PRESSURE COOKER MATTA RICE KHICHURI

 I HAVE FALLEN FOR THIS MATTA RICE VARIANT!

Few years back I got home this Matta rice grains that is cultivated in Kerala, loved it's taste. Most importantly, this rice grains being short length, round shaped & hard textured, we would feel fuller consuming less amount of it. Thereafter, I stopped getting it thinking I would eat only a cup of cooked rice every night, why to cook another variety separately for me? But in the past few months, some kind of   dissatisfaction was working inside me having the Basmati rice. I never enjoy my "dal & macher jhol" with Basmati rice. The man of this house wants only Basmati rice on his rice plate. The Barrackpore side of the family too eats Basmati. Earlier, in our younger days, Basmati rice was exclusive, was bought in our kind of middle class homes only for the fried rice, later for cooking biryani. Pulao always is done with the small grain, fragrant Gobindo Bhog variety of rice. In our home, some variants came from Assam too. After relocating to this island, I got to know about the brown, black, red rice varieties and many more of them. I wished to try getting each variety in turns but the man wouldn't eat. What is wrong in pampering the sole earning member in the family, given they do not ask for a lot? Pampering your children comes naturally & jointly in the parents. Arch feminists seem cruel to me, beating around the bush without getting to the core of the issue. I remember, the son did enjoy having fried rice made with the brown or red unpolished rice variants, Cristine too does. I used to cook a red or brown rice when the man travelled to the Malaysia. I stopped getting home different rice grain varieties after the son left home. What's the point crowding the small kitchen with edible stuffs unnecessarily? Also, we need to soak the Matta rice variant in water for few hours before slow cooking it. Keeping aside all the hesitations, I got it home few days back only for myself.

OF ALL THE GOPAL BHAR'S WIT & JOKES, I TOTALLY BELIEVE IN ONE OF HIS SAYING!

For the unversed, Gopal Bhar was one of the navaratnas at Raja Krishnachandra's court, the king of Krishnanagar, Nadia in the 18th century. I was born there, visited the palace every year, my early childhood memories are from that place only. Although, I was not given to read the booklets of Gopal Bhar's jokes, we grew up listening to them by default. One of his such story talks about the importance of the morning toilet rituals, that he told clearance of the bowel in the mornings is the most pleasant feeling for us. As a young girl of sixteen, with colours of romanticism shrouding my mind, the phrase might have irritated me. In our younger days, at sixteen; we day dreamed, blushed, smiled, lip synced our favourite numbers; toilet rituals were not in our thoughts. In the sunset of our lives, it is the most important thing, also there is a repent in my kinds of not studying well at the right time. And today, after few weeks my stored stomach waste got cleared too well. A feel good vive makes me happy & shining bright. This is the right kind of mood for me to go out somewhere but on Mondays, I wish to write a blogpost. The reason for this good bowel movement can be this matta rice mixed with Japanese greens, butternut squash, lentils. Of course greens help a constipated stomach and helps your mood get "furfurey". We indeed enjoyed both our lunch & dinner yesterday.

I am thoroughly enjoying my early morning walks these days. Also you get to see this just at the backside of your home. Nostalgia can be both good & bad for you. We have to control our thought process not to allow nostalgia affect us much. We cannot stop it visiting us at this age when we are almost done with our responsibilities. I do enjoy my present without much of an effort. I feel bad for those in suffering, a  little of guilt works inside knowing I hardly have any contribution getting here in a paradise of peace & security. But my intent is pretty clear, this island must give me a bit of earning to get me work for the needy.

My days are longer now but I do not get bored. Only tension is about the son staying far off. I wished to enrol to some online tuition platforms, do not know how to; they ask to deposit money, submit one teaching video. I do not like the complications involved. Cooking continues, even if is for the self.

It is that time of the year when the man would not carry his lunch box but have a breakfast and go. The problem is when to serve him a sweet, fruits, Bel er Shorbot then? He ate the leftover Khichuri today with a double egg omelette, would have dinner next.

WHAT IS PRESSURE COOKER MATTA RICE KHICHURI?

