DESICCATED COCONUT BANANA CAKE

 

A CAKE BAKE HAPPENS REGULAR IN OUR HOME!

They are a bit unusual, I try to prepare vegan & gluten-free ones! I prepared this cake in the month of September, 2021! Time is flying too fast, I try to make it go slow; "Samay tanik dhirey chalo;  come & sit beside me"! Not that I got tired of living. This world is vast; I may be able to explore little of it in my lifetime! It cannot be a boring affair waking up each morning. You need not pay much of attention to your don't haves! In case, waking up feels boring; you must consult an expert or a proper yoga guru. I find a great thing like yoga boring; else  our parents tried a lot deploying good teachers for me. Today it feels, if I got someone to come and teach me everyday or at least 3-4 days a week, I would have been in a better position! Because one day of class is not enough for a lethargic like me; unless there is someone to push me, make me do; I won't move! T is least bothered! I feel bad he had to pay a huge amount for my new spectacles; also I am on medication. I did nothing fruitful until now; amidst such an empty feeling; the blogposts moving towards number one thousand is a feel good factor! Hope it stays with my readers even after me!

I AM NEVER TIRED OF GOING FOR FOOD VENTURES, NEITHER TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCES IN PUBLIC!

Take the example of today! Yesterday, one of my regular client asked me if I can cater on Tuesday evening! My answer would be an yes  as long as I can, it gets me dollars! This morning, I find the wet markets closed; I had to pick up stuffs from the GIANT, NTUC SUPER MARTS! They sell fresh sea-fish, meat, vegetables though I prefer to buy raw fish, meat, vegetables from a wet market! It is New Year Celebrations here; every thing would get closed today afternoon onwards! I cannot control the greed of earning dollars! I came back home around 12 pm, then arranged the pictures required for the blogpost! Cristine meanwhile went to buy cartons of cigarettes, her Sir cannot survive without it! She came back, I went out for a short walk. I could have gone down for a swim but wished to have a "dokaner karak cha o biskut". That was okay but I should not have eaten the "badam gur & amriti" around 2:30 pm!

I cross passed the neighbourhood park; there are quite a few but smaller sized, I do not like "gol-gol ghumna". Today, I did not follow the rule of not doing a brisk walk immediately after having food!

Around 4 pm, I had to do some prep work for my tomorrow's food order, Cristine did the breading! Unless I refrigerate the breaded stuffs for a day, I fear breakage while frying!

Around 5 pm, I ate the above. Porotas done from the leftover dough of the potato-radish leaves-flours; Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce & Palak Pakoras from yesterday's leftover batter, ginger-black coffee; chilled  without sugar or milk! Again, we would eat rice, Bhola mach er jhol, dal, mochar ghonto at night!

Yesterday too we ate everything homemade! Only in the night time; I served T Hilsa curry & Mochar Ghonto with rice; I ate Muri o Payesh! The white eggs crate Cristine was asked to get from the Mustafa Centre on her way back from her off day! You need to get it when you are hands free, locally white eggs are sold only in a pack of 6. I wished to taste the Kolkata style white ones, this home gets a crate of 30 eggs which is a good savings! For my clients, I have started buying a pack of jumbo eggs; larger sized!

WHAT IS THIS DESICCATED BANANA CAKE?

Tomorrow is Lunar New Year Celebrations! T entered home, we had a fight! He would never lock the door. I asked to do it, why Cristine has to go and do it. Also why would not someone take a full shower back from the office? But our fights are not nerve wrecking, the son grew up a happy child. The little contribution we have in his life is this! We simply miss his weird self around, got very dependent on Cristine; she has decided to renew her contract with us! But she needs to go home to rest, meet her own for at least two months! Things are not working out neither my brother wants me to go at this time! He thinks I would roam around and his overly cautious self I know is scared to come to the airport! He cannot feel comfortable asking didibhai to take a cab either! I am to bake a cake for Cristine sometime this week! As of now; let me wish the dear islanders with this stovetop, vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian cake made with shredded dried coconut, rice flour, cornflour, banana, brown sugar! I named it DESICCATED COCONUT BANANA CAKE! A banana or two is good enough to moisten a cake if paired with oil or butter!

