LESS GHEE REFINED FLOUR HALWA

IT IS GOOD TO CLEAN YOUR HOME WITHOUT ANY HELP!

I dislike it though. Doing the cleaning job everyday by yourself means you sacrifice the liberty to go anywhere, at anytime of the day. That is impossible if you want your home to be well-kept. I like clean homes, in pursuit of that I had to sacrifice roaming around the island anytime of the day. Cristine is not there to take care of my home. I cannot do exercises properly that I do on the weekdays, I am doing them abruptly. Yet, the puffiness of my body has reduced a bit. That is the best thing about doing house chores on your own. You also get a grip of your home. In Cristine's presence, I hardly take care of my home, I only shop and cook. Every two years when she goes on leave, I throw this and that from one corner of the home or the other. I promise I would monitor even in her presence, once she comes back I dump my home in her care and go out to roam the city, watch movies, update my blog. Not that she keeps our home messy, I fail to give her clear instructions. I believe we should not be strict task masters, they leave their home to stay with us, we have to make them feel comfortable. With years, most importantly staying with the senior of the men, I have learnt we need be nice with our helps, treat them well. Our mother's helps worked for her over 20 years, they still visit her. Same is with the mother-in-law, she had been been even more lenient. 

I AM TRYING TO AVOID OVEREATING AT THIS TIME!

That is out of fear given I do not have time to go for long walks, swim enough. The root of the problem is the time management, I have got disorganised. Cristine gets us even the glass of water, medicines. This amount of luxury is bad, gives birth to laziness. The man hates cleaning jobs back from office, neither I ask him to do the chores. I can do everything but dislike ironing. There is already a big pile of clothes to be ironed, he has to. Cristine has to come back. You may criticise I have not taught the son anything, he has learnt after he left home. I am a Bengali mother, my heart aches, he has to do everything on his own even when he doesn't want. Yet I have asked him to keep his home clean, does not matter it is rented or self-owned. Keeping our home and surroundings clean is a necessity. 

WHAT IS LESS GHEE REFINED FLOUR HALWA?

I am cooking, clicking less. Taking care of my home is a priority now. I made this vegetarian dessert LESS GHEE REFINED FLOUR HALWA using half of ghee than what is recommended for traditional halwas. If you want to live more, follow this recipe. I would get you an oil or ghee free halwa, today accept this light on your stomach halwa, you won't get acidity after having it. Many Bengali families earlier had a dessert post dinner. In our family, it was warm cow milk boiled longer to get a thick cream atop. Both sugar, over boiled thick milk are harmful for us. Okay, calcium is required but there are other sources to get it. It took many years for my family to accept that hot milk post dinner is a wrong idea, more if meat is on menu. Cow's milk was considered auspicious among us, owning cow meant prosperity. The Grandparents, other relatives domesticated cow. If you use milk in the halwa dessert, it would get rich and tastier. I avoid using milk as much as possible if I want to have a large share.

Few similar recipes from the Blog are the following :

GULA MELACA PUDDING, ANAROSHER HALWA, MIXED FRUITS OATS HALWA. I have more in the blog.

INGREDIENTS :

REFINED FLOUR : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 2 TBSP + 1 TBSP

SUGAR : 6-7 TBSP

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

WATER : AS REQUIRED

ROASTED CHOPPED DRY FRUITS OF CHOICE

PROCEDURE :

Dissolve the sugar in a bowlful of hot water.

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in the wok, add the green cardamoms tearing them a bit, give a stir.

Add the refined flour, keep stirring & roasting at minimal heat.

Once the refined flour would change colour, gives out nice aroma, add the sugar-water.

My family only cooked semolina halwa, I do not know the rules about the way of adding water to avoid lumps.

I added the sugar-water, broke the lumps with ladle, hand beater would also help to get a smooth paste like consistency of halwa.

At this point, add 1 or 2 tbsp ghee, the roasted, chopped dry fruits. Mix well and enjoy warm.

RICE VERMICELLI VEGETABLES NOODLE

AFTER A LONG TIME, I GOT LATE STARTING TO WRITE A BLOGPOST!

Many of my readers know the reason, Cristine is in Philippines. It got preponed because her father expired suddenly. She was scheduled to go in the first week of November post our festivities. I am in a mess at this time. Questions like who to help me arrange the puja thali, who to shape the betel leaves with betel nuts for Bijoya Dashami when we would be out on the Nabami Night, who would accompany me to the market before the Lakshmi Pooja, are turning me mad. The situation is such we cannot stop her, that is unethical. Two days post her departure, I am finding out dust and grim from the corners. Today, I bathed the main dustbin. I cannot tolerate stains and smell even in the dustbins.

