CURRY AND SPICE

Yesterday evening when I decided to blog on it today, I realised that the platter is not complete... I just forgot to place the salad plate by the side and the lemon wedges. I am getting more forgetful with each passing day, I think I need to talk to my friend Dr. Nishi Pulugurtha who had been dealing with two dementia patients for long, her mother-in-law just passed away. She does write besides managing her students and friends, travelling.... want to read? Then follow 'Cafe Dissensus Blog Everyday' or Cafe Dissensus... a magazine that deals with art, literature, politics. I do not follow them may be because they publish from that happening city having this park and that park and lady seagull playing around... I have a lifelong enmity with that place perhaps ... haha... Nishi herself does not make her articles public, I like them, specially the accounts of her short tours. Coming to the plating, it was last Saturday, I had the burden of the thought of cleaning after all the cooking. Forget about the stepwise pictures, I could not even click neatly.... If you call it lack of sincerity on my part, I accept... the reason why me or people like me never can excel. Life got laborious in Cristine's absence, but I got two part-time helps coming for me every alternate day... they are nice! I should thank two of my friends Ipsita Bhattacharya & Paramita Chakravartty for helping me out in this matter.... its really tough to get real helps when you need it... they did it and gifted me two beautiful sarees too recently .... Oh my! Will drape them sometime next year.... the later married a Himachali Shippy gentleman, a native of Shimla who use their abode as a home stay offer to the tourists.... the naughty girl gifted me a saree with blue, orange and red combo... so I need a proper contrast blouse... We at home believe in a different ideology and we are celebrating today a special occasion.... a non-vegetarian share had to go up... then I felt okay let it be on the next day! The son is having his periodic examinations, I am not the kind of a mother who will go out on a dinner date to celebrate leaving the son alone at home! There is a reason why my brother could not get out of his mother's lap till date! There is a reason why his wife runs to her parent's home six days a week.... they brought up their two girls in hardships and pretty well.... the elder one is brighter, haha! I am cooking today with whatever ingredients are available at home... non vegetarian off course!! As of now, let us explore this wholesome, vegetarian meal option PEA SHOOTS GREEN MOONG DAL & COCONUT PEANUT RICE...

People around are also celebrating their special days... a big sister like's son in Kolkata has his birthday.... unfortunately I am unable to go Bengali today for another reason... I cannot get along with shallowness in people... I am an idiot but I love those who are classy as is defined in my dictionary! Leave that, it was an angel's birthday too, then two of my loving friends' too... a boy and a girl.... I know today is the marriage anniversary of a Punjabi sister like who shifted to Ontario some two years back... the son was a littler student, last met when her daughter was born... Rupinder Syan.... forgot our beautiful island and plays with snowballs these days.... forgot her small, cosy flat here and shows off their plush, spacious bungalow.... However, she had been a beautiful soul, a science teacher here.... so this healthy, vegetarian platter of PEA SHOOTS GREEN MOONG DAL & COCONUT PEANUT RICE do they deserve. We can eat anything and everything at home. Look at this lazy me... I am packing their lunch box with left over egg curry that Ipsita has sent and stale rice "bhaja", store bought parantha, this and that! All the big talks I give on health boils down to a big, round coconut cookie.... Curse me people, I got a big box of pea shoots to eat as a salad during lunch! By the way, always cling wrap cut fruits.... stop eating Romaine Lettuce for a while.... according to a Tasty's Facebook post, there is again an "E-coli" outbreak! After my appendix was removed, the daddy was told to stop my meat intake and lessen the amount of green, leafy stuffs... I have a problem of colitis.... I am alive till 48.... I will go and have a "bak-tu-teh" for lunch because dinner will be rice with meat.

INGREDIENTS : [for the COCONUT PEANUT RICE]

FINE BASMATI : 1COFFEE MUG
SHREDDED COCONUT : 1MEDIUM CUP
ROASTED PEANUT : 2TBSP
SKINLESS BLACK GRAM DAL : 1TBSP
CURRY LEAF : 10-12
BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 1/4TSP
DRY RED CHILLI : 3-4 [HALVED]
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4TSP
TAMARIND JUICE : 2TBSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 4-5 TBSP

INGREDIENTS : [for the PEA SHOOTS GREEN MOONG DAL]

GREEN MOONG DAL : 1SMALL CUP
PEA SHOOT : 1MEDIUM BOWL
MINCED GARLIC : 1TBSP
MINCED GINGER : 1TSP
SLICED ONION : 1SMALL CUP
SLITTED GREEN CHILLIES : 3-4
CHOPPED TOMATO : 1MEDIUM CUP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1TSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 2TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP +1/2TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
BAYLEAF : 1
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2TBSP
BUTTER : 2TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Let us do the PEANUT COCONUT RICE first!

Wash and soak the rice for 1/2 an hour. Cook it at low to medium heat until 70% done!

Transfer to a strainer and let the water drain.

Heat oil in a wok, add the skinless black gram dal, black mustard seeds, halved dry red chillies. As the dal turns little brown and the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves.

Give a stir and add the shredded coconut. Stir at medium heat for 3-4 minutes. They will turn golden brown and ummm what an aroma.

Add the peanuts and stir for half a minute. Add the cooked rice, salt as required, tamarind juice and the turmeric powder. Stir gently for 2-3 minutes at medium heat.

We are done, transfer to a rice bowl, ready to be served.

Do not dare to look at my kitchen when I am cooking.

Now, let us do the PEA SHOOTS GREEN MOONG DAL.

I washed and soaked the dal in hot water for 2-3 hours. Adding little more water, turmeric powder and salt, I boiled it at low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add more water if required. I love them little mashy.

Wash the pea shoots and add very little salt to them, rub well.

In a clean wok, I heated 2tbsp oil. I tempered it with cumin seeds and a bayleaf. I added minced garlic and ginger and stirred for 1/2 a minute.

I added the sliced onion and stirred till it turned golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes now.

As the tomatoes melt, add the turmeric and cumin powders, salt, slitted green chillies. Stir for half a minute.

Add the boiled dal, mix well and cover cook at low heat for 5-7 minutes. Open cover, add the pea shoots and garam masala powder. Stir and simmer for another 4-5 minutes. Add some warm water if required.

Transfer to a bowl and garnish with dollops of butter.

We had a lamb curry alongside... oh! what a meal it was.

A combo recipe of chicken & paneer did I wish to blog on today.... you will know from the pictures of the spicy & yum marination I shared down below! There indeed was a humble celebration of 21 years of trust and beyond... sometime this week.... the husband's sister and my friend Piyali Mahanty makes it a point to wish every year... I wonder how few of these people manage to remember specific dates... Each year I forget to wish on the brother's marriage anniversary which is on February.... early this year too I forgot but on that date I shared a mutton recipe.... how come? There is something called "ethereal connection.... bond".... a heart that sings for people who mean... Since the husband considers it as his doom's day when he became "bar kheye khudiram".... I never make it a grand affair.... Jokes apart, the husband always says marriage anniversary is a very private affair S.... Okay... Boss! The Boss got even clever, he usually accompanies me to buy the anniversary gift, this year he gave me cash... that saves him actually! We could not go out as the son is really busy with his school, examinations, projects! I just cooked with what was available in my pantry and served a rice and chicken medley kind of thing, a yum paneer by the side and paneer-macaroni kheer around 10pm at night... I really wished to share that platter today but looking at the picture I felt.... oh! no.... I felt like throwing off that Corelle set of mine.... they do not break man.... I keep watching how people do the plating keeping a note of every details.... I love their work and they know how appreciative I am of their food boutique.... There is nothing in a like... I did not wish to place my horridly photographed, chicken rice kind of 'thingi' so early ..... it is not fair! Secondly, what I have learnt from around is that, if there is showering meat around, I must share something for the vegetarians and fish lovers.... It is a weekend and I had chosen this humble, fish dish with potato and onion MAACHER ALOO PEYAZ CHOCCHORI for all!

There is a cuckoo cooing somewhere near.... Back there we always heard a cuckoo during summer evenings.... or am I wrong? I have seen a cuckoo only in a "chorar boi".... I always wished to meet in person and ask... "onyer bashai dim paro keno? nijer bashar moto shanti keu ditey parbey na"..... the tiger at this home gifted me a home indeed, I seeked an asylum"..... So, I make it a point to keep it clean, polished and happy! As the dusk sets in, I wait for his homecoming .... sitting together and chatting means a lot to me! When he comes late, I click other homes and think what is going on at / in other homes.... they have their own stories, own problems to solve.... let them be! One reason of not "kuchicuing" enough is that I have no interest in listening to stories of other homes.... my nose is too flat you know.... I am happy in my own world. I cannot solve a problem occured in another home, I do not need to hear either! You see a good photographer will not call a mobile click anything near to photography.... they are just clicks ..... I do that.... I click what is not photography.... the later I enjoy in other's streams.... I do not have much interest in human figurines, I love landscapes, nature portraits and social media does treat my eyes!

There is a lot of flaws in the above picture, but a fish lover will not find any flaw on this recipe of MAACHER ALOO PEYAZ CHOCCHORI! This is exactly not an old family recipe but learnt from a new family member in the early 90's.... During summers, "boro maacher jhol".... we could not eat.... then the newly married wife of our mother's youngest brother "boumoni" told our mother about it.... to be had with dal and some fries... it goes pretty well. Our mother also learnt "posto badam bata" from her .... the mother of my weird cousin Ronit Debnath. I call him weird for a reason... he did very well in his 10th and 12th.... refused to appear for joint entrances as he wished to pursue pure mathematics.... he got admission in the IITs and St.Xaviers College, Kolkata but did his graduation from Belur Math College in his own will to learn some virtues as he says... but he is an atheist, Formula1 fan and cycles around Pune... where he is currently studying... After his years in Belur he refused to carry forward his father's business... My maternal uncles are big names in that district... specially the youngest is a business magnet! As our mother says, Sonai is very different.... Boumoni gave him a very good upbringing.... I felt for her strongly during her marriage.... The daughter of an Indian Air Force pilot or co-pilot, this bright student of Delhi's Jesus & Mary College who loved reading, baking agreed to marry a rich business man and settle down in a district town. She is just a year older than me and I did not like it when my side of the family was saying how lucky she was.... don't you think my "babbu"... my mama was luckier... She single handedly brought up her son besides reading John Grisham to Agatha Christi, Babbu did not have time. My husband likes conversing with her as he used to read similar kinds during his travels earlier! Thats controversial, who wins in a marriage? Why do people consider it a deal? .... Let us prepare a less controversial, not so spicy, yummy, simple fish dish with few ingredients. I always prefer to do it with cut portions from a bigger "rui-katla" as was done in the family.... but these days I do it with any firm, white, fish fillets! The curry leaves are my addition. After a meal what will you have as a dessert? Try my KALAKAND recipe, done the easy way!

INGREDIENTS :

FISH : 500GM [SMALL CUTS OF BENGAL CARP OR OF ANY FIRM, WHITE FILLET]
SLICED ONION : 1MEDIUM CUP [OF TWO BIG ONES]
POTATO : 2MDEDIUM
KALOJEERA / NIGELLA SEED / KALONJI : 1/4TSP
SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 4-5
CURRY LEAF : 10-12
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1/2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2TSP
LEMON JUICE : 4-5TBSP
DRY RED CHILLI : 2HALVED
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 5-6TBSP [I USE MUSTARD]

PROCEDURE :

If I use "rui-katla".... I only wash and marinate the fish pieces with salt & turmeric before frying. When I use fish fillets of different kinds, I would wash them and marinate with lemon juice for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, I would peel, wash and half the potatoes. Then cut them in thick strips width wise. I would then peel and discard the two ends of the onions, slice them thickly and wash again. Slit the green chillies and wash.

We must remember to marinate the potatoes with salt and turmeric just 10 minutes before adding to the wok.

After 2 hours of marination... bathe the fish fillet pieces and discard the marinated vinegar water released. Apply salt as required, some lemon juice, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, 1/2 of the turmeric powder to the fish fillet pieces and rub well. Live like that for 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok, fry the fish pieces in batches. You can sprinkle some refined flour on the fish pieces before frying.

Once done, temper oil with the halved dry red chillies, nigella seeds and stir for 1/2 a minute. Add the curry leaves and give a stir....

We will add the onion slices now and stir at high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to minimum and add the potato pieces without the marinade! Add turmeric powder and give a stir!

Cover cook at lowest heat for 3-4 minutes, stir in between. If required, sprinkle little water to avoid burning of the potatoes.

Open cover, add the slitted green chillies and the fried fish.... Gently fold in! Sprinkle some water if required, adjust the salt and cover cook for another 3-4 minutes. We should be done.

I served it with skin on black gram dal and a vegetarian preparation with pointed gourd on that day!

I was literally giggling looking at the stepwise pictures of this BITTER GOURD CHIPS making process. Cristine is still on leave, the men at home will not touch even a tiny bit of a bitter gourd.... then why the hell I went through it spending more than an hour of my valuable time .... that too singing "patjhar sawan basant bahar".... haha... that means I became a fan of bitter gourd chips that I tasted for the first time last month when I saw small packets of it being sold at a famous grocer here "Karthika".... Accha, does Jaya Prada eat bitter gourd?.... so sweet she is! I am a fan of her ever since I was in school.... when she sang "koyel boli duniya doli, samjho dil ki boli" with that heavy ghungroo working with the "dafli". Be it a Jaya Prada or a Rekha Ganeshan or a Tanushree Shankar ..... I wish to follow that trend.... make saree my signature attire in public. I do not have their beauty or grace, then how does it matter? Jaya's "dafliwale" is presently stationed in a hospital of that "bahargaon".... suffering from what the family did not declare.... not everyone possess the courage of these girls... Sonali Bendre or Manisha Koirala.... I do follow Bollywood news in Instagram.... I may not get any breakthrough in that forum as my pictures are not qualitative,.... I am too laid back to take any initiative in this matter.... instead I enjoy watching a poise called "Nisha Narayanan" there.... haha! I very sincerely hope she does not pose in public on a swim suit and break my heart... swim suits look good in a swimming pool, a beach wear on a beach.... not in public profiles.... I am a grand mother's favourite girl I know.... I too wish to be their sticks! By the way, does a grandmother prepare "scallion diye mushurir dal?" Yep, I did it last Saturday adding some lime leaves to it.... amazingly tasty result it got. The son obviously had it with lamb! He is at home today and having this dates-nuts & banana smoothie with store bought butter cake.... the kinds he prefers .... plain & simple or with cream frosting! The tawa for "roti-prata" is always ready to be used in this kitchen. The daddy took "ruti with palong er dal"..... the son prefers dal with rice.... mumma does not have any potato curry, meat curry or "begun bhaja" in store .... so his lunch will be hot "ruti rolls" with dollops of butter and sugar! So, mumma can fry some BITTER GOURD CHIPS guilt free for herself!

The idea of adding scallion to the "mushur dal" was simple..... to make it healthier... I knew we will like it because "peyaz phoron mushurir dal" is a very authentic & dear dal dish for us!

Besides cooking, what does the lady of this house does? She plays with her newly bought gifts. She got some cash as an anniversary gift from the husband.... instead of buying for herself only.... she got three little things. The husband is not in the habit of wearing any kind of jewelry... not even the diamond studded, gold tie pin I gifted him few years back or what he got as gifts from our family in marriage. Yesterday, when I tried to put in the ring I meant for him.... you know what I got in return.... Oh! God why did I marry this guy? I get a little "mean" in such situations.... "bou jodi sundori aar rojgere hoto, bouer kathai uthti aar boshti boss"...... His attitude each time is like a tiger... "try me and know that I am not born to be tamed"..... who know this better than me and the father-in-law who we are living with?...... I do not have half of the old man's patience though! My belief gets stronger that this world only belong to those who have a voice! Since he never compares me with others, cleans me after I puke ten times on his shirt on the road, in the air or at the hills.... I do not consider myself as an unfortunate. I think my dream of exploring the Himalayan Range will remain a dream.... I have nausea.... fear of height, an unfit body and what not!

