MUSHURIR DAL O BANDHAKOPIR DHOKA

I try to prepare at least two to three vegetarian dishes weekly in a way my men would find them worthy to eat. Last week end, I had a little amount of cabbage left in the pantry with which I did not wish to do a "ghonto." Neither did I wish to do a "bora" / fritters, then what? I felt like trying some "dhoka" / lentil cakes with them. I used red lentil this time because it takes the least of soaking time. It was an impromptu idea that did not go wrong. Such ideas keep coming to me that have their own limits. I mean I cannot think big. Day before yesterday, I prepared some fox tail millet "upma" in the microwave and it turned out very tasty. It was just an experiment, shall be doing properly on a later date. The majority do not recommend microwave cooking, so I do not explore this machine much, I do not have enough utensils congenial to microwave cooking, mine are meant for heating alone.

With regards to today's share of a vegetarian side with red lentils & cabbage MUSHURIR DAL O BANDHAKOPIR DHOKA, I was too tired yesterday night and did the final step in the microwave. Moreover, I did not wish to deep fry the lentil cakes. We either have it fried as a snack or add in a curry. I have already cooked mutton, chicken, fish, egg curries last weekend, so felt like having it in a curry is not required. Snacking does not really happen on the weekdays, we hardly get to spend evenings together as a family. Moreover, no one can make the husband do snacking in between his meals. Nuts or a fish fry over the weekend with his beer or wine is still okay.

Actually, I had my lunch in a restaurant yesterday. We will do a review of the restaurant sometime later. I do have more or less good things to say about the experience. The problem is I cannot digest properly dining out. Back home I had a "Pudinhara" tablet to stay on the safer side because I would not go to sleep without having my quota of "dal, bhaat, maacher jhol." Even I was unwilling to have vegetables. The preparation work for this vegetarian lentil cakes with cabbage and red lentils MUSHURIR DAL O BANDHAKOPIR DHOKA was done last Saturday, I completed the procedure yesterday night. You can do it on the day, just that  the mixture needs a standing time of at least an hour. I craved for a fresh dal to be made and I prepared a "mouri phoron kancha beulir dal." We had a dinner with rice, ghee, lentil cakes, fish curry, lentil curry; a pure Bengali affair I so loved. End of the Day, I need my "ada jeerey batar patla jhol diye bhaat". I wonder how I used to enjoy outside food on a regular basis and how I am totally in to the family veterans' shoes these days. These are signs of aging and I am fine with it, if only the greying process was a little slower. The fat, old, mumma still has to debone the fish for the adult son; the thing of joy is that he ate it all.

Yes, he eats that little amount of rice because he has developed a bad habit of snacking all day. If it is fried rice / pulao / bread varieties, my men would have double; then Bengali Homes cannot allow that. Moreover, they do not want to have salads.

INGREDIENTS :

SHREDDED CABBAGE / BANDHAKOPI: HALF OF A SMALLER SIZED
RED LENTIL / MUSHURIR DAL : 1MEDIUM TEA CUP
CUMIN SEED : 1TSP
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1TBSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1TSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1/2TSP
OIL : 2TBSP + A LITTLE AMOUNT TO BRUSH

PROCEDURE :

Wash and soak the mushurir dal / red lentils in water for an hour and get a fine paste. I mean mixer-grinders always give me a fine paste even if I wish for a coarse one. Wash the shredded cabbage well taking in a colander. We should wash the green chillies before chopping them.

Heat 2tbsp oil in a wok and temper with the cumin seeds & chopped green chillies. Stir.

Add the washed and shredded cabbage / bandhakopi and the required amount of salt. Stir at high heat for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Add the red lentil / mushur dal paste now, also add the sugar, salt if required, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and red chilli powder.

Keep stirring the content for 4-5 minutes. It looks like below.

Transfer the mixture to a squared or round container and level at the top with a spoon.

Let it cool. Once cool, keep covered in the refrigerator for an hour.  Take it out. Cut &  shape as you wish.

                                                                           

At this point, I was feeling tired and unwilling to deep fry. So, I greased a grill plate. Brushed some oil on the lentil cakes.

Mine is a microwave oven with convection mode, so I placed the low height wired stool inside at first, then the grill plate with the cooked the lentil cakes at 300 power, one side for 10 minutes and the other side for 5 minutes.

Have it as a tea or coffee time snacks with your choice of chutney / sauce or with ghee & rice, dal & a fish or meat or egg curry.