Khichudi - the ultimate rain food for the Bengalis

It's 12 o' clock in the night here and I am witnessing the first rains of the season. The sky from my window is blanketed with blinding sheets of silver rains and as they kiss the austere road, I can see the water gushing in wild stream cleansing the city. I decide to shut the window as it gets translucent on my freshly splattered face.

This is the ideal weather to eat Khichudi/ khichuri/ khichdi - a very special Bengali comfort food with rice, lentils (dal), spices, clarified butter, seasonal vegetables and a whole lot of experimental culinary stuffs. Khichudi is be best relished with aachar (pickle), fried fish, fried papad (papar bhaja) and fish-aubergine-potato fritters (beguni, aloo bhaja).

Khichudi is simply rice and pulse porridge cooked in mustard oil (the ultimate Bengali seasoning base) together with turmeric powder and a generous amount of exquisite Bengali spices (cumin seeds, bay leaf, panch phoron, whole red chili etc.) and clarified butter (ghee).

Although there has been a gastronomical frenzy of complimenting Hilsa fish fry (ilish mach bhaja) with khichudi, I love it with egg omelets. My mother's special egg omelet (dim bhaja) is just lip smacking. Mom has her very special touch that goes into the preparation of omelet. She adds lots of chopped onion julienne and fresh green chilies and let me tell you, it can never go wrong! Padadam or papad ( papar bhaja) deep fried in oil is another fritter that goes well with khichudi. Even though I hardly take papad these days, today is one such days when I do not mind letting go of the regime.

Khichudi, for most Bengalis, goes best with ilish machh bhaja (Hilsa fish fry) and beguni (aubergine fritters). This is probably the simplest of recipes and a delectable combo meal that the Bengalis can die for on any rainy day.

Machh bhaja (fish fry) is fish blocks fried in mustard oil and beguni is aubergine dipped in a batter of besan (pulse flour) and fried deep in mustard oil.

I have always loved khichudi. It has been a hit with my family as well. Coming to my family, my brother-in-law has his way with khichudi and he is brilliant every time. He adds cauliflower, green peas, potatoes, carrots and many other seasonal vegetables that add to delectable variety to the khichudi clan.

We eat Khichudi with spoonfuls of ghee and fresh green chilies and fresh lemons and of course we eat it together sprinkled with lovely family chit chats. Khichudi is the ultimate comfort food and I do not need any occasion to eat it. It's healthy, sumptuous and a complete food that we Bengalis eat during festivals, on special occasions, during monsoons and on normal days. Besides, khichudi has special fervor for me since it brings back fond memories.

Image - youtube, fishncurry, journospeak and MouD

 

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Sweet bengali pulao (polao) with cashews, raisins, nutmeg, garam masala

Sweet bengali pulao (polao) with cashews, raisins, nutmeg, garam masala

Bengali pulao (polao) is different from fried rice. It is not like biriyani or chinese fried rice, it is typically bengali with cardamom, cinnamon, clove (garam masala) flavor and a devotional fervour. This, I say, because polao is prepared mostly during festivals, pujas and special occasions.

Bengali pulao originally is brilliantly virgin colored. However, you can get tints of yellow orange by adding saffron in it. Preparation time is less and the method is one of the easiest. You will need, govinda bhog rice (small grained flavored Indian rice), ghee (clarified butter), garam masala (cardamon, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg etc), cashews, raisins, little milk (or kheer), sugar and saffron (optional).

Add few small green cardamons, cinnamon sticks and cloves to generous scoops of ghee in a non-stick container with a lid. Watch for golden brown color. Add cashews and fresh raisins to it. Add the washed and milk soaked rice grains and stir in light hands. Stirring continuously, add a little salt and sugar. Add warm water (double the quantity of the rice) and close the lid. Simmer in low fire till the water is gone and you get to smell a sweet cardamon flavor of the beautifully done pulao.

Bengali pulao is best enjoyed with aloo dam ( potato in Indian spices and gravy) or mutton kosha (spicy red meat gravy). The fact that it is sweetish and rich in calorie has reduced its popularity but that doesn't stop it from being one of the most delectable food among the Bengalis worldwide.

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Image: mix-curry

 

In memoriam: Rituparno Ghosh

You are what you are.The demise of the director, actor, activist and one of the most creative people in recent times, Rituparno Ghosh, is not just another death. His death is the death of creativity, death of impeccable insightful peek into human psyche and death of poetry in prose.

