DUM WALE RAW JACKFRUIT

IN THE SUNSET PHASE OF MY LIFE; I HAVE STARTED TO  LIKE VEGETARIAN FOOD!

But that has to be of my choice! I keep watching various food reels, it is surprising how some manage to cover a recipe within the stipulated one minute! In one such reel, I saw this recipe and it's impact was such I immediately was wanting to have it with rice or roti! I feel bad that I totally lost that reel and faintly remember the name! I prefer giving the names if I am inspired heavily by a recipe! I was beating the bush all this while looking for that particular reel but could't find it, I should have saved it! Since the morning, I am out of home, had to see the doctor and on my way back I had lost my way! How can someone get lost from a decade long known area, you might ask! Those who know me, they would not be surprised; I am a born unmindful who day dream even while in the road! On my way back, I was immersed in Cabaret today; "Husn Ke Lakho Rang, Kaunsa Rang Dekho Ge" to "Sanam Tum Jahan, Mera Dil Waha" to "Mera Pyar Shalimar, Tera Pyar Shalimar, Hum Dono Bekarar" to "Maine Dil Abhi Diya Nehi, Main Abhi Kya Janu"! My readers know what a big fan of Bollywood I am!

I totally went to the other direction, it's my choice of music and love for brisk walking that did not let me down! I finally found out my way and even moved my body whilst at the traffic light to go green for us! Unless we love ourselves we cannot survive!

MY PLAN TODAY WAS TO HEAD BACK HOME AND EAT HOME COOKED FOOD!

But it did not happen! Lost in the road; I got late and went straight to the KFC, I had a 5$ burger meal which was more than enough for me! Only that Fanta Grape was tasteless! My only healthy food habit is my aversion towards aerated drinks! But these fast food joints do not have much of options in offer!

 

I am not a burger fan, but once every few months I would have one! I like them small and frill free! Today I took a corner sit from where I could see the shops opposite, the lazy stroll of the people, but I wished to come back home asap, I had a blogpost to write! Moreover, I love my home, my couch a bit too much! The worry that keeps me occupied is about the son's safety & health, also if the brother or T drives outside of their respective cities! Worries would never leave me but living each day is a joyful experience for me, even a puffed rice chikki in a local store makes me happy!

Whenever I cross pass this place, I think of Rupinder who stayed in this building, now settled in Canada for five years. Hopefully, she is happy there! I miss well behaved people in my life, they leave me soon! I visited this home when her daughter was born, her son was my student, we were colleagues then, too soft and nice girl!

WHAT IS THIS DUM WALE RAW JACKFRUIT?

As told in the beginning, I saw in a reel the echor / raw jackfruit cooked together in a pot, put in slow coal fire / tandoor! The page can be "foodiehut" or "foodiehaat" or "foodhut"; I feel sorry I have lost the reel, did not save it! We eat raw jackfruit a lot but the reel's way of doing it attracted me! You just need to mix together everything; the dressed & washed raw jackfruit, powdered spices & pastes, salt, oil and cook covered in slow fire! It took me about two hours in the gas top but the taste was too good! Moreover, you can finish off other works while the curry is cooking in your kitchen! You can do some exercise, do what you enjoy; my kind of exercise is throwing my hands & legs with music, walking, swimming! I think you must do this vegetarian, gluten-free, spicy bowl of raw jackfruit & potato curry; DUM WALE RAW JACKFRUIT! If you skip adding the ghee / clarified butter, it becomes vegan too!

 INGREDIENTS :

RAW JACKFRUIT / ECHOR : 500 GM

POTATO : 1 OR 2

TOMATO : 1 BIG [I FORGOT TO ADD I THINK]

SLITTED GREEN CHILLI : 3-4

LEMON JUICE : 3-4 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 1 TBSP

GARLIC PASTE : 1 TBSP

CUMIN POWDER : 2 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 2 TSP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CINNAMON POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CLOVE POWDER : 1/4 TSP

SUGAR : 2 TSP

GHEE : 1 TBSP [YOU CAN SKIP & MAKE IT VEGAN]

OIL : 3-4 TBSP [I USED MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

I always get home the skin off, cut jackfruit; Cristine cuts it and I do not wish to overload her!

