GARAM MASALA NOODLES

Someone at home is not in a great spirit since yesterday night!.... Even the wife got concerned looking at the hopeless face of Messi... after all she did accompany her father to different playgrounds in Kolkata for a football or a cricket match... if not often but at times! The brother was / is a sports lover, not me! After school, I stopped!... There after I took interest only in college, friends and all the cinema halls in the Hathibagan area.... and at times to Hind, Globe, Light House, New Empire! Wasn't it in front of the Radha Cinema Hall that I, Chandrayee, Tanushree, perhaps Lena Ghosh were caught trying to get in to watch a "A"marked movie by the now husband T? We did not have Gautam Mukherjee as a body guard that day! This guy got hold of us and asked what we were doing there? He used to give private tuition to the brother then... I got scared that he may tell the mother... and our venture remained unfulfilled! Lena went in perhaps, she is Dr. Lena Ghosh now, teaches Bengali at a college but remains the same naughty.... a mouth that needs to be sealed! 

However, I was too broken when one of my heartthrob .... who is now perhaps a reader at the Calcutta University... Professor Dipankar Sinha was seen at the ticket counter of the New Empire Theatre Hall to watch a "J" series movie! Sir joined our college as a 27 years old youngster, we were 20-21.... I got hooked towards him like few of my friends... I loved his teaching style and cried when he left us for a job at the Kalyani University.... One day, a friend who was his neighbour or knew him personally delivered me this message that Sir watches such movies with his friends... and S felt awful.... all of the love was gone! Haha, Sir was seen at Nandan  "chattar" more, still S had / has to remain S. At a later stage, I realised what I had for Sir is hero worship .... I loved him as a mentor / guide!.... I failed to realise he was a normal human being too! 

T many times tried to make me understand that all of us are humans, that we should accept people at face value, that each one of us are different from the other and we need not be perfect! Such a level headed person like T too looked broken yesterday.... and I must do something to boost his mood... say serving him and our boy a plateful of GARAM MASALA NOODLES! Besides, I do not have enough time to do some complex cooking.... we are going for a tour next weekend and I have my grey hairs to be covered, nails to be done, trim my eyebrows and "dari-gof", do some face job!... I thought of shedding few kilos too but that did not happen.... I am cooking recipes from my own blog, eating them too! I need to change the pictures which do not reflect me .... they should look like what I cook at least!.... the only thing I can!.... I am yet to give you a shocker! We will get our visas just seven hours before our flight..... the reason I always tell you not to follow this family in any matter... we are that way...

You see GARAM MASALA NOODLES is not something I wish to blog about though I do it often... my men prefer such kinds on their table.... I sweat way less in the kitchen this way.... I just have a mental block.... who will blog about a "jibh porano loti".... or "shorshe narkol potol" or a "beulir dal?"..... Beulir dal is a West Bengal thing.... I was born there and I am not really torn between "two Bangla".... I love Beulir Dal with Posto.... and if I cannot have posto... I will prepare a yum fritter for you all and my family and share a wonderful combo recipe. Today, let me do a khichdi / hotch potch share.... though I do not know why I am eager to be thrown out from this island. Do you think they will tolerate me after they see me adding "gorom moshola" to noodles? This recipe I sourced from someone 18 years back! Coming to that! 

