CURRY AND SPICE: BROCCOLI ALOO KAJU KISHMISH STUFFED SNACK

The head seems jam-packed; not because I am tired! When I have a big responsibility to discharge, I cannot concentrate on peacefully writing a Blog Post. Yet, I so wish to share this vegetarian snack recipe on this day of Dol Purnima, 2020. After I finish this job, I shall take a good shower and cook a tiny food platter for my God's Family. My readers have no idea what I have planned for the Almighty today, I think when they see it tomorrow, they shall smile, giggle, be happy and want to have a little of everything I cooked. If I am unable to treat you in person, I would wish you to enjoy virtually. Even on the occasion of Lakshmi Pooja, Saraswati Pooja, Janmashtami; I cannot call home the number of people I wish to. How to accommodate? No one in this home did pay heed to my small request of renting a flat that has 3+1 study so that I can use the study as a prayer room. The more I am aging, I am hating the idea of an attached toilet, so much so that I sleep in the guest room and not in the bedroom. To my mother & grandmother, "gharer modhya eshob ki ga ghinghiney byapar." Not today, 15 years back I requested for a separate "thakur ghar." Am I not that little girl who held tight her maternal grandmother's "anchal" while she moved from this room to that room with the "dhoop dani", then to the "tulshi tola, bagan and back?" Here distance is not a problem, I also do not work. If you can go a little towards the interior you get a four roomed, very well done home at 2000-2500 Sing$ of rent in a condominium. They may be 3-4 stoppages far from a MRT station. I had no problem but people at this home find my wishes unimportant, they calculate driving time, this-that and pay 3100 Sing$ for 1100sq.ft. whose condition is horrible; the kitchen more. I so requested him to relocate to Mumbai so that we can buy a flat with our savings at least in Kandivli or Borivli, get my mother and his parents to stay for 3 months in turns. No, the son's college fees cannot be paid with a salary in India. A Partha Dey and Madhuchanda Dey Ghosh bought a 1200 sq.ft. flat some 12 years back paying something between 4-5 crore rupees perhaps. I do not know why they must live in Bandra Linking Road when they both drive. What they say is that S has no idea how worsening is the traffic situation in Mumbai. I told Partha last year that the "land of the mad grandfather" is way better to buy a property. "Partha, tui je daamey ooi flat kinechish, okhaney lokey aki daamey ektu durey bungalow, bagan, garage shoho keney." "folao korey lokey barir daam internet e dei boley jantey pari." The space problem is same here, in Mumbai; in HongKong it is worser. I accepted staying the prime time of my life in a rented space, could not the earning member pay a little respect to my tiny wish? I too do not give "patta". I am getting more into "pujo-archa." I roam around freely from this temple to that which does not make them too happy, I do not care. However, preparing a vegetarian snack with bits of broccoli, boiled potato, cashew nuts, raisins, few spices BROCCOLI ALOO KAJU KISHMISH STUFFED SNACK for the family is always a pleasure. I never feel why should I!