We discard these portions; the hard mid section, the yellow coverage of the seeds, the white segments which when ripe taste wow!

Always do I ask Cristine to grease the palms with mustard oil before starting to cut them, the juice released is sticky! 

I washed them thoroughly! Cristine peeled, sliced & washed the onion; also peeled, washed & cut the potatoes into big cubes!

We would add rest of the ingredients to the cut raw jackfruit except the cinnamon+green cardamom+clove powders, sugar, ghee! We would take them in a heavy bottomed vessel!

We would mix together all of the ingredients, keep covered, marinated for an hour!

We need to place a pan atop the gas stove and on it place the heavy bottomed vessel and cover cook, keeping the heat at minimal!

Every 5-6 minutes, remove the cover and give a stir, this I do out of a fear going against the rule of a dum cooking!

After about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours, add the cinnamon+green cardamom+cloves powders, sugar & ghee [if using]! Mix well, we  should be done!

Remember, the entire cooking is to be done covered without adding any amount of water! The rule is to seal the pot!

We had everything of choice in the platter; prawns, okra, lentils!

OVEN COOKED NIMKI

 

I DO NOT GO TO WORK; YET SOMETHING OR THE OTHER KEEPS ME OCCUPIED!

That I think is good; else I eat up T's head, also call the son a hundred times or keep texting! Neither of the two would take me seriously, I get restless! I never discuss all these with the mother, at this age they need not be bothered in every matter, neither over phone you can make people understand your worries! Certain worries are entangled with some pleasure, those are the most difficult feelings to explain to people, even to your own mother or in-laws. I am happy the son is attending an university of choice; also worried to the hell about his wellbeing! The elderly beings have their own physical challenges, we should bother them less! This morning I thought let me finish off some pending jobs, trivial but required! I had to go to the Hougang area to get rid of my grey excess hairs, I was looking unkempt for the past fortnight! I was determined I would not walk to the Hougang Central today! I wished to carry some home cooked food for the staffs there, I am going to Kushi's at Hougang for 12 years now. Each time the Indian staffs leave, I feel sad! Bhavna, Bhumi, Aruna suddenly left; the ongoing month they served me, then the next month I get to hear they left for India or elsewhere! Because I always walk there, I take for them some fruits, store bought cakes they refuse as most of them have eggs! Today, I cooked for them "Porota o Sujir Halwa"; danced for some 40 minutes, shampooed my limp hair, did the afternoon prayer a bit early and took the MRT to Kushi's. The bubbly Punjabi girl Monica wasn't there, I asked her flatmates to take a portion for her! She is the one left from the old batch of Indians, the rest are Tamil-Indian Islanders or Malaysian Indian, also nice!

This attachment thing kills me, is it only the weaklings who have it? Then, I keep watching the crime thrillers; but the Indian ones are not that severe! Yesterday, we were watching Duranga and the night before Akshaykumar's Cuttputlli! Duranga is a series, I think there would be a season-2 of it! I do not like to be left at an excited juncture! We hardly party these days, both of us do not like too much of crowd around us but at intervals we enjoy calling friends!

I CAN ALWAYS DISCUSS FOOD WITH YOU!

If yesterday, I told my readers the fresh Hilsa I got from Rajdhani may not be good, I have to take back the word; we had our lunch with "ilish-begun er kancha jhol & gathi kochi diye ilish mach er mathar torkari"; the later tasted like our mother's and I was happy! She would do taro root with prawns more that would taste lovely. The brother did not have seafood allergy earlier; yet prawns keep coming to our home! Even Bhai gets prawn for his wife and our mother! In T's parental home too, prawn comes for the rest although T's father has an allergy! 

Last night, I cooked some dosa & we had with pickles of choice, my mind was fixed at Duranga, going on at Zee5! I wish to talk more about it in a public post!

