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Sabu Makha

May 25, 2020 By Maumita Paul 3 Comments

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Sabu MakhaPin

I hear the monstrous storm pummel the doors.
The windows fling open and shut, toyed upon by the diabolical winds.
There’s a deafening clap of thunder.
And the phone falls silent.

Multiple attempts to connect with Maa again go in vain.
Meanwhile, the television in the drawing room flashes visuals of the ongoing carnage of Mother Nature.
Trees on the horizon genuflecting to the wrathful heavens.
Serpents of lightning.
Sheets of rain.
I am worried.

The phone finally rings.
Maa’s voice on the other side.
Feeble. Almost drowning in the maniacal howling of the wind gods.
The window panes had fought hard. But they were no match for the arrogant might of the furious heavens.
They lay defeated, shards of glass all over the floor the only memories of their existence. The frame had flown away to lands unknown.
And as if they had colluded, the power supply had decided to play truant too.
Let me clean up the glass first. Maa tells me.
Be careful Maa, I plead. Do you have the emergency lantern handy ?
But the phone had fallen dead again.

I patiently wait.
The images of savage fury continue unabated.
But the phone refuses to connect.

Twenty four hours go by.
Fervent attempts to connect with Maa end in abject despair.

I am in distress now.
The only saving grace is social media posts from friends I wake up to the next morning, I am clearly not alone in my misery.
Looks like Amphan-battered Kolkata has disengaged from the rest of humanity.

The hours tick on.
The anxiety reaches an unbearable crescendo.

Sabu MakhaPin

And finally thirty-six hours later, I manage to connect with Maa.
How are you Ma ? I ask.
I am fine. How are you folks ?
Is power back ?
Yes, just this morning.

There had been no power for 36 hours.
The emergency lantern unfortunately had not been charged. (And, there were no candles at home.)
The rooms were flooded.
Water had run out and buckets had to be hauled up by the stairs.
Telephone signals had gone dead.

And yet not a whiff of anger.
Or a sigh of desperation.

How do you accept everything so gracefully ? I end up asking.
Well, it could have been far worse. Think of the ones who have no roofs over their heads.

And what have you been eating Maa ?
Sabu makha, comes the prompt answer. We had milk and mangoes at home.

Sabu MakhaPin

Sabu makha. Sago pearls and milk. Grated coconut. Bananas. Mangoes, if in season. And left-over sandesh if you have some. Earthy yet delectable.
And a guaranteed saviour when everything’s going wrong.
Enjoy !!

Sabu MakhaPin

Sabu Makha

Sabumakha. Sago pearls and milk. Grated coconut. Bananas. Mangoes, if in season. And left-over sandesh if you have some. Earthy yet delectable. And a guaranteed saviour when everything’s going wrong. Enjoy !!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Bengali

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup sago or tapioca pearls
  • 1 large ripe mango pureed
  • 1 large ripe mango cut into cubes
  • 2-3 ripe bananas cut into thin slices
  • 1/2 cup coconut freshly grated
  • 1 cup cow milk
  • 3-4 sandesh optional
  • sugar or jaggery to taste

Instructions
 

  • Soak the sago pearls overnight. Drain from water, keep aside.
  • Transfer the soaked sago to a bowl. Add the pureed mango, banana slices, grated coconut, milk and sandesh. Give it all a hearty mix.
  • Add sugar or jaggery to taste. Allow to rest, some 5-10 minutes.
  • Finish with mango cubes. Serve cold.

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Filed Under: Bengali Recipes, Desserts Tagged With: Bengali Food Blog, Bengali Food Photography, Bengali Food styling, Bengali Recipes, Breakfast, Desserts, Food Photography, Indian Food Photography, Lockdown Diaries, Sabu Makha, Traditional Bengali Recipes, Traditional Recipes From Grandmas Kitchen, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anish

    June 8, 2020 at 5:38 pm

    Reading your blog for the first time and am already a fan. Had forgotten about this childhood food, will have to try soon, following your recipe. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Pooja Mastrofini

    May 26, 2020 at 12:03 pm

    Beautiful article. Wishing your Ma and family well. I hope they are able to repair and rebuild what was damaged.

