Chatpata Nimbu Pani (Spicy Lemon Juice)

 Today I am going to draw a short line and writing a very small post. Last few months were quite hectic for me. We got semi-shifted to our new nest in Rajarhaat. Semi-shifted, yes I used the term as we are only visiting here during my daughter's holidays. Till now it is quite difficult for us to commute to her school from here. Therefore staying here means a complete leisure busy time for me. I had to do all the household work here, though have a maid who comes and makes the house neat and clean by swiping and wiping it. I had to cook the four meals, didn't get a single time to sit with my second love, my lappy. Had to give my sole hours to the lil one who would never leave her mamma for a single second as for her this was the vacation time where we would only play and play and play. I also cherish this time where I can take a complete break from my personal professional work. And completely enjoy a homemaker's duty and a mom's duty (Ah, which I do always but at the same time I proudly enjoy the free spirit of a working lady too on the other days). Here we have just arranged the minimum requirements that make a life happy and perfect. A Washing Machine, a Micro-oven, a refrigerator and a mattress and we three are madly happy to enjoy the holidays here without all those extra gadgets that now a day have taken the pleasure of simple living. We enjoy in the pool, we run on the green and live a life totally unaware of the humdrum of the polluted, populated city life. I don't know how long this place will be so peaceful but at least few years can be a boon to have some time escaped from the city life. Ooopps.. I said that it would be a small post and see how much I pulled so far… Ok now let us cheers to the glasses of the Chatpata Nimbu Pani (Spicy Lemon Juice) to make life little bit cooler in this unbearable summer season. My daughter is very fond of Lemon juice. So every day she wants a glass of lemon juice to beat the heat. So this time I made a little variation to give it nice tasty twist. And no need to say she enjoyed it till the bottom and demanded for a next glass. Happy me here sharing the recipe.

Chatpata Nimbu Pani (Spicy Lemon Juice)

 Ingredients:

 (Measurement given for 1  tall normal drinking Glass)

Lemon Juice: Out of 2 medium size Lemon

Chat Masala -  1/2 tspn (I used MDH)

Sugar - 2 & 1/2 tspn (More or less)

Salt/ Black Salt- 1/4 tspn

Mint Leaves - 2-3 sprigs

Chilled Water: 1 tall normal drinking Glass

 Method:

1. Squeeze the lemon juice out of the lemons. Add sugar and rest it for few minutes till the sugar granules get dissolved.
2. Add all the other ingredients except the mint leaves. Stir nicely. Taste if more sugar or salt is needed.
3. Crushed the mint leaves in-between  your palms  and add in the juice.  Add some ice (Optional) and serve to soothe your quenched throat in this unbearable summer season.

Sending this to the ongoing event of the Kolkata Food Bloggers:

Celebrating Shubho Naba Barsho (Happy Bengali New Year) with Strawberry Mango Lassi

Dear Friends, on this auspicious occasion of Bengali New year, I would like to share few of my childhood memories which are engraved in my heart so deeply that every year on this very day I feel profoundly nostalgic and sad to get those days back.

I always felt exceedingly blessed when I thought that I had completed my education from Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, a place founded by Rabindranath Tagore. The natural beauty of the place infuses its elegance through the mode of education. The freedom of creativity and ideas always evince through the various festivals celebrated on the auspicious occasions of special calendar events. During my school days this Bengali New Year celebration used to start a week back. Those days are crystal clear to me. I can still visualise the little girl holding her mother’s or father’s hand heading towards the crafts shop to buy a bunch of white blank cards with full of excitement. The next few days passed within a fraction of moment with full concentration on filling the blank cards with all those imaginary creative mentation. In our school the best part of Naba Barsho (New Year in bengali) celebration is the exchange of these self-created cards. Each and every student used to create cards by his/her own hand and would gift it to his/her friends or would make friends by exchanging the cards. The new day becomes emblematic for inviting new friends, divulging one’s talent through the cards and a learning process of acculturation. Now coming at this age I realise the hidden truth of the festivity. But then that was only a satiated fun to amplify the friends’ group and also an exhibition of talents. Self-written short poems used to be scripted in the cards too.

Another fun of this day was to stand in a long queue in the scorching heat only to get a Kachori and two sweets. In our school premise this snack used to be distributed to the students on this day. These most common bites used to become too tasty and sumptuous only on this very day. Now I am never going to get back those days, the tastes. Only what I have the fragrance of the sweet retention and an urge to make alive few of those memories through my daughter. My father has few of those New Year cards made by my sister and me in his collection. Sometime I will surely share those with you all.

On this festive occasion let me give all my friends a treat with a very simple, common and refreshing drink- Mango Lassi with strawberries. I will be sending this refreshment to Indrani’s "Summer foods & drinks" event.

Ingredients:-

Mango Pulp-1 cup

Yoghurt-1/2 cup

Cold Water- ½ cup

Sugar 4tbsp

Chopped Strawberries- ½ cup
Chocolate syrup and Chocolate pop sticks to decorate

Method:-

Mix Mango pulp, yoghurt, sugar and water nicely. Pour in strips the chocolate syrup by the side of the Serving Glass. Place the chopped strawberries in the bottom of the glass. Pour the Mango lassi in it and serve with chocolate pop sticks. You can also add chopped nut and pudina /mint leaves instead of strawberry and chocolate pop sticks.

At end I would like to apologise for the inconvenience you all faced for the non-published post Chicken Biriyani. I was preparing a draft for the post and mistakenly published it instead of saving it. Once again I am sorry for the botheration.