SPICED OATS COCONUT DATES CAKE

CAKES ARE REGULAR IN THE FAMILY SINCE MY CHILDHOOD!

Not only homemade cakes are a regular affair in the family; store bought cakes too keep coming. Since my childhood, I have seen cakes coming regular to our home, not alone during birthday celebrations, X-Mas and New Year, but round the year. I think, because CAKE was favourite to my parents; they got me a basic cake oven once I passed 10th Boards. I keep mentioning about this particular gift from my parents; I felt very blessed getting it; I loved it that they enjoyed my simply made BASIC CAKES. I remember, all of us in our home, may be a few neighbourhood kids would sit around and watch with excitement the entire process of cake making. People were easy going then, did not come with much baggages; even I do not remain what I used to be! Amazingly, I also made tea stall like biscuit cookies then with semolina & flour, totally forgot how I did; that taste I remember. After marriage, baking did not happen for few years; I again started it all after relocating to this island.

FOOD IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN OUR FAMILIES; FOR GENERATIONS, I GUESS!

When it comes to food; I would specifically speak of our mother because it was  her fascination towards watching different cookery shows that prompted her to prepare a lot of different dishes for us. If she loved to cook, I loved to eat. After my marriage, she got very limited with her cooking experiments. It was me who enjoyed a variety of food; the father mostly love BENGALI FOOD, whilst the brother was not a food enthusiast. Today, he likes food but his choice is very limited. Same has happened at this home. It has been the son's growing up period, I used to cook a lot and he ate them in turns. Today, he is sitting so far in another country, the heart shrinks in pain on such special days more. I know he would eat way better cakes than his mumma made SPICED OATS COCONUT DATES CAKE; yet I imagine him sitting in his room and eating the major portions of the cake. The senior is so particular about his food intake that there is no thrill in cooking for him, a little excess of dishes may go to the refrigerator and get stale.

ABOUT THIS VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE SPICED OATS COCONUT DATES CAKE!

Its been long I do not try to make perfect looking cakes, I enjoy experimenting with the available INGREDIENTS FOR A POSSIBLE CAKE in my KITCHEN. I am telling you, there is an immense joy in mixing and matching different ingredients to get an UNCONVENTIONAL CAKE. I know there is no excuse not to have been able to grasp the knowledge of BAKING good conventional cakes till date but I hardly have the patience to learn. As I always say, I blog about the cakes that turn decent in my CONVECTION MODE MICROWAVE OVEN. About this particular cake, you will see later in the post that I had used very few HEALTHY ingredients doing it; like fresh, shredded coconut, oat meal, dates, self made spice powder; everything of our choice. It may not look fluffier and regular but it tasted very well with out tea / coffee. I suggest you have this SPICED OATS COCONUT DATES CAKE fresh and warm. For a vegan version, I perhaps had to use soy curd instead of our plain doi / dahi, may we try using that next?

INGREDIENTS:

OATS : 1 COFFEE MUG

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1 MEDIUM SIZED TEA CUP

PLAIN YOGURT : 1 SMALL SIZED TEA CUP

OIL : 1/2 SMALL TEACUP

BROWN SUGAR : 5-6 TBSP

BAKING POWDER : 1 TSP

BAKING SODA : 1/4 TSP

DATES : A HANDFUL [DE-SEEDED, ROUGHLY TORN]

SHUGANDHI MOSHOLA MIX / AROMATIC SPICE POWDER : 2 TSP [CLICK THE TITLE HEAD FOR THE RECIPE]

PROCEDURE :

I have taken the oats flakes in a blender and got it powdered.

I had added baking powder & baking soda to it; mixed the entire thing together!

Thereafter, I added the shredded coconut and mixed together well.

I had taken the yogurt, oil, brown sugar in the blender and blended them together into a paste.

I had added the smooth paste to the oat meal mixture well, thereafter the homemade spice powder; mixing the entire thing well again.

I have taken the batter in an aluminium foiled cake tin and arranged the washed date pieces atop. 

Remember, this is oats flour and not refined flour or whole wheat flour; you need not worry because we are not expecting a regular looking cake here. But what you get is a yum, healthy deal.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven. So I preheated the oven at 180*C for 10 minutes, placing the low height wired stool inside.

