MUTTON STUFFED BREAD ROLL

SNACKING AT THE TIME OF MEALS IS FAVOURITE WITH US!

Is it too wrong to have a snack of choice with salads & yogurt dip at dinner time once in a while? I mean, we should not make it a habit and avoid high usage of oil as much as possible! Like I try to cook the final step of most of the starter recipes in the oven, brushing a little of oil instead of deep frying! My choice of dishes may terrify the extreme health watchers but I am an out n out Bengali / Indian / South Asian foodie; I cannot be too calculative about the calorie intake! We want taste on our plate! What is this life for if that salad bowl you see at far becomes prime on the dining table? My family is not used to have salads & couscous, soups & quinoa with broccoli! I am not keen to cook bland, healthy food for my family; even if you accuse me of not loving my family! I love to cook, also I must enjoy what I am cooking! The entire process of cooking has to be relaxing for me! Okay, I have got a little of alterations in my cooking; I use a bit less of oil in my cooking as compared to what is done in an usual Bengali Home! If you say so, our mother has always used less oil in cooking! The in-laws been obsessed with top to bottom of their body & medicines; had been having lightly spiced Bengali Food for many years now!

THE THING IS I COOK A VARIETY OF FOOD AND NOT BENGALI ALONE!

But any day, I am capable of treating you with kochur shaak to loti to doilla pitha to shutki mach; all of the primitive, rustic Bengali Food! I was born and grew up in such a family! Any day, I would enjoy trying different cuisines, dishes that would suit our tastebud, that in my capability! I am not a versatile cook but my first attempt at an instant Appam was decent last night! 

Although I need a lot of practice to blog about an appam; we enjoyed our dinner with Appam & Achar! We are known for eating weird combinations! Our lunch yesterday was mutton curry & elephant foot yam mash! Both being my love, I ate double the rice I eat usually or say, I am allowed to eat! And then a dinner with rice appam was too much but I could not resist myself!

Last Saturday night we had a meal of choice, an earlier blogpost about a spiced coriander poori got updated! Cooking keeps me engaged, else I keep worrying about the son! Though I do not cook with guilt, the dishes keep reminding me of the fact the son loves Mumma made food, just that the distance is too much for us to travel to each other often!

Not even today, I can put myself into some restrictions; I would be cooking Hilsa, I cannot think of restricted diet in such a scenario, that's impossible!

WHAT IS THIS MUTTON STUFFED BREAD ROLL?

Not today, not yesterday; I cooked this dish some 7-8 years back when some friends in this island visited us! I wasn't particular about the look of the food I cooked in those days! But my visiting friends liked it and last year, they ordered from me the same bread roll stuffed with spiced minced mutton! At that time, I was not ready to cater it, I mean I did not learn until then to give the best possible shape to this amazing non-vegetarian snack! But my friend insisted to take this snack item! MUTTON STUFFED BREAD ROLL requires bread slices, mutton mince, boiled potato, selective spices! You can consider it a non-vegetarian snack / starter / appetiser. We had it for our dinner alongside fish kebab & salad!

INGREDIENTS : [FOR THE MINCED MUTTON]

MINCED MUTTON [GOAT OR LAMB MEAT] : 500 GM PLAIN YOGURT : 150 GM

LEMON JUICE : 2-3 TBSP

ONION PASTE : 2-3 TBSP

GINGER PASTE : 2 TSP

GARLIC PASTE : 11/2 TBSP

CHOPPED FRESH CORIANDER : A HANDFUL

RED CHILLI POWDER : 2 TBSP [USE AS PER YOUR TOLERANCE LEVEL]

CUMIN POWDER : 1 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 2 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1/2 TSP

CINNAMON POWDER : 1/4 TSP

GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/4 TSP

CLOVES POWDER : 2-3 PINCH

SALT : AS REQUIRED

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FINAL DISH :

THE COOKED MINCED MUTTON

BOILED & MASHED POTATO : 1 BIG

CHOPPED ONION : 3-4 TBSP

CHOPPED GREEN CHILLI : 1 TBSP

MINCED GARLIC : 1 TSP

MINCED GINGER : 1/2 TSP

CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

DRY MANGO POWDER : 1 TSP

GARAM MASALA POWDER : 1 TSP

CHAAT MASALA : 1 TSP

SALT : A LITTLE IF ONLY REQUIRED

OIL : 2-3 TBSP

PROCEDURE : 

THE MINCED MUTTON CURRY :

We will take the minced mutton on a strainer and wash thoroughly. I do not like any residual blood on it. We will transfer it to a bowl.

To it, we will add the beaten yogurt, ginger+onion+garlic pastes; turmeric+cumin+coriander+red chilli powders+salt & marinate well. We will keep it covered in the refrigerator, anywhere between 2 to 3 hours. We will take it out half an hour before cooking!

We will heat a wok and add the marinated minced mutton to it along with the marinade. We will stir cook at low heat for 2-3 minutes!

We will reduce the heat to minimal and cover cook for 15-16 minutes. We must remove cover and check the status every 3-4 minutes. We must check the level of water release.

After about 20 minutes, it will look like the above. We will add the lemon juice+cinnamon powder+green cardamom powder+cloves powder+1 coffee mug of water.  

We will give a stir and slow cook for another 4-5 minutes, add the washed and chopped coriander and again give a stir. We should be done!

Our minced mutton curry should be ready by now to be had with a variety of bread or plain steamed rice or on some days you can try it to stuff a bread with it & enjoy a roll like this!

THE MUTTON STUFFED BREAD ROLL :

We have the cooked minced mutton curry ready on the kitchen top, also the washed onion, green chilli, garlic & ginger, boiled & mashed potato!

In a wok, we would heat the oil & temper it with the cumin seeds! We would add the minced ginger & garlic & stir fry until golden brown! 

We would add the onions & green chilli; stir fry until golden brown!

Thereafter, we are to add the boiled & mashed potato, all the spice powders and fold in well! We would keep stir cooking for 5-6 minutes and add the minced mutton curry!

We would fold in well and stir cook until dry, may be for 4-5 minutes! We would transfer the filling to a bowl!

We would cut off the sides of the bread slices, press each with a rolling pin! We would place some filling on one end and roll! The other end we would apply some water and seal!

We would grease an oven proof plate with oil and place the uncooked bread-mutton rolls and brush oil on them!

Mine is a convection mode microwave whose bake mode is not working! So, I placed the low height wired stool inside and on top of it the bread rolls! 

I cooked them at grill+microwave combination mode for 10-12 minutes at 300 power! You can bake them!

Remember, we must brush them with oil before oven cooking, else they would get hard and chewy!

Have them hot & fresh with your choice of drinks, salad! We also had some fish kebabs alongside!

 

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!