INGREDIENTS : 

DESICCATED COCONUT : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

RICE FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CORN FLOUR : 2 TBSP

BAKING SODA : 1/4 TSP

BAKING POWDER : 1 TSP

BANANA : 2 STANDARD SIZED

BROWN SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL CUP

OIL : 1 SMALL TEACUP

VANILLA ESSENCE : 1 TSP

YOUR CHOICE OF SEEDS, NUTS, DRIED FRUITS

PROCEDURE : 

Get everything ready on your workstation! 

Take the dry ingredients except the brown sugar in a bowl, mix well. 

Take the banana & oil in a blender, blend well! Add the brown sugar, blend again! 

Add the vanilla essence, the liquid to the dry mixture, fold in well, beat for 5 minutes!

Pour it to a cake tin, I used an aluminium foil! Tap lightly on the kitchen counter, top it with dried fruits, nuts & seeds!

Keep one wired stand in the middle of a pan, get heated. Place the cake tin atop, cover!

Bake on the gas top covered at minimal heat for 55 minutes to 1 hour!

Take down and allow it to cool before having! It tastes better when warm, can be refrigerated!

JALAPENO LANKA BHAJI

 SHOPPING FOR RAW INGREDIENTS IS IMPORTANT!

It goes on like a cycle. Ever since I have started this food delivery thing, the frequency of going to the market have increased. This week I went to the same Indian spot for two days; I may have to visit sooner. Money does not come easy at your doorstep. I do enjoy "bazaar-haat"; else I would not have started my minuscule venture of cooking for other homes. I did mention earlier, every morning around 7:30 am, I was called near the kitchen, dadu would be there back from the market! Yes, DumDum Market sits as early as 6am. I do not know what is the scenario now. It is  busy and big like Maniktala Bazaar, little less than the Sealdah Baithakkhana Bazaar! At times, it feels Kolkata lives more inside me than I think it does. I remember our  early morning trips to  Dakshineshwar temple, the look of the vendor's compartment in a train, our winter time picnic trips to the Duttapukur to Canning to Shonarpur "Baganbaris", aka the big landed properties rented as picnic spots! Oh! How I used to maintain a distance from the crowd, enjoyed my own company! Am I a loner since birth?

TODAY, I HAD BEEN A HAPPY SHOPPER!

That is because I got in hand some live magur mach, quite fresh hilsa and bhola mach! The last one is Indian Jew Fish which was not originally a family love. One day it entered our home with the boney Folui mach our parents loved. Thereafter, I and bhai started enjoying bhola mach, mostly during the winters. I feed my men too, it is fleshy and less boney; they do eat! Here, in this island; I hardly follow getting stuffs as per season. It is either available throughout the year or not at all! Until date, no one could tell me the actual reason why they do not eat fresh duck eggs but only the preserved ones. Some in their fifty's have told me they did eat fresh duck eggs in their childhood. My curious soul wants to explore all these facts! I think I have not yet started to explore this island, before we go back I may! I picked up banana blossom, raw jackfruit, a big bunch of red amaranth, mutton too. To get super fresh produce, you must visit a wet market around 8:30 to 9am. I cannot make it before 10 am. The largest fish shop at the Tekka Market used to keep the Bengal variety of freshwater fish, they are not keeping it now due to the pandemic. I mostly go the Bengali shops near the Mustafa area who starts business at 12pm, ends at 12am, I think! I was out early today, I bought Ven Pongal, Sweet Pongal! I purposefully did not buy any pakora, neither can eat pongal with chutney and sambar alone. I picked up two mushroom packets wanting to prepare pakora, once I entered the Mustafa Centre. I kept them back, picked up this, also wanting to prepare pakora. Thereafter, I changed my mind!

WHAT IS THIS JALAPENO LANKA BHAJI?

It is a vegan, gluten-free side dish; versatile enough to go with a variety of bread & rice. I went out of home around 9:20 am; came back visiting two spots around 1:25 pm! By 2:15pm, the stir-fry, vegetarian bowl with the Jalapeño variety of peppers was ready! I named it JALAPENO LANKA BHAJI; lanka is chilli in Bengali, bhaji is a stir fried dish! I loved it but cannot have such kind of food regular! I added onion, green peas, almonds, cashews, raisins, it tasted wow. Tell me what was the show stopper? The kulambu spice mix! Cristine & I had a good lunch, the man would have it at night alongside a pomfret curry! If I cannot have the pomfret; would switch to "chirey-doi"! I so wish the son starts cooking easy recipes like this one; eats outside less!

