TIL TOMATO MURGI

It was like other usual Sundays in our life yesterday except for cooking part. I do not wish to engage in kitchen on Sundays... not because I stopped loving to cook, the cleaning part I am scared of! My men are not kind who will eat leftover prasadam next day, who will make them believe how heavenly can be taste of "bashi khichuri".... Hence, cooked yesterday this non vegetarian meat dish TIL TOMATO MURGI, "Dhonepata Diye Mushurir Dal", "Sheem Aloo Diye Sultan Maacher Jhol"., "Dal".... 

This Sultan fish is good substitute for fresh, smaller or medium sized Rohu of Kolkata! It comes from neighbouring state... caught fresh & delivered! In fact, husband just started off for our neighbour but he is not the kind who will get his wife dozens of "hansher dim, fresh tyangra" from there!.... However, wife will hover around silly, negative thoughts for next four hours until he reaches hotel. He had thrown away my sedatives many springs back, did not allow to have them thereafter. There was a time when he had to take me to university for evening shift BeD classes as strong sedatives would not allow me to get down at right stop... Then he told "you are your best counsellor S".... I am putting through this message to few parents who I know are just spoiling a bright future... I hope they are reading this! 

Anyway, at this home people cause me irritation all the time.... I cannot retaliate in fear of neighbours, who may rush to our home anticipating a "marpit".... severe kind of chaos happening between tiger and deer.... thinking latter might  lay bleeding. Things are not that serious either... look at what I made him eat for dinner yesterday. He did not notify me earlier that he will be going on tour! I simply gave my dictate... you have to eat "patali gurer payesh, nelekata", "gulab jamun" I bought before you leave home. He would not eat khichuri, payesh and sweetmeats together. 

Our fight carries on over all these you see below.... I am totally against offering guests hard drinks during special prayers... neither do our friends want. Since, the nonbeliever accepts me performing rituals at this home, he makes it a point to have them saying if he does not stop me doing what I like, I should not too! I look at my brother to learn more of balancing act! You all should know by now that our mother did not raise "strong personalities".... as long as siblings get everything being done for us, we do not mind it either... haha! The world only belong to those who have a voice.... When this same world speaks against smoking, the man of this house gets new flavours... this one a cigarillo...

What else were you doing S, besides cooking, cleaning? Well, Cristine did tell me to keep cleaning part for her to come back, do. I could not, you cannot imagine how much of a back up she gives me on such days... she deserved that much needed Sunday break. I finally was done around 5 pm yesterday... wasn't willing to get it ordered from outside... the husband has to eat outside for 3 days now! 

Thereafter, I needed kind of coffee break, the way I like... I had it with a Japanese cake Sanak got for us, two ingredient bread I made with ice-cream and self rising flour.... you heard it right... I learnt it from Vijula Girish whose page Vijula's Kitchen has awesome baked recipes. I could have shared Vijula's page in public, before that I have to mention in public the names of at least 10-15 food bloggers for whom my blog is alive. Since, I am not a sincere observant or thinker, I refrain myself from all such activities. 

Where was I? Okay, white chocolate wrapped cake is not for me... son will love.. husband never has anything with tea... He does not run a kilometre but stopped having biscuits saying flavour of tea should be enjoyed alone.... sugar & milk makes tea flavoured milk drinks, not tea..... but that too is one opinion... there can be counter opinions. In between, I had my lunch around 3pm with "dal, shim aloo diye maacher jhol, TIL TOMATO MURGI".... The chicken curry was impromptu, tasted good.... fish curry and dal of course are authentic Bengali... 

