VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE SUTLAC

I HAVE PREPARED THIS RICE PUDDING FROM THE TURKISH CUISINE!

The basic ingredients required for this dish are the same as our's, rice, milk, sugar or jaggery! The little of difference would be in the ingredients used for flavouring or the bake after the cooking part! We visited Turkey in 2018, July, don't remember if we tasted Sutlac or not! I predominantly remember having the halwa, jalebi kind of, a semolina sweet almost like gulabjamun! This Sutlac thing I do not remember in particular, it seems we had on the day we had our lunch in a big area where all of the tour companies were taking their tourist clients to for a lunch! I do not maintain a written log for my tours, hence tend to forget all of the details! Yesterday, I visited a fair in the Hougang area and saw one of the Turkish stalls selling Sutlac! I wished to have but they were yet to make it, they were selling only kebabs! If you have known me by now, you would not be surprised to see me cooking it  at home within a day!

WHY AM I SUCH A LAZY STUFF?

I am never tired of sitting at home! Okay, I can be bored at times and venture out! But I tend to rush back home at the earliest! My home can do without me, I cannot do without it. Today, I did not go out for a walk! I was busy all of the morning cooking a vegan, gluten-free version of  Turkish rice pudding. Thereafter, I did the morning prayer pretty late and then going out would have been a bad idea, given I am yet not off the cough & cold and that I have a blog post to write! In between writing, I would have to doze off few times & get delayed too publishing it! While the entire world has one dream or the other to achieve; I am the only one who was born to sleep, eat & repeat! I had to do some form of exercise, I threw my hands & legs here and there today! After the shower, I had a choice of lunch I could not have thought of eating with love over a decade back; porota & oven cooked spiced chillies!

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and the last night's dinner with rajma curry, jeera rice & a chapati!

Tonight too I would have a chapati meal! It seems like I can have a plain rice meal only with a dried Bombay Duck Bharta at this time! I am just waiting to see the reaction of T looking at the chapati on my plate! I am strict, they must finish all of the fish curries I am unable to have!

WHAT IS THIS VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE SUTLAC?

See, how I made a big pot full of the healthier dessert! It hurts to think my only son buys mere small boxes of pudding for himself, his mumma always made fresh for him and T, refrigerated the excess! Anyway, if he had to leave home for his betterment,  mumma has to accept! Mumma feels too lonely without him around! Only he knows if he feels that or if he thinks mumma lies around being dramatic! That was the first thing I felt when I looked at the finished dessert bowl today! He too is a homely being, unless I go and see I do not know if he stocks enough food in the refrigerator! Today, I tried a healthier version of Sutlac; the Turkish Rice Pudding using Soy Milk and named it VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE SUTLAC! We loved Turkey, it's monuments and it's food; the most perhaps the spicy red lentil soup; my people definitely the kebabs!

Recipes consulted before doing mine :

The Spruce Eats

Unicorns in the Kitchen

The Navage Patch 

INGREDIENTS :

UNSWEETENED SOY MILK : 1 LITRE

SHORT GRAIN RICE / KALIJEERA RICE : 1/2 MEDIUM SIZED TEA CUP

DATE PALM JAGGERY : 1 SMALL TEA CUP [YOU CAN SKIP & USE ONLY SUGAR & MORE OF IT]

SUGAR : 3-4 TBSP

ROSE WATER : 2 TSP

VANILLA ESSENCE : 1 TSP

CORN FLOUR : 2 TSP

DRY FRUITS TO GARNISH

We would take the soy milk in a deep bottomed vessel, put it for boil. We would keep the heat at minimal!

We would wash the rice, soak it in enough water for an hour!

Once the soy milk has come to a boil, we would take out about 1/4 coffee mug and add 2 tsp of cornflour to it, mix well!

We would drain the water from the rice and add the grains to the milk and stir cook for 3-4 minutes! We would let it simmer at minimal heat! We must give a stir every 2-3 minutes!

Whilst the rice is cooking in the milk, we would mash the jaggery! Once the rice has boiled enough, we would add the mashed jaggery & sugar!

The kitchen counter has the rose water & vanilla essence ready to be used as required!

We would stir cook for sometime and add the milk-cornflour mixture and continuously keep stirring!

