Kolkata may have fallen off the map for nature lovers. It's a wonder that this heavily polluted city with shrinking greenary and almost no water body is still attractive enough for enough guests that fly thousands of miles to visit us every year and it proves that we humans have not succeeded entirely in driving these avians away from our city.
Its heartening to read about Big Bird Day, an annual one-day census of avian life. The census was to give bird lovers and conservationists an idea of the diversity of species still present in these urban areas and what can be done to save bird habitats so that we can protect all existing species of birds. If birds do not find food sources and safe places for building nests how will they survive. Humans will loose the joy's of observing bird life and so the need to increase awareness. The construction boom in and around the city has spelt doom for avian existence. The dwindling population of the common Mynah like the house sparrow is worrisome as trees are almost non-existent in our concrete jungles. These birds that used to nest in ventilators and airconditioners are dwindling in numbers. Also urbananisation has pushed us away from mother nature. Green areas are only visible in patches. I have been fortunate to have spent most of my life living in places that have a lot of vegetation and have been fortunate to be able to watch nature from close quarters. Observing nature has given me great pleasure.
In the past years that I have lived in Kolkata I observed birds from my window as they went about doing their own business-foraging for food, indulging in courtship or preening . Some of them crying out to others to draw attention. I have a common crow that visits my kitchen window for a biscuit every morning and a pair of Mynah who keep knocking on my dinning room windowpane till I feed them Haldiram's Bhujia !!!
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| Birds that love to have only Sev |
These birds seem to be making do with a few green patches but their numbers have reduced and they are dieing a slow death.
Papdi Chaat :
For Papdi :
1 cup Refined Flour (Maida)
1/4 tsp Bishops Weed/carom Seeds
1 tbsp Ghee or oil
Water for kneading
1 cup oil (for deep frying
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| My Haldiram Bhujia Friends |
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| Common Myna Pic by My Friend Partho Chatterji How to Make Papdi Chaat :
This is an appetizer or a snack that is every Kolkatan's favourite.
Everything is available in packets now days in the markets. All you need is to get them home and assemble them. This dish doesn't need any finery or finishing.
Most Chaat-walas on the street of Kolkata would just spread the papdis on a newspaper or paper dish. Throw all ingredients in a bowl and toss together. Then spread the mix on the papdi. Top with Sev and serve. But at home I do it differently.
The sweet chutney and curd drizzled over a bed of Papdi and topped with various other tid-bits make this dish a delicious Chaat. Various combinations can be used in this preparation.
Spread the Papdi's on a dish. Top with Boiled potato, cut into very tiny cubes.
You can add boiled Chick peas, Peanuts, Thick Papdi, Thick Sev .......whatever you like.
Beat fresh curd well and add salt and sugar to it as per your taste. Drizzle it all over .
Next drizzle some chutney. You can make date-tamarind sweet chutney with jaggery and also green chutney with mint -coriander and tamarind.
Top with sev. Zero number sev is best for garnishing papdi chaat. Its very fine. You can add crumbled papdi as well.
Some ladies add finely chopped green chillies and coriander leaves.
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How to make Papdi:
Just in case you decide to make the papdi yourself..........
Take a mixing Bowl and put all ingredients in it and knead to a stiff dough. Cover and keep the dough for 15 minutes.Then make equal size balls from the dough.With a Rolling pin make small rounds and keep aside on a dish.On each round make small cuts with a knife all over. The small rounds called Papdi will not soak up a lot of oil because of this. Heat the oil in a deep pan and when hot fry the papdi's on low heat, pressing with a spoon while frying. When golden remove and cool. The crisp Papdi's can be stored in an air-tight container for quite some time.
I often prepare Sev at home and store. They are very easy to prepare and I will tell you all about it in my future note. If not in a mood to make a chaat you can serve them as a snack
with your tea or coffee. Not only my kids my mynas too are a big fan of my home made sev......ha ha ha.....
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| My Favourite Papdi chaat shop |
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