I DO NOT KNOW WHY I WISHED TO BLOG ABOUT IT; MAY BE FROM A NOSTALGIA?
What I understand is nostalgia gets you in it's grip as you age! Once you are in college, your life runs faster; one does not have the time to look back but to move ahead! After one gets well settled in life, one gets smitten by nostalgia! Middle age is the time when we take time to look back and find what we have left behind is beautiful! Here in this island, when in the neighbourhood stalls I see a Cuticura talcum powder or a Vicks Veporub, I instantly get transported to the bygone days! Though my family always uses Ponds, Cuticura was a common brand in those days! I have seen here the herbal Chandrika soap! All of a sudden few days back, the thought of Dalda came to my mind! Actually, I have seen it been sold in the Mustafa Centre, Karthika & the other South Asian minimarts! That took me back to the family home's weekend mornings! Luchi / Bengali puffed bread in our home was made in dalda may be until the late 80's and thereafter it was replaced by the sunflower oil! Even today, the mother may keep a 100-200 gm of dalda in her kitchen, she may add a little to the sunflower oil whilst frying the luchi!
TODAY WE FEEL LIGHTER, THE PAST WEEK WAS GRAVE!
Last week, Cristine was severely down with the Covid symptoms! It is too difficult to maintain the Covid rules in such a small flat! Yet, we tried our best! Cristine did see the doctor on the very first day and we did what was required! It was painful for her to remain jailed in a closed cell for a week, her room has no window! All day she stays in our rooms, only the night time she sleeps in her's! After a long time, I found myself doing the household work and wow, without any irritation! I enjoyed doing those work but both of our body got used to the service of Cristine! I felt tired and sacrificed my usual exercise routine! I did not get time to go out for walks or do something at home! Not used to it, I got too disorganised! Today, when Cristine tested negative, we felt happy! I kept / keep the son updated about all the happenings at home but I did not say anything to the mother or the in-laws; only the brother I told yesterday! Cristine's room got sanitised and we went out together to the mall! I bought pillows, bed sheets; it's Durga Puja after all! But the house repair work is not done with! I just wish to spring clean everything before Friday!
I bought two chicken burritos for Cristine & T from the "Stuff'd", sent her back home! I had a mini chicken burrito bowl at the "Guzman y Gomez"! Both sell Mexican food but Stuff'd is a bit cheaper, it is a take away joint! I prefer burrito bowls! We had relaxed meals for the first time in a week, I was unable to cook elaborate all this while!
WHAT IS THIS DALDAR LUCHI?
In our childhood, most of the fried snacks were cooked in dalda! Then one day, the sunflower oil, saffola flooded the market and dalda took a backseat! Thereafter, dalda gradually became a non-entity in the West Bengal market! I perhaps have seen the mother keeping a small packet always in the store! She would say dalda gets the best looking, fluffy luchi / refined flour puffed bread! Indeed I remember how flawless white our mother's dalda made luchi would be and tasty too! Then we forgot all about it and loved the luchi fried in plain oil! Ghee fried luchi was a rare affair in our home! After many years, recreating DALDAR LUCHI in my kitchen was an exciting exercise but I did not find it that interesting or unique a thing to eat, a fear was equally working inside while eating this vegetarian puffed bread fried in a medium that is no more celebrated today! If we go by the doctors, any oil is bad for our health!
REFINED FLOUR : 2 COFFEE MUG
DALDA [COOKING MEDIUM] : 250GM [TO DEEP FRY]
SALT : 1/4 TSP
SUGAR : 1 TBSP [OPTIONAL, I DO NOT USE]
PROCEDURE :
In a wide mouthed bowl, take the refined flour, salt, sugar & 1 1/2 tbsp of the dalda! I did not use the sugar! Rub the flour well for 3-4 minutes to incorporate these well!
Add water little by little and keep kneading to get a not too soft but a smooth dough! This may take 8-10 minutes! Cover it for 15-16 minutes! I casually cover with a plate & not with a soft, moist piece of cloth!
Remove the cover, knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes! Tear off small portions & smoothen each between your palms!
Roll each ball into a round, moderately thin shape! Heat a wok and add the dalda to it! Let it get hot but not to the smoking point!
Once the cooking medium is ready, add one uncooked luchi at a time, as one side puffs up, turn over and take out within seconds!
Use a perforated ladle to take them out! Immediately serve them with a spicy side & a dessert! It is our love platter you can say!
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