Phoolkopi Pakora/Cauliflower Pakora/Deep fried cauliflower fritters – Snack -- go easy who is health conscious

Before the Phoolkopi/cauliflower season could just go…though most of the vegetables can be found all through the year…but the seasonal ones taste good, I decided to make these pakoras for the evening snack.

Mishti Pulao aka Sweet Pulao

For me to make an easy planning for cooking is cook something Easy-to-cook-that-tastes-very-good. If this picture is sketched before everybody in the house even a good dish will make it look like a dish cooked with all the laziness in the world. But my family members have full faith in me. Though they don’t praise me for all the good stuff I take pains to serve, I know in the corner of their heart they relish with hearty content.

What’s the use of beating around the bush and elevate my little self. Today’s delight of my day is Mishti Pulao. A vegetarian dish which can go well with this like some Cholar dal, tomato chutney and cauliflower or cabbage curry cooked in a simple way with no onions and garlic.

Samosas with Aloo (potatoes), Green peas and Fulkopi (Cauliflower) stuffing – Evening Tea-time Snack

Think about the evening snack, the mind boggles, what to serve for the evening becomes the thought of the evening. There are readymade snacks at home, but something made in one’s kitchen is something very DIFFERENT – be it in taste and the love that has mixed with the care and efforts put in.

As there was cauliflower in the fridge, thought of using it for the samosas. And potatoes, a common stock in every household. If you don’t have any veggie, the potatoes can help make a dish – aloo bhate (boiled potatoes mashed) with that dribble of mustard oil and some chopped onion and salt, the aloo bhaja, of course the kurkure ones, I mean the crunchy ones, aloo posto, aloo-r dum, aloo-r chop, and I don’t have to go on. The kitchen master knows how to feed the people at home.

Making samosas at home gives the liberty to eat a good number of them without the thought of having the Gas Problem, that’s a common word you find Bengalis saying, “Gas hoyeche”, which very well means indigestion and that also means to pop in a Gelusil tablet to get rid of the gas.

Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori / Mishmash with Cauliflower Leaf Stalk

Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori 

Going through the photos lying in my album, I found so many pictures - time I sorted and shared them. These pictures of the Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori were clicked long back but never got a chance to be on the BlogSpot.

I sat looking at the pictures and then…

‘Why?’ cries the picture.

My consolation words, “nothing was written about you, so it stands where it is”.

“Didibhai, give me the chance to be shared with others”, say the pictures.

I thought over the words of this Cry-baby. Sitting there it may get into oblivion, so better show-off the texture, colour and the way of preparation using my thoughts and words.

Bengalis don’t like to throw away even the peeled skin of so many vegetables. Aloo-r khosha/potato skin, lau-er khosha/bottle gourd skin, kancha kolar khosha/green banana skin, and so many other peels are chopped and cooked into chorchoris or batas/paste in most Bengali kitchens.

The other day a friend told me, “I was served with the potato peel chorchori at a Bengali friend’s home and it tasted wonderful. If you have the recipe, can you share it with me?” A soft smile crossed my lips and then the sharing and…

We have so much to learn from one another and what the harm in owning up and speak out loud and say, “I’ve learnt this from so and so”. Every day is a learning day, be it in whatever field it may be.

Winter comes and the season brings with it fresh cauliflowers. Phulkopir dalna is a very common dish in my home. So also Aloo Phulkopir bhaja, phulkopir singara/samosa, phulkopir pakora, gobi paratha and…

Some childhood reminiscences: During winter the hens kept in the huge enclosures were fed with phulkopir saag and danta/cauliflower greens. They pecked with their beaks and even fought with their mates for their share. The cows were also given the greens and then they sat chewing the cud. At times the parrots nibbled the leaves, but not to their liking, they loved the Kundrus, that too the red ripe ones. Common pets, the dogs and cats were least bothered about the vegetable. As I write this I wonder how nice my childhood days were. Living in big houses with large Uthuns/open cemented space, and how we played Kumir danga/Land and the crocodile. My sons get this luxury in their Didas and Thammas house. Change has made all the difference.

Time I got out of this natter and do justice to my Cry-baby…phukopi dantar chorchori…or else will not come out of its shell again.

Phulkopi Dathar Chorchori with Rice

For the Kopir danta chorchori:

Separate the greens from the stem and the cut out thin strips from the stalks of about 2 inches long. Wash and keep it aside for that’s the main stuff of this dish -- should be about a medium bowl full.

Other ingredients:

Mustard seeds: 2 tbsp

Potato 1: Cut into mini dices

Pumpkin: about 150 gms cubed

Tomato 1: cubed

Green chilli: 3-4

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp.

Red chilli powder: ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar to balance the taste

Preparation:

Put the pieced stalks, potato, tomato and pumpkin and some water, about 1 cup, and pressure cook it for 2 whistles or till the stalks are soft but with the crunch.

Make a paste of mustard seeds, 2 green chillies, a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric.

Now heat about a tsp. of oil in a wok. Once it is hot add the 2 remaining slit green chillies and give a stir. Soon add the contents from the pressure cooker and stir again to mix well.

Add the turmeric and red chilli powder. Once the boil comes add salt and sugar and let it cook. Add the mustard paste and mix well and cook till the pumpkin and the potatoes give a body to the Chorchori and let the water dry completely. Now it is ready to be served. That’s one of the magic of Phulkopir danta.

© gouriguha 2013