CHILLI AVOCADO BHARTA

I MUST SAY OUR TASTEBUDS KEEP CHANGING! 

I did not even imagine few years back that I would ever enjoy having an avocado. I remember how I made fun about it on my social media posts. Guava still remains my preference over an Avocado. But I must admit I do enjoy an avocado these days, I even thought of throwing a seed in one of my tubs. Some day, I may prepare kebabs out of it. With two ovens in hand, I enjoy grilling and baking! The thing is the chefs and the Muslim world may not approve of my kebabs. My point of a debate and argument with them can be this that in the process, I use way less amount of oil! That is important, consuming less of oil. However, I dislike arguments, any noise in fact. I cannot cook oil-free stuffs, food without the right taste is not for me! I am trying to use less of oil & sugar in my cooking. I may not go sugar-free but after I am done with the blog updates, sweets would be done at low frequency at this home. I must do them during the date palm jaggery season, "pithe-puli" making season, on the occasion of the special prayer meets at home. I mean, once or twice a month, desserts & sweets I have to make. I cannot stop taking pride in my cooking abilities & interest altogether and start cooking minimal, be on the phone, chat unlimited, sleep or watch television all day! I do not even work, at least I should adapt to some healthy habits. I have started going for walks early morning, all the local school students reach the school before the sunrise, their school starts at 7 am. 

I think I am in that stage in life where we get caught up in the memory and nostalgia every now and then. Aging makes you miss the young you, accepting the greying procedure is not easy. Amidst this, the son's academic moves, some good watches on the OTT Platforms surely get us pleasure.

YESTERDAY WAS A SUNDAY I DID NOT COOK ANYTHING!

Not only we were watching an interesting thriller, a prequel; I also wished to have and serve the man the dried fish & eggplant bharta. Okay, I did grill the two giant chicken leg pieces for our lunch yesterday, the marination was the simplest; mixed Italian herbs, a seasoning mix, crushed black pepper, salt, oil.

The thing is all of the dried fish lovers would agree with me when there is a dried fish item on the plate, we do not want anything else, not even mutton, Hilsa. Dried Fish has an unique taste, it has an overpowering effect on the tongue that makes everything else on the plate seem bland. Instead of the meaty chicken leg, a light chicken curry on bone or some pakoras with the dal would have suited me. If there is no choice of fish available to me, I would prefer boneless chicken pakora, kebab, breaded fish fries, egg "paturi" or "chop" on our plates! Anyway, I would prefer a veg pakora over an egg pakora. Cooking a choice of vegetable bowl is not an issue, we get here all of the vegetables cooked in Bengali Homes. Last night, we had butter toasts with the lobia-minced chicken curry.

On a Saturday and Sunday, I keep eating snacks in between the meals. The stubborn fat layers in my body are not at fault. The amount of hard work and dieting a body requires to get fit and fab, I cannot ever do. I get tired after a 6 km walk, mindful eating is not my thing. I only can follow certain healthy rules, like cooking idli and dosa with an oats, urad dal, beaten rice batter.

Then that cream cheese filled toast I got from the local bakery cannot be low caloric, yum but!

WHAT IS THIS CHILLI AVOCADO BHARTA?

Avocado is something I am interested about these days. Although, it cannot take a place in my favourite fruit recipes. Neither I can eat it as a dessert in milk as they eat it in Philippines, as Cristine says. Yet, I have to admit I do not find it lame anymore. Though tasteless, I have seen I enjoy few dishes with it, like preparing a no-cook dip or chutney in addition to fresh chopped coriander or it's paste, green chilli, onion & few other spices. I do not know why I chose this recipe with Avocado to be in the blog, may be I wanted this Bengali style bharta with Avocado fruit to stay documented and spread among people like wild fire. Leave it, the simple reason is I loved having this vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian Bengali mash, chutney, condiment, side dish; CHILLI AVOCADO BHARTA, hence documented it. It is a healthy dish if you can excuse the amount of oil drizzled on the top. No exaggeration, I enjoyed a vegetarian meal with it in the forefront on that day.

I cooked the platter on the 18th of December, 2023. I would want to convey a message to our son and his likes that this spiced up avocado mash takes way less time to prepare than a cheese filled sandwich. Skip the mustard oil and use it on a toast instead of cheese daily or have it with rice like us, boil aloo & lentils, egg.

