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!!

Rawa Idli with Coconut Kokum Chutney

 It has been raining heavily every evening or night for the last few days.
The days are hot and stuffy, with humidity building up till it becomes almost difficult to breathe, by late afternoon. And then the clouds start to gather at one end of the sky.
Soon it becomes windy, hastening the yellow leaves to fall off the trees a little more early.
And then comes the downpour.
Reminds me of my homeland Odisha. The weather, I mean.
I do not know this humid Pune.
I miss the dry, cool Pune where we had to wait for a full year to see rain once the monsoons are over.

But I do not mind the rains though. In fact, I love them.
The mornings are differently beautiful these days. I take my cup of Darjeeling and sit on the swing in my little balcony.
My upper lip had got a big cut (from the accident) and swollen twice its normal size ... so the tea immediately scalds the skin.
I wince and try to ignore.
My eyes skim the surface of the cup and through the steam I watch the almost bare trees turn bright and golden as the rising sun falls on them.
The ground is still damp from last night's rain and the heavy smell of wet grass, dry leaves and fog hangs in the air.

The swing moves lightly. My aching body wants to get up. But I sit for a little more time.
Durga puja is over. The beautiful images of the goddess are long immersed in water.
In my mind I see the empty pandals and grounds.
Chairs devoid of people. Bare bamboos standing ... remains of stalls and decorations.
It will be a full year before the celebrations again.

Two little birds swoop down on the bird bath and seeing me, dart away just as quickly.
Two crows come and drink some water. I give them a few pieces of biscuit that they quickly pick up and dunk into the water bowl.
And eat them after they have soaked some water and turned soft.
The crows do not mind me. Neither do the swallows or the pigeons.
The parrots are shy. They sit on the overhead cable wires and screech till I get up and leave them alone.
Only then they come near the water.
I am planning to put up a mirror near the door so that I can see their antics from hiding.

I come in and look up my blog.
This year has not gone as planned; which is why I never plan.
Lesson learnt once more.
So few posts.
So decided to post this beautifully spongy Rawa idli that I had made for breakfast a few weeks back.
I have posted Rawa idli long back, which is the plain one.
This is one far different from that.
Here I have made a tempering and fried the rawa / semolina and added a little masala to make it spicy.
The spice complements the tang of the curd and balances well.

Also, these are very quick to make and perfect for those times when you do not have pre prepared Idli batter at hand and yet have to put up a meal or breakfast.

And here is the recipe.

Need :

Rawa / Suji / Semolina ( the bigger grains) - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium, chopped 
Ginger - a small piece, chopped
Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Hing / Asaefoetida - a pinch
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Curd - 2 cups , make sure it is sour or add some lemon juice
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - a pinch
Water - if needed
Salt - to taste

How to :

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed open pan.

Add the mustard seeds.
When they start to splutter add  the jeera + hing + urad dal + chana dal + onions + ginger.
Stir fry till onions are transparent and loose a little moisture.

Add haldi + red chilli powder + the sooji + salt.
Fry for around two minutes on low flame.
Remove and cool completely.

Remember to not fry for too long.
If the rawa turns dry, it will not bind and hold shape as it will not soak the curd well.

Add the curd with a little water.
Mix well and keep aside.
Mixture should not be very thin.

Steam in a idli mould till done. 

Here is a closer look.

Serve hot with chutney.
You can enjoy it with this Sambar too. 
Or take your pick from my Chutneys to pair with.
I had made this chutney with Coconut and Kokum. So served with it.
I will post the recipe in the next post.

This was our breakfast.

Enjoy!!





 

Plastic Chatni / Chutney made with Raw Papaya .... a Bengali favorite

 Thin, transparent slices that glisten in a clear, slightly thick liquid. You feel like picking one up but hold back for fear of it breaking or melting in your hand.
Slowly you fish a slice up and hold it between your fingers.
It is so clear that you can see through it.The sticky syrup rolls down you fingers and you quickly lick it to stop from flowing down your elbow.
And revel in the taste.
Sweet, lemony, with the kick of the paanch phoron. 
And slightly spicy, if a piece of the dry red chilli has crushed.

That is the Plastic chaatni for you.
Every Bengali's favourite. Something every Bengali looks forward to in the menu of a special occasion, especially weddings.
I am not talking of today's catering managed wedding meals.
I am talking of the traditional weddings of yore.
Where food was served on plaintain / raw banana leaves and water was served in traditional earthen glasses.
Where food was eaten with hands and where people sat down together, in large batches, to enjoy the feast.
Where all the dishes were served on the same plate, course by course and the plate holds the heavenly mix of flavours from the all the dishes served.
So the sweetness from the Mishti bhaat or the fried rice, the spiciness from the macher kalia or the jhol, the richness of the Kosha Mangsho, the crunch from the Fish fry .... every dish leaves its print on the plate.
And to that ,when the sweetness of the Plastic chatni is added, it is heaven on your plate. 
And the lingering taste and smell in your fingers.
And the sounds of the shehnai mixed with a lot of boisterous chattering and laughing out loud in your ears and the frangrace of the Rajanigandha in the air.
That is what Bengali wedding meals used to be.

