SUGAR-FREE OATS SNACKER

WHAT TO DO WITH THE CASHEW NUTS & RAISINS THAT I OFFER EACH DAY TO MY GOD FAMILY?

I prepare sweets and snacks! Haven't you seen similar recipes in my space for the past one year? All of them are good for our body, trust me! Actually, we are typical Middle-class Bengalis; the family veterans believed in the power of "mach & khati gorur dudh" instead of dry fruits! The latter to us kids were something to do with Kabuliwala, Kashmir; that paradise. It was in 1987 we went there after my 10th board examinations. It was a pleasant weathered October and this romantic teen of the time wished to go back there with her special someone, may not be to eat walnut, apple only. Till date, she does not live in reality, she sculpted a figure of that someone from her imagination, with bits and pieces of all the qualities she would love to see in a man; he who may be impossible to be found in reality! I am full of flaws but the partner in my dream needed to be flawless. In the present day 2022, if anything has changed that is the ability to accept that such a person cannot exist on this earth; the one who can walk with me miles after miles in the terrains of the Paradise without comparing me with Ms. Nene or Sridevi, would not measure my body basics wanting it to be that of Brook Shields. Actually, in the rocky terrains; I get breathing trouble, I pee often, puke too; I desperately need a T by my side who never frown when I do unromantic stuffs at tourist spots. Our son stands proof of the stupid acts I do while on travel. Perhaps it is the reason why I often visit Long John Silvers', as did today and do not forget to ring the bell in gratitude! I requested for a corn cup and black coffee instead of the potato fries, aerated drink; they served me without charging extra!

What I do not want T to do is the noise he makes without much of provocations. I hate that he switched to whisky for a year, leaving wine. Weekends we should go out, shop a little, eat out! You cannot blame, the rude behaviour is by inheritance! The son grew up watching these, wish he listened to me, be a soft spoken, gentle being! Life is not what we want it to be but what it is destined to be!

ALTHOUGH I KNEW I WOULD SHARE A NEW FOOD POST; I HAD TO VENTURE OUT FOR SOME WORK!

Like any nuts would, I got scratches on my glasses cleaning it with bath towels. Also, the power needed to be checked! All this while I waited for our India visit; our family's Eye Surgeon stays in Kolkata! Now, it became an urgency; my vision got impaired! Just like absence of repentance in T & P, for their rude gestures at times; my silly acts are a cause of irritation. T would never say why I cannot be little careful and value his hard earned money; I do not take too much to heart their noise, not at all time they do! I hardly stick to complaints, I had set out on foot today perfectly accompanied by one of my favourite genre of music; Spanish Flamenco. I may not understand it deeply, I just love to listen! This is a good collection I found in Spotify!

Music is strength, healer! All of the Sunday we sat tight at home; Cristine went out. We perhaps got mentally dependant on her after the son left home. T hates doing household work although his father gave utmost service to his mother! I cannot stay alone all day at home! Then, let it be. Its for her I finish off the Sunday cooking by Saturday, watch television on Sundays. With the son leaving the day before; there was no question of getting outside food yesterday! Our lunch was the cabbage cooked with dried anchovy and chicken curry! I am to blog about that chicken! In the evening; I had to have a dry cake and ribbon twist with the fabulous "masala chai" I made. However, my system refuses milk tea regular. At dinner, I ate decent after a long time; tomato-red lentil soup! To the man, I served fish curry, small fish fry & lentils.

If I have a helping hand, I won't bother whether my men want to do the household work or do not! I expect them to speak in low volume; they deny! Its by inheritance for sure; how much people try to do damage control these days; I would insist on this and won't ever forget what behaviour was meted out to me! I would keep it formal!

WHAT IS THIS SUGAR-FREE OATS SNACKER?

