Well, I was too eager to take over my kingdom from Cristine once back from a fifteen days of hiatus. Cristine did a fabulous job as always but I needed some job to deliver. Last Wednesday when I called Cristine, I could feel the joy in her voice on the news of me returning home. That makes her stand different from others. Knowing that ma'am is a victim of extreme level of mood swings, she greeted me with a broad smile. She is my nice, little girl all of thirty but looks like 18-20. She asked me about aunty, our mother with whom she mingled pretty well. Our mother in turn is missing her, says chating with Cristine improved her English. On her visit, I told her had she not leave a government school job and dedicate her life in cleaning services, she would have brought up a self sufficient daughter. Following her, the daughter turned to be a good home maker alone, you know what home making is a thankless job. A girl has the ability to make people listen to her if she is working, money is honey folks.. accept it. I dream of a different self honing a strong personality who everyone around would be scared of [besh amar hunkarey baghey gorutey ek ghatey jol khabey]. I go back in time say to 1992 and see a very happy and content me in the lap of Kanyakumarika or Pondicherry. That was my real, actual call do I feel these days... away from home, free from any emotional shackles. With permission from the order, I could at least sell vegetarian delights like idli, vada, BHATURE O BEGUNER BHARTA on the beach. Oh My! if only single women in India were safe, were allowed to live on their own without being raped verbally and physically. Anyway, in your dreams you can go back in time, in reality one cannot go back and start a fresh.
The last fifteen days had seen the elderlies in the family suffering. The "in-laws" were admitted in two different hospitals with acute pneumonia, they are asthmatic too. Our mother fell ill with severe stomach ailments for three days. I thought I could handle it but it was her daughter-in-law who had set the things right and tactfully avoided an admission in the hospital. You will hardly find a daughter-in-law who massages her mother-in-law's feet, stomach, goes inside the toilet with her to make her poo and puke in front of her. You will hardly find a daughter who takes a huge amount of loan on her shoulder just to build a bare minimal home for her parents in a decent, Bengali neighbourhood. You must take a note that she earns quite good in a renowned Kolkata school but not in lakhs. My brother had his eyes on a Sonam Kapoor look alike, he got what was required in our home. My mother sounded so much at peace at her own home amidst her son and daughter-in-law yesterday. I told both my brother and my mother not to go against B's wishes, daughters do for their parents, there are very few daughter-in-laws who do this much for their "in-laws." The husband's sister was / is taking all the hassles for her own parents, each penny required was / is been transferred from the island through me. My husband discharges duties silently without any urge for name, fame, importance. I was just using my card as per instructions, rest I did not think I should poke my flat nose in to "their" family matter nor anyone in "that" family wanted me to.
Since, I am a daughter to my mother, I can tell her categorically that she has to stay fit and strong, continue to do normal household work. How good it would be if our mother could gradually get over her "khola mela boro bari" concept and agree to shift to a decent three roomed flat in between Airport and Sector 5 because my brother will never agree to shift without his mother. If I am this much in peace, I must be thankful to a B, ignore her social media updates and go out for a long, carefree walk today with my ear phones on, oblivious of the surrounding, hoping to be able to go back to Kanyakumari or Pondicherry "alone" someday, soak my feet in the sand, or go to "Har ki Pyari" ghat in Hardwar as the dusk would set in and sit there for hours alone, not with the family, not even with the mother but alone.... a dinner with "halwa or rabri or chapati-achar" would be just fine for me, had I be able to run a "didi bhai er Bangali Hotel" there, I would have served more authentic, better quality Bengali food there than the existing ones. My wishes has nothing to do with my severe dislike for the existing ruling party in India.
