GREEN PEA FRIED RICE

Since morning, there's noise at home, I cannot multitask, neither can deliver amidst noise. Home is settled, clean, I may start writing blogpost. I need to concentrate but this is eve of long weekend; in between I am marinating this and that to freeze. This home gives immense importance to starters, appetisers. Whose doorstep you are at? Of a food blogger! From appetisers to main course to dessert, I must carefully curate! Whilst man of this House takes good care of what is to be served with appetisers. He doesn't even know whats cooked until its served on plate along with guests! I like it no one interferes in my kitchen, what groceries I do, how I plan menu! Our father never did! 

I am taking it easy today, going slow unintentionally, some days, even if I try to wrap up quick, I am unable to! I don't force myself, act as per my capability, wish! Had a pretty late brunch, then the bliss below almost at 4pm!

South-Asian food habit isn't healthy, we eat carbs & fat! I had been a good teacher to Cristine, how beautifully she made porota, thin, low-oil! If we have interest in subject, learning is fun! Learning to enjoy life is another lesson! Not everyday would be same, there would be challenges, low feelings, let them come, let yourself be! We have to take a vow not to harm others!

Where is room for sorrow if we get to see all these? I must check with Selleys store if we get a "loga" to get those mangoes, guava, drumstick flowers! But how lame it would be to carry it on my walks, then I have fear of been caught by police!

I wish to blog about family recipes, "desi khana" but something stops me, I take upon myself certain kind of responsibility of getting vegan, gluten-free food, also bother what this island would prefer, if the west can have it! Does this world bothers about me as I do? I don't think it does! 

I have stopped thinking too much about myself, less we expect, more happy we are! As long we have a space we may call home, food on table, we need be thankful to the Universe! 

To eat for free isn't good practice I know but I have spent together barely 18 years of life with son, I cherished each moment, live with memories of those days, son wouldn't leave me for a while, "mamma chai"! Ask a mariner's wife about their responsibilities of bringing up kids. Nanny is good, mothers better! He loves mamma made food, I wished him to live with us until he starts to live with his lady love. That has become a distant dream, I find peace in creating recipes, going here, there. Life wouldn't run as per our instructions, we have to make it workable, I love my life, that love reflects on my recipes! 

I don't have much of contribution in cooking this rice, we call it Bengal Caterer's Peas Fried Rice! India, may be entire South Asia cooks same way. It seems bland to me! Our families would add sugar in pulao & fried rices, I went my family way more or less, lets name it GREEN PEA FRIED RICE! It is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, light vegetarian fried-rice recipe you may pair with choice of sides or have with batter-fries! I think the west, this island would prefer it without sugar! My Family made peas fried rice rarely as compared to other varieties!

INGREDIENTS : 

LONG GRAINED OR FRAGRANT BASMATI RICE : 1 COFFEE MUG

CASHEW  NUT : 8-10 [HALVED]

GREEN PEAS : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP 

CLOVE : 4-5

GREEN CARDAMOM : 4-5

CINNAMON STICK : 3-4 ONE INCH SIZED

MACE : 2-3 [FAMILY DOESN'T USE]

BAY LEAF : 2-3

SUGAR : 1 & 1/2 TBSP [YOU MAY SKIP]

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP [FAMILY USES CLARIFIED BUTTER / GHEE]

I used a bit of red chillies from chilli-vinegar

PROCEDURE :

Wash, cook rice in enough water, drain once done 80%!

I boil green peas to retain colour.

Heat oil in wok, add boiled peas, halved cashew nuts when its warm, not hot!

Take out when cashew nuts turn golden brown. Add bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, mace, green cardamoms, cloves, washed, chopped green chillies. Stir for 1/2 a minute.

Add rice, fold in well carefully, rice grains need not break!

Season with salt, sugar, chillies from vinegar [optional], Add green peas, cashew nuts! Stir gently, cautiously!

Serve hot, fresh with choice of side or fritters! Enjoy!

 

LEFT-OVER RICE CRACKERS

This morning was spent struggling to bake what you see in the above picture. In recent past, I did it, tasted good! The man was served with his evening sips, instead of papad or cucumber or nuts, he liked until the heat hit him. Unlike me, he can't tolerate chillies in food, I taught our son to have what we eat since age three, not biting green chilli but to have normal food! I want chillies, lemon piece, onion, like seasoned Bengali!

