BHINDI NARCOL

Once the festivity is over, the next few days we feel like surviving on simplistic food. For me, a humble plate of rice, dal, a vegetable, some fries works wonder. Remember, after the festive season, the stomach needs rest. Simple meals help digestion. I guess vegetables are naturally low in fat & calories, also important source of nutrients. Whenever I cook vegetables, I restrict the use of spices in it. We feel pathetic when our stomach revolts. Also my vegetarian friends are in a mission to stop visiting my blog. Before they take such a drastic action, let me come up with few veggie recipes to my rescue. I thought lets do an honour to my vegetarian friends. This simple, easy recipe with Bhindi / Lady's Finger, Onion and Shredded Coconut goes well with handmade breads or can be had with rice and lentil too. Its prepared using,  less spices. Let us prepare Bhindi Narcol / Okra with Coconut together within half an hour or so.

INGREDIENTS :

Lady's Finger : 200 gm
Onion : 1 big
Shredded Coconut : 1 medium cup
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Punjabi Garam Masala Powder :1/4 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric : 1/4 tsp
Nigella Seeds : 2 pinches
Green Chillies : 2
Dry Red Chilli : 1
Oil : 1 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash, wipe each lady's finger with a piece of dry cloth. Cut the root end. Marinate with salt and turmeric. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Cut onions into cubes.

Heat oil in wok. Temper with nigella seeds, dry red chillies. Add onion pieces. Saute until translucent. Add shredded coconut. Saute for two minutes.

As it releases moisture, add ladyfingers. Slit green chillies, add. Add cumin and coriander powders, salt, turmeric. Saute well, cover. Reduce heat from medium to low.

After 2 minutes, remove cover, give a stir, add one small cup of water. This way cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. 

Add garam masala powder 2-3 minutes. Stir well, switch off gas stove!

When you add the okra / bhindi, add a pinch of baking powder which will help retain its colour!

Enjoy with rice or roti!!

                     

VEGETABLE CUTLET

Once, I hated vegetables! I remember how our mother struggled each day to feed us some. Morning until night she would try to brainwash me with advantages of having vegetables regular. She would entice us to have offering more of fish, meat. Perhaps God watched sitting up there, today I do same struggle with son. Oh! God, he is such fussy about having vegetables, same is man! At times they get on my nerves. But can a mother lose patience? No way.... she would always want to give proper nutrition to her kids, by hook or by crook.

In the process of making food tastier, may be some nutritional value is lost, but at least some amount of nutrition is going inside, that is the whole idea. These days, there are many ways of preparing tasty food without compromising with health of your dear ones. There are grill options, air friers to make mothers happy. I think I need an air frier. I oven cooked the vegetarian cutlets in grill+microwave combination cooking mode!

When son was young, his doctor would ask me to prepare tasty food for him! He would say, just like us, kids too have taste buds. He would say, we cannot make porridge for them at every meal, then complain doctor, my child is not eating anything. He would ask to prepare our kids' food at home, make sure we maintain proper hygiene. I follow what he told me till date. I try to get colour, variety in his lunch box. Whenever I think one day he has to leave mamma to explore world, I feel urge to be more particular about the food he eats. 

This vegetable cutlet is a great evening snack. It goes well with tea / coffee, can be eaten as an appetiser too. It requires few ingredients to prepare, hence is hassle free.

INGREDIENTS :

Potato : 2 
Beet Root : 1
Carrot : 1
Green Peas : 1 tbsp
Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp
Cumin Seed : 1 tsp
Cumin Powder : 2 tsp + 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp + 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp

Crushed Black Pepper : 1/2 tsp
Sugar : 1tsp
Salt : As per taste
Refined Flour : 3 tbsp

Corn Flour : 2 tbsp
Bread Crumb : 100 gm
Oil : 2 tbsp + As much required to brush each cutlet

METHOD :

In Bengali household, the difference between vegetable chop & cutlet may be only in their shape! We would end up tempering with cumin, add spices, cannot toss filling in butter, etc.

Peel, wash, cut potato, beetroot, carrot into halves. Pressure cook them upto 3-4 whistles adding enough water! Let cool, drain water, mash!

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in pan. Add 2 pinches of cumin seeds, chopped green chillies.