Thereafter, I had placed the cake tin atop the wired stool and baked it at 180*C for 25 to 30 minutes!

It looks like this and tasted wow.

I think the cake tasted the best when fresh & warm. We had it both ways, fresh & refrigerated; I insist we have it fresh.

 

RUI BA KATLA MAACH ER DIM ER BORA

FISH ROE / MAACH ER DIM; A LINGERING LOVE SINCE CHILDHOOD!

Very few Bengalis would say a no to fish roe! On reaching forty, I knew the Japanese too love it, though they eat it in a different way. Had the Japanese ate "bhajabhuji" as we do, their skin would not have been this smooth & shiny, would have complained about "gola-buk jwala, koshtho-kathinya". I was skeptical about tasting something called Sushi that has marinated raw ingredients, including fish roe wrapped or topped in / on sticky rice. It was an acquired taste and I may not like but eat it these days. Only that, looking at the orange coloured Flying Fish Roe on Sushi & Sashimi; it feels like Mihidana and I crave more for a bowlful of "Bardhaman er Mihidana & Muri or luchi" / Puffed Rice or Bread than a Sushi platter. This only proves what level of a Bengali in essence I am. When it comes to fresh water FISH ROE FRY & CURRY, the BENGALI way, I love this GLUTEN-FREE SNACK or SIDE  more than any sweet servings.

WHAT IS BENGALI KIND OF FISH ROE / FISH EGG?

Fish Roe comes for free along with fish among us. I specifically love FISH ROE of fresh water fish because I grew up eating them. The most popular Bengali FISH ROE is of Hilsa FISH, we also love the roe / eggs of the Bengal Carp, Tyangra; a smaller cat fish, of Puti Maach; Olive Barb, Magur Maach; Walking Cat Fish, Koi Maach; Climbing Perch! I have never seen eggs of Aar or Boyal Maach. Here we get a plenty supply of Bengal Carp varieties coming from Malaysia and I get the ones with eggs at times to prepare RUI BA KATLA MAACH ER DIM ER BORA / ROE FRITTERS OF BENGAL CARP. I believe, what we grow up eating is what naturally become our love. There will always be some exceptions. I remember, how the adults were at awe looking at this kid, which is I skilfully de-boning a fish, at what expertise I took out the  FISH EGGS and kept aside the plate to have it at the end of the meal. I remember it all, I sitting on the ground on a "piri", an wooden low height stool & having a full BENGALI MEAL, later the same self sitting on a chair to have the same kind of meals in a similar manner. I think, since my birth I knew FOOD is something to relish and the sight of food got delight to me since then. I did not know, some day I would COOK and share RECIPES with the world; had I knew I would have done a few professional courses on it; no, I think doing an in-depth study of literature was my thing.

HOW DO A BENGALI COOK FISH EGG / ROE FRITTER & CURRY?

Among us there is no fancy whilst cooking a fish roe, it is simply fried after been washed, marinated in salt, turmeric; mixed with chopped onion & green chillies. We love having those fritters; we further cook a curry with the fritters & potato; a sour curry also with raw mango or tamarind. I love it both ways. I so much love FISH ROE FRITTERS that I can have at least ten of them in one go! It's curry is another love. Else, ask any Bengali, they would say that buying a fish with eggs grown in it is a compromise with it's taste. Yet, we do so because we love fish roe and consider it as an extra gift coming along with the fish. The very exclusive Hilsa egg is not always available but because we get the Bengal Carp variety regular, I do buy them along with fish and often cook the fish roe curry or this fritter called RUI BA KATLA MAACH ER DIM ER BORA. You can have the fritters as a SNACK or as a side with RICE, GHEE, DAL. On that particular day, we also had "doi potol, mash kolai er dal, aloo, begun diye paka pui bichi bhaja" and salad too!

INGREDIENTS : 

RUI / KATLA / BENGAL CARP FISH EGG / ROE : 250-300 GM

CHOPPED ONION : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 2 TBSP [OPTIONAL]

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/4 - 1/2 TSP

RICE FLOUR : 2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL  : 6-8 TBSP [I USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Wash the fish egg chunk very well and cut into smaller pieces. Some would disintegrate and spread around. Do not worry, we can fry them.

Now, add the salt, turmeric and red chilli powders to the fish roe, mix well and keep aside for 10-12 minutes.

