PANTA BHAAT; ALOO CHOKHA O MOONG DAL KASURI METHIR BORA

 I remember I cooked and clicked this BENGALI PLATTER sometime in April; the exact date was 13th April; lunch time. The plan was on since 12th April; PANTA BHAAT is FERMENTED RICE; we need to soak the cooked rice in water; keep it in a warm corner at room temperature overnight. Even before; on 10th or 11th April, I got home a kilogram of Ponni rice variety for the purpose because there is no point using fine grained Basmati for making a panta. I am not fond of Basmati but the senior refuses to eat any other variety. Cristine, me and the son even love red & brown rice varieties; specially a quick fried rice with them. I am giving these details because these days, we arrange things to have a plate of panta bhaat; earlier; in many Bengali families; rice was never cooked, measured. Families were big; guests visited unnoticed; so rice was made in bulk. End of November is not the right time to share a recipe with such a cooling effect; actually sitting in a tropical island; I find it okay to have it now too; though it is the rainy season here.

However, the scene was different in our mother's kitchen; everything in her household was measured. So, not on a regular basis did I see her eating fermented rice. We were better off, started living a city life; so panta bhaat was not one of our breakfast options; instead the mother prepared fried rice with the little left over rice she would have. The males of Bengali middle class homes hardly had or have to have fermented rice. It was the lower middle class and poor who found a good breakfast option in it plagued by the family's financial condition. Many homes still have panta bhaat only with onion & green chilli, a bit of salt! In my kind of homes; it gets to be a made up platter of PANTA BHAAT; ALOO CHOKHA O MOONG DAL KASURI METHIR BORA

Now, there can be a variety of sides that can go with a plate of fermented rice. Accordingly, it can be made VEGETARIAN OR NON-VEGETARIAN. In my family; DAL ER BORA / LENTIL FRITTERS were a must with panta bhaat; particularly of red lentil & onion and potato-onion fry / aloo peyaz bhaja. Besides, you can keep adding; fish fry, mashed potato, even dried fish bharta. You can see in the pictures; besides a split, de-skinned moong bean & dried fenugreek leaves PAKORA / FRITTER and ALOO CHOKHA, I had included borboti o lotey shutkir tarkari / long beans & dried fish veggie too. The plate of PANTA BHAAT; ALOO CHOKHA O MOONG DAL KASURI METHIR BORA is an any day bliss for me. I remember, Cristine enjoyed too having it. I served the men that aloo chokha & moong dal & dry fenugreek leaves fritters with freshly made rice; they love dried fish preparations; there definitely had some meat or fish curry for them; at least an omelette! The next day; I again had it with omelette-potato curry and bottle gourd peel shobji.

In a Bengali panta bhaat platter; what remains constant are raw onions & green chillies; the sides are as per your choice. Only in the recent years, I hear fermented rice is good for health; I doubt, if it is okay for the one who wants to remain fitter. I can have it anytime with just an onion & green chilli; because it is not forced on me day in and day out.

INGREDIENTS : [FOR PANTA BHAAT / FERMENTED RICE]

COOKED RICE : 2-3 COFFEE MUG [ENOUGH TO SERVE 2-3 PEOPLE]

WATER : AS REQUIRED TO SOAK THE RICE 

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE SPLIT; DE-SKINNED MOONG BEAN & DRIED FENUGREEK LEAVES FRITTERS / MOONG DAL KASURI METHIR BORA]

YELLOW MOONG LENTIL : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

DRIED FENUGREEK LEAF / KASURI METHI : 2 TBSP

GREEN CHILLI : 2

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2 TSP

RICE FLOUR : 1 TBSP

SUGAR : 1 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 50 ML 

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE ALOO CHOKHA / STIR COOKED BOILED POTATO]

BOILED POTATO : A BOWLFUL [OF 2 POTATOES]

CHOPPED ONION : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TBSP

TORN RED CHILLI : 2

SALT : AS REQUIRED

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4 TSP

NIGELLA SEED / KALOJEEREY / KALONJEE : 3-4 PINCH

OIL : 2 TBSP [WE USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Let us do the MOONG DAL KASURI METHIR BORA / SPLIT, DE-SEEDED MOONG BEAN N FENUGREEK LEAVES FRITTERS  at first!

We have to wash & soak the yellow moong dal in water for 2 hours.

Thereafter, we will discard the soaked water and get a paste taking it in a blender. Add very little water only if required.

We will add the sugar, salt, turmeric & red chilli powder to it and beat it well for 3-4 minutes. We will wash the dried fenugreek leaves and add to the batter, the chopped & washed green chillies too. Then, we will add the rice flour to it, beat for 2-3 minutes again.

We will heat enough oil in the wok. Take smaller portions of the batter, drop gently and fry in low heat, all sides very well until they are golden brown & crisp.

We will place them onto tissue paper before having / serving!

Let us do the ALOO CHOKHA / STIR COOKED POTATO now!

We have boiled some potatoes and peeled the skin. We have mashed them on cooling. 

