KULAMBU SPICED OVEN COOKED FULKOPI

 I AM UNWELL SINCE THE MORNING!

I woke up with a blocked forehead and pain. I thought  my blood pressure may have gone up or down. Jokingly, I told the man, "if there is a sudden heart failure, you and the son would stay together, not far from each other." Though anyone can go through a heart failure any time, we have to stay healthy. Though I have lost weight, I am an overweight, I dislike heavy workouts. It is scary how my brother, his wife, some friends allow themselves to put on weight. I keep warning Bhai & son. Later in the day, my nose got blocked, I kept sneezing. I understood I have caught cold. Both of us feel that we had covid flu, may be it had low impact because of the vaccines and the boosters we have taken. Earlier Bengali Kids were fed mutton leg soup to strengthen immunity. The mother fed us regular. The man says Covid happened, we did not understand. On Lakshmi Puja day, I felt dehydrated in the evening. I was thirsty, had chilled water. Perhaps that is the reason I am unwell. We are managing our home well but we do not want to, we are used to a luxury called Cristine. I complain about the son not calling us enough, now can feel it is difficult to do all by himself after being pampered by mumma & Cristine didi until age 18. He had the courage to say goodbye to the safe, secured mumma's lap, step into an unknown land alone. Yet, I told him to set aside 1-2 hours every day for home cleaning. Even if I have fever tomorrow, I have to keep my home clean, I cannot sleep in a messy home. 

UNWELL, I DID SET A SIMPLE LUNCH BOX!

I prefer packing the lunch box. On the Lakshmi Puja day, I asked him to eat out. Yet, it took long hours to finish the puja. Separating the husk from the Khoi / popped rice, dressing and frying five varieties of vegetables take time. Kolkata sells de-husked one too at a higher price, I do get that. Feeling unwell, I made the quickest sandwich for the man, boiled potato in microwave, peeled mashed with butter, salt, black pepper powder, placed atop a bread slice with cheese.

In a hurry, I forgot to discard the bread edges. I make them eat food without much of wastage. Certain middle class values should be imbibed within us forever. Okay, licking fingers after meals is bad manners, I am helpless, I end my meals with a clean plate, lick my fingers. I made semolina toast for myself, I thought I clicked, now cannot find.

WHAT IS KULAMBU SPICED OVEN COOKED FULKOPI?

I was to share a Bengali tiny fish recipe of choice today. Something did not feel right about it. I had a cauliflower / fulkopi / gobi resting in the refrigerator, I forgot to bake it for the visiting friend last Saturday. I did a marination mainly with Kulambu Spice Mix, cooked this vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian appetiser, side dish using the microwave+grill option. I named it KULAMBU SPICED OVEN COOKED FULKOPI. It is time consuming but uses less of oil. We can call it healthy. I started to write late today, let me wrap up quickly. It is not a compulsion, I enjoy writing a blogpost in this era of "reels". I lack technical knowhow, also got busy watching son's activities in social media. Of course I am proud about the good things he is doing, it is natural.

Few other cauliflower recipes from the blog are; FULKOPIR DATA PATA DIYE SHUTKI, DIM FULKOPI CURRY, FULKOPI ALOO DIYE KOI MACH ER JHOL. 

INGREDIENTS :

CAULIFLOWER FLORET : OF ONE STANDARD SIZED

KULAMBU SPICE MIX : 1 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1/4 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 2 TBSP +1 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1/2 TSP [YOU MAY SKIP]

CORNFLOUR : 1 TBSP

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash and soak the florets in hot water for half an hour. Drain the water.

Marinate with the spices, cornflower, salt, sugar, 2tbsp oil, keep at rest for an hour.

Grease a grill plate with few drops of oil, place the marinated cauliflower florets on it.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven. I placed the low height wired stool inside the oven, place the grill plate on it.Close the door. 

I cooked at microwave+grill option for 20 minutes one side. Turned the cauliflower florets thereafter, cooked for 10 minutes.

Take out and have immediately if you are eating it as a starter, appetiser. I had to refrigerate. We would have it tomorrow with hand rolled bread. I can get you more of recipes if I am alive, it got pretty hot, but Kulambu mix is a wonder spice blend.