So Bijoya is over and so is Lakshmi Pujo. And I am left with lots of desiccated coconut, I have bought for those Naarus. If I don’t use them right away, pretty soon they’ll start smelling like “hair oil”.
Speaking of hair oil, childhood memory of those tin containers of “Shalimar Coconut Oil” with green labels showing half of a juicy coconut and a coconut tree in the background, came in. Was there any lion or tiger on the label too? I could not remember so well…… do you?
Anyway, here is a recipe to put those spare coconuts into use. This recipe is real simple and the great thing about it is that you don’t have to buy any new ingredients to put this dish together. So here is your real chance to get out of the vicious cycle of leftover ingredients.
This recipe has no pedigree as such. Simply Narkel Bhaja.
It was handed down from A’s (my husband) Didima, amar late Didi-shashuri. When we got married, she was already on the wrong side of eighty. Still she had all the energy and patience (mainly patience was all that’s needed to answer my questions on cooking that time) to show me these dishes over time.
And how wonderfully simple and delicious dishes they are!
All you need for this dish is
2 Dry Red Chilies
Kalo Jire
salt
Cooking oil (1-2 tsp)
Desiccated coconut (1-2 cup) (you may dry-grind it in a blender to medium coarse)
Procedure:
Put 1-2 tsp oil in a frying pan. When hot, add kalo jire and dry chilies. Now wait and watch till you cough your pancreas up.
Then add coconuts to it. And add salt according to your taste. Now stir and stir and stir and stir and stir some more. The coconut will change its colour and texture gradually. The white and dry coconut will turn brown and soggy first and then slowly deep brown/black and very crispy again.
And that’s it. You have got your dish ready.
Try to cook it just before serving. Or otherwise warm-up the dish right before serving so that you get the really crispy taste. Try it out with ‘gorom bhat’ and Ghee.
You may try a slightly different version of it by adding small pieces of fried brinjal to it and then you would get your Narkel-begun avtar.
7 comments:
Hi Kutus!!
I had a good laugh when I read coughing up your pancrease , coconut recipe sounds interesting .Have fun here and keep writing much more interesting post ,Khub Bhalo Laglo Aikhane Aese..
hi kutus,
loved the name of your blog, very apt :) your coconut recipe is something I have never had, but I guess it's best with fresh coconut right ?
thank for your comments on my blog
--sandeepa
Dear Kutus - first time here. Very good beginning. Let me welcome you to the food blogging world and do keep blogging.
Let me also extend my personal invitation to you to participate at VCC Q3 2006; the deadline has been extended to Oct 31. Cheers!
vkn
My Dhaba
@mantu,
a very warm welcome to you.
@sandeepa,
you are absolutely right that it would taste better with fresh coconut.
But I have tried it out with dry coconut this time as those are already in stock and I observed that the difference in taste is very subtle.
So you may try it either way,with fresh coconut or dry ones.
There is a slight advantage with dry ones though. It requires much less time on the flame to turn into
brown and crispy state than its fresh counterpart.
@vkn
A very warm welcome to my blog. Many thanks for your invitation. I would definitely check it out.
hi kutus,
how are you ? what's up ?
--sandeepa
hi Sandeepa
sorry missed your comment. i am all well. what about you?
Hi,
I begin on internet with a directory
Post a Comment