Some usual mash recipes from a Bengali Kitchen you may want to try can be these; LOTEY SHUTKIR BHARTA, GATHI KOCHU CHINGRIR BHARTA, BENGALI ROASTED EGGPLANT MASH & PEANUT MINT CHUTNEY

INGREDIENTS :

AVOCADO : 2-3 [60-70% RIPE]

SLICED ONION : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED ONION : 1 TSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3

NIGELLA SEED / KALONJI / KALOJEERE : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1 SMALL SIZED

SALT : AS REQUIRED

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4 TSP [OPTIONAL]

LEMON JUICE : 2 TSP

OIL : 1 TBSP + 1 TBSP [I USED MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Wash the avocado fruits well, discard the seeds and skins. Mash with a fork taking in a bowl. Earlier, I did the mistake of using a blender. Cristine taught me a lot about an avocado.

Thereafter, Cristine peeled, washed & sliced the onions, chopped and washed the green chillies and a onion too.

Then, I heated 1 tbsp oil in a small sized pan, tempered it with a bayleaf, nigella seeds & the red chillies. I gave a stir and added the sliced onions to it.

I got fried the onions until light brown, added the turmeric and salt, gave a stir.

I poured them in a bowl along with the tempered oil. I had mashed the fried red chillies and onions a bit, added to the mashed avocado and folded in well.

In the next round, I added the chopped onion and chillies, lemon juice; folded in well. 

Then I drizzled some raw mustard oil on the top and we enjoyed it fresh with steamed rice, it can be had with roti I believe. 

If we refrigerate it, the colour darkens. I think we need not worry, the inside remains the same green. Students of Botany, Chemistry may know the reason.

SPICY SESAME DIP

I HAD A RELAXING SWIMMING SESSION SOMETIME BACK!

That I did after spending almost an entire day! As I said, I do not know what I do since the morning until past noon! Actually, it is the updates of the old blogposts that keep me busy! The exercise of cooking from my blog & clicking way better than before gives me a sense of pleasure, satisfaction that can equate a romantic entourage of meeting your ex after many moons! Well, my beloved son, man, family, friends, the rest may be reading this but truth is always the right path, it keeps complications at bay! On this day, I refuse to get stuck & brood, I have so much to do! I want to cook & cook more; be a caring aunty to the kids staying here all by themselves, I want to click food & tread to different directions within the island; all alone, click nature & my self amidst it! I had a happier swimming session down below because I met coach Joe, a friend who I respect! He scolded me for not swimming as per rules! I went down as late as 5 pm, hence he was there with the kids! The coaches start coming around 3-3:30 pm! I try to finish off by 4pm because the kids not only learn, they enjoy jumping & playing around! I believe we should give way to the younger generation, I only expect them to be respectful towards their elders! The son was too well behaved in school or towards our friends but would always howl at mumma, does even at Babai if he bothers him much! He went after his father; you get ultimate freedom in their association but you cannot bother them by any means! I do not know if the son was equally well behaved in the high school here, some of his teacher told he is too quiet, he would not want to take part in discussions! In his urge to go to that country, he lost interest here in the 11th & 12th standards! How he picked up from a no grade in Computer Science to an A grade within two semesters is commendable indeed! In Business Administration, he is doing good from the beginning, we are looking forward to his April's grades! 

I ATE "JHALMURI" RIGHT AT 6:18 PM TODAY!

I am sure I would not have any discomfort in the stomach for having it! Homemade is safer; I added "chanachur" & mustard oil in moderation! Also you should eat when hunger sets in & keep some space in the stomach once you finish! Over eating has caused me the maximum stomach ailment, to over eat is a mental disease!

Ask me, what are those two balls? Those are "Roshbora"; a vegan, gluten-free dessert, my blogpost got updated! I think they required to be fried more! If in the morning I had lemon grass infused sugar-free tea, that is black, sugar-free kopi I was having in the evening! Yesterday, we had such a soul satisfying lunch with "echor er dalna, katla mach er kalia, mushurir dal tomato diye"! Some two weeks back, I got in hand that fabulous quality & tasted Bengal Carp, I still have some uncooked pieces! The problem is we do not get this good tasted regular here!

