CHINIR POROTA / SUGAR STUFFED FLATBREAD / SHAKKAR BHARA HUA PARATHA

If this is not bliss.... what is? This was an absolute favourite during our growing up period, as winter treat "porota aar khejur gur" was... When I was new in this island... I jumped out of joy at  thesight of date syrup... I thought it may be the English translation of "khejur gur".... I brought home a 500 ml bottle, got firm on the belief why I should have learnt well English  Language & Literature... Date syrup is perhaps derived from ripe dates which can't appeal to a tongue that loves "khejur gur", the sap of date tree is collected boiled for hours to get it!.... That is reason why big malls, the tip of alps, mercedes benz, the invite for a coffee date at Sangri La do not "always" attract me.... As I close my eyes... the smell of "jolonto patkathi".... burning dried jute stems[?] fills the room... Gallons of "khejurer rosh".... date palm juice used to come from grandparents' farm house... boiled for hours to get the tastiest of date palm jaggery.... The grandmother was 4'8" inches in height with a physical fitness and power of Hulk.... till date I could not hug maple syrup... my fault!.... yet cannot blog about a baked salmon with a honey-lemon glaze .... the memory of my deceased friend Chanchal is too fresh.... 

Chanchal loved food I think, he had hilsa, mutton regular .... let me hug him with family favourite ..... CHINIR POROTA / SUGAR STUFFED FLATBREAD / SHAKKAR BHARA HUA PARATHA today! A message has to be passed on to his wife it's important to look after the kids' academics... teach values.... curtail expenses. Her children should know competing with others, spending on clothes, jewelries are useless expenditures at this time!.... When they grow up well... they may! .... Need of hour is very humble living.... to learn compassion, other finer qualities .... lack of which in some of my dear people makes me angry / sad! 

I liked it when I saw my brother's wife to revive couple of relationship in our side too! Honestly, she is far more matured as compared to her husband... I wish she could get her husband in right track.... Several times I told him how important it is to build bridges, stay grounded, practice compassion.... no one comes to your door demanding your property... humans seek nice gestures, good words from each other! Loving our family is no big deal, it comes naturally to us.... we achieve something when we reach out to people.... Anyway, you cannot desert your own.... I found this sugar stuffed South Asian bread apt to share today! My husband often used to be tagged arrogant .... how much of "roshogolla & sandesh" he ate, he cannot speak with a sugar coating.... but be it CHINIR POROTA / SUGAR STUFFED FLATBREAD / SHAKKAR BHARA HUA PARATHA or rice & mutton or "ilish-bhat".... he used to sit with our staffs together for meals.... I learnt from him how to be nice to the unfortunates in this world.... I believe that's worthy to learn! 

Before we blog about some "ilish and mutton" ... I prefer some humble shares... again, I have no expectations from anyone!.... I will do what I think is right  at the moment.... Not in any circumstances or under any influence will I blog about a Bengali style lamb stew or smoked Hilsa Taj Bengal style this week .... I am that way.... "headstrong".....

I don't know how authentic Bengali this sweet porota / paratha / flatbread CHINIR POROTA / SUGAR STUFFED FLATBREAD / SHAKKAR BHARA HUA PARATHA is, but our mother prepared it every week to feed her two kids some milk alongside.... The sister used to finish two mishti porota by the time the brother perhaps would finish half of one.... How would he eat?... His mind was set on outdoor noise..... We had a strict mother who wouldn't allow him to be outside after sunset.... The sister never wished to go out to play.... she was lost in kind of love bond.... between Animesh & Madhabilata.... was not Madhabilata's trust, strength amazing?... Animesh's truthfulness to his ideology?.... Perhaps for all these read's influence on me.... I could not fancy "jhinchak" boys or may be I fancied .... boys in fact can't tolerate my dull, lifeless character, haha; but they can try CURRY AND SPICE's recipes.... I will remain indebted! .... 

Is there any Bengali from my generation who didn't wish to be part of such revolutions after reading Samaresh Majumder's trilogy... Uttaradhikar.... Kalbela ..... Kalpurush?.... How are people doing now who fled to developed countries in 70s? Do their kids know there is a country called India? I was totally under spell of such novels, perhaps I loved Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland too much... I like Jhumpa's books, they aren't written to back any particular political party, people! .... I hope intolerant people wouldn't catch the next flight to this island to shot at least few rounds on my chest! My son has political stand but he is too secretive, I do not get what it is!