Add mashed vegetable mix. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, crushed black pepper, sugar, salt! 

Add cornflour, stir cook for 3-4 minutes. Switch off gas stove, let it cool. Transfer to bowl.

Shape into medium sized round balls flatten with your palms. 

On plate, take bread crumb, rest of cumin & coriander powders, chilli powder, little salt; mix well! Because I oven cooked cutlets, a good colour of bread crumbs was necessary!

Mix together refined flour, water to get little thinner than a paste like consistency! Coat each cutlet with bread crumb mix, dip in the refined flour mix; repeat process!

Once all cutlets are ready, grease an oven proof plate with oil, place the cutlets. Brush each cutlet with oil.

Place baking stand inside oven, in case you have a convection mode microwave oven, on top the plate with cutlets!

Cook in microwave+grill option, one side for 12 minutes. Turn over, brush with oil, cook for another 7-8 minutes. We should be done. Let them stand for 3-4 minutes before taking out!

Serve hot with chutney, sauce, onion rings! The smile you get in return is priceless.... be it your guests, friends or family!!

SINGAPORE FISH HEAD CURRY

I belong to a place / community who dream, eat, love fish like cats, the first thing that caught my attention in this island was it's love for fish prepared in variety of sauces. At restaurants you are not allowed to enter the kitchen, whenever I visit a food court here, I love standing, watching with what expertise they cook in big woks. 

I was particularly hooked to fish head curry for two reasons...... the enticing colour of the curry; the other reason may be recipes with fish head is common in our community. I have learnt to eat fish head  alone ever since I was 6. In spite of the fact that the senior at home pulls my leg saying "you are still not satisfied eating mine that you need fish heads". They are a must on my plate. Singapore fish head curry is quite different than that of us. It was a must do as I love variety in my food, whether its at home or for the guests.

WIKI says fish head curry was first sold in a small shop in Mt.Sophia. It was a brainchild of an Indian, M. J. Gomez who suited it to the local taste. It got extremely popular among the Chinese and Malays. The spices used in this dish is heavily influenced by the South Indian fish curry. Though I feel the recipe has been modified to suit the taste buds of the variety of people staying here. 

If ever you visit Singapore, You must visit the restaurants in and around Tekka Market or those along the Race Course Road to have a taste of authentic fish head curry. You have innumerable food courts preparing it maintaining all hygiene. The Chinese restaurants do offer this dish. If  you wish to have it sitting in a cosy, homely atmosphere, visit my kitchen, once you enter the door, you can feel the warmth, we assure that.

Exploring through various recipes, I zeroed in on this particular recipe. You can use the same curry for preparing fish, egg or chicken.

INGREDIENTS :

Fish Head : 1 or 2 big[each cut into halves, I used Salmon head]
Lady's Finger : 4-5
Egg Plant : 2 [small variety]
Tomato : 2 medium
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds : 1tsp
Fenugreek Seeds : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Ginger : 3 inches chopped
Garlic : 5 cloves
Cinnamon Stick : 2 inches
Onion : 1big
Green Chillies: 2-3
Coconut Milk : 100 ml
Curry Leaves : 10 -12
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric :1 tsp.
Tamarind Pulp : 1/2 small tea cup 
Oil : 3 tbsp


PROCEDURE :

Clean, thoroughly wash the fish heads, marinate with little salt and sugar for half an hour. Soak the tamarind pulp in a small cup of water.

Wash and cut the ends of the lady's fingers. Wash, cut off the ends of the eggplants and then cut into halves. Rub little salt in them.

Dry roast cumin, coriander, fenugreek, mustard, 5-6 curry leaves, garlic, ginger, cinnamon together for 2-3 minutes. Now add all the dry roasted spices in a blender and turn into a smooth paste using water as required.

Peel, wash and slice the onions. Wash and cut each tomato into 4 pieces, deseed. Cut big green chillies into halves. Keep salt, turmeric and chilly powder ready along with the coconut milk. Wash the curry leaves.

Heat oil in a wide mouthed wok. Fry sliced onion till translucent. Add spice paste. Saute well for 2 minutes. Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder, mix well, stir for a minutes.

Add a big cup water. Let the curry come to boil. Drain marinade from fish heads, add to the curry. Add lady's fingers, egg plant pieces too. Cover, let cook for 2 minutes.