Chicken lovers should not mind my dislike for it... I will always have a neck or small, boney piece! The rest Cristine will eat little and to my convenience... son will be immensely happy till tomorrow night to see mumma serving him chicken in almost all meals. The son took egg fried rice in his lunch box, mumma had to taste it early morning. At night yesterday, I should have skipped that paratha, why I had to eat it with "panchmeshali tarkari", nectarine I do not know. For lunch today, I will have "gota sheddo" that Ipsita has sent for me, fruit bowl with nectarine, oranges. How I wish to add some cream atop fruits, but will not! What is stopping me from starting with a decent diet plan? I know the reason... not feeling motivated enough.... I lost focus... but others should not! I find pleasure in food... a variety of... again... others should not!

I tread alone to no where,
You stop me.... despair...
A sudden Cyclone drops me...
... on chair... I rest my head on the T-able!
I eat...  for soul seek pleasure...
I pick myself up and walk ... in utter dismal
.... for I have never learnt to...
fill in, shut it ... forget!

Besides cooking, cleaning, eating.... I had to do some soul cleansing activity too before retiring for the day with loads of unnecessary carbs inside... the reason why I ask people not to follow my footsteps.... neither will I take any kind of lectures from anyone... on do's and don'ts...

Yes, I marinated chicken in tandoori masala, then slow cooked it in roasted sesame seeds and tomato paste.

INGREDIENTS :

CHICKEN : 1KG [MEDIUM CUT]
WHITE SESAME SEED : 1-11/2TBSP [ROASTED]
TOMATO : 2BIG
SLICED ONION : 1 SMALL TEA CUP
GINGER PASTE : 2TSP
GARLIC PASTE : 11/2TBSP
TANDOORI MASALA : 1TBSP
TURMERIC : 1TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 2-3TBSP [ADJUST YOURS]
CINNAMON STICK : 2-3 TWO INCH STICK
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
CLOVE : 3-4
STAR ANISE : 1
BAYLEAF : 1
LEMON JUICE : 3-4TBSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 1/3SMALL TEA CUP

PROCEDURE :

Wash chicken pieces under running water. Drain all water, marinate with tandoori masala, turmeric powder, lemon juice, salt. Keep aside for an hour.

Dry roast white sesame seeds at low heat for a minute, take out... keep aside, let cool.

Chop tomatoes, slice peeled onion.... wash them.

Once cool... prepare paste with dry roasted sesame seeds, tomato.

Take ginger-garlic paste, salt as required, red chilli powder in a bowl, add 2tbsp water to it, mix well.

Heat oil in wok, temper with bay leaf, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, clove, star anise, stir.

Add sliced onions, fry until brown in low heat ... but not burnt.

Add ginger-garlic-red chilli powder mixture, fold in well. Stir for 2-3 minutes at low heat to remove raw smell.

Add white sesame seed, tomato paste now, keep stirring. This will take some time to get desired consistency..... say 5-7 minutes.

Add chicken pieces now, leaving marinade.

Fold in well, keep stirring at high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to minimal, add marinade. Fold in well.

Cover cook at minimal heat for 20-25 minutes stirring in between ... it should be done. If required add a cup of water while halfway done... its supposed to release water!

Have it with rice or flat / puffed breads.

POSTO DIYE KANCHA TOMATO

Posto / Poppy Seed has become an yearly affair now.... if I visit Kolkata mid year, know that I day dreamt of 'posto' one summer afternoon and called the husband at office to buy me a ticket to Kolkata! Yes, Poppy Seed means that much to a Bengali. It is not that a Bengali in a foreign land do not get it, unfortunately it is banned in our island. The rule bound husband does not allow me to get even 100gm of it. I do not sit and cry... I have incorporated sesame seeds in our diet instead. 

You see, if you do not prepare the poppy seed paste in a "shil nora".... Bengali manual paste maker... you will not get the right texture. I have noticed that a poppy seed paste and roasted white sesame seed paste tastes almost the same if done in a blender. I do not know what result would a food processor give. The truth is that when the grapes seem too high as compared to our reach, we get satisfied with the few lying on the ground! Posto / Poppy Seed was a regular at our home although not in that frequency as in a Bengali family of West Bengal origin. 