A few minutes back, I get to know that the son would go to school around 12pm today which means my "pujor gochano" shall get delayed. They do not let you clean the beds, do dusting, sweeping, wiping the rooms in the morning. Everything should have a system, after marriage I saw people sleeping and the helps broom, wipe the rooms without the beds being done. They work in different homes, how can they wait for the mother-in-law or her kids who sleep till 12pm? I felt if I am to stay within this system, I shall die of irritation. At this home too, I cannot maintain the discipline I wished for because no one cooperates except the help. I try to stay happy doing what I enjoy; roam around, eat, cook for my "thakurs" at regular intervals, get a planter. Yes, I do have a good amount of my mother present in me. The brother is more attached to her but he is not interested to take over from her. The mother says she does not feel like keeping special prayer meets at home after the father's demise. He so loved to have the "naru, mishti, pithey, fol, payesh, luchi, khichuri", was so eager to call his local friends for "proshad." Deep within, he was very proud of our mother's immense potential as a homemaker, told me several times "your mamoni does not know what laziness is." Then, you have to make your partner feel it or listen to each other a bit. There always had a clash between our mother's concept of cleanliness, her expectations and his freedom loving self. My paternal grandparents were too good, but the paternal grandmother was not used to doing household work; they were a business family with a couple of helps, my "jethima" too took over at a young age. My daddy loved sleeping every two hours like his mother; my mother considered it "murgider moto jhimuni rog, khub kharap obhyash." I face the same problem. Yet, I told my mother then, "you choose or I, at this moment I think my major concern is trust. Right now, I think T can be trusted the most. He himself has complex about his thin structure, he has perseverance, he is not a womaniser, he is not much of a hot stuff among the girls. I lack what a majority of boys want in a girl neither can afford to lose the home I shall built with all my heart. I cannot handle a departure at every juncture in my life! Biyer raatey keu jodi amar measurement nitey shuru korey o bhabey choymash er beshi poshabey na, shei apaman shoibey na." Then I did not want an intelligent self like T to get married to a girl his family wanted; "modhyobitto Saha poribarer ucchomadhyomik pash meye." Oh! Yes! My in-laws did tell me directly about their wish, they think "I am a beyara." I consider myself slightly better than who they wished for their son. My both "jas" are learned and share good vibes with their in-laws unlike me. However, I do not agree what does a round in the social media. "An educated mother can change the society." It is wrong and extremely derogatory to a woman. I have secured an MA &B.ED degree from an university I did not want to[it is actually meant for the students of Fine Arts]. My category of "educated Indians" are worthless, they wander in the streets of Bengal with no skills as such. One has to apply the education learnt, else what for? An uneducated mother is not the concern, a mother has to value the need of education in her kids' life. I saw a severe lack of that interest in my in-law's family, specially in the mother-in-law's side; "mati kamrey porey theke chele-meyeder porabo eei chetonai nei eder." I severely disliked that and could not ever adjust to it. My son is not born to do social work at the cost of his life & education. Let him settle down in life, then he is free to serve people, he must take care of his "nono, piya and their spouses." He can engage in welfare activities, no problem. Before that, he has to get higher degrees to his mother. He does have behavioural issues that his mother does not like, then his paternal grandmother & his father have their presence in him, I cannot do anything about it. My only regret in life is perhaps the arrogance my men hone. Where was I? Okay, my brother and his wife do not have any interest following my mother's footsteps, taking over the family's "pujo-archa" or her concept of cleanliness, doing the "bazaar ghat" the way she wants, gardening; nothing. However, the brother has spent more than a lakh to renovate our mother's toilet, his wife is not at all our kind of a homemaker, she enjoys outdoor works, earns way more than what an average girl in Kolkata earns, so independent that she took alone three veterans with different ailments to Vellore, got out of the flood inflicted emergency all by herself. My mother admits her smartness, then that "akkhep"; "amader theke shongshar korata nilona." I say, "kichu labh nei mani, amra achal. Amader kono proyojon nei. Taka rojkar korey anina, danakata porio na je bou er mukh dekhe pagol hoye shera beauty parlour e chutbey niye shajatey, golar jor neije diney ponchash bar mukher kachey cha eney dhorbey keu, proti pach minute antor jigasha korbey, bukey byatha? mathai byatha? petey byatha? Charo na, eeijey shadhin bhabey shongshar kortey parchi etao boro paoa." My mother-in law has concerns about my height, looks and I had to listen to the stories of a high profile marriage, a beautiful bride for few months. Never mind, I enjoyed. The groom did not invite personally so there was no question of going. Neither all invitations are to be attended. At 31, I was battling with weight issues, untimely greying, infected stitch; on my lap was the ultimate love of my life. That an underweight husband had carried a stretcher weighing 72 kilogram up to the third floor flat because the wife did not wish to stay in the nursing home for hygiene concerns, that he mended and dressed the wound with care, did not feel ashamed of the not so good looking wife is a reason to stay few more years on this earth; who says one gets everything they wished for in life? Leave the Indian mother-in-laws, they may not be fair or sharp featured, their own kids may be dark but they want a fair, glam doll or a sharp featured beautiful bride for their sons. After few years, the same mother-in-law shall say "roop diye amar cheleke bhuliye haath korechey." Some shall sing praises of a better looking woman in front of their daughter-in-law and that daughter-in-law is nuts enough to go and tell the concerned person about the praise made to make the one feel high and very high about oneself and start loving the aunty more than the friend. What does the nuts gets acting silly? May be a little of the Almighty's Blessings! The nuts never find it tiring to offer special prayer to the God asking mercy and blessings for her own or prepare a yummy vegetarian snack BROCCOLI ALOO KAJU KISHMISH STUFFED SNACK for them; even if it means killing all the goodness of a broccoli. This family could not have the "Broccolir Shukto."

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING :

POTATO : 2MEDIUM SIZED
BROCCOLI : 1STANDARD SIZED
GREEN CHILLI : 3-4
DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3HALVED
CASHEWNUT : 10-12HALVED
RAISIN : 12-13
CURRY LEAF : 10-12
AESAFOETIDA : 2-3PINCH
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1/2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2TSP
DRY MANGO POWDER : 1TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1TSP
OIL : 3TBSP

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH :

REFINED FLOUR : 2COFFEE MUG
GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 3-4TBSP [YOU CAN USE ANY EDIBLE OIL EXCEPT MUSTARD]
SALT : AS REQUIRED

FINAL PRODUCT :

THE DOUGH
THE FILLING
OIL TO DEEP FRY

PROCEDURE :

Wash the broccoli and cut into tiny florets. Wash again. Marinate with little salt.

Wash the potatoes. Take in a microwave proof plate. Rub with salt and prick with a fork all over of each.

Microwave at high for 4-5 minutes. Once cool, peel and mash the potatoes well.

Half the cashew nuts and wash the raisins. Wash & chop the green chillies. Wash the curry leaves to be used.

Heat oil in a wok and temper with the aesafoetida, cumin seeds and the halved dry red chillies.

After a stir, add the chopped green chillies. I forgot to add the curry leaves at this stage, so added it latter. Do not worry, that shall not mark you a failure in life, take it easy.

Add the cashew nuts and stir till light brown.

Add the broccoli and curry leaves and some turmeric. Stir at low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the raisins, give a stir.

Add the boiled and mashed potato now. Add the cumin+coriander+dry mango powders, a bit of salt and stir cook well for 3-4 minutes.

Store in a bowl and let cool.

Let us prepare the dough. Take the refined flour in a wide mouthed bowl. Add the salt and mix well.

Add the ghee / clarified butter and rub well for 3-4 minutes. It shall get crumbly.

Add water little by little to get a dough. I was not so particular about perfection, it was 8.30 pm at night. It had to be crisp, hot, tasty when served.

We shall cover it for 20 minutes.

We shall now knead again for 2-3 minutes and tear off small portions. We shall smoothen each between our palms.

I was not even particular rolling them round. While clicking the step of filling them, I did not see it turned over. I am never at fault though I was clicking. "Cristine, tor mundu ta chibiye kheye nebo."