Noodle was introduced to Bengali Middle Class Households perhaps in the mid 80's?.... Since then I love it.... be it mom made or at the streets of Kolkata or at the signature restaurants of Kolkata... If you ask me to be honest, I love the "benglified" or Indian Style Noodles way too much.... but our mothers did not add garam masala to a noodle dish ever.... neither did any chef of any restaurant in India... then where did this dumbo S derive this idea of GARAM MASALA NOODLES? S till now has worked in three different schools. She enjoyed working in the institution she joined first, worked their for 5 years and left 15 days prior to her marriage.... Although they paid me or the rest less than a daily wage labourer.... I loved being their every day.... I was young, I could work hard and I loved the trust, the faith they had on me... the importance and the freedom to work my way I got! Their declaration that this girl is the pillar of the primary section gave me a high!.... I enjoyed the convoy of parents encircling me each evening.... In the five years, only two-three parents questioned me on my method... "you are not generating the power of thinking in kids".... now I admit that my method is obsolete in the present day scenario.... but my kids then are engineers, doctors, teachers today.... I am thankful that learning by rote did not lead them to nowhere! Anyway, from there I joined a school in Belur.... Oh! God! Handling teens got to be tough! There I had a Punjabi colleague Namrata Negi, who also taught me to cook Bitter Gourd with chilli-mustard sauce! I remember her of all because of their three sisters... the middle one who was a senior nurse at the Liluah Hospital won 25 lakhs in Kaun Banega Crorepati.... So, Namrata ... the youngest used to feed me cooked at home ladoo, mustard green sabzi. While in this island, I had some South Indian colleagues who treated me with mango rice to meen curries! Back then, I loved catching an early morning 56 / 56A bus from Dunlop More and cross Dakhineshwar & Belur Math all five days of a week... I am a Hindu... I will remain that but without targeting other's belief or faith!.... Our parents did not bring us up that way! Anyway, I lost the job in two years because I got pregnant before the completion of the initial contract period.... ugh! I still cannot forget the pain of losing "korkorey panch hazaar takar note" every month.... which was a good amount for an useless me in 1999! I totally got out of the track, busy bringing up my new born! 

Now that I am in the food world,  I think I should blog about a GARAM MASALA NOODLES that I have learnt from that girl...I have warm feelings for the people of this island but let me keep it vegan & vegetarian going after Namrata! I do not know why Indian doctors are not happy about having noodles as a healthy food options.... its same as rice! People of this island are far more healthier and have a higher longevity compared to an average Indian.... they work till 85! I am not well read, what I do is... I try to add a lot of vegetables to the noodle dishes.... broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, beans, carrot.... It helps or not... we enjoy! I love the crunch of spring onions atop anything! We can add tofu or paneer too.... so that there is less intake of carb filled noodles.... In fact how does it matter if we are having it once a week?

Anyway, the Bengali-at-heart me always gives a "congo to Banga".... so I have to provide the recipe links for my vegetarian stuffed pointed gourd and ridge gourd-eggplant-sun dried lentil veggies  attached to this post! Do them for sure, you will love!.... They are with updated pictures now.... I did a fair job I think! Do click the below links for the individual recipes!

POTOLER NIRAMISH DORMA [PANEER STUFFED POINTED GOURD]

DUDH BORI DIYE JHINGE BEGUNER JHOL / A LIGHT CURRY WITH RIDGE GOURD AND EGG PLANT

INGREDIENTS :

Noodle : 300-400 gm
Garam Masala : 1 1/2 tsp [I use store bought.... but freshly made at home will give better flavour and taste]
Vinegar : 2 tbsp

Chopped Tomato : 1 medium sized
Chopped Green Chilli : 1 tsp [I ran out of it]
Red, Green, Yellow Bell Pepper : 1/2 of a medium sized of each.... cut into strips [I used only the green variety]
Minced Garlic : 1tsp
Cubed Onion : 2-3tbsp
Salt : As Required
Black Pepper Powder : 1tsp

Oil : 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp

METHOD :

Half fill a medium sized, deep bottomed vessel with supreme hot water. Add some salt and 1/2 tsp of oil. Break the noodle cakes into half & immerse! Rest for 2-3 minutes. Strain and keep in the strainer for 5-10 minutes to discard all the water.

We would be needing the following for the noodle dish; bell peppers cut in to strips, cubed onions, chopped tomato, chopped green chillies[I did not], minced garlic, black pepper powder, lemon juice[I did not], Garam Masala powder, vinegar, soy sauce, ! 

All the vegetables should be cleaned and washed before using we know.

Heat the oil in a pan or wok and temper with the minced garlic. As the minced garlic turns light brown, add the tomato pieces! Stir cook for 3-4 minutes & add the onion cubes. Quick stir at high heat for a minute! 

Add the cut bell peppers, the Garam Masala powder, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, black pepper powder and stir at high heat for 3-4 minutes!

Add the boiled noodles and fold in well! We are done! Serve & have hot, do not forget your chai-coffee! Our son would have his chilled drinks!