Kokum, Coconut and Garlic chutney

Hello there!

Here I am  ….. back after almost an year.
I hope all of you, my readers, are well.
And have not given up on me and my blog.

By now, I am sure, you are well used to my long breaks.
But I keep coming back.
For however long possible .... even if it is for as little time as only a month .... I keep coming back.
And I try my best to be regular.
Thank you all for being with Kitchen e Kichu Khonn and for staying in touch with me on Facebook as well as Instagram.
And on messenger too.

I will not go into the reasons for my taking such a long break.
Instead, I will focus on what I love doing .... write and post a recipe.
It will take me time to get back that much needed flow for smooth writing .... but I will try.
A lot has happened in the last year and now we are at the fag end of it.
I hope it has gone much better for you than it did for me.

But what ever has been, has been.
Life moves on. It will move on.
We cannot give up on life.
We need to get up and get going.
Happily or unhappily … that is in our hands.

I trudged through this year. And not exactly happily.
Two major disappointments in our lives, ruled this year.
And one big health issue for me that resulted in a surgery.

If last year was bad, this year has been worse.
But I am like always on a trampoline. I bounce back.
Or at least try to.
And that is what we should be doing … right? Bounce back.
Because life is like the sea …. it gives back to you whatever you give it.
So better give something good …. eh? 😊

And what better than a blog post on a beautiful chutney.
Chutneys rule as an accompaniment to any Indian meal and helps not only in digestion but also help make any plain meal interesting.
Most chutneys are healthy and are almost always made fresh, at home, along with a snack or meal.

Today's recipe is of a chutney that I had made along with the Rawa Idli that I had posted a few posts back.
I had promised to post the recipe 'soon'.
And am truly sorry for this much delayed 'soon'.
So posting it first and then go on with my other recent recipes.

I had kept this chutney slightly dryish and absolutely loved the texture.
And the best part is it stays well in the refrigerator for more than a week or two, when kept in an airtight glass bottle.
Do not use metal utensils to store it.


Need :

Kokum / Garcinia Indica - the size of a small ball
Garlic - a few cloves
Jeera / Cumin seeds  - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 3 or 4
Chopped fresh coconut - 1 cupful

Urad dal - 1 tsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tsp


How to :

In a heavy pan, heat a little oil.

Add the jeera, dhania, garlic and the whole red chillies.
Fry on low heat till the garlic turns reddish and releases an aroma.

Add the chopped coconut, Urad dal, Chana dal and fry till the coconut is well fried.

Remove and cool.

Now add the Kokum ( you may use tamarind in lesser quantity too ),
salt and sugar.

Grind in a mixie to a coarse damp powder.
The idea is to get a little of everything in a bite …. the crunch of coconut and the dals, the burst of tang of a very small piece of kokum, the spice of the red chilli ….. get the idea?

You may add water, if needed, but only very little.
This is supposed to be a dry chutney.

You may skip the Kokum and make it too.

Store in an airtight glass bottle in the fridge.

Enjoy with Dosas, Idlis , Upma or with plain rice too.


Take care all!!

Jaggery and Coconut stuffed sweet Paniyarams or Appes

"How many recipes do you have on your blog?"
"Around 300, maybe."
"When do you plan to cross 500 and more?"

We had just returned from my home, after that life shattering time.
It was not even a month , I would guess.
And that was B, asking me about my blog.
I gave him an incredulous look. Was he joking?
My blog is the last thing on my mind then. In fact I had forgotten that it even existed ... like a lot of other things ... then. The shock and trauma had hit me hard and I was having trouble sleeping, thinking, remembering .... all in all being a normal human being.

And he is asking about my blog?!
Recipes?!
I could not even cook a decent meal then. I had forgotten how to cook too.
I would stand in front of the stove and stare ahead blankly. I would hold a vegetable in my hand and had no idea what to do with it.
And he is asking me write recipes?!

What I did not realise then was that it was one of B's numerous tries to bring me about.
He had thought that maybe doing what I loved doing most would at least give me and my heart some respite from the tormenting memories and pain.

