Before I start with anything, tell me how do people manage their homes without a help? I am a desi and in this matter.... a true heart one.... I need others' help to manage mine. I have no qualms in admitting this and I will not take any big talk from anyone in this matter....... Cristine is as prime in my life as is Shiprar Maa to my mother.... or was our Shibani Mashi or Paraner Maa Dida .... the latter two worked for us in DumDum for many years.... the spinster Shebang Mashi went mad when we shifted to Barrackpore and still visits our home.... yearly once!! I do not blame the mother-in-law if she enquires me about my household .... a mother's heart it is after all.... after marriage she told me on a couple of occasions not to ask my husband to do any work at home, she herself however gets a free bed & breakfast to dinner service 24/7 from her husband ... her mother-in-law too complained to me.... haha! While so many people.... virtual & real applauds my way of offering the Almighty, she never admits.... although she knows I am a far better homemaker than her... I have proved it!
You see, I do not care who thinks what of me.... I just do what I feel like.... It feels good that the men are at home today.... I made some luchi and served them with the 'aloor dum'.... The brother sent a video of their celebration yesterday... the couple was enjoying with fire crackers, decorated their home with "tuni light".... while their mother was doing a video shoot.... a lady who has not learnt to send a message till date... I scold her... "mani, I remember our P reading from Julius Ceasar during your B.ed. examination... who will say that you taught in a school once?".... The bottomline is that one must remain engaged in fruitful activities.... I totally forgot Kant, Hegel.... whatever I had learnt... and then I release all my frustration on the husband... "Instead of marrying you, I should have taken up the job of that part-time lecturer...."... whats the point? He stopped gifting me Poison, Chanel, Swarovski everything.... and this girl Roshni sends pictures of jewelries everyday.... uff... Then, I make life beautiful in one way or the other... I was singing while doing some luchi from the leftover dough of yesterday.... "labhe story" was the film.... we were in school then and this kinds is one reason for my academic career getting jeopardised.... To all the teenagers.... Life is not a Bollywood movie.... go watch the movie "Love Story".... enjoy it and forget all about it once you step out of the movie hall.... Do not ever be as silly as this fat old lady who messed up with real and Bollywood... a stupid day dreamer that she is.... but she sings all day in that horrible voice... that keeps her happy!
Let me treat you with this WHOLEWHEAT JAGGERY BANANA HALWA.... as a compensation. I was thinking not to write today as the men are at home.... but its a friend's birthday! You should be nice to people who stood up for you in your absence.... moreover, I like people who are bold.... unlike me! Do not worry, I have some king fish steak spicy curry to serve the men for lunch. I do not wish to hurt my friends down South.... I marinated them for hours, cooked spicy... yet it smelled! This home balances relationships... they loved the king fish.... I will enjoy a dosa, idli anytime. The husband loves upma, the son will not touch any type of halwa! If I go by his preference, I have to cook meat and prawns everyday and do a crash course on sushi-sashimi making. When do I day dream then?
I am actually not in speaking terms with the men at home. The senior called this WHOLEWHEAT JAGGERY BANANA HALWA.... concentrated 'sinni'.... I completed the prayer and served them lunch yesterday at 4pm... they did not utter a word.... so they are good at heart actually... "king fish banta hai rey". The senior dropped me at the Ramakrishnan Mission and picked me up too but did not enter the temple... that hurts me.... well he does not give me conditions either. I got the "prasadam" packet for them as dinner... though they cannot get the taste of our kind of "khichuri".... I got that lotus flower from the mother's feet as a blessing... I caressed the son's body with it.... he accepted.... I tried it on the husband.... ahem! I am alive you see... the television remote control unit did not land on my forehead.... I was told that next time if I try any such thing I should be ready for the consequences. Each time I am threatened and I repeat doing it! Had the son being not influenced by the father, he would have assisted mumma to the temple.... It felt so good to see the families together at the venue yesterday... I was alone gathering food packets and answering people asking me where is T and the son.
Whatever, I must say that I loved this WHOLEWHEAT JAGGERY BANANA HALWA.... these Punjabi colleagues used to get that ghee smeared halwa to the school. I always prefer a non-Bengali style halwa over a Bengali 'sujir mohonbhog'.... I added jaggery and banana to the regular Indian dessert 'atta halwa'! You will like it.... preparing it is not that tough but we need to roast the wholewheat in ghee for sometime. I could not take stepwise pictures because it was part of an offering to the God yesterday and we cannot click pictures of what we are yet to offer the Almighty!
WHOLEWHEAT / ATTA : 1COFFEE MUG
GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 1MEDIUM CUP + 2TBSP
JAGGERY POWDER : 1/2SMALL CUP [I USE A CHEMICAL FREE ONE]
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
BANANA : 2MEDIUM SIZED [MASHED]
PISTACHIO OR ALMOND TO GARNISH
PROCEDURE :
Wash, peel and mash the bananas.
Heat 1 medium cup ghee / clarified butter in a wok and temper with slightly torn elaichi / green cardamoms / elach.
Add the atta / wholewheat and roast at low heat for about 5-6 minutes without allowing it to burn.
Add the jaggery powder and the mashed banana. Fold in well and stir for a minute or two.
Add 1/3 small cup water to the wok. Fold in well and keep stirring for a minute.
Add 2tbsp ghee / clarified butter and mix well.
Switch off gas and we are done!!
Transfer it to a serving bowl and garnish with dried fruits!
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