JOLPAI ER ACHAR

I have been planning to blog about this jolpai / Indian olive achar / pickle for sometime, made it  before Durga Puja last year, did plating, clicked middle of this year, it was getting delayed. Yesterday, I felt today is right day to share this vegetarian pickle recipe plated with Thepla / Gujarati flatbread. 

Yesterday, it was birthday of one who fought cancer bravely, prepares "jam, jelly, achar" at home, supplies in / around Pune, today is birthday of published author, teacher, a friend from my college, a Telugu speaking in Kolkata for decades, who still gets pickle supplies from family in Andhra Pradesh! It may not suit my sibling who misses "bhai-phota". But son, man, bhai, we are bread lovers.

Let me think less, share this no cook pickle recipe with chilli-mustard paste, oil, Indian Olive variety Jolpai.... JOLPAI ER ACHAR, this condiment will suit. You see, it is not possible to do justice to all around at one time, let me think of brothers, sisters who recently got separated, living thousand miles apart. They would not mind having this platter alongside sweets, "ghugni or aloor dum" may be? 

Cristine helps me in all these! She being Filipino has fair, supple palms, she does not apply a bit of energy when required, dilly-dallied like me. On several occasions, I found residues on our Corelle plates, I shout at her, then get her 10$ t-shirt or take her out for dosa or hand made dumpling soup. 

This Filipino girl too started loving "breads to Achar".... pickle of any kind, this condiment with Indian Olive, chilli-mustard paste JOLPAI ER ACHAR. I confuse between "jolpai" and "amra"! Excuse me if I did jolpai pickle with amra. Any pickle would require good amount of sunbath before bottling, they don't have vitamin-B deficiency, yet!

INGREDIENTS :

JOLPAI / INDIAN OLIVE : 300-400 gm

BLACK MUSTARD : 1 tbsp

GREEN CHILLI : 4-5 [WASHED]

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 +1 tsp

VINEGAR : 1/2 small tea cup

SALT : AS REQUIRED

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

MUSTARD OIL : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

PROCEDURE : 

Take mustard seeds in sieve, wash. Soak in water for an hour. Peel, wash green chillies.

Wash jolpai / Indian Olives, discard water. Peel, soak in water, wash. Cut them thin, you can either use seed in the achar / pickle or discard.

Rub with salt, turmeric. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil in wok, temper with 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, add the marinated olives. Stir, cover cook at minimal heat for 10 minutes.

Drain water, add black mustard seeds, green chillies, vinegar, salt, 2-3 ice cubes  to blender. Blend to get paste. If unable to get fine paste, add more vinegar.

Remove cover, add paste to marinated jolpai / Indian Olive mixture. Fold in well, add mustard oil again. Fold in well again. Cook for another 10-12 minutes.

Add more oil if required. Now it is time for some sunbath. The more sunbath it gets, tastier it will be, it's shelf life will be more.

It should be ready to eat with rice, any handmade bread. Always store in sterilised containers.

FIG O KHEJUR ER NOROM PAK

I am into homemade sweets these days, unable to have store bought ones finding them too sweet given my present taste bud. This isn't case for "bhaja mishti" thats fried sweets, specially "jilipi, amriti".... which are poison for me. I get them home rarely for son, myself. Gone are days when I would want to have "Shaktigarh er Langcha" or "Jilipi" or "kakur dokan er tatka goja" anytime of day, after having 1/4th of them, my tongue craves for something spicy. I trust fully my hands when it comes to making of sweets, more because we do not get that quality of sweets here as compared to our place of origin. As child or teen I was never fond of sweets, particularly of roshogolla.... I developed fondness for it later in life. 

It is true if someone has told me sweets have nothing good to give us. We can't think of an occasion, festival, ritual without sweets, flowers. It is a special day for us at this home, back in India tomorrow; whats better than preparing vegetarian sweet with all goodness of dry fruits, homemade paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese FIG O KHEJUR ER NOROM PAAK. In fact, my initial plan was to completely do away sugar, stevia, I felt that will be too much of torture on my men. If I am doing something for them, I must pay my major attention to their taste bud. My initial plan was to use milk powder, chopped figs, dates as natural sweeteners which would have been absolutely fine with Myself and Cristine. At one point in the process, I felt my men cannot have it. If family veterans are not around or if I am not cooking for my God's family, I do make it a point to taste food a bit. This morning, I had one full. Without tasting it, I cannot recommend it for my readers. Some went to man's office for his colleagues.

