MULO BHAJA

 

OCCASIONS KEEP HAPPENING; THE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG STANDS PRIME! 

My loving readers! I know today is Rath Yatra and this rustic FAMILY BENGALI RECIPE of mine does not suit the occasion. There had to be a vegetarian appetiser or sweet! Then, it feels there are end number of occasions round the year, I have to bypass some and keep the motive of this BLOG prime! CURRY AND SPICE should keep showcasing the family recipes which are at times as simple as that; may be requiring the skin of some vegetables! Because, the family's origin is Purbabanga; now Bangladesh; we are in the habit of having all parts of certain vegetables. Creating magic with this and that is our specialisation. At times, I ask myself why am I sharing these recipes? Who would take interest in them? Life runs fast these days, people love the word instant. A quick capsicum+pasta+cheese dish sounds more appealing than peeling the radish, cut them in a particular pattern and then slow cook without using water! Then, my Blog must have what I grew up eating. My Food Blog is a documentation of the family way of food. My brother or his wife eats or not, our mother does not stop cooking the family, rustic recipes. It was the father who genuinely loved anything Bengali! In my home, the advantage is that our boy can be fed such kinds mixed with dal; the senior would eat anything while watching the television, unless the taste is really too much against his will!

ABOUT RADISH; ONCE A WINTER VEGETABLE!

I saw the giant sized radish first time in my life here in Singapore! I travel back in time and see well grown radish leaves peeping out of the "bazaar er tholey", often during winters. I was not a vegetable lover, however loved greens / shaak. We ate / eat a variety of shaak. Even if the radish were young, their leaves were not meant to be eaten; that was the family norm or of the Bengalis! Radish Greens were made with very young leaves of it without any sign of root growth been seen! I still remember the aroma of the garlic, dry red chilli and nigella seeds in the tempering! She always made radish greens kind of crisp [bhaja bhaja]; that technique I could not exactly deploy in my kitchen. Here radish greens are sold with a grown radish in the wet markets, not always I would cook the greens, never if I find them yellowish. INDIAN RADISH varieties do come here but not the Bengal variety! Else you have to buy the big, white, gigantic ones may be coming from Malaysia! I pretty cook radish and I prefer it either in mixed vegetables, dal and this way, dry dish! I do not think I can ever eat radish in a salad made at home; in a restaurant I can! Back in those days I would wonder watching the North Indians taking pleasure bites at radish; as we would do with a sugarcane stick!

WHAT IS MULO BHAJA?

What is MULO? Radish is called MULO in English! What is Bhaja? It is the Bengali word for Frying! MULO BHAJA is a HOMELY BENGALI RECIPE; it is VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE! In the present day; I can have a plate of rice with it, for another plate I would need some dal & a fried fish! I am not allowed to have a lot of rice in a single meal is another issue. I do not go by diet rules you all know. Today, I had a plateful of khichuri / hotchpotch for lunch; the man too did not go to office! Both of us are having teeth & gum problem. In spite of a packed refrigerator overflown with cooked food; we had to eat something we need not chew. Even the Filipino kept aside her share of chicken rice and ate the Khichuri! 

Anyway, we cook a variety of recipes with RADISH! Here, in this island we get it throughout the year, and I mostly cook the family recipes; in addition may be flatbreads using it or kofta! This particular recipe does not even require an array of spices; just a little of our patience! We will cook it in the vegetable juice without using any amount of water! We have to blanch it though!

INGREDIENTS :

YOUNGER RADISH : 300-400 GM [PREFERABLY YOUNGER, SLEEKER]

CORIANDER : 2 TBSP [CHOPPED]

GREEN CHILLI : 2 [SLITTED]

DRY RED CHILLI : 2 [HALVED]

MINCED GARLIC : 1 TSP

NIGELLA SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1 TSP [OPTIONAL]

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Cut off the two ends of each of the radish. Peel each one of them, half and make thin slices. If the radish stalks are nice and green, discard the leaves and take them in!

Wash well what you have cut and blanch in hot, salted water for at least 10-12 minutes! Thereafter, discard the water and marinate the radish slices and stalks with the turmeric & salt!

Heat the oil in the wok; temper it with the minced garlic, nigella seeds, bay leaf and the halved dry red chillies! 

Give a stir and add the radish slices and stalks. Gently stir for a minute at minimal heat and cover. Cook for 4-5 minutes; open cover and add the slitted green chillies. Gently give a stir and again cover cook for 5-6 minutes; giving a stir in between!

Again uncover, add the washed & chopped coriander, sugar and stir! Let cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes! We should be done!

Serve & have it hot with steamed rice or flat breads!