Ballad of Monsoon and Khichuri | S-01 | E-02 | Taalibaari Days

Every year the rain comes with all its splendor, in a most generous manner. Although Ashar-Shravan (Mid-June to Mild August) is the rainy season in Bangladesh, the rains continue to play it’s mystic musical even before and after the monsoon season. The rainy season extends a bit. The beauty of this monsoon is unparallel. The pouring raining, the rain-soaked plants, the thunder of the clouds, the colors of the evening sky, …I love everything about it. The monsoon also gives us a little leisure. We indulge into humble family festivals. It’s time to cook the traditional dish, Khichuri! Sometimes accompanied with fried eggs; sometimes fried eggplant and sometimes the unique Hilsa fish. But Khichuri must be there. Craving for Khichuri on a rainy day is coded in the DNA Bengalis. I am no exception! Here, I am sharing some of those happy moments of rainy holiday, and some exchange of love. Ingredients for Khichuri 1. Rice – 3 cups 2. Sona Mung Bean – 1 cup 3. Mustard oil - 3 table-spoon 4. Onion paste – 4 5. Bay leaves – 1 6. Ginger paste – 1 table-spoon 7. Garlic paste – 1 table-spoon 8. Cumin paste – 1 tea-spoon 9. Turmeric powder – 1 tea spoon 10. Coriander powder – 1 tea-spoon 11. Green chili – 8 pieces 12. Cardamom – 3 pieces 13. Cinnamon – 2 inches 14. Salt – as per your taste Recipe First, we need to fry the Mung Bean (without oil). Once the oil is heated enough, I will fry the onions and bay leaves. Once the onion becomes transparent, I will add the ginger paste and garlic paste. After frying them for a while, I will add cumin paste, coriander paste and turmeric powder. Then we will need to cook it slowly for some time. Once the spices release a nice aroma, we will add the rice and lentil and cook for a while. I will ad some salt and then add the cardamom, cinnamon, green chili, and adequate hot water and cover it. Increase the heat for a while, until it starts boiling. Then reduce the heat and cook it until the Kichuri is done. Once the rice is well-coked, we have our rainy-day special Khichuri! Ingredients for Jalapeño Pakora 1. Jalapeño – 10 pieces 2. Soybean oil – 1 cup (for deep fry) 3. Lentil flour – 1 cup (for batter) 4. Rice flour – ½ cup 5. Chili powder – 1 tea-spoon 6. Turmeric powder – 1 tea-spoon 7. Coriander powder – 1 tea-spoon 8. Salt – as per your taste 9. Garlic paste – 1 tea-spoon 10. Ginger paste – 2 tea-spoons Recipe First, cut the Jalapeños in half (vertically). Then prepare the batter with lentil flour, rice flour, spices and water. Then deep fry the Jalapeños until they get the golden color. You may use the same batter for the eggplants as well. Ingredients for the egg curry 1. Eggs – 10 2. Onions – 6 3. Bay leaf – 1 4. Ginger paste – 2 tea-spoon 5. Garlic paste – 2 tea-spoon 6. Cumin paste – 1 tea-spoon 7. Turmeric powder – 1 tea-spoon 8. Coriander powder – 1 tea-spoon 9. Green chili – 6 10. Salt – as per your taste 11. Mustard oil – 3 table spoons Recipe Fist, we need to boil the eggs and pill them off. Then fry them until they become get the golden color. In the same oil, fry the onions, and then add bay leaves, ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin paste, coriander paste and turmeric powder. Cooks them slowly for some time. Then add the boiled and fried eggs. After cooking them together for a while, add adequate water and green chilies. Then cover it. Cook it like that for 5 minutes. And you will have the egg curry!