My readers know, over a year I offer my God Family a little bit of dry fruits thrice a day! My family may consider it a show off; the mother. The amount Bhai spends on his cigar intake and outside food; he is not bothered about anything that is outside his area of interest! What would I do with the "michri, batasha, nokuldana" stored? I hardly use that much of sweet in desserts these days! So, here is a good use of the cashew nuts, raisins this time, adding oats, desiccated coconut to it! I prepared a no-cook, non-diary, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free snacks. I named it SUGAR-FREE OATS SNACKER. The son enjoyed having it on his stay! Yes, two stalwarts from the Indian Cultural Scenario passed away earlier this day, I may not be sharing the perfect food plate! But, it is also a 18th January tomorrow and I worship the youth; I sincerely wish them to grow well, positive and flourish!

INGREDIENTS :

CASHEW NUT : 1 /2 COFFEE MUG

RAISIN : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

OATS : 1 COFFEE MUG

DESICCATED COCONUT : 1/4 COFFEE MUG

PROCEDURE :

We would take the ingredients in a wok, switch on the gas stove. We would slowly roast them at minimal heat for 7-8 minutes.

We would switch off the gas stove, take them in a blender. We would close it tight with the lid and leave them to cool!

We have to blend when the ingredients are still warm. We have to pulse few times, pause in between. What we want is a coarse powder, not fine! Cashew Nuts would give out oil, the raisins stickiness!

I did not use ghee or sugar, I was finding it difficult to bind them. I wished to keep the snack vegan, managed to give it a shape!

I greased my palms with few drops of oil! I did them on 6th January, I still have few in the refrigerator! They taste the best when fresh!

If refrigerated, they are to be taken out, brought to normal temperature before having!

GAJOR ER HALUA STUFFED PATISHAPTA

OUR PITHE-PULI SEASON IS ONGOING!

I follow the family tradition of preparing Pithe-Puli every year; may not be only in December & January! There is nothing called winter in this island; I prepare pithe-puli  any time of the year! Till date, I could not get the English term of "pithe-puli"; I am anyway poor in English! If your base is not strong, you cannot be good in that subject unless you work hard to achieve the best later in life! I am not into academics! I sit and day dream, repent the earlier decisions related to my academics! On this day, it feels I should have studied Anthropology or Psychology or Literature! Actually, I did not at all learn anything! Like the maximum of us do, I went through a system to attain  few degrees! This has nothing to do with learning! Even if I had taken academics seriously, I would not have been teaching at the Harvard or NUS or JNU today, true! But I regret not equipping myself with adequate knowledge in the right time, also not taking up the part-time teaching job at the Bagula College! I am desparately looking for that good friend of mine Ruma, who joined there and immediately got me the news of a vacancy for a part-timer! I remember of her frail, rural self, determined enough to secure a MPhil course seat at the Jadavpur University's International Relations Department! Only a true, good friend would come to you and insist you to take you for an interview to enter the MPhil programme! I last met her on my marriage day! The only thing I could do for her was to give her away all my notebooks, peace is in knowing she used them for her students! The only information I had of her was her father and elder brother working as pharmacists at the Kalyani Hospital, one succeeding the other! That was a brother who wanted to do higher studies but could not after the father retired; he made sure his brothers & sisters earn higher degrees! Each time I blog about a rustic Bengali recipe, Ruma visits me silently! They stayed in Kanchrapara. She would come to Naihati on a Sunday noon; catch the Naihati-Bajbaj local train, would pick up us one by one; Juthika from Barrackpore, Suparna from Khardah, the self & Nupur from DumDum, another Santhal boy would go with us in the same batch, very near to Tollygunge station was Sir's home! I wanted a sleep after a meat & rice Sunday meal but the mother insisted I get her  a master's degree! If my average self lacking confidence did not dare to apply for an MPhil programme, she asked me to get her a BEd degree and I obliged! Today, I do not have the confidence to teach a toddler; neither it is the right age to dance, paint, sing with the kids! What to do to engage myself, tell me?

INELIGIBLE TO GO OUT FOR WORK; I CANNOT THINK OF LYING ON THE BED ALL DAY OR WATCH TELEVISION! LETS COOK THEN!

