Herbal curd curry

Ingredients

1. Carrom leaves ( Ajwain leaves)- a few
2. Jeera/ cummin seeds- 1/2 tsp
3. Meethi/Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp
4. Sarso/Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
5. Hing/ asfoetida a pinch
6. Garlic- 5 cloves
7. Sour curd 2 cups
8. Pepper powder -1 tsp
9. Green chillies-1
10. Coconut oil- 2 tbsp
11. Turmeric powder
12. Salt to taste

Methods

• Wash and chop the carrom leaves.

Carrom leaves are herbs. A very good immune booster, and really good for your lungs. It has a very strong flavour. An ideal seasoning agent to replace carrom seeds. Can be added to your daily paratha soups etc.

• Beat the sour curd nicely.keep aside.
• Heat a kadai pour the coconut oil.
• When hot add the chopped carrom leaves fry for a minute remove and keep aside. In the same oil add the mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds, cummin seeds, asfoetida, let the seasoning splutter. Crush the garlic and green chilli. Switch off the flame add the crushed garlic, greenchillies and turmeric powder saute a while. Switch on the flame. Add the beaten curd when the curd start bubbling switch off the flame.
• Do not boil
• Add the pepper powder, fried carrom leaves and salt.

Herbal curd curry is ready to be served. Serve with steamed rice or with hot paratha, or puri.

Pic courtesy : self clicked.

Raw mango chutney

 Ingredients

1. Raw mango-1
2. Green chillies-4
3. Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Fresh grated coconut
6. Curd 1/2 cup

Method

Combine all the ingredients together and grind to a fine paste in a mixer grinder. Remove in a bowl and add curd. 

Chutney is ready to be served.

Pic courtesy:  self clicked.

Spirit

The school corridors and the ground was colorful with the three vibrant colors of our "National flag" Orange White and Green. Children were busy hanging the Tricolor toran  and small tiranga all around the school from the play ground, upto the gate. All were busy decorating the school for the upcoming "Independence day Celebrations"  each and every class was enthusiastic and filled with enthusiasm,  all were busy in their own way, some were practicing songs, poems and some were preparing hoardings and slogans. The school was looking festive. Sounds of teachers asking the importance of the tricolor flag were sprawling out from the classroom of the junior section. What does the tricolor on our flag say" Orange represent ??… Children together in chorus - strength and courage... White represent?? Peace and tranquility.... Green represent?? Prosperity and life. The whole school was gearing up for the Independence day celebration which was to take place after a week. Everyone and everywhere the sound of "Vande Mataram" and Bharat Mata Ki Jai was echoing and the ethos was so strong, that all children were swaying in the spirit of freedom struggle and Rashtriya Prem. Rabindra Sangeet and dance drama were being practiced in one corner of the school and on other part songs like "Chal chal re naujawan" was being practiced. All were filled with the spirits of Bapu, Netaji, ….the aura was unexplainable. In the midst of all these our history teacher as a part of Independence Day Celebration decided to have a film show for us children of class six in school. The film was 'Jagiriti'. The story revolves around two boys and a dedicated teacher. How the teacher transforms a headstrong boy, to a peace loving and caring child, is the story all about. The movie also focused on the strong bond between a teacher and students, friendship, and also the love for one's nation. The movie also has the wonderful song on Mahatma Gandhi " De di hame azadi bina khadag bina dhal...." This movie left a strong impression on me and my love for my country and freedom fighters was strongly ignited in my inner self, which is still flammable. 