In this context, I remember an incident. After marriage, I had been working in a school. It was a warm, summer morning when I got an interview call from that school in Belur, I had to leave home around 10 or 11am in morning. Some hot rice and vegetables were there on table. I had to eat, was serving my plate, thats when husband's paternal grandmother shouted at me.... you cannot have first rice grain before others.... I ate two slices of bread, went off. Not getting to have rice wasn't problem, the reason behind it was unacceptable. Years after, the night when her death news arrived, we were at my parent's place in Barrackpore. "Dada-Boudir Biryani" came in already when husband had to go for not a joy ride through a National Highway around 11pm. He has to go, he must but I have always noticed that his life has always been less important, like in that unearthly hour or always, he had to sit beside  Raja, our first caretaker of the fourwheeler who had ability to be Formula1Car Racer. 

Leave that, the husband obviously could not but I had full packet of Mutton Biryani. The death news did not affect me not because she was 84 years old but because she had no feelings or respect for me. She was a good woman, we had mutual fondness too but women are women's barrier to freedom, the rein remains in man's hand. My mother-in-law does not know how to respect other's feelings, her treatment of me & my brother-in-law is visibly different. That shouldn't affect my Sense of Duty however!

I was preparing this Bengali themed vegetarian sweet with Homemade  Indian Cottage Cheese, Milk Powder, Stevia Powder, Figs, Dates FIG O KHEJUR ER NOROM PAAK in between watching two movies.... "Margarita with a Straw" and "Chittagong".... After watching "The Sky is Pink," our friend Soumya recommended Margarita which we missed somehow. If something appeals to me, I do some research concerning it. I did read about the qualitative couple director Shonali Bose and Bedabrata Pain, their immense losses. Not having child is pain, having, then losing is pain beyond repair. I love Southern Indian Star Revathi, I hope she would enjoy this "non-south-y" sweet given she is versatile when it comes to choosing roles, averse to botox jobs being done. Kalki is French at birth, Indian at heart, she can have, Bengali director duo would surely enjoy. Manoj Bajpayee still has some mannerisms, Nawaz-ud-din can make you sit tight throughout his movies without having heroine. Come do it, send a sweet box to their homes, I do not send friend's requests to celebrities, I am averse to their temperament or tantrums whatever!

INGREDIENTS :

FRESH MILK : 2 LITRE
POWDERED MILK : 4TBSP
CHOPPED DATE : 2-3TBSP
CHOPPED FIG : 3-4TBSP
VINEGAR : 2TBSP
WATER : AS REQUIRED
GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1TSP
SUGAR : 3-4TBSP [I used Stevia Powder]
CHOPPED PISTACHIO TO GARNISH

PROCEDURE :

Put milk for boil pouring it in heavy bottomed vessel.

To 2tbsp of vinegar, add 4-5tbsp of water to dilute.

We have already soaked Figs in warm water, washed dates. Thereafter just drain water, towel dry, chop them.

When milk starts boiling, reduce heat to minimal, add diluted vinegar 1tbsp at a time. 

As milk starts curdling, switch off gas oven.

Immediately strain whey water passing it through white piece of cloth placed over a sieve. 

Wash chena / cottage cheese under running water. Tie cloth, this time I kept it under a heavy utensil instead of hanging it.

After 45 minutes to 1hour, you get this.

Knead it well for 3-4 minutes.

In a glass of warm water, add 4tbsp of powdered milk, stir well. Pour it onto a wok passing it through a sieve.

Switch on gas stove, keep stirring milk. When milk comes to boil, add sugar or stevia powder. Keep stirring.

After 5-6 minutes, add chena / paneer / Indian cottage cheese, stir to get rid of lumps.

Continuously stir for 10-12 minutes, add green cardamom powder. Mix well.

Stir cook for another 7-8 minutes. The cooked cottage cheese would still be moist, not get crumbly. Take down on a plate, let it cool.

Knead for 3-4 minutes.

Add chopped dates, figs; mix well. This will moisten content further.

Shape as you wish.

Try to have them fresh, if refrigerating, have within 3-4 days.

CURRY PATA O KALOJEEREY FLAVOURED NIMKI

I enjoy homemade nimki / deep fried salted snack more than store bought ones. In Bengali type of Nimki variety, we use minimal spice, if I am a recipe blogger I would include variety of this particular snack in blog. Plans of mixing, matching flavours is on mind. Things get easier at home if there are containers full of munchies for family, problem is I can't keep my tongue under control, this sensory organ is most active part of my body. I never get bored of eating, my waistline never gets into shape, it did for two years when I used to go for work, ran, survived mostly on salads. Later I felt its not sustainable lifelong, I can't die without tasting life, it can't be boring affair for me. 