Although I made flatbread at home today and wished to have it too; I had to go out of home and had a hearty bowl of Tomyam Ban Mian soup which had meat, eggs, fried ikan Bilis fish, noodle. I love the tomyam flavour!

I am feeling a bit tired at this time, the mother made this hopeless out of me; pampering too much! People are doing many things at a time today; earning, gymming, cooking, partying! I enjoy only the internet and my couch! But we have to hold ourselves together firm, our feet cannot slip off! Untimely deaths hurt me too much! Do not stray or let negativity overpower you, my beautiful youth generation! What is hurting you, tell me!

WHAT IS THIS OVEN COOKED NIMKI?

Bengali Nimki is a fried salty refined flour biscuit snack kind which was always stored in our family! The mother did it in bulk and stored in a Horlicks or Viva or Bournvita or Complan's empty jar! For few years, I have this plan to prepare a healthier version of nimki / Bengali snack in the oven! The idea was to avoid deep frying in excess of oil! Some two years back, I tried it with gluten-free Ragi / Finger Millet Flour but they were not crisp enough! Yesterday, I used a combination of rice, finger millet, pearl millet, Sorghum flours in the dough, and got these oven cooked, crisp snacks; OVEN COOKED NIMKI! It is a vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian snack using oil as less as possible! See, I am having it with a sweet & spicy Bengali Mango Pickle at this time!

INGREDIENTS :

RICE FLOUR : 1 COFFEE MUG

RAGI / NACHNI / FINGER MILLET FLOUR : 1/2 COFFEE MUG

JOWAR / SORGHUM FLOUR : 1/4 COFFEE MUG

BAJRA / PEARL MILLET : 1/4 COFFEE MUG

RED CHILLI FLAKES : 1 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1 TSP

NIGELLA SEED / KALOJEEREY : 1 TBSP

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2TBSP + 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

At first, we would dry roast the rice flour for 3-4 minutes and add 2 coffee mugs of hot water in it!

We would stir a few times and take it down in a bowl! We would add the pearl+shorgum+finger millet flours +the red chilli flakes+the crushed black pepper+the nigella seeds +2 tbsp oil+1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt to it!

We would knead a dough when the rice flour water mixture is still warm!

Do not add too much of water, the dough would get unmanageable! Remember, we are working with gluten-free flours! Also, I forgot to add the nigella seeds in time; it emanates the very Bengali flavour from a fried snacks!

We would cover the dough for some 10-12 minutes; uncover and knead again for 2-3 minutes!

While rolling a portion taken from the dough, we need to dust the uncooked stuff with good amount of rice flour and also the knife!

I was finding it difficult to give them a shape, managed somehow!

We are to grease an oven proof plate generously with oil and place the uncooked cut pieces in a single layer! Placing them in a single layer is a must!

Thereafter, we would brush some oil atop them!

Mine is a convection mode microwave oven; I had placed the low height wired stand inside and the oven proof plate atop it, closed the oven door!

I cooked each batch for 10 minutes at the microwave+ grill combination mode!

Remember, each machine is different, the time required may differ!

Once done, we would keep them onto a tissue paper before keeping in a sterilised, dry container! It would remain crisp for a week, never to refrigerate it!

Have it with a choice of pickle alongside tea or coffee!

SHORSHE NARKOL SHAPLA

I WAS DOUBTFUL ABOUT WRITING A BLOGPOST TODAY!

I was too upset since yesterday morning; although I ate, went to shop as I have a food delivery tomorrow! I  also cooked today to change an old blogpost! Here is the picture!

I ate a late lunch but a hearty one today with "loti shutki, palong er dal, rui mach er tok, quinoa"!

I did everything under mental stress! Whenever my blog faces an issue, I feel as if I am hopelessly wandering in a blind lane because I do not understand technology! Yet, I asked some friends, did troubleshooting, placed queries & literally begged for helping me out to the concerned forums! Post lunch, around 4 pm I see, my problem & complaint might have been taken care of! The little of the visits to the blog I get cannot be let go off, if I have done anything wrong, what is it was my question! I do not know what is next as I do not know anything about algorithm & bots! Let me celebrate this moment at least! 