The Plastic chaatni ..... it got its name because the papaya slices resembled clear plastic after cooking, is not very common in everyday cooking in Bengali households.
And rare too in occasions like birthdays or Annaprasanna ( when a child eats rice for the first time ).
However, when it came to wedding menus, its place was fixed.
Although I have never seen this chutney served anywhere else, I did notice that the restaurant Sigree always serves it along with other relishes.
Their version is slightly dry though ... but the flavours are the same.

Traditionally, the shape is of thin slices of the raw papaya. I have chopped them for reasons best known to god. I have no idea why I did not slice them.
Also, by the time I cut the papaya to cook, it had ripened slightly.
But I can assure you, it made no difference to the taste.

My chatni has a little too much of paanch phoron / Bengali five spice tempering .... but that is because the spoon slipped from my hand and landed straight into the hot oil.
Happens.
But again ... no harm to the taste.

Here's how to make this wondrous chatni.

Need :

Raw Papaya - 1 cupful ,
( thinly sliced small pieces or cut into very small cubes )
Kismis / Raisins - 1 tbsp, soaked
Lemon juice - around 1 tbsp
Sugar - 2 cupsful
Water - 3 cupsful or a little more
Paanch phoron / Bengali five spice mix - 1 tsp
( a mix of
methi / fenugreek seeds (use just a few seeds),
jeera / cumin seeds,
mouri / fennel seeds ,
sorse / mustard seeds,
kalo jeere / nigella seeds )
Whole dry red chillies - 1, broken
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch

(If you are afraid of biting into a methi seed, then you can use just the fennel (saunf ) and the nigella ( kalonji ) seeds for the tempering.


How to :

Heat oil in a pan or a kadahi.

Add the paanch phoron + broken red chilli.

Then add the papaya and toss well.

Add a little salt, cover and cook till just half done.

Remove cover, add the raisins and water and bring to a boil.

Now add the sugar and cook for some more time, covered.

Remove cover, check if the papaya is done yet firm.

Add the lemon juice, simmer for a minute or two.

Remove from heat and cool. 

This stays well in the fridge for more than a week.
Just make sure you keep it covered well or in a tight lid bottle.

Poila Boishakh is just a day away.
Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous Bengali New Year!!
Health and happiness and more healthy, happy food to you !!

Enjoy!!

Adai, Sambar, Aloo bhaji and Mirchi ki chutney - a South Indian breakfast on the plate today

I am on a serious mission these days. A mission of doing nothing.
Yes, doing nothing. And that means doing nothing at all.
Call it a strike; call it a rebellion .... call it anything you want to. But that is the truth and the whole truth.
I do not remember exactly when it happened ... but something inside me has snapped. The last I remember is cooking up a storm ... two huge degchis of biryani ... yummy, fragrant, spicy yet non greasy biryani .... one chicken and one paneer ... for guests and ourselves on Sunday.
If you are following me in Instagram or on Facebook, you must have seen the photographs there.

Spent the whole day sweating it out in the kitchen ... and loved every moment of it. Enjoyed through the latter half of the day ... watched the match .... felt totally disappointed at what our team was doling out and left it halfway to go out and have waffles ... and all in all had a good day.
And the very next day, something broke inside me. And I just did not feel like getting up and doing any chores.
At all.
At first I thought it might just be the 'start of another week' blues. But no, it worsened as the days went by and today, we are bang in the middle of the week and I am still not moving.
B is indulging .... we went out for dinner on Monday but at other times he has been cooking.
Let me see how long this goes on.

I think I need a break; a trip. Seriously.
And all those photos of  road trips or overseas trips on fb and insta are not helping too.
Social media has its own pressures ... that I can say.
So when the weather in Pune has turned so unbelievably beautiful and the view and the breeze on my balcony is to happily die for, I ignore it like a moron and long for a drive out into the unknown.

Yes, I am a moron after all, I guess.
Like, I have not done anything all this morning except to wallow in morbidity and letting Jagjit singh croon and pull me all the more down into the dark.
Like I have not made a single post here since the last one. And neither am I clicking any photos too. Just the ones that are offhandedly clicked on my iphone and posted on insta.
I'm giving in to social media, finally.

So, pulled myself up and without moving an inch from my settled position in my den and post this beautiful plateful of breakfast before it languishes any more in my 'to post' folder.

I often soak rice + dal and make a batter and store it. And never have to worry about breakfast most days of the week.
Sometimes I up the amount of the dal or soak mixed dals for a protein rich yet light meal.
While this kind of breakfast is very common in my house ... check out the Chakuli pitha or the soru chakli pithe and others, I have not done a post just for the lack of time needed to click proper photographs.
I do post photos on my page on facebook though ... and now on instagram too.
If you follow me there, you are more updated with my cooking, I would say.