Equally there is fear factor, I love South East Asian set rice meals, cannot have them full out of fear of having excess carb. I wasted my food yesterday from that fear in all probability thinking Yong Tao Foo would have been better bet, may be fish soup. Actually, amount of low impact cardio walking, swimming I do gets fruitless if I have carb filled meals during lunch hours. I dislike eggs, starting your mornings with eggs, fruits and greens helps otherwise. I had half boiled eggs two times in a 4-5 days of span, voila I could digest but the heavy feeling I do not like. 

I have to do away with biscuit, cake thing on regular basis in morning. I am loving my fruit platters with marination of red chilli powder, black salt, reason of not starting my day with fruit bowl may be totally mental, I have to overcome it. I love "khoi / chirey / muri with doi, chilled milk" but their mother is rice.... whats the point? 

What would be my lunch today? I think my hair needs colour, so instead of going out for walk or going down for swim I would ask Cristine to colour. Thereafter, I may try an instant Rawa Dosa on newly bought big pan meant to be field practise tool for me to learn thinner crepes with different batters, preferably sugar free. Look what senior was enjoying with vegetarian, curry leaf, nigella seeds flavoured snack CURRY PATA O KALOJEEREY FLAVOURED NIMKI.

The "dil is not khush khush" since this morning. Have you ever thought of that academician woman with origin in Kolkata who may not be able or willing to handle "public attention" at this moment. It is difficult to accept, to come to terms with truths, not being part of something anymore which happened to be your's once. We need be wise enough to respect feelings, stop bothering people in public forums. However, I have always believed great personas have broader mindsets, they have ability to turn negativity, pain to fruitful endeavours. 

Take example of Aisha Chaudhary, she lived 18 fruitful years which seems less but oh! what an accomplished one.... Painting, Ted Talks, Book to her credit. It was heart warming, heart wrenching at same time to watch the movie! However, we learnt an important lesson from it that its not about how many years we have spent on this earth but how we have spent it. 

No, its not easy to think like above when it concerns your own but you have no other way but to think exactly this  in such a situation when you know you are going to lose someone dear soon. Aisha, I definitely know would have enjoyed this vegetarian snack CURRY PATA O KALOJEEREY FLAVOURED NIMKI, that she wasn't allowed to for medical reasons is different issue. The senior at this home is more upset back from movie theatre. At times, it feels he isn't that much hardcore as he considers himself to be.

Anyway, I have used half n half multigrain atta / flour, refined flour, ghee toasted, crushed curry leaves, kalonji, salt, oil for this awesome homemade fried snack.

INGREDIENTS :

MULTIGRAIN ATTA FLOUR : 1COFFEE MUG

REFINED FLOUR : 1COFFEE MUG

NIGELLA SEED : 1TBSP

CURRY LEAF : A FISTFUL

SALT : AS REQUIRED

GHEE : 2TBSP+3TBSP

OIL : 100GM

PROCEDURE :

Take two varieties of flour, salt required in bowl, mix. 

Warm 1tbsp of ghee, toast curry leaves. They would turn crisp.

Pour ghee, curry leaves mixture to flour mix, wait to cool it down. Add 2 tbsp of ghee too. 

Once cool, crush curry leaves with your palm.

Now keep rubbing entire mixture for 2-3 minutes until texture looks like this, it will loosely bind in your fist.

Add nigella seeds now, fold in.

Add warm water, knead to get smooth but firm dough. This may take some 10-12 minutes.

Cover dough for 1/2 an hour. Remove cover, knead again for 2-3 minutes. 

Tear off portions, smoothen between palms.

Dust rolling base with flour, coat each ball with flour, roll out roundels.

I used cookie cutters to cut them. With fork, prick on each piece.

Warm oil, drop some uncooked nimkis / snacks when oil is warm, not hot.

We will keep stirring at minimal to low heat for quite sometime until they turn golden brown. Switch off gas stove if oil gets too hot, switch on again.

We would place snacks onto tissue paper before serving.

We would want to have them warm, fresh which isn't possible. 

Store in dry, clean airtight containers if doing in bulk. It stays good for a week or more without refrigeration.

KAJU KISHMISH DIYE DOI ER MALPUA

Bengalis usually prepare Malpua / Deshi Pancake batter using reduced milk in addition to rice flour, semolina, refined flour. This time I tried it with doi / yogurt instead of milk. I must have seen somewhere, I do not save all of beautiful food posts I come across, so you will excuse me if I do not give due credit to any. In some homes, kishmish / raisins are used in malpoa / malpuas, I added some cashew nuts too, they tasted good. You cannot call me pro when it comes to preparing "pithe-puli".... what you see in picture is pretty decent, what is not featuring in picture is that each time I prepare malpua, at least first 4-5 numbers of them would spoil, I mean they taste well but may get deformed or over fried. I share them with Cristine. 

