CHATUR POROTA

I was willing to go Bengali today, some around stopped me. You know what, if once I get off mood, It gets difficult for me to mend. Leave that, I fear "pat patar" season may go away before I share in the blog about it. I am not wise, my whims decide who to throw off, who to hug when.... Did you come across "chatur shorbot" sellers in streets of Kolkata, let me dedicate "chatter porota" to them. Although I just finished reading Tilottoma Majumder's novel "ektara", I wish I had that guts like the protagonist. 

Let us talk about what I enjoy "food"...  Sattu / Chatu / Roasted Bengal Gram Flour was common in Bengali homes in our childhood. Barley, Sattu, Chana Dal Sattu were two varieties which were bought on regular basis, I enjoyed having it with puffed rice, milk, banana, sugar [dudh, muri, kola, chatu, chini]. With memory still alive inside, I got big packet of Sattu few months back, felt I can have it sans sugar, I will never have sugar free alternatives on regular basis. Then, its typical Bengali "ayeshi" body, lethargic self that owns a big mouth to give big talks, severely unable to gobble glass of "noon-lebu deoa chatu" or bowl of "chatu... jol.. noon...lebu... lanka... peyaz diye"..... and work all day under the sun.... 

If these vendors lack manners that is because they did not learn it in the process of earning fodder for family or state.... at least they are not parasite like me. If in a country, states fight constantly throwing filth at each other, what was purpose of getting freedom in first place. How would development happen is my question. CURRY AND SPICE in public setting willing to reach right kinds of food loving people, speak in support of secularism, harmony, peace. Doing that, I would relieve, reveal life, my own self in own space. I think I should go ahead with what I love doing.

You know this variety of sattu / chatu / Roasted Bengal Gram Flour came home with noble idea. But this is not wise soul. It lay neglected in container for months until when idea of CHATUR POROTA popped up. Indian / South Asian homes do prepare flat breads with a stuffing made of sattu but I wanted to go simpler, hassle free, that costed me some time. I am scared of stuffed hand made breads, but dough made with chatu or roasted chana dal / barley flour may not give you feel of easy roll. I had to use that cap for good looking shapes with smoother ends. What I got were healthy flat breads yum to eat, easy to digest. I had some left over beresta / fried onions that evening. Not in habit of wasting food, I used sattu, carom seeds, some chaat masala powder I think, oil in dough that fetched me enough flat breads to feed family. 

My bread loving family enjoyed vegetarian main CHATUR POROTA with tomato ketchup, green chilli sauce, an egg plant, onion and black chickpea vegetarian side. Add combination of ingredients in your sattu dough, roll them, cook them for healthy meal plan, you can blindly follow mine to get your family smile..... I mean if your family has universal tooth.

INGREDIENTS :

ROASTED BENGAL GRAM FLOUR / SATTU / CHATU : 1 COFFEE MUG
BERESTA FRIED ONION : 2-3TBSP
CAROM SEED : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4TSP
CHAAT MASALA : 1TSP
SALT : 2-3PINCH
OIL : 1TBSP + 1TSP FOR FRYING EACH OF THE FLAT BREAD

PROCEDURE :

Take all ingredients along with 1tbsp oil in wide mouthed bowl.

Then, rub well for 2 minutes.

Then, add water little at a time to prepare soft, smooth yet firm dough. This may take some 7-8 minutes.

Tear off small portions, smoothen between your palms. Do you wash hands before touching food items? A must!

Dust with flour before starting to roll. I do it, experts do not I have heard.... not dusting gives you softer breads they say.

While rolling, I faced trouble of uneven, split ends. Never mind, use your cookie cutters or container caps to shape.

I was happy that my impatient self had shown patience, you can too! To test my patience level, I didn't take help from Cristine.

We are ready to cook them. Heat tawa / griddle enough. Place one flat bread first. Toast one side for 30 seconds. Turn over, toast 30 seconds. Add oil... 1tsp, cook both sides well. They would turn light brown.

Serve them with your choice of sides.