Petpujo and Adda: Festival and Food

Bengali Gota Peyanj e Shada Mutton Korma/ Mutton Korma with whole Onion/ Mutton Korma/ Bangladeshi Mutton korma with shallot

It is 5 in the morning and I am wide awake. My body is still on Kolkata time zone. Not a bad thing actually. I get to have my morning cuppa peacefully before the little one is up and demands every second of my time. Some time I actually like it. A little time to myself. I work almost 24 hours. Yes, you read it correct! 24 hours. Even when I sleep I work as I still breastfeed my little one. Throughout the night I keep checking if her small body is covered properly, if she doesn’t stir for an hour I check if she is breathing alright, I touch her face to see that her log hairs which she refuges to cut are not covering her eyes and then I touch her to feel her body against mine, to smell her body! And then there is the older baby boy to look after who is always out of duvet. This is all while I am sleeping.

I went on a mental health training few months back. There was one section on ‘looking after self’. One exercise to start the section was to list the works/things/activities we have done from waking up till we came inside the training room at 9am. I listed 28 activities or work between 6am to 9am. Let’s not even go in to the work that I do rest of the day. You get the picture I assume about my day.

I work reduced hours on Thursday. I get two hours of free time to myself. I zealously keep that time to me, to spend just the way I want to. I don’t take calls, I don’t go online, I do not meet anyone, I hate R coming back from work early to spend that time with me and I do not pick my dotty early. That is my time to spend just the way I want with myself. And no, I have no guilt feeling about it. I love it. I deserve it. And I am worth it and more!

Is there any one like me? I am sure there are! Would love to know about your’ my time’? What do you do with your ‘ my time’

I am using my morning ‘my time ‘to write this recipe which has been sitting on my hard drive for two months now. Again a recipe from my mother’s kitchen. Very easy to make, takes very few ingredients and I received some amazing review about the recipe from two people who ordered it from me. I will recommend that you give this recipe a change -at least once. And if you are not too inclined to cooking I can always cook for you.

Here is the recipe for Gota Peyanj e Shada Mutton Korma/ Mutton Korma with whole Onion/ Mutton Korma/ Bangladeshi Mutton korma with shallot. I used potato so that my dotty can eat. but it is not actually part of the recipe.

Ingredients:

1kg Mutton

1/2 cup white Onion paste (white onion is used to keep the colour white/creamish of the dish, but you can use red too. Should not change the taste really)

1 and ½ cup thinly sliced white onion

1 tbsp Garlic paste

1 tbsp Ginger paste

15/20 small onion whole (shallots can be used as well)

1/2 cup white oil

1/4 cup sour yoghurt

1/4 cup sweet yoghurt (I used homemade sweet yoghurt. Otherwise use sugar with yoghurt as per your taste)

6/7 cardamom

1 inch long cinnamon

1/2 tsp white pepper powder (use black if that’s what you have at home)

1 tsp rose water (optional)

1/4 cup ghee ( optional. I did not use it but my mother did and she thinks that it make a lot of difference in taste. I worry about my heart hence do not use ghee in my cooking. I am all for good food with less grease, well as much as possible)

1 tbsp lemon juice

4/5 green chilli (I used but my mother recipe doesn’t have chilli)

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Wash the mutton and marinate it with ginger, garlic , salt and lemon juice

2. Keep it aside in fridge for 4/5 hours, if possible over night

3. Heat oil and ghee ( if using) in a heavy bottom pan

4. Fry the sliced onion till they are brown

5. Add the marinated mutton to the fried onion and slow cook till mutton is little tender. Make sure that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. It should not be more that 10/15 mins

6. Add the onion paste and slow cook the mutton. Sprinkle water ( very very little) in case the mutton is sticking at the bottom of the pan

7. Add sour and sweet yoghurt, cinnamon and cardamom and slow cook ( kosha or bhuna process, if you know what I mean by slow cooking)

8. Add little water and cook it till mutton is tender

9. Add rose water ( optional) and green chillies (optional)

10. Skin the white small onions and add to the mutton. Cook till they are tender yet retains shape

11. Serve with white pulao or rice

12. This dish compliments a dinner/lunch where the menu has a spicy item, as this is mild, aromatic and textured.

at 20:34

Poush Sankranti: time for new harvest, kites, Ganga Sagar Snan and Mela, pitha, puli, payesh

English months January–February, that is the months of Poush-Magh-Falgun in Bengali calendar, are the months for celebration of new harvest. Ours being predominantly an agrarian society, harvesting festival is celebrated across Indian. Known by different names in different parts of the coiuntry- Poush Sankranti in Bengal, Makar Sankranti in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka ect, Maghi in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, Lohri in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Uttarayan in Gujarat and Rajasthan, Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu in Assam- with some regional variation, it is celebrated with much fan fare in all most every household. It is also celebrated in Nepal –Maghe Sankranti, Myanmar-Thingyan, Cambodia-Maha Sangkran, Thailand-Songkran- again mainly agrarian economy.