Remove cover, add tomato pieces, slitted green chillies, strained tamarind pulp. Pour in coconut milk. Add rest of curry leaves. Cover cook for 3 minutes.

Switch off gas stove, its done. Enjoy with piping hot steamed rice!

SEMOLINA MADE LANGCHA

Langcha....is a sweet we love way too much, specially if it is of Shaktigarh. To be precise, it originated in a small township named Shaktigarh, in the district of Burdwan. If you are travelling through that highway, you cannot help yourself but stopping by the shops and have few. Along the highway, there are series of frill free humble shops, by their looks you can't even imagine inside they have those brown-red, hot beauties ready to be served  for you.... please don't get scared of the flies around, they are part of the deal, hahaha. Those flies are decent you know, they keep on flying above your head without disturbing your plates. Still, morning to night, there are swarms of cars and buses stationed by these shops....from labourers to corporate honchos.

Well, I have a story to tell about this specific sweet Langcha! Sometime in 2004-2005, I do not remember exactly, my brother got a job at Reliance Mutual Fund, his first posting was at Durgapur! I and the man went to spend a weekend with bhai! I do not remember we took along with our toddler son or kept him with our mother! To travel from Kolkata to Durgapur by bus, you are to cross over Shaktigarh! The buses would stop both ways for some refreshments!On our way back, we ate hot kochuris, potato curry & these sweets! We got packed for us, the parent's home & the in-laws! We were to get down at Howrah & then take a cab to our home! Whilst getting down, we totally forgot about the sweet packs kept in the bunker of the bus! I am still sad about it, how I regret, about 500-600 rupees of sweets we bought, we got a good number at this amount then!

Anyway, I thought before My friends from the western world faint and cancel their trips to my country, I should post the recipe, so whoever wishes to can prepare at home. But you know I am proud when I say all these, in fact proud of the subcontinent.... we are poor, we are developing, but we have talents because we are fighters, since childhood we learn to fight against all odds, and we have a rich cultural heritage. I believe,  in a country, if its men are not proud of it and work towards bringing pride for their country, it eventually turns into a failed state. My version of langcha is more typical of the ones available at the Kolkata shops or may not be at all! I prepared it with semolina, actually it is made with paneer+mawa+refined flour may be! At Shaktigarh, they are darker,  deep fried in clarified butter and too sweet. I do not want my sweets to be too sugary!

INGREDIENTS : [for the syrup]

Sugar : 1 small tea cups [ adjust according to your taste ]
Water : 2 coffee mug
Green Cardamom : 3-4

INGREDIENTS :[for the Semolina Made Langcha]

Semolina : 1/2 coffee mug
Refined Flour : 2 tsp

Milk Powder : 2-3 tbsp
Ghee[clarified butter] : 1 tsp + 1 tsp +1 tbsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1 tsp

Green Cardamom : 2-3

Baking Soda : 2 pinch

Oil : 100-150 ml for deep frying

METHOD :

Mix the milk powder with some water & keep aside. Make a powder of the semolina & lightly roast taken in a wok! Add the milk & 1tsp of sugar! Keep stirring with a hand beater, so there is no lump! Add some ghee & stir until it comes out from the sides! Transfer to a plate!

Once it is a bit cool, add the refined flour, green cardamom powder, the baking soda & some ghee! Prepare a smooth dough! Tear off portions & make into cylindrical shapes. But I could manage this!

 

Warm enough oil in a wok, do not make the oil hot! Slowly brown the uncooked dough pieces cooking in minimal heat! Take them out and place onto a tissue paper!

In another burner beside, make the sugar syrup by mixing the sugar, water and green cardamoms, let the mixture boil for about 13-14 minutes at medium to low heat. Switch off the gas stove! 

Gently add the fried stuffs! Let them be soaked for an hour. Serve warm or chilled.

ROSHBORA

It is during festive period, we prepare series of sweets, in fact, our festivals go throughout the year; between September and January there are Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Kojagori Lokkhi Pujo, Diwali, Kali Pooja, Bhai Phota, Poush Sankranti, Saraswati Pujo. Festivals are auspicious, brings blessings & joy! We celebrate, decorate with light, food; from starter to dessert.

