Shubho Naboborsho 1425 !!

 Shubho Nabo borsho!
I know I am a day late.
Poila Boishakh or the first day of Baishakh and the start of Bengali new year was yesterday.
But then the year is just a day old .... the whole year is waiting ... laid out straight in front of us.
A straight road for us to travel.
That might have turns and bends.
That might be lonely or crowded.
We don't know.
All that we know is we will have to travel that road. For the rest of the 364 days.
Come rain or storm or thunder.
Come sun or spring or winter.
We don't have a choice. No shortcuts to the end.
We cannot decide for how long. We cannot choose an off road.
All we can do is travel.
And decide what to do on this journey to make it more enjoyable.
And make better memories for later times.

While I was going through my photos to edit yesterday, I came across a collage of some food photos that I had compiled together for this post on the English new year.
And that collage and the post set me thinking.
It was about whole of the year 2017 ... what I cooked, what I clicked, where I traveled to .... and so on. My thoughts, feelings and emotions reflected on those various posts.
And in one glance I had the whole year in front of me.

 And that made me wonder .... why not plan  and make a list on how my collage and the write for my last post of the year will look like, at the very beginning of the year?
If I have a list of food to cook and share with you here, maybe that will push me to make regular posts.
If I have a list of places that I want to see in this year, maybe that will motivate me to plan better.
If I have a list of things I need to knit and finish this year, maybe I will be able to plan my knitting time more effectively ... considering a number of half done projects lying waiting.

Why not?
I know some of these are absolutely in my control .... only the travel part will need an equal degree of enthusiasm as well as agreeing from B.
If left to me, I would happily pick up a rucksack and set off right away.
But that is not to be.
I have been trying to convince the man that I am craving some crisp mountain air for a while now.
And have got just some condescending nods in return. 
Nothing beyond that .... yet.

But the rest of the stuff ... I can manage.
And plan to manage very well.
Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Given my sudden outbursts of ill health, I know that not every year is going to be as smooth as the last one was.
But I truly believe where there is a will, there is a way.
What say? 😊

 So with that mojo, I set off to cook a lunch platter for the day.
I had bought some fresh minced mutton and planned to make some mutton pulao or kheema.
But as the day progressed, the temperature outside soared.
While all I wanted at that moment was a bowlful of the cooling Paanta bhaat, I restrained.
And went ahead and cooked a light vegetarian meal.
B was a little concerned at my eating vegetarian food on a Sunday and that too on Poila Boishakh day.
But I knew I could eat nothing heavier.

I had the Narkel diye Cholar dal already in the fridge as well as the Peper chaatni.
There were boiled baby potatoes too.
So all I did was quickly kneaded some Maida / APF for the Luchi .... one cannot just not have a couple of Luchis on the New year day ... right?
And while the dough rested, I set the  Mishti polau ... this time with kaju and kismish .... on the stove.

After that I tossed the potatoes with a cube of my frozen ginger + garlic paste and some onions and tomatoes and some roasted jeera powder and garam masala.
Threw in some of my frozen peas, from winter, too.
And the Choto aloor dom was ready.
And lunch was ready within an hour.

Finally, I sent B to the shower and started to make the Luchis.
I raced against time to set the table, plate the food, frying the luchis at the same time ... regulating the oil temperature in the wok / kadahi was the biggest challenge in this hurry .... and setting them on the plates.
I had wanted them to stay puffed up ... what is a luchi if it is not a phulko or a perfectly puffed up one?  ... while I took the pictures.

( I know I have to make a post on the Luchi too. Hope you have seen my video on the cover of my page on Facebook ... the one that many loved and voted for it to stay and asked me not to remove it. )

Surprisingly they behaved ... maybe out of sheer respect for my honest efforts to make them look good ... and stayed perfectly puffed up all through the shoot.
And till a while later too ... when I finally had the time to sit down and eat.

So while the photos were taken for Instagram, I am sharing the meal here with you too.

নতুন  বছরের অনেক শুভেচ্ছা ও ভালোবাসা আপনাদের জন্যে রইল। 
খুব ভালো থাকুন , প্রাণ খুলে হাঁসুন আর পেট ভরে খান। 
আর যদি পারেন কোনো ক্ষুদার্ত শিশু কে  অন্তত একটি  বেলা  খাওয়ান। 
আপনাদের নববর্ষ মঙ্গলময় হোক !!

Wishing you a very happy, healthy and prosperous Bengali new year!