I do not understand this East Bengal-West Bengal divide when it comes to cuisine .... I do add sugar in the vegetarian dishes and love 'posto'. What I hear is that when a majority of the Bengalis migrated to West Bengal, they picked up the use of poppy seed in their cooking. Does it mean that the people of East Bengal never ate 'posto'? I have doubt in this theory. I never had discussions on this matter with the family veterans. Any such comment without a research is unwelcome. This recipe of POSTO DIYE KANCHA TOMATO ... that is green, unripe tomatoes cooked with poppy seed paste shall be welcome at many of your homes.

This simple vegetarian dish has been learnt from my mother who in turn learnt it from somewhere else. The dish is very Bengali in essence, how authentic I do not know. I have never seen it been cooked at the grand parent's home or at the relative's. Green Tomatoes first entered our home when I was in High School. One day, the mother told green tomatoes and poppy seeds paste make a good pair. From where she has learnt I do not remember... kancha tomato / green tomato was not at all a pricey stuff at Dum Dum Bazaar but the price of posto / poppy seeds had been spiralling always. 

I instantly loved the vegetarian item besides the dal and non vegetarian meat or fish dish being served. Thereafter, I have asked mani to prepare it a couple of times... but green tomato is seasonally available in Kolkata... not many sellers do keep it. I cannot be at Kolkata at all seasons to get the best of all. That is similar as in life... we cannot get everything we wish for... That is what my newly found friend and me failed at and ended up no where in life perhaps! I very much wish to meet the author just to ask who inspired him to sketch the main character and why he had to meet Mrinalini after 18 years and not 16-17-19-20! 

Coincidence and real gets jumbled up within but  the "mistress of spices" did add the right amount of salt in POSTO DIYE KANCHA TOMATO. That gives a feel of comfort... also the discovery that there are more of my kinds around... be it a fictional character.... that I have some amount of sanity left in me .... About the dish... my side of the family do not use chilli paste or turmeric in poppy seed dishes.... the husband's side do. I do it both ways.... this one has green chilli paste in it and turmeric too. You can use tomatillo for this dish if not my swallow knowledge about food is too wrong! What I only regret is the red chilli atop the dish... I usually do not associate an ingredient not eaten in this island to red.... they consider their prime colour! I was too excited to be able to eat 'posto' after a gap of 11/2 years, I overlooked it!

INGREDIENTS :

GREEN TOMATO : 4
POPPY SEED : 2-3TBSP [RESIDENTS OF SINGAPORE & DUBAI SHOULD USE ROASTED WHITE SESAME SEED]
GREEN CHILLI : 2
DRY RED CHILLI : 2
NIGELLA SEED : 2PINCH [KALONJI / KALOJEEREY]
TURMERIC POWDER : 1/4TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1/2TSP [OPTIONAL]
OIL : 2TBSP [WE ALWAYS USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Wash the kancha tomato / green tomatoes well and cut each into 4 pieces. Wash again and marinate then with little salt and a pinch of turmeric. Rub well and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

We have already soaked the poppy seeds in hot water for an hour or so. Drain the water through a strainer and add the poppy seeds to a blender. Add two washed green chillies and half a small tea cup of water. Blend pausing in between until we get a more or less smooth paste.

[I never get the right consistency of poppy seeds paste in a blender as in a "shil nora.... mine is either half done or a fine paste]

Anyway, heat oil in a pan or a wok and temper with the nigella seeds and 2 dry red chillies.

Add the poppy seeds paste and stir fry at low heat for 2 minutes or so.

Take out and store on a plate retaining as much of oil as possible in the wok or the pan.

Add the green tomatoes to the wok along with the marinade, add the rest of the turmeric powder. Give a stir and reduce the heat to the lowest.

Cover with a lid and let cook at the lowest heat for some 5-6 minutes. If a little of water has released we do not need to add water. If not, add 1/2 a small tea cup of water. Cover cook for 2-3 minutes at a very low heat.