We have chopped the onions & green chillies required and washed them. We have wiped and torn the dry red chillies into smaller pieces.

We have heated the oil in a wok and tempered it with the nigella seeds / kalojeerey / kalonji.

We have added the dry red chilli pieces, chopped onion & green chillies; stir cooked for 2-3 minutes at minimal heat.

We have added the boiled & mashed potatoes and stir cooked for 4-5 minutes at minimal heat. We should be done.

Let us see how to prepare PANTA BHAAT / FERMENTED RICE.

Soak cooked rice in enough water overnight; for at least 12 hours. It is to be kept in a warm place, at room temperature. It gets little fermented and we are to eat it, along with the water. You get very good sleep thereafter.

Here is my much coveted, summer cool meal platter. I took long beans & dried Bombay duck veggie too.

PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK

I am very pleased of what I got from what I was planning for the last few days, wanting to be shared today. Earlier, I had shared a recipe of CINNAMON FLAVOURED PEANUT BANANA SPREAD  in the BLOG. Thereafter, planning the next one PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD / FILLING was not so difficult. In fact, I have stopped buying PEANUT BUTTER, I so love! I prefer making it at home these days. Because, today is a Day, somewhere in this world; a country which has opened the door to our son to pursue his further studies; I feel I must share a world friendly recipe today; VEGETARIAN, so that more people can have it. I had to keep on mind this island too; what I share should have some connection with this island; and India? It's tradition is to have some similar kind of STUFFED & FRIED PUFF. Its few months now, the curry puff moulds have arrived; thanks to FANMART & WISH APP. 

There after shaping the puffs, stuffing with the HEALTHY PEANUT FILLING and preparing this PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK was a cake walk. There are two great things about BAKING instead of FRYING. One is, we are relieved of consuming too much of oil. Secondly, we are relieved of the back pain caused from standing and continuously frying,  adjusting the heat.

The BAKED VEGETARIAN SNACK turned extremely yummy without carrying the guilt of using too much of oil whilst frying. We had it dipping into chilled yogurt with dry fruits! What I must mention is they can be stored for few days and still remain crisp from outside, a perfect snack for your evening time pleasure. The only disappointment I had after these PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK is I did not get that golden brown colour post the bake as I would have got if deep fried. Is it because I use the CONVECTION MODE of a MICROWAVE to bake and not an oven?

Who helps you with answers these days? If you go to Dr. Devi Sethi and say, "Sir, Rujuta Diwekar has asked to have deep fried snacks instead of air frying"; he would give a burning look and show me the door. If I go to Rujuta Diwekar and say, "Madam; the doctors say; oil is the main villain". She would say, "doctors hardly know about nutrition & diet". They both discard noodles; this island eats it all day and work till 85-86 years of age; in India, people retire at 60 with diabetes, cholesterol, kidney stones, etc. For us, average public, it is confusing. I do not accept everything what Rujuta says, she has to keep in hand the vegetarian, non-Bengali speaking Indians; the fame she gets from women folks coming from there; a similar strategy like the famed Babas. But I strongly believe few of their points; like eating local & whats in season, do yoga extensively. My problem is, being a Bengali, I cannot totally follow their diet recommendations. If I serve them this BAKED DELIGHT; PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK; neither she or the Babadevs would accept fearing to lose followers; if I deep fry the same and name it "mungphali ki chutney bhara hua bhajiya", they would pat my back. I may not like all these; so I go my way and do what, when I feel is right!

You can see, we enjoyed a snack at a late dinner the day before along with some chicken karage done also in oven. 

Do you think any doctor, any health expert would recommend it so late at night? But, we cannot be so particular with life. You should have them around 6 pm on a weekend or on such occasion as today's.

INGREDIENTS :

The PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD / FILLING; I prepared the other day with honey, crushed black pepper, roasted peanuts. Click the title head for the recipe.

REFINED FLOUR : 2 COFFEE MUG

OIL : 2 TBSP + AS MUCH AS IS REQUIRED TO GREASE

SALT : 1/2 TSP

THE REQUIRED MOULDS & THE OVEN. YOU CAN DEEP FRY THEM TOO, WAY MORE OIL IS REQUIRED

PROCEDURE :

Take the flour in a big, wide mouthed bowl; add salt & 2 tbsp oil in it.

Rub the entire thing well for 2-3 minutes. Add water little by little; keep kneading for 10-12 minutes to get a smooth dough.

Keep covered for 15-20 minutes. Remove cover, knead again for 3-4 minutes. Tear off portions we may require for a standard prata and roll out dusting with the refined flour. They need not be perfect round.

Some round shapes I did with the moulds themselves, some with the cap of a container.

Then, I placed the roundels on the mould, added the filling with a spoon. I pressed to join both ends and took off the excess. 

Whilst I was rolling the dough, Cristine did the shaping part with the moulds.

I bake my stuffs in the convection mode of a microwave oven. I had placed the low height, wired stool inside the oven. I preheated the oven @ 180*C for 10 minutes.

