LAALE JHOLE MURGI

"Pakhi Shob Korey Rob Rati Pohailo, Kanone Kusumkoli Shokoli Futilo"..... our mom used to recite this and many more when we were this little. This particular phrase means see the birds are chirping, at the end of a long night, it's the morning.... it is the time for flowers to bloom. We were early risers and I am that till date. I enjoy watching the same rising sun each morning, the chirpy birds say come, sing along. Nature is my first love and I am in a lifelong relationship with it. I keep on telling my senior we will have an one-roomed wooden house deep in the forest. His answer would be... "there is no wifi in the woods, is it ok for you?" I say, "you need not be sarcastic always, a wish is just a wish." We agree to disagree in almost all matters except for one thing. Few years back we agreed on one thing... I told after retirement we will have a small, cosy guest house in Puri ..... he answered it is not a bad idea. I love that place not because it is a pilgrimage for the Hindus, but as a whole.... the prawn farming at Chilka, enjoying the variety of fried fish sitting at the beach, khaja and chanapora and the sarees..... Oh you are spoilt for choices when it comes to sarees there, my most favourite is cotton Bomkai. I do love visiting the age-old temple each morning of my stay there, yet disagree with the temple management about certain rules. My parents visit Puri every year in February and stays there for fifteen long days.

Last evening, I suddenly fell seriously ill and was missing our mom .... how she took care of us when we fell sick .... I cannot be jealous of my brother also as I love him too much. It is this mother who cooks and serve me a plate full of my favourites till date when her daughter is nearing half century. It was this mother who sat for four long hours under a tree in the university campus when her married daughter was appearing for the bachelor of education examination. I literally had to scold her .... mani please do not peep through the window, the invigilator will think you are passing me cheat papers. After all these, if someone expects that you should leave and forget all that your parents have done for you just because you have changed home; problem is yours, not mine. To call a stranger's place your home, we need time and the correct treatment.... been abusive does not help. If the girl is of my nature, she definitely is going to be totally non-cooperative. To mothers of a girl child.... pamper your daughters enough.... they may not get the same later in life. You must also teach them to expect less and be accommodative, which our mom has not taught me. I scold her for that. I will do injustice to my senior if I say he did not take care of me last night, in fact I wish to be sick more often and enjoy all the adulation. Now, I am a son's mother, I do not know how I would be as a mother-in-law; these generation kids would not allow to abuse!

In the bygone days, our Sunday lunch would be light chicken curries, spinach, dal. Mutton would come once a month or twice. I and my brother waited for the Sunday lunch with chicken or mutton. For a middle-class family as ours, things were like this.... if one day was hilsa for us .... next two days would be 'chara pona' .... an inexpensive small variety of fish I crave for till date..... three Sundays would be for chicken and one would be for mutton. I look for offers while in the super market because I am our parent's daughter ..... I will buy a Gucci only when it has a 70% discount offer.... My less accommodative nature gets me find solace in a good read or engage myself in the kitchen to cook for my two chopsticks.... may be a simplistic chicken curry just the way my mother did. Someday, I may get some innovations. Laale Jhole Murgi means a red Chicken Curry we will prepare together now using the red, long chilli peppers! I love it with piping hot steamed rice or plain chapati! What about you?

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken : 1kg [standard cut]

Big Long Chilli Pepper : 4-5
Tomato : 2 [medium]
Onion : 2 [medium, sliced]
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tbsp 
Garlic Paste : 2tbsp
Ginger Paste : 1tsp
Coriander Powder : 2 tsp
Cumin Powder : 1 tsp
Salt : As Required
Turmeric Powder : 1tsp
Lemon Juice : 2-3 tbsp
Bay leaf : 1

Cinnamon Stick : 2-3 smaller sticks

Green Cardamom : 3-4

Clove : 3-4
Oil : 5-6 tbsp [authentically mustard]

METHOD :

Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly, rub with some salt, wash away after an hour. 

Marinate them again with lemon juice, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli pepper paste, ginger+garlic paste. Rub well, cover and keep aside for an hour.

Heat the oil in a wok and temper with a bayleaf, cinnamon sticks+green cardamon+cloves. Add the sliced onions and fry till crisp brown. 

Add the chicken with the marinade, fold in well and fry at high heat for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to the minimum and cover.

Every few minutes remove the cover & stir! After some 20-25 minutes,  remove the cover!

After 30-35 minutes of cooking, add the pre washed, chopped tomatoes, cumin+coriander+red chilli powders. Fold in well and cover cook for another 10 minutes at low heat stirring in between.

Remove the cover, the water should dry up by now, add 2 big cups of water and let boil for about 10-12 minutes. We should be done!

Transfer to a bowl, serve hot with piping hot rice or with your choice of bread.