CURRY AND SPICE: THE SAVOURY BENGALI STYLE PANCAKE

Each year, during this time, in fact, this particular week, I write same; that I visited RG Kar Hospital on Saraswati Pujo day to see my new born brother. This year too his birthday is on Saraswati Pujo day, 23rd, January. After decades, the man's sister, mine too partnered on this day. Two special occasions on same date in family, also the famous Indian / Bengali nationalist leader Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's birthday! It's indeed a big day for us in family, a notable day for Indians. We still keep speculating about life of Netaji, we never did believe he died in 1945's airplane crash! For a Bengali, Netaji is an undying emotion, so is "Bok Phool" / Agati tree flower! The great leader indeed has a strong Singapore connection!

The flowers were within my reach, I could have picked a few, then they are batter fried, eaten before they bloom. Bengalis are unromantic when it concerns food. Instead of praising beauties hanging, I thought of batter frying them.

Extremely busy I am, must share suitable recipe on this occasion that a mother may cook on son's birthday, a daughter or son's anniversary. This is winter, if not in this tropical island. I would take the liberty to cook, share this fusion Bengali Chitoi Pitha. I wanted to write, share this blogpost tomorrow but it is Saraswati Pujo, I must offer nicely Goddess of Learning, Art, Entertainment, Culture!

Even on my busiest schedule, worst mood; I do not stop eating! Food is my business, eating is my hobby. I cannot have food I don't enjoy. I cannot be in an environment that doesn't suit me. This home is peace, not my men's temperament, yet I feel cosy, else wouldn't have lived for nearly three decades. Your low mood, melancholy isn't related to your environment at home, we venture to taste the world after establishing peace at home. In my case, it is extreme amount of emotional attachment that makes my heart wavy!

I keep swimming in a pool of tender thoughts I need not have invited at all. Then, we can't do anything about our inherent nature! In spite of wise advices, my would kinds fall into gorge at different turns in life! Since these are not calculative steps, reaching conclusions is far fetched. We cannot tackle sudden emotional excess until the day we tuck it tight in our personal diary. My memory is my diary, my present state of mind would become history next. I am good example of high in emotion, immature people. I rarely meet people who leave lasting impression on me, when I do I can't let go, that becomes an issue. An underlying reason may be there, I don't want dissecting, I let myself flow!

I am not Hog Plum lover, it's the pleasure of discovering something Bengali! They are sweet, grow islandwide!

I ate the boiled egg willingly but feeling sick now! Cristine makes nice soft boiled eggs, her sir loves eggs! I cannot digest, son too isn't an egg lover. Bengali food I didn't like became part of life. That empty plate is Cristine's sir's, he loves Singapore's chicken rice, all of a sudden he came home from office, I didn't wish to serve him packed food from his lunch box. I am particular about serving warm food on table, it hurts when I think about son needing to arrange every meal for himself, it's over a year we haven't met him. The man isn't okay today, shoulder pain revived, his GP is on leave, Monday he is to meet him, visit hospital.

Ruti-Porota / Roti-Prata is easy make; mother, mother-in-law make / made them everyday, I cook on alternate days. Rice & Handmade Breads are our staple.

Life is good, we shouldn't complain. A colleague cum elder sister like visits my thoughts often. We used to go to work every morning as early as 5:30 am from Indian Statistical Institute's bus stop to Belur, changing bus at Bali Khal for two years. She lost her man such early, we can't imagine the trauma. When I heard the news, I left job, relocated, got busy with a rebel toddler, lost all contacts. You know me, who I get fond of, I keep hunting! After 16-17 years of searching, I found her phone number last year. I wished to meet on my last visit to Kolkata, she hesitated. I am sure she would one day, the moment she can feel my warmth, my intent, she would. Life had been unkind to her, her son, the parents who lost their son, the jovial gentleman who chatted a lot.

"Cancer" is a word I dread, take me in sleep God, please; don't let me suffer, await death. Hats off to the medical fraternity, I place their courage before their degrees, service towards mankind. To a weakling like me, they are moving mountains.

When I think of Juladi's fate, one young defence officer's demise, I pant. I look at his last status a fortnight back, I can't stop being philosophical. There lives Buddha in all of us, he left home with same quest, how to avoid pain? As I age, everything need be less ornamental, food too. I was never fan of loud, ornamental stuffs, light. Few quiet moments spent with oil-free, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free THE SAVOURY BENGALI STYLE PANCAKE suits me. It didn't get exact shape of chitoi pitha whose mid section has to rise. The reasons can be use of readymade rice flour, minced vegetables, placing cashew nut right in middle.