CHINGRI ALOO PEPER DALNA

This tasty Bengali style CHINGRI ALOO PEPER DALNA was due for sometime now. This raw papaya, potato and shrimps dry curry is a regular at our home and it was / is in my side of the family. I do have a vegetarian version of a similar recipe already in the blog.... it seems to be the most viewed recipe of mine so far haha... I did cook it at my in-laws place too after marriage .... the paa-in-law indeed liked the very authentic, heirloom recipes I cooked but was not at the liberty to go public with the appraisal... be it protocol or to avoid unwanted storm in the household... haha... I do not know why Bengalis fight over "Epar Bangla Opar Bangla"..... East Bengal - West Bengal.... Both sides of my family hails from East Bengal but I do not find much similarities between the two families' cooking style! Two women's cooking style from the husband's side of the family mesmerises me... one was of his mother's deceased big sister ... "mashi's" cooking and the paa-in-law's younger brother's wife's.... "choto kakima's"..... Now I did not care about any protocol in my life and naturally became a cause of irritation to the tigress mother-in-law.... I did not see her taking much interest in cooking but made good pithe-puli and preferred cooking a big variety fish, chicken & mutton, eggs! She dislikes cooking daily vegetables and rustic dishes!

The mother-in-law was too busy with social work, chatting and restaurant hopping. She got angry and more angry with me when I praised my man's sister's maa-in-law breaking all protocol... because I always feel what I do not have in me I should appreciate in others! Do you know the tall, slim mother of two athlete boys played in the national Volley Ball Team representing Tripura... I could not hide my excitement when I first visited their home and saw a photograph with her team .... no doubt her younger son will be a cricket coach in Salt Lake and the elder a trekker. Our mother-in-law always regret that none of her kid's spouses hail from Dhaka and have origin in Comilla and bases in Tripura..... but remember.... a son-in-law is always dearer than a daughter-in-law... you bet.... at least in our society! Anyway, I do not care about all these sitting far from home... in another home.... where people do not fight over "chingri-ilish"..... "football-cricket"..... "Allah-Bhagaban-God"..... people are busy earning a livelihood.... strategising life and savings.... living / life is expensive here.... worthless, sit-at-home people like me are  rare here. Hence, I have enough time to cook elaborate, heirloom recipes as this CHINGRI ALOO PEPER DALNA often.

CHINGRI ALOO PEPER DALNA is a Bengali style curry with shrimps, raw papaya and potato in addition to few regular spices. We always have it with steamed rice but it should go well with hot chapati or paratha. Cooking this non-vegetarian curry is not a complex exercise! Bengali cooking is not health prone.... they can have a platter of "shorshe bata diye Golda Chingri, Pathar Kosha, Pulao, Sweet Chutney, Pantua and then a bowl of gorom, mota shor pora dudh".... what after?.... Complaining of "gola, buk jwala, ambal"..... one may faint  at the sight of our food platters and we have to complain of acidity after having it.... There are exceptions these days for those who live abroad for a long time.... Saying so, I am trying to avoid any kind of argument because I hate it. How much I dislike it, I am living with a man who loves to argue at all times. Just like parents warn their kids how to behave in a party, I keep on repeating and urging the husband to keep his mouth shut in a gathering.... but in vein... he inherited it! We are born with our both parents' genes. 

I think why people have to be vocal about their opinion at all gatherings, he things otherwise.... best is to stop bothering and sit at a corner with a favourite drink.... that is what I enjoy.... "manly chat, womanly chat, talking too much over phone" does not give me any high ..... I do not even know what to do with me.... that teen girl is back within me who loved to lie down on the easy chair in her rented home's balcony with a book and eat, eat, eat. The brother still may be making fun of his lazy, fat elder sister who never went out for playing and always walked in slow motion... according to him.... Anyway.... it is CNY celebration here in a week.... I wished to share with the prawn / shrimp loving nation a heirloom recipe from the Bengal kitchen with smaller shrimps, potato and raw-papaya. 

There are right people to share recipes that matches Valentine Day celebrations, I do not find myself motivated enough however. With cholesterol crossing over the danger level, I am not really in the mood to draw and design heart shapes.... I am miserable in that area... fine artistry! Here is the recipe of CHINGRI ALOO PEPER DALNA.... which should be had with steamed rice!

INGREDIENTS :

Raw Papaya : 1medium sized
Potato : 1big sized
Shrimp : 300-350gm
Ginger Paste : 1 1/2tbsp
Cumin Powder : 1 1/2tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 2tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 1/4tsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp
Cloves Powder : 2-3pinch
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp +1/2tsp +1/2tsp + 1tsp
Salt : As Required
Cumin Seed : 3-4pinch
Bayleaf : 1
Ghee : 1tsp [clarified butter]
Oil : 2tbsp [We use mustard oil]

METHOD :

De shell, clean and wash the shrimps / smaller prawns thoroughly. Marinate with salt and 1tsp turmeric powder.