Rituparno's life did not read like a poetry though. There was no rhetoric behind his conspicuous film and fashion statements. With all that pricks hard and deep, he finally got to live his life in his own terms. He may have critics that were more interested in his personal orientation than in his works, there may have been people who would look at him with aghast, there may have those who would demean him as manipulative, fame hungry, cross-dresser. But, at the same time, there also have been people who would continue to shed tears, stay still and stay speechless, with a dominating sense of deja vu and overwhelming awe after watching the new wave films. These are the same people who did not falter being critical every now and then.

"Chitrangada", the last film of Rituparno Ghosh, is essentially an befitting answer to all the askance. The other side? It has been an inspiration to many who share similar sexual orientation. He truly has lived his life like he has always wished to. However less a time, he has gotten to live his live in his own terms -  celebrating his sexuality with conviction, finally. This should be the only gratifying thing. How else, can we live without being part of his cinematic frames? One film per year - enough impetus for the whole year. Now, only shuffling through the ever new old films. Rituparno Ghosh we are never going to stop missing you.

RIP Rituparno Ghosh

Read the film review of Chitrangada here. 

Read more article about Rituparno Ghosh here.

Of fun, food, festive flamboyance and oranges

The end of festive season is marked by the fantastically poignant Bhai Phonta (Bhai Dooj), the brother’s well being ceremony and some not so happy countenances. The white cotton clear culuminbinous clouds calling in the Mahalaya is followed by the 6 day long Durga Puja, the 9 day long Navratti, Dussehra – the 10^th day, the immersion of Durga idol, the Laxmi Puja etc., and a wait of 364 days, a full cycle of life

Sooner than we plunge into the hollowness, left by the immersion of festive fervor, we usher in the festival of lights, hope and dream. Diwali and Kali Puja have a delightful charm that’s hard to beat. Two days of fun, frolic, food and rollick pass just like that and we finally reach the last leg of the festive flamboyance. Bhai Phonta or Bhai Dooj is celebrated for the well being of the brothers. It’s not just a ritual but a beautiful emotional belonging that the brothers and sisters cherish lifelong. 

 The passing of the Kali Puja brings in a much saddening sweet tone and with the eternal sibling love we come to the end of the Autumn bonanza. There is already a nip in the air and as I unpack the shrugs and the jackets, a typical dry fragrance reminds me of golden yellow sun, cold creams and oranges. Winter has just arrived.

In pursuit of congenial patient care and justifiable returns

The lady, frail and petite, was admitted amidst a lot of twists and turns. She was heavily investigated and diagnosed normal a few months ago. She wasn’t symptom free though. She was having shortness of breath all the while. The company, her son works with, sent the patient to our hospital – supposed to be one of the best in the town. So, there she was getting admitted in the hospital for coronary angiogram followed by double valve replacement.

The lady belonged to a remote village, and looking at her you would know how she was not familiar with the urbanity.  She was scared to death as she was wheeled to the ward. She cried out her lungs when the nurse made IV lines, she tore the hospital suit when she was asked to wear it. She was indescribably paranoid by the syringes, injections, pills and the white dresses. The son requested me to spend some time with her before the OT. So, I managed to take out time to be with her. She looked horridly paranoid. Her face was a question mark. She was pale, white and the petite figure diminished to an immovable body of flesh. However, as we talked she gradually got better. She folded and lifted her hands and asked for forgiveness for her behavior. A lumb in my throat restricted my vocal chord. I got emotional.

The next day was the D-day and as the lady was taken to the OT, she looked apparently composed. I came down to my office to catch up with the backlog. A while later I was surprised to meet the sister-in-charge in the out patient dept. She was supposed to be in the OT!  She walked up to me and told me that she came down to get herself the tetanus injection!

The lady got so fearful looking at the equipments around that she bit the sister! The patient was ridiculed and being laughed at. Later, I went to see the lady once before leaving for the day. She, with tears in her eyes held her hands up, gesturing apologies and asking for forgiveness. I returned home with a numbed heart.

This is not a singular incident. I completely empathize with the ordeal the lady went through. As a matter of fact, the hospital care we are rendering today is something we should not at all be proud of. Everyday we meet various people coming to the hospital for medical aid. They are sick, distressed, depressed and fearful. They are worried of the treatment, care, expenses and hospitality that they would receive. They are not sure if they would get the proper and desirable treatment, they are not sure if they would be ‘looted’ by the hospital, they do not know if they would be guided properly and rightly. The hospitals should not intimidate the patients but aim at all round congenial care-giving services.  In an endeavor to generate maximum revenues, hospitals should not be cruelly commercial and just an instrument of money making. The objective should be to render ‘happy and congenial’ health care to the patients through an organized infrastructure that justifies the returns. .