School seems to be a wonderful place when celebrations takes place and all this spirit was carried by me to my home too. In my room in front of the mirror I would sometime become Bapu the sweetest and sometimes Netaji the courageous.... " Tum mujhe khoon do mein tumhe azaadi doonga....." Me a twelve year old was all ready to fight the freedom struggle. The spirit of the independence was colouring my whole being. I felt myself to be "Aruna Asaf Ali". In this enthusiastic spirit I decided to enact the freedom fighter rally with my siblings.   I asked them to make a human chain holding on to one after another. I asked them to stand behind me holding on to each other and walk with me shouting the slogan " Inquilab zindabad" the rally would start from the bedroom to the kitchen via drawing room,  corridors, and verandah. I gave paper flags to all and began my rally. " Inquilab zindabad, Inquilab zindabad,"...  All were following me, shouting out the slogan in high spirits.. and my movements, from bedroom to the kitchen and finally to the verandah succeeded three rounds. Now, what happened as I was readying for fourth round my counterparts ( my siblings) slipped away to see a ongoing "Baraat procession" the sudden backward turn of the human chain to watch the "Baraat" pulled me back and Lol!! I was lying flat on the ground hitting my chin and nose badly in a pool of blood. Me a skinny bag of bones at that time collapsed immediately into an unconscious mode which was a regular feature with me then, (the lean one)." Inquilab zindabad" turned into wailing and howling and calling out to Amma. Amma splashed water on me, made me sit and applied sugar ( sugar is said to have the property to coagulate blood) on my cuts, the blood stopped immediately and I was taken to Doctor Banerjee who had to stitch the wound on my inner chin. I was advised rest for at least 15 days. The etched up spirit of freedom, and to be a part of the Independence celebration in school, all got lost in the gripping pain on my chin. The skinny bag of bones was furthermore skinned out with liquid diet as I could not chew or swallow anything due to the stitch and gripping pain.

It's still a scar on my inner chin and make me remember my National spirit and Ethos of freedom.

" VANDEMATRAM"

pic courtesy: Google 

Vandakya Puli/ Okhra in tamrind gravy

Lady Finger

Okhra/Bindi/Vendakai is a wonderful vegetable full of health benefits. It is rich in vitamins and fiber and consumption on a regular basis helps improve immunity. It is a brain booster and good for cholesterol control and diabetes.

Ingredients

1. Okhra- 250 gm

2. Tamarind- a lemon size

3. Coriander seeds- 2 tbs

4. Whole Red chilies- 4

5. Turmeric powder-1 tsp

6. Salt to taste

7. Oil for frying

8. Fresh grated coconut

9. Garlic cloves- 5

10. Mustard seeds-1 tsp

11. Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp

12 curry leaves a few

13. Water- 2 glass

14. Coconut oil for tempering.

 
Method

 Cut the Okhra into long small pieces. (see the image)

 Heat the pan and dry roast coriander seeds and whole red chilies. Keep aside for cooling

Heat oil in a Kadai/ wok. When hot put the Okhra and fry until brown and crisp. Remove from oil and keep aside. Grind together grated fresh coconut 🥥 roasted coriander seeds whole red chillies and garlic to a fine paste. Keep aside.

 Soak the tamarind in one glass of water. Extract the juice by squeezing. keep aside. (see the pic)

 Heat a thick bottomed pan pour the tamarind juice add the fried Okhra, tumeric powder and salt. Simmer for about ten minutes. When cooked add the grounded masala (corainder whole red chillies garlic, and coconut) paste boil for another two minutes. Switch off the flame.

Heat coconut oil in a tempering pan when hot add the mustard seeds, methi seeds and curry leaves. Let the tempering splutter.

Switch off the flame. Pour the tempering on to the curry in the pan. Cover to retain the aroma.

Vendakai Puli is ready to be served with steamed rice.

 Pic courtesy : Google images and self clicked.

Bond and bonding

 

 