To be precise, Roshbora / Urad Dal / de-husked black gram lentil dumplings in sugar syrup was / is precisely made in months of December, January; as part of Poush Sankranti ritual! It actually falls in "pithe" category, you may call it dessert / sweet! In our family, it's made in winters! We either use sugar syrup or date palm jaggery syrup!

India having many states, our neighbours too, we are never in dearth of varied recipes. We are saved from boredom of repeat having the same food. With guests visiting, starting from Dussehra until Diwali.... we would prepare a variety of sweet meats using Cottage Cheese, Lentils, Refined & Wheat Flour, Semolina, Rice Flour, Gram Flour, Sugar, Jaggery, Milk, Coconut. These few things can yield mouthwatering sweets, desserts. 

Trust me, pick your choice of ingredients, cook what you wish! This sweet meat, Roshbora uses only skinless black gram lentils, fennel seeds, little of baking powder, salt, sugar!

I love Roshbora, a favourite comic character of my childhood loved this... 'Batul...The Great of Nonte-Fonte fame. Bengali youngsters from 70s-80's can easily identify with these characters. We have grown up reading Batul, Teni da, Ghana da. They were written specially for tweens & teens ..... 

For this particular sweet / dessert called Roshbora, we would be using skinless Urad Dal / black gram lentils, sugar, water, pinch of baking powder, fennel seeds. Cannot believe right? Then I would request you to cook with me.

INGREDIENTS :

Urad Dal[skinless black gram dal] : 250 gm
Sugar : 150 gm
Fennel Seeds : 1 tsp
Green Cardamom : 3-4

Baking Powder : A pinch
Oil : 100 ml [for deep frying, the extra can be used later]

METHOD :

Wash, soak dal overnight. Take in blender, get smooth paste adding little water. Be careful about using water for paste because if you use bit more water, it would get difficult to shape, fry.

After paste is made, transfer to bowl, add salt, beat for about 10-12 minutes! Check adding little of batter in bowl with water, if it floats, it's ready! Add fennel seeds; beat well. Keep covered for 15-20 minutes!

In deep bottomed vessel, add enough water, sugar, green cardamoms! Bring to boil at low heat! In this recipe, sugar syrup cannot get sticky, it needs to remain watery! Just switch off gas stove, once it has boiled for 5-6 minutes!

 Add baking powder to lentil paste, beat well! Heat oil in pan, add gently small portions to oil! Fry balls in batches until golden brown, take out, drop in bowl full of hot water. 

Thereafter, take them out, squeeze gently, add to hot sugar syrup! Keep for rest an hour. Enjoy warm or chilled.

         

MAACH DORANGA / FISH IN DOUBLE SAUCE

Fish being an absolute favourite, I love experimenting with different recipes of fish. I keep exploring throughout internet for some new recipes on fish. If I like one I do not take much time to grab the recipe and do it. Long back I saw a recipe in a magazine of fish in three types of sauce....red, green, white. I don't remember the recipe which I saw some 20-22 years back, used a bit of my own idea, finalised on this recipe of fish cooked in two types of sauces. The very authentic Bengali fish recipe "koi hara-gauri" is also done in two types of spice sauces.

I may not remember a particular recipe from the past, but if you stop by my recipes, you may see most of them are in some way related to my past or to my present situations, scenarios. Past, Present are interrelated..... I never deny my past. Although I stop by a number of posts everyday to forget the past, live in the present, I feel I relive life reminiscing olden days. May be they are words of wisdom but somehow I do not agree to it. If I forget my past I am denying many things....me coming into being, growing up with siblings, my teachers, lovely friends. Believe me, diving into your past makes you feel into your parent's arms....warm, cosy. 

Past was fun, happy, full of warmth and yes, pain....that of leaving behind and moving ahead for a new life... new people to meet. Pain is inevitable in a life's journey.... it helps you grow strong and understand life. There is nothing left in a blame game, life is only situations....supporting you or not. Accepting pain gracefully and moving on is an art of living we need to learn.

Somebody knocked on my head, said I am food blogger, not philosopher. Before people stop reading my recipes I need to switch on to damage control mode. Fish is  an important source of protein for humankind... so why not. They have a role in culture through ages, serving as deities, religious symbols, and as the subjects of art, books and movies. To simplify, it's tasty, healthy.... grab it and have it! 

