CURRY AND SPICE: 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!