BANANA COCONUT CRANBERRY CAKE

I THINK I MAKE DECENT BASIC CAKES!

I had been baking for long, yet could not grasp every aspect of it, could not master the art. What I do is take small steps, keep myself limited to simple bakes. It can be a basic cheese rice, a homely pizza, a baked roshogolla, basic cakes on a regular basis. Honestly, most in the family would want to have roshogolla as it is. Looking at the baked roshogolla in the Kolkata sweet shops, I feel averse towards the thick cream thinking of the amount of sugar involved it. Meals consisting of rich meat & fish curries, richer sweets, desserts, biryani, ghee pulao sounded alluring even few years back. These days they cause me fear, neither I crave for such meals. This is a caution I wish to preach which is not hatred towards any faith or religion. A bowl of choice fruits, low calorie tiffins, light fish and chicken curries, homemade breads, a small bowl of rice, rustic vegetables bowls of choice are good enough for me. I wish the son to accept and enjoy chirer polao, idli, dalia khichuri, semolina upma kind of meals. I understand he has a career to build, a crucial exam to cover with good scores, yet I am worried about his health, he sources every meal from outside. His father and I at least stay together and have an asset like Cristine to look after us.

I HAVE MADE LITTLE CHANGES IN MY EATING PATTERN!

At this time, I am not doing intermittent fasting. I suffered bloating. I am eating smaller meals every 2-3 hours of intervals. At this time, it is helping me a bit. Today since the morning until now I had one cream cracker biscuit with tea [not in picture], then had 2-3 tbsp of muri / puffed rice soaked in water [not in picture], thereafter I had a small piece of cake with tea, thereafter lightly made beaten rice upma. At night, I would have a normal Bengali meal with small amount of rice, Hilsa fish curry, Spinach, Red Lentils Curry! 

Our yesterday's lunch was Bengali meal with Chicken Curry, Yam with Prawns, Dal for me. At night, I cooked Whole-Wheat Flatbreads, had with Eggplant Bharta. 

Today's blooms made me feel happier, a green corner is therapeutic.

WHAT IS BANANA COCONUT CRANBERRY CAKE?

I bake with few ingredients I have in the kitchen. The other day, I had to use up some leftover shredded coconut and cranberries. I thought of baking a vegetarian cake with them. I had bananas too which are good   for making a cake moist. From this thought, this vegetarian easy bake BANANA COCONUT CRANBERRY CAKE was born. Baking it was hassle free. I do not experiment with ingredients much, specially in case of bake. You all may have noticed I keep the measurements of the primary ingredients for baking a cake same in each case, this helps me not to fail with the recipe, waste the ingredients used. I wished to share a vegan & gluten-free cake for the occasion of Thanksgiving but it did not happen. This time I did not think much before giving shape to my plan for an easy bake. I wanted a sheet pan like cake look, hence used this tray for the bake.

Few other baked goodies from my blog are VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE BAKED TIKIA, CRISPY BAKED PASTRY SHEET ROLLS, BLUEBERRY CARDAMOM BAKED DOI, STOVETOP SUJI APPLE CAKE

INGREDIENTS :

SELF RISING FLOUR : 1 COFFEE MUG [Instead You may mix together 1 coffee mug refined flour, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/3 tsp baking powder]

PLAIN YOGURT : 4-5 TBSP

BANANA : 1 STANDARD SIZED

SUGAR : 5 TBSP [I USED BROWN SUGAR] [YOU MAY NEED MORE]

DRIED CRANBERRY : A FISTFUL

GRATED COCONUT : 4-5 TBSP

VANILLA ESSENCE : 1 TSP

OIL : 3-4 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

I blended together the plain yogurt, sugar, oil, banana. 

I took the self rising flour in a bowl, pour the wet mixture on it, mixed well.

I added the grated coconut and dried cranberries to it, mixed, beaten well.