You would find regrets in every word and action of mine! I cook to keep myself off any negativity that can cause me irritation! Take the example of today! I had no intent to go to my doctor but my medicines are about to finish by Sunday! My sugar level dropped but the pressure is tending to get higher since the end of 2020! I am advised to buy one and monitor regular; the doctor would accordingly decide whether I require medication or not! I cannot blame anyone for my stress level, its my nature! It can also be age related; else why would a  happy-go-lucky person like our father got high pressure too? I am sad indeed but I have no time to sit and brood! Mumma forgot to prepare two major love of the son; bonde & biryani! She must do them!

The biryani's final step would be done around 9 pm! Cooking is a stress reliever to me! I could not freeze the moment of smile the son gave looking at the bonde. He was asked what he wants for dinner; chicken biryani or rice with chicken curry? Instant was the answer that he wants biryani! Mumma would gladly comply, she only expects him to behave well with people! In between all these, I had a soul satisfying meal with dal, salad , dhone patar bora! Cristine and the son had the pomfret curry too!

Because my blood sugar level is steady at this time, I allowed myself a cake rusk with tea & ribbon twists! Mumma wished to try swiss rolls at home; did not take the risk in a hurry; instead bought him! Also came from Lahore large boxes of Multani Halwa, I would share that picture in public! 

Since 2 pm, I had a rice bowl, three ribbon twists, one patishapta, one cake rusk & a cup of Earl Grey Tea until now! I do not know who or what can divert my mind from the wrong food habits! Better we discuss the making of the patishapta / Bengali Crepes today?

WHAT IS THIS GAJOR ER HALUA BHORA PATISHAPTA?

GAJOR is Carrot and it's HALUA / HALWA is a carrot & semi-solidified sweetened milk mismash / medley; the thick, sticky consistency we get cooking the milk & carrot over time. I have used evaporated creamer to lessen the time of cooking! PATISHAPTA is a Bengali Crepe or can we call it thinner pan cakes? Whatever, they are a must do during this Sankranti time! I willingly follow the rituals, and traditions; love listening to the mythical stories associated, the man, the son never stop me! Today I wasn't willing to share a new blogpost, vegetarian sweet meat GAJOR ER HALUA STUFFED PATISHAPTA! I am not in the mood to! My men love pithe-puli desserts; I really do not get why and since when Bhai stopped loving to have them. Did not we sit together and have them? The daddy loved them the most! If it was Hollywood movies for him, reads from all over the world, ideology imported from Russia and China, his food choices were pretty much Bengali; the "Bangal" in him never did go away! Carrot Halwa stuffed patishapta is not our traditional thing, we use either mawa-coconut or jaggery-coconut! This is a twist I gave  following some posts around, forgot whose posts; sorry, beautiful people!

Few similar Recipes from the blog :

ANARASI MALPUA

KAJU KISHMISH DIYE DOI ER MALPUA

AKHROT O PATALI DIYE STEAMED RICE CAKE

PATISHAPTA

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CARROT HALWA STUFFING :

SHREDDED CARROT : 2-3 COFFEE MUG

EVAPORATED CREAMER : 350 ML[YOU CAN BOIL NORMAL FULL CREAM MILK TO A THICK CONSISTENCY]

SUGAR : 1/2 MEDIUM TEA CUP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1 TSP

CLARIFIED BUTTER / GHEE : 4-5 TBSP

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BENGALI CREPE :

REFINED FLOUR : 11/2 COFFEE MUG

SEMOLINA : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

RICE FLOUR : 1 TBSP

SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

OIL : FEW DROP

THE FINAL PRODUCT :

THE CARROT HALUA

THE PATISHAPTA CREPE

PROCEDURE :

I think I missed clicking few steps and totally the making of the crepe / patishapta batter!

I hired the picture below from another post!We would soak the semolina in water for an hour. There should not be any lump, mix well!

Then, we would add the refined flour, rice flour, sugar, few drops of oil! The batter needs to be mixed well! It need not be paste like, nor too runny! We have to add water little at a time, use a hand beater to get a lump free batter!

We would keep the batter aside for an hour! Meanwhile, let us prepare the carrot & milk halwa!

