POUSH PARBON

Welcome back and happy Poush Parbon (January 14)

After almost one and half year I am back for blogging - Bengali Food! 
During this period I've earned my Doctoral Degree (from Wageningen University, the Netherlands), and also made my first ever trip to West Bengal (my parental home town in and around Kolkata)!! Do I feel more Bengali after visiting Kolkata? Nah! Thanks to my mother for feeding me with authentic Bengali food - while I published my doctoral thesis titled 'Forest rights: a micro-politics of decentralization and forest tenure reform in tribal India'. 

Could there be any other auspicious day to begin writing a Bengali food blog? 
Today is Poush Parbon. It is celebrated by Bengali families on January 14 each year - i.e.  last day of Bengali calender month Poush.  Poush Parbon is a harvest festival and delight for any Bengali with sweet tooth :) A typical Bengali not only love to eat sweet, but most families love to make sweets at home - fresh and healthy. 

Let me begin today with the best Nolen Gurer Payesh that my mother makes each year on this day. A childhood sweet memory. Despite being 'Probashi Bangali' my mom ensured that I learn how to make payesh in an authentic Bengali way. Authentic way means using all ingredients that are typically related to Bengali kitchen. 

A simple yet time consuming recipe Payesh is crucial food for Bengalis. Payesh is part of 'Onnoprashon' (Mukhe Bhaat or Annaprashan - onno means food - rice, and prashan means to feed) the transition of a child (5 months to 8 months old) from liquid food to solid food (home made).
I like tradition as long as it is gender balanced. Onnoprashon for my brother was an elaborate affair, while apparently for me it was a low key (according to grandparents in name of being girl child). Whatever! For me the best part of any culture and tradition is "food".

Last month during my trip to Kolkata, I'd picked new Govindobhog chal (a variety of sweet rice used for payesh) and new Patali gud (date palm molasses/ jaggery) from Bhowanipur market. 

My mother begins preparing payesh early morning of 14th Jan and it is ready by noon (almost three to four hours depending upon how much quantity you prepare). Here is the recipe. Enjoy. 

Nolen Gurer Payesh

Ingredients
1 cup Govindobhog rice (you can alternate it with surti kolum or basmati)

1/2 kilo Patali gud (jaggery made of date palm, but you can alternate it with cane sugar. Previously while I was in Indonesia I figured out that Gula Merah is almost similar except that it has more salty than sweet taste of Patali Gud). 

Patali Gud in bowl shape (you can also find it in plate shaped). 

50 gms golden raisins (washed)

4 litres of full cream pasteurized milk

Method
1. Boil milk on thick bowl (using slow flame/cooking technique) till it reduces to half. Continuously stir the bottom of bowl to avoid burning. It takes about 2 hours approximately to thicken the milk. (Refer Photo 1). 

Photo 1 Boil milk  (thick consistency- till its light brownish colour)

2. Wash and drain rice and leave it for 15 mins. 

3. When the milk is reduced to half add rice and continue boiling on slow flame till rice is cooked. 

4. In a separate bowl add half kilo of patali gud and one cup of water and bring to boil till the gud dissolves. (Refer Photo 2). 

Photo 2  Making of Patali Gud Liquid

5. Add the gud using strainer (to remove any dust particles from gud) to the boiling milk. Check the sweetness of the payesh before adding the entire patali gud er liquid. Stir slowly and let it simmer for another 15 minutes. Payesh is ready. Let it cool. 

Serve with raisins. (Refer Photo 3). 

Photo 3 Nolen Gur er Payesh by my mother - just delicious

For those in the Netherlands and Belgium this recipe may seem similar to Rijstbrij or Rijstpap (rice pudding). However, I think nolen gurer payesh is incomparable and is much yummier :)