Do not be silly like me, keep changing the location of your ring from this finger to that. See, the condition of my ring fingers.... Something is wrong inside, the reason why I will be staying back for a week more in Kolkata, the men will be coming back.... I wish to spend some more time with the family, request good friend Bonya to accompany me to the Apollo Hospital for few tests.... Wise and old Dr.Chang discourages me to do the tests here which are too expensive. By the way, when my little brother got a little wiser, he used to say "I like Bonya di kinds.... long plated hair, soft spoken, Bengali Beauty".... now he flaunts the high end cell phone his wife gifted him last month, shamelessly eats 'phuchka' his wife gets for him while he watches Formula 1 races. Bonya aka Manasi Mahanty is my boy friend no.1's lovely wife... who is a handsome engineer from Bihar.... I am a fan of his persona.... may not have married the book-a-holic, much revered person .... why? He smells "a bit of a chauvinist & excessively stubborn".... hihihi.... Bonya is perfect for him .... He continues to remain a favourite, he shares his birthday with our son after all! Soon to meet my morning walk partner.... I hardly get to though, Kolkata stay got busier! Kolkata did see me going for morning walks towards sector-v with my boyfriends .... from the veteran Dr.Santra to dear Suman da, now a days it just not happens.... I have so many things in hand to be done.... I cannot even call them home.... can I serve them this vegetarian snack BITTER GOURD CHIPS with tea, tell me? Once the son's 12th grade is over, I will go and stay there for over a month..... Till then, let me treat people near and far virtually with simple, easy, largely "desi" food!! I usually enjoy this snack with my evening time tea / coffee or with dal, rice and some salad!

INGREDIENTS :

Bitter Gourd : 3-4standard sized
Chopped Green Chilli : 2-3
Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp
Cumin Powder : 1/4tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/4tsp
Refined Flour : 4-5small cup
Gram Flour : 2tbsp
Rice Flour : 1/2small cup
Semolina : 3-4tbsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 100-150ml to deep fry

PROCEDURE :

Wash the bitter-gourds under running water.

Discard the two ends, cut half.

Discard the seeds and make thin slices from each half.

Wash the slices of bitter gourd again. Add the turmeric powder and some salt and rub well. Cover and keep aside for at least an hour.

After an hour, drain the marinade that has released. Add very little salt, refined flour, gram flour, rice flour, semolina, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, washed & chopped green chillies to the bitter gourds and mix well. Do not add a bit of water, it is not required!

Heat 100-150ml oil in a wok. Deep fry the batter coated bitter gourds in batches till they are crispy.

Take out draining as much oil as is possible. Better you keep them on tissue papers before eating, I just forgot that step.

Enjoy them as a tea / coffee time snacks or with dal, rice and "sosha-tomato-peyaz kuchi"....

Its been ages that I have not prepared a traditional Biryani at home, instead prefer a meat Tahiri.... lazy brats think alike you know. The husband does eat a tahiri without a noise but that he does even if you serve him "aloo sheddo bhaat".... You get to know that he is craving for Biryani when he concludes after having a plateful of Tahiri ... "tahiri is nowhere near to biryani".... Wife gets it from outside but this island cannot make biryani... Kolkatans always prefer an Awadhi Biryani! The platter you can see with rice & chicken.... combo meal of a main & sides, SPICY CHICKEN RICE & GREEN MASALA PANEER is not even a tahiri... it was part of a dinner menu last week when I was lamenting over our inability to go out for a lavish family dinner! I told the men, let us postpone it and prepare a humble dinner for us.... I did not have the energy to go out to the market and prepared with whatever was available in the pantry. Like there were no beans but carrot... I thought "yehi sahi".... Each time I prepare a tahiri, I browse the internet, this time I did not do that.... so naming the platter got difficult. If you say so, the amount of happiness I get while blogging on a "ilish maacher matha diye kochu shaaker ghonto" or "chalkumror pur bhaja" is unmatchable.... they are authentic family recipes. Do not know when to. There are celebrations around every other day and I had to make friendship with people from different communities... ohh! Anyway, what I did with the chicken, basmati rice, paneer was good in taste, else I would not have blogged on it. The son did not waste a bit means it was good. I hate wastage, hence dieting is kept at bay. Cristine is not there to share the left overs with me or help me out in the kitchen. So, I have no other way but to eat "panta bhaat with bandhakopir bora, peyaz, kanchalanka"... undoubtedly one of my most loved food. "Aisa nehi ki baharwalo ke saath dosti nehi hai meri"... those sweet buns & fruits goes to their snack boxes.... That is fine but breads going to my stomach with tea is not at all okay! Next month Mani will say "besh komey giyechili abar shorir bhari hoye geche"..... The mother-in-law will give instances of other's wives how beautiful they are... shiny bright skin or "tiyapakhir moto thot, tikolo naak"..... I myself adore anything that is beautiful because I was indoctrinated to on my teens... that I do wholeheartedly.... When anyone insults me, I do take the liberty to insult them in return.... like my husband's paternal grandmother was a beautiful, very hardworking woman.... the Vaishnavi who cooked her own food in a small stove until her death at age 84.... none of her three daughter-in-laws are anywhere near to her in beauty or qualities.... the youngest one is an excellent cook though! "Thakuma" loved me, always told "you are learned, do not counter attack when a fight occurs between you two".... She definitely complained that her eldest son goes to office making his own tea when the rest in the family sleeps till 12pm... None of you can make such complaints about me, I do not pack their lunch boxes with store bought food... it was egg-potato rice yesterday. I have not excused, but tolerated till date all the bad-mouthing of my mother-in-law only because she is my loving husband's mother.... mind it, not mine! The best things at her home and wardrobe goes from this home....

Anything with rice is enticing to me, be it some "makhon / ghee bhaat, panta bhaat" or this SPICY CHICKEN RICE & GREEN MASALA PANEER..... I think I have a green paneer curry blogged on earlier.... however this one I marinated and cooked in grill option.... so let it be!

I am cooking less number of dishes at a time, cleaning all the cupboards is my priority now.... that is keeping me so busy... then throwing away the old pans, buying new needs going out frequently. Do you like my new omelette pan?... I do like having omelette once in a while... solo or with rice & dal or bread... digesting them is a problem.

If I had high metabolic rate, my meals would have been like "panta with daler bora, kancha lanka, peyaz".... "bhaat, begun bhaja with dal or ghee, ekta kancha lanka".... "maar bhaat, aloo sheddo, ekta maach bhaja"..... "aloo-peyaz bhaja, porota".... "kochi pathar patla jhol... jui phool bhaat"..... "Bangali French toast, Danish Bread, chop-cutlet-shingara cha".... each and everyday! Look at my husband, you cannot make him eat anything except for the three meals a day! He will have appetisers only when guests come over, else its only nuts with his wine & beer! On weekends, he does enjoy a "jhal-muri".... The son and his mother are having too much of prawn crackers and "jhuri bhaja".... thinking of getting only mixed-nut snackers now onwards besides the individual packets.... Bengalis do not eat fox nuts and all... they are healthy! Anyway, this platter of SPICY CHICKEN RICE & GREEN MASALA PANEER is wholesome and tasty both.... Besides, I prepared a macaroni-paneer kheer too as a dessert .... our mother used to prepare a "roshogolla-paneer er payesh" which both of us siblings loved! Distant Memories give you both pleasure and pain.... I make it a point to enjoy them just as tequila shots!!

INGREDIENTS : [for the SPICY CHICKEN RICE]

Chicken : 750gm
Basmati Rice : 1coffee mug
Plain Yogurt : 1/2coffee mug beaten
Potato : 2-3 medium sized [peel, wash, remove skin, cut half]
Onion : 2medium [remove skin, discard two ends, wash, slice]
Carrot : 1 [ends discarded, peeled, washed]
Green Chilli : 3-4 [slitted, washed]
Mint Leaf : 12-15 [washed]
Coriander Leaf : 2-3 sprig [washed, roots discarded, washed]
Curry Leaf : 8-10 [washed]
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Meat Masala Powder : 1tbsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Cumin Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 11/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Star Anise : 2
Green Cardamom : 3-4 [slightly torn]
Cinnamon Stick : 2-3 two-three inch sized
Clove : 3-4
Bayleaf : 2-3
Salt : As Required
Ghee : 4tbsp
Oil : 2tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the GREEN MASALA PANEER]

Paneer : 250-300gm
Mint Leaf : 10-12
Chopped Coriander : 2-3tbsp
Green Chilli : 2-3
Plain Yogurt : 2tbsp
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2-3tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Let us wash the chicken pieces thoroughly under running water and marinate with some salt, plain yogurt that is beaten, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin & coriander powder, meat masala powder, ginger & garlic paste nicely and keep aside covered for 1-11/2 hours.

Soak the cut and washed potatoes and carrots in salted water for an hour or so.

Wash the onion slices and the green herbs & slitted green chillies nicely too!

For the Green Masala Paneer, prepare a paste with all the ingredients mentioned except for the paneer pieces and oil.

Marinate the washed and cut paneer pieces with the paste and oil for an hour.

Wash and soak the rice 1/2 an hour before adding it to the 1/2cooked chicken.

For the Spicy, Chicken Rice, heat the oil and ghee together in oil. Temper with star anise, bayleaf, cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms, cloves.

Add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Add the curry leaves and stir for a minute. I forgot to click this step or did I burn the onion slices singing an old Bollywood number.... "Akhiyon ko rehne do, Akhiyon ke aas paas".... I hum to good old 1950-60's numbers....

Anyway, add the marinated chicken. Give a gentle stir to fold in everything well.

Lower the heat to minimum and cover cook for 8-10 minutes. Open cover and add the potatoes, carrots, mint leaves, chopped coriander leaves, slitted green chillies.

Fold in well and cover cook at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes.

Open cover, add the soaked rice discarding the water. Stir gently for 2-3 minutes.

Open cover, add 11/2 coffee mug of water and little salt. Forgot to click this step too. Must be shouting at the husband for spilling water on my dry cleaned toilet!

Cover cook at medium to low heat for 8-10 minutes, we should be done. Always check in between... they should not burn.

Garnish with fresh herbs before you serve.

For the Green Masala Paneer, grease a bake proof plate with few drops of oil, place the marinated paneer pieces on it.

Place the high stool meant for grilling on a convection mode microwave inside.... Grill for 7 minutes one side.... turn over and grill for another 5-6 minutes.... We are done.

We also had this paneer-macaroni kheer / pudding made to be enjoyed as an after meal dessert!

The photography is horrible but the food is not. I hope you will do it to know how yum it is!

After a wonderful lunch date yesterday with some yummy North Indian Food, I felt strongly to go Authentic Bengali today! This LAU CHINGRI was long due, I mean a Bengali Blogger adding this recipe with bottle gourd and prawns after over four years of her blog's inception is a sin.... not excusable! These days I have stopped thinking too much about what I blog on... this is a Northern Indian Group .... that Southern Indian.... again a pure Bengali Group... or the guilt.... "should I share a porota recipe in a purely Oriental Group of this island?"...."if more traffic comes from the vegetarian groups, should I blog on fish or meat?".... Now that the "kumrar mishtanno utsab" is over, I can feel thankful .... oh! I could get out of all these, my home will not be in a mess henceforth! Cristine returns tomorrow.... I am happy, she may not be.... her father is unwell. The husband called me a self-centric because I got angry when Cristine asked for the extension of leave till today... he spent extra amount of dollars to get her tickets changed. What he does not see is that I cleaned Cristine's room so that she does not have to! I have cleaned every corner of this home so that she does not feel over burdened all of a sudden. Look what I got in her room.... It feels good to see that she reads whatever it is even after or in between her busy schedule.... I felt happy.... will definitely ask her... does she want me to buy any specific genre for her or she may select from ours' too!

I remember, few years back I gifted a story book to a little girl of this island, looking at her mother's facial expression I decided that I will never ever take a book to that home.... better I gift dresses and make-up boxes.... Everyone need not be a book lover but reading is a habit which is to be respected! It is always up to the respective parents what they want their kids to be! Then the husband says "do not force your likes on others S"...... I listen to that these days so much so that I mingle only with those who satisfy my tastebud.... and strictly so.... a vice-versa is so welcome! So, yesterday's lunch date was extremely satisfying with whom I could discuss socio-politico-religious issues on a lighter tone .... who was it I cannot say but the "makki di roti, sarson wali saag, malai chicken tikka" was awesome.... the masala chai & phirni is not in the picture. If anyone of this island is reading this, I would always recommend the eatery "Mustard" near Tekka Centre... I love their kebabs... never undercooked!

I do love Northern Indian saag preparations, I did get fresh bunch of "shorshe shaak" yesterday... Instead of "pata bata", I am thinking of doing it with some "cream-shim"..... Leave that, come to me.... after that lunch.... I had to have a "jilipi" in the evening .... my secret gateway to happiness....

Since I went to the Indian wet market, I bought "sheem, desher fulkopi, rui maach, ilish"..... "uff jompesh Bangali ranna hobey aaj o kaal".... From next week, I will start my shopping for the family in India.... so long the little brother gets them, he does not have a problem with didibhai cooking prawns, crab whatever! As I always say that CURRY AND SPICE is not solely a family affair.... though it is largely meant to be a space for sharing family recipes.... LAU CHINGRI is one such. Question is how can the husband, Old Dr.Chang or his son tolerate me after looking at my food intake. The husband has a reason may be.... the wife packed his lunch box with "luchi o dhoney phoron diye aloo chocchori".... do not expect anything more.... for that you have to go to my friends.... my life is miserable without Cristine!

I do not hesitate to applause the qualities people possess in public.... if only I think it is so.... I do not fear loosing followers... I do not have decent body parts to flaunt and get some either, man... jealousy?... you can say! "maago jilipi... tui porer jonmey amar dharey kachey jodi ashish".... What they say is true.... "being tactful" is not my cuppa... Like, I will not hesitate a bit to say that in a group, I like the smile of that guy with a bulging out stomach... haha... keep it going.... your types really maintain the balance of this world. On my next birth if I can avoid "jilipi & patha"..... I will definitely try to "attract" happening guys be it at 15 or at 50.... Till then let me live my life... Old Dr. Chang's son Dr.Vincent would always think I am in depression.... How much I say that I am that way, smile does not come naturally to me unless it is an "ilish, patha" or these giant mangoes & tangerines... he has to ask me in each visit. These mangoes supplied from Australia really taste near to our Himsagar... During this time of the year, I wait for this super sweet tangerine... that comes either from China or ... or... or... forgot... haha.... I wish to forget many a things.... A dementia patient becomes too dependant, else I would not mind to be one ... absolute peace that is!

At our home LAU CHINGRI is done without using any spice paste. If the bottle gourd / lau is young and fresh, the prawns too.... you do not need to.... the chopped fresh coriander does the work. Earlier, I used to love "maacher matha diye lau ghonto".... these days I cannot have big fish heads of rui-katla unless the mother cooks it in Kolkata.... I am also waiting to visit the husband's maternal uncles' family.... my favourite "boro mami" stays there... love her "bhanga chora shukto" and "aloo diye murgir patla jhol".... Daughter of a fish seller, she did not even complete her schooling but stays with her daughter-in-law under one roof.... happily! I love spending a day there.... so much of warmth I can feel. If you can touch my soul, I am readily at your feet..... I do not wish to be protocol bound! Anyway, the morons at this home eat vegetables which has meat and prawns thrown in to in good amount.... So, the not at all tactful woman learnt to play tricks in her kitchen.... so meat stews, tahiri with vegetables and chicken or gajar-beans-motorshuti-maach polao keep happening! How much of "shorshe shaak" I use for "cream da saag".... I did feel happy when the son wasted rice with palak dal yesterday.... ask me why? Half of the rice mumma served with "deboned ilish bhaja o tel".... that he ate all.... haha! "jee chota maat karo"... you bet they will eat that "creamy sarson saag" when served with "porota".... If you want Southern India on my boys' plates... ok when they visit you serve them spicy, baked batang steaks, meat stuffed dosa or idli, egg stew with appam, deep fried pomfret... haha.... but this blog is not entirely for my boys either.... so there will be "chalkumror pur bhaja" soon! This "love for Bong" have cost me likes, followers or readers... do I care? This blog is a space for me to unwind.... I am stubborn... and only kiss what I can respect or at times do not do that either!