 

We would switch off the gas stove, add the rose water & vanilla essence, stir and transfer to an oven proof bowl!

Mine is a convection mode microwave! I placed the low height wired stool and on top of it the rice pudding bowl!

Thereafter, I baked it at 180*C for 20-25 minutes! My convection bake mode worked well after a long time!

Taking the bowl out we would let it cool completely, then we would refrigerate it for 4-5 hours and have it chilled!

OATS OMELETTE

UNWELL, I AM ON MY WAY TO RECOVERY, SEEKING FOR DRY SPICY FOOD AT THIS TIME!

For my lunch yesterday I had "magur mach er jhol" but disliked it!                                                                            It was fresh and live but did not taste like what we grew up having, I remember how eagerly I used to wait for a piece of "dim bhora magur er tukro"! The family veteran told me the other day not to buy those magur which are possibly farmed! Then, I saw in the videos how they catch this fish from the muddy puddles. But my home needs them small sized! I sent Cristine last week, as usual she is unable to make the vendor serve as per her choice! This is the reason the fish, meat & vegetables do I prefer to buy myself! I was unwilling to go, I did not have any client; I could not foresee what was coming, the cough & cold!

I enjoyed the rest, even the fish curry, not the fish! I was wanting to have mola, mourala or charaponar jhal chocchori! At times, I miss Kolkata for these trivial things; an hour of body massage for 100 rupees, a choice of fish or duck egg or posto may be!

Last evening, I had a honey cake slice the local stores sell & sky flakes! Last week, I baked a cake with Hershey's Choco sauce I bought for the son last December! I wish to blog about the cake sometime later; it was good although I am not fond of anything with chocolate but I have to finish off the bottle!

Our dinner yesterday was noodles with only "peyaz o dim"! I was about to cook it, Cristine was back home early and cooked it for Sir and Maam! Life seems easy with her around! I am not the kind who wants to get entangled in cleaning services on a regular basis! I wish to cook a bit, sit all day, get engaged in the worldly matters that touches me! I am not interested in the loot, fight and treachery involved in politics!

BECAUSE I AM COVID NEGATIVE, I COULD GO OUT FOR A  WALK!

I have to do some kind of an exercise few days a week! I am been asked not to swim or lift weight because of my neck & shoulder pain! I have to walk at least! I do not enjoy yoga, which could have cured my pain & over-weight issues! The problem is, here rain falls without a notice! I went out, a little later it started raining. I was in the shaded area between the Nanyang Junior College & Lorong Chuan MRT and decided to walk to and fro within the shaded area. I do not enjoy walking in the same area, then I am not doing good health wise! 

At one point, I felt I have to move ahead, I was feeling hungry and back home I had the plan of doing this for my lunch! Before  heading back to the home, I had to buy smoked cheese and yes lighters, one needs cigarette more than anything else in this world. I do not understand why the governments do not increase the levy on the other stuffs and ban smoking, drugs not recommended by the doctors, also restrict the limit of alcohol consumption!

All the way, I was thinking of these and came across George Benson's this instrumental "We as Love" for the first time, his other famous vocals I had listened to earlier! I instantly found out, the movie "Karz's" theme song was lifted from this "We as Love"; in decent language "heavily inspired"! I was in middle school and how I requested to let me watch this starring Rishi Kapoor, Tina Munim, Raj Kiran, Simi Garewal. The teen girl then loved the movie! Way later in life, T would instantly make out which of the Bollywood movies are copied from Hollywood, even the recent Ajay Devgan movie with him as a pilot he told is copied from a Denzel Washington starrer! He used to watch a lot of movies in his sailing days! Gradually, a new line of younger generation of Indian directors emerged with story ideas taken from within the country, without needing to copy! We welcomed! I need the lights to be put off to enjoy "We as Love" and seek peace for all! For many years, I have an interest in Latina music and their history, may be that is the reason why a particular incident is not leaving me! I hope all of the 22 lives would have been surviving today; yes, 21+1 who as a child may have wanted some extra care from the teachers, family and help with the text books! I am sure had the person got some help to secure good grades and company; would have garnered fairer dreams and not seek weapons of destruction! There are so much of online help today, only the right connections are required! What can mere raindrops do to my health? I was talking to one of T's cousin sister last night; I asked her who is a teacher to make sure the last bencher in her class get some good care! Besides school, she coaches privately Accounts & Mathematics to high school students & earned a name in our area!

