How do I keep up with my childhood memories? I keep up with whatever I do not wish to forget recreating the scenes within the premises of my Home where I have the liberty to rule, where no outsider have the ability to trespass and give "bostapocha gyan." I buy only those things & theory that makes me happy. Like I got home those bowls, a couple of them last week at a very good discount from Japan Home. I am giving away a lot of my old utensils to our help's family.
I so enjoy buying stuffs for the kitchen, okay not really anything expensive. You need a proper home to keep a nice teapoy you got from Istanbul or it may be so that my parents had never been openhanded where money was concerned, so I just cannot be otherwise. "Dudh, Maach, Mangsho chara ami kothai tyamon khorcha kori?" There is a kind of lethargy that has gripped in. I was telling the partner when we go back to Kolkata after a decade or more, we will not need an upscaled living space in a larger condominium. I will better engage Nirmal to totally renovate this one. I like his work and I am didi to him and his men. Can you all imagine even a year back I demanded a terrace garden wala flat from him? I have the feeling like whats the point investing in a flat similar to condos like Silver Spring when we do not know how long we would stay on this earth thereafter. If the son's wife would not be too unwilling, we will be visiting them too at least once every two years. It is the man who wishes to upgrade because the present one is a smaller condo with no swimming pool or a club. I am however very pleased with the location and do not mind walking upto "Haldiram er More" and take a club membership either at Clubtown or Spacetown. The partner's eyes were always fixed at Bengal Unitech, Rukmani-Parasmani or Manikarn. We could not take the burden of investing in any one of them back in 2006, else Mani Group seems to us the best builders in Kolkata. Now, it feels like "Boss, leave it! I will never buy raw produce from Spencer. If I am alive at 65 or 70, I would still go to the Baguiati Bazaar for match-taach."
I am my family's daughter, I cannot be in the habit of taking risk! I was wondering how at 16, my boy started planning a life without his parents by 18, I am scared. He is not letting us apply in colleges here, January is the time, he is so unlike his mother. The mentally sick mother is unable to enjoy or take pride in his 5-6 years of plan. "Boss, chicken pox er vaccine deoa thakleo kintu hoy. ki korbi tokhon? Ami kintu pagol hoye jabo." To save myself from going mad or die of anxiety, I cook. Counsellors or Psychiatrists cannot help because those sedatives are killers, you have to help yourself. How do I help myself? I turn my face to a well lit morning and find happiness watching my "shobuj appel er achar" basking in the sun, I think I should send a little amount to few of my neighbours.
I could finally make the flat owner dispose his malfunctioned refrigerator. We are paying a good amount of rent not to house his spoilt stuffs in this small area. My partner cannot ask for anything from the owner, neither allows me to mail the owner or the agent. It was of no use except for keeping his crates of beer. On so many occasions of a special prayer meet at home, expensive flowers and fruits stored got spoilt on the D-Day. On the Lokkhi Pujo Day, my Poddo phool got spoilt. How is the corner looking? I was planning to keep a big indoor planter there, the partner wants a proper wine cellar. The ever warring us never lose the warmth of our relationship, that depends on the issues you are fighting on.
You see, to prepare a VEGAN DUDH CHITOI, a tweaked Bengali sweet meat or snack, I do not need much electronic gadgets. There was a wish to buy an air fryer few years back, I could not for space crunch. Now, I have got a space but given the boy is going out to explore the world, I will not buy. The man is not a foodie, the son enjoys a variety of food mumma prepares.