Open cover and add the cooked poppy seeds paste, adjust the salt, add the sugar. Fold in well and cook uncovered at low heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly.

Transfer to a serving bowl, enjoy hot & fresh with any variety of rice.... brown, red, matta or with chapati! You can use tomatillo instead of green tomatoes... I have never tasted it in life!

CHALTAR DAL O BENGALI ALOO CHOKHA

The CNY fervour is still on... in fact many a shops will remain closed till Sunday.... However, I have to move on. Haven't I learnt from the wiser lot we must touch hearts in turns? Not that I wish to be nice to people who purposely take or had taken a dig at me, then more than a four decades of stay on this earth amidst a number of good humans have taught me to be calm to overcome stress, to ignore what hurts me to the core. The problem is that I have forgotten all the formulae of science & mathematics... never had learnt them actually but I cannot forget targetted attacks... made decades back or  recently! However, each dawn brings in some kind of happiness, today when I woke up to Master Chef Ranveer Brar's post shared last night, I got very happy and could not stop myself from commenting and liking it. Not always do I respond to what I like or unless & until anyone nourishes my ego! The Master Chef has millions of fans, I am a negligible one.... but when he stands in the midst of an orchard and says... "I am a farmer's son, so will always enjoy being in a farm or an orchard".... I feel very much connected .... as if he is asking me... "Whats up? How are you doing?"..... 

Look at me, I am planning to visit the local Botanic Garden for two months now and yet could not... One fine morning will set out... I do not wish to bother the "uninterested" family members in this case. However, on request I was taken to the East Coast Park... some of my friends may remember a post I shared last year .... me "anonde atmahara" at the sight of four "chalta gaach"... Elephant Apple tree near the sea. Mine is not a husband who will go up a tree or help me to go up to get a few fresh ones. What I did was that I picked up some from the ground while the husband kept saying we needed to know if its legal or not. That pissed me off truly.... I am not selling it to Indian Homes or exporting the seeds to Kolkata. The natives here do not eat it, so they lie wasted.... Few Bengalis like me take them home for making pickle & dal. The "chaltar achar" I prepared is about to finish and I have not done a photo feature. Its time to visit to pick up some again.... before that I needed to share this Bengali, combo vegetarian dish of CHALTAR DAL O BENGALI ALOO CHOKHA that is very much of a favourite with me alongside some deep-fried "puti or ikanbilis" .... while my family will have it only if there is a meat or prawn curry in offer. The master chef's post did not allow me to think otherwise... after all he is quite handsome... haha! At times, I want my jokes to be true, to become a light hearted soul not taking anything to heart, not allowing anyone to stay within to whom I am an object of fun... like a football... pleasure in each kick!

I refer to the master chef not in any personal interest, these days I prefer maintaining a distance more than before leaving few.... I am losing interest in many a thing neither ready for a 'banprastha'.... I just had seen his post from a different angle... there you are..... my perspective is different from yours.

When I sincerely try to keep tradition rule at this home, the other family members are busy stocking their favourites before the shops closed for 3-4 days. The "patali gurer payesh" I prepared last Saturday was eaten yesterday night. I can give you 101 reasons of me turning grey fast! No point shouting at him / them on why he wished Happy CNY to our Family Whatsapp group with the picture below while CURRY AND SPICE had a different agenda... The poor fellow does not understand social media, does not even know anyone there except for a few I talk about. Before some of you get either happy or sad, let me tell you  over the weekend, he plays Hemanta, Manna and is a fan of the below contemporary singer! There is no dearth of interest in me to cling onto tradition. Yesterday, I soaked some "kalijeera" rice, allowed to dry and then had grind them to a coarse powder. I have stored it to redo the "dhuki pitha" I failed to, some sheddo puli too! The failed "dhupi pitha" mixture was turned into a yum dessert.... did a silly photo feature! Will share later!