And it worked ... albeit with a little time.
He kept asking me for this sabzi or that dal ... and I would go to the kitchen like a zombie and churn out the food.
But slowly I started to get into the mode of thinking. Thinking of what to cook, three times daily.
One day I even took out the camera and clicked some pictures.
Made some soups. Took out the tiles that I had bought when my kitchen was being done ... to photograph.
And slowly these efforts made their way back into my blog.

But the one thing that struck me is that I could not make tea anymore! 
Even today, the tea I make is just not edible, or drinkable, or even tolerable.
I have no idea how or why this happened .... but I cannot make a good tea anymore!
Life! And its strange ways indeed!

I made these Appes or sweet Paniyarams during sankaranti.

There is something about coconut and jaggery that fascinates me.
Mixed together, along with the infusion of the very heady green cardamom, it takes you on a whirlwind tour from temples and their prasads  .... to the kitchens of your childhood where the women of the family doled out pithes or just the narkel nadu ( coconut laddoos ).

I love the smell of jaggery and coconut being cooked together ... especially if with ghee. And sometimes, I add a good amount of freshly pounded black peppercorns.
The taste ... ah! another story altogether.
Most often I use this as a filling for the patishapta, or the bhapa pithe. 

I had the idli batter and some pur ready in the fridge .... so decided to make these Paniyarams or Appes.
I love the crisp covering they get when frying in the appe pan. Also, they require very little oil or ghee. Hence guilt free too. 

Need :


The batter - ( find the recipe here ). It should be of free flowing consistency but not very watery.
The filling or the pur - ( find the recipe here )
A little oil or ghee

How to :

Heat an Appe pan like the one below.

Brush it with a little oil or ghee.

Pour in the batter till half full.

Place a little of the filling in it and cover with some more batter.

Cover and cook for around five minutes, on low heat.

Remove cover and flip them over.
Cook for five more minutes or till they turn golden brown and crisp, uncovered.

These can be served hot or warm.
Or at room temperature too.

But during winters, it is best to enjoy them hot.
That way, the crisp outside and the soft fragrant filling combine to give it a unique taste altogether.

I was making these in the kitchen while Mummy sat in my little kitchen chair with wheels, chatting. Papa dragged in a dining chair and B perched on the counter top.
And we chomped on these crisp appes hot out of the pan, with steaming cups of tea made by B, on a chilly winter evening.

There is a savoury version of this too, that I make often for breakfast.
Will make a post on that too ... soon I hope.

Take care folks.
And enjoy!!

Rosh Bora / Lentil dumplings in Sugar syrup

 

 This is a quick post. And a long pending one.
Having risen early today, I am indulging in some quiet time after what seems like ages.
I am not pushing myself to start the washing machine, walk into the kitchen to put the water for tea on, go to my favourite room for dumping and start working on the dry clothes from yesterday ... sorting for laundry, folding, arranging them in their alotted rooms.
And most importantly, I am not thinking of breakfast.


No.
I am sitting in my favourite chair by the bay window ... I have opened it to feel the slight cold that still lingers in the morning air ... and just looking out.
Soaking in the morning quiet.
I do not feel like reading too, this morning. I am even ignoring the new book by Jeffery Archer .... yes, I finally bought it ... lying on the center table.

I look out, eyes scanning the tree tops and the land on the hills far away.
Just last evening we had seen a huge fire there .... so strong and so bright that we could easily make out the red, orange and then the yellow of it ... showing the intensity.
It is a regular phenomenon here ... I have been seeing it ever since we have come to this flat.
We assume it is either wild fire that the dry grass and plants easily catch. But another reason can be the ritual that the farmers of sugarcane fields follow .... after a harvest, they burn the whole field to get rid of any pests or rodents that might stay to enjoy the sweet sugarcanes.

Whatever it might be, we have a beautiful view of the fire. It starts, rises and spreads to the adjoining hills. And looks like a big, orange  garland that goes up and down and around the hill tops.