Yesterday afternoon, all of a sudden I felt the smell of a fresh focaccia bread is engulfing my senses! I never have made a focaccia bread, may be tasted it rarely here in a cafeteria! I thought I must try something similar, and below was our dinner last night! We thoroughly enjoyed it; the bread tasted like a focaccia, though not exactly it was it! Many of you know how beautiful the smell & taste of a freshly made bread is! It was crisp on the top & soft textured; the flavour was from the Italian herb mix I sprinkled on the top! The salad I like is the simplest; tomato tossed in salt & pepper!

When I am not cooking, my headphone is plugged in! I love being submerged in music; of my choice!

WHAT IS THIS SPICY SESAME DIP?

This was exactly on my mind to go with the fresh bread last night! T does not eat salad, but in a restaurant he would at times! I think today's is the simplest recipe I would be updating in the blog & it tasted truly good! It is neither a Tahini Sauce or a Korean Sesame Sauce or a Japanese Goma Dare! You may say when a Bengali fails to get a "posto bata" on the plate, he or she would go to this extent of making a "til-lanka-peyaz bata" & give it a coverage of dip, call it SPICY SESAME DIP! It is vegan & gluten-free & almost no-cook except for the roasting of the seeds & whole spices part! If it was with a freshly baked bread last night, it would definitely be with piping hot steamed rice tomorrow! Please do not get confused with the stepwise pictures, later I felt I need more of chillies & a clove of garlic to make it perfect; hence! Okay, the rustic I am, a mustard oil would suited me in the garnish more than the olive oil!

INGREDIENTS :

WHITE SESAME SEED : 50 GM

PEANUT : 1 TBSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3

GREEN CHILLI : 4-5 [ADJUST YOUR'S]

GARLIC CLOVE : 1 OR 2

ONION : 1

SALT : 1/4 TSP

OLIVE OIL : 1 TBSP TO GARNISH

PROCEDURE :

In a dry wok; toast the white sesame seeds, skinless peanuts, dry red chillies at low heat for 4-5 minutes! Be careful, they need not burn!

Once cool, take them in a strainer & wash; transfer to a blender! To it, add 3-4-5 green chillies, peeled & washed onion cubes, peeled & washed clove of garlic, 1/2 small tea cup of water!

Blend to a fine paste, pausing & scrapping the sides in between! Transfer to a serving bowl & garnish with the olive oil!

It would go with various kinds of fresh, warm breads! A desi soul would like it with piping hot steamed rice too!

BHAJA MOSHLA DATES TAMARIND CHUTNEY

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHUTNEY & SAUCE; I DID NOT KNOW; NEITHER DID I EVER BOTHER!

Just out of curiosity, I roughly searched about it and see sauce is a smoother version of chutney! Ketchup is a smooth but thicker version of sauce made with tomato mainly! And I read; at times, they use pumpkin too in tomato sauce! See, I burst into laughter reading it; it reminds me of that commercial; "ketchup hota kaddu bhara!" I again search and remember it was the Volfarm's Tomato Ketchup Ad! These days, I try to prepare SAUCES / CHUTNEYS / ACHAR at home.What I wonder is how do some companies offer sauces & ketchup at a price as less as 2$. If I am doing a CONDIMENT with TOMATO & CHILLIES, there is no way I can prepare a 200-250gm of it in anything less than 5$ to 6$ of costing charge! Because, I am a miser and end up buying a 2$ worth bottle of sauce keeping aside the one that is worth 5$; I find it a better option to prepare them at home. Doing them at home, I know the ingredients I use. 

THE BENEFITS OF HOMEMADE CHUTNEY; SAUCES; ACHAR!

In our family; INDIAN PICKLE; that is ACHAR was always homemade; quite a few varieties and in every season. Achar was never a store bought affair because the normal provision stores did not sell the typical Bengali kind of pickles; the sweet ones. Even if they were rarely found, the kind of family I hail from would not buy something, they knew they could prepare at home. I remotely remember, tomato sauces were also made, but seldom. I had never tried them in my home until a year or two back. I repeat, it is a better idea to prepare your own sauces at home; you know what ingredients you are using; of which amount; the use of sugar in it is controlled!The required ingredients are really less in number. Trust me, only vinegar can increase their shelf life and help keep them edible for a stipulated time period! May be big production houses need stronger preservatives for a longer shelf life of their products. If my sniffing power is too high, it's my problem!

