Gur Batashe wali Kheer

The festive season is here in the country and we Indians do not miss a reason to celebrate every occasion with food and of course dessert is a must. When it comes to the Indian dessert, what's the first recipe that comes to one's mind, can you make a guess?? Yes, of course, it is Kheer. Kheer is prepared in every household on each and every occasion, be it the birthdays, or any other festivals. Well! undoubtedly, Kheer is the most loved dessert in my house, especially when it comes to any of us birthday, mom starts the preparation before the evening and she makes sure that the table is well decorated with a bowl of Kheer and a cake on the other side.

Kheer is a rich, creamy, slow-cooked, elaichi flavored delicacy and it is the most important dessert of any festival in India. The ingredients are few and the directions are very simple, but there’s something magical that is wonderfully cooked and it tastes marvelous. Traditionally Kheer is made up of raw rice which is cooked in boiling milk, quite very similar to rice payasam that is a South Indian dessert. However, with so much westernization, Indian desserts have somewhere lost their importance like they used to have when I was a kid. It is fancy and easy to get a cake rather than making kheer on special occasions nowadays. Nevertheless, even then there isn't a kitchen where Kheer is not prepared in our country even today.

On this post, I present to you Kheer in a Bengali traditional method of cooking, where Kheer is known as Payesh. Bengalis use a special kind of rice called Gobindobhog rice which is an origin of West Bengal. Gobindobhog Chal is specially used to prepare Payesh and Khichuri in the Bengali cuisine. Govindobhog is very short rice, very aromatic and one of the most essential staple grain in a Bengali household. In today's Kheer recipe, I've also used two other important ingredients which are basically found perhaps only in Bengal, they are Batasha, a kind of a sweetmeat and 'Khejur Gur' a type of Jaggery made up of date palm. Therefore, the name of the dish given to it is 'Gur Batashe wali Kheer', the recipe is instructed in a very simple method. Find the full recipe with pictures and instructions below:

Tips: Adjust the sweetness according to your taste. The measurement of the ingredients mentioned below may vary depending upon the sweetness of the product. You can skip either of the sweetened ingredients as per your taste buds.

Gobindobhog Rice

[Veg]

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Recipe Type: Sweet dish

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian/Bengali

Serves: 4

Measuring Items: 1 cup=150 ml

Ingredients:

1. Gobindabhog rice- 2 cups
2. Khejurer Gur- 200 grams (or according to the sweetness)
3. Batasha- 15 to 20
4. Cashew nuts- 1 cup
5. Almonds & Raisins- 1 cup
6. Milk- 2 litres
7. Cardamom (elaichi)- 6
8. Sugar- 1 cup (adjusting the sweetness)

Gur Batasha Kaju

Method:

How to prepare ‘Gur Batashe wali Kheer’ with step by step pictures and instructions-

1. Soak Gobindabhog rice in water for a minimum time of 10 minutes.
   
2. Soak almonds and raisins in water for 5 minutes.
   
3. Take a large cooking vessel, boil milk, consecutively add gobindobhog rice.
   
4. Now crush a few cardamom seeds and add to the boiling vessel.
   
5. Stir occasionally, and cook for 10 minutes without the lid.
   
6. Add sugar after rice is half cooked and mix well.
   
7. Now break the jaggery and batasha into small pieces, add into the vessel and keep stirring.
   
8. Cook until jaggery melts completely, say for another 5 minutes and it's done.
9. Finally, switch off the flame, add raisins, finely chopped cashews, and almonds.

Gur Batashe wali Kheer is a wonderful way to treat your family for any occasion, it is an easy dessert for all the happy times. The sweet, white, sticky Gobindobhog rice gives an aromatic buttery flavor to the dessert. There are other sweet dishes on the blog which you may like Suji ka Halwa , Sukha Malpua , Doodh Lau . Prepare these simple desserts for the festivals around the corner and tell me how you liked it. Till then enjoy cooking, serving and eating!!

Paromita Pramanick ©2018. All Rights Reserved.