BTW, I wish a speedy recovery and a consistent good health for my "in-laws" in my own self interest. Then, with such a jewel son and daughter, a dotting son-in-law, they should. My brother-in-law is an extreme case of hygiene freak, has trust issues, yet he is allowing an unknown help inside his bedroom to take care of his maa-in-law who is unable to go to the toilet most of the time... well, he may not be this kind & nice to other visiting guests or veterans to his home say for few minutes or so.... Never mind, your behaviour depends upon your depth of relationships. You know, our mother has sent a token gift for a Sanak Chottopadhyay, why? She says, "Soumya Bhattacharya is a decent boy but Sanak is full of warmth. Sanak said "Kakima, your shutki maach and dhokar dalna was awesome, moreover a Sanak calls her daughter his second mother in this island".... so there comes a red, handloom cotton kurti with blocks from my favourite store Amar Kuthi for Sanak. Okay, his wife whose social media avatar I cannot tolerate has a saree from me, she is nice, never a mean, so she deserves a beautiful, token gift from Rene from my brother's wife too. About their daughter? You see, I better stop gifting them dresses, they will not value my choice, I am unwilling to get hurt.... too eager to distance myself from things that does not make me happy. I will get food items for her, may be pasta, chicken, fish.... she enjoys my cooking.. so be it. Yes, I am self-centric but I never ever try to create divide between people, I know people try it . Neither I will deviate from my principles, nor anyone can create a divide between us and a Sanak's family. My mother will not believe that Sanak too is a hot headed because he applauded her cooking, everyone loves themselves. The reason why I like a Soumya is that we speak less, only as much as is required, we are formal in public, we know how to keep a poisonous tongue under control, we do not oil anyone unnecessarily, his wife is more of a friend however.
BTW, I wish a speedy recovery and a consistent good health for my "in-laws" in my own self interest. Then, with such a jewel son and daughter, a dotting son-in-law, they should. My brother-in-law is an extreme case of hygiene freak, has trust issues, yet he is allowing an unknown help inside his bedroom to take care of his maa-in-law who is unable to go to the toilet most of the time... well, he may not be this kind & nice to other visiting guests or veterans to his home say for few minutes or so.... Never mind, your behaviour depends upon your depth of relationships. You know, our mother has sent a token gift for a Sanak Chottopadhyay, why? She says, "Soumya Bhattacharya is a decent boy but Sanak is full of warmth. Sanak said "Kakima, your shutki maach and dhokar dalna was awesome, moreover a Sanak calls her daughter his second mother in this island".... so there comes a red, handloom cotton kurti with blocks from my favourite store Amar Kuthi for Sanak. Okay, his wife whose social media avatar I cannot tolerate has a saree from me, she is nice, never a mean, so she deserves a beautiful, token gift from Rene from my brother's wife too. About their daughter? You see, I better stop gifting them dresses, they will not value my choice, I am unwilling to get hurt.... too eager to distance myself from things that does not make me happy. I will get food items for her, may be pasta, chicken, fish.... she enjoys my cooking.. so be it. Yes, I am self-centric but I never ever try to create divide between people, I know people try it . Neither I will deviate from my principles, nor anyone can create a divide between us and a Sanak's family. My mother will not believe that Sanak too is a hot headed because he applauded her cooking, everyone loves themselves. The reason why I like a Soumya is that we speak less, only as much as is required, we are formal in public, we know how to keep a poisonous tongue under control, we do not oil anyone unnecessarily, his wife is more of a friend however.
Okay, I did pick up cheap, casual college wear palazzo with t-shirts for a daughter like, I like her company, her gestures, her sweaty self in a t-shirt and skinny rushing to meet me, her love for food. I will never send her a friend's request in social media handles fearing what I get to see, I may not want to see what she does in her life outside of me. Tomorrow the son will go away to a different land whose culture I will never accept, education yes is too good. He is a rebel, not an obedient, he may lead a life to which I will never agree, but duty towards your own child comes first, I will do that until my last breathe, prepare this vegetarian platter BHATURE O BEGUNER BHARTA for "them" if "they" allow me as a guest at intervals at their home. I dream of a long haired woman with eye kohl and a bindi sitting together sipping tea with her husband "early" morning, whose wardrobe will be beaming with sarees & salwar suits, trousers too, they will both work, both help each other in the kitchen, no problem but will not feed the husband and kids store bought frozen and re-heated stuffs. My dreams may remain a dream because Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh is a rarity, yet I will not stop day dreaming till my last day.
