FRESH ORANGE HALWA DESSERT

My body is craving to lie down in couch at this time with a favourite read followed by deep slumber, warmth of the sky is getting me that feel ! It reminds me of winter afternoons, we would wrap "lycembee" made of old saris, quilt similar to kantha or rajai, sit in balcony of our two roomed rented space, take in afternoon rays! This was scene on weekends, on entire winter holidays!

We would have orange or sugarcane or mix of pomelo + salt + green chillies + burnt and crushed dry red chillies. Strangely, I remember the face of "Ankhwala", the visiting sugarcane seller in neighbourhood! Reminiscing bygone days doesn't speak of unhappy present, we look beyond only after securing peace at present home. It's inevitable, we can't fixate our mind, soul at one place, that's against human nature. Let your minds wander.

My mind is enveloped with varied thoughts, travelling to and fro from past to the present, who has seen future, a tomorrow? No mind goes empty, I don't go to work; office schedules, boss's temper, colleagues, strategies do not occupy my mind. It harbours literature, music; weaves words if not skilfully! However, all of this is done with food bowls on lap! 

Yesterday, I was at a food court in Serangoon Gardens having Rojak, I call it South East Asian fruit chaat, thinking of preparing my version, blog about it. It was raining hard, I wasn't carrying an umbrella. I took second serving of biscuit & teh-o-kosong! That extra bit of food my aged body doesn't need, that is causing weight increase given I only do low intensity workouts like walking & swimming! I must fix it but how to? Few hours back I had noodles, I can't control cravings; having fruits now. At night, I would eat little rice! The reasons of my inability to slim down are poor metabolism, age, also to lose menopausal belly is hard! Moreover, I wasn't ever lean, obese to overweight to decent I got, again allowing weight gain would be too taxing on my mental health! I envy man's lean self, my brother was like him once, don't know why his athletic self got overweight, our parents had never been overweight! His girl too was nice back in 2011, now got overweight. It is unacceptable the man's sister getting fat, she religiously maintained herself. The son was thin like father, now tends to get fat like me. He doesn't look good when overweight, I warn! However, mumma wants him to cook noodles in microwave like she did today!

I watched reel, tried and enjoyed having a vegan noodle bowl done in a pot! Let me try a vegan, gluten-free, either make reel or blog about it!

It's spring, let me find out drumstick flowers, Singapore doesn't sell! I located a low height drumstick tree, there are many islandwide but blooms are high above. It's time for mango blooms too, smells beautiful!

I keep myself occupied doing chores I enjoy, else would keep worrying about my boy! I think every parent staying far off does, be it for male child or girl child. I roam around islandwide, hardly get time to do experiments with cooking, watch movies. I must be active how much the couch attracts. 

My inquisitive self might have been entangled in mystery I am seeking to solve, however making of dairy-free, low sugar, vegetarian, vegan FRESH ORANGE HALWA DESSERT is simple. I thoroughly enjoy cooking simpler these days, the result need be near perfect! I don't like half hearted works, be it in office or at home or in any sphere. Cristine extracted juice of super sweet oranges; or may be they are Malta, Mandarins. We get variety of, I confuse. I feel happy if it's sweet! Once we get the juice ready in hand, making of halwa is cake walk. The stirring part tones your arms. I fed son "sujir payesh" so much, he dislikes Bengali style suji-halwa, if done with fruit juices he would eat. Since 2020, I hardly know about his food preferences, he dislikes speaking about his daily chores! There are varied recipes of orange halwa in internet, I remember of my co-bloggers' too, I didn't consult any!

INGREDIENTS :

ORANGE : 3 BIG JUICY

SEMOLINA : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

SUGAR : 3 TBSP

BAY LEAF : 1

GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3

OIL : 1 TBSP [The thought of Ghee+Fruit Juice doesn't give me comfort]

SLICED TOASTED ALMOND : 2 TSP

PROCEDURE :

Cristine washed the seedless oranges, peeled, extracted juice! This was big help.

For cooking desserts, I use pan that's not used for regular cooking! 

I heated pan, dry roasted almonds, took out in bowl.

I added oil, tempered with bayleaf & green cardamoms tearing bit!