Peel the skin of the raw papaya discarding the two ends. Also peel off the inner layer having the seeds    after we have cut the raw papaya into 4 halves. My poor English does not allow me to use the correct terms at times... sorry readers.... You can still rely on my recipes though.

Now cut the peeled raw papaya further into smaller cubes. Wash and apply 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and salt.

Peel the potato, cut into 8 pieces. Wash and rub with 1/2tsp turmeric powder and salt.

Keep all three marinated for 15 minutes or so.

Heat the oil in a wok. Fry the potato & raw papaya pieces in batches & take out! Fry the shrimps lightly and take out.

Temper the remaining oil with a bayleaf and the  cumin seeds.

Take the ginger paste, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric powder and some salt in a bowl. Sprinkle some water and mix well.

Add the spice mixture to the tempered oil and stir for a minute. Now add the cubed raw papaya pieces, fold in well and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the potato pieces and stir further for 2 minutes all at medium heat. Add one coffee mug of water, lower heat to low and cover cook for 5-6 minutes.

Remove the cover and add the lightly fried shrimps. Fold in well and let cook at low heat for 2 minutes or so.

Now add the cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves powder, ghee and sugar[if using] to the already semi-dry curry and let cook for a minute. We are done!

Enjoy the aromatic, spicy curry either with steamed rice!

SWEET POTATO & PEANUT SNACKER WITH MINT-PINEAPPLE-GARLIC CHUTNEY

The entire evening yesterday was spent doing this platter of SWEET POTATO & PEANUT SNACKER WITH MINT-PINEAPPLE-GARLIC CHUTNEY. This obviously is an evening teatime pleasure, but yesterday it was made as a part of the dinner menu! What about the dal share S? Oh! it can wait for few more days.... back to back two dal shares do not sound great. Besides, I may not have promoted my blog at all in this island for the reason that I cannot cook the dishes that the natives here prefer and I am not keen on being close to the people of my clan here except for the few known..... Then it is also true that there is a big upcoming event to be held in this island and we should well be a part of it. Why not use ingredients that people of this island and that of the country of my birth both eat, and with love? As of the rest of the vast world... I think most of them eat sweet potato or say peanut..... Well, I should think about them too and this platter should appeal to a majority! 

My exposure to the world beyond Bengal was only through few books for a long period..... and they were not necessarily about the culinary art... at large. Had I knew that I have a natural passion for cooking... I would have pursued it after my 12th and would not be scared to go for recipe contests judged by the master chefs! Oh! I have a general apathy towards any kind of examinations and competitions.... If in a contest.. the judge asks me to prepare a "jilipi".... I will simply start shivering like "Jalebi Bai".... I have no qualms in admitting my shortcomings.... that makes me an "average brat".... One should have some amount of confidence and self pride in them to move ahead in life! I go back in time and see I have a so called master's degree in a subject I never loved.... I could have done something if I studied Archaeology, Anthropology, Sociology or Psychology or say even this Culinary Arts! The pain of choosing a wrong subject and the failure of trying to get crisp "jilipi or amriti" gets me to prepare something that majority of the people will love. I however have the feel that maximum of the people love fries and fritters. Moreover, when I have the feel that people are trying to bind me within a particular region, I prefer to take a shift and will definitely not conform to their wish. So, all the effort that took to this divine platter of SWEET POTATO & PEANUT SNACKER WITH MINT-PINEAPPLE-GARLIC CHUTNEY  is worth it!

Bengalis use Sweet Potato / Ranga Aloo in "pithe-puli" usually... The Hindi-speaking belt back in India  or some parts of South Asia use it for a Shakarkhandi Chaat? May be.... and I know the Southern Indians eat it often. Sweet Potato / Ranga Aloo / Shakarkhandi.... this root vegetable is very much loved by the people of this island. They even eat it's leaves which I never got home. I ate it outside may be in a soup or in a stir fry, did not find any distinct flavour or taste, it tastes like any other greens to me. 

Back in 2012, when our mother visited us here.... she jumped at the sight of the sweet potato leaves, she  mistook it for "kharkol / ghatkol pata".... a special kind of leaf we get during the monsoon in Bengal and prepare a bharta of it with or without prawns.... it is perhaps a "Bangal" thing.... I so much crave for it and comb searched the island for it, never got! What I get here I do, from "loti to shorshe-narkol diye kochu bata"..... the rest in the family eats it or not. I am mentally prepared for such phone calls in future from one Olive Oyl... "mumma we had pasta with lots of greens n shrimps tonight, had some baked rice with roasted French beans yesterday"..... How much the senior says I will prove to be the worst mother-in-law.... I see myself giving a broad smile over the phone and say thats fine dear... have it hot and fresh.... She might be just back from her work unlike her useless mother-in-law and pretty tired. 

