Chire Bhaja/Roasted Flat Rice

One very important advice for those who are about to leave their native land and move to some other place...do create an urge to enquire about the availability of your choice of food there and learn to cook those foods which you love or like to eat. Otherwise my dear...you are destined to have some tough time. But adaptation is a very unique characteristic of the human nature and at times are best capable of fetching the best out of you.
Unable to find a tea time snack one day...I accidentally discovered how to make Chire Bhaja. It is one of the most popular tea time snack of the bengalis that are abanduntly availble in Kolkata but unfortunately I did not carry a single piece with me here. I have tried and tasted dishes of other cuisines here, which introduced me to a lot of new dishes, flavors and herbs and spices...but finally "Mera Bharat Mahan Hain" is what conquered here too. Of course Pastas, Pizzas and rissotos are tasty and savory dishes, and one day I might share those recipes with you when I will again have the urge to prepare and eat them but nothing comes close to my Indian dishes. Be it the desserts or the appetizers or the green veggies. And I think chicken, mutton or any kind of meat do not become fully flavored until its accompanied with Indian spices. But today is the time of Chire Bhaja and lets start with that.



Chire Bhaja
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 250gm chire
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 1/4 cup pistachios - halved
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 4tbsp oil - no flavor
• 12-15 curry leaves
• 1/3 onion- chopped
• 1 green chili - chopped
• a handful of chanachur
• salt
• ground pepper
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds

Method:

• Dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds. Let them cool and keep aside.
• In a pan pour the oil and heat it up.
• Then put the whole 250gm chire in it. Make sure that every piece of the chire is properly fried with the oil. If you just sauté the chire in a little oil they will not become like wafer and will remain hard and will hurt the tongue while chewing.
• Do not brown them. You will know the chire is fried when it will puff a bit.
• Put them over a tissue paper so that the excess oil is soaked.
• Now in the same pan heat 1 tsp oil.
• Put the nuts and raisins and sauté a little.
• Then put the curry leaves. 
• After 5 seconds of their spluttering put the chire that we have kept aside.
• Stir well so that the nuts and raisins are properly mixed with the chire.
• Put a tissue paper in a bowl and pour the roasted chire on it.
• Let it cool.
• In the mean time grind the dry roasted cumin and coriander seeds.
• Mix the chire with salt, pepper and the ground spices.
• Serve or store them when they are cooled.
• Serve with chopped onion, green chilies and a little chanachur sprinkled over it.