAL STAGE :

The Big, Fat, Red Variety of Chilli : 8-10

The Assorted Filling

The Batter

Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp

Lemon Juice : 2tbsp

Salt : As Required

Oil : To deep fry

PROCEDURE :

Boil the potatoes as you wish... wash, half, take in a pot and boil on stove top or pressure cook at low up to 1 whistle! If you are a diabetic like me, wash the potatoes, prick with a fork and microwave at high for 3-4 minutes. Thereafter, let them cool, peel, wash again and mash.

In the mashed potato.... add black salt, turmeric, carom seeds, chat masala, dry mango powder, lemon juice. Mix together everything very well! Keep aside.

Prepare the batter with gram flour, rice flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, drops of oil adding water little by little to get a thick paste like consistency. We will add the baking soda before we start to fry.

Slit each of the washed big, fat as me, red chillies from the middle and discard the seeds.

Marinate each of the chillies inside-out with little salt, turmeric and lemon juice before we fill them. Stuff each one with the potato filling....

They are now ready to be fried!

Add the baking soda to the batter now... and mix very well!

Coat each of the stuffed chillies very well with the batter.

Heat enough oil in a wok, deep fry the coated and stuffed chillies well turning them constantly, adjusting the heat from low to medium. Do them in batches as they need space to move around... "tele dub shatar ditey hobey"....

Your homes are not as weird as ours, so you will have them as evening teatime snacks with tea / coffee!