WE LOVE BREADS; BE IT PUFFED OR FLAT; HANDMADE OR BAKED!
Its not new we have developed this fondness!I look back to the "distant abyss of time", see every morning it was either ruti or luchi or porota in making for our breakfast; Sunday nights were dedicated to chicken or mutton curry & ruti meal!I am so unable to recreate that particular taste of the chicken curry these days; really do not get why the chicken variety of this island is so different from that in Kolkata, why I do not find it tasty enough here!There in Kolkata, I never did use cumin & coriander powders in a Bengali style chicken curry!Same is the case with mutton; Kolkata Mutton is altogether a different breed! Many such things are getting lost with time or they may continue to live in some hearts like mine!Come December-January; I literally crave for "porota o khejur gur" every morning; leave alone the memory of drinking the "khejurer rosh" during the winter vacations spent in the grandparents home or the "pithe-puli" making sessions there!Every pithe had its own time of making & eating!If one was made in the morning, the other was to be done in the evening. Mainly, the milk based pithes / sweet meat desserts were made in the evening in our family! On such days, we hardly had rice or chapati; all day it was eating a variety of pithe or the other!When were the Bengalis known for eating sane? We are an insanely food loving community! Recently, some are turning towards healthy eating does not take away the primary essence of our community!We eat wrong, suffer from acidity & wind all life; then die obese but happy!
I AM QUITE COOKING THESE DAYS;TODAY WAS NO EXCEPTION!
Whenever I am getting an idea or time, I am cooking something. Why not? My boy is here. I yet feel there would be so many things left out to cook & feed him after he is gone! Wish I could have full control over time, and hold him back for sometime more!T hardly understands my needs, my requirements are least urgent to him. Because I do not know how to shout and poison the atmosphere, people take me for granted!I keep retreating and coil up in my shell.I do not know how to get my work done!I look for therapy in cooking & eating! This morning, I cooked a stovetop raisin bread; everything was fine but I did not get that top crust colour, the golden-brown hue.Thereafter, I did a very healthy, sugar-free snack or sweet, whatever you may call it!
I served late the son's breakfast, T went to the office early today with no lunch box!Cristine was busy cleaning the rooms.Mumma was stationed in her bedroom because the son was watching movie closing all the doors & windows. Mumma feels suffocated, she does not understand his genre of watch either!
He would go back in few days & our home would feel empty again. I look away from such thoughts and concentrate on the noodle bowl for lunch! Although I instruct Cristine when I wish for a Bengali Chow Chow Noodles, she cannot get it, she ends up adding this & that!She is good at the South East Asian way of cooking noodles!
Back from my swim,I just cannot have a bowl of soup & a piece of bread!BTW, do my readers like that storage box? Yesterday, while I was shopping fish & vegetables for our guests tomorrow,I saw this selling at 39:90$!I requested to pay 35$ and the gentleman agreed to the deal.The very fair and fat him danced standing on it to assure me, but I doubt about it's longevity! I bought it because I liked it's look. I had to call Cristine to the marketplace to carry it home, the market trolly was already full!
I find ways to stay cheerful!My readers may think I am a jolly, fun character;I am not!I am melancholy's favourite child.One who finds pleasure in ghazals, sitting behind closed doors cannot be a fun thing; but I have a little of it at a remote corner of my being!
WHAT IS THIS AVOCADO & CHEESE STUFFED POROTA?
That Avocado is a happening thing, that it is trending I knew way later!I remember, two elderly gentlemen would bring few fruits on some evenings just outside of the mall; in the pre-pandemic days. It was not a permanent shop!They sold them very cheap.I used to buy avocado from them rarely.I do not see them anymore.I have a general inquisitiveness about people; their lives, their surroundings.I cannot ignore, bypass and move ahead!I do not know how to not stop by if I see an wounded or old person or an accident case on the roadside!Else I am a reclusive, an extreme level of a fear monger; so much so that people at home think I transpire negativity & fear to others!
So,I retreat;
I retreat back to a quieter self; as quiet as the stream on a gloomy night!
They told, I am dull; as boring as a blinking tube light, about to die!
My pimples caused sore to their eyes; and I transpired gloom; so does a ghazal as they think!
So I retreat; and retreat do I to my own comfort zone; to a world I dwell alone!
I learn to stay aloof; and not say their lack of depth irritates!
Their pleasure at someone's hurt & defeat is painstaking!
So, I retreat & I must; they continue to laugh & make fun at!
What I want is experiment with food ingredients.That took me to combining avocado & cheese and stuff it in a porota / flat bread made of a gluten-free dough. After been done with them all, I realised this AVOCADO & CHEESE STUFFED POROTA cannot be called vegan; but its vegetarian food! Avocado is good for me if I can add chillies, coriander, mint & lemon juice to it! But the combo of cheese & avocado is a no to me! I had a Pran's readymade porota with the avocado dip & sriracha mayo on that night!
BLACK GRAM DAL / URAD DAL / BEULIR DAL POWDER : 2 COFFEE MUG
OIL : 3 TBSP + 1 TBSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
ASAFOETIDA : 2-3 PINCH
WARM WATER : AS REQUIRED
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FINISHED FOOD :
THE DOUGH
AVOCADO : 4-5
CHEESE SLICES : 1 PER FLATBREAD [YOU CAN USED SHREDDED,I DID NOT SPEND]
BLACK PEPPER POWDER : 1/2 TSP
LEMON JUICE : 1 TBSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 1 TSP PER POROTA / FLATBREAD
PROCEDURE :
For the dough, take together the lentil flour, a little of salt, 3tbsp oil, salt and rub for 2-3 minutes.
Prepare a dough adding a little of warm water at a time! Cover it for half an hour.
Scoop out the flesh of the avocados after washing each, in a bowl. Season it with salt, lemon juice, black pepper powder!
Remove the cover of the dough bowl; add 1tbsp of oil to the dough and knead it for 2-3 minutes!
Tear off portions, smoothen between the palms!
At first, I tried to get them a quesadilla look, but you know I am not good with designs.
I took the easiest route. I roll out a round porota; place some avocado puree & a cheese slice folded on it. Then flip over and close tight the ends.
Yet, I got messy I think, the avocado puree is so soft! Sorry for the blurry clicks, could not edit them.
Cook all the sides pretty well!
Wow amazing recipe
ReplyDeleteWe make homemade breads (in Turkish: bazlama, köy ekmeģi, yufka etc.) alot. But now a days, garlic bread, banana bread, olive oil bread, cheese bread etc are so popular here. I havent tried anyone of them so far. This bread looks so different. Especially its combination (avocado and cheese) so new for me. I think i should try different recipes.
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