CURRY AND SPICE: TWEAKED BENGALI FRENCH TOAST

IT IS ALMOST 6PM, I WAS SO CAUGHT UP WITH OTHER THINGS; BUT A BLOGPOST HAS TO COME!

What was I busy with? Nothing constructive as such! I trimmed few indoor plants, checked on the few outdoors! I have few but from the pictures you can make out I have a wish to grow fruits & vegetables; I appreciate those who do it! But at this home, we do not agree on a point except for a few! In a small flat with a mere hedge, you hardly can grow anything! Look at the dumb me, I had thrown in the seeds of few litchis after eating the flesh & then this! What to do with the saplings now? Who to give?

Few years back, my Peace Lily died of overwatering! Not that today we have learnt a lot about gardening, just a little bit. I am keeping my fingers crossed about the health of my Peace Lily! My outside the main door ones reached almost our neighbour's! They are too gentle & composed people, this island's natives! We would at times meet them in the lift, have small, decent talks. The couple have two or three college & office going boys, that I fail to count. They are too shy boys, I felt! Why was I with my greens today? I seek peace in them, when my soul is in an unrest mode! They do not flower much as we do not know how to care for them or the right use of fertiliser!

AND, WHAT SETS MY MIND & BODY IN AN UNREST STATE?

Whenever I see something beyond my set of rules & understandings, reasonings; I tag it unnatural, wrong and everything my state of negativity can call it! Overthinking, I get into a sad state of mind! And this rain throughout the year is really not my thing! Rain pushes me more into depression, always! There is depression in the sky, on my mind; all over! I do not get how come people quarrel when it smells death around, of their own! No sane being can want dishonour in death, it hurts to see silly insane beings! Wish I could be a messiah & make people understand to live life with honour is the ultimate goal we can have! But I have known, not every word flying around has truth in it! To know exactly about an incident, we need to be there talking to the locals, concerned beings! I have decided not to lynch people in public unless they intent to hurt me or my own! These days, I consider social media one big family, we only have to browse carefully! I wish I had wheels fixed under my feet & two wings on my shoulders, I would have flown to my boy & then with him to places of interest! No wonder, I wished to pursue journalism after graduation and my graduating scores did not allow me to! Baby wished to study Political Science & Journalism, was it for his love for mumma? But the daddy pushed him towards subjects his mumma has no interest in! She walks alone lost in deep thoughts she has no connection to but that is her nature since birth! She is caught with cough & cold, yet she dreads the rain because walking helps release her stress! She is cool enough to pick up some lemon grass from the muddy soil in the roadside and sows in a pot, she would make tea with them, may flavour a light chicken curry too! She is listening to KennyG since morning, actually the brother used to be more into Western Music, I do not know much about his spouse's preferences!

And there she had a big lunch today, one chicken fry was excess! Again, around 6:30 pm, she had Cristine's Nescafe and a cake slice, no, two of them! She decided she should not have dinner today! I had the plan to make aloor porota today, just not willing to; would send Cristine to get two Mac Chicken Meal for Sir & herself! T dislikes fish burgers!

WHAT IS THIS TWEAKED BENGALI FRENCH TOAST?

Why am I calling it tweaked? That is because I have spread a tongue tickling chutney / instant condiment on the bread slices before batter frying them! The batter is off course made of eggs, cornflour, a bit of baking soda & powder, salt, onion, green chillies! BENGALI FRENCH TOAST is how Bengalis have modified the original French Toast in their kitchen! TWEAKED BENGALI FRENCH TOAST is what extra I did spreading that mixed condiment of Kashundi+fresh mint paste+sriracha mayo on the bread slices! Our's was not an egg loving family but we enjoyed homemade French Toast often & it is true with every middle class family of our times, I believe! Our mother did not add the cornflour, baking soda & powder but I had learnt from my friend Indranil's mother that using those makes it crisp & you can see it!

We had it for our lunch yesterday, without T & today we packed his lunch box with bread omelette, his love is egg; I do not understand this! But these days, I prefer eggs over sea fish! French Toast are to be had fresh & hot, what a loving snacks for the Bengalis! My unfriendly towards eggs brother enjoys French toast I think, his spouse an egg lover too!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE INSTANT CHUTNEY / CONDIMENT :

FRESH MINT : A HANDFUL

GREEN CHILLI : 1 OR 2

CHILLI MUSTARD PASTE : 2 TBSP [I USED HOMEMADE KASHUNDI]

SRIRACHA MAYO : 1 TBSP

SALT : A PINCH

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FINISHED SNACK :

THE INSTANT CHUTNEY : AS REQUIRED

BREAD SLICE : 7-8

EGG : 2-3

CHOPPED ONION : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TBSP

CORN FLOUR : 2 TBSP

WATER : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP

BAKING POWDER : 1/4 TSP

BAKING SODA : A PINCH

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4 TSP

SALT : 1/4 TSP

OIL : AS MUCH REQUIRED TO DEEP FRY

PROCEDURE :

For the instant condiment, wash a handful of mint leaves & the green chilli, sprinkle some water & blend to it. Transfer to a bowl & add the chilli-mustard paste or Kashundi Sauce, Sriracha Mayo, a pinch of salt; mix well!