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.