I added the vanilla essence, beaten again for 2-3 minutes. Our cake batter is ready.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven. I inserted the low height wired stool, pre-heated the oven at 160*C.

I greased the oven tray with oil, poured the batter on it. I tapped it lightly on the kitchen counter, then placed it atop the wired stool.

I closed the oven door, baked the cake at 160*C for 30 minutes.

Having the cake fresh would get the best taste.

 

ALOO OATS CORIANDER TIKKI

A CHOICE OF SNACKS MAKES ME HAPPY!

I feel happier when food tastes better than expected. We have Bengali's Shyama Puja, Hindus' Diwali celebrations on 31st October, Halloween    is celebrated on the 31st of October. This is pretty challenging, which recipe to share? Bengalis would prefer hotchpotch with vegetables, puffed bread with halwa or mutton curry with pilaf. Diwali observants wouldn't even touch garlic, onion. I could have shared a sweet recipe that would perfectly suit the South Asians, then how can I ignore the Halloween observants? Our boy has affinity for skulls, skeletons ever since tween hood. I don't know why. Ghosts are usually friendly towards me, my family though I am extremely scared of them. We like some specific sweets, do not want them regular on our plate. We are aging, also tastebuds don't remain the same always. Then what to cook and share? Let us come to it later!

LOVING MEALS ARE SIMPLE IN OUR LIVES!

I cannot cook just for the blog share anymore, we must be able to eat what I cook. I dislike wastage of food, I do intermittent fasting, the man & Cristine eat minimal, the son left home few years back. Hence, I need to be tactical while planning and executing a recipe. I can't eat something I don't enjoy. Snacks I love, more ever since I have learnt to use minimal oil. Learn to cook your pakora using minimal oil, eat with less of guilt. 

However less I cook, there are leftovers. I have to manage them well, right? I made two small parathas from a leftover dough, served them with egg curry to the man. A snack added completed the meal plate, we cannot have a bird's diet, please. I had my meal with leftover rice. Last Saturday, I cooked my choice of dishes, my tummy is satiated. I am extremely occupied. Just now, had some electrical works done, I have to clean the dusty rooms now. It is Dipaboli after all, no corner of your homes should remain dark, mind it.

WHAT IS ALOO OATS CORIANDER TIKKI?

Now you all know I had little of paratha dough, little of cooked rice, lot of cooked food on a Sunday morning, a Kalipujo cum Diwali cum Halloween friendly recipe to share with my readers on Monday. What to share became a big question. I was sure it wouldn't be a sweet, we still have narus I made on Lakshmi Puja. Aloo is a love we have at home all the time, how harmful it is depends upon the amount of it's consumption, do not overeat anything, not only potato. I stock oats at home for these purposes, to use as an ingredient for snacks and sweets. I like overnight oats but I do not have breakfasts. This vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian snacks, starter ALOO OATS CORIANDER TIKKI tasted great. It was cooking without any effort, you give it to me everyday, I would have with my tea or coffee. I used only few spices, confidently can challenge Japanese potato croquettes, such bland the latter is. If you deep fry them, they would get a nice even brown finish, I preferred to go healthy.

Few Oats recipes from the blog are EASYMADE FRAGRANT SWEET, BANANA ORANGE OATS CAKE, OATS MATAR GREEN KEBAB.

INGREDIENTS :

POTATO : 2-3

OATS : 3-4 TBSP

CHOPPED CORIANDER : 3-4 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1/2 TSP

RED CHILLI FLAKES : 1/4 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/4 TSP

TANDOORI MASALA : 1/2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 1 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

CHOPPED DRY FRUITS OF CHOICE : 1 TBSP [I USED RAISIN & WALNUT]

OIL : 1 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Check the stepwise photos column wise!

I peeled the potatoes, cut each into 4 pieces, washed them. I took the potato pieces in a saucepan, added enough water and microwave cooked at low heat until they are boiled well.

I let the potatoes cool. I drained the water and mashed the potatoes. I added all of the ingredients except the oats to the boiled and mashed potatoes. I washed the chopped green chillies, fresh coriander leaves before adding.

