I think Chennai is not situated in Tamil Nadu, not even in Earth. It has just changed its address in planet Mercury and all the Tamil people live here, wear monkey-cap, set fire and sit in front of it to make them comfortable when it is 35 degree centigrade outside after a 30 minute rain. Today its going to be 42 degree centigrade according to weather forecast. I can't look outside anymore. In my room there is another pathetic situation. AC is not working due to fuse problem from last 15 days and the house owner is another lazy masterpiece to call an electrician. Everyday we go to sleep after 3 PM at night when the eyelids deny to open, at least two times we change our sleeping position due to sweat and take minimum 5-7 baths daily. Our daily routine became disrupted. I fear to go to kitchen. Last few days I was only able to cook rice and boiled potato. Maximum times we are taking food from hotels and stopped to take breakfast and evening tiffin.
The day before yesterday we went to Spencer mall to spend 2-3 hours in an air-conditioned area and bought Pabda fish with some household things. Pabda or Pabo catfish is a native Bengali fish of Siluridae family are usually found in lakes and large rivers. I usually use mustard paste to cook Pabda but personally I like to avoid mustard paste though my mother(IL) loves to use it in any type of fish curry. She can't trust that ginger-cumin paste also can work well. Whenever we go Kolkata, I have to take that typical fish curry in most of the times. So here when I cook for him, I use all the opportunities to make Sam a guinea-pig. But today I remember I have some "bori" in my stock. You know what bori is? Of course you know if you are a Bengali. It is sun-dried gram-paste dumpling. Different kinds of grams like lentil (masoor) or urad (biuli) are used to prepare this. My mother prepares many types of bori like Masala Bori, Hinger Bori, Chal kumror (White pumpkin) Bori, Posto (Kasakasa/ poppy, whatever you say) Bori, Masoor daler bori, Emni bori (using normal biuli paste) etc. still now in winter season when the sun is bright and days are dry. My father helps her. After dried up a part of these bori goes to Mamar bari (mother's maiden home), Masir bari (My Aunt's house), mother's gaaner didibhai er bari (mother's song teacher) and Itu kakimar bari (mother's best friend). After marriage I also get a large amount, which is enough for my one-year-stock. I can remember my grandmother's activity (now she is not active :-P), she used to give marriage of two "bori"s (one of them decorated with sindoor, another with dhaan-durba) and addressed them as "Buro-Buri" (old man and old woman) and later immersed them.
Whatever, today I prepared Pabda with bori. For this recipe you will need,
- Pabda Fish- 4, cut into half i.e. 8 pieces
- Potato- 2, sliced
- Kalojeera/ Kolanji- 1/2 tsp
- Tomato- 1, sliced
- Green chili- 5, sliced
- Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
- Red Chili powder- 1/2 tsp
- Ginger paste/powder- 1/2 tsp
- Cumin powder- 1tsp
- Salt- to taste
- Sugar- 1/2 tsp
- Mustard oil
- Bori- 10/15 pieces
Add oil in a pan, fry the boris and keep separate.
Fry the fishes and also keep aside.
Now add the Kalojira in that same oil, let them splutter. Add potato and tomato and fry.
Add green chilis, fry again.
If the potatoes became light brown colored and tomato is smashed add Turmeric powder, Ginger powder, cumin powder and sugar one by one and don't stop to saute. You may add little water here.
If the masala is done, add 3/4 glass of water.
Add boris, fishes, red chili powder and salt if the water is boiling. Now cover it, cook for 12-15 minutes in a low temperature.
I know it is very easy and simple recipe, you may not find it interesting, yes I know it well. Even Sam started to laugh when saw me writing here. Grrrrrrr.... Then what's the reason behind? I wanted to post my cooking snaps here.
Joking. See, when I knew nothing about cooking, even my talent was not more than boiling potato or preparing Maggie, and after marriage I had to stay far from families; I had to go through different blogs and pages. Of course my mother and mother(IL) and sometimes mom [my mumi, mama's wife, aunt (enough translation!!!)] helped me through phone, and I wrote them down. But my foodie tongue (muuah, just like me) was not satisfied with only those restricted menus and then Google became the final hope. I have read many blogs on cooking and thought to create one for me. Frankly speaking, I enjoy to talk here. No matter, whatever is the issue. May be someday I'll find another person like me who'll open my blog for simple rice preparation method. Hope to meet you soon. Tata....
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