I feel dismantled, not because LEFT-OVER RICE CRACKERS were about to fail for mistake I did initially. I wished to correct, blog about it today! A fashion loving woman may not be an easy catch, this mind set needs change! Anyway, I did this easy recipe from scratch! Cristine wasn't at home, later looking at the pictures she commented,"they are good". Praises make us feel happy, this middle aged lady fails to anticipate jolt that comes thereafter. A bitter feeling can't destroy my spirit, Almighty gets me something else to rejoice. My demands from this world ain't big! I wouldn't get into details, I don't want my readers, my own know every details about me! I guess Hercule Poirot isn't after me, I ain't a celebrity! 

Me, my fantasy is another world, son's father doesn't bother me, he is home today, had his medical. Does son has any time for mamma? 13th August, 2020, we weeped together, in six years he has learned to live without mamma. I am happy they don't invade the little of my personal space I request for. If you find me sitting on a bench or food court or a first food joint alone, smiling, at times with wet eyes, know I am neck-deep in thoughts; you are in my thoughts! Your gestures have power to make or break me!

If man is home, I would be stationed in my corner of the couch!

We don't talk for hours, I am lost in my world, he watches Television; yet I don't feel like an outcast here, he needed to be soft spoken!

If we get 60% of what we expect from life; it's fine, rest 40% is adjustment, commitment, compromise. None of us are perfect for each other, others' expectations I may be failing to meet. 

I like local Horfun, also what Cristine made for us today. I told her our preference. The man, I continue to love bygone days' Bengali middle-class homes' potato-onion-green chilli-egg-noodles. The son, I believe love oriental food in Singapore, he strongly refused to eat on his visits to Kolkata between 2010 & 2018! The waffle at Dream Cafe & Centre at Katong Shopping Centre was good, garlic bread was usual; do visit if you may! What Cristine's friends gift her, she would serve me, the matcha tea tasted good!

These are current stock of tea, coffee. We do drink coffee, not choosy about it. The man wants good quality tea, never would have with milk, sugar, biscuit, cake; tea connoisseur. I wish to get variety of infusions, specially Chamomile tea helps remove headache, giddiness; don't wish to spend! I couldn't ever get out of my humble upbringing! Life is still good, gifted with beautiful people! If you have made me smile today, you are a gift in my life. I would suggest to use your left-over cooked rice wisely! Do try this low oil, sugar-free, vegan, gluten-free crackers! Initially, I added water to paste cooked rice, that wrong step costed me dearly. Cooked rice is starchy, water isn't required! How I got this crisp finish is long story! I preferred to delete the stepwise pictures, chose to write a full-proof recipe instead! 

Use spoon for even sized cracker. Press thin for crisper outcome.

INGREDIENTS :

COOKED RICE : 1 & 1/2 COFFEE MUG [I HAD]

FRESHLY CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/4 TSP

SALT : 1/4 TSP

OIL : 2 TSP

PROCEDURE : 

Pulse cooked rice taking in blender. Transfer to bowl; add salt, crushed black pepper, oil. Give it a good mix!

Use an ice-cream scoop to shape. You may place baking sheet on your baking tray or grease it with few drops of oil.

Place scoop of seasoned cooked rice paste on baking tray, flatten with fingers as thin as possible.

Preheat oven at 180*C. Mine is convection mode microwave oven, I placed baking stand inside while preheating!

Once preheated, place atop it the baking tray with uncooked crackers! Bake for 20-23 minutes at 180*C!

Rest for a while, we are done. Enjoy with hot cups of tea, coffee!

 

VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE STEAMED CUP

My slow motioned self gets delayed with blogpost writing regular! How did I went out for walk, also wrote blogpost earlier? I don't feel the urge to hurry, lack energy; I ain't engaged in fruitful activity, needn't be in race! I have no contribution to world! At times, it feels if I did household chores myself, it would mean something! The man told he knows me well, my irritation in that case would have broken this home. Cristine has become part of our life ever since son left home! Because she is there, I can roam around the island regular.

Signs of aging, darkened skin don't stop me from walking in daytime. My slimmer cheeks keep me happy! I choose happiness over despair, although post son's transition to college I feel worthless. My life revolved around him, bringing him up! The feeling someone earns, Cristine does household chores, I only cook, embarrasses. However, I can't stop shopping. Theres "hotchpotch" thoughts inside. I can't think like elderly ladies, can't be modern worthy women either! In years of bringing up my child, I didn't have this feel of unworthiness. 