INGREDIENT [ MAIN ] :

Grouper, Sea bass or any firm white fish : 500 gm
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Vinegar : 2 tbsp
Oil : 4 tbsp

INGREDIENTS [ for the red sauce ] :

Ripe Tomatoes : 2 big
Onion : 1 big
Kashmiri Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
Ginger Paste : 2 tsp
Garlic Paste : 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 pinch

INGREDIENTS [ for the green sauce ] :

Coriander Leaves : 100 gm
Green Chilli Paste : 1 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Nigella Seeds : 2 pinches.

METHOD :

The fish has to be cut into ringlets, washed, marinated in vinegar for about an hour. After an hour, drain excess vinegar water, marinate fish with salt, turmeric. Keep aside.

Wash, cut, deseed tomatoes, blend into smooth paste. Slice onion. Keep ginger, garlic paste ready in hand. The cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, turmeric should be kept ready near you.

Wash, cut, blend coriander leaves along with the green chillies smoothly.

Heat oil in pan. Fry fish pieces until golden brown. Transfer onto a serving plate. In same oil, add cumin seeds. As they splutter, add onion pieces, fry until golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste, fry until raw smell goes away. Add tomato paste, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, add salt, turmeric powder, cumin, coriander powder. Stir well until oil separates from spice mix. Add a tea cup water. Cover, let boil for 5 minutes. Pour onto half of fried fish pieces.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in clean wok. Temper with nigella seeds. Add coriander- green-chilli paste. Add little salt. Saute in low heat for about 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away. Add 1/2 tea cup water. Let boil in medium heat for 3 minutes. As gravy gets a creamy consistency, pour onto rest of the fried fish.

Let the fish pieces soak in the gravy. Warm again before serving with piping hot steamed rice.

MANGSHOR SHINGARA / MUTTON SAMOSA

Samosa / Shingara is an extremely popular evening tea-time snacks.. Though my memories gives another picture. In my humble place, early morning in all the sweet shops....one can see in big woks, frying samosas.....oops the sight is as soothing as humans swimming in a pool of water during summer. I am not a poet, a foodie....could not think beyond this. 

To compliment these samosas there has to be jalebis coated in sugar syrup, slurp ..... is possibly the only sound that comes out wholeheartedly..... Saturdays and Sundays there would be a beeline in front of these shops. With a satisfied smile back home these would be finished in minutes with hot tea.

Our mother / parents seldom allowed us buy food from outside. She loved doing them at home. I have picked up this habit from her, thank her for that. Preparing something with our own hands expresses our love, care for people who mean to us. Again if you do not take interest in cooking does not make you care less for your family. I believe each one of us do it in one way or the other. 

I remember I first learnt making Chapatis, Pooris after my son started going to school as I vowed I will never pack his lunch box with store bought things. My naughty witty husband reminds me often it is for son he gets to have home made chapatis in a foreign land forgetting its for him I learnt rest of cooking. Jokes apart, he was guinea pig for all my experimental cooking. Had he being little critical, I would become a better cook.

Back to track, our mother used to make shingara with fillings as per season. Like in winters, she would make samosas with cauliflower, potato, green peas fillings. In those days, cauliflowers, green peas tasted heavenly, grown without those strong fertilisers used nowadays. Being a strict non-vegeterian, I made a variation, prepared these minced mutton samosas which is common in our place, even at the Indian stores here in the island, we get it. 

If you are not fond of mutton, you can use minced chicken. I actually tasted mangshor shingara first at the club canteen of Gun & Shell Factory, our school was also a part of their educational venture.

An honest confession, my samosa cones are not as perfect as the store ones or like my cooking expert friends, but its not a compromise with the taste and it's crispiness , that I can assure.

INGREDIENTS :[ for the filling ]

Minced Mutton : 400 gm
Potato : 1 big
Minced Garlic : 2 tbsp
Minced Ginger : 1 tbsp
Onion : 1 big
Minced Green Chilli : 1 tbsp [adjust as per your requirement]
Green Peas : 50 gm
Cumin Seeds : 1tsp
Coriander Seeds : 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Green Cardamom : 2
Cloves : 3
Cinnamon : 1 one  inch stick
Oil : 3 tbsp
Salt : As per taste
Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp

 INGREDIENTS : [ for the dough ]

Refined Flour : 2 coffee mugs
Salt : 1/4 tsp
Ghee[clarified butter] : 2 tbsp
Nigella Seeds : 1tsp[optional]
Water : 1 small cup.