Now, as I look at the hills, there hangs a light fog. There is no trace of the wild dance of destruction that they had seen the earlier evening.
My trance is disturbed by a quick movement below in the garden ... a bird darting from one tree to another.
The Koyel.
We have lots of them here. The poor thing is a shy bird.
And since the highrises are much above the trees, we get to see them below us. Which I am sure gives them a lot of stress ... to stay hidden all the time.
To get from one tree to another, they have to fly as fast as they can to get away from being in the open ... aznd settle down inside the branches with, I am sure , a sigh of relief.
The poor dears.

Among all this I remember I have some photos ready to be posted.
So get my laptop and start typing away.
And that is all that blabber you have been reading till now .... if at all you have been patient enough to. :-)

But I will get to the recipe now.
I had made this Rosh Bora during Diwali. With my hand and shoulder slowing recovering, I could not resist the temptation to make a few sweet and savoury snacks this time.
Made everything in less quantities but clicked some hurried photos, hoping to post them on Kichu Khonn.
Who knows when I'll be able to make some again.

Need :

Urad dal batter - around 1 cup (soak for 2 hours and grind the urad dal to a paste )
Grated fresh coconut - ½ cup
Whole Black peppercorns - ¼ tsp , lightly crushed
Green cardamom - 2 pieces
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 and a ½ cup
Oil - to deep fry

How to :


To make the Sugar syrup :-

Take a deep pan and put in the water and the sugar and keep on low heat till it starts boiling.
Crush the green cardamoms and add in.
Keep stirring and boiling till the sugar dissolves and the syrups cooks well .... say around for 5 minutes after the sugar dissolves.
You do not need to thicken the syrup.

To make the Boras / dumplings :-

Beat the Urad dal batter with a fork to make the batter a little fluffy and incorporate some air into it.
If you want to, you can add a pinch of baking powder ... I did not.
Add the coconut and the crushed black peppercorns.

Heat enough oil in a deep kadahi.
Scoop out small balls of the batter and drop them carefully into the oil.
I cannot make perfect balls ... I use a spoon to pick up and drop the batter .... hence the imperfect shapes. :-)
Keep the heat on low and fry them till golden brown in colour.

Dunk them into the warm sugar syrup and let them soak in for a while.

This is one of my very few favourite sweets .... though I do not make it very often.

You can serve them both warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!!

Narkel dudh diye Ilish / Hilsa cooked in coconut milk

While the season is in and I am still on the topic of Ilish, I thought I should finally post this wonderful recipe that I had tried out and absolutely loved, some two years back.

Just my kind of cooking, simple yet flavourful, this recipe has the wonderful sweetness of the coconut milk infused with that unique flavour of the Hilsa fish.
With a hint of jeera in that mustard paste, the flavour is just great.

My blogger friend  Arundhuti S. Rama of the beautiful blog My Saffron Kitchen, had shared this recipe, which actually belongs to her mother.
I had tried it out then and had clicked some photos too. But never got 'round to making a post on it.
Finally bringing it out into the light.

Thank you Arundhuti Rama and Mashima for this wonderful recipe!

Need:

Ilish pieces - 3, lightly fried
Mustard oil - 1 tbsp
Thick Coconut milk - 6 tbsp
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

For the paste :
Yellow mustard seeds / shada shorshe  - 1 tbsp (soaked for around half an hour)
Posto / khus khus  - 1 tsp (soaked for around half an hour )
Jeera / cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Green chillies - 2

How to  :

Make a paste of all the mentioned ingredients.

Heat the mustard oil , add the paste and keep frying till the rawness goes away.

When it starts to get slightly dryish add the coconut milk and stir well.

Add the fish pieces, adjust salt and cover and cook till you get the desired consistency of the gravy.

Remove from heat.
Serve hot with rice.

Enjoy!!

Shorshe Narkel Chingri / Prawns cooked in mustard and coconut paste

Winter is on in full swing ... if I can say that. How is winter swinging I can't say. But yes, winter is here.
Not in the elusive way that it has been the last few years but in a proper wintery way.
Like it is supposed to be cold, real cold.
There should be a clear, crisp breeze.
The sky clear ... so clear that you can see the stars at night ...especially the Evening star ... huge and shining way too brightly.
The sun should be bright and shining and inviting.
You are tempted to stand in it ... soaking up the warmth on your shoulders and back.
And in a little while you feel so hot you need to step back into the shade.
And in a while you are tempted to step back into it again.
Yes, this winter everything is in place.

