PAN ROASTED SPICED ALOO IN AVOCADO

It's Sunday, around 8:25 pm, today's entire morning went planning, buying ingredients, executing this recipe! We enjoyed having it! 

 I dislike complications. I have security sitting with me on the couch although we ain't watching same, neither chatting, our areas of interest are different! That doesn't affect peace, a home built gradually over a period of twenty eight years! The son called today, most of the time he shouted at me, at least heard voice. Yet, why my mood isn't in place I don't know! It is not an attribute of menopause, mood swings is part of me since childhood! I still couldn't forget a five year old girl getting down the dance floor of Mary Immaculate School! She felt ignored whilst teacher who loved her most was few classrooms away! Sister Marilyn's utmost negotiations could not take me on stage! I remain same, I do not remember the day I bid her good bye! Sitting in Kolkata, we did hear entire Krishnanagar City witnessed her mortal remains being taken in procession, cancer took her away at age 30. My pre-school was spent on her lap, she used to visit our maternal grandparents' home with other nuns, they ran charitable hospitals, our maternal uncles were renowned wholesale medicine dealers. When we left for Kolkata, she gifted me finger ring, pendant with Jesus & Mary, I treasure! I have to wear them, get clicked! I have discussed about this angelic Keralite Christian earlier. I tried to be like her with my kids, couldn't inherit her poise, wisdom! I get caught in own thoughts, suffer, get angry, what not! But I am always ready to, willing to gift my readers good recipes!

It is 10:50 pm, local time! I need to retire to the bed. There is no winter here, but monsoon. I have noticed, like Indian winter, there is need for heavy moisturiser, lip balms, thin bed spread gets that cosy feel of winter, "ummm"! I am a morning person always, my eyes are wide open as early as 4:30am-5am, how late I sleep! In my side of family, we used to sleep early, wake up early. Once at man's home, I found everything different from mine. They had lunch at 3 pm, tea even at 10 pm was fine, dinner was at 11 pm. It took me time to adjust. One thing I must say, their home had fun all over, friends & relatives were welcome 24/7. The mother-in-law I was loggerhead with is no more hot headed, we would chat about our respective son's weird behaviours, the father-in-law is always easy going. 

It's Monday 10:40 am, I didn't take shower, do prayer; that doesn't give me comfort! I wish to write, wrap up, colour my greys, greying since young! Cristine anyway offers once to my God family, I offer two times. I forgot there's a monastery in the neighbourhood, nearer than RKM. I just want to visit, sit for long, that calms my mind! I am an over thinker, self doubted person, to worry is my pleasure & pain both, my soul easily becomes chaotic! Writing blogposts, learning favourite numbers, giving voiceover to recipes get me pleasure! I am back stage person, love those smart, accomplished who have reached where I couldn't! It hurts me if people question my intents, I just do not wish to be "kebab mein haddi", I don't wish to play extra's role in others' lives! I don't have understanding of surroundings, expect intelligent to come clear, tell me where I went wrong! I would be left with nothing if I quit social media, I do not have work life, also enjoy being known around bit! Off course, I wish for fame, have lakhs of followers! That requires skillsets I lack!

My fears are manifold. I fear I have put on weight, had an unhealthy breakfast this morning!

Okay, sweet orange is my favourite & healthy! I am not a cookie lover, neither buy! The man gets from office, he is off biscuits! I never ask who gave, he dislikes discussing office at home! When willing, he would! I am waiting for their Dine & Dance Event end of this month, for seven course Oriental meal, there's Indian option, why eat out what I can cook? 

Boh tea is to be made with milk, sugar! I rarely have, he doesn't touch, gets acidity! I need to wrap up, switch off music that is playing, I cannot multi task! It's such nice of Cristine, she wouldn't bother me unless I call her! We stay together all day, in our own spaces! She is twelve years with us, knows maam is lost case, entangled in her own thoughts always. I wish I could be as cheerful, with broad smile like others around. But No, melancholy rules over me! I have food on plate without earning a penny, a minuscule part of my savings is what I have earned working nine years! Son would be completing MS in few months, mumma need not guide him anymore! Yet, what gets me anxiety, sorrow I do not know! Why did I have to be sensitive, why I had to imagine, make up stories inside my head, then brood, feel sad, don't know! I cannot get overwhelmed, daydream about strangers I met once, twice in life! Is my man reading? I use this space not for recipes alone, but for honest confessions, to unload my heart, soul, mind; all same and enclosed in "Podi Pishir Barmi Baksho?" I wish to watch a movie of choice this afternoon instead of going for walk!