I added semolina, folded in, roasted for 10-12 minutes at low heat!

Semolina would get golden brown, the sugar is to be added now. I kept stirring for 4-5 minutes.

Thereafter, I added orange juice, folded in, kept stirring until orange halwa started to become paste like.

I added most of roasted almond slices at this stage, stirred for one more minute, took down.

I transferred it to a serving bowl, garnished with rest of sliced roasted almonds.

Serve & have warm. Chilled halwa never tastes good!

VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CANAPE

How are my dear readers doing today? This is Soma @ CURRY AND SPICE ! Let me know how you want me to serve you? I mean on your plates? Life's a stage, each one of us play specific role, mine is to serve good food on your plates. To pour good music into your ears required me to learn it better, I share some life lessons here, right? You may call it unnecessary "gyan" / blabbering! All of us need a space to unwind, I can't think of a life only eating, sleeping, do household chores, discuss people, promote religious divide. I do visit temples, get peace in such actions, spreading hatred in name of God is not my business. Thats not my mentality! I know maintaining certain image makes you popular! I craved fame, don't know how to get there. You need certain qualities, foremost is to be a good reel maker in present day context. I lack ideas, technical knowhow, both!

I love to write, hours after hours, it de-stresses besides cooking, music. I love watching movies, post surgery I am lacking concentration. My interests involve deep human relationships, thrillers, comedy too! Marriage video kind of movies get me headache. That doesn't mean you would play documentary on Richard Ramirez's dreadful actions around San Francisco on an evening when this coward self is just back from hospital! Small things affect my mental stability, health that you may not even bother, notice! I don't understand the man's logic behind such actions but attribute son's weird self majorly to his father. But this same father today helped me solve a technical issue sitting at KL. I might have wrongly pressed the keyboard unable to type. The moment I called him, he told me whats to be done, I should be lucky enough to finish post! He isn't my husband, he is my problem solver. I dislike his temperament, then who would handle me when I puke on travels, have this problem & that? I think there never had romantic bond between us, my parasitical self found a good host in him! Anyway, I am fond of high achievers. I remain extremely worried about son but never would ask him to compromise his career for me.

Because I am an emotional, hyper sensitive self, I easily get hurt! I just don't get certain behaviour of people, neither am I argumentative. I get aloof, didn't learn to retaliate; better to watch Lust Story time & again to set mood right, hahaha! I am bit of everything, Lust Story, Morning Raga, long walks, top of all food set right my mood!

Outside of Hougang Mall, a food court stall sells two pieces Yong Tau Fong+Chee Cheong Fun bowl, mistakenly added excess of chilli, my tongue burnt. I love chicken dumpling & wonton soups. A click or two of choice kind of add extra layer of butter to my toast! In between such pleasures, I definitely need humans to complete thy self! Not useless criticism but people's qualities please me! All of us have weaknesses, what's the point taking digs?

I must take pride turning a failed cupcake batter onto superbly tasted ones. I try not to waste food, thats a wrong habit!

How to get a fit body if I eat carbs, sugar regular? Yes, besides talent, I am hooked towards appearances! I don't think there's any pride to be taken of an overweight, obese self! We look bad, as simple as that, all my life I had been obese, thereafter an overweight self, now too I can't be called slim! 

May I name these pleasure bites VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CANAPE?

Initially, I thought of making dairy-free, vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan fruit sushi, didn't want to work hard. Cristine and I had for dinner! I wanted to add pomegranate, it's such high priced! Dragonfruit makes a plate colourful. I used Cristine's fruits-vegetables-vinegar pickle to season fruit salsa, you may use chillies soaked in vinegar for few hours. I had some left over cooked rice in refrigerator, the idea evolved from there. All of us stock coconut milk, sugar at home. You may use your choice of fruits! Such cooking ventures have to go on in my kitchen, my love for writing about this and that too! In this complex world, I must find out my gateways to relaxed self, no one would gift me. I am sensitive, prefer avoiding coercion, even offenders need not be lynched, there is law. Anyway, every mall seems arranged for Lion Dance, I enjoyed watching one yesterday!

Few similar recipes from blog may be SPICY FISH FRITTER, OVEN COOKED COCONUT KEBAB !