I told her many times to be cautious about these because her ma'am is a cleanliness freak. She listens, does for few weeks, then stops. She is interested talking about bitcoin, buying property in Philippines. She holds a diploma in Computer Science, takes interest in many matters. She has become part of this home. I shout, at times she  retaliates, we forget too, she massages my frozen shoulders using a medicated oil she purchased with her hard-earned money. All of this is possible because she is a good human being living with us for over ten years. Both side of our family say she is good. She took good care of our son, the man would advice her about savings, about buying farm lands.

EVER SINCE THE SON LEFT HOME, CRISTINE IS LIKE A COMPANY!

Else the middle-aged couple feel lonely. We stay worried about him, he does not communicate. We try utmost to make him behave normal like the majority, he would do what he wants when. At least, I can talk to Cristine. She understands our requirements but her father expired. Every two years she would visit Philippines, it takes me few days to get used to a routine. Except for cooking, I do nothing when she is here. My expectations of cleanliness is higher, difficult for someone to satisfy me.

Above is the apple cake I baked last week, I picked up that cornflakes mixture from the Mustafa Centre, the only snacks from the "chanachur family" I like once in a while. Today, I was out locally to buy a dustbin  for the master bedroom, this and that. A heavily discounted wok at the Isetan caught my fancy. I am not the kind to shop at Isetan, things are pricey there, high quality too. I don't buy pricey stuffs, have no regrets. I have seen they keep giving discounts, I visit often, buy what I fancy. Doing all these, I got late.

WHAT IS RICE VERMICELLI VEGETABLES NOODLE?

I wished to blog about a vegan, gluten-free noodle bowl some day. The vermicelli variety we eat is different. Our island sells noodles made with rice, wheat-flour, sago, cassava. I cannot keep up with variety of noodles, sauces. My kitchen is devoid of excesses. I usually stock egg or plain wheat-flour noodles, at times handmade noodles. Early September, I have cooked rice vermicelli noodles with beans, carrot, onion, garlic, bell peppers. The RICE VERMICELLI VEGETABLES NOODLE snacks is vegan and gluten-free. 

Few other noodle recipes from the blog are PRAWN & CHICKEN NOODLES, NO ONION NO GARLIC NOODLES, FRESH HERBS NOODLES, CHICKEN SNOW PEA NOODLES .

  INGREDIENTS :

RICE VERMICELLI : 200-250 GM

RED BELL PEPPER : 1/2 OF ONE

GREEN BELL PEPPER : 1/2 OF ONE

GREEN BEAN : 5-6

ONION : 1 

MINCED GARLIC : 1 TSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

CHILLI VINEGAR : 2 TBSP

LIGHT SOY SAUCE : 1 TBSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP  

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Soak the noodles in hot water. Add little salt, few drops of oil to the hot water. Soak the rice vermicelli in that water for 3-4 minutes.

Drain the water, apply little oil to the cooked noodles, mix. 

Peel, wash, cube the onion.  Peel, wash, cut the carrot length wise, also the washed bell peppers.

Heat oil in wok and temper with the minced garlic. Add the vegetables except the cubed onion, chopped chillies. Stir at medium heat adding salt.

Add the onion and chillies once the rest are cooked, add the chilli vinegar, soy sauce and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add the noodles, crushed black pepper, adjust salt if required. Use two ladles to mix at high heat. [I forgot to click the last step].

BARNYARD MILLET FRIED RICE

 BETWEEN LETHARGY AND WILL POWER, WHO WINS?

Lethargy tries to rule my life, I shove it away. I have seen the disastrous effects of letting lethargy take the prime position within. You allow it, you would find out hundreds of excuses to let it take over you. It destroys the purpose of living. I am lazy since birth, hence I have the scare about becoming inactive any day. People like me love to lie down on the couch, read or watch something or just brood. I don't allow myself that. I go out for walks, swim,  visit malls even if my body craves for the couch. I could not become independent, I should not at least give in to lethargy. I doubt if at all I wanted to earn. At least, I regret not working but the family veteran ladies and gentlemen do not even had / have the mindset that women should step out, make an independent life. A mere degree does not make us enlightened, we have to heighten the level of our thinking. Families like mine have to think big for their girl child, then only the society can develop. My daughter-in-law would be a woman of substance.

I COOK AND EAT TO HIDE MY MISTAKES!