The husband says I consider myself too important! He might be right! A CHINIR POROTA / SUGAR STUFFED FLATBREAD / SHAKKAR BHARA HUA PARATHA comes naturally to me.... We do eat salmon, lamb, prawns at home, we do travel to exotic locations once in a year....or  once in every two years.... yet I wish to keep my blog simple in general!.... If you had seen the expression on my face when I got to know from one blogger water lily is actually "shapla o shaluk".... which tastes yum with "shorshe narkol bata".... you would have known I am not lying.... There were days when I had holidays.... say before major examinations.... the seven years younger to me brother had school.... I saw our mother holding him tight... his water bottle on her shoulder... big stems of water lily on the other hand walking towards home!..... They got cut that evening which took about 45minutes to 1hr, soaked in water overnight to be cooked next morning.... 

I am not my mother.... Cristine will cut colocasia stems for me which neither does mean that in her absence I do not do it....

This primitive woman grew up loving to eat "kochu-ghechu, shutkir bhorta, ilish, patha", Homer to Agatha Christie to Leo Tolstoy to Anton Chekov to Buddhadev Guha to Samaresh Basu to Shirshendu. She loves nature, music! She fears science, mathematics, technology or say any kind of structured textual studies.... she writes English with hundreds of spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, she is happy her present batch of "bori".... dal vadi tastes just like her grandmother's.... she takes pride in her honesty! Too much of lecture causes indigestion and needs some relief.... which you will get preparing this CHINIR POROTA / SUGAR STUFFED FLATBREAD / SHAKKAR BHARA HUA PARATHA using few ingredients.... Refined Flour, Wholewheat Flour, salt, sugar, oil.... done.... way simpler than a three-tier cake or a pie or a rye bread ... uff! 

I didn't have time for nice photo feature as it was son's lunch menu yesterday.... you may have it for breakfast! I don't know how authentic Bengali chinir porota is, I have seen a blogger from Bangladesh sharing it.... I felt our mother might have sourced it from her family.... I was eager to have rice, fish, mutton, "naru-nimki" from grandmother's kitchen, forgot if she particularly made this!

INGREDIENTS :

Refined Flour : 1 coffee mug
Wholewheat Flour : 1/4 coffee mug
Sugar : 1 tsp per paratha / porota / flatbread 
Salt : As Required
Water : As Required 
Oil : 1tbsp + 1tsp for each paratha / porota / flatbread [use ghee for a better flavour]

PROCEDURE :

Let's prepare dough at first. 

Take refined flour, wholewheat flour, salt in wide mouthed bowl. Mix together well.

Add 1tbsp of oil, rub for 2 minutes. 

Add water to flour, mix little by little, keep kneading until a soft dough is MADE. This will take some 7-8 minutes. 

Cover dough, rest for 10-15 minutes.

Remove cover, knead dough again for 2-3 minutes.

Tear off portions, smoothen between your palms.

With help of rolling pin and base, roll out round paratha sized shapes. Spread some sugar atop paratha.

Fold paratha half, seal ends with tip of your finger.

Heat tawa / pan on stove top.

Once one side is browned, we will turn over to cook other side. 

Once both sides are cooked, brush with oil, take down.

Cook rest of  parathas / flat breads same way. Enjoy with tea / coffee!

BADAM DIYE LAAL SHAKER GHONTO / RED AMARANTH & PEANUT MEDLEY / LAL CHAULAI AUR MUMPHALI KI SABZI

It is not that I am lacking words today out of grief but I am thinking where to start from. Today's recipe post off course is to be dedicated to my deceased college buddy Chanchal Sen on behalf of the entire fraternity of Scottish Church College, Kolkata! He might have been our batch mate, but he belonged to the entire college... till last week he might have visited the college, he had been regular there... would chat with our very own "chipu da"..... the owner of the college stationary depot. Chanchal's death reminds me of our golden era .... He was closer to the rest of the gang... Swati, Gourab, Goutam, Jay, Sreemati to name a few... they were there in the hospital.... in the crematorium! I was thinking had I have listened to T, I could also be by his side in his last few hours. Swati told he would not have known , he was senseless ! I am not blaming the family, but it is a case of "self" negligence.... if you do not listen to your wife & well wishers, one cannot do anything... no one knows it better than me. Last year, I remember we all caught him in the lift after an adda session @ Manisquare Mall... "when will you stop having those Panparag?" That he was having stomach ache with fever often went undiagnosed, he continued to have food here, there, everywhere! He was that way always! He was selfless always! Else he would not have messed up with his life to this degree. 