I mashed well, added the oats. I folded in well, shaped as I wished.

I greased an oven proof plate with oil, placed the kebabs on it. Mine is a convection mode microwave oven. I placed the low height wired stool inside, atop it the oven proof plate.

I used the combination cooking method, grill+microwave; cooked one side for 15 minutes, the other side for 10 minutes. 

Serve and have them immediately with your choice of condiment.

LESS GHEE REFINED FLOUR HALWA

IT IS GOOD TO CLEAN YOUR HOME WITHOUT ANY HELP!

I dislike it though. Doing the cleaning job everyday by yourself means you sacrifice the liberty to go anywhere, at anytime of the day. That is impossible if you want your home to be well-kept. I like clean homes, in pursuit of that I had to sacrifice roaming around the island anytime of the day. Cristine is not there to take care of my home. I cannot do exercises properly that I do on the weekdays, I am doing them abruptly. Yet, the puffiness of my body has reduced a bit. That is the best thing about doing house chores on your own. You also get a grip of your home. In Cristine's presence, I hardly take care of my home, I only shop and cook. Every two years when she goes on leave, I throw this and that from one corner of the home or the other. I promise I would monitor even in her presence, once she comes back I dump my home in her care and go out to roam the city, watch movies, update my blog. Not that she keeps our home messy, I fail to give her clear instructions. I believe we should not be strict task masters, they leave their home to stay with us, we have to make them feel comfortable. With years, most importantly staying with the senior of the men, I have learnt we need be nice with our helps, treat them well. Our mother's helps worked for her over 20 years, they still visit her. Same is with the mother-in-law, she had been been even more lenient. 

I AM TRYING TO AVOID OVEREATING AT THIS TIME!

That is out of fear given I do not have time to go for long walks, swim enough. The root of the problem is the time management, I have got disorganised. Cristine gets us even the glass of water, medicines. This amount of luxury is bad, gives birth to laziness. The man hates cleaning jobs back from office, neither I ask him to do the chores. I can do everything but dislike ironing. There is already a big pile of clothes to be ironed, he has to. Cristine has to come back. You may criticise I have not taught the son anything, he has learnt after he left home. I am a Bengali mother, my heart aches, he has to do everything on his own even when he doesn't want. Yet I have asked him to keep his home clean, does not matter it is rented or self-owned. Keeping our home and surroundings clean is a necessity. 

WHAT IS LESS GHEE REFINED FLOUR HALWA?

I am cooking, clicking less. Taking care of my home is a priority now. I made this vegetarian dessert LESS GHEE REFINED FLOUR HALWA using half of ghee than what is recommended for traditional halwas. If you want to live more, follow this recipe. I would get you an oil or ghee free halwa, today accept this light on your stomach halwa, you won't get acidity after having it. Many Bengali families earlier had a dessert post dinner. In our family, it was warm cow milk boiled longer to get a thick cream atop. Both sugar, over boiled thick milk are harmful for us. Okay, calcium is required but there are other sources to get it. It took many years for my family to accept that hot milk post dinner is a wrong idea, more if meat is on menu. Cow's milk was considered auspicious among us, owning cow meant prosperity. The Grandparents, other relatives domesticated cow. If you use milk in the halwa dessert, it would get rich and tastier. I avoid using milk as much as possible if I want to have a large share.

Few similar recipes from the Blog are the following :

GULA MELACA PUDDING, ANAROSHER HALWA, MIXED FRUITS OATS HALWA. I have more in the blog.

INGREDIENTS :

REFINED FLOUR : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 2 TBSP + 1 TBSP

SUGAR : 6-7 TBSP

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

WATER : AS REQUIRED

ROASTED CHOPPED DRY FRUITS OF CHOICE

PROCEDURE :

Dissolve the sugar in a bowlful of hot water.

Heat 2 tbsp ghee in the wok, add the green cardamoms tearing them a bit, give a stir.