I had greased the bake proof metal plate with little oil.

Cristine had nicely arranged them on the plate and brushed oil on both sides.

We had placed the plate atop the wired stool; closed the oven door and baked @ 180*C for 20 minutes.

Once done, they were very crisp but I wanted them little brownish, evenly.

I placed the high stool inside the oven and the plate on top of it.

I cooked them in grill mode for 3 minutes one side & 2 minutes the other; turning over.

They tasted very well, though I did not get the desired colour. I still have one to have with my tea now; yes, still crisp after two days!

 

PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD / FILLING

 Look at me! Today too I could not go ahead with a BENGALI RECIPE share. Blogging about HEIRLOOM BENGALI FOOD is always a pleasure; I have in my kitty photos of our kind of FISH RECIPES using "tyangra, pabda, rui, katla, magur, bhola", BENGALI & NON-BENGALI varieties of DAL & VEGETABLE DISHES; which are a pleasure to be had and the recipe shared in the Blog! Then, there is this celebration and that around; these days, I feel I should share occasion friendly recipes. A meat curry or roast or fry would have suited but I want more people  to be able to feast on the food I share. So, this PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD FILLING may just suit. CHINEBADAM / MUNGPHALI / PEANUT is perhaps a common ingredient of cooking among most of the countries; at least the countries that are in discussion on a regular basis; countries we read about, know about usually. On some occasions; I zero in on a popular & common INGREDIENT worldwide for the RECIPE I am going to cook; you will know I just wished to reach out to more people with my recipe and see them happily having the food I cooked.

After two long weeks working from home, the man went to his office this morning. The home seems empty. Ever since, the son went off to attend college in a far off land, a feel of emptiness has engulfed me. To that is added fear  for his safety; given he refuses to speak in details about his surroundings. In this scenario, if T works from home, I feel better. The son's room became his office in the day time and mumma's sleeping bed at night. T will not even speak a word with me between 8:30 am to 9 pm on a working week day at home; yet, his very presence gives me comfort. I like it that he understands my feelings, my present state of mind and is indulgent about it. He wants the son to be like other kids and talk to us normal. The son has to understand our amounting tension of leaving him alone in a foreign land. But we never force him; we are against been harsh on him; he might be thinking on a different line; he has his own problems. The boy who got his ironed clothes to food on his table before asking; has to manage his life and studies alone. Adjusting to a new environment takes time. We hope him to cope up with all these challenges well! Then, he might act normal. 

Our son had always been different from other kids since his birth, we have let him be until and unless he took to misbehaving. We do miss him but we are not the kind who will sit in a dark corner and brood, we live our life well. The man just refuses to go out for dining or for a long walk by the sea or to any get-together for the time being. He is more particular about social distancing than me and why not? He has thousands of responsibilities to deliver, he cannot be casual or callous. We enjoy been at home. We sit on our couch when he finishes his office job and I am done with cooking; we chat, we watch movies one after another and gorge on food ordered from outside too. Yesterday, we had pizza for dinner; I like Canadian Pizza, besides Domino's & Sarpino's. We have our share of fight too!

After a weekend and with an oncoming celebration in some other country, I felt this VEGETARIAN; GLUTEN-FREE  SPREAD / FILLING WITH PEANUT & BLACK PEPPER; PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD / FILLING will go well as today's FOOD SHARE / BLOG SHARE.

INGREDIENTS : 

SKINLESS PEANUT : 200-300 GM [I USED SKINLESS, ROASTED]

HONEY : 11/2 TBSP

BLACK PEPPER : 2 TSP [FRESHLY GROUND]

SALT : 1/4 TSP 

OIL : 1/2 MEDIUM TEA CUP

PROCEDURE : 

I used roasted, salty peanuts ready to eat for this purpose. If you have raw peanuts at home, you have to roast them on slow fire for about 7-8 minutes; take down, cool and put off the skin taking and rubbing between two palms. Here we also get raw, de-skinned peanuts; if so your work gets easier. On that particular day, I was craving for a peanut spread on a toast. The earlier batch I made was done with. So here we go! If you wish to have it totally sweet free, skip using the honey! I enjoyed it sweet and salty with a dash of pepper.

I took the roasted peanuts in a grinder and used the grind & pause button alternatively for about 3-4 minutes; switching over from one to the other every 30 seconds.

Then, I added the oil, salt and the honey. With help of a spatula, I mixed together all and again ground well for 2-3 minutes; pausing in between.

I opened the lid; again mixed the content with the spatula. I added the freshly ground, coarse black pepper powder; mixed lightly.

I used the grinder mode again for a minute; pausing after 30 seconds. Now transfer the spread to a bowl or plate and let cool; heat is generated when we grind it.

Once cool, transfer it to a clean, dry, sterilised bottle. Although, we refrigerate it; it is always recommended to bring it into normal temperature before eating.

It can be eaten various ways; on a toast; in a paratha roll or chapati; stuffed in cooked sticky rice, dipped in a batter and deep fried or just make into smooth round ladoo!