May be also to spend quality time, I do engage fruitfully. If I go out everyday to explore this island, I would end up spending beyond the budget. I love to stay indoors, read  or watch. Because I am occupied with updating my blog, my primary hobbies took a backseat. Once I am done with the first round of updating the blog, I would get back to reading and watching. It is true I work on a budget but it is not the reason why I do not go for coffee sessions or restaurant hoping with my friends. I do not go because I do not enjoy, I prefer family meet ups or may go out once in a while with a friend or two, I prefer calling them home or visiting their homes. Kitty Parties I would never join, nor regret; I do not understand what to talk or do in such gatherings, I visit homes to eat the food on display. A plateful of choice food, vodka or Bloody Mary or Martini and a quiet corner I do look for at intervals but that does not happen much. As a couple, we do enjoy each other's company on weekends, watch a thriller, wait for our next trip to the son, wait to talk to him, also look forward to our Kolkata trips. Our lunch yesterday was a rice meal and the dinner was luchi with Masala Okra.

In between, I had Chiku fruit, Mango cake; I do not click everything that I eat these days. Life got less eventful, though not bothered. The moment boredom sets in, I sit in an eatery, go for massage, nail and face treatments. I prepared the luchi dough without semolina, they did not remain fluffy enough. I did not like it that they browned.

WHAT IS BARNYARD MILLET FRIED RICE?

For long I had the plan to prepare something other than   SAMA CHALER KHICHURI / Barnyard Millet HothchPotch. I love Sama Chal-Dal Khichuri the most but you cannot repeat share same recipes. I kept thinking about cooking it in a similar manner like a CHIRER POLAO [BEATEN RICE PILAF]. Today, I prepared this BARNYARD MILLET FRIED RICE to have as first meal of the day. When I discovered millet varieties at the Mustafa Centre, I was awestruck. I never knew about them whilst my stay in Kolkata. My family ate only Barnyard Millet. The mother ate it on the days she fasted. I kept bringing each variety in turns, I was getting wind and constipation, also read somewhere one with thyroid gland anomaly should not have millets regular. I stopped getting them, only stock this Barnyard Millet / Shama Chal / Samo Rice, eat at times. To keep it both vegan & gluten-free, I have not cooked it in ghee, that is a compromise with the flavour. I tried to compensate using good amount of whole garam masalas.

I had a bowlful with coconut-fresh coriander-green chilli chutney.

INGREDIENTS :

BARNYARD MILLET / SHAMA CHAL / SAMO RICE : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CHOPPED CARROT : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP

CHOPPED GREEN BEAN : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP

GREEN PEA : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

CASHEW NUT : 5-6 [HALVED]

RAISIN : 7-8

CINNAMON STICK : 3-4 ONE INCH LENGTH

GREEN CARDAMOM : 3-4

CLOVE : 3-4

BAY LEAF : 2-3

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1 TBSP

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

We would take the seeds in a vessel, wash 2-3 times, add water and put for boil. Do not soak.

Once the water starts boiling, add a teaspoon of oil, this would prevent the samo rice from breaking. Yet we have to stand in front of the gas stove, immediately pass the seeds through a strainer once cooked.

We would wash all of the vegetables, soak the raisins in water for 1/2 an hour.

 We would heat the oil in a wok, temper it with the bayleaves, cloves, green cardamoms, cinnamon sticks.

We would stir, add the washed vegetables, cashew nuts, salt.

We would stir fry the vegetables 3-4 minutes at minimal heat, add the raisins discarding the water.

We would add the cooked Barnyard Millets, salt, sugar, fold in well.

We would stir cook at medium heat for 3-4 minutes, take down and serve hot.

MY STYLE PUMPKIN RICE

 SOME MONDAYS I WISH TO SHARE A SIMPLE RECIPE!

It is my pleasure to write a blogpost, not lengthy recipes always. Our mood hardly would stay the same always. I personally require an elevated mood, the willingness to perform. I know this is a luxury that we cannot afford at workplace. I do not understand the terms "mental stress", thereafter an extreme step called "suicide" related to the workplace. Why would such a situation occur, bosses are also human beings. These are all new developments, the more the world is progressing, more such problems are seen. I think of these because it is the time to brief the son about the pros and cons at the work place, that he need not worry and be happy, that his life is precious. I can see his father enjoys going to his work place.

I DO NOT REQUIRE TO HAVE THE RIGHT MOOD TO EAT!

Even when I am not in the right mood, I eat. These days I am not clicking my food plates much, today I did. My first meal today had been good amount of vegetables, oats, beaten rice  cooked together. 