AS I RECOVER FROM THE MENTAL STRESS, I FEEL SLEEPY!

Since our childhood, our mother wanted everything to be done for both of us siblings! That is the reason why we are lethargic and home bound! But my brother earns for the family, I am the hopeless creature with no strength in my body or mind; both our partners are chosen well; one make me sit idle & the other gets fuchka for the brother standing in a queue! The father had no say in this, when he did not work in his office; he lived in his world of sleep, bridge game, clubbing and chatting with the friends! But all of us in the family enjoyed what the mother cooked, never had peeped into the kitchen to see if she needs any help or asked her to sit for a while and rest! I got married without learning any lessons about the household, I lived in my own world of novels & fantasy, friends & music, hardly knew household works! Even post marriage, the mother decided if I should live with T regular or not; staying regular with him may distract my studies, I was doing my Bachelor of Education degree then! Today, I can cook for few people, uninterrupted; if you may call it an achievement!

WHAT IS THIS SHORSHE NARKOL SHAPLA?

SHAPLA is WATER LILY! Among us the stalk is eaten! During the monsoon in Bengal, Water Lily stalks are sold, but not all of the Bengali Homes would eat it, mine did! I may not have craved for a vegetarian dish with it then but at this juncture in life, I was overwhelmed to see it at the Rajdhani Stores! I definitely would buy and cook this family recipe, vegan & gluten-free; SHORSHE NARKOL SHAPLA using black mustard, green chillies, coconut, Water Lily stalk! Would Mumma's son ever want to have it, cook along with his partner following Mumma's recipe? Let me keep the hope alive inside! There are reasons why I do not want this blog to wither away, at least few hundred visits should keep it alive; it has both vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes, would have more if God willing!

INGREDIENTS : 

WATER LILY STALK / SHAPLA : 500-600 GM [WOULD SERVE 3-4 PEOPLE]

BLACK MUSTARD SEED : 2 TBSP

SHREDDED COCONUT : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP

GREEN CHILLI : 5-6 [YOU CAN ADJUST THE AMOUNT]

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 / 2 TSP

DRY RED CHILLI : 2-3 [HALVED]

NIGELLA SEED / KALOJEEREY : 1/4 TSP

BAYLEAF : 1

ICE CUBE : 2-3 [ TO AVOID THE MUSTARD PASTE GETTING BITTER]

SALT : AS REQUIRED

OIL : 2 TBSP [I ALWAYS WOULD USE MUSTARD OIL]

PROCEDURE :

This is how Water Lily stalks look like, there in the Kolkata markets the flowers are fresh; here they are imported; not that stale at all!

It is Cristine who dressed them, thereafter cooking it is no big deal! We would cut them like the drumsticks or taro stolon! The same rule works here, to discard both the ends and cut lengthwise taking off the thin fibre!

We would wash the dressed stalk thoroughly. I make it a point to soak them in hot water for an hour. It is a water plant, mind it!

We would discard the soaked water and again wash them under the running water discarding any remaining water!

We would marinate them with a little of salt & keep aside for few minutes!

Meanwhile, we would strain the water from the black mustard we soaked them in! We would blend together the washed mustard & green chillies, shredded coconut, ice cubes & salt to a paste! I was out of the shredded coconut that day & used some slices!

We would temper the oil with the dry red chillies, bayleaf, nigella seeds, then add the chilli-mustard paste and the turmeric powder!

We would stir cook the spice paste for a minute and add the marinated Water Lily stalks! We would fold in well & cover it with a lid!

We would cook them at minimal to low heat and remove the cover to check & stir every 5 minutes, again cover to cook!

It would take sometime to cook, the stalks are to turn soft and the spiced gravy released need to get semi-dry!

We also had some aloo chokha & dal alongside that night! T did eat,  had the son be there, he would have managed with "dal, aloo sheddo, fried chicken or fish" on such days!