GREEN PEAS BENGALI CREPE PITHA

Its pretty windy, this cool feel isn't welcome in this home.The man dreads winter, snow; he never travelled to ice-laden places except once, categorically chose tropical island for shore job! One of his friends told me once, during his cadetship, his ship sailed at Newark, his hardworking self went painting body of ship tying a rope wearing single piece undergarment, shovelling the snow. Thereafter, he chose to sail in warm climates! We went through uncertainties, I / We want smooth life for son, us now. May be life always puts us through tests. In 2010, when partner chose Singapore over Houston, I told him if it could have been otherwise. Once I travelled there twice, I strongly felt either you go & settle there at young age or that concept is not for an Indian. What I couldn't take at all there is silence, the quietness around put me off, the public transport not meant for our kinds worried me, most importantly Cristine's service seems precious to me over USA's big homes. Big Homes without "mudir dokan" nearby isn't good idea. Singapore is Chinar Park, Nager Bazaar to me!

Today, she took off but the service she gives us is luxury we are used to; our mother has two helpers, man's parents have three helpers, my brother's in-laws have 3-4 helpers. Indians / South Asians are used to external helps, even a humble Bengali Home have helpers, making other cost cuttings! I felt quiet neighbourhoods, doing daily household chores isn't for me! The partner knows me well, my irritative self, he knows though we are not lovey-dovey couple, I slip over now & then, here & there; who he goes with for coffee / tea I don't know, as long as sanctity of my home and savings account, my child's education is not invaded, I ain't bothered. This 54 year man went through lot, I am his friend first, I want happiness for him. He understands finance too good, wouldn't leave me, why would we? We enjoy each other's company, just that he doesn't remain my best friend like in school so I can tell him where I slipped over latest, neither he asks me to carry his letters to interest, like I did many moons back! 

This silly romantic is cleanliness freak but hates engaging in it regular. I can cook all day, then Cristine arranges everything for me. She even took a tutorial class of luchi making for my friend's helper. I like it that my Tamil friend enjoys luchi & roti I treat her with! She enjoys masala chai instead of coffee. Today, I made my own breakfast, wood apple / bael fruit smoothie had been must have regular in season during our growing up years! Then one day, a medical expert friend told having bael fruit regular isn't good!

Cristine makes good noodles, I guide her how we want it. Although we love Bengali Middle Class homes' with onion, potato, eggs; I do not wish to endorse it, don't like overpowering sauces in noodles. Cristine makes good soups, that she can only if I cook less of Bengali Food on Saturdays. That I cannot, for dinner I need our kind of food, no hard & fast rule but yes. I love being in this island, also to preserve my culture.

Its Lunar New Year / Chinese New Year today & tomorrow, I am in music mood, mode, but believe in commitment, responsibilities. I wish to contribute a recipe on this occasion. What's going on inside, around these days I don't get, why son is not unblocking mumma for long I do not get that either. I feel hopeless, wish people understood my actions are not driven by understanding of surrounding, I move with the belief Almighty wouldn't let me do any wrong! Let me do what I am best at, cooking & sharing recipes! 

I love Kueh, years back I discovered a green crepe, jaggery-coconut stuffed that is Bengali crepe Patishapta like. For long, I wanted to cook this Kueh Dadar, I didn't require to consult any recipe, I knew I would cook, shape it like Bengali Patishapta! I didn't want to use green edible colour, had to, few drops. I used green peas paste, not much, I feared of raw smell. Wanting to keep it vegan, gluten-free, I soaked & pasted rice, Jasmine rice I used that came as gift. That was bit of challenge, doing it with traditional batter, we usually mix together refined flour, semolina, rice flour. I managed somehow, Cristine did few. 

I packed few vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free GREEN PEAS BENGALI CREPE PITHA for visiting friends last Friday, hope you would like the vegetarian sweet delight!

INGREDIENTS :

SHREDDED COCONUT : 200 GM

JAGGERY : 100 GM

GREEN PEAS : A HANDFUL

UNCOOKED RICE : 1 & 1/2 COFFEE MUG [I USED JASMINE RICE]

SUGAR : 4-5 TBSP

EDIBLE GREEN COLOUR : FEW DROPS

OIL : 2-3 DROPS ONCE EVERY 3-4 CREPES

PROCEDURE :

Wash, soak rice in enough water for 3-4 hours, I soaked overnight!

Drain water, blend to paste adding little water at a time. 

Transfer to bowl, add water to make neither too thick, nor thin batter.

Wash green peas, blend to paste, add to batter, also sugar. 

Beat well, keep aside for 1/2 an hour, covered.

Take shredded coconut, jaggery together in pan. Cook at low heat until sticky! Transfer to plate!

Heat a non-stick pan. Brush with few drops of oil.

Add a round, dip spoonful of batter. Spread round with back of spoon. Keep heat at minimal to low.

We are supposed to stuff, roll with coconut-jaggery filling in pan but we take down in plate, then roll.

We rolled like patishapta, not like kueh dadar.