WHAT IS THIS OATS OMELETTE?

Until I get recovered, I am unable to have even the non-veg curries I cooked; a veg bowl like a dal & young jackfruit curry is fine! I want spicy and hot homemade food at this time. Back from Kolkata, I was having something on my walks around 2:30 pm and again around 4pm something at home, my weight shooted up! I had to put a check, we can! I went out but did not crave to buy anything! Our mind & body are in our control! Back to the home today, I cooked this OATS OMELETTE with boiled potatoes, egg, coriander, onion, chillies, rice flour, refined flour, corn flour, oats in it! It is a non-vegetarian omelette, pancake easy to prepare & I think quite healthy & tasty to have! I did it earlier too and wished to blog about it some day; there are hundreds of existing recipe in the net, I included mine!

INGREDIENTS :

OATS : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

REFINED FLOUR : 1 TBSP

CORN FLOUR : 2 TSP

RICE FLOUR : 1 TBSP

EGG : 1 [2 ARE BETTER, I CANNOT DIGEST]

BOILED & MASHED POTATO :  1 MEDIUM SIZED

CHOPPED CORIANDER : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED ONION : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 1 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

I roasted the oats lightly & blended to a powder! Thereafter, I added the refined flour, rice flour and corn flour to it, mixed well with the ladle!

I broke an egg and added it to the blender along with a coffee mug of water!

I blended again for a smooth batter, I transferred it to a bowl!

Cristine chopped and washed the onions, fresh coriander, green chillies!

I added them and a bit of salt to the batter, folded in well!

Thereafter, I added the boiled and mashed potato; crushed black pepper, mixed again!

I heated the oil in a small pan and added the batter, we would let it cook at minimal heat for 3-4 minutes!

Thereafter, I overturned the omelette, I cooked it again for 2-3 minutes at the minimal heat!

I enjoyed having it with homemade, family style "mishti achar" & mango-mustard sauce!

PHORON CHARA PEYAZ MUSHUR DAL

 LET US SHARE A BENGALI RECIPE TODAY!

For quite sometime I have not blogged about a Bengali recipe! I don't know what was stopping me from sharing a Bengali recipe with ingredients we had been using since ages! May be I did not have any specific reason; even if I had, it isn't clear to me! I do not understand myself much, none know themselves fully! I do not even try to get what is going on inside; it's strange that I get involved in matters and incidents I need not interfere;  allow nothing to disrupt my peace of mind! It is peculiar enough that I feel sad not only for the victims but also for a perpetrator if I understand the later had also been a victim! At times, the person I disliked until yesterday, I feel for some reason or the other! I am a happy loner, but I have some feeling for that loner who did not wish to be one, instead wanted some friends to be with! I ask myself or throw the question to you, you there and them; is it too wrong to expect an inclusive society, feel for a complete stranger?

MUSIC, FOOD, A BIT OF GROOVING KEEPS ME GOING!

It's about two three days I am not going out of home, a lethargy has gripped in! I am eating a lot may be but doing little of exercise, just some awkward dance moves when at home! I think I had injured my feet today; they are unable to take my weight, I guess! Though my friend told yesterday that more of my concern is my absolutely unattended skin, body & face! How to explain I simply do not feel like and did not bother burning my face & body walking under the tropical sun! This is a happy home where I enjoy sitting and listening to Bhupinder Singh-Rahul Deb Burman-Gulzar with their lead girls! My choice of genre had always been the sad numbers! Let us think of all of those who lost their own; all of them who had! It hurts me sitting thousands of miles away! I had good news to share with my beautiful readers today, but I have not learnt to celebrate victory standing on a corpse  or corpses, else my son would not learn compassion! We have to celebrate our kids' victory, we also have to bear the burnt of their deeds until our end, we cannot help it! If only T allowed me to talk endless to him back from the office! My blog is a good place, ain't it? This morning, I did not even wish to visit the market, there is no food order this weekend either! I had sent Cristine to the Indian area to get some Bengali stuffs to cook on Saturday! She also got our lunch from the Tekka Centre, they make good pakoras & Tamarind Rice, not the Ghee Pongal!