T and Chanchal comes from the same family background, Chanchal still had his own home, T's father did not have one... This Chanchal type of guys lack farsightedness, they fail to plan & design their future course, they are silly enough to dedicate all their entire being to the rest of the world. I call this class "selfless".... In college, he hardly attended class.... he arranged picnics, was a dedicated worker  of the student union, always ready for "who needs what"..... so he failed to update status on Facebook... "Holidaying in Honolulu".... I may tell you that he was a happy soul, happy husband and father, a priceless friend.... some of his girlfriends were there in the crematorium too besides the boys... Swati told a couple of juniors were also present! That is also a gift! I have literally "thrown out" people from my life who hummed into my ears 24/7 of a 2000 dollar bag or a weekly dinner at Hyatt.. Everything is required in life... but not to show off at all times! Why have I "thrown out?".... Because I do not mingle with people for personal benefits! I should be able to get along!

Losing a friend aged 47 is untimely, painful.... more painful it is for his wife Debarati / Jhumpa.... and  their two kids... their teen girl can still remember his father... her little brother of eight may not... its hurting me! If I say, Chanchal was the younger of the two brothers, his wife  Debarati is the elder of  the two sisters, they have a tenth grader daughter and a 2nd grader son.... one  with a similar family graph need not be upset ... I am not really interested in any match game or no one will want a same fate as this poor girl Debarati Sen for others!.... 

I am just dedicating this humble recipe post of an authentic Bengali dish BADAM DIYE LAL SHAKER GHONTO / RED AMARANTH & PEANUT MEDLEY / LAL CHAULAI AUR MUMPHALI KI SABZI to the memory of a friend .... doing that I have to take into account his family!.... We will flow with the waves, his wife has a struggle ahead, a big one..... although she is a Government employee! I hope you will understand that a Debarati is a plump, young, has to be a brave woman who I am talking about ... and not a hot chic or a Anupama, Anamika or Agnimitra.... Hence, you will be nice to me and not post beautiful family pictures... say in the lap of the Swiss Alps right at this moment! I am always eager to see them but not "now"... may be in sometime, you should not deprive me either .. For the rest of the blogging world or my other friends.... please go ahead with a truffle, berry compote topped chocolate cake, Europe-South Africa tour photos, mutton korma, salmon herb bake.... Chanchal Sen is not your friend... I meant it! 

We are also going for a tour in two weeks, tickets are done, once back I will share pictures too with an apology note to Chanchal & Debarati! Our family knows, yet a gentle reminder... our friends are very important in our life.... and why not? Beside our father's death bed to his funeral pyre were my / our friends, even the brother's wifes' friends.... the brother may get angry... but it is true that he had his entire team of office colleagues.... but friends? Only few! When we were attending our father's funeral, here in this island... a Kaushik Neogy, a Sanak Chottopadhay, a Soumya Bhattacharya were there at the doctor's chamber with T's parents... with them for shopping, at home to give them company.... No, three of their wives did not update their profile pictures with their husbands the next day! Anyway, Our parents may well be our world but should not be the "only" world.... if that, you miss many a finer things in life.... This too is learnt from a big heart, deceased old man! Few of his friends cheated on him, yet he did not stop believing in the term friendship.... In my mother's own words..... flocks of unknown people visited our home after his death.... that is important.... life should not be I, Me, Myself at all times. Perhaps, his influence made the daughter make her choose her husband diligently.... a "rare" case of "wisdom" who does not control his wife's life, does not expect his wife to kiss his feet all the time.... far from being a patriarch.... he seems this to the wife only when he refuses to buy her gold jewelry . He is just like Swati's husband.... who is not bothered about Swati arranging get-together among friends every now and then, Chanchal was the kind who visited her home anytime without a phone call.... and her husband Kalyanda did not hit her with his belt.... he does not have time, he has a business to handle! 

What if I had been there in Kolkata now and I had a family get together on the day of Chanchal's death? Off course I would have been in the hospital and then at the crematorium instead of attending the family gathering.... the husband would not have used his shoes on me and vice versa! One who suffers from insecurities behaves otherwise.... each one has their own place in one's life! Me talking this much about Swati may make others unhappy.... can anyone deny that she binds all of us together? You must clap for our school friends too.... look how lovely they are.... they are not tagging me or Chandrayee in any such post that concerns school friends.... they know this is not the right time.... they know we are there for each other when required! If my boyfriend has expired, I will not kiss my girlfriends either... give me few days of time... its not fair... 