Such feelings don't stop me from having chicken-century egg congee, home-cooked rice meal within gap of few hours. The congee was a smaller bowl for 3:50$, yet. I have to write hilarious public post about booking our beloved Singapore for disrespecting "hasher dim", how can precious fresh duck eggs be preserved in salt, turned into "century eggs"! In both sides of family, egg curry meant duck egg curry. The man, his mother are egg lovers. Except for eggs, the man, his son's, my monkey-cat-pup's food choice match! The father-in-law, his daughter's, her man's food preferences match my parental home. My brother's girl loves egg who turned our father onto an egg lover, my parental home had been fish-o-holic, not of pricey fish varieties regular, freshest local catches. The love, care, peace this girl showered on our father, I didn't even wish to come in between, he left this world like a king! Till date, the mother lives in her own terms, I don't contribute, neither wish to interfere! 

I want to savour urban nature, have plans to steal at least one jackfruit! Before I do fun post, police would book me, deport!

Japan Home is giving great discounts, don't know where to keep! I ain't bothered about size of home, kitchen; our son's settling down with job is more important! One man feeds six heads including himself, however his father did more than his capabilities! You would never see me lying unless required!

I pay respect to whosoever deserve it. When I give, what I give comes from within wholeheartedly, even my wrath! I post my real self at times for reason, I don't want praises I don't deserve, I don't want any of you to align me with beauties personified, I want you to treat me as who I am. The beauties still remain my friends!

This morning I had two pieces of bread, around 4:30 pm, fried spicy puffed rice, chillies, peanuts, coconut! If I get disciplined, I can't survive, I love to cook, eat! My love for steamed snacks is since childhood. Putu Piring, Bhapa Pithe are same. The intermingling of cultures over food is amazing. Filipino Puto cake, local Wa Ko Kueh becomes VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE STEAMED CUPS in my kitchen. Sprinkle chopped pistachio or mix of dry fruits or fresh strawberry, blueberry, whatever, it tastes divine. It is an OIL-FREE, DAIRY-FREE VEGETARIAN delight, ain't it a great snack option? Also, we would be using few ingredients always available at home!

Few other similar recipes from blog HEALTHY FLOURS EASY MAKE APPE, DHONEPATA MUSHUR DAL ER BORA, DRAGON FRUIT CAKE, MY STYLE GREEN CHICKEN CURRY, BHETKI PATURI, HERBED SALTY WAFFLE !

INGREDIENTS :

RICE FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

COCONUT MILK : 50 ML OR AS REQUIRED FOR PASTE LIKE CONSISTENCY

SUGAR : 4 TSP [YOU MAY NEED MORE]

SALT : 1/4 TSP

BAKING POWDER : 1/2 TSP

BAKING SODA : A PINCH OR TWO

VANILLA ESSENCE : 1/2 TSP [OPTIONAL]

I USED ROASTED CHOPPED PISTACHIO TO GARNISH!

PROCEDURE :

I used coconut powder! I added packet to lukewarm water, stirred. You may use 100 ml coconut milk tetra pack!

Mix together rice flour, shredded coconut, salt, sugar, add coconut milk, beat until smooth batter is ready!

Keep covered for an hour.

Put water to boil in your manual steamer. Keep it covered.

Add baking powder, baking soda, vanilla essence to batter. Incorporate well. 

Pour batter into cups, top with chopped roasted pistachios! Place them on steamer once water starts to boil. Cover cook for 8-10 minutes at medium heat.

Enjoy fresh, hot at breakfast with choice of beverages!

 

MICROWAVE MADE BANANA STEM FRITTER

 It's 2:59 pm! There's music playing, instrumental. I listen varied ragas, western jazz, jam sessions, classical vocals! Bollywood songs, specially old classics remains all time love. For the unversed, specific Rag-Ragas were created for different time in the 24 hours span. There are ragas to listen in morning, mid-morning, afternoon, evening, night time. Listening to these helps calm my nervous system I strongly feel. Mental pleasure is major reason too!

I fancy finer things, just can't survive without music, good reads, this blog, I need to unwind! I indeed love cooking, cleanliness freak! But daily cooking, cleaning corners isn't my thing! Creative, qualitative beings around fill my heart! I savour creativity around, make myself omelette, chutney butter toast, an instant semolina thatte idli! This variety of Oolong tea bags I pick up from Prime store at nominal price, it suits my tastebuds!

