I sincerely felt I should go authentic Bengali today too.... if I feel that someone is trying to kiss me, I try to give it back. Then I thought I can do it later... may be tomorrow or a day after! Whatever I will be doing this week is for the Bengalis for our oncoming New Year Celebrations.... and why not? We are a cornered community in our own country... off course we ourselves are to be blamed for that... we lack the spirit of brotherhood.... we do not stand together against anything that try to weigh us down, and that our oiling habit irritates me... I have seen it during my stay in an upscale condominium there in Kolkata... and both sides came to know well that I was not a material to be cracked unless you are a very nice human being... The husband is more of a cosmopolitan, I am too although less of it... When it comes to any Bengali occasion, I become a true heart Bong because I can see, I can feel the discrimination. Why do I go and spend hours in a Bangladeshi shop? They are more of a Bengali than the Bengalis of India.... From Greece to Bahargaon to UK, they at least try to sell "maach bhaat" competing with the dishes from the happening states of India.
I have nothing against the other states of India... we together make the country.... but why should Indian Food be identified with only Idli, Dosa, Butter Chicken in the world? We are to be blamed for that, we give big talks sitting at home, we are not at all a hardworking community. I love idli, dosa, uttapam, I do eat butter chicken, chicken bharta and feel that they prepare a common curry and then add different cuts of chicken to it, the dals and breads are way better. My family does enjoy all these Northern Indian Chicken Recipes or the Southern Indian Biryani Recipes.... but give me one reason why I should prepare a "beshan er mishti" and share it today or tomorrow, when I can see no one does it for us... If this is not discrimination, what is? I call those Bengali expats who do not visit a Bangladeshi shop a high nose, they are the major reason to push the Bengalis to earn this title... "Bangali.... Bissmrito Jati"..... However, I am that kind of a person who hates quarrels, arguments, who does not believe in joining lobbies , does not have any enmity with people outside of Bengal but my blog shares this week will only be in accordance with the Bengali tastebuds... I will ferociously be so during our major festivals and I think even if this chicken and rice main dish CHICKEN KEEMA RICE WITH CHICKEN KEEMA BALL is not Bengali, it suits their tastebud.
Chicken is not favourite with me anymore, I only enjoy few Oriental dishes with it and in minced form which does not feel as much inside the mouth. There are hundreds and thousands of keema rice recipes throughout the internet, I did not follow anyone. We need not follow anyone for these kind of rice and meat dishes unless we are associating some kind of history to it... like that particular Nawab's chief cook's recipe or of this Zamindar family .... I really do not wish to depend on the wiki for such kinds.... At times I wish to but when I consult ten recipes of the master chefs to the renowned home chefs, I see at least five different takes of the same dish. The solution is to sit in a library and do some research. "Sunil Babu sudhu modyopan korey Shei Shomoy ba Prothom Alo lekhen ni".... he did a lot of reading and research at the National Library! "Bot tolar boi amio chepey ditey pari S Debi namey, tomra kiney porbey, naki amar mon bhorbey?".... I think on my next visit to Iva Miss, I will pour in my heart, will tell her about the mistakes I did in selecting the subjects, how I lost focus! The nephew of SK Roy, the Peerless Group Head has something to say about how they reacted when Iva Miss read my essays in different classes ... he is a bad guy totally.... unable to avoid him however! Oh! Yes, I indeed wrote good Bengali essays in school according to her. Thereafter, I totally lost it and some dear friends including my husband felt very happy making an attempt to poison Iva Miss's ears talking about my failure. Till date her door is open to me.... she refuses, but feels happy when I gift her a saree or a handcrafted decorative item. My share today is a non vegetarian, chicken and rice mains CHICKEN KEEMA RICE WITH CHICKEN KEEMA BALL but it is true I wanted to share the recipe of a heirloom Bengali dish... I vividly remember I weeped a lot some seven years back when the son told me... "mumma, I find it difficult to read Bengali".... I am not a coercive parent, he eventually forgot although he can speak fluently... I say kudos to those Expat Bengalis whose kids can speak, read, write Bengali .... I know there are many! At least during our major celebrations, I will remain a loyal Bengali!
BASMATI RICE : 1COFFEE MUG
MINCED CHICKEN : 500GM
SLICED ONION : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 11/2TBSP
CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 1SMALL TEA CUP +2TBSP
TOMATO PASTE : 1/2SMALL TEA CUP
GINGER PASTE : 1TSP
GARLIC PASTE : 1TBSP
CHAAT MASALA : 1TBSP
GARAM MASALA : 2TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP + 1/2TSP
STAR ANISE : 2
BLACK CARDAMOM : 1
GREEN CARDAMOM : 3-4
CLOVES : 3-4
CINNAMON STICK : 3-4
SALT : AS REQUIRED
LEMON JUICE : 2-3TBSP
CORNFLOUR : 2TBSP
OIL : 1SMALL TEACUP [WE CAN REUSE THE LEFTOVER]
PROCEDURE :
Prepare the rice until 60% done, take down and strain immediately. I do not know what we are eating in the name of Basmati.... hybrid long grain or what!
Wash and marinate the minced chicken with lemon juice and little salt. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then drain the water that has released.
Add 1/2tsp turmeric, the chaat masala, the red chilli powder, 2tbsp chopped coriander, salt only if required.
Mix well and keep aside for 15 minutes. Thereafter, take off half the amount and keep in another bowl. There should not be any marinade in this, retain that in the other half. Add the cornflour to it.
Shape into small balls. Heat 1small tea cup oil in a wok and fry the balls in batches.
Take out and reserve. Take 4 tbsp oil in a pan or wok and temper with the whole spices mentioned in the ingredients section.
Add the sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Add the chopped green chillies and fry for 1/2 a minute.
Add the ginger and garlic paste, and stir for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add the garam masala and turmeric powder, some salt and stir for 1 more minute. Add the minced chicken now.
Mix well and cook it covered for 7-8 minutes. We are ready to add the cooked rice.
Add the rice and use 2 ladles to incorporate everything well. We will do it at medium heat and gently enough to avoid breaking the rice grains.
After, 3-4 minutes of folding in everything well, we will add the meatballs.
Gently stir for some 2 minutes and add 1small tea cup of chopped coriander. Fold in well.
We are done! Transfer to a bowl. I also cooked some "luchi" and "dimer kasha" to complete the platter. "poila boishakh" ke "ekla boishakh" hotey dekha koshter boro!
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