CURRY AND SPICE: MINCED MUTTON RICE O OIL FREE PANEER SNACK

This is the kind of platter my family wants at every meal; the senior, our boy, the brother, his wife. I could have fulfilled their wish if only they had good amount of salad alongside; had fruit juices in the morning, do some exercise. They are far from any kind of exercise, at least the brother and his wife eat salads. They eat "phuchka, roll, biryani" more than salad however. Day before yesterday, the brother had sent me photographs of their "phuchka" eating session along with the blooms in their terrace. I told him I hardly miss not getting to have "phuchka" as much as I am missing "ilish, pabda, kechki, aar, rui-katla, gondhoraj lebu." The Bangladeshi shops are closed I hear but I can travel to the Indian wet market. I am not going because virus affected clusters have been found there. Even after the restrictions are lifted, I may take time to travel places. Each one of us has to be a little wise and take certain precautionary measures to save ourselves. In this context, I am so liking some posts I am coming across the social media; the rest are all crap. The senior has given me a link to know about the real scenario and stop going by social media news.

What is the time now? It is about 04:25 pm. It so feels like taking a nap but I will not. To avoid these afternoon naps, I think I have started writing the blog post now. It is not a good habit to sleep post lunch though our families always had it in their rule book. I remember, the son post 4 1/2 years old enjoyed sipping juice from the feeding bottle once back from the school and eventually went to sleep. That was my spare time; I read, I wrote mails to the husband who was away from the home sailing. That is when I read it is very wrong for children beyond three years to use feeding bottle, there grows heart problem. I immediately stopped; he so cried, yet I did not allow. He stopped the afternoon nap chapter since then and both of us would watch the television; I remember about Dora the Explorer, Thomas & His Tank Engine, Bob the Builder. I mean I was so busy even if that home had two of us only. Now look at me! They do not have time to talk to me, what else to do except cooking? This platter of MIINCED MUTTON RICE O OIL FREE PANEER SNACK was done some two weeks back for lunch. I remember, I was so late finishing my post, it was 1 pm already. God knows how I was able to serve them lunch around 2.30 pm. The photo feature is bound to be poor. Because Cristine helps tremendously in the kitchen, I could do. Would you believe if I say the oil free grilled paneer / cottage cheese mash snack was not the plan, I forgot to add oil.

I may tell you, it feels like sleeping until 8pm at the moment. I did a 6.1km of brisk walking today but what did I eat last night, this morning? "Luchi!" Last night, we added omelettes to the leftover mutton curry and had a "luchi" meal. This morning too, Cristine fried for me and the son from the leftover dough. I may tell you such meals are better than having fish we have never eaten. This week, I will cook mutton, minced mutton, chicken, egg, salmon. Rest of the meals would be vegetarian, hence I am needing 5kg wheat flour and 1-2 kg refined flour in a month. I must prepare instant idli, actually they cannot have idli as main meals, will have dosa if served with chicken stew. Dosa making is complex, lets do rice or breads instead.

I asked Cristine to cook luchi-porota for her father, sister's kids, brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law when she visits Philippines next. She has lost her mother early and found our mother similar to her's. Our mother has complains against all of my helps in Kolkata but she, my entire family so loved Cristine. She is truly a good soul. Once I finish my post on MINCED MUTTON RICE O OIL FREE PANEER SNACK, I will cook the mutton, one or two vegetables; else Saturday seems to be too occupying. I will only cook, she is arranging everything.

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE MINCED MUTTON RICE]

BASMATI RICE : 1 COFFEE MUG
MINCED MUTTON : 350-400 GM
PLAIN YOGURT : 250 GM
SLICED ONION : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP
SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 4-5
GINGER PASTE : 1TBSP
GARLIC PASTE : 1TBSP
CUMIN POWDER : 1TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 1TSP
CINNAMON STICK : 5-6 TWO INCH STICK
GREEN CARDAMOM : 3-4
CLOVE : 3-4
BLACK CARDAMOM : 2
STAR ANISE : 2
BAY LEAF : 1-2
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1/2 TSP
LEMON JUICE : 4-5TBSP
GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 2 TBSP
OIL : 5 TBSP

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE OIL FREE PANEER SNACK]

PANEER / INDIAN COTTAGE CHEESE : 200-250 GM [I PREPARED IT AT HOME]
BOILED POTATO : 2
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2
CUMIN POWDER : 2TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 2 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP
DRY MANGO POWDER : 1/2 TSP
CHAAT MASALA : 1/2 TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
I FORGOT ADDING OIL, IT IS DONE IN MICROWAVE OVEN IN THE GRILL MODE.

Let us do the minced mutton rice first. I had marinated the washed minced mutton with half of the plain yogurt, salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric & red chilli powder and the lemon juice for 4-5 hours covered in the refrigerator.

We will take it out an hour before cooking it. We have cooked the rice in enough water until 70% done. We will store it in a colander, let the water pass away.

We are using the following stuffs below to cook the minced mutton and then the cooked rice with it.

Heat the oil in a wok and temper with the bay leaf, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, star anise, cinnamon sticks. Keep the heat at minimal.

Add the washed onion slices and fry till golden brown. Add the turmeric, ginger and garlic pastes and stir cook for 2-3 minutes.

We will add the sugar to the rest of the yogurt and beat, this will not allow it to curdle. We will add it to the wok along with the dry spice powders, salt.

We will stir it for a minute and add the minced mutton. We will fold in well and cover cook for a pretty 20-25 minutes checking in between.

It will release water, else add little water in between. Once done, add the washed slitted green chillies. Fold in well and stir for a minute.

Add the cooked rice and ghee; fold in well. Increase the heat to medium. Do not break all the clusters formed by the cooked minced mutton while mixing with the rice, that way it will taste better.

For the Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese Oil Free Snacks done in the grill mode of a microwave oven; I mixed together all the ingredients mentioned under OIL FREE PANEER SNACK.

Do make round, flat shapes from the mixture. Refrigerate for an hour if you have time in hand, we did not have.

Grease a grill plate if you are using a convection mode microwave oven or a one with grill option. Place the high wired stool inside the oven; place the plate.