Thereafter, add the washed and chopped onion, green chillies & fresh coriander, rice flour to the marinated fish egg / roe. Mix everything well.

Heat the oil in a pan or wok and gently place the fish roe pieces on it. 

We do not require this stuff to deep fry in a lot of oil. Instead, we will fry each side at minimal heat for a longer period until brown, else the inside is not done properly and smells.

Always enjoy it having hot & fresh!

PEYARAR JELLY

 

A CHILDHOOD, TEEN LIFE TO ADULTHOOD;  TALES OF FRESH FRUIT JAM, JELLY, ACHAR, HOMEMADE VEGETARIAN CONDIMENTS!

If I look back as far as memory can take me to, it is about a home meticulously run by a short statured, thin framed woman to whom her home and it's people and the things meant everything. From early morning to 10pm at night we saw her working and working harder. The major part of her young age was spent in a rented space; yet, not for a single day she failed to take proper care of it. Each in the neighbourhood including our unhappy landlord's family would wonder where this woman derives her 1000 horse power energy from; from her mother off course. I did not inherit 1/10th of their love and expertise in household chores; but I live to tell their stories. So many times, our landlord's family denied our mother access to the terrace, yet they could not stop her from preparing bori / vadi / dried lentil balls and achar / Indian pickle, amshi / dried mango pieces, every season. Whatever little sunlitted space she got, she would utilise it. If one loves household chores, home way too much, they can be this dedicated. She did not have the facilities I enjoy; a full time help, few electronic gadgets, readymade stuffs. I do not even compare the situation; she did all these after handling two demanding kids like me and bhai. My son or the man are not even so fussy; out father did not even understand how a home works, what Herculean task our mother had taken upon her shoulders. Perhaps, she started preparing HOMEMADE JAM & JELLY for two reasons. Both of us siblings were too fond of biscuits; we ate 12-13 biscuits at one go but we were allowed only few varieties; Britannia Marie and Cream Cracker. We demanded for cream biscuits; they did not allow, instead she started making JAM & JELLY at home. Of the few varieties she made, this GUAVA JELLY / PEYARAR JELLY was one. I think there was an economic angle, the way I finished off biscuit packets & jam, jelly, it can be referred to a demonic volume. Our son too inherited this love for biscuits & cookies from me and his mamu jaan but our mother did not have the same amount of spending power as I have. Then, I belong there, hence have a natural affinity towards cooking and thoroughly enjoying the activity.

HOW IS GUAVA JELLY / PEYARAR JELLY MADE IN OUR FAMILY? ITS ALL ABOUT FRESH FRUITS!

So far I can remember, our mother never used artificial colours or flavours in her JAM & JELLY, be it of GUAVA, MANGO OR PINEAPPLE. She used acetic acid she told me the other day, I do not even use that. If you ask our boy, he hopefully would say he likes how his mumma makes her's and for him. I very much wanted to share a FAMILY RECIPE for this X-MAS and here it is. I talk to my mother so often, but forgot to ask her one more time and got over ripened GUAVAS, then she told me that she used unripe, green guava for making jelly because it's sap helps the jelly to thicken. However, my venture did not spoil. I had bought about 600gm of ripened, pink flesh guava not wanting to use any artificial colour. My purpose was served. I purposefully kept it less thickened because I will be refrigerating it until summer; I may have cooked it now to share it on CHRISTMAS EVE, but it will serve it's purpose coming summer. The refrigeration will thicken it further. It's pink colour you see is purely natural. The mother asked me to add some raisins to it as she did, but added some chopped dry fruits instead.

CHRISTMAS IS VERY MUCH ABOUT CAKE I KNOW; BUT YOU ALSO BAKE A FRESH BREAD AND HAVE WITH MY GUAVA JELLY, A VEGETARIAN GLUTEN-FREE CONDIMENT!

We are Hindus, but we must eat our piece of cake during X-MAS. I am pretty busy today, in fact for the past few days. This morning I had to go out, locally though. Once done, Cristine came back and I did some walking, had my lunch and headed back home. I have some cooking now, simultaneously I am writing this blog post. In between, I had to manage three of those Oreo Cookie & Walnut Microwave Mode Cake. One Cristine would take for her friends tomorrow, she has taken leave tomorrow. The rest of the two are not for this home. Once I am done with the BLOG POST, I will bake a cake for this home as per my choice.