I personally don't believe in celebrating particular dates, everyday we should be thankful, every day is as beautiful as birthday / anniversary! Then, this world is not what I believe in! As food blogger, my wish, my job is to greet world with recipes relevant to the occasion! Today, our mother's "chalkumror pur bhaja" or mother-in-law's "moong dal-lau jhali" wouldn't work! We thoroughly enjoyed this vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free PAN ROASTED SPICED ALOO IN AVOCADO! A couple of recipes worked on my mind getting this spiced, yummy treat tossed in Bengali style roasted & ground spices! Cristine hates potato, loves avocado, what I cook on Sundays, I keep for her to have on Mondays! Have it on its own, serve it with baked breads, handmade breads! We ate an egg meal last night!

Few similar avocado recipes from my Blog are CHILLI AVOCADO BHARTA, AVOCADO COCONUT CHUTNEY & SESAME-CORNMEAL BREAD

INGREDIENTS :

AVOCADO : 2

POTATO : 2

FRESH CORIANDER : 2 SPRIG

GREEN CHILLI : 2

SESAME SEED : 1 & 1/2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 2 TBSP

CORIANDER SEED : 1 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1 TSP

RED CHILLI : 1

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 1 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Peel, wash potatoes, cut each into 4 pieces! Put for boil adding enough water! Drain water once 75% done!

Marinate potato with salt!

Wash, cut, scoop, mash avocado! 

Mince washed coriander, green chillies, add to mashed avocado, also lemon juice, salt! Fold in well.

Dry roast and grind white sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilli! 

Add spice powder to avocado mix. Fold in well!

Add 1 tbsp oil to pan, slow cook each side of potato until brown! 

Potatoes you may oven cook!

Toss potatoes in avocado mix, sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on top, serve hot!

VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE SCONE

It is Sunday 4:55 pm, island time! Its raining inconsolably! I say inconsolably, to me a rain drenched sky seems weeping willow! Rain is poets' muse, great poetries have been written drawing inspiration from it! I am more into prose, I do have little of poetry inside me. Raindrops on my skin cause ripple on my mind, not expressive about it as poets. Rain causes me depression, clear signs of a melancholic self. I think I am born melancholic, not necessarily causal effect of abuse, torture. It gives me pleasure, helps me pen lines! I feel sick if I cannot write or sing often, for that we need not master the respective arts! In scale of 10, we need to score at least 5-6, else no point getting fore! I do not understand parents these days, they send kids to various activity classes, good enough to confuse them! This is wrong, ask what excites them, let them learn that with passion, they can master it or not that future would say!

In academics, 5-6 in scale of 10 isn't enough, present day world is competitive. 5-6 / 10 always had been average, that's my standard. Parents have to understand this category kids cannot achieve much in academic world, they have to be motivated into building other fruitful career graph. That's fine, wrong is to become me; laid-back, aimless, idle. I still could live life uninterrupted but present day world would not allow my kinds to survive. You have to be worth it, build yourself depending on your merit.

Rain calls for bhajabhuji / pakora / fries & fritters! I can happily do but  senior of men isn't a foodie. Post surgery, I avoid binging too! Talking about cooking, kitchen, food sounds unromantic. I know, but I am one happy cook; I cook, sing, write, go out for walks to shove off thoughts, involvements that have no outcome, destination! I have to keep myself sane.

We had choice lunch, though not Sunday like lunch! It is lentils-ridge-gourd-bitter-gourd, pointed-spine gourds fries, egg curry!

My breakfast was bread upma, tea, fruits!

I cooked minimal yesterday, the man was travelling, he wouldn't be there almost this week! The evenings get too boring for me, Cristine has her own life, I cannot bother her always! I do not watch tv much, the junior, monkey son wouldn't call home regular, what to do? Not that man & I chat all day, sitting on two ends of sofa gets me peace! We are watching Delhi Crime, Season-3 now, I would wrap up blogpost tomorrow!