Mornings are foggy.
And cold.
Morning walkers are bundled in sweaters, jackets and caps.
Evenings are foggy too. And hold the sweet smell of wood smoke.
Maybe someone is burning dry leaves and twigs somewhere. I can see a thin billow of smoke afar, crossing the tree tops and meandering up and away.
Leaving behind that smell that reminds one of evenings in rural India, where every house lights it's chulha to  cook dinner and the air is filled with light smoke.
And you are tempted to spend your evenings leisurely ... bundled up in a comforter, lounging in front of the telly ... with spicy adrak wali chai and some deep fried munchies.

Right now I'm loving the glorious sun on my home ... windows, balcony ... even in the kitchen.
Am tempted to make full use of it ... my injured shoulder and arm notwithstanding.
Hence, ignoring  doc's warning against strain, I am making small batches of pickles and boris.
Of course other than sunning every piece of blanket, clothing,woolen, etc. that has soaked up the dampness of the last year.
Yes, am happy to be home. :-)

Here's a glimpse before I make a post on it ... in case I'm  banned from typing and posting ... again.

Last year I had my fill of fresh fish ... caught off the lakes right in front of me. Remember  I  had made the  Kaatla Shorshe. Well, I had some masala left, so used it to make prawns.
Not in the same way ... just the same masala.

I eat prawns with regularity. But realise that I hardly have any posts on my prawn recipes.
One of the reasons must be the lack of time.
Prawn is something I can munch on while frying them ... and happily finish a batch just like that.
And most times I just put in this and that together and cook up something ... needless to say, tasty.
 But by the time I finish cooking the whole lunch/dinner and finish with the prawns, it is mealtime.
And I do not have the patience to arrange+click for a post.

This particular recipe was, as usual, done in a hurry too.
But there was good sunlight ... something rare for me for the whole of last year ... so clicked some snaps.
Not as good as I would want them to be.
But decent enough to make a post.
So here is my Shorshe Chingri ... not bhaape (steamed ) though.

Need :

Fresh water prawns
Mustard paste - I used white and black mustard seeds
Coconut paste - I grind freshly grated coconut
Turmeric powder
Kalonji / Kalo jeere / Nigella seeds - a pinch
 Mustard oil
Red chilli powder
Salt
A pinch of sugar ( optional )

How to :

Clean the prawns and marinate them with salt and turmeric for 15 minutes.
Heat mustard oil in a kadahi / wok.
Fry the prawns, remove and keep aside.
At this point you will need to restrain yourself ... I cannot resist the hot, fried prawns and start munching on them. Go ahead , indulge, but only a piece or two.

In the same kadahi and oil, add the kalo jeere / nigella seeds.
Add the mustard and coconut paste.
Add a little red chilli powder.
Fry well till oil starts to leave the sides.
You can add some beaten curd at this point too ... I haven't.
Increase heat and add water.
Bring to a boil, add salt and sugar.
Add the prawns and cook till the gravy reaches desired consistency ... some like it dryish and others like some gravy ... so decide accordingly.
 Remove from heat.

Serve hot with plain steamed rice.
Enjoy!!



A few other Prawn recipes on Kichu Khonn

Prawns with burnt Garlic Noodles

Tomato Prawns 

 Chingri Malai Rice 

Puli Pithey / Coconut stuffed Rice dumplings in milk

 Much as I want to post regularly, things seem to keep getting out of hand.

I am appalled at the way my time management has gone out of the window ; or the door or my balcony.

All I know is it is not where I left it last.

Nothing seems to be in my control any more. Am so tempted to write 'no more' here!
See ... that's how much I have changed. :-|

It has taken me a lot of time to get back my kitchen.

Now that it is behaving and happily churning out simple, daily dishes, I thought I'd get started with the blog.

For that one needs to click photos.

How else am I to serve what I've cooked ... albeit virtually?!

It is another thing that I still use my photos as proof ... to prove my cooking and photographing ability ...

... to myself.

And now, after all that storing of photographs, storing of recipes in my mind ...