INGREDIENTS : [for the mutton samosa]

The Filling

The Dough

Oil to deep fry

METHOD :

Take flour in wide mouthed vessel. Make hole in middle with your finger. Add ghee, salt. Add nigella seeds.

Mix with flour for about 2 minutes. Now add water little at a time. Knead onto a smooth dough.

Cover the dough with a wet  cloth for about 1/2 an hour.

Wash minced mutton taken in a strainer. Transfer to a bowl. Marinate with lemon juice, salt, turmeric powder for about an hour. If you are using minced chicken, no need to marinate.  

Dry roast cumin seeds, dry red chillies, cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds together, powder in a blender. Powder needs to be a little coarse. Wash, peel, cut potato into small pieces. Thinly slice onion, wash.

Heat oil in wok. Add minced garlic, ginger. Fry for a minute.

Add sliced onion, minced green chillies. After frying for 2-3 minutes, add minced mutton along with marinade. Stir well, cover. Lower heat to minimum. 

After 10-12 minutes, remove cover, add potato pieces, turmeric powder, salt as required. Cover again.  

After 5 minutes, add green peas. Stir every 3 minutes to avoid burning from bottom. Do this until mutton is about to dry.

At this level, use your ladle to mash potato pieces. Add sugar, dry roasted spice powder. Mix well, switch off gas stove. Transfer into a bowl, let it cool.

Now remove cover from dough. Use your palm once again over dough which is good exercise. Make balls, dust lighty with flour. Do dusting only if it is required.

With rolling pin make round shapes, little bigger than pooris.  Cut half from middle.

Shape into cone. Add filling carefully with a spoon.

Seal edges nicely so that they do not open while frying.

Heat oil in wok . Fry in batches. The wok should not be overcrowded with samosas. Whenever wok is too heated up, keep the gas mark at low.

Once done, transfer onto a double layer of tissue papers.

For Coriander Chutney, blend some pre washed, freshly chopped coriander leaves, a clove of garlic, two green chillies together to a paste. Add salt, lemon juice, serve.

As any other snacks, we will have it hot, fresh with our preferred chutney or sauce!

CHICKEN RENDANG CURRY

Rendang Curry is popular throughout South East Asia. It probably originated in Indonesia and later got adopted by Malaysia with a little of variation may be. Going by the wiki, Rendang is a spicy meat dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia. Traditionally, it is prepared during the festive occasions by the Indonesians and Malays. Singapore, being a neighbour, Rendang is easily available and extremely popular.

There is a lot of Indian and Thai influences in Indonesian cooking we can see. Rendang, in general is a dry dish, simmered and slow cooked to perfection. I purposefully kept a little gravy in it. Use of kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass seems to be a Thai influence, whereas the use of turmeric, cumin, coriander is more of an Indian influence. Any country, big or small has influence of its neighbouring countries in its cuisine with a little of variation according to the availability of the ingredients. Thats what I feel, others may differ. 

Few would differ with me when I say Rendang Curry is exotic and flavourful . I prefer doing it with chicken and eggs. Whatever the gravy base be, if there is chicken or mutton; the son and the man would happily eat their meals! They love their share of meat & choice of fish!

INGREDIENTS :( for the spice paste)

Red Chillies : 8(adjust as per your taste)
Shallots(or small onions) : 10
Garlic : 6 cloves
Galangal(or ginger) : 1 thumb size piece
Coriander Seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds : 1 tsp
Dried red Chilli : 3
Candle nut : 20 gm
Fresh Nutmeg : 1/4

INGREDIENTS :(for the chicken curry)

Chicken :1 kg
Kaffir lime leaves : 4
Lemon grass : 2 stalks
Star anise : 1
Cloves : 3
Green Cardamom : 2
Sugar : 1 tsp
Salt : As per taste
Coconut Milk : 100 ml.
Tamarind Juice : 1/2 tea cup
Oil : 4 tbsp
Toasted Shredded Coconut : 2 tbsp

