CURRY AND SPICE: MOHON BHOG - BENGALI MISHTI SOOJI

Mohon Bhog? What is that? I asked mother while basking in Sun on a wintry morning in Kodaikanal.... that was in December 1992. We gathered for breakfast as per instruction of tour group manager, "mohon bhog o luchi" was our breakfast. There may had been some "aloor dom" too I cannot remember. An elderly couple was travelling with us. That elderly lady asked cook on previous day if they can serve "mohon bhog" next morning. I felt shy to ask her, instead asked mother. Now our Mani knew it right or not, said "edeshio ra money hoy sooji ke mohon bhog boley."

Some say adding milk instead of water to semolina makes it Mohonbhog but I see in internet a lot of recipes doing it adding water as was done on most Sundays in our home, naming it Mohonbhog! Until then, I had to listen to this "Bangal vs Edeshio" thing. Now, I am equipped with reasons to counter her kinds, "koto Bangali-Edeshio Biye hocchey, amonki onnyo bhasha-bhashi... tomader joto akebarey."

I never did give any importance to this divide among Bengalis except for shouting for East Bengal Club during a match of football. My heart was in games of Cricket, Lawn Tennis anyway because of the glamour quotient perhaps? The mother was at peace knowing the daughter may be going to a jovial, open, multi cultural kind of college but she is shy, fears risk, loves non-vegetarian food, she is unlikely to get involved in cross-cultural relationships.

If you ask my friends, they will never reveal to a stranger like you but I had crush on one or two senior boys from Northern India but that ended in a crush, I was never interested in going ahead and talk, mingle. I do not consider myself as wise but in a way I was so from a tender age.... I always knew I have to trust people to be with them... I am not the kind to handle cultural shocks, how do their homes work? I have to take part in each of their rituals, would they take part in mine? They will not allow me to cook "shutki", I have to eat "rajma & chole" every day when my brother will be having "sheem, mulo, begun dhonepata bata diye tatka charaponar jhol" on a winter afternoon. So, that is me. I do love "rajma-chole-paratha or idli-uttapam" now but Bengali Food is where my heart is.

One must have enough guts, love for the concerned person, strength and confidence to be able to handle a cross-cultural marriage, look at my family.... they cannot even come out from the "Bangal - Edeshio" syndrome. I always say, whatever be it, they allowed us in flocks to share their space so forefathers survived and we were born, you have to understand their frustration too Mani! The pressure on West Bengal doubled all of a sudden, you must thank them that for them your mornings got bright yellow with "luchi begun bhaja-sooji-aloo peyaz bhaja-porota,".... Do not laugh at my reasoning, think if I had rice on all three meals like before where my weight would have gone. What we must know is that rice & wheat have same amount of calories, it's all about the amount of intake that matters.

You would gradually get to see all I loved for breakfast, from "panta bhaat, fyana bhaat, beet-gajor-aloo-bean diye bhaat bhaja to porota-ruti-begun bhaja diye ba aloo-peyaz bhaja diye." A majority of Bengalis would agree vegetarian plate of MOHON BHOG-BENGALI MISHTI SOOJI with "ruti ba porota ba luchi" was / is one of the most common breakfast among Bengalis. My family calls it "mishti sooji" while other Bengali homes may call it Mohon Bhog. The senior loves it with breads or as a dessert, while the junior will not touch if its not done with fresh fruit juices. So, "aloo bhaja" had to be there, this time it was grilled, store bought ones so deep frying can be avoided.

I really do not know exact data of how many Bengali Homes have switched to oats, cornflakes, fruit bowls for their breakfasts but this home has mix of everything. I am unable to do away with my roots, tradition. I do not know who our boy get home tomorrow.... what her food habit be like, her culture. She may not accept my way of life, neither I will her's. What I pray to God is to give me strength to be able to remain me and yet be nice to others, I absolutely hate to give in to others.... never will.

I keep telling my man it's fine if you tell me not to interfere in the son's life but you must keep an infrastructure always ready for me and us. Whoever lives longer, me or you.... we should be able to live by ourselves. I have not allowed anyone inside my kitchen, neither wish to be a burden on anyone. I throw off people from my life who are indecent and ill-mannered, my funda is if you have not learnt manners, it's not my problem. Do not show your attitude to me, I do not spend my nights at your home at your expenses. Whoever does it to me, gets it back double, later may be but they definitely will. I have people who I like from a distance.

Enough for today, lets get virtual treated with this vegetarian, breakfast goodie with semolina, sugar, cashew nuts, raisins, green cardamom, bay leaf, ghee MOHON BHOG-BENGALI MISHTI SOOJI served with "luchi-sooji-porota." Bengalis usually prepare three kinds of "mishti sooji", one without milk which is this one, the rest two with half & half milk & water, only milk respectively.

INGREDIENTS :

SEMOLINA : 1/2 OF A MEDIUM TEA CUP
SUGAR : 1/2 OF A SMALL TEA CUP
GREEN CARDAMOM : 3-4
BAY LEAF : 1
CASHEW NUT : 5-6HALVED
RAISIN : 8-10
GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 2TBSP+1TBSP

YOU CAN USE EITHER MILK OR WATER TO COOK IT

PROCEDURE :

Heat 2tbsp ghee / clarified butter in wok or pan. Temper with bay leaf, green cardamoms. Stir and add the cashew nuts. Stir, roast until light brown. Soak raisins in a bowl of water.

Add semolina, keep roasting well until brown at low heat. This takes some 7-8 minutes.

Once brown, add sugar, keep roasting further for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1coffee mug of water, give a stir, cover cook at lowest heat for 2-3 minutes. Add more water if required!

You can cook sugar syrup separately as is done in maximum homes, not in our's, also can use milk instead of water!

Remove cover, add raisins, discard water in which they were soaked. Stir cook further for a minute or two. Add 1tbsp of ghee, fold in well, take down.