INGREDIENTS : [FOR RICE BASE]

COOKED RICE : 2 COFFEE MUGS

COCONUT MILK : 100 ML

SUGAR : 1 TBSP

INGREDIENTS : [FOR FRUIT SALSA]

CHOPPED DRAGON FRUIT : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CHOPPED ORANGE : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

CHOPPED JICAMA : 1/4 TBSP

CHOPPED ONION : 1 TBSP

CHOPPED VINEGAR SOAKED RED CHILLI : 1/2 TSP

CHOPPED VINEGAR SOAKED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TSP

SALT : [OPTIONAL]

PROCEDURE :

I used cooked Basmati, not sticky! Hence, I pulsed rice, sugar, coconut milk. I ain't good at measurements; I had to dry rice-mix taken in pan. We get perfect sticky texture.

We would peel fruits, discard seeds, wash, chop small. We would peel onions, wash, chop, take everything in bowl.

Thereafter, we would add vinegar soaked chopped chillies, little sugar, salt if you wish! We would stir, keep at rest for 10 minutes. We would strain water released, make cutlet shape of coconut rice, arrange fruit salsa atop!

Refrigerate before serving, you would love it! You may sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds atop!

 

EASY STEAMED DELIGHT

 

The noise of continuous rain gets on my nerves, I don't enjoy. There is so much of gloom in the sky, on earth. But measured rain is blessings for farmers, we wouldn't blame it, nature is our source of sustenance! Seated in havens, we cannot even feel how dreadful can nature's fury get! I speak less about my concerns these days, there's no point unless we are of help. 

The world wouldn't understand your mental state, ups & downs, there isn't any point talking about feelings, the best we can do is to spread happiness, smile and not take pride, it's our duty towards mankind. Pity is something I don't wish to take even from close circle, it feels like an insult. I expect people to behave normal, friends not to keep me shrouded in mystery, come straight! It hurts when they don't! Anyway, I don't wish to get into any soup, be cause of trouble to anyone; neither would want to be doormat in a room full of friends, acquaintances. We can be good, and we should, not at cost of our self respect! 

I want to believe I have a home in this 1150 sq.ft. of rented space, that I can retire here before losing myself totally! I am skeptical about the surrounding, what's going on actually? This thought is scary! I turn towards activities I enjoy; cooking, music, good food get me calmness, peace!

I believe it is my idle brain that drags me into new mysteries, I have no deadline to meet, no care to give anymore, not required to mop, wash dishes, do household chores. Being cleanliness freak, I do not even run after Cristine to do it as per my choice, She is part of family until she parts with us, in our happiness & sorrow, she has right to feel at home. Hence, I take up cooking projects, read, sing, write, walk, swim; each one gets me pleasure. Any day, any moment we can push away people but for my kinds it is not easy to pull off once someone catches fancy; we keep them in radar, enjoy watching their activities! I suggest not to go near without invitation, that saves us from disgrace! There need be fondness both ways to meet at a point! The man, Sony Boy may be reading this piece! They are weird but fills my world with love, what is that little of empty space my heart holds I don't get!

The world needn't be harsh, it's already in pain, I see around much of venom. Amidst this, making low oil porota, taking up a baking project soothes nerves. I don't want the life my in-laws are living for decades, that is death. Neither I am active like our mother, she has exceptional level of energy, courage till date. I fight with her, also wish to feed her home bakes! She stays happily with her son & younger daughter from another parents, why to interfere? I don't expect people to understand me, or may be I expect, it's not possible for them to fulfil! Also, I cannot deliver what they expect of me, I cannot give away my entire being to world! Moreover, I want people in my circle to have a mind of their own, not overshadowed by others, I can only fit into my own shoes.

I am unable to fit in everywhere, my bad, so I tread alone! Kafka uses "so", but I heard a little girl say usage of "so" is not required. Anyway, some days I like going out with Cristine, with few friends. Me and my friends' thought process may not match, but the company, support they gave me when needed is unmatched! 

Yesterday, I and Cristine were at Tanjong Pagar! We had some work at 100 M Mall @ Tuesdae Solution, just opposite of it in Icon Village, we had dumpling soups. I loved that standard spiced Mala broth! 