These days I want to evolve new recipes from the old thinking of these staying alone youngsters. They tend to eat out a lot. I am not against having outside food but that should not be a daily affair. For the past 3 & 1/2 years, mumma kept on warning the son about the consequences later in life, who listens to me? No one would believe that we do not exactly know what our son's diet is like. He eats cheese, bread, pasta, cornflakes, milk majorly, that we have seen. I am an Indian, I believe in the power of the "atta-bajra ruti" or a less spicy vegan, gluten-free rice, lentils, vegetables hotchpotch like this PRESSURE COOKER MATTA RICE KHICHURI over macaroni & cornflakes. My slogan is simple; eat fresh corns instead of cornflakes. To make this one pot vegetarian meal more nutritious and a symbol of integration, I have added butternut squash, Japanese Greens that look like pak choy, potato to the red Matta rice from Kerala. We had a fulfilling meal yesterday. You know our son grew up on such meals.

INGREDIENTS :

RED MATTA RICE : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

SPLIT SKINLESS MOONG BEAN : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

POTATO : 1 BIG

BUTTERNUT SQUASH : 200-250 GM[YOU CAN USE PUMPKIN]

JAPANESE GREENS]

TOMATO : 1 BIG

GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

DRY RED CHILLI : 1-2

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

CUMIN POWDER : 2 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

GINGER PASTE : 1 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1 TBSP [OPTIONAL] [I USE BROWN SUGAR]

OIL : 2 TBSP

A garnish of butter or ghee atop the finished dish takes it to another level.

PROCEDURE :

I am telling you this matta rice is good for relief from constipation, same are the Chinese & Japanese greens. But if you have a weaker stomach like mine, do not eat too much of greens. 

Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 2-3 hours. Wash & soak the lentils in enough water for an hour. Thereafter, take them together in a colander and let the water drain off. We need not dry them as in a pulao.

Cut the ends of the greens, wash well. Peel, cut, wash & cube the potatoes and butter nut squash. Wash & cut the tomatoes; wash & slit the green chillies.

Marinate the vegetables with some turmeric powder & salt just 10-15 minutes before adding them to the pressure cooker.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, temper with the halved dry red chillies, cumin seeds, bayleaf. Give a stir.

Add the strained, semi-dry rice & lentils, keep stirring at low heat for 7-8 minutes. 

Add the marinated vegetables, give a stir. Add the rest of the turmeric powder, salt, cumin+coriander powders, stir well and close tight the lid of the cooker.

Reduce the heat of the east stove to the minimal, wait until one whistle. Switch off the gas stove, let the lid open by itself. Add the sugar to the hatch-potch, stir. I have used brown sugar.

Serve hot with a choice of side. We must add ghee or butter to the khichuri before starting to eat.

BENGALI PUMPKIN LEAVES MOONG DAL

SINCE LAST NIGHT THE HEART IS WANTING TO BLOG ABOUT A RUSTIC BENGALI RECIPE!

That may be because I did not have dal / lentil curry at any of the two meals yesterday! Having lentils at meals is that important to me! As I always say the son grew up on lentil curries! Mixing the rice with Bengali style light lentil curries was the easiest way to feed him! There was a time when he took 2-3 hours to finish each meal, I say this without any exaggeration! Before & after his birth, his father took long leave & we had whole timers as caregivers to look after the son! I did not know how to feed the son until he was 2 1/2 years old!  The father and the young caregivers would feed him with a spoon, this mumma would massage him with oil, give him a shower, cook & mix his rice with the necessary sides & ask them to feed him! Actually, I stopped giving him Cerelac once he was 1 1/2 years old! I used to cook rice-lentils-vegetables hotch-potch for him in the day time, at night he ate rice-milk-banana! We were novice parents living in a 550 sq.ft. flat! The father still knew a lot because young children at the neighbourhood would often visit their home! Before marriage, I was busy in my own world, the mother never asked for help or teach me the basics of homemaking! Once the man went back to work & I could not adjust with the young caregivers, I took up the baton, first learnt to do everything required for the son by the time he was 2 1/2 years old! Without the help of both sides of my family, my part-time help Saraswati & her younger son Pratik, cleaner Dilip, I could not have made it! Nights after nights, the son did not sleep when he caught cold, he would cry all night & would not let me administer nosal drops! At times, I wanted some time for myself, would ask Pratik to come & play with him; the son would not let me go anywhere! Today, he does not require Mumma's help in any matter, I do not require this much of leisure!