I am pretty disturbed discovering something, somewhere around but I am learning to accept many a dislikes, to close my eyes to things that are against my taste buds, I am however not the ultimate to be followed. I will continue with my secret meets while in Kolkata and never keep my personal & family interest involved in it or allow my family to interfere in every bit of my life. If you have hurt me consciously, taken a dig at my physical features, my self respect, it is unlikely that I will remain loyal to you, I will just maintain a formal, decent relationship with you. As for "my" friends, a Swati, a Chandrayee, a Nirmalya are always present at a call from "me" alone and will not wait for a nod from my husband, unfortunately a Sushi lives in Thailand, may be a Joy Ghosh too will or may not be unless he gets a nod from my husband, a Debopam Raha as a mental support, the very egoist Saubhik may be as a medical advisor, their wives are good of whom Sarnali is a friend. So, while in Kolkata, I can call them my immediate helps, however my brother's wife is a "dasha bhuja".... if only she could be a little organised and calmer. The mother says she does wonderful "fulko luchi" and I want her to learn this easy, peasy South Asian bread done with refined flour, yeast, yogurt, salt, sugar, oil. On the sides there was a chicken kosha and Beguner Bharta. I like Begun Pora more but the husband is slightly allergic to eggplant, so bharta suits him more.
I am pretty disturbed discovering something, somewhere around but I am learning to accept many a dislikes, to close my eyes to things that are against my taste buds, I am however not the ultimate to be followed. I will continue with my secret meets while in Kolkata and never keep my personal & family interest involved in it or allow my family to interfere in every bit of my life. If you have hurt me consciously, taken a dig at my physical features, my self respect, it is unlikely that I will remain loyal to you, I will just maintain a formal, decent relationship with you. As for "my" friends, a Swati, a Chandrayee, a Nirmalya are always present at a call from "me" alone and will not wait for a nod from my husband, unfortunately a Sushi lives in Thailand, may be a Joy Ghosh too will or may not be unless he gets a nod from my husband, a Debopam Raha as a mental support, the very egoist Saubhik may be as a medical advisor, their wives are good of whom Sarnali is a friend. So, while in Kolkata, I can call them my immediate helps, however my brother's wife is a "dasha bhuja".... if only she could be a little organised and calmer. The mother says she does wonderful "fulko luchi" and I want her to learn this easy, peasy South Asian bread done with refined flour, yeast, yogurt, salt, sugar, oil. On the sides there was a chicken kosha and Beguner Bharta. I like Begun Pora more but the husband is slightly allergic to eggplant, so bharta suits him more.
INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE BHATURE]
REFINED FLOUR : 21/2 COFFEE MUG
PLAIN YOGURT : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
YEAST : 1TBSP
SUGAR : 2TSP
SALT : 1/2TSP
OIL : 4TBSP + 100-150GM FOR DEEP FRYING EACH ONE
INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE BEGUN ER BHARTA]
EGG PLANT : 1BIG [I PREFER THE DARK PURPLE ONES]
TOMATO : 2 MEDIUM
ONION : 1MEDIUM
GREEN CHILLI : 3-4
FRESH CORIANDER : 2SPRIG
CUMIN POWDER : 1/2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
GARAM MASALA : 1/3TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2-3TBSP
PROCEDURE :
Let us prepare the BEGUN ER BHARTA / cooked spicy roasted egg plant mash first.
Wash and pat dry the egg plant. Apply few drops of oil on it and rub well. Roast on stove top fire turning often until all sides are burnt well. Let it cool.
Wash and chop the tomatoes, fresh coriander and green chillies, keep separately. Peel and slice thin the onion, wash.
Take out the burnt skin of the egg plant, discard the stem end and mash.
Heat oil in a wok and temper with cumin seeds. Add the sliced onion and chopped green chillies. Stir until they turn golden brown.
Now add the turmeric + red chilli + cumin + coriander + salt and stir for 1/2 a minute.
Add the chopped tomatoes, stir and wait for them to melt. Add the mashed, roasted egg plant now and the garam masala.
Stir cook for 3-4 minutes, add the chopped fresh coriander and stir cook for a minute. We are done.
For the BHATURE, enlivened Indian Bread, we will take the refined flour, salt, sugar, yeast in a bowl.
We will mix them well and add the yogurt and oil to the mixture.
We will rub them altogether for 2 minutes.
We will add water little by little and prepare a firm dough.
We will cover it with a cling wrap and keep it in a warm place, I use my microwave oven.
It took 3 hours to rise, when I took it out.
We will again knead it and tear off balls.
Roll out each ball using little oil in any shape, oblong or round. That is very cool, right?
Heat oil in a clean wok which has not contacted turmeric.. courtesy your Cristine or whoever, and fry each well, both sides.
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