To make this light yet very filling breakfast, all the prep work you need is to keep the batter ready. And maybe have some boiled potatoes in the fridge too.
This aloo ki bhaji is usually made for the masala dosa, but it goes perfectly well with the Adai too ... so do try to pair them.
I make it slightly on the sweeter side ... the kind that the Udipi restaurants serve with puris too as puri bhaji.

Adai sambar chutney

How to make the Potato bhaji for masala dosa :

Need :


Boiled potatoes - 2 medium, lightly smashed
Onion - 1 medium, chopped roughly
Haldi / Turmeric powder - a pinch
Fresh green chillies - 2, chopped
Curry leaves - a sprig will do
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste
Cooking oil - 1 tsp
Water - a little
Urid dal - 1 tsp


How to :


Heat the oil in a small wok.


Add the mustard seeds.
As soon as they splutter, add the dal and fry a little.
Now add the onions and green chillies and fry till the onions turn translucent.

Add the curry leaves and the boiled potato.

Add the haldi + salt + sugar.

Mix well. Raise heat and add a little water ... just so everything comes together.

Keep stirring till it dries up.

Remove and keep aside.


How to make the Mirchi ki chutney :

Need :

Ripe chillies - (not the dry, red ones) 6
Garlic - 2 cloves
Jeera - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to :

Run everything in the mixer to make a coarse paste.

You can also try my other chutneys too.

How to make the Adai :

 Need :


Red Masoor dal - 1 cup
Yellow moong dal - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1 cup
Rice - 3 cups
Water to grind
Salt - to taste

How to :

Soak everything for 4 to 5 hours.

Grind in a mixie and let the batter stand overnight.

Use a little at a time and refrigerate the rest. I keep mine for almost a week.

Heat a seasoned tawa or a non stick griddle.

Apply a little oil and on high heat pour a ladleful of the batter.
Spread quickly and lower heat.

Don't try to make it too thin.
Cover and let one side cook well.

Remove cover and flip and let the other side cook .
Apply a little oil if needed.
Do not cover.

The slightly thick Adai is good to soak in the sambar.

How to make the Sambar :

You can follow the recipe for Sambar here ... or here.
Will make a new post on it later.

I will be back with a better post and better writing, hopefully soon.

Till then ... enjoy!!

Tomato Khejurer chaatni

 Hi all!!
I was planning to make an elaborate post that would include what I had made my earlier post on .... let's see if you can guess correctly ... (people who have seen my page on fb are not allowed to take part in this :-) )
.... but unfortunately my plans have gone haywire.
All thanks to a glass of water that I spilled on the kitchen floor.
And before I could mop it up ... or say 'bazooka!' ... to quote Sheldon, I was on the floor , on my back, spreadeagled, with a twisted ankle and wrist.

Later, as the day progressed, I could feel the pain spread to points and muscles and all over the right leg and ankle and the left hand, especially the wrist ... that took the brunt of the thud.
And my already weak back and right shoulder.
And with that went my plans of writing a lengthy post.

So I will leave you today with these photographs of the Tomato Khejur er chatni that I had made a few months ago.
If you need the recipe, it is here. Just substitute the sugar with gur / jaggery.

 Take care all ....
while I go lie down, watch the drizzle outside and ponder on the line ... "Paa pichle aloor dom .... "

Sigh!

Tomato and Garlic chutney ... a spicy, tangy and peppy dip

 Life is a mad rush right now. I had thought I could fit in two more posts this month easily but that is not to happen I guess. A hectic weekend and now a Monday that has passed by like a gust on a winter evening.
I know, I know I sound repetitive. But that is how it is .... almost every week.
Anyway .... with Durga Puja just around the corner and the rains playing spoilsport, my mind is not at all in the right place these days.
It has rained steadily for the last fortnight or more and the days and nights are extremely foggy, damp and cold.
I keep looking out for the slightest break in the clouds and a glimpse of sunlight ... no matter how thin.
But no such luck.

I am praying really hard that we get sunny days by Mahalaya.
Fingers crossed.

I do not have much to write tonight.
No, actually I do have but am real pressed for time. With loads  of things to do, I have added two more knitting projects to my daily schedule. And the only time I get to work on them is at night.

So have been sitting up late into nights and knitting, like there is no tomorrow.
And am loving it ... this change in my routine of going to sleep at ten in the night.

 Kind of takes me back to my long gone days when I was just a girl and loved to stay up late into the nights to read or to embroider or knit. I loved the quiet of the nights and the lovely breeze blowing in from our garden .... especially in the summers.

My little doggie would be fast asleep near my feet. And I would be so engrossed that I would have no idea how late it was.
Until Ma came and gave me a final warning to wind up and go to sleep.
Only then I would keep my things aside and go to my bedroom, the sleepy little one at my feet.
As I would climb in and lie down, I could hear her settle down under my bed with a sigh ... which I guess would be of relief.