Coming to the food aspect, our son who should love spinach does not wish to touch it these days.... perhaps the mother fed it to him too much during his childhood days.... how does it matter if he does not eat BADAM DIYE LAL SHAKER GHONTO / RED AMARANTH & PEANUT MEDLEY / LAL CHAULAI AUR MUMPHALI KI SABZI? .... He will understand that this blog is not a family affair... it will celebrate & document varied kinds of life and people as and when required! The husband does eat all kinds of spinach, he is a 70's kid and not a pathetic case like the son. As of the brother, he was not taught to face any hardship, to mingle and adjust with the world... So long he takes good care of his mother which he does pretty well... I will not be bothered.... though I wished him to be very different from what he is... He hardly feels for others except for his immediate family... it hurts....

We have always been told since childhood that eating spinach / greens is very good... it is perhaps the only thing I love prescribed by the eye-surgeon for a "tezdar" eyesight... I will place a question to my very expert and informative friends in the food world.... are all leafy greens called spinach or only "palong"?... Till date I am confused! Just like the people of this island, Bengalis or say many Indians are in the habit of eating a variety of greens. At our home too... the mother did "notey shak to laal shak to shorshe shak to shish-palonger chocchori".... I miss that "shish palong".... overgrown "palak" in this island... When I see a Bengali blogger sharing a "shish palonger chocchori".... I feel like being a "Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen".... to be able to eat what I wish when... 

Likewise, I love this BADAM DIYE LAL SHAKER GHONTO / RED AMARANTH & PEANUT MEDLEY / LAL CHAULAI AUR MUMPHALI KI SABZI .... Using peanuts in it may not be authentic of our family but I have seen many families of West Bengal origin add peanuts to red and green amaranth! What our mother did was adding a spoonful of poppy seed to it towards the end... which is not possible you know sitting in this island.... I skipped. For this non-spicy, spinach medley we literally need very few ingredients like nigella seeds, dry red chilli, slitted green chilli, minced garlic, salt and turmeric! There may be many happenings around... but I will always focus on what is most important to me "at this moment" .... hence this is my small tribute to the soul of our deceased friend... one day I / we will follow him.... the blog posts would stay celebrating life & friendship! 

INGREDIENTS :

Red Amaranth : 2big bunch [root ends discarded, thinly chopped, washed]
Peanut : 10-12 [halved]
Dry Red Chilli : 1[halved]
Green Chilli : 1-2 [slitted]
Minced Garlic : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp
Nigella Seed : 1/4tsp
Salt : As Required
Mustard Oil : 1tbsp [you can use any]

PROCEDURE :

Neither I or Cristine can chop the spinach as thinly as was done by the yesteryear Bengali ladies with a "boti"... it was fine artistry. We just manage it with a knife.

I may had stepwise pictures but not really in the mind to search them... I have not done lal shak in 2-3 months!

I thought of cooking something for my friend and dedicate it to his departed soul... but I have not cooked since Sunday... 

This should be fine... look at the picture... a deceased man with a surviving wife... and those peanuts are his friends .... as our friend Nandita Sinha from California comments... he will live among us through his wife and kids !

Anyway, after we have chopped the red amaranth discarding the root ends, we will take it in a big strainer and wash thoroughly.... at least 7-8 times! There is hidden dust particles.

Let all the water drain. Heat mustard oil in a wok and fry the peanuts at very low heat for a minute, take out. 

Temper the oil with the nigella seeds, minced garlic and a halved dry red chilli. 

Once the minced garlic turns light brown, add the thinly chopped, washed red amaranth leaves and add to the wok.

Add very little salt and turmeric, stir and cover.

It will release a lot of water, let it cook for 8-10 minutes at low heat. After that open cover and cook. 

When it is about to dry, just 3-4 minutes before taking down.... add the slitted green chillies and peanuts. Add salt if only it is required!

Once dry, stir well and take down. I never dry it totally as is done at many homes... so named it "ghonto" and not "bhaja".... 

We always have it with steamed rice, you can try with ruti / chapati too!