Come on this lady is not that horrible either, the only medal she got till date except for those race finisher ones is for Best Conduct back in school... haha.... The husband has to say something about it too!.... He says, I am his wife and he knows me the best that it was a wrong selection, that our Bengali teacher Iva Dutta miss loved me too much, was partial towards me and the right candidate was sidelined.... I am partial too and make it a point to visit her every year.... The husband is always right... why does he tag me to be the worst mom-in-law and says he will not allow the kids to stay with me for a single day after their marriage? Perhaps because I have rehearsed a several times by now what to say to my Olive Oil.... "Every little thing of mine is your's and only your's.... given my son features as prime in your life!"..... That sounds very much patriarch right?.... That is why I always say it is not the males alone who are patriarch.... we are prisoners of a system. 

Anyway, what I kept in mind while preparing this platter of SWEET POTATO & PEANUT SNACKER WITH MINT-PINEAPPLE-CHUTNEY are... people of this island should be able to have it now or later, I am an Indian who runs an Indian food blog... the entire snack loving nation should be able to have it.... Today, the movie Padman releases.... it speaks of those needy women who cannot afford personal hygiene.... I wished to keep the ingredients low cost! We will watch it and Aiyaary both. I can see some people have already started criticising some associated with the movie as publicity stunts, pets of the ruling party. Come on, we should not associate religion and politics with everything.... focus on a particular issue.... So what if they earn money... they are spreading awareness for a right cause too... I have left leanings, even I did not allow my husband to waste his life in meetings, processions with the party flag.... 

How much my dedicated party worker paa-in-law denies that during his party's rule.... the Calcutta University did not allow anyone through the back door.... in reality it definitely was in practice... may be less... His party removed English from the syllabus of West Bengal schools, while the party leader sent his own grand daughters to city convents and lived in a city mansion. 

I do not understand politics, but you all know that I give big talks... Marxism was part of my syllabi till the university level... isn't it a good ideology that failed miserably in application. I am against the ruling parties both of India and of the state of West Bengal... they fuel the religious sentiments of the commoners, What is the opposition doing?... The same thing... vote bank is all that matters.... We need not criticise every action of the ruling party once we lose the chair.... Selling pakoras will definitely not contribute to a country's economy, but it is always better to do something than sitting idle at home and curse. All separatist movements are fuelled, watered and nurtured to stay in power... who ever sits in the throne does it.... doing it since independence. How will the  arms industry function and flourish if not the civil wars are fuelled? 

The lady giving big talks will not go and work at the grass root level but will go to the parlour for pedicure, manicure and then selfies... why? Because she is a coward... she does not want similar fate as of one Gauri Lankesh. Yet, we need not be too critical of the chair at all times.... to handle a diverse country with an exploding population is not an easy task..... specially if it's citizens are selfish like me who is scared to take back her son to his roots.... where a son is stabbed in the name of honour killing.... a daughter is raped every hour. How can I call myself a "desh premi".... Anyway, I see a future for myself back there.... I have a quite big kitchen done up by our very own Godrej.... where I can prepare this superbly delish evening snacks with sweet potato, peanuts, onion, coriander leaves, few spices and supply to different homes.... here the government is strict with it's laws! The green chutney is made with pineapple-mint and garlic! Let us do the SWEET POTATO & PEANUT SNACKER WITH MINT-PINEAPPLE-GARLIC CHUTNEY following the stepwise pictures.

INGREDIENTS : [for the chutney]

Pineapple Cubes : 1medium cup
Mint Leaves : 12-15
Garlic Cloves : 2medium
Green Chilli : 2
Black Salt : 1/4tsp

Take the pre washed pineapple pieces, garlic cloves, mint leaves, green chillies and the black salt in a grinder.

Blend it to a fine paste pausing in between... It may take 1-2 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate until the snackers are ready to be served with it.


INGREDIENTS : [for the snackers]

Sweet Potato : 3-4 medium sized [peeled, halved and pressure cooked adding water unto 1 whistle]
Peanut : 1/2small cup [chopped]
Coriander Leaves : 2-3 sprig [chopped]
Onion : 1big[chopped]
Green Chilli :2[chopped]
Cumin Powder : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Chaat Masala : 1tsp
Lemon Juice : 4-5tbsp
Cornflour : 1/2 small tea cup size

Cumin Seed : 2-3 pinch
Salt : As Required [add little at a time]
Oil : 2-3 tbsp +1tsp

Halved Cashew Nuts to garnish!

METHOD :

Take the boiled sweet potato pieces in a wide mouthed, big bowl.

Add all of the spices, chopped & washed onion, coriander leaves and green chillies, chopped toasted peanuts, lemon juice and salt to the sweet potatoes.

Mash and mix very well, add the cornflour & mix well again!

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok & temper with the cumin seeds! Add the mixture & stir cook for about 10-12 minutes! Transfer to a plate!

I did the final step in the oven, you can pan sear too!

Once a bit cool, tear off portions & prepare kebab shapes taking between your palms. Grease your palms & an oven proof plate!