Cristine peeled, washed 7-8 carrots, used a shredder to shred them.

We soaked them in water for few minutes, transferred to a colander!

We would heat the ghee in a wok, add the shredded carrot! We would fold in well, stir cook for 5 minutes!

We would cover it with a lid, allow it to cook at low heat for 7-8 minutes. It would release water!

The released water have to be dried up by stir frying, the ghee would emanate aroma!

We would add the evaporated creamer, fold in well and let cook covered for 10-12 minutes.

We would remove the cover, add the green cardamom powder, sugar, stir cook for 3-4 minutes!

We would cook without cover, let it come to a sticky consistency devoid of water! We would transfer it to a plate!

We would place a frying pan on gas top, grease it with few drops of oil!

We would mix the batter with a round spoon again, pour a spoonful on the pan; quickly spread it round with the back of the spoon!

We would place some amount of the carrot stuffing at one end and roll it using a thin ladle!

After cooking 4-5 crepes, we need to grease the pan with few drops of oil; the first one after pouring the oil does not come out well, you would understand from my picture!

If you buy expensive, non-stick pan; try to skip greasing it with oil! I do not buy anything expensive!

Have them fresh & warm or refrigerate once cool. Bring them to the normal temperature before having!

 

BHINDI ALOO BHAJA

 A DECADE BACK; MY PARENTAL FAMILY STARTED TO CELEBRATE OUR FATHER'S BIRTHDAY ON 10TH JANUARY!

I wasn't a party to this decision, neither did I oppose! Why should I? I could see our father was happy to watch the rest celebrating him! Moreover, I did not find anything wrong in the initiative! Non-cooperation was out of question! Had the parents faced trouble; I would have interfered! So long my brother takes care of his parents; of whom the father is already gone; I need not bother! If there is a brother; the married sister need not interfere in the family matters, unless required! This hinders the brother's willingness to do anything for the parents! Neither Bhai, nor I have ever celebrated either of the parent's birthdays, we did not even know the dates or was eager to find out! Their anniversary date we knew, I used to bake a plain butter cake, get some food; I had been earning since age 18! Way later, when the brother started to earn, he followed my footsteps! I was already married by then, was at peace.I never had to worry for my parents because of my brother! He stood rock solid by them, they kept spoon feeding him; got too protective of him! My brother never could become independent, his career got stagnated!

ON THIS DAY, I SHARE A RECIPE OF FATHER'S CHOICE!

For the past two days, I kept thinking what to share in the blog today! He had dal only the sour kinds; he loved sweets, pithe-puli; those I cannot share on this day because his son, the daughter-in-law do not fancy them. I have to keep that on mind because it is them who took care of him; it is them for whom our mother can live by her own terms, almost. I do not care much about the trivial issues, there would always be some complaints from both sides. I am the last person to interfere in their lives; I chose not to get rustic vegetable dishes either; dadun got "bonde" for the grandson whenever he visited their Barrackpore home, our son  got sad at the news of his demise! Then what? I do take care of various other things these days; that stranger who made me smile or a singer who took me to the peak of an utopia! When the son refused to dine out yesterday evening, I asked them to order pizza online and set out locally to the mall; mainly to buy few clothings for the son! A daughter like is due on Wednesday, I had to buy few things. I decided to cook vegetable chop, chicken fry, spaghetti, pithe, mutton, kabli cholar ghugni are in the plan until now! Besides, I bought two packets of okra / bhindi / lady's finger / dhyarosh too! Yet, it was not decided if I would be going ahead with this recipe share today! At night before going to sleep, I instructed Cristine that this platter would go to Sir's lunch box and Popeye  would have it for breakfast! It was decided this morning that I would click the platter! Satisfied more or less with the job; around 11.30 am, Mumma took the son for the scaling of his teeth! Obviously, I started late with the blogpost!

WHAT IS BHINDI ALOO BHAJA?