I was making repeated error at one point, right now I rectified it... Come on, if an Italian Grandma takes pride in preparing a pasta from scratch, a Bengali / Indian Grandma knows the tricks to perfect a "dhupi pitha" / steamed pitha! However, my share today is a simple, Bengali vegetarian combo meal of a sour lentil curry / tok er dal with chalta  and a boiled potato mashed & cooked / aloo chokha .... that is  CHALTAR DAL O BENGALI ALOO CHOKHA!

INGREDIENTS : [ for the Chaltar Dal ]

Matar / Split Dried Yellow Pea Dal : 1medium cup
Elephant Apple : 1/4 of one standard size
Black Mustard Seed : 1/4tsp
Nigella Seed : 1/4tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2-3
Bayleaf : 1medium sized
Slitted Green Chilli : 3-4
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp + 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Sugar : 1tsp
Oil : 2tbsp [We always use mustard]

INGREDIENTS : [ for the Bengali Aloo Chokha]

Boiled Potato : 2-3 [skinned, washed, mashed]
Roasted Peanut : 1tbsp
Chopped Fresh Coriander : 1medium cup [washed]
Nigella Seed : 1/2tsp
Dry Red Chilli : 2
Chopped Green Chilli : 1tbsp
Sliced Onion : 1small cup
Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2tbsp


PROCEDURE :

Let us prepare the sour lentil curry with elephant apple first.

Soak the matar dal / split dried yellow pea lentil in water for an hour.

Wash and drain the water 2-3 times. Pressure cook at the lowest heat up to 2 whistles adding 2 coffee mugs of water, salt as required and 1/2tsp turmeric water. Let cool.

Meanwhile, we have separated the petals of the chalta / elephant apple. I have cut it into smaller pieces. Wash and rub a little of salt & turmeric.

Heat & temper temper oil with the black mustard seeds, nigella seeds, little torn dry red chillies, bay leaf.

Add the marinated pieces of the elephant apple and stir at low heat for a minute.

Add the boiled dal and the rest of the turmeric powder. Cover cook at very low heat for 10-12 minutes.

Open cover and add the slitted green chillies, sugar, adjust the salt. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes.

We should be done.

Now the Bengali Aloo Chokha / mashed and cooked potato.

Mash the boiled potato with turmeric and salt.

Heat oil in a pan, add the nigella seeds, dry red chillies, peanuts and stir for a while.

Add the sliced onion and fry till brown at the lowest heat.

Add the chopped green chillies and stir for a while.

Add the mashed potato mixture and fold in well. Keep stirring continuously until the bottom turns little brown. We will cook until all sides turn brown.

Add the chopped fresh coriander, adjust the salt. Fold in well and stir for 2-3 minutes. We are done.

We will need a fish fry, meat or prawn curry alongside. You can use it as a sandwich filler or make aloo tikkis... also can have the potato with chapati but the sour dal will only go with steamed rice with "fish fry" as a bonus.

SAGO MANGO KHEER

It was 18th December... 2018... morning time that I prepared this vegetarian dessert. It was that morning when I decided to blog on it as a CNY special dish.... Why not? Its an island favourite dessert. The thing is that when it is done in an Indian or Bengali kitchen, it does not remain that light textured, it gets creamier, richer in taste... I love it both ways. In fact, the family enjoyed it! Did I ever think that I will again allow "dudh shabu" in my life.... I never fed it to my toddler either. I do not remember my ordeal but of the siblings around having it while I was a school goer. It was 2010, October .... I landed here ... tasted SAGO MANGO KHEER in an official party with a skeptical mind.... lets see! I never thought I will love it so much. Bengali Grandmothers are / were a failure in this area.... had they have known how to prepare this particular dessert properly.... "jhinuk-bati" would not have been accused as an abettor to crime in a kids' court. Come to the present, what about the crimes I keep on committing when it comes to maintaining personal health. Below is the scenario this morning. The son's CNY Holidays start from today... he gets some 'koraishutir kochuri' for lunch. That is okay, why I had to ask Cristine, "dear make one single luchi for me, goes so perfect with my tea".... Yesterday night, I went out in a look out for green coffee beans, did not get locally and got home these buttery biscuits.... I cannot have the same kind every morning... I cannot let food be tagged boring at this home. BTW, some of my friends say that our Cristine has become a prized catch in this island... Isn't that true?

