Street Food: Bhapa Pitha (Steamed Rice cakes)

It has been four months since my last post...life has been taking over a bit. But, I am back with another addition to the Street Food series!!

Today's is Bhapa Pitha! Its a bit out of season since these vendors are out during the winter months and right now its is HOT!! What are Bhapa Pithas? It is rice flour steamed with jaggery. It's incredibly soft and pillow-y when steamed right and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy when you bite into hot off the oven. What's even more interesting is --this is one of those very rare items that are solely sold by women on the streets! Whether its a tiny makeshift stove by the roadside or a cart by the park...it is almost always by a women steaming away the cakes.

I always find the compactness of the street vendors amazing. Everything is at their fingertips and ready to pick and go in a matter of mins. For this particular item one requires a portable fire, a metal pot with a built in steamer, small disc plates and rice flour (boiled), salt, jaggery (date palm) and shredded fresh coconut. One just needs to mix the flour and salt and spread on plate. Add shredded cocnut and spoonful of jaggery in the middle, cover with a muslin or thin cloth and steam away for few mins.

Thats it! Each one costs about Tk.5 - thats about $0.07 !!!

Street Food: Chanachur

The pot has hot coal in it to keep the crunches crunchy!
The tomatos act as a barrier too.
The whole thing is so light he can carry it around on his head.

I love Bangladeshi street food. It always just hits the spot. But, it isn't for weak stomachs!! Last posts have been about the ultimate favorite Fuchka and Chotpoti, today's is on a another very popular snack, Chanachur. Chanachur wallas are mobile and carry everything with them whereever they go. They can be found in parks and public places where there is a gathering. An interesting thing about them is that they sing to advertise, hopefully next time I can catch a video of it.

Chanachur is fried chickpeas dough in spices then mixed up with mustard oil, puffed rice, peanuts and tomato salad (cilantro, onion, green chili). Its cruncy, spicy, tangy, salty and everything to keep the palate entertained for a few mins!

The back part of the basket is the makeshift kitchen, how compartmentalized! The tomato salad is pre-prepared, the mustard oil, and the tumbler to shake and mix it all together.

Another interesting point to make for street food, it produces no waste. It is fantastic to see so much recycling in Dhaka. The chanachur wallas sell their fare in pouches made from newspaper scraps! Is it hygencic? Umm, probably not, but hey, street food in any country is a little adventurous!

So, you happen to be by Dhaka and hanging with your buddies at the park, call a chanachur walla and share a pouch!

Mushed Eggplant (Begun Bharta)

Eggplant is an incredible vegetable that creates delicious dishes in all cultures. It is, in fact, one of my most favorite vegetables...its tastes wonderful whether in curry, grilled, baked or smushed! Here is the way I prefer it most with just some roti or plain rice - you don't need anything else. It's got a distinct eggplant flavor, spicy, tangy and just a whole lot of delicious flavors that slowly blooms in your mouth.

You can start with any eggplant, the big round ones are in season now and available plenty in the bazaar so that's what I used this time but thinner long eggplants work too. Oh, the green eggplants are very savory too.


Ingredients

1/2 an large round eggplant
1/2 sliced onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 dry red chilies
salt to taste
mustard oil to sautee


1. Heat about 2-3 tbsp. of mustard oil, add the onions and sautee till golden and translucent.

2. Add the garlic and cook through. The oil will foam, it is normal.

3. Add the dry red chilis in the oil and let gently roast till it puffs up slightly.

4. Stick the half eggplant on a fork and char roast over an open flame. Blacken it completely till it is cooked inside.

5. Let the eggplant cool and gently remove the burnt skin.

6. Place in clean bowl and add the mustard oil, onion, garlic and chili and smush and mash it all together. Add salt to taste.

Thats it!!

The same onion, garlic, chili and mustard oil mix can be used to make other smashed vegetables like roasted pumpkin, boiled beans, boiled potatoes, fresh coriander leaves (gently fry it in the oil and use a blender with tiny bit of water to puree it), fried fish...there are no limits.

Mustard oil is a staple in a bengali kitchen mainly used in bhartas and fish curry. It should be only used with vegetables and fish, meats are not that tasty at all with it. Its also used in many snacks like puffed rice and tomato dish...that's another recipe!

Mustard oil is like vinegar or soy sauce, there can be many grades or types. Fresh ones or good ones have a very strong smell and a spicy odor, older oils have a faint odor and much more tame spice. The best flavor comes from the stronger oils.

Mustard oil can be found for consumption and body oil-a little odd yes, but its a natural heating agent. So, its a great oil to use for winter and applied to the body in the winter naturally heats the skin keeping you warm. But, the pungent odor and staining can hamper a regular lifestyle ;)

More on mustard oils on another post and some natural remedies with it!

Enjoy!

Butter Baked Cabbage

I found this recipe on the Open Source Food network. It was from a guy in Japan named Theory that gave the chemistry behind this that was very interesting and made it all the more enticing to try it out. Here is a link to his post: Butter Baked Cabbage (Posted using ShareThis)

Baked Cabbage

1 whole cabbage (quartered - leave core intact)
Water to boil
Star anise
Cardamom
Cloves
Salt
Black pepper

(Preheat oven to grill)

1. Boil water with spices (star anise, cardamom, cloves).

2. Boil the cabbage in the water until cooked through.

3. Place the cabbage in an oven proof dish, place a little bit of butter on the quarters, sprinkle some salt for taste and place in oven.

4. In about 10-15 mins the corners will slightly char-those are the best bits-when ready, take it out and sprinkle with black pepper.

We had it as a side dish to some chicken biryani and it was wonderful sweet delicate flavor contrasted to the strong spices of the biryani. This recipe is a must try!