Spot Light

Radio recollections

When it comes to the evolution of the radio in Bangladesh, there are few that would know more than Ashraf-Uz-Zaman Khan, who has been involved in this medium since its inception in the 1940's, and has been with it during its rise, fall and rebirth.

Ashraf was one of the 16 employees selected by the British authorities of the time. He joined as Programme Assistant at the Calcutta relay station of All India Radio in 1940. To quote Ashraf, "Radio was the major source of entertainment for the elite class in those days. At that time the aim of radio was to extend support to culture, including music and theatre. My field was music. News was broadcast from the Delhi station. We also relayed BBC programmes in those days."

The early days with All India Radio are still etched in Ashraf's memory. Many music exponents of the Sub-continent like Sachin Dev Burman, Pankaj Mallick, Angur Bala, Indu Bala, Manobendra Mukhopadhyay and other noted singers regularly performed in the musical programmes he produced. In his hey days he had the experience of recruiting renowned musicians like Kanika Bandyopadhyay, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay.

Ashraf-Uz-Zaman informed that the programme patterns in those days were different. In those days both Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti were also regarded as modern songs. Moreover, radio had to broadcast live performances from theatre halls, as recording systems in studios were unavailable then. As a result they took advantage of live broadcast of theatre performances of professional theatre troupes of Kolkata such as Natyamandir, Star and Minarva Theatre in Calcutta, which staged Bangla plays. To quote Ashraf, "The plays continued throughout the night and using telephone wires we transferred the performance to the relay station. From the station we aired the live stage plays. We used live acoustics at the relay station as fillers between the scenes."

After the Partition, Ashraf joined the then Pakistan Radio as the Director (programme). The programme patterns and the government's approach to broadcasting changed. "Broadcasting of Tagore songs was banned for three months by the then Pakistan government. Later, they allocated 15 minutes to broadcast Tagore songs each day. Genres like bhajan and kirtan were totally banned. Live broadcast of stage plays were not possible as no professional theatre troupes were available at that time. It created opportunities for the younger generation, however.

"Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, a few others, and I began writing lyrics to fill up the vacuum. Later, we began working on radio plays and I wrote a good number of them, which I still do."

Ashraf retired as the Director General (DG) of Bangladesh Radio in 1972. Commenting on a memorable incident during his kaleidoscopic journey at different positions of radio, Ashraf says, "In 1971, I was the Regional Director of Pakistan Radio. It was scheduled to broadcast the historic speech of 7th March delivered by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, live.

Ashraf was the co-ordinator of the first talent hunt, titled Nabokallol. Many renowned singers of the country came in to the spotlight. "Singers like Abdul Hadi, Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya, Subir Nandi and others were introduced through the programme.”

By Ershad Kamol

Tangy & Healthy

By and large, it is true that our traditional dishes, although very delicious, are not necessarily healthy. These dishes are high in sugar content and usually deep fried or cooked in oil or fat. Universal medical wisdom generally lays down five basic rules for a healthy diet. They are:

1) Low sugar
2) Low fat (lean cuts, lesser fried foods)
3) High fibre
4) Green and yellow fruits and vegetables (as antioxidants)
5) Low salt

In the stressful world that we live in, and the sedentary lifestyle that most of us have wittingly or unwittingly adopted, it is imperative to maintain a right balance in our food habits. With this backdrop in mind, I have attempted to provide a few recipes for a comprehensive menu retaining the traditional flavour and at the same time being mindful about the requirements of a health-conscious person.

I have sought to strike a balance between the palate and nutritional requirements, and hope that connoisseurs of our traditional dishes will acquire a taste for these recipes after savouring them a few times.

The following recipes are suitable for all persons. Whatever we eat, we must all have a sizeable intake of seasonal fruits and vegetables to bolster our immune system and detoxify our bodies.

VEGETABLE JUICE
Ingredients:
Tomatoes 3
Celery 7
Carrots (unpeeled) ½ lb
Horseradish (peeled) 1 piece
Coarse salt ¼ tsp
Lemon juice (fresh) 2½ tsp

Method:
Press the vegetables through an electric juicer one by one.
Stir in salt and lemon juice.
Strain vegetable mixture through a fine sieve.
Serve with lemon wedges.
Per serving: 140cal; 1g fat; 32g carbohydrate; 5g protein; 401mg sodium; 0g fiber, 0mg cholesterol.

LENTIL SOUP
Ingredients:
Mugh Dal ¾ cup
Channa Dal ¼ tbsp
Onions (chopped) 1
Tomatoes 1
Green chilli (chopped) 1
Ginger (grated) 1” piece
Coriander leaves (chopped) 2 tbsp
Lemon juice (fresh) 2 tsp
Canola oil 2 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Hing (asafoateda) 1
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Mix the two types of dal, wash thoroughly and soak in water for about 1 hour.
Add dal, onions, tomato, ginger, green chili and the powders to 3-4 cups of water in a skillet.
On medium heat, cover ¾ of the skillet and cook till dal softens (approx. 20 minutes).
Stir vigorously to mix the dals well and obtain a thick consistency.
Remove from heat and mix the lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Optional: heat some oil and add the hing (asafoateda), then mix with the lentil soup.
Note: Fat and cholesterol free.

HEALTHY NAAN
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour 1½ cups
White flour ½ cup
Dry yeast 2 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Black cumin seeds
Salt (to taste)

Method:
the yeast with ½ cup lukewarm water and set aside for 10 minutes.
Mix salt with the whole wheat and white flour and slowly pour in the oil and yeast-water mix.
Mix gradually adding just enough water to make a soft dough (it should not be sticky)
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (it should leave the sides of the bowl clean).
Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for about 2 hours.
the dough again, divide into 10-12 balls and roll them out into ¼” thick circles
Sprinkle some black cumin seed on the naan.
Bake in an oven at 400° F for 8-10 minutes.
Naan can also be cooked on a skillet over a low fire with no oil.

CHICKEN TANDOORI
Ingredients:
Chicken pieces 8 (approx. 1½kg)
Fat-free yogurt 1 cup
Ginger 1 piece
Garlic 8 cloves
Lemon juice 3 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder ½ tsp
Vinegar 1½ tsp
Salt (to taste)

Method:
Blend all ingredients together and marinate chicken for 6 hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator.
Bake chicken pieces at 350° F (or barbeque) for 30 minutes or until golden brown (turning the pieces over once).
Note: Healthy because no oil is used.

BANANA VELVET ICE CREAM
Ingredients:
Bananas 200g
Fat-free yogurt 150ml (5 fl oz)

Method:
Cut the bananas into thin slices, place them in a plastic box and freeze.
Blend the frozen banana slices in a food processor with the fat-free yogurt.
Serve immediately for a soft creamy dessert, or freeze and serve later as ice cream.
Per serving: 60 Kcal; 10g carbohydrate.

Photo: Amirul Rajiv