Spicy Pepper Chicken

Sunday is the day when I usually look for a delicious chicken curry. And I don't miss on trying my hand in experimenting with a new recipe from the traditional ones. No doubt we have so many common chicken recipes cooked in our day to day life. But today I am going to share a recipe that has become almost the very favorable of chicken recipes in my home. The most widely prepared 'Pepper Chicken' is a popular recipe known by many of us. So today my recipe will be a fusion version from the original 'Pepper Chicken' recipe.

I've kept pepper, onion and of course chicken as the key ingredient for this recipe with other basic spices that’s necessarily been added to most of the chicken recipes. The recipe is presented in a very simple and easy to prepare method. I've added a wholesome amount of green chilies along with some freshly ground pepper and as it indicates the taste is definitely hot and spicy, therefore I named the dish as, 'Spicy Pepper Chicken'.

Spicy pepper chicken is quite similar to the types of chicken recipes that we normally prepare, however, there is an addition of mustard oil which gives a completely different and juicy flavour to the dish. No doubt 'Spicy Pepper Chicken' is very spicy as compared to the other chicken recipes because of the addition of Pepper and green chilies, and it also has the pungent smell of the mustard oil.

Hence, Spicy Pepper Chicken will be of a great choice for a Sunday meal, as the preparation is very easy and gives ample time for the other activities and to take rest for the day. There are other chicken recipes on this blog which you may like Chicken Curry ; Lemony Chicken ; Fried Chicken  ; Mangsher Jhol  . Prepare these simple recipes for a delicious weekend treat. The recipe instructions with pictures for 'Spicy Pepper Chicken' are shared below:

Tips: You can skip the addition of green chilies if you prefer less spiciness in the dish. Marinade the chicken pieces for at least an hour or even lesser would do in room temperature.

[Non-Veg]

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Type: Gravy

Course: Side

Cuisine: Indian/Fusion

Serves: 4

Measuring Items: 1 cup=150 ml, Teaspoon

Ingredients:

1. Chicken- 500 grams
2. Tomato- 6
3. Onion- 6
4. Green chili- 8
5. Ginger- an inch
6. Garlic- 10 cloves

Spices:

1. Freshly ground pepper powder- 2 Tsp
2. Turmeric powder- 1 Tsp
3. Red Mirchi powder- 1 Tsp
4. Salt- as per taste
5. Mustard oil- 1 cup

Method:

How to prepare ‘Spicy Pepper Chicken’ with step by step pictures and instructions-

1. Marinade the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, red Mirchi powder, freshly ground pepper, half a cup of mustard oil and salt.
   
2. Chop the required vegetables.
   
3. Heat oil in a cooking vessel, fry the sliced onions until they turn golden brown.
   
4. Now add ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2 minutes.
   
5. Add chopped tomatoes, slitted green chilies, turmeric powder, red Mirchi powder, and salt.
   
6. Fry until oil leaves by the side in the vessel.
   
7. Now put the marinated chicken pieces and mix well.
   
8. Pour in 2 cups of water, cover the vessel with a lid and cook until chicken turns soft.
   
9. Stir occasionally, cover the lid until chicken is cooked well.
   

Tadaa!! Simple hot and spicy Pepper Chicken is ready to be served for a scrumptious Sunday meal. Make your weekend the delicious way to treat your family by preparing this simple, hot and spicy Pepper Chicken. Give it a try and tell me how you liked it. I’m sure people of all ages who love chicken would love Spicy Pepper Chicken too, as it is so very perfect and juicy to combine with a bowl of hot steamed rice, fried rice or butter naan. So enjoy cooking, serving and eating!!

Paromita Pramanick ©2018. All Rights Reserved.

The Fish and the Wish

One day Raju, a fisherman, caught a big fish. He was thrilled. He could sell the big fish for a lot of money. His wife would be very happy. But he had a surprise. He heard a voice crying out "Wait!"

It was the voice of the fish, who said "I am a prince. My real name is Frederick. I wanted to marry Anna, the beautiful princess of Wonderland. But her father, King Cole, was very angry. He changed me into a fish by magic."

Raju was amazed. He had never seen a talking fish before. He wondered what the fish wanted him to do.

