GATHI KOCHU CHINGRIR BHARTA

 

BHARTA & MASH; THE TWO LOVE IN MY LIFE!

You bet they were not so much of a love even a decade or two back! I remember how bland the boiled raw banana mash felt when the mother force fed us, specially when we had a stomach upset! I kept eating all day and often had stomach upset. It was difficult to feed the brother few morsels of food; it was difficult to feed the son some food, it took long. Each feeding session took me about two hours, I think my child learnt to love his choice of food only for a decade! The man loved food when we were mates in school, gradually he stopped fancying food anymore! In any party or dine-in in a restaurant; while everyone else are busy enjoying the food, T would continue talking with one appetiser on the tip of the fork. I might have finished trying all the appetisers and on with the second round! I have long stopped feeling shy about it! If I bother in public what people would think about a lady eating with all might when her man eats sparingly; I have to do away with my love! I am the person who hates to be seen as anything else other than what I am actually! At home too, if I wait for the man to taste a food item I made, I have to wait until the next day to pack it in his lunch box! If its a slice of cake, I must have one with my evening tea, fresh & warm! I have no such guilt, I only wished him to crave for food!

AT TIMES INTERMITTENT FASTING CAN COST US OUR PEACE!

What else can be done? I cannot have smoothie, oats for my breakfast regular; I cannot limit my biscuit intakes to two at a time; I want a porota or luchi or two slices of butter toast or two chapati with butter & sugar spread on it with my morning tea. Again for lunch, I want idli or upma or chirer polao! The weight and blood sugar level shoots up if I listen to my heart! The society does not run smooth if you listen to your heart alone; you must care & act wise for a greater purpose! So, I am having my second round of coffee to shrug off the hunger pangs! I am waiting for the clock to strike 2 pm. Within half an hour, I will go for a swim, do not know how to do it! Back home, would take a shower, serve my God Family lunch and have mine. Thereafter, I would finish my BLOGPOST! Ideally, I want a plateful of vermicelli upma for breakfast and again a lunch of choice! Oh! God! how could you do this to me? Yesterday, after the fasting; I had my choice of lunch & dinner and in between a coffee session! 

I am back to finish off this blog post! I could not swim for long, something is seriously wrong with me. Back home, even a shower and food could not get me back to my normal self. I am my mother's daughter; we are not in the habit of creating a stir around us. I asked Cristine to switch on the AC, I lied down. I am feeling better but not totally fit. I have a Cristine, I have the liberty to rest unlimited; our mother did not have this liberty then. She had to manage a home with two kids with a husband who did not even understand how a home is run. Both of us have this common traits of headache, tendency to puke, inability to travel long hours, aversion to crowd & noise around us. We love been within the four walls of our home!

WHAT IS THIS GATHI KOCHU CHINGRIR BHARTA?

I think GATHI KOCHU is TARO in English; Its our KOCHUR MUKHI too, some call it ARBI I see! CHINGRI is PRAWN among us! GATHI KOCHU CHINGRIR BHARTA is a GLUTEN-FREE dish with TARO ROOT & PRAWN! The mother used to prepare a couple of BHARTA & MASH during the night time, she did not like having fish or meat curries for her dinners. I was happier with my non-veg curries without wanting to have the mashes & bharta! In the present day, I would love to have some rice with a bhorta! Although, a curry with Taro Root & Prawn was more common in our home, this simpler RECIPE many of you would like! I am not in my normal self, I do not know what I am writing. Did the doctor ask our father to stop giving me meat of any kind? Yes, he did but my parents never forced me with anything! We were coercive with the brother! Lets talk less and proceed with the recipe, I can do the necessary editing later! I am too worried learning the son living in an apartment alone, what if he falls sick like mumma; he does not even tell us anything! I want his roommates to join sooner; why cannot the fall come fast?

INGREDIENTS :

SMALLER SIZED PRAWN : 100-150 GM

TARO ROOT / ARBI / GATHI KOCHU : 9-10

SLICED ONION : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

NIGELLA SEED / KALO JEEREY / KALONJI : 1/4 TSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 1 OR 2 HALVED

OIL : 2 TBSP + 1 TBSP [MUSTARD OIL IS A MUST FOR US]

PROCEDURE :

Clean, de-shell the prawns, wash very well. Boil them in enough water for 10-12 minutes adding a little of salt & turmeric! Discard the boiled water, once done!

Peel off the skin of the taro roots, cut half! Do wear kitchen gloves while doing it. Cut each half, wash. Put for boil in enough water with some salt added to it! Discard the water, once done. The taro roots would turn mushy!

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and temper with the nigella seeds & the halved dry red chillies. Add the washed & sliced onions & chopped green chillies. Stir cook for 3-4 minutes and add the rest of the turmeric & little salt!

Give a stir and add the boiled prawns. Stir cook for 2-3 minutes and switch off the gas stove. Take the boiled arbi in a bowl and mash! Add the tempered and cooked prawns. Mash & mix everything together. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil before having it! 

I had also cooked mutton on that day!