There ... I am digressing.
Let me now quickly give you the recipe of this super quick Tomato and garlic chutney that I make and store very often.
Packs the punch of garlic and the tartness of the tomatoes.
Needs very less ingredients and is extremely good as a side or a dip.

I love garlic and have used a lot in this chutney. You can go easy on it if you are not much of a fan ... but let me tell you it is the garlic that makes this chutney so lovable.

Need :

Tomatoes - 6, big sized, chopped
Garlic - around 15 or 20 cloves
Onions - 1 medium, roughly chopped
Fresh green  chillies - around 4
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a pinch 

How  to :

Heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a kadahi or wok.

Fry the onions till translucent.

Cool and grind in a mixie along with the garlic + green chilli + tomatoes.

In an open pan pour this mix and let it boil till the rawness goes away and it starts to thicken.

Add salt + sugar + a little red chilli powder and stir well.

In an other kadahi, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Add the mustard seeds and once they start to splutter, add the curry leaves.

Pour this tempering on the tomato mix and let it boil till the chutney thickens well.

Remove from heat and cool.

Store in an air tight glass bottle in the fridge.

This is great on the side with  handvo, idlis or vadas of any kind or any kind of parathas.
A spoonful on  hot rice is absolutely heavenly.
Spread it on a dosa or an uttapam and you won't need anything else for a meal.
And yes, I do spread it on bread too.


Enjoy!!

Kancha aamer tok jhal mishti achar

Or raw mangoes cooked with spices and sugar.
I was at a loss when it came to giving this a name.
We can call it the Kancha aamer mishti achar. Or kairi ki launji.
Or plain aam ka meetha achar.

Whatever the name,this is one quick achar that is absolutely lip smacking ... if you will forgive me the extra enthusiasm for this.
I had some raw mangoes in the fridge that I had initially bought to make the Aam Panha or Aamer sharbat. 
But then, when I took out one to cut for the Tauker dal, I saw they had already formed firm stones.
The thought of chewing on the stones made me think of achar.

I wanted to make the masala one but realised I had run out of mustard oil.
So made this sweet one .... keeping in mind the coming monsoons and all the parathas that I will be making.
( I did make the masala one too ... will try to make a post later. )

This achar tastes best when made with gur or jagerry.
But is just as good with sugar.
I did not have jagerry too ... so used sugar.

Yes, I do get these urgent "need to make this now!" pushes exactly when the right ingredients are not at hand.
But that does not deter me. 

So here is the quick Amer mishti achar.
Do use tart mangoes. The sweetness of the sugar gives a perfect balance to the sourness.
And the flavours of the roasted paanch phoron takes it to a new high.
I added a good dose of crushed red chillies to make it spicy. Do go easy on it if you cannot handle spice.

Need :


Raw mangoes - 6, medium sized
Sugar - 1 cup
Paanch phoron - 1 tsp of kalonji+fennel+mustard +coriander seeds + ½ tsp methi seeds
Red chilli flakes or powder - 1 tsp (preferable home made )
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp


 How to :

Peel and cut the raw mangoes into small sized cubes.
Spread them on an absorbent kitchen napkin or some paper napkins.

Let them dry for around 2 hours.
Since I live in a dry climate, I just let them sit under a fan and they dry up promptly.
You can also sun them.

Dry roast the paanch phoron in a heavy bottomed karahi or pan.
Cool and grind coarsely.

Heat oil.
Add the mangoes and stir fry, cover and cook till done.

Remove cover and add the sugar.
It will release water.
Let it cook uncovered till all water dries up.

Sprinkle the paanch phoron powder and the red chilli powder and give a good mix.
Remove from heat and cool.

Store in clean, dry, air tight glass bottles.

If you make a big batch and want to store, then do keep them in the fridge ... especially since the monsoons are coming. They will stay well for months.

Is this piece tempting enough?

Enjoy!!


If interested, you can check out my other achars here. 

Aam kasundi or Instant kasundi or Not Kasundi

Who cares?
Why bother when you have this wonderfully pungent, spicy mixture of fresh mangoes and mustard seeds and garlic, redolent with that zing of raw mustard oil, right in front of you?

When you hold your mixie in front of you, just after you have zapped all of the above, bring your nose closer and take a whiff, you are sure to go back home in a second ... numerous memories nudging each other to get a space in your thoughts ... while your eyes will water a little and your nose will tingle a little ... and that will not be only because of memories.

While I have seen Thamma make numerous kinds of achaars back home ( here is a glimpse of those hilarious memories), I have never seen her make kasundi.
Neither have I seen Dida making it, ever.
It is said that making the real, authentic Kasundi takes a lot of dos and don'ts. So not many people ventured into making it other than the older generation of grandmas.
And today, even they have moved away from it. Especially due to availability off the shelves. 