 

                                           

Let me mention the names in social media forums, if that can get them more of business. I fear, my reach is too less!

Wanting to write a blogpost, I didn't go for walk, there had been severe downpour! When repair work of swimming pool would finish who knows, I miss! 

For Bengalis, December & January are months for making pithe-puli / steamed, fried, sweet, savoury snacks. We want only these for breakfast, lunch, dinner! I love those breakfast steams in Philippines, Kueh varieties of Malaysia, Indonesia! I fail to distinguish Indonesian cuisine from Malaysian cuisine! Each day, I would go through some recipes, smile if I find similarities with our pithe-puli. Entire Eastern India cooks steamed goodies, Southern India too! The rest can have these stomach friendly stuffs! Singapore is multi-cultural, we get more or less everything from every culture here!

More you age, more nostalgic you get about your culture. Memories get active including those you don't want to remember. I was may be 13-14 years old, when same age people "used" me to facilitate their associations, some actions I facilitated willingly, some against my will. I have forgiven thinking they were kids too, although I never could do what they did. I don't hold any bitterness on this day, just that I have freed myself from shackles after few decades. I won't disown them, neither hold special feelings for them, that's the current truth! All the chaos should end, some friends' relentless efforts to be my father, mother, this & that irritates me like hell, remain friends or spare me the ordeal. You better visit my blog, help keep it alive!

So, looking at variety of steamed breakfast goodies, I cooked this few ingredients EASY STEAMED DELIGHT! I used rice-flour, tapioca flour, brown sugar, jaggery, coconut. Wanting to make it vegan, gluten-free; I didn't use milk in this vegetarian snack! In that case, we have to use tapioca flour, else it gets hard, we ain't using baking powder, soda either. I am minimalist, must say using bit of toasted almonds added to taste. 

We have to have everything in right measure, you have aimed for high positions but do not wish to upgrade lifestyle, why? I am not asking you to take peer pressure but your family has some expectations from you, they have peer pressure too! If you are my pal, I would want you to be at par at certain stage in life, own minimal luxuries, how far you have reached gets measured by materialistic possessions. You possess but don't show off, that's my fundamentals. I ride bus, mrt, do not hesitate, we did not invest on property, instead on higher education of our only child, we take pride in that! May be we do not have enough to invest manifold, that's okay with me; you wouldn't see me in associations where discussing your man's number of cars, houses, bank balance is priority! I would instead try to get over my miser self, buy a fruit sundae, sit by sea, count waves inside & in front!

Oh! I love bowl of muri-narkol-badam-little of chanachur-onion-chilli-mustard oil!

INGREDIENTS :

RICE FLOUR : 1/3 TO 1 COFFEE MUG

TAPIOCA FLOUR : 2 TBSP

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

BROWN SUGAR : 2 TBSP [YOU MAY NEED MORE]

JAGGERY : 2 TBSP [YOU MAY NEED MORE]

SALT : A PINCH OR TWO

CHOPPED ROASTED DRY FRUIT : 1 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Take rice flour, tapioca flour, salt in bowl. Mix well.

Add shredded coconut, fold in well. 

Add warm water, little at a time to get a batter, neither runny, nor paste like!

Add sugar & jaggery, fold in well! Keep covered for 15-20 minutes.

Add 2-3 coffee mugs of water in your manual steamer with net stand, cover, keep heat at medium.

Use ramekin or bowl, grease with oil, fill half of each with batter.

Once water starts boiling, place ramekins with batter on stand, add chopped toasted dry fruits on top! 

Cover, steam for 12-14 minutes! Insert tooth pick to check if done!

I think I over cooked a bit! After few minutes, they come out easily. Enjoy fresh & warm with choice of beverage. If you reheat, place in a bowl of water that bowl with steamed goodie, steam for a minute!

BANANA COCONUT CRANBERRY CAKE

I THINK I MAKE DECENT BASIC CAKES!