"Milind Soman does not eat biscuits".... remains a statement for me! We are not made for each other. I follow him in social media though! I have leaned more towards the protagonist in "The Labyrinth" who resembles yours truly S.... I was wondering whether the author Udayan Majumder got to know about me before sketching the main character of his novel or not.... haha! I softly scold the protagonist ... "stop being silly, face life... live it!".... just as Mrinalini's dadu says!... I have to read till the end to know why Mrinalini behaved so awkwardly with him.... reasons can be manifold but why? I got to be a slow reader, last week did no reading .... yesterday however was not willing to sleep without finishing but sleep did disturb me.... The husband scolds me always... "S why could not you differentiate between real & fantasy throughout your life? Why do you get deeply involved in something you need not.... learn to ignore, accept!"..... I stare at him with a blank eye for I do not know how to be otherwise! As Chandrayee always says " love yourself a bit, do not let anyone have too much control on you unless one has something to give you, bother about you".... Loving myself, I keep eating, wander alone, do a bit of cardio which is not enough, do get clicked.... waiting for the right moment to share few photographs.... do not feel like these days however....

Until few years back we used to go for a short holiday during this time to the neighbouring countries. Now, everything revolves around the son's schedule. On the two main days of CNY, he has volunteering duty at the most popular fire works show near the Marina Bay Sands. We got two free tickets for today as his parents... may not be going.... I wished to go when the son has duty. I think the organisers got this mother's pulse... haha! Had it been in Kolkata or India... I would have imagined of a chaos in the venue... and the son being caught in a stampede... etc. etc. As I have mentioned several times that I suffer from a condition somewhat similar to Thanatophobia... At a very young age, I felt that there is no point talking about your anguish... people do not have time... so I have hid many a thing deep inside... and smiled at life... I found a support system in the vast fraternity of Scottish Church College and thereafter in that school at Barasat where I worked for five long years... 

Now that I am gradually reconnecting with some of my former colleagues and few members of the management... all of a sudden, I find myself at Champadalir More walking towards the school and knowing the greens... "chalta gaach, mete aloo, arhar daler jhar".... Wasn't it Jharna di who cooked the best "oler data shorshe diye?"... When a Jharna Sarkar sends a message.... "S tokey dekhtey icchey korey".... My eyes get wet... I answer "amaro".... I do not interact much with them as it will cause me an emotional drain .... a Krishna Majumder... the mother of two girls whose home we hunted almost everyday... if you are going towards Bongaon in a train .... look at your left... just when the train passes "dui number[?] level crossing... the Guard House"... the first home with a big pond you see is of KM's as we called her... "S bhaat khabi... eei maach ta aaj bhorei pukur theke tola holo".... a Sen di... the veteran Bengali teacher was a look alike of that elderly lady in a Kerala Onam saree! My heart revolves around everything I came across... our picnic at Taki... with the erstwhile colleagues, sailing on a boat until we could see homes at the Jessore district, having our full Bengali lunch at the Government's guest house... naughty KM pointing at few couples and commenting they come for a day to such places... I even miss those family & friends' picnic from Sonarpur to Duttapukur, Habra everywhere... a lot more of the "misses" I do not have the liberty to disclose in details ... the reason is same... no one bothers.... 

So different is my vision of life, so silly is my soul that no one can be my soulmate... so I find a friend in that protagonist of "The Labyrinth" and we sing together "amar shokol rosher dhara tomatey aaj hok na hara".... or go to watch the very graceful "Shobhana's" performance... her eyes, long hair, saree... I die for..... then totally dive into Shirshendu's "love-dom".... my life saving drugs! All of you do have the right to live life your way, so do I .... I create my own preferred ambience! I am not a working woman, so I have ample time to cook besides indulging into and pampering my silliness! 

