CURRY AND SPICE: HERBED AND SPICED NIMKI

IT IS A PLEASURE TO PREPARE MY OWN SNACKS!

NIMKI is a tremendous love but I want it the way I have grown up eating. Even in Kolkata, I did not like most of the varieties available in the stores. However, after we had shifted to our current neighbourhood back in Kolkata, in the year 2007, I found a small shop beside our condominium there selling similar BENGALI HOMELY NIMKI packets! All over Kolkata, these tiny shops sell snacks, dressed betel leaves, cigars; a little classy avatar of the "paan-birir dokans" of the 80's! Many in my condo would not even buy anything from such shops; they suffer either from a complex or are of a high nose. I have nothing to hide from anyone, except the degree of the son's monkey self or the man's volume of voice! Several times, I told my man to lower his voice when he shouts at me; else people may think he is a husband who tortures his wife! He would not listen; our father too did not! Me and my mother always think why should anyone outside our home get to know what is going on inside our home; thats indecent! Neither the father bothered nor the man does. Even my brother has temper; family trait after all but he hardly shouts at the top of his voice; he is forty-three and definitely does not like his mother and sister trying to control his life! We do not mind that, he cannot show temper to any third person. As his sister, I ask him to behave on the road; specially while he drives! I can warn my own but what to do with others? In this neighbourhood, in this very block, there are similar people shouting at the top of their voice staring at 5am and ending at 11pm most of the days! These people do not understand how awkward it is for others to see them washing their dirty clothes in public; disturbing too! In my life, I try to keep off the frustration; I engaged a full time help compromising with other luxuries or comfort! The reason why I am not irritated all the time and can take up various food projects in hand, anytime of the day!

TODAY, THE MUSLIMS & CHRISTIANS ARE OBSERVING; LET US GET SOME FRIED SNACK ON THEIR TABLE!

I specially enjoy blogging about the recipes I enjoy having! I think I tend to add in the blog a variety of malpoa & nimki; my two most favourite homestyle snacks! While cooking them, I follow the family style; to that I may add a little twist! Getting innovations to your dishes help you get rid of monotony! Because I need snacks & biscuits every evening; I keep doing them. What I prepare, the rest at home are expected of having it! So, yesterday, the man's snack box was loaded with this tweaked vegetarian snack! He brought back an empty box meant he enjoyed it with his hot cuppa. He has end number of tea & coffee sessions during his office hours. From today, his Hari Raya holidays started; next week too he would be working from home. With our only son living alone in a far off land when a pandemic is ravaging the world; it feels cool to be with each other. I am thankful he does not have to travel to the neighbouring state every month; more so because he drove few hours for the same. I wish to stay nearer to the son in this scenario! Our families are together in India, we are together here; only our son is alone in an unknown land and he is only nineteen. How I wish to send him a container full of this HERBED AND SPICED NIMKI!

WHAT IS THIS HERBED AND SPICED NIMKI?

It is a tweaked version of our very own Bengali CRISPY NIMKY! To the basic nimki dough; I added carom & mint leaves, crushed black pepper, raisins! I am not allowed to have sugary stuffs much, I add few raisins to this and that; even raisins are not much allowed in my life. I so love it, my child does not; he would not mind having it in a snack of his choice. In case of raisins in pulao; he eats if the raisins are not in sight; if in sight, he does not eat! I keep mentioning about our child because it hurts to know he is eating in different eateries and dining halls for the past few months, a student whose mother enjoys cooking! He might be eating food of his choice but it is alarming for a parent like me! Questions if he is having enough of fruit & yogurt; vegetables or not goes into deaf ears. What I know is there is no dearth of juices & milk in his room, snacks too. Mumma better diverts her worried mind, spends quality time cooking such edibles! She plucks few herbs, chops those and the raisins; mix with refined flour, salt, crushed black pepper, oil. She prepares a dough, keep it at rest, rolls out each ball; shapes, fries and eats. The frying part is the most important while doing them. Eating it is a pleasure always!

INGREDIENTS :

REFINED FLOUR : 1 COFFEE MUG

CAROM / AJWAIN LEAF : 5-6 [CAN USE CAROM SEEDS TOO]

MINT / PUDINA LEAF : 7-8

RAISIN : 8-10

NIGELLA SEED / KALOJEEREY / KALONJI : 1/2 TSP

SALT : 3-4 PINCH

OIL : 2 TBSP + 2 TBSP + 150 ML TO DEEP FRY

PROCEDURE :

Wash, chop the carom, mint leaves, raisins; add to the refined flour taken in a bowl. Add the salt, nigella seeds and 2 tbsp of oil and mix well.

Rub well the entire thing for 3-4 minutes. Thereafter, add water little by little to prepare the dough!

Add 2 tbsp oil and knead the dough well for 3-4 minutes. Keep it covered for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the cover and knead well again for 2-3 minutes!

Tear off portions, dust with some refined flour and roll out chapati shapes!

Take a round cap and press. Prick with a fork.

"Warm" [not heat] oil in a deep wok! Add some uncooked nimki and fry in very low heat, both sides, until we achieve a golden hue! We have to switch off the gas stove while adding the uncooked snack / nimki; this helps them not to burn and also remain crisp. Yet, I could not save some being getting luchi like fluffy which is not wanted here!

With the last remaining ball, we made this shape; very common among Bengalis. In our family, it is yet smaller in size. I have the authentic Bengali recipe of CRISPY NIMKI already existing in the Blog!