THAT FISH & RICE STAPLE OF THE COMMUNITY STILL WORKS!
I think we can have a "sheddo bhaat" / boiled rice with different vegetable mashes at least three to four times a week!But we must have some fish fries, at least a boiled egg alongside with it!We just cannot have it with a chutney & curry base!Neither we would want a meat curry alongside such a sathvik rice plate!Saying so, I do not intent to hurt others' sentiments!We are what we are used to since our birth; at least majorly!It is wrong to mock those who hate to smell non-vegetarian food or those whose morning starts with a meat curry! I have always insisted on this that food is a personal choice!What to eat should not even feature as a national issue!It is wrong to decide for others what should they cook in their kitchen!I never did think that one of the largest democracy in the world would want to decide what people would eat, what they should not!I still do not take it seriously, I do not wish to believe a secular set up can be declared a vegetarian state!
WHY DID I COOK A DAL / LENTILS VEGETABLES RICE ON A SATURDAY NIGHT?
That is given I cook a good number of dishes on a Saturday day time!Saturday night we usually eat flat or puffed bread with the meat variety I have made; it can be chicken or mutton!Last Saturday, the Kuning fish variety bought two weeks back had to be used up and I was skeptical about cooking a curry with this variety!I cooked the rice-lentil-vegetables medley to go with the deep fried fish!Its a good combo meal for the Bengalis if only the fish variety was of my choice!Last month, I had a Nasi Lemak meal which had a Kuning fish fry, I liked!So, I got it home, but I did not enjoy the first bite. The excess Cristine took for her friends yesterday!I wish they were crispy fried charapona!It's all about how adaptive one is about food; I see I am not a daring food adventurist!I prepared the coconut tempered rice & dal combo a lot and had it for lunch today! Reheated & had with a drizzle of mustard oil; it felt heaven with an omelette on the side! Thereafter, the mango cubes felt like "Amrito"!
WHAT IS THIS CHALE DALE KUMRO?
It is not a pumpkin rice, neither a khichuri / rice & dal hotchpotch!You can say the inspiration is drawn from the Chale-Dale of T's home & the Southern Indian Pongal rice!Both varieties are on similar line and I am fond of both!The addition of dal to rice makes me happier! Baby's mumma needs dal every day, baby sustained the vegetables if mashed with dal; until last year!The mother too told last week she needs dal everyday; her dals I found bland, good though!My brother preferred didibhai cooked dal! The mother thinks only she and her mother know how to cook good Bengali Food, and they can't go wrong in any area of life!Yet, it is for the two of them mainly, I am alive, taken to cooking as my hobby!Although, on a Saturday I cook a lot, for dinner again I cooked this lentil-rice-vegetables medley with a tempering of cumin, mustard, chillies, chopped coconut!It is a vegan, gluten-free main meal I named CHALE DALE KUMRO!We enjoy frill-free meals with dollops of ghee or butter on it!
Few other similar recipes from the blog are :
INGREDIENTS :
BASMATI RICE : 1/2 COFFEE MUG
MOONG DAL / SPLIT MOONG BEAN : 1/4 COFFEE MUG
MUSHURIR DAL / RED LENTIL : 1/4 COFFEE MUG
PUMPKIN CUBE : 1 BOWLFUL
POTATO CUBE : 1 BOWLFUL
CARROT CUBE : 1 BOWLFUL
BAYLEAF : 1 OR 2
CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP
MUSTARD SEED : 1/4 TSP
DRY RED CHILLI : 2
GREEN CHILLI : 3-4 [SLITTED]
CHOPPED COCONUT : 2 TBSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2 TBSP
PROCEDURE :
On a Saturday evening, I do not have the energy to take stepwise pictures of what I am cooking! Its an easy recipe!
I had washed both the dal varieties taken together in a bowl and soaked for sometime. Then I had put them in a deep bottomed vessel with enough water; for boil! I added some salt & the turmeric powder!
Once the lentils were half done, I had washed & added the rice!I gave a stir, half covered with a lid and lowered the heat to minimal!We need not cover it full, the water would spill!
After about 7-8 minutes, I had added the washed vegetables, more of water and some salt!
I kept checking every few minutes; also kept adding water whenever it looked dry! It took about 15-18 minutes to cook! Do not ask me to use pressure cooker!
I had heated the oil in a wok and tempered it with the dry red chillies, slitted green chillies, bayleaves, cumin & mustard seeds, curry leaves! I gave a stir and added the chopped coconuts!
I stir cooked until the coconut turned light brown and started smelling heavenly! I had added all of it to the cooked rice & dal mixture and stirred well! We are done! Have it with your choice of sides!
Very new and different recipe. This rice dish (pilaf) really looks different (especially pumpkin cubes). I havent ate pumpkin and fish before.
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