Placing them on the plate, I placed the low height wired stool inside the oven and placed the plate on it! Thereafter I cooked them at grill+microwave mode for 10 minutes! I took them out, brushed oil & cooked again at the same mode for another 5 minutes!

To pan sear them, heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan. Gently place the kebabs atop the oil. Remember, they are soft because we used lemon juice which is required to balance the sweet tone of the sweet potato.

Once one side is little crisp and brown, turn over and brown the other side too. Do at low heat to avoid burning.

Place them gently on  a serving plate along with the chutney, take some salad alongside and enjoy with tea / coffee!

GAJOR ALOO FULKOPI MOTORSHUTI DIYE PEYAJKOLI O PEYAJ PHORON DIYE MUSHUR DAL

Wasn't this GAJOR ALOO FULKOPI MOTORSHUTI DIYE PEYAJKOLI a winter bliss for us? It was and all the above mentioned vegetables except for the potato were available only in the winter. The PEYAJ PHORON DIYE MUSHUR DAL was / is a regular affair at the Bengali homes. Following the family, precisely my mother, I cook mushur dal that is red lentil in various ways.... with tomatoes tempering the oil with a bayleaf, halved dry red chillies and radhuni seeds / ajmod.... with tomatoes and chopped coriander leaves with a tempering of bayleaf, dry red chillies and nigella seeds, this one with fried onions and during summers with mango or tamarind. Usually in our family, sour dal is done with Matar Dal.... I do not get it any where here.... I have a query.... Is toor dal that is pigeon pea and matar dal same? May be no! Motorer Dal is not always available, I have got a packet of toor dal finally and enjoying sour dal with it! I hate confusion in any areas of life that made me marry the tiger at home.... the safest haven for a parasite you know ..... The action also earned me various, unacceptable titles "schemebaz mahila".... "sheyana pagol"....."dumbo wife / mumma".... "nagging wife"..... It is quite but obvious that I will not serve the two notorious men baked salmon & ghee rice or chicken / mutton pulao & prawn fried rice every other day, if they cannot say... "we two are the luckiest men in the world to have you darling"..... They will have to have a platter of GAJOR ALOO FULKOPI MOTORSHUTI DIYE PEYAJKOLI O PEYAJ PHORON DIYE MUSHUR DAL and with rice with no pakora or "luchi / porota" by the side. 

The son becomes an authentic Bengali at the sight of pakora with dal and rice on the plate. The question is did the senior ever call me "darling" or "sweetheart" or not.... Forget it my readers, neither would the son kiss or pose with his mother hugging her! .... That may be one of the few reasons of the bone of contention between me and the mother-in-law. I have hardly seen a man as of my paa-in-law who serves the wife as he did / still does! From serving the wife tea five times a day to ironing her clothes to preparing the kid's breakfast and lunch box for school to polishing their shoes he has done it and still does a lot. You do not have to guess what my mother's dialogues are after seeing all these.... haha! 

We always glorify a wife / mother, come on there are also husbands / fathers like my paa-in-law.... keep some love reserved for them too who never told his wife...... my salary does not match your spendthrift nature.... frequent visits to the cinema halls, restaurant hopping with friends and get togethers.... well she in turn never said no to her husband taking the entire responsibility of his family... brothers, parents and also cousins up to a certain period. Our mother had to bear such responsibilities for a small period. We should never question the equation between a couple.... I get angry when even after all these years of living like a queen sans the money power.... the maa-in-law has to complain against that old man. I do not allow or entertain or take her side, so I am too bad. The husband's sister and cousins may read my blog post, and get disappointed of me talking as this of their "maa -mashi -pishi".... but they cannot deny the truth in it. How is my man?.... "A cocktail of his father and father-in-law".... "maaza aa gaya inke saath zindegi guzartey huye".... If today he gets some roses and bends in front of me.... I will just burst into laughter.... and say.... please do not make a mockery of yourself, be who you are! But yes, my mother-in-law is good hearted as compared to the rest!

See, I indeed had the ghee & sugar toasted bread with my morning cup of coffee.... Yesterday, my blood sugar level read at 190.8.... that is 10.6... Do not follow me ok! Girls... do some exercise, if your husbands are self trained bird watchers like mine, you are at high risk! Ohh! that is a very much "non-feminist" comment, we must keep fit for ourselves and the family actually.... corrected now.. haha...

All this while all the near and dear ones were having some celebrations or the other and I was attending them with my small gestures.... I did not notice if there is one today, tomorrow or day after..... but I felt strongly that I have to blog about two winter special Bengali recipes, this GAJOR ALOO FULKOPI MOTORSHUTI DIYE PEYAJKOLI O PEYAJ PHORON DIYE MUSHUR DAL, another dal recipe to come up the next day. The island provides us with all these vegetables throughout the year, this is not the case in most parts of India except for the metro cities. So better today than scrolling down a pile of photographs next winter. But the onion stalks are available in the winters only, in the Bengali shops! Do not expect technology from me, I click with the hand phone, refuse to learn something when people come outwardly to help with it and then scroll, scroll and scroll for the right pictures. 