Its Poush Sankranti approaching, with it the island's biggest celebration Chinese New Year and also Saraswati Pujo, others do not require a mention in public at this point. Let me take one at a time, Poush Sankranti is the nearest. Last year, I blogged about our Traditional Bengali Chitoi Pithe following an easier recipe from a Face Book Page "Daisy's Notebook & Cuisine Gallery." This time too I followed the same recipe, I got more confident and they are softer and near perfect this time. I have used an iron wok, I did not get "matir shora" from Kolkata; earthen woks with lids specially meant for chitoi pitha. We Bengalis do two types of Chitoi, one is made plain and eaten with liquid "khejur gur", the other is dunked in a creamy milk syrup sweetened with khejur gur, that is date palm jaggery. This is a winter treat back in Bengal, here it is a tropical weather. Creamier Milk treats are not so congenial to the stomach health and I never had been a milk person. I felt, let me take a healthier route so that I can also enjoy what I used to love in my younger days. So, this vegan, gluten free, Bengali Pithe was born. Its easy. Instead of a syrup made with boiling full cream milk for long and then adding date palm jaggery on switching off, I had boiled some soy milk and added a little of date palm jaggery and beet root juice. It was lighter, healthy and we could have it with less amount of guilt. I will prepare the traditional dudh chitoi too but today let us have this VEGAN DUDH CHITOI "pithe" which is all about some rice, coconut, a little of salt and sugar, okay the chopped almond and pistachio were my addition. Some people may be very health conscious unlike me, they matter and I have always respected their wish; no matter what. Then, I had to have a bit of me and my teaching gurus in whichever field be it; cooking or otherwise in today's share.
INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE RICE CAKES]
SMALL GRAINED FRAGRANT RICE [KALIJEERA OR GOBINDO BHOG] : 1COFFEE MUG [YOU GET IT IN ASIAN STORES IF LIVING OUTSIDE BENGAL]
COOKED RICE : 1/3COFFEE MUG
SHREDDED COCONUT : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
SALT : 1/2TSP
SUGAR : 11/2TSP [I USE BROWN SUGAR]
BAKING POWDER : 1/2TSP
INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE SYRUP]
SOY MILK : 300-400ML
GRATED DATE PALM JAGGERY : 1/4MEDIUM TEA CUP
BEET ROOT JUICE : 4-5TBSP
SUGAR : 1TBSP [I USE BROWN SUGAR]
FINALLY :
THE RICE CAKES
THE GLUTEN FREE SYRUP
1TSP OIL TO BRUSH
CHOPPED ALMOND & PISTACHIO TO GARNISH
2-3 DROPS OF KEWRA WATER
PROCEDURE :
Soak the raw rice in enough water over night, at least 8-10 hours.
Drain the water and wash well. Transfer to a blender, add half of the cooked rice, sugar, salt and very little water. In my case, it is brown sugar.
Blend it to a paste.
We will do the given amount in two batches.
Store it in a big bowl and and keep covered for 40-50 minutes.
Open cover and add the shredded coconut. Fold in well.
Add the baking powder and fold in well.
Heat a heavy wok and just brush the centre with oil.
Take a round spoon, fill it with the batter and gently pour at the centre of the wok.
Immediately cover.
Open cover after 3-4 minutes, the middle will fluff up and the bottom little browned. Take off.
After every 4-5 of them, we will brush the centre of the wok.
In the process, I found that a smaller cover yielded better cakes.
We will keep them aside, they are ready to be eaten with tea or date palm jaggery.
But today we will go a little further and dunk them in a syrup.
So, we have grated some khejur gur, that is date palm jaggery and got some juice from half of a standard sized beet root.
We have put the mentioned amount of soy milk for boil and boiled it for 5-7 minutes.
Switch off the gas oven. Add the grated date palm jaggery and stir to melt.
Dunk the rice & coconut cake in the syrup and let cool a bit. Add some beet root juice & kewra water and stir. I added in accordance with the colour I wished for.
Try to have them fresh. Before serving, garnish with chopped almonds & pistachios.
If we are refrigerating it, we will take it out an hour before having, serve in bowls and microwave at low for few seconds. Else rice cakes tend to get hard on refrigerating.
I could finally make the flat owner dispose his malfunctioned refrigerator. We are paying a good amount of rent not to house his spoilt stuffs in this small area. My partner cannot ask for anything from the owner, neither allows me to mail the owner or the agent. It was of no use except for keeping his crates of beer. On so many occasions of a special prayer meet at home, expensive flowers and fruits stored got spoilt on the D-Day. On the Lokkhi Pujo Day, my Poddo phool got spoilt. How is the corner looking? I was planning to keep a big indoor planter there, the partner wants a proper wine cellar. The ever warring us never lose the warmth of our relationship, that depends on the issues you are fighting on.
You see, to prepare a VEGAN DUDH CHITOI, a tweaked Bengali sweet meat or snack, I do not need much electronic gadgets. There was a wish to buy an air fryer few years back, I could not for space crunch. Now, I have got a space but given the boy is going out to explore the world, I will not buy. The man is not a foodie, the son enjoys a variety of food mumma prepares.