Yes, the heart indeed yearns for the son, there are thousands of questions on my mind, did my child buy a cake for himself? Is he maintaining proper hygiene? Is he eating well? How is he coping with the cold? We are here, our heart is there, oceans apart. At times it feels horrible, then, what else to do except for waiting for his long holidays? Mumma did taste the GUAVA JELLY, Babai won't, it will go for refrigeration now, mumma is a diabetic.

INGREDIENTS :

RIPE GUAVA : 600 GM [I USED THE ONE WITH PINK FLESH]

SUGAR : 2 TBSP [I USED BROWN SUGAR]

HONEY : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP SIZE [SKIP AND USE MORE SUGAR IF YOU WISH FOR A VEGAN VERSION]

LEMON JUICE : 4-5 TBSP

CINNAMON STICK : 1 BIG WHOLE

CHOPPED DRY FRUIT : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

We will discard the two ends of each guava / peyara, peel them, wash and chop finely the flesh. I did one and Christine did the rest.

I kept them in the rice container for two days to ripen more.

We have taken the washed and chopped guava flesh in a deep vessel and added 2-3 coffee mugs of water to it.

We will put it for boil and cover 80% of it, else the water may spill over.

We will simmer it at low heat for 10-12 minutes; open cover to discard the scum, foam that has formed atop.

We will keep simmering the mixture for 15-16 minutes at low flame until it thickens. We will let it cool.

Once cool, we will take it in a clean, white, thin piece of cloth and squeeze with all our power to extract the water, juice.

In the second round, I added 1/2 a coffee mug of water and extracted another round of juice.

We will use the extracted water and boil it taken in a fresh bowl. I had added a cinnamon stick for fresh flavours.

After 10-12 minutes, I had added the honey and the sugar. Use only sugar if you want a vegan version.

After 8-10 minutes of boiling, I added the chopped dry fruits and started simmering at minimal heat now. I add the lemon juice too now.

At this stage, we have to continuously stir as we simmer.

It will take 10-12 minutes to reach a thick consistency. We can thicken it more but I will refrigerate it for later use, which will thicken it further.

Thats the pure natural colour. The lemon juice gets you this. The jelly needs to be completely cooled before keeping in sterilised bottles.

DUDH ALOOR POROTA O DIM ER JHURO

 

A COMBO PLATTER OF MILK & POTATO FLATBREAD, BENGALI STYLE SCRAMBLED EGG & ROASTED EGGPLANT

For a couple of months I was wanting to share this COMBO MEAL of POROTA, DIMER JHURO & BEGUN PORA MAKHA, I cooked and clicked sometime in April. Thereafter, whenever I looked at the pictures, I did not like the way I clicked them. I felt, I have to cook the same combination of FOOD and click fresh!

I know what you all my readers are thinking on your mind; that this time too I have not clicked anything great. I accept that, what I always say is each day I am learning to click decent; learning to click like a professional is not my thing. Then, CURRY AND SPICE should have my foot prints everywhere, it is mine alone; from photography to the content; everything should have my personal touch. You call me limited, you call me a mediocre, I continue to execute my blog the way I want it to!

MILK POTATO FLATBREAD? WHAT IS THAT?

ALOO SHEDDO O DUDH DIYE MOIDA MAKHA, eshob ki? You see, I am growing old and my memory bag is filling up in great volume and speed. I can recall little details from the past, not formulae. Of which, one is of a neighbourhood family in DumDum who ate potato mash with rice and milk; later we saw our first tenant in our Barrackpore Home having the same; they all are Bengalis of West Bengal origin! That was working inside me and led me to try a POROTA / FLATBREAD using REFINED FLOUR, WHEAT FLOUR, BOILED POTATO, MILK instead of water for the dough! I must tell you that flatbreads made of this dough gives us supremely soft, melt in the mouth ones. The mother and the son at this home can have those porotas with a variety of sauces alone, the mother only with achar but T is not fond of sauces; Cristine can have anything this home cooks except too much of a sweet stuff. But I kept two sides; BENGALI STYLE SCRAMBLED EGG & BENGALI STYLE BEGUN PORA MAKHA.

IS BENGALI STYLE SCRAMBLED EGG ANYTHING DIFFERENT?