DATES TAMARIND CHUTNEY; A CONDIMENT; MADE SPICY! COURTESY; BENGALI BHAJA MOSHLA

A few of my food blogger friends have the recipe of the original Dates Tamarind Chutney in their blog; many who I do not know also have it. I always had been following an Indian MasterChef's recipe of it for the past few years, the person is no more in this world! If I am not taking my friends' names, I may not take the deceased person's name either! Today, I do not need to either; this recipe of BHAJA MOSHLA DATES TAMARIND CHUTNEY was done without consulting any recipe. But yes; the basic idea was sourced from around when I did it for the first time; I did not use to even buy a Dates Tamarind Chutney whilst my stay in Kolkata! BENGALI BHAJA MOSHLA, in our family usually requires DRY RED CHILLIES, CUMIN SEEDS, CORIANDER SEEDS! At times, I saw BENGALI FIVE SPICES & DRY RED CHILLIES been roasted together and used as seasoning to enhance the taste of homemade pickles! Bengali Chutneys are an altogether different from what the Southern Indians have, those we call "batabuti"! I love those too! These days; I love, explore, cook a variety; serve on the family's plate what they like; rest goes inside me! Now, I will break my fast with three porota with egg curry & dal. Yesterday night, we got our dinner from the Subway; the lunch was with "koi maach er jhol", totally loved! Our help does not eat at home on Sundays; the child is stationed far off!

So, now you know why CONDIMENTS are necessary in my life; I keep eating all day, I need them. But three flatbreads are causing me discomfort! The help offered, I ate out of hunger and now feels overeaten!

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE BENGALI SPICE MIX]

WHOLE CUMIN SEED : 1 TSP

WHOLE CORIANDER SEED : 1 TSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 3-4

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE CHUTNEY / SAUCE]

THE DRY ROASTED & GROUND BENGALI SPICE MIX

TAMARIND : 200-250GM

DATES : 12-15

SUGAR : 2 TBSP

SALT : A PINCH OR TWO

VINEGAR : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE : 

While preparing a condiment; like achar or sauce at home, we should try to use less amount of water. More use of water seem to lessen their shelf life, may be because we are not using any stronger preservative. 

We will soak the tamarind in 1/3 coffee mug of water, mix both well!

We will keep it to rest for about 15-20 minutes! Then strain it well. 

We have washed the dates and soaked them in water for 1/2 an hour. We have de-seeded them.

We will take the vinegar, tamarind pulp, dates, sugar in a blender and blend well for 2-3 minutes; pausing every minute!

For the Bhaja Moshola / Dry Roasted and Ground Spices, we will roast the three ingredients at minimal heat for 2-3 minutes.

We will take the dates-tamarind chutney / sauce in a bowl and add the dry roasted and ground spices to it! 

We will fold in very well. We will let it cool very well. Blending generates heat, let it go before you pour it in a sterilised jar; preferably a glass one!

I usually keep the bottles refrigerated to be on a safer side! You should too, I cannot guarantee how long can they survive without refrigeration!

 

DOI BEGUN ER DIP

See, I cooked this VEGETARIAN PLATTER sometime last June and finally getting it to the Blog today. Of late, this kind of meals caught my fancy; Most of the days, we like simple meals on the table. I am very eager to share the very Bengali family vegetarian dishes, a dish with minced chicken I cooked recently and so enjoyed, a not at all family recipe with broccoli. Oh! Yes! we eat broccoli these days but I have to cook it my way to be able to have it; I do have a good recipe with it. I should have shared this recipe with EGGPLANT and YOGURT  a month or two back when it was a warm weather in our homeland or in the land our son is living as a student. After all, this is a COLD VEGETARIAN DIP needing to be enjoyed with any kind of bread. My own would like this CHUTNEY, DIP, SAUCE; DOI BEGUN ER DIP with any kind of bread I would prepare for them; we may not want it with cracker biscuits; you can.

Look at the sky, anytime there will be a downpour. It rains here all the year; October to February is the rainy season.

