CURRY AND SPICE: VEGGIES & RICE STIR FRY

I KEEP RICE AND BREAD AS THE PRIMARY FOOD ITEMS ON OUR DINING TABLE!

I am an overweight person; many of our age have quit carbohydrates altogether or eat carb in moderation! I feel lack of energy without my share of carb. Few years back, I did away with rice, roti, noodle, luchi, porota five days a week. This went on for 2-3 years! One day, I felt I am unhappy! I questioned myself if I am really that concerned about my health that I am set to make this sacrifice or I am trying to please some one? That I am trying to look good in someone's eyes! I strongly felt I am stooping too low to woo people to take interest in me!This wasn't me ever who would want to falsely impress people. Wasn't I always firm on my belief that one has to know and love my true self enough to be with me! I cannot be the one to falsely persuade anyone to be in their good book! People need to know the real me, accept me the way I am or quit! Departures are heart wrenching but truthfulness gets us peace! So, I eat if I crave for something!I have no burden of making me look good, I did not take this pressure on me even at a young age! Okay, I do have the sorrow of not fitting into the fashionable dresses or having the right height! Wish I had the concern for upgrading my academics and career instead!I managed to eat all these today; starting at 2pm until now!

Those are ragi flour-cornmeal pancake! The cream cheese waffle was a sin I committed!

WHAT IS THE SCENE IN THE HOME FRONT?

My blood pressure level seems gradually coming down, if not reading great. My doctor did not change any medicine, neither I lessened my food intake. We need to keep fit for our own good, not to impress! Then, if I cannot eat what I want, I feel unhappy! Last Saturday, after I cooked a lot, the man declared his gum has swollen, he wants liquid and semi-liquid food! Last night, I discovered I can prepare amazing soup with leftover raw vegetables! Of course, it underwent a couple of steps and use of desi spice powders!Below is what we ate yesterday!

I required a little of rice in my soup, enjoyed it! Sometime later, I would capture each step and get my desi, spicy soup to my blog! The man is not wanting Bengali Food each day of the week, 365 days! May be next week I would cook Bengali Food for 2-3 days and the rest of the days we would eat low caloric food! Even soups need to be cooked for a longer period using spices in my kitchen, I would serve them with roti & grilled chicken on some day; throw in some pasta on another day while serve it with toasted bread and grilled fish on the other! Bland food cooked hurriedly with less of love cannot happen in my kitchen! Today, let me share a carb filled vegan, rice bowl! You may use a wheat free soy sauce, make it gluten-free! Today morning, the man's lunchbox had soup and the self made soft bread!

I only asked Bossy if he can have croutons in his soup, why is he denying to have a mashed aloo-potoler dalna-daal-bhaat bowl if I am ready to mix them well? Tonight, I would cook together the fragrant rice, cooked dal, tomato, potato & potol pieces; serve it with deboned bhetki mach! The person has no interest in food; this infuriates me! If I do not get to cook, what do I do all day? Either one takes me to some other country and let me get busy knowing it; or we go back to India, so I can find a job in a small scale local school!

WHAT IS THIS VEGGIES & RICE STIR FRY?

It is near to the homely Oriental Rice I prepare at times. I usually use ginger-garlic mince, onion, chicken stock cubes in it, did not use this time!I wished to add fresh, fried cauliflower to the basmati cooked rice, ended up using few other vegetables we always have at home. VEGGIES & RICE STIR FRY is a vegan rice bowl you can cook when there is some leftover rice in the refrigerator! Carrot is always there in our home, also the green peas, corns in the freezer! In this, I used dark soy sauce, black pepper corns; it is the presence of the cauliflower in it that would make you happy! I did not wish any other ingredient to overpower the cauliflower! Let us proceed to the easy recipe! I took a week of break from blogging; I was not feeling to! Lata Mangeshkar was'nt my family but one of our icons! Some of their influence had been predominant! She outlived her life; 92 was way bit an age to go for eternal rest! She achieved everything possible in one lifetime; contributed vastly in the music industry! Since one week, many of her songs made a comeback to me, wish I had a trained voice to record them, share them with the people! Unable to, I sing them for myself! My greatest drawback is my inability to remember the lyrics, may be because I have no pressure to learn them! I was reminiscing the past through her songs, now blogging has to renew! Music ke sang main chalti rahungi; "yeh mulaqat ek bahana hai" to "chal Chameli bagh mein mewa khilanunga"!

INGREDIENTS :

COOKED BASMATI RICE : 3-4 COFFEE MUG

SMALL CAULIFLOWER FLORET : 11/2 COFFEE MUG

SMALL CARROT CUBE : 2-3 TBSP

SWEET CORN : 2 TBSP

GREEN PEA : 2-3 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

SOY SAUCE : 2 TBSP [I USED THE DARK VARIETY]

SESAME OIL : 1 TBSP

WHOLE BLACK PEPPERCORN : 1 TSP

BLACK PEPPER POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 4-5 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

We have cut the carrot and cauliflower as desired, washed them well. We would soak the cauliflower florets in hot water for about half an hour!

We would marinate the cauliflower, carrot, green peas, corn with a little of salt after being washed and drained!

We would heat the oil in a wok, temper it with the whole black peppercorns; add the cauliflower and carrot! We would stir cook them at low heat for 5-6 minutes!