Today's chutney uses roasted peanuts, fresh coriander, green chillies, salt, lemon juice, less of ingredients from Maharashtrian Thecha Chutney I cooked day before. 

I have decided not to do mention in today's blogpost. No specific reason, it's my mood that controls me. I feel not talking of family, friends today would be better decision. It may also be that I have made friendship with people without any amount of communication; verbal or online! How to mention people without relevance? A blogpost doesn't hold enough space to mention all those I wish to today. In fact, it's being long I have stopped mentioning friends, relatives in this space!

It's all in our mind, head! I am dreamer, I make up stories inside my head! Because I fed on novels since childhood, mostly romantic genre since my teens, that vive occupy my head. I am fine with it as long as I don't disturb people. What I cook, eat are source of my happiness too.

We need not go near people who have no interest to communicate with us! It would be like invading one's space, peace! Social Media today lets us keep up with people, things, activities we adore! To meet at a point, our's & their's wish need to tally! This is called respecting wishes, and self of course.

Why is it feeling I would wrap up quick today, wouldn't write much? There's too much unrest around, loss of lives! Depression, Frustration among older kids seems scariest. We don't let them struggle in growing up years, a little stress becomes heavy on them to handle. Why can't they believe there definitely have few family members, friends to reach out? The environment around needs to feel warm, welcoming, friendly! Isolation is a threat to wellbeing! As long as we are willing to see a tomorrow, we are fit & fine. Singapore straightaway welcomes summer it seems, October to February are cooler, then rushes in hotter days. Here drumstick flowers bloom throughout the year, how to know spring has arrived? I have sustained South Asian summers, this island's heat doesn't bother me! More I age, World seems beautiful to me, Life is beautiful, I am not done with it!

This Vegan, Gluten-free MICROWAVE MADE BANANA STEM FRITTER isn't family recipe but Bengal cooks vegetarian fries/pakoras/ bhajabhuji this way! Who doesn't love fritters? I can break up instantly with one who says no! I forced myself stop frying them, I have ability to turn any leaf to yum fritters! I cook them in microwave oven using minimal oil! We cook couple of recipes with banana stem, not fritter. Making use of banana stem for fritter was an impromptu idea. It tasted really good! I must say mashing it with hot rice, adding bit of ghee, crushed green chilli is soul satisfying, if you share my tastebuds! Let us do it!

INGREDIENTS :

BANANA STEM : 1 STANDARD SIZED AS MOSTLY SOLD

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

RICE FLOUR : 1 TBSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP+1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 1 TBSP [I USED MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Wash banana stem. Thinly slice both ends, throw away! Discard outer soft, fibrous outer cover. We would use the core, hard portion, that too fibrous.

Cut slices, each time use fingers to roll fibre, discard! It's how tailors do with threads in sewing machine. 

Thereafter, cut into strips each slice, chop! 

The hardest above job I didn't do! I rest is my handwork!

Wash chopped vegetable taken in strainer!

I further pulsed 1-2 times chopped banana stem wanting to avoid using pressure cooker!

Thereafter, marinate it with salt, turmeric for an hour. It has to become soft!

Wash, chop green chillies. After an hour, use your palms to squeeze out excess amount of water!

Add oil, salt, rest of turmeric, chopped green chillies, rice flour, fold in well. We may use gram flour instead of rice flour! I ain't gram flour fan, also thought of non-South Asians! You may use cornflour too!

Make smooth balls, smoothen between palms. Grease an oven proof plate with oil, place the uncooked banana stem fritters on it.

Place bake stand inside microwave, on it the plate.

I cooked in microwave+grill option, one side 12 minutes. Then turned them over, cooked them for 8-9 minutes.

Have it hot, fresh alongside peeping hot steamed rice, spoonful of ghee or butter, a green chilli! We also had chicken curry, dal that day. 

We may refrigerate, reheat before having it, that wouldn't give best taste!

FRESH ORANGE HALWA DESSERT

My body is craving to lie down in couch at this time with a favourite read followed by deep slumber, warmth of the sky is getting me that feel ! It reminds me of winter afternoons, we would wrap "lycembee" made of old saris, quilt similar to kantha or rajai, sit in balcony of our two roomed rented space, take in afternoon rays! This was scene on weekends, on entire winter holidays!