CHIRER MISHTI / BEATEN RICE SWEET / POHA MITHAI

CHIRER MISHTI / BEATEN RICE SWEET / POHA MITHAI..... You see I am desperately trying to seek attention of big brother Google who considers me as its step sister... However disheartening the realisation is... we have to accept that not many will type CHIRER MISHTI while searching for a recipe of sweet ..... The phrase "beaten rice sweet recipes" may help a bit I felt.... There are thousands of food bloggers around.... if you have not earned  some fame in the field in your own right, you have to struggle to be seen.... Though I blog for my own pleasure, I definitely would love my recipes to be read and done. Given a fair option, I would stop doing the boring and time consuming exercise "ghanta pujo" any time.... For a person like me who hates to think, observe or keep pleasing every other person, who is hyper sensitive ... its definitely a pain... I very much wish to be happy with the spaces I "own"! Anyway, it also hurts to know and accept that Bengal does not feature much in the world map.... the quicker we accept it and work harder to get ourselves to be valued, better is for us. Off course, a Tagore, a Ray Family, The Bose families.... scientist and freedom fighters, a Swami Vivekananda and a few others are our pride but is that all?.... Isn't our dirty, pinching habit self destructive? No one stops us to take pride in ourselves but why should we do it hurting other's sentiments? I strongly believe those who do it... only prove that they suffer from a "sense of failure"..... I definitely feel sad when in the western world... Indian food is synonymous with Idli / Dosa and Butter Chicken / Naan.... not Luchi / Mishti Polao / Maacher Jhol! Then why should I not work towards getting my lost pride back instead of  bashing the other communities?

 I hate this practice of abusing people which does not fall under the category of "healthy jokes".... I just unfollowed certain page for this very reason.... they are / it is doing a nonsensical job of "targeting people, their sentiments".... I better follow poets, painters, classy writers and even sports news.... haha... I am happy that the husband does not have his eyes fixed much on the social media, I am also happy with my silly, little brother who does not even browse social media during his office hours. That makes him the blue-eyed boy of his office... gets him yearly awards... Didibhai is happy but not utmost.... I always feel he did not make full use of his potential.... I would have been extremely unhappy had he been seen in social media every five minutes.... that is his sister's job... haha... She has learnt a lot in these few years though .... that it is not necessary to respond to every share, neither it is required to expect others to stop by my posts.... I post what I wish to... if it attracts people... they will stop by... else no problem.... That gives me a feeling of immense liberty and pleasure! CHIRER MISHTI  share is to say that I take pride in my Bengali origin... BEATEN RICE SWEET / POHA MITHAI denotes that I am desperately trying to reach more people... beyond a region or a particular country.....  to tell people with a "bad" mouth that it  does not add to your quality! I just cannot get along with indecency! There is no wrong if people do not read, write, sing, dance! They must be tired working hard in their own business house all day long... checking the accounts at 10 pm .... they have no time to pinch others and say "robi thakurer naam tao janena".... I am off course proud of myself... I read Robi Thakur, Munshi Premchand or Amrita Pritam with same interest.... my English would not have been poor had I read more of English Literature .... off course its a drawback just as irritating is to hear a Bengali in Bengal saying "you know my son / daughter had been to a convent all through, so does not know it well!" What is that? I repent that our son forgot to read Bengali... We tried in our initial days here but he was not ready to take the labour. This post of not at all common but tastes heavenly Bengali kind of sweet CHIRER MISHTI / BEATEN RICE SWEET / POHA MITHAI  is to say I am a Bengali who wishes to be called a cosmopolitan, who loves the way her friends Nishi Pulugurtha / Rupsha Chaterjee or those ladies who work with me in the same league write! 

What else does this post say? .... that this uberly cosmopolitan island does not entertain any kind of religious extremism.... that a fresh cauliflower will have greenish stems.... If I am not blogging.... I do not take care of the food photo much... this lady who loves black and white all over her home did not really understand what was the need to associate the "red dot" with "gorer mala to jobar chora or big red establishments".... The "red dot" has it all.... church / mosque / temple.... there is no fight here.... By the way, I had my sister like friend, a muslim woman's birthday yesterday.... so you know I am always right 😁😀! I love my brother, husband, son but they have to wait for a meat share... that does not effect our relationship! This BEATEN RICE SWEET can be called as global as an Amitabha Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri or Amartya Sen.... the latter spends every winter in Shantiniketan ... yet it is so wrong to bind him within a region!