... when I finally start posting again ... I find myself at a dead end.

Complete lack of zeal.

To write. To upload. To arrange.

To make a post on this hugely simply laid out blog seems an effort.

Why am I writing this here ... of all things??

Well ... see ... because I just don't know what to write.

I just wish I can ... again.

Till then ... dear readers ... I guess you'll have to put up with this nonsense.

I know all of you love me; love Kichu Khonn.

But I also know that I'm asking for too much. :-)

 So, while still a lot of photographs languish in my folders, I'll just get over with this post of Puli Pithe.

I recently made these and want to share with you all ... before winter passes by.

Actually, I'd amde a post on this long, long back.

When I was a new blogger and a new cook.

When I was new to photography ... especially food photography.

So new that I could not give the pulis their authentic shape. So had made them in rounds.

But I call myself an expert now ... at least in the kitchen.

It is another thing that all I can cook up is homely food ... nothing exotic, nothing glamorous.
I mean ... not even the most glamorous of evening wear is going to successfully clothe my dishes
and make a plate look like a ... say ... beauty queen.
You can still see that lone black pepper or the jeera
or the colour of just how much frying have my onions gone through.
Nah ... no red carpet for my plain Jane dishes.

And it is another thing that I have not gone beyond a few pithes when it comes to traditional cooking.

But let us not dwell on that.

Especially when I have dished out these lovelies for you. :-)

And this time ... in all their traditional shape and glory.

For the recipe, I'd still send you to my old post.

Where I was enthusiastic enough to click a few steps of the process too.

And if you still can't make these beautiful moon shaped pithes, worry not.

You can make them round .. and they'd still be a winner.

And so will you be.

Serve warm or cold.
Enjoy!
And stay warm ... winter will soon begone. :-)

Ranga Alur Pithe or Pantua / Coconut stuffed Sweet Potato

Winter.

Holidays!

Pithe!

All three are synonymous to each other.

Pithe.

Traditional sweet or savoury things that are usually made with rice, coconut and jaggery.

Sometimes dals or lentils are used too.

With these few ingredients, some wonderful pithes  are lovingly made 

by the ladies of a house every winter.

The Ranga Alur Pithe or Pantua is one of them.

 During the holidays, Thamma would be extra busy.

Of course she was busy throughout the year ... what with a huge joint family to run.

But during holidays, the house brimmed with people.

Relatives of all relations ... kakimas' brothers with their families or 

Jethima's sister with her two sons. 

Or my mashis with their brood.

The house would be overflowing with people. Almost like a wedding is on.

Everyday was a celebration.

All through the day one would get hear all kinds of voices.

A mother's high pitched voice calling out to her children, ladies chattering with a lot of laughter, childern screaming out in warning when running pell-mell all across the long verandah.

The house is big. Huge.

Once you cross these sound barriers , you reach another long verandah that houses the bharaar ghor/ the store room.

And the two kitchens.

Two? Yes. One for vegetarian food too.

And from these two rooms came the most wonderful smells in the world.

All kinds of food being cooked.

And among them ... on one side there would be a small unoon/chulha .... that was used to make Pithe.

Amidst everything, Thamma made sure at least one kind of Pithe was on our plates everyday of our holidays.

My mind is a-wandering. 

More later.

I'll put in the recipe now.

To make this pithey, you can start preparing a day or two earlier.

That way you won't feel overwhelmed when you actually start making it.

I usually prepare the coconut stuffing a day or two earlier.

Boil the potatoes too and keep away.

And also the sugar syrup.

So your work gets cut down by half.All you need to do is stuff the pithes, fry and soak in the syrup.

Gets done in a jiffy.

Need: 

Sweet potatoes - I used 2 big sized ones

Maida/apf - 3 tbsp

Grated coconut 

Jaggery

Crushed cardamom / elaichi

Oil to deep fry

How to:

Sugar syrup - Boil one and a half cups of sugar in 2 cups of water till dissolved well

(No need for any thread consistency ... just thin syrup will do)

Coconut stuffing - Melt jaggery with a little water in a pan.

Add the coconut and the cardamom powder and cook well till dryish.

