THERE LIVES THREE LITTLE PIGS IN AN ISLE;WHO COOK, EAT, MERRY & SLEEP!
What does mumma piggy do all day? She gathers ideas from here & there, try them in her kitchen.There has one Cristine didi to help her who looks after our home when mumma piggy is out all day to eat, never getting tired of it! Daddy piggy does not have any interest in what mumma does all day, or what she eats; he gets angry whenever he is forced to eat something he does not wish to!Mumma piggy had high hopes on their boy, your's truly this piglet becoming like her! Before any such thing could happen; baby piggy was brainwashed and sent to a far off land, so it learns to fetch for himself!The sad mumma started going out frequently and ate more out of depression! It can also be her love for food since childhood that makes her do so!She says though every child is different but does not believe in it; she keeps bothering a twenty some me and I get pissed off. Okay, I admit I almost bully her, I should be way bit softer & articulate dealing with her.She does not understand it is my way of loving her; she expects me to explore the world, reach heights and also be a mother's pet like Nono! Both cannot happen at the same time!
WHAT DOES MUMMA PIGGY WANTS IN LIFE?
She keeps wondering why is it so difficult for the daddy piggy & her piglet to be a bit obedient, soft spoken, be disciplined & stop arguing, maintain personal hygiene & follow a routine in life! She feels very lonely when we refute her! When hurt she eats more, even if she is not hungry!She wants us to hug her, make her feel warm & very much important! We do not comply, our harsh demeanours make her sad! She also knows we have given her a home, trusted her and shall remain by her side! In our trustworthiness, mumma indeed feels at peace and oinks louder! She believes her men would feel awkward if she cooks the same stuffs repeatedly, if she does not create a scene & then cry for nothing; she behaving sane may make them feel uneasy.We would not leave her ever, would we? She is always engrossed within herself and keeps eating! Because her piglet is home after over a year, mumma is eating double. Mumma wonders why the weird piglet went for a movie alone this morning? She asked me if my friends have come for the holidays, but I do not chat with my parents, so her angry self does not sit at home all the time! Finishing her walk she had the below and again around the evening tea time, another set!
Daddy piggy took rice, dal, tofu scramble, omelette to office, baby & Cristine didi had the same for lunch! Baby's breakfast was bread-cheese & rabri! Mumma coordinates her kitchen in this manner! Mumma also knows Nono would never eat this humble in office, neither at home; yet she keeps comparing people! She has to understand every human is born with both virtue & vile! But she always plans good food for us, loves her home! Aren't the Vegetarian Food Platter you see is yum? It really was fun having it last night!WHAT IS THIS KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE, TOFU SCRAMBLE O RABRI?
RABRI is thickened milk cooked for hours at minimal heat! There was a time it was very popular in India; it still is in some parts; only the urban stomachs got weaker!Because our mother & the entire family only believed in milk fetched from a diary farm, there would come pure milk! Milk & Fish were the two foremost food items in our entire family branches. I always hated milk, bhai too. So, "kheer", which is thickened milk without the rice in our family, may be among the Bengalis too was a regular affair she did with the left over milk; because each day milk had to come. The father loved it! Till date this is the norm; Mani wants dudh-bhaat or dal-bhaat at night. She, the grandmother would have milk & rice almost every day. The paternal grandparents' dinner for the last 16-17 years of their life was popped rice & milk / khoi dudh, I have mentioned earlier! For me, milk has to come with sweets or fruits. Dudh-Ruti-Kola or Aam ba Kathal diye or with roshogolla ba sandesh happens to be my thing these days, never thought I would. Mani never used lemon juice or ghee, it was only milk & little sugar boiled for hours, while she taught bhai in the evening, doing crochet works. KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE is a kind of puffed bread prepared with the flour of skinless urad dal / kolai er dal / black gram lentils. We Bengalis eat this as a lentil, but Southern India uses its flour too! We get it in the local minimarts given a lot of Tamils stay in this island! Wanting to get a gluten-free bread, I used it's dough for the same. I have used cow milk yogurt in the dough, so its not vegan! The TOFU SCRAMBLE is wow so vegan & gluten-free, spicy & yummy; I make it really desi! So, KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE, TOFU SCRAMBLE O RABRI is a vegetarian, food platter, that has a puffed bread as the main; a spicy tofu treat as a side & a dessert!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE KOLAI DAL ER BHATURE :
URAD DAL / BLACK GRAM LENTIL FLOUR : 2 COFFEE MUG
PLAIN YOGURT : 200 GM
ASAFOETIDA : 1/4 TSP
SALT : 1/2 TSP
SUGAR : 1 TSP
BAKING SODA : 2-3 PINCH
WATER : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 4 TBSP + 200 ML OR AS REQUIRED TO DEEP FRY
INGREDIENTS FOR THE TOFU SCRAMBLE :
TAU KWA TOFU : 250-300 GM
CHOPPED CORIANDER : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
CHOPPED TOMATO : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
SLICED ONION : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP
CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP
BAY LEAF : 1
MINCED GARLIC : 1/2 TSP
MINCED GINGER : 1/4 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 11/2 TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 11/2 TSP
DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP
SUGAR : 1 TSP [OPTIONAL]
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2 TBSP
INGREDIENTS FOR THE RABRI / THICKENED MILK DESSERT :
FULL FAT MILK : 1 LITRE
EVAPORATED CREAMER : 300 ML
LEMON JUICE : 2 TBSP
SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
GHEE : 11/2 TBSP
PROCEDURE :
Let us do the MILK DESSERT / RABRI at first!
We will take the full fat milk in a heavy bottomed vessel & keep boiling at minimal heat.
After about 15-20 minutes, we would add the ghee & stir!
We will keep boiling at minimal heat, stirring at intervals to avoid burning at the bottom!
After about 15-16 minutes, we would add the evaporated creamer, tear & add the green cardamoms; stir & let boil. We must stir at intervals but!
After the milk has reduced quite, we will add the sugar and keep stirring.
After 10-12 minutes, we will add the lemon juice, the amount cannot be excess!
It took about 11/2 to 2 hours to reach a thick consistency.
We would transfer it to a bowl, garnish with nuts if we wish, cool & refrigerate. It is to be had chilled.
It is not for lactose intolerant people, not even for a weak stomach.
We would wash & crumble the tofu. We would get the rest of the chops & mince washed & ready on the kitchen top!
We would heat the oil & temper it with a bay leaf & cumin seed!
We would add the washed & mince garlic & ginger, fry until brown.
We would add the washed & chopped chillies, sliced onion & stir fry until brown.
We would add the washed & chopped tomato, salt, turmeric and stir cook until the tomatoes melt!
We would thereafter add the tofu, the spice powders, salt, sugar and stir fry at low heat for 7-8 minutes.
In the last, we would add the washed & chopped coriander and fold in well!
We would transfer it to a serving bowl.
Let us do the GLUTEN-FREE PUFFED BREADS now.
We will take the black gram dal flour in a bowl and add to it the yogurt, salt, sugar, oil & asafoetida powder!
We would add water little by little & prepare a dough neither soft, nor too hard! You cannot lessen the amount of oil in it!
We would keep the dough covered for an hour or two; again knead for 2-3 minutes!
Cristine tore off smaller portions & prepared the balls!
We would then roll each oval or round shaped!
We will heat the oil and fry both sides well in each case!
Don't they look too inviting? I found it tastier today! In fact, I would be trying a vegan version today, skipping the yogurt part! Lets see!