OVER TWO DECADES PASSED OFF QUICK!

Feeling old has something to do with looking back constantly! During the Kolkata visits, on my way & back to Dakhsineshwar, I feel like dropping down at the old neighbourhood, meet the few known people, walk the lanes where the son took the little steps, would ride his maternal uncle's bike in that area & I feared to hell! If the son did not learn any sports, it is because of me! I carry a mental sickness with me, I was extra protective with my child, I did not let him be adventurous, I do not want him to be that ever! He has other better things to do in life! Be it in Shimla or Turkey or Europe, I did not let him / them to  take part in risky sports! There are museums, nature, mementoes to savour on a tour, the local food to top! If he or his father allow me, I would take several rounds of interview of the girl before officially getting her home! If I am gifting my child to her, she has to take care of my mental illness, she cannot take him to adventurous trips! In this messy state of mind; food & music keep me happy! Today, I have decided to go out for walk in the afternoon, ate excess of food in the past two days! It is better to write the blogpost, take shower, do the afternoon prayer, go out & eat, walk, come back & finish off with the blogpost, share! I am planning to visit the newly opened Malaysian-Indian Muslim stall for a dosa or an utthapam! Yesterday, we watched a Bengali series, had a fish curry & rice meal for lunch, homely jhalmuri is what we would have with our weekend tea / coffee! At night, I made those gola ruti / savoury Bengali pancakes!

WHAT IS THIS BENGALI PUMPKIN LEAVES MOONG DAL?

Lentil Curry is a staple for South Asian Homes, I can safely say this! I had always been a dal / lentil curry lover! Since my childhood, I would have dal-rice in the last lap of a meal even if there had hilsa fish or mutton in the menu! Until date, I do the same, my rice meals seem incomplete without a dal! Although I like other states of India's dal varieties, I love most the rustic Bengali lentil curries! The few varieties of Lentils a Bengali Home would stock are Masoor, Moong, Chana, Matar, Urad! After coming to this island, I was spellbound having discovered way more variety of lentils & beans at the Mustafa Centre! I feel like buying all at one go but doing that they get spoiled because we eat a lot of fish-meat-eggs, paneer & vegetables as well! At this stage in life, with the unavailability of the fresh water fish, I want more of lentils & fritters in my life! This particular dish, BENGALI PUMPKIN LEAVES MOONG DAL is a vegan & gluten-free curry with roasted split & skinless yellow moong bean! I used to grow pumpkin plants in the hedge for the leaves, to make fish wraps, dal, batter fries with the flowers! The curry was done back in 2019-2020! The plant was growing good until I tore off some leaves to prepare another family recipe "kechki mach er bora"! Thereafter, the growth retarded, the tiny space is also not congenial for such plants! I uprooted the plant & used the good leaves for this vegetarian lentil curry!

Few other Lentil Curry Recipes from the Blog are SHEEM MULO DHONEPATA DIYE MOONG DAL, PANCHMESHALI DAL, PALONG ER DAL !

INGREDIENTS :

SKINLESS & SPLIT MOONG BEAN LENTIL : 1 SMALL TEA CUP SIZE

FRESH PUMPKIN LEAVES : 7-8

GREEN CHILLI : 2-3 [SLITTED]

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3 [HALVED]

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1 TSP

GINGER PASTE : 1 TSP

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE : 

It is too important to dress & wash thoroughly the leaves before using them in our cooking! That I did!

We are to take the fresh, green leaves & discard the dry, yellow ones! We would thinly take out the fibres from the stems & cut them lengthwise, standard sized! 

We would roughly chop the selected leaves! They usually are big, in my tiny green space, they were not getting enough sunlight, hence were small!

We would wash them under running water quite a few times & keep aside!

I took the lentils in a cooker & roasted until golden brown, washed well!

I added 2-3 coffee mugs of water, a little of turmeric powder and salt! I gave a stir, closed tight the lid & cooked unto one whistle at the minimal heat! 

Better is to boil the lentils on the stovetop, you get a tastier curry!

Once the pressure cooker opened, I heated the oil in a wok & tempered it with the cumin seeds, dry red chillies, bay leaf!

I added the washed pumpkin leaves, gave a stir & added the boiled moong bean lentils!