I like oatmeal in cakes and beaten together with eggs to make an oats omelette. The moment I add water to oats, it seems tasteless to me. But I like oats with yogurt and fruits. I do not have breakfasts, do not need that regular, also I am unable to have unsweetened yogurt every day. Saturdays & Sundays, I eat uncountable times. I planned  to have a light first meal today, couldn't, neither clicked the watermelon pieces I had thereafter. I clicked a few food platings from last Saturday and yesterday, would share soon in public.

WHAT IS MY STYLE PUMPKIN RICE?

About 15-20 days back, I had chicken-potato soup and pumpkin rice at the Hougang Mall.

I loved the chicken soup, found the pumpkin rice smelly, did not get the source of the smell. I usually like chicken or mutton meat broth  but the smell was from something else. Back home, I decided to cook a pumpkin rice.  Last to last weekend I cooked it but the rice seemed messy, it tasted good. Last Saturday, I cooked it again, I was eager to blog about it. I used long grained Basmati Rice for the recipe, the food court's was made with small grained rice which was not the island's favourite fragrant sticky rice.

A Bengali Home's Pumpkin Rice means it would be eaten the Bengali way with fries & fritters. While many Bengali Homes like their pilaf with meat & fish curries, we enjoy pilaf with fries, precisely fish fries. I got home Ilish / Hilsa fish, had the vegan, gluten-free MY STYLE PUMPKIN RICE with pointed gourd fries and Hilsa fish fries. It was good. You can cook this nutritious bowl any day of the week using few ingredients always present in your pantry.

INGREDIENTS :

YOUR CHOICE OF COOKED RICE : 2-3 COFFEE MUGS

BOILED PUMPKIN : 2 COFFEE MUGS

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

RED CHILLI FLAKES : 1/2 TSP

CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : 2-3 TBSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

You can cook the rice fresh or use refrigerated day old cooked rice. In the case of the latter, take the rice out an hour before the cooking.

Peel and wash the pumpkin, cut into smaller cubes and boil. Drain the excess water but don't squeeze entirely the water present in the boiled vegetable. 

Mash the boiled pumpkin. Chop, wash the green chillies, coriander leaves.

Heat the oil in a pan, temper with the cumin seeds. Add the chopped green chillies and the turmeric powder. Stir and add the boiled and mashed pumpkin.

Add the required amount of salt, stir cook at medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and the coriander leaves. Use two ladles to incorporate the rice well in the freshly made pumpkin sauce. Switch off the gas stove.

Enjoy the pumpkin rice fresh and hot with your choice of side dish.

BENGALI KHARKOL PATA RECIPES

SATISFACTION IS STARTING TO LOVE YOUR FAMILY'S RUSTIC RECIPES AT A RIPE AGE!

I started to love having the rustic family recipes at a ripe age may be because I relocated abroad. Post marriage when I learnt to cook, I cooked particularly Bengali Food. The son grew up having "shaak to patla macher jhol". The home cooked foreign dishes he ate were fish and chicken stew. In those days, I did not cook fancy stuffs except for chilli chicken and makhani matar paneer. To have party food, we frequented the Kolkata restaurants. Even after relocating here, we would eat out. Gradually, I started cooking from different cuisines, the man not a foodie prefer home cooked food, the only compliment he gives me. Once grown up, the son did not want to go out with us often, he preferred ordering food with his pocket money. Once he left home, I thought the two of us would go out for food ventures every weekend but the man is actually married to the television set and classy bottles, I am secondary. Whatever the situation is, I thoroughly enjoy cooking, it is never a compulsion. 

MY EATING ORDER CHANGED THIS MORNING!

For the last four years, I do intermittent fasting, Monday to Friday. My blood sugar level got controlled but my hanging belly, fat arms and thighs continue to thrive. I cannot control portion after an eighteen hours of fasting, neither can workout in beast mode. I am getting heavily bloated. Today, I took a break and let myself be. I had my morning tea with a slice of bread spread with ghee with a sprinkle of brown sugar.

I detest drinking tea or coffee without anything on the side. Here is my lunch bowl, "samo rice khichuri". 

I need to eat easily digestible food. Whenever there is a special prayer at home, I consume an excess of sugary, deep fried stuffs, specifically post Janmashtami. I want to have dinner together with the man, hence eat around 10 pm, that isn't right. While taking a heavenly bite at the ghee toast, I noticed my Hibiscus plants fetched five flowers today.

I used to enjoy my tea and coffee sessions, I hardly prepare my favourites nimki, malpoa now-a-days. In the midst of such heart burn, the watermelon popsicle gets me some pleasure.