 When I had made this instant kasundi long, long back when I was a new blogger, ... eight years ago to be precise,  I was floored by the taste.
And every year, when new mangoes appeared in the markets, I would first make this kasundi and then move on to other chaatnis or achars. And then, just before the raw mangoes disappeared, I would make a big batch and store it in the fridge for the rainy days ahead.
Yes, literally.
Because this is the perfect accompaniment to all those fried sinful stuff that we associate rainy days with.

But have never made a blog post on this.
Every year, I have the most honest intentions of making one. But that never happened.

So this time I decided I would make a post after all.
Though I know I am 8 years too late.
At the time I made this for the first time, Kasundi was not available anywhere outside of Bengal.
At least I did not get it in Pune.
But today, it is available everywhere ... off the shelves.
But somehow, while I do have a bottle of Kasundi in my fridge always these days, the freshness and tang of this freshly made instant kasundi touches my heart as well as taste buds with a different kind of love.

This post has this instant kasundi mentioned when I made it for the first time, after learning it from another blogger friend. 

I have used less garlic because it can easily overwhelm the flavours of the raw mango as well as the mustard.
Also, I always add the mustard oil only after grinding is done.

Do not skimp on the mustard oil if you plan to store it in the fridge. Better if there is a layer of oil on the top to stop it from spoiling.

This is one of the easiest condiments with the minimum of ingredients.

Need :

Raw mango - 1 medium
Black mustard seeds - 2 tbsp
Yellow mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Garlic cloves - 4 cloves
Green chillies - 2 or 3
Salt - to taste
Mustard oil - around 5 tbsp or more if you are storing

How to :

Run everything in the mixer to make a paste.

Add the mustard oil and give a light mix.

Ready!!

While it is perfect on the side with snacks, my favourite, however is a dollop of this tangy, spicy stuff on plain, warm rice.
Try it.

And this is how I spent this hot, summer afternoon.

And this one is for all those wonderful women, balancing homes and work and children and relatives.
Even if you do have a store bought kasundi in your fridge, do go ahead and make this one day.
You will make a happy you. 

I am sure I made Thamma happy.

Chole Tikki Chaat

 This chaat was made long back ... in fact, now that the year has changed, I can say last year.
Most probably during the monsoons.
I remember it was a gloomy week and had rained incessantly for a few days.
Cold and damp air, no sun and no appetite made us turn to something spicy and hot.
We already were drowning ourselves in big cups of ginger tea. But we needed something to munch on too. Something that is not routine.
And definitely not the daily menu of dal,roti and sabzi.

I remember I had wanted to make samosas.
Have been wanting to make some Punjabi samosas and make a post for a longish while.
But B had been asking for chole tikki for a while too.
Since I make chole at least once a week ... B loves them while I do not ... and hence plan it on the days I have chicken or fish for me, I almost always have some chole either soaking or boiled and stored in the fridge.
That way, I just have to rustle it up with the masalas thrown in and simmered for a good amount of time.

Anyway, to cut a long story short ... and to stop myself from digressing ... I decided to make Chole tikki for dinner one evening.
And took photos on the phone.
Do not let them discourage you. The actual thing is far better than what it looks like.

 This is indeed a fabulous snack that can double up as a meal.
But  it does need some prep work. In fact loads of it.
But that only makes it easy for you to serve it.

Start planning , if not a few, at least a couple of days ahead.

I soak the chana / chole first and then my plans revolve around it.
When and how will we be eating our chole is then decided.
If with rice, then for lunch. If with puris or bhaturas, then for dinner.
And if with aloo ke tikki, then as an early evening snack.
Sometimes for brunch too.

To give a clear idea on the plan ... here is how I go about it.

1. Soak the chana in the morning ... that way I can keep checking on the water level till they are well soaked.
2. Boil the chana the same evening.
Never put the soaked chana in the fridge without boiling ... it will never cook well ...i.e. soften well .... after that.
3. Boil the potatoes ... the same evening or earlier ... and store in the fridge.
4. Make the Tamarind chutney ... the same day or evening or earlier.
( Check this recipe if you have some leftover sugar syrup and want to use it. )

On the day you plan to make Chole tikki ... all you need to do is cook the chana and fry the tikkis.
And serve.
Of course, you can cook the chana earlier too. They soak up the flavours better, sitting in the fridge for a day.

How to :

The Chole -

Soak the chole for at least 6 hours.
Cook it in the pressure cooker with salt. I usually wait for at least 6 to 7 whistles, on low heat.
The cooking time will depend upon the quality of the chole you are using.

Heat cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan or kadahi.
Fry chopped onions + grated ginger + grated garlic or garlic paste  + grated tomatoes.
Add the boiled chole + haldi powder + red chilli powder + chana masala.
Add salt and a pinch of sugar.
Fry well.
Add the water of the boiled chana or plain water, cover and cook for some time.

Lightly mash the chole a little while stirring ... that way they soak up the flavours well.
Cover and let it sit on simmer for some time. Do keep checking for water.