Although baking for decades, I couldn't master the art. I keep to simple bakes. It can be basic cheese rice, homely pizza, baked roshogolla, basic cakes. Honestly, most in family would want to have roshogolla as is. Looking at baked roshogolla in Kolkata sweet shops, I feel averse towards thick cream thinking of amount of sugar involved in 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. This is caution I wish to preach, it isn't hatred towards any faith or religion. A bowl of choice fruits, low calorie tiffins, light fish, chicken curries, homemade breads, small bowl of rice, vegetables bowls of choice are enough for me. I wish son to accept, enjoy "chirer polao, idli, dalia khichuri, semolina upma kind of meals. I understand he has career to build, crucial exams to cover with good scores, yet I am worried about his health, he sources every meal from outside. His father, I at least stay together, 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. Today since 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 normal Bengali meal with small amount of rice, Hilsa fish curry, Spinach, Red Lentils Curry! 

Our lunch yesterday had been 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 present in kitchen. I needed to use up some shredded coconut, cranberries. I thought of baking a vegan, gluten-free cake with them. I had bananas too that moistens cake. From this thought, easy bake BANANA COCONUT CRANBERRY CAKE was born. Baking it was hassle free. I don't experiment with ingredients much, specially in case of bake. You all may have noticed I keep measurements of primary ingredients for baking cake same in each case, this saves me from failure. I wished to share vegan, gluten-free cake for occasion of Thanksgiving but it didn't happen. This time I didn't think much before giving shape to my plan for an easy 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 :

OATS : 1/2 COFFEE MUG 

RICE FLOUR : 1 TBSP

CORNFLOUR : 1 TBSP

PSYLLIUM HUSK : 1 TBSP

BAKING POWDER : 1/2 TSP

BAKING SODA : 1/4 TSP

BANANA : 1 BIG

DATE : 10-12

SUGAR : 1 TBSP

DRIED CRANBERRY : 2 TBSP

GRATED COCONUT : 4-5 TBSP

VANILLA ESSENCE : 1 TSP

OIL : 5-6 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

I took oats, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl, gave it a mix.

I added rice flour, cornflour, psyllium husk, grated coconut to it, mixed well. I blended together dates, oil, banana, sugar, vinegar. 

I poured wet mixture, vanilla essence, gave it a mix. 

I added dried cranberries to it, mixed.

Our cake batter is ready, I kept it covered for 15 minutes.

Mine is convection mode microwave oven. I kept baking stand inside, pre-heated oven at 160*C.

I placed air-fryer brown paper case on cake tin, poured batter, spread it evenly, placed it atop baking stand.

I closed oven door, baked cake at 160*C for 20 minutes.

Having cake fresh would get best taste. Else refrigerate once cool.

 

EASY ORANGE SPREAD

THAT CHILDHOOD LOVE CONTINUES!

Our tastebuds keep changing, my love for homemade jam, jelly, spread however continues. Eons back our mother made jam and jelly, also a bottle of Kissan's mixed fruit jam was stocked. We would spread it atop Cream Cracker, Mary Biscuits, no other biscuits were allowed. Later, Priya's butter biscuits, Good Day, Biskfarm's, Parle-G were allowed. I used to eat countless biscuits, today I don't fancy them. I want sugary toast biscuits I am not allowed to, better I quit. On this day, I prefer having organic jam I make at home, that amount of sugary stuff I allow myself once a week. I regret not making them often when the son was in school. He mostly had store bought jam, spread. I have mentioned earlier his earliest lunch box had luchi-jam roll, idli, Luchi-aloo bhaja. The man used to carry bread-butter or bread-jam in his lunch box while in school, had boiled eggs, fruits too. He doesn't want fruits, jam in the present day, love eggs. The son shifted his allegiance to cheese may be, neither my brother enjoys jam anymore. Till date I love jam, preserve, spread, jelly. I knew their difference but forgot.

BREAD-JAM-BUTTER SEEMS LIKE A DESSERT!

It seems to me a dessert ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes and desserts got restricted in my life. At home I stock jam and butter, I wish I could add whipping cream too. I do not keep fearing a spike in the blood sugar level. Cream Cakes I avoid having regular, similar to it is bread with butter and jam, I allow myself though not regular. I wish I could have "Bun Maska & Chai" every day. I can't digest milk tea but like. I mentioned earlier it is in 1997 December at Toshali Sands, Puri the man asked me to have the bread toast together with butter and jam, till date I enjoy it. He told he had seen American's eat like this, I see it is similar to Parsi "Bun Maska".

