Room Conversation, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.31–33 – February 26, 1973, Jakarta

Puffed rice, how to cook it?

Prabhupada:

[hums softly] Hmm. What is your philosophy of life?

Guest (1): Philosophy of life. How do you mean by that?

Prabhupada: Philosophy means why you are working, why you are living, what is the purpose.

Guest (1): We are working for forefathers; I have been working also. We just follow the same tradition.

Prabhupada: Still, there must some why. Why your forefathers they work and they die? So do you think that is the only philosophy, to work and die? That is being done by the animals also. They work and die.

Guest (1): Then one should be true.

Prabhupada: That is another thing. First thing is, why you are working? What is the purpose of working? If the purpose of working is to work hard and then die, finished, then where is the difference between the animals and the men? They are also working, day and night. Cats, dogs, hogs. Then after some time they die, without knowing the purpose of life.

Then where is the difference between the cats, dogs, hogs and general human beings? This question does not arise in the modern civilization. Everyone is thinking, "Yes, it is the same." But they're lying on the street, we're lying on a very nice apartment, bedstead. This is our profit.

Srutakirti: Srila Prabhupada, it will take about a half hour to get the puffed rice.

Prabhupada: No, no. Then you give me little fruit or...

Srutakirti: Fruits?

Prabhupada: You have got that sliced? Bread sliced? No.

Srutakirti: Slices of bread, I have them here.

Prabhupada: That last one.

Devotee: The one we made last, the good one.

Guest (1): Puffed rice [Hindi].

Prabhupada: [Hindi] In Bombay it is made. Somebody told me that he make at his home. They do it at home.

Guest (1): It is called rice.

Prabhupada: Puffed rice, yes. In Bengal we call muri. It is very popular, staple food for ordinary..., or I say everyone. In Bengal village, it is very popular because they're rice eaters. From rice they make this puffed rice. So they're taking it in the morning, puffed rice mixed with molasses and cheese. It makes very good combination.

Similarly... Puffed rice must be there, and fruits, like mango, banana, little molasses and cheese, mixed together. It is very nice palatable dish. This jackfruit... Puffed rice is the vehicle for eating all this. Or if these things are not available, then mix with ghee, little, and salt, pepper and, what is called? Cucumber.

Guest (1): Cucumber...

Prabhupada: Khira, khira. You know khira?

Guest (1): No, I have been only once to India. Then also ten years ago.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Guest (1): Puffed rice, what is it called?

Prabhupada: In Bombay it is called kumura.

Guest (1): Kumura.

Prabhupada: You are in a different world.

Guest (1): Yes. Is it Bengali food though? In Bombay also?

Prabhupada: Yes. This puffed rice is used all provinces.

Guest (1): All provinces.

Prabhupada: All provinces, especially in Bombay and Bengal. I think everywhere-in Madras, U.P. In U.P. it is called bhujiya, chaval chana bhujiya.

Guest (1): Channa we have.

Prabhupada: No. Channa... That is called chaval. Puffed rice means chaval. From grains we have got varieties of foods. Grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar, we can make at least four hundred, five hundred varieties.

Guest (1): From rice.

Prabhupada: No. From grains.

Guest (1): From grains.

Prabhupada: In the Marwari community is..., that, what is called, channa, channa. Channa and ghee, they can make varieties of preparations. Channa powder, chickpea flour, besan, besan. You know besan? Yes. From besan they make so many varieties. And besan, ghee and sugar.

Guest (1): Puffed rice, how to cook it?

Prabhupada: Puffed rice itself is cooked food.

Guest (1): It's cooked food.

Prabhupada: Yes. Rice, puffed, fused. Not fused; puffed.

Guest (1): Boiled.

Prabhupada: No, it is not boiled.

Guest (1): So we get it...

Prabhupada: It's a rough quality rice. It is not made from fine quality rice.

Guest (1): Unpolished.

Prabhupada: Unpolished, rough quality rice. It is washed nicely, then mixed with little salt, then it is fried, then it is... They know the temper, fried, then they get it out. In Bengal they make. My mother used to do it. Then on sand bath, hot sand, you put this prepared hot rice and puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, it becomes puffed. And then you take it out. And then mesh it, to get out of the sand. Then you cook it.

It is cooked in sand bath, hot sand. All this bhujiya, bhujiya, grains, in India there is professional maker. You... They have got hot sand always ready. You take some grains, and then you put in the hot sand and put, put, put, put, put, put, then they mesh it, return it packed-two paisa, three paisa.

Even in Punjab, I think. I think you have seen also, they take the dough for professional bread maker. The householder, they make the dough and took to a shopkeeper, and they make the bread. You haven't got to take the trouble of making bread. What is called that? Big, big bread?

Devotee: Big bread.

Guest (1): Capati?

Prabhupada: No. Capati is different. Punjabis.

Guest (1): Papad.

Prabhupada: No, not papad. You have got papad?

Guest (1): Yes. Very good

Prabhupada: Take papad. Not now; at lunchtime.

Guest (1): Lunchtime.

Devotee: Papad.

Prabhupada: [Hindi] So you can come at night?

Devotee: [offers obeisances] [end]