I also got hyper sensitive; what causes a heavy downpour inside, what makes me angry like hell, what irritates me; I have no idea. All my life, I had been irrational and short of brain; just half an hour back, I deleted my Youtube Channel; what made me do so, I do not know. But I wanted to get rid of it at this time, I did. It did not have any great content; yet it hurts to get away with anything that is your's. If ever I feel I can fill my channel with meaningful recipe and gardening videos, I will create an account. Until then, I will keep sharing any stupid video I make, on my promotional profiles. Isn't that a good idea? Please, say yes silently, in your mind, if you are reading this. Some people will know why I did so, what causes me irritation, pain; my biggest problem is I cannot let go; but I can get my wounded heart refurbished with food.

I keep eating in the eight hours window, to keep my spirits up. What else to do all day? The man loves to stay in office, there is an amounting pressure worrying about the son who has to spend a cold, snow clad winter sitting in his hostel room, no X-Mas, no New-Year Celebration for him; we usually stay in Kolkata during this time of the year. Not everything is perfectly hale and hearty in the Kolkata Chapter either; deleting a defunct YouTube Channel is not a big deal in this scenario. Rest, about the burns that pushes me to get whimsical? I will just get a Mac's Strawberry Sunday to nurse it, done!

After I am done with sharing this RECIPE in the blog and in public forums, this VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE, OIL-FREE SIDE DISH; DOI BEGUN ER DIP, I will take up a cooking project based on something I ate and loved in an eatery last week. Mine will be a non-vegetarian take. Post lunch, at this time of the day; the body wishes to get into the sleep mode; but I do not want to allow it that. So, I chose this time to write my blog; reading is not happening at all but I will again make it regular in my life; else life gets to shrink. Have you already washed the eggplant and greased it with oil? We have to roast it. We also have to cook some potato fries and poori / whole wheat puffed bread. That is how we had this humble MEAL on that day!

The next morning, I had two of the pooris with coffee and a piece of bread. I did not start with intermittent fasting at that time.

INGREDIENTS : 

EGG PLANT / BRINJAL : 1 BIG, FAT [I USE THE DARK PURPLE BIG ONES]

PLAIN YOGURT : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP

FRESH CORIANDER : 1-2 SPRIG

GREEN CHILLI : 2

BLACK SALT : AS REQUIRED

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP

OIL : FEW DROPS TO GREASE THE EGGPLANT SKIN

PROCEDURE :

Wash & wipe the egg plant. Grease it with few drops of oil. Roast well, all sides on gas top in low flame.

Switch off the gas stove and keep the eggplant dipped in water at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Remove it's skin and discard the stem end.

Take it in a blender. Discard the root end of the fresh coriander sprigs, chop and wash. Add the washed green chillies and the chopped coriander to the blender. 

Blend together all for 2 minutes, pausing in between. 

Take the yogurt in a bowl and add the salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper powder.

Beat well with a hand beater for 3-4 minutes. Add the blended eggplant mixture and beat again well for another 4-5 minutes; use a manual, hand beater.

It should be ready to eat. Chill for half an hour before serving.

TIL NARKOL BEGUN BATA

"Should not I concentrate on sharing easy, rustic, simpler recipes suitable for singles; students, working who live away from home; want to cook simple food back from college or office?" I ask to myself often these days. I have an intuition the weirdest member at this home makes secret visits to my blog. This is a day dreamer who sits and thinks sometime next year onwards may be there will be visits to my blog from new quarters, who will cook "curry-turry" from it. Coming back to the reality, I sit to think; how is it possible? My Blog has not travelled with time, who of this generation would at all take interest in "begun-aloo diye maacher jhol ba shojne datar chocchori?" People want quick recipes. I do not understand what is there to blog about cutting a packet of pasta, boiling it, straining and then cooking it in a sauce last week I had got from the super mart. If you are preparing a pasta from scratch following an Italian grandmother, preparing the sauce with fresh ingredients; the experience should be satisfying. I do not think I can ever make it, I am going more towards simpler cooking in my kitchen whose essence would remain "deshi" always. I will not switch over to anything else; never can.