I had set the heat at medium to high & let it come to boil! As it kept boiling, I added the slitted green chillies & the ginger paste, let boil for 3-4 minutes!

I added the sugar & let it boil for a minute or so! Bengali Dals / lentil curries are humble, easy to make! Though dal protein is heavy on your stomach, the way we make it, that is too light curries, it does no harm!

For us, dal comes alongside fish-meat-egg & paneer or vegetables, it is never the main item for a meal!

BENGALI CHATU MAKHA

 I SINCERELY WISHED TO BLOG ABOUT IT, TRUST ME!

And why not? It is essentially a part of my journey as a Bengali Blogger! Sattu / Chatu / Roasted Gram Flour had been a must have item in our family pantry! On days when the mother felt unwell & could not cook roti-prata, our breakfast was this recipe, that I would be sharing today! I indeed enjoyed it, still do! After relocating to this island, the diabetic me tried to eat it the other way quite popular in India; with salt, mustard oil, chopped green chillies & onions! I could not have it! Saying this, I do not intent to hurt the sentiments of those unfortunate daily wagers back in Kolkata whose staple was / is it! Near our college, there were a couple of such non-Bengali speaking daily wagers, who in the afternoon would sit & do the mixture, have it accompanied by a "lota" full of water! Also, on my way to & from school, I would see this, less because it was Bengali crowd there! I used to watch closely and couldn't just take the scene, it was tough! Even in the present day, the scene remains the same, I do not get to see as I hardly walk the streets of Kolkata in that manner! What I want to say is having malls after malls throughout the country is not development alone! But there is certainly a development because beggars are less seen in the roads; also it got hard to get house helps at a meagre amount! That means there have generated work better than working as a house help or begging on the roads! What it takes to betterment are a corruption free political set up, sincere hard working selves, population control! I hardly can do any good to the society, I do not wish to talk much on these topics! I eat, roam, relax, listen to few genres of music!

THAT IS WHAT WE ATE YESTERDAY!

It's being long I do not go out on a Sunday & get an outside lunch or dinner pack for us; actually for T as I keep eating outside! The reason is nothing but lethargy! Several requests of mine to go out together on a Sunday had been rejected! He enjoys his beer & whisky with peanuts & cheese respectively; more than outside food! I find it difficult to believe if this is the same person who took us to restaurants frequently during his holidays! No, the son's education is not demanding this amount of restrictions I can say! I do not wait for when he would, I go out alone and do what I enjoy! It is 3 pm now, at 4pm I would go out to eat my lunch, rest a bit & walk! Then I would come back, take a good shower, do the night prayer, blow the conch and finish off with the blogpost! T says because I cook a variety at home & quite good; he doesn't want to eat out regular! What we had for lunch & dinner yesterday are these :

There was a stale dough for one porota & I had! At night, I cooked luchi sans any amount of semolina in the dough! The dough got softer than required and I was finding it difficult to fry them! I think I enjoy a choice of fish over the lamb & mutton in this island! Tell me what to eat after an hour for a late lunch? I again went back to having dinner at 9:30pm-10pm! I felt it is too much of a hassle arranging dinner for myself at 6:30pm; eating before the bread earner at home is causing me discomfort, the family women never did! I have no contribution in the family expenses! We enjoy eating together, a little of chitchat that includes bullying me! If I sing, he calls me Pata Kumari; he calls my degrees fake, my physique that of an elephant! I do not take to the heart, he is an extremely honest & responsible person! Do not try his stunts on me! Every person is different and we deal with different person in different manner, at least I do! I did not like my mother-in-law literally throwing her half eaten fish on my plate, because I love fish bone & head! She had to understand that is showing disrespect to me! She saw me eating T's leftovers, but she had to understand she had to give me a lot of good vibes before expecting me to eat her leftovers! I would want to deal too carefully with my son's girl! I even offered him to get his present girlfriend if any, with him this summer! He is not agreeing to come before his graduation! I can understand his mind, I know he is sincere about his life at this time! Mumma finds out good activities for herself, she dances to Bombay Jayashri's "Zara Zara Behekta Hai", I am both Dia Mirza & R Madhavan fan! The islanders see me regular grooving with my headphone on! Neither Dia nor Maddy can pull a seductive number well, such innocent features they have! Come on, do not make out exact literal meanings of the lyrics of a song, we hum just for the love of it!

