SPICED COCONUT STUFFED FLATBREAD
IT WAS AN EXTREMELY SATISFYING SUNDAY YESTERDAY!
Every Saturday night, I promise myself not to switch on the gas stove on the Sunday except for cooking the rice! I have almost stopped going out to the mall fetching some food for the man, neither he is keen about it! Once Cristine leaves home & the son refuses to take several phone calls we make, I crave to experiment with food! This more happens on days when what's going on in the television is not of our common interest! The kitchen is a place where I am comfortable & happy! The hurt is that it is small & seriously needs renovation! Even I do not wish to leave this flat now & shift to a bigger flat! It is conveniently located, well lit! Our owner is good but is not keen about spending on renovation! About a year ago we did some renovation work but no one in this world would spend that much to renovate the kitchen of a rented apartment! Thats why I do not argue with the man! I know his responsibilities & we cannot deny those! What angers me is his refusal to go out here & there over the weekends or for 4-5 days of short trips to the 3-4 neighbouring countries! I refuse an eight hours long drive to Penang or a 7-8 hours long air travel! My long flights should take me to the son; I wish to visit the son during his graduation ceremony! We wish he comes home this winter for few days! It's eleven months, we have not seen his face, I do not know if he has put on or have gone thinner!
THE ENTIRE MORNING WAS SPENT ON TOUCHING UP THE PHOTOS!
Because it was a Sunday yesterday, I might have missed the reflection marks on the bowls. That made me sad this morning! Else, I was happy with the outcome of the dish! I kept looking for free photo editing apps, found none! Then the Filipino had shown me a trick! We can save the photo in WhatsApp, say we can send it to a closer someone, edit it there giving a touch up! I feel better now! Several of my earlier photographs need to be changed only because I dislike reflections here & there! I have not learnt good photography till date, my eyes have got a better understanding of the photography! I would not spend on props, neither learn professional photography! Now that the son went to the college in a different country, I wished to earn from whatever knowledge I have, instead of spending from the husband's hard earned money to gather more of the knowledge! There has to be application! I carried my educational documents on my last visit to Kolkata, wished to talk to the departmental professors at the RBU if enrolling myself for the Mphil course is possible! The moment I saw I have to face an interview, I did not visit there! I know I can study & recapitulate my subject after few decades, I cannot answer questions face to face! RBU did not conduct Mphil in Political Science back in 1995, else I would have gone for it instead of the B.Ed! It was not my university of choice but it's homely atmosphere I did get along with! The psychology behind it was clear, the creams of Kolkata would go to the Calcutta University or the Jadavpur University or at least to the Kalyani University in those days for a master's degree! Then came my category who for 2-3 marks missed a chance in those, yet I remain a mediocre student who wanted a sit in the Calcutta University! RBU actually was a University meant for the performance art! Today, I do not know about the scenario! I believe, many more students aspire to go for a master's degree with lesser sits; hence, RBU gets to have better quality students on this day! I do not see any way to add more degrees to my academic qualifications or get a job of choice, but I enjoy keeping up with such searches in the internet!
WHAT IS THIS SPICED COCONUT STUFFED FLATBREAD?
I think it is a mixture of Karnataka's Akki Roti, Sri Lanka's Pol Roti, Marathi Coconut Garlic Chutney, Bengal's Chal er Ruti! I had all these recipes on my mind while cooking this vegan, gluten-free, stuffed vegetarian flatbread; SPICED COCONUT STUFFED FLATBREAD! I did not follow any hard & fast rule, even my dough wasn't perfect; yet the out come was good & tasty! Hence, I decided to blog about it! Bengali rice flour bread would require more of practice!
I had three flatbreads for lunch yesterday & for dinner we had Hilsa Curry, Elephant Yam boil with rice! I would eat first & then would have serious anxiety having two carb filled meals in a day!
That however, does not stop me from having the below for my late lunch today, vermicelli upma, puffed rice with half of an Amaretti & tea!
I just cannot have what I do not want to have! Tonight, we would either have mutton or prawn meal with some side dishes! I feel happy when there is enough food in the refrigerator! What else to do? Had I have planned my life in time I would have been a senior level teacher in a mid level school or college at this time! While working in a school in this island, I strongly felt I am not meant for playing, singing, dancing with the kids, I only enjoyed the teaching part! After ten years of absence from the teaching world, I saw schools are more about activities & less of academic studies these days! The same echoes our teacher friends Kakoli & Indirra! We are definitely old school! They are too good friends with the man but can have fight on this matter! Our son is enjoying the studies in the United States, I have no complaints! He is not giving us any scope to ask him to study, I should be happy, just that the fear factor does not let me sleep! Humans got too hyper, they fight & kill over trivial issues! The media highlights these & I am too much of a part of the social media!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING :
SHREDDED COCONUT : A SMALL BOWLFUL
GARLIC CLOVE : 2-3 [IF BIG]
DRY RED CHILLI : 4-5
SALT : A LITTLE
OIL : 1 TBSP
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH :
RICE FLOUR : 1 1/2 COFFEE MUG
WATER : 1 COFFEE MUG
SALT : 2-3 PINCH
THE FINAL DISH :
THE FILLING
THE DOUGH
A LITTLE OF OIL TO BRUSH EACH FLATBREAD
PROCEDURE :
For the flatbread filling, we would heat the oil in a pan & roast the peeled & washed garlic cloves, dry red chillies & the shredded coconut!
Once cold, we would blend them together & the salt! I have got what you see! I transferred it to a bowl!
For the rice flour dough, we would boil the water & then add the rice flour to it! We would roughly mix & switch off the gas stove!
We would cover it & keep for rest, yet not let it turn cold!
We would transfer it to a wide mouthed bowl and knead while it's still warm!
I felt I added more of water than required! Do not worry, we will manage!
Once the dough is kneaded, we would cover it with a wet towel for 15-20 minutes!
After the resting period of the dough, we would remove the cover & knead again!
We are to make standard sized paratha / porota / flatbread balls!
You can see, my dough was not perfectly kneaded! Do not worry!
Dust the base with rice flour well! Make hole in each ball & fill with the chutney, close well!
Dip the ball in the rice flour and lightly press with the rolling pin to roll out a round shaped flatbread!
Heat a pan / tawa / griddle, gently place the flatbread, roast both the sides well!
Brush the top with some oil, turn over & cook for 2-3 minutes! Turn over again, brush with oil, turn over & cook for 2-3 minutes!
Have it hot & fresh with a variety of sauces or pickles or chutneys! I did serve it with "chanar dalna" but it is not required!
The flatbreads remain soft even when cold!
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