The man took to the office egg fried rice done with leftover rice and orange. The son has to learn following mumma or whoever he prefers. I am upset why he is not sharing any information with us. At times, I ask my cousin about him, sometimes in the parent's group! I expect our mother to cook this kind some days and serve bhai with porota! Bidisha anyway enjoys varied food!

INGREDIENTS :

JALAPENO PEPPER / CHILLI : 7-8 [MINE MAY BE A SIMILAR VARIETY]

GREEN PEA : A HANDFUL

CUBED ONION : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2

CASHEW NUT : 5-6

ALMOND : 5-6

RAISIN : 6-7

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

KULAMBU SPICE MIX : 1 1/2 TBSP [ALTERNATIVELY, USE YOUR CHOICE OF SPICE POWDERS]

SALT : AS REQUIRED

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Each of the Jalapeño Pepper, I have cut into 4 parts, lengthwise. The onion too, I discarded the two ends, peeled and cubed!

I always wash fish, meat, vegetables, eggs under running water!

I drained the water and marinated the onion & jalapeño peppers with the turmeric & salt!

I heated up the oil in a wok, tempered it with the cumin seeds, bayleaf, raisins, almond, cashews! Then stir-cooked for a minute at minimal heat!

 

I added the marinated jalapeño peppers, onion, green peas to the wok and stir cooked at low heat for 1-2 minutes.

Thereafter, I added the kulambu spice mix and the slitted green chillies. 

I folded in well and sprinkled 1/4 small cup of water, covered the wok with a lid.

We cannot cover for long, the vegetables would lose colour & texture. Every 1/2 a minute we would uncover and lightly stir. 

We would do this for 5 minutes and we should be done!

I forgot to click the last two steps!

I did not want to lose the colour & texture of the onion, but it did! It is a quick, healthy, easy side dish you can cook when in a hurry!

ADA PEYAZ BATA PABDA MACH

 

A BORN FOODIE AND LETHARGIC IS SHORT LIVED!

This is my analysis, in fact conclusion! Having both traits inside and in excess amount; I had to start taking medicine at age 40! Now that I am 51 and already taking three varieties of medicine; I am diagnosed with an age related disease in the spine! One more capsule is added, the doctor is yet to decide the next move if itdoes not work. To add more to the worry; my blood pressure is not remaining under control. It started fluctuating either with the start of the pandemic or around the time when the son left home! I am hating the situation! I wish to live, stay active enough to travel across the continents, eat local food of the places we visit! It feels hopeless to sit with the newly bought BP machine every morning! Amidst all these mess, if anything keeps me happy is cooking a variety of food, eating the major share of the cooked food! I do not know what next, would not stop savouring a beauty called food! Had I have a demanding husband, I would have leaned towards healthy eating perhaps; one kilogram of increase in weight would have come with a threat; comparing me with a younger, sleek girl. This is the fear since my teen. Not only it is about wanting a relaxed, dilli-dallied life; it is also about losing my self-respect. One who is ready to give the heart and soul to build a home cannot take a comparison with a better looking brethren. It applies to both men and women. Anyway, I do not like T's leisurely attitude towards me, he never took me seriously. He could have shaped my life, helped me make a career as per my capability. He guided the son to take an academic / career decision. Does it mean T is no way different from his predecessor? That women need not be equal with the males? Before even talking about communism, it's followers had to think differently about the women.

IT IS TRULY SHOCKING TO SEE MY APPETITE!

It indeed is horrifying! Even I do not know why I am always in the lookout for food! At times, the rest in the family are responsible for it! Yesterday, T had to take his friend's family to the airport, Kaushik lost his father the day before! Being the elder of the two brothers, he must reach Kolkata the earliest! What are friends for if a friend in distress has to call a cab and proceed? I was at home, even the Chottopadhay family went as a couple to see them off! Sitting alone at home, I ate a bowlful of "muri o moong dal er halwa" around 6:30pm. Some four years ago Kaushik - Kunal's father visited this island, also our home.I found him the same active, jovial, full of spirit just the way he was decades back. Kaushik is very attached to his family and the place Serampore itself. I am not the kind who would not bother, who can stay cool in any given situation! I ate more!