Rama Rama Rama Pahimam... the sound of pure bliss coming from the corridors of my traditional home. My Ammamma's chanting. Chanting mantras, shlokas etc., while doing her daily chores was her practice which we kid observed adoringly, her ability to remember each verses of Ramayana was amazing. Her daily routine begins at sharp 4'O' clock in the morning. The first thing which she would be doing is (adupu tekal) that is cleaning and polishing the mud stove with cow dung and mud water. Which not only sanitizes the kitchen but also purifies it. The mud stove would be lit up with chopped woods or fallen dried branches collected from orchards which would be stacked on attics/ tattu of the adukala/ kitchen. She used to  stand on the kitchen platform and would pull out the required woods for lighting up the aduppu. Once lightened water would be kept for boiling for her bath. The next ordeal is milking the cow,🐄 we children would follow her to the (touithu) cowshed. Ammamma would call out to her cow very affectionately, all the cows and calfs kept in the( touithu) have names and respond by mooing accordingly. She would feed the cows first with Kaalitheta/ cow feeds, and the calfs with fresh banana. They licked her hands with affection, an eye-catching sight indeed with the morning breeze cooling down your body and mind. The calfs would now be allowed to drink milk of the mother cow before milking. Ammamma will take out one cow from the cowshed and would tie her up to a tree near by for milking.She would keep a patram/vessel for milk,  and with a slight pat to the cow's (adikku)udder with water she will start milking. All this while Ammamma will be continuing her chanting of mantras and we kids would be observing her with utter silence. This morning scenario was a bliss worth watching absorbing the nature's nector. Sometimes during her milking sessions we would play a prank. The cow would be tied in such a way that the cow 🐄 would be facing the side opposite to  Ammamma; while milking, her hind legs would be tied down and  Ammamma would be sitting under her udder and milking her. Ammamma won't be able to see the one standing in front of the cow. Seeing the cow tied down we naughty and now courageous children would feed the cow with banana🍌 which was  really dangerous, for the cow seeing the feed would start kicking her legs to reach the feed,which might hurt Ammamma too. This sudden dis balance results in the spilling of the milked milk in the vessel, on to the ground, doing the bhumi pujan. We all within a second would vanish out of her sight hiding. The day then turns into a day of lathi charging by Ammas. All the excitement of the morning were out on clouds and our eyes would be doing the sharavarsham(raining tears), with, in between thunder of sobs.

 

Ammamma after her bath would do tulsi pooja. And the daily chores of activities will begun. One of Ammamma's daily activity included churning of curd into butter. This was the most exciting one as we all would crowd around her for the freshly churned butter. During her churning which takes approximately one to two hours she will be telling us stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.This stories of her was once again refreshed to me after a long time, when I read it through AmarChitra Katha books, which I used to buy for my children. After the churning these curd mutkas with the churned butter in them would be hanged high up on Urri to keep away the cats and other pests. These high hanged Urris would be our next target of prank. Oh what a wonderful childhood we had. We were completely bonded by the threshold of nature and were resting in the lap of innocence blissfully.

 

Now coming to my story as I told you, the cows and cowshed or thouithu were an ordeal of every household in Kerela on those days. Where, not only cow for milking were kept, but bulls and 🐂 oxen too were kept for the farming purposes also. There was a thouithu in my Acchama's place too. It so happened that one of Acchama's cow got lost while grazing. After the milking session all the cows are usually taken for grazing to the fields or parambu/open areas of the owner, and they would be grazing till evening and will return back on one call lining up for their evening feed of Kanji vellam. Even if they get lost, that is, they wander away in search of mate for mating and returns themselves safely to the place where they are reared within a day or two. Now my Acchama's cow didn't return even after a week, a complaint was registered in the Panchayat about the loss. After a week, some of the native villagers spotted the cow, with somebody, in an another field and reported it to Acchama. In Acchama's place the cows were taken care by our Valiamma(Bua) and Valiamma had given a particular name to each cow of hers. She went to Panchayat and reported about the latest developments in the case. The person was summoned but inspite of accepting that the cow is not his, he started arguing and claiming the cow to be his.The argument continued and there was no way to prove whose, the cow was. So the Panchayat decided to go and see the cow itself. All villagers, Valiamma and the other man went to the field where the cow was tied down. Seeing the cow, Valiamma recognised immediately,

and called out to her "Sitakutty"..........the cow 🐄 gave a large mooing sound and ran towards Valiamma and started licking her hand. The case solved Valiamma got back her 🐄 cow.

 

The bond was so strong in those days that not only humans but animal too were tied down by sheer love.

 

Blessed and blissful era.

 

 

Begun bhaja/ Brinjal fry

Brinjal Round

Brinjal is an authentic vegetable used in all house hold in every part of India. This is a rich source of Vitamin"C" and helps in controlling blood sugar and heart diseases.

Ingredients

1. Bharta Brinjal- 2 
2. Tumeric powder-1 tsp
3. Red chilli powder-1 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil for deep frying

Method

Cut the Brinjal into two halves first and then into broad pieces. Apply tumeric red chilli powder and salt. See pic below 👇 Keep aside for ten minutes for marination. Heat oil in a kadai/wok, when hot deep fry the marinated brinjal pieces two at a time to retain the crispisiness and also to fry evenly. See pic blow.👇

Fry until brown and crips.