As I recreate the easy dish of SAGO MANGO KHEER in my kitchen, I indulge in another virtual conversation with a visiting guest family.... "what does your husband eat actually? Baked Salmon with a drizzle of English Mustard, Grilled Gobi or Beet Root & Mixed Nut Salad, or a Stuffed Pita Bread with Hummus, Multigrain Bread or an Eggfree Caramel Custard topped with Badam... Khubani?... I need to go through my friends' recipes for that!".... I feed their favourites, then sit with my meal... "oler dalna choto chingri diya, kurmurey aloo bhaja, dal, koromchar tok, kumro sheddo"... The food was not going so fast down the food pipe, but you know you are to maintain a decorum in public... Hey lady... what happens does happen for the good.... two aliens from two different planets hardly meet at any point in life!" A week of stay had to come to an end in seven minutes as the boiling milk may burn at the bottom. The boss of this house who promised to carry this burden as a dearest friend ..... was asked.... "Can I place my head on your lap and talk nonsense for a while?.... but you cannot ask me why.... in return I would serve you a chilled bowl of a vegetarian dessert SAGO MANGO KHEER ... too yum to say no!"

INGREDIENTS :

MILK : 1LITRE [I USE MARIGOLD]
SAGO : 1SMALL TEA CUP
SUGAR : 6-7 TBSP
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3 [LIGHTLY CRUSHED]
BAYLEAF : 1 [OPTIONAL]
FRESH MANGO PASTE : 1SMALL TEA CUP
MANGO CUBES TO GARNISH

PROCEDURE :

Wash and soak the sago pearls with just enough water. Do not add too much of water. Soak it for an hour or so and drain the water.

We have already prepared a paste with the mango pulp of 2 standard sized mangoes.

We have put the milk for boil.

Once it comes to boil, we will keep stirring keeping the heat at medium to low. I fear  of burning at the bottom.

After 12-14 minutes the milk gets creamier, we will add the soaked & drained sago. Stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until the sago gets 80% cooked.

Add the sugar and crushed cardamoms, stir cook for 2-3 minutes. Add some milk if the kheer / pudding gets too thick.

Switch off gas and let cool. Add the mango paste and gently mix only when the kheer / pudding is completely cold.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving it chilled garnished with mango pulps.

LOITTA SHUTKIR TARKARI

If this is not a bliss, what is? This applies only to shutki maach / dried fish lovers. Only they will understand how a bliss called "hudki" enters our body and gets spread all over it and take over our sensory organs... yes, the heat has to come out of the ears nah? 'Arey yaar itna to hai yaad... body ke andar pachtho hai woh wala organ... kuch to hai thori bahut bheje mein".... Beyond several layers of silly emotions, there is little something.... I got / get to see a lot of things... one of the few  famous Bongs around plays a favourite Hindi song on a special occasion... their biggest confidant shares hi fi sci fi something in another forum to show solidarity with science & "app-tap".... "pata hai mujhey Gabbar, bahut yarana hai"..... and I am that lunatic, nut head running here & there urging people... "koi apna banaya hai yaar, page like kar do... humko to samajh mein nehi aati hain yeh sab"..... No one asked me to, I felt like...... but this "special child" of my parents has a strong digestive system... she takes everything with a pinch of salt & black pepper. 