I had a fruit bowl too, I feel sad that the mango season is almost gone! There cannot be rice on my plate tonight; had a lot at the lunch time!

WHAT IS PHORON CHARA PEYAZ MUSHUR DAL?

I wanted a plain and simple share in the blog today, even the picture arrangements had to be less. It had to be something that we cook regular! Lentil Curries are a regular in the Bengali Families! This particular curry with onion and red lentils is not a family recipe! Between 2001 and 2007, we lived in a neighbourhood in Kolkata where my house help Saraswati got me this recipe which she learnt from a non-Bengali speaking family in the same area. After our son's birth, Saraswati cooked for quite sometime, worked for us for five years of our six years of stay in that flat! Her younger son Pratik was such a good boy, he used to come and play with our boy when I went to buy stuffs! I have lost all contact with her, wished to know if Pratik had pursued acting in plays he liked! Her elder one and her man are bus conductors! My house helps had been good and trusted all through except one or two, you have to be nice to them, feel for them to get a good return service! Our treatment of people matters the most! This PHORON CHARA PEYAZ MUSHUR DAL does not require any tempering and is quick & easy to do! This lentil curry is vegan and gluten-free, vegetarian, not really the Bengali way of doing it! Tempering is important in our cooking!

INGREDIENTS :

MUSHUR DAL / RED LENTIL : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SLICED ONION : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP [I ALWAYS USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE : 

Wash the red lentils and drain the water! Marinate it with the turmeric powder and a bit of salt for about 1/2 an hour!

Peel, cut wash the onion, slice, mix with the marinated lentils! 

Heat the oil in a wok and add the marinated red lentils and onion mix! Stir cook at minimal heat for 3-4 minutes!

Add 2-3 coffee mugs of water to the lentils in the wok, stir and cover cook at minimal heat for 7-8 minutes!

Remove the cover, add the washed and slitted green chillies, adjust the salt & give a stir. Add a little more of water if required but it need not be light textured!

Let the curry boil for another 1-2 minutes and it is done! Serve it hot with chapatis or plain rice and pakora or just with cumin tempered rice & salad!

BANANA FRITTER

I HAVE ONE GOOD FOOD OR THE OTHER TO SHARE WITH YOU!

Until few minutes back, that is 5:50 pm local time, I sat and debated with myself whether to share an old recipe or write a new one. Since yesterday until an hour back, I knew I would share the recipe of a much favourite, easy recipe today! Thereafter, my eyes got fixed on a report related to the recent incident I got much involved with mentally! I want to know and more about what it takes a normal child to turn a violent being within few years and take to destruction! All this while, I was wanting to dive deep into the matter, get to the root cause. Today, I got to see a fraction of the investigating report and learnt something about the background of a massacre! Nothing should justify killing in the present day; we need not justify the negligent parents, teachers, society either! Among the same age peers, there would be some bully; all are of the same age, who to blame? It is the teachers and the parents who would prevent or mend it; and exhibit lots of love to the weaker who is bullied; care can be the only medicine to cure a bruised. Is my baby upset with his mumma for getting involved with something she cannot reverse and mend? I think he would not because mumma always taught him to have a heart for the under privileged! I know he being a privileged child, it may not be easy for him to understand the pain of been neglected, deserted but he has to! That is why his mumma always bought him a 100 rupees toy car even if she could buy him a 500 rupees one; also that mumma got him cream cakes from the local bakery, six swiss rolls for 3:60$ instead of a 12$ from the Icing Room! Hello incompetent parent; if your child is complaining you about a person doing bodily harm; you should trust your child and take action instead of mistrusting your child who has no one else to trust! With such a tormented mind, I felt I must write a new blogpost and spend 3 hours of quality time, else I would brood for nothing fruitful in return! You know the concerned parents, teachers and everyone who could have helped a child not taking the wrong route but did not, I am extremely angry; you must live with regrets the rest of your life for not mending a young life you could and for the loss of innocent beings!

I HAD A HEAVY LATE LUNCH NOT OF CHOICE, 6:30 PM IS ONLY ABOUT A CHILLED DRINK TODAY!