I never hesitate to appreciate an achievement either! I do not wish to see similar people around me... lazy... sit at home, giving big talks .... acting to be overly social beings without earning a penny.... My nose gets a bit high in such cases and I murmur do you read, write, paint, sing, dance, earn a bit or just party? I clap always for those who achieve something, work hard and then party.... we should always.... GAJOR ALOO FULKOPI MOTORSHUTI DIYE PEYAJKOLI O PEYAJ PHORON DIYE MUSHUR DAL can be a bliss for an all vegetarian day.... it can be served with either steamed rice or any kind of South Asian Breads. Some pakoras included in the platter would have made it complete. The vegetables used in this non spicy dish are carrot, potato, green pea, Cauliflower, green chilli, onion flower. 

It is usually done with onion flower stalk and potatoes, but my recipe follows the way it was / is done in my side of the family. The red lentil dal is prepared with a tempering of nigella seeds, dry red chillies, bay leaf. Let us do it together with the dal at first. If you do not get onion flower stalk at your place, use spring onions.

INGREDIENTS [for the dal] :

Red Lentil / Mushurir Dal : 1small cup
Onion : 2 medium [peeled, washed,sliced]
Dry Red Chilli : 2halved
Green Chilli : 2-3 slitted
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Salt : As Required
Nigella Seed : 1/4tsp
Bayleaf : 1
Oil : 2tbsp +1tsp [we use mustard oil]

Wash the red lentils / mushurir dal 2-3 times. We need not use a pressure cooker to boil it.

Marinate the dal with little salt, turmeric and 1tsp oil for 10 -15 minutes. Now boil on stove top adding 2 coffee mugs of water.

Once done, use the "dal ghutuni" or "daler kata" or the boiled dal masher to half mash the dal.... Bengalis do this. At times, I do dal as some of my friends do, the way other states of India or South Asians do.

Heat 2 tbsp mustard or any oil and fry the sliced onion until brown, do not burn. Take them out to be added towards the end.

Temper the same oil with nigella seeds, halved dry red chillies, bay leaf.

Add the boiled dal. Add more water, turmeric and salt. Bengalis have their dal watery except for Bengal gram dal.

Let it boil at medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the slitted green chillies and the fried onions.

Let boil for 1-2 minutes, we are done! Transfer to a serving bowl.

Let us do the VEGETABLES STIR FRY now!

INGREDIENTS :[for the non-spicy vegetable dish]

Onion Flower Stalk : 1[you can use spring onion too]

Green Pea : 1/2small cup

Carrot : 1medium

Cauliflower : 1/2 of a small one

Potato :1medium

Green Chilli : 2 [slitted]

Dry Red Chilli : 2 [halved]

Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp

Salt : As Required

Nigella Seed : 1/2tsp

Sugar : 1tsp

Baking Powder : A pinch [helps retain the colour of the vegetables even after cooking]

Oil : 2-3tbsp

METHOD :

Wash the onion flower stalk and cut the two ends, discard. Cut 2 inch size lengthwise and wash again. Apply very little salt and turmeric.

Cut the cauliflower portion into small florets and wash.

Peel the carrot discarding the two ends. Cut further into smaller cubes. Rub with salt.

Peel, wash and cut the potato into smaller cubes, rub with salt.

Wash the green peas too.

Heat the oil in a wok and temper it with nigella seeds, halved dry red chillies.

Add the cauliflower florets, cubed carrots and potatoes together. Add the turmeric powder and a pinch of baking powder, fold in well.

Cover cook for 3-4 minutes. Open cover and add the chopped onion flower stalk, slitted green chillies and the green peas.

Fold in well and cook uncovered for another 3-4 minutes stirring in between. Add the sugar, stir for a minute. We are done!

Enjoy the GAJOR ALOO FULKOPI MOTORSHUTI DIYE PEYAJKOLI O PEYAJ PHORON DIYE MUSHUR DAL with some piping hot steamed rice or South Asian Breads. Some pakoras by the side are  welcome. At our home, we had the veggie dish with some "ruti o roshogolla" too as breakfast!

PEPE BATA DIYE PATHAR JHOL

Whatever happens.... let it be.... may be it was destined to!.... The lady @ CURRY AND SPICE gets this philosophical at the sight of Hilsa fish and mutton... neither did mango stop coming in to this house all this while.... We perhaps have tasted mangoes coming from all the major mango producing countries during the entire off season! I will not shell out those dollars for a blue cheese, I save them to be able to buy hilsa, mutton, off season mango, salmon or at times cod. There has to be a balance somewhere, I do not come from an affluent family.... The father indeed was a bank manager and a son of a rich businessman.... but with a different mentality! He never had any lust for his father's property and his typical East Bengal father did not know how to manage his hard earned, huge amount of resource.... he spent 80% of it on "ilish o chitoler peti and jhuri bhorti aam".... Recalling his childhood memory.... our Paa used to say... 15-20 villagers ate at our home each day.... That makes my maternal grandmother fond of my paternal grandfather more than her own husband who being the son of a poor farmer bagged a banker's job and saved each penny to build an empire.... The maternal grandma says my paternal grandpa was a big name for his benevolence .... both hailing from Comilla district of the undivided Bengal! Two questions arise... Who would you follow? Aren't relationships complicated? 

