SHORSHE NARKOL BANDHAKOPI

I MAKE SURE MY FAMILY EATS VEGETABLES!

I lure them with their choice of meat & fish curries! I listen to their wishes, cook different besides the typical Bengali recipes I cook! Here is where I fail to explain the mother the need to be accommodative following trends! Not everyone would take a roundabout like me at 50! My brother need not be like me in every aspect! The mother, her sisters have to understand there is nothing wrong of a Bengali family not cooking Bengali recipes enough! She surprisingly says her youngest brother's wife's & her daughter-in-law's paternal homes do not cook typical Bengali! She takes a lot of pride saying how mesmerised the daughter-in-law's, the youngest sis-in-law's parents get each time she cooks rustic "data-duti & shutki" for them! To that I say, "Mani, please! When they come do not only serve rustic but also at least a mutton or prawn or hilsa curry", for the sake of your son's prestige! Each time I / we went to Bidisha & Rameesha's parents, they went out of the way to greet us with exotic food!  Each trip, I go to visit the veterans but avoid getting the elderly beings bother about what to feed me! My youngest maternal uncle is the most successful businessman among the three brothers, he derived his mother's heart  with regards to hospitality, shouldering responsibilities! In her hay days, she was kind of royal, had  zamindari kind of heart with regards to feeding & gifting people! The rest of her kids went after their father, believes in a simple living and not in the habit of looking beyond the family! I would say, though the youngest brother is a well known businessman in Nadia & Murshidabad districts; it was Boromamu, the eldest of the three brothers who started the business and got it's initial fame & goodwill! Then, whats the point of earning if you do not spend to live as per your earning & financial status! Not my mother, it was my maternal grandmother who got sores cradling me! It was boromamu who helped my constipated self to excrete and cleaned too! Mashimoni too did a lot to bring me up! No one understands it is too difficult for me to judge them! I cannot take sides! I prefer to visit T's maternal place; they do not have money, they are less complicated, I feel comfortable in their warmth; but for a day! I cannot help them to rise financially, can always take small gifts for them! I know some of my family members read my posts; I do not need to care until I speak lies! The mother gets upset if I point her mistakes; starts crying, accuses me of misconduct! I retreat! If anyone speaks negative about her; I do not like! I am her daughter, it is the mother who always tried to safeguard my honour, such protective she was! She could not travel everywhere with me in buses, in trains! I always try to put a message through my son; "you can mingle closely with girls until you commit to one; never take to perversion"! I feel like killing every pervert, get a cleaner earth! We were talking vegetables, vegan & gluten-free food, fish & meat recipes; right? This space is also to express my views about people, life!

VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGETARIAN; BENGALI FOOD IS IN PRACTICE FOR AGES!

What is the recent craze about? Bengalis are cooking pure vegan & gluten-free food for ages! I had my lunch with a raw banana kofta curry and brown rice! Its vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian! India is a storehouse for many such!

I went for a walk, did 7.3km! I had an onion bonda & idli, sugar free kosong at 1.45 pm; 15 minutes before covering the 16 hours of intermittent fasting!

I do not calculate my steps, where is the fun of living then? Though I wish to live another 24 years, want to have self made cheese bread with tea or coffee next! I wanted to blog about it, cancelled the plan; why did it fluff up and then went down? What went wrong? The taste is fine with us!

Today,I felt lets go simple with a homely Bengali recipe using a common vegetable! No, this is not a family dish!That was 27th July, 2019 I cooked it, also meat, fish! Cristine shopped with the money given by Sir! I came back from Kolkata after escorting the mother to Kolkata! I am yet to visit again! I never did leave the son back to party! I know the mother wanted to spend time with me, I could feel it but I was missing son; who I knew would be going to the college within a year, that I would see him less!

WHAT IS SHORSHE NARKOL BANDHAKOPI?

A decade back, before coming to this island; my friend & neighbour Kana told me they cook cabbage with poppy seed paste! Whilst I am of East Bengal origin, Kana is of West Bengal origin!They buy a kilogram of expensive poppyseed every month as compared to my 200-250 gm of poppy seed while in Kolkata! This island does not allow poppyseed consumption, I had to plan the recipe differently sitting here! Whilst my stay in Kolkata, I never tried kana's recipes, she hates cooking, household work. As long as I stayed there; Kana had only me to confide and broke with the news of my departure; she would share the deepest secrets with me! Our sons were classmates since nursery! I told her to join work, make friends! The sincere self she is, she became a high school teacher starting her career in a Kindergarten! Oh my! She made friends, no more remains the reticent self! Although, I don't know if she could catch up with her extremely jovial husband or not! Amazing enough, she is seen in front of chaats these days; her panicky self with a weak stomach never had seen anything beyond rice & sweets earlier! Anyway, this slight aberration of Kana's original recipe; SHORSHE NARKOL BANDHAKOPI is made of cabbage, chilli-mustard paste & shredded coconut! It is vegan, gluten-free that can be had with chapati, porota & plain rice!

INGREDIENTS :

CABBAGE : A SMALL, GREEN LEAFY ONE

MUSTARD SEED : 1 TBSP

GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

NIGELLA SEED / KALOJEEREY : 1/4 TSP

RED CHILLI : 2 HALVED

BAY LEAF : 1

ICE CUBE : 2-3 [DOES NOT LET THE MUSTARD-CHILLI PASTE TURN BITTER]

OIL : 2 TBSP [I USED MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Shred the cabbage discarding the portions we need to! Wash well taking in a colander!

Blanch them in hot, salted water for 4-5 minutes, discard the water!

Wash the mustard seeds taking in a strainer! Blend together to a paste along with green chillies, salt, ice cubes, little of water!

Heat oil in a wok, add half of the shredded coconut! Stir fry until roasted to a light brown colour, take out!

Temper the remaining oil with the bay leaf, nigella seeds and the halved red chillies!

Give a stir, add chilli mustard paste, turmeric powder, rest of the shredded coconut! Stir cook for a minute at low heat!

Add the blanched cabbage, fold in well, stir cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes!

Cover the wok with a lid, keep the heat at minimal to low and cook for 10-12 minutes! Stir in between!

Adjust the salt if required! Take down after a minute or two!

Garnish with fried coconut, slitted green chillies before serving with your choice of main!