WHAT IS EASY ORANGE SPREAD?

I did not follow rules and regulations of making a spread or jam while doing a vegan, gluten-free condiment EASY ORANGE SPREAD. But it is organic made with fresh juicy oranges; Mandarin or Clementine I could not distinguish. They turned out to be sour. I was surprised, they are sweet in general. I cannot have sour fruits, made the easiest spread  using them. They were seedless, I did not even take out the skin. Some variety of citrus fruits' skins do not taste bitter. I tasted the skin, felt little of bitter tone would balance the sweetness of the spread.

I fear to add generous amount of butter, jam on toasts, I am a diabetic. Your kids would love generous servings. The stepwise pictures below would encourage you to make a fresh orange spread in less time. I was at the Far East Plaza today and enjoyed a Korean meal.

INGREDIENTS :

ANY ORANGE VARIETY : 5-6 [PREFERABLY SEEDLESS]

SUGAR : 6-7 TBSP

LEMON JUICE : 3-4 TBSP

ORANGE ESSENCE : 2-3 DROPS [I DID NOT USE, DO NOT LIKE ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS]

PROCEDURE :

I cut the small sized oranges each into four pieces. I did not discard the skin. Only kept aside a little bit to add later.

I blended the cut oranges with skin into a paste. They were seedless.

I strained the fresh orange pulp, I was left with a bowl of fresh  juice.

I transferred it to a vessel with the sugar, put for boil on the gas oven.

It got simmered at minimal heat for 10-12 minutes. 

I added the lemon juice and the washed orange skin cut into strips.

It got simmered until thick and sticky.

Once cool, it is to be transferred to a sterilised jar. I always refrigerate.

BENGALI MANGO KHEER

FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS I HAD BEEN WILLING TO BLOG  ABOUT THIS FAMILY DESSERT RECIPE!

Two common and tasty family summer dessert recipes  had been with the mango and jackfruit. The three major fruits that visited our home the entire summer seasons were mango, jackfruit, litchi. The rest came in turns. The parents were fruit lovers, the mother particularly would bring home different variety of fruits. I do not remember if the brother liked having those. I loved the commonly eaten fruits, the rest we were made to eat. How vividly I remember about the "jam makha", "batabi lebu makha", "lankar guro, noon diye dasha peyara". We never had ripened guava, we loved the unripe ones tossed in salt & red chilli powder. The only fruit of choice that I do not get here is the "jamun". In fact, few shops in the Little India area sell it here for a short period, the price is pretty high. I do not buy, neither other pricier fruits. It is okay for a Bengali from Kolkata not have cherry, there are cheaper substitutes with equal or more amount of goodness. I am not the kind who would buy and click cherry to show off! Unless your country produces cherry and you have grown up having it or unless one really likes it, we can survive without it. I never did get my son cherries, what is wrong in that? My Blog should reflect the person I am. Even if the entire virtual world is superfluous and fake, I need not be, I would be what I am.

WOULDN'T YOU ALL WANT TO KNOW WHAT FOOD WE HAVE EATEN YESTERDAY?

It is now over a year I do not get outside food for the man on Sundays. It is not about my misery, he lacks the interest, I feel lethargic to go out to the mall. The man hardly has any interest, only some days he would ask for a Biryani from a good restaurant and refuse to have my homemade lighter biryani. The daughter like from Lahore did say my Biryani is good in taste. I cook biryani in less frequency, I get stressed out whilst doing it. Sometime back, I cooked the green peas rice for a young adult student. I tasted a small spoonful of it, felt I should not have added the sugar. The boy did not say anything, though I feel he does the right review of my cooking, I do not mind it given I am married to an outspoken person. I was angry with the son when he did not go and talk with their IB Coordinator and request the board for a recheck, many students' marks got increased doing that. Last month too we asked him to talk to his own university requesting to secure a sit for MS in the same city, he did not. Why he has to be like his mother in this matter? He hardly talks to mumma.

Cristine made egg-cheese sandwich for herself and her sir too, I won't have that. Some day, I have to try the Mumbai roadside style sandwich, Kailash Parbat sells. Their plates seem big to me, I find them difficult to finish. However, it is my most favourite place for chaats and street food.