Add the refined flour, keep stirring & roasting at minimal heat.

Once the refined flour would change colour, gives out nice aroma, add the sugar-water.

My family only cooked semolina halwa, I do not know the rules about the way of adding water to avoid lumps.

I added the sugar-water, broke the lumps with ladle, hand beater would also help to get a smooth paste like consistency of halwa.

At this point, add 1 or 2 tbsp ghee, the roasted, chopped dry fruits. Mix well and enjoy warm.

BARNYARD MILLET FRIED RICE

 BETWEEN LETHARGY AND WILL POWER, WHO WINS?

Lethargy tries to rule my life, I shove it away. I have seen the disastrous effects of letting lethargy take the prime position within. You allow it, you would find out hundreds of excuses to let it take over you. It destroys the purpose of living. I am lazy since birth, hence I have the scare about becoming inactive any day. People like me love to lie down on the couch, read or watch something or just brood. I don't allow myself that. I go out for walks, swim,  visit malls even if my body craves for the couch. I could not become independent, I should not at least give in to lethargy. I doubt if at all I wanted to earn. At least, I regret not working but the family veteran ladies and gentlemen do not even had / have the mindset that women should step out, make an independent life. A mere degree does not make us enlightened, we have to heighten the level of our thinking. Families like mine have to think big for their girl child, then only the society can develop. My daughter-in-law would be a woman of substance.

I COOK AND EAT TO HIDE MY MISTAKES!

May be also to spend quality time, I do engage fruitfully. If I go out everyday to explore this island, I would end up spending beyond the budget. I love to stay indoors, read  or watch. Because I am occupied with updating my blog, my primary hobbies took a backseat. Once I am done with the first round of updating the blog, I would get back to reading and watching. It is true I work on a budget but it is not the reason why I do not go for coffee sessions or restaurant hoping with my friends. I do not go because I do not enjoy, I prefer family meet ups or may go out once in a while with a friend or two, I prefer calling them home or visiting their homes. Kitty Parties I would never join, nor regret; I do not understand what to talk or do in such gatherings, I visit homes to eat the food on display. A plateful of choice food, vodka or Bloody Mary or Martini and a quiet corner I do look for at intervals but that does not happen much. As a couple, we do enjoy each other's company on weekends, watch a thriller, wait for our next trip to the son, wait to talk to him, also look forward to our Kolkata trips. Our lunch yesterday was a rice meal and the dinner was luchi with Masala Okra.

In between, I had Chiku fruit, Mango cake; I do not click everything that I eat these days. Life got less eventful, though not bothered. The moment boredom sets in, I sit in an eatery, go for massage, nail and face treatments. I prepared the luchi dough without semolina, they did not remain fluffy enough. I did not like it that they browned.

WHAT IS BARNYARD MILLET FRIED RICE?

For long I had the plan to prepare something other than   SAMA CHALER KHICHURI / Barnyard Millet HothchPotch. I love Sama Chal-Dal Khichuri the most but you cannot repeat share same recipes. I kept thinking about cooking it in a similar manner like a CHIRER POLAO [BEATEN RICE PILAF]. Today, I prepared this BARNYARD MILLET FRIED RICE to have as first meal of the day. When I discovered millet varieties at the Mustafa Centre, I was awestruck. I never knew about them whilst my stay in Kolkata. My family ate only Barnyard Millet. The mother ate it on the days she fasted. I kept bringing each variety in turns, I was getting wind and constipation, also read somewhere one with thyroid gland anomaly should not have millets regular. I stopped getting them, only stock this Barnyard Millet / Shama Chal / Samo Rice, eat at times. To keep it both vegan & gluten-free, I have not cooked it in ghee, that is a compromise with the flavour. I tried to compensate using good amount of whole garam masalas.

I had a bowlful with coconut-fresh coriander-green chilli chutney.

