Just talking - 2014-01-13-11-05

. . . . From the desk of Ms. Ann Abraham . .

So it is harvest time again….

The sugarcane has been harvested too…

Once upon a time, I used to eat a lot of sugar.. the sweeter the better.

Why, rasagollas, - their only use was to be a sponge with which to soak up the sugar syrup and squeeze it right out in my mouth. – I’d suck up all the syrup, and then I’d dip it in the bowl for more.

I’d finish all the sugar syrup, and then put some more…

Who cared about the sponge ball anyway…

But after all the sugar syrup was gone, I’d eat the sponge ball too.. because it had some sugar left in it…

The sponge ball can be made of anything – it used to be made out of milk something, but I don’t drink milk anymore – that if for the calves, and I am not a baby anymore..

The sponge ball should hence be made of…. Well, I like jalebis too – at least I thought they were called “jalebis”, but my uncle pointed out that that was actually called a “jangree” – for which fact I am today grateful, since now I’ll know which sweet to actually ask for.  … No point in asking for a jalebi, when it’s actually a jangree I’m after.

What is the difference – Well, both are made of urad-dal flour, and the only difference is that one is the urad-dal batter, and the other is the urad-dal batter which has sat a while, and soured a bit.

So the urad-dal batter one is actually called a “jangree” and that is spongy too….Oh my!  Jangrees, here I come.

And the soured urad-dal batter is called a jalebi – hmmm – well that has it’s plus points too – the batter is extruded into a pan of hot oil, and then it puffs up a bit.  So when it is cooked, it is placed in hot sugar syrup, to soak that in.  So after a while, if I bite into it, the outside is crispy, but the center is hollow and there is sweet sugar syrup in it. 

The only thing is, I don’t like the sourness of it.  So probably, the solution would be to keep the urad-dal batter for a shorter while, so it does sour a bit, producing the air in it, but not so much that it actually tastes sour!

In addition, with the consciousness of having to eat good food, the urad-dal should be whole, with the outer skin and all.

But the thought of pounding that in, is grievous to me, so I’ll just have to eat the urad-dal whole.. Maybe just cook it in some water.

Okay….

Then there is the sugar…  Someone wrings that sugarcane stalk, to squeeze out all the juice, I mean sap….  That is grievous to me too…  So I will just have to eat the sugarcane as is – just chew the stick.

And that is what I have done ….

Happy Harvest, to you and you and you!!!

Maybe I will put pieces of sugarcane in the dish I make, then it will be a sweet dish… Oh my! Desserts, here  I come again!!!!!