I am sensing I have this recipe existing in the blog! Such a common Bengali dish, also Family recipe it is! I could not find it; I was firm in the decision I would blog about it today! It is dhyarosh to us Bengalis; had the beautiful people not have shared two recipes on a plate, I would have named it Dhyarosh Aloo Bhaja! I do not expect from the strangers; but if you have fed our father his favourite, I will feed you your's; in principle! This is how our father loved his breakfasts! Because, women in my family are hardworking and extremely competent homemakers except me, we did not need a bread packet every morning; given we are Bengali Indian family with early risers! Even the lazy self does not pack lunch boxes with bread-butter & fruits everyday; I can cook, love it! Not only vegetarian, this BHINDI ALOO BHAJA is also vegan & gluten-free! Usually, okras are fried brown in this recipe and the potatoes a little more but that requires more of oil! You can either have it with roti-prata or with dal & rice! While I write, I finish off my evening tea and coffee time ritual too!

INGREDIENTS :

LADY'S FINGER / OKRA / DHYAROSH / BHINDI : 500 GM

POTATO : 2 STANDARD SIZED

GREEN CHILLI : 2 SLITTED

DRY RED CHILLI : 2 HALVED

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

SUGAR : 1/2 TSP [OPTIONAL]

NIGELLA SEED : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

OIL : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash all the bhindi and dry them. We do not always pat dry them at this home but we should!

Discard the two ends of each bhindi and cut them neither too thick, nor thin!

Apply some salt & turmeric, marinate for 7-8 minutes!

Peel off the skin of the potatoes, cut & cube them small! Wash again and marinate with little of salt & turmeric!Keep aside for not more than 5-6 minutes; else they would turn black!

Heat the oil in the wok and temper with the nigella seeds, a bay leaf & the dry red chillies!

Give a stir and add the potatoes! Keep stirring at minimal heat for a minute!

Sprinkle some water and cover cook for 3-4 minutes! Check & stir every minute!

Add the bhindi pieces, slitted green chillies now and fold in well! Cover cook and check every minute; stir! Sprinkle a little of water if required!

We should be done within 4-5 minutes! Thereafter, add the sugar & stir for 1/2 a minute gently; you do not want dhyarosh er ghyat, right?

This was regular in our home during the season; we had it either with ruti or porota, even luchi & also with dal & rice!

Serve it fresh and hot; if reheated, then take out an hour before having!

AVOCADO & CHEESE STUFFED POROTA

WE LOVE BREADS; PUFFED, FLAT, HANDMADE, BAKED!

For long we have developed this fondness! I look back to the "distant abyss of time", see that every morning it was either ruti or luchi or porota in making for our breakfast; Sunday dinners were either chicken or mutton curry with ruti meals! I cannot recreate that particular chicken curry now-a-days; do not get why the chicken variety of this island is different from that in Kolkata, why I do not find it tasty enough here! In Kolkata, I never used cumin, coriander powders while cooking Bengali style chicken curry! Same with mutton; Kolkata Mutton is gotten from a different breed of goat! Many  things are getting lost with time or they may continue to live in some hearts like mine!Come December-January; I literally crave for "porota o khejur gur" every morning; leave alone the memory of drinking the "khejurer rosh" during the winter vacations spent in the grandparents home or the "pithe-puli" making sessions there!Every pithe had its own time of making & eating!If one was made in the morning, the other was to be done in the evening. Mainly, the milk based pithes / sweet meats were made in the evening in our family! On such days, we hardly had rice or chapati; all day we had a variety of pithe! Bengalis  do not eat healthy food. We are a food loving community! Recently, some are turning towards healthy eating does not take away the primary essence of our community! We eat wrong, suffer from acidity & wind all our life; then die obese but happy!

I AM COOKING A LOT; TODAY TOO I DID!

Whenever I get an idea or time, I cook something. Why not? My boy is here, yet many things would be left out to cook & feed him, he will leave! Wish I could have control over time, hold him back for sometime more! T hardly understands my requirements. I do not  trouble anyone, they take me for granted! I keep retreating and coil up within my shell. I do not know how to get my work done! Cooking, Eating are my therapy! This morning, I cooked a stovetop raisin bread; everything was fine but I did not get that desired golden-brown top. Thereafter, I did a healthy, sugar-free snack or sweet, whatever you may call it!