Although the festival has a religious tonality, in the rural areas, where people still depends on agriculture, everybody celebrates the harvesting festival and takes the opportunity to pray to their God: the land and the crop. In West Bengal this day is also marked by Ganga Snan: a dip in the ocean where Ganges drains in to the sea is considered to be of great religious significance. It is believed that taking holi dip during this time of the year cleanses all sins. In other part of the country, the sky will be like a rainbow with kites flying from every rooftop. In Delhi, I remember we used to have bonfire and dance around it while throwing peanuts, popcorn etc into the fire.

Although the festival is a more rural festival, urban household celebrates it too with special emphasis beings food. Hence, it is also known as Pithey Parbon. Both my parents’ household, being agrarian celebrates it in a big way. Although, they have not been farming for ages now, it remains one of the most important festivals along with Noboborsho (Bengali New Year), Lakshmi Puja, Boter Bhat. I do not remember any pujo’s or praying associated with the festival, however my grandmothers, my mother, and all my mashi’s would make pitha and serve it to their God during evening prayers. I like the idea that we are celebrating harvesting festival. With time, we are forgetting our farmers, that our country is essentially an agriculture-based economy, that we have horrible agriculture policies and that every year we have farmers committing suicide. When we are so busy with our life, maybe a festival likes this with all focus on the food and pitha and payesh, we would at least think about the people who are making it all happen.

I am celebrating the day with the hope that I will be able remember my original background that is rooted in the land. I have made Pati Shapta, Malpua, Dudh Puli and Bhapa Pitha for the day. My father is super excited about it. He thinks although it is more about eating now, it still has the power to push people to think about farmers. I believe him.

Here are the recipes for the Pithas that I made:

For Recipe of Pati Sapta Pitha click here

For Recipe of Dudh Puli click here

For Recipe of Malpua click here

For Recipe of Bhapa Pitha Click here

at 00:22

Poush Parbon er Pati shapta: Both sweet and Savory Pati Shapta Pitha for Poush Sankranti

Coconut and Jaggery filled Pati Shapta

Ingredients for Jaggery and coconut filling

1-cup Grated coconut

Jaggery as per taste (you can use sugar too incase you don’t have jaggery)

Ingredients for milk fudge filling

4-litre full cream milk

4/5 Cardamom

Sugar

Milk Fudge Filled Pati Shapta

Ingredients for vegetable filling (for people who cannot take sweet)

6-potatoes thinly sliced

2-onions thinly sliced

Pinch of turmeric

1-green chili

Salt to taste

Ingredients for Pati Shapta

1-cup Rice Flour/flour (I used flour)

4/5 cardamom, crushed

Water or milk to mix (I used water)

Jaggery

1- Tablespoon of Semolina (optional. Does not matter much if you do not give. I did not use today as I did not have it at home)

Method:

Jaggery and Coconut Filling

1. Heat a pan and add jaggery

2. When the jaggery is liquid add the grated coconut and combine well

3. Cook until sticky and dry but moist enough to work with the mixture

The jaggery and Coconut Filling

Milk Fudge Filling

1. Reduce milk on low heat

2. Add cardamom

3. Reduce it until milk have turned thick and dry

4. Add sugar or jaggery and cook little more

5. Dry it until you can work with hands and use as filling in a crepe

Vegetable filling

1. Heat oil

2. Fry onion and potatoes

3. Add salt, chili and turmeric

4. Fry until cooked

You can used any vegetable filling, even chicken filling

For Pati Shapta or Crepe

1. Mix cardamom with flour

2. Add jaggery or sugar

3. Add Semolina ( if using)

4. Add water or milk ( I used water) to make a paste

5. The batter would be little more liquid than pancake batter

Pati Shapta Batter

6. Smear oil on a hot frying pan. I used one end of a green papaya to smear the oil on the pan

Smearing oil on the pan with the help of vegetable end

7. Take a deep spoon of batter and pour it over the pan

8. Make a round using the back of a spoon , this should be evenly distributed

9. Put the stuffing length wise at one end ( leaving little space to fold) of the Pati Shapta

10. Fold the pati Shapta from the end where you have placed the filling and roll it till the other end

Savory Pati Shapta for people to do not take sweet or sugar

11. Serve hot or cold

Lot of people pours thick milk over the pati Shapta. I do not like to eat that way. In fact as per my mother bangal’s do not eat that way. Whatever, I do not like to add more milk over it as it is already really sweet. However, you can pour thick milk or condensed milk over pati Shapta before serving.

