Emphow Jwng Mwitha Jwng

Emphow Jwng Mwitha Jwng (Silk worm cooked with Roselle leaves)

Silk worms survive on Mulberry leaves. They are low in fat content and are a high source of Calcium, Vitamin B1, B2 and B3, Protein, Iron, Magnesium and Sodium. Hence, silk worms can be recommended for human consumption.
For the people of North Eastern part of India, silk worm is a delicacy. Bodos cook it in various ways. Following recipe is one of them. 

                                Some Bodo terminologies : 

                                1. Emphow : Silk worm

                                2. Mwitha : Roselle 

                                3. Jwng : With 

Ingredients :

150gm Roselle leaves. 

250gm Silk worm

1tsp Salt (or to taste)
A few Green chillies, slit length wise (to taste)
1 Onion, sliced fine
1tsp Turmeric
5pods Garlic, crushed
3tbsp Mustard oil

                                   Method :

Clean and wash mwitha leaves. They are generally not chopped for any recipes.

Wash emphow, roast till light brown. Wash again to remove the burnt out skin. This step can be omitted  if you do not mind your curry to turn black in colour.
Halve the emphows.

Heat oil, stir fry chilly and onion for 2 minutes, add emphow. Keep stirring. Add salt, turmeric. Cook covered in medium heat till cooked.

Add mwitha and stir well. It gets dissolved in no time. Pour around two cups water, cover and cook. Add garlic, stir well. If needed add a little more water.
The gravy should not be too thick.

Emphow jwng mwitha jwng is ready to serve. 

Xutuli Pitha

              Xutuli Pitha is one of the lesser known pithas of Assam, a very tasty and quite easy to make.

The name Xutuli is derived from a traditional musical instrument of Assam, of the same name made of clay or stump of a bamboo tree.

A few Assamese terminologies:

Bora Saool: a variety of rice, which turns sticky when cooked.

Goor: jaggery

Teel: sesame seed

To make around 20 Xutuli Pithas you need:

                                           1/2 kg Bora Saool

                                                                 250gm Teel

                                            200gm Goor

250 ml Oil. I have used refined vegetable oil, but I grew up watching my Aaita(Grand mom) using only Mustard oil for frying pithas.

Method:

Wash Bora Saool, drain and spread to dry for about an hour. Do not soak, as it will make the rice sticky.

                                     Grind Bora Sa00l to a fine powder.

                                     Rinse Teel thoroughly ...

                  Rub vigorously while wet and let dry for some time, the skin will fall off. ....

                                        Roast this cleaned Teel a little and crush to make a coarse powder.

            Mix with Goor, leaving 2 or 3 tblsps Goor to add to the dough. This is the stuffing of the pitha.

                      To make the dough, mix the Goor that was kept aside with 1/2 cup water and strain.

                                                   Pour this to the powdered Bora Saool and knead well....

                               ...add little more water if necessary while kneading to make a soft dough.

                                             Take a little dough on your palm, make a ball and flatten it.

                                                                Spread 1or2 tsps of the Teel+Goor filling .....

                                              ...and fold it, sealing it well by pressing with your fingers. 

Make the Xutulies and keep ready for frying as it tastes best piping hot, hence, fry only before serving.

          Heat oil and deep fry the Xutulies in medium heat, turning gently, till they are a golden brown. 

                                                                       Yummy Xutuli Pitha is ready.

Stir fried Chicken with Bamboo shoot

                   Ingredients : 

1 broiler chicken : cut into medium pieces, clean and wash.

1 bamboo shoot : keep removing the layers, take only the most tender part. Slice roundels and wash. 

1 tbsp crushed ginger.

1 tbsp crushed garlic.

2 onions : thickly sliced.

Salt : to taste

3 tbsp refined oil

A pinch of pepper powder 

1 tbsp soy sauce 

                   Method : 

1. Cook bamboo shoot in water with a little salt till tender. Remove from water and keep aside. 

2. Cook chicken in water with salt till cooked. Remove from water. This chicken broth can be used in soup or other curry. Chicken can also be cooked till the entire water evaporates. 

3. Heat oil in a pan. Stir fry ginger, garlic, chilly, onion and soy sauce for 2 minutes. Add chicken, bamboo shoot, salt if needed, pepper powder (optional) and keep stirring. 

4. Stir fry this way in low heat for a while, check salt. 

Poem : Pretty Petunia

                                                                                         Pretty Petunia               

 Hello pretty dainty

How do you do..?

Pink, white, mauve and lovely blue..!

You steal my heart

You take away my gloom,

With all your tender sweetness and hue.

Tiniest of tiny

Frozen was thee..

Gently did I lay you, for survival and glee..!

With a handful of care

And all my prayer,

In the bosom of earth, you did thrive and cheer.

Aspiration was it

That made me glow..?

Stealthily yet steadily my dear sapling grew..!

Swaying in the breeze

With soft firm steps,

Into a lady you turn now with alluring grace.

Spread of colour

Mystify you my sweetie..

How perfectly pretty a sight you've turned dear beauty..!

Is this charming sonata

In all fairness a reality..?

You, my Petunia, are the exquisitely glorious entity.