Anyway, coming to my parents.... some of daddy's friends in the same profession and position, sent their kids to well known convents, they went to the Calcutta Rowing Club or took some lessons in Lawn Tennis while our daddy stayed in a rented home in a notorious neighbourhood for 19 long years before he shifted to 25 kilometres interior of Kolkata in his own no fancy, fairly big home! Should you compare in this case? You never should! Our daddy never took us out for fine dining at a Park Street restaurant but he was the one who introduced me to something called Book Fair, got my brother a computer when no middle class home thought of it! He took me to the amazing world of "Sindbad... the sailor"..... and yes, later in life to the "Arabian Nights" too.... did I stray... no! Be friendly with your kids, so they do not need to hide anything from you! Both of us siblings may not have been able to satisfy our mother with our academic records but we never ever compared our lives with others or blamed our parents... They scolded us in many occasions ... we never bothered.... We knew they did the best to their capacity for us! 

Look at today... why are the kids this restless? Attempting suicide because the parents scolded?.... We elders should be able to read a bit their minds, know the difference between scolding for a wrong doing and rebuking. I know some so called "perfecto daddies" who I hear are disciplined about their kids.... they should thank the Almighty for me not knowing their immediate family personally.... what if I tell them your father secretly worshipped a Parvin Babi or a Zeenat or say a Sofia Lorraine! Let me take you some 10- 12 years back... Smita Banerjee's and our family are seated in a Park Street restaurant! An elderly woman sitting at another table was reading and enjoying her meal. Just after 10 minutes, the two kids started creating a ruckus all around... the elderly lady opposes.... Dibyendu Banerjee scolds them hard.... when T loses his cool... tells his brothersome, our Dibsy... "tui chelebelai ki korti".... and then gets into an argument with the elderly lady .... how can you expect kids to behave as adults? Can you expect same environment as of home at a public place?....

Disciplining a child is important without expecting them to behave as a full grown teen or an adult! Do not set our home as an example, its a rule free zone much to my displeasure... I believe people should maintain some discipline in their daily chores of waking up, having meals and going to sleep! At this moment.... the kids' suicidal tendency, increase in rape cases, nationwide unrest in my country of birth worries me... really not interested in public updates on my number of temple visits. I am a Hindu, I will visit temples, let people of other religious beliefs do it peacefully... too! You may well call me a fake leftist! Well in this matter, I am a disciple of one engineer cum painter cum photographer cum poet Jayanta Roy... I do believe we do not need to be a leftist or a rightist to be humane.... The couple's natural flair for fine artistry makes their debutant film maker son do awesome pencil sketches since his childhood without any formal training.... Genes do work in some areas and our friend Dr. Saubhik Sengupta has something to say about it.... you can check his article on his Facebook profile.... you can also take a look at Jayanta da's page Endless Joy for some daily dose of wisdom. In this space, I wish to mention many other friends... Bengali / non-Bengali speaking who excelled in different areas and not a worthless like me! Do not call it imitation, but drawing inspiration from others that are worth!

It is a weekend, a mutton dish as supreme as this PEPE BATA DIYE PATHAR JHOL is worth sharing! Anyway, something is not allowing me to stay in high spirit, a mutton is an absolute requirement! I just shared few pictures of mine in a social forum and the silly self has to take a look at them ... that too after sharing... haha... I discovered my already flat nose tip looks more like a baby potato....... uff what a pain.... ahh this was one among various other reasons a moron fled many springs back, never to appear again... who knows I would not be that "Betal".... the ghost of that fable "Vikram aur Betal".... As a teen a mutton curry with rice and the television serial "Vikram aur Betal".... was a deadly combination for me! 

The moron at this home did not fund for a cosmetic surgery of my nose either. Since he tolerated this abnormal woman for a total of 20+6 years until now, I wish to treat him with a bowlful of PEPE BATA DIYE PATHAR JHOL along side some Dal Poori and a super quick curry with potato and peas whose recipe would be shared later. We also had an instantly made chilli-garlic chutney to go with the platter. The senile, weird, diabetic woman was making some place in the stomach just to enjoy this bliss of mutton curry eating light since yesterday.... She got her men their mandatory at least once a week double, spicy chicken burger, deprived her of a "filleto fish" one.... had a homemade tomato soup with butter seared paneer on it and one crisp toast... this morning tolerated a bowl of cornflakes and yogurt too instead of two "bashi luchi aar cha"..... all for the sake of a stale and heavenly mutton curry with piping hot steamed rice.... its worth!