INGREDIENTS :

LAU / BOTTLEGOURD : 1STANDARD SIZED
PRAWN : 250-300GM MEDIUM SIZED [FRESH]
CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 3-4TBSP
SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4
CUMIN SEEDS OR NIGELLA SEED : 1/4TSP
DRY RED CHILLI : 2HALVED
BAYLEAF : 1
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP + 1/4TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 5-6TBSP [I USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

De vein the prawns, wash them thoroughly. I always recommend to keep the head of them unless your kid is a moron as mine.

Apply some salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder to them and rub well. Keep aside for 15 minutes.

Remove the skin of the bottle gourd, discard the two ends.

Cut into 4 halves, wash thoroughly.

Now shred each piece in a grater. Try to buy young bottle gourds always.

Apply little salt and 1/4tsp of turmeric.

Heat the oil in a wok, discard the marinade and lightly fry the prawns. Take them out to be used later.

Temper the oil with the cumin or nigella seeds, bayleaf and halved dry red chillies.

Add the shredded bottle gourd along with marinade. Fold in well and cover cook at lowest heat for 12-14 minutes. Check in between.

A lot of water will release. Once the water is almost dry, add the fried prawns and slitted green chillies, 1/3rd of the washed & chopped fresh coriander.

Fold in well and gently stir for a while till the water dries up and the content turns a little brown.

Add the rest of the chopped fresh coriander now and gently mix.

We enjoyed it with steamed rice, deep fried Indian River Sprat and Palak Dal {kechki maach bhaja o palong er dal}....

Cristine is back to her second home .... an extremely good news to be shared with all! This time however I have decided that I will not sit all day in my favourite corner and be more of a couched potato! Yesterday, I wore a jumper at a couple friend's place, I am looking kind of an over grown frog who is unable to hop even! Only a saree is able to hide my defects but I feel lethargic to wear them at all times.... Cristine says that I have lost may be one or two kilos but I do not see it... the weight machine lies dormant under our bed! My knees are ready now to go for a walk... but a tour of India means putting on more weight.... I cannot sacrifice "nolen gurer sandesh"..... and this time I am planning to visit Manjilat's to taste Begum Manjilat's authentic food.... that she is the great great grand daughter of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah is what attracting me towards her... else there is a Shiraj, Aminia and Arsalan within 50-200 metres from our home there... Before I go to India and start cleaning up my Kolkata home, I had to settle my present home first.... That is our Cristine and I told her how exactly my green corner should be cleaned! I had earthworms kissing my feet while cleaning the hedge last week... God! I am still alive!

It is a beautiful, sunny morning here but you never know when it will start raining! On my walks, I almost get into people's home to have a glimpse of their garden. The husband did water the tiny green corner in Cristine's absence, neither did he spare me saying that I am inviting dengue to this home. I have something to say in this regards before I share the recipe of this stuffed, batter fried Bengali fritter CHALKUMROR PUR BHAJA [BATTER FRIED STUFFED WINTER MELON].... Why in Kolkata has dengue become a terror in the recent years?.... Without getting political, I would say not to blame the government alone, we should maintain personal hygiene ourselves.... this is what our mother has taught us in the bygone years.... to keep our own corners squeaky clean.... Kolkata is getting dirtier.... India in fact, we do not value the need of cleanliness.... I feel very sorry to say that the locality with Indian majority in this island is messy.... I justify the local government's action of evaluating and restricting who they give a permanent residency status... I laugh, smile, crack jokes but I am actually in a very tight situation ..... I did not allow the husband to apply for a PR when we came in as I did not want the son to go for a two years of rigorous military training after his 12th.... now that he wishes to flee from my lap too early..... I shout at the husband each day.... why do you want to send him to a land where school going kids possess guns.... I have a mental condition everyone knows around, so all sorts of negative, weird thoughts concerning our boy is taking a toll on my health. I cook to de stress.... I cook very often what our boy loves ... who knows what he gets to eat when he is away from home! It was beyond my imagination that he will eat CHALKUMROR PUR BHAJA [BATTER FRIED STUFFED WINTER MELON]!

This dish with ash gourd / winter melon, coconut-mustard-chilli paste, thick batter of rice-flour and gram-flour is from my family.... "khuti-nati ranna" is a 'my family affair', the husband's side has limited variety to offer.... When we were in school, my mother used to say pointing at others... "mamoni where do certain ladies get so much time to chat all day, I cannot even finish my work before 10pm".... Our mother's routine was like this..... getting up at 5am in the morning... cooking a minimal "charaponar jhol aar shak" for the two office goers... the maternal grandfather and our father. Bhai was taken to the school at 7am by the father. Around 11am she took me to the school and got the brother back... in between continued with her cooking, doing the household chores with a part time help.... including a "muriwala" who used to come from Joynagar with urea free muri / puffed rice because dadu had to have "muri-chirey narkol" back from the office.... our Pa loved murir moya! In the afternoon, I had to come alone from school to the home stationed at a notorious neighbourhood! I do make it a point to meet those friends who in spite of its notoriety, visited our home for a chat... some high noses since their birth did not... I still keep a space for them within.... for I am unable to act otherwise.... The mother did arrange a school bus for me, I used to puke everyday so left and preferred walking... at times with friends .... In a middle class home with two kids ... it was a luxury to take a rickshaw everyday.... The mother's afternoons were busy taking the brother to swimming, cricket, painting classes. He got medals in sports and now piling up unnecessary fat everywhere in his 5'6" frame.... so unhappy I am! Anyway, I saw the tired mother teaching the brother and simultaneously doing CHALKUMROR PUR BHAJA [BATTER FRIED STUFFED WINTER MELON] or its likes for dinner.... before she could retire to bed around 10:30pm.... I am nowhere near the mother but picked up certain family recipes and habits from her! I will soon share a winter dal recipe, eating which my father-in-law did say that his mother used to do it when he was young. No, he did not take this liberty often, no one wants to die an unnatural death. The few years they stayed with me, he or his wife got variety of breakfasts from idli, upma to noodles to luchi-porota! When separated from me for the second time, he made bread-butter-jam and eggs for himself everyday.... his wife sleeps till 12pm and beyond, skips her breakfast! Now, there is a cook and we are relieved! I missed calling him yesterday.... have to today! Actually, I prefer to call him in the mornings.... haha! I want the world to know who I am.... I hate to fake in any matter! I love narkol-muri, here it is! The husband smokes a lot... it worries but no hiding the fact. He loves his beer and wine, more so in company ... so I have to sacrifice Vodka shots at friends' homes these days which I used to enjoy a lot.... I am an on call driver on such days which angers me. I skipped our big day "Mariner's Night".... I will not go dry on such occasions... so boring! Yes, I am very strict about drunk driving and everyone should be! However, you can drive freely after a plateful of dal, rice and CHALKUMROR PUR BHAJA [BATTERFRIED STUFFED WINTER MELON] ... so feel free... but my men will love this fritter was beyond my imagination! They had it besides their favourite meat curry!

Let us come to the easy recipe now.... it is hassle free but requires patience... it takes time to cook it. Besides a dal, you can try my FULKOPI ALOOR DALNA too with it! For me, I only need an onion & green chilli for this kinds!

INGREDIENTS :

ASH GOURD / WINTER MELON / CHALKUMRO : 1STANDARD SIZE [YOUNG PREFERRED]
SHREDDED COCONUT : 4TBSP
BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 2-3TBSP
GREEN CHILLI : 4-5
RICE FLOUR : 5-6TBSP
GRAM FLOUR : 2-3TBSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4tsp + 1/2TSP
SUGAR : 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
ICE CUBE : 2-3
OIL : 2-3TBSP

PROCEDURE :

It is recommended to use younger winter melon for this recipe as we will cook slow in very less oil.

Peel off the skin of the ash gourd and discard the two ends. Cut in roundel of 3-4 inch of thickness.

Wash thoroughly and apply salt. Rub well and keep aside for 1 to 11/2 hours covered. It softens them.

Soak the black mustard seeds for 1/2 an hour after washing them through a strainer.

Grind to a paste adding salt, green chillies and 2-3 ice-cubes.

Transfer to a bowl, add the shredded coconut and 1/4tsp turmeric powder. Mix well.

Discard the marinade from the winter melon roundels. Take one piece. Top it with the stuffing of black mustard-chilli-coconut paste.

My nails are not dirty, be sure of that.... its the 'colouring your hair without putting on the gloves' effect! So, do not question my sense of hygiene.

Place another roundel atop it.

For the batter, take the rice flour and gram flour together. Add water little by little to prepare a paste like batter. Add the sugar, salt, 1/2tsp turmeric and the red chilli powder. Mix well.

Keep aside for 5-6 minutes before we start coating the stuffed chalkumro pieces and frying them.

Heat the oil in a pan, not to the smoking point. Coat the winter melon pieces well but it should not be thickly coated. The ash gourd pieces has to cook well in slow heat.

Place them gently on the wok. Slow cook at lowest heat, do not hurry, the stuffing may spill.

Cover cook for about 20-25 minutes for one side to be done. Turn over very carefully using 2 table spoons.

Cover cook for another 20 minutes till done.

Trust me you get soft ash gourd pieces with a yum stuffing and crisp outer coverage!

We had some mango dal and non vegetarian curries too on that day!

Aha! When my expert friends had been taking pride in preparing five to six dishes from scratch without any help, I will not hesitate saying that this humble platter of NAAN .. SIMPLIFIED O BEGUN DHONEPATA BATA was done from scratch, then plated and clicked all by me without any help sometime during Diwali... Cristine was on leave does not mean that there was no home cooked food for us. I do not know photography, I never take any credit in this matter... so far the taste is concerned.... you can place your trust on me ..... in fact, on us .... food bloggers who tirelessly try to gift you doable recipes .... no problem.... try us in turns! I can speak like this because I am a laid back character, never competitive. One should not set me as an example.... one who does not compete, cannot excel. It is only a lazy & laid back who all of a sudden can stop promoting her recipes.... she is neither a popular food blogger that people will visit her blog in flocks just like that .... For obvious reasons, her visits have come down to 1/10th of what it had been in the past 3 years... However, she feels emancipated now, anytime she goes out of her house to take the feel of life, to smell "matir shoda gondho"... Her areas of interest has to get priority. Like at age 16 she felt she need not do height increaser & get slimmer exercises, why? The "aloo kabli wala" outside our college gate seemed more attractive to me.... I did not know then that I would be a food blogger some day, else I would have asked him "kon brand er lonkar gura dyan kaku".... All those pain of my mistakes can be lessened only by eating what I love .... look at how self-destructive one can be... she had her diabetic medicine in the morning... thereafter having "gur narkol with chirey" with her morning tea... May be this is the reason why I like that obese girl of Kolkata.... but I should not... "bor-bou miley kheye jacchey shomaney ... bacchar katha bhabchey na".... I promise I will have a fruit bowl for lunch today after a swimming session.... Yes, I have nailed it under the guidance of an excellent coach Joe.... who wished us on Diwali.... I hate going to the gym, hence I had to learn it at this age... it does not help you lose weight either if you eat so unhealthy like me!

"Woh Mumbaiwala admi bhi khata rehta hai sara din, photu bhi dalta hai.... fame ke liye kya kuch nehi karna parta hai logo ko!".... I do not have fame or name .... so I feel free to do what I like the entire day, Cristine is back and I do not need to stay put at home all day... the junior of the men too comes late.... most of the days he has extra classes! I went for a brisk walk after a long time yesterday. I have a bad habit of stealing fruits and flowers on my way... I love guavas at this stage, come on over ripe guavas are for jams and spreads. Do not be me, wash the fruits and vegetables before consuming!

I went back to that guava tree after about 2 months I think. You know that I love going back to old, known places and ask "how are you doing?".... So, this particular kind of homes do attract me... who not only take care of their home & garden but also of the exteriors. You will see our mother cleaning the community drain attached to her fencing wall with a bamboo regularly.... She says never to feel ashamed of cleaning your own corners. Look, how this home takes care of their exteriors. We have very little green in this tiny island, so people do not waste a bit of an available piece of land.

Buying one such property is beyond our reach, we cannot even think of renting one! The "bahargaon walas" may think I am jealous... not really but I keep wondering about few things.... confused rather.... I see they have tea sessions in a plush garden, pose for clicks in a balcony of our flat size... a kitchen triple our size.... here arises a question "era roj ghar moche kina shandeho hocchey, baccha boro holei era Cristine ke bari pathiye dei...".... please do not curse an OCD... we are not bad.... do clean your homes with wipers dipped in Dettol early morning before going out .... haha! When the entire world walks towards the moon, I am busy cleaning underneath my dining table.... else the NAAN .. SIMPLIFIED O BEGUN DHONEPATA BATA plate will not be placed on it! By the way, just after the "no fence" boundary of your homes, starts a "jhau bon ba maple er jongol.... raatey ghum hoy? raatey okhan diye kijey dheye ashbey... maago".... Excuse me considering the above as good jokes, but ghosts are not easy things for me... this dumpling soup and sugar free tea is easy on my stomach after a walk. Well, I do not digest all the words of the Indian Health Experts, to be on top one has to promote & listen to the people in power.... haha! I do not have fame or name, so I do what I wish to and okay, compromise a bit for my loves... get a Sushi for my boy to have back from the school.

Lazy, jobless brats talk non-sense like me... I do all the talking here because I am not a good speaker. This "begun-dhonepata bata" is again a recipe from my parental home... I paired it with this two ingredient naan thinking of the mother. On her tours, she hated to have rice meals because they were not authentic Bengali... she preferred naan, tandoori roti with aloo matar, paneer at roadside dhabas always or idli-dosa.... Back home, she would immediately run to "DumDum Bazaar" and buy fish... do a favourite "maacher jhol"... that we craved for after a 12-15 days of tour. If you are travelling with "Kundu Special" kinds... you get Bengali food. Now that the father is not there, I need to talk to the brother on how to arrange a tour per year for the mother with such travel groups. Till then, let us enjoy this easy to make naan with this eggplant & fresh coriander dip, chutney whatever you call it! NAAN .. SIMPLIFIED O BEGUN DHONEPATA BATA had to be shared today so that my friends can enjoy it with a dal or kebab ..... because it is good to see master chefs can look happening too... haha! yeah, I am naughty ..... because that girl has to be dragged out of Biryani joints and made to eat a bit healthy..... because the saree of the maestro chef's wife is catching my eyes..... because I am happy as Jayeeta Dasgupta is custom making my Madhubani Paint Saree on a tusser base. Have a smaller kid at home? Add some more butter and sugar atop the naan and see them giving you heavenly smiles!
That achar / pickle is made at home that I wish to blog on sometime later...

INGREDIENTS : [for the naan]

Self Rising Flour : 2coffee mug
Plain Yogurt : 100gm or as is required for a smooth dough
Salt : 2pinch
Plain Refined Flour to Dust each Naan
Butter to garnish!

INGREDIENT : [for the begun-dhonepata chutney or eggplant chutney]

Eggplant : 1big, fat, dark purple variety
Fresh Coriander Leaf : 1small cup [discard root, chop, wash]
Onion : 1small [peel, discard two ends, wash and slice]
Garlic Clove : 2 [peeled, washed]
Green Chilli : 2 [discard stem end, wash]
Black Salt : 1/4tsp

PROCEDURE :

For the naan, take the self rising flour and the salt in a wide mouthed big bowl. Mix well.

Beat the yogurt and add slowly to the flour, little at a time. We will knead it to a smooth dough that will take some 7-8 minutes.

Cover and keep aside for 25-30 minutes.

For the begun-dhonepata bata / eggplant chutney, wash the eggplant and pat dry. Grease the skin with few drops of oil.

Switch on gas oven and place the eggplant on it. Roast at low flame turning all sides to get done evenly. When water releases and the skin is burnt, we are done. Feel free to curse me while cleaning your gas stove... a primitive tongue did bake it once in oven and said "rokkhe koro maa, khaitarina itan"...

Store in a plate to cool down completely. Discard the skin. Throw away the stem end.