I do not think EGG BHURJI / DESI STYLE SCRAMBLED EGG is anything different from how the Bengalis prepare it. KHAGINA may be a slightly softer version and uses tomato. I mean egg bhurji may also use tomato, our family does not. In fact, my side of the family which was not much in favour of egg was not particular about what they are throwing into the egg batter. Whatever was available in the kitchen, they would use in an omelette; eating which I definitely had indigestion, there was a time the brother did not touch eggs. Gradually, we have learnt to eat few dishes with eggs. DESI SCRAMBLED EGG is what I had learnt to prepare post marriage, given the husband and his mother are mad after eggs. Looking at the husband having those bland scrambled eggs besides sausage, bacon in the hotels, on flights; I used to get angry. Then, one day I tried the western way of scrambled egg, just could not after a spoonful. I categorically told the family, my kitchen would never fetch you bacon, bland egg scramble and sausage; the best I can do is serve DUDH ALOOR POROTA O DIMER JHURO often. 

ROASTED BRINJAL / EGGPLANT IS A DINNER THING!

Bengal's roasted eggplant bhorta is different from the rest of India's eggplant / brinjal bharta. The Bengali way was so regular in my family and till date, I love it more than the other that uses powdered spices. T loves the latter because he is slightly allergic to eggplant and needs it to be cooked very well with spices. Even I am little allergic to it's seeds but I so love this VEGETABLE that I must have it cooked, in all the ways I know about. The last day, I made the bharta the BENGALI way, T would not mind skipping it if he gets a bowlful of spicy scrambled egg. Without any guilt, I made "begun pora makha" for myself & Cristine; whilst the son watches us sitting in another continent. Yesterday was a Sunday; I usually get lunch from outside but this time we had to finish some leftovers; so we had a lunch with leftovers, the evening teatime was spent with "chirey-muri makha" and our dinner was a cooker made dal-rice with potato! Throughout the day, we had watched three movies.

Let us proceed with the recipe of this BENGALI MEAL PLATTER, DUDH ALOOR POROTA O DIMER JHURO.

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE BENGALI STYLE EGG SCRAMBLE]

EGG : 3-4

SLICED ONION : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TBSP

CHOPPED CORIANDER LEAF : 4-5 TBSP

MINCED GARLIC : 1 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE MILK, BOILED POTATO FLATBREAD]

REFINED FLOUR : 11/2 COFFEE MUG

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

BOILED & MASHED POTATO : 1 BIG

BLACK PEPPER POWDER  : 1 TSP

SALT : 1/4 TSP

MILK : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP

OIL : 3 TBSP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 1/2 TSP FOR EACH FLATBREAD

PROCEDURE :

Let us do the Bengali style scrambled eggs; DIM ER JHURO at first!

Cristine did all the chopping and mincing work, washed them and got them readied on the kitchen counter. She had broken the eggs, beaten them well adding a little of salt.

I have heated the oil and tempered it with the cumin seeds.

I had added the washed and minced garlic cloves and stir cooked at low heat until brown. I had added the washed sliced onion & chopped green chillies thereafter.

I stir fried them at low heat for 3-4 minutes and added the beaten eggs. 

I had stir cooked the mixture for a minute, reduced the heat to minimal and added some salt, turmeric and black pepper to it.

I stir cooked everything for about 2 minutes at low heat and added the washed, chopped fresh coriander.

We should take it down and have it warm.

Let us prepare the porotas / flatbreads; DUDH ALOOR POROTA now.

Let us take the refined flour, whole wheat flour, boiled potato, black pepper powder, 2tbsp oil together in a bowl.

Let us mix together all and rub well for 2-3 minutes. Then we will add the milk little by little and knead well to prepare a smooth dough. 

We will add 1 tbsp oil and knead again.

We will cover it for 20-25 minutes.

We will open the cover and knead it well again for 2-3 minutes.

We will tear off portions and smoothen each between our palms.

We will roll out each into a round shape and fold to half and then fold sideways. Then we will stretch the triangle with the rolling pin to a standard size.

We will heat a pan well and add one flatbread at a time. We will roast each side for 2-3 minutes.

We will add 1/2 tsp ghee / clarified butter for each flatbread and cook both sides well until brown.

They look as below.

Eat them fresh and hot.