Remove and cool.

Pithe / Pantua -

Peel and mash the sweet potato with the maida.

Make medium sized balls, flatten on palm and stuff with a little coconut stuffing.

Cover and roll on palm to make a smooth elongated shape.

Wet your fingers with water if needed.

Heat enough oil in a deep kadahi.

Slowly let in the pithes and fry on low flame till brown.

Remove and soak in the sugar syrup.

PS: If you have made the syrup a day earlier, reheat it before soaking the pithes.

Leave them for a while to soak up the syrup well.

Serve warm or cold.

Enjoy!

Click here for the list of  Pithe / Pitha on my blog

Pithe for Makar Sankaranti

Wishing you a happy and fruitful Makar Sankaranti!!

Could make a little Pithe on this auspicious day.
So am sharing them with you on this harvest festival.

The recipe for Dudh Puli is here ... posted a long time back.

Don't go by the snaps ... it tastes awesome.

Will be updating with the new snaps I have taken today. :-)

The other one is Ranga Aloo'r Pantua/pithe.

Will be sharing the recipe in my next post.

Good wishes, everyone!

Aloo Narkel Tikki / Potato & Coconut Patties

 I am on a roll. Posting left, right and center.
Rather ... posting one, two and on.
Or so you think.
The fact is ... yes ... I am rushing.Why? I don't know.
Or do I?
You see ... even when I have not been posting at all for the longest time, I have been cooking.
And serving food ... for myself and the family.
That is ... when I could cook at all. When I could finally get up; stand for long times.
When I finally got back my kitchen to myself.
In about one and a half years ... or maybe more ... I cannot remember much of those dark times ... of time.

And when I would get, even the tiniest of, spare time and I was not feeling drained, I would hold my camera.
Lovingly. Longingly.
Then came a day when I could actually click a photo again.

So when I was cooking, the recipe and steps would keep running through my mind.

I had hoped I would post again.
I hoped I could start Kichu Khonn again.
So I'd click whatever I cooked ... whenever I could.

As a result ... I have a bagful of ... well ... a folder full of snaps.
All ready and waiting to see the light of the day.
Any day.

So ... when I have started now ... I do not lack for photos.
And when I have photos, I can share the recipe too!

Hence I am on a roll. Dig?
Good. :-)

So here I am ... posting another simplest of tikkis.
The aloo tikki .... with a twist in the taste.

At home, Ma would make this on the days when we turned vegetarians.
No non veg on the table ... no clean plates.
Everyone ... mainly Bapi ... used have a pained look on the face throughout the day ... starting morning.
Even the day's  green grocery shopping would be done with complete lack of enthusiasm.
I mean, if you can't buy the best and the freshest catch of the day, if you can't have fish on your plate for lunch ... how can you be a true blue  Bengali ??
What absolute use does the day have at all?!

So Ma had to come up with something that would be eaten ... that would help to clear the air of mourning.
And this tikki was one of those many sides.
We loved it as is.
But if this was made at night, it would be dunked into a gravy of ginger and tomatoes ...
and it went very well with hot rotis.

Very simple and quick to make, these can be eaten as a snack too.

Need :

Boiled potatoes
Freshly grated coconut
Chopped onions
Chopped green chillies
Chopped fresh coriander leaves
Kalonji / Nigella seeds
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Cooking oil to shallow fry
( I use Mustard oil ... you can use any oil of your choice )

How to :

Mash everything , except the oil, together.

Shape into tikkis ... like so.

 Heat a little oil in a flat pan or skillet.
Let in the tikkis one by one.
Fry till both sides are browned properly.

Done!
Crispy on the outside and soft and melting inside.
Yes, that's how easy it is. :-)

 Serve hot off the pan.
Eat as a snack with your favourite ketchup or chutney.
Or on the side of a plate of steamed rice and dal.

Enjoy!

Patishapta / Rice crepes with coconut filling

Patishapta! ... the most made Pithe in Bengali homes I guess.