Take the flesh in a blender. To it add the washed fresh coriander, garlic clove, green chilli, onion and black salt.

Blend at high for 2-3 minutes at intervals. Do not add water. Done!

Remove the cover of the dough. Knead for 2 more minutes and tear off tennis sized balls. Smoothen each between your palms.

Take water in one bowl and some plain refined flour in another for dusting.

Roll out oval shapes with help of your base and rolling pin.

Sprinkle some water atop the uncooked naan and spread evenly with your finger.

Heat the tawa / pan well. Place the naan with the water brushed side down.

You will see bubble forming on the top side.

When the down side turns little brown, turn over and cook the other side well.

Garnish with some butter before serving.

Enjoy with the sides, take some pickle and salad alongside! For smaller kids, add more butter and sugar and serve.

I keep wondering that I have a PAN FLAVOURED RASMALAI, GOLAP BHOG, NOTUN GURER ROSHOGOLLA, BAKED ROSHOGOLLA WITH MANGO .... all these recipes shared in this blog but not the basic ROSHOGOLLA [COTTAGE CHEESE BALLS IN SUGAR SYRUP] share till date! How come? This picture was taken last year while preparing the pan flavoured rasmalai.... then I forgot totally about it because I was not satisfied with the pictures. Not that I am happy with any of my food pictures but this one did not catch my eyes at all. Roshogolla or cottage cheese balls in sugary syrup does not happen on a regular basis at this home, neither did I remember to click some decent photos. I was in fact all set to share that winter dal recipe today with my readers, then changed my mind and thought okay lets go ahead with the Bengali Dessert, we can change the pictures later. "abhi koi marshmallow ki picture dikhayegi to aisehi reaction hone wali hai..... chibai te chibai te mari byatha hoiya jaiga, bhangeo na, goleo na.... jibbar swad ta noshto hoia jai" haha!..... As a kid I was not a fan of ROSHOGOLLA [COTTAGE CHEESE BALLS IN SUGAR SYRUP], I always love fried sweets ... prefer a pantua to it or a chitrakut.... Roshogolla was force fed as the parents considered it a healthier dessert option! The son however tasted an ice-cream and roshogolla when he was three months old.... there after Roshogolla was his evening food for a couple of years.... till date he loves it, we are a dessert loving family which includes ice-cream! Once away from home, he has to eat those tinned ones unless he gets an Indian girl friend who loves to cook way too much and makes our son her guinea pig..... Yes, mothers are like that.... they want their son-in-law to carry their daughter on his lap and the daughter-in-law to cook at least 3-4 dishes every day for her son and serve the biggest piece of fish or meat to him..... forgetting that the girl also may wish to have the best once in a while.

I am not in my best spirit, yesterday we were at a party and I had some 41/2-5 glasses of red wine which I should not have given the amount of food intake.... one should not eat too much and too fast while boozing.... back home what happened was inevitable.... the toilet had to be cleaned, a shower had to be taken.... yet the hangover persists. Daughter like Cristine is serving lemon water and I told her that we need to disinfect the toilet together once I am done with the post. Do not worry lah, I will be fine by the afternoon.... ask me why? I got "aar maach and mrigel pona" fresh at the Bangladeshi mart yesterday and young "peyazkoli" too... I am very fond of "aar maacher matha" that is not smelly and I am going to prepare a family recipe with it which requires egg plant and fresh coriander. Now that I got to be free of the burden of counting the number of blog visits, you will get to see all the family recipes in the coming days. However, I did enjoy the Halal Oriental food spread yesterday, abalone, prawn, scallop, braised fish, fish maw and the sago-mango-pomelo dessert! I forgot to click the chicken soup and noodles....

However, end of the day I am a girl from the ROSHOGOLLA [COTTAGE CHEESE BALLS IN SUGAR SYRUP] land who got big roshogollas in academics and basks in the husband's glory. I am not someone to follow but the Bengali dessert retains its glory at this home. I do not follow too much of do's and don'ts in my kitchen.... if you are like me, you will try my recipe without any hesitation! This time I did not use semolina or baking powder as it was done to prepare a pan flavoured rasmalai.... which does not require the sweet to double in size. Only chena / paneer / cottage cheese made at home does work. I am not a roshogolla expert but they are just right, healthy, edible.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE COTTAGE CHEESE / CHENA / PANEER BALLS :

FRESH MILK : 1LITRE
LEMON JUICE : 3-4TBSP
ICE CUBE : 4-5

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP :

SUGAR : 1/3COFFEE MUG
WATER : 3-4COFFEE MUGS
GREEN CARDAMOM : 3-4
THIS HOME GOT USED TO LESS SUGARY SWEETS, SO ADJUST THE AMOUNT

FINAL ASSORTMENT:

THE COTTAGE CHEESE / CHENA / PANEER BALLS
THE LIGHT SUGAR SYRUP

PROCEDURE :

I never can manage a roshogolla with tetra packed milk, so I will always recommend fresh milk for it. There is no "dudh kakur khatal" as in DumDum here, neither a "jhumri mashir khatal" as in Barrackpore.... so I buy fresh milk bottles coming from New Zealand or Australia.

Take the milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and put for boil. Once it comes to boil, add the lemon juice.... 1tbsp at a time and keep stirring with another hand constantly.

As you see the milk getting curdled, switch off the gas oven and add the ice-cubes.

Pour the entire amount on a clean, white cloth placed over a bowl. the whey water can be used in curries and dough. Till date, I do not possess a Dhakai Muslin Saree, unlikely to buy a muslin cloth for the kitchen.

Tie the cloth on to your kitchen tap and let the excess water drain. This may take an hour or so.

Once the water has drained, take down and transfer the content to a plate. We need to knead it for about 10-12 minutes to get a smooth texture. If it feels sticky... go for a sandesh because roshogolla will not happen with a sticky dough.

Now, make table tennis sized balls out of the dough. I have heard about some very good TT Players, however, I did not have decent clothes or looks to be in the venue.... I have full trust in the hear say though!

While kneading the dough, we will simultaneously prepare the sugar syrup which can never be allowed to get sticky.

Take the sugar and the water in a deep bottomed vessel and bring to boil.

When it has boiled for 3-4 minutes, add the paneer / chena / cottage cheese balls & the green cardamom.

Cover cook at medium heat for 20 minutes.... they should be done and ready to eat.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy! They can be refrigerated too but take out at least an hour before you consume!

Well this correct avatar of a MICROWAVE BEETROOT DHOKLA, steamed gram flour and beetroot juice cake is my fifth attempt at it. Oh God! I was making the same old mistake each time. On the fourth day of my failed attempt were invited three of my friends over an evening tea party! We belong to different age groups, but it never came in our way of sitting together and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee! The four of us were little sister Debarathi, dear friend Ipsita, me and the veteran Padma! Padma Murali is the mother of two adult daughters... one is an engineer and the other is in the university studying public relations, a yoga teacher too! Padma is very helpful, an expert in Tamil recipes and is a published cook book author in the island. She does social service.... teaches English language for free in the temples of this island. I like her but do not sit together often. Ask me why? Our ways are different, I cannot engage myself in religious books or in temple talks all the time. I attended few Gita classes with her and Ipsita, thereafter felt too bored. However, our lunch date at the MTR joint post the Gita class was too tempting. You see, I got a Gita from the Rama Krishna Mission during the Durga Pooja and I will read it as a novel lying on my couch accompanied by snacks and tea / coffee, that snack includes maacher bora and chicken fritter too! I simplify things according to my convenience! I have created a boundary wall around me so that I do not get to mingle too much with anyone, I fear relationships getting sour and bitter! I have seen people kissing each other in a party and then tearing apart each other once they leave the venue, I find no logic in it! Doing this yummy vegetarian snack MICROWAVE BEETROOT DHOKLA is easier than being a part of all these!

You may ask why do I attempt at a Microwave made Dhokla or Idli. The men will not touch them unless there is some meat or fish stuffed in them. I was like them years back, now that I have developed a fondness for Indian Vegetarian Snacks following Mani, I do them but do not wish to spend much time on them. Mani got me to taste dhokla first, the brother will never touch and the father always preferred "muri-chirey-khoier moya, aam dudh kola, naru-nimki to these." The major mistakes I was doing while attempting at this MICROWAVE BEETROOT DHOKLA was that I was forgetting to place it on a water filled bowl and so it was turning hard. All of my three friends told me that they liked it but it was hard. I did have a short discussion with Debarathi whether to blog on it. Then I decided that no, I must rectify my fault, set it right and then go ahead to make it public. After I come back from Kolkata, I will call these girls again and feed them the correct one! At this moment, I am busy shopping for the family! The brother wants simple things but in more variety. The husband's sister does not ask for anything directly but S di must get.... she never joined hands with her mother to make life impossible for me. I have got a Southern Indian style cotton saree for my beloved Iva Dutta Miss .... she has given us the best lessons of life and feeds me "Bagbazaarer Telebhaja... khete bhari moja" whenever I visit her home! The husband never accompanies me, he perhaps thinks that she always loved me more than him, so many times she has asked me to get him along! Then there is another kind who refuses any gift from me in the first instance saying that her daughter-in-laws get her everything. My expression each time is like "I know your daughter-in-laws are Angels".... but I have no connection with that... I believe in one to one relationships in certain cases. I gobble any hurt with a glass of water in cases where it is unintentional, so thinking of playing this prank this time .... "use this anti-wrinkle cream or that lotion or soap and your kids will be surprised to see you on their next visit, haha!" I force few things on her each year, a humble saree, a little of this, that. The two old ladies at home are to get two electronic gadgets they are unable to use properly! "Boromami" gets a soft & supple Korean Silk Saree and oh! one suitcase is already filled. Each time S.Airlines stops us... and you know what kind of choicest words are showered on me by the husband in public. Smiling faces are worth my trouble... I believe! I am yet to buy Cristine's x-mas gift.... so there is a lot of shopping to be done this week.... The husband is not bothered about what I am doing until he has to transfer any extra amount to my account, even digests the embarrassment he faces at the airport. Your intents matter, he knows that his wife will never buy anything secretly for her mother leaving his! I love gifting people but staying within my limits! What will come back with me?.... a couple of things including10-12 sarees, kurtis from Westside, Pantaloons, a mandatory visit and buy from the Government Emporiums housed in Uttarapan if not Dakshinapan.... I visit that happening part of Kolkata may be once for that secret meet. "Logon ko North Kolkata se South jana parta hai yaar.... social ladder ke top mein rehna jo hai.... hum theherey janglee, non-pedigreed".... However, South Kolkata is a newer development, Kolkata's history lies in the North, the best of food too".... We live perhaps in the remote outskirts of Kolkata, but the biggest outlet of Haldiram within 1/2 a kilometre of our home sells the best quality Dhokla... I love it! However, you get that softness and near taste in this MICROWAVE BEETROOT DHOKLA! Juice of two standard sized beetroot was used to prepare Beetroot Malpua & Beet Aloo Gajor er Pur Bhora Porota and this steamed snack.... great... isn't it? Teatime snack is a very important part of my life...

Let us come to the Recipe!

INGREDIENTS :

GRAM FLOUR : 1 1/4COFFEE MUG
BEET ROOT JUICE : 1SMALL TEA CUP OR AS IS REQUIRED FOR A THICK BATTER
PLAIN YOGURT : 1/3SMALL TEA CUP
GINGER EXTRACT : 1TSP
ENO SALT : 1TSP
PLAIN SALT : AS REQUIRED
CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2-3TBSP
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1TBSP
SHREDDED COCONUT : 2TBSP
CURRY LEAF : 8-10
BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 1/4TSP
A FRESH SYRUP MADE OF 1/2 SMALL TEACUP OF LEMON JUICE AND 1TSP SUGAR!

PROCEDURE :

Take the gram flour in a bowl and add the plain yogurt to it. Mix well and add the beet root juice little by little to it to form a lump free, smooth, thick batter.

Add the ginger extract, the normal salt and Eno salt now. Mix well and keep aside covered for 15-20 minutes.

Add the chopped and washed fresh coriander and green chillies to the batter.

Mix it very well again.

Transfer the entire content to a microwave proof bowl. Fill another microwave proof bowl, a little bigger in size with water so that half of the batter filled bowl is immersed in it.

Now cover the bowl with a microwave proof lid!

Thereafter I forgot to click the rest of the steps. I was simultaneously busy with the Beet Root Malpua because my loves has to have something they love. That is not an excuse though.

Now place it inside the microwave and microwave at high for 5-6 minutes.... Please do check with your machine's power... it differs.

Rest it for sometime and then take it out. Meanwhile we have tempered 1tsp of heated oil with black mustard seeds and curry leaves. Pour it evenly on the dhokla / steamed gram flour & beetroot cake.

Pour the lemon and sugar syrup all over, 1tsp at a time. Garnish with shredded coconut. Enjoy with your tea and coffee!

Palong Shaak / Spinach / Palak and Donepata / Fresh Coriander / Hara Dhania is a childhood love. I remember, early November the Dum Dum Bazaar used to get green with young leaves of coriander and spinach which was too much of a favourite with the daddy and me specially. Palong eating ended early March with "shish palong er chocchori or ghonto".... I feel irritated not being able to blog on half of my favourite dishes due to unavailability of the right ingredients.... However, I discovered "byne, samudrer kekle o bhola maach" here.... if only my men were as excited as me having them. However, I force them to eat "choto-majhari sizer tatka rui".... fresh, smaller or medium sized Bengal Carp that comes from our neighbours.... if you can visit the Bangladeshi shops at night or the Indian wet market on Saturday or Sunday mornings, you get them. They make very good light curries.... our families are not used to garlic and onion in fish curries. I told the husband to manage it until we visit Kolkata and if I debone, the son eats. I simply love, though scared to have "khoira or folui".... If I feel lethargic, I get very fresh seabass and either batter fry or cook it with cauliflower & potato or chilli-mustard paste. I just cannot have salmon, snapper every other day .... when they have it, I get "kechki maach" for myself.... I have not even blogged on "kechki maacher bora" as yet. You need fresh pumpkin or bottle gourd leaves for that.... how do I call myself a Bengali Blogger then? The conversation with the mother goes like this .... "Mani, you always say that people of Comilla use coriander paste on curries during winter, but I have seen people blogging on dhone pata bata shim belonging elsewhere".... I will cross over the fence and kiss them at times because they take me on a nostalgic tour, gets me onto the grandmother's lap, because I do not have or care for name, fame, followers! Success obviously tastes good but laid backs like me do not care for it either.... I do what I wish to! Feeding vegetables alluring with chicken pieces like in this PALONG DHONEPATA MURGI [CHICKEN WITH SPINACH & CORIANDER] is one of the few tricks I play on my men. This is not really like the Northern Indian saag meat but as I do most of the time... just use whatever is available in the kitchen.

I love to cook is true, I am a foodie is more than a truth.... the parents perhaps knew from my childhood what disaster I am going to get for my body and health. Last week on the day of the husband's office party I had that big, bad aloo parantha for lunch and then that dinner spread.... imagine! When in vegetarian Indian eateries, Cristine always eats a masala dosa.... I look for variety... appam, chaat, parantha, upma.... I though prefer my drier version of upma which we call nonta suji! On my walks locally, I like getting food from these choice centres...

I so loved this sight on way to my doctor's chamber. Those are spinach / palong / palak. There are few variety of other plants and herbs too. These shops and chambers are on the ground floor of the Government Housings and the residents make full use of the small, open area spaces. I like this concept so much. As of now I am growing flowers and herbs. Fruits and vegetable bearing plants are not my cuppa... that needs knowledge and motherly care.