We would have orange or sugarcane or mix of pomelo + salt + green chillies + burnt and crushed dry red chillies. Strangely, I remember the face of "Ankhwala", the visiting sugarcane seller in neighbourhood! Reminiscing bygone days doesn't speak of unhappy present, we look beyond only after securing peace at present home. It's inevitable, we can't fixate our mind, soul at one place, that's against human nature. Let your minds wander.

My mind is enveloped with varied thoughts, travelling to and fro from past to the present, who has seen future, a tomorrow? No mind goes empty, I don't go to work; office schedules, boss's temper, colleagues, strategies do not occupy my mind. It harbours literature, music; weaves words if not skilfully! However, all of this is done with food bowls on lap! 

Yesterday, I was at a food court in Serangoon Gardens having Rojak, I call it South East Asian fruit chaat, thinking of preparing my version, blog about it. It was raining hard, I wasn't carrying an umbrella. I took second serving of biscuit & teh-o-kosong! That extra bit of food my aged body doesn't need, that is causing weight increase given I only do low intensity workouts like walking & swimming! I must fix it but how to? Few hours back I had noodles, I can't control cravings; having fruits now. At night, I would eat little rice! The reasons of my inability to slim down are poor metabolism, age, also to lose menopausal belly is hard! Moreover, I wasn't ever lean, obese to overweight to decent I got, again allowing weight gain would be too taxing on my mental health! I envy man's lean self, my brother was like him once, don't know why his athletic self got overweight, our parents had never been overweight! His girl too was nice back in 2011, now got overweight. It is unacceptable the man's sister getting fat, she religiously maintained herself. The son was thin like father, now tends to get fat like me. He doesn't look good when overweight, I warn! However, mumma wants him to cook noodles in microwave like she did today!

I watched reel, tried and enjoyed having a vegan noodle bowl done in a pot! Let me try a vegan, gluten-free, either make reel or blog about it!

It's spring, let me find out drumstick flowers, Singapore doesn't sell! I located a low height drumstick tree, there are many islandwide but blooms are high above. It's time for mango blooms too, smells beautiful!

I keep myself occupied doing chores I enjoy, else would keep worrying about my boy! I think every parent staying far off does, be it for male child or girl child. I roam around islandwide, hardly get time to do experiments with cooking, watch movies. I must be active how much the couch attracts. 

My inquisitive self might have been entangled in mystery I am seeking to solve, however making of dairy-free, low sugar, vegetarian, vegan FRESH ORANGE HALWA DESSERT is simple. I thoroughly enjoy cooking simpler these days, the result need be near perfect! I don't like half hearted works, be it in office or at home or in any sphere. Cristine extracted juice of super sweet oranges; or may be they are Malta, Mandarins. We get variety of, I confuse. I feel happy if it's sweet! Once we get the juice ready in hand, making of halwa is cake walk. The stirring part tones your arms. I fed son "sujir payesh" so much, he dislikes Bengali style suji-halwa, if done with fruit juices he would eat. Since 2020, I hardly know about his food preferences, he dislikes speaking about his daily chores! There are varied recipes of orange halwa in internet, I remember of my co-bloggers' too, I didn't consult any!

INGREDIENTS :

ORANGE : 3 BIG JUICY

SEMOLINA : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

SUGAR : 3 TBSP

BAY LEAF : 1

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

OIL : 1 TBSP [The thought of Ghee+Fruit Juice doesn't give me comfort]

SLICED TOASTED ALMOND : 2 TSP

PROCEDURE :

Cristine washed the seedless oranges, peeled, extracted juice! This was big help.

For cooking desserts, I use pan that's not used for regular cooking! 

I heated pan, dry roasted almonds, took out in bowl.

I added oil, tempered with bayleaf & green cardamoms tearing bit!

I added semolina, folded in, roasted for 10-12 minutes at low heat!

Semolina would get golden brown, the sugar is to be added now. I kept stirring for 4-5 minutes.

Thereafter, I added orange juice, folded in, kept stirring until orange halwa started to become paste like.

I added most of roasted almond slices at this stage, stirred for one more minute, took down.

I transferred it to a serving bowl, garnished with rest of sliced roasted almonds.

Serve & have warm. Chilled halwa never tastes good!