The Brinjal fry/Begun bhaja is ready to be served.

This is an accompaniment of a lunch or dinner menu. This fry can also be called as veg fish fry of vegeterains or veggans.

My mom's easy recipe. And all time favourite of Bengalis and of course mine too a half bong

Pic: self clicked.

Eyewear

Running down the memory lane.......I would like to take you all to some memorable incidents of my childhood, which led me, to my first spectacles. In those days television and music system were a luxury item, and a very few houses used to have a Television. The one who was owning a television was considered richest in that colony. And the children of that house would boast about it and their attitudes too would be of showy prince or princess with pride. All  the near by people will crowd around in that house for watching the TV programmes or movies, which Doordarshan telecasted on weekends. I  a movie addict, too, was a frequent visitor to my neighbours house to watch the weekend movies till we owned a television. The year was 1982 the year of Asian Games and the introduction of colour to the Indian television by Doordarshan. From that year full fledged telecast started and Doordarshan became a National Broadcaster. The colour was introduced for the live telecast of the Opening Ceremony of Asian Games which was being held in Delhi India, and for the upcoming sports events. A real proud moment for India and Indians and the occasion too was a big ordeal. In order to watch the Asian Games,my family too bought a television I was flying high boasting about the television to my friends in school and my neighbours. In order to check the colour telecast, Doordarshan was telecasting its first Hindi film  on television.The film was Geet Gata Chal,which was to be shown at 5.30pm on a Sunday. Our living room had turned into a cinema hall, curtains drawn lights off,  Sofas sidelined and sheets laid for sitting on ground. All our neighbourhood had come over to watch the film. The drawing room was overcrowded. I was feeling high over heels and was sitting right in front of the television.  Me,  a Bollywood freak used to think sitting in front would take me closer to my hero. And since the television was now my own, the feeling of my hero in front of me was more realistic to me. I never used to budge even a little for any one. Oh !oh!  I forgot to tell one thing. This precious television was always kept high on a showcase so that nobody would reach it or touch it. So you see,  me sitting in front will have to protrude my neck long enough /high enough like a giraffe🦒 to watch my hero. The film started with the beautiful title song🎵 Geet gata chal o sati......I and all my viewers were fully engrossed in the movie and were in the peak of enjoyment  when the television started humming khar......khar......khar....khar..khar....... khar...villian was the FAN of our neighbours, staying on second floor, below our flat.They belonged originally to Dhaka so they usually visited during vacations to this house, most of the time their house  used to remain locked without maintenance and this led  to a creaky sound in thier ceiling fans. The khar khar sound of the fan was so strong that it not only gave a splitting sound to your ear, but lines on the TV screen as well. Those days technology wasn't that hi-tech so these problems were there, even if you run your mixie the screen of your television got disturbed. Thus a perfect time slot had to be maintained for your cooking and watching television. The whole excitement of watching the film was lost. "Pura kachumbar ho gaya"  The film couldn't be watched any further. Everyone moved out slowly with a drawn face. All excitement of watching the film drew into anger😠but since fighting and fight with neighbours wasn't our ordeal so had to be calmed down myself 🥶.  The neighbour down stairs never used to stay long, but whenever they came our TV would definitely turn into a dabba.  Me a ardent TV addict used to find out various methods to watch my movie. One such method was sneek peek. There was a building close to ours which was a feet apart. Those days windows of houses were very huge. One was least bothered about privacy etc.Thus I used  to sneek into my neighbours drawing room, from my balcony. And my neighbours too was kind enough to keep their windows open for us to sneak into.  This was my practice every Sunday. For Doordarshan  used to show movies only on Sundays. Now to my story these immense watching of television took a toll on my vision. And at a tender age of 12yrs I owned my spectacles. My beautiful eyes was forever behind the eye wear. Amma was the most shattered.  I was now called as Chasmish,  or chasmulli, by my siblings and teased along by my friends in school.  Till now I am a chasmish but now I feel this chasma is my glamour. And I feel this lifts my personality. I am still a Bollywood freak and love watching films. Thanks to the technology and network which kept my company during this lockdown period and lol!! My mobile phone, which is my best friend now who helps me writing down all these to reach you all.😊

Pic courtesy Google images.