The fish begged Raju asking "Please don't kill me, if I live for another year, an angel would turn me back to a prince."

Raju said, "I am a poor fisherman. I can sell you for a lot of money."

The fish promised, "If you don't kill me, I will grant you a wish. I have magical powers."

Raju replied, "My wife is a clever woman. I will ask her what she wants."

The fish said, "Okay, Come back by evening. I will wait."

The fisherman returned to the river in the evening. The fish asked him, "What is your wife's wish?"

Raju answered, "She wants to live in a cottage."

The fish promised, "Okay! It will be done."

When Raju returned home that evening he saw that his hut had disappeared and in its place stood a lovely cottage. He was very happy but his wife was not!

The fisherman's wife said, "Just a cottage? And you spared his life. He should give you another wish. Go! Ask him to give us a palace."

Raju went back to the river the next day. He called out to the fish, "Oh, Prince Freddy! Could you please grant me another wish?"

The fish asked, "Don't you like your cottage, fisherman?"

The fisherman answered, "I do, but my wife is unhappy. She wants to live in a palace now."

The fish replied, "Okay, It will be done."

Raju went back to his home and was astonished to see there standing a beautiful marble palace instead of where the cottage had been. His wife was now the queen!

His wife called him, "Come here, Go and ask for another wish. I want to have power over the sun and the moon. Go on."

Raju yet again went back to the riverside and pleaded, "Prince Freddy, could you kindly grant me one last wish?"

The fish asked, "What does your wife want now?"

Raju told the fish what his wife was wishing further. On hearing the wish, the fish was enraged and replied, "So your wife wants to rule the world, does she? For that, she must live in her hut again," The fish said this and swam away.

Raju went back home and disappointed to see his misfortune. Alas! The palace had disappeared and in its place stood back his old, small hut. His wife cried for a whole week and she kept on thinking, "Wish I had not been so greedy!"

Moral: Too much greed is always a loss.

Reference: Ratna Sagar Book Series.

Find more Moral based Short Stories on this blog:

The Two Pots

Honesty is the best Policy

The Peacock and the Crane

Magic of Patience

The Ant and the Dove

The Fox and the Grapes

The Foolish Bear 

Two Silly Goats

The Ant and the Grasshopper
The Hungry Mouse 
A Clever Parrot

Paromita Pramanick ©2018. All Rights Reserved.

'The Greedy Dog' in Hindi

(Lalchi Kutta or The Greedy Dog is one of the very famous story from Panchatantra Series. It is a story about a dog whose greediness paved him nothing but only loss)

लालची कुत्ता | 'The Greedy Dog'

एक गांव में एक कुत्ता रहता था, उसे खाने का बड़ा लालच था। क्योंकि वह बहुत लालची था, इसलिए हमेशा ही कुछ न कुछ खाने के फिराक में हमेशा यहां-वहां भटकता रहता था, उसका मन कभी नहीं भरता था।

एक दिन की बात है, वह कुत्ता हमेशा की तरह खाने की तलाश में इधर-उधर घूम रहा था, लेकिन उसे कहीं भी भोजन नहीं मिला। घूमते फिरते किसी कसाई के दुकान के पास आ गया और बहुत देर से वही पर बैठा था। उसे बहुत देर से वहीं बैठा देख दुकानदार ने सोचा कि बेचारा कुत्ता भूखा है। यह सोच कर उसने कुत्ते को एक हड्डी दे दी। कुत्ते ने हड्डी मुँह में दबायी और सोचा कि मैं इसे कहीं ले जाऊँगा और अकेले बैठ कर एकांत में मज़े से खाऊँगा। उसने झट से उस हड्डी के टुकड़े को मुंह में पकड़ लिया और लेकर वहां से जल्दी भाग गया।

वह कुत्ता एकांत जगह की खोज करते-करते रास्ते में एक नाला के पास जा पहुंचा। नाले पर पुल बना था। कुत्ता पुल पर से होकर जाने लगा। उसने नीचे देखा तो पानी में उसे अपनी परछाई दिखाई दी। वो समझ नहीं पाया कि वह उसकी ही परछाई है या किसी और की। उसने सोचा कि शायद नीचे कोई दूसरा कुत्ता है जिसके मुँह में भी हड्डी है। क्यों न मैं उसकी हड्डी छीन लूँ और खा जाऊँ। इस तरह मेरे पास दो हड्डियां हो जाएंगी, फिर तो खाने का मजा दोगुना हो जाएगा।