We already ate Luchi & Chicken cooked last to last Saturday for our lunch! Once the man came back home; instead of chatting we started yelling at each other. He cannot make his son behave normal but can shout at me. I wonder why his family having a sweet tooth, was not in the habit of speaking nice & soft! Even  when off, I cannot neglect my home, duty! I had on mind clearing off the leftover food! I served the man the keema ghugni, palak paratha made from the leftover dough and jeera rice cooked using the stale rice. I was pretty sure, I would not have any amount of rice or roti!

The man who is in the habit of wasting food, ate only half of the rice. I had to eat that rice not wanting to waste! This is also a reason why clean eating does not happen in my case! My lunch today was semolina parathas, mixed vegetable & yogurt; also updated one older blogpost!

The pomelo we get here is sweet! Any Bengali can identify with this way of having it! We use chopped green chilli though!

WHAT IS THIS ADA PEYAZBATA PABDA?

I have mentioned several times we do not use onion and garlic regular in our cooking! Shopping raw materials was done fresh! On some days, they may not find the already frozen fish not that good to make a light curry. On such days, they would use onion , ginger paste to cook a thickened fish gravy! This ADA PEYAZ BATA PABDA MACH is a similar non-vegetarian, gluten-free fish curry with one of the various Indian cat fish varieties; Pabda Mach! It is a soft, fresh water fish with only one middle bone. You hardly require a lot of spices to cook this fish if you get them fresh. We are not lucky to get sitting in an island that loves sea fish! I get frozen packets, if they sit for long in the freezer, I  have to use onion, garlic in the cooking! I am just craving for a freshwater fish; would be going to the Bengali Market tomorrow for a client, have to pick few varieties for us! We definitely do not get the best quality. I keep happy with pakora; today we would be having homegrown carom / ajwain leaf pakora at dinner! Now it is time to wrap up and sip from the hot cuppa with a slice of a homemade cake!

INGREDIENTS :

PABDA MACH / BENGALI CAT FISH : 7-8

CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2 TBSP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2

ONION PASTE : 3-4 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 2 TBSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 2 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

NIGELLA SEED / KALONJEE : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

HALVED DRY RED CHILLI : 2

OIL : 3-4 TBSP [I USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Cleaning pabda fish is easy, we need to use two fingers! I made a video which got good views, one day I felt irritated and deleted it. Some other time, if the Almighty wishes; I would again!

Insert two fingers through the mouth and bring out the biles from the stomach. With a scissor, gently trim off the tail end, tip of the mouth and the fins. Done.

Wash each of them thoroughly under the running water, inside the stomach too! Pat dry. Marinate with a little of oil, salt, half of the turmeric.

Heat oil in the wok on the gas stove! Fry the fish without the marinade. It is a fish with no scales; fry them covered and do not deep fry!Take out!

Temper the same oil with the halved dry red chillies, bay leaf, nigella seeds; stir.

Add the onion paste, fry at low heat for 2-3 minutes; add the ginger paste, salt, rest of the turmeric. Stir for 3-4 minutes.

Add the chilli powder, 2 tbsp of water; keep stirring at low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1& 1/2 coffee mugs of water! Bring to boil.

Once the gravy has simmered at low heat for 5-6 minutes; gently add the fried fishes along with the marinade. Let cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add the washed, chopped coriander, and the washed & slitted green chillies. Adjust the salt. Let cook for a minute, it should be done.

Gently place the fried fishes in a serving bowl, pour the curry atop. Garnish with washed and chopped coriander leaves!

Serve it with piping hot rice! Get some dal, vegetables on the side!

NARKOL KORA DIYE JHINGE GHONTO

 

WHO IN THE FAMILY COULD THINK I WOULD EVER ENJOY VEGAN, RUSTIC VEGETABLE DISHES?

