My mother and Jackfruit fish with potol bata

Last few days, I was too busy to write anything. Last Tuesday, when my Brother-in-law left for their home in Assam the house became very quiet for a few hours (till the baby did not start screaming). Oh yeah, my boy has completed 4months and communication skill has reached a level where I get fade up with his continuous screaming and cooing. He will scream when he is happy or hungry or sleepy or irritated. 

See, all my topics, now a days, ends in my baby's story. May be all sleep-deprived nuclear-family new mothers are like that.

Last week we went to Pondicherry, with our 4month baby. The experience of this journey, I shall write in my next post. The interesting thing is, when everyone was worried about the baby, my mother was worried not only for my baby, but also for her one and only baby- ME!!! I scolded her for worrying so much, but I was happy to see there is always someone, for whom my health is no less important than my baby; otherwise, now a days, no-one thinks about me (yeah I am jealous- are you kidding!!!).

Me and my mother, we are not like other lovey-dovey daughter-mother. Most of the time, our discussion ends in "me getting irritated and Ma getting annoyed". She will say most of the time, my daughter is not a girl like. I will keep on thinking, my ma is too much dominating. But the fact is we both are like tom-jerry (can't decide who is Tom & who is Jerry). We cannot live a day without talking to each other. There was time, when I used to call my Baba and say, aajke jhogra hoi ni Ma-er sathe, bhalo lagche na, ache kothay heroine ( today didn't fight with mom, so not feeling good, where is the heroine). Yeah I call her other than MA, when I am in too good mood to argue with her.

Ma

My mother was a Primary school teacher. She was very good in teaching small kids, I had my personal experience also. She used to do all household works, cooking different food items for me and baba for breakfast and lunch, then within 10AM she used to reach school after a walk of 30mins. After the school time, she used to come home, taking care of my studies and our dinner. Her cooking is very good. No, it's not a daughter's words, these are the words of my cousins and my husband as well. She never taught me cooking, but a few things, I remember, she used to ask me to do, which I used to hate. One of them was, grinding spices in Shil-pata.

Pointed gourd grinding going on

She used to say, grinding spices using this stone, adds better taste and texture to any recipe. I realized recently, how true her words were. Day before yesterday i prepared Paka potol bata, using this recipe. This time I used the shil-pata, the taste as well as texture of the food was much better than last time. You can have, Paka potol bata or ripe pointed gourd coarsely grind, as a side dish. Recipe you can find here.

But in main course we had fish gravy. It was rohu fish, cooked in the gravy of jackfruit seed paste. You read it right. My husband was surprised whe he heard the ingredients of the gravy. It was unique and tasty. Back in our home, dried jackfruit seeds are available during summer. After eating the ripe jackfruit, we will clean the seeds with water and then seeds will be sun-dried. These seeds are used in many foods. Seeds are rich in iron, which is really good for health.

So here are the Ingredients required for the fish gravy.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Rohu fish - 4 pieces, big
2. Onion - 1 medium, peeled and chopped
3. Green chilly - 1 chopped
4. Jackfruit seeds - take out the dry outer layer, cut in 4pieces, 1cup full
5. Dry Coconut flakes - 2 tbsp
6. Poppy seeds - made paste using the shil-pata, 2tbsp
7. Mustard oil
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. Turmeric powder
10. Salt
11. Water

Now the process of cooking.

• Wash the fish pieces. Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric powder. Shallow fry in hot mustard oil, in a kadai. Some people like, deep fry fishes even in curry or gravy. Keep aside the fried fish. Always fry fish in smoking hot oil. Using mustard oil, enhances the taste of fried fish.

• In the oil, if quantity of oil is more after frying fish then keep only 4tbsp oil in kadai and rest you can use later. Add chopped onions. Fry in medium heat, when onion becomes brown, add the chopped jackfruit seeds and chilly. Cover and keep frying in low heat. Stir occasionally. After 5mins, add the dry coconut flakes. Stir fry for another 3mins. Switch of the flame and make the mixture cool. Take this fried mixture and poppy seed paste in a small grinding container and make smooth paste. Add a little water if required.

• In the kadai, add 1tbsp oil, you can use the oil which was kept aside after frying fish. Add cumin seeds. When it starts to crackle, add the jackfruit seed paste. Keep frying in low heat. Once oil starts coming out, add turmeric powder and salt. After mixing everything, add water as per your gravy requirements. Add 2cups more water, than you require for gravy. Keep boiling the gravy, till it reaches the desired consistency.

• Add fried fish pieces. Stir once carefully. Keep the heat medium. After 2-3mins, switch off the flame. Gravy is ready.

• Serve with hot steamed rice.

So here is today's recipe with love of a mother. Keep loving your mother and enjoy your motherhood too. Bye.