Traditional Patishapta is made with a rice flour batter
and fresh coconuts and jaggery .... all harvested products.
But due to the fast paced life of recent times, it is no longer possible to actually go
through the whole process of cleaning, washing, soaking and grinding rice to make a fresh powder.
And then use that powder to make a batter.
So, many people make it with a batter of maida and sooji ,
a quicker version of the original, traditional way.

I usually do not make this frequently ... my favourite pithe is the Poda pithe.
But come winter, every Bengali has to taste the Patishapta once.

When made or had with fresh date palm jaggery, the Patishapta
evokes wonderful memories of childhood
in every Bengali.

With visions of our grandmothers making it on a chulha on cold winter evenings
and us children sitting around it,
savouring the soft, hot patishapta with jaggery oozing out of it,in the warmth of the hot unoon,
knocking on our hearts,
we try to recreate the same taste and memories in our own kitchens
with inept hands.

I am still not into complex cooking yet and would not have made this right now either ...

was happy just watching this wonderful sweet
all over Bong blogosphere ...
but for a reader who requested me for the recipe.

So went ahead and made it.
Thanks to esskay we did get to enjoy the patishapta this winter.

I made it the traditional way ... but added some lentils (urid dal) to
the batter to give the crepes a little softness ...
I have noticed that the only rice batter
tends to make the crepes
slightly dryish.

I have also added a very,very, very small pinch of salt
to the batter ...
to complement the sweet filling.

One tip I'd like to share ...
the first and second crepes will turn out slightly thicker and not very perfect.
But as you keep making them, they will turn out better and better.
And keep the batter thin ... helps in spreading.
And also brings out crisp sides.

Do use a well seasoned, cast iron tawa.
If you want to use a non stick tawa, make sure you add just a few drops of oil and smear it well all over.
Use a wet cloth to smear the oil.
And heat the tawa well ... but on a low flame.
Patience is the key here.

Also, I never try to make it at one go ... or in one day.
A little preparation done earlier helps hugely here.
For example ... I make the coconut filling on one day and store it in the fridge.
I soak the rice and dal overnight ( do not keep it in the fridge ).
And grind it on the next day.
Then keep it in the fridge till I need it ... that way it soaks well.
And all I need to do is heat the tawa and make the pithes whenever I want to.


Need :

For the pur / filling

Freshly grated coconut - 1 cup
Jaggery (I used granules) - around 1 cup
Elaichi / Green cardamom powder - 1 tsp
Water - ½ cup


For the Crepes

Rice - 1 and ½ cup
Urid dal - a little less than ¼ cup
Enough water to make a thin batter


How to make :

The Pur / filling

In a deep pan, put the water and the jaggery together and let it come to a boil.
When the jaggery melts completely, remove and strain it to remove any impurities.
Put it back into the pan and add the coconut.
Keep stirring.
Add the elaichi powder and keep stirring till the mixture turns dryish.

The crepes :

Soak the rice and dal together for around 2 hours ...  the more, the better.
Grind into a smooth batter, adding water if needed.
Add water to make a very thin,
free flowing batter.
( If you let the batter sit for a day, the crepes turn out even better. )

Heat a little oil on a non stick tawa / griddle.
If using a cast iron tawa, heat it well first.
Then smear a good amount of oil on it and heat it again.
Now wipe off the oil with a wet cloth.
Add a little oil again and smear it well and then wipe it off again, with a wet cloth.

Now pour a ladleful of batter on the tawa and spread it to make a thin round.
I cannot do it with the ladle ...
so pick up and turn the tawa in a circle ...
works for me. :-)
Let it cook for a while.

(This was the first one ... so is slightly thick.)

It should leave the bottom of the tawa easily when done.

Place some of the filling in the middle of the crepe.

Roll the crepe on the filling from both sides to cover it.

Remove from the tawa.

See the fluffy soft crepes? The texture was perfect!

A closer look.

I have noticed that if you use maida, it does turn a little tough when cool.

But the rice flour ones stay soft enough
to be easily cut with a spoon.

Make sure to smear the tawa with a little oil and heat it well before adding another spoonful of batter.

These fluffy white blankets of sweet are best served with some

date palm jaggery or Nolen gur
poured over them.
Or sweet, thickened milk.

I'm not so lucky .... so enjoyed them as is.

