MACARONI POTATO FRUITS MEDLEY

 

Our festival in Autumn doesn't call for pasta salad! As life advanced, we became part of world community, we proudly say, " world is our home"! I think starting to blog, I made friends every corner of world! With many I have lost contact, in virtual & real world. I believe we haven't, we are calls away. I chatted with virtual friends from blogging world. Post Covid, there was silence from some. I still think of them, wish they are fine. I ain't comfortable vanishing from scenario all of a sudden. At least, if they could leave a message or their family! I am indeed proud of having concerned heart, if only it was appreciated.

Anyway, this year I am not eager about sharing Bengali delicacies for the occasion. I have lot of such recipes in blog, others keep sharing is a reason. Major reason is I don't enjoy cooking thick meat, fish curries, can't digest either. Yet, I would share appropriate recipes nearer to our festivals. What is "appropriate?" I remember, one such October, we; I, man, friend Joy were seated at ONE STEP UP 1 am in morning during festival, it doesn't sell Bengali Food. On such days, our little monster stayed with grandparents. I don't enjoy dishes having lot of cheese, milk, spices, sauces. Many dishes outside of my community, culture I simply adore.

I choose to have what I enjoy! Lo Mai Gai, watermelon I find healthy afternoon meal. I eat brunch, not breakfast, meal between brunch and dinner needs to be light. A vegetable steamed bun I regular have. The 3$ coffee-ice cream treat at Buskin Robbins you must avail, I loved caramel coffee ice cream but got wind, acidity. Choice of chilled fruits is my anytime pleasure.

What I eat at home hardly have variations. Call me less of Bengali, but flatbreads, veg & egg maki, Lo Mai Gai, upma, idli makes me happier than fish, meat curries these days. It can be because of staying abroad for long, aging may be reason. My digestive system got weaker. Men, Women are conquering world, whilst I get headache with little change in routine. My disappointment would get pointed towards parents. Thats when Man would scold, says only we are responsible for making or spoil our lives. Son seems oblivious about whats going on within family. I am to be blamed, I didn't let him involve, be bothered. Now I want him to behave normal, communicate with us. This recipe is for him, his friends to make for themselves! I wanted to do fun cooking with him when he almost kept one foot outside of home. New moms, take initiatives early, spend as much as good time with kids, one day they would fly, you would think of them while making drumlet snacks.

I am not kind of mother who would hold back kids home or go against their wish. When its time to let them go, we have to. I pray he stays safe & secured in a world thats becoming impatient, violent with each passing day. Also leaving home doesn't mean cutting off ties, yearly once or twice if we could spend time together! Just hoping for better days, also living life meaningfully, cooking, writing, having music in soul, talking to Almighty, meeting friends too. 

Son dislikes "ghugni" but I do cook. Today's pasta salad, MACARONI POTATO FRUIT MEDLEY I made tasted great! It is vegetarian. To make it vegan, gluten-free, use olive oil instead of butter, buy gluten-free macaroni! I used pineapple, muscat, pomegranate, choose your's! Not using potato, onion would alter taste that I wished to serve you. It takes 30-40 minutes making it. I don't know if it would get slimmer you or not, its more or less clean eating if you don't start calculating carb:protein:fat, this & that, you can't live life depending entirely on greens, chunks of meat, fish, eggs, soups. That isn't happiness. Come try my wholewheat & refined flour porota / paratha!

Yesterday, I made vegan, gluten-free cake, sheer khurma, I would talk about it and some more in public, may be tomorrow! We must remain active some way or other!

Few more recipes from blog follows,

SPICED BROWN RICE PATTIES, BAEL FRUIT PARFAIT, VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE KOKI, EASY CRANBERRY CUP

INGREDIENTS :

MACARONI : 50 GM [YOU MAY USE ANY PASTA VARIETY]

POTATO : 1 MEDIUM SIZED

ONION : 1 SMALL SIZED

GREEN CHILLI : 1

FRESH CORIANDER : A SPRIG

GRAPE : 4-5

POMEGRANATE : A HANDFUL

PINEAPPLE CUBE : 1/2 COFFEE MUG 

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/4 TSP

CHAAT MASALA : 1/2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 2 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

BUTTER : 1 TSP

PROCEDURE : 

Wash, peel, cut, boil potato in enough water, drain water once done. Cube potato smaller.

Boil pasta in enough water adding salt, few drops of oil. Drain water once done al-dente!

Peel, wash, chop pineapple. 

Chop, wash green chilli, grapes. Wash pomegranate.

Assemble everything together in bowl, add salt!

Chop, wash fresh coriander.

