Yesterday, it was quite a busy day for me. Early morning I went out with Cristine to the local wet market for the raw produce, I am very much against buying fish, meat and vegetables from the super marts unless it is an emergency. Wet markets give you the best quality raw food always and at a better price, you just have to reach there in time... around 9am and within 10pm. I dilli-dally and get late. Many a practice here is similar to what Kolkata had been. I had seen the grandfather or the father going to the famous DumDum Bazaar by 7-7:30am to get the freshest of vegetables and fish. The father did not have any interest in this job, just forced himself.... my husband does not even force himself. Our mother inherited the skill of shopping raw produce from her father, her youngest brother does it too well and I am a moderate follower of them.
Day before yesterday, something to do with "ranga aloo" aka sweet potato did strike my mind. Initially, I thought of preparing "ranga aloor jilipi", skipped that idea and prepared some "roshbora"instead in the afternoon and the entire evening was spent preparing the sweet potato tikki rice tossed in garlic pickle... a main RANGA ALOOR TIKKI GARLIC PICKLE RICE and pairing it with a spicy pomfret dish and lamb shabu shabu stew. It was tiring but never irritating, cooking makes me feel happier. From the market, Cristine came back home and I went for a walk, did a 8.6 km, ate a bowl of Yong Tau Foo in Laksa gravy and Sugarcane Juice, bought three packets of soil for 10 Sing$ and a pot, still some of my plants do not seem healthy, they lack their main food which is sunlight..... thats what the expert in the family told me. This winter she would be travelling to Bangalore to my cousin's with our father's youngest brother and his spouse, she is happy but is concerned about her plant-dom. The brother will never peep, his wife is like me who lack knowledge about the plant life. We are happy for the mother too, she needs to go out of home at regular intervals, I scold the brother when he gets choosy about who she would travel with. My father's youngest brother is a great support and an ally to her gardening ventures.... if only he stayed near.... Nagaon, Assam is too far.
Back from my walk, I started with the "Roshbora" making and ended up making good use of the sweet potatoes I got, three standard sized at less than 3Sing$.
It was a satisfying Kitchen adventure for me, We had a get-together to attend, I most interesting part for me is the food served, I cannot chat much! I miss a Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh at times; we met at an important juncture of life, so welcome.... such people never let you stray. We are poles apart when it comes to the IQ Level, however we both cried watching "Stepmom" at Eros, Mumbai may be. I do not run to few homes in Kolkata without a reason, I enjoy the talk and association. I do not know what my school and college friends do in their other circles but when we meet, it is only reminiscing those good old days including which boy or a girl or a lecturer we fell for, I love that! Better is for me to wander alone or sit together with the family to have a Domino's Pizza or this homely dinner spread of Pomfret, Lamb Shabu Shabu stew with a vegetarian rice main with garlic pickle, sweet potato tikki RANGA ALOOR TIKKI GARLIC PICKLE RICE. My next sole adventure is to visit the nearer Iscon Temple of the two here for a brief "pronam", I am more interested in their "proshad" lunch, thereafter visiting the nature reserves I have not, I am to visit certain music fests this month .... life is good man. By the end of the next year, I should be able to get in touch with some literary groups, 9 years into this island and I did not take membership of a library. Its due to call few friends or acquaintances for a lunch meet this month over some good music, let us see. Till then let us cook and eat!
SWEET POTATO : 3MEDIUM SIZED
CHOPPED ONION : 1SMALL TEA CUP
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1TBSP
CUMIN POWDER : 2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 2TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP
CHAAT MASALA : 11/2TBSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/2TSP
LEMON JUICE : 2-3TBSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SEMOLINA : 1/2SMALL TEACUP
OIL : 2-3TBSP
INGREDIENTS : [for the final Rice dish]
COOKED BASMATI RICE : 11/4 COFFEE MUG serves 4-6members. It should be cooked till 60%-70% done.
THE SWEET POTATO TIKKIS
GARLIC PICKLE : 200ML APPROXIMATELY
CHOPPED CORIANDER
SALT : AS REQUIRED
PROCEDURE :
Wash and cook the rice in enough water until 60%-70% done and transfer to a colander. Let it be for sometime.
Peel, half and wash the sweet potatoes. Pressure cook in 2 coffee mugs of water at the lowest heat up to 2 whistles. Let the lid open normally and strain. Let it cool.
Mash the boiled sweet potatoes, chop and wash the green chillies and onion.
Heat oil in a wok and temper it with cumin seeds. Add the chopped onions and green chillies, stir at low heat.
When the onions get translucent, add the cumin+coriander+red chilli+turmeric powders. Stir further for a minute or so.
Add the boiled and mashed sweet potato and the chaat masala & very little salt, remember the former contains salt in it. Stir to mix well.
Add the fresh lemon juice. Fold in very well and stir cook for 3-4 minutes. Take down & let cool.
Prepare tikkis out of it. I was enjoying!
Grease a oven proof plate with some oil, take some semolina on a plate and coat the tikkis.
Grill one side for 8-9 minutes, the other side for 5 minutes. Spread some garlic pickle on the top.
Heat a wok on the gas top, add about 200ml of garlic pickle and the washed and chopped coriander to it.
Add the cooked rice and fold in gently. Add little salt if only required.
Transfer to a serving bowl, arrange the sweet potato tikkis atop.
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