    Reply
    • Maumita Paul

      May 27, 2020 at 2:47 am

      They are safe. Thank you for asking Pooja. But Amphan has wrecked lives and livelihoods of millions!!! And the devastation is unimaginable.

      Reply

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Recipe Rating




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Maumita Paul
Sankranti remains one of the festivals closest to Sankranti remains one of the festivals closest to my heart. 

One of those days when I miss Grandma dearly and yearn to return to childhood and relish all the delectable pithe puli she would make !!! 
Happy Sankranti everyone !!!

On the plate 
Khejur Gurer Patishapta, Doodhpuli, Teler Pitha, Nolen Gurer Payesh and Soru Chakuli.
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
New blog post ❤️ And every year, around Sankr New blog post ❤️

And every year, around Sankranthi, the chitoi pithe moulds make a magical re-appearance from the hidden vaults of the windowless sunlight-starved and perennially musty and damp bhnaarar ghor (pantry), illuminated by a lone naked incandescent bulb, before being dusted, scrubbed, soaked, dried and then used in vehement anger for the Sankranti festivities, only to disappear once the euphoria of the harvest festival subsides.
A use and throw culture has still not invaded our lives and the fact that this rather inexpensive non-descript humble artifact is used on just a couple of occasions around Sankranti every year makes not an iota of difference to the magnanimous love and care it receives.
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To read more and try this recipe of Doodh Chitoi , direct link is there in bio. 
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Its less than a week to Sankranti and my kitchen i Its less than a week to Sankranti and my kitchen is in manic frenzy this morning steaming some stunning Bhapa Pitha. 

I have always preferred freshly ground rice flour to store-bought ones. And my hand-free 1400w hamiltonbeach JMG ensured the rice was ground to fine flour, just as I wanted it, in a blink .
(Also do check the coarse, medium and fine grinding options available which gives us such luxury of choice -  I opted for the fine option for the rice flour)

And  here’s my recipe for the quintessential Bengali Bhapa Pitha / Assamese Keteli Pitha. 
Soak the rice for 2 hours, drain from water. 
Allow the rice to dry over a newspaper or muslin cloth to drain any excess water. 
Use your Hamiltonbeach JMG to blitz the rice to a fine powder.
Transfer the rice flour to a bowl, add a pinch of salt, mix well.
Splash a little water to the rice flour, start mixing with your hand. The texture of the dough should be crumbly and just damp enough. Splash water in small increments, we don’t want a wet batter here.
Sieve the moist flour .
Take a kettle, fill it half with water and bring to a boil.
Wrap the lid of the kettle with a damp muslin cloth.
Spread a layer of the rice flour uniformly over the cloth.
Add 1 tsp of freshly grated coconut on the rice flour, followed by 1 tsp of chopped jaggery And finish it with another layer of rice flour. Press gently, take care to not press it too hard.
Wrap with another piece of moist muslin, put the lid back on over the boiling water.
Steam for 10-12 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid from the kettle. 
Gently remove the outer muslin cloth. Use a sharp knife along the edges of the lid to un-mould the pitha..
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#BigBoxOfLove

#SayToHelloPerfection #ProResultsAtHome #HamiltonBeachIndia #CookLikeAPro #fbciofficial

