KHEJUR ANAROSHER CHUTNEY

Chutneys & Pickles.... the essential condiments are a part of our lunch and dinner. As I have told earlier in similar posts that we have chutney to end a meal. Though, that elaborate cooking affair starting with a shukto and ending up with a chutney is not that much in practice today, many of us do elaborate cooking on weekends. Chutney does feature in that menu. When almost the entire world says and it is true that life got busy, this sit at home, good for nothing woman finds pleasure in cooking everyday something or the other. That is my pleasure, happiness, creative corner. How I wished my men to be big eaters and be demanding a bit. Many ask me why are you sitting at home idle, do something. I cannot make them believe how much I enjoy staying at home reading, or just watching my plants grow, going out for a walk, going through various recipes and suddenly screaming.... Cristine take out the flour, sugar too, soften the butter... I am planning for a dish and needs to complete it before he comes back from school. 

Why not? .... the son is my father too ..... my daddy used to say 'mamoni'.... you are my another mother, my mother stays  far away. My father stayed away from his parents from such a young age. The reason why I talk more about my maternal side is that I have spent less of time with my paternal grand parents they been staying in Nagaon, Assam. My paternal grand mother was a wonderful lady, never ill treated her four daughter-in-laws. I kept on telling my mother you are lucky to get such a lady as your maa-in-law who never showered you with choicest words or robbed you of your self-respect..... I am kind of jealous with you. Our daddy derived his mom's purity and his father's anger. I look at his picture and say....... you must be having gala time over there with your parents. However, when the son leaves home for his higher studies, I have to engage in some kind of a job!

This post could or should have been written beautifully but I am busy packing for a trip to Kolkata and cooking too. Do you think this extremely possessive wife will allow Cristine to take away all the credit? HaHa never...... It is my home, my den and I am the queen of this house. Perhaps for this reason our mom never allowed me to cook for our dad. The daughter has similar traits in character as of her mother though she always says I am good at heart like him. I do not agree to that .... I think I am a mixed-bag of all of the human emotions. Girls.... take hold of your own home, nurture it with love... do not allow outside forces to storm in ..... Boys appreciate your girls from time to time .... they too need fuel to energise themselves. 

Daddy loved chutney and achar too much and he needed any one of them for his lunch and dinner. Mani used to prepare different types of achar / pickle and stock it for the entire year ..... chutneys were made fresh. This sweet and sour chutney is made of dates and pineapple complete with a garnish of 'bhaja moshlar guro.' This is done in most Bengali homes, 'biye bari' & during various occasions. Once upon a time, the main attraction in such occasions was papad with chutney for this little girl. At our place, chutneys had always been  done with ingredients available in the season. Most of them were done at home as daddy loved. This KHEJUR ANARASHER CHUTNEY is my tribute to our late dad with a sweet note to the dotting fathers all around .... known.... unknown. Some of the known, wonderful fathers were famous casanovas in their youth, it feels good to see them in the present avatar..... responsible, sincere, loving family person ..... some of them I wish to talk about in different posts ..... some names I will never utter, I buried 'it' in the ruins of Pompei?.... Perhaps.Though I do not believe in any single day of celebration of valentine .... father or mother, I also feel there is no harm in doing that. Let us prepare together this yum chutney done with few fresh ingredients.

INGREDIENTS :

Pineapple : 1/2 of a medium whole
Date : 8-10
Lemon Juice : 2-3tbsp
Sugar : 1/2 small cup
Panch Phoron : 1/4tsp [an equal amount of cumin, wild celery, nigella, fenugreek, fennel seeds or alternatively use mustard seeds only]
Dry Red Chilli : 1 + 2 
Cumin Seed : 1/2tsp
Coriander Seed : 1/2tsp
Fenugreek Seed : 1/2tsp
Salt : 2-3 pinches
Oil : 1tbsp [Authentically Mustard]

METHOD :

Peel the pineapple, wash and chop. De seed and half the dates, wash. 

Dry roast the cumin, coriander, fenugreek seeds and dry red chilli for a minute. Cool it and get a coarse powder from it.

Heat the oil in a wok. Temper with panch phoron and halved dry red chilli.

Add the pineapple chunks and the salt. Stir and let cook for 2 minutes at minimal heat.

Add a medium cup of water and cover cook at minimal heat for 3-4 minutes.

Add the sugar and stir. Cover again and cook again at low heat for 3 minutes allowing the sugar to melt and incorporate well. 

Remove the cover, add the lemon juice and halved dates. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so. We are done. 

Transfer the pineapple - dates chutney to a bowl, garnish with 'bhaja moshla mix'... coarsely ground dry roasted mixed spice powder and fold in gently. We usually have it at the end of a meal but I have seen it goes well with paratha too..... not that much with luchi or roti though.