Refrigerate to chill for an hour or two. Take out, add lemon juice, melted butter, chaat masala! Mix well, enjoy chilled!

DESI MANCHURIAN CUTLETS

4:13PM it is, wasted an hour trying to make vegan, gluten-free, instant dosa; both I, Cristine gave up, having store bought flatbread with fresh coriander-chilli-peanut-coconut-salt chutney I made! I wished to finish blogpost at decent hour, can't.

Being believer of zero waste, I added semolina, ghee to dosa mixture, cooked to get a dough. Once I finish writing post, would try kebabs. My man isn't "dal kebab" kind, accuses me of cheating. These days, I get tired quickly or is it about weather? This island's heat too seems hot to me; who else would let me sit by quiet sea, a segregated place without "browsing" my bare legs, low neckline, then conclude"bad woman"! I dislike rigidity, don't want staying imprisoned, neither want daughter-in-law to stay, become vulnerable! Not hitting males, women too criticise. As boy's mother, I have long stopped saying"men would be men", instead say,"protect mumma's pride about you, don't objectify women"! Son is our love, who may have multiple partners, but one at a time. "Mumma says its natural to fantasise males, females, not right to abuse either mentally, physically! Because female abuse is more than males, we are vocal about female issues. We need address issues like throwing female foetus into wells, taking dowry! Are these any way marker of educated selves? It takes few to initiate protest, no one does! What do we talk about so much? Set the wrong right first! 

We cannot be flawless! Instead of pleading innocence there has to have discussions, open-mindedness to rectify our faults, else society rots! I won't blabber much today! My fingers are paining, don't know why! I had that big flatbread, fear groped, in morning I had vermicelli upma! Given my preferences, I can't take more protein, less carbs. Too much of protein isn't good for kidney health. However, I never scored more than 58 in Biology of the total of 5 years I studied.

Yesterday, at Woodleigh Mall, I loved my meal at this stall, variety of mini bowls served with choice of rice. I enjoyed boneless chicken with probably Sichuan peppers. A bowlful of plain rice is 50 cents, I asked for 1/4th amount of rice! We have to respect other's labour. I felt happy to see Popeyes shifted to upper floor of mall, I thought its gone. I must declare this in public, I can't spread wrong information!

Coming Monday, I would skip fasting glucose self check, this entire week ate sweets. A diabetic having "muri-narkol-laddu" doesn't speak of sanity. That liberty we may take unless in entertainment industry, have continuous heightened blood sugar level. Again from next week, I would check. Come on, we ain't robots. Making sweets at home uses less amount of sugar, jaggery, my experience says blood sugar spike is less in that case!

I wouldn't ask about quality of clicks, I aim, shoot, hardly learn. Its for pleasure, not sincere learner!

For years I see around how vegetarians make Manchurian Balls dipped in sauce, never tried, don't live with vegetable lovers. I have doubt if Manchuria makes it. Singapore tags food vegetarian having egg. I had bell peppers, cabbage, made DESI MANCHURIAN CUTLETS! Its vegan, gluten-free! Manchuria knows about it or not, I enjoyed process of making a vegetarian snack. Had I made sweet and sour Manchurian Balls, I had to prepare sauce, make noodles on side. You may try it on stovetop, oven.

 INGREDIENTS : 

RED BELL PEPPER : 1/2

GREEN CAPSICUM : 1

CABBAGE : 1/2 OF SMALL SIZED

ONION : 1 BIG SIZED

GARLIC : 2 CLOVES

GREEN CHILLI : 1

FRESH CORIANDER : 2 SPRIGS

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP

TOMATO KETCHUP : 1 TBSP

SOY SAUCE : 2 TSP

RICE FLOUR : 1 TBSP

CORN FLOUR : 1 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TSP+2-3 DROPS TO GREASE PLATE[IF DOING ON STOVETOP, YOU MAY NEED 3-4 TBSP OIL TO SHALLOW FRY]

PROCEDURE :

Wash, roughly chop cabbage, pulse, chop further taken in blender or mincer. Squeeze out water taken in clean piece of white cloth! Take in bowl.

Wash bell peppers, onion, garlic cloves, green chillies; pulse together in blender or use mincer to coarsely chop. Squeeze out water taken in clean piece of white cloth! Take in cabbage bowl.

Add rice flour, corn flour, crushed black pepper, salt, tomato ketchup, oil; give it a good mix.

Shape into cutlets! I shaped one, Cristine did rest!

I greased an oven-proof plate with oil, placed cutlets, brushed with oil. I placed bake stand inside, plate on top.

I cooked them at grill+combination mode, one side for 20-21 minutes, turned over, brushed with oil, cooked for 5-6 minutes.