                                   
To see more flowers do visit my garden : Magnolia                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                          Ruprekha Mushahary
                                                                                                 09.03.2011

Babori Xaak aru Haah Koni

Babori xaak : Chrysanthemum coronarium (Crown daisy)
Assamese terminology :
1. Xaak : herb, leafy vegetable
2. Haah koni : egg of duck
3. Aru : and

Babori xaak is a very popular edible herb in Assam. During  Bhogali Bihu, in the month of January, the most common preparation  of this xaak is "Babori xaak with haah-koni". Apart from the taste, this herb has several medicinal values as well.
Ingredients:

500 gm Babori xaak, cleaned and chopped.

1 tbsp mustard oil

1 clove of garlic (panchfuran can be used if you find the flavour of garlic too strong)

Chilly and salt to taste

2 duck eggs

          Method : 

                                               Heat oil and saute crushed garlic and a chilly.

                                    Put in the chopped xaak, salt and cook covered on low heat till done.

                                  Break the eggs and pour in stirring all the while till well blended. 

Babori xaak with haahor koni is ready to serve. 

Pets : Chiquititta

Chiquititta, the darling we so love and indulge ..... she's just adorable with her sweet, loving and playful nature. 

Chiquititta, meaning "little girl" in Spanish, became part of my family on a beautiful pleasant evening of February 2009 and has since become the centre of attention/ the darling of the family.She was all of two months, when we brought her and was the tiniest of her nine siblings. She was sick but after a lot of care survived to be a healthy and beautiful young lady today.

Wonderful to play with her,here she is, all of just three months, playing hide n seek. Peek-a-boo ...I see you ...

A Golden Retriever, born to pure bred parents Bholu and Elsa, the sweet thing has so many names, Chiquititta, Chuquttu, Chiqui, Shona, Kuku, Babu, Mainanagu, Manashona, Kitt.... etc etc

She seems to grow a little stronger and a little bigger each passing day, learning a new trick, a game or a command, amusing us immensely. Thus, making me and my family loving and doting on her ....a bond between her and us that grew ever stronger ....

Chiquititta loves her toys, keeps asking us to play with her in her own cute gestures. She knows well we bring her toys and goodies when we return from a trip, so, she waits eagerly and the moment we open the boxes, she gets right into them.

Chuquttu loves water, has great fun taking bath in the tub and prefers drinking fresh water from the tap or the hand shower.

Ah, look at the two year old big girl now, sitting pretty, exuding an all "I, me and myself" kind of an aura! Aawww... love you too much sweetheart! Chiquititta has aquired one more name, 'Petli', as she is big and fat now :)

Ow wow ! What can be a better way than sitting in the sun, inhaling the fragrance of the pretty blooms and reflect ? That's precisely what our dear Chuquttu loves doing while I work in the garden! But of course, keep your fingers crossed, occasionally a squirrel, crow or a rat do catch her attention and she chases them all over the garden trampling over flower beds and vegetable patches. 

After her lunch, she sits here on the front veranda and waits for us everyday. Its such a pleasure to find her eagerly waiting the moment I return from office. She greets me getting right into the car giving me my much needed hug as I open the car door. 

This is one of her favourite pastimes, watching birds from the balcony upstairs.

In the late afternoons Chiquita n I enjoy doing the bird watching together while enjoying our conversation with an occasional snack.

Chiquita always enjoys a drive around town. Her eyes sparkle as she jumps into the car, occupying the front seat. What I love and enjoy the most during these drives are, her giving me an occasional slurrrp/smack on my cheek as if to say "Love you for the drive momma" :)  

Chiquititta loves playing around all over the house and the garden, rests on the cool shade of trees in a corner of the lawn when tired.

The lady feels exercise and being with nature are the only ways to a healthy living.

Aawww .... the pretty lady, does she try to say some thing with her soulful eyes ? 

"I'm a big girl now, you know!" 

Yes sweetheart, you have turned a graceful young lady now.

Hhmmm.... caught you dear lady. Just look at her expression, as if to say, "Oops, got caught again!" Yes, she tramples all over the flower beds and vegetable patches chasing birds, squirrels and rats. And then, the punishment she gets? Well......

 ..... someone is punished today...sweet Chiquititta on her favourite place in the garden but leashed. "I'm leashed today! :((  Mom says, I spoil her flowers and broccoli, but that's not true, I only run around her flowers and vegetables to chase the naughty rats off."
Of course, of course don't I know that :)

The big girl gives Momma a sweet smack.

Playing with Momma. My most enjoyable time of the day is to play with dear chuquttu. 

It's meal time, the worst time of the day for our princess. Retrievers are generally fussy when it comes to eating their meals and Chiqui is no exception. She hates eating her kibbles, twice a day. Have to feed her with hand, pampering and showing her lizards, birds,cats, her toys and what not. 

O what a blissful siesta ! On a lazy summer afternoon Chiquititta is always indoors sitting or laying on the bare floor where the best effect of the air conditioner can be enjoyed.

She makes sure every night to come to each one of us for the good night kiss before finally retiring to bed. During  summer months she loves sleeping on a bare floor. 

During winters, she is cozy in her warm bright coloured jackets and sits pretty on her soft bed.  

                                                                                                   

Oh so cold ... 

Good night beautiful, sleep well, pleasant dreams :)