This may have triggered the urge to blog on this PALONG DHONEPATA MURGI [CHICKEN WITH SPINACH & CORIANDER] or is it something else? I am self centric that is true. When the husband says so I do not leave him either. I retaliate immediately .... who is not? When my father died and my family needed me beside them, your parents called me to come back as early as possible... why? They did not even have to toast a bread for my son.... Cristine was doing it all alone as I instructed.... Ipsita visited almost everyday with food and assistance, Kaushik Neogy and his wife.... a daughter like to them took them out, Sanak Chottopadhay took them to the clinic, paid the bill and never took it back from the husband. Why I was asked to come back? Nah, a married girl's daddy should not hold any importance in her life.... specially if she is not working, she should not. I know my mother has complains on why the brother's wife visits her parents everyday but I never instigate her on this matter. I was hurt when my sister-in-law too told me to go back early... why? I never question her why your mother gets more of your attention & care than your mother-in-law? I digest because they have done good to me too. My mother-in-law creates new laws to shun my side of the family. In an average Bengali family... it is the maternal uncle who feeds the first morsel of rice to the kid... my brother was not allowed to. Unfortunately my sister-in-law or my brother do not have a child.... else you would have seen my husband flown in to be present at his sister's home for that occasion. The real world has gifted me so much of hurts that I do not even look around whats happening in the virtual world. I do have the guts to tell my mother that the rules for a daughter and the daughter-in-law should be the same in a house hold.... I remember, on few occasions when I left my school going son at home with my in-laws ... the grandfather used to prepare 'Maggi' noodles for him... while the grandmother was either sleeping or complaining about me to someone over phone, she however did for few months after he was born. Everything counts in a relationship! Some of my friends still get plate full of food right in front of their mouth from their mother-in-law .... I am not jealous but I do not like what I get to hear or heard about me. Following one to one relationship, I will not take the effort to visit their home anymore ... I will either call them at my home for a cuppa or at the City Centre 2. I however bagged an appointment with the eye surgeon through his wife Paramita.... only to him I can say that I lost the son's last prescription.... Take it from me... only the cool headed doctors can make it in life. There is an exception called Swati who made it a point to visit my father each time he was admitted in a hospital.... her recently widowed mother awaits a big hug from me... On my priority list is my deceased friend's wife and kids also. Off course, I am not calculative, I will manage a meet with the others if only "they wish to".... its time to know that part more.... are they at all interested or its me who is trying in vain? Everyone knows by now that me and my friend Chandrayee are like "Tom and Jerry".... I cannot leave Kolkata without meeting her.... her father is still alive.... kaku will be extremely hurt to know if I do so.... I was a mere teen when he used to scold her daughters.... look at S, how she comes and cleans your messy rooms.... well that was a job over the weekend! End of my tour I feel exhausted, tired and irritated specially when the husband asks to limit the visit to15 days and stay put in the neighbourhood Swissotel. I tell him that if he thinks he has that much of wealth to waste, he can get me some platinum jewelry! End of the day he is mine, the son "jigar ka tukra".... I could not ask to extend my ticket to 15 more days for them only. I am this way, last year summer, my ticket was only 3 days after my husband's... yet his family had to hurt me... I wished to come back sooner and cook few meals before they go back... but no, they had to hurt me. I could not even fulfil my wish to get my father one more time here. To all those in-laws who treat their daughter-in-law's family in this manner, re-think or feel the lovelessness! I am not trying to impress the brother's wife either.... we have no expectations from each other ... she told me that she does not want anything from anyone, that she is choosy... I did not buy a single thread for her... My efforts has to be appreciated ... "didibhai" will give her some cash to buy things of her choice... Its for her that my mother is enjoying a queenly status .... problem is that we want everything within a lifetime.... Let life take its own course and let us enjoy a plateful of PALONG DHONEPATA MURGI [CHICKEN WITH SPINACH & CORIANDER.

INGREDIENTS :

CHICKEN : 1kg medium cut [I prefer country or the kampong chicken]
FRESH SPINACH : 2 bundle or 250-300gm
FRESH CORIANDER : 2-3 sprigs
GREEN CHILLI : 6-7 [adjust yours]
MINCED GARLIC : 2-3tbsp
MINCED GINGER : 2tsp
SLICED ONION : 1medium tea cup
CORIANDER POWDER : 1tsp
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1tsp
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4tsp
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 1tsp
LEMON JUICE : 2-3tbsp
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
CINNAMON : 3-4 two inch sticks
CLOVES : 2-3
SALT : As Required
OIL : 3-4tbsp
BUTTER : 2tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly under running water and marinate with salt, lemon juice, 1/2 of the minced ginger and garlic, turmeric & red chilli powder and salt. Keep aside for an hour or little more covered.

Discard the roots of the spinach, roughly chop. Take on a colander and wash thoroughly! Fill a vessel with warm water and blanch the spinach in it.

Discard the roots of the fresh coriander. Chop and wash. Wash the green chillies too.

Take the washed and chopped coriander, washed, chopped and blanched spinach and washed green chillies together in a blender and blend at high for 2-3 minutes with intervals till smooth.

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

Stir and add the minced garlic and ginger. Stir for a minute.

Add the washed sliced onion and stir fry till it is golden brown.

Add the chicken pieces without the marination and stir at high heat for 3-4 minutes.

Lessen heat to minimum and add the marinade to the chicken.

Cover cook at lowest heat for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and check in between to avoid burning at the bottom.

Open cover and add the garam masala powder and a cup of water. Stir and let boil for 5-6 minutes covered.

Open cover and add the green paste, adjust salt and let cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add 2tbsp of butter and stir. Take down and serve with any kind of bread or rice variety!

With two members of the family, the mumma and her son down with cough & cold, a pakora / fries / fritters is the need of the hour.... specially when the son finishes a container full of bitter gourd chips that the mumma kept for herself. This family loves fries and fritters is true but it was beyond my imagination that he will have bitter gourd chips! He is weird, you can see in the pictures how he watches those early or pre-Christian or Pegan era oriented movies on Netflix. These kinds reminds me of Ulysses that we had as text in the higher secondary course. However, I strongly feel that there should be some kind of censorship imposed on the Netflix series.... it is a necessity for homes with rebel kids and loose fathers who think scolding or disciplining kids is not necessary at all. If people grow up in an environment where there is no discipline..... where the lady of the house comes home at times after midnight chatting in the neighbourhood houses.... discipline is just a word.... The siblings grew up very well but. So, if I freak around the entire night, wake up at mid-afternoon .... there is no one to stop me.... but memory comes in between.... a little girl sees a 4'8" woman cleaning her garden and home since five in the morning.... assorting the dry leaves and branches of the coconut tree to make "narkel kathir jharu"..... grinding a special variety of rice during this time of the year for "pithey-puli".... did I see a "hamandista" and a grinder that Southern India still use to grind rice?.... so heavy that a normal adult cannot lift. I am the bark of a deeply rooted big tree which was cut and attached to another tree. It was a personal choice I had to make to get a genuine partner for life knowing I cannot ever adjust to the rest of the environment! I do not like the unruly traits in my son but blood plays a big role here.... it was inevitable. However, I love him the most in this world.... this superbly yum vegetarian snack MUSHROOM CORN CURRY PATA PAKORA was for him to enjoy .... he is not keeping well and we are visiting India next week... oh! no! Below are his interesting watches.

I am not keeping well either. Yet, I visited my old neighbourhood yesterday to do my nails, a little of shopping and eat a teriyaki chicken and ebi fry Bento Set at the food court where I visited almost everyday few years back.

It was so good.... I have become more of an Oriental perhaps... I love sticky rice with some soya sauce and a sprinkle of spice powder atop. The effect of the lovely meal was that I was almost asleep when the girls were doing my nails, this one luxury I indulge in. Back home I felt dizzy.... then gathered courage to assort the ingredients and prepare those MUSHROOM CORN CURRY PATA PAKORA. Actually there was too much of carb intake yesterday, "porota o aloo chocchori" in the morning, Bento set for lunch and "ghee rice with pakora and aar maach er jhol bhaat" at dinner time ..... Like mother like son.... she hated vegetables in her childhood / teen hood.... I am hopeful about the son. The man of the house is travelling, expected back home tonight. So, planning for some grilled chicken to be served with garlic bread for dinner. With blocked nasal and forehead tissues / nerves, I am so unable to cook variety. There will be another day of lavish cooking only before we travel to India.

You see mine is the humblest of the kitchen, with cracks here and there on the tiles, such a small space that I cannot think of buying an air frier and oven I so wish to. How I requested the husband to buy a small, three-roomed flat instead of his dream car which is not required here, public transport system is so good. The majority of Indians here with a foreigner status echoes my husband.... "we are ready but will not pay the extra stamp duty imposed on us"..... so big is that amount that you can buy a humble flat in the remotest suburbs of Kolkata with it ... so no point. I always would prefer my own small corner be it in Khatib or at the border line of the neighbouring country.... commuting is not an issue in this island. My research says that the best condominiums are those which are far from the MRTs and Malls, although they have a Murugan Store or NTUC or Giant within 1/2 a kilometre. However, I could do a MUSHROOM CORN CURRY PATA PAKORA just as it came to my mind because the super mall is opposite our home.

The curry leaves grow without much care. I had to make use of them before the immediate neighbour could complain of encroachment, haha! What goes in this amazing fritter / fry / pakora are mushrooms, baby corns, curry leaves, onion, green chillies, rice flour, corn flour , gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, carom seeds. Let us do it and make your harsh winter a bit colourful.

INGREDIENTS :

MUSHROOM : 200GM [I USED A PACKETED SLICED ONE]
BABYCORN : 8-10
CURRY LEAF : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP FULL
ONION : 1MEDIUM
GREEN CHILLI : 2
RICE FLOUR : 1SMALL TEA CUP
CORN FLOUR : 1/2SMALL TEA CUP
GRAM FLOUR : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4TSP
CAROM SEED : 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : TO FRY

PROCEDURE :

Chop the mushrooms further and slice the baby corns discarding the two ends. Wash them separately.

Peel, discard the two ends and chop the onions small, wash.

Wash the curry leaves, chop and wash the green chillies too.

Take all the above ingredients on a big bowl. To it, add the rice flour, corn flour, gram flour, carom seeds, red chilli and turmeric powders, salt.

Mix well everything without adding a bit of water. It is not required as water will be released from the washed and drained vegetables.

Prepare small balls from it. If bigger, the outside may be crispy but inside it will remain undone, neither do we want a burnt look for the sake of a well cooked pakora / fritter.

Heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry but not to the smoking point. My idea of enough oil is slightly different. I am a miser, cannot pour 300ml oil to deep fry and throw away the left over. Neither do I agree to repeated reuse of oil, one more time is still ok. What I do is constantly stir them once slightly done and adjust the heat in same frequency.

Once done, we will place them onto tissue papers before serving.

Transfer to serving plates, get some salad and pickle and enjoy with your tea and coffee!

Until the Kolkata hangover goes off, I will have this kind of food at home and Oriental soups outside adding to it the island special chilli-garlic-vinegar mixed chutney.... it supposedly is made of so! I should get back to my swimming & walking sessions as soon as possible ..... a gym is something I dread.... I feel suffocated in that confiner. Just when I was planning to add more of "chirey, muri, doi" on my diet, our good friend Joy told that they are grains too full of carb... I cannot just survive on a soup and oats diet... what will I eat then? Things I fancy are a poison for me. I cannot switch over to a no grain, Keto diet.... eating eggs and high protein stuffs every day is not for me. My knowledge of science is negligible.... but the question arises within... how scientific is a no grain diet? Our body is used to grains... we should have them but in less quantity.... Our friend Chandrayee was on a herbal supplement for the last 3-4 years even after my repeated warnings... now her haemoglobin content went down severely. I absolutely do not believe in artificial, food supplements. Neither should you be supportive of the amount of food I eat. However, my food preferences are changing or may be I got stricter about the quality of food! I did not enjoy the Kolkata Biryani this time ..... only the grand child was lucky enough to have home cooked Biryani... ok, ok, I also got to taste "shutkir bhorta, chara ponar tok, chuno maacher chocchori" from the same person. I am really jealous of my friends who prepare Biryani every week, eat outside and manage to remain fit. Feared of me, they do not show up in full face, haha! My brother is not this lucky.... the Swiggy App is destroying him and the majority in Kolkata I feel. Every other day, he orders online a burger, pizza, kebab when there might be at least 5-6 home cooked dishes lying in the refrigerator. My athletic brother has turned into a hot air balloon... its a major concern now! Both of them husband-wife need a proper diet to follow and yes... a stay in this island or its likes to see how health conscious can people be.... 90% of Bengal do not value a healthy lifestyle.... The question is do I at all have the right to speak on health & diet? Why did I have to eat that lemon-turmeric rice and a "gola ruti" at 10 pm yesterday night? "Gola Ruti" is nothing but whole wheat pan cake that I saw my maa-in-law eating on Fridays when she used to perform "Santoshi Maa r Pujoo & Fasting".... I added some chopped onion, coriander & green chillies to the batter. If you feel tired & lazy or not keen on learning to make roti / chapati.... try this "gola-ruti".... The son had it with a little of left-over Kheema Curry, I prepared our kind of spicy scrambled egg for the hubby, Cristine really made a wonderful dal... "kumro bhaja".... well my "jolpai er achar" got a lot of sun bath and is ready!

This CHAKA TELE POROTA O CREAMY SHORSHE SHAAK was prepared last month after I had a plate of Sarson Da Saag & Makki Di Roti at the restaurant Mustard here. The son who mumma had to take out for dining every week some ten years back refuses to go out with me, mumma getting food home is awaited though.... so I go out with the daughter likes. This creamy shorshe shaak is not a Northern Indian Sarson Da Saag, neither Roshun Phoron Diye Shorshe Saak.... I did it just my way as I usually do unless it is an authentic Bengali dish.... Oh! I look at my phone's photo album and see that 90% of them are of typical Bengali food items. You bet I will even blog on a "maar bhaat" to be eaten with butter, boiled egg & green chilli.... Bianca or Liz Harley will not be upset, they know that I still do not know clearly the difference between a jam, jelly and spread! However, I will blog on my mother's "peyarer jelly".... I was so busy fighting with her that I forgot to get the recipe from her... she might have forgotten by now getting busy perfecting a biryani, kheema chole, ilish for her son!

You see, my food habit and my men's do not match in most cases. If it is not a prawn or meat curry or "bhaja bhuji".... they prefer a fusion Bengali besides their absolute favourite Mughlai & Japanese. I think I cannot have a sushi or salmon for the next one month. I do not mind cooking their likes for them.... for myself I will get an yam, peel and paste it with at least 5-6 green chillies, shredded coconut, black mustard seeds.... take half cup of rice and enjoy or will have "peyazkoli bhaja with a ruti".... omitting half cup of rice and a roti at least 3 days a week helps in weight loss... the courage I am failing to gather! Anyway, the man and me bond over few other things.... like having a drink together over the weekend! I love that "mouri-jol".... the Turkish Local Drink Yeniraki... I may be totally engrossed in Udayan Majumder's The Labyrinth.... you bet he will not bother me! Both of us respect each other's personal spaces.... we have our own lives.

Coming to the combo, vegetarian meal today, CHAKA TELE POROTA O CREAMY SHORSHE SHAAK, I repeat that the side dish is not done following the authentic recipe. The deep fried porota / paratha is no unique or a big thing.... neither our mother does it. I remember, our maternal grandmother used to prepare it for breakfast at least once a week and serve it with "aloor chocchori " and a roshogolla or sandesh! My memory bank is flooded with bits & pieces from the past ... I am treasuring even the bitter ones. This vegetarian meal using wholewheat flour, refined flour, mustard greens, fresh cream is something you will enjoy, so will be "The Labyrinth" for my kinds! Do not ask it from me for they do not come back. However, collecting books by any means is a birth right for the book lovers, better order online!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE "CHAKA TELE POROTA" / DEEP FRIED PARANTHA

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR : 11/2COFFEE MUG
REFINED FLOUR : 1/2COFFEE MUG
SALT : 2PINCH
OIL : 2TBSP + 100-150ML TO DEEP FRY

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CREAMY SHORSHE SHAAK

MUSTARD GREENS : 2BUNCH
SLICED ONION : 1MEDIUM CUP [OF 2 MEDIUM SIZED]
GREEN CHILLI : 2
MINCED GARLIC : 1TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4TSP
FENUGREEK SEED : 1/4TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
FRESH CREAM : 2TBSP + 2TBSP
BUTTER : 1TBSP
OIL : 3-4tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the Creamy Shorshe Shaak at first!