This is Monday noon, 12.05 pm, Singapore time! The Sun & Clouds are playing hide & seek, same do I with myself, or may be I do not at all, I bare my heart to fullest[?]; I do hide, all of us do! Such lovely person I live with, he never asks why did you write this here, say that there, what's cooking in your life? After all these superlatives, if he doesn't take me to the Swiss Alps next year, I would get angry! Three of us would go, I would get clicked in finest chiffon sari! This is long standing wish, what else can you expect from an ardent Bollywood fan? Who would click me better, the son or man? Three of us should make it, once our beloved 4th makes an entry, we would travel separately! I am however far from my Divas, and here's my real self!

Bossy's premium choice wasn't me, I am his ancient friend, come on I know it all! Neither I am a saint! We built a happy home though, our temperament doesn't match!  Because my home is built on strong foundation, I can take liberty to roam around humming "tumhe ho na ho mujhko to itna yakeen hai..." When lyrics, music score strike a chord, it touches my soul. This is Runa Laila's best to me! I must learn this number, such fast paced!

I am not always day dreaming, Cristine gets me all news I miss! When we were enjoying, our friends in Cebu were fighting natural calamity! I messaged asap, thank God, they answered me back! I met Patrick & Susana back in 2009 on board ship, Patrick was chief mate, we bonded too well, went out together in every port! They visited us in Singapore when I just arrived! I have made an open invitation to them, they didn't come to us again, their both daughters got married by now!

Last night, I didn't wish to make roti-shoti, on such days, I cook frozen parathas I stock for such days! I buy Pran's or Dawn's. I am against buying frozen packs regular! I love cooking! Singapore is Asia, there are similarities, when I visit American supermarkets, the scenario changes! I do not know how desis can survive on fish fillets, artichoke, kale, bell peppers, pumpkin, tomato! Here I get in hand "pat shaak to chichinga", almost everything we grew up having! Even fresh tyangra, magur travel from Malaysia! Stall 81 of Tekka Market sells live Magur Mach! However, porota-mutton mince curry-avocado chutney makes us happy too!

This is confused self, more I write, contradictory you may find! I am. Let me wrap up, go for walk, sit somewhere, eat! I thoroughly enjoyed baking this VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE SCONE, it's also diary free! I liked having this vegetarian snack I have baked using tapioca flour, rice-flour, fresh coconut, a bit of baking powder, sugar, salt, coconut milk, oil! 

You can have it spreading butter, jam or honey or cream cheese on top, I loved having it as it is! Trust me and go ahead with the easy recipe!

Roughly inspired from a recipe seen in AI Overview!

 INGREDIENTS :

RICE FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

TAPIOCA FLOUR : 4-5 TBSP

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

COCONUT MILK : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

BAKING POWDER : 1/3 TSP

SUGAR : 2 TBSP [I USED BROWN SUGAR]

SALT : 2 PINCHES

CINNAMON POWDER : 1 TSP

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Of the few recipes I went through, I have taken sincere note from an AI Overview, funny, right?

Take dry ingredients in a bowl, fold in well.

Add shredded coconut, fold in well. Add coconut milk, little at a time! We need tight dough, smooth dough isn't required!

We would roll out dough thick, dusting clean kitchen top with rice flour or tapioca floor.

We would use cookie cutter to shape each! I chose this one.

We would place baking sheet on an oven proof plate! We would place uncooked scones on it, brushed tops with coconut milk!

Mine is convection mode microwave oven! I placed low height wired stand inside, preheated oven at 160*C.

Thereafter, I placed plate with uncooked scones atop it! I baked them @160*C for 20 minutes! 

Enjoy it warm with your favourite beverage! We can store it in refrigerator for sometime!

BENGALI STYLE DUCK EGG POTATO CURRY

It is 1:30 pm local time! Until sometime back, I was unable to decide which recipe to share in blog! Okay, I had been productive too, baked vegan gluten-free scones. 

I wished to get it, may be on a later date! I came across mesmerising Bengali posts, got to be nostalgic. Now I am listening to old Bengali songs, I felt like sharing a Bengali recipe today, can't be otherwise! I cannot do mentions, they are many, integral part of our being! Okay, let us do one mention, if we can get it, our life is sorted; "jibon khatar proti patai jotoi koro hisheb nikesh, kichui robena... luko-churir eeije khyala...." The Bengali Music Industry then, now, both I love. The Bengali film industry faced a drought in the 80's & 90's, we detested, then comeback started with telefilms post 2000, thereafter some actors, directors came together, made us believe it hasn't died!

