AAM PUDINAR POROTA

 

POROTA / PARATHA PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE PLAY "COMFORT FOOD IN OUR LIFE"!

Its been long I did not blog about a hand made bread recipe; but they keep happening in my kitchen every other day! We are that "Bangal Family" who equally loves rice & bread! Once I was done with school, eating rice thrice a day came to a halt! It is true yoga & different exercises ran in our family but the main criterion for a happy, healthy, family which is definitely a "proper diet" had no place in our's. We had to have our share of fish & rice, meat & luchi / porota regular! None in my family over ate except me! There is hunger burning in my stomach all the time! Till date, the mother would pledge me not to sacrifice my coveted meals but do more of exercise. I never can work hard; neither physical, nor can use the brain! I felt if I have crossed half century, it won't be a problem if I eat a little less! My less eating cannot be shunning our kind of food and westernise our diet pattern; like eating only salads and baked fish & meat! I will not allow others or myself to forget what I have learnt! Bengali vegetarian dishes can be eaten as a part of healthy, diet food with little modification. At least, in our mother's kitchen; food never had been oil clad! In case of porota / flat bread, she would roast it well and use very little oil to fry them, her dough is never overly oily!  In case of luchi too, she uses little oil to fry them; they are never fried in "chaka tel"! All these were regular in our home then and now too! 

WHAT IF THERE IS A TOSS BETWEEN "BHAAT DAL BEGUNBHAJA" & "POROTA ALOO-PEYAZ BHAJA"!

Hi! Please do not put me in confusion; I am anyway a confused self; what they say a "ghete jaoa case" these days! If you take me a decade back; I would not have thought twice and have the "porota o aloo-peyaz bhaja, pantua" for breakfast; have the "rice, mushur dal sheddo, makhon, begun bhaja, maach bhaja, peyaz, kanchalanka" for lunch and again a "bhaat-mangsho" dinner at night. In between I would not have mind to have chop-shingara & tea sometime around 6pm! Today, I cannot think of eating like a monster; not because I fear of my barrel shaped body; my blood sugar level has to be kept under control! But end of the day, I am a foodie; so I remain a barrel shaped; the body basics were good between 2012-2015. What was my diet? Salad & fruits all day & a carb free dinner curries! I had quit noodles & breads! One morning, the world seemed berang / colourless, lifeless to me! I thought before I leave this earth, I must get to eat all of what I crave for; but in moderation. I still look like a barrel but yesterday I could fit into Cotton On's M sized frocks! That makes me happy, I love my tunics with no frills; may be even at sixty I would love wearing them. I would not let me feel older, any sooner! Okay, I am having severe gum ache & in the lower body! Two years back I was prescribed molar teeth extraction! I told I will do it after my child's 12th exam! Who knew there would be a magnanimous pandemic! Next month, I would have to see if here it has insurance coverage or not; else a tooth extraction in this island may cost the same as a kidney transplant in India!

WHAT IS AAM PUDINAR POROTA?

What is POROTA? Bengalis call their handmade flatbreads, POROTA! What is AAM? It is mango, in Bengali! What is PUDINA? It is fresh mint! AAM PUDINAR POROTA is a flatbread that has used fresh raw mango, mint in it! You  will enjoy having this VEGETARIAN FLATBREAD having fresh flavours with raita, your choice of chutney & pickle. Your one week day MAIN COURSE is sorted! I am thinking if I should change the time of blog writing; neither do I want to allow myself this post lunch siesta! If I had served the mentioned flatbreads to Cristine & her sir yesterday night; Cristine served me freshly made today, for lunch! The mother would not allow such fusions in her kitchen, else the sis-in-law could have done for bhai! Well, the son is on a mission; I would not mind if he visits Indian restaurants once in a while for naan poori, etc.

After this amount of lunch, if I allow myself an afternoon siesta, I will become a 3XL sized barrel sooner from the present L sized! But I really cannot let myself having soups & salads & quinoa alone! I must eat everything!

INGREDIENTS :

REFINED FLOUR : 11/2 CUP

WHEAT FLOUR : 1/2 CUP

SHREDDED RAW MANGO : 1

CHOPPED FRESH MINT : 1-2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

SALT : 1/2 TSP

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 1/2 TBSP PER FLATBREAD

PROCEDURE :

Cristine has peeled, shredded and washed the raw mango for me. She had also chopped the fresh mint & green chilli, washed them!

I had taken the wheat flour, refined flour, salt together and mixed well.

I had added the washed, shredded raw mango, chopped fresh mint & green chilli to it and mixed well!

Thereafter, I added the oil and rubbed well for 3-4 minutes!

I had added water little by little to prepare a dough; smooth and firm. Remember not to add all of the water at a time.

After keeping the dough covered for 10-12 minutes; I kneaded it for 2-3 minutes!

I tore off bigger portions, smoothen in between the palms and rolled out round shaped flatbreads, dusting with some flour!

I roasted each of them in a hot griddle, both sides and then cooked each of them in 1/2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter!

We should serve them hot & fresh right from the griddle. A picture or two did not allow me to! They were still hot when served with raita & kashundi!