GAJOR ER HALUA STUFFED PATISHAPTA

OUR PITHE-PULI SEASON IS ONGOING!

I follow the family tradition of preparing Pithe-Puli every year; may not be only in December & January! There is nothing called winter in this island; I prepare pithe-puli  any time of the year! Till date, I could not get the English term of "pithe-puli"; I am anyway poor in English! If your base is not strong, you cannot be good in that subject unless you work hard to achieve the best later in life! I am not into academics! I sit and day dream, repent the earlier decisions related to my academics! On this day, it feels I should have studied Anthropology or Psychology or Literature! Actually, I did not at all learn anything! Like the maximum of us do, I went through a system to attain  few degrees! This has nothing to do with learning! Even if I had taken academics seriously, I would not have been teaching at the Harvard or NUS or JNU today, true! But I regret not equipping myself with adequate knowledge in the right time, also not taking up the part-time teaching job at the Bagula College! I am desparately looking for that good friend of mine Ruma, who joined there and immediately got me the news of a vacancy for a part-timer! I remember of her frail, rural self, determined enough to secure a MPhil course seat at the Jadavpur University's International Relations Department! Only a true, good friend would come to you and insist you to take you for an interview to enter the MPhil programme! I last met her on my marriage day! The only thing I could do for her was to give her away all my notebooks, peace is in knowing she used them for her students! The only information I had of her was her father and elder brother working as pharmacists at the Kalyani Hospital, one succeeding the other! That was a brother who wanted to do higher studies but could not after the father retired; he made sure his brothers & sisters earn higher degrees! Each time I blog about a rustic Bengali recipe, Ruma visits me silently! They stayed in Kanchrapara. She would come to Naihati on a Sunday noon; catch the Naihati-Bajbaj local train, would pick up us one by one; Juthika from Barrackpore, Suparna from Khardah, the self & Nupur from DumDum, another Santhal boy would go with us in the same batch, very near to Tollygunge station was Sir's home! I wanted a sleep after a meat & rice Sunday meal but the mother insisted I get her  a master's degree! If my average self lacking confidence did not dare to apply for an MPhil programme, she asked me to get her a BEd degree and I obliged! Today, I do not have the confidence to teach a toddler; neither it is the right age to dance, paint, sing with the kids! What to do to engage myself, tell me?

INELIGIBLE TO GO OUT FOR WORK; I CANNOT THINK OF LYING ON THE BED ALL DAY OR WATCH TELEVISION! LETS COOK THEN!

You would find regrets in every word and action of mine! I cook to keep myself off any negativity that can cause me irritation! Take the example of today! I had no intent to go to my doctor but my medicines are about to finish by Sunday! My sugar level dropped but the pressure is tending to get higher since the end of 2020! I am advised to buy one and monitor regular; the doctor would accordingly decide whether I require medication or not! I cannot blame anyone for my stress level, its my nature! It can also be age related; else why would a  happy-go-lucky person like our father got high pressure too? I am sad indeed but I have no time to sit and brood! Mumma forgot to prepare two major love of the son; bonde & biryani! She must do them!

The biryani's final step would be done around 9 pm! Cooking is a stress reliever to me! I could not freeze the moment of smile the son gave looking at the bonde. He was asked what he wants for dinner; chicken biryani or rice with chicken curry? Instant was the answer that he wants biryani! Mumma would gladly comply, she only expects him to behave well with people! In between all these, I had a soul satisfying meal with dal, salad , dhone patar bora! Cristine and the son had the pomfret curry too!

Because my blood sugar level is steady at this time, I allowed myself a cake rusk with tea & ribbon twists! Mumma wished to try swiss rolls at home; did not take the risk in a hurry; instead bought him! Also came from Lahore large boxes of Multani Halwa, I would share that picture in public! 

Since 2 pm, I had a rice bowl, three ribbon twists, one patishapta, one cake rusk & a cup of Earl Grey Tea until now! I do not know who or what can divert my mind from the wrong food habits! Better we discuss the making of the patishapta / Bengali Crepes today?