This CHIRER MISHTI / BEATEN RICE SWEET / POHA MITHAI has been sourced from a nostalgia... Bengalis would remember the "chirey gurer mondo" during special prayers. This is a development from there with addition of khoya / mawa / solidified milk and paneer / Indian cottage cheese / chena made at home. I used a bit of red sugar too besides the powdered sugar... then thought lets keep red and black / white aloof today... My wish.... yep! The idea of the title may have been hired from the lady who blogs @ My Tryst With Food and Travel.... she is diligent... perhaps this way we can reach more people... Not so famous people have to hire ideas, explore new avenues and I do not even know how to use key words... imagine 😱! That is the reason you know why I am not fond of people like me giving big talks... "mukhe maritong jogot"does not help you grow or contribute a bit to the society. Take the example of our or say the husband's core group buddy... his friend of 43-44 years... that bald headed, yesteryear Sunny Deol.... he got a first class in masters... a rank holder in the Calcutta University but he decided to do business... very unlikely of the "sweat hater" Bengalis in general.... Then he is the nephew of the Peerless Group head SK Roy and the son of another notable businessman.... "mesho"/ uncle did the furnishing of our Kolkata bedroom in such a way that it will never spoil and are  inbuilt.... we cannot even take them when we leave.... Oh yes! the husband's wife is superfluous and demanding.... if she has to go back, she wishes for a flat with terrace from builders as excellent as the "Mani Group".... Anyway, this guy... some Roy... decided to go for business and his very Bengali Mother... our Khuku Mashi fainted every one hour and developed multiple diseases! To do a business was supposedly a cake walk for him but he decided not to join the family business.... not willing to take any mercy from his father and uncle.... he started with that "Tulika" Cake shop.... gifted an amazingly yum ice-cream cake treat to our guests on our marriage and then gradually moved to automobile business solely depending on his sweat, yet far from his uncle's success.... How does it matter? ... Our own sweat tastes very sweet... not salty... I can feel it after a 8k walk. My man repents every weekend perhaps that his friend did not flourish that much compared to his immense potential. When some say that he is too business minded while in chair... I say that he is here to do business... not charity! You will see me / us at Shyambazaar More @ his showroom on our each visit! You should not try to be friends with him.... his mouth is a "dirty drain" .... you cannot take, we are seasoned!.... Once, while I was at his shop, he called my man stationed at this island and said something that could cause the latter heart attack... then my husband is too indulgent about few people.... I told that guy.... enough.... you will not comment on my public posts.... In fear I perhaps unfriended him!.... Chandrayee  tolerates though.... What is friendship?... this.... I did not severe ties..... he cracks jokes but does not abuse people or hurts sentiments.... I have seen what friendship is.... so value it and definitely is not jealous of anyone having similar ties.... 

In friendship, we give each other and do not calculate! It depends on who you consider more closer to you.... You see.... I am having unpolished rice these days... rest of the three eat basmati.... What I do is prepare my rice for 2-3 days at one go.... I try to eat less carb... you know! The rice packet does not mean that I am trying to cross boundaries and play cricket with people I am not meant to.... I play with all only in the blogging world and we should.... we must tirelessly try to take our blog forward.... In real life I will not do that! Yes.... I like some unknown people whose face say... "see I do not have any 'pyachghoch' inside".... I like people who do not fancy social media unlike me..... but I respect "hierarchy of relationship" too much.... so not a meat but a sweet or a beverage or a cake is just perfect to enjoy today! I may be wrong but I will stick to what I feel! I am willing to prepare this soft and fluffy pandan chiffon cake.... we love... its light on the stomach! As of the matta rice... its bit of chewy... but I prefer unpolished rice these days! Ipsita keeps on pestering... "denounce white, processed food S.".....

his Bengali style sweet CHIRER MISHTI / BEATEN RICE SWEET / POHA MITHAI has very less sugar added to it as this family prefer lightly sweet dessert.... It is made with beaten / flattened rice, solidified milk / mawa / khoya, chena / paneer / Indian cottage cheese!

How are my home grown orchids?

My seabass with mustard sauce / bhetki maacher jhal and chichinge chingri / snakegourd with prawns  got updated yesterday.... this family bonds over mutton but there was some yogurt chicken yesterday enjoyed with luchi... I had luchi with mango pickle and one neck piece... no... males at this home are not patriarch!.... I only love oriental style chicken or minced chicken kebabs or Thai chicken soups... Well, I made an orange cake long back and blogged about it and then no oranges were used in a cake in these 3 years... Gosh! I have to... today this poor baker shares the old one... click the link / heading for the recipe....