METHOD :

Wash the chicken and marinate with salt and turmeric . Keep standing for an hour. Soak the dry red chillies in warm water for at least 30 minutes before putting into blender. Peel and wash the shallots. Put all the ingredients for the spice paste into the blender and blend into a smooth paste. Cut small the lemon grass stalks making bruises in them.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the star anise, cloves, cardamoms . Stir till fragrant. Put in the spice paste. Keep stirring till the oil separates from the spice paste. Add the salt, stir well! Add the chicken pieces, fold in well & allow cooking covered at the minimal heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring in between!

Now add the coconut milk. Stir and let boil. Add the lemon grass pieces and the kaffir lime leaves. Keep stirring every 2-3 minutes! Once done, switch off the gas stove. Garnish with toasted coconut.

Serve it with steamed hot rice!

PATISHAPTA (COCONUT FILLED CREPES)

These sweet, coconut filled crepes brings back a lot of memories. When we were some 5-6 years old, most of our mothers did not have gas ovens in their kitchens to enjoy a little bit of comfort. Yet they were far more active and energetic than we are. All day long till the night she would happily lock herself in the kitchen, sweating and conforming to our demands without a complain. These days I  feel guilty when I remember how back from school and college I demanded exotic platters one after another without even thinking how difficult it was for her to work on a clay oven even on evenings. Today I love puffed rice but then one day if she asked me eat muri instead of roti-paratha-luchi, I would get off.

I remember, may be around 1984-85, our kitchen was for the first time shining with a gas oven. Can I ever forget the glittering smile on our mother's face to get a faster medium of cooking? Never. I have always taken a pride to admit I come from a middle class, humble background and I will never compromise with the middle class values taught by my parents. I firmly believe if I forget my roots, I reach nowhere. I may be going offtrack, this is what happens these days. The quiet little girl who remained unnoticed most of the time, is talking too much, signs of aging you know.

The above lines are not irrelevant  altogether when I say these coconut filled crepes tasted best when prepared in clay ovens. It was a day long process....from soaking the rice....grinding it to flour...scraping the coconut, mixing it with the right amount of jaggery. This was mainly prepared during the winter season. Lets start with the recipe which is a tribute to all the elderly women in the family for whom I could dare to prepare it today.

INGREDIENTS :(for the filling)

Shredded Coconut : 300 gm
Jaggery : 100 gm
Camphor : 1small tablet or Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2 tsp
Water : 1 coffee cup.

INGREDIENTS :(for the pancakes)

Refined Flour : 1 coffee mug
Semolina : 1/2 coffee mug
Rice Flour : 2 tbsp
Sugar : 1/2 tea cup 
Oil : 2 tblsp
Water as required [You can use milk instead]

METHOD:

Let us prepare the jaggery-coconut stuffing / filling at first.

Put a wok atop the gas oven. Pour 1/2 small tea cup of water. Add the jaggery. Let it melt. When it starts boiling keep stirring. As it becomes sticky, add the the shredded coconut and camphor tablet, alternatively the green cardamom powder. As the mixture gets sticky, switch of the gas oven. The filling is ready.

Let us prepare the batter for the crepes now.

In a wide mouthed big bowl, take the refined flour, rice flour, semolina, sugar. Mix well. Add water to that much quantity which makes the batter neither creamy, nor too running, but just in between. Keep at rest for an hour. Thereafter, add 1/2 tsp oil to the batter and mix well. Make sure there is no lump in the batter. Adding oil helps the crepes to come out well. Keep standing for 1 hour.

Heat a nonstick frying pan. Brush a little of oil. Once the oil is heated, wipe the pan lightly with a wet cotton cloth. Now pour in one round ladle full of batter in the pan and immediately spread it in round shape with the help of the back of a ladle. When it is almost done, add 2 tablespoon of coconut jaggery filling at one end of the crepes. Now fold in from one side to the other.

Please note, you need not add oil before making each one. You add oil once in every 4-5 crepes you prepare. I always use a non-stick frying pan to avoid it from getting stuck to the pan admitting I do not have the expertise of our moms and grand moms.

Enjoy warm or chilled!