Cristine cooked Vermicelli Upma for me, the tea has to be made. I enjoy this kind of food for my first meal these days. I eat outside on a budget and I am off pork and beef, the choice got limited. I think I have eaten outside way too much, but I would not stop having food outside. 

Yesterday, I served the man King fish curry at the lunch time, I would not have this big variety of sea-fish. I made myself lemon rice and had it with a "mamlet" and paneer stuffed potato kofta. I loved my meal.

For dinner, I prepared some vegan flatbreads using pearl millet flour, gram flour, roasted gram flour, refined flour, salt, 1 tbsp oil. They tasted good.

I have hypothyroidism, as of now I am stocking only oats, Barnyard millet, sattu, vermicelli, dalia besides refined & whole-wheat flours, semolina, noodles and rice grain.

WHAT IS BENGALI MANGO KHEER?

A Bengali's kheer is sweetened milk reduction, less complex than the Rabri making but it is time consuming. The other states of India consider rice pudding or any desi kind of pudding as kheer whilst it is payesh among us. I do not know what the other Eastern Indian states address this milk reduction as. This sweetened milk reduction / kheer was done at least 1-2 days a week in our home when we were young. Following any other Bengali middle class home, our parents also considered there has to be enough milk, rice grain, fish in a home. Hence, every day a litre of fresh cow milk would come from "Shibu Kakur Khatal". Either he would come or we would go to the dairy farm in the evening, just before the sundown. I remember that home with the dairy farm with cows and buffaloes at one end, the big mosquitoes [deyo mosha] hovering above the cows and buffaloes. I was force fed buffalo milk too, you can see the result in me. I disliked having milk every evening, it was the father who loved milk, to scrape the residual hardened cream from the container it was boiled in. Every day there would be an excess of boiled milk, yet one litre of milk per day had to come home because it signified prosperity. With that excess the mother would prepare the kheer / milk reduction adding sugar. I did not like kheer neither could digest it. After we got home a refrigerator, I found out a limited intake of the chilled puddings were not causing me wind or stomach ailments. Actually, I enjoyed only the two summer kheer puddings with mango and jackfruit the most; Aam Kheer and Kathal Kheer. This vegetarian gluten-free pudding made with the ripe Mango and milk is called the BENGALI MANGO KHEER. This is our family recipe that would not have any mango chunks added or dry fruits. This was made mainly for the father who would have it with the puffed rice, chapati. The other day I had it with beaten rice, loved the chilled bowl.

I remember for hours the mother would slow cook the leftover cow milk, stirring constantly to get this kheer. I have done with a little amount of milk, added powdered milk to get it done swifter. I cooked the mango puree for sometime and thereafter added it to the milk. I cannnot remember the mother directly added the mango puree to the boiling milk or not. I am not in the habit of calling her for every matter.

Few other pudding recipes from the Blog are VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE SUTLAC, SOY MILK MOONG DAL ER PAYESH, CHANAR PAYESH

INGREDIENTS :

FULL CREAM MILK : 1 LITRE

MILK POWDER : 2-3 TBSP

FRESHLY MADE MANGO PUREE : 1 & 1/2 COFFEE MUG

SUGAR : 3 TBSP [YOU CAN USE MORE]

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/2 TSP

PROCEDURE :

Mix the milk powder with some milk and beat well. 

Put the full cream milk for boil, set the heat at minimal.

While the milk is boiling, get the puree of the mangoes. Strain the pulps to get a smooth, fibre free mango puree.

Cook it with  2 tsp of sugar for 4-5 minutes stirring constantly. Switch off the gas stove, we need not get a jam like consistency. 

As the milk starts thickening, we are to constantly keep stirring it, else the bottom would burn and get sticky.

When the milk gets less than half, we would add the green cardamom powder and the sugar. 

We would stir cook for few more minutes and switch off the gas stove.

Once a bit cool, we would add the cooked mango puree to the reduced sweetened milk and mix thoroughly.

Thereafter, I simmered it on the gas stove for 3-4 minutes, you may skip.

Our mother's kheer recipe had been thicker, creamier as she used fresh cow milk, I made it lighter as I wish to have a bowl or two.