INGREDIENTS :

BARNYARD MILLET / SHAMA CHAL / SAMO RICE : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CHOPPED CARROT : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP

CHOPPED GREEN BEAN : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP

GREEN PEA : 2 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 2 TSP

CASHEW NUT : 5-6 [HALVED]

RAISIN : 7-8

CINNAMON STICK : 3-4 ONE INCH LENGTH

GREEN CARDAMOM : 3-4

CLOVE : 3-4

BAY LEAF : 2-3

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1 TBSP

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

We would take the seeds in a vessel, wash 2-3 times, add water and put for boil. Do not soak.

Once the water starts boiling, add a teaspoon of oil, this would prevent the samo rice from breaking. Yet we have to stand in front of the gas stove, immediately pass the seeds through a strainer once cooked.

We would wash all of the vegetables, soak the raisins in water for 1/2 an hour.

 We would heat the oil in a wok, temper it with the bayleaves, cloves, green cardamoms, cinnamon sticks.

We would stir, add the washed vegetables, cashew nuts, salt.

We would stir fry the vegetables 3-4 minutes at minimal heat, add the raisins discarding the water.

We would add the cooked Barnyard Millets, salt, sugar, fold in well.

We would stir cook at medium heat for 3-4 minutes, take down and serve hot.

EASY CRANBERRY CUP

I FEEL SATISFIED AFTER COOKING A DISH PROPERLY!

How I wished that feeling to be accompanied by money. Though I am happy with the budget I have set for my life, I wished to earn my own pizza or burger. I used the words happy and budget together as I cannot be a spendthrift. I could not spend much when I worked, I kept saving. My types hardly spread the wings wider, we are conditioned to live within budget since childhood. Cristine went to the Moss Burger chain. They are offering two chicken burgers for 8$, 5 small Hash Browns for 4$ only on Mondays. I wanted to avail the offer though not fond of burgers. 

I liked the hash browns. I told earlier I want bun maska and chicken or fish cutlet separately on my plate. Having "chai-biskut" thereafter proves I dislike burger, have it on rare occasions.

YESTERDAY WAS ANOTHER LONELY SUNDAY!

Starting at 1:45pm I was alone at home, yet could not watch a single piece. I was hooked to the social media, on print media and you-tube wanting to follow one single incident, such pathetic it is. I still search Google for Ms.Guha's case, a well educated, beautiful lady  who was poisoned to death. Heavyweight offenders get acquitted in our country. I was only 7-8 years old at that time, remember remotely how there was an uproar about the incident, a beautiful, meritorious girl's death made our parents, neighbourhoods, state cry literally. Since then, I have a dislike for that institution, even if I had the quality to work under those suspicious heads, I would not have applied. I didn't wish to send our son there, it has blood stains at it's doorstep. They are a powerful family who presently run another institution, roam freely. We tend to forget easily, this becomes advantageous for the wrong doers. I fail to understand what kind of a child did the mother give birth to who chose money, power instead of getting the dead mother justice. Also, we become fans of the celebrities, of their artistic qualities, they may not be good human beings, unworthy of our praises. The recent case may go unsolved I fear because fair judgements are rare in my country. Everyone knows everything but to prove it gets impossible, power stands supreme. If we are well off and keep our eyes closed and mouths shut, we get to live happily ever after, else we would be sent off. I feel good if I get to eat my choice of meals.

WHAT IS EASY CRANBERRY CUP?

For quite sometime I have been watching similar recipes around, in the western bloggers' spaces. I already have a similar recipe in the Blog. I see the westerners prepare this kind of cup cakes for their breakfasts. They use eggs in the batter that I did not wish to add. Moreover, I wanted this EASY CRANBERRY CUP to be vegan and gluten-free too. That leaves us in confusion you know. The pro- bakers approve or not, I got used to baking simple cakes without buying an almond flour worth 16$ per kilogram. I find out ways to bake a vegetarian cake, also try to keep it vegan, gluten-free specially on days like Rakhi Poornima / Rakshabandhan. We live in violent times, we cannot expect anyone to protect us. We just have to be cautious as much as we can, keep our cool. This is not an era "where the mind is without fear and the head is high" works if we want to live. I recently bought this square cup cake tin online from Shien Official.