Just Rasmalai today!

Please revisit for the 4 step recipe.

Rituparno Ghosh's ‘Chitrangada’ is a wish to choose your own life

‘Chitrangada’ is a story of a ‘crowning wish’. That’s how the director perceives and films the script. One of the finest film makers of the decade, National award winner film maker Rituparno Ghosh, who has given Bengal film industry a boost after Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, plunges into another façade of same sex relationship. With an edgy subject like this, the director could run into the risk of being obscene. However, he does it in style and with finesse. We have seen the director shaped into a fine actor with ‘Arekti Premer Golpo” and "Memories in March". You have to pick the thread from there and prepare yourself for the watch. Else ‘Chitrangada’ might become a challenging watch.  The subject is bold and intrepid and who else could have dealt with it than the like of Rituparno! The theme depicts individual’s wish and right to choose his own gender - a theme that would have many eye balls rolling. Initially, you will be little taken aback, especially,  if you have not watched the actor in ‘Arekti Premer Golpo'. You have to be also acquainted with the recent sociological orientation of the director turned actor. Over the years, Rituparno has metamorphosed into someone that he had wished to be. He has the conviction and integrity to speak and do his mind - something, which, chimes through the film.

The film starts with the staging of Rabindranath Thakur’s Chitrangada. Chitrangada being the only child of the King of Manipura dresses like a man and is heir to the throne. She sees Arjun in action and falls in love with him. Knowing Arjun will not love her in this form and he thinks her to be a man(Kurupa), she receives a boon from Madan Dev, Hindu god of love, and transforms herself into a beautiful feminine woman, Surupa. Arjun does fall in love with her and the two gets married.

The protagonist’s story runs parallel. Laced with interludes and preludes and series of dilemmas Rudra wishes to undergo sex change operation to adopt a child which he couldn’t have otherwise with a lover of the same gender. The gender change decision was not an easy one and it had to be done technically to satisfy the lover who is strongly inclined to have children. Rudra goes through emotional queries from parents and lot of physical pains and eventually agrees to undergo the process. But by the time Rudra metamorphoses through more than half of the procedure, the lover leaves him for a ' non-cosmetic, non-plastic' girl. Rudra, betrayed and pained, wanted time before the final leg of the operation. The illusionary counselor, in the end, helps him choose what he actually wants, and Rudra aborts the final operation of sex change. He takes off the implants, chooses to stay a man and goes back to his newly draped home to an ever loving mother and an anguished father who expresses himself much later but what a way!

The film is touching with moments that would stay with you. If and when you come with terms with the theme of same sex relationship, you will understand how sensitively challenging it was for the director to choose a tabooed script like ‘Chitrangada’. Rudra, the lover, the girl from the theatre group, the parents and the illusionary role of the counselor are all well thought of and well presented. Having said that, the film has technical flaws which can be overlooked f you are a Rituparno Ghosh admirer. The film may not have the class of Rituparno’s earlier films like Utsab, Badiwali, Doshor, Raincoat, Abohoman, Unishe April, Titli etc., but it touches out hearts for the subtle treatment of the daring theme that might have gotten all over the places if not have taken care of well.  The film is filled with beautiful shots. I loved every time the father, the mother and the son come into the frame. I loved the equation between the father and the son; I liked the part where Rudra gets jealous when his drug addict lover flirts with a wannabe photographer. The humorous interpretation of how Madan Dev is perceived as modern age cosmetic surgeon is quirky. I liked how the angst of a father eventually expressed in a never seen before love.

Dipankar Dey and Anushuta Majumder were natural and excellent. Jishu Sengupta plays the vagabond, drug addict lover with a never seen ease. Anjan Dutta stringed the film sequences into a beautiful garland. It seemed as if Rituparno as Rudra was just playing himself. I didn't find anything different and outstanding about the music. In bits the instruments were used nicely though. 'Chitrangada" is a story of life of a different kind of protagonist – a protagonist who is a man with womanish mannerisms, who truly loves a bisexual man. Looking beyond the gender bias, ‘Chitrangada’ is a story of hope, love, wish, wish fulfillment, heart breaks, pains, miseries, love lost, and a wish to chose your gender. ‘Chitrangada’ is a story of a crowning wish – wish to choose and tell your own story.