@hamiltonbeachindia, @fbciofficial @grainandgrowth .
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #glutenfree #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #sankranti
The Doulla Pithe that Grandma (Bamma) creates is s The Doulla Pithe that Grandma (Bamma) creates is sheer magic – Pillowy rice flour parcels with a tiny morsel of patali hidden in the center. Stewed in milk perfumed with even more patali gur.
Have a bite, Grandma coaxes.
And the molten patali bursts out of the shackles of the rice flour cocoon.
The fragrance of patali and the perfume of rice leave my palate enthralled.
I take another bite.
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If you want to try this , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Can I taste one ? I ask as Maa’s experienced han Can I taste one ? I ask as Maa’s experienced hands effortlessly remove the pithe from the oil and immerse them in the jaggery syrup, but even before Maa can warn me, I have snatched one and bitten into the gokul pithe.
My tongue is singed.
And for that odd moment, I am all numb.
Minutes, that feel like days, pass.
And then the taste sinks in, sublime, a mellifluous symphony of grated coconut and jaggery.
This is food heaven !!!
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To try  recipe, temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Natorer Luchir Payesh!! A sandwich, if I can use t Natorer Luchir Payesh!!
A sandwich, if I can use the liberty of an analogy, of two luchis with a divine gurer kanchagolla filling in between. Fried to a gorgeous golden. And dipped into a notun gur perfumed payesh just before serving.
You do not want it soggy, Grandma would religiously remind Maa every time, that would ruin the fun of the dish.
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To try  recipe, temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
This is the story of Grandma. And her fierce love This is the story of Grandma. And her fierce love for rice. Not just rice, any new harvest. Any fresh produce of the soil. Her soil. As she would proudly assert.
Wasting rice in our growing-up years was never an option. Not even a single grain. This is the labour of love. She would remind Dada and me whenever we fussed about food. This is the culmination of months of back-breaking labour. Respect the grain. Respect the farmer.

Cut to the present. My chire has just arrived. Ordered online and delivered at the doorstep by a logistics company. I am blissfully ignorant of what rice went in to prepare this chire. And the farmer shall remain an unacquainted stranger to me. As would his family who possibly helped as well.
Food has reduced, I ruminate, to being impersonal, hasnt it, the consumer and the producer separated by more degrees than my mind can decipher. The price I guess for the comforts of modern life.
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To read more and  try chirer doodpuli , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #makarsankranti #creatingmemories #foodthatheals
Of late, Grandma would occasionally give in to sna Of late, Grandma would occasionally give in to snatches of emotional upheavals. Reminiscing more and more of her home in sylvan Sylhet.
Chachi was our neighbour. Born in Bikrampur near Dhaka. Married to a trader family in Sylhet. She brought with her to Sylhet the delectable Bibikhana Pitha from her home town. And every year she would lovingly welcome winter, the new harvest, the fragrant rice and the notun gur with her Bibikhana Pitha.
So here it is, the incredibly delicious Bibikhana Pitha. From Bikrampur in Bangladesh. 
Bliss !!! 
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If you want to try this recipe , temporary recipe link is updated in bio ❤️
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#dessert #sweettooth #storiesofkolkata #calcuttacacophony #foodphotography #acreativevisual #nostalgia #india_undiscovered #official_photography_hub #canonphotography #eeeeeats #foodblogfeed #photographers_of_india #theuncommonbox #foodie #eatseasonal  #gastronomad_m #foodphotography #tv_foodlovers #foodpornography #foodtalkindia #photooftheday #foodporn #sankranti #desi_diaries #capturingmagic #wearebengal #eatseasonal #winter  #cherishedmemories #glutenfree #creatingmemories
Maa’s delectable Koi Komola. A riot on the pala Maa’s delectable Koi Komola. 
A riot on the palate. A throwback to all those weekends in Assam where koi was available aplenty during winters.
Enjoy before the orange season is over !!!

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Recipe link is there in bio.
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 #food52 #tv_foodlovers #calcuttacacophony #capturethemoment #foodstagram #foodstyling #homemade #bengalilunch @hautescuisines #indianfoodbloggers #foodpornography #photooftheday #gastronomad_m #kolkatabuzz @india_undiscovered #fish #theuncommonbox #foodtalkindia #kolkatadiaries #acreativevisual #kolkatafoodsutra #storiesofkolkata #glutenfree #official_photography_hub #indianshutterbugs #styleonmytable #bengalifood  @onlyinbengal @bengal_undiscovered #foodphotography #foodart #homemade #winter #orange

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