Early morning son started watching Formula 1 Races, his holidays are on, I so dislike retiring to same cringed room where I have spent an entire night. His father too keeps television set on 24/7 while at home but he never closes all doors, windows, makes me feel awkward early morning. Yet, I crave for our boy's company, next year at this time where he would be exactly? Would this island's universities have a sit for him? There is minimal chance, son has no interest either.... his mother is in dilemma.... her concerns are important or her kid's dreams? Let me feed him all that he enjoys including this vegetarian sweet meat snacker or pancake KAJU KISHMISH DIYE DOI ER MALPUA.

Yesterday was "family-filled" Sunday, senior is back, did not have any stomach ailment after having frozen, stale "lokkhi pujor proshad"... I broke rule, had to reheat "khichuri and labra" which we ain't supposed to. He took "porota, achar, malpua, naru, nyashpati" to office today. I lost count how many malpuas I had in past two days. Yesterday, I was chating with man, sleeping, reading different interviews of Nobel Laureate, I may not understand his field but enjoyed what he told a Bengali channel... he enjoys listening to Ustad Rashid Khan, dance to Bollywood numbers, loves to cook, prepares awesome halwa, also finds it weird why world is talking less of Esther "boudi" and more of him. 

Yet, I cannot go ahead with pure vegetarian muffin recipe for our "bideshini boudi" instead she can have this Bengali vegetarian sweet snack or pancake recipe  KAJU KISHMISH DIYE DOI ER MALPUA. I don't know reason, may be my inner self is full of contradictions, may be I am different shades of grey, may be I am not in habit of going out of my way to prove what I ain't, may be I love literature most, may be breakages cause me heartbreak, whatever the reason be. 

The son has retired to his room already, we do not bother him much as we can see how dedicated he is in getting a life he wants for himself, he however cannot be with books all the time. I asked his "mamujaan" to at least invest on a flat anywhere by the Eastern Bypass of Kolkata given the couple earns good in Kolkata standard to which he told me he prefers staying in their big, no fancy "mafashali" home, more so because Ola, Uber comes to their doorstep these days, rest of the time he can drive. Imagine! He has no hunger, his didibhai wanted him to be hungry! Anyway, let us stop here today, I have another busy week ahead, need to prepare some snacks, sweets. Thereafter, I should be able to do some me kind of blogging "shutki, potoler shash er bhorta, etc."

INGREDIENTS :

SEMOLINA : 11/2COFFEE MUG
RICE FLOUR : 1/3COFFEE MUG
REFINED FLOUR : 1/2COFFEE MUG
PLAIN YOGURT : 1COFFEE MUG
SUGAR : 2MEDIUM TEA CUP [I USED STEVIA POWDER]
FENNEL SEED : 1TBSP
BLACK PEPPER CORN : 11/2TBSP
CASHEW NUT : 2-3TBSP [HALVED]
RAISIN : 2TBSP
OIL : 100 GM TO FRY + 2TSP FOR THE BATTER

PROCEDURE :

Let us soak semolina in some hot water. This was a necessity in Kolkata type suji earlier, now I see I need not have soaked it for two hours at all.

Let us drain water, add yogurt, rice flour, refined flour, sugar [in my case powdered stevia] to semolina.

We will whisk it well. Keep adding water little by little to get paste like batter, in fact little wetter than paste.

Let us add 2tsp oil, fennel seeds, black pepper corns to batter, mix everything well.

We would keep it covered for an hour, remove cover, add cashew nuts, raisins. Fold in well.

After an hour we will heat oil in wok. What shape of malpua you want depends upon shape of wok, amount of oil you are using. I prefer slightly flattened malpuas over round, fluffy, so I use widened wok, less oil.

Once oil is ready, use round, deep spoon to take batter, drop gently on oil. If it splatters, break, you need to add some more of refined flour. Do not worry, the first few may go wrong.

Splash some oil from sides on top as we do in case of poori.

Fry both sides well. I need be careful at this stage, if its overdone, son doesn't eat. 

We, our son are dark complexioned, I do not mind if he gets a darker wife, I would be happy if she is good looking. I want her to be caring, loving towards our only child, spend more time together instead of freaking around. He will have no one of his own after we take leave.

We have to hold the finished snack like below before keeping it onto a tissue paper for sometime before serving.

Enjoy it hot or stale, oh! so yum.