Pakhi r PakGhar

Pakhi chhilen Amodini Dasgupta r tritiyo konya, ebong tini chhilen amar ma. Bhalo naam Nilima. Amodini Dasgupta r 'sholo ani r chodyo ani' boley shokoley bolto je Pakhi r ranna anek ta onar Ma er moton i. Jiboner jatra poth er onubhuti te Pakhi r Pakghorer jonmo Amodini r Henshel er theke hoy. Kintu Amodini r Henshel periye shey Bangal ranna beriye porey Bharat keno Bishwer anek jaygay bhromon korte. Ekhane ei ranna r kichhu drishyo dekhi. Pakhi jonmey chhilen Chattagram e ( desh, baper bari r-  chhilo Dhaka Bickrampur e).

Chhotobela theke Chattagram er jhal shutki machh, 'pahari gai' er dudh, baNsher konchi diye torkari, gheri, byanger chhata ityadi r ranna dekhe kichhuta onnyo ranna r probhab e poren; jodio barite e shob er ranna shimito chhilo. Para protibeshi, bondhuder barite majhe majhe khaowa te ek adh tuku onnyo dhoroner shwadh mukhe legechhilo olpo boysh theke.
Bangal ranna r ekta boishishto holo mool shwadh ta rekhe, je deshe ja paowa jaay- shey diye ranna kora. Aar ekta boishishttho holo je 'kichhu phelan jaay na jeno'.

1936 e Pakhi elen Kolkata e. Tokhon o dokkhin Kolkata r jongol e churi dakati hoto. 'Dacca' ,'Chittagong', Uttar Kolkata r dalan rasta ghat khub sundar o jhokjhoke chhilo. Khabar dabare koto prachurjyo! Koto rokomer khabar British Empire er kona gulo theke eshe pouNchhay. Kintu  juddher haowa boite shuru korechhe, ebong Burma theke chal er chalan majhe majhe i atka porey jeto. Bengal er chal jeto bideshe.
School college er chhatro chhatrider hoytoh shey shomoy oto ta kheyal hoto na- kintu heere dheere durbhikhyo shuru holo.
'Ma! ektu phyan achhe?! Boro khuday mori, Ma!' dorojaay kangal er korun proshno.
Du belay bhat khaowa ta tao ekta obhyash keu chharte parlen na. Tobey, bhat er poriman ta jeno shokoley komiye dilen.
Rastae rastae durbhikyer khotigrosto manusher lash dekhte dekhte school college e roj jaoa. Porer jiboney Pakhi emon bhabe ranna korten je bhat er phyan o galte hoto na. Kichhu noshto hoto na. Thik joto ta proyojon- thik toto tai ranna hoto.
Prachurjyer din shesh holo. Bishwo juddho arombho holo. Pakhi college e BA pass korey school e chakri shuru korle. Khub sundari . Rasta diye hnete gele, lokjon ghurey takato.
sobondho ashte aarambho korlo- shey aar ki bola r! Biye thik holo.
Juddher blackout ebong air raid siren er modhhye biye holo. Notun bor, Ajit Gupta r sathe Pakhi Bengal er baire prothom jatra korle. Shoja Madras e, Ajit er kormosthol e. South Indian Railways tokhon kar din e company railway chhilo. kichhu bochhor porey Indian Railways er nationalization e Southern Railway r podobi holo.
Ekdom notun dhoroner khabar, moshla, phoron. Bongiyo jibon er jonnye mon utola hoto.
Curry pata shob khabare! ki bikot ta r shwadh! Kintu kichhudin e i obhyosto hoye gelo.
Shudhu ekta mushkil chhilo- Pakhi tawk khabar pochhondo korten an. Tawk jatiyo kichhu khelei jeno gaaye kata diye uthto.Kintu madraji khabarer tawk shadh ta shudhu Ajit pochhondo korten. Pakhi r Pakghorey tawk er praay dekha i hoto na! Ektu experiment korey ei madraji shwadh Pakhi nijer moton korey bante shuru korlen.
'Ol kheyo na, dhorbe gawla'. Bhebe muchki hashi te ol na- dudh kochu r torkari banalen- madraji style e.

Kochu r tokari
Dudh kochu ( Hindi : arbi; Eng: Taro roots)- 1/2 kg.- sheddho korey, chhuley neoa. chooto korey tukro kora.
Shorshe dana- 1 boro chamuch
shukno lonka- 2-3
curry pata- ek chhoto muttho
laban- 1 chhoto chamuch
til er tel ( sada tel dile o cholbe)- 3 - 4 boro chamuch ( non stick pan e kom)

Tel gorom korey, shukno lonka aar shorshe dana r phoron shuru kora howk. Tar modhye dhoa, jol jhara curry pata deoa howk. Shobey jokhon tel chitpit korey uthbe, aNch komiye kochu chhere ditey hobe. Ei dheeme aNchey , kochu chari dikey lalche bhabe bheje nitey hobey.
Lemon ba Lime Rice er sathe poribeshon korle bhalo hoy.

