A Nourished Friendship and some Chirer Pulao (Beaten Rice Savory Snack)

Around my 21st Birthday few awesome things happened to positively change the outlook of my life:

1. I joined a boring office
2. Quit it.

I had high aspirations for myself. But somehow winded up in a really boring office doing even more lackluster job. Of course that is not awesome.

Well the awesome part is: that this small office was where I met this girl let me call her H, and we stuck together ever since. Now the office was so boring and job so worthless, that we conspired every day at work about ways to get out of that rut.

In came college. We decided to get our masters together.

College was fun. New Delhi was not as notorious back then, and to us it felt like living a leash free life with a promise of better tomorrow. Or maybe I’m just recalling it through a young adult’s eye. If that’s true, then I hope I never wake up to reality.


H is the reason I enjoyed college; On dull days her friendly face would light it up, on free days we’d be scurrying from movie to movie catching all the Friday first releases and later share all the scandals and gossip and whispers, she introduced me into the world of the South Indian delicacies and was someone who was always happy to invite me to any ‘family only ’celebrations when no one else would.

H is spiciness of South, warmth of a sister, delicate’ but never proud’ nose, whispered gossips and shared life logic all along.

Like soul sisters we too had our high and low moments, nonetheless every time our lives fell back into same old rhythm of yesterday.

Last November, H reached a *milestone* of motherhood.  I recently went to meet the little one, and my heart was alight with love for the baby princess. Secretly I dreamt of our two little girls to be friends and carry the story forward.This thought made me want to celebrate the day in the simplest of manner and get her stuff she would really like and use. Uh – I know post motherhood all she’s been lamenting about is weight, but there’s nothing in the world that I can do to make her the Sandra Bullock of Miss Congeniality. Can I?

So here’s what I can do. Make a frugal meal of the past, something which talks to her about that 'small office' in wordless ways  and is of course is in tune with her 'weighty' issues of today . And even though I know this is not a magic wand to get her into skinny jeans right away, this will certainly not ruin her chances.

{And I’ll not lie -: I’m pretty sure I’d like to be that Sandra Bullock too if given a choice again. }

Chirer Pulao  (Beaten Rice Savory Snack)

Ingredients for Chirer Pulao

:

2 cups Beaten Rice/Poha (washed and drained)
1 Onion sliced fine
1 Potato
Green Peas (optional)
1/2 cup  Peanuts (roasted or fried)

Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Lemon juice


Spices for tempering
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 slit green Chilly
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp Bengal gram
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Vegetable oil

Cooking procedure:

Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and temper with the Mustard seeds, once they start to splutter add  all the other spices for tempering and the onions. Fry until it turns pale brown.

Then add the peas, potato,salt and sugar. Cook covered till the potatoes are soft. Now add the drained and dry Poha to the Spice mix. Cook for two minutes while it blends well with all other ingredients.Turn off the flame and add the lemon juice.Top it with the peanuts and its ready to serve.

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Time to switch to a Chire -Doi -Aam (Beaten rice with Mango Yogurt) breakfast

After skipping breakfast two days in a row, in an attempt to lose all the post-holiday love handles and ending up with a shaky knee by late noon, I openly admit that I LOVE breakfast.  I almost adore it. Luchi Alur Dom(fried puff bread with potato curry), Apple cakes with fresh preserves, savory French toast, masala omelet and bread, coconut muri (puffed rice) and on a bad day even the diet friendly Kellogg’s K cornflakes with milk works wonders. The truth is I feel weak in my head without breakfast and It’s just a matter of embracing my waist the way it is.

Even after knowing all these, I rarely devote any time to eating a sit –down breakfast in the morning. I’m almost always guilty of neglecting it in my house. I do feed my toddler, but can’t reach a consensus on eating ‘her breakfast’ in a guilt free manner. You know what I mean? Like Suji Halwa (semolina sweet) or Dalia Sheera (broken wheat sweet) are not exactly diet friendly but soooo good for soothing a toddler’s morning tantrum.

Perhaps it’s not the cooking or the time it takes. Maybe it’s time to admit another truth – a truth that makes me an owl rather than a lark.  I’m awake agile and alert post the sun sets, it’s just the opposite when it rises. All I manage to scramble is something on the run. Often an unhealthy overdose of crispy Marie biscuits and Darjeeling tea. Not good. I’m telling ya.

For me or a person like me to eat on a busy working day , I need something portable. Guilt free, and something that can be shared both by me , my husband and daughter. Wholesome. Yum.Just about right Calories. You don’t want to whine for the rest of the day right? I found my calling in these long lost Doi Chire Aam medley (Yogurt and beaten rice mixture with mango). On work days, we need a breakfast that’s easy to whip up. In winters, I happily replace the fresh mango in the recipe with dried mango,popularly called as Aamsotto.

They’re gooey, mushy, moist, flavorful and feel decadent with abysmal calories. I would hate to call them your regular Doi Chire Aam.  They feel like fruit yogurt smoothie with a bite. You can happily whip it up in a flash.  So come just hug ‘em with your teeth.

Chire Doi Aam

Ingredients 

Beaten rice /Poha - 1 cup
Plain Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Mango - 1 (you can replace it with the dried mango pulp )
Sugar or Jaggery - to taste


All you need to do it soak the beaten rice in water and thoroughly drain off the water. Should not take you more than 2-3 minutes, as Chire/Poha or beaten rice tends to get soggy very quickly.

Add the rest of the good stuff now. You are almost there.

Now mix it well with your fingers. As mushy as you'd like.

Lick up.

You are set.

It has just the right amount of carbs,fruity goodness of mango and blessing for bones in disguise of yogurt. Want crunch, go ahead top it with some nuts.

Finished a bowl , and packed the rest of goodness in a jar.