STEAMED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Today too its late start, couldn't do any amount of exercise. You can't blame me, I visited local market, came back, made something, that I would share in blog next Monday or Tuesday. I must share something before CNY celebrations! After fifteen years of stay, we are foreigners but I definitely love the island city. I do not earn for a living, neither a student of Economics or Finance, I romanticise with the idea how scot-free I get to roam here, how secured we are. Once we go back, I would adjust in few months, it's my place but my mobility would be severed! I would wish those who celebrate CNY sitting far off, never would speak negative about it! I wished if this island could naturally confer us foreigners permanent residency after a decade of stay like few other nations. At the same time, the strictness proves how much coveted this island is; it's about demand & supply! I lack nationalist feelings, I don't believe in thorny walls but in love that connect Humans! Didn't I tell you I live in an utopia, at least dream of one 24/7.

Where was I? Okay, since morning, I had been constructive, although weighing machine shows staggering rise after meals at Popeyes', san-wich! It is sweet intake that's poisoning me again! Forgetting ordeal we go through is good & bad at the same time.

I had garlic bread sometime back I bought from a local bakery. Jicama here is eaten as vegetable, not sweet as in our place, for us it's fruit. This morning, I had steamed bao & dumpling. Yesterday morning I had aloo-cheese-thousand island dressing sandwich I made, lunch at Popeye's, at night had rice. I have to control sooner, weight loss is 70% diet & 30% exercise, rigorous exercise I am unable to do. I never push myself hard, don't like others forcing anything on me!

I bought a selfie stick few months back, didn't use, I need to have a mind for everything. Let's see when I can make good use of it. If last year I was mentally & physically drained, this year may be we are passing through some kind of an uncertainty, man and son are carefree types, good that they are. I am the worry-monger, it may be my leisure or pleasure, whatever!

How much Cristine pours positive notes inside my ears, I keep panting every half an hour. What bothers me I don't know! What, who beacons me that too I don't know. The less we divulge, speak, express, is better! The proverbial "bobar shotru nei" is right! I don't want irritation controlling me. If one can get me happiness, peace, calm; come, sit beside me, let me treat you; else forget me. The restless world today requires healing!

I cooked the following to share just before CNY!

To make it vegan, gluten-free was a challenge I won, they had to look better. 15th, Sunday is Shivratri, all day fasting isn't an issue for me. 

On occasion of Valentine's Day, I thought of sharing this STEAMED CHOCOLATE CAKE recipe prior to celebration. Our young adult son may be celebrating! Let them enjoy with mumma's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free treat. Why alone young? The worn out, old hearts do have right to tremble too! To me love is life long celebration, it's as natural as breathing is. 

Life would have been better if our weird son discussed his course of life with us; our friends were regular visitors to each other's home, I wanted to treat his friends, he never introduced us to them. Our friends were close to our parents, siblings. The thought of loosening of bond turns me crazy. Where are we heading to? In which world? I see my world empty almost; my thoughts, my emotional depth, good or bad; doesn't match with the maximum! This fast paced world doesn't have time to stop by me, explore my mind, care about it!

Commitment, Responsibilities I stand by! As food blogger, I wished to amalgamate CNY and VALENTINE's DAY! Shibratri is personal, I would share something we can eat on Sunday!

INGREDIENTS :

RICE FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG+2 TBSP

CORN FLOUR : 2 TBSP

PSYLLIUM HUSK / ISABGUL : 2 TSP

BAKING SODA : 1/4 TSP

BAKING POWDER : 1/3 TSP

DARK CHOCOLATE BAR : 1 [I USED MEIJI BLACK]

COFFEE POWDER : 2 TSP [YOU MAY SKIP AND ADD MORE OF CHOCOLATE]

COCONUT MILK : 150ML [I USE COCONUT POWDER MIXED IN WARM MILK]

BANANA : 1 LARGE

SUGAR : 5-6 TBSP [YOU MAY ADD MORE]

VANILLA ESSENCE : 1 TSP

OIL : 2 TBSP

I USED FRESH STRAWBERRY TO GARNISH

PROCEDURE :

Take together rice flour, cornflour, psyllium husk in a bowl, mix!

Blend together coconut milk, banana, sugar, oil, vanilla essence, add to dry mix, beat well.

Melt chocolate in microwave oven taken in bowl. Cool, add to batter, beat well.

Keep covered batter for 25-30 minutes.

I added water to manual steamer pot, put to boil on gas top! 

When the water started boiling, I added baking powder, baking soda to batter, few drops of water on them to activate well, beaten for a minute!

I placed a brown paper foil inside cake tin, poured batter into it, tapped it on kitchen counter.

I placed it in middle atop mesh, cover steamed at low heat for 25 minutes.

My Chocolate Cake fluffed up as desired. Enjoy with your choice of fruits!