INGREDIENTS :

OATS : 1 & 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CRANBERRY : 2-3 TBSP

BANANA : 2 STANDARD SIZED

CORN FLOUR : 1 TBSP

BAKING POWDER : 1/2 TSP

BAKING SODA : 1/4 TSP

SUGAR : 3-4 TBSP [I used Brown Sugar]

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Take the oats in a bowl. In a blender, take the rest of the ingredients except for the cranberries.

Blend them to a paste and add to the oats. Mix the ingredients roughly.

Add the cranberries and mix again.

Grease a cup cake tin with few drops of oil and half fill with the mixture. I bought it recently from Shein Official.

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven. I did place the low height wired stool inside the oven, closed the door and pre-heated the oven at 180*C.

Thereafter, I did place the cake tin inside, baked for 15 minutes at 160*C. They are done.

They were crisp on the top when fresh and hot. Enjoy with your choice of beverage. From the kids to the adults, everyone would be happy to have the baked vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan sweet cups.

EASY MADE FRAGRANT SWEET

WHY DO THE VARIOUS OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD COINCIDE WITH EACH OTHER THESE DAYS?

I keep wondering about it. May be it had been always like this and I wasn't bothered about other's celebrations or mournings when we were staying in Kolkata? It can be that once I entered the Blogging world I took upon myself the ardent task of uniting the people from different walks of life or say different communities. I consider it a holy duty to serve food on the maximum of my reader's plate. Actually the Indian Bengalis, specially those from West Bengal would celebrate each other's occasions. Bengali Hindus would go out to have "biryani, rezala, rumali roti, firni" on the occasion of Eid celebrations before anyone else would. When the son was this little, we had Turkey meat at a restaurant in Park Street around the Xmas time. May be the ritual was already there since way before but I hail from a family where Xmas meant "Borodin" which had to have fruit & nut cake in the breakfast, thereafter may be "pulao" & "mutton" or "doi mach" for the meals instead of the regular fish or chicken & vegetable dishes. Our father never took us to dine in a restaurant. He had been staying in Kolkata since the early 60's and did visit those restaurants in his student life, never did acquaint us with those. He wasn't selfish, after getting into a family life, he did not leave us and go, enjoy there; he chose a simple life for the family. He did go for outings with the friends and also with the family along with his friends'. I have gone to the best of places with the man, yet could not ever ditch what the parents taught us, simplicity. Showing off irritates me, I feel shy to exhibit in front of those who may not be that fortunate. I keep telling the son about what I want from him; that he has to achieve a lot in his life but he need not be a show off. I do not believe in living a life below one's capability, I do not believe in exhibiting one's wealth.

YESTERDAY WAS ANOTHER SUNDAY AND I DID NOT DO MUCH OF EXTRA COOKING.

It is over a week I am not cooking that much. I am not in a hurry to update the earlier blogposts. This month and next we are busy with something else, a travel is on the cards. If yesterday's lunch was with a fish curry and vegetables I cooked last Saturday, the dinner was with Bhature, we had to finish the stale rajma curry. My Bhature breads are soft and tasty, I am not really fond with their looks.

I have a picture of Bhaturas done few years back, spotless just like "naan poori" of Kolkata. May be I have forgotten to cook that just like I am failing to make "murir moya". I must re-learn them on my visits to Kolkata. I enjoyed yesterday's lunch plate too. I did not expect to like the fish curry because back in Kolkata we do not buy "Bacha" fish much, we buy more it's look alike "Pabda" fish. Here, at the Rajdhani Enterprise, "Bacha" fish is always available fresh, cleaning them is easy. The addition of the sliced onion in the curry really enhanced the taste, the mother cooks this fish this way. I forgot to click my fish plate, I dislike the frozen fish varieties, only the frozen "kechki" and "hilsa" varieties suits us. If the Bengal Carp varieties had been like those in Kolkata, life could have been better. My non-Bengali speaking readers may not understand this issue; how we want a proper fish curry on our plates regular and that I cannot stand the smell of the sea-fish varieties.