The chutney :
Boil tamarind pulp + jaggery + sonth (ginger powder) + black salt + black pepper powder + red chilli powder + roasted jeera powder , with a little water , till slightly thickish in consistency.

The Aloo tikkis :

Boil potatoes.
Mash with corn flour + salt + a pinch of sugar.
Shape into thick tikkis.
( Get the idea here )

Heat oil on a tawa.
Roll the tikkis on corn flour and fry on low heat till golden brown on both sides, gently pressing them all the while. 

To arrange :


Place some piping hot chole on a plate.
Place two tikkis on it.
Spread a spoonful or two of the tamarind chutney.
Sprinkle some more chola + gravy.
Spread sliced onions, smeared with salt + lemon juice, all over. 
Sprinkle some chopped, fresh coriander leaves and you are good to go.

Serve hot.

Enjoy the burst of flavours in a mouthful ... crisp tikki covering with the soft chole and the sweet, sour and spicy chutney and the crunch of tangy onion slices bringing a riot of flavours together.

Perfect for these cold winter evenings too.
Or what is left of it.

Have fun folks!

Mirchi Ka Achar / Pickled Green Chillies

 I have been noticing in the last few months that the post on Kuler achar / Ber ka achar has been getting the most hits. People from Indonesia to Japan to the UK  to our good ole Kolkata, even Chattisgarh, have landed on the page searching for "how to make kuler achar". I have no idea if the recipe has helped anybody at all ... nobody bothers to leave a line these days ... but that is understandable.
I must confess that I have never been a fan of achar/pickles. And that one post was done one an impulsive,  self congratulatory mode ... the intention more of a record of my achievement than to actually help anybody with the directions of making achar.

As a child, I remember the uthon/courtyard  filled with different kinds of jars and earthen wares filled with numerous kinds of achars, all made by Thamma. I was never interested in them, tart and spicy things that made your mouth burn and made you gulp down glasses of water to return to normalcy.
And since they did not interest me much, the fragrance of those mysterious looking pots would be enough to make me turn back into the house if I ever ventured towards the uthon in the afternoons.

It was a different story altogether for the rest of the brood ... read cousins.
When the huge house went quiet in the afternoons, and Thamma and the rest of the Kakimas had retired to their respective rooms, and the helps would doze off in different corners of the house, the children would quietly get up and tip toe out ... but only after making sure their mothers were in deep sleep.
Very quietly, they would open the door to the dining room and then the one that led out to the uthon .... hushing each other, stiffling giggles and making sure that the squeaks from the door hinges made very,very little noise.
And then, they would raid the achar pots.

Run the mustard and nigella seeds in the mixer

The bhaarar ghor / store room and the kitchen stood adjacent to each other, on the long verandah above the uthon. The whole room smelled of different kind of spices and oils and achars. Numerous things were stored there. Among them were two huge tables that were joined together just to keep the jars of achars. The room was dark and cool. And a good hiding place too.

Didi was the gang leader and gave all the directions. The cousins would break up into pairs and each pair was alloted a day.  One would keep watch while the other raided the bharar ghor, pick up fistfuls of achar from which ever pot was nearest at hand and quietly make an escape. This scheme worked well with all the pairs except for the youngest lot ... the pair of  S and L.
And it was this pair that brought the downfall of the brilliant plan of achar chori.

It was just another weekday and the family had retired for the post lunch siesta. It was a hot, summer afternoon  and there was a quiet all over. S and L went quietly downstairs to do their job, with strict instructions from Didi.
L was younger, so was given the job of the lookout. She was to call out "Meeow", if she happened to see anybody approaching. And by anybody ... all they had expected was one or two house helps.

After S entered the store room  and was going about picking fistfuls of achars, she heard footsteps  outside.
Quickly she ducked under the huge table and went very quiet. Someone came up to the door and stopped. And she heard a muttering ... "The helps are no good ... have left the bhaarar ghor open. What if a cat comes in?"
Jethu!!
Our eldest uncle had not gone to office that day! But as usual, we children were oblivious of  everything. So ... with some more mutterings, Jethu reached out and shut the huge doors of the store room and walked away.

Mix the chillies + masala + salt

S sat trembling under the table, inside the huge, dark room. Filled with numerous things of all shapes and sizes, it was a terrifying place to be all alone. And that too with the burden of guilt.
L, who had scampered away the moment she had heard Jethu, was meanwhile explaining to a furious Didi , who kept on repeating that all she had to do was to meeeeooow! , just how life threatening it was for her to stand by S.The house helps, she could have managed; but Jethu was a different case altogether.

Now came the point of how to rescue S. The store room was not opened in the evenings at all ... unless it was to get rice or coconuts out.
Hence trying to convince the elders to open it was a huge task.
So they decided to convince Thamma to open it.
"But why?"
"Because there is cat inside."
"A cat?! In my bharar ghor?!"
"Yes, Thamma, a big cat. What if it destroys your achar pots?"
"Tobey re ... awww Suro, aan toh jhaata ta!!"

