OVEN E SHEMAI ER BORA

Another error turned onto a superbly tasted vegetarian snack .... ain't I greattttt? I am, but alas I cannot be a Greta Garbo... The father was a fan, perhaps so making their daughter physically fit was their dream. That obviously never came true and now the mother complains to the son-in-law how lazy and unfit I am till date, advices if I do ten laps in an hour, I can be hopeful about losing a kilo within a month. However, she is too indulgent about my wrong food habits. Mine is a sports enthusiast family, I being an exception ... food took over me just sometime after birth I think, else I would not have enjoyed tasting my brother's or the cousins' "Farex to Cerelac" later in life. No wonder, I would not discard the slightly over boiled rice vermicelli / shemai on that particular day, instead prepare this vegetarian snack OVEN E SHEMAI ER BORA. 

I have the belief that if you love food, you should be able to do justice to the ingredients you are using. Trial & Error definitely makes us more experienced. What can we learn from this error? We should roast vermicelli before boiling or we should get roasted vermicelli packets. I usually do either of the two, I do not know what went wrong on that particular day or it may be so even the almighty does not want me to quit fries and fritters. What I try these days is to use the bake or grill mode of our convection mode microwave just to avoid excess use of oil. That does not mean we do not eat deep fried pakora, on Saturday the mother prepared some "pui patar bora"...... having that along with deep fried "kechki maach" and mutton, the son is all smiles, but why is he smiling all the time?.. Because when his mother was scolding him for some other reason, he heard the grandmother saying "that smile is worth millions".. 

However, he is not a sports lover, at least not a cricket lover, look whats happening here this morning. The cricket lover went to sleep last night before the match was over, so requested the son-in-law to tune in to the channel, there will be a recorded telecast around 11am. If it does not rain, I will take her for a river cruise late this afternoon. The weird grandson will not agree to accompany us.

I am not allowing her to cook much, asked her to be happy with my God's household and try to enjoy the different kinds I cook. Like she loved the 'kaon chaler payesh' I cooked yesterday not following the handsome chef Ranveer Brar's recipe but deriving the idea from him, feels thankful! She asked for another serving with her breakfast.

Very recently I noticed there may be a politics with using tags too? As I always say that I did not do much homework before starting to blog, I do not study the surroundings, I was really surprised to see some big houses blocking me to post in their spaces in G + or may be in Face Book too few months back. I felt what could be the reason? Racism? My non association with the big shots? Me being a Bengali..... the ostracised community in India? that I vehemently refuse to join or entertain any kind of groupism? 

However, I continue to visit the MTR outlets and enjoy idli, utthapam, upma and do them at home too [crisply to the context]..... Then, I have a couple of good friends from different communities, I must stay strong with them and not count where they belong, the doctors in Vellore do miracles in Bengali bodies and give them new life too, no, doctors never do judge patients by their titles. I however get more firm on being an independent food blogger following a blogger friend Nava krishnan. I so like her stand in public. I fear mentioning names here either, I do not know who wants my association, who do not! Anyway, I must tell people how severely I dislike licking feet, I must make myself feel comfortable doing exactly what I want, politicised beings should also know I do not give in to anything that stinks... I will take the liberty to say that a famous, top listed blogger's food may not taste better than mine or my grandmother but yes they get an edge as they have the ability or will power to get into the "who's who groove", their intellect matters and I just cannot bake fabulous like some or do a designer "pitha" or click grand ..... but I will not cuddle you in the blog posts anymore because most of you are very much thankless in nature, absolutely so .... the famous shake hands with each other after eating a mango gifted from my garden shamelessly. 

My not so much of a friend mother-in-law always says "aamey-dudhe mish khai, pagar ati bhagarey jai".... I will go my way, doing so it may seem I have touched your hearts, so because I have no surveillance camera fitted in the brain, one need not get back to the minuscule me. Believe it if you may that I did not see "ghugu pakhir chobi" for a long time before my visit to the Lake Side Garden, so take it easy, I have no such interests..... the blog is just a space to pour in my heart..... Fame tastes good but I will not compromise for it, I may not have the necessary qualities to get it, I accept! Be you, I am not really seeking your attention, love, kisses. Again, as a blogger I will follow Nava Krishnan's footsteps..... we are independent candidates. All said and still not done, I gift you an amazingly tasty, vegetarian evening snack OVEN E SHEMAI ER BORA done in the microwave oven with rice vermicelli, boiled potatoes, chopped green chillies & coriander, onion, semolina, etc.

"nijer paye nijey kurul maro kikorey S? Bokara ormoni hoy zedi, lekhaporai dekhaley oboshyo kaajey dito! 'Pa..' asholey shototer protik chilen."

"Bangali ek atmaghati jati, shamashtitey bishash korena, jhar khabeyi united front der haathey.... Bollywood theke food world shob jaigai".... 'tarmodhya du ekta Bangalir naam ujjal dekhley kharap lagena amar.... tobey abhiman joma achey onek.... othabosha korer icchey nei tyamon.... agrohi der niye nachun, ami to achii ashe-pashey, nongrami chara shobeteyi achi"....

INGREDIENTS : 

RICE VERMICELLI : 200gm
POTATO : 1big
ONION : 1big 
GREEN CHILLI : 2-3
FRESH CORIANDER : a sprig or two
AAMCHUR POWDER : 1tbsp
SEMOLINA : 100-150gm
CHAAT MASALA : 1tsp
TURMERIC : 1/4tsp
SALT : As Required
OIL : 2tbsp [thats so true]

PROCEDURE :

Prepare a vessel full of hot water. Soak the un roasted vermicelli for not more than 3-4 minutes. Strain the water.

Wash and chop the green chillies and fresh coriander. Wash, peel and slice the onions. 

Wash the potato, prick all over with a fork. Microwave at high for 2 minutes. Peel and mash on cooling.

Take together the mashed potatoes, sliced onions, chopped green chillies & coriander, aamchur powder, salt, turmeric, the boiled vermicelli in a bowl and mix together well.

Take the semolina and the chaat masala in a plate, mix well. Grease a grill proof plate with 2tbsp oil.

Prepare decided shapes, bigger than pakoras and place nicely on the plate.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven, so I placed the tray atop that stool. Then cooked one side for 10-12 minutes, turned over. The other side can be cooked for 8-10 minutes. For a dark brown look, cook more.

It should always be enjoyed hot and fresh with tea / coffee!