WHAT IS THIS BENGALI CHATU MAKHA?

As told, the mother kept chatu always in her pantry! It is roasted gram flour powder! You can say it is the Organic Bengali Protein Powder! The Bengali body builders' favourite drink was this powder added to water with a bit of jaggery or salt & lemon juice! It helps beat the summer heat! Even, in our family the young male cousins had the drinks! We did have exactly the powder this way with milk, banana, sugar, adding beaten rice & puffed rice to it! It is extremely filling and you must prepare it less for yourself! Once you have it you would not feel hungry for long hours! It is purely organic, gluten-free, if you use non-diary milk, it gets to be vegan too! Let us name it BENGALI CHATU MAKHA, one of my favourite breakfast item! At this point, I left for my first meal & walk! I had a banana paratha & onion paratha with teh-o-kosong! Such meals go against any weight loss program! That is why I am round!

I loved my meal except for that tomato sauce, I like a chilli infused sauce! Also, only on request they would add green chillies to the onion in the paratha! Now, I would go for my shower! I wished to share in the blog today something for those who would be fasting coming Thursday on the occasion of Neel Sashti! We keep fast for our child! Not only I  would fast for my son on Thursday; on Friday, the last day of the Bengali Calendar, we would prepare a ball with this powder, sugar, water mixture and place outside seeking blessings for the brother, asking for him a trouble free life! Actually, we are to place the food at the juncture where three roads meet, I would do in our ledge! If you are having it as a fasting food, skip adding the grains like puffed rice & beaten rice!

INGREDIENTS : 

SATTU / CHATU / ROASTED GRAM FLOUR POWDER OR BARLEY POWDER / JOB ER CHATU : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP CUP

BANANA : 1 OR 2 STANDARD SIZED

PUFFED RICE : A FISTFUL

BEATEN RICE : A FISTFUL

MILK : 1 1/2 COFFEE MUG [USE NON-DIARY MILK FOR A VEGAN VERSION]

SUGAR : 2-3 TSP [I USED BROWN SUGAR]

PROCEDURE :

I used this brand of chatu!

The Neogy family gave me before leaving for Abu Dhabi! My family also uses Barley Flour [Job er Chatu]!

Take the roasted gram flour in a bowl! 

Wash the puffed rice & beaten rice under running water taken in a colander, let all the water drain away! Add them to the chatu!

Mix well! Wash, peel & add the banana to the bowl & mash! Mix everything well!

Add the milk & sugar, fold in well & enjoy your breakfast meal! I would always use chilled milk for this!

If you are having it as a fast breaking meal; skip using the grains like puffed rice & beaten rice!

TOPA KUL DIYE MOTOR ER DAL

I THINK AFTER QUITE SOMETIME I AM BLOGGING ABOUT A FAMILY RECIPE!

And that cannot be otherwise but Bengali! We are a middle class Bengali family, of East Bengal origin to be precise and hence, we cook a variety with perhaps anything edible, may be we cook & make inedible stuffs edible? You can say, from our family kind of kitchens; there started using every part of a vegetable; peel to the seed to cook a recipe may be! There has in my phone's album a couple of such rustic recipes, of them four are with Kharkon pata, a different variety of yam leaves! If you ask my preference, these days I want to eat such meals like "dal, aloo bhaja, shutki mach er bhorta", "shukto, chuno mach er chocchori, dal", "pabda mach er jhal, dal, fulkopir bora", "chicken aloor patla jhol, aloo potoler dalna, ucche chocchori!" I can talk about 25-30 more of such combination of Bengali food! We must have ruti-porota-luchi on a regular basis! BTW, some of your beloved friends out there {or mother? haha} eats desi breads; you can gladly share in your space! They cannot make it is a different issue!

TODAY TOO I STARTED TO WRITE LATE!

It is my fault altogether! Until 2:30 pm, I was re-arranging the existing blogpost's pictures! All of a sudden, I felt I should not keep too much of workload for Cristine! I set the ladder & did the cleaning job! I changed the bed spreads & cleaned Cristine's room & toilet, washed her clothes, door curtain in the washing machine, hanged! Her door curtain holder fell on my head, I did not die! That made me eat a bit late than regular! And I ate uncountable number of those appe starting at 4:30 pm onwards, I was working & eating one! Cristine has to do a lot of ironing once back!