For regular update from my blog, please visit my face book page Pet Pujo and Adda and click ‘like’. Also, follow me at my blog. I am featured at Network bloggers. You can also leave your comments here. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Hope to see you again!

at 22:37

Dudh Puli for Poush Sankranti - Puli Pitha (Bengali flour made Sweet. And puli is the name of the sweet) soaked in milk

Ingredients:

1-cup Rice Flour/flour ( I used flour)

1-cup Grated coconut

4-litre full cream milk

Pinch of salt

4/5 Cardamom

Jaggery as per taste (you can use sugar too incase you don’t have jaggery)

Oil to deep fry the pitha

Method:

Filling

1. Heat a pan and add jaggery

2. When the jaggery is liquid add the grated coconut and combine well

3. Cook until sticky and dry but moist enough to work with the mixture

Dough:

1. Take the rice flour/flour. Add salt

2. Add boiling water little bit at a time

3. Knead it

4. The dough should be soft and easy to work with but not sticky

5. Then make small balls of the dough

Making the Pitha Puli (Bangal) or Pithe (Ghoti)

1. Using a roller pin, make flat rounds with the dough

2. Put little bit of the filling in the middle of the round flat dough

3. And fold it and seal it properly. Use little water if need

4. It will look like half moon

5. Heat oil in a pan

6. Deep fry the pitha until golden on both the sides

Making the milk to soak the Puli

1. Boil the milk on low heat to reduce it to half

2. Add cardamom and little jaggery ( or sugar as per taste)

3. Boil until jaggery melts

4. Soak the puli pitha and boil for little more, until the pitha seems soaked. Do not over boil

5. Serve hot or cold

For regular update from my blog, please visit my face book page Pet Pujo and Adda and click ‘like’. Also, follow me at my blog. I am featured at Network bloggers. You can also leave your comments here. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Hope to see you again

at 21:50

Malpua for Poush Sankranti

Ingredient:

1-cup flour

¼-cup coarse Semolina

½- teaspoon Fennel seed (saunff)

½- cup sugar (change the quantity suiting your taste of sweetness. My ones were little too sweet for me but my guests for whom I was making, likes them sweet)

½-cup water /milk ( I used water)

Oil for deep-frying

Method:

1. Soak coarse semolina in little water with sugar and saunff/fennel seeds for 20 mins

2. Add flour. Check the consistency of the batter. It should not be too thick or too loose. You should be able to take a scoop of the batter with spoon and fry them in little fluffy shapes. Adjust water/milk according to the consistency

3. Deep Fry them

4. Soak in sugar syrup if you like. I did not do it.

Note: You can add pineapple, bananas, crushes apple, dates or sultanas with the batter to make various version of the Malpua. For the recipe of Anarosh Malpua (Pineapple Malpua), Please visit Anarosh Malpua

Happy Poush Sankranti, Makar Sankranti, Bhihu and Lohri to all my friends.

at 21:17

Bhapa Pithe for Poush Sankranti

Bhapa Pitha (if you are bangal) or Pithe (if you are ghoti). I am a Bangal so I call them pitha. Bhapa means steamed. Therefore, this is a steamed pitha. This traditional sweet is usually made with rice flour dough filled with coconut and date palm jaggery filling and then steamed. It is served with date palm jaggery syrup. But I did not make it with rice flour as I find it very difficult to work with the rice flour that I get at Tesco, London. So today, I made them with usual flour and they came perfectly fine.

Note: my father does not take sugar. Therefore, we always make an alternative. In this case, as the filling is made of jaggery which is better than sugar (health wise), he might have one or two of the pitha. However, my mother will always make some with filling made of potatoes or chicken or anything salty. You can try doing that. It is actually very nice and almost tastes like momos.

Ingredients:

½-cup Rice Flour/flour

Grated coconut

Boiling water

Pinch of salt

Jaggery as per taste (you can use sugar too incase you don’t have jaggery)

Method:

Filling

1. Heat a pan and add jaggery

2. When the jaggery is liquid add the grated coconut and combine well

3. Cook until sticky and dry but moist enough to work with the mixture

Dough:

1. Take the rice flour/flour

2. Add 1 tablespoon of boiling water at a time

3. Knead it

4. The dough should be soft and easy to work with but not sticky

5. Then make small balls of the dough

Making the Pitha (Bangal) or Pithe (Ghoti)

1. Using a roller pin, make flat rounds with the dough

2. Put little bit of the filling in the middle of the round flat dough

3. And fold it and seal it properly. Use little water if need

4. It will look like half moon

5. Boil water in a steamer or on deep pan

6. If you have steamer then just steam the pitha/e

steaming Pitha

7. If you are using the deep pan of boiling water, place the pithas in a steel bowl and float it in the deep pan of boiling water and cover the pan

8. 10 minute and your bhapa pitha will be ready

Serve it will liquid palm jaggery syrup. In case, you don’t have the jaggery syrup use maple syrup

For regular update from my blog, please visit my face book page Pet Pujo and Adda and click ‘like’. Also, follow me at Blog . I am featured at Network bloggers. You can also leave your comments here. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Hope to see you again!