Get the young leafy mustard greens and discard the ends. Roughly chop and wash them thoroughly under running water.

Fill a container with hot water, blanch them for 1/2 an hour.

Strain and blend together the blanched mustard greens and the green chillies.

heat oil in a wok and temper with the fenugreek seeds. Add the minced garlic and fry until light brown.

Add the washed and sliced onions and stir fry till golden brown.

Add the mustard greens and green chilli paste to the wok now. Add the cumin-coriander-turmeric powders to it and little salt. Fold in well.

Let it cook at low heat for 7-8 minutes. We need to stir at an interval of 1 minute.

We can see the water been dried up, add two table spoon of fresh cream and stir well for 1/2 a minute.

Transfer to a bowl. Reheat before serving, garnish with 1tbsp of butter and 2tbsp of fresh cream!

Now the Chaka Tele Porota / Deep Fried Parantha!

The original porota colour is this, why it turned yellow while trying to edit a bit the main pictures I do not know. The husband is suggesting to buy a Google Pixel Colour .... its time to change the phone! The problem is that I do not know to operate most of the features in a phone. In every way, I am a grandmother's favourite girl.

Anyway, take both the flours, salt and oil on a bowl. Rub for a minute. Add water little by little and prepare a dough. Cover for 15 minutes. I do not do it while in a hurry.

Tear out small portions and smoothen between your palms.

With help of your rolling pin and base, roll out roundels. Now fold them half.... looks like a half moon.

Fold from any one side again. It takes the shape of a triangle. Roll out again a bit to get the "triton porota" shape.

Heat 100-150ml oil on a wok and deep fry both sides. Do one at a time.... we do not have "Alibaba Korai" at our homes.

Above is exactly how the porotas look! I cannot use photo editor app neither is fond of that famous grandfather... not happy with the pictures but you will enjoy the platter adding some pickle & salad of choice to it!

"Sankrantir Pithe-Puli" had been / is a regular affair in both sides of our family.... in fact in a maximum number of Bengali homes! Way later, I got to know that entire India celebrate as per their tradition. How come the primitive me will not follow the tradition? I am not a pro or energetic like our mother, so decided to prepare one sweetmeat at a time.... Anyway, in a tropical country having "pithe-puli" is not time bound! So, I am not in a hurry! You will see in the ingredient list, I did this Bengali, winter dessert PATALI GUR DIYA CHOSHIR PAYESH with 11/2 lt. of milk.... The making of choshi / chushi / rice flour strips takes pretty good time and requires patience! I am an impatient being but really enjoy following tradition. Cristine did help me in the making of "choshi".... else I would have taken some 1/2 an hour to 40 minutes more! It is not that if we relocate to another country... I will not prepare them.... may be will do in lesser quantity & frequency! My senior loves "pithe-puli".... there was a time when he could have a plateful of them.... now he has little at a time. I enjoy cooking for my family. I know homes where people carry "roti" in lunch boxes that are inedible.... heard from themselves. I am not in the habit of poking my flat nose in other homes but this irritates me! One may not have any interest in the kitchen and household chores ..... there is no wrong in it ..... at least you should have the interest & ability to train your help to cook proper meals! Anyway, I do not get home 6000-7000 dollars each month... so no big talks. As I always say and believe that one has to set their priorities at a young age... one cannot get everything in one life.... There is only one life but.... what we lose is lost for ever.... One can wet the pillow thinking of the people and time lost forever but not repent over it... no point! Get the maximum happiness out of what you have and consider it a blessing.... My T is a rare breed who told me long long back that he does not have any expectation from life.... I was impressed but it was not told to impress me.... even if I serve him "jhol-bhaat" everyday .... he will not complain! This is a lesson he learnt from his father who I saw preparing his own cup of tea back from office while his homemaker wife used to be busy partying with friends! I do not like thankless women and men who keep telling lies right on my ears that she or say he alone has brought up her kid / kids! I do not support patriarchy, neither a matriarch and such lies are uncalled for when I can see the truth right in front of me.... I am not in the habit of arguing, neither can I oil anyone to remain in their good book .... what I do is just avoid such discussions! I so wish to use my spare time engaging in a home delivery business... however I am caught in between very strict rules.... My ultimate wish is to own a "Bengali Eatery... Bhaater Hotel" in an "Office Para" of Kolkata... when? I am 48 already and enjoy my stay in the island! If your husband is not a food lover, your dream remains a dream.... I am not keen on any joint ventures with any of the family members or friends! All said and done, I continue to cook easy, everyday recipes for my loving followers, readers... the food has to be eaten by the family but.

As told, I did serve the PATALI GUR DIYA CHOSHIR PAYESH with "luchi"... poori made with refined flour, frozen French Fries cooked in microwave. I keep a packet for such lazy days. Moreover, the senior & junior will not have a bowlful of dessert in the evening and then a dinner. As anticipated, the junior did not have the dessert at night... he never does! I am not worried as he will have it once back from the school today! The nocturnal senior had it post dinner. I went to sleep in peace.

Choshi / Chushir Payesh is usually done using date palm jaggery, milk, rice flour. The dough for the strips called choshi or chushi is done with rice flour authentically. I added a little of refined flour and semolina to the dough so that they remain soft even after refrigeration. Remember, Bengal eats it in winter.... they do not refrigerate it there. It is never recommended to reheat such kinds, it curdles. We live in a tropical island, the tradition bound me has to make it. You see my priorities in life are clear cut.... being a diabetic I still had to have half a bowl of PATALI GUR DIYA CHOSHIR PAYESH.... I did not mind to sacrifice wearing trousers in the process, haha! What makes me happy is that my not so much of a Bengali son loves the flavour of patali gur / date palm jaggery.... I noticed that he eats payesh / rice kheer made with patali... stopped having the one made with sugar! I am still hopeful that one day he will....... haha! Going a little further with my expectations... I think my daughter-in-law too will unless he brings someone from Timbaktu... will she call me Mrs.SSR?..... nooooooooo...

INGREDIENTS :

Full Cream Milk : 11/2lt.
Rice Flour : 1/2medium tea cup
Semolina : 1tbsp
Refined Flour : 2tsp
Date Palm Jaggery : 150gm [broken into small pieces]
Sugar : 1tbsp
Salt : A pinch
Warm Water : As Required for a soft but firm dough

PROCEDURE :

Take the rice flour in a bowl.

Add a little of warm water first. Rub for a minute.

Now add the semolina and refined flour to it.

Add more of warm water little by little and form a soft & smooth dough.

Now, we will pour the entire amount of milk on a heavy bottomed vessel and put it for boil at the lowest heat.

Before we sit to prepare the rice flour-refined flour-semolina strips, we will break the date palm jaggery into smaller pieces.

Now, take a chair and sit... you need to show up your patience at this step.

Tear out very small portion from the dough!

Rub lightly in between your palms. Do not press hard.

Authentically, the strips are even more finer but I am not a perfectionist, quite impatient too! Mine worked pretty well in the boiling milk.

We did go and stir the boiling milk in the kitchen in between.

Cristine helped me equally at this step, else it would have taken more time.

Keep the strips on a plate dusted with flour.

When the milk reduces from 11/2 kg to about 800ml which may take some 20-25 minutes, add the rice flour-refined flour-semolina strips to the boiling milk.

At this stage and thereafter till the completion we will not move from the kitchen. We have increased the heat a bit and the bottom may burn due to any negligence.

After 2-3 minutes of adding the strips, we will stir the content gently and frequently.

When they look like above, they are soft and done. Add the sugar now and let boil for another minute.

Switch off the gas oven. Add the broken pieces patali gur / date palm jaggery. Gently stir, they will melt in minutes.

Never boil after adding the jaggery, the kheer may get curdled.

We should be done.

It is not necessary to add all of the jaggery if not required. You can store it back in the refrigerator.

I never use flavouring agents like cardamoms & rose water when there is date palm jaggery used in the dish!

Have it fresh and warm or stale... having it stale gives you the best taste!

It is a weekend and yours truly S usually shares a fish or meat curry for you! Then exceptions has to be there, it proves the rule. This winter special, authentic, Bengali lentil curry SHEEM MULO DHONEPATA DIYE MOONG DAL from my side of the family had to be shared before spring arrives in India. Last year, during this time I did a photo session with this dal, then for this and that reasons I could not share it. I was not happy with the pictures either, so deleted them. I keep doing this dal throughout the year as we get radish even in a local minimart and sheem / broad beans in the Indian / Bangladeshi stores throughout the year. Whether India get them all through the year is my concern. However, I got to see potol / pointed gourd in the Kolkata wet markets last month. The thing is that there people are not so keen on having fruits and vegetables that are not seasonal. I have seen radish & cauliflower been fed to a cow towards the end of February! Tell me why not? With the onset of spring, comes to the market "shojne phool & shojne data".... Drumstick Flowers & the Sticks.... people get busy cooking them .... drumsticks have high medicinal value. I have a long association with plant life! The little girl who played alone at the maternal grandfather's garden found fearful the caterpillars on the drumstick & "sheuli phool er gach".... I still do not know the reason as of why caterpillars crowd on a naturally grown drumstick and nyctanthes arbortristis [from wiki].... what I can say is that they both have high, medicinal properties. "Shorotkaaler Sheuli" has a permanent place in this romantic soul.... the blooms mark the beginning of Debipokkho! However lost I am, I keep cooking this or that in my den.... did some experiment with blueberries and dates yesterday .... shall come up with the recipe when my mood permits!

The CURRY AND SPICE Blog has some 627 food posts in it.... mostly heirloom Bengali / Indian .... I know I should do some kind of self promotion .... just waiting for the horrid, old pictures to be replaced by decent ones. The laid back me has stopped taking my food posts to different forums, people have stopped visiting my space in flocks! However, I still enjoy blogging for my own pleasure and for the few hundreds of my loyal readers. I know how difficult it is to put trust on someone not so famous.... just like I could not trust anyone but T while choosing a life partner.... that faith and trust got me an upgraded iPhone Xs Max yesterday night.... someone stood in a long queue at the StarHub centre after a long day at office.... I see myself at Hell for not being able to give my 100% of loyalty to this gentleman. You see I did not want it.... I am a worthless, sit at home... the earlier iPhone was not this expensive.... I just wanted a set that gets me good pictures. What will I do with an expensive set when my food preferences are such.... while the family had garlic bread with chicken curry yesterday, I had my brown rice with "til-kanchalanka-peyaz bata"....

No wonder, such a woman will proudly have SHEEM MULO DHONEPATA DIYE MOONG DAL on her blog.... people peep or not... I will not compromise on what this blog was / is meant for unless it is a special occasion for those from the other lands without whom CURRY AND SPICE would not have survived. This very authentic, family recipe with split, de husked yellow lentil, broad beans, radish, fresh coriander does not require any spice. Bengalis do not add a lot of spices in their lentil curries. The tempering matters however! This had been a much loved winter dal which I do throughout the year now. I remember, the paa-in-law told me once that this particular dal reminded him of his family veterans.... I treasure such remarks.... my mother did not allow me to get such appraisal from my paa.... When my little brother got very appreciative of my way of preparing a dal.... his mother got very upset.... This time I got to see that he became a mere pet of his mother.... who decides who he will talk to... who he should not... whether to smile at anyone or not... He comes back from office, hugs and makes joker like gestures to make her laugh.... I shout at it... "bhai stop all these... you have crossed 40 a year back idiot!" I so wished to get him out of that house, grow up and explore the world. Anyway, my side of the family have to have lentil curry everyday and here is one of the few varieties we usually do! Have it with steamed rice, chapati, even as a soup skipping the carb filled mains!

INGREDIENTS :

MOONG DAL / SKINLESS, SPLIT MOONG DAL : 1MEDIUM CUP
SHEEM / BROAD BEAN : 7-8
MULO / RADISH : 2SMALL SIZED OR 1/2 OF A BIG ONE
DHONEPATA / FRESH CORIANDER : 2TBSP CHOPPED & WASHED
GREEN CHILLI : 3-4 SLITTED
DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3 HALVED
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
BAY LEAF : 1
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1TSP [OPTIONAL]
OIL : 2TBSP [THIS FAMILY USES MUSTARD OIL ALWAYS]

PROCEDURE :

The first thing we will do is dry roast the dal until they turn golden brown.

Store in a bowl and let cool. Wash once cool.

Add it, 2 cups of water, a bit of salt & turmeric powder to a pressure cooker. Close tight the lead.

Pressure cook at the lowest heat up to 1 whistle if it is small sized 'shona moonger dal".... if the size is that of normal moong dal.... 2 whistles are required. If you are a perfectionist, you will boil in a vessel without touching the pressure cooker.

Meanwhile, we will discard the two ends of the broad beans and tear off the thread like on the inner side. Cut half and wash. Marinate with little salt and turmeric. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Discard the two ends of the radish. Cut half and peel off the skin. Cut each half into 4 pieces lengthwise and marinate with little salt & turmeric. Set aside for 5 minute.

Once cool, we can do the main cooking. Heat oil in a clean wok and add the marinated broad beans. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and take out.

Temper with cumin seeds, dry red chillies, a bay leaf! Add the marinated radish pieces and fry at low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add the boiled dal to the wok. Pour 1 coffee mugs of water to the pressure cooker and then add it to the wok.

Add the remaining turmeric powder and let boil at medium to low heat, covered.

After about 7 minutes, open the cover and add the broad beans. Adjust the salt and slitted green chillies. Add half of the coriander leaves to be used.

Let boil for 2-3 minutes uncovered. Add the sugar and the remaining chopped, fresh coriander.

Let boil for a minute and we are done.

Enjoy with steamed rice or ruti / chapati. Health watchers can consider it as a Bengali soup!

Chutney, a must have condiment for a maximum number of South Asian Homes used to be a family favourite once. The present scenario is such that the husband has stopped having it.... the son too.... One reason can be so that I see in him the tendency to follow his father's footsteps..... there can be another angle too.... during his childhood, his mumma fed him chutney, a South Asian condiment every other day so that the feeding time can be lessened to an hour at least from 2 hours per meal. He might have got bored. The brother who is very fond of his T dada and picked up all of my husband's bad habits like smoking, not following any routine specially over the weekends also have stopped having chutney.... The elderly gentleman not among us anymore needed a chutney or achar everyday with his lunch & dinner platter. His wife and daughter too loves, cannot have it regularly given their health conditions. I know that in the other half of the family... the sis-in-law & her husband, my in-laws like it too. Who else is left? My favourite girl B who never asks anything from me.... I do not think she is interested in anything besides noodles, egg & meat curries, "maacher tok", chana masala and those unhealthy roadside snacks. Her mother-in-law says that she loves my way of cooking... haha... At least for this statement, I can blog on a sweet & spicy, a very authentic Bengali condiment that had been a regular in the mother's kitchen.... KAJU KISHMISH KHEJUR ER CHUTNEY! One ingredient is missing here, that is aam shotto / aam papad! You all know I cook with what is readily available in my kitchen.... Moreover, after a few years of stay in this island, we prefer lesser amount of sweet on our desserts & condiments.

There are back to back two celebrations in the family housed in Kolkata soon .... they know that didibhai / S di will treat them virtually in the right time with their favourites. Bhai loves his didibhai and will not mind her sharing her personal favourite today. You see I am not particular about any routine either. We ventured out last Saturday with some friends to let our hair down over few drinks. We munched on deep fries and that yummy Thai salad too! I did not run to the gym on the next morning either. I take life easy, try to stay truthful without trying to impress anyone in the process. I just felt that if I cut carrots & radish into thin strips, I can incorporate them in my salad... getting to use that cutter soon! This definitely is not to stay in anyone's good book.... just that a big portion of grilled meat with a bowl of salad on my lunches may help my sugar level to go down.... that is the main concern right now... I wish to live more and take up big fights with the daughter-in-law over the ownership of my son... haha!

The Thai raw papaya salad was too good, so was the Bloody Mary! We sat in two venues... I had a Margarita, a Bloody Mary and a shot that evening... yet I did not get the right kick however. If I am drinking, I do not want my senses ruling over me for that particular night! You should not allow alcohol to rule over you either... that kills. Anyway, a sweet chutney everyday also kills... If you are a diabetic, have this KAJU KISHMISH KHEJUR ER CHUTNEY once a month, rest once a week "banta hai rey".... We are using sugar, dates, raisins, cashew nuts and a homemade spice mixture for this dish!