PEPE BATA DIYE PATHAR JHOL is no unique recipe... just an "edik-odik korey boka chalaki"..... I was really not in the mood to search big brother Google for a Kolhapuri Mutton or others.... I prefer going my way most of the time. I have used few ingredients like garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, onion paste, salt and grated raw papaya that is a natural meat tenderiser. I do have a dish of chicken on my blog done with grated papaya sans the onion. I learnt it from Sanak and Nibedita Chottopadhay.... Unlike me.... Sanak had always been an unconventional cook who loves experiments in the kitchen.... When I stepped in to this island... he taught me how to cook salmon in mustard-chilli-yogurt sauce to feel at home..... I told my family Sanak taught me this... then I saw Sanak learnt it from others.... Learning is a cyclic process. I may be apparently loggerheads with his happening wife because we do not accept each other's way of life.... Our marriage happened within a gap of 10 days.... I miss that small town, innocent, beautiful girl who I met 15 days prior to my marriage day.... but the bond is unbreakable! 

I am reserving the fish recipes with Indian touch for the approaching big celebration in the island!... Do not expect me to prepare a homemade Hoisin sauce and cook fish fillets in it.... there are experts who will be doing it for you! Since I am a sit at home, good for nothing fatso... I write all "no-sense" before a recipe share which has no relation to the later.... I do not have a bit of knowledge on the nutritive value of ingredients like some of my favourites. God made one Saira Banu, Liz Hurley, expert Chef, engineer, doctor, scientist, poet, computer wizard and then a worthless S too. If you cannot digest it, you can dive straight in to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS :

Mutton : 1kg[medium cut] [I used 500 gm]
Grated Raw Papaya : 1small cup
Sliced Onion : 2tbsp
Garlic Paste : 1 +1tbsp
Red Chilli Powder : 11/2tbsp

Cumin Powder : 1 tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 tsp
Cinnamon Powder : 1tsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp

Cloves Powder : 2-3 pinch
Bay Leaf : 1
Turmeric Powder 1+1tsp
Salt : As Required
Oil : 2tbsp +1tbsp [ I used mustard oil]

METHOD :

Wash the mutton thoroughly taking it in a bowl. Marinate it with the sliced onion, grated raw papaya, 1tbsp garlic paste, turmeric+ red chilli+cumin+coriander powders & the oil.

Mix it well very well for quite sometime... say 3-4 minutes. Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight is better!

Add the mutton pieces to a pressure cooker but do not close the lid! Reduce the heat to the minimum and cook covered. 

A lot of water will be released and we will cover cook till all the water dries up. The heat should be at minimum and we need to check from time to time.

Thereafter, add 11/2 coffee mug of warm water.... fold in well and cook for 10-12 minutes covered, checking in between.

Close tight the lid! Pressure cook at the minimal heat up to 1 whistle in case of lamb meat & up to 2 whistle in case of mutton! 

Let the lid open by itself! Remove the  cover and add the cloves powder, cinnamon powder and the green cardamom powder... fold in well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. We are done!

The PEPE BATA DIYE PATHAR JHOL goes equally well with steamed rice, pulao, handmade bread or even toasted bread!

MAWA GUR PESTA SANDESH

Yesterday night it took me little of time to prepare this sweet MAWA GUR PESTA SANDESH .... As you unfold the recipe, you will see it's instant .... The trouble started when I was wondering how to present it to the public?.... The picture that you see could not satisfy me .... this is not how the plating should be .... I realised again that I lack the necessary utensils for plating such items... besides, I do most of the cooking in the evening when I am left with little of the energy for plating .... Now, this is a poor excuse. This sweet needed some copper / brass utensils, some lamps... if not "Aladdin's ashchorjyo prodip"..... some fresh flowers, burning dhoop sticks may be..... At 9 pm in the evening, I will not touch the utensils meant for the God Family .... the mother comes in the way.... "etho kaporey sandesh guli banali, ogulo thakurer bashoney choyabi na".... Anyway, to touch "thakurer bashon".... I had to take shower at 9pm ... the miser self is just unable to think of spending 300-500 dollar to buy appropriate utensils either.... .. try my MAWA GUR PESTA SANDESH, do not look at the photograph, its not worth.... The taste was too good and I am going to prepare it again soon "shuddho bhabey" for my Gods and Goddesses. 

