FAMILY WINTER TIME VEGETABLES RICE

SHAAM HONE KO HAI, I AM IN MOOD TO WRAP MYSELF WITH BED SPREAD, WATCH ANYTHING OF INTEREST!

"Shaam hone ko hai", it's time for sundown! I wish to watch thriller, whatever interests me! There's no winter season in this island, between October & February its monsoon, feels cool, dry! I wonder why we experience drier skin, winter symptom! I like almost everything about this island, not climate! I got burnt totally, not in habit of applying creams on skin! A little over a decade back my skin was soft & supple! They say Thyroid medication destroys skin! I ain't multitasker, today I have decided to play Kishore Kumar's hits; "Sagar Kinare dil ye Pukare" to "Leena o Leena Dil Tune Cheena" to "Dil Kya Karen Jab Kisisse Kisi Ko Pyar Ho Jaye"! I remember all of fuss, rules made with regards to movie Julie! In this context, I think of how South Asian women suffer if caught up in such situation! We look at West, see how society, celebrities flaunt their unwed parental status! I am strict about not commenting on such things! Every country has its rule book, we can't compare those with others! I need an in-depth study of sociology, do post doctorate, then comment whats right, wrong for us! The kind of person I am, I vote for certain kind of restraints, even if it causes us pain, a compromise with our happiness! In a multicultural, multi linguistic society as in India, we can't let chaos set in! The man, son are liberated souls, mumma constantly keeps warning, asks them to follow culture! I have asked son to mingle carefully! Anyway, my job is to get you good food, so I do! Else thought of son staying alone in an unknown land kills me!

IT FEELS GOOD TO BE ABLE TO SHARE FAMILY BENGALI RECIPE MAXIMUM IN WORLD CAN HAVE!

Most of time, what I get as family recipes are rustic, majority may not understand! As of Regional Cuisines, beyond a geographical boundary, people can't identify! What acts as barrier is availability of ingredients, tastebuds! We are middle class Bengali, recipes for daily consumption had been normal vegetables, fish, meat curries; never restaurant style! Usually Bengali Homes don't cook restaurant style food regular! Our mother keeps cooking authentic, homely Bengali Food even though rest in the family want rice and chicken! I plan to cook rustic Bengali less but cook them every Saturday! It's like preserving our food culture! You take or don't, my blog should have recipe of "maan kochu bata" or "pui metuli bhaja" or "ruti, suji o shada aloor chocchori"! We eat normal, Indian Food daily, my lunch was "thin porota, peyazkoli-aloo bhaja, aloo-potol er dalna, achar"!

WHAT IS FAMILY WINTER VEGETABLES RICE?

This rice bowl our mother used to do every winter few times! In those days; cauliflower, green peas, carrots were available in winter, their taste unmatched! In present day, we get most of vegetables throughout year, taste is compromised! This rice dish is in true sense a "khichuri" / hotchpotch dish! Our mother used "polao er chal", rice meant for pulao but the dish was/is not cooked how polao is meant to be cooked! Fried rice is cooked draining water after cooking, then stir frying but pilaf is cooked together with water, rice-water 1:2 cups! Bengali Pulao uses dry fruits, sugar! This vegan, gluten-free vegetable rice dish; FAMILY WINTER TIME VEGETABLES RICE is stir fried but uses sugar in it specific vegetables! It uses French Beans too, I forgot to get! We used to enjoy it with light chicken curry for Sunday lunch! Fried rice / pulao are eaten with dry curry, veg/non-veg! It hurts you know; I am unable to feed my son all these stuffs he loves! In his country of, I have seen The Stop & Shop, Roche Brothers, Trader's Joe selling oriental fried rice hot & fresh! I ask him to get, but such shops are not frequent in neighbourhoods as here, in Kolkata! I am more worried during winter what he says he likes! Our mother used mix of ghee, oil for this recipe, I used only oil to keep it vegan! That is compromise on flavour part!

INGREDIENTS :

FRAGRANT RICE [KALIJEERA / CHINIGURA / GOBINDA BHOG] : 1 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CAULIFLOWER: 1 SMALL

GREEN PEA: 1 SMALL BOWL

CARROT : 1

CASHEW NUT : 1 TBSP

BAYLEAF : 2-3

CINNAMON STICK : 3-4 HALF INCH SIZED

CLOVE : 4-5

GREEN CARDAMOM : 4-5

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 OR 2 PINCH

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 2 TSP

OIL : 1 SMALL TEA CUP [I USED ALL PURPOSE OLIVE OIL]

THE FAMILY USES GHEE TOO FOR FLAVOUR

PROCEDURE :

Wash rice, cook in good amount of boiling water until 70% done! Pour on colander, let all of water drain!

Cube, wash cauliflower. Cut carrot strip wise; wash, also green peas! Soak  cauliflower florets in hot water! 

Carrot, cauliflower, we will add to oil at different times!

Drain water after 10 minutes; add salt, turmeric, mix well! 

Warm oil, fry cashew nuts, take out! Heat oil & add whole spices, stir! Add cauliflower sans marinade!

Mind it, we would fry cauliflower florets at medium heat, not at low, so it fries well, do not get soggy!

We may add carrot strips, green peas when cauliflowers are half done!

We would add cooked rice, fold in well! 

We will add sugar, salt, fold in well! 

We would stir cook at medium heat using light strokes with ladle for 5-6 minutes! 

Do not let rice grains break! Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with fried cashew nuts!

You can have it with any vegetarian or non-vegetarian sides or just with papad & pickle!