I served late the son's breakfast, T went to the office early today without lunch box! Cristine was busy cleaning the rooms. Mumma was stationed in her bedroom because the son was watching movie closing all doors, windows. Mumma feels suffocated he knows!

He would go back in few days, home would feel empty again. I look away from such thoughts, concentrated on the noodle bowl for lunch! Although I instruct Cristine when I want Bengali Chow Chow Noodles, she cannot get it, she ends up adding this & that! She is good at the South East Asian way of cooking noodles!

Back from my swim, I cannot have soup with a bread slice! Do my readers like that storage box? Yesterday, while shopping fish, vegetables for our guests tomorrow, I saw this selling at 39:90$! I offered 35$, the gentleman agreed. His fair and fat self danced standing on it to assure me, I have doubt about it's longevity! I bought it  for it's look. I had to call Cristine to the marketplace to carry it, the trolly was already full!

I find ways to stay cheerful! My readers may think I am a jolly, fun character;I am not! I am melancholy's favourite child. One who finds pleasure in ghazals, sitting behind closed doors cannot be funny; but I have a little of it at a remote corner of my being!

WHAT IS THIS AVOCADO & CHEESE STUFFED POROTA?

That Avocado is a happening thing, that it is trending I   learnt late! Two elderly gentlemen would bring few fruits on some evenings outside of the mall in the pre-pandemic days. It was not a permanent shop! They sold them cheap. I used to buy avocado from them rarely. I do not see them anymore. I have a general curiosity about people; their lives, their surroundings. I cannot ignore, bypass and move ahead! I must stop by a wounded or old person, if there is an accident case at the roadside! I am reclusive otherwise, a fear monger; so much so that people at home think I transpire negativity & fear to others!

So, I retreat;

I retreat back to a quieter self; as quiet as the stream on a gloomy night!

They told, I am dull; as boring as a blinking tube light, about to die!

My pimples caused sore to their eyes; and I transpired gloom; so does a ghazal they think!

So I retreat; and retreat do I to my own comfort zone; to a world I dwell alone!

I learn to stay aloof; prefer not to say their lack of depth irritates!

Their pleasure at someone's hurt & defeat is painstaking!

So, I retreat & I must; they continue to laugh & make fun at!

Pleasure is to experiment with food ingredients.That took me to combining avocado & cheese, stuff it in a porota / flat bread. After been done with them, I realised this AVOCADO & CHEESE STUFFED POROTA is not gluten-free, vegan; but it is vegetarian food! Avocado is good for me if I can add chillies, coriander, mint & lemon juice to it! But the combo of cheese & avocado is a no to me! I had a Pran's readymade porota with the avocado dip & sriracha mayo on that night!

I am a jhalmuri kind of a person who loves bread too!

             

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE DOUGH]

REFINED FLOUR : 1 COFFEE MUG

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

OIL : 2 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

WARM WATER : AS REQUIRED

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FINISHED FOOD :

THE DOUGH

AVOCADO : 2-3

SHREDDED CHEESE : 3-4 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1/2 TSP

CHOPPED ONION : 1 TBSP

LEMON JUICE : 1 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 1 TSP PER POROTA / FLATBREAD

PROCEDURE :

For the dough, take together both flours, a little of salt, 2tbsp oil, rub for 2-3 minutes.

Prepare a dough adding little warm water at a time! Cover it for half an hour.

Scoop out the flesh of the avocados after washing each, in a bowl. Season with salt, lemon juice, chopped onion and green chillies, shredded cheese!

Remove the cover of the dough bowl; add 1tbsp of oil to the dough and knead it for 2-3 minutes!

Tear off portions, smoothen between the palms!

 I rolled out a round porota; placed some avocado mix & flipped over, closed tight the ends.

Heat a pan on the gas top, roast both sides of the porota well, add the oil. Cook all the sides well!

Serve and have them hot, fresh with a choice of sauce, or chutney or achar!