I am really missing those guidelines pouring in from one Electronic & Telecommunications Engineer cum an excellent photographer cum a class food blogger cum the HR Head of her family business.... she has the ability  to create magic with simple ingredients like "chirey, khoi, gur, doodh".... Each time she vanishes from the scenario, it feels she might come back with a good news for us... does not matter if it is one "Tista or Torsha"..... haha.... My height of stupidity, imagination never equated with the science of "x and y chromosomes".... Long back while waiting for my first ultrasonography, I told the senior.... a twin has to come out... one girl and one boy... names would be "Tista & Torsha"...... that did not happen...good.... that would have proved I am a mother's daughter only or I am too much in love with my maa-in-law or a Twinkle Khanna is my family member.... She is not... I do follow her and have full support for her home production Padman.... We do not even know Rani Padmini existed in reality or not.... She might have been poet Jayasi's pure imagination or the spiritual muse that the Persian poets[?] had as their subject... I just read that they had... not sure!... Jauhar was practised in India in those days which is irrelevant and unwelcome these days... Padman is a need of the hour... more men like Mr. Arunachalam do we need... I was just listening to Twinkle's lecture at the Oxford University.... she has shared the link on her page, you can check. I felt sad when she told she was not allowed to do a course there as she never completed her graduation .... I do not know why she could not because she never belonged to a needy family or does not seem to be a dumbo like me.....

The supremely wise, fairly intelligent man of this house had to forget all about his dreams and leave home for some quick money out of pure need.... Till date, the genius of India, sitting in Mumbai says my man made a historic mistake doing it.... I agree! Saying this, I am not trying to drag Twinkle inside my home, neither am I disrespecting the big, busy shipping industry.... I am proud to be a mariner's wife who spent sleepless nights each time his ship passed through the Gulf of Aden.... I knew or was taught then the steps to be taken to reach Sonia Gandhi's door for help if any untoward thing happens.... I still cherish those moments of honour the Captain's wife got on her month long stay on board.... Since she is more near to the earth... she never found it unnatural to cook for the crew members.... or to sit with the veteran "Bosun" with a cup of coffee. She is "classy" only when it comes to her likes and dislikes.... do not try to explore this "jot pakano mahila".... enjoy her food shares.... as of today it is a MAWA GUR PESTA SANDESH.

During the winter, gur to us Bengalis means Patali / Khejur gur.... that is date palm jaggery.... Living abroad... you just cannot afford to use them generously .... Ipsita got me a kilogram of it and I am yet to do Choshir Payesh... Kheer-Gur bhora Patishapta.... I have to be very careful while using it... This MAWA GUR PESTA SANDESH required a little amount of patali gur or date palm jaggery.... Going back to the childhood, I ate date palm jaggery as candy, instead of chocolate... I loved.... good enough reason to scare people away you know.... I do not blame, even the mother was unkind towards me at times.... I may have just sat with a plateful of mutton and rice, the mother would say "dyakh mamoni ooi cheleta / ooi meyeta madhyomike first hoyeche... ga thekey jyano jyoti berochey"..... The mother always had to draw inference from the academically superior boys and girls when the daughter was lost in one Buddhadeb Guha, his wife Ritu Guha's numbers playing at the background with a plateful of mutton and rice, there is again one "another woman" who has to say... S always read from Swami Vivekananda.... while her kin never let me look beyond the happening girls in the tennis court!.... and then vanished for life! Anyway, it is always good to see people who mean hale / hearty / happy wherever they are, if not necessarily within the four walls of your home.... To get away with all such confusions, I started with this Khaled Hosseini's book.... Ipsita's husband gave it to my father-in-law to read... I discovered yesterday that I forgot to return back, I messaged..... you will get back after I finish.... 

The shameless diabetic tasted a bit of the residual of the sandesh.... the check up is due next week... I cannot take a risk. It will taste more like gurer kalakand sans any kind of labour. Done in the microwave, it was so quick, there was no "dhamshano" aka kneading of the dough.... so could cherish the lines from Khaled with cups of coffee.... If there is any shameless diabetic anywhere else in the world, let me tell you that any association with me may take you  towards your dooms day... My total fat count increased within a month. My readers are not so unfortunate as me and they deserve this heavenly sweet MAWA GUR PESTA SANDESH made with instant solidified milk, date palm jaggery, pistachios. Let us do it in few easy steps!

Few of my friends  like one Chandrayee Dasgupta and Kana Dasgupta had their birthday and anniversary celebrations on the 30th.... a sweet share was a natural choice, just as natural is my feelings for very few in this world! Kana specifically loves sweets!

INGREDIENTS :

Powdered Milk : 11/2medium sized tea Cup
Full Cream Milk : 1/2small sized tea cup
Ghee : 2tbsp
Grated Date Palm Jaggery : 1/3small cup
Sugar : 1tsp
Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp
Chopped Pistachio : 2tbsp

METHOD :

Chop the raw pistachios in a mortar and pestle!

Take them in a microwave proof bowl and microwave at high for 1 minute, stirring in between... keep aside.

Take the powdered milk, ghee and full cream milk in a bowl.

Mix well before you put it in the microwave.

Microwave at high for 21/2-3 minutes pausing and stirring every minute.

Add the grated jaggery to the freshly made khoya / mawa. Roughly mix.

Microwave at high for a minute. Pause, stir and microwave for another 30 seconds.

Keep aside & let it cool!

Add 1tbsp of rice flour, green cardamom powder to it and fold in well.

Add the chopped pistachios, fold in well.

Refrigerate for half an hour. Take out and shape as you wish.

Do not forget to garnish with pistachios.