Add some vinegar

The very thought of swiping poor S with the broom was even more distressing to the already upset gang.
But no ... that is the only way Thamma would open the room.
So ... armed with the biggest coconut stick broom, Suro, our house help, stood guard while our four feet high Thamma reached up to open the store room, signalling Suro, to give a big thwack as soon as the cat runs out.

As soon as the door opened, the cousins started to scream of "Don't run, don't run!" ... meaning to save S from a tremendous thwack. But on hearing the screams, Thamma jumps back, the door swings open and Suro keeps on beating the ground with the broom ... thwack, thwack, thwack.
And poor S ... in all the commotion, jumps up and scoots out, banging head on into Thamma.
"Orey chor, chor,chor!!!" ... Thamma screams.

Jethu, who, along with the rest of the family, had reached the uthon, to see what all the noise was about, reaches out and grabs S in one hand and holds her up to see the chor.
Seeing S dangling from Jethu's arm, the cousins break up and scramble away in all directions. 
And Thamma keeps on screaming "Chor,chor,chor!" and Suro, in his attempt to get the cat out,  kept on banging the broom ... thwack!, thwack!, thwack!, ...

Pour in the mustard oil

I don't remember any more achar chori stints after this episode.
But the story has stayed on to bring out the loudest laughter at every family gathering henceforth.


I made this Mirchi ka achar a few months back. A call out on FB and Soma, Sayantani ,and Anjali gave me the links to their versions. I took all their versions and made mine.
 
It is way too easy. Just ensure that you have the spiciest of the chillies ... they lend a beautiful fragrance to the achar.

Set in the sun for a week

Need :

Green chillies - cut into small pieces
Mustard oil - enough to drown the whole lot of chilles
Mustard seeds
Kalonji / Nigella seeds
Hing / Asaefotida
Salt
Vinegar

How to:

Run the mustard seeds and the nigella seends in a mixer ... just a couple of spurts ... and make a coarse powder.
Mix the chillies with this powder, salt and vinegar.
Heat the mustard oil ... the quantity depends on the consistency you want ... I wanted more of the fragrant oil so used a lot.
When it reaches smoking point, remove from heat and add the hing.
Cool.
Pour into the chilli mix.
Let it stand in the sun for around a week.

Done!!

I enjoyed the oil on hot steamed rice. And the achar goes great with any kind of parathas.
Enjoy!!


Some other Achars / Pickles that I have, successfully, tried my hands on  : - 

Aam Ka Achar  

Ber Ka Achar / Kuler Achar

Tel Kopi / Pickled Cauliflower  

Kanji Vada ( not exactly a pickle, but equally tangy and tasty )

Laal shaaker daatar tauk / Amaranth stems in a tangy gravy

"Aww Suro, dey na baba koyeta laal daata tuley ... naatni ta amar aasche aaj." 

 So started the days in my Dadu's house, every time I went there.

Thamma would call out to the helps to pick some good, soft daata or the stems of the Amaranth shrub.

To make the tauk.

Spicy, tangy, sometimes so sour that we would make smacking noises after every mouthful.

And get disapproving glances from her ... of course.

She made the best daatar tauk. 

And she knew I loved it.

The huge uthon or the open area in the centre of Dadu's house had a few of Thamma's favourite plants.

The laal shaak was one of them.

Those who have not seen this plant will have no idea how 

big and sturdy a plant this turns out to be ...

if it gets enough space to grow.

The leaves are used to make this bhaja or the stir fry.

And the stems or small branches are used to make a chorchori, jhaal or the tauk. 

Thamma made a wonderful jhaal out of these too ... 

hope to post that too one day.

Once Suro had picked the proper daatas, he would keep them with the rest of the vegetables

kept selected to be cooked for the day's lunch.

The maid would get instructions to remember to soak some mustard seeds too ...

along with the rest of the masalas like jeera, dry red chillies, turmeric, etc.

to be ground to pastes for the day's menu.

I don't know why I loved this tauk made by Thamma.

Ma had tried making it for me too at home ... nah ...

did not like it.

Even when it was cooked by the Kakimas, I would reject it.

Only Thamma knew how to make the perfect daatar tauk.

And she loved cooking it for me.

 After I left home, I hardly ever got to taste that tauk on my visits or vacations.

Thamma was aging.

On one of my visits I noticed the uthon lying barren.

Except the old Tulsi plant, not a single green to be seen.

The corner where stood a bright, big laal shaak plant was dark; lonely.

I had stood there for a long time ... memories haunting me.

That bright sunlit corner, a proud, red plant standing tall. And wide.

It's red leaves shining with health,

swaying in a light breeze.

And the whole kitchen area around it abuzz with the day's activities ...

Thamma's voice spreading all over like a loving blanket.

Supervising, instructing,getting things done. 