Enjoy !!

Some wonderful varities of the Patishapta on blogosphere

Sandeepa's Patishapta ...
using Maida, Khoya & Semolina ...
and a beautiful write ...
miss ya Bong mom ... come back soon.

Jaya's Patishapta ...
she has 3 different ways of making the batter and a huge info on the sweet.

Sayantani's Patishapta ...
using maida, semolina & khoya too ...
and has a wonderful writeup on Poush Parbon.

Other Pithes on Kichu Khon

Arisa Pithe

Poda Pithe

Puli Pithe

Monda Pitha

How to make Virgin Coconut Oil at home

Deepti Khemani-Bhatia wrote to me saying she 'read somewhere' that I make my own coconut oil, came over and searched my blog and could not find a post on it.

Coincidentally I had picked a few dried coconuts just a few days back before that mail and was waiting for the hectic festive season to get over ... so that I could make some oil. So set about making my coconut oil. This is not for the faint hearted ... or those who easily tire.
It takes loads of patience. :-)


My Thamma ( paternal grandmom ) used to make this at home. Of course she had a whole army of assistants to help her. I used to sit and watch. Later she would add many things like herbs etc. to it and store it for herself and the ladies in the family ... including us grandchildren. She had black, lustrous long hair all her life ... till a ripe old age.
Of course she never had to buy coconut ... we had a huge 'godam ghor' / store room full of them .... they used to come from the villages where we had our fields and farms.
Later I tried making it at home. Of course ... it is fun when you have nothing else to do ... and get everything ready at just an order.
So enjoyed the adventure everytime.

But now it is a different story. Making coconut oil by myself is a huge task .... here time management plays a very important role. Not to mention the daunting task of standing for hours attending to it. And the result is so little one can easily get demoralised.

( I started to make this at 1:30 in the afternoon and the final drop of oil made its way into the bottle at around 5:30 in the evening. )

Nobody from my generation ... none of my cousins have treaded this path. And have often laughed at me for my whimsical attempts. But I do what I like to. Especially challenging things. :-)



So here's my recipe on homemade coconut oil.


Need : Dry coconuts ( they have a very high oil content .... check for a darkish line on the border of a broken piece when viewed sideways ) , a little warm water.

How to : Take the dry coconuts and cut them in to small pieces .... this step is in sympathy for your mixer / grinder.

Run it in a grinder using warm water to make a thickish paste. The first time it won't be too moist ... do not worry.


Use a seive / soup strainer to strain .... this will be for the first time/step. It won't work for the next time as the paste will be more moist.


Collect the strained liquid in a heavy and thick bottomed kadahi / wok ... in which you will do the boiling part subsequently.

After all the coconut paste has been strained, take a little and taste it. If it tastes sweet, grind it again with more warm water.

Strain again into the same wok / kadahi. Use a cheesecloth or your hand to strain now.

Repeat this process for three or four times. By the fourth time, the coconut will taste less sweet and more bland. You can stop grinding and the straining part now.




Put it on to boil.




After around one hour and a half it will start to thicken ... notice the oil leaving the sides.
Do not start to collect just yet ... there is still a lot of moisture in it.


Slowly the residue will start to solidify. You can start collecting the oil now. If needed tilt the wok a little to collect drop by precious drop.

Do not collect into a plastic or glass bottle directly ... it might crack due to the temperature difference. Collect in a steel container ... and transfer only when it is completely cooled.
And use a strainer to filter the solid stuff.



I got this much oil from this many coconuts ....

If you are doubtful about the moisture content, then you can sun the oil for a few days.

The residue tastes heavenly too. I love it on warm rice. But it is great when rolled into a roti or on a bread. You have to taste it to know. :-)


So here's the sweetest tasting and the purest coconut oil .... straight from my kitchen.
It is perfect and safe for consumption ... for cooking purposes .... and the very good for your skin and hair.



I know I have been a little irregular here ... and also in visiting all your wonderful blogs and recipes out there .... but I promise to get back on track soon.
Take care folks !! :-)
 
( Updated : Deepti read it here ... thanks Bharti for the info and Deepti for confirming. :-) )