INGREDIENTS : FOR THE HOMEMADE SPICE MIXTURE

DRY RED CHILLI : 3-4
NIGELLA SEED : 1/2TSP
FENNEL SEED : 1/2TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1TSP
WILD CELERY SEED : 1/4TSP
FENUGREEK SEED : 1/4TSP
BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 1/2TSP

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHUTNEY / SOUTH ASIAN CONDIMENT

THE SPICE MIXTURE
CASHEW NUT : 8-10
DATE : 10-12 [DE SEEDED, HALVED]
RAISIN : 12-13
LEMON JUICE : 3-4TBSP
SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP OR A LITTLE MORE AS PER YOUR PREFERENCE

PROCEDURE :

Dry roast all the spices mentioned & required for the homemade spice mixture. Do it at low heat for a minute or two stirring constantly. Let cool but dry grind when it is still warm. Keep aside.

Take the sugar and a small tea cup of water on a wok. Bring to boil keeping it at low heat.

Meanwhile, de seed & tear the dates, wash them. Wash the raisins thoroughly and halve the cashew nuts.

Do one thing, microwave the cashew nuts for 30 seconds at high heat, stir and repeat for another 30 seconds.

As the sugar syrup gets nearer to the one string consistency, add the roasted cashew nuts, dates & raisins. Stir and let cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir a bit to avoid burning at the bottom.

Add the lemon juice and gently stir. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Garnish with the homemade spice mixture, stir & mix just before having it. Can be stored week long!

Where should I start from? 1977, January 23rd... RG Kar Medical College, Kolkata! ... As the dusk had set in, there was a little bundle of joy on my lap... Early morning, I was crying not being able to see my mother anywhere, that is when thy neighbours told me that she was in the hospital. Every year I write this on this day perhaps. In those days, our neighbours were like an extended family! Yes, we did sit together and peeled oranges with our backs soaking up the sun. Any middle class Bengali will speak the same... unless you are a show off like few of my school classmates... who raved about Liz Taylor but did not watch Suchitra Sen's "Hospital" or that epitome of grace Arundhati Devi's "Bicharak" or found reading Bibhutibhushan a waste of time! However, I also count "2 plus 2 ijikaltu chikch" but I had to watch Bicharak quite a few times to understand it! "May be science & reasoning got you to be friends.... else you would have been my friend... girl... haha!" Where was I? Ok, be it a brother or a sister... a sibling brings out the best in you.... both are prized possessions, the reason why I find it unnecessary to showcase our son or the brother or even the husband in public every now and then. Off course, I like to stay put with those people who have the same layers of emotions & experience working when life of a Bengali middle-class of the 80's-90's comes. "roddurey pith diye charaponar jhol diye bhaat athaba shiter bhorey haritey korey khejurer roshwalar haak diye jaoar amejta amrai tuley dhorbo apnader kachey".... There will be people like my brother who have experienced all of these but has no interest in preserving or living through a culture... some speak such an abbreviated English language which I find too annoying.... English is after all the Queen's language! Anyway, I stay put with the Bengali Cultural Bigwigs just to get the essence of my own land.... an Anindya Chaterjee's "choshma" too has caught my fancy... not surprising for a woman who forgets to eat in time while reading Ganguly's "Pratham Alo" or "Shei Shomoy"... Just that I have started speaking about all these years later, it may sound imitative to many readers. On my short stays at Kolkata, I do not get to savour 1/10th of it... like having "shorbot at Kapila Ashram" or walking through the alleys of Burrabazaar to have a masala tea from those giant brass kettles. I do not even get into "Ananda" or "Dey's".... these were our heaven. Ananda, at Jhamapukur Lane is just another 4-5 minutes of walk from the Indian Coffee House towards the University Institute Hall may be... I know that if I am at Ananda, I will be spoilt for choice and have to leave a full suitcase of them at the airport! You know crossing the airport is necessary, else you may not get to have appe... A true heart Bengali in Kolkata hardly will care for the health benefits of having an appe pan.

Yesterday, I visited the veteran Hindi teacher Chitra Gupta Maam who treated me with semolina appe and masala tea .... its for her that our son could get through that horrifying subject in his 10th boards! .... the Southern Indians and a majority of Bengalis are terrible in Hindi, so I prepared a dalia-yogurt appe this morning ... haha! I was waiting to get something for her from Kolkata... "guru dakshina".... is important. However, Bengal has to rule today with BHAAT ER BHAPE MOSHOLA ILISH.

This day can be called a Family Day... the brother has his birthday and the husband's sister has their marriage anniversary. I will call both of them after I am done with the post. Their big brother T hardly believes in any ritual... regular calls being one! He thinks S will manage this part well. Why such a weird name BHAAT ER BHAPE MOSHOLA ILISH and not Ilish Polao or Ilish Biryani? I went through a couple of similar posts, yet could not accept using ghee, cashews & raisins in ilish / hilsa fish. I have to first taste it in other homes to know if my tongue survives it or not.... off course a piece of ilish maach is that precious. I went through a couple of hilsa polao or biryani recipes for months until I decided to get it simpler for myself and my readers. I did it in dum method but that is not what should be called a biryani or polao. I incorporated everything associated with West Bengal's notion of hilsa and the usual spices used! Very few ingredients had been used to cook this dish... few pieces of ilish which should not be too stale, dry red chillies, green chillies, cumin-coriander-red chilli powders, turmeric, kalonji, ginger paste and salt too ... haha! The fresh corianders and the raita are unusual additions to an hilsa but they have added a new dimension to the fish & rice dish... the coriander leaves made it yet more flavour burst, while I found it incomplete without spoonfuls of Raita.

INGREDIENTS :

Hilsa / Ilish : 5-6 pieces
Basmati Rice : 1coffee mug
Ginger Paste : 2tbsp
Cumin Powder : 2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp + 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp + 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Chopped Fresh Coriander : 1small tea cup
Slitted Green Chilli : 4-5
Dry Red Chilli : 3-4
Nigella Seed : 1/2tsp
Lemon Juice : 2tbsp
Refined Flour : 2tbsp
Oil : 5-6tbsp[I used Mustard]

PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the rice first. Do it in a vessel as most of the Indian homes do. Boil it adding some salt to it until when 60% is done. Strain through a colander and let all of the water drain.

Prepare a spice paste adding the cumin & coriander powders, 1tsp each of the turmeric & red chilli powders, salt as required. Add little water for a smooth paste. However, freshly made spice paste will give a better flavour, I am a lazy cook but.

Marinate the fish pieces with the refined flour, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp each of turmeric & red chilli powders, salt! Keep aside for 1/2 an hour.

Wash an keep the fresh corianders ready to be used.

Heat oil in a vessel or wide wok. Fry the fish pieces lightly, take out on a plate and reserve.

Temper the remaining oil with the nigella seeds / kalonji and the dry red chillies. Stir at low heat for 1/2 a minute.

Add the spice paste and stir at low heat for 2 minutes until the spice paste separates from the oil.

Take out and reserve on a bowl.

Add some rice in the same wok, add 1tsp of the cooked spice mixture and lightly mix. Place few pieces of the lightly fried fish atop and add a little of the cooked spice mixture, fresh coriander, slitted green chillies on them.

Repeat the steps again... atop should be a layer of rice, the remaining spice mixture, fresh coriander.

Cover cook at low heat for 10-15 minutes. Just check in between.

The end product will be a fish lover's delight.

Prepare a big bowl of Raita which will go very well with it. Always have it fresh & hot.

This is the kind of food I can never stop loving. My kitchen cannot transfer onto a soup & salad counter totally. Do not tell me that I can give these big talks as I am a sit at home worthless. My friend Paramita Ghosal teaches IG level English at an Indian International School and cooks Kochur Shaak to Echor er Dalna after a hard day at school. These days, private school teachers' work life no more remain easy as it had been earlier. Our kids are benefitted that is true but I find it absolutely unnecessary to over burden the Teachers with excessive paper work. Unlike Paramita, I am not too rigid about accepting different kinds. I am a good friend of a health enthusiast Ipsita too who makes awesome Asian salads. On her advice, I got that special cutter used in Thai salads.... enjoying my greens with raw radish & carrot cut in strips! I came across a you tube video recently on Kabuli Lamb Pulao that uses strips of carrot in it similar to Oshi Pulao.... waiting to prepare it sooner... happy to find a way to feed my men some carrot... haha! This home is not divided over food preferences in that extreme sense.... if the men eat broccoli hidden in layers of pasta & cheese, I would par boil the broccoli, fry some cubed potatoes and cook them in a "jomati shorshe-kancha lanka-narkol bata" and serve with "fulko ruti" or steamed rice. If you provoke me too much, "shutki diye broccoli redhe blog e jhuliye debo".... As I always say that I am not a rigid persona, so I will go up with something today that is Bengali in essence and can be enjoyed by a majority in the world... KHOYA NARKOL ER PUR BHORA GUR ER PATISHAPTA.

It is a Friday again, people in India are still basking in the winter sun .... West Bengal is having breakfast with "pithepuli".... so I wished to share a sweetmeat today that many of you may wish to try in your kitchen. I did them yesterday morning, not much time is required in the preparation because we are using instantly made khoya / semi solid milk & desiccated coconut as the stuffing! The son had set out for his school's Annual Day event around 1pm yesterday, the daddy is due home today, there was no elaborate lunch preparations yesterday as such.... mumma went out for a walk and had her lunch outside. What? Chicken and green vegetables without rice. The problem is that she ends up eating "pithe puli, bhaat" by night! Cristine cooked our dinner yesterday... "dimer jhol, mushur dal sheddo, ucche kumro bhaja for us & aloo sheddo for the son"... I need some rice with them! In the evening, Mumma went to watch the concert... Ipsita found it easier to drive her own car instead of guiding me every minute... S turn right and then left... now head straight! Well, Soumya too drove half way... each time he is on the driver's seat, I doubt if I can get to have my next meal or not! That pain of guiding me to drive will only be taken by the husband .... so a KHOYA NARKOL ER PUR BHORA GUR ER PATISHAPTA should await his arrival.

I am a Bollywood fan, I really did not get what that "Light Music" was, neither could see the son dancing in that dark. That is where the husband scolds .... S, you had been there to watch many a kids' performance... stop aiming your son alone and click. I too get irritated when he does not reach in time in any of the school's cultural events. We bond over "pithe-puli" though! Hence, prepared these egg free, Bengali pancakes using semolina, rice flour, refined flour, instantly made khoya kheer, desiccated coconut, sugar, date-palm jaggery! Let us do it!

INGREDIENTS [FOR THE INSTANTLY MADE SEMI SOLID MILK]

POWDERED MILK : 1COFFEE MUG
WHOLE MILK : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 2TBSP

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BENGALI PANCAKE]

PATALI GUR / DATE PALM JAGGERY : 100-150GM [GRATED]
SEMOLINA : 2 MEDIUM SIZED TEA CUP
RICE FLOUR : 11/2 SMALL TEA CUP
REFINED FLOUR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
WATER OR MILK : AS REQUIRED FOR A SEMI THICK BATTER

INGREDIENTS [FOR THE FINISHED PATISHAPTA]

THE SEMI SOLID MILK
THE PANCAKE BATTER
DESICCATED COCONUT : 1/3 OF A SMALL TEA CUP
SUGAR : 2TBSP [ADJUST AS PER PREFERENCE]
OIL : 3-4 DROPS + 2 DROPS FOR EVERY 4-5 PANCAKES WE DO!

PROCEDURE :

For the instantly made khoya / semi solid milk, take the powdered milk, whole milk and the ghee / clarified butter in a bigger than the content bowl. Mix well.

Microwave at high for a minute. Give a stir and microwave for another minute. Stir again and microwave for another 30 seconds.

Take out and let cool.

Once cool, add the desiccated coconut & sugar to the bowl and mix well.

While the khoya kheer was cooling, we soaked the semolina in water. Alternatively, you can use milk too. Let it rest for 40-45 minutes.

Now add the refined flour and rice flour, 3-4 drops of oil to the batter. Keep adding water or milk little by little if required. Mix well.

Add the patali gur / jaggery that we have already grated.

Keep mixing until we get a smooth, semi thick batter devoid of lumps.

We are ready for the final step lah!

For my convenience and to remain free of discrimination, I divide the khoya kheer & desiccated coconut filling in equal portions, haha!

Once the pan is hot, add 2 drops of oil to it and spread well. Wipe lightly with a clean cloth. We will do this after 4-5 patishapta being done.

Pour a big spoon of batter and spread immediately with the back it.

Let it cook for 1/2 a minute at the lowest heat.

Now place a portion of the stuffing just in the middle.

Fold in from both the sides and take out.

Have it warm with cups of black tea or coffee, a majority of Bengali would love to have it stale the next day!

Those who are with me in Instagram already know what I cooked last Saturday.... I enjoy sharing my stories there although only some of my trusted friends are there with me besides few new, unknown! "yeh 'intu' aur 'pintu' bahut trouble deke rakkha hai".... However, I am not bothered, no point... I enjoy sharing stories of my life... a major part of what concerns food! There are two aspects of this kind of an attitude. A laid back character cannot excel.... only fighters with self pride reaches somewhere... for that they might have to spend sleepless nights or chain smoke perfecting things. The rest are the mediocre us who day dream, dilly-dally with life, fear or refuse to take part in any race and someday meet the end of their life in silence. I will never recommend my kind of a life to anyone but will say that we are one of a kind.... If you are an extreme case of a loner like me... you will be happy in your own company without the need to please every other person you do not require to. Yet, to get what we wish for, we must do something to nourish that what will yield for us! Look at my orchids! They got less productive last year and I was sad! That is when a gentleman in a nursery suggested me a spray specially meant for orchids... see they seem to reach heights now.... that makes me happy! If I want them to make me happy, I have to do something for them.

I really wish to plant few more variety of orchids, space is a problem. Can you see the ground floor flat on the other side? They come with bigger balconies in this island... I wish to rent one but the husband never will. We disagree in almost all matters. Among the very few things we agree upon... is our likeness for Netherlands. We wished to relocate there in a picturesque suburbs.... the husband frequented there as a bachelor on his trips.... Yesterday afternoon, we hammered a nail to that wish too. The rest of the story do I wish to share in Instagram sometime soon.... how much of a sick I got yesterday and why we agreed upon the fact that I need a Cristine 24/7 at this juncture of life, that he will not pay nearly two lac rupees of stamp duty to buy a flat here, that he will keep smoking knowing that I have a problem with it since childhood & I am concerned about his health, that I will keep enacting drama which he hates, that finally he has to get me a flat with a terrace garden in a condominium in the close vicinity of CC2 and Baguiati.... ahh! thats how this home works! Just when I am planning to prepare some "mushurir dal er bori".... I get jealous of the sprawling bungalows of the "bahargaon walas".... I keep wondering how they manage homes... cleaning part mainly.... when do they clean home, garden and then party every weekend! My good friend Sarnali has to say something about it.... S, every weekend there is a get together.... there has to be a minimum of fifteen dishes which the host family start cooking from Tuesday! I burst in to laughter, "dosh mile dur theke borof kete ashbey shob, korte to hobey... borofe energy barey naki rey? Tui ki ooi bhoyei paliye eli?".... Sarnali is a very nice girl... quiet, loves to read, does not like too much of talking, not a party animal somewhat similar to me... so please do not take it personally whoever is reading it.... each one of us are different...These days, I take invitations from homes where I can take few shots of drinks and go to sleep until the husband carries me back home. Yesterday noon, I drove 6-7 km and collapsed. This happens if you get almost everything at the opposite side of the road.... After buying his "shokher gari".... the husband is not leaving it to my hands at night time.... My reaction is like "ken aro shokher gari, bari nei ghar nei nijer... utko shokh joto".... However, I never get tired cooking what they love.... a CHICKEN IN SPICY PRAWN PASTE in this case!