WHAT IS THIS GAJOR ER HALUA BHORA PATISHAPTA?

GAJOR is Carrot and it's HALUA / HALWA is a carrot & semi-solidified sweetened milk mismash / medley; the thick, sticky consistency we get cooking the milk & carrot over time. I have used evaporated creamer to lessen the time of cooking! PATISHAPTA is a Bengali Crepe or can we call it thinner pan cakes? Whatever, they are a must do during this Sankranti time! I willingly follow the rituals, and traditions; love listening to the mythical stories associated, the man, the son never stop me! Today I wasn't willing to share a new blogpost, vegetarian sweet meat GAJOR ER HALUA STUFFED PATISHAPTA! I am not in the mood to! My men love pithe-puli desserts; I really do not get why and since when Bhai stopped loving to have them. Did not we sit together and have them? The daddy loved them the most! If it was Hollywood movies for him, reads from all over the world, ideology imported from Russia and China, his food choices were pretty much Bengali; the "Bangal" in him never did go away! Carrot Halwa stuffed patishapta is not our traditional thing, we use either mawa-coconut or jaggery-coconut! This is a twist I gave  following some posts around, forgot whose posts; sorry, beautiful people!

Few similar Recipes from the blog :

ANARASI MALPUA

KAJU KISHMISH DIYE DOI ER MALPUA

AKHROT O PATALI DIYE STEAMED RICE CAKE

PATISHAPTA

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CARROT HALWA STUFFING :

SHREDDED CARROT : 2-3 COFFEE MUG

EVAPORATED CREAMER : 350 ML[YOU CAN BOIL NORMAL FULL CREAM MILK TO A THICK CONSISTENCY]

SUGAR : 1/2 MEDIUM TEA CUP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1 TSP

CLARIFIED BUTTER / GHEE : 4-5 TBSP

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BENGALI CREPE :

REFINED FLOUR : 11/2 COFFEE MUG

SEMOLINA : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

RICE FLOUR : 1 TBSP

SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

OIL : FEW DROP

THE FINAL PRODUCT :

THE CARROT HALUA

THE PATISHAPTA CREPE

PROCEDURE :

I think I missed clicking few steps and totally the making of the crepe / patishapta batter!

I hired the picture below from another post!We would soak the semolina in water for an hour. There should not be any lump, mix well!

Then, we would add the refined flour, rice flour, sugar, few drops of oil! The batter needs to be mixed well! It need not be paste like, nor too runny! We have to add water little at a time, use a hand beater to get a lump free batter!

We would keep the batter aside for an hour! Meanwhile, let us prepare the carrot & milk halwa!

Cristine peeled, washed 7-8 carrots, used a shredder to shred them.

We soaked them in water for few minutes, transferred to a colander!

We would heat the ghee in a wok, add the shredded carrot! We would fold in well, stir cook for 5 minutes!

We would cover it with a lid, allow it to cook at low heat for 7-8 minutes. It would release water!

The released water have to be dried up by stir frying, the ghee would emanate aroma!

We would add the evaporated creamer, fold in well and let cook covered for 10-12 minutes.

We would remove the cover, add the green cardamom powder, sugar, stir cook for 3-4 minutes!

We would cook without cover, let it come to a sticky consistency devoid of water! We would transfer it to a plate!

We would place a frying pan on gas top, grease it with few drops of oil!

We would mix the batter with a round spoon again, pour a spoonful on the pan; quickly spread it round with the back of the spoon!

We would place some amount of the carrot stuffing at one end and roll it using a thin ladle!

After cooking 4-5 crepes, we need to grease the pan with few drops of oil; the first one after pouring the oil does not come out well, you would understand from my picture!

If you buy expensive, non-stick pan; try to skip greasing it with oil! I do not buy anything expensive!

Have them fresh & warm or refrigerate once cool. Bring them to the normal temperature before having!