कुत्ता पुल पर रुक गया और उसने दूसरे कुत्ते को ललकारने के लिए ज़ोर से आवाज़ लगाई। लेकिन उसके भौंकते ही मुँह में पकड़ी हड्डी छूट गई और नाले में गिर गई। तब कुत्ता अपना हड्डी भी खो बैठा। उसे तब जाकर समझ आया कि जिसे वो दूसरा कुत्ता समझ रहा था, वह उसकी ख़ुद की ही परछाई थी। उसने ज़्यादा के लालच में, उसके पास जो था वह भी खो दिया। लालची कुत्ता पछताता रह गया और मुंह लटकाकर वापस गांव चला गया।

सीख: ज्यादा लालच करना नुकसान होता है।

Moral: Much greed is a loss.

Reference: Various.

Find more Hindi Short Stories with Morals:

चालाक खरगोश | Chalak Khargosh

छेद वाला मटका | Chhed wala Matka

छोटी तितली | Chhoti Titli

दो कंजूस |Two Miser

खेल के मैदान | Playground

बातूनी कछुआ  | The Talkative

प्यासा कौआ |Thirsty Crow

बताशा और चींटी | Ants and the Sugar Candy

मूर्ख कौआ और चालाक लोमड़ी| Foolish Crow and Cunning Fox

लालची कुत्ता | The Greedy Dog

नन्हा खरगोश | Little Rabbit

समझदार तोता | Clever Parrot

Paromita Pramanick ©2018. All Rights Reserved.

Patriotic Verses

हिन्दी देशभक्ति के कुछ छंद।।

Some verses of patriotism in Hindi.

आज है भारत का नया सवेरा,

जो बहत्तर वर्षों से उजागर है।

हर एक वासियों के मन में आज का यह दिन बेहद खास है।

नवरोज़ भारत चाहे बदलते जाएँ,

पर यह सुरक्षित जिवन उन बलिदानियों की देन हैं ।

आज़ाद है यह देश ज़ुल्मों सितम से,

जो एक बार अंजाने मुसाफिरों की हुकूमत रहे हैं।

हम याद करेंगे उन सेनानियों को हर नये दौर में,

आज जिनके एहसानों के हम कर्ज़दार हैं, और 

भारत के हर दिलों में मनमर्ज़ियों की आज़ादी है।

वह लिखकर गए हैं नई तालीम के लब्ज़ों से,

यह देश हमारा स्वतंत्र है।।

Aaj hai Bharat ka naya savera,

Jo bahattar barsho se ujaagar hai,

Har ek vaasiyo ke mann mein aaj ka yeh din behad khaas hai,

Navaroz Bharat chaahe badalte jaaye,

Par yeh surakshit jivan un balidaano ki den hai,

Azaad hai yeh desh zaalim o sitam se,

Jo ek baar anjaan musafiro ki hukumat thi,

Hum yaad karenge un senaniyo ko har naye daur mein,

Jinke ehsaano ke hum karazdaar hai,

Aur Bharat ke har dil mein manmarziyo ki azaadi hai.

इस देश की मिट्टी सबसे सुनहरी,

सोने की चिड़िया कहलाती हैं ।
तरह-तरह के बोल बोलियाँ 
और मन में मिठास है ।
लोग है बड़े दिल दिलेहरी
दिलों में सबके प्यार है ।
इसलिए हम देशवासियों आज
मिलकर तिरंगा फहराते है।।

Is desh ki mitti sabse sunehri,

Sone ki chidiya kehlati hai;

Tarah-tarah ki bol boliya

Aur mann mein mithas hai;

Log hai bade dil dilehri

Dilon mein sabke pyar hai;

Isliye mil julkar hum deshwasi

Aaj saath mein tiranga fehraate hai."

Paromita Pramanick ©2018. All Rights Reserved.