ORANGE FLAVOURED SPONGE CAKE [EGGLESS]

INGREDIENTS : [for chena / paneer/ Indian cottage cheese]

Full Fat Fresh Milk : 500ml
Lemon Juice : 2-3tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for the mawa / khoya / semi-solidified milk]

Milk Powder : 1medium cup
Fresh Milk : 1/4small cup
Ghee : 2tbsp [clarified butter]

INGREDIENTS : [Final Shot]

Beaten / Flattened Rice : 1big cup
The Indian Cottage Cheese
The semi-solidified milk
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp
Powdered Sugar : 1/2small cup
Ghee : 11/2tsp
Milk Powder : 2tbsp
Chopped Pistachios or Almonds to garnish.
Love : Unlimited 


PROCEDURE :

Take the fresh milk on a heavy bottomed vessel. Switch on gas and bring to boil. Add the lemon juice little by little while we keep stirring the milk. As the milk curdles, switch off gas.

Take a strainer, place a piece of cloth atop. Pass the curdled milk through it.

Now we will tie the piece of cloth well and hang on the kitchen tap.

Let the excess water drain.... after an hour.... untie and transfer the cottage cheese / paneer to a plate.

For the mawa / solidified milk, take the ghee, milk powder, fresh milk in a coffee mug and mix well. Microwave the mixture at high for 2-3 minutes pausing and stirring every 30 seconds. Once done, pour onto the paneer.

When the mawa is cooling, take the beaten rice in a bowl.

Wash two times and pass it through a strainer.

Transfer to the plate. Take 3-4 green cardamoms in a mortar and pestle. This gives better flavour than a powder.... hence... Coarsely ground!

Add the ground green cardamom and powdered sugar to the plate, later I added some red sugar they serve with appam... you may skip! Add 11/2tsp ghee too!

Now we have to mash all the ingredients together pretty well for 10-12 minutes.

We get a lusciously creamy sweet mixture.

Set the sweet mix on a box. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours.

Take out and garnish with chopped pistachios. Enjoy with your family and friends!

TOFU BHURJI STUFFED PARATHA

It's raining, no big deal.... It rains here throughout year; more between October and February.... The good news is my Bori / Dal Vadi / Sun Dried Lentil Balls sustained rain, didn't dampen, spoil. India can't think of making bori except in winters. I remember now 90 year old veteran used to make them in bulk during winter, store for entire year.... Her terrace was filled with bori, pickle and what? "sheyoi".... it is made from a special variety of rice paste that she strained through a "jali", special kind of strainer, dried under sun.... once dried it was stored, fried, served with evening tea.... No shops in Kolkata sold it.... since we lived for 19 years in rented home, our mother didn't have liberty to use the terrace! What did I discover last month? An YouTube Channel owner named Shalini Vyas, shared same! I got excited, commented "Shalini, our grandma made it"! This girl is one of few strangers whose friend's request I accepted.... I like her channel which has recipes with simple ingredients...... Its ShalinisKitchen.... We don't stop by each other regular, neither she liked my page, yet I liked her Channel... I ain't Shylock to calculate at all time... I do not accept all requests, I am not a people pleaser to go, like posts I dislike, don't find necessary just to prove how nice I am!... I love my near blind eyes way bit, most of the time it is "what meets my eyes".... I am opposed to grouping.... Not always I would take liberty to like posts that caught my fancy, for various reasons!

What did I start with? Well the weather here... it is dry, not humid; hence my "boris" bloomed in wok! The morons, my men didn't praise, they never! Applauds come from Ipsita, Soumya ... food containers visit their home, they travel back filled.... I ask not to. It's pleasure cooking for others. Appraisal comes from one Sanak Chottopadhay, an excellent cook and human being I often talk about ... he occupies a part of my heart, an honest guy... whose life is dedicated to office, home, daughter's education, future career.... he doesn't think of his own pleasure... anyway more about him on salmon, mutton posts! His woman is a pretty danseuse! 

What to say about my men? Their indifference towards my passion for cooking and blogging irritates. I shouldn't have sweated making TOFU BHURJI STUFFED PARATHA last night. I am miserable at stuffed parathas, learning to be good. Someone came home at 10:30 pm at night, yet I made! One can't expect best of both worlds... wife doesn't wish to see him stagnate at one place, her demands are different.... the reason she is unhappy with her brother.... he gifted her stress-free life though ... the responsible son loves paratha... but tofu? His mother will serve some chicken, aloor dum alongside. His woman is great roti-paratha-chana maker. My agenda today is to say Hi to an unknown gentleman as an "Indian" feeling safe, hale, hearty in a foreign land!

Tofu is an acquired taste for Indians, Bengalis! I used all available spices, made it as per our taste... the locals would enjoy too, they love murtabak, I see them often at Parathawala chain... Southern Indian restaurants having rasam, at Jaggi's & other Northern Indian eateries. Who would represent Eastern India?... We would, not always....not when attempts are made to limit you to a particular region! I am from Kolkata, love Mumbai may be because some dear people live there, for its vibrance. I love development actually.