 

T is scolding me as to why I climbed the ladder in an empty home, we ask Cristine to do it in my presence! I am practicing, so I do not have any issue when we visit our son, that I can serve his home during the time of visit! Only that T hates doing any household chore & both my thumbs got injured, in fact both of our's since our visit to that land! My condition aggravated in the past one & half month! I feel good whilst engaged, else weird thoughts get hold of me! I am irritated, feels extremely violated! People who I loved & trusted blindly, actually manipulated me to serve their friendship, put on sell my emotions in an open market! I do not know if henceforth, I should arrange college group meets in our Kolkata Home at all, I think I should attend college meets if only they arrange it in an eatery; not in my place or at anyone's place in groups; individually I can attend! I love my friends but I should love myself too! I cannot let people use me! The day our son would call his college friends home & ask mumma to cook & feed them, allow her to share the pictures in public; mumma would get back to normal! For the childhood friends, and the few of the school friends left in Kolkata, things would remain as it is! Someone has to declare in public I am the best & closest of all friends the person ever had, then I would consider to facilitate the person's other friendships! I do not want to see that gang around, I enjoyed watching until I was a dumb! I am still dumb but my eyes got half opened! Do not get nonsensical testing my loyalty, I am loyal to myself alone! 

WHAT IS THIS TOPA KUL DIYE MOTOR ER DAL?

Motor Dal is Yellow Split Pea, looks similar to Toor Dal / Pigeon Pea, but not the same! Usually, Bengali families cook their sour lentils curry with this variety of pulses! Throughout the entire summer, my side of the family would cook sour curries! The use of Topa Kul / Sour Jujube in a lentil curry was rare, the mother mostly used elephant apple, raw mango, tamarind, dried raw mango  [amshi] slices! Sour Jujube was majorly used to prepare two to three varieties of achar / pickle! My brother, his wife do need sour lentils during the summer, I can have it throughout the summer! The son was brought up feeding dal & rice majorly! Even T, his mother, our deceased father; the non-dal lovers adores / adored a sour lentil curry! Why not share this vegan, gluten-free family, Bengali curry TOPA KUL DIYE MOTOR ER DAL that our mother cooked rarely when sour jujube was in season?

INGREDIENTS :

MOTOR ER DAL / YELLOW SPLIT PEA : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP

TOPA KUL / SOUR JUJUBE / BER : 6-8

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3 [HALVED]

BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAY LEAF : 1

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1 TSP

OIL : 2 TSP [I USE MUSTARD SEED]

PROCEDURE : 

Wash & smash the jujubes a bit, marinate with little salt & turmeric!

Wash the lentils & soak in hot water for an hour. Pressure cook at minimal heat up to 1 whistle adding two coffee mugs of water, 1/2 tsp turmeric & some salt! Let the lid open in it's own time! 

If you boil in a container, the dal / lentil curry would taste better! In that case it has to be soaked in hot water for 2-3 hours & simmered, half covered in minimal heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour!

In a wok, heat the oil & temper it with the black mustard seed, dry red chillies, give a stir! Add the boiled dal & give a stir! Let it boil for 6-8 minutes at medium heat! Do not forget to add 1 1/2 coffee mugs of water to the wok!

Thereafter, add the slitted green chillies & the smashed sour jujubes & let boil for 3-4 minutes! Then add the sugar, let boil for a minute, take down!

I do not remember if those were meat or fish croquettes, the other bowl has onion stalks & potato stir fry!

 

KHUDER CHAL DAL SHOBJI KHICHURI

WHY ON EARTH YOU HAD TO BUY KHUD / BROKEN RICE?

No one in the family asked me this question; because they do not know anything about the kitchen, neither bothered! I was asking myself why did I buy it? I do not even remember when exactly did I buy a packet of broken rice! In our families, we got broken rice as a waste while the rice grain bought was cleaned taking in a Kulo, a traditional Bengali item used as a home decor, for household work, in rituals! What is a waste for us was the major means of survival for the needy! Most of the time, our mother would give it away to our helpers! Even the ration shops would buy it from the middle-class households may be to sell it to those who needed! That broken rice can be eaten by the middle class people I knew after coming to this island! The Mustafa Centre proudly sells it, the South Indians uses broken rice in a couple of their recipes! As part of my food blogging journey, the recipes I saw made with it left me with the urge to buy it! I used one day in something and then forgot all about it! Because we are not used to having it, not much of interest did grow inside me surrounding it! Just like Dalda, I may not bring it again! But it cooks really quick!

