KOLAR BORA IN APPE PAN

I am calling it a magic pan these days and gradually learning to use it better. How amazing it is to wake up in the morning, ask Cristine to chop some vegetables... mix them with few ingredients, warm half teaspoon oil in the moulds, pour the batter and done.... wow! I consider the makers of it  engineers .... and truly so. For a Bengali, that too a primitive one, it is quite obvious to learn about an "appe" pan this late in life. If I have known, I will make full use of it. I mean I am eager to try different combinations of batter in it.... even some 'doi bora'! The mildly sweet snack KOLAR BORA IN APPE PAN was a venture day before.... see what I made this morning... semolina-yogurt appe... just loving the crisp outside and soft inside texture... and the hint of green chilli in it is just awesome... Ever since I have started blogging... I get to see people cooking in this moulded pan... I never took interest until when I met the veteran Hindi teacher of this island Chitra Gupta ma'am at her place... loved the quiet conversation with semolina "appe" and "masala chai"... 

Have I turned really old inside too? I do not know.... when the earphones are at work... I am that 16 year old teen till date.... when it comes to judgements and all... I am totally into the shoes of one Susan John... one of the best Social Studies teacher I came across... I know it is not good to be judgemental... the best way to express your displeasure over anything is distancing yourself.... who am I to judge anyone?.... I am just trying to teach this to myself... "Susan ma'am is rigid".... that had been the complain of the younger brigade at the place where I used to work.... She used to scold me too for browsing the net during the breaks .... but I always looked up to her.... five years back I did not know what made me fond of her.... today, I know deep inside I am a miniature Susan John.... I should not be.... I need to be a bit open-minded .... unable to be... I am totally into myself... experimenting with food... roaming around the island.... enjoying it too. 90% of group discussions do not make happy.... I find myself unable to discuss people in their absence, discuss other's bedroom stories.... neither can I expect people to talk music & food with me all the time...

Respecting a Susan ma'am does not mean I keep a Anindita Goswami or a Rita Banerjee at far. If you wish to see the real life Aunty Acid, you must meet the MCA Graduate from Jadavpur University, a mathematics teacher here ... you must! The mother of an engineer son and of a daughter doing final years at Symbiosis, Pune... she was seen wearing an off-shoulder in the Indian locality one day.... and how this nut screamed from a taxi... "tumi eshob porcho naki... facebook e diona".... I do not know why I had to make such a comment... This lady follows some of the who's who of Bengali Food Blogging world.... ok also the poor me.... but the question is that why so?.... she hates cooking. Okay, Rita di is a veteran English teacher in the island... mother of two boys who is wasting her talent being stationed at one place for ages... a place with a poor infrastructure and pay package. She is a citizen, proud owner of may be a 3000 sq.ft. flat here that houses a pool table and a pup... a boy or a girl... I forgot... Does she get angry when I speak of "shamya baad".... she should not.... I also do not hesitate to applaud in people what I do not have. If they have come to my mind... we need to sit together, its being long we have not. I do not miss that workplace, but I do miss my colleagues there ... it is from the Southern Indians there that I have developed a love sort of for mango & tamarind rice... I tasted a "gatta curry" or  a "churma" from the Northern Indians .... a Priti Taneja prepares the best "atta halwa"... the teacher with two daughters writes, owns a blog and I am unable to hit a like on her anecdotes. If you get to meet a Noopur Somani at any marathon meet there in the bahargaon... she will in few months... do not talk about food... the sincere runner is always on a strict diet. For all of the above, a healthy vegetarian snack as this KOLAR BORA IN APPE PAN.

Now the authentic Bengalis including my brother are willing to unfollow my blog... "tui ki Bangalitto harali naki?".... No baba, when I share with you tomorrow the picture of a 7 kg of weight 'Katla' I bought yesterday... you will know I have not.... eagerly looking forward to a mutton share on Monday. I am just trying to respect people's feelings... the Dol Purnima / Holi fervour is still on... What did I do yesterday?... tried to sing to the husband some romantic numbers over phone just to hear the phone to be disconnected in a minute. I save them on my voice recorder. Bored with salmon, seabass and prawns, I went to my favourite Bangladeshi shop yesterday... spotted the fresh, big 'katla maach' that came from the neighbouring state..... the husband loves it... son will eat too the "peter piece" following his father....  I do not know when to finish all of  the 43 pieces.... we have not called any guest either. 

S is a miser who got a 7kg weight 'katla' because it is the cheapest fish in this island. I will not share the pictures today for obvious reasons. You see, it is important to go out of our native places at least for few years... we learn other cultures and should preserve our own too. Yesterday's lunch was biryani instead of a chaat... I can break Holi rules... Bengalis eat non-vegetarian on the special occasions ... although my mother does not... felt happy to see her playing with colours alongside her mad son and okay ... younger daughter... Feared of me, they will not make the "ghostly" pictures public... My side of the family forces to eat vegetarian food on occasions. It was because I ate double the amount of biryani rice yesterday than I usually eat... I got scared... I had "dal sheddo, ucche begun bhaja, bhindi sheddo, maach" for dinner .... I was not willing to have the fish but it had to be done with yesterday.

Today too I may not have rice the entire day.... at night may be it will be two tiny "ruti with chicken and dal, bhindi sheddo".... I love rice and all this drama makes me very unhappy... Had I have eaten a bit healthy and exercised a bit while in Kolkata, I would not have been caught with diabetes... a lifestyle disease! I continue to live but... The meat-o-phobic, fish-a-holic teen who vowed "hawaayein jahan bhi le jaye main chal padungi... hamein jina hain".... the 48 year old got home an appe / moulded pan in line with that... I wish to live... I must... I cannot quit eating what I love either. KOLAR BORA IN APPE PAN is made with few ingredients... a must do in your kitchen... did this Bengali ever imagine a kolar bora / banana fritters or say a mini malpua can be done in half tablespoon of oil? Have overripe bananas at home? Tired of banana cakes?... try this!

INGREDIENTS :

BANANA : 2MEDIUM SIZED
REFINED FLOUR : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
RICE FLOUR : 1/2 MEDIUM TEA CUP
SEMOLINA : 2TBSP
YOGURT : 1/3COFFEE MUG
SHREDDED COCONUT : 1/2SMALL TEA CUP
SUGAR : 2TBSP [I USED SUGAR FREE ALTERNATIVES OF SAME AMOUNT]
FENNEL SEED : 11/2TSP
BAKING SODA : A PINCH
OIL : 1/2TSP FOR EACH FRITTER [LATER I FELT GHEE WOULD HAVE GIVEN IT A NICER FLAVOUR]

PROCEDURE :

Peel off the banana skins and take them on a bowl. Make sure you washed them before peeling.

To it add the refined flour, rice flour, semolina. Mix well.

Add the shredded coconut & yogurt now and fold in very well. There should not be any lump. Add little water only if required for a paste like consistency.

Add the sugar and fennel seeds. Fold in well and keep covered for an hour. The standing time is important.

Before we start cooking them... add the baking soda and mix well.

Place an appe pan on high heat. After a minute, grease each mould with 1/2 tsp oil. Let it warm.

Better use an ice-cream scoop or a round spoon for taking and placing the batter correctly in each mould. Lower the heat to minimum before doing that.

Cristine turns them more confidently, while maam prepares some  'aloo-potol diye katlar jhol' for her too! Okay, try my minimal oil mini malpua or kolar bora in your kitchen and enjoy them fresh & hot.