On Tofu post, I can talk about Partha & Madhuchanda Dey, not about Shailen & Suparna Rudra... the latter would stab! Shailen is a master mariner, migrated from Bangladesh in 1986...brother to my man. We used to live within  a radius of 500 mt. in Kolkata, we bond over Ilish and "nodir tatka maach". Sailen's only request to me was not to feed him paneer, soybean; he considers Mac meal as "shondhyar jolkhabar"... says "aguli khaiya ghumaitey parum na".... He travelled world with accented English heading 35-40 crews of different nationalities! His wife... who happens to be a little sister... migrated from Barisal some 15 years back once married, struggles with her two young boys in Mumbai... driving them to school, driving with them to wet market... everywhere... in Mumbai she cannot afford four helps like in Kolkata! There is nothing called "I do not know".... I do not know science because I did not wish to learn... 

Leave them... today I wished to convey a Thank You note to people of this island for their sense of decency! I was caught in rain yesterday morning while at walk, I met a man in a deserted road who offered me help. I was wet, his looks didn't make me feel awkward! I can't risk this in Kolkata, not anywhere in my motherland! I am thankful; can't prepare seaweed-cabbage soup with tofu.... I love but have responsibility of feeding my hungry men. 

I have to show love to people who may have felt left out the previous day.... I do not have a brain that works at jet speed... I don't know how much of justice I did doing TOFU BHURJI STUFFED PARATHA served with salad, chilli pickle, sauce! I made some silly clicks even in rain, iPhones are truly great... mine got wet yesterday, still working... see those "jamrul" have grown big, I tasted one as well.... in another week or two they would be full grown.... Waiting for some drumsticks hanging at my arm's length!

You are not me, you need not have "til-badamer takti", cookie with teh-o-kosong after walk, before entering gym for some free hand exercise... thereafter one big paratha for dinner doesn't help! Be wise, stop being my friend... for your own benefit! I will still share this breakfast / lunch / dinner platter for you all...We prefer our parathas little overdone.... I feel worked up doing stuffed parathas!

INGREDIENTS : [for filling]

Tofu : 350gm
Green Chilli : 2-3medium [chopped]
Fresh Coriander Leaves : 2-3tbsp [chopped]
Cumin Seed : 1/4tsp
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp

Corn Flour : 1 tbsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 1 tbsp

INGREDIENTS : [for dough]

Refined Flour : 1coffee mug
Whole Wheat Flour : 1/2coffee mug
Oil : 1tbsp
Salt : As Required

INGREDIENTS : [Final Step]
The Dough
The Tofu Filling
Oil : 1 tsp for each paratha
Tawa / Griddle, Rolling Pin & Base, Ladle / khunti😀

You can try stuffed flatbreads with following fresh chutney too!

INGREDIENTS : [for the coconut-green chilli-lemon juice chutney]

Shredded Coconut : 1medium cup
Green Chilli : 1medium
Lemon Juice : 2-3tbsp
Sugar : 1/2tsp
Black Salt : 1/4tsp


PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the chutney first. Take all the ingredients mentioned together in a blender.

Blend at high for two minutes pausing every 1 minute. We are done. Transfer to bowl, refrigerate until served! Coconut spoils quick!

Let us prepare tofu bhurji / scramble.

Scramble tofu, chop coriander leaves and green chillies, wash.

Heat oil in wok, temper with cumin seeds, add washed, chopped green chillies, turmeric powder, salt.

Fold in, stir for 2-3 minutes, add spice powders! Fold in well, cook for 4-5 minutes, add cornflour, stir cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add washed, chopped coriander, stir for a minute. Our filling is ready, we will transfer it to a bowl to cool.

Let us prepare the dough now which is nothing but our normal paratha dough. 

Take flours, salt in a bowl, rub for 2-3 minutes. Add oil!

Add water little by little, knead to make a dough. The kneading requires 5-8 minutes of our effort!

Remove cover from dough. Knead again for 2 minutes. 

Tear off portions, smoothen between palms. Dust ball, roll out round, place stuffing. Bring together, close tight.

Dust stuffed ball, roll out pressing lightly.

Heat griddle / tawa. Place one stuffed paratha at a time. Cook both sides well.

Brush oil, roast brown paratha.Turn over, brush other side with oil, roast brown.

Enjoy with your favourite chutney, sauce and salads....