Serve, enjoy hot, fresh with choice of sauce, I kept homemade Bengali style chilli-mustard sauce on side. 

Note, it would remain crisp only for 30-40 minutes.

EASY OVEN COOKED BRITTLE

It's been years I have stopped writing blogposts this late, today I had been busy. A blogpost needs pictures be arranged which takes time. I ain't organised anymore. Lets pause, breathe, inhale peace, spread happiness, reach out. This morning I had to visit doctor's chamber, felt good meeting one wannabe doctor, noting down conversation between doctor & patient(s). My note would always be "make your teachers & parents proud, partner happy!" Duke-NUS Medical School is breather for the students whose entrance exam day wasn't lucky enough to get admission in NUS Medicine. Its natural, a single day of performance doesn't prove capabilities. Kids' aspirations be given chance. Also for certain specialised fields, entrance exams should be stringent, life & death is associated.

Who said I am calculative, that I wouldn't care unless my man & son are benefitted? I have good things to say about this island, but PSLE isn't necessary. Because we ain't Singaporean, neither PR, we need not interfere much. I would have good things to speak about world's safest island long after we leave, late is better! I would weep, for couple of reasons. Humans are built to accommodate tough situations! At times our zeal for life amazes me, how we love life. Thats the way it should be! I dislike when they say, ahh! we got old, whats left in life? I don't want even my own saying this. May be because I don't have to earn for living, I romanticise with life! I have seen some in family full of life, being active, enjoying every activity they did, do! I don't have their energy but keep going, we must!

Out of doctor's chamber, I had fabulous idli at one 24/7 joint, Hougang Avenue1, around 12 pm. Thereafter buying flowers, this, that shopping for Janmashtami took time. Around 3:45 pm reached home with short bread cookies, waffle biscuit. I wouldn't buy big packs, sweet stuffs cause blood sugar spike, Cristine does strict diet, man wouldn't touch, son stays far! A quick shower, afternoon prayer, bowl of mango post 5pm was soothing. On days I need to go out in morning, Cristine does morning prayer, she could refuse, she obliges instead. The kopi was too sweet. I loved the cucumber, pickled radish maki at Umisushi, the green tea I have regular. If in Singapore, try food at The Soup Spoon, you would enjoy!

                     

 Tell me, after all these activities, do I have time for feud, whats the purpose? I keep distance, fearing hurt, I am sensitive! Meeting people here, there, small talks seem therapeutic. If home calls dearly, we are safe! If feeling unwanted, it's time to leave, not easy task! In marriage, romanticism sidelines; friendship, responsibilities take over. If that has cracks, say goodbye, amicably settle, start afresh, kids needn't suffer. I happily bake chicken kebabs means I still have hunger for this home, I am required!

Home cooked food is comfort. Nothing new to say about it, we repeat!

 I do have brittle recipes in blog, this vegan, gluten-free EASY OVEN COOKED BRITTLE lets offer God on Janmashtami Celebrations. The vegetarian, oil-free snack was done in microwave mode. It was hard, not sticky. I got skeptical, unwilling to share recipe in blog, Cristine insisted I share. She said its tasting good, go ahead maam. I too liked, it wasn't sticky enough was my concern. Why do jaggery has sugar mixed in it I don't get or am I over cooking jaggery? The man wouldn't comment, if he eats I understand food felt decent in his mouth, good enough. Son has good career to make, mumma needs to pray for his safety, security, success. Only if he cooked his own food.

INGREDIENTS :

OATS : 1/2 A COFFEE MUG

WHITE SESAME SEED : 2 TBSP

BLACK SESAME SEED : 1 TBSP

CHOPPED FRESH COCONUT : 2 TBSP

CRUSHED WALNUT : 2 TSP

JAGGERY : 2TBSP DATE PALM JAGGERY + 1TBSP SUGARCANE JAGGERY

PROCEDURE :

Take oats in bowl, microwave at minimal heat for 2 minutes, pause, stir every minute.

Crush & take walnuts in a bowl, microwave at minimal for 30 seconds.

Take both varieties of sesame seeds in bowl, microwave at minimal for 2-3 minute, pause, give it a mix every minute.

Chop, wash coconut, microwave at minimal for 3-4 minute, pause, stir every minute. Cristine chopped for me!

Melt both jaggery taken together in bowl, stir, microwave at minimal heat for 1 & 1/2 minutes. Take out.

Mix each ingredients one by one. 

You better add oats little at a time, I think I should have done that.

Turn mixture onto baking sheet or plate, Cristine did the setting job!

Once cool, cut with knife or break with hands!