WHAT IS BENGALI KHARKOL PATA RECIPES?

These recipes I cooked and clicked back in 2021-22, blogging about them got delayed. I thought let me share three recipes in a single blogpost. Bringing together all of the pictures was necessary, they lay scattered. Later we can again share them separately. Kharkol Pata is the leaf of a specific variety of yam / Taro, some call it Arum leaves. Seriously, we did not require to know it's English name all this while. I / We love it's Bharta, hence I planted them on my tiny hedge, they grow anywhere. Recently I uprooted them because they spread to other pots. May be later I would plant them again. Three recipes with Kharkol Pata has been compiled under the title BENGALI KHARKOL PATA RECIPES. One recipe is vegan and gluten-free, a bharta made of Nigella Seeds & Arum leaves, one is done with prawns and Arum leaves, the other is done with dried Bombay Duck fish and Arum leaves. The first of the three recipes is vegan, all of them are gluten-free.

Another Kharkol / Ghatkol Pata recipe from the Blog is this; KHARKOL PATA BATA

KHARKOL  PATA O KALOJEEREY BHORTA 

INGREDIENTS :

ARUM LEAF / KHARKOL PATA : A BUNCH

NIGELLA SEED / KALO JEERE : 1 TSP

ONION : 2 

GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

GARLIC CLOVE : 3-4

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

DRY RED CHILLI : 1

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 1 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Do not pick the plants from the roots, just cut halfway from the stems. The plants regrow. The leaves with stems are sold in the Bengali markets. 

Wash the leaves thoroughly and dry roast them for 3-4 minutes. We would wash and strain the nigella seeds too. 

We would peel and wash the onions, garlic, also the green chillies. We would blend together everything else except the oil, salt, turmeric powder, bayleaf and the dry red chilli.

We would heat the oil in a wok, temper with a pinch or two of nigella seeds, bayleaf and dry red chilli. 

We would add the green paste, turmeric powder, salt, stir-cook for 4-5 minutes at low heat. 

Enjoy it with peeping hot steamed rice.

KHARKOL PATA O LOTEY SHUTKIR BHORTA

INGREDIENTS :

ARUM LEAF : A BUNCH

DRIED BOMBAY DUCK FISH : 2-3

SLICED ONION : 3-4 TBSP

 GARLIC PASTE : 1 TBSP

GREEN CHILLI : 4-5

DRY RED CHILLI : 1

BAYLEAF : 1

NIGELLA SEED : 2 PINCHES

DRY RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

We would chop off the arum leaves midway from the stem leaving the roots, wash them thoroughly and roast taken in a wok for 3-4 minutes.

We would discard the heads and tails of the dried fish, cut into small pieces.

We would wash the fish pieces several times and soak in hot water for sometime, then drain the water.

We would heat the oil in a wok, temper it with the nigella seeds, dry red chilli and the bay leaf. 

We would add the garlic paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.

We would prepare a paste with the yam leaves and green chillies, add to the wok, stir cook for a minute or two.

Thereafter, we would add the dried fish pieces, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder. We would stir and cover it, let cook at low heat. 

After 6-7 minutes, we would remove the cover and stir cook it at low heat until it semi-dries.

Enjoy it with hot steamed rice.

KHARKOL PATA O CHINGRIR BHORTA

INGREDIENTS :

ARUM LEAF : A BUNCH

SMALL PRAWN : 8-10

SLICED ONION : 2-3 TBSP

GARLIC PASTE : 1 TBSP

GREEN CHILLI : 4-5

NIGELLA SEED : A PINCH OR TWO

BAYLEAF : 1

DRY RED CHILLI : 1

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

TAMARIND JUICE : 2 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 3 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Clean, de-vein, de-shell totally the prawns. Wash them and marinate with salt and turmeric.

Discard the root end of the Arum leaves, wash them and roast taken in a wok. 

If you do not dry roast but paste directly, also not growing them at home; you have to use tamarind juice to remain safe, yam is known to cause us itching.

Paste together the chopped leaves, green chillies. 

Heat the oil in a wok, temper with the bayleaf, dry red chilli, nigella seeds.

Add sliced onion, garlic paste, salt, turmeric; stir cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the prawns discarding the marinade. Stir cook at low heat for 3-4 minutes, add the green paste and stir cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add the tamarind juice, adjust the salt if required, stir cook for 2 minutes. We are done.

 

I can have plateful of rice with each of these pastes / bhartas. Even my not much of a Bengali men would eat these, Cristine too, only says "such hot". Remember, you are to eat a little of the paste at a time with double the amount of rice.