Egg plant is a favourite ingredient in my kitchen; it comes home every week. If I had a little bit of sunny, green patch; I would have grown few vegetables. I do not blame our mother; she has cross passed 70, she works more than what her body permits; then she is too unwilling to take up any new interest after the father's death. I so wished if the brother had grown interest in planting some fruits & vegetables in their property. I am thankful enough that he knows how easy their life is just because our mother works all day. If he is a good son, his mother too is an extremely hardworking woman. None in that home until now has to spend any amount of energy for our mother. Even when she fractured her wrist to palm; no one had to do anything for her; she managed herself alone; okay with a cook for few months. I sincerely hope our mother leave this earth without giving any trouble to anyone or any chance to anyone to say "ami to eei sheba korechi. Aaj obdi karor gaye khete kichu kortey hoyni, shey akai shamley nei. Dosh thaktei parey kintu korey jai chupchap, kaukey byatibyasto korena; boshey sheba neoar kopal korey to asheni." 

Coming to egg plant, I do not know about it's health advantages, what I know is we just love it. The senior cannot have it fried; I have noticed he has a mental block at the sight of it's seeds actually. Never mind; I will make it edible for everyone in the family. I keep roasting eggplants / begun / brinjal and then combine it with different ingredients; give it a pate like look so that the man does not understand what it is. One such dish is this vegetarian paste / pate TIL NARKOL BEGUN BATA. It is done roasting the egg plant; then blending it with coconut, roasted sesame, onion, green chilli. Finishing it off adding salt and mustard oil makes it a superbly tasty vegetarian side to go with steamed rice and different variety of breads. If you wish to spread it on toasted bread, use olive oil instead of mustard oil.

I am waiting for my breakfast to arrive. No, a 12 hours of intermittent fasting does not help. Then a 14hrs span is so impossible for me. I mostly do my cooking experiments after 7pm. Yesterday, cooked a "mangshor ghoogni", shall blog about it later. I have many a recipes to be shared; just too hesitant to share something whose ingredients people may find trouble to get. Okay, I am having me made soda bread & tea stall peanut cookie with fine Darjeeling tea now.

What I do is I buy these biscuits loose, not in packets these days. Like I did not buy peanut butter this week; it has sugar man. I am scared having it regular, I will prepare it at home without sugar. I have to find out a good, easy recipe for peanut butter. That can happen later. At this time our most important job seems to be facing an uncertainty. I can be at peace only after I settle the most important aspect of our life as of now. Many around can completely understand my agony. The only relief is when I am in the kitchen playing with ingredients. This easy vegetarian Vegan, Glutenfree pate with eggplant TIL NARKOL BEGUN BATA is one such food venture that you would love doing and having with steamed rice, a variety of breads. Since childhood, I have been eating "bata, pora, sheddo makha" with different variety of vegetables. I need to ask the mother why she made them mostly in the night time. May be I know it now; for dinner I enjoy "etar bata, otar bharta" more than non-vegetarian food; I am totally in the family shoes. Would my baby remember his roots?

INGREDIENTS :

EGGPLANT : 1 BIG [ I DID NOT HAVE THE GIANT PURPLE ONES, SO USED TWO MEDIUM]
WHITE SESAME SEED : 1 TBSP
SHREDDED COCONUT : 1 SMALL TEA CUP
ONION : 1 MEDIUM SIZED
GREEN CHILLI : 2
GARLIC CLOVE : 1 BIG SIZED OR 2-3 SMALL INDIAN VARIETY
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 1-2 TBSP TO GARNISH, I USED MUSTARD OIL, YOU CAN USE OLIVE OIL

PROCEDURE :

Wash the eggplants and wipe dry. Rub it's body with few drops of oil.

Take it on a manual roaster and roast at minimal heat on stove top.

Take it down on a plate and let cool.

Meanwhile; discard the two ends, peel and wash the onion, roughly chop. Wash the green chillies. Peel off the garlic clove and wash.

Take off the skin of the roasted egg plants.

Take all the ingredients except the oil in a blender and blend at medium pace for 3-4 minutes with a pause in between.

Reserve it in a bowl and garnish it with your choice of oil. I added mustard oil and mixed it all to be able to have it with piping hot steamed rice one day and roti-paratha on the other.

It is always recommended not to store anything made with coconut for long. It spoils even if you are refrigerating it.