THERE LIVES THREE LITTLE PIGS IN AN ISLE; THEY COOK, EAT, MERRY, SLEEP!
What does mumma piggy do all day? She gathers ideas from here & there, try them in her kitchen.There has one Cristine didi to help her, she looks after our home when mumma piggy is out! Daddy piggy does not have interest in what mumma does all day or what she eats; he gets angry if she forces him to eat! Mumma piggy had high hopes that their boy, the piglet to be like her! Before any such thing could happen; baby piggy was brainwashed and sent to a far off land, so it learns to be independent! Mumma being sad started going out frequently, ate more out of depression! It can also be her love for food since childhood that makes her do that! She says though every child is different but does not believe in it; she keeps bothering her twenty some piglet, he gets pissed off. Okay, I admit I almost bully her, I should be softer & articulate dealing with her. She does not understand it is my way of loving her; she expects me to explore the world, reach heights and also be a mother's pet like Nono! Both cannot happen at the same time!
WHAT DOES MUMMA PIGGY WANTS IN LIFE?
She keeps wondering why is it difficult for daddy piggy & her piglet to be a bit obedient, soft spoken, be disciplined & stop arguing, maintain personal hygiene & follow a routine in life! She feels lonely when we refute her! When hurt, she eats more, even if she is not hungry! She wants us to hug her, make her feel warm and important! We do not comply, our harsh demeanours make her sad! She also knows we have given her home, keep our trust on her, would remain by her side! In our trustworthiness, mumma indeed feels at peace and oinks louder! She believes her men would feel awkward if she cooks the same stuffs repeatedly, if she does not create a scene, then cry for nothing; she behaving sane may make them feel uneasy. We would not leave her ever, would we? She is always engrossed within herself and keeps eating! Because her piglet is home after over a year, she is eating double. Mumma wonders why the weird piglet went for a movie alone this morning? She asked me if my friends have come for the holidays, but I do not chat with my parents, so her angry self does not sit at home all the time! Finishing her walk she had the below and again around the evening tea time, another set!
Daddy piggy took rice, dal, tofu scramble, omelette to office, baby & Cristine didi had the same for lunch! Baby's breakfast was bread-cheese-rabri! Mumma coordinates her kitchen in this manner! Mumma knows Nono would never eat this humble in office, neither at home; yet she keeps comparing people! She has to understand every human is born with both virtue & vile! But she always plans good food for us, loves her home! Aren't the Vegetarian Food Platter you see is yum? It really was fun having it last night!
WHAT IS KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE, TOFU SCRAMBLE O RABRI?
RABRI is thickened milk cooked for hours at minimal heat! There was a time it was popular in India; still is in some parts; only the urban stomachs got weaker! Because our mother, the entire family believed in milk fetched from a diary farm, there would come pure milk! Milk and Fish were the prime food items in our entire family branches. I always hated milk, bhai too. "Kheer", which is thickened milk without the rice in our family, may be among the Bengalis too was a regular affair she did with the left over milk; because each day milk had to come. The father loved it! Till date this is the norm; Mani wants dudh-bhaat or dal-bhaat at night. She, the grandmother would have milk & rice with little salt almost every day. The paternal grandparents' dinner for the last 16-17 years of their life was popped rice & milk / khoi dudh, I have mentioned earlier! For me, milk has to come with sweets or fruits. Dudh-Ruti-Kola or Aam ba Kathal diye or with roshogolla ba sandesh have become my favourite these days. Mani never used lemon juice or ghee, it was only milk & little sugar boiled for hours, while she taught bhai in the evening, doing crochet works. KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE is a kind of puffed bread prepared with flour of skinless urad dal / kolai er dal / black gram lentils. Bengalis eat this as lentil but Southern India uses it's flour too! We get it in the local minimarts given a lot of Tamils stay in this island! Wanting a gluten-free bread, I used it's dough for the same. I have used yogurt in the dough, so it's not vegan! The TOFU SCRAMBLE is vegan & gluten-free, spicy & yummy! KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE, TOFU SCRAMBLE O RABRI is a vegetarian food platter, that has puffed bread as the main; a spicy tofu treat as side and Rabri dessert!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE :
URAD DAL / BLACK GRAM LENTIL FLOUR : 2 COFFEE MUG
PLAIN YOGURT : 200 GM
ASAFOETIDA : 1/4 TSP
SALT : 1/2 TSP
SUGAR : 1 TSP
BAKING SODA : 2-3 PINCH
WATER : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 4 TBSP + 200 ML OR AS REQUIRED TO DEEP FRY
INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOFU SCRAMBLE :
TAU KWA TOFU : 250-300 GM
CHOPPED CORIANDER : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
CHOPPED TOMATO : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
SLICED ONION : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP
BAY LEAF : 1
MINCED GARLIC : 1/2 TSP
MINCED GINGER : 1/4 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 11/2 TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 11/2 TSP
DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP
SUGAR : 1 TSP [OPTIONAL]
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2 TBSP
INGREDIENTS FOR THE RABRI / THICKENED MILK DESSERT :
FULL FAT MILK : 1 LITRE
EVAPORATED CREAMER : 300 ML
LEMON JUICE : 2 TBSP
SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
GHEE : 11/2 TBSP
PROCEDURE :
Let us do the MILK DESSERT / RABRI at first!
We will take the full fat milk in a heavy bottomed vessel, keep boiling at minimal heat.
After about 15-20 minutes, we would add the ghee, stir! We will keep boiling at minimal heat, stirring at intervals to avoid burning at the bottom!
After about 15-16 minutes, we would add the evaporated creamer, tear, add the green cardamoms; stir, let boil. We must stir at intervals but!
After the milk reduces, we will add the sugar and keep stirring.
After 10-12 minutes, we will add the lemon juice, the amount cannot be excess!
It took about 1& 1/2 to 2 hours to reach a thick consistency.
We would transfer it to serving bowl, garnish with nuts if we wish, cool, refrigerate. It is to be eaten chilled.
It is not for lactose intolerant people, not even for a weak stomach.
We would wash, crumble the tofu. We would get the rest of the chops and mince washed, ready on the kitchen top!
We would heat the oil, temper it with a bay leaf and cumin seed!
We would add the washed and mince garlic & ginger, fry until brown.
We would add the washed & chopped chillies, sliced onion, stir fry until brown.
We would add the washed & chopped tomato, salt, turmeric, stir cook until the tomatoes melt!
We would add the tofu, the spice powders, salt, sugar, stir fry at low heat for 7-8 minutes.
At last, we would add the washed and chopped coriander, fold in well!
We would transfer it to serving bowl.
Let us do the GLUTEN-FREE PUFFED BREADS now.
We will take the black gram dal flour in a bowl, add to it the yogurt, salt, sugar, oil, asafoetida powder!
We would add water little by little, prepare a dough neither soft, nor too hard! You cannot lessen the amount of oil in it!
We would keep the dough covered for an hour or two; again knead for 2-3 minutes!
Cristine tore off smaller portions, prepared the balls! We would then roll each oval or round shaped!
We will heat the oil and fry both sides well in each case!
Don't they look too inviting? I found it tastier today! In fact, I would be trying a vegan version today, skipping the yogurt part! Lets see!