Bechari Pakhi Tamil er ek okkhor o janey na. BNachbar ichha e khub taratari Tamil shikhte holo. Elumicham sadam! Ki odbhut naam- kintu ektu tawk holeo- eta khub pochhonder khabar chhilo- bishesh korey ete Chiney badam thakate- Pakhi r ekta priyo khadyo paowa gelo.

Elumicham sadam ( Lime Rice)
Sada bhat- 2 kouto ( cup er moton andaj)
Hing- 1/2 chhoto chamuch
shorshe dana- 1 chhoto chamuch
Mashkalai r dal- 1 hhoto chamuch- dhoa, jol jhara
Chholar dal- 2 chhoto chamuch- dhoa- jol jhara
Curry Pata- 1 chhora
Chiney badam ( ba cashew badam)- ek muttho
holud gnuro- 1 chhoto chamuch
Pati lebu r rosh- 1/2 peyala ( kom beshi- nijer ichha moton)
laban- ichha moton
sada tel- 2-3 boro chamuch

Tel gorom korey shorshe, shukno  lonka, curry pata, hing, kalai r dal, chhola r dal diye phoron kata howk. Holud gnuro ete diye ektu nara chara kora howk. Pati lebu'r rosh aar laban er modhye dhele- phutiye tola howk. Jei phutey uthbe- aNch nibiye deoa howk.
Bhat er sathe bhalo korey mishiye deoa  howk.
Bas- ebar poribeshon er jonnye toiree.

Jodio mon e shudhu rui katla r swapno bhasto, samudrer machh kheye obhyosto hotey beshi din laglo na.
Shob cheye su shwadu chhilo bagda chingri. Pakhi r ranna r ekta bisheshtotyo chhilo- khub olpo tel. moshla, peyaNj aar roshun er upokoron. Ekbar jodi standard doi chingri r kawtha bhuley jaowa jaay- ek bar ei doi chingri ta rendhe khaben. Khub i shohoj ebong ekkebare alada hwadh. Bideshi o swadeshi otithi gon shokole ei doi chingri khete khub bhalo bashten

Pakhi r Doi Chingri.

Chingri machh- kholosh chharano- peetther nali kete baar kora
ghee ( gawa ghee te shob cheye bhalo- ta na thakle- sada tel)
Lobongo- gota 5-6 ( ba lobonger gnuro)
Lonka gNuro- 1/2- ` chhoto chamuch ( ichha moton)
cheeni - 1 1/2 chhoto chamuch,
laban proyojon moton
sada doi- 1 peyala- phetano

ghee gorom korey lobongo olpo shNatley nitey hobe. Er por lonka gNuro diye ektu nara chara korey, chingri machh ta diye ditey hobe.. ( AaNch jeno dheeme thake). Chingri ektu golapi rong er holey, doi, laban aar chini diye gorom korey nitey hobe.

Mayer Haate ranna

Mayer haate ranna- Mother's Day Tribute

Chorchuri Kochuri
Mocha'r chop
Shamne dekhe pheli
Khai khop khop

Shuktani Aluni
Aar kichhu Beguni
Ekhane chhilo naki?
Ami toh dekhi ni.....

RaNdha chhilo Biriyani
Tar sathe Dalna
Chete pute khaoa holo
Kichhu nai phelna

Phulko Luchi bhora
Dala kori shesh
Ghori dekhe time koro
Thik dui nimesh

Chhoto belae koto je
Khawa niye jwalano
Dudh bhaat khabar shomoy
Druto bege palano

Hostel e giye shob
Aaje baaje food
Kheye kheye shikhechhi
Konta really good

Ma er haater ranna

Chorchuri Kochuri
Mocha'r chop
Shamne dekhe pheli
Khai khop khop

Shuktani Aluni
Aar kichhu Beguni
Ekhane chhilo naki?
Ami toh dekhi ni.....

RaNdha chhilo Biriyani
Tar sathe Dalna
Chete pute khaoa holo
Kichhu nai phelna

Phulko Luchi bhora
Dala kori shesh
Ghori dekhe time koro
Thik dui nimesh

Chhoto belae koto je
Khawa niye jwalano
Dudh bhaat khabar shomoy
Druto bege palano

'Cholo Khai Giya' means 'Let's Go Eat' in the Bangal Dialect

Gourmets and gourmands congregate in kitchens- as close to the food as possible!
In this blog, I would like to post recipes from my kitchen- which have been greatly influenced by my grandmother Amodini Dasgupta's kitchen and and by my mother Nilima Gupta's kitchen. Spurred on by my dear husband Dinu and my sweet son Deven, I have puttered around in the kitchen for many years.
Taking a leaf out of my grandmother's and mother's culinary book- I have striven to ensure that every meal should look like the food was cooked just for that event. Perhaps, that has been necessitated by both Dinu and Deven looking upon left overs with such dismay as to create great guilt ( totally unjustified, of course)  in my heart.
Nevertheless, creating new dishes out of the old, by small sleights of hand, and making inventive uses of whatever is available have been the forte of Bengali kitchens for aeons.
The frugal kitchen spurns nothing; making use of all parts of anything edible.
I seek to tie up all these thoughts together with newer recipes acquired by travel and experiments.
'Cholo Khai Giya' without wasting a moment further!