I really do these days. That is why I have hopes about the son's choice of food. Although, bhai does not show much love for the family rustic recipes, neither T! But they eat them; may not be with love! The son  refuses to have any amount of vegetables unless you serve them in disguise of a stuffed porota, puffs or a shingara. He inherited his mother's love for finger food. Mumma is sad she cannot cook and feed him. When with us, he ate more number of meals, he eats less there. Is it because he does not always wish to go, fetch food for himself? This can be a possible reason or may be the plates in that country are pretty big! But this mother; who herself is a foodie worries a lot because food is an important part in her life. Look, what she is eating at 6:30pm!

I was out for a long today, my lunch was a plate of Rojak. Back home, after a good shower, I felt hungry; I do not know how to control my hunger. Not all of my life's shots do I take, my readers do not have an idea what else I keep eating all day! Thats a pleasure!

I WAS OUT ON SERIOUS WORK, NOT TO EAT!

A normal optic shop could not get me a progressive lens! I was angry because I wanted a low priced lens did not mean one does away with the right powers to be given. But the native islanders are honest; they payed back the amount! I felt disappointed, exhausted and walked to the Hougang Polyclinic; given I was in that area. The process of seeing the doctor, doing an x-ray of my stiff neck & shoulder had been long. Once there, I was missing my son severely! We went there together and spent quite sometime through the entire process. I was alone today! Tomorrow is a long day, I am to shop for raw ingredients, go to a proper optician, then visit the Hougang Polyclinic! I was comparing the cost of health services in India. I realise how cheap it is there, what work load the entire medical fraternity in my land take; a first world country would fear to take that risk, load. Where from the Government Hospitals in India improve the facilities? Where would the revenue come from? With that, after almost seven years; I went to that section of the Hougang Bus Interchange where we were regular to take the loop bus to our then condo; at times met T when he stood in the queue while returning from the office! This is one reason he wishes to stay in this area where we presently stay; extremely convenient to commute!

All done, I started writing the blogpost around 7pm. Its a ritual for me, not a compulsion!

WHAT IS NARKOL KORA DIYE JHINGE GHONTO?

That I would blog about this poriyal inspired ridge gourd recipe was decided earlier! I gave a Bengali touch to it, the tempering is of kalonji that Southern India may not use. The ridge gourd softened; just like a Bengali Ghonto dish. I am fond of Jhinge / Ridge Gourd but not the variety we get here. Here it is over grown with a lot of seeds. What we can say is that it is not in particular my family recipe. But Bengali Cuisine does use shredded coconut to garnish a couple of vegetarian recipes! NARKOL KORA DIYE JHINGE GHONTO is a vegan, gluten-free dish with ridge gourd and coconut that uses minimal spices. I toasted the coconut before using; I love that flavour! Besides your non-vegetarian sides; do keep a lentil curry and a vegetarian dish! Thats how I want my daily food to be. I did this photo feature back in 2019 and forgot all about it. I have deleted many pictures taken earlier but this one I felt is worth sharing in the blog! Our dinner would be dried anchovy with cabbage, chicken curry, I would have a bowl of dal. I would have little of brown rice today. 

INGREDIENTS : 

RIDGE GOURD : 2-3

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

HALVED DRY RED CHILLI : 2

KALOJEEREY / KALONJI / NIGELLA SEED : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1/2 TSP

OIL : 1 TBSP

PROCEDURE : 

Peel off the skin of the ridge gourds. Cut half and then into cubes. Try to discard the seeds. The summer time Bengal varieties would not even have seeds. So loving & young they are. Here, they are gigantic and full of seeds!

Wash them and marinate with the turmeric powder & a little of salt for 15-20 minutes.

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

Add the shredded coconut and stir fry for 7-8 minutes or until they turn light brown. Take out half of the toasted coconut!

Add the ridge gourd to the wok and fold in well! Cover cook at low heat for 4-5 minutes. 

Open the cover and add the washed and slitted green chillies. Give a stir and cook further, uncovered!

Add the sugar, adjust the salt, stir cook until soft! Transfer it to a serving bowl & garnish with the rest of the toasted coconut!

We also had aam dal / raw mango lentil curry & shaak bhaja / leafy greens stir fry on the day!