MY STYLE DOSA ALOO MASALA FILLING

 It's 3:10 pm, I have started writing blogpost, was correcting another blogpost VEGETARIAN CURRY PUFF, too many use of "the","and" had been there! I love to write, couldn't master the art. I need to update the pictures too, I cook it better today. I practically did nothing since the morning except going for swimming. I don't do outdoor walk on days I write blogposts. People balance work and home, I can't manage time, multi-tasking is not my thing! The good part is I never get bored with this unfruitful life. If I close my eyes, think, I see I haven't made any fruitful contribution to society! This hurts; wish my readers to say, "you have gifted us recipes", I would feel happy, if not thrilled, I have seen boutique blogs. My question is if blogs have become irrelevant, have reels taken over totally?

I know nothing beyond cooking, eating, arranging them in blogposts! It is you, my readers, to say if they are captivating, at least engaging or not. I am a food blogger since August 2014, I do not know about seo, traffic. I have not studied deeply about type of my readers. The bloggers I started my journey with are either big names or shifted to other areas of interest! I enjoy doing what I do, but wanted to have big fan following, fruitful interactions. You turn mad if popularity drops even after improving your quality of work, no one helped me with my passion except for few food bloggers at initial stage!

This hurt wouldn't ever go, I pursued my passion but couldn't achieve as desired, should have, that my own didn't help me a bit, encouraged! I hail from a family of great cooks, homemakers, why would I sit and sleep all day! I cannot watch soaps for five minutes, watching movies I like, failing to concentrate since last year. Last year was whirlwind, I doubted if I would be able to get back to blogging again, was in mental trauma! I can't say Almighty forgot me; my meditation, chanting got me back in track, of course medications; alternative medicine doesn't suit us! Without belittling health professionals, their years of education, expertise, experience; I would want to say I have noticed if I don't listen to music meant for meditation while meditating, my blood pressure increases. Those of you who meditate can play those soft music, use headphone.

Each day few times I pray to keep myself well, I work towards it so I need no medical care as long as I live except for the routine check up every month, few medications. If I had been careful fifteen years back, I wouldn't have required even these. I wouldn't claim I do clean eating, I ain't a soup & salad kind of person!

The giant stuffed flatbread, date palm jaggery with puffed rice, the onion pakoras I had at Chola Mart opposite Indian Heritage Centre do not speak of a health consciousness being. I explore small outlets, chat with them, yesterday met a Bengali Young man from Kolkata, served me good lemon tea! This island's favourite chilled Jasmine tea I love, this sugar-free one I got from Prime supermarket!

Rajdhani Enterprise got me more of date palm jaggery, sour jujube, they turn brown under day light, heat, thereafter I am to make sweet pickle. I find out ways to remain engaged. Like before, I cannot claim to be happy loner, I needed people to talk last year; few responded, stood by me. I do not wish to bother them, unless required! Those who misbehaved, I do not wish to see their face, they need attend correction homes to learn behaviour.

I don't wish to bother anyone, if I can walk to places without panting, pain, I have gotten lot. I don't want to revisit people or places where I didn't feel loved, valued; to build a home we already adjust, outside of it we need to as much as required! To world, feelings, relationships are all part of gameplay, I can't relate to maximum in this world, vives do not match, loud behaviour irritates me, I keep myself open for those who stop, exchange pleasantry! Yet I minutely watch the surrounding, as long as my public activity goes on, I have to. My contribution to the public today is an easy, vegan, gluten-free potato bowl; let's name it MY STYLE DOSA ALOO MASALA FILLING. In maximum Southern Indian eateries, vegetarian potato stuffing doesn't match my tastebud; feels bland. I tried it my way, not only with dosa, I also used it to stuff paratha. We had it with SHORU CHAKLI, you can call it soft Bengali Dosa or Bengali Crepe! You may use it to stuff sandwich too.

INGREDIENTS :

POTATO : 2 BIG

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1TSP

CHOPPED COCONUT : 1 TBSP

RED CHILLI FLAKES : 1/4 TSP

CURRY LEAF : 5-6

CRUSHED SKINLESS ROASTED PEANUT : 2 TSP

BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 1/4 TSP

SKINLESS BLACK GRAM DAL / URAD DAL : 1/4 TSP

BENGAL GRAM DAL / CHANA DAL : 1/4 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

TURMERIC POWDER : 2-3 PINCH

OIL : 1 TBSP

This amount serves 3-4 heads!

PROCEDURE :

Boil potatoes, I boil in microwave! 

I prick with a fork all over washed potatoes, take them on microwave proof plate, microwave at low for 5-6 minutes. I allow them to cool, then mash.

Add salt & turmeric to mashed potatoes, mix well.

Warm oil in wok, add washed curry leaves, fry crisp at minimal heat, take out to use latter. Burnt curry leaves put me off more than my burnt skin.

Add rest of ingredients to hot oil except crushed roasted nuts, mashed potato, fried curry leaves. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes at minimal heat.

Add maximum of crushed roasted peanuts, fried curry leaves. Stir fry for half a minute, add mashed boiled potatoes. Stir cook at low heat for 7-8 minutes. We should be done!