Why I reveal myself to world do not know. I love to write is true. I want to be cautious, next moment I asphyxiate if I do not exercise my right to expression! What I was at 15, I remain same at mid-fifties. The streets of Singapore, every lane, by lane are witness to my stupid self! I do not know if Bossy reads my stuffs or not, he never does any mention about what my heart spoke on posts, oblivious of what this world would think of me. That's the reason why he is dear, only that he fails to make the son behave normal with mumma. He has to talk to me regular! 

I decided to write a blogpost today also to save myself from wrath; I do not blame Bossy, often times I feel like calling him in office, say I am having pain here & there! Since last December, a serious fear made safe haven inside, some friends, family know! All of a sudden that fear subsided, something else creeped in! I let it stay, didn't deny! Life isn't only about give & take to me, I don't make business deals. Then emotional upheaval requires great amount of effort to handle.

My positive self feels if I have invited it, I need to deal with it! In extreme scenario, I would sell off my heart, kidneys; that finances my shopping, go frenzy shopping till I drop dead! There is no guilt inside, only a question, why, how? In all these, I feel I need some explicits coming from Bossy! I would call & say, "I feel Dr. V's stethoscope is not getting it, something is seriously wrong with my beats, it pains at times!" The explicits that would come to me over phone do not startle me anymore, they are required to handle an emotional disaster like me! 

Truth, however bitter or painful, is always better than sugar coated lies! Expectations hurt, is an eternal truth, it is unavoidable is another truth!

I would not bother, disturb, approach anyone involved, I stay firm on my belief that one who wants me would find me. I may be proven wrong, yet! I can send them some beautiful blooms from our tiny space, share my plates, that says I care!

Let me cook & serve hot, fresh food on your plate. That I do well. On my 2023 visit to Kolkata, India, I cooked this Bengali Duck Egg-Potato curry, but I forgot to fry boiled eggs. That's signature Bengali, I deleted those pictures. This year, October, day of departure, I cooked this curry, rest of dishes our mother cooked, we all ate. Bossy ate duck egg curry at his parents' home. Duck prefers laying eggs in winter, also spoils quickly in hot season!

In our childhood, egg curry meant fresh duck egg curry. Until date, I want it! I read various theories about why Singapore doesn't sell duck eggs. In 2024, we hunted H-Mart perhaps for duck eggs in Boston, Ms. Bhaduri of Houston recommended us to. Bossy, his mother are egg lovers, I enjoy egg curry these days not loving sea fish. Now, my side of family says they eat chicken eggs mostly. 

Let's cook this gluten-free, non-vegetarian Bengali egg recipe; BENGALI STYLE DUCK EGG POTATO CURRY before I blabber more, I need to go for walk. I do not like sharing what Singapore cannot eat but a Bengali Food Blogger should have these recipes in collection!

INGREDIENTS :

FRESH DUCK EGG : 6-7

POTATO : 2

SLICED ONION : 4 TBSP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 2-3

GARLIC PASTE : 2 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 1 TBSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

CINNAMON POWDER : 1/4 TSP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/4 TSP

CLOVES POWDER : 2 PINCHES

TURMERIC POWDER : 2 TSP

CUMIN SEED : A PINCH OR TWO

BAYLEAF : 1

CINNAMON STICK : 1/2 INCH LENGTH 2-3

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

CLOVES : 2-3

SUGAR : 1 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 1 TSP [OPTIONAL]

PROCEDURE :

Wash eggs gently, boil in enough water for 10-12 minutes adding a tsp of salt. Switch off gas stove. Let it cool.

Peel, cut each potato into 4 pieces, widthwise, then lengthwise. Wash, Marinate with salt, turmeric. 

Remove shell from eggs. Wash, make slits on body, apply turmeric, salt.

Heat oil in wok, lightly fry eggs, take out. Fry potatoes, take out.

Temper oil with cinnamon stick, green cardamom, clove, cumin seeds, bayleaf! Add the washed & sliced onions. Fry until brown.

Add ginger, garlic pastes. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes! Add the cumin+red chilli+coriander+turmeric powders, salt. Add 2 tbsp water and stir cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add fried potatoes, fold in well! Stir cook for 2-3 minutes, add 2 coffee mugs of water. Cover cook at low heat for 10-12 minutes.

Remove cover, add boiled, fried eggs, washed & slitted green chillies; cover cook for 5 minutes at low heat.

Remove cover, add cinnamon+cloves+green cardamom powder, sugar!  Stir, let cook for another 2-3 minutes, we are done!