I do not know what Cristine has given me, chilled lemon tea or coffee, did not take a sip as yet! My lunch was three dosas with that instant dosa mix and I felt guilty because I do not advocate ready, instant food mixes! To that batter, I added fruit salt and they seemed a bit bitter today! At night, I would want a bit of brown rice, fish, vegetables and lentils! Better not to have anything solid in between, anyway I had my first meal at 4:30 pm!

From that day in 1994, when in front of my eyes one of my student met with a fatal train accident, until today; kids had been my priority! That incident had so much of impact on me that I had to go for regular counselling, I remember the old doctor's name, Dr. Gobinda Sen! Post marriage, T took me there again after fresh panic attacks; then one fine morning he threw all of my anti-depressants and told I have to be strong, they are not helping me! Thereafter, baby was born, today I live in constant fear of something unusual and with worries, lots of worries! T does not take me seriously, I too do not bother him, he has to feed the family! I know I would live with it, so I made peace; some incidents trigger my worrisome self, I let it and do not force myself get away from it! I get involved and also de-stress myself cooking, that LEMON CORIANDER RICE was been cooked post 10 pm yesterday, we had it with fried eggs! I did not leave the opportunity to update an old blogpost! 

If you say so, these are the simple pleasures I live by; for two years I ate only salads, soups and fruits five days a week and felt disgusted! At different stages in life; we feel been violated, hurt, abused; we feel sad and not all of us would take resort to violent reactions! One who does, needs help, care! Parents have to be sacrificial a bit, kids like that; they demand! Even my baby complained about me at some point, mumma gives more time to her blog! Today, he left me for better, but I feel  guilty at times; may be I should not have made him to say that! I was at home with him all the time, shared a biscuit & a cake; may be I was a bit late to discover a tear in his sports shoes or in the uniform's collar! Now a middle aged couple sits together feeling lonely on Sundays! But you know what, the child is at peace knowing Babai-Mumma are there for me always! Maintain a clear cut relation with your kids; they should know about your friends & ex-es and never think negative about it; that is possible only if you give utmost importance to your child!

That was our lunch yesterday, we were still expecting the son's call within few hours, at night! That is when he told he was in the museum, would not talk! Mumma is upset, but always ready to mend! Things are not this easy and rosy in a household where means are less! Then I can give you end number of examples of my own where people struggled to make ends meet, but never did set loose the family bond! Did you set good example for your child or not? You know, my blog is important, I can express here the self more than in other social media forums; its okay if only a selective few visit and read it! My mother, brother, in-laws, T's sister can tell you what amount of mental stress I went through a little more than two decades back! The father is no more there to speak but he set a good example to follow! I would continue to live with stress and T would not bother, care and I second him! There would be no end if we bother about every little thing! I bother about the incident, trying to lab test, dissect a teen gone wrong; expecting to rewind and take the challenge to get the same teen in the right direction! Knowing that is not possible anymore, I plan a trip to Bukit Timah Trail or to the St.John's Island for a rejuvenation sooner! That is called living with positivity!

WHAT IS BANANA FRITTER?

This snack is popular throughout South East Asia, may be originating in Indonesia some would say, I saw it's popularity in the Malaysian streets, now learn it could have originated in the Caribbean? Moreover, I should take into account our Bengali "Kolar Bora" in this context! But today, I would wish to share something similar we had in the streets of Malaysia, Bali in Indonesia and here in the island city we live! I have given a different touch to the batter, hence, my Goreng Pisang / BANANA FRITTER is a vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, diary-free crunchy, deep fried snack, I immensely love!

INGREDIENTS :

RIPE BANANA : I USE SMALLER SIZED

GRAM FLOUR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

RICE FLOUR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

CORN FLOUR : 2 TBSP

BAKING SODA : 2 PINCH

BAKING POWDER : 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : A LITTLE

OIL : AS REQUIRED TO DEEP FRY

PROCEDURE :

Except for the bananas, baking soda, baking powder & oil, we would take rest of the ingredients required for the batter in a bowl! We would add water as much required for a smooth, paste like batter! Keep it for rest at least for 10-12 minutes!

We would wash the bananas, peel & cut them half, take on a plate!

We would add the baking soda & powder at this time & beat well for a minute!

We would coat well each banana piece in the batter and deep fry at low heat until both sides are golden brown & crisp!

We would drain the oil as much as possible while taking them out and place on a tissue paper! 

We are to serve & have them fresh & hot, else they get soggy!