Of late, I has decided that she will respond to only those things that satisfies her ego! As I always say my life is an open book, whether people read it, get hold of my weaknesses and use it to sharpen their knives to stab me or not I do not care... I will not live life in a cage.... pleasing every other person. "Apne andar jo aag hai bujhane ke liye yaar LOITTA SHUTKIR TARKARI chahiye"... haha! Excuse my nuisance, but this is my space where I will take the liberty and I can see well the wild in me is not letting me go ahead with a two minutes microwave cake done in two beautifully decorated cups with love hearts embossed in them. As I head towards senility,  I am finding it hard to reconcile with anything that I am not willing to. Last year, when I blogged about a dried fish dish, I made it a combo with dal palak... my concern was traffic then.... Overcoming that fear with an "I do not care"attitude ... I feel extremely liberated! In a way I should be thankful to certain social forums' rules.... just do not understand why their rules apply to poor food bloggers like us and not on the soft porn kinds that do a free run in front of our noses.

LOITTA SHUTKIR TARKARI, a non vegetarian side dish with dried Bombay Duck fish is not something that my 'shutki' loving men or my Valentine Sanak Chottopadhay love. They prefer a "shutkir bharta".... I do parcel "shutki maach" at homes where it is not cooked... Ipsita sends me often. I sent her this one too, yet to get a feedback.... Actually, we are still under the magical spell of Nawazuddin Sidiqqui who can alone carry forward a movie on his shoulder without allowing us to blink for a while.... neither he or the character he played would eat / ate dried Bombay Duck.... "Mumbai stason ma humko utarne nehi denge"..... as I said... this 'today', I dedicate to the self.... henceforth I will do it often.... I do not get thousands of blog visit or hundreds of likes on a post that I have to sacrifice something to taste "success"..... that is somewhat similar in taste to black pepper crab or mutton pasinda or ilisher tel jhol!

This dish with dried Bombay Duck fish and few vegetables like eggplant, radish, broad beans is authentic of my side of the family. Most of us love it except the brother's wife who does not touch dried fish, neither does my paa-in-law. I try not to include veterans in my social media accounts... I do not serve him shutki or seafood either, he should be ok. So far B is concerned, she needs to know more  of my vices and the extreme case of an egoist that I am! We also use long beans in this dish, I just forgot to get it from the market. I wished to have it that particular night for dinner.... hence....

INGREDIENTS :

DRIED BOMBAY DUCK FISH : 5-6
SMALL SIZED EGGPLANT : 5-6 [CUBED]
BROAD BEAN : 8-10 [CUT EACH INTO 3 PIECES]
MEDIUM SIZED RADISH : 3-4 [ PEELED, HALVED, CUT LENGTHWISE]
CRUSHED GARLIC : 1 SMALL TEA CUP [ OF 15-16 CLOVES]
SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 4-5
SLICED ONION : 1COFFEE MUG [OF 3-4 MEDIUM SIZED]
DRY RED CHILLI POWDER : 2TBSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 11/2TSP + 1/2TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 6 TBSP [WE USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

Discard the head and tail rear of the dried Bombay Duck / loitta shutki. Cut lengthwise, each into 3-4 pieces. Wash thoroughly several times. 

Now soak in hot water for an hour.

Peel, wash and crush the garlic cloves.

Wash the cut vegetables, the radish pieces taken in a separate bowl.

Rub 11/2 tsp turmeric & salt in all of the cut vegetables and keep aside for 15 minutes.

We have sliced the onion, slitted the green chillies. They are washed and kept ready to be used.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the crushed garlic and stir cook for 11/2 to 2 minutes.

Add the sliced onion now and stir until they turn light brown. Add the green chillies and give a stir. 

Now, we will add the dried fish pieces and red chilli powder. Stir well and cover cook for 10-12 minutes adding very little water at a time. Slow cook at lowest heat.

Remove the cover, add the marinated radish pieces.... fold in well and cover cook at the lowest heat for 7-8 minutes.

Remove the cover, add the rest of the vegetables along with the marinade. Fold in well and cover cook at lowest heat for 13-15 minutes. We require no water as the vegetables will release a lot of water. The cooking has to be very slow.

We are to enjoy it with piping hot steamed rice.... you can have the "dal & aloobhaja" alongside, I do not require anything else but "ek tukro peyaz o kanchalanka"....