Any day Kankra / Crab is more of a favourite to me than prawns, I find it's flesh sweeter, juicier, tastier. Back in Kolkata it is seasonal, it is less priced than prawns. Here in this island city, we get the freshest produce, in a wide variety of range and it is as pricy as prawns. The bigger it's size, the pricier it is. What I do is I buy medium sized, too small crabs do not taste good... where is the flesh? For the big ones, we go to the sea side restaurants to have that particular, island famous "black pepper crab".... chilli crab seems to me a bit sweeter, do not like the use of cornflour in it. I enjoy crab with "mantou buns".... I love them and wish to kiss those palms who can make it. At home, crab curries like this non vegetarian seafood TOMATO ALOO DIYE KAKRER ROSHA always goes with steamed rice.
Going out has lessened with time. When we were young and the husband used to sail for months, we used to hunt the Kolkata restaurants too often whenever he was in town, we even had yum "missi roti" at Teej during the mourning period after his paternal grandmother's demise, so outgoing we used to be. Just forgetting the name of the Japanese restaurant we used to hunt located between Lindsay Street and Park Street. We do not even know if they are still there or not, Amber used to serve so good kebabs... have these old charms given way to the new? Like, last December we found Magnolia too crowded and worn out, not worthy to spend some time. A bit of the old world charm should stay for people like us who enjoy them. Just as our visiting friend last Saturday was telling they will be travelling to Spain during Diwali and he is not so willing to, he loves nature. I told him he will love Toledo if they are going there. They are avid travellers, was saying they so loved Antarctica, there are some spots there where you feel you are not in this world. I could connect to him because I love nature, absolutely do not like visiting cities!
I so loved Australia's country side and yes, Amsterdam..... you do not need a boost from a senior Bacchan & Rekha Ganesan to romanticise with the place.... it itself provides you that..... few years back when he got a job offer there, I was all game for it.... the suburb neighbourhoods are etherial. I told him how beautiful it would be to open an "shoraikhana" [inn] there in the countryside, I will cook, you will manage the accounts, we would have a help. His reaction was instant, "wife, those romantic classic reads have spoiled your system since school." I said "do not book stupid holidays for me "4nights, 5days package in starlit Hong Kong".... waste of money. Let us drive to a country side of our neighbouring country for a week. He retaliates, "do you tell your readers that picturesque villages have to have a resort with a personal sauna?" Its never like that, I want a tiled, squeaky clean toilet, there cannot be a single spot on the bed spread, I would just puke.
Okay, we do bond over a simple, Bengali style seafood curry TOMATO ALOO DIYE KAKRER ROSHA. The thing is the son would not eat unless mumma gets rid of the shells and serves him only the flesh. I find it difficult, what will he do in a different land.... would he take the effort to learn cooking all by himself or destroy his system eating outside day and night.... that is my concern. His father left home at age 20, but he never had to think about making his own food, they had a moving pantry with surplus food, his mother had a very active, engaging social life that made her less bothered. I know people here who give big talks in public.... do they have any hidden guilt deep inside so they use hurtful words against others? I know well some who used to leave / still do leave their young kids alone at home to build their own social life, gather news .... sweet and sour. May be so their kids got self sufficient and mine cannot prepare a cup of tea..... but I still cannot think to prioritise my interest over my kid's.... in the first place we should not have given birth then. I excuse this kind of people who unnecessary hurt others in public tactfully leaving some who they will always hug and kiss..... thinking they might have some major problem in their own lives, their upbringing might had got something amiss, they might not have learnt or being taught compassion? It is very wrong to instigate someone against their spouse for one's self interest, never we should speak about other's household in their absence....
Okay, we do bond over a simple, Bengali style seafood curry TOMATO ALOO DIYE KAKRER ROSHA. The thing is the son would not eat unless mumma gets rid of the shells and serves him only the flesh. I find it difficult, what will he do in a different land.... would he take the effort to learn cooking all by himself or destroy his system eating outside day and night.... that is my concern. His father left home at age 20, but he never had to think about making his own food, they had a moving pantry with surplus food, his mother had a very active, engaging social life that made her less bothered. I know people here who give big talks in public.... do they have any hidden guilt deep inside so they use hurtful words against others? I know well some who used to leave / still do leave their young kids alone at home to build their own social life, gather news .... sweet and sour. May be so their kids got self sufficient and mine cannot prepare a cup of tea..... but I still cannot think to prioritise my interest over my kid's.... in the first place we should not have given birth then. I excuse this kind of people who unnecessary hurt others in public tactfully leaving some who they will always hug and kiss..... thinking they might have some major problem in their own lives, their upbringing might had got something amiss, they might not have learnt or being taught compassion? It is very wrong to instigate someone against their spouse for one's self interest, never we should speak about other's household in their absence....
