Rainy day Khi(n)chudi/Khichdi -- tastes the best

My rainy day mood says:

Brishti pore tapur tupur

Khi(n)chudi dilo daak

Aaye Didi ranna korbi aaye

Tor dibo shaath

In English this will read like this...

It is raining pittar patter

Khi(n)chudi came calling

Come Didi cook the dish

I’ll give you company.

It is raining ‘Pitter Patter’ and not the ‘Cats and Dogs’ type. But the clouds are playing the game of ‘Cat and Mouse’...visible now and then lost somewhere. 

Kumro Saag-er Chorchori/Curried Red Pumpkin Greens – Bengali Dish

It is not every day that kumro saag is available in the market. If the vegetable vendor is asked to get some, he will try and get it for his regular customer. He may take some days to get the saag for this is not commonly sold in the market.

There are some who hate green leafy vegetables. For them this saag specially may mean something very absurd. “Kumro/pumpkin, is ok, but the saag, really strange. God knows how it tastes after being cooked or is it simple waste of time,” that’s what Mrs N was telling her friend when she heard about this recipe. This reminds me of the film Chupke Chupke, where a Botanist is referred to as ‘Ghaas phus ka doctor’.

There’s absolutely nothing to mind when the saying goes, “Aap ruchi khana, par ruchi pehenna”.

This saag was plentily available in our house. The cowshed in the backyard of our house had a thatched roof. So Maa sowed the pumpkin seeds and let the creeper climb and spread all across the hay thatch. When the flowers came, some were fried into tasty Kumro phul bhaja. The pumpkins were let to grow to the size that could then be cut off and cooked. Pumpkins don’t rot and can be remain for days, so it can be cut into long strips as per requirement and used in the kitchen. Of course friends and relatives also got a share of it.

Rosogolla -- Bengali Sweet Dish

While visiting some relatives or close friends, a Bangali will love to carry a small bhand (earthen pot) of rosogollas. This sweet meat is a favourite of many and when someone comes up with some of these, the mouthwatering process starts by just seeing them. 

Rosogollas have the good look – white cheese balls dipped in sugar syrup. Hold one between the thumb and the first and second finger and then -- toop kore mukhe chole jaai  -- it goes into the open mouth, with every bite the cheese ball breaks in the mouth and the sweet syrup adds to its taste. That’s the feel and the taste of Rosogolla.

Rosogolla making at home is no rocket science. It needs some time, some patience, some love and care in the making process and then spread happiness with every bite.

While making some at home I had clicked the pictures so that I could write about this and share the photos.

Tamarind Chutney (Hot, Sweet and Sour) / Imli Chutney aka Te(n)tuler Chutney

The thought of the word tamarind and the sourness brings water to the mouth. Tamarind carries back memories of childhood days. There was a girl in our class who used to bring the tamarind pods to the class. She used to hide and keep them in her bag and how our group waited for the bell to ring for the short break. We – the small kids -- would run out with the tamarind pods and then break open the pods with the help of a stone – hit hit hit and the pod breaks, the sour fruit comes out and then in they go into the mouth. Why was it that the sourness was not felt then but now -- simply can’t do this act again? Age has done its job and the tamarind has got its place in the kitchen to be used for so many dishes.