WHAT WAS I DOING SINCE THE MORNING?

The workload is not too hard, what is annoying me is my inability to manage some time for a swim or walk! I am just stuck in my home, eating a lot and doing normal household works! My weight machine is not showing me any hope that can bring me a smile! How can one if they eat carbs & starch each & everyday? I cooked this hotchpotch, I cooked chirer polao / beaten rice pilaf this morning! The son never used to like the latter, I made it less! Now that he went to the college, I make it for us!

I have to eat everything that a diabetic is supposed to avoid! Then, why should I waste a container full of rice, it's the Goddess of Wealth for us! Also it is not that bad a thing! I am more interested about using it in a pudding! May be I would prepare an island style porridge / congee bowl too topped with fried ikanbilis, scrambled eggs! You can make good use of this broken rice, just that it feels extra at this home! Our helpers in our younger days were happy to get it, fed their children! I wish I could send few sacks full of it to the earthquake hit countries! This is why I do not waste food items, what I throw may be a requirement for the other to survive!

WHAT IS THIS KHUDER CHAL DAL SHOBJI  KHICHURI?

Not only Southern India, Bangladesh too uses it extensively I think!  Both the places are among the largest consumers of rice! Bengalis in West Bengal too eat rice, but there a middle class family's buying power is in the first place used buying a better quality, high priced rice! There broken rice / khuder chal remains a means for the poor! They say broken rice have higher amount of potassium that keeps good our cardiac health, also helps in weight loss! I do not buy these theories unless medical experts assures us of! I made a rice, mixed lentils & vegetables hotchpotch on a normal day! I see it is not an uncommon recipe! Below is the way how I cooked the vegan & gluten-free dish KHUDER CHAL ER SHOBJI KHICHURI in the easiest way, not a family recipe though!

INGREDIENTS :

BROKEN RICE / KHUDER CHAL : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

DE-HUSKED MOONG DAL : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP 

DE-HUSKED YELLOW SPLIT PEA DAL : 1/4 MEDIUM TEA CUP

CARROT CUBE : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP

POTATO CUBE : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP

GREEN PEA : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED TOMATO : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

CASHEW NUT : 7-8

RAISIN : 10-12

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

CUMIN POWDER : 1 1/2 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3 [HALVED]

BAYLEAF : 1-2

CINNAMON STICK : 2-3 ONE INCH PIECE

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

CLOVE : 3-4

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 2-3 TSP

OIL : 3-4 TBSP

GHEE OR BUTTER TO GARNISH [OPTIONAL]

PROCEDURE :

I have taken the broken rice, both the lentil varieties together in a deep bottomed vessel, washed few times, added enough water & put for boil! I half-covered it with a lid, kept the heat between low & minimal!

Meanwhile, I cut, washed got all of the required vegetables ready on the kitchen top! I would marinate them with salt & sugar only before starting to fry!

When the rice & lentils would start boiling, I added the tomato pieces, salt & most of the turmeric! I half covered again! If you cover full, water would spill!

In a wok, I heated the oil & fried some cashew nuts & raisins at minimal heat, took them out to use later!

I tempered the same oil with the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms & cloves! 

I marinated the potato & carrot pieces with a bit of salt & turmeric! I gave a stir & added the vegetables, folded in well! I had let them cook well at the minimal heat!

Once the rice & lentils was done, I switched off the burner! The yellow split pea lentil would be half done & thats the way it should be!

Once the potato & carrots are done, I added the green peas, gave a stir! Thereafter, I added the slitted & washed green chillies, dry red chillies[should have added them in the tempering]!

I stir fried for 2-3 minutes & added them to the boiled hotchpotch, folded in well! I added the spice powders & sugar, adjust the salt if only required! 

I switched on the burner, added the fried cashew nuts & raisins, folded in well & cooked for a minute or two in the minimal heat!

Serve & have it hot with your choice of vegetables, fried fish, omelette, the list can be bigger!