Its Poush Sankranti approaching, with it the island's biggest celebration Chinese New Year and also Saraswati Pujo, others do not require a mention in public at this point. Let me take one at a time, Poush Sankranti is the nearest. Last year, I blogged about our Traditional Bengali Chitoi Pithe following an easier recipe from a Face Book Page "Daisy's Notebook & Cuisine Gallery." This time too I followed the same recipe, I got more confident and they are softer and near perfect this time. I have used an iron wok, I did not get "matir shora" from Kolkata; earthen woks with lids specially meant for chitoi pitha. We Bengalis do two types of Chitoi, one is made plain and eaten with liquid "khejur gur", the other is dunked in a creamy milk syrup sweetened with khejur gur, that is date palm jaggery. This is a winter treat back in Bengal, here it is a tropical weather. Creamier Milk treats are not so congenial to the stomach health and I never had been a milk person. I felt, let me take a healthier route so that I can also enjoy what I used to love in my younger days. So, this vegan, gluten free, Bengali Pithe was born. Its easy. Instead of a syrup made with boiling full cream milk for long and then adding date palm jaggery on switching off, I had boiled some soy milk and added a little of date palm jaggery and beet root juice. It was lighter, healthy and we could have it with less amount of guilt. I will prepare the traditional dudh chitoi too but today let us have this VEGAN DUDH CHITOI "pithe" which is all about some rice, coconut, a little of salt and sugar, okay the chopped almond and pistachio were my addition. Some people may be very health conscious unlike me, they matter and I have always respected their wish; no matter what. Then, I had to have a bit of me and my teaching gurus in whichever field be it; cooking or otherwise in today's share.
INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE RICE CAKES]
SMALL GRAINED FRAGRANT RICE [KALIJEERA OR GOBINDO BHOG] : 1COFFEE MUG [YOU GET IT IN ASIAN STORES IF LIVING OUTSIDE BENGAL]
COOKED RICE : 1/3COFFEE MUG
SHREDDED COCONUT : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
SALT : 1/2TSP
SUGAR : 11/2TSP [I USE BROWN SUGAR]
BAKING POWDER : 1/2TSP
INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE SYRUP]
SOY MILK : 300-400ML
GRATED DATE PALM JAGGERY : 1/4MEDIUM TEA CUP
BEET ROOT JUICE : 4-5TBSP
SUGAR : 1TBSP [I USE BROWN SUGAR]
FINALLY :
THE RICE CAKES
THE GLUTEN FREE SYRUP
1TSP OIL TO BRUSH
CHOPPED ALMOND & PISTACHIO TO GARNISH
2-3 DROPS OF KEWRA WATER
PROCEDURE :
Soak the raw rice in enough water over night, at least 8-10 hours.
Drain the water and wash well. Transfer to a blender, add half of the cooked rice, sugar, salt and very little water. In my case, it is brown sugar.
Blend it to a paste.
We will do the given amount in two batches.
Store it in a big bowl and and keep covered for 40-50 minutes.
Open cover and add the shredded coconut. Fold in well.
Add the baking powder and fold in well.
Heat a heavy wok and just brush the centre with oil.
Take a round spoon, fill it with the batter and gently pour at the centre of the wok.
Immediately cover.
Open cover after 3-4 minutes, the middle will fluff up and the bottom little browned. Take off.
After every 4-5 of them, we will brush the centre of the wok.
In the process, I found that a smaller cover yielded better cakes.
But today we will go a little further and dunk them in a syrup.
So, we have grated some khejur gur, that is date palm jaggery and got some juice from half of a standard sized beet root.
We have put the mentioned amount of soy milk for boil and boiled it for 5-7 minutes.
Switch off the gas oven. Add the grated date palm jaggery and stir to melt.
Dunk the rice & coconut cake in the syrup and let cool a bit. Add some beet root juice & kewra water and stir. I added in accordance with the colour I wished for.
Try to have them fresh. Before serving, garnish with chopped almonds & pistachios.
If we are refrigerating it, we will take it out an hour before having, serve in bowls and microwave at low for few seconds. Else rice cakes tend to get hard on refrigerating.
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