CURRY AND SPICE: STOVETOP COCONUT CAKE

I PLANNED TO BAKE A CAKE THIS MORNING!

Because it was pre-planned, I could start with the preparation of it early morning! T woke up & decided to take a leave today! We were trying to do a chat session with the son; it was still the Sunday night in his side of the world! We do not know what he was busy with, he did not talk to us this weekend! Mumma won't hide the fact she gets too upset, at times even angry! Then, I never vent my anger on the son; given he is getting us straight A grades, he is not asking for any monetary help from T during the period of his internship except for a little of a material goods may be, he is keeping his home more or less clean! Mumma had seen after finishing off with the office, he would wash his clothes in the washer-drier or do the dishes in the dishwasher! He was not letting mumma to wash a few manually, his Desi Mumma was like "why do I have to use a dishwasher to clean few utensils"? I do not like a packed sink with unwashed utensils! I believe the son is utilising his time; if he is not talking to us regular that is because he watched his father doing the same; T does not talk to his parents regular but gets upset & irritated if the son does not pick up the phone! Anyway, mumma bakes a cake any day, but today there was a purpose, although there is raining cakes at home, coming from different quarters! But I wished to blog about a self baked cake today! I do not know how to use them up all! The only hurt is we cannot share it with the son! I could not buy him much of the outside snacks, his refrigerator got packed with cooked food, he had to let his friend stock food too! Also, as a tourist, it wasn't possible for us to visit the provision stores anytime! Most importantly, this job is done by me or Cristine; the man does not enjoy shopping food items! The truth is the son has to come & stay with us at intervals for me to be able to treat him well; that he is not agreeing to! He could have come during the winter vacation!

WE WENT FOR A LUNCH OUTSIDE TODAY!

Because T is at home today, we planned to go out! We were at the East Coast Park! About the dining experience, I wish to share it in a public post at a later date! Post the lunch session, I wished to walk for few minutes, the air-conditioned confinement of a vehicle does not give me comfort!

I cannot recall how this water body was like when we used to go there regular with the kids. When did my kid grow this big that he get to manage his life pretty well without the mother? Mumma misses the beautiful moments spent with him, not the groups she mingled with! I consciously stay away from people who are hyper, we just do not get along! I would meet people in my own time, who I consider friend! Those who avoid my repeated calls to meet, I have to put them to rest, understand that they have issues with me just as I have with innumerable people on this earth, so much so that I do not wish to recognise those people if ever we meet! The reason why I do not mind if people wish to avoid me is because I do it more! Exception is with certain people, relationships; bonds I thought were still strong, actually proved to be null & void; that have hurt me immensely! After many decades, I contacted long lost friends to chat, stay updated, form groups so we can stay put together; only to realise they come with lots of baggages; I cannot use the F word; definitely can distance myself! All hurts dissolve when I cook, follow the parents' group to see what internship the kids are getting & the new jobs or who is going where for further studies! Also, I would follow the ranks of different universities regular, ask all known people about their kids, go for long walks & sit anywhere to eat! Life is good if you are not forced against your wish! Mumma can romanticise alone with her child's progress, T should be there sitting right on the recliner beside, I cannot be that lonely either!

Except for the chicken, I loved everything! I got less time to marinate the chicken, I like less fleshy, smaller boney pieces in a light curry base with potatoes or Oriental Chicken or chicken minced kebab; seekh kebab the most! Nothing is better than a "makhon-bhaat-begun bhaja" or "porota o mishti achar" or the "noodles alone"! I would want to drink a milk coffee some days & feel sick thereafter!

WHAT IS THIS STOVETOP COCONUT CAKE?

On this day, I wished to blog about a vegan, gluten-free cake using kitchen staples; here is one ridiculously easy cook one, STOVETOP COCONUT CAKE! Some dates would be lucky for some, mourning for the other! A good hearted person in the family branch expired the day before! It seems being good is not enough, else the person would not have been cheated, used by the own, leave with immense pain! Anyway, last December, when the son came I got that Hershey Chocolate Syrup for him, most of it remained unused and till date! I must use it by this December, it did not spoil because it was refrigerated! My only loved syrup is "Nolen Gur"! But honestly, chocolate syrup when mixed with freshly cut bananas do I like, I like it more if it is salted caramel! I either like plain sponge cakes or cakes topped with fresh fruits & cream! I cannot prepare state of the art cakes, just simple ones & I wanted today's like this! I categorically got the fresh firm bananas & also the desiccated coconut; I store both, just ran out of the stock! I wished to bake such simple cakes, make some sandesh & breaded fillets of fish & chicken, some sandesh for the son before coming back home! That I found impossible to go ahead with! May be later?