I just cannot get along for long with anyone if I get to know that such kinds just gather news and keep spreading it here and there. I feel bad too that one wrong quality kills so many good qualities in people. I have no quality in me but I do not back bite, I never.... What is the point of frequent visits to the temples if you talk behind someone's back? You have not taken the basic lessons from the Gita, Quran or Bible then. So, I find myself safe in the company of either the elderlies or the youngsters.... Help the kids prioritise the need of the hour, stop misleading them.
I was in such a good mood yesterday that I ate sweets liberally, will not do this blunder everyday but could not resist tasting the CARAMEL CUSTARD that I prepared yesterday evening and updated the pictures of the particular blog post.
INGREDIENTS :
MEDIUM SIZED CRAB : 800GM-1KG [GET IT CUT & CLEANED FROM YOUR VENDOR]
POTATO : 1BIG
TOMATO : 1BIG
ONION : 1BIG
CUMIN POWDER : 2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 2TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP + 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
FENUGREEK SEED : 1/4TSP
BAY LEAF : 1
LEMON JUICE : 1TBSP
OIL : 5-6TBSP
PROCEDURE :
I always buy crabs from those vendors who cut and clean for us, else it gets very tough for Cristine and I cannot.
At home, we wash the pieces thoroughly under running water and then soak them in hot water for an hour. I do this exercise because I am scared of seafood.... any wrong on our part can cause severe stomach ailments.
Actually this recipe is of our mother's. She used to cook prawns with it, I have a blog post about it.
Let us drain the water after an hour, marinate the crab pieces with salt and 1/2tsp turmeric. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Peel and wash the potatoes. Cube them and marinate with 1/2tsp of turmeric and little salt.
Wash and chop the tomatoes. Peel, wash and slice the onions.
Prepare a spice paste mixing 1/2tsp turmeric + 2tsp cumin powder + 1tsp coriander powder + 2tsp red chilli powder + little salt + 2tbsp water.
Heat oil in a wok and fry the potatoes till light brown. Take out. Now fry the crab pieces discarding the marinade.
Temper the oil with the fenugreek seeds and the bay leaf, once it gives out an aroma, add the sliced onions. Fry them until brown and then add the spice mixture. Stir fry at low heat for 2 minutes. Now add 11/2 coffee mugs of water.
Bring the gravy to boil. Add the fried potatoes and simmer at low for a minute or two. Now let us add the fried crab pieces and some slitted green chillies [I forgot].
Let it simmer at the lowest heat, covered for 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and we are done.
We also had "borboti, aloo, kanchakolar jhol" and "kalojeerey, tezpata, shukno lanka phoron mushurir dal" and a basic salad on that day to go with the steamed rice.
I was in such a good mood yesterday that I ate sweets liberally, will not do this blunder everyday but could not resist tasting the CARAMEL CUSTARD that I prepared yesterday evening and updated the pictures of the particular blog post.
MEDIUM SIZED CRAB : 800GM-1KG [GET IT CUT & CLEANED FROM YOUR VENDOR]
POTATO : 1BIG
TOMATO : 1BIG
ONION : 1BIG
CUMIN POWDER : 2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 2TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP + 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
FENUGREEK SEED : 1/4TSP
BAY LEAF : 1
LEMON JUICE : 1TBSP
OIL : 5-6TBSP
PROCEDURE :
I always buy crabs from those vendors who cut and clean for us, else it gets very tough for Cristine and I cannot.
At home, we wash the pieces thoroughly under running water and then soak them in hot water for an hour. I do this exercise because I am scared of seafood.... any wrong on our part can cause severe stomach ailments.
Actually this recipe is of our mother's. She used to cook prawns with it, I have a blog post about it.
Let us drain the water after an hour, marinate the crab pieces with salt and 1/2tsp turmeric. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Peel and wash the potatoes. Cube them and marinate with 1/2tsp of turmeric and little salt.
Wash and chop the tomatoes. Peel, wash and slice the onions.
Prepare a spice paste mixing 1/2tsp turmeric + 2tsp cumin powder + 1tsp coriander powder + 2tsp red chilli powder + little salt + 2tbsp water.
Heat oil in a wok and fry the potatoes till light brown. Take out. Now fry the crab pieces discarding the marinade.
Temper the oil with the fenugreek seeds and the bay leaf, once it gives out an aroma, add the sliced onions. Fry them until brown and then add the spice mixture. Stir fry at low heat for 2 minutes. Now add 11/2 coffee mugs of water.
Bring the gravy to boil. Add the fried potatoes and simmer at low for a minute or two. Now let us add the fried crab pieces and some slitted green chillies [I forgot].
Let it simmer at the lowest heat, covered for 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and we are done.
We also had "borboti, aloo, kanchakolar jhol" and "kalojeerey, tezpata, shukno lanka phoron mushurir dal" and a basic salad on that day to go with the steamed rice.
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