My health condition and the diminishing energy level is what bothers me. May be energy is something I never had in me.... as the mother says that I had always been a lazy brat. The benefits of having a Cristine is this, with the leftover patishapta batter, she made those beautiful crepes.... did I train her well or not?

I may not be happy with the size of my rented space, the cracked lines on the kitchen tiles but you will see me preparing "bori, achar, pithe-puli" in that given space! Its all about passion.... what you love doing! Another ten to twelve years of wait gets me a custom made kitchen by 'Veneta Cucine' but I prefer my home to be done by Nirmal Halder kinds who would listen to my instructions.... that 'Hathkargha' home of Dehradun fascinates me.... Handicrafts is something I love way too much! Here too the husband has to disagree saying 'S hand crafted items are hard to maintain... that too in your retired life.' Since, he has told that I can enjoy drinks prepared by one of my trusted boyfriend Sanjoy K Mondal sooner, he will safely drive me back home.... I served my boys' favourite chicken ... this time it is CHICKEN IN SPICY PRAWN PASTE with "atte-suji wale poori".... It will be called favouritism if I do not say that I simply love Sanjoy's wife Suparna's home decor ideas and the lively greens she grows. They might have gone nearer to the border to rent a 2000sq.ft. space, but every inch of that has her tasteful touch! I am just scared of her temperament as much as her two giant sized kids.... she will not think twice to show you the door if you call them pets! Their Duggu however is my champ ever since we met some eight years ago. So, I am busy this week planning what to take to their home, what to prepare for those visiting me! I talk so less of food here nah? I do not have much knowledge of it you know.... the weather is pretty fine... I was thinking of going out .... then I remember that I have to colour the shining silvers and call Ipsita to settle on the movie we will be going for tonight! What is the son doing I do not know... I see him going for volunteering works which is part of their IB Curricula, I growl at his choice to learn Fencing of all things.... I was in Kolkata when the men decided on it never bothering to ask me. Since the husband told not to interfere in his son's life... I call good friend Piali whenever in utter distress and say... "can you ask Tinni what actually is going on in school?".... There is a Parent Portal whose password I manage to forget each time I am furnished with... The son complains to his favourite Chitra Maam and Pavan Sir that his mother is always on the net.... What else can she do if one does not share with her anything? My mother perhaps knows the names of all of my brother's colleagues! Coming to the non vegetarian side dish with chicken, the idea popped in all of a sudden. I do taste different kinds of sambals but too unwilling to buy the readymade pastes or to prepare an authentic one at home. So went ahead with very few fresh prawns, dry red chilli, ginger, garlic and few more! As the family say, it was tasty... I had the poori with 'Priya's' very sour, South Indian Style whole, too young mango pickle... I may have a small piece of chicken tonight with brown rice. Yesterday, I felt like it is my last day on earth until I had a good sleep in the afternoon and went for swimming around 8pm! We should be thankful for each day of our stay here and at times a mere mortal seems like God... in my case it is the Swimming Coach Joe!

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 1kg [medium cut]
Fresh Prawn : 3-4 medium sized
Red Chilli : 6-8 [choose as per your preference]
Garlic Clove : 6-7 [de skin and wash]
Ginger : 2-3 inch 3-4 pieces [de skin, wash and cut small]
Onion : 2medium [de skin, discard ends, wash & slice]
Vinegar : 2-3tbsp +2tbsp
Tamarind Juice : 3-4tbsp
Mint Leaf : 12-15 or a handful
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp + 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 4-5tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and marinate with 2tbsp vinegar, turmeric & salt. Keep aside for 45 minutes.

Soak the washed dry red chillies and deveined, cleaned and washed prawns in 2-3tbsp vinegar mixed with water solution. [what kind of English is this? poor]... I cook well but... have some trust.

After a pretty 1/2 an hour, microwave it at high for 4-5 minutes.

Discard the shell of the boiled prawns. Take the chillies, prawns, boiled water, ginger pieces and the garlic cloves in a blender and blend them to a smooth paste.

With readymade tamarind packets available in the market, making a tamarind juice is not a problem.

Heat oil in a wok and add the sliced onion.

Once they are fried to golden brown, we will add the spicy prawn paste.

Then I forgot to click the next steps. Ok, keep stirring for 2-3 minutes. This magic wok requires less oil.

Add the chicken pieces, stir at high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the marinade and cover cook at low heat for 15 minutes checking in between.

Open cover and add the washed mint leaves leaving some for garnish. Let cook for 5 minutes covered at low heat.

Add a coffee mug of water and let cook for 5 minutes at low heat. Open cover and add the tamarind water.

Let cook at low heat for another 3-4 minutes. We should be done.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with steamed rice or roti, a dal which was "motor dal er tok" in our case and a vegetarian dish like this ridge gourd and potato with roasted white sesame seed paste [tilbata diye jhinge aloo]

"Shing na thekeo jodi naam shingho hotey parey tobey chana chara mishti keno sandesh hotey parey na?".... This is my kind of reasoning with the self.... "ami oto reason er dhar dhari na".... As you know I am not the kind who understands the basics of science, a reasonable person is not what I am.... so a fudge without paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese or kheer earns the name sandesh at this home. I could have named it a fudge, instead wished naming it TOFU JAGGERY SANDESH. What I "wish" is very important to me. We get it or not, it is very important to stay true to what we want in life. Like yesterday evening I was longing to taste dried fish and I did cook it until 9:30 pm and then had our dinner around 10 pm which is normal at this home.

What was surprising was the husband's face being seen at an "unearthly hour" ... @7:30 pm... which is unbelievable on a weekday. I was out to the mall opposite our home... buying some gifts, then ended up buying for myself. I never had the necessity to hide from the husband what I buy, so seeing him as I entered through the main door was not a shocker! Some of my friends do, some even used to hid their sarees in my wardrobe for a prolonged period. Ask me why? They are not in control when they shop.... I take pride in saying that I never lose control.... I so loved few high end sarees this time in India, was carrying my card too but I know how and when to keep a check. This is not a big deal for me who learnt to put shackles on her feet at a tender age of fifteen or sixteen .... I do not step in to preoccupied lands that give me the feel of dejection! Either I own what I want or keep a considerable distance, I hate to be anyone's subject of mercy .... that gets the wild out of me! I laugh at all kinds of "lectures" we give to each other.... In reality, we never can let go of the hurt , the bruises do not go totally .... The wish for sole ownership of what we love is natural and evil at the same time. I have the courage to exhibit the evil in me, majority do not. What I did or do is, I never get the evil in me get out of control, neither will ever make peace with those who encroached in the way of my life with nasty intentions.... For the rest of you, I have no issues! Till date life has been good, I do not know what tomorrow brings in.... so will never show the audacity of cursing others. Let us put the bitterness at bay and get some sweet for the majority around.... who happens to be well wishers!

Do you know that I love the Tom & Jerry Show and today is the birthday of my real life Jerry? This Jerry hates sweets and I had to go ahead with a vegetarian, sweet share TOFU JAGGERY SANDESH today, haha. Well, a picture of "maacher jhol, hansher dim er jhol, peyazkoli bhaja" went as a birthday wish in a private message. It was dear friend Swati's and may be others' marriage anniversary yesterday, dear Vijay Dinanath's elder daughter's birthday too .... We have a friend at every juncture and ocassions can be any.... why has it to be a personal celebration to be special?.... Yesterday Nishi Pulugurtha & Team's pictures on Dum Dum Rotary's Charitable work for the not so fortunate was what seemed like a celebration to my eyes! Not all celebrations are an eye sore to me... haha! I am villainous that is true but I keep my intents open & clear always... I am a harmless being who does not wish to be involved in anything that causes her suffocation & yes, a feel of insult, failure! Rest, I always pray "Ishwar shokoler mangal koruk".... About the food share today, it all started with a packet of Tau Kwa I got home day before yesterday to add to my salads. Tofu is an acquired taste for us, we can have it after a good marination, batter fried with a garnish of different sauces. I strongly felt that I cannot have so much just like that only with a seasoning. So I went ahead with preparing a vegetarian sweet adding a good amount of powdered milk to it, while the jaggery powder was used as a sweetener. There was a bit of ghee and some dry fruits as garnish... green cardamom to flavour! I have seen earlier that a few of my known, esteemed bloggers using tofu to prepare a fudge! Question is that did the Tau Kwa remain a Tau Kwa at all? I did not want it to be so either!

INGREDIENTS :

TOFU [not silken] : 250-300gm
MILK POWDER : 5tbsp + 3tbsp
POWDERED SUGAR : 2 tbsp
JAGGERY POWDER : 1/3 tbsp [I use a chemical free variety]
GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 11/2tsp [freshly made]
GHEE : 2tbsp
CHOPPED WALNUT & PISTACHIO TO GARNISH!

PROCEDURE :

The TAU KWA packet!

Cut the packet and place the amount on a plate.

Break it until it gets a crumble like texture! I saved one block for a salad, I may turn it onto a gulab jamun... ease your heart from all that heaviness, emptiness and fill it with love.

Put the crumbled tau kwa in a blender and blend it to a paste.

Pour it on a plate and add 5 tbsp of powdered milk, powdered sugar.

Mash the entire amount well. Heat ghee on a wok.

Add the mashed content to it.

We have the jaggery ready on the kitchen counter, just measure and add.

Mix very well and continuously stir for 3-4 minutes. Now add the remaining of the powdered milk.

Fold in well and keep stirring for 3-4 minutes. Add the freshly made green cardamom powder now and fold in well.

Mix well, stir for a minute and transfer to a plate.

While it is cooling, take some walnuts & pistachios in a bowl... either chop them or roughly grind in a mortar and pestle.

Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes while it is still warm!

Tear off small portions and shape as you wish.

Garnish with chopped dry fruits & nuts!

If this is not a bliss, what is? This applies only to shutki maach / dried fish lovers. Only they will understand how a bliss called "hudki" enters our body and gets spread all over it and take over our sensory organs... yes, the heat has to come out of the ears nah? 'Arey yaar itna to hai yaad... body ke andar pachtho hai woh wala organ... kuch to hai thori bahut bheje mein".... Beyond several layers of silly emotions, there is very little something.... I got / get to see a lot of thing... one of the few famous Bongs around plays a favourite Hindi song on a special occasion... their biggest confidant shares hi fi sci fi something in another forum to show solidarity with science & "app-tap".... "pata hai mujhey Gabbar, bahut yarana hai"..... and I am that lunatic, nut head running here & there urging people... "koi apna banaya hai yaar, page like kar do... humko to samajh mein nehi aati hain yeh sab"..... No one asked me to, I felt like...... but this "special child" of my parents has a strong digestive system... she takes everything with a pinch of salt & black pepper. Of late, she has decided that she will respond to only those things that satisfies her ego! As I always say that my life is an open book, whether people read it, get hold of my weaknesses and use it to sharpen their knives to stab me or not I do not care... I will not live life in a cage.... pleasing every other person. "Apne andar jo aag hai bujhane ke liye yaar LOITTA SHUTKIR TARKARI chahiye"... haha! Excuse my nuisance, but this is my space where I will take the liberty and I can see well that the wild in me is not letting me go ahead with a two minutes microwave cake done in two beautifully decorated cups with love hearts embossed in them. As I head towards senility, I am finding it hard to reconcile with anything that I am not willing to. Last year, when I blogged on a dried fish dish, I made it a combo with dal palak... my concern was traffic then.... Overcoming that fear with an "I do not care"attitude ... I feel extremely liberated! In a way I should be thankful to certain social forums' rules.... just do not understand why their rules apply to poor food bloggers like us and not on the soft porn kinds that do a free run in front of our noses.

LOITTA SHUTKIR TARKARI, a non vegetarian side dish with dried Bombay Duck fish is not something that my 'shutki' loving men or my Valentine Sanak Chottopadhay love. They prefer a "shutkir bharta".... I do parcel "shutki maach" at homes where it is not cooked... Ipsita sends me often. I sent her this one too, yet to get a feedback.... Actually, we are still under the magical spell of Nawazuddin Sidiqqui who can alone carry forward a movie on his shoulder without allowing us to blink for a while.... neither he or the character he played would eat / ate dried Bombay Duck.... "Mumbai stason ma humko utarne nehi denge"..... as I said... this 'today', I dedicate to me.... henceforth I will do it often.... I do not get thousands of blog visit or hundreds of likes on a post that I have to sacrifice something to taste "success"..... that is somewhat similar in taste to black pepper crab or mutton pasinda or ilisher tel jhol!

This dish with dried Bombay Duck fish and few vegetables like eggplant, radish, broad beans is authentic of my side of the family. Most of us love it except the brother's wife who does not touch dried fish, neither does my paa-in-law. I try not to include veterans on my social media lists... I do not serve him shutki or seafood either, so he should be ok. So far B is concerned, she needs to know more of my vices and the extreme case of an egoist that I am! We also use long beans in this dish, I just forgot to get it from the market. I wished to have it that particular night for dinner.... hence....

INGREDIENTS :

DRIED BOMBAY DUCK FISH : 5-6
SMALL SIZED EGGPLANT : 5-6 [CUBED]
BROAD BEAN : 8-10 [CUT EACH INTO 3 PIECES]
MEDIUM SIZED RADISH : 3-4 [ PEELED, HALVED, CUT LENGTHWISE]
CRUSHED GARLIC : 1 SMALL TEA CUP [ OF 15-16 CLOVES]
SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 4-5
SLICED ONION : 1COFFEE MUG [OF 3-4 MEDIUM SIZED]
DRY RED CHILLI POWDER : 2TBSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 11/2TSP + 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 6 TBSP [WE USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Discard the head and tail rear of the dried Bombay Duck / loitta shutki. Cut lengthwise, each into 3-4 pieces. Wash thoroughly several times.

Now soak in hot water for an hour.

Peel, wash and crush the garlic cloves.

Wash the cut vegetables, the radish pieces taken in a separate bowl.

Rub 11/2 tsp turmeric & salt in all of the cut vegetables and keep aside for 15 minutes.

We have sliced the onion, slitted the green chillies. They are washed and kept ready to be used.

Heat oil in a wok. Add the crushed garlic and stir cook for 11/2 to 2 minutes.

Add the sliced onion now and stir until they turn light brown. Add the green chillies and give a stir.

Now, we will add the dried fish pieces and red chilli powder. Stir well and cover cook for 10-12 minutes adding very little water at a time. Slow cook at lowest heat.

Open cover, add the marinated radish pieces.... fold in well and cover cook at lowest heat for 7-8 minutes.

Open cover, add the rest of the vegetables along with the marinade. Fold in well and cover cook at lowest heat for 13-15 minutes. We require no water as the vegetables will release a lot of water. The cooking has to be very slow.

We are to enjoy it with piping hot steamed rice.... you can have the "dal & aloobhaja" alongside, I do not require anything else but "ek tukro peyaz o kanchalanka"....

PEA SHOOTS GREEN MOONG DAL & COCONUT PEANUT RICE

MAACHER ALOO PEYAZ CHOCCHORI

BITTER GOURD CHIPS

SPICY CHICKEN RICE & GREEN MASALA PANEER

LAU CHINGRI

CHALKUMROR PUR BHAJA [BATTER FRIED STUFFED WINTER MELON]

NAAN ..... SIMPLIFIED O BEGUN DHONEPATA BATA

ROSHOGOLLA [COTTAGE CHEESE BALLS IN SUGAR SYRUP]

MICROWAVE BEETROOT DHOKLA

PALONG DHONEPATA MURGI [CHICKEN WITH SPINACH & CORIANDER]

MUSHROOM CORN CURRY PATAR PAKORA

CHAKA TELE POROTA O CREAMY SHORSHE SHAAK

PATALI GUR DIYA CHOSHIR PAYESH

SHEEM MULO DHONEPATA DIYE MOONG DAL

KAJU KISHMISH KHEJUR ER CHUTNEY

BHAAT ER BHAPE MOSHOLA ILISH

KHOYA NARKOL ER PUR BHORA GUR ER PATISHAPTA

CHICKEN IN SPICY PRAWN PASTE

TOFU JAGGERY SANDESH

LOITTA SHUTKIR TARKARI