Patishapta

At the University entrance exam in a centre in the erstwhile Calcutta, the two girls on the same seat finished their papers and suddenly smiled in recognition. The addresses on both their admit card envelopes showed an LIC Colony destination. One Jamshedpur, another Durgapur. The bonding was immediate. 

After the results were declared, both these girls landed in BHU, and were thrilled at seeing each other there. Nothing like the comfort of a familiar face in a foreign setup. Aah, the same entrance exam girl, LIC colony! Bijaya Kar, became for me, an example of serendipity. An Economics honours as against my English, we did not share common subjects. That minimizes chances of  closeness, by default. But there was that thread of our parents belonging to the same workforce that never let us move away from radar. 

Bijaya taught me to knit in those days of Roja and Arvind Swamy(AS). I wanted to make a  AS-like pullover for bhaiyu. Hail sisterly love! Same design, different colour. (The handsome hero had worn a maroon in the movie :)) Not only did Bijaya guide me into buying the right pair of kaanta, she wowed me by teaching me that ribbed design. I was super-impressed. At a time when literature and masti-maraoing were the only two things I was interested in, it fascinated me that a young girl could be a master of an intricate art like knitting. And not just a stole, a full-blown pullover, big size! This was something only ma-mashis were capable of, never a uni-student! Bijaya has remained on the pedestal ever since....

Fb helped us reconnect after years of oblivion. A top-brass in a renowned multinational, Bijaya lives amidst peacocks and her home-grown flowers and vegetables. That, in the concrete jungle of urban India, is no mean feat. So when my guru compliments me on the Rosh Boda, you can tell, it means the warmest blanket to me. The smile stayed on my face even while making Patishapta next evening. Patishapta, a traditional Bengali sweet, is a makar sankranti speciality. Keeping the khejur gur flavour of the season alive, join me in savouring it. And this one has to be for my mentor and yours, that one person who taught us an art/a skill that we are ever grateful for, and whom, we may/may not have thanked enough.

We need:
For the Cover:
1. 3 cup maida
2. 2 cup rice flour
3. 1 cup sooji 
4. 1-2 tsp sugar
5. Water- to make into thin batter
For Stuffing:
1. 1 cup khoa
2. 1 cup dessicated coconut
3. Khejur gur - to taste
For Syrup:
1. 1 ltr full cream milk
2. Khejur gur - to taste

We need to:
1. Boil milk & reduce it to half. Take off flame, add khejur gur and leave aside for gur to mix well. Allow cooling. 
  
2. Mix the Cover ingredients well and keep batter aside for 10-15 mins.  
3. Mix the Stuffing contents well so no lumps remain. Divide them into finger-sized cylinders to get the cover-stuff ratio right.(see pic)    

4. Pour a laddle-full of batter into the pan, put the stuffing and roll like a dosa. Do not brown. Patishapta is whitish, doing justice to its contents. 

5. When all the patishaptas are done, pour the thickened milk over them. Serve mildly warm or cold, as desired.   


To be enthu and to be a foodie! No combo that spells delight better ! 
                                                                                                Warmth to you, Bijaya. And, over a decade later, thank you again.                                                                                                                         

Rosh Boda

We ushered in the new year with hope and ma's refrain of this being the first time that there is still no khejur gur at home. There's a thing about ma. She can say the same thing so many times that the laziest of humans has to turn around and take notice. So we did. And we're not the laziest, mind you. We have seen worse in our lifetime!

Come winter and khejur gur, palm jaggery, is a must in every Bong household. You get it in both solid and liquid forms. The liquid, jhola gur, is relished with everything from the humble ruti to the more elevated chitui pithe. The dhela, or the solid, is used in payesh, puli, patishapta and other sankranti delicacies. The sugar jar is relegated to the background for the winter months and khejur gur rules the kitchen. Bomma, my taayi ji, even made tea with the fresh palm juice that the boys in Bhagalpur got from the palm trees!

P was saved the tree-climbing here in NCR. He got both dhela and jhola from Ananya, a Bong outlet in Noida. These guys do everything Bengali from mishti doi to narkol nadu to the Anandolok pujo shonkha, the special durga puja edition of the popular magazine. Little Bangla, another authentic Bong joint in my vicinity, has shut shop and we now depend on Ananya and Mishti Mukh, both farther away in Noida, to cater to our sweet-tooth. 

Last evening finally saw khejur gur at home. Ma has to look for a new lament soon! Rosh Boda, urad dal dumplings in jaggery syrup, was the first sankranti mithai that we made with the gur. Easy to make and delicious to eat, rosh(ras, sweet syrup) boda(vada, lentil dumpling) is an item that can make you dance to the tune of faevicol! Be dabangg and give this a shot. Emanating from a region and spreading its fragrance to the universe, this khejur gur rosh boda will make you feel good about 2013. 

Ingredients:
For Boda(Vada/Dumpling)
1. 1/2 cup Urad dal- soaked overnight
2. 1 tsp saunf - whole/ground
3. 1 tsp pepper powder
4. Salt- to taste
5. 1/2 kadai mustard oil- to deep fry boda
For Rosh(Jaggery Syrup)
1. 1 cup jhola gur
2. 1 cup water 

Method: Boda
1. Grind the soaked urad dal to a smooth paste. Add the other ingredients to the batter and mix well with your hand. 
Variation- I grind the saunf with the dal bcz my family wants the flavour but not the whole aniseed! Normally, it is added to the dal paste, whole. Suit your palate. 
2. Deep fry as roundish balls till slight golden.

Rosh
1. As the bodas are frying, add jhola gur and water and 
bring to boil. Keep the syrup thin.
You can use dhela gur too, if you have the time.
Rosh Boda
Drop the dumplings in the syrup right away, when both are hot. Let them soak for 30 mins before serving. 
                                                                                          







The lightly savoury dumplings makes an amazing combo with the jaggery syrup. The subtle taste of pepper and the unique saunf flavour gives the vadas a distinct oomph. When they soak in the ras for a suitable time, the succulence is out of the world.

A sunny Saturday morning, a good book to read, a bowl full of rosh boda to relish, a mind free of clutter, what else is happiness...

Happy Sankranti, folks! Happy Lohri, Happy Tusu, Happy Bihu, Happy Everything!