WHAT IS THIS EASY MADE FRAGRANT SWEET?

What I share on a special occasion is important to me. We may not celebrate Eid but my friends would, a large section of the man's colleagues would. I wish I could cook chicken tehari or biryani on the day for one of my favourite daughters who happens to be a muslim. These days we hardly meet, you know once these young people starts earning, they want to explore the food and go to places, aunty's home cooked food no more interests them. They would again come back to home cooked food in their mid-forties or may not like my brother and his spouse. The duo's food choice is scary. I have changed a lot; give me three luchis, two roshogollas or pantuas, fresh coriander chutney; I would be happier. I have left behind that Bengali mentality of Kolkata and West Bengal where people whisper at your back if you do not treat them with large prawns and mutton once invited. We have to walk out of our homes and mingle to broaden our horizons. This vegetarian sweet meat, EASY MADE FRAGRANT SWEET, is the outcome of a series of failures of mine. My initial plan was to prepare a "khaja" sweet with dates sans any amount of sugar or jaggery. But I failed to get them crisp, also their look wasn't good. I had put the fried stuffs in a blender, made a coarse mixture, added the sticky date palm jaggery and thus the sweet came into being. I must say I rolled out fab round shaped uncooked parathas from the dough. Then a poor planning marred all of the possibilities. Also the dates filled with pistachios were gifted by the Neogy family of Abudhabi. I stock pistachio, walnuts, almonds at home in smaller quantities besides the cashew nuts and raisins, we do not enjoy or can digest a lot of dry fruits, we are not used to using them in food regular. I wished to share a chicken recipe, then this week we also have a prayer ritual where we would be fasting for our kids and family, no non-vegetarian share I can make. I have deleted almost 10 to 12 photographs, else I could have shown you my journey to failure, from there getting to an insanely tasty something. Anyway, below was my first meal sometime back.

Few other similar recipes from my Blog can be these; SUGAR FREE OATS SNACKER , SUJI AND MIXED SPICES STUFFED BREAD SNACK, APPLE BANANA STOVETOP CAKE , DALDAR LUCHI, TRADITIONAL MALPUA

INGREDIENTS : 

REFINED FLOUR : 1 & 1/2 COFFEE MUG

DATES : 10-12

PISTACHIO : A HANDFUL [OPTIONAL]

DATE PALM JAGGERY : 1 SMALL TEA CUP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/2 TSP

GHEE : 2 TBSP + 1 TBSP

OIL : 100-150 ML

PROCEDURE :

Our friends from Abudhabi got us that box full of pistachio stuffed dates. None of us can have such sweets, though I am fond of dates, pistachios only a little bit atop a sandesh sweet. The box was resting in a dark corner of the refrigerator. The expiry date was approaching, I had to do something with the pricey stuffs. Come, let us make good use of the stuffed dates.

I took both of the dates and the pistachios in a blender and blended to a paste.

In a bowl, I had taken the refined flour and the dates paste, rubbed well for 2-3 minutes.

Thereafter, I added to it 2 tbsp ghee / clarified butter and kneaded to prepare a dough. I did not require water, if you require add a little.

In a round wok, I heated the oil & 1 tbsp ghee, tore off portions from the dough and fried them well. I forgot to click this step.

Once cool, I coarsely powdered the fried dough balls. 

Thereafter, I added a little of water to the date palm jaggery bowl and microwaved to get a sticky consistency, I added it and the green cardamom powder to the coarse mixture; folded in well with a spoon.

We have to shape and bind them while the mixture is still warm. 

Enjoy having fresh. If you refrigerate, take out an hour before having.