The last time I visited Thamma, she was very ill.

We knew she was going.

She couldn't recognise people. Had given up eating too.

But she recognised me.

With eyes closed, she had called my name.

And complained ... 

"Koto korey tor Maa ke bollam, ektu laal shaaker chara eney ditey ... dilo ni!

Tor jonne daatar tauk ta o korte parlam ni re. "

(She had asked my mom, in futile,  to get some laal shaak saplings ... and was unhappy
she could not make the tauk for me).

Miss you Thamma. 

After Thamma left us, I had given up eating the daatar tauk.

Ma had tried, but I just could not.

She knew each of her grandchildren's favourite dish and cooked them.

For me, it was her daatar tauk.

 I could never forget it ... along with her. 

So kept talking about it to my friends, on FB, often.

And they encouraged me to make it for myself.

Said that Thamma would be happy to see that I'm making it after her.

So I cooked it.

It definitely was not like Thamma's ... but worked like a balm on my soul.

I'm sure Thamma is proud.

Need :

Small stems of the Amaranth - peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

Mustard paste ( not too much ... around 1 tbsp for a cupful of stems )

Whole mustard seeds

Fresh green chillies

A little mustard oil

Turmeric powder

Salt

Sugar

Water

Tamarind pulp
( Thamma used to make this with dried mango pieces that we Bengalis call as Amchur.
Since I do not get it easily, I used the tamarind. )

How to :

Heat a little mustard oil in a wok / kadahi.

Add the mustard seeds. 

When they start to splutter, add the green chillies and the stems.

Stir fry for a while.

Add a little turmeric powder, salt and enough water to cover the stems.
Add the mustard paste.

Cover and cook till the stems are done.

Remove cover and add tamarind pulp and a little sugar.

Stir and let it simmer for a while.

Remove from heat. 

Serve cool.

Tauks ... or sour dishes ... are eaten had at the end of a Bengali meal ... usually lunch. 

So enjoy this after a filling lunch of rice,dal, some bhajas and fish.

I love to eat this at the end with a little plain rice,

with a lot of fresh green chilli mashed in.

Enjoy!!

Check out my simple Laal shaak bhaja too.

Aam ki chutney / Mango chutney

 
It has been one of those days when everything goes right.

Everything goes smoothly ... all errands done, all chores finished, every pending bill paid, 

every encounter positive.

Yes, the latter matters most to me.

After a spate of never ending dark days ... some days it seemed I would never ever be able to get up

 and face the world again 

... some days I had felt I would never be able to see the light of the next day,

a little goodwill and a little cheer handed to me

helps me move ahead.

Helps me realise how precious those few people are ... who stood by me ... from near and afar ...

giving me strength, love and the power to believe

that a better day will come. 

Again.

Which is why every smile that comes my way matters to me.

Every good word said to me takes me to newer heights of happiness.

Every good deed done to me reaffirms my faith in humanity.
Make me want to believe that every person is not like the ones who have come into our lives being friends, and left us all alone;
cheated, defeated and making a joke out of our trust in them.

 I was not like this. Not always. Not ever.

I flew through life ... with achievements and love. Doing good deeds.

Feeling secure. 

But time brings about tests.

Untold surprises. 

Testing our faith, our resilience. Our ability to still  have trust on the higher power.

And those who move ahead, survive.

Which is why today I appreciate every good in life even more than ever.

Because I know ... there is very little good left in the world.

And if a little of that has come your way, you are blessed.

I am blessed. I realise that.

And I know ... life will be a heady mix of the sweet, the bitter, the spice and the tang.

Love it ... and it will love you back.

Which is why, when the salesman at the store today, made a small gesture of
putting us in a different section of the store where only
special billings are done,
saving us the tedious waiting at the long, long billing counters,
I thanked him
and added a  "God bless you." spontaneously.
The smile on his face showed he was touched too.
Yes, I believe in the higher power.
He will give back what he has taken.
He will return every deed done ... to Him and to us.

Spicy, tangy, flavourful life.
 Just like this mango chutney my Ma in law makes. 

Simple, tangy and spicy. 

You'll love the flavours. And since it does not have a lot of masala, you will get that strong flavour of raw mango ... which I'm sure, all of us love.

Just that very fragrance tells us summer is here!

And this is very different from the Bengali Aamer chaatni.

Need : 

Raw mango - cut into thin slices ( I tried grated, but they turn into mush quick)

Whole jeera/cumin seeds

Salt

Hing / asafoetida

Haldi powder / turmeric

Sugar (can be done with jaggery too)

A little oil

Red chilli powder

How  to :

Heat oil. Add the jeera and hing.

Add the mango slices and stir fry on high heat.

Add the haldi powder, salt and sugar.

Cover and cook till the mangoes are done but not mushed up.

Add the red chilli powder and give one more stir.

Remove from heat and cool.

Serve cool, on the side.

Goes great with parathas or pulao.

Enoy!!