DAL ER BORA NARKOL THOR ER GHONTO

PLANT BASED FOOD WAS ALWAYS PREVALENT AMONG US BENGALIS; ONLY FISH & MUTTON GOT HIGHLIGHTED!

I myself was uninterested about the vastness of a CUISINE that could / can cook with almost anything growing on the soil. I was for eons happy with my share of "maach ba mangshor jhol" / fish & meat curries. With the start of this blog, came a realisation that I have to document what I have seen cooking in the kitchens of the family home. If the dishes synchronised with the description of the dishes, the ladies cooked in Ashapurna Debi's Trilogy; I may call the kind of PLANT BASED RECIPES I share, as very Bengali. Many around me tagged Ashapurna Debi a "ghoroa lekhika" but I used to enjoy reading her. Reading her got me happiness; may be because I am myself very homely, not trendy and smart enough? I specially loved her trilogy and read each one a couple of times to understand the place of women in our society, a century back! Whilst reading those, I did not know I will take so much interest in cooking one day. Unknowingly, I enjoyed reading about the inside story of BENGALI HNESHELS / KITCHENS; specially about the very rustic VEGETARIAN, VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE RUSTIC DISHES!

I LOVE BOTH HILSA & MUTTON; BUT BENGALI CUISINE IS WAY MORE BEYOND AN ILISH; AAR, CHITOL, BHETKI!

If you ask me to travel backward; through the memory lane; I have seen "kochupatai rupoli kechki"; "dub shatar diye pani fol tola"; "gamcha diye khoira maach- bibhinno chuna maach tola", "choto choto iccha / chingri in jhupri at Canning station, immersing potol & begun in liquid colour, Hasnabad er mashi sitting with deshi murgir dim, shojne phool, beto shaak, koyek ati kochi dhonepata", "bagan bhora fol-mul er gaach". At various points in life, I have seen how a Bengali Daily Life goes; many such memories like catching smaller variety of fish with a traditional, thin, cotton towel, the process of picking up water chestnuts, freshly caught minuscule prawns, colouring of the vegetables in suburban railway stations to get them to the bigger markets. Earlier, I did not know such captures with the mind's camera would have such an influence on me. Now that it has; I must document them in the blog. I live in the 10th floor of a rented apartment; I grow very few plants which I have known since childhood. I try to remain near to the soil for few minutes each day and bake and eat a cake at the same time. I remain a rustic, a very middle class Bengali end of the day!

THOR / BHARALI / BANANA STEM RECIPES! IT HAS FEW NAMES & CAN BE COOKED IN DIFFERENT WAYS!

In our family, we call it "bharali" actually. In Bengal; "thor" is the popular usage. Cooking Banana Stem was regular in our family; I wonder, if I ever have taken any interest in it. I was always made to eat COOKED BANANA STEM at the start of a MEAL. These days, I simply love having it and other similar recipes. I have taken upon myself the responsibility of carrying forward the family baton; when it comes to cooking RUSTIC BENGALI RECIPES. I do not remember if exactly the family cooked DAL ER BORA NARKOL THOR ER GHONTO or not, but cooking vegetables adding lentil fritters, coconut to it is very common among us. If you say so, the me of today can eat a plateful of steamed rice with this dish of banana stem cooked with shredded coconut and lentil fritters sans using any spice powder or pastes. I equally love a humble chapati meal.

 

INGREDIENTS FOR THE LENTIL FRITTERS / DAL ER BORA :

RED LENTIL / MUSHURIR DAL : 1/2 MEDIUM TEA CUP [YOU CAN USE ANY VARIETY OF LENTIL / DAL]

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4 TSP

SUGAR : 1 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : AS REQUIRED TO DEEP FRY

INGREDIENTS FOR THE READY DISH :

THE LENTIL FRITTERS / DAL ER BORA :

THOR / BHARALI / BANANA STEM : 700 GM-800 GM-1 KG

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

HALVED RED CHILLI : 2

KALOJEEREY / KALONJI / NIGELLA SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SUGAR : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP [WE USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

We will wash and soak the red lentils in water for an hour. 

While the lentil is soaking, we will dress the banana stems. We will throw off 2-3 outer layer of the stem and discard the two ends.

We will cut each further in to smaller pieces and start slicing them thin. While slicing, we will take off the fibres each time. 

We will chop them even smaller into strips and store them in a bowl full of water. We will wash them few times and take in a pressure cooker.

We will add 2 coffee mugs of water, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder & some salt to it. We will close the lid and pressure cook at minimal heat up to 4 whistles.

We will switch off the gas stove! Once cool, the lid will open by itself.

We will strain the boiled banana stems, let all the water go off. We will take it in a bowl; mash lightly with our fingers.

We will paste the red lentils / mushur dal in a blender discarding the water. 

We will heat about 150ml oil in a wok. We will mix together the lentil paste, sugar, salt, turmeric powder and chopped green chillies; beat for a while.

We will fry them in batches until golden brown; at minimal heat.

We will take them out and place onto tissue paper. 

We will take out the remaining oil leaving about 2 tbsp in the wok. Once hot, we will add the bay leaf, nigella seeds and the halved dry red chillies to the oil.

We will give it a stir and add the shredded coconut; stir for 3-4 minutes at low heat.

We will now add the lightly mashed, boiled banana stem pieces and fold in well. We will add the slitted green chillies, stir cook at minimal heat for a minute.

There after, we will cover cook it at minimal heat for 7-8 minutes; stirring it in between removing the cover.

We will add salt to adjust, the sugar and stir cook at low heat